Ritar Robison News Today

Boomer Consumer The glory of the summer garden: Green beans By Rita R. Robison on July 29, 2021 at 7:28 PM It was wonderful. My first set of green beans from my garden. A fantastic experience. The green beans at the co-op are often spotty looking, and the organic ones from Safeway in a bag usually spoil quickly if you don’t cook them the first day you get them. My green beans were fresh and delicious, not spotty or slimy. A summer delight I look forward to every year. I got t...

Boomer Consumer Proposed settlement with Northwest Natural Gas reached with UTC staff By Rita R. Robison on July 27, 2021 at 4:44 PM The staff of the Washington State Utilities and Transportation Commission announced a multi-party agreement Tuesday to settle a request from Northwest Natural Gas to increase natural gas rates in Washington. The three-member commission, which isn’t bound by the agreement, will make a final decision on the utility’s revenue-increase req...

Boomer Consumer Wasting food – The papaya problem By Rita R. Robison on July 24, 2021 at 4:24 PM During the pandemic, I’ve done a better job of not wasting food. I order groceries from my local co-op for pickup on Wednesday. I have a refrigerator full of food and most of it is gone in a week. Before the pandemic, I’d go to the co-op two or three times a week, and although it was great to have lots of nice, fresh, organic food, sometimes impulse items crept in. I’ve been...

Boomer Consumer It’s too late to prune rhododendrons this year By Rita R. Robison on July 18, 2021 at 10:07 PM I’m getting lots of hits on my articles on how to prune rhododendrons. Maybe it’s because people are seeing damage to their bushes due to the recent heat wave. Rhododendrons need to be pruned in the spring just after blooming or when the buds start to become active, never after July 1. However, you can cut off dead material, including the recently scorched leaves...

Boomer Consumer How’s your Fourth of July going? By Rita R. Robison on July 4, 2021 at 12:58 PM I hope your Fourth of July will be filled with fun and joy. Remember to be safe as you swim, cook on the barbecue, go boating, ride your ATV, picnic, bicycle, jog, kayak, or drive.   ); sml.click(function(){ sml.fadeOut(); be.nextAll(.gallery).css({opacity:,height:,margin:,overflow:}); be.nextAll(:not(.show-more-link))...

Boomer Consumer Top tips for celebrating July Fourth 2021 By Rita R. Robison on July 4, 2021 at 12:17 AM If you’re still looking for ideas, here are some suggestions: Think about safety first when you light up fireworks. The staff of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has reports of 121 fireworks-related deaths between 2003 and 2018. See “Think Fireworks Safety This Fourth of July to Avoid Injuries and Deaths, the CPSC Advises” for tips for handling fireworks. Re...

Boomer Consumer June 5th is the first of four free days at state parks in June By Rita R. Robison on June 5, 2021 at 1:00 AM In addition to this new free day, June also has three established free days: Saturday, June 5, in recognition of National Trails Day. Saturday, June 12, in honor of National Get Outdoors Day. Sunday, June 13, for Free Fishing Weekend. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has designated both June 12 and 13 as Free Fishing Weekend. June 19 honors ...

Boomer Consumer It’s time to plant your garden By Rita R. Robison on May 20, 2021 at 2:52 AM I’m working on planting my vegetable garden. The video below shows my raised-bed garden that I’ve spaded and I’m getting ready to amend the soil with compost and vegetable fertilizer. I’m planting zucchini, cucumber, and strawberry seedlings. For seeds, I’m planting Swiss chard, carrots, kale, collards, green beans, spinach, and lettuce. I love planting a garden every year a...

Boomer Consumer Coronavirus variants: What should you do about them? By Rita R. Robison on May 15, 2021 at 12:42 AM On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave strange advice. It said vaccinated people could go almost anywhere indoors or outdoors without a mask. The exceptions are airplanes, buses, and trains. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden immediately took off their masks and were joyful about it. So did Governor Jay Inslee. One commentator ...

Boomer Consumer Governor signs law banning open carry at state capitol and near demonstrations By Rita R. Robison on May 14, 2021 at 11:21 PM At last, people will no longer be able to open carry guns at the state capitol. In 2016, I went to the capital campus to take some photos. I saw a gun rally being held, so as a photojournalist, I took photos, which I have a right to do in a public place. No one challenged me, and fortunately, I didn’t get shot. As I was leaving, I saw t...