Fri., May 18, 6:30–9:30 p.m.
Encompass presents this annual food and fine wine event at Pickering Barn. The funds raised are used to benefit the organization’s mission to nurture children, enrich families and inspire community.
For information, see encompassnw.org  or call 415.888.2777.

Issaquah Singers

Sat., June 2, 7:30 p.m.
Set aside time for the Issaquah Singers’ annual free family and friends concert taking place at Sammamish Presbyterian Church. The concert, “The Time of Your Life,” features songs about time and the ways we measure its passing.
For more information, visit issaquahsingers.com

Renew You Retreat

May 31–June 3 (in Southern California) 

Renew You Retreats are a way to rejuvenate the mind, body and spirit. This is an opportunity to detox from technology, never-ending to-do lists and unhealthy habits to create balance and harmony in your life. Personal trainer and nutrition expert Katie Wygant (owner and lead trainer of Sound Body Fitness in Issaquah) and executive life and business coach Amy Yamada are hosting a destination Renew You Retreat for women, at The Villa at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif. Find out more at renewyouretreats.com

Northwest Paddling Festival

Sat., May 12, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
This one-day event at scenic Lake Sammamish State Park offers kayak and stand-up paddle board enthusiasts the opportunity to get out on the water. Activities include kayaking and paddle boarding and there’s plenty of entertainment on hand for those who prefer to stay dry.
For more information, see northwestpaddling-festival.com

1. Totem, $2,600
2. Mushroom, $90; Turtle, $150
3. Flower, $45; Dragonfly, $35
4. Prehistoric bird, $250
5. Birdbath, $230
6. Horseshoe flowers, $200

Denny Croston, 425.392.0247;
dennysyardart.com
artEast/UP Front Gallery,
95 Front St. N., Issaquah;
425.996.8553; arteast.org

After

Before

In the Northwest, many homes feature a wooden deck. Decks provide an option for outdoor entertaining when the yard is too wet for use, which means they are in year-round use.

There are two things you can count on with a deck. One is that you will need to replace the surface material every 15 to 20 years if it is made of cedar, the most commonly used material. The second, and less obvious, issue is that the way you use your deck is likely to change over time. In my case, when we had parties with other younger couples, we would stand and talk for hours. 30 years later, these same friends are all looking for places to sit while we carry on conversations.

If it’s time to replace or upgrade your deck, you need to decide how to modify your deck to fit your current lifestyle and what materials are best to use when replacing the old surface material.

We love to entertain on our backyard deck, but after 30 years we realized we needed to make some structural changes to reflect our current uses and entertaining patterns. We often host 10 to 40 people on the deck, and we needed more built-in seating and comfortable spots for setting down food and drinks. The access to the lawn had become a bottleneck with only one set of stairs, which were steep and narrow. Evening entertaining highlighted another concern: a lack of lighting to outline the bottom of the stairs.

We knew from the start that this would be a do-it-ourselves project. Once we decided on the changes in stair access and seating we wanted to incorporate, the hard work began with the removal of the existing surface material. Our decking had been nailed to the framing, and it took as many hours to pull each of those nails and remove the surface as it did to lay the new surface.

Stripping old material

Laying new boards

Building benches

Once the surface material was removed, we inspected the framing to make sure that it was securely fastened to the house, that there was no rot in the framing and that the supports had not sunk into the ground, leaving an out-of-level surface. This also turned out to be an ideal time to pressure-wash all of the wood and to coat the top edges of the framing with moisture protection.

Surface Options

Most decks in the Northwest were originally surfaced with cedar. It is a long-lasting wood, and when well cared for can last up to 20 years, as ours had. It was also responsible for some serious sticker shock. Decking material ranges from the newer composite materials at $2.25 per linear foot to traditional clear (no knots) cedar at $1.69 per linear foot. Luckily, a friend suggested that we look at five-quarter (5/4 x 4-inch) tight-knot cedar at BMC West. This cedar is nominally 1 inch thick and 3.5 inches wide, with small (tight) knots in the wood. It was priced well below any of the other options, at 45 cents per linear foot.

