July 2009

Nacho Nava bought CoCo, a standard Chihuahua, for Aden Habtemariam, his future wife, as a present. But the dog became depressed because it was alone when they went to work.

The veterinarian suggested getting another dog to keep it company.

Habtemariam met some people who had a new chihuahua pup and asked if there were more in the litter. They said one pup, Chili, was too sickly and would be a bad choice. Habtemariam said that she could nurse it back to health and contacted the breeder.

Chili the Tea Cup Chihuahua was four weeks old tiny and weak, but Habtemariam and Nava took the pup home. Their veterinarian gave them some medicine and changed her diet, and with a lot of loving care, she is now eight months old and 2.9 pounds.

Coco loves Chili and won't even go outside without her. The couple take the dogs everywhere including the mall. They use a stroller when dogs are not allowed so no one notices them.

Nava and Habtemariam used to take Coco to the movies but Chili is too noisy so the dogs have to watch movies at home. Both dogs like the movie Beverly Hills Chihuahua.

Dear Editor,

I was glad to see you haven’t discontinued the Editorial page and letters from the people. It is my favorite part of the Herald! (I sure miss Tim.)

I am beginning to feel like Alice in Wonderland, more and more every day!

First Mayor Nickels checks into the hotel early to beat the firefighters picket line so it doesn’t appear that he crossed the line, which of course he did! Obama didn’t go!

Then Grace Crunican of the Department of Transportation spends really big bucks (when they are always short of money for crosswalk safety and improvements) to look into what they have already done wrong!

Also Susan Hutchison doesn’t want to admit she’s a Republican or answer questions from the public at forums. Such arrogance!

And to top it off, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) wants Death with Dignity for dead salmon and flies! I rest my case.

Carol Longfellow
Admiral

(Editor's note: This letter was addressed to Governor Christine Gregoire. A copy was sent to this newspaper.)

Dear Gov. Chris Gregoire,

You wonder why you don’t get more money from the government? Well, let me say with all the road problems, not enough police for drug and gang enforcement, because you don’t have enough money to go around. You have backed the mayor of Seattle, Greg Nickels, to put in all the parks we don’t need, money to funnel into a tunnel we don’t need.

Keeping our viaduct, which is still in good shape-with a little refit it would last another 50 years.

Don’t you think the president, Barack Obama, hasn’t talked to the real people here when he visited? He knows what we want. Yet you funnel the tunnel.

The money’s being wasted. Nothing is as it was. You let fireworks be sold on the reservation that are illegal, so what should we do? Maybe if we show the taxpayers what has to be done instead of taking the easy road we can overcome our past mistakes.

Imagine the image in a fun house mirror. Those visual distortions are caused by the shape of the mirror. West Seattle toy inventor Myrna Hoffman saw something like this in an ancient chinese art form (called the Anamorphoscope) in the late 1980's when she was visiting a small museum near Harvard.

She was fascinated by the effect caused when a distorted image was restored to a clear one in the reflection that reversed the distorted shape. Her update on this became a reality when she created a hand drawn version of this art form for her daughter's birthday party.

After a few bends in the road she's become very successful creating what she calls Morph-O-Scopes. So successful, in fact, that Hoffman's invention has won more than 25 national awards, including the 2009 Toy Man Award of Excellence.

In 2001 she won Oxygen Media Build Your Own Business award.

Her process begins on the computer with piece of art that is scanned in and then taken through a program that produces the morphed image. Hoffman has 10 kits of images and the tools to color them and make them show up properly, including a circus kit, sports kit, dinosaur kit and a fairies fantasy kit.

On Tuesday, a teen and mom got into it in the 8300 block of 28th Northwest. The teen bit her mom in the back --hard enough to cause a bleeding injury. At the North Precinct, officers found marijuana in the girl's jacket pocket. She was booked into King County Jail for investigation of non-aggravated domestic violence assault and marijuana possession.

Another mother tracked her runaway daughter to a home in the 11000 block of Greenwood Avenue North last week. Because the girl is wanted on misdemeanor warrants, mom got on the phone to call officers to pick her up. But the girl grabbed a can of mace, sprayed mom, and took off southbound on Greenwood.

On July 13, just after 2 a.m., a man in his thirties walked into a Market Street. convenience store empty handed but ran out moments later with a pack of Bud Light.

Saturday July 11, around 4 p.m. in the 2000 block of Northwest Market, a businessman set his computer down on a table while he went up to the counter to buy a beverage. Two or so minutes later he returned to the table and discovered that someone had stolen his laptop bag and the laptop and checkbook that were inside.

Belly dancers and clothes draped outside vendors booths sparkled in the sun Saturday, July 18, during the 22nd Annual Mediterranean Fantasy Festival weekend at Hiawatha Park.

The event is co-sponsored by the Babylonian Ensemble, the Hiawatha Advisory Council and Seattle Parks and Recreation.

Dancers use stage names like "Zeheera," "Mohini Moon," "Shabibah" and 7-year-old "Butterfly," who earned a loud applause following her two solo dances.

Dozens of dancers and more than 70 vendors participated.

There is still time to attend, as the event runs 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday.

CLICK ONTO PHOTO FOR SLIDE SHOW

The annual West Seattle Hi-Yu parade entertained thousands of people along it's route with many special guests.

Former Project Runway contestant, and Hotwire Barista Blayne Walsh led the parade as grand marshal with special guests like J.P. Patches, Seattle City Council President Richard Conlin and King County Council member Dow Constantine walked the parade route down Calfornia Avenue.

Of course, Hi-Yu candidates were a feature in the parade and the Seafair Pirates entertained the crowd as usual.

Skateboarders and chowder enthusiasts alike convened on Ballard Commons Park July 18 for Toad and Salmon's Seattle Chowderbowl.

The Chowderbowl is a combination skateboard competition and chowder cook off that takes place in different city each year.

The event, which went from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., was free to the public and open to the first 50 skaters to register and the first 20 chowders to register.

Cash prizes were awarded to the winners of both competitions.

In an attempt to draw the community to the park and entertain volunteers, the band Tre Norske performed July 18 in Bergen Place.

Volunteers with Friends of Bergen Place were in the park for their monthly work party of weeding, cleaning and sprucing up.

The musical performance, which lasted from 10:30 a.m. to noon, drew more than just the volunteers to the park.

Peter Visser wandered over to check out the music after eating at Vera's on 22nd Avenue Northwest. He said it was nice, especially on a sunny day like Saturday.

Victoria Sangrey Hunter, with Friends of Bergen Place, said the group is working to get more performances, events and even a food vendor in the park.

She said she hopes to make people realize that the group isn't just talking about activating the park, but is actually doing it.

I can’t stop thinking about it. I’m finally going to get a garden that I can call my own! Alright, there will be a house on the lot, too – we’ll save the interior stuff for the cold rainy months, eh?

And, I mean, well, all of my past gardens were mine, I guess ~ when I was living in the many rental houses throughout my 25 “adult” years. Toronto, Vancouver, Seattle – but this one, it’s really gonna be mine. All. Mine.

Alright, ok, it’ll be the DH’s too!

Like a Phoenix rising from the ashes, we’ve got it together to start looking for a house to call our very own!

Which gets my mind reeling at the possibilities.

Maybe we’ll have four completely different gardens on all fours sides of the house. That way, I can go hang out in whatever garden suits my mood ~ Ha! What a fun thought!

We’ll definitely have a flower garden, full of lovely bulbs and perennials staged to bloom all year. We would love to have a big front porch to sit on and surround ourselves with flowering containers year-round.