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A R E A H O M E S T R AV E L D AV E B A R R Y S P O R T S T R I V I A P E T W O R L D
Each Office Independently Owned and Operated
CRS, GRI, ABR, CNHS
972.747.SOLDvm: 972.949.2210 fax: 972.359.6161
email: [email protected]: www.SellersEdgeListing.com
www.TeamBaglietto.com
Team Baglietto ~ Keller Williams Realty18383 Preston, #150, Dallas, TX 75252
INSIDE:Vol. 2, 2007
Mark and Cindy Baglietto were named one of the top agents in the Dallas area by D Magazine. (2004, 2005 & 2006)
HOME SALES IN YOUR AREA NOVEMBER 1ST – JANUARY 31ST
Neighborhood # Sold DOM Avg. Price Avg. Sq. Ft. Avg. $/Sq. Ft.Ridgeview Ranch 14 44 $242,800 2,939 $83 Fairways of Ridgeview 2 19 $235,000 2,503 $94 Highlands of Russell Park 6 25 $255,083 2,940 $87 Ridgeview Park 5 15 $218,035 2,613 $83 Estates of Russell Creek 0 - $- - $- Spring Ridge 6 17 $261,333 2,788 $94 Hickory Ridge 4 84 $313,613 3,113 $101 Villages of White Rock Creek 1 13 $310,000 4,253 $73 Wolf Creek 0 - $- - $- Preston Ridge 2 53 $134,225 2,064 $65 Glen Meadow 4 45 $326,350 3,080 $106 Wyndham 1 96 $419,998 4,005 $105 Willow Bend Lakes 3 103 $722,333 5,339 $135 Westover 0 - $- - $- Willow Bend West 3 130 $485,833 3,715 $131 Castlemere 3 33 $481,500 3,618 $133 Hills at Prestonwood 2 89 $335,000 3,335 $100 Parkbrooke 1 24 $340,000 3,133 $109 Glenhollow Estates 2 19 $388,250 3,385 $115 Windhaven 6 84 $425,331 3,622 $117 Highlands North 8 54 $193,363 2,479 $78 Highlands of Preston Ridge 2 110 $318,500 3,399 $94 Wentworth Estates 1 70 $319,900 3,213 $100 Color coded by zip code = 75025, 75024, 75093
Different sections or villages within many neighborhoods may vary greatly in price. This is not to be taken as an appraisal of your individual home. Value is determined by factors other than average price per square foot,
such as location, age, condition of home, amenities, builder, etc. This is for general information only. This is not intended to solicit property currently listed.This information is believed to be accurate but is not guaranteed. Information obtained from NTREIS.
Are you thinking of moving? Call us for a complimentary Market Analysis of your home today. We would love to help! 972-747-SOLD.
Area HomesDallas HomesBack Page
AmazingFaithGarrison KeillorPage 2
CommunityEventsSchool Schedules& More Page 5
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Real estate agents and Realtors®
are not the same thing. While bothare licensed to sell property in theirstate, Realtors® have joined theNational Association of Realtors®
(NAR) and have subscribed to theassociation’s Code of Ethics. Theword Realtor® is actually a regis-tered trademark of the NAR.
From the time it was founded in1908, the NAR has grown toinclude 800,000, making it theworld’s largest professional association.
Designations after a Realtor®’sname are given by the NAR. Thesedesignations mean the Realtor® hasdone even more coursework in aparticular area. For example, if a
Realtor® signs off as Mary Smith,ABR, it means she’s an AccreditedBuyer Representative. Here aresome other NAR designations:
• GRI—Graduate, Realtor®
Institute
• CRS—Certified ResidentialSpecialist
• CNHS—Certified New HomeSpecialist
For more information onRealtors® and the NAR, visitwww.realtor.org.
© Custom House Publishers 2006
Did You Know...Credit Scores Breakdown
At a certain point in your life, yourcredit scores become more importantthan your SAT scores. Do you know howthey’re calculated? Sometimes calledFICO scores (because the software tocalculate the reports was created byFair Isaac Corporation), your credit isbased on five points that are weighteddifferently. Here’s the breakdown:
35% - Your Payment History30% - Amounts You Owe15% - Length of Your Credit History10% - Types of Credit Used10% - New Credit
For more information on credit andhome buying, visit www.fanniemae.comand www.freddiemac.com.
© Custom House Publishers 2006
Real Estate Agents vs. Realtors®
2|07
PUBLISHER
Leo Zupan
EDITOR
Cheryl Zupan
VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS
Kevin McNaughton
CONTROLLER
Jim Stewart
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Mark Touris
MAILING MANAGER
Lynne Hudson
WEBMASTER
Charles Cihon
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING
Kimmer Callahan
MARKETING
Jackie Brankamp
Ruthie Cordonnier
Ally Green
Suzie Myers
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Stacy Burns
Drew Kimmel
Travis LaLuzerne
Ryan Willi
Sara Winters
ILLUSTRATION
Drew Kimmel
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EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS
Kaitlin Kraft
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, EMAIL
6797 N. High Street, Suite 213Worthington, Ohio 43085-0999
Tel: (614) 785-1111 Fax: (614) 431-3324
www.CustomHousePublishers.com
Dave Barry © 2007 by The Miami Herald.KidNews, Kids Health, distributed by Knight
Ridder/Tribune. Sports Trivia, Pet World, You &Your Health, Rita St. Clair, Wolfgang Puck’sKitchen distributed by Tribune Media Service. Wayto Go, Crossword Puzzle © 2007 by The New York
Times Company.
