Kopacz sends Sweets to walk-off win

August 10, 2011 - West Coast League (WCL) Walla Walla Sweets Walla Walla-- A casual observer would never have been able to tell that Tuesday's game meant nothing in terms of standings or playoff positioning to the Walla Walla Sweets and Wenatchee Applesox. What was on the line was momentum and the Sweets grabbed it as Chance Kopacz delivered a walk-off double down the left field line in the bottom of the tenth to lead the Sweets to a 2-1 victory at Borleske Stadium.

Set to face each other in the East Divsion playoffs on Friday, the Sweets and Applesox were set to use Tuesday and Wednesday as preparation; pitchers to get innings and hitters to get at-bats. What transpired was one of the most exciting games of the summer. Not only was there a walk-off double but Alex Stanford's bunt single in the fifth inning gave him 65 hits on the summer, establishing a new West Coast League record.

Led by Derek Peterson's best outing of the summer and shutdown relief, the Sweets finally broke a 1-1 tie in the tenth. Keeler Brynteson came on to pitch the tenth and two quick fly outs and had Andrew Mendenhall 1-2 but Mendenhall laced a double down the line in right to light the spark. Wenatchee then walked Zach Wentz intentionally for the second time on the night to face Kopacz. The Walla Walla CC product worked the count full and then crushed a one-hopper off the wall in left to score Mendenhall and send the Sweets into a frenzy between second and third. It was Kopacz's second walk-off hit this summer.

The game could have easily been decided in regulation though. Wenatchee had several chances to put the game away but Peterson always seemed to be one step ahead. After allowing a run in the first, Peterson persevered through several tough spots to go six innings. He got a double play ball in the second and then left runners on the corners in the third with back-to-back ground outs. In the fourth, the Applesox again put runners on the corners with one out but Peterson came back to strike out Erik Munzer and Breland Almadova to end the inning.

He continued to walk a tight rope in the fifth. Peterson walked Payden Cawley-Lamb to start the inning and then a wild pitch sent him all the way to third with no outs. Facing the heart of the Wenatchee lineup, Peterson got a ground out to first, pop out to first and a fly out to center to strand the runner at third. Then in the sixth he received some help from his defense. After the first two batters reached, DeGuire floated a soft liner into center that Kalani Brackenridge raced after and somehow caught. Brock Gates, the runner on second, thought it would drop and took two steps towards third and that allowed Brackenridge to spin and throw to second to double him off. Peterson finished the inning and his night by getting Almadova to ground out to third.

Walla Walla's bullpen did their job the rest of the night. Geoff Soja entered in the seventh and after allowing a leadoff double to Cawley-Lamb, proceded to leave him on third with a pop out and fly out. Eric Yardley took over in the eighth and, using a new three-quarters arm angle, had his best outing of the summer. The right-hander allowed only a walk in the eighth and in the ninth, with the winning run on third, he struck out Pat Valaika looking to end the inning. Simon Anderson pitched the tenth and he also left a runner on third, striking out DeGuire and getting Munzer to fly to center.

Even the Sweets had chances to win the game. A two-out single by Brackenridge started them in the fifth and Stanford's historic bunt single put runners on the corners but Gottschling's liner was snagged by Valaika at short. Their best chance came in the eighth as Stanford led off with a double and Gottschling followed with a single. Wenatchee brought on ace Owen Jones and the right-hander got a pop out, intentionally walked Wentz and then struck out Kopacz and Austin Heaps to leave the bases loaded.

The Sweets tied the game in the fourth inning thanks to a fortuitous play on the basepaths. Scott Gottschling was the runner on first and was picked off. He stayed in the rundown and as the ball was flipped to Valaika at second, he dove under the tag and was called safe. Wenatchee argued the call to no avail and two pitches later Wentz ripped an RBI double to right-center.

Stanford and Wentz each had two hits for the Sweets and Anderson picked up his second win of the summer. Cawley-Lamb had three hits to lead Wenatchee, three others had two and Brynteson, the last of seven pitchers, took the loss. Heading into the final game of the summer, Stanford and Cawley-Lamb are neck-and-neck in the batting title race. Stanford is hitting .346 and Cawley-Lamb is at .343.

Walla Walla and Wenatchee will complete their regualr seasons with game three on Wednesday night at Borleske Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. on fan appreciation night and Tyler Billen will get the ball on the mound. Fans will be rewarded with a postgame fireworks display.

‧ Discuss this story on the West Coast League message board...
‧ Digg this story
‧ Add to Del.icio.us
Tweet

‧ Kopacz sends Sweets to walk-off win - Walla Walla Sweets
‧ Elks, Split Squad both beat NW Star Academy - Bend Elks
‧ Black Bears Win in Corvallis, a Win Wednesday Night - Cowlitz Black Bears
‧ Kelowna Falcons Win Big on Tuesday - Kelowna Falcons

The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

View the original article here

Round 1 to Sweets

August 13, 2011 - West Coast League (WCL) Walla Walla Sweets Walla Walla-- Making their first playoff appearance in team history, the Walla Walla Sweets looked like they had been there before on Friday night, picking up 14 hits and defeating the Wenatchee Applesox 9-4 at Borleske Stadium.

The Sweets found themselves in a immediate hole in the first inning but responded by scoring the games next eight runs to take game one of the best-of-three East Division Playoff series. They will look for the sweep on Saturday night in game two of the series at Paul Thomas Sr. Field in Wenatchee.

On Friday, Payden Cawley-Lamb tripled to right-center and Ryan Barnes doubled to left-center to start the game and give Wenatchee a 1-0 lead after two batters. Walla Walla starter Ryan Richardson settled down to retire the next six batters in a row and the offense finally got to Applesox starter Alex Phillips in the third.

In that third inning, the Sweets erased that 1-0 deficit with four runs and never looked back. Kalani Brackenridge and Alex Stanford started the inning with singles and then the Sweets got a break on a Denver Chavez bunt. Chavez's bunt was down the first base line and it kicked foul as Wenatchee first baseman Brock Gates came sliding in. The home plate umpire ruled the ball hit Gates in fair territory and it loaded the bases for the Sweets. Andrew Mendenhall followed with an RBI single to left to tie the game, Zach Wentz's double play grounder made it 2-1 and Pat Valaika bobbled Elliot Stewart's ground ball to make it 3-1. Chance Kopacz capped the inning by driving a triple all the way to the right-center wall to make it 4-1.

