Elsbeth and I were having lunch at the Elks Lodge recently when we met Leo Macias. Leo used to work 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 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 Vietnam 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.

And the Vacaction From Hell

Ray Rice, retired resident of Three Tree Point and wife, Louise, are back from the desert with a saga to tell.

While staying at a hotel, Ray treated his head cold with some Tylenol and some liquid cough medicine from a friend. In the morning, he was heading for the kitchen when he passed out on the living room floor.

Louise was in shock, too tiny to lift him up, called 911 and doctors at the hospital told him he had three broken bones in his neck.

They operated on him and put his neck in a brace for three months.

During his recovery at the hotel, Louise decided to go out front and pick some fresh grapefruit.

She didn't notice at first but when she felt some pain in her ankle looked down and discovered thousands of fire ants were munching on her legs. She screamed, brushed off as many as she could, ran into the hotel and called 911 again.

They came shortly but not before her lips had swollen into saucers, her neck glands were choking her, her head was exploding with pain.

They managed to control the toxic poison. It was uglyville for a while. They are happy to be home recovering from the vacation in Hell.