© Copyright 2007 by Custom House Publishers, Inc.
All rights reserved.by Garrison Keillor
As you get older and you can afford to eatwell, your metabolism shrinks to that of acommon warbler. A cruel irony. That is why,at pricey restaurants, you see old coots pay$35 for a big white plate with three scallopson it and a dollop of rice and some emulsifiedcelery. That is all the food they need, plus apipkin of prune pate for dessert. They are notranch hands after all. They’re not NFL line-men. But eating habits die hard, and the holi-days roll around, and the old guys shuffle upto the chow line and load up, and around mid-night they are whinnying in their stalls, beg-ging to be shot and put out of their misery.
The same happens with sex, not that weneed to discuss this or anything. And some-thing similar with work: You try harder thanever and keep falling farther behind. So glut-tony and lust and pride start to fade late inlife. So does anger.
Greed is persistent, of course, maybeworse, but who has time for sloth nowadays?And envy truly fades. Photographers line upbehind barriers yelling, “Over here! This way!This way!” and a starlet climbs out of a limo,in a bright red dress with a neckline down toher gall bladder, and she looks this way andflashes her fifty-dollar smile, and briefly youenvy her and wish you looked that good inbright light, and then you walk on and you tryto remember her name and the movie she wasin—what was that about?
Last Sunday at church, we walked up toCommunion as two teenage boys playedelectric guitars. They were so busy beingobserved and maintaining their cool, theydidn’t notice how amazingly out of tune theywere. Their pants hung as low as pants canhang as they praised the Lord in several keysat once, all sleepy and full of attitude andtheir hair hanging down, but I was moved bythem, I really got caught up in themoment—you know how it is, sometimesperfection can irritate you and some dopeything knocks your socks off—because, hey,it isn’t Sweden, it’s America! They struckme as messengers of grace, possibly angels,though I wouldn’t want to carry that too far.I knelt at the altar next to my sandy-hairedgap-toothed daughter, who is afraid someonewill make her drink the wine, so she crossesher arms and looks forbidding. The ladywith the wafers puts her hand on my girl’shead and she winces.
It’s a good life. A morning and you walk homeunder the bare trees, listening to a frenzy of ques-tions—Why do we live here? Why do other peo-ple live in California?—and you open the door tothe smell of coffee and cinnamon. You make afire in the fireplace and ease yourself into an oldeasy chair that has conformed to your own backand haunches, and dutifully you read the paper,but then you look over the top of the front page atthe soft light streaming in, the delicate brownsand yellows and greens, the quiet street.
If you had some paint, you could make apainting of this, if you were a painter. Youcould entitle it “Morning, 2007” and 50 yearsfrom now at the Museum of Old Stuff, ateenage boy on a field trip with his media classmight look at it and think, “Cool.” Teenageboys will be wearing something like jumpsuitsthen, with the waist up around their nipplesand flared collars and two-tone hair and apocket watch with a four-foot gold chain andclear plastic shoes with curly toes. What theysee in the painting is exactly what your heartdesired, a quiet life among autumnal people.The mess that was on the front page back thenis all forgotten, wars, legislatures, judges, triv-ia, but the lovely world of oaks and yard andboulevard is of permanent interest.
Thank you, dear Lord, for this good life andforgive us if we do not enjoy it enough. ■
Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie HomeCompanion” can be heard Saturday nights on
public radio stations across the country.
Low Riders in Churchand Then We Went Home
gar r isonkei l lor
| p a g e 2 |
Success Strategy: Clarify Your Goalsby Tim O’Brien
Let’s play, “sen-tence completion.”Complete the fol-lowing sentences.Your answersmight show youmore about you,your beliefs andyour expectationsthan you imagine. Ihave often foundthis exercise fun, revealing and agood way to clarify my positionon a subject.
Remember there are no rules orrestrictions. Just finish the sen-tence however you want. You willoften find that you could com-plete any particular sentence inseveral ways. Complete each asoften as you like.
If I could, I would ... The last time I felt truly
relaxed was ...My strongest
qualities are ...If someone does-
n’t like me, it isprobably because ...
If I knew I onlyhad one week tolive, I would spendit ...
When it comesto money, I am ...
My biggest con-tribution to society is ...
Within five years, I hope to ...I wish I could better under-
stand ...My biggest personal chal-
lenge is ...Try to complete each sentence
at least twice—three is better.Once you have finished, rereadthem several times. Do you see apattern to your answers? Do yousee a positive attitude or has pes-
simism crept into your comple-tions? How many of your comple-tions do you feel are realistic?How many are fanciful?
Finally, look at your comple-tions again and ask yourself, “Do Ireally believe this? Would I actual-ly like to have that happen or havethat experience?” Then wonder,why can’t you have some of whatyou’ve written about? Is every-thing “out of reach?” Probably not.Pick two or three of your comple-tions that intrigue or interest youthe most. Can you believe that youcould actually reach that goal orexperience that change?
