Ron Bonlender; I'll miss him, his politics and his sub sandwiches

Yakima activist, former City Councilman Ron Bonlender dies at age 68

BY MARK MOREY 
YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC 

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SARA GETTYS/YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC

Ron Bonlender

YAKIMA, Wash. — Ron Bonlender, pugnacious Democratic activist, former Yakima City Council member and downtown businessman, died Friday afternoon of an apparent heart attack. He was 68.

Bonlender was found at his home on North Seventh Street at about 3:30 p.m.

Friends said that Bonlender, who was not publicly known to have serious health problems, had worked at his downtown Sub Shop on Friday morning, but came home early because he did not feel well.

Former City Councilwoman Susan Whitman, speaking for the family, said relatives were not expected to immediately issue a statement. Funeral arrangements will likely be announced next week, Whitman said.

The sudden news shocked those in Democratic circles because Bonlender was practically synonymous with local Democratic politics. On Thursday night, he attended candidate forums and was himself running for a county freeholder position.

"Politics was everything to him. He was always taking on a new project," said Yakima County Auditor Corky Mattingly, who served on the county Democratic central committee when Bonlender was elected chairman of the party's 14th Legislative District almost a decade ago.

Mattingly, who noted that the two did not always see eye-to-eye, said Bonlender's election losses and political fights did not diminish his energy for civic engagement and public and community service. He recently hosted City Council candidates on his cable television show and once suggested local Democrats should have their own radio program.

"Nothing slowed Ron down," Mattingly said.

........read full article:    Ron Bonlender

Heart: LOST AND FOUND

State DOT returns lost teddy bear to 6-year-old girl

BY PHIL FEROLITO 
YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC 

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PHOTO COURTESY WASHINGTON DOT

Once thought lost, "Daddy Bear" was found on I-90 and returned to its owner by DOT workers.

YAKIMA, Wash. — For two days, 6-year-old Justice Wadsworth thought "Daddy Bear" was gone for good.

The white teddy bear was a gift from her father, Army Sgt. Claudio Wadsworth, who sent it to her just before he was deployed to Iraq when she was 2.

But on Tuesday, the bear was lost on Interstate 90 when her grandmother pulled over after Justice became car sick returning from Idaho. While the girl's father is now stationed in South Korea, the bear remains hugely important to her.

When they returned home, Justice's grandmother posted a cry for help on the state Department of Transportation's Facebook page.

Worried that people would begin searching the busy freeway, two DOT workers Terry Kukes and Harry Nelson, both of Cle Elum, looked themselves and found it in about an hour Wednesday.

"The bear must've fallen out right when they pulled over," Kukes said.

On their own time, both men made the roughly three-hour drive to the girl's Sedro-Woolley home.

"When we offered the bear to her, she took it and held it really tight and hugged it," said Kukes, a DOT maintenance superintendent. "She missed that little bear."

"It kind of tugs on your heart a little bit when you find out the significance of this bear to this little girl," he said.

I'm so Happy (sting)

Seven weeks have passed now since she left me
She shows her face to ask me how I am
She says the kids are fine and that they miss me
Maybe I could come and baby-sit sometime
She says, "Are you O.K.? I was worried about you
Can you forgive me? I hope that you'll be happy."
I'm so happy that I can't stop crying
I'm so happy I'm laughing through my tears

I saw a friend of mine 
He said, "I was worried about you
I heard she had another man, 
I wondered how you felt about it?"
I'm so happy that I can't stop crying
I'm so happy I'm laughing though my tears
Saw my lawyer, Mr Good News
He got me joint custody and legal separation
I'm so happy that I can't stop crying
I'm laughing through my tears
I'm laughing through my tears

I took a walk alone last night
I looked up at the stars
To try and find an answer in my life
I chose a star for me
I chose a star for him
I chose two stars for my kids and one star for my wife
Something made me smile
Something seemed to ease the pain
Something about the universe and how it's all connected

The park is full of Sunday fathers and melted ice cream
We try to do the best within the given time
A kid should be with his mother
Everybody knows that
What can a father do but baby-sit sometimes?
I saw that friend of mine, he said, 
"You look different somehow"
I said, "Everybody's got to leave the darkness sometime"
I'm so happy that I can't stop crying
I'm laughing through my tears
I'm laughing through my tears
I'm so happy that I can't stop crying
I'm laughing through my tears
I'm laughing through my tears 

DayStar Dance Pow Wow

these guys are a couple Braves from the Yakima Group.

