We were having lunch at the Burien Elks club recently when we met Leo Macias. He worked for us when he was 10 years old delivering papers on his White Center News paper route.

That was years ago but he remembers it well. His route was on the city side of White Center and he had about 55 customers. He was a small kid in a tough neighborhood but he had a lot of spunk.

One day he was accosted by the town bully while delivering his papers. When he refused to hand over his route money the big guy grabbed him and got a big surprise. Leo, who had learned how to use his fists from his dad, furiously peppered his astonished assailant with a flurry of hooks and jabs that bloodied his nose and blacked an eye.

It didn't last long before the big jerk ran for his life .Leo went to Holy Family grade school and graduated from Chief Sealth High in '63 where he was a running back for the Seahawks. He put in two years at San Francisco State and four years as counselor at Nathan Eckstein, was drafted and served in Viet Nam in the Mekong Delta.In 1973 he married Patty Barton, an Evergreen high grad class of '67.He worked at Todd shipyards for 26 years . He is an avid Elk and in April will become a trustee.

We expect Jerry will find more former carriers for these newspapers as he carouses around the area. He can be reached at publisher@robinsonnews.com