The five-quarter cedar needed to be stained to bring out the beauty of the wood and add moisture protection. For this we went to Daly’s in Bellevue for their trans-oxide deck stain designed for cedar and redwood. With new wood, before you secure it to the framing, stain all four sides so that the wood repels moisture from each direction. If you stain only the top side, the wood absorbs moisture unevenly and will tend to cup and warp.

Once we laid down the surface, it was time to concentrate on widening the existing stairs from 4 feet to 9 feet and adding more steps to make the drop from the deck to the ground more gradual. We added a second set of stairs halfway along the 75-foot length of the deck. We also built an additional 17 feet of bench seating to allow guests to sit; at nearly 20 inches wide, the bench also easily and securely accommodates their dinner plates and glasses.

Square feet to linear feet

To help figure out the surface material you will need and its approximate price, you will need to convert the square footage of your deck to the number of linear feet of decking you will need to buy from the lumber yard. A quick rule of thumb is to multiply the square footage by the width of the decking material. In our case, the deck measured 1,000 square feet and the material was 3.5 inches wide, so we required 3,500 linear feet of decking. Using composite material the deck surface would have cost $8,925. Using clear cedar it would have been $5,915. Using 5/4 x 4-inch tight-knot cedar, the deck surface cost just $1,575.

Within 24 hours of its completion, we held the first party on the new deck. The stairs, the seating and the look and feel of the tight-knot cedar were all a hit with our guests. New solar lights at the bottom of the stairs added subtle visibility for guests as the evening darkened. Throughout the winter, the lighter color of the new deck reflected a warm light into the house—an unexpected year-round benefit.

Now the deck will fit our entertainment needs for another 20 years. ❖

By Reisha Holton

One cold Sunday afternoon a few months ago, while the nation was mired in the pastime called March Madness, I sidled up to my charcoal grill and my gas range and engaged in another type of sport: the battle of the bratwurst. In the world of brats (pronounced brahtz), the Big Dance involves just two partners: German sausage and beer. But as with the teams marching toward the Final Four, my battle would require more than a hunger for victory. I needed the finesse of a veteran chef coupled with the stamina of a Wisconsin logger.

Bill Sullivan of Fisher Meats in downtown Issaquah explained: “Primarily made of pork and mixed with salt, pepper and a little garlic, bratwursts are simple sausages.” But that’s where the simple ends and the confusion begins. In German, brat means “fry” and wurst means “sausage,” but no matter who you ask, you don’t fry a brat. “Here’s what I do,” Sullivan began, explaining the nuances of the caramelized balsamic vinegar glaze he creates for the onions that top his stewed brats. “I use a lager or ale such as Rogue’s Chipotle Ale or Emerald City’s Dottie Seattle Amber lager and stew the brats 10 to 15 minutes so the beer can seep into the hog casing.” My mouth was watering even before he told me to roll the stewed sausages on a gas grill a few minutes just to seal in the flavor.

It could have been game over, bring out the potato salad and sauerkraut, and call it a day, but something kept my stomach growling. “Y’all know anything about bratwursts cooked in beer,” I asked two dads on the sidelines with me during our daughters’ volleyball tournament.

It turned out they did.

Al Jasman was born in North Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, halfway between Green Bay and Milwaukee, population 4,000. He has lived in Issaquah for 25 years, and for most of that time he’s hosted a Rose Bowl party for 50-plus people, lording over his charcoal grill and preparing brats his own special way. “It varies almost per household back home,” he started. “And sometimes there’s division inside the household. Like being a Jets or a Giants fan—even my sister Bonnie and I don’t make them the same way!” Jasman’s way is almost unheard of outside North Fond du Lac. “I like the charcoal taste. They taste so much better,” he taunts, telling me to grill the fresh brats first, over charcoal briquettes, and then simmer them in a solution of beer and sliced onions until they’re ready to be served.

“I put a hole [in the brats] from end to end with a skewer,” scoffed Craig Hinchcliff as he talked about marinating his brats in a dark, stout beer. “I like to taste the beer,” he said, jabbing at Jasman’s charcoal comment. After soaking the brats overnight or just simmering them in beer, he discards the beer and sautés the brats with onions before giving them a turn on the gas grill.