Phillips, who had allowed just three runs on ten hits over 18 innings against the Sweets in the regular season, did not make it to the fifth. Chavez made sure of that in the fourth, drilling a 2-0 pitch to the same spot as Kopacz for an RBI triple, scoring Stanford and making it 5-1.

Meanwhile, Richardson was making the most of the opportunity to start the Sweets first-ever playoff game. After setting down six-straight, Erik Munzer touched him for a leadoff single in the third but Richardson pounced off the mound to snag Cawley-Lamb's bunt in the air and doubled Munzer off of first. The right-hander did not allow another hit until the eighth inning. He allowed a one-out walk in fourth but Kopacz helped him with a running over the shoulder catch in right and then again in the fifth with two marvelous catches, the second a sliding catch on a shallow fly from Valaika.

Held in check in the fifth, the Sweets got back on the sticks in the sixth, scoring three runs on four consecutive hits. Kopacz, his third hit, and Goose Kallunki started the inning with singles and Scott Gottschling's bunt was thrown down the right field line, scoring a run and putting runners on second and third. Brackenridge followed with a two-run single to center to make it 8-1.

Wenatchee made one final push in the eighth inning and finally got to Richardson. Gates drove a two-run double to right-center with two outs to make it 8-3 and Valaika followed with an RBI triple. That ended Richardson's night and brought Jimmy Litchfield on. The left-hander induced a pop up to end the inning and then struck out two of three in the ninth to close the door. Richardson ended his night allowing four runs on six hits with five strikeouts.

Walla Walla got three hits and two runs from Stanford and Brackenridge and three hits from Kopacz. Cawley-Lamb scored two runs and Barnes was the only Applesox player to have multiple hits. Three Wenatchee relievers gave up four runs over the final four innings. The win is the third-straight for WW over the Applesox this week.

The Sweets will turn to former Applesox Tim Culligan in game two on Saturday night. The right-hander will be opposed by WCL wins-leader Owen Jones. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at Paul Thomas Sr. Field.

‧ Discuss this story on the West Coast League message board...
‧ Digg this story
‧ Add to Del.icio.us
Tweet

‧ Round 1 to Sweets - Walla Walla Sweets
‧ Gems Will Have New Head Coach In 2012 - Klamath Falls Gems

The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

View the original article here

Extra, Extra; Sweets win 6-5 in 10

August 5, 2011 - West Coast League (WCL) Walla Walla Sweets Bend-- It took over four hours but the 6-5 extra-inning win for the Walla Walla Sweets was worth the wait on Thursday night. Walla Walla rallied to tie the game in the eighth and Chance Kopacz's RBI double in the tenth proved to be the winning hit as the Sweets took two-of-three from the Bend Elks and moved two games ahead of Bellingham in the East Division standings.

Trailing 5-3 in the eighth, it did not look good for the Sweets. Kopacz worked a one-out walk and advanced to second on a ground out. With two outs, Denver Chavez drilled his second-straight double to dead center to score Kopacz and make it 5-4. Alex Stanford followed with his third hit, a single to right-center that scored Chavez to tie the game at 5-5.

Then, in the tenth, Walla Walla rallied off Bend closer Jeff Brigham. Austin Heaps started the Sweets with a leadoff single, advanced to second on a Goose Kallunki bunt and was then pinch-run for by James Campbell. A wild pitch moved Campbell to third and Kopacz drilled a 2-2 curveball to right-center for an RBI double.

Bend, as they had all night, did not make it easy in the bottom of the tenth. Nick Wagner and Royce Bollinger notched back-to-back one-out singles to put the tying run on second against Sweets closer Simon Anderson. Unfazed, Anderson got Stetson Olson to pop out and then struck out Michael Benjamin to end the game and give the Sweets the series victory.

And that was just the final three innings. Bend nearly blew open the game in the first thanks to two WW errors and a torrential downpour. A dropped fly ball and a throwing error helped Bend load the bases off of Tim Culligan but Stanford fielding a ground ball and threw to Chavez at second to end the inning. Once the inning ended, the umpires took the teams off the field with a heavy rain falling. The rain delay lasted 30 minutes.

After the rain delay, the teams came out swining. Bend starter Josh McAlister had set down the first six Sweets but Brenton Allen started the third with a single to right and was on third with two outs when Stanford ripped a double to deep right-center, making it 1-0. The Elks did not waste any time rallying. Culligan had two outs and a runner on first but the Elks strung together three-straight hits to score two runs. Jordan Brower singled up the middle to tie the game and Ryan Dunn's single to right gave the Elks their first lead, 2-1.

The score remained there until the sixth as the Sweets left the bases loaded in the fourth. In the sixth, Wentz singled and Heaps walked to start the inning and after two-straight outs, Kevin Hawk ripped an RBI single to right to tie the game. Chavez followed with a double that landed just inside the right field line to give the Sweets a 3-2 lead.

Again, Bend rallied in their next at-bats. After Culligan recorded the first out, Bend strung together four-straight hits to score three runs. Cullen Hendrickson tied the game with an RBI double, Wagner singled through a drawn-in infield to make it 4-3 and Bollinger hit a sac fly to center to give the Elks a 5-3 lead.

That lead seemed like more than enough until the Sweets rallied. Jacob Overbay came on in relief of Culligan in the seventh and gave the Sweets a chance to make their comeback. He struck out two in the seventh, worked around a leadoff single in the eighth and then struck out two more in the ninth, including Toby Demello with runners on second and third to end the inning. The three scoreless innings stretched his streak to 22.2 innings of relief without allowing an earned run.

Making a start on four days rest, Culligan pitched well outside of the third and sixth innings. Those two innings were the only innings that he allowed a hit. He finished with one strikeout and one walk over six innings and allowed five runs (three earned). Anderson picked up his fourth save of the summer and has not allowed a run since June 17. Stanford had his second-straight three-hit game and is tied for the league-lead in hits with 56. Wentz had two hits for the fourth time in five games and Hawk's single extended his hitting streak to eight games. Chavez doubled twice, drove in two and scored a run to help the Sweets win their league-high fourth game when trailing after seven innings. Tyler Christian, Brower, Dunn, Hendrickson and Wagner all had two hits for Bend. Brigham took the loss, allowing only his second run in eight appearances this summer.

The Sweets win and Bellingham's 6-1 loss to Kitsap give Walla Walla a two game lead in the East Division standings with six games to play. The magic number is five which means any combination of Walla Walla wins and Bellingham losses that equals five earns the Sweets their first playoff berth in franchise history. Walla Walla trailed Bellingham by five games on July 15.

