It’s well and good to learn from a lecture. But rarely is a lecture life-changing.

Washington is called the evergreen state. We love our trees, the great outdoors and our planet. We are a hardy people. And we have two universities (colleges) that are in the top 10 for sustainable practices and learning.

The University of Washington is ranked number 1 in the country. Every building completed since 2006 has earned LEED Gold. All appliances bought are Energy Star rated. And the hydro-powered campus runs 3 farms, an extensive recycling program, and the conservation-research hotbed Pack Forest. The university is located on a fresh water lake in Seattle that had problems with algae bloom from residential sewage run-off.  The city of Seattle, like many cities with overburdened treatment centers, encouraged the University to reduce water use on campus. As an incentive, the city offered a rebate of $120 per water fixture that the university replace with new water saving equipment. So they retrofitted their plumbing to save water, conserve energy and be “green.”

Forty percent of UW’s food budget is spent on local items, according to the green report card. They use mostly cage free eggs and natural milk. The school composts their food waste, which keeps it out of the landfills. The Bothell campus uses goats to control weeds on their grounds.

All campus community members participating in the U-PASS program receive unlimited public transit passes and discounts on carpool permits and the car-sharing program. Student government runs a nonprofit bike repair shop, and 88 percent of students and 62 percent of employees commute via environmentally preferable means.

The Evergreen State College is ranked number 9 nationally. This non-traditional college breaks the mold in so many ways. Our middle son attended this college to obtain his Bachelor of Science degree and he received graduate level education with exceptional professors.

The Evergreen State College, in Olympia, Washington, aims to reach carbon neutrality by 2020. Though it’s campus is currently one-third coal powered, students pay a self-imposed fee of $1 each academic quarter to buy renewable energy credits to offset the college’s electricity consumption.

Evergreen’s Organic Farm is located on a 5 acre section of campus. The plot includes the farmhouse, Demeter’s Gardens, Community Gardens, the Biodiesel facility, the compost facility, the workroom, tool shed, greenhouses and the 38,000 square foot production area of the Organic Farm.  The Organic Farm crew works all year round to plan, plant, maintain and harvest the various crops grown.  The Compost Facility is used to turn farm waste into compost for fertilizing the production area of the farm.  During the growing season the Organic Farm’s produce is sold at the Organic Farm Stand on Red Square at Evergreen, at The Organic Farm during business hours and through our Community Supported Agriculture Program.  Excess produce and plant starts are donated to the Thurston County Food Bank.

The school has an extensive composting project as well as a comprehensive recycling program.

According to The Evergreen State Paper Policy, it  is committed to using environmentally benign products and technologies whenever possible.

Ride Share and alternative forms of transportation are part of Evergreen’s sustainability. Student fees pay for and allow all students at Evergreen to ride the bus in and around Olympia and Thurston County an unlimited number of times each quarter by showing their student ID. By registering in a database of Evergreen commuters, the ride share program allows students, faculty and staff to match their schedules with people who live close by and facilitates contact to set up new carpools.

Ban the Bottle is a campus-wide initiative to raise awareness in The Evergreen State College community about the negative impacts of plastic bottles on social, environmental and economical health as well as alternative, safer options for drinking water. The long-term goal of this initiative is to discontinue the purchase of plastic bottled water on campus and provide re-useable water canteens and to install bottle fill stations across campus.  Evergreen has switched all of their disposable ware to compostable products. They have also eliminated trays, saving countless gallons of water. The school supports local farmers and producers, using organic whenever possible.

Students can opt to live in the sustainability house,  made up of a community of students committed to a living an environmentally conscious, socially just, and sustainable lifestyle. Residents of the Sustainability House complete 5 hours of sustainability-related service each month to the campus and house community.

The lessons students learn from these sustainable practices will be carried throughout their lives and potentially impact the world.