In the order of the grill, the stakes are high and consistency is king. “If you get it wrong, people complain,” Hinchcliff warned. “You can’t leave it to chance,” Jasman added. “Never let them count the brats before cooking. You’ll need to test at least three brats before you are ready to serve them.” Both men laughed and agreed that sampling is the best part of the ritual.

The rest of the ritual takes place inside the house, in the kitchen. Traditional sides for the brat meal include German-style potato salad, potato chips and/or sauerkraut. Some people fuss over how to hold the hot brat. “A hoagie roll or a piece of sourdough bread will do,” Jasman told me, settling the issue. “It’s about the brat. Let it be about the brat.”  ❖

By Diane Lucius

Summer is grilling season in the Northwest. To be honest, most residents consider any dry day warmer than 55 degrees a perfect day to dust off the grill and throw steaks, chops, chicken or oysters on the fire. Oysters, with their buttery, soft texture and briny taste, are paired perfectly with the smoky flavor imparted by the grill.

Jeffery Hayes of Freshy’s Seafood in downtown Issaquah (located inside Fischer Meats) says 2012 is the perfect year for oysters. “The colder the year, the better the oysters. This year is perfect. Oysters are the silver lining behind that gray cloud cover,” he says. “Here, our oysters are a different species, making them really good all summer long.”
Washington is the largest producer of oysters in the country. Western Washington’s inlets and river deltas provide plenty of oyster habitat. Hayes notes that Puget Sound boasts at least 30 distinct oyster flavor profiles, all from the same kind of oysters. “Hood Canal Quilcenes will taste different than their cousin, the Hama Hama, because Quilcene’s are seeded at the mouth of a river. They taste less salty because the water they are raised in is half salt and half fresh,” he explains.

As for grilling, Hayes is quick to pick his favorites. Known for their metallic, sweet, briny flavor reminiscent of cucumber, Snow Creek or Pacific Beach oysters are a great choice when you are ready to fire up the grill. And you might be surprised to learn that oysters are actually very affordable, according to Hayes. “I recommend four oysters per person. With the price per dozen from $8 to $16, that makes oysters a pretty affordable luxury,” he states.

Grilling oysters is not exactly new. Perhaps you have enjoyed smoke-infused oysters still steaming after roasting them clam bake-style on the beach, right at the edge of the sound. Whatever your oyster experience, this is the time of year to clear your calendar, call your friends and plan a party around the grill, with the elegant oyster as star of the show!

Freshy’s Grilled Oysters

Pop oyster shell open without removing the entire shell. Place on grill for 4 minutes to allow the oyster to steam in its own shell. Spoon a teaspoon or two of mignonette sauce right into the shell with the grilled oyster.

Hayes recommends pairing the oysters with grilled peaches. Simply halve peaches, remove the pit and grill for 1 to 2 minutes. For the perfect beverage complement, Champagne, dry white wine, Pilsner or light lager beers are best.

Mignonette Sauce

2/3 cup red wine vinegar,
champagne vinegar or mirin
(rice wine, for an Asian twist)
3 tablespoons minced shallots
1 tablespoon coarsely ground pepper

Mix the vinegar, shallots and pepper in a small bowl. Stir and serve.  ❖

By Jeff Skierka

This is a story about the establishment, decline and resurrection of the Triple XXX Root Beer Drive-in on Gilman Boulevard and the rather unconventional man and his family who brought renewal to a business and financial commitment to the entire community.

Entering the Triple XXX immediately immerses you in the sights and sounds of another era. The interior walls, ceilings and most every available space in the front of the house are a collage of relics from the 1950s and ’60s. Hood ornaments are next to toy cars, which are adjacent to a faded photo of a prized lowered and raked 1956 Chevy. The prodigious number of treasures works as a catalyst to bring back special memories for adults and a sense of wonder to children. Adults find themselves repeating “I remember that” throughout their meal of classic large burgers, giant hot dogs and too-tall glasses of root beer.

Nevertheless, it is the back of the house that makes the Triple XXX such an interesting place. Here you will find José Enciso and his extended family working diligently every day, running the restaurant while also finding their own special way to give back to the community. Enciso is easy to spot; he has a big smile on his face and wears a name tag that says “Dishwasher.”