Why not think big and thinkmore positively than you normallydo? Complete this sentence thatpersonal coach Brian Tracy oftenasks, “What one great thing wouldyou dare to do if you knew youcould not fail?” Tracy asks this ofhis audiences and readers. Then,
he exhorts them to find a way toaccomplish their ideal dream. Heencourages everyone to believethat we cannot fail if we develop asystematic plan and then refuse toquit until we reach our goal.
Use this strategy regularly tohelp clarify your goals. You canalso use it to uncover subtlepoints of strength and resistancein your thinking and beliefs. Thiscan be a powerful tool in yourquest for personal growth,improvement and success. ■
Tim O’Brien writes continuing-education courses and presents
seminars on stress management.Readers may write to him at 3023
Shannon Lakes Dr., No. 102,Tallahassee, FL 32309, or email
[email protected]. Visitwww.hyperstress.com. Distributed
by McClatchy-TribuneInformation Services.
2|07 | p a g e 3 |
today ’s t rends
For Hotel Guests, Mints on Pillows No Longer Sufficeby Christopher Boyd
Plasma televisions, granite countertops anddesigner armchairs are no longer trappings of therich and famous. Fiercely competitive hotel chainsare spending millions on high-tech gadgets and lux-urious furniture to lure customers in what increas-ingly resembles an interior-design arms race.
Some hotels, many not very old, are undergoingcomplete renovations. Others are upgrading inphases, replacing ordinary furnishings with excep-tional ones and making costly enhancements tocommon areas and meeting space.
Regular remodeling is standard practice in thehospitality industry, but modest makeovers havegiven way to reconstructive surgery that turnsrooms into places seemingly fit for kings.
“Consumers are really expecting a lot of ameni-ties from hotels, things like 24-hour service,” saidChris Haack, consumer-market analyst withMintel, an international research firm. “The trickyquestion is how much money to spend in order tokeep old customers and attract new ones.”
Travelers’ expectations are contributing to thetrend. High-speed Internet service, considered a lux-
ury several years ago, is becoming ubiquitous. High-quality bedding and elaborate free breakfasts arenow standard in most midrange to high-end hotels.
Competition is driving the major hotel brands tospruce up. Big-name chains are requiring franchiseesto buy 600-thread-count bed linens and priceyduvets so that they project an image of quality.
“The Internet is spurring this,” Haack said. “You cango online and check out hotels using 20 or 30 criteria,considering only those that meet your standards.”
D.K. Shifflet & Associates Ltd., a Falls Church,Va., consumer-travel research firm, recently releaseda study showing that hotel guests rate quality of serv-ice and a smoke-free building as much more impor-tant than expensive bedding and high-end toiletries.
“If all of the major hotels invest in 600-thread-count sheets and flat-screen TVs, they won’t dif-ferentiate themselves from anybody else,” Shiffletspokesman Jim Caldwell said. “We’re not sayingdon’t spend your money on these things, but by allmeans look at the ones that will yield the mostbenefit. Every chain needs to look at its targetaudience first.”
The Shifflet report concludes that travelers gener-ally like the room improvements, but don’t like
higher hotel bills, which it says are driving travel-ers to pick hotels that are a notch below where theywould really like to stay.
Seasoned travelers, the ones who spend a lot ofnights in hotels, crave luxuries, including spas andbathrooms with lots of extras.
The Buena Vista Palace Hotel & Spa in LakeBuena Vista, Fla., is one of the region’s hotelsundergoing a major renovation. Greg Hauenstein,general manager of the 1,000-room hotel, saidpeople want hotel rooms and suites that are moreluxurious than their own homes.
“It comes from our research and the con-sumer research we have received,”Hauenstein said. “People are willing to paywhat a room is worth. It’s all about stayingcompetitive. It is about maintaining andgrowing your market share.”
At Walt Disney World, the upscaleContemporary hotel has undergone a makeoverthat includes flat-screen televisions and high-techwork areas, features that appeal to business travel-ers, as well as tourists. ■
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
Dear Diary,I’m on day eight in “The
House Estrogen Built.” After Ispend the daylight hoursacross town ripping downhideous curtains and layingfloor tile, I return to stay atmy sister-in-law’s welcoming,female-dominated home.
There should be Greek letters above the door.It started out as an end-of-summer mom-and-
kids trip to see the family in Ohio, with the goalof helping Uncle Tommy renovate his newhouse. My daughter opted out early because shewas unwilling to leave her horse.
Fine. It would be the perfect mother-and-sonbonding time. I’d let him drive my new car onthe interstate. Maybe. I’d even share my sacredroad-trip Twizzlers with him. “Mawwwm! Ihaven’t seen Daven all summer and we still haveto organize this year’s sailing team!”
I ask him, “Didn’t you want to spend time withUncle Tommy?”
He responded with, “Yeah, but I can do thatnext time he comes to our house. I already talkedto him and he said it’s no big deal!”
That left the dogs. Hank snored on thecouch. Nugget balanced on her hind legs,panting and whapping her tail against her waterbowl. Fine, you can come, but I’m not sharingmy Twizzlers with you!