Walla Walla begins a three-game series against Cowlitz on Friday at Story Field in Longview at 6:35 p.m. The Black Bears have won four of the first six meetings between the teams and trail Bend by a half game for the final playoff spot in the West. Aaron Hoverson will get the ball for the Sweets.

‧ Discuss this story on the West Coast League message board...
‧ Digg this story
‧ Add to Del.icio.us
Tweet

‧ A-Sox Start Last Regular Season Home Series - Wenatchee AppleSox
‧ Extra, Extra; Sweets win 6-5 in 10 - Walla Walla Sweets
‧ Falcons drop finale - Kelowna Falcons
‧ Elks fall 6-5 in extras - Bend Elks

The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

View the original article here

Stanford Home Run Lifts Sweets in 10

August 7, 2011 - West Coast League (WCL) Walla Walla Sweets Longview-Sunday night will be remembered as one of the most important and greatest games in Walla Walla Sweets history. With a playoff berth on the line, the Sweets rallied from 4-2 down to tie the game in the ninth and Alex Stanford's home run in the top of the tenth gave them the only lead they would need in a 5-4 victory over the Cowlitz Black Bears at Story Field.

The comeback victory, the fifth this summer when the Sweets have trailed after seven, coupled with Bellingham's comeback victory over Wenatchee lowers the Sweets magic number to one but does not clinch a playoff spot. Walla Walla will need to either win one game against Wenatchee or have the Bells lose one to Kelowna.

On Sunday, the Sweets played catch-up all night long and finally caught the Black Bears in the ninth inning. Andrew Mendenhall and Zach Wentz singled to put runners on the corners with two outs and Scott Gottschling ripped a 1-2 curveball right back up the middle to tie the game at 4-4. Jimmy Litchfield got Cowlitz 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth and the Sweets went to work in the tenth.

James Campbell worked a leadoff walk but Cowlitz reliever Richi Sandoval picked him off for the first out and struck out the next batter for the second out. That brought Stanford to the plate and the Gonzaga product unloaded on a 2-0 fastball and drove in well over the wall in right-center to give Walla Walla their only lead of the night. Simon Anderson came on in the bottom of the tenth and picked up his fifth save as he struck out two in a 1-2-3 inning.

The long ball not only helped the Sweets win the game, but it helped them get back into it. Trailing 2-0 in the fourth, Chance Kopacz crushed his first home run of the summer into the bullpen in left-center to make it 2-1. The Black Bears battled back to make it 3-1 but Elliot Stewart turned on an inside pitch to start the sixth and sent it soaring over the party deck down the left field line to make it 3-2. Cowlitz again responded with a single run in the sixth but the Sweets came right back in the seventh.

Stanford started the inning with a single to right and stole second with one out, his seventh-straight game with a stolen base. Facing Cowlitz reliever Andrew Lines, Mendenhall stroked a single to left to make it 4-3. That set up Gottschling's and Stanford's heroics in the ninth and tenth.

It would not have got that far if not for the pitching of Litchfield. The lefty entered the game in the fifth inning with a run already across and the bases loaded with one out. He promptly induced a 6-4-3 inning-ending double play and went on to throw 4.2 innings of one-run relief and earned his third win of the summer. Facing a bases loaded, one-out situation in the seventh, Litchfield allowed just a sac fly, escaping further damage thanks to a running catch from Gottschling in left.

Sweets starter Kyle Anderson lasted just 4.1 innings but was the victim of several soft hits and two Sweets defensive errors. He gave up two runs in the second and a third run in the fifth. Walla Walla collected 14 hits, four from Mendenhall. Stanford had three hits and Kopacz and Stewart each had two for the Sweets. The bottom three of the Black Bears order, Mitchel Walding, Kirk Cunningham and Bailey Graham combined for eight hits and three runs.

Walla Walla wraps up their regular season with a three-game series against Wenatchee at Borleske Stadium. First pitch tomorrow is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. and Jacob Overbay will get the ball.

‧ Discuss this story on the West Coast League message board...
‧ Digg this story
‧ Add to Del.icio.us
Tweet

‧ Stanford Home Run Lifts Sweets in 10 - Walla Walla Sweets
‧ Black Bears Lose to Sweets - Cowlitz Black Bears
‧ Kelowna Falcons Notch Comeback Win - Kelowna Falcons
‧ Elks Beat by Klamath Falls 14-6; Split Squad Wins - Bend Elks
‧ Watson Whirls Sweets past Black Bears, 5-1 - Walla Walla Sweets

The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

View the original article here

Goodwin: Summer sweets

It doesn't matter if you buy from the bustling Greater Springfield Farmers' Market or a roadside stand, right now fresh produce is at its peak.

You'll find bushels of red and green bell peppers, big juicy tomatoes plucked fresh from the vine, and as you walk past herbs, if the wind blows, you can catch a whiff of fragrant dill or basil.

Enjoy it while you can.

For the next two weeks, I will devote my column to farmers market finds and create recipes based on summer's sweet produce.

This week, I feature cantaloupe coated in yogurt, honey and cardamom. One of my coworkers said "cantaloupe should always be served like this." It's ready in minutes and makes a great snack, dessert or breakfast.

Love cold soups? Try my chilled tomato and leek bisque with fresh herbs. Note: you need to make this a day in advance.

A quick and flavorful salad is my bell pepper, cumin and chickpea salad. It comes together in 10 minutes.

Or my personal favorite, is my almond Pavlova with Grand Marnier peaches and berry sauce. Pavlova, a meringue dessert, is named after famed Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova. They have a crispy exterior and a soft, almost marshmallow, center. Usually made with vanilla, I make mine with almond and top them with peaches marinated in Grand Marnier and a berry sauce. You can use raspberries or strawberries to make this sauce. Every element in this dessert is delicious. Enjoy.

Almond Pavlova with Grand Marnier Peaches and berry sauce

makes 10

6 egg whites, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons corn starch

1 1/4 teaspoons almond extract

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Peach Filling

4 large ripe peaches

1/4 cup Grand Marnier

1 teaspoon sugar

Berry sauce

16 ounces of frozen raspberries or strawberries (either works)

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup sugar

FOR THE PAVLOVA:

When making Pavlova, fol?low the same principles as making meringue. You want to use a clean work station, clean spoons and beaters. If you drop a shell in, try not to fish it out with your hands.

