Nosy woodpecker in Sammamish driving woman to own squirt gun

The turf battle in Sammamish extends far beyond the proposed East Lake Sammamish Trail.

Carol Gallagher has been trying to discourage a woodpecker that insists upon attacking her house's siding in a quest for bugs. She tries to scare him away when he arrives but her house is apparently on the buffet circuit.

"I'm walking my dog and pondering more drastic measures with my pesky pecker and was inspired," Gallagher said. She saw another woodpecker start drilling a neighbor's house.

"Two seconds later the window opens and a man sprayed the bird with a huge Super Soaker squirt gun!" she said. "I gave him two thumbs up for his effort.

"Neighbors 1, woodpeckers 0."

Gallagher is shopping for her own squirt gun.

Garden party: Kimber Godsey wants the youth to know their efforts blossomed.

Godsey, volunteer coordinator for the Care Center at Kelsey Creek, watched middle-school students plant gardens at the Group Health Cooperative nursing facility as part of a World Impact Network summer camp in 2000 and 2001. Some plants are on the main grounds, some are in the second floor of the building in containers.

Lovingly called the memorial gardens, they were popular with patients and patients' families. "They were therapeutic for everyone, even the staff members," Godsey said.

Now the gardens may be in jeopardy. The Bellevue nursing facility reportedly has been sold to an undisclosed company.

"No matter what happens to this facility, I want the kids who worked so hard to know the gardens served a purpose," she said. "I watched the joy the plants brought to people. Even if they're torn up, they made a difference to people here."

War stories: Carrie Van Dyck , co-owner of The Herbfarm Restaurant in Woodinville, never knows what to expect when she talks to customers on the phone.

A couple of weeks ago, during the war in Iraq, a customer called from Canada. The party got a late start from Vancouver and had to cancel because of long lines at the border.

"You people are at war and it's your country's fault that I can't make dinner," the caller said.

Well-staged: Mercer Island High School parents sing praises for drama teacher Karen Campbell and her highly polished plays. This spring's musical production of "The Fantasticks" shows why.

Ordinarily staged with a small cast, Campbell added a carnival troupe, expanded some roles to accommodate more than one actor and turned the normal theater into a theater-in-the-round.

"I'm a fan of Cirque du Soleil," Campbell said. "By using similar carnival characters it creates a sense of energy onstage. Ominous energy because it represents the corrupted world."

On the other hand, Campbell's energy has positive results.

It attracts students such as senior Ben George. He said Campbell inspired him to tackle both singing and dancing in his role in "The Fantasticks." George will be attending the University of Southern California in September, carrying a double major of theater and engineering.

"The Fantasticks" runs today and Thursday through May 10.

Sweet ending: Mount Si High School's Mellissa Baldwin was elected prom queen a week ago when the seniors held their rite-of-passage dance at the Seahawks Stadium.

Baldwin has overcome horrors most people can't imagine.

Her father was killed in an automobile accident in 1988. Then, in 1999 she witnessed the murder of her mother and two older sisters.

Nice to see something wonderful happen to Baldwin.

A laughing matter: Share a few jokes tomorrow. It's officially World Laughter Day.

Even the city of Bellevue has proclaimed such — thanks to the delightful antics of Gail Wolz.

The Bellevue woman wore a goofy headpiece when she recently made the request of the City Council.

If you don't think there's anything to laugh about these days, check out Wolz's laughter celebration at Bellevue First Presbyterian Church at 4:55 p.m. tomorrow.

Wolz is a certified laughter leader.

Suppose that's any relation to a comedian?

Sherry Grindeland: 206-515-5633 or sgrindeland@seattletimes.com