Kick it up at Summer Celebration
Published 6:16 pm Monday, November 24, 2008
Our 17th annual parade Saturday jumpstarts Mercer Island’s Summer Celebration this weekend. About 60 entries and the “Gang Way” pirates begin cavorting at 10 a.m. at Albertson’s, snaking through downtown to Mercerdale Park. There’ll be drill, dance and cheer teams, vintage and hybrid cars, theatre groups, campaigners, dogs, Scouts, bands, Seafair and other organizations.
At the end of the parade (about 10 30 a.m.), Mayor Bryan Cairns will thank the MI Service organizations “In Celebration of Service” at the Mercer Island Plaza.
Camille Chrysler and her husband, Ray Kaltenbach, and their Mercerart dance troupe will celebrate 50 years of training dancers on the Island. Their enterprise began in the basement of their First Hill home, then moved to two studios that were bumped by freeway projects. Mercerart now is above Oh Chocolate, when it’s not performing at Carco Park, in Europe, San Francisco or other ports. Son Kai, now a Microsoft consultant, may join in. At 70, Camille still kicks one leg over her head, which you’ll see Saturday.
Hometown Heroes: Communities That Care Committee co-chairs Darcie Guyer and Penny Yantis; the Mercer Island HAM Radio Team; Citizens of the Year Margaret and Kenneth Quarles; Grand Marshall Don Web, who’s been in as many as 200 parades more than 15 years.
B.O.O.M. Pirate performances will be at 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Saturday and noon to 1 p.m. Sunday on the Windermere entertainment stage. Visit the Pirate Village for a hunt, games and artifacts. Chat with live pirates and get your photo taken.
Double the pleasure: MI Chamber of Commerce — and maybe the mayor — will sell ice cream bars to raise funds for the scholarship given each year to a DECA student. Look for the “good ice cream for a good cause” under the Haagen Daz umbrella by Bi-Centennial Park,” said Terry Moreman, chamber exec.
New this year: Fireworks and Luther Burbank activities have moved to Saturday night, beginning at 7. Or, watch the display by boat cruise. It boards at 8 p.m.
Flippin’ good time: MI Rotary Pooh-Bah Pirate Craig Clampitt oversees Sunday’s pancake breakfast at the entrance to the Recycling Center. He and 50 other Rotarians plan to flip a thousand pancakes from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Besides pancakes, there’ll be scrambled eggs, ham, orange juice and coffee for $5. Proceeds go to humanitarian projects. The grub is supplied by Albertson’s and Starbucks.
Hot cars — more than 100 vintage, hot rod and project cars will sparkle at the Farmers New World Life lot Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Edsels will perform live at noon at the Car Show, along with classic rock and roll.
A full schedule of Summer Celebration is in the lifestyle section, or at www.mercergov.org/ SectionIndex.asp?SectionID=61
People have their say: Owen Blauman tips his hat to Mercer Island Parks for the quick response in replacing the rotted posts along the Deck Lid Park near West Mercer Way. The posts, also damaged by a car accident, caused hazards to bikers and walkers. When the holes in the pavement were pointed out to Parks Director Pete Mayer, he made sure to get it fixed. “Nice to live where the city has such a quick response,” said Blauman.
Yet another topsy sign — heading east on North Mercer Way parallel to the city center just before 77th Ave. S.E. is an upside-down blue sign that reads: “Food, gas, lodging” that now points toward the water. Been awry for several weeks at least.
Adopt-a-ramp? Esther Schoenfeld wonders who’s responsible for cleanup on Interstate 90 freeway ramps?
“I’ve noticed for years how littered with plastic, paper and rubbish they are, and it seems to get picked up only a few times each year,” she said. The Washington State Department of Transportation said that departments of correction and ecology crews are co-opted for the job. Jim McBride WSDOT maintenance superintendent, says the Mercer Island ramps are swept on a routine basis to remove debris on the paved portion of the ramp. (Latest was June 21, but six times since February.) The planter beds on the overpasses at the top of the ramps and across I-90 are the responsibility of the city. Residents are invited to join the near 1,400 volunteer groups in the “Adopt-a-Highway” program, which tends 5,000 shoulder miles and gleans 600 tons of litter a year. For details, contact Helen Simmonds, (360) 705-7866, simmonh@wsdot.wa.gov
No agendas: Not running for office, not protesting, nor advertising a thing - three teenage girls were spotted last week holding signs at Island Crest Way and 40th Avenue Southeast that simply read: “LAUGH… LOVE… SMILE.”
Small world: Welcome new resident Yasmin Matta from Egypt, who recently graduated from the Cairo American College (high school) at the base of a pyramid at 8 a.m. Her grandmother, Hoda Greiss, an Island resident, watched the ceremony as temperatures crept to 100 within an hour. Hoda was instrumental in encouraging her granddaughter to come to our more moderate Pacific Northwest to attend the University of Washington and study teaching and psychology.
Early warning: The state health department requests we report dead crows or jays and get rid of standing water around our property to thwart nesting mosquitoes. The purpose is to abate and monitor for signs of West Nile virus, which health officials say could become active here, if Washington follows the trend of our neighboring states.
West Nile infection can be serious — even fatal — for some. The best protection is to avoid mosquito bites. While most people bitten by a mosquito carrying West Nile virus don’t become ill, some may have mild to severe flu-like symptoms. A small number may develop a serious neurological disease. People older than 50 and those with compromised immune systems are at greater risk.
Details are at 1-866-78-VIRUS or www.doh.wa.gov/WNV.
New eco-trend: About one in 10 shoppers at the Mercer Island QFC brings cloth satchels or buys them to bag their groceries, said a checker there.
Preparing minds for peace: Our sister island Bainbridge — does something worth considering. “Three Cups of Tea” has become the summer reading for book groups, students and the general public throughout Kitsap County. The goal is to engage the community in common reading during the summer, with discussion events in September. The book addresses counteracting extremism and terrorism by building schools, especially for girls, throughout the breeding grounds of the Taliban.
What book would Mercer Island pick?
Got news for Around the Island? Contact Nancy at nancybobhilliard@msn.com.