Use a spoon or spatula.

Eggs will whip better when they are room temperature.

Personally, I prefer to separate them and then allow them to get to room temperature but either one will work.

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Stir together the cornstarch and sugar and set aside. Sepa?rate your eggs and then allow them to rest for 20 minutes.

Place egg whites in a large bowl and set your beaters on the lowest speed. Add cream of tartar to your egg whites and beat 2-3 minutes, until mixture is frothy.

Then, increase speed to high and add a little of your sugar mixture. Continue to beat and add sugar mixture, about every minute, until the white have formed stiff peaks and are glossy. Add your almond and vanilla extracts and beat again for another 1-2 minutes.

Lay a piece of parchment paper over your baking sheet. Scoop a pile of eggs whites onto the parchment paper and make an indenta?tion in the center with a spoon. You basically want a little cloud of egg whites with a well in the center. Do this until you have used all the whites. You will make 10. Bake for 45-50 minutes.

When done, turn off the oven, but leave the oven door open for 10 minutes.

Leave the meringue in there for 10 minutes and then remove and allow them to finish cooling on the counter. While you bake the pavlo?vas, marinate your peaches.

Slice peaches into desired size (you can also finely chop them), add sugar and Grand Marnier. Set aside.

FOR THE BERRY SAUCE:

Place ingredients in a pan over medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes if you?re making raspberry sauce and closer to 10 minutes if you are making a strawberry sauce.

When fruit begins to fall apart and sugar is dissolved, turn off heat. Allow to cool for 15 minutes and then puree the mixture in a blender to make the sauce.

When time to assemble everything, place a Pavlova on a plate, top with peaches and drizzle with berry sauce. Serve immediately.

BELL PEPPER, CUMIN AND CHICKPEA SALAD

serves 4

1 (15-ounce) can of chickpeas, drained

2 / 3 cup chopped red bell pepper

2 / 3 cup chopped green bell pep?per

1 / 4 cup chopped red onion

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 1 / 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon cumin seed

1 / 4 teaspoon ground cumin

1 / 4 teaspoon salt

1 / 8 teaspoon pepper

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro (or to taste)

Drain can of chickpeas and place in medium size bowl.

Chop red bell pepper, green bell pepper and red onion and toss into bowl.

Stir together both oils, apple cider vinegar, cumin seed, cumin, salt and pepper and pour over chickpeas. Toss to coat. Chop your cilantro and then stir into the salad.

Serve immediately or for best results, cover and refrig?erate for 2 hours.

CANTALOUPE WITH CARDAMOM KISSED YOGURT

serves 3

3 cups cubed cantaloupe

6 ounces plain, sweetened yogurt

1 tablespoon honey

1 / 4 teaspoon ground cardamom

Stir together the yogurt, honey and cardamom until combined. Chop your melon and then add to yogurt. Stir to thoroughly coat. You can serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

CHILLED TOMATO AND LEEK BISQUE

3 large Arkansas or beefsteak tomatoes

1 large clove of garlic

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 / 8 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 leek

1 potato, peeled and thinly sliced

1 1 / 2 cups chicken broth

1 1 / 3 cup water 3 tablespoons fresh basil, sliced thin 1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Take two, only two, of the tomatoes and slice them in half. Place in a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil and salt.

Quarter the garlic clove and tuck it into the center of each tomato. Bake for 20 minutes.

In the meantime, cut the bottom off your leek and then pull leek apart and wash it. You must wash a leek because dirt gets between the layers.

Slice only the white and white-green part of the leek and discard the rest of the green part.

Heat canola oil in a pot over medium heat. Saute your leek for 5 minutes.

Peel and thinly slice your potato, almost as if you are making potato chips. Add broth and water to pot and bring to a boil for 10-12 min?utes or until potatoes are tender. While those boil, chop your herbs.

When tomatoes from the oven are done, remove and allow to cool. When the stock mixture is done, remove from heat and allow to cool for 15-20 minutes.

Then take your remaining fresh tomato and quarter it.

Add cooked tomatoes (with the garlic), leek mixture, fresh tomato and herbs and place in a blender. Pulse until nearly smooth or desired consistency. You will have to do this in two batches.

Place in a glass bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight before serving.

Contact food columnist Juliana Goodwin at jlgoodwin@news?leader.com or call 836-1124.

View the original article here

My Style: Gabrielle Sweets

 "Fashion, to me, is casual, comfortable and becoming." - Gabrielle Sweets

Name: Gabrielle Sweets

Age: 27

Profession: Signal Mountain High School French teacher.

“Fashion, to me, is casual, comfortable and becoming. I like fashions that work in different situations. I don’t like to be too dressed up or too dressed down. Typically, I don’t wear much jewelry. I think you should have fun with fashion. It doesn’t necessarily define you, but it does enable you to be creative. I’ve been to lots of fashion markets in Paris, and it’s fun to see the styles.”

Feature writer Karen Nazor Hill covers fashion, design, home and gardening, pets, entertainment, human interest features and more. She also is an occasional news reporter and the Town Talk columnist. She previously worked for the Catholic newspaper Tennessee Register and was a reporter at the Chattanooga Free Press from 1985 to 1999, when the newspaper merged with the Chattanooga Times. She won a Society of Professional Journalists Golden Press third-place award in feature writing for ...

A lot of people make rules about fashion. I’m not one of those people. It’s supposed to be about fun, ...

When a series of storms and tornadoes blasted through the tri-state area on April 27, 76 people lost their lives ...

Given the choice, most men wouldn’t reach for neckties and suit jackets in record-setting heat, but there’s little leeway when ...

Fashion can say a lot about your personality. This is a very atypical outfit for me, though. Usually I wear ...

View the original article here

Melt With the Flavour, Not the Product-Sweets Are Firm Favourites in Summer

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM--(Marketwire - Aug. 10, 2011) - Although August 2011 is not shaping up to be one of the hottest on record, when it comes to travelling, chocolates are not the first choice snack for any family in the summer, says Jealous, unless they're armed with a cool bag, wet wipes or both.

UK temperatures have been as high as 29 degrees in the south of the country this month so whether a day out via train, car or coach is planned in the last three weeks of the school summer holidays, taking sweet boxes to share on the journey is more sensible than a bag of chocs. Mums and dads have enough to cope with listening to the usual cries of 'are we nearly there yet', without having to worry about chocolately mouths to wipe, car seats to save from sticky fingers or carrying another bag, in the form of a cooler, to keep items from melting.

