Roving Renton Returns!

Tonight at 5pm, starting with Armondos, Roving Renton Returns! The fee is $25 per person, that includes gratuity, and you get some wine and an appetizer at four lovely downtown tasty spots. Blossom, Redhouse and the Melrose are the next on your list, in any order really - as seating is limited, so make it there early!


Thanks to reader Lao Gong for giving me the heads up!

Cutting edge food at the Farmers Market

Times when you have less money in your pocket but still need to keep the household fed and running, means eating out less and cooking in more. The Renton Farmers Market is the spot you are looking for to provide a moment of entertainment (Chef Demo at 4:30 with the Whistle Stop Alehouse, live music not to far after that with the Lava Flo Trio, and Kid's Patch to keep the littluns' occupied) and a wealth of fresh, wholesome locally grown cooking ingredients.

It is also a place where new food discoveries can be launched and test marketed, like the lovely and flavorful "Traisin" that Darrell Westover of Westover Farms out Maple Valley Highway was taking for a test run last week.

We have all heard of raisins, and then of course the cranberry dried fruit called a craisin, but this is a cherry tomato that, through the process of dehydration, produced a small "pop in your mouth" snack that you could add to zest up salads, put on pizza or just take along as a treat in your pocket.

Come out to the market today and enjoy yourself. Your wallet will be pleased, you will be shopping locally and you'll get plenty of ideas for dinner. Oh, and today is Hawaiian Day - and you might need to stop and have one of those colorful Shave Ices to help commemorate.

Renton Farmers Market
Today 3 pm - 7 pm
The Piazza/ S. Third Street and Burnett

To join or not to join - that is the library question

Tonight at the Renton City Council meeting, step two in the process of allowing the public to vote on whether or not our Renton Public Library joins the King County Library System (KCLS) takes place. On July 20th, the reading of the ordinance was held and tonight it is the approval of said ordinance, which can be seen here at the City of Renton website item number 10, that will be addressed and voted upon.

In August, The Renton Reporter had an article about this issue, fleshing out a little bit of the opposing thoughts and dynamics concerning whether our city loses its independence and possibly staffing to join up with the King County Library System or remain autonomous but find the absolutely necessary funding to improve and expand a library service that has been coasting along on minimal funds and because of it, fallen woefully behind in servicing a fast growing population.

Last month, I posted a link to a survey that was available online for the general populace to make their voices heard about what local library services they felt were more important and basically asking them, if they were the library accountant, where would they scale back and what areas would need more primping and plumping. The survey purportedly was online until 7/31 and the next move for accumulating public feedback will be through an enclosed survey in utility bills which you should see in the mail shortly.

Whatever the outcome, whatever each personal view we might hold - the library needs more money to bring it's services on par with others in the nation and to meet the needs of a changing and growing clientele. I personally like having the small town feel of a library that services it's own clientele first and foremost, allowing the staff to be hired for our town's needs and not being a mere cog in a larger wheel. The consultants that were initially hired by the city, Mirriam Pollack & Associates along with Tina Roose of Roose Research, are also in favor of not joining the KCLS but see a need for a huge infusion of cash and effort. Bottom line, though - how do we market this to the people at a time when finances everywhere are stressed? Being a library and book lover all of my life, I hope to see a little more information about this issue in print before it comes to vote. I don't think anyone yet has a clear picture of just what either choice will bring us where our library's future is concerned. I just have a glimpse - and it makes me want the library to remain a Renton concern.

Seahawk fever in full color

The construction site for the new Savings and Loan building on Wells Ave.S. is very - well, decorative. Couple of days ago, the cute and colorful umbrellas with the "Just Married" sign (scroll down and have a look yourself, here on the ole Picaroon). Today - Seahawk Fever. Training Camp posters for the football team are seen in many windows about town - but some, well, they choose to take things a bit further. So here we are, a little #12 photo layout, as seen today in the DTR.

Antique Country Station on South Third Street flying it's colors proudly.

Common Ground Coffee and Cupcakes on South Third St. where sweet frosting and football fever never tasted so good together.

