All Posts in "Month: June 2019"

Homegrown tomatoes add color and flavor to meals

Impress your guests with a garden, container and dinner table filled with tasty and colorful winning tomato varieties. Small-fruited varieties are perfect for salads and snacking, and those with larger fruit are ideal for slicing, canning and sauces.

These winning tomatoes were tested nationally by All-America Selections (AAS), a non-profit plant trialing organization (all-americaselections.org). Volunteer judges evaluated the plants for flavor, improved performance, growth habit, productivity, or pest-resistance in the garden. Only superior, new, non-GMO varieties receive the AAS winner’s title.

Include a few Firefly plants when looking for the perfect snacking and salad tomato. It’s smaller than a cherry and larger than a currant tomato — just the right size to pop in your mouth without embarrassment. The extremely sweet pale white to pale yellow fruit will stand out in the garden, on the relish tray or in a salad.

Join the foodie trend by growing the slightly larger striped Red Torch tomato. The one-and-a-half-inch oblong fruit are red with thin yellow stripes. Eat them fresh from the garden or cooked into a sweet-and-sour cherry tomato sauce to serve on bread or over chicken and other vegetables.

Boost your early harvest season with Valentine grape tomatoes. You’ll enjoy the vivid deep red color and sweet flavor. Plus, this productive plant provides plenty of tomatoes for snacking, salads and to share with friends.

Add some purple to the mix with Midnight Snack. This cherry tomato ripens to red with a blush of glossy black-purple.  Judges declared Midnight Snack a big improvement in the flavor of purple tomatoes.

Pot up one or more Patio Choice tomatoes for your patio, deck or tabletop. Each compact 18-inch plant produces up to 100 yellow cherry tomatoes. Just one fruit-covered plant in a decorative pot creates as colorful a centerpiece as a bouquet of yellow flowers.

Don’t forget to add Red Racer cocktail tomatoes to the mix. The fruit are about the size of ping pong balls and perfect for stuffing, flavorful enough for salads, and hearty enough for soups and stews.

Dress up your salads, sauces and sandwiches with colorful tomato slices. The six Chef’s Choice tomato varieties provide a rainbow of colors for the relish tray.  Guests will have trouble deciding between the red, orange, pink, yellow, green and now black-fruited varieties. These beefsteak tomatoes have the right balance between sugar and acid; perfect for eating fresh and cooking.

Melinda Myers, who wrote this article, is a gardening expert who has written more than 20 books on the subject and shared tips via DVDs, television, radio, and at www.melindamyers.com.

srmedia by — June 18, 2019 in Food, People
New retirement community in Puyallup busy with move-ins

It’s been moving day a lot lately at Wesley Bradley Park, Wesley Homes’ latest retirement community and first in Pierce County.

The 19-acre property in Puyallup, purchased in 2009 by faith-based, not-for-profit Wesley, became home to more than 100 residents in April and May, with more moving in daily. The community features a five-story lodge with independent-living residences, catered-living apartments that were launched May 7, and assisted-living memory care. The Brownstone, with its condo-style apartments, opened last summer.

A spokeswoman said it’s been all-hands-on-deck as staff from Wesley’s corporate office in Des Moines and its other communities helped open Bradley Park and facilitate dozens of moves each week.

Campus administrator TC Fraser said the Bradley Park community “is the first of this kind to offer such a robust network of services for adults 62 years of age or better in Puyallup.”

Construction began in March 2017. In addition to the resulting residences, amenities include a learning center/theater, multiple dining venues, a creative arts center, a wood shop, a fully equipped health and wellness center, a beauty salon, a club room, a library and a chapel/auditorium. A public park is literally around a street corner. And nearby Pierce College is helping coordinate life-enriching programs in and around the campus through a continuing-education program funded by Wesley Community Foundation. All courses are free to residents and older adults in the greater community.

The licensing application for the assisted-living memory care wing was in progress in May. Once open, it will house 17 residents in individual apartments.

Celebrating its 75th anniversary, Wesley Homes operates three retirement communities—including Wesley Des Moines and Wesley Lea Hill in Auburn–and a home health agency. The latter provides Medicare and Medicaid-certified services, in-home care and hospice services in King and Pierce counties.

srmedia by — June 18, 2019 in Personal Finance/Consumers
Joe Stortini: “10 percent of life is what happens. 90 percent is how you react to it”

One of the mottos at Joeseppi’s Italian Ristorante and Deli in Tacoma is “Community Service, A Way of Life,“ owner Joe Stortini proudly proclaims.

And he should know. The 86-year-old Tacoma native has practiced what he preaches his entire life as one of Pierce County’s most impactful and influential statesmen in his day.

Stortini was born in Tacoma after his parents (Giuseppe and Giuseppina) immigrated from Port Sant’Elpidio in Italy in 1914. As a large Italian family, they struggled during their first years to make their way.