When visiting family or friends during the summer months, candy gifts are better than a luxury box of chocolates for the very same reason; Granny or Auntie would much prefer some irresistible sweeties that have arrived in top condition rather than a liquefied mess that once posed as chocolate. Jealous, producers of sweet gifts, has recently launched its 400 gram boxes of fruit and sour gummies, which are also suitable for those with ethical and dietary requirements because they don't contain gelatine, gluten, alcohol and any artificial colours or flavours. With a vegan friendly and an organic box as well, Jealous, is ideal as a gift or as a family treat when travelling in the warm summer months.

Imran Ali Merza, one of the two joint-managing directors at Jealous, says: "A day trip or the annual summer holiday journey can be a nightmare, carrying things to keep children occupied as well as snacks for travelling and I've witnessed the mess that warm chocolate can make! Sweets are the firm favourite during the summer for sharing on the move and now it's also easy to travel with a sweet treat as a gift with a box of Jealous gummies."

Jealous' other MD, Tahzeen Basunia, explains how there was a gap in the gift market: "It really struck us how when you come to buy a treat type gift, whether when visiting a friend or family member or for a special occasion, the market is pretty limited and it's either a bottle of wine or a box of chocolates. Nearly everybody loves sweets but they're just not packaged in the right way to give as a nice present so we went the extra mile with Jealous, ensuring we had it all, really tasty sweets, beautiful boxes and they're suitable for everyone who has dietary and ethical eating requirements."

To find out more about Jealous' natural and ethical sweet gifts and to purchase the halal sweets online, visit www.thejealouslife.com and search for 'the jealous life' on Facebook or Twitter to join in the conversation about our delicious, guilt free treats.

Notes to editors

Jealous is a manufacturer of sweet-gifts which are free from artificial enhancements, are gluten and gelatine free and also suitable for vegetarians. The concept is the idea of Imran Ali Merza (a former City trader) and Tahzeen Basunia (chartered accountant) who used the recession as an opportunity to launch a new business and brand after spotting a gap in the confectionary gift market for sweets. Launched at London's Selfridges store in July and available online from www.thejealouslife.com, Jealous sweet boxes will shortly be on the shelves of other major retailers.

View the original article here

Bells Win 2-1 Pitcher's Duel, Sweep Sweets

July 16, 2011 - West Coast League (WCL) Bellingham Bells With ace Adrian Sampson throwing another gem and the Bells getting a pair of late-game runs, Bellingham beat the Walla Walla Sweets 2-1 to complete a three-game sweep over their division rivals.

Just like other recent Bells games, it was a scoreless duel throughout the initial stages of the game, with neither team scoring in the first six innings. The two teams combined for three hits over this span and Sweets starting pitcher Tim Culligan didn't allow a Bells base runner until the sixth inning.

However, Bellingham finally broke through in the seventh. Kai Hatch and Derek Atkinson led off with singles and advanced to third and second base, respectively, on a wild pitch to Ben Grubb. The Walla Walla shortstop then committed an error on a Grubb groundball, allowing Hatch to score to give the Bells a 1-0 lead.

The Bells got an all-important insurance run in the ninth inning to take a 2-0 lead. Eric Lane led off the inning with a single and with two outs, Grubb came to the plate and ripped a triple, scoring Hatch.

The Sweets wouldn't go down easily, however. Andrew Mendenhall led off the bottom of the ninth inning with a double and scored on a two-out single by Chance Kopacz to make it 2-1. Sampson then struck out the next hitter, Elliot Stewart, to end the ballgame.

Sampson was overpowering yet again, yielding only four hits, one walk, and one run in his second complete game of the year. Sampson moves to 4-2 on the year and his 0.84 ERA is second in the West Coast League. The Bells lead the WCL with a team ERA of 2.10.

With the sweep, Bellingham moves to 17-16 on the season, the first time they've been above .500 since June 11.

The Bells now lead Walla Walla by five games for the second and final playoff spot in the WCL's East Division. The squad returns to Bellingham for a non-league game against the Portland Dukes at 7:05 p.m. on Saturday.

‧ Discuss this story on the West Coast League message board...
‧ Digg this story
‧ Add to Del.icio.us
Tweet

‧ Richardson's CG lifts Sweets past Kitsap - Walla Walla Sweets
‧ Bend Elks take down Wenatchee, hold on to win 3-2 - Bend Elks
‧ Bells Win 2-1 Pitcher's Duel, Sweep Sweets - Bellingham Bells
‧ Gems Win 6-4 - Klamath Falls Gems
‧ Black Bears Lose in Klamath Falls - Cowlitz Black Bears
‧ Culligan brilliant in 2-1 loss - Walla Walla Sweets

The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

View the original article here

NCA Changes Dates of 2012 Sweets & Snacks Expo

CHICAGO -- Just a few weeks after the National Restaurant Association (NRA) announced it was changing the dates of its 2012 Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show to avoid overlap with the Global G8 and NATO Summit, the National Confectioners Association (NCA) is now doing the same.

The 2012 Sweets & Snacks Expo, sponsored by the NCA, is moving to May 8 to 10 in an effort to avoid the G8 Summit activities happening later in the month. NATO's annual Global Summit for world leaders will take place at Chicago's McCormick Place May 15-22, which would have coincided with the Sweets & Snacks Expo originally scheduled for May 22 to 24.

"Chicago has welcomed our annual expo since its inception 15 years ago, so it is no surprise that city officials along with leadership at McCormick Place have gone above and beyond, and together we decided on a mutually acceptable alternative," stated NCA President Larry Graham. "Due to the comprehensive security and logistics requirements surrounding the G8 Summit, shifting the dates made the best business sense for our industry."

Despite the change in dates, the 2012 expo will still be held in the popular West building of McCormick Place and retain the Tuesday-Thursday date pattern customers have asked for year after year. In addition, the NCA event will again overlap with the 2012 NRA Show, May 5 to 8.

"We recognize a huge value to our industry in keeping the event anchored in Chicago and worked hard to secure dates that would not interfere with other industry events, both domestic and internationally," said Tim Quinn, vice president trade development at Mars Chocolate North America and chairman of the Sweets & Snacks Expo committee.

More than 14,000 industry professionals from nearly 70 countries visit the expo each year.

View the original article here

Finger Sweets Nail Cosmetics Expands Its Product Line

http://www.MyFingerSweets.com Now Offers Nail Art Cosmetics in Their Online Store

Brooklyn, NY (PRWEB) August 13, 2011

Finger Sweets, a nail design company based in New York, has announced an expanded line of nail art products, currently available in their online store.

