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Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
July 5, 2007     Shelton Mason County Journal
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July 5, 2007
 
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What&apos;s Cookin'? Gardening a lifelong love for 'Corn By REBECCA WELLS Even when Shirley Richert was a little girl, she grew up tending a little flower bed and garden. "I have always loved to garden," she says. Since the late 1980s, Shirley has been selling fresh produce from the Richert family farm, including the locally acclaimed "Bodacious" corn, at a produce stand in Thur- ston County. Now people see her around town and on the street and recognize her as the "Corn Lady." "It was kind of an adventure when I first started," she recalls. She began at the Olympia Farmers' Market but in order to not compete with her cousins, the Johnsons, she later moved to Mud Bay Road, selling out of her vehi- cle. These days she sets up shop in the Phyl's Furniture parking lot, the owner of this business being one of her customers. "IT'S JUST really neat, neat. I really enjoy doing it," Shirley says. At first, she sold out of her father's little red Jeep until it fi- nally broke down and she outgrew it, but its legacy lives on. "It was a family thing. My kids knew the little red Jeep and my customers still ask me, 'Where's the little red Jeep?'" While her location and vehicle have changed, her main prod- uct is still Bodacious corn, which her customers have loved since it was first introduced at the farm- ers' market. "It took the place by storm," she recalls. Now when she puts her produce sign out along the side oftlm road, she doesn't simply announce she has just any kind of corn for sale; she makes sure to specify she's selling the Bodacious variety. BESIDES CORN, she also raises Blue Lake green beans, pickling cucumbers, slicing cu- cumbers, cantaloupe, tomatoes, pumpkins and summer squash, including zucchini and winter squash. All of it is grown right on the family farm in the Skokomish Valley. She picks the corn fresh each morning. Having a Finnish and Norwe- gian heritage, she also grows yel- low Finn potatoes and hopes to pay another visit to her relatives in Norway next summer. In addition to the produce stand, she also runs a "U-pick" program on her thrm, mostly of- fering beans and cucumbers by appointment only. Since she also cultivates a few herbs, including dill, customers can select fresh cu- cumbers and buy just enough dill in the morning to make pickles by the afternoon. "I've enjoyed it. I really have enjoyed it and I enjoy my custom- ers. They enjoy the fact that I'm there, you know? To do something you know they really appreciate is very rewarding," she says. HER CLIENTELE has spanned generations, and as grandparents pass away they leave their children and grand- children to carry on the traditional visits to her produce stand. Shir- ley's not afraid to talk to people. This seasonal job, which usually begins around the end of August, depending on the weather, gives her a chance to see some people she would never come across oth- erwise, such as former classmates and students. "I don't go until the corn is ready. That's my starting point. That's the major thing," she says. Shirley taught elementary school in Hoquiam for several years, having grown up and grad- uated from high school there. Her degree is from Central Washing- ton University and she went on for a fifth year of college to obtain her teaching certification at the Uni- versity of Washington. She also started her family in the Hoquiam area while she was Rose's Odyssey will benefit youth center Shelton Spiritual Cinema will show the new documentary 2012 The Odyssey at 2 p.m. on Sunday, July 8, in the PUD 3 Auditorium, 307 West Cota Street in Shelton. Filmmaker Sharron Rose trav- els across the U.S. speaking to re- spected researchers such as Jos6 Arguelles and Gregg Braden about the year 2012. "This film shows us that the coming world is ours to reshape and to remake in any way that we believe possible. It reminds us that we need not be victims," said spokesperson Bob Bottman. Dun- can Roads of Nexus Magazines called this film, 'Wery informative and thought-provoking." Shelton Spiritual Cinema has been showing inspiring and thought-provoking films from the newly emerging genre of films