Seattle Area Real Estate

Wow! Where did the summer (oh, did we have one) go? It’s mid August and a new school year is just around the corner. Stores are full of back to school supplies and clothes. Times are tough – budgets are stretched thin. It’s easy to want to grab the most inexpensive supplies. Here are some ideas to make your child’s school year healthier for them and the planet.

Classroom Supplies:

• Buy cardboard or canvas binders, which are biodegradable, instead of plastic ones.

• Get your kids recycled pencils and paper. There’s even paper made out of elephant poop!

• Opt for crayons instead of markers, and white glue instead of epoxy.

• Teach kids to reuse scrap paper for drafting homework and working out math problems.

• When the teacher asks for classroom contributions, send in all-natural non-toxic items, such as antibacterial hand sanitizer, natural cleaning supplies and recycled paper tissues.

• Lobby for the school to become a paper-free school, with all information passed along via email.

Getting to and from School:

Many parents drive their kids to school and pick them up. While quick, convenient and often necessary, cars also pollute the environment. But there are ways to minimize the effects and save a few dollars in the process.

• Instead of idling in front of the school, emitting fumes and wasting gas, shut off the engine.

• Get together with friends and your kids’ classmates and carpool.

• Leave the car in the driveway and walk or bike the kids to school.

School Lunches:

• Avoid sandwich bags and plastic wrap that will end up in landfills. Put food in reusable tupperware whenever possible.

• Steer clear of packaged food that comes in individual servings. Buy items like yogurt or crackers in bulk and transport them to school in serving-size containers.

• Although straws are small, they can add up in landfills. Stainless steel straws are a little-known alternative, and are available online and in eco-friendly stores.

• When possible, use leftovers for lunches. This is a great way to avoid wasting food that may end up spoiling in your fridge.

• Pack lunches with organic and local foods and foods without added preservatives and hormones whenever possible. These foods travel shorter distances to get to you and contain fewer unhealthy additives.

• Encourage others to only use recyclable containers. Help create waste-free lunch days at school.

• Invest in a reusable water bottle to avoid packaged beverages and the waste they produce.

Clothes and Bags:

• Avoid backpacks made of nylon or new plastics, especially PVC (vinyl), and look instead for bags made from recycled materials or natural materials, such as hemp.
• Green clothing is also getting easier and easier to find, and while pricing used to make green clothing options out of the reach of most families, organic, sustainable and recycled clothing options are now often priced the same as conventional clothing. Major retailers including Wal-Mart and Target sell organic cotton clothing.
• Organic cotton makes a big difference by reducing reliance on pesticides and insecticides. Conventional cotton is grown on just 2.4 percent of land suitable for farming worldwide, but it consumes about 25 percent of all insecticides and 10 percent of pesticides used annually. Recycled cotton and polyester clothing is also cropping up in stores, and it’s a great way to maximize the use of materials and divert waste from landfills.
• Swaps and second-hand shops are also a great place to stock up on essentials, such as t-shirts, jeans, and more. Buying second-hand will help you save money, swaps let you trade up from the clothing your kids have outgrown, and both options help divert clothing from landfills and reduce demand for new clothing. Check out Buffalo Exchange in Seattle.

Check out the Sustainable Schools Coalition  in Seattle. They are working hard to put into action practices that will help the environment while saving money for Seattle Public schools.

And finally, when our tax dollars are paying for building new schools throughout our region, make your voice heard. Make sure the building is being done with sustainability in mind. A perfect example is the new Finn Hill Junior High in Kirkland. When students rush into the new Finn Hill Junior High in Kirkland, Wash., on the first day of school this fall, they will be greeted by the “Finn Hill Family,” a collection of glass figurines designed by a local artist. LEDs inside each sculpture will be wired to controls that measure the electricity, heat and water use of a particular classroom cluster.  The more energy and water students conserve, the brighter their figurines will shine. This spring, builders are installing a ventilation system that recaptures waste heat as well as tightly sealed walls of insulated panels and a rooftop photovoltaic array. Architects at the Seattle firm Mahlum designed the project to be 65 percent more energy efficient than typical schools in the area, making the case to taxpayers that investments made now will save in operating costs over the building’s 40-to 50-year lifetime.