Founded in November 2010, Finger Sweets offers nail polish, tools and art products. The company gives customers the opportunity to get fun and creative nail designs without stepping foot in a salon. All nail art products are easy to apply and easy to remove.

“Finger Sweets nail products offer the latest in nail art and nail care,” said Finger Sweets owner Sheena St. Surin.

All Finger Sweet products are free of formaldehyde, toluene and DBP, making them safe for customers of all ages. The designs are do-it-yourself easy and can last for weeks.

Two of the newest product lines in the nail art category, which hit the market in April 2011, include nail polish stickers in a variety of different patterns and nail art pens. Nail art pens are finely tipped nail polish pens that allow customers to draw letters, shapes or patterns on their nails. Nail stickers are also available in both subtle and loud designs. Nail art products range from $9-$12.

Finger Sweets also offers tips and videos for customers through their website. Customers can learn how to use their nail art products, how to properly take care of their nails or how to paint certain designs or patterns on their nails. To view Finger Sweet’s latest products or learn more about the company, visit http://www.myfingersweets.com.

About Finger Sweets

Finger Sweets is a nail product line that is committed to offering a more trendy, innovative, and unique spin on traditional nail products.

Media Contact:

Sheena St. Surin

Finger Sweets

335 East 19th Street Apt. 2B

Brooklyn, NY 11226

347-678-6530

myfingersweets(at)ymail(dot)com

###

Sheena St. Surin
Finger Sweets
347-678-6530
Email Information

View the original article here

Sweets and soccer

Tweet Nolan Shade deposits a donation for the Vernon Titans travel soccer team, while his teammates Justin Hertlein, Michael Skounakis and Caleb Gibson help man the baked goods table outside the Vernon A&P Saturday.

Post a comment about this story. Be sure to include your name and email to submit a comment. Please note that email addresses are for internal use only and will not be displayed or shared. You can find a copy of our privacy policy in the terms of service link below.

I agree that I have read the Terms of Service and agree to abide by them.
Terms of Service

- - Site Map - Terms of Service

View the original article here

The best summer sweets in Seattle

Strawberry Shortcake, Seattle Style

Known by their craggy shape and ruffle-collared stem, Shuksan strawberries are largely regarded as the sweetest, most flavorful of all strawberry varieties. Each plump berry is red to the core, with a slight mineral flavor that adds complexity. Shuksan (Japanese for "beautiful taste") strawberries are available at local farmers' markets for only a few weeks in summer, and their highly perishable nature makes them an eat-it-quick treat. Show off a bevy of these berry beauties in a fluffy ginger biscuit with vanilla gelato for the quintessential summer strawberry shortcake. Serves 2

1 cup Shuksan strawberries, halved
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon Grand Marnier liqueur
Two ginger biscuits from Cafe Besalu
Two generous scoops of D'Ambrosio gelato in Madagascar vanilla or Bewitched Ricotta

In a mixing bowl, combine the strawberries, sugar and Grand Marnier. Give the berries a stir, and allow them to macerate, about 15 minutes. With a knife, split each ginger biscuit in half. Top each biscuit with half of the strawberries, followed by a big scoop of gelato. Finish with the top half of the biscuit, and serve.

FIND THE FIXIN'S:

D'Ambrosio Gelato
Ballard
5339 Ballard Ave. NW
206.327.9175
dambrosiogelato.com

Cafe Besalu
Ballard
5909 24th Ave. NW
206.789.1463
cafebesalu.com

Ice Cream

Brain Freeze
A flurry of ice creameries is making homemade frozen treats, providing lots of delicious reasons to give yourself an ice cream headache.

Meyer lemon ice cream at Parfait: Lemony but not too tart: that's the brilliance of a Meyer lemon, and Parfait's organic ice cream—the only ice cream in town that's entirely made from scratch—is a brilliant showcase. $4/scoop >> Mobile truck, check website for locations; 206.941.4679; parfait-icecream.com

Molly Moon's Theo Chocolate ice cream: Like fudge in frozen form. It's just so, so chocolate. $3.80/scoop >> Multiple locations, including Capitol Hill, 917 E Pine St.; 206.708.7947; mollymoonicecream.com

Full Tilt's Memphis King ice cream: In honor of Elvis, a small-batch wacky mash-up of peanut butter, banana and chocolate-covered bacon. $3.50/scoop >> Multiple locations, including Columbia City, 206.226.2740; fulltilticecream.com

Fragola gelato at Bottega Italiana: Smooth, silken and bursting with the taste of fresh strawberries, it's the scoop of the season. $2.25/scoop >> Pike Place Market, 1425 First Ave.; Green Lake, 409 NE 70th St.; bottegaitaliana.com

Cantaloupe ice at Procopio Gelatena: Ripe melon (they have watermelon, too!) is frozen and shaved to make these shockingly cold ices. On the hottest day of summer, it's just the thing. $3.25/scoop >> Pike Hillclimb, 1501 Western Ave. #300; 206.622.4280; procopiogelati.com

Nutella gelato at Fainting Goat: Chocolate and hazelnut paste marry oh so deliciously in this dense, decadent gelato. $3.85/scoop >> Wallingford, 1903 N 45th St.; 206.327.9459; faintinggoatseattle.blogspot.com

Bluebird's peanut butter and jelly ice cream: Freshly churned peanut butter ice cream plus fresh berry ice cream equals the best PB&J of your entire life. $3/scoop >> Capitol Hill, 1205 E Pike St.; 206.588.1079; bluebirdseattle.blogspot.com

Pistachio gelato at D'Ambrosio Gelato: Made with real pistachios imported from Italy, this utterly creamy gelato tastes like the actual nut: spectacular. $3.50/scoop >> Ballard, 5339 Ballard Ave. NW; 206.327.9175; dambrosiogelato.com

Watermelon

Slice of summer
What would summertime be without cold, sweet watermelon juice dripping down our arms? Just to ensure we're all getting our fill, we rounded up seven clever dishes showcasing our favorite melon.