known as "spiritual cinema" for more than two years. It is not affil- iated with any organized religion or political group, and no admis- sion is charged, but cash donations are welcome. All proceeds go to SOCK Youth Center in Shelton. More informa- tion is available by sending an e- mail to: bob@sock.org or calling Bottman at 432-3229. Unless otherwise noted, all events take place at the Mason County Senior Activities Center at 826 West Railroad Avenue. The senior center hours are from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The center's tele- phone desk 426-7374) is closed for lunch from noon till 12:30 p.m. Adult lap swimming is set for 11:15 a.m. weekdays and noon on Saturday at the Shelton High School Pool. Friday, July 6 8:30 a.m., Tat Chi class. 9-11 a.m., line dancing. 9 a.m.-2 p.m., sewing circle. Noon, potluck lunch. Noon, Brownie Troop 4284 visit. 6:30-10 p.m., Old Time Fid- dlers. Monday, July 9 8:30 a.m., Tat Chi class. 9 a.m., beginning line dancing. 10 a.m., line dancing. 12:45 p.m., pinochle. Tuesday, July 10 Footcare by appointment. 9 a.m., line dancing. 9 a.m.-1 p.m., sewing circle. 10 a.m., intermediate and ad- vanced line dancing. 12:30 p.m., bridge. Wednesday, July 11 8:30 a.m., Tai Chi class. 9 a.m., line dancing. Thursday, July 12 9-11 a.m., line dancing. 9-11 a.m., EZ Crafters. 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m., blood-pres- sure checks. 1 p.m., bingo. teaching there. By the time her children were in school, she had moved to Mason County and was working as a substitute teacher at Hood Canal School. "That was nice because I got to know the teachers and got to know the school," she says. AS A WIDOW, she met and married Gerald Richert thanks to the matchmaking efforts of Ed and LaVonne Cole of Shelton. Be- tween Shirley's two little boys and Gerald's three children, they sud- denly found themselves parents of four sons and one daughter. They started referring to their house- hold as "The Brady Bunch," after the popular television show in those days about a blended family. They could identify with the char- acters. Shirley and Gerald built a home in Potlatch, where they raised their family and lived for 20 years. They were married 40 years last August 6. "I can't believe it's been that long. It just flies by," she says. They hope to celebrate their anni- versary by taking a family cruise up to Alaska next summer. In De- cember 2004 they went on a cruise to the Mexican Riviera with one of their sons and his wife. Shirley and Gerald had been very involved with the First Bap- tist Church of Shelton. She taught Sunday school there for years but then in 1990, once his parents be- came too far along in age to handle the family ranch anymore, they decided to move back to the Skok Valley farm and take it over for them. They now attend Skokom- ish Community Church, which just celebrated its 50th anniver- sary. Jerry serves as a church dea- con and Shirley helps in a number of different ways. "I ENJOY BEING on the other side of teaching. I've done a lot of teaching. It's good to be taught, too. I enjoy that, too," she says. By the time they moved back to the Skok Valley, their children were grown and the couple now has several grandchildren. Their son Doug Richert owns a photog- raphy shop in Shelton. Their son Ken Drake and his wife Kristi co- own La ranter, a French bakery in Seattle's Pike Place Market. Their daughter Tish Greenfield works for the state and her husband Gene works in carpentry. Their son Kirk and his wife Michele live in Folsom, California. She works for Verizon and he works in ac- counting. Their youngest son, Al- lan Richert, lives in Brinnon. Gerald was born and raised right in the Skok Valley and now Shirley's having fun stepping up to grow produce in the fields. "I love it! The valley's a beautiful place," she says. The farm has been there for so long that the family knows where to plant crops in order to avoid the annual flooding in the winter. Their property includes almost 100 acres around the house, plus several hundred acres of hay and another 100 acres of corn on the other side of the Skokomish Riv- er. THESE DAYS they're work- ing on expanding their produce with the addition of blueberries, grapes and raspberries. The farm is also transitioning into organic agricultural practice. Though they already practice organic farming techniques, it will