“We were poor, we never had a car as a kid growing up in Tacoma. But, we had a lot of love as a family. We did everything together,” Stortini fondly recalls. “We’d even all ride the bus together out to the Puyallup Valley to pick berries in the summer.”

Not surprisingly, his family is also fond of mottos. He grew up knowing that he needed to “Have Something to Do, Have Someone to Love, Have Something to Look Forward To.”

Stortini developed a passion for sports at an early age, which carried through attending Tacoma-area high schools and into college at the University of Puget Sound, where the UPS Hall of Fame member was a two-sport standout in football and baseball.

In football, Stortini helped guide the NCAA Division 3 Loggers to a 26-6 record, earning All-Conference honors as a quarterback and defensive halfback during his junior and senior seasons. As a four-year starter on defense, his five interceptions in a single game remains a school record. He was also a two-time All-Conference baseball selection for his alma mater, where he would later become an assistant football coach.

His love of sports continued after graduating with a masters degree in education from the University of Oregon to become a highly popular high school teacher and coach in the Tacoma School District from 1955 to 1975.

He taught government and history classes at Wilson and Mount Tahoma high schools, where he coached a number of football and baseball state championship teams, as well as several notable athletes, including Los Angeles Dodgers great Ron Cey and National Football League legend Ahmad Rashad (Bobby Moore in his high school days).

Teaching civics, Stortini would constantly encourage his students to get interested in public service, telling them, “People make a difference, politics can make a difference.”

Eventually, a group of students, including Rashad, told him, “Why don’t you run for office, coach?”

“So, I accepted their challenge and have never forgiven them since,” Stortini declared with a wink.

He ran for his first office as a Democrat in 1968, taking on powerful incumbent Pat Gallagher for the 27th District state Senate seat. Running a true grass roots campaign, his students and high school football team and families even stood in line to save his place at the elections office the day before candidate filing opened, because “back in those days the first to file was the first listed on the ballot, which can be a big advantage when the final votes are counted,” he proudly explained of his move on a veteran politician.

His parents suggested they do a spaghetti feed to raise funds for his campaign. After all, the family had experience doing similar fund-raisers for all of Stortini’s high school teams. With the whole family helping, as well as his football team, students and their parents, the first “Ma Stortini’s Spaghetti Feed” for Joe raised a little under $3,000.

“I ran my whole campaign on that money,” he noted. “And we had money left over when we were done.”

Political compromise is a lost art

During the most recent election, a candidate running for the same seat raised and spent nearly $1.1 million, Stortini points out.

“Politics have really changed over the years,” Stortini affirmed. “I really loved it back then. You had to learn to compromise. No one will compromise these days. Now everyone thinks they are completely right and the other person is completely wrong. No one will work together. Now everyone wants to be seen as the winner, including how much they raise in finances.”

Stortini recalls how Dan Evans, a Republican governor from 1965 to 1977, communicated well with both sides of the aisle in the Legislature, constantly working out compromises to move state legislation along.

“He was a very good governor, and I admired and respected him,” Stortini said. “Politicians don’t respect each other as much as we used to.”

After serving eight years (two four-year terms) in the Senate, in 1977 Stortini set his sights on the Pierce County Commissioners seat then held by George Sheridan, another powerful incumbent, because he always wanted to work in public service at a local level.

As the underdog once again, Stortini’s campaign slogan was “A Breath of Fresh Air!” The slogan was fitting, as Stortini came at the tail-end of a major racketeering scandal in the 1970s that served as a catalyst for change in Pierce County government and led to approval of a new county charter by 1980, doing away with the old three-commissioner system in favor of an elected executive and seven-member council.

Shortly after defeating Sheridan and taking office, Stortini and fellow commissioners voted 3-0 to approve an asphalt plant in the east Tacoma area. A week later, he drove by the area and saw a sign that read, “The Breath of Fresh Air Has Polluted Pierce County.”

“I remember saying to myself, ‘Welcome to local politics,’” he reflected.

After serving eight years as a commissioner and council member and spearheading the new county charter, Stortini ran successfully for county executive in 1984 after incumbent Booth Gardner moved on to his first term as governor. He was re-elected in 1988, then retired at the end of his second term after 24 years of local government service. At the time, he was considered to be one of the bright stars and success stories for the state Democratic Party.

Among his accomplishments at the county level was the establishment of a personnel department to do hiring of county employees, instead of the commissioners doing it directly. Tightening up the county budget over time and establishing open bidding practices for county projects were also given more priority, along with land-use planning.

“If there was one thing I think we could have done a better job on and could still do a better job on, it would be land-use planning,” he noted.

A new career

After retiring and spending some idle time watching TV, Stortini decided to go into the restaurant business in 1993, opening the first Mama Stortini’s Italian Restaurant in University Place.

“After watching some ‘Jerry Springer’ shows, I knew I couldn’t just sit around all day,” he said. “As a youth growing up in an Italian neighborhood, good food was always a big part of my life. The aroma of Italian dishes filled the air. A good meal could always be found on the table, and the door was always open to welcome our neighbors.”

