Friendly walkers spread the word in Arlington
Published 11:06 pm Thursday, September 24, 2009
A sunny day and exuberant participants contributed to a successful Friendship Walk for Village Community Services in Arlington.
There was entertainment by Voices of the Village, prizes and snacks at Legion Park.
The Friendship Walk celebrated the inclusion of people with disabilities into community life, says Michelle Dietz-Date, resource development manager for VCS.
Voices of the Village members and supporters raised $2,240 in sponsorships, Dietz-Date says.
Vivian Kjorvestad won the perseverance award for her walking effort despite physical limitations. Juli Lyons won the trophy for having the most walkers on her team.
Lyons, 27, lives in Marysville and is a member of Voices of the Village and the VCS band.
“It was a blast and we made lots of new friends that day,” says Dietz-Date.
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Rain didn’t dampen spirits Saturday and Sunday at the Stanwood Harvest Jubilee.
Organizer Vivian Henderson said the event, which featured farm tours from Silvana to Camano Island, was a success.
We wrote about Henderson’s efforts Aug. 12, “Stanwood woman trumpets farming with Harvest Jubilee.” She said those who toured farms were interested in how to do things, such as organic gardening.
“There was a steady flow of visitors all day long and lots of little kids,” Henderson says. “Folks were out to learn as well as have fun.”
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Folks who need plastic pots to plant stuff in can pick up free containers from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday near the Camano Animal Shelter Association at 160 Can Ku Road.
Follow signs from the shelter to the WSU Waste Wise event.
Let them know how many you need by calling Scott Chase at 360-387-3443, ext. 258, or e-mail schase@wsu.edu.
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Pigs and cows didn’t work out on one Camano Island ranch.
There is the high cost of feed and the propensity to escape from pens, Kim Shelman says.
Not so with alpacas, she says.
“Alpacas do not challenge fences, have padded feet so are easy on the environment, are 100 percent tax-deductible and eat a lot less than other livestock,” she says. “They produce fiber every year that we shear around June and send to a co-op where it is made into yarn and other products.”
They have two breeds on 5 acres at Utopia Alpacas: suri and huacaya.
Visit the operation at 481 Dan St from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. She said kids love alpacas and some will be there to pet and feed.
For more information, call 360-548-8884.
Expect baby alpaca arrivals in the spring and summer. For anyone who wants to buy an animal, she will keep it until a new home is ready for the camelid.
If you just learned a new word, you’re welcome.
Kristi O’Harran: 425-339-3451, oharran@heraldnet.com.
