Meet Janel Stoneback
This is a young lady, schooled at Highline schools Beverley Park Elementary and Evergreen High, who with her fianc/e, Dan Tamburelli, a graduate from Glacier High, owns and she operates two Emerald City Smoothie shops and is soon to open a third store in Normandy Park's new Plaza.
She is helping behind the scenes, as James Park and Dan work to open a fourth in Southcenter this year.
A charming exuberant cheerleader for her product she has been in business next to Safeway in Burien for eight years and has customers who have been enjoying her Smoothies every day since she opened.
What is a Smoothie and why is it better than a milkshake? Is it a franchise?
Janel is happy to tell you it tastes better because it has only fresh fruit in season and is better for our health. Yes, it is a national franchise.
Her wall is adorned with a huge number of pictures of customers, many of them professional body builders and trainers. There is even a picture of the world's biggest loser, the televised winning former fat lady from Des Moines.
You can buy a Smoothie seven days a week at her stores.
Janel says many people drink her Smoothies to lose weight.
Meet Joel Mercado
Once a boy in Mexico City, Joel is now a student at Evergreen High and also earning college credits at the Puget Sound Skills Center culinary arts program.
Now 18, he speaks both Spanish and English fluently and is learning French. Joel wants be an attorney.
Rita and Jeanne
TWO WEEKS ago, the Highline community lost two remarkable women who had dedicated much of their lives to making the world and our corner of it a better place to live.
Back-to-back funeral services were held and Elsbeth and I attended both.
We have known both Rita Creighton and Jeanne Pfeifer for many years and were privileged to watch them work their remarkable magic in seeing a worthwhile need and overcoming lassitude, indifference and funding shortage.
In short, they were both dedicated to service to others and truly left a worthy footprint with their tireless efforts.
There are many others here who share their zeal for giving of themselves and making a significant mark, but it sure hurts when people like Rita and Jeanne leave us.
