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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Tuesday, May 13, 2008 South County Senior Center's Mae Fest resurrects lost art of hog calling By Kristi O'Harran Herald Columnist Mae Fest at the South County Senior Center has a farm feel. Join the fun from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at 220 Railroad Ave. in Edmonds. Find a beachfront barbecue hot dog stand, music, face painting, Happy the Clown, a roving magician, movies, crafts, a sing-along, the hokey-pokey, the Sound Singers, J&J Jazz and a hillbilly band. Admission is $3 at the door. Oh, and don't forget the hog-calling contest. "You never know when your hogs could get loose and you will need to call them home," senior center administrative assistant Janice DeShon said. "I think, during some of our seniors' lives, hog calling was a daily chore. It seems a shame to have hog calling become a lost art." * * * Two commercials for Vern Fonk Insurance made it to Hollywood. The commercials from Lynnwood ad agency Stevenson Advertising are airing on E! Television's "Wildest Commercial Moments." Watch for that show on your cable station. On March 3, I wrote about an "ambush" at Vern Fonk in Everett, a surprise visit to see what employees keep at their desks. I met office manager Rob Thielke, who stars in the commercials. When you drive by the Everett office, staffers still want you to remember the company slogan: "Remember to honk when you drive by Vern Fonk." * * * Mike Sato says nice plants in the wrong place choke out the other nice plants that are put in the right place. He was talking about ivy, growing in the wrong place at Picnic Point, and he wants it removed. Lend a hand from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday with People For Puget Sound and Snohomish County Surface Water Management. "The park has a serious ivy problem," says Sato, with People For Puget Sound. "Stewards will be on hand to teach about native plants that need protection." Register by calling Amy Johnson at 425-388-3464, ext. 4573. Picnic Point Park is at 12001 Picnic Point Road in Mukilteo. Tools, water and snacks are provided. Bring a sack lunch, refillable water bottles and an urge to rip out plants. * * * Saturday is Norwegian Independence Day. A party is planned for 1 p.m. Sunday at Normanna Lodge, 2527 Oakes Ave., Everett. Hugo's Accordion Band and the Norwegian Male Chorus will entertain while people enjoy a light lunch. Admission is $8, and children 12 years and younger are admitted free. Colleen Tuck, with the lodge, says if you've never experienced this, it's worth your time: The band includes more than a dozen accordions. * * * Fun Fact: When you get a dog, you never know how big he might get. In the case of Freddie, a golden doodle who lives in Bothell with Dan Richards, he should weigh about 30 pounds at a year old. Freddie is pushing 40 pounds. A designer-breed golden doodle is a mix of blind dates between a golden retriever and poodle. A standard doodle weighs around 80 pounds. Freddie is a mini-doodle. "We may have to change his name to Marmaduke," Richards said. Columnist Kristi O'Harran: 425-339-3451 or oharran@heraldnet.com.

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