Finn Hill Junior High sits at the vanguard of a green schools building boom driven by federal stimulus spending, local school bonds and education leaders looking to slash energy costs. As the recession-racked construction industry continues to suffer the burst of the housing bubble, green school projects offer a bright spot for builders and designers. Data research company McGraw-Hill Construction estimates that such projects totaled $16 billion last year – up from $9 billion in 2008. That’s more than a third of all school construction activity.

Seattle Area Real Estate

Mercer Island homes are in great demand due to the location (close to everything), lifestyle (privacy, community, and an upscale environment in the middle of Lake Washington) and public schools (rated highest in the state!). This keep prices steady at a higher level than many other communities in the Seattle Metro area.  However, if you would like to check out what is available in this great location at under $500,000, you will be surprised to find that there are a few very affordable treasures out there.  Who knew?!

Click here to see the complete list of properties now available on Mercer Island under $500,000.  Some of them are condos and some are single family homes, and there are a couple of townhouses in the list too.  If none of these are what you have in mind, please email me your criteria and I will set up a search for you that informs you when anything new comes on the market.

Meanwhile, enjoy some of my other blogs on the Mercer Island amenities and lifestyle.

Click HERE to see these listings.

As a quiet, convenient, and sought after area, Mercer Island is known mostly for it’s quiet and community centered lifestyle as well as the luxury waterfront properties that are so tempting as a lifestyle choice for those in the luxury market, especially boat and water lovers.  But very reasonable homes and great deals can be found, as this list of the available condos shows.  One great reason to choose Mercer Island real estate?  The schools are tops.

For more information on Mercer Island and what can be found there, also try the following links to previous blogs:

Mercer Island High School Visit

2011 Events and Organizations

Stopsky’s Deli on Mercer Island

Island Books on Mercer Island

Lakeside Park on Mercer Island, Luther Burbank Park

let me know, please, in the comments or by email, what else you would like to know about Mercer Island, and I will be very happy to blog about it!

Part 2 of Edy Kizaki’s series on Mercer Island Real Estate currently available.  These listings are good for 30 days, then please email me for an updated list at edy@seattlecentric.com.  Mercer Island Real Estate is a subset of Seattle Real Estate.

Click here for a list of the properties currently available.

Part 8 of Edy Kizaki’s series on Mercer Island Real Estate currently available.  These listings are good for 30 days, then please email me for an updated list at edy@seattlecentric.com.  Mercer Island Real Estate is a subset of Seattle Real Estate.

standing by the dock of a Mercer Island Waterfront Home

Mercer Island was once called East Seattle, but now everyone knows it for the very unique and special environment it is, the island in the middle of Lake Washington is special in a way no other city around here can claim, because it is so limited in area that property is at a premium.  And of the homes on the island, the most rare of course are the waterfront properties.  The north side is close to everything and a quicker commute, the south side can claim to catch the utmost of the sun’s rays.  The east side gazes over to Bellevue and gets the morning sun, the west side looks to Seattle and can claim the afternoon light, so late into the evening in summer.  The few that are available which face Southwest might be the aristocracy of these waterfront homes, many with private docks, but all of them have unique features that will tempt prospective purchasers.  What are your criteria?  Let us know and we’ll narrow it down accordingly.

What’s available right now?
There are currently 31 waterfront homes listed for sale on Mercer Island, please click HERE for the entire list drawn from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service.  As they are “pended” (there is an accepted offer) these homes will vanish from this list, but new listings will also appear.  This link will work for 30 days from this posting, after that please drop me an email and I will send you the current list.