I arrived with at least seven pairs of underwear.Now, I can only find one. I know I tossed myown clothes into the trunk, yet I sit here wearingsomeone’s hand-me-down phys. ed. shorts, myniece’s T-shirt and hair accessories, and amazing-ly, my own shoes. This is probably because I havethe smallest feet of this whole crazy lot. My niece
just walked in wearing my shorts and top. I’m notasking about her underwear.
Currently crammed into this pseudo-sororityhouse are two moms, 15- and 14-year-old sis-ters, three dogs, a hamster and a lone 17-year-old boy. True to the rules of teendom, there arean undocumented number of extra teenagers inthe house. Girls always outnumber guys, not justbecause of the genetically related residents, butbecause my hunky nephew always has a gaggleof adoring girls following him around.
Earlier, one of the incoming phone calls wasactually for me. Between five cell phones andone landline, someone is always chatting, some-times with the person in the next room. Mychildhood friend asked, “You’ve been gone overa week? Aren’t you homesick?”
I cradled the phone on my shoulder while stir-ring sauce for dinner and rehashed my “vaca-tion” day, starting at 7 a.m. I drove one kid tovolleyball practice, another to weight lifting andanother to a friend’s house. Then, I picked upassorted kids at assorted places at assorted timeswith assorted extra teenagers in tow. I also took anephew out shopping for a bed, a niece shoppingfor volleyball-team supplies, bought pet supplies,books for procrastinating kids‚ last-minute sum-mer reading and groceries and folded laundry inbetween each run in and out of the driveway.
“Homesick? Uh, no. Hey, what are you doing afterdinner? Wanna go shopping for underwear?” ■
Nationally syndicated columnist KarenRinehart, creator of The Bus Stop Mommies and
author of the book, “Invisible Underwear, BusStop Mommies and Other Things True to Life,”
can be reached at her Web site:www.busstopmommies.com.
| p a g e 4 |
The Bus Stop Mommies
Karen Rinehart
PET worldl i f estyles
Consider These Pet Books for Kidsby Steve Dale
Here are a few top books for kids about pets (suggested read-ing ages indicated for each book). Most offer some valuablelife lessons about pets and are also entertaining (even for closetadult readers!):
“Harry the Dirty Dog,” by Gene Zion, pictures by MargaretBloy Graham (HarperCollins Children’s Books, New York,N.Y., 2006: $15.99). Ages three to eight. The 50th anniversaryedition of this 1956 classic tells the story of a lovable dog thatmuch prefers staying dirty to taking a bath. Before the bath, heis a black dog with white spots. After the bath, it turns outHarry is really a white dog with black spots.
“A Labrador’s Tale: An Eye for Heroism,” by CraigPierce, illustrated by Tony Santiago (Ideate Prairie, Mt. Carroll,Ill., 2006; $15). Ages four to 10. The book begins, “Roy Cooktells family and everyone he knows, ‘My eyes have four legsand a cold, wet nose and doggie breath too!’” This is the heart-warming story of a guide dog named Specs. It teaches kidswhat guide dogs are able to do, and is just superb. A poster ofSpecs is included.
“A Greyhound’s Tail: Running For Glory, Walking ForHome,” by Craig Pierce, illustrated by Tony Santiago (IdeatePrairie, Mt. Carroll, Ill., 2006; $15). Ages four to 10.Illustrations and words bring the characters to life; this is anastonishing book that shouldn’t be lost on adults, either. Thereis a happy ending, but at the point where it didn’t seem likely. Ichallenge any reader not to be touched. Beware of kids askingto adopt a Greyhound after reading this book. ■
Listen to Steve Dale’s weekly radio show, “Pet Central,”on Saturdays at www.wgnradio.com; or Steve’s syndicated
radio shows: “Steve Dale’s Pet World” and “The Pet Minute.”Learn more at www.petworldradio.net.
© 2007 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
2|07
Diary from a Busy Vacation
| p a g e 5 |
LOCAL SPORTS
SCHOOL EVENTS
FUN CITY EVENTSTEXAS TORNADO All games played at the Dr. Pepper Stars Center in
Frisco (www.tornadohockey.com for more information)
Fri, Feb 09 7:30 p.m. vs. Jr. Blues SpringfieldSat, Feb 10 7:30 p.m. vs. Jr. Blues SpringfieldSat, Mar 03 7:30 p.m. vs. Roadrunners Santa FeSun, Mar 04 6 p.m. vs. Wildcats Wichita FallsFri, Mar 09 7:30 p.m. vs. Wildcats Wichita FallsSun, Mar 11 6 p.m. vs. Wildcats Wichita FallsSat, Mar 17 7:30 p.m. vs. Charity Classic Pros vs.
Prospects IIIFri, Mar 23 7:30 p.m. vs. Wildcats Wichita FallsFri, Mar 30 7:30 p.m. vs. Bandits St. LouisSat, Mar 31 7:30 p.m. vs. Bandits St. Louis
PLANO ISD DISTRICT CALENDAR
469-752-8100 • www.pisd.edu for more information
2/6 School Board Meeting at 7 p.m.
