Bright fall-colored leaves are reflected in a pond at The Lakes neighborhood on the South end of Mercer Island, Oct. 27.
Centuries ago, the Duwamish Indians would not set foot on Mercer Island past dusk. The Island, shrouded in fog and dark with mystery, was believed to be filled with spirits. Natives who hunted and foraged on the Island by day made haste to row away before sunset. When the first settlers came to Seattle, the Duwamish agreed to canoe the men over to explore the Island but refused to accompany them through the night, returning instead to pick the settlers up the next day. Since that time, Mercer Island has grown rich with stories of haunted landmarks and restless souls. Here are some of the Reporter’s favorites:
Anyone who drives up S.E. 40th Street has probably seen it — a glittering, 12-foot-long duck with bulging red eyes and a handsome bill. There he sits, these days wrapped up in tarp to keep warm from the cold. Earlier this summer, you may have seen him bobbing peacefully on Lake Washington or trailing behind a Ford truck on his way home.
Freshmen royalty Elana Skouras (left), Emma Guthrie and Jeremy Chow wave to the crowds.
Mercer Islanders have a wonderful opportunity to raise their glasses and celebrate. It’s called Cellar 46º, a wine shop, bar, storage facility and superb bistro located right here on the Island. Established in 2007, Cellar 46º is the Northwest’s premier destination for wine lovers.
In graduate school, I became casually acquainted with our library’s director. I would make my polite “Hellos” and “How are you’s” whenever I saw her at the counter to check out my next stack of research materials. She was all of maybe five feet tall with a large build, wore professional, appropriate director-of-graduate-school-librarian attire and regularly pushed her heavy-framed glasses back up her nose when she talked. I allowed myself to be quite content with this level of interaction until the day when I learned that she would be the keynote speaker at my school’s graduation ceremony.
Calendar items: Please e-mail or send your Island event notices to rmar@mi-reporter.com. Items need to be in our office by noon on the Wednesday the week before publication is desired. Items are included on a space-available basis.
Calendar items: Please e-mail or send your Island event notices to rmar@mi-reporter.com. Items need to be in our office by noon on the Wednesday the week before publication is desired. Items are included on a space-available basis.
Spur Heirloom Lettuces with Champagne Vinaigrette
Responding to calls to go “green,” food establishments are increasingly using environmentally friendly packaging, but the terms often used to describe “green” materials are confusing. Of particular concern to composters is confusion between biodegradable and compostable food packaging and materials.