Boathouse and Dock on a luxury Mercer Island Waterfront property

Part 7 of Edy Kizaki’s series on Mercer Island Real Estate currently available.  These listings are good for 30 days, then please email me for an updated list at edy@seattlecentric.com. Mercer Island Real Estate is a subset of Seattle Real Estate. please click HERE to see the current listings.

The downtown area has some nice restaurants and shops, plenty of services are provided, and of course gas stations, coffee shops, and banks and post office as well.  Following is a quick sketch of the Island events for the year, as well as active clubs and organizations.

Mercer Island Events for the whole year…check the Reporter for more.

New Year’s Day Swim (at Clarke Beach on Jan. 1) (“your eyes open wider when you come out of the water”)
Rotary Half Marathon & Run (March)
Showcase–MI School Dist Celebrates the Arts (March)
Easter Egg Hunts (at Mercerdale Park in March or April)
Mercer Island High School MIPA CIRCUS (late April)
Earth Day’s Leap for Green (late April)
Island Art Walks (3rd Thursday, May – October)
Mostly Music in the Park (July – August…Sunday and Thursday Evenings)
Mercer Island Summer Celebration (Town Center, July 9-10)
Seafair (July – August)
Shakespeare in the Park (Luther Burbank Park, July – August)
Mercer Island Farmer’s Market (May – October)
PTA Ski and Snowboard Swap (October)
Homecoming Parade and Game (October)
Firehouse Munch & Tree Lighting (Late December)

For Kids’ Summer Camps
Stroum Jewish Center www.sjcc.org
Mercerdale Park www.mercergov.org

Clubs & Organizations
Camp Fire USA day camps and overnight open to boys and girls K-12.  www.campfire-usa.org
Children’s Hospital Guild (publishes Mercer Island Directory, sales benefit Children’s Hospital); call Petra Walker at 230-5138, new members welcome.  They have published the guide since 1943!
Friends of the Mercer Island Library. Group helps library fundraising, art exhibits, and other activities.  Applications are available at the library at 4400 88th Avenue SE.
Mercer Island Beach Club (MIBC) (https://www.mibeachclub.com/) Member owned and family oriented, there are 12 acres overlooking Lake Washington with six tennis courts, two pools, a volleyball court, a basket ball court, beach, pickle ball, a boat launch ramp, and they also have picnic areas and indoor activities including a gym, classes, and more.
Mercer Island Country Club (http://www.mercerislandcc.com/) tennis, swim, fitness and social.
Mercer Island Craft Guild (for woodworkers, share tools & a shop); call Rick Tydings at 232-6916.  They have existed as a collective since 4 men started this group in 1940.  About 60 members.
Mercer Island Girl Scouts. Part of the East King County region.
Mercer Island Historical Society (collects and preserves historical items and memories of the island); call Phil Flash at 236-3274; www.mihistory.org.  They meet 6 times a year.
Mercer Island Kiwanis Club (nonprofit organization of men and women mostly focusing on helping children.  Sponsors many clubs and does fundraising, donates to children’s clubs, groups and services on the island). www.kiwanis.org
Mercer Island Boy Scouts.  www.seattlebsa.org/Cascade.
Mercer Island League of Woman Voters 206-329-4848.
Mercer Island Lions Club; mercerislandlions.lionwap.org  For years they have had a Christmas tree fundraiser to support their philanthropies.
Mercer Island Masonic Lodge; call Dean Quigley at 232-8957.
Mercer Island Radio Operators; www.mirohams.org (has about 50 members which are amateur radio operators).
Mercer Island Rotary Club (largest service organization on Mercer Island; membership by invitation, anyone interested in service is free to attend a meeting.  www.mirotary.org).
Mercer Island Saddle Club (www.misaddleclub.org) A twenty horse barn, a 35 year history, a covered riding arena.
Mercer Island Sister City Association (shares a relationship with a city in France, Thonon les Bains).  Call Linda Todd at 232-4570.
Mercer Island Special Olympics (provides year round sports and activities for developmentally disabled children and adults).  Call Lucinda Soha at 425-641-8100.
Mercer Island’s Woman’s Club (this club is one of the largest on the island, also one of the oldest organizations on the island, welcomes women who are residents of the island).  www.mercerislandwomensclub.com