Born in Mexico in 1946, Enciso came to America at the age of 2. His father was living in Texas and cooking for politicians, who helped to get José and his six siblings across the border. Enciso’s early years were spent in Corpus Christi, where he balanced school with various jobs. Because of this, he graduated from high school at the age of 22, when he “looked like one of the teachers.”

After working in Texas for several decades, Enciso moved his family to the Seattle area and entered the restaurant business, working at La Costa and Azteca. In 1998, he was approached about purchasing the Triple XXX, which was barely surviving.  On a night out with his wife, Irma, they dined at the drive-in, but to say that either of them was impressed is an overstatement.

In spite of the state of the Issaquah landmark, however, Enciso was able to visualize an opportunity that others (including his wife) could not see. He had a long-standing love of cars, which started with his first car, a “1963 black with red interior, four-on-the-floor Impala,” and felt combining car shows with the drive-in would be a great marriage. Working through a local Issaquah bank and the existing owners, he was able to negotiate the purchase of the business. After securing this opportunity, he took his wife back to the drive-in. During their meal he announced they were now the proud owners of Triple XXX. “She was very silent on the way home—and for a while after that as well!” he fondly remembers.

Since Enciso purchased the Triple XXX 13 years ago, his vision has resulted in a complete turnaround of the once failing restaurant. Soon after opening, he began to bring in car shows, starting with three the first year. Currently the annual calendar lists 42, more than any other single location in the country. The Triple XXX has been featured in a CNN special about the top ’50s-style diners in America, annually sells more root beer than any other restaurant in the nation and will be included in Chevy’s 100th-anniversary celebration.

When recalling his business success, Enciso humbly states, “I accidentally made a good choice!” Enhancing his business through car shows go well beyond his own financial gain. He requires that every car show work with a nonprofit organization, with all the proceeds going to charity. In the last 10 years, this arrangement has resulted in the donation of more than $150,000 to Life Enhancement Options, which helps the mentally disabled, among many other organizations.

Enciso has also received personal recognition of his contributions. In 2011, the city of Issaquah inducted him into the Issaquah Hall of Fame and he received the King County Executive’s Small Business Award. During the annual Community Awards luncheon the Issaquah Chamber of Commerce also selected him as the Business Person of the Year.

Away from the business, Enciso loves spending time with his wife, their seven children and their 33 grandchildren, many who have worked or are working right beside him. ❖

Triple XXX History

In 1895 the Galveston Brewing Company was opened by Texas investors and Anheuser-Busch. The keg
beer was packaged in steel-banded barrels of oak, which were marked with “XXX.” From 1900 to 1908, the
company sold soft drink syrups under the XXX brand. The company reorganized in 1918, and changed its name
to Southern Beverage Company the two primary flavors it marketed were ginger ale and root beer. By 1923,
their distributors included more than 150 Triple XXX bottlers and about 100 “Thirst Stations.” The largest
distributor of Triple XXX products outside Texas was A.H. Rutherford & Sons, in Renton, which designed a
unique “twin barrel” for the restaurants. Today, Issaquah’s drive-in is the last one to sport the traditional barrel.
The barrel sign above the Triple XXX is the largest lighted Plexiglas sign in the West.

By Denise Stringfellow

Swimming is one of the best and most popular kinds of exercise that people can do. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, people enjoy water-based exercise more than exercising on land, and the aerobic benefits of swimming can decrease the risk of heart problems and diabetes, not to mention the premature arrival of the Grim Reaper. And what’s good for people can also benefit our canine friends.

That said, a good swim may not be perceived as a wonderful pastime by all dogs. Water is highly appreciated by Labradors and spaniels, yet less so by, say, Dobermans and Bichons.

Enter K9 Aquatics, a warm-water canine swim spa in Sammamish. K9 Aquatics features a custom-built 8-by-20-foot stainless steel swim spa designed specifically for dogs and their people. The groundwork for K9 Aquatics began in 2003, when Sandy Fisher’s bulldog, Brodie, tore the cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) in his knee. On the advice of others, Fisher sought out a warm-water pool to help Brodie recover from surgery. She found Cindy Horsfall of La Paw Spa. Horsfall, a pioneer of warm-water therapy for dogs in the U.S., became a close friend and mentor. After several years, she encouraged Fisher to build and open her own pool, and K9 Aquatics opened in 2007.