The watermelon, cucumber, feta and mint salad at Capitol Hill's Volunteer Park Cafe starts with chunks of chilled watermelon, cucumber and crumbled feta, which is tossed with olive oil and sea salt, and finished with a hint of mint. Quench your thirst with a watermelon cooler—watermelon pureed with water and sugar, and garnished with a spring of mint. >> Capitol Hill, 1501 17th Ave. E; 206.328.3155; alwaysfreshgoodness.com

Nell's delicious watermelon salad with champagne vinaigrette features cubed watermelon, seasoned with salt, pepper and olive oil. Served atop a bed of arugula and sprinkled with feta cheese and pine nuts, it's a perfect summer salad. >> Green Lake, 6804 E Green Lake Way N; 206.524.4044; nellsrestaurant.com

If you're looking for a way to drink away a bad day, try the Hammock Dazed at Ballard's new Golden Beetle restaurant. This frothy, pink drink is a delicious concoction of gin, Arak Razzouk, honey syrup, lemon juice, cilantro leaves and watermelon juice. >> Ballard, 1744 NW Market St.; 206.706.297; golden-beetle.com

Try this for a uniquely flavorful main course: fluke in pickled watermelon broth, white anchovies with watermelon, crispy sage and aged balsamic at Anchovies & Olives. First, cubes of watermelon are seasoned, then topped with white anchovies, and finally garnished with sage and drizzled with aged balsamic. >> Capitol Hill, 1550 15th Ave.; 206.838.8080; ethanstowellrestaurants.com/anchoviesandolives

Thirsty? The watermelon jalapeno fresca at Skillet Street Food's new brick-and-mortar location, Skillet Diner, is a sweet and spicy concoction that combines watermelon, lime juice, sugar, ice and, yes, jalapeno, pureed to make one refreshing beverage with a bite. The longer you sip, the spicier it gets, so bottoms up! >> Capitol Hill, 1400 E Union; skilletstreetfood.com

It's a veritable watermelonapalooza at Poppy, where you can indulge your taste buds with a watermelon/lime pickle, enjoy a watermelon, sungold tomato and mint salad, and wash it all down with a refreshing watermelon mojito. >> Poppy, Capitol Hill, 622 Broadway E; 206.324.1108; poppyseattle.com

Shake it up!

Did your mom ever tell you to drink your milk? Well, you're all grown up now, and we're telling you to drink your milkshake. Who says mom knows best?

Luna Park hand-scoops the ice cream for its thick milkshakes, using vanilla Cascade Glacier ice cream as a base, and serves them in fountain glasses topped with whipped cream and a cherry (with the big metal mixing canister on the side). Our favorite is the rich butterscotch. $3.75 >> West Seattle, 2918 SW Avalon Way; 206.935.7250; lunaparkcafe.com

Like pretty much everything else at Lunchbox Laboratory, the decadent milkshakes here will have calorie counters shaking in their boots. And the flavors? Completely over the top: We love the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup version, but you might opt for a Boston cream doughnut shake, you know, just for bragging rights. $6.50 >> South Lake Union, 1253 Thomas St.; 206.621.1090; lunchboxlaboratory.com

When a good old-fashioned milkshake in a waxed-paper Coke cup is what you need to cool down, look no farther than the nearest Red Mill. Made with soft-serve ice cream, the pretty pink strawberry version is hard to beat in summertime, but the vanilla malts hold their own, too. $3.50 >> Multiple locations, including Phinney Ridge, 312 N 67th St.; 206.783.6362; redmillburgers.com

It's hard to cram a year's worth of root beer and ice cream into one short summer. Lucky for us, Zippy's has combined the two for the ultimate summer sipper: a root beer milkshake. $3.50 >> White Center (new location), 9614 14th Ave. SW; 206.763.1347; zippysgiantburgers.com

View the original article here

Celebrations as Virbhadra turns 77

Calcutta News.Net
Thursday 23rd June, 2011 (IANS)

Four-time former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh turned 77 Thursday, and his supporters here celebrated the day with prayers and distribution of sweets.

A large number of Congress activists and well-wishers poured into his residence in Jakhu Hills to greet the union micro, small and medium enterprises minister.

Virbhadra Singh said: 'I am grateful for the love and affection shown by you.'

A member of the erstwhile royal family of Bushehr state, Virbhadra Singh has said he will not contest the next Lok Sabha election. But he declined to say if he would contest the next state assembly polls.

View the original article here

Sloppy play drops Sweets, 8-1

June 12, 2011 - West Coast League (WCL) Walla Walla Sweets Longview-- The first road trip of the season ended like it began for the Walla Walla Sweets. A day after playing their first flawless game defensively, the Sweets made three errors and the pitching staff walked eight and the Cowlitz Black Bears took advantage, winning 8-1 and taking two-of-three games on the weekend at Story Field.

Walla Walla (3-3) walked 10 and commited four errors in Friday's 7-1 loss and appeared to have righted the ship with Saturday's 9-3 victory. On Sunday however, things never looked bright. Rain began to fall just as the Sweets started batting practice and two first inning errors put the Sweets immediately behind the eight-ball. Billy Flamion reached on an infield error with one out, Braxton Miller walked for the sixth time on the weekend and Spencer O'Neil dropped a broken-bat single into right center to load the bases. Kirk Cunningham's sharp single to center scored one and a second run scored as the ball skipped away from the outfielder.

Cowlitz (2-4) added another run in the second as Flamion's sinking liner to right skipped all the way to the wall for a two-out RBI triple and tacked on two more in the fourth. A one-out walk started the inning and Derek Atkinson's liner to right eluded the dive of Chance Kopacz and went for an RBI triple. Atkinson would eventually score on a sac fly from Flamion.

Being in a 5-0 was bad enough, but the Sweets also had to contend with Cowlitz starter Porter Clayton. The lefty from Oregon allowed just one baserunner, a Brenton Allen single, in the first four innings and got a diving catch from Atkinson in center to help him end his night in the fifth.

With Clayton out, Walla Walla went to work against reliever Matt Maurer. Michael Leach dribbled a slow ground ball to third and beat it out for a leadoff single and Alex Stanford followed that with a walk. Zach Wentz moved both runners into scoring position with a sac bunt and it appeared the Sweets were destined for a big inning as Kopacz ripped a single to left. Leach scored easily but Stanford was also waved home and a strong throw from O'Neil in left got him at the plate and Kopacz was then caught trying to take second on the throw, ending the inning on a 7-2-4 double play.

That was as close as the Sweets would get for the rest of the night. Allen started a two-out rally in the seventh with a ground-rule double but the Sweets left two on base. Back-to-back two-out walks in the eighth gave them some life but they were also stranded.