Mercerwood Shore Club on Mercer Island

Mercerwood Shore Club (www.mercerwood.com/) 206-232-1622.  With tennis courts, a great pool, waterfront views, and more, Mercerwood is offering a family summer membership for around $1700 for the whole summer.
National Charity League Evergreen Chapter; aims to foster mother-daughter relationships in an organization devoted to philanthropy and community service.  www.nclevergreen.org (meets monthly, mothers with daughters 7-12th grade).
Pacific Northwest Audio Society, www.audiosociety.org, since 1978 devoted to the enjoyment of fine audio.
Probus Club of Mercer Island (professional and business retirees).  www.probus.org/usmercer.htm
Stroum Jewish Community Center; call 232-7115.  Dedicated to the enrichment of life for the Jewish and general community on the island since 1968, membership is open to everyone.  Extensive and wonderful amenities, programs, fitness center, pool, and more.
Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 5760 is in it’s 60th year.  It promotes patriotism and supports the rights of veterans.  Call them at 232-6390.
YMCA Adventure Guides; Call Abbey Jaffe at 425-644-8417 (encourages relationships between parents and their children, meeting up with local circles for adventures and activities).

Contact Numbers for Mercer Island
City Hall www.mercergov.org 275-7793; Senior Services 275-7611; Parks and Rec 275-7609
Mercer Island School District www.misd.k12.wa.us 236-3300
Mercer Island Post Office www.usps.gov 230-5636
Mary Wayte Pool & Olympic Cascade Aquatics www.ocaswim.com 266-4370
Strom Jewish Community Center www.sjcc.org 232-7115
Community Center at Mercer View www.mercergov.org 275-7609
Mercer Island Reporter www.mi-reporter.com 232-1215
Mercer Island Police (of course 911 for emergency) 275-7610
Mercer Island Fire Department (911 for emergency) 275-7607
Puget Sound Energy www.pse.com 1-888-225-5773

A good part of this information was referenced from the Mercer Island Reporter Island Guide 2011.  Stand by for future blogs on Places of Worship, Schools, and Parks.

The bread maven who founded the Columbia City Bakery (when I was in Sunset Hill’s Green Market the other day they were telling me with considerable pride that they featured Columbia City Bakery bread, it is really highly prized here in Seattle), by name Andrew Meltzer, is overseeing the bread. And owners Jeff and Lara Sanderson are realizing a goal not only for themselves but for the community as they “celebrate family, heritage and community through food.”  Jeff named the Deli for his father and uncles who came to the US from Kiev in 1905 (my own father arrived on Ellis Island in 1915, from Minsk).  Their names were changed to Sanderson to Americanize the family and move on with pursuing the American Dream.  Now that the American Dream has come full circle to honor each individaul culture and past, the reclaiming of the name, as well as the Heritage Wall in the Deli, rings in a celebration that will be ongoing, as Mercer Island is celebrating the new arrival and waiting with great anticipation for the doors to open.

As am I!  As soon as the music from the opening day has faded away, I am going, with as many of my friends as will fit in my car.  I have to admit that as a middle school student in San Francisco, when I used to take the cable car down to Union Square and go to the ACT (American Conservatory Theater)’s children’s theater school, I would stop off at Solomon’s or David’s, the two competing Jewish Delicatessans on Geary Street.  The bagels, the borscht, the matzoh ball soup, the really really really really good pastrami on an onion roll, the blintzs, never mind, I am going to go live in my car in front of Island Books and Stopsky’s Deli.  You know where to find me, and don’t worry as I have a car charger for my cell.

As an interesting side note, you might like to check out Sanderson Ventures, a new funding source that backs businesses that are doing some good in the community.