be a couple of years before they will be officially certified as organic farmers. Hired farm hands perform the heavy labor in the fields and Shir- ley is in charge of the lighter farm work. "I do the stuff that needs a gentle touch: watering, fertilizing, weeding," she explains. She shared a recipe for a moist chocolate cake using zucchini. Due to its tender texture, frosting isn't necessary; nuts and chocolate UNOCAL 76 PRODUCTS *Motor Oils and Hydraulic Oils * Industrial Lubricants *Automotive Oils *Metal Working Fluids *Greases and Gear Oils * Solvents, Antifreeze *Cutting Oils racing, gasoline *Job Site High-Volume Commercial Diesel Fueling * Pump Repair, Tanks, Nozzles, Grease Guns * Heating Oil Delivered * Furnace and Stove Oil, Kerosene UNOr.ALO Located at Sanderson Industrial Park 00,e,ton 427-8084 Page 16 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, July 5, 2007 FIELDS STRETCH out behind Shirley Richert at her ily's farm in the Skokomish Valley. chips sprinkled on top work just as well. Since it is very tasty when served the next day, Shirley rec- ommends baking it in a glass pan instead of a metal one so it doesn't pick up a metallic flavor. She also suggests using larger zucchinis rather than smaller ones, be- cause larger ones are a little drier and will keep the cake just moist enough without running the risk of making it damp and heavy. "When you cook it, you'd never know there's zucchini in it, be- cause it disappears," she said. Chocolate Zucchini Cake Ingredients: ]/2 C. soft margarine 1/2 C. vegetable oil 13/4 C. sugar 2 whole eggs 1 tsp. vanilla 1/2 C. sour milk 21/2 C. flour, unsifted 4 Tbsp. cocoa 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. cloves 2 C. large zucchini, finely diced, but not shredded 1/4 C. chocolate chips and chopped nuts Preparation: Cream together margarine, and sugar. Add the eggs, and sour milk. Beat with a Mix together all of the dry ents and add to the creamed ture; beat well with mixer. Stir in the diced zucchini. Spo- batter into the greased and flour 9-by-12-by-2-inch pan. Sprinl top with chocolate chips and nuU Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenhd for 40 to 45 minutes or until " toothpick or cake tester comes o b clean and dry. d DIRECT SALES SHOPPING EVENT,S, Shop from over 8 "stores" at one,s time and have fun toot Jewelry, Cosmetics, Books, 1 Tea, Cookware, Gourmet food, Candles, Scrapbooking and more 1 Saturday. July 7th n I Oam-3pm  Steamboat Island Prosperity Grange 3701 Steamboat Island Road Nil/ The Cherry Lady Is Back! YAKIMA VALLEY CIIERRIES i BINGS + RAINIERS Our cherries  + ._.alLy . l)/* + ** areextralarge, ,a00/I oPEN _+ . sweet & juicy TttRU this year. **rl I JULY 8 Viking Floors parking lot in Shehon • "',.,+++m++ ;++¢+ ++++]+++++++++.. ++++++.+,++ .+++m kP+P ' -m,@ , P+w ,, +, ,-,@++., - , + , g,>  - +?.. • , m +  +++++ .... ++4++'+":,'+ + .... +-+,+ "++,+++ <++¢++ '+'++¢ +. ++'+ +%+4,+, '+'+" +. ,¢ +. + .... + ¢ ++ ,+ +  W "+`" + Car Talk by Dave Hudson Owner ELECTRICAL OUTAGE After the battery starts your vehicle's engine, the alternator as- sumes its task of providing electricity to meet the vehicle's needs. Symptoms of alternator failure include illumination of the charge warning light or a discharge indication on the ammeter. However, before a decision to replace the alternator is made on the basis of these signs, the alternator drive belt should be checked for loose- ness, and the voltage regulator should be examined to see if it is working properly. Either of these conditions could cause the charge warning light or the discharge indication on the ammeter to ap- pear. Another indication of a failed alternator is a shrill noise that increases in pitch as engine speed increases, which is caused by a bad diode. III III If the charge warning light on your dashboard is illuminated be sure to bring your vehicle to TRANSMISSIONS PLUS AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES and have an experienced technician take a look at it. Our excellent staff receives ongoing training and support to stay on top of the latest advances. We will thoroughly diagnose the probler, and give you an estimate you can trust. Call 360-426-96]7 today. Our shop is conveniently located at 31 E. Vance Ct. Your complete transmission, clutch, and auto care center. 