The spa is enclosed in a glass building and can be heated when the weather outside is not ideal (fair-weather exercisers, this is for you). It also has retractable roof panels that are opened when the weather turns nice.

The pool has an adjustable swim current, just like a lap pool, and the water is tested and clean, and heated to 91 degrees (an ideal temperature to warm up those aching muscles). That means dogs can swim a long way and owners won’t have to hop a ferry to retrieve them.

Both self-swim and assisted-swim sessions are available. The self-swim feature is for owners with healthy dogs who want to enjoy a warm swim with their pets. Assisted-swim sessions are for owners who don’t want to swim but want their dog to swim, and for dogs that are recovering from injury or have a current health problem. Swim sessions can be from 30 to 60 minutes long and are completely private.

K9 Aquatics is also an excellent choice for puppy owners. Owners can teach their new puppy to swim in a controlled environment and have a bonding experience with their pup at the same time. In addition, learning to swim can be
a very positive experience that goes a long way to getting puppies to grow into mature and self-confident adult dogs.

Visit the K9 Aquatics website at k9aquatics.com. You can also contact Sandy Fisher at k9aquatics.com or at 425.785.4881.  ❖

By Laurie Shorett

Rich and Laurie Shorett in front of their new inn and home

After living in Issaquah for 24 years, we found ourselves approaching a new phase in life: “empty nesters.” We had enjoyed our separate careers, Rick in real estate development and me in communications and marketing. We realized we were ready to do something new and fresh with the next phase of our lives.

Once we decided we were ready for a lifestyle change, we thought about what we enjoyed doing together.
We love traveling, meeting people, entertaining, hospitality, cooking and working with our hands. These interests seemed to match up with running a bed-and-breakfast.

B&Bs have always been our preferred places to stay when traveling, so we began our research by joining a B&B association, reading books on innkeeping and interviewing B&B owners. Our study showed that we would need to have at least eight rooms in order for the B&B to be our sole source of income. We knew we didn’t want to take on something that large; three or four rooms seemed more manageable, and we planned on each of us having a part-time job to supplement our income along with running the B&B.

We took several road trips to scout out possible locations. Criteria included good weather, three or four distinct seasons and activities, proximity to the Seattle area and a town we would enjoy being a part of. We found this in the Wenatchee Valley and spent a year with a local real estate agent combing the area for just the right spot for our B&B. At long last, we found and bought a property at the west end of the Cashmere Valley.

During our B&B stays we’d taken notes of what we did and didn’t like. These notes were very helpful when it came time to design our own B&B. Many people buy an older home and convert it to a B&B, but designing and building it gave us the luxury of creating just the right casual elegance we were after. We worked with a Wenatchee architect to design a space guests would enjoy, with plenty of room for us as well.

In order to confirm that we were not crazy, as some feared, we attended a workshop in Colorado that we fondly called B&B boot camp prior to making our final decisions.

We designed and decorated guest spaces to be cozy and comfortable, with stunning views of the Cashmere Valley below. The large wood-burning fireplace in the great room attracts guests each morning for a gourmet breakfast featuring local coffee, meats and produce.

The four guest suites, named after different pear varieties, invite relaxation and renewal. We have had a variety of guests, including locals celebrating a special occasion and couples from the west side of the state looking for better weather and a place to recharge.

Business has picked up as word has gotten out, and our marketing efforts have paid off. We have a website, cascadevalleyinn.com, and we are members of several chambers of commerce. Typically a B&B starts seeing a profit after a couple of years, as there are a lot of start-up business costs. We have a definite advantage in that a percentage of our overall expenses—utilities, supplies, landscaping, etc.—can be written off as business expenses.

People ask us, “Now that you are actually running your B&B, is it what you expected?” We think it’s actually better! We love it when guests tell us, “You have thought of every detail!” As with any business, there’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work: menu planning, cleaning, doing lots of laundry and meeting guests’ needs, from dietary issues to restaurant recommendations. We wear lots of hats—cook, concierge, cleaner, marketer, bookkeeper, handyman, waiter and host.