Their costumes were great, and face makeup on a few.

I'm not sure, but it felt like they were mimicking animal behavior.

I've been to this at least a couple times, once with my deceased best friend Jack Demson.

If I hadn't been so full on Gyro and eggs from Patty's Eggnest, I'd have bought

the Salmon Dinner for $12.

It happens every year here at Discovery Park, and parking is free and admission is only $5.00.

Steamboat Springs 1971?

So.
Somehow after my First Boulder, colorado solo adventure as a young 21 year old, I hitchhiked to Steamboat Springs. It could have been on my way back to the Northwest.

I met a couple local fellows who said, " Stay a few days, Dan!". So I did.
It was summer and hot. I figured there had to be an actual Spring around there someplace so I asked around. "Go up this road....it winds it's way to the hot springs," someone said. I had plaid short on, I think, which turned out to add to my feeling of being a protagonist in one of those 'lost in the desert' movie scenes.

I walked by some very interesting houses that looked like they'd be cool to live in, undoubtedly populated by cool musician types or gorgeous beauties with long chestnut hair who's families lived in places like Vermont, or Upstate new York. Perhaps 'drop-out' girls from Vassar? My imagination kept me busy as I slowly took my stroll up this unpaved country road. There were times I suspected someone was having fun with me when I began to doubt I was on the road to Springs of Steamboat Springs.

This really happened:  After I had climbed a fair bit on the rising road i was by now drenched in sweat and had tied my shirt around my waist. As I was in Colorado, I began to have 'mental-mirages' of a can of Coors Beer waiting for me somewhere, somehow.. Hot or cold, wouldn't it just be so nice to pour it down my throat..mmmm....    you won't believe what happened next.
I was rounding a bend in the road, like a switchback. There were still a few houses from time to time, some very old.. and there was one on the right side of the road by the curve, an abandoned old one room farmhouse which would have made great 'barn wood' decor in a steakhouse; old dark cedar i think.... the foundation looked surprisingly strong despite the lack of a door.
 Here it comes!
I caught a glint of something shiny on the dirt underneath the door entrance, under the foundation.
There, I kid you not, right next to a dead mouse, in the dry, dusty colorado dirt, was a very small, perhaps 8 ounce, can of warm-to-hot Coors 3.2 beer!!
You can not be imagining that I allowed the dead mouse to put me off. Yeah, I grabbed the beer and tried to find enough saliva to spit on the top of the can and spit, then wiped the top with my tee shirt, and enjoyed each cubic centimeter of that warm coors.

The rest of the story is that the beer gave me enough oomph and perhaps compromised judgement to make it to the Springs. I stripped as I saw no one around, and I don't think any cars had passed me at all on the way up, so I felt safe about it. Hot or not it felt soooo good on my sore muscles.... i was laying back enjoying this perfect spot when I heard some voices.... I think i'd left my clothes in a safe enough space, but some 'tourists' were parked above me looking around and chatting... "Crap!"... Oh well. They disappeared soon after and so did i after thoroughly enjoying the actual Springs of Steamboat Springs as only a vagabond could.

A Dog's Life!! AAawwwrgh

Sing us a Song You're the GEO-Man!!!

Bonnie, I thought you might like this one in particular...
cool site. Wonder if Billy Joel has seen this!!??  ;-)

http://anisotropicreflections.wordpress.com/