The restaurant business seemed like a natural extension of his passion to serve others and the community around him in more ways than one. Mama Stortini’s was an immediate success and highly rated by local Italian cuisine aficionados. But Joe and his co-owners eventually lost their lease on the University Place location when the property owner decided to re-develop the spot. So they branched out to Puyallup with a location near the river that soon became one of the most popular restaurants in eastern Pierce County–popular enough that Stortini sold the restaurant to a group that has now opened up locations in Kent and Seattle, as well.

Using the money from the sale, Stortini returned to his roots and stomping grounds when he opened Joeseppi’s Italian Ristorante and Deli in 2005 in North Tacoma, where he provides his special brand of community service to this day.

“Community service is a way of life,” Stortini said. “I love that we can use our restaurant to serve the community.”

Besides serving great food, Joeseppi’s is well-known for hosting banquets, reunions, Christmas parties, and lots of fund-raisers for athletic teams, including his own seniors softball team that captured the 80-and-over title in the Softball World Master Tournament in Las Vegas, Nev. In 2013.

“We held several fund-raisers for the team here. It was a great experience,” the spritely octogenarian middle infielder stated.

In fact, Stortini thrives on hosting fund-raisers for charitable events as a way to continue to give back to the community. He also serves as an auctioneer at many of the events.

“I’m good at getting money out of people,” he joked.

He has also managed to have Cey and Rashad, the Tacoma sports legends, donate various autographed items for some of the auctions, as well as an appearance on occasion. He is most proud of a signed photo of Rashad and its inscription: “Coach Joe, thanks for teaching me the game of life!”

“It really meant a lot to me,” Stortini said with pride. “It proves that people really do make a difference.”

Like most great Italian restaurant owners, Stortini greets his customers each day, stopping by each table to welcome his guests, tell a joke, or swap old stories. He is also known for his daily trivia question that, if you answer right, is good for a free appetizer.

“I’m here every day starting at 11 in the morning, eight days a week,” he quipped.

And, if there is one rule he still follows to this day, it’s that he makes sure he returns all phone calls.

“Like I have always told my students and people I work with, 10 percent of life is what happens, 90 percent is how you react to it,” he proclaimed. And, he added, “Let your smile and positive attitude change the world.”

Married for 64 years to his wife Carol, Stortini has two sons, a daughter and three grandkids. Most of the family still helps in the restaurant when they can, including his 92-year-old sister who works there on Fridays along with a 96-year-old bus boy, both of whom are highly popular with patrons.

Steve Kruse, who wrote this story, is a former journalist whose work as a newspaper editor and reporter included covering Pierce County government during Joe Stortini’s time in office.

THE REAL ITALIAN DEAL

Joeseppi’s Italian Ristorante and Deli

2207 N. Pearl St., Tacoma

253-761-5555, Joeseppis.com

srmedia by — June 18, 2019 in Spotlight
Opportunies (such as Iceland) to keep on going

Life is so short, and most of us are at an age where we are losing those close to us. In the not-too-distant past, I have lost a couple of 102-year-olds, but I am attending a birthday party for a 109-year-old. They all have had wonderful stories to tell of the things they have done and the places they have traveled. The one thing that keeps coming up in conversations is “don’t hold back.” As long as you can get around, keep on going. You may not be able to travel alone any more, but you certainly can in a group where there is someone to keep an eye on you and help out when you are in need. A roommate can be found for you so that you are not alone and are not paying that extra amount for a single supplement.

Recently we have done a few short things like the beautiful Skagit Valley for a look at the tulips. The 5th Avenue Theater has kept a steady group entertained, and we have even included lunch in Seattle to go along with these excursions. We look forward to more activities now that the weather is better. Get on the e-mail list to find out about them, as they may come up with very short notice.

Those things which take a longer planning time need to be thought about now. We have mentioned the ALASKA CRUISE on Aug. 18 and still have both a male and a female looking for a roommate. This may be just the thing for you to add to your memories. It is an easy cruise, as it goes right out of downtown Seattle, so there is no need for airline flights.

Iceland seems to be the latest hot-spot destination, and we have space with Collette Tours on July 14.  Flights go non-stop from Seattle to this country full of dramatic contrasts. See steaming lava fields and massive glaciers, thundering waterfalls and plunging fjords.

Our South America group keeps growing, so why not join in the fun? This is a Princess cruise which includes a rare four days in Antarctica. Fly to Santiago for the 16-day adventure, returning home from Buenos Aires. Just think of the stories you could tell from this. Strike another continent off your bucket list.

Should we think even further out?  How long has it been since you have thought about China, Vietnam, Hong Kong? Perhaps we should look into that direction.

For further information, reservations or questions, get in touch with Linda Finch at 253-927-8207 or e-mail to linda.finch@gmail.com.

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srmedia by — June 10, 2019 in Lifestyle, Home, Adventures