Since our opening in October 2009 we have hosted wonderful guests who have thoroughly enjoyed their stay in the Cashmere Valley and have personally been delighted by Wenatchee Valley hospitality. We love living in a small town; we’ve gotten involved in the community (I’m now on the Cashmere chamber board) and have made wonderful new friends. The pace is much slower, people are so caring and there’s no traffic!  ❖

By Jay Kipp

Here in the great Northwest there is no shortage of opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors. From beachfront cottages to San Juan estates to the ski slopes, our region offers more variety than most for a perfect outdoor getaway. And the good news coming out of our recent real estate slowdown is that a multitude of really great properties are out there for smart investors to take advantage of.

The country is seeing a resurgence in vacation property, whether it is used primarily by the owner or rented out on a regular basis. Florida, Arizona and California are leading the way, as prices have dropped drastically in some of the most beautiful and time-tested vacation spots, making this a true buyer’s market. As with most things real estate related, the Pacific Northwest market follows California’s trend. Some great bargains are hitting the market and just waiting for astute buyers.

East of Issaquah, Suncadia offers both vacant lots and custom-built homes at fantastic values. The community is known for its winter sports, great golf and fine dining. Farther east, in Wenatchee and Walla Walla, classy condominiums and townhomes make a long weekend in wine country the perfect getaway. Designed as an authentic beach village, the relatively new community of Seabrook, just north of Ocean Shores to the west, offers a classic Pacific Ocean experience. And the San Juan Islands remain one of the most highly sought after vacation destinations.

Financing for vacation homes is available, as well as on-site management and opportunities to rent out one’s property via outlets such as Vacation Rentals By Owner. Many vacation properties are owned by private corporations or partnerships and serve as corporate retreat venues. Internal Revenue Service rules apply to owning a vacation home, but even that can have a positive effect on the bottom line when use, expense and maintenance are taken into account.

It is always a great time to enjoy the outdoors, but now seems to be an especially opportune time to investigate great vacation home ownership options in your favorite Northwest location.  ❖

Initiated in 1972, to create a Nobel Prize for public service, the annual Jefferson Awards are presented first at the state level, and the winner for each state then is honored at a national ceremony in Washington, D.C. Seattle City Club receives anonymous nominations for the award, and screens them to distill the list to just five “unsung heroes” who inspire volunteerism in local communities. Of those five, one is selected to represent the community at the national level.

One of the five 2012 Washington State Jefferson Award winners is local resident and personal injury attorney Richard H. Adler, president of Adler Giersch law firm. He was nominated for his work representing those with traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and their caregivers, and extending that work into shaping game-changing legislation to provide needed services and prevent avoidable brain injuries. Many of his clients and their families struggled to get the care and services they needed, so Adler went from courtroom attorney to president of the Brain Injury Association of Washington (BIAWA). He helped lead BIAWA in its support of the Tommy Manning Act, named after a TBI survivor, and established funding for TBI support services in Washington state—a first!

In 2009 he organized and led a coalition of community leaders in sports, medicine and advocacy to champion the Zackery Lystedt Law, named after a client, which established a uniform standard for all youth sports requiring youth athletes’ removal from a practice or competition following a concussion and the requirement that they be cleared medically and in writing before they can return to the sport. Adler then moved the Lystedt Law forward by forging relationships with nationally known sports physicians, the National Football League, the American College of Sports Medicine and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to push for the passage of the Lystedt Law in other states. To date, 32 states have adopted Washington’s first-in-the-nation legislation, and several other states are expected to pass similar legislation in the coming months.

Adler mentioned that “the Centers for Disease Control reports that there are over 300,000 sports concussions reported each year sustained by children between the ages of 5 to 18. And there are over 1.1 million admissions to emergency rooms for TBI.”

He says, “My passion is to give a voice to those who need it. In my work as an attorney I am there to give voice for my clients and their families struggling for a level playing field and fairness with insurers for reasonable compensation for their losses. And then there is the work to provide a real voice in our community and across the Evergreen State for those with brain injuries who may have lost their ability to speak effectively on the issues.”

The Jefferson Awards are a call to action for volunteers. Let this be your call to step forward and find a way to help others. ❖