2/19 Professional Development/ Student Holiday
2/20 School Board Meeting Work Session @ 6 p.m.
3/5 – 9 Spring Break (Student/ Teacher Holiday)
3/20 School Board Meeting at 7 p.m.
3/24, 27 2007 – 08 Early Childhood School Preregistration
3/29 – 30 2007 – 08 Kindergarten Preregistration
FRISCO ISD DISTRICT CALENDAR
469-633-6000 • www.friscoisd.net for more information
2/5 Orientation at high schools for incoming freshman
2/12 Regular School Board Meeting at 7:30 p.m.
2/19 Staff Development (Student Holiday)
3/5 Regular School Board Meeting at 7:30 p.m.
3/12 – 16 Spring Break
CITY OF PLANO EVENTSwww.planotx.org for more information2/9 Ticketstock ’07 www.theticket.com
2/13 Valentine’s Tea @ SMU-in- Legacy at 9:30 a.m.2/17 Allen Special Olympics: Special Angels Among Us at Plano Centre
www.plano.gov
2/24 Cupids Arrow Chess Tournament at Plano Centre 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.3/11 Plano Bridal Show at Plano Centre from 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.3/23 – 25 Hearts of Texas Arts and Crafts Show www.heartoftexasshow.com3/31 Breakfast with the Easter Bunny at Plano Centre from 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.4/2 19th Annual Taste of Plano www.tasteofplano.com
CITY OF FRISCO EVENTSwww.ci.frisco.tx.us for more information2/8 Music, Muscles and More at Eagle Gymnastics
www.friscoonline.com
2/10 Sweetheart Dance at Senior Center in Frisco Square from 6:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.
2/14 Valentine’s Day Mystery Dinner Theater at Dave & Busters—Stonebriar Mall www.shopstonebriar.com
2/17 11th Annual Daddy Daughter Dance at Frisco Conference Center2/16 – 18 Kurt Thomas Invitational Gymnastics
www.kurtthomasinvitional.com2/27 FISD Youth Art Month Show at Wakeland High School
www.friscoisd.org3/10 Battle of the Bands at Harold Baccus Community Parks from
10 a.m. – 12 p.m. www.friscotexas.gov3/24 Easter Eggstravaganza at Warren Sports Complex
from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
| p a g e 6 |
Call Team Baglietto for all your real estate needs! 972-747-SOLD
Did you know with Team Baglietto’s Buyer’s Edge System “Exclusive BuyerRepresentation” is FREE to you, THE BUYER? When was the last time some-one offered you professional services for free? It is not as unbelievable as itsounds. Call us to learn more about exclusive buyer representation and why youshould not continue your search without it.
WE can represent YOUR BEST INTERESTS when purchasing:
New Construction.Any home listed in the MLS, even if it is listedby another broker.A home listed “For Sale By Owner.”
As one of the Dallas area’s top real estate teams, we would love to help you withour knowledge, results and exceptional customer service.
IF YOU ALSO HAVE A HOME TO SELL, YOU CAN SAVE BIG $$$!You are eligible for Team Baglietto’s Client Reward Bonus. Call us for details.
Reach thousands of potential customers in The Plano Connection!
Call 972-747-SOLD to inquire TODAY!
| p a g e 7 |
Contact us, and we’ll send you a FREE information packet on this exclusive program. You owe it to yourself to investigate all of the options available to you.
What makes our Seller’s Edge Listing System so great?
H Variable Rate StructureH Cancel the listing at any timeH No advance fees of any kindH No-pressure presentationH No-obligation information packet…NOTHING TO LOSE!Million Dollar Service in ALL Price Ranges!
We believe that we offer the finest, most seller-friendlysystem available for selling your home in Plano — period.We believe that we offer the finest, most seller-friendly
system available for selling your home in Plano — period.
� Top 1% of agentsboth locally and
nationwide
� Top 5 listingagent of pre-ownedhomes in the city of
Plano for 2003,2004, 2005 & 2006*
� Ranked BEST in DallasArea by D Magazine—
2004, 2005 & 2006 � Specializing in North Dallas, Plano,
Frisco, Allen andMcKinney
� Ranked among thetop 50 agents forKeller Williams
Realty International.
* Excludes HUD Homes.
2|07
Dave Barry’s C L A S S I C S E R I E S
published Sept. 10, 1995
by Dave Barry
Once again, we are forced to askourselves, as a society, whether natureshould be legal.
Consider a story from the June 22Manchester (N.H.) Union Leader,written by Paul Tracy and sent in byalert reader Arnie Alpert. This storystates that on June 20 a Laconia, N.H.,police officer was called to the munici-pal water-treatment facility in responseto—and as you read this column,please bear in mind that I am not mak-ing any of these newspaper quotationsup—“a report of a suspicious-actingwoodchuck that would not let peopleout of the building.” The officer sizedup the situation and, according to thestory, “determined that the animalneeded to be euthanized and tried torun it over with his cruiser.” So far, sogood. Law-enforcement experts willtell you, after they’ve had a few belts,that in a situation where a member ofthe marmot family is holding peoplehostage in a sewage plant, the textbookresponse is to drive a police car overthe alleged perpetrator, then, if neces-sary, advise it of its rights.