'TVe care ... about auto care!" HINT: A diode is the solid state electronice device in the alternator that changes or rectifies alternating current into direct current for use by the car's electrical system. What's Cookin'? Gardening a lifelong love for 'Corn By REBECCA WELLS Even when Shirley Richert was a little girl, she grew up tending a little flower bed and garden. "I have always loved to garden," she says. Since the late 1980s, Shirley has been selling fresh produce from the Richert family farm, including the locally acclaimed "Bodacious" corn, at a produce stand in Thur- ston County. Now people see her around town and on the street and recognize her as the "Corn Lady." "It was kind of an adventure when I first started," she recalls. She began at the Olympia Farmers' Market but in order to not compete with her cousins, the Johnsons, she later moved to Mud Bay Road, selling out of her vehi- cle. These days she sets up shop in the Phyl's Furniture parking lot, the owner of this business being one of her customers. "IT'S JUST really neat, neat. I really enjoy doing it," Shirley says. At first, she sold out of her father's little red Jeep until it fi- nally broke down and she outgrew it, but its legacy lives on. "It was a family thing. My kids knew the little red Jeep and my customers still ask me, 'Where's the little red Jeep?'" While her location and vehicle have changed, her main prod- uct is still Bodacious corn, which her customers have loved since it was first introduced at the farm- ers' market. "It took the place by storm," she recalls. Now when she puts her produce sign out along the side oftlm road, she doesn't simply announce she has just any kind of corn for sale; she makes sure to specify she's selling the Bodacious variety. BESIDES CORN, she also raises Blue Lake green beans, pickling cucumbers, slicing cu- cumbers, cantaloupe, tomatoes, pumpkins and summer squash, including zucchini and winter squash. All of it is grown right on the family farm in the Skokomish Valley. She picks the corn fresh each morning. Having a Finnish and Norwe- gian heritage, she also grows yel- low Finn potatoes and hopes to pay another visit to her relatives in Norway next summer. In addition to the produce stand, she also runs a "U-pick" program on her thrm, mostly of- fering beans and cucumbers by appointment only. Since she also cultivates a few herbs, including dill, customers can select fresh cu- cumbers and buy just enough dill in the morning to make pickles by the afternoon. "I've enjoyed it. I really have enjoyed it and I enjoy my custom- ers. They enjoy the fact that I'm there, you know? To do something you know they really appreciate is very rewarding," she says. HER CLIENTELE has spanned generations, and as grandparents pass away they leave their children and grand- children to carry on the traditional visits to her produce stand. Shir- ley's not afraid to talk to people. This seasonal job, which usually begins around the end of August, depending on the weather, gives her a chance to see some people she would never come across oth- erwise, such as former classmates and students. "I don't go until the corn is ready. That's my starting point. That's the major thing," she says. Shirley taught elementary school in Hoquiam for several years, having grown up and grad- uated from high school there. Her degree is from Central Washing- ton University and she went on for a fifth year of college to obtain her teaching certification at the Uni- versity of Washington. She also started her family in the Hoquiam area while she was Rose's Odyssey will benefit youth center Shelton Spiritual Cinema will show the new documentary 2012 The Odyssey at 2 p.m. on Sunday, July 8, in the PUD 3 Auditorium, 307 West Cota Street in Shelton. Filmmaker Sharron Rose trav- els across the U.S. speaking to re- spected researchers such as Jos6 Arguelles and Gregg Braden about the year 2012. "This film shows us that the coming world is ours to reshape and to remake in any way that we believe possible. It reminds us that we need not be victims," said spokesperson Bob Bottman. Dun- can Roads of Nexus Magazines called this film, 'Wery informative and thought-provoking." Shelton Spiritual Cinema has been showing inspiring and thought-provoking films from the newly emerging genre of films known as "spiritual cinema" for more than two years. It is not affil- iated with any organized religion or political group, and no admis- sion is charged, but cash donations are welcome. All proceeds go to SOCK Youth Center in Shelton. More informa- tion is available by sending an e- mail to: bob@sock.org or calling Bottman at 432-3229. Unless otherwise noted, all events take place at the Mason County Senior Activities Center at 826 West Railroad Avenue. The senior center hours are from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The center's tele- phone desk 426-7374) is closed for lunch from noon till 12:30 p.m. Adult lap swimming is set for 11:15 a.m. weekdays and noon on Saturday at the Shelton High School Pool. Friday, July 6 8:30 a.m., Tat Chi class. 