He'll be man of notes at Cirque du Soleil

Dreams do come true. Just ask former Eastsider Conrad Askland, who long has wanted to be a musical conductor with Cirque du Soleil. Askland will join the internationally renowned circus in January as an assistant musical director. He will spend a few weeks in Montreal, the Cirque's homebase, before moving to Macau, China.

Askland has been wanting a Cirque du Soleil gig for years.

The Interlake High School (Bellevue) grad now lives in Mount Vernon. He's the musical director/conductor for "Brigadoon," which just opened there at McIntyre Hall, the Skagit Valley Community College theater. The show comes to the Kirkland Performance Center Sept. 7-9 and 14-16.

Drink to the animals

Shannell Thompson called her grandmother, Corrinn Waldron, of Bellevue, recently with a request. Waldron was picking up Thompson and a friend at volleyball camp at Tyee Middle School in Bellevue. They're both fifth-graders at Briarwood Elementary in the Issaquah School District.

The girls asked to stop at the Humane Society office in Eastgate.

Thompson and her friend, Haley Murdoch, love animals. They sold lemonade in their Renton neighborhood over the weekend and gave the $40 proceeds to the Humane Society.

Congratulations

Paul and Reda VanderHoek celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary July 10. It was a double party — Reda turned 88 that day.

In 1945 the VanderHoeks started Eastside Glass and Paint on Bellevue's Main Street. They lived in Clyde Hill for 62 years but recently moved to Brittany Park, a retirement home in Woodinville.

Program notes

Andrea Peterson, the National Teacher of the Year from Granite Falls, spoke Monday night at the Kirkland Rotary meeting. Education, she said, must include the "Three New R's," rigorous, relevance and relationship.

Rotarians would include the "s" — for service.

Mayoral service

Speaking of service, Kirkland Mayor Jim Lauinger spread bark during Sunday's work party at the 132nd Square Park. Neighbors spent two days renovating the park at Northeast 132nd Street and 132nd Avenue Northeast. Grants and donations funded the $50,000 play structure, benches and picnic tables.

"This was a rewarding project," said Lynda Haneman, president of the Totem Lake Neighborhood Association. "Even when the work was completed, people kept asking, 'What can we do? We really want to help.' "

They'll get their chance. The next renovation phase will add a half-size basketball court and other amenities.

Chow down

A herd of experts has been weeding and clearing the brush at the Cascadia Community College/University of Washington campus in Bothell. Goats from Rent-a-Ruminant chomped through the weeds and blackberry bushes on the hillside by the campus library.

I hope someone will soon make this herbicide-free weeding system available to homeowners. My yard is ready for it.

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