Unfortunately, things did not go exactly according toplan. The story quotes a plant employee as saying,“When he got out after running over it, I think hethought it was dead; then the thing sprung up andattacked him.”
At this point, the officer—and if you have never beenattacked by a woodchuck, then do not second-guess thisdecision—pulled his 9 mm revolver and commenced firing.
“We think he emptied a clip,” a plant employee isquoted as saying, “but we could only find eight casingson the pavement.”
The story states that during the battle, the officer,seeking to escape the woodchuck, “jumped up on thecruiser and injured his knee.” Fortunately, before any-body else could be hurt, the woodchuck went to that BigBurrow in the Sky.
I wish I could tell you that this was an isolated inci-dent. I wish I could look you in the eyeball and say,“This was just one lone disgruntled woodchuck, possi-bly a former postal employee, who fortunately willnever again terrorize humanity, thanks to a quick-act-ing police officer, who, fortunately, was not carryingnuclear weapons.”
But I cannot say that. For one thing, I lack the lungcapacity. For another thing, I have here an article fromthe Gaithersburg (Md.) Gazette, written by April E.Fulton and sent in by several alert readers, which states,“Nine residents of the South Village area ofMontgomery Village—two adults and seven children—were playing near Docena Court on the morning of June15 when they suddenly were charged by a band of abouta dozen squirrels.”
The article quotes one of the women—who was bittenon the foot—as saying: “We were just playing in theyard, like we do every day, and suddenly, out ofnowhere, about 12 squirrels started charging us, makingthese high-pitched, shrill noises.” A neighbor is quotedas saying: “The squirrels that day went crazy.”
The article states that on June 21, a representativeof the Maryland Department of Natural Resourcesinspected the area and “found no abnormal behaviorfrom the squirrels.”
Of course not. They may be squirrels, but they arenot stupid. They’re not about to go after a governmentofficial, not after what happened to the woodchuck. No,they put on a cute little Walt Disney show for theMaryland Department of Natural Resources, squeaking
and scampering around with acorns intheir cheeks. But you may rest assuredthat as soon as the coast was clear,they resumed smoking tiny cigarettesand planning their next attack. Theywill stop at nothing, as we can seefrom the following headline from aSept. 2, 1994 front-page article in theMissoula Missoulian, written byMichael Downs and sent in by manyalert readers: FLAMING SQUIR-RELS IGNITE FIRE.
The story states that “two electrocut-ed squirrels fell from a power lineThursday morning, their flaming bod-ies igniting a small grass fire nearTarkio.” A fire official is quoted assaying that it could have been a maleand a female squirrel engaged in anact of “burning rodent passion.” (Thefire official does not point out thatboth “Rodent Passion” and “FlamingSquirrels” would be excellent namesfor rock bands; this was probably justan oversight.)
At this point, you’re saying: “Dave,you have presented ample journalisticevidence here to prove that the animalkingdom is attempting, for whateverreason, to wipe out the entire human
race. But at least members of the news media are safe!”I wish I could agree, but, tragically, I cannot—not in
light of a recent Associated Press item from Kennewick,Wash., sent in by several alert readers, which begins: “ATV reporter’s hair gel apparently attracted a swarm ofbees that stung him more than 30 times yesterday.” Thereporter was doing a story about beekeeping when theattack occurred; the story states that the beekeeper, in aneffort to help, covered the reporter’s head with a protec-tive hood, but unfortunately, the hood “also turned outto contain bees.”
I am sure that you, as a person concerned aboutthe First Amendment, have the same reaction to thisstory as I did, namely: How come this never hap-pens, on-camera, to my local TV reporters? Until weget solid answers to this and many other questionsraised by this column, I am urging everyone to avoidall contact with nature in any form, including veg-etables. Speaking of which, you should also writeyour congressperson. ■
© 2007, The Miami Herald.Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.
| p a g e 8 |
Revol t of the Rodents
2|07
1. Former New York Jets quarterback JoeNamath became the first pro quarterback topass for 4,000 or more yards in a season. Inwhat season did he accomplish the feat?
2. In what year was Joe Namath inducted intothe Pro Football Hall of Fame?
3. Name Joe Namath’s star wide receiverswith the New York Jets in the 1960s.
4. During the early 1970s, Joe Namathappeared in a popular televisioncommercial with what future “Charlie’s Angel?”
5. Who was Joe Namath’s college coach?
Q U E S T I O N S
LAY OF THE LAND BY JOE DIPIETRO / EDITED BY WILL SHORTZ
ACROSS1 Sharp cheese
quality4 Center of
emotions9 Mountain top?
