By Lynn Porter

Around the Island

Directing traffic isn’t in Barbara Luther’s job description, but that didn’t stop her last week.

As traffic mounted from an accident at the intersection of S.E. 24th Street and 72nd Avenue S.E. last Wednesday, Luther kept her wits about her, according to her landlord Elizabeth Hardisty.

Luther, who lives on the Island part time, asked someone to call 911. She then stepped in and directed traffic — at rush hour — until emergency vehicles arrived, said Hardisty.

Two of the drivers were hurt — one suffered minor cuts on an arm and one had arm pain — in this three-car accident that occurred at 5:48 p.m., police reported. The first car went through the intersection and hit the second car, and the second car bounced and hit the third, police reported. The driver of the first car was cited for failing to obey traffic laws.

Hardisty was impressed with the quick thinking of Luther, a petite “no-nonsense” woman who rents a room from Hardisty part of the week.

“I was also impressed that even though she doesn’t live on the Island … that she would go out and just without a thought do what was necessary, stepping in front of traffic to make things work properly,” she said. “… You can just imagine the chaos.”

“She was a good citizen in the best sense of the word,” said Hardisty. “You know she needs a merit badge.”

Luther doesn’t think so.

“It’s just what people are supposed to do — it’s just part of the norm of safety,” said Luther, who feels she doesn’t deserve the attention.

In her other life, Luther, who commutes to Mercer Island each week from out of the area, is director of the Early World Montessori School on the Island. When she’s not doing that, she teaches earthquake preparedness and safety classes at schools and churches.

Doc lauded

On an entirely different note, Richard Kozarek, a gastroenterologist with Virginia Mason Clinic in Seattle, has been recognized for his work. The Mercer Island resident received the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy’s highest honor, the Richard Schindler Award.

The award is given to a member of the ASGE whose accomplishments in endoscopic research, teaching and/or service to the society exemplify the standards of Schindler, founder of the Gastroscopic Club, forerunner of the society.

Kozarek has pioneered many of the techniques in endoscopy of the bile duct and pancreas, making some surgeries unnecessary.

If all this sounds pretty weighty, let it be known that Kozarek doesn’t take himself too seriously. In fact, he refers to himself as “Dr. Butts and Guts” to put patients at ease and demystify some of their symptoms and tests that they must undergo.

Patients “are worried that either something bad is going to go on, that they have a bad problem or that they’ll go through a diagnostic or therapeutic procedure that is painful,” Kozarek said.

“It lightens the moment,” said Kozarek of his made-up moniker.

Have something you want in Around the Island, call Lynn Porter at 232-1215, or e-mail her at lynn.porter@mi-reporter.com.