FYI

FYI

Carnival tickets on sale now

Paradise Amusements offers a advance-sale ticket deal for the Island County Fair carnival through Friday. Get tickets for 10 hours of rides for $15 at the fair, planned for Aug. 19-22. Tickets are available at all island branches of Whidbey Island Bank.

Keep pooch cool in hot weather

Pity poor Fido in the summer heat. According to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, dogs can only cool themselves by panting and by sweating through the pads of their feet. Here are some tips for dog owners in hot weather:

* If you see a dog in a hot, parked car, have the owner paged inside nearby stores. If the dog’s life appears to be in imminent danger, call 911.

* If the pooch must stay outside, provide all-day shade, drinking water in an anchored bucket or a heavy bowl, and a kiddie pool.

* Dogs’ feet can burn on the metal in the back of a pickup or on pavement.

* Don’t take your dog jogging unless it’s cool.

* On long walks, rest often and bring water.

Soft heart saves birds

Russell Hall, who owns Tree Work Today in Woodinville, uses a gentle hand on the job. He has been climbing trees in these parts for 18 years.

While recently taking down an 80-foot high maple tree in Burien, he ran into a nest of six or seven baby woodpeckers. They had just opened their eyes and were plump and healthy, but they had no feathers yet.

No animal rescue groups answered his calls, so Hall and his crew padded a large garbage can with soft leaves, then carefully placed the baby birds inside. After a long, hot day on the job, Hall found a way to take the original nest and wire it into another tree in the same yard, then climbed up that tree again and placed the woodpeckers in their new home.

Thanks to neighborhood watchers, it’s confirmed that the mother and father woodpeckers enjoy their new digs. They accepted the new tree and recently taught their babies to fly, to the delight of all involved.

Call us

If you have an item for FYI, call Kristi O’Harran at 425-339-3451. If you have a news tip or an idea for a local story, call the city desk at 425-339-3428, or e-mail newshound @heraldnet.com.

Other numbers to call:

Delivery:

Everett, 425-339-3200

Sports:

425-339-3470, after 4 p.m.