15 ___ Club of oldTV
18 Big record co.19 Many, many21 This puzzle’s
northern border?22 Be in a hole23 Access code?25 Stockpiles26 Fired up27 Scruffs28 Its clue reads
“Unstablesubatomicparticle”
30 Treater’s words32 Key-signature
preceder33 Family
subdivisions34 Opposite of post-36 Drying chamber37 With 33-Down,
quickly38 More than
devotion40 Sine ___ non41 Gary ___,
Pulitzer-winningBeat poet
42 Kind43 Plays44 Abrasive stuff46 Spot for slop47 Prevent from
escaping49 Breaches of faith
51 With 97-Across,bearer of edibletriangular nuts
53 Land withmonsoons
54 Not monaurally58 Meat, in Madrid61 Count with many
titles64 More faithful65 Congresswoman
Abzug and others67 Vulnerable point68 “Awww”-
inspiring69 It may be
indicated by astroke
70 Hot72 An Untouchable73 Mosaic flooring75 Restaurateur
Toots76 Newport Beach
sight78 Where a bell
ringer may stand80 Ibsen play83 Like some carol
apparel86 Within reach87 Receiver’s
counterpart90 Gave birth to92 Drops94 Fourth of 12:
Abbr.95 Eye openers?96 Clark of country
music97 See 51-Across98 Provided, as a line99 ___ haddie
(smoked fish)
100 Run for dear life?102 Cold war draft104 Williams’s
“Popeye” co-star105 Attacked in a rage106 Unpaired107 Missed a golden
opportunity110 Disagrees113 In shape114 This puzzle’s
southern border?115 Antarctica’s ___
Coast116 French pronoun117 “___ bad!”118 Hot119 Water falls?120 “___ a chance”
DOWN1 It may glow in the
dark2 Crater creators,
e.g.3 Makeshift Frisbee4 One taking a big
bow5 Suffix with Capri6 Message in a
bottle, maybe7 Already chosen
for play, say8 Mass x velocity
measurements9 Sound in the
middle of Italy10 Unstable
subatomic particle11 Minute opening?12 Beetle, e.g.13 Hall-of-Fame
pitcher Joss14 Onetime
15 Spots for someshirts
16 Matching pair17 “Here, maybe I
can do it”20 They’re often
dinged24 Once called29 Suffix with direct31 RCA competitor33 See 37-Across34 Big name in
sneakers35 Like baba39 Bay windows40 Ancient Roman
financial officer:Var.
41 Targeted, as witha mailing
44 Boom45 Firms: Abbr.48 “Sic et Non”
author49 Discuss business
at a socialoccasion
50 Mansion staff52 Bay53 Hater55 Rustic56 Often-smoked
fish57 Metallurgists’
supplies58 Explorer at
Labrador in 149759 French conductor
Leibowitz60 Red or Card62 Satellite of 196263 Approval on “The
Little Rascals”66 Strong women
68 Licentious man
70 Blood carriers
71 Has troubleswallowing
74 Place of chaos
77 Cow annoyers
79 Org. in TV’s“Nash Bridges”
81 Adds as a bonus
82 State capital onthe Tietê River
83 Started to melt
84 Home of manytalk shows
85 Opposite ofdominate
87 Supplier of candyand toys for kids
88 “Shane” actor
89 Lion, at times
91 It’s used to check septicsystems
93 Asian observance
95 Shareholder’sincome: Abbr.
98 Steakhouseselection
99 Cot alternative
101 Guitar great ___Paul
103 They were oncecloned
104 Chop up
108 Prefix withskeleton
109 Actor Wheaton
111 Yalie
112 Take in slowly
C R O S S W O R DPUZZLE
1.Joe Namath passed for 4,007 yards
in 1967. 2.Joe Namath was inducted
into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in
1985. 3.Joe Namath’s top receivers
were George Sauer Jr. and Don
Maynard. 4.The future “Charlie’s
Angel”was a then-26-year-old Farrah
Fawcett,who covered his face with
shaving cream. 5.Joe Namath played
for Paul “Bear”Bryant at Alabama
from 1962 to 1964.
P U Z Z L EtÇáãxÜá
j us t for fun
| p a g e 9 |
Level: 1 2 3 4
© 2007 Michael Mepham. Distributed by Tribune Media Services. All rights reserved.
trav
elid
eas
| p a g e 1 0 | 2|07
Wine, Dine in Okanagan,NAPA OF THE NORTH
by Bonnie Tsui
It was on the 30-mile-an-hourbicycle descent from the top ofCrystal Mountain, to the west,that I got my first panoramicview of Okanagan Lake, whichstretches for 70 miles throughthe valley between the Cascadeand Monashee Ranges. Eventhough I had seen the lake fromthe shore for two days, as I blewout of the trees now with agroup of touring cyclists, itcame as a surprise: shimmeringand cobalt blue, the hills at itssides covered by grapevines.
This was the British Columbiaof popular imagination, all steep-walled mountain valleys and spec-tacular snow-fed lakes, but with abonus: a wine region aspiring tohold its own with the famousCalifornia valleys to the south. Partold-fashioned summer lake resort,
part cycling center and traditional-ly the fruit basket of this part ofCanada, the fertile, glacier-formedOkanagan—pronounced oak-a-NOG-in—Valley is changing fastas cherry orchards and nut farmslose ground to the vineyards and astourism grows along with thegrapes. Now, in the heart of theharvest season, days are clear andsunny, the air smells like applesand grapes hang heavy on the vine.
Though British Columbia isknown for ice wine, made bypressing grapes that are left onthe vine and plucked at the firstsignificant freeze, few Americanshave heard of the Okanagan’sother wines; most are not widelyavailable in the United States. ForAmerican tourists who find theirway there, the valley itself—afive-hour drive east of Vancouveror a one-hour flight fromSeattle—seems like a discovery.