9-11 a.m., line dancing. 9 a.m.-2 p.m., sewing circle. Noon, potluck lunch. Noon, Brownie Troop 4284 visit. 6:30-10 p.m., Old Time Fid- dlers. Monday, July 9 8:30 a.m., Tat Chi class. 9 a.m., beginning line dancing. 10 a.m., line dancing. 12:45 p.m., pinochle. Tuesday, July 10 Footcare by appointment. 9 a.m., line dancing. 9 a.m.-1 p.m., sewing circle. 10 a.m., intermediate and ad- vanced line dancing. 12:30 p.m., bridge. Wednesday, July 11 8:30 a.m., Tai Chi class. 9 a.m., line dancing. Thursday, July 12 9-11 a.m., line dancing. 9-11 a.m., EZ Crafters. 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m., blood-pres- sure checks. 1 p.m., bingo. teaching there. By the time her children were in school, she had moved to Mason County and was working as a substitute teacher at Hood Canal School. "That was nice because I got to know the teachers and got to know the school," she says. AS A WIDOW, she met and married Gerald Richert thanks to the matchmaking efforts of Ed and LaVonne Cole of Shelton. Be- tween Shirley's two little boys and Gerald's three children, they sud- denly found themselves parents of four sons and one daughter. They started referring to their house- hold as "The Brady Bunch," after the popular television show in those days about a blended family. They could identify with the char- acters. Shirley and Gerald built a home in Potlatch, where they raised their family and lived for 20 years. They were married 40 years last August 6. "I can't believe it's been that long. It just flies by," she says. They hope to celebrate their anni- versary by taking a family cruise up to Alaska next summer. In De- cember 2004 they went on a cruise to the Mexican Riviera with one of their sons and his wife. Shirley and Gerald had been very involved with the First Bap- tist Church of Shelton. She taught Sunday school there for years but then in 1990, once his parents be- came too far along in age to handle the family ranch anymore, they decided to move back to the Skok Valley farm and take it over for them. They now attend Skokom- ish Community Church, which just celebrated its 50th anniver- sary. Jerry serves as a church dea- con and Shirley helps in a number of different ways. "I ENJOY BEING on the other side of teaching. I've done a lot of teaching. It's good to be taught, too. I enjoy that, too," she says. By the time they moved back to the Skok Valley, their children were grown and the couple now has several grandchildren. Their son Doug Richert owns a photog- raphy shop in Shelton. Their son Ken Drake and his wife Kristi co- own La ranter, a French bakery in Seattle's Pike Place Market. Their daughter Tish Greenfield works for the state and her husband Gene works in carpentry. Their son Kirk and his wife Michele live in Folsom, California. She works for Verizon and he works in ac- counting. Their youngest son, Al- lan Richert, lives in Brinnon. Gerald was born and raised right in the Skok Valley and now Shirley's having fun stepping up to grow produce in the fields. "I love it! The valley's a beautiful place," she says. The farm has been there for so long that the family knows where to plant crops in order to avoid the annual flooding in the winter. Their property includes almost 100 acres around the house, plus several hundred acres of hay and another 100 acres of corn on the other side of the Skokomish Riv- er. THESE DAYS they're work- ing on expanding their produce with the addition of blueberries, grapes and raspberries. The farm is also transitioning into organic agricultural practice. Though they already practice organic farming techniques, it will be a couple of years before they will be officially certified as organic farmers. Hired farm hands perform the heavy labor in the fields