Send more letters

It wasn't too long ago that the terrifying thought of not having a downtown branch of the post office was brought to my attention, and I wrote a post about it here on 3/30 in the ole Picaroon. A couple of days later, The Renton Reporter also chimed in and while the public was now made aware of the possible pending sale, I am not certain that we knew quite what to do about it. I know that in the comments section on the article at the Reporter above, you will see that a couple of our concerned citizens were rushing in to the defense of what I think is a necessary service and element of any healthy and active downtown city area. But come on folks, we need a few more voices than that to make a difference. Even though I don't see it there in the Reporter comment section any longer, I feel certain that one of the council members had also taken up the gauntlet on this essential issue concerning the future well being and livelihood of our historic downtown Renton.

Now, Debbie Englund (of the RUFF Renton Offleash Dog Park fame) has sent me a memo that has recently been circulated amongst the workers at the post office and she wanted me to share it with the viewers here at the blog.

Click on the letter to view it more clearly!

There is an address and there is a mission. Want to have to drive up to NE 4th and mail a package, buy some stamps or view the contents of a mail box you have rented? Ummm - sounds like we should all just start sending more letters to me - and the very next one should be to the address listed above in the memo -

Seattle District Consumer Affairs
P O Box 90306
Seattle, WA 98109 - 9631

Let your thoughts about losing the vital service the post office brings to our zipcode be heard and what that would mean to you personally and to the grander scheme of Renton as a whole. Weigh in now while there is a window of opportunity to express how vital and necessary it is to have the post office remain exactly where it is.

This is important to share from the comment section here at the blog:

"As one of your DTR USPS letter carriers, I for one DEFINITELY DO NOT WANT THE DT Branch to close! I can not for the life of me see how it would save them money. The building has NO AIR CONDITIONING and requires very little upkeep. The extra gas, and wear and tear on the Postal Vehicles , not to mention the overtime because of extra travel time to and from our routes, would in my opinion, more than tip the balance in any revenue lost at this particular facility!!! So yes, PLEASE WRITE THOSE LETTERS - tell them to close the Cascade branch instead if they need to save money. A city's Downtown hub NEEDS a Post Office - it's just good community relations and service. Thanks, Barbara V. route 38, Dt Renton. "

Are you feeling the cool down yet?

I am just not really feeling the trickle down, I mean "cool down" effect here that the dropping of the sun behind the horizon is supposed to bring come evening time. I took a bike ride, the breeze meant to cool the limbs, relax and comfort a body getting far too accustomed to hot and hotter weather. This sign blew me away tonight - and here I was thinking that we were getting a wee bit of heat respite. I don't know about you, but here it is a good ten degrees cooler than midweek and I am feeling almost perky in comparison. Never thought 92 degrees in the shade would bring me such a big sigh of relief.

What do you do on the weekend?

Weekend wonders - or wondering what to do with your weekend. I tend to do a lot of wandering on the weekends, which can be quite the same for me as weekdays, but whatever schedule you may or may not have, Saturday and Sunday always have a special kind of "feel".

I love a good bit of something cool - and with our recent heat, I have not been denying myself indulgences in that area. Sorbet in the freezer? Gone, with no regrets. Popsicle from a sidewalk vendor? Yes, please and make it quick.

The excessive brightness of the sun helps point out all of the dirty spots on the cars and the windows. Glaringly so. Makes me want to clean all the more. Then I get exhausted and need to run to the basement to cool off. It is a horrible cycle that somehow keeps getting repeated.

Spray bottles need to be handy for plants and humans in great abundance. One on every counter surface, indoors and out. Relief in an instant moment of squirting. But all too fleeting. Damn. Squirt me again, will ya?

I am a sucker for a good sign and a great deal. I will pull over for any sale that is prefaced by the word yard, or garage or "G". Doesn't matter if I am close to heat stroke and need another swig of water - I stop for a good bargain regardless. I admire the folks that are out there trying to clear a closet and empty a basement in this kind of weather. They need our support. Cleaning in a heatwave can be a real b*tch. Maybe that's what they were doing with their time while hiding out down below from the sun.

Happy Sunday, everyone!