The valley has 120 wineriesso far, with more than 30 licens-es pending.
Staff members at the winerieswere happy to chat about what setsOkanagan wines apart. We sam-pled crisp, fresh whites thatabsorbed much of the fruity char-acteristics and acidity of theorchard lands in the north of thevalley, which is 120 miles long andhas three lakes altogether—Okanagan is by far the biggest.From the hotter southern end, oftendescribed as the northern tip of theSonoran Desert, we tasted big redslike merlots and cabernet sauvi-gnons that were robust and jammy,with soft, pleasing finishes.
On our first day of wine tour-ing, we left Kelowna, which com-bines a pedestrian-friendly water-front and mountain views withtracts of gas stations and big-boxstores. As we headed south,sprawl soon gave way to sun-dap-pled elms and rolling hills cov-ered in cherry trees.
At our first stop, the CedarCreek Estate Winery, we founda flourishing rose garden, a ter-race restaurant and tasting roomin a Mediterranean-style build-ing, and 50 acres of still youngvines producing pinot noir,pinot gris, chardonnay, gewurz-traminer, ehrenfelser, rieslingand merlot grapes.
Cedar Creek was voted
Canada’s Winery of the Year in2002 and 2005, awards given byCanadian Wine Access magazine,and surprised the internationalwine industry in 2002 by winningthree gold medals at the LosAngeles County Fair Wines of theWorld, one of the oldest andlargest wine competitions in theUnited States.
The winery had a polished, yetintimate feel, with service thatput it on a par with most wineriesI’ve visited in northern California.
Long before the current bloomof wineries, the Okanagan Valleywas known for its produce,though not for the small growerswho have recently specialized insupplying discriminating buyersfrom lovingly tended plots.
“The sun was the big reasonthat brought us here. The weatheris great,” said Rod Butters, whocame to the Okanagan in 1991from Vancouver Island and ownsFresco, a restaurant in Kelownathat is often recognized as one ofBritish Columbia’s best.
It occurred to us on our last fullday in Okanagan that though wehad spent a lot of time aroundOkanagan Lake and above it—examining what its climate nur-tures, watching speedboats andswimmers—we hadn’t actuallygotten onto it. At the EldoradoMarina, we rented two kayaksand paddled off.
As we neared the middle of thelake, the steep walls of the valleyrose up dramatically on eitherside, all that hummocky greenlushness fusing together, oneshade into the next. Sailboats andcanoes skimmed the water at adistance, and a pair of tiny cyclistsclimbed a hilly road, barely visibleon the cliff above us. It was yetanother angle into the Okanagan,but it was a wide one. Paddling, Ithought, might be the best way yetto see this wine country.Where to Stay
The new 36-room wing at theHotel Eldorado (500 Cook Road,Kelowna; 250-763-7500;www.hoteleldoradokelowna.com)has 1920s and ‘30s decor touches—doubles from $149 (Canadian dol-lars), about $113 at $1.14 (Canadiandollars) to the U.S. dollar.Where to Eat
Cedar Creek Estate Winery(250-764 8866; www.cedar-creek.bc.ca,) is at 5445 LakeshoreRoad, Kelowna.
Quail’s Gate Estate Winery(800-420-9463;www.quailsgate.com), is also inKelowna, at 3303 Boucherie Road.
Fresco (1560 Water St.,Kelowna; 250-868-8805), dinnerfor two is about $100 (Canadiandollars), without wine. ■
Distributed by The New YorkTimes Syndicate.
Oak barrels age red wine in a
room next to the vineyards.
| p a g e 1 1 |
Dear Mark and Cindy,We went to one Realtor® after another, and none of them were able to sell our home. They gladly listed our home, but did not real-
ly do anything more after that. No reasons were offered as to why our home remained on the market. Then, we found Team Baglietto! What a blessing the team was! Team Baglietto has an excellent marketing system, and we were well informed every step of the
way. The open house was just a start; the team’s publication is well read by serious buyers. The team even had other Realtors® lookat our home!
Mark was thorough and discussed strategies with us in great detail. He even helped us find other professionals who could helpus with repairs and inspections. Deanna was always timely when returning calls, and answered any questions that we had.Deanna was very accommodating—even after the closing! What a team! We felt like we were the team’s only clients.
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We really appreciate your professionalism, especially because working with neighbors and friends must be evenharder than dealing with strangers. All of your marketing tools were top rate, and we always knew that all of you wereworking diligently to bring in potential buyers.
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6169 Rachel • Mapsco 455-Q5/4.2/3 Huntington home with all the extras.Hardwood flooring, media & game rooms, Riverbendpool, spa, waterfall and safety fencing. Travertineflooring/plantation shutters/wired for sec. cameras.Chef’s kitchen w/huge island, Viking refrigerator.
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2532 Indian Paint • MAPSCO 558ENicely decorated home with 3 BR + study & 2 BA onlarge corner lot. Island kitchen has abundant counter and cabinet space, as well as a built-indesk. Back yard features patterned concrete, red-wood deck and arbor. Close to school, park and pool.
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