and Shir- ley is in charge of the lighter farm work. "I do the stuff that needs a gentle touch: watering, fertilizing, weeding," she explains. She shared a recipe for a moist chocolate cake using zucchini. Due to its tender texture, frosting isn't necessary; nuts and chocolate UNOCAL 76 PRODUCTS *Motor Oils and Hydraulic Oils * Industrial Lubricants *Automotive Oils *Metal Working Fluids *Greases and Gear Oils * Solvents, Antifreeze *Cutting Oils racing, gasoline *Job Site High-Volume Commercial Diesel Fueling * Pump Repair, Tanks, Nozzles, Grease Guns * Heating Oil Delivered * Furnace and Stove Oil, Kerosene UNOr.ALO Located at Sanderson Industrial Park 00,e,ton 427-8084 Page 16 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, July 5, 2007 FIELDS STRETCH out behind Shirley Richert at her ily's farm in the Skokomish Valley. chips sprinkled on top work just as well. Since it is very tasty when served the next day, Shirley rec- ommends baking it in a glass pan instead of a metal one so it doesn't pick up a metallic flavor. She also suggests using larger zucchinis rather than smaller ones, be- cause larger ones are a little drier and will keep the cake just moist enough without running the risk of making it damp and heavy. "When you cook it, you'd never know there's zucchini in it, be- cause it disappears," she said. Chocolate Zucchini Cake Ingredients: ]/2 C. soft margarine 1/2 C. vegetable oil 13/4 C. sugar 2 whole eggs 1 tsp. vanilla 1/2 C. sour milk 21/2 C. flour, unsifted 4 Tbsp. cocoa 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. cloves 2 C. large zucchini, finely diced, but not shredded 1/4 C. chocolate chips and chopped nuts Preparation: Cream together margarine, and sugar. Add the eggs, and sour milk. Beat with a Mix together all of the dry ents and add to the creamed ture; beat well with mixer. Stir in the diced zucchini. Spo- batter into the greased and flour 9-by-12-by-2-inch pan. Sprinl top with chocolate chips and nuU Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenhd for 40 to 45 minutes or until " toothpick or cake tester comes o b clean and dry. d DIRECT SALES SHOPPING EVENT,S, Shop from over 8 "stores" at one,s time and have fun toot Jewelry, Cosmetics, Books, 1 Tea, Cookware, Gourmet food, Candles, Scrapbooking and more 1 Saturday. July 7th n I Oam-3pm  Steamboat Island Prosperity Grange 3701 Steamboat Island Road Nil/ The Cherry Lady Is Back! YAKIMA VALLEY CIIERRIES i BINGS + RAINIERS Our cherries  + ._.alLy . l)/* + ** areextralarge, ,a00/I oPEN _+ . sweet & juicy TttRU this year. **rl I JULY 8 Viking Floors parking lot in Shehon • "',.,+++m++ ;++¢+ ++++]+++++++++.. ++++++.+,++ .+++m kP+P ' -m,@ , P+w ,, +, ,-,@++., - , + , g,>  - +?.. • , m +  +++++ .... ++4++'+":,'+ + .... +-+,+ "++,+++ <++¢++ '+'++¢ +. ++'+ +%+4,+, '+'+" +. ,¢ +. + .... + ¢ ++ ,+ +  W "+`" + Car Talk by Dave Hudson Owner ELECTRICAL OUTAGE After the battery starts your vehicle's engine, the alternator as- sumes its task of providing electricity to meet the vehicle's needs. Symptoms of alternator failure include illumination of the charge warning light or a discharge indication on the ammeter. However, before a decision to replace the alternator is made on the basis of these signs, the alternator drive belt should be checked for loose- ness, and the voltage regulator should be examined to see if it is working properly. Either of these conditions could cause the charge warning light or the discharge indication on the ammeter to ap- pear. Another indication of a failed alternator is a shrill noise that increases in pitch as engine speed increases, which is caused by a bad diode. III III If the charge warning light on your dashboard is illuminated be sure to bring your vehicle to TRANSMISSIONS PLUS AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES and have an experienced technician take a look at it. Our excellent staff receives ongoing training and support to stay on top of the latest advances. We will thoroughly diagnose the probler, and give you an estimate you can trust. Call 360-426-96]7 today. Our shop is conveniently located at 31 E. Vance Ct. Your complete transmission, clutch, and auto care center. 'TVe care ... about auto care!" HINT: A diode is the solid state electronice device in the alternator that changes or rectifies alternating current into direct current for use by the car's electrical system.