As we all know, Alice followed her new acquaintance and soon found herself popping down a rabbit hole into what would probably be described, if the book were being written today instead of in 1865, as an alternate universe.  That was a little of the sensation I felt when I entered Island Books for the first time.  A stillness and an expectancy.  Then a stirring of the air.  Rows of old typewriters quietly line the tops of high bookshelves, shelves and tables hold collections of cards games and of course books, a maze of words and dim light leading back into the depths of…mystery and wonder?  At least into a great bookstore that holds much more than most of us can read this year or even for the next ten!  Although compared to the comercial goliaths this might be thought of as small it is actually quite a gernerously sized bookstore and the sections are very well laid out and planned.

The owner, Roger, came to greet me soon after I “popped” in and to see what I needed.  Later in the visit I met his wife Nancy.  They have co-owned and run Island Books for the last 30 years!  It is Mercer Island’s main bookstore and something of an institution in the community.  They have book club circles, events, and the store is always changing and evolving, somewhat like a garden with a very careful and attentive gardener.  Roger explained to me that the playhouse in the children’s section has been there the entire time the store was here.  In fact, a mother who was shopping there told me that she played in that playhouse as a child and now her children play in it when they come in to find storybooks, games, and some of the delightful toys, crafts and stationary items that are arrayed around the truly phenominal children’s section.  My photographs don’t really do it justice, they just give a taste of what is here.

Some highlights include the garden section, a wonderful cookbook section where you are free to sit and browse through the books, and rather than ten copies of one best seller there are one or two copies of many less well known ones providing a remarkable variety in the small space, in fact probably as much or more than in a larger mass-market environment.  Great history, mystery, sports, a wonderful spread of staff picks and there are also some old books for sale.  I got a hardback Hardy Boys books in perfect condition for my son for $2.  Local magazines, cards with humor, joy and serenity, a wall of event posters which is lively and tempting, all compete for attention with the extensive book selections.  Another wonderful feature is that they will ship any book free, so if you are looking for something that they need to order, they can send it right to your home.  You can also have them send off your new favorites to your friends who will appreciate them! And if you are out of town and need a certain volume, just call and they will get the book to you.

I didn’t want to leave, too much good company, conversation, old and new books, and so much more to discover, and a real sense of unlimited time and space for the mind to roam.  Here exists what we once took for granted and what is inevitably lacking in the new commercialized barns that call themselves book stores these days, an individualized conversation.  Finally as I departed, promising to return soon, I glanced back at the rows of old typewriters and found myself wondering what amazing books, stories, letters, poems had been created on some of them, perhaps by fingers that have by now passed away to other realms leaving behind only the words they set down on the page.

This park, as you’ll learn on the Mercer Island Park website, consists of 77 acres and has three quarters of a mile of waterfront.  Download a printable Park Map here,

If you are curious about Luther Burbank, he didn’t live on Mercer Island, but he did live in Santa Rosa, California, and died in 1926 at 77 years of age.  He was a world renowned horticulturist, and became known for his attempts to develop stronger and better breeds of plants, with the aim of  increasing the world food supply and therefore presumably ending hunger.  He developed over 800 new varieties of plants over the course of his career (including the baking potato). And now you may be wondering why the park was named after him?

The park was homesteaded by a Satellite named Charles C. Calkins in 1887.  He called it East Seattle, and it was an upper end community there on the northwest side of Mercer Island.  He built an elaborate hotel called Calkins Hotel and had his own steamboat which carried guests back and forth from Seattle.  Later when fortunes changed and the estate was purchased as a school, it was developed further.  Most recently in 1969 King County purchased it for a park.  It was named in honor of Luther Burbank…who among the 800 plants he developed included the Himalaya blackberry.  It is very evident in the park.  Some love it for it’s luscious fruit but others despise the invasiveness and aggression of the plant, and even in the park it is at present choking out some native variates of plant in the wetlands!  Thanks, Mr. Burbank…we think!