The Black Bears put the game away in the bottom of the eighth, scoring three runs thanks to two walks, a hit batter and an infield error. Kevin Berry tossed a 1-2-3 ninth, sending the Sweets home with a sour taste in their mouthes.

Anderson started and took the loss for the Sweets, giving up five runs on five hits over four innings. Aaron Hoverson made his first appearance of the summer and pitched well his first two innings before giving way to Trent Allianic in the eighth with the Black Bears in the middle of their three-run inning. Christian Bannister tossed a scoreless eighth for Cowlitz, Atkinson scored three runs and Flamion scored twice and drove in a pair.

After an off-day on Monday, the Sweets return to Borleske Stadium on Tuesday to start an eight-game homestand, hosting the Klamath Falls Gems at 7:05 p.m. It's Kids Day at the park and all kids 12 and under get a ticket for $1 when accompanied by an adult. The homestand continues with two more games against the Gems, a three-game weekend series with Wenatchee and two games against Portland on Monday and Tuesday.

‧ Discuss this story on the West Coast League message board...
‧ Digg this story
‧ Add to Del.icio.us
Tweet

‧ Black Bears Take Series, Welcome Wenatchee Tomorrow - Cowlitz Black Bears
‧ Elks Win Rubber Match with Knights by a Score of 10-4 - Bend Elks
‧ Sloppy play drops Sweets, 8-1 - Walla Walla Sweets
‧ Big innings propel Sweets past Cowlitz - Walla Walla Sweets

The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

View the original article here

Pitching, timely hitting lifts Gems, 3-1

June 16, 2011 - West Coast League (WCL) Walla Walla Sweets Walla Walla-- A night after coughing up a 4-2, eighth inning lead, six Klamath Falls pitchers combined to allow one run on four hits, leading the Gems to a 3-1 victory over the Walla Walla Sweets at Borleske Stadium on Wednesday.

The six pitchers were predetermined by the Gems and each played their role perfectly. None moreso than Patrick O'Rourke. The burly right-hander from Hawaii came on in the eighth in the midst of another Sweets rally. Nathan Bunch allowed a leadoff double, hit the next batter and fell behind 1-0 to Kevin Hawk before O'Rourke was brought on. Making his fifth appearance already this season, the righty got a pair of fielder's choice ground outs before Chance Kopacz made it 3-1 with an RBI single. Unaffected, O'Rourke got Goose Kallunki to pop out to end the eighth and then pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to perserve the win and earn the save.

O'Rourke and the other five Gems pitchers made a single third inning run stand up before Turner Gill's two-run pinch-hit triple in the seventh pushed the lead to 3-0. Alex Levin started and pitched two scoreless innings despite walking three. The lefty walked the first two batters of the game but a sharp one-hopper by Kopacz was turned into a double play and Levin got a pop out to end the inning. He allowed a one-out walk in the second but the next pitch was lined to second and ended the inning as the runner was caught off first.

The Sweets didn't get a baserunner again until the fifth when James Campbell drew a one-out walk. He stole second and was waved home as Nick Gentili slapped a single into left field. Ryan Doepel came up throwing and delivered a perfect strike to home to nab Campbell and end the fifth. The next time Walla Walla threatened was in the eighth and that's when the Gems brought their stopper in.

The 3-1 loss also overshadowed another nice performance by Sweets starter Brett Watson. The lefty gave up three unearned runs in a 3-2 loss to Corvallis in his first start and pitched into the seventh tonight but came up on the wrong side of the decision. He allowed just one baserunner in the first two innings before the Gems strung together two hits in third, Kainoa Crowell's RBI triple the big blow. As he's shown all season, Watson responded well, allowing just one hit over the next three innings. He allowed a leadoff single in the seventh and handed the ball to Eric Yardley. He allowed two runs on four hits and struck out three.

Klamath Falls jumped on Yardley quickly with a single and a sac bunt to put runners on second and third. Gill then jumped on a 3-1 pitch and ripped it to center. Andrew Mendenhall raced back but the ball hit off the tip of his glove and fell, scoring two.

Jacob Overbay pitched the final two innings, allowing just one hit for the Sweets. Campbell reached base twice for the Sweets, who have alternated wins in their first eight games of 2011 and had their four-game home winning streak snapped. Jeremy Burright earned the win tossing a scoreless sixth inning for the Gems and seven different players had hits.

Walla Walla and Klamath Falls complete their three-game series on Thursday at Borleske Stadium with first pitch at 7:05 p.m. Trent Allianic will make his second start of the summer and will be opposed by left-hander Matt Klein. It's also the first Thirsty Thursday of the summer with select domestic drafts and sodas for $1 until the first pitch of the fifth inning.

‧ Discuss this story on the West Coast League message board...
‧ Digg this story
‧ Add to Del.icio.us
Tweet

‧ Red-Hot Applesox Return Home Next Week - Wenatchee AppleSox
‧ The Boys Are Back in Town - Thursday Night Rocks - Corvallis Knights
‧ Pitching, timely hitting lifts Gems, 3-1 - Walla Walla Sweets
‧ Black Bears Lose Finale - Cowlitz Black Bears
‧ Elks Beat Bells, Clinch Series by Winning 2-1 - Bend Elks

The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

View the original article here

I'm sorry I stole your sweets: Guilt-ridden thief sends note to nursery THIRTY years later

By Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 8:55 AM on 18th June 2011

A thief has apologised to a nursery for stealing sweets from there as a teenager - 30 YEARS ago.

He sent a letter of apology and a ?100 Early Learning Centre voucher because he said he was so guilt-ridden by his past crime.

Staff at Widcombe Acorns Pre-School in Bath, Somerset, were stunned when the note and gift arrived in the post.

Grateful: Nursery leader Dena Moore, right, and colleague Sam Beattie shows off the voucher to the children

The unsigned letter read: 'Many, many years ago I found myself at a school friend's band rehearsal in St Mark's Church.

'As typical teenage boys, we were sometimes mischievous and soon started rummaging around to see what we could find.

'Imagine our delight when we found a large box of sweets (which obviously belonged to the playgroup at that time) which were promptly devoured with little thought of those that would go without.

'What we did has often played on my mind and now as a very sensible grown-up, I want to apologise and give a (very long overdue) gift to the playgroup, which I hope will put a smile on somebody's face.'

Apology: The unsigned letter from the anonymous thief sent to the nursery

Pre-school leader Dena Moore said: 'It made me cry. It was just so nice. I thought what a kind thing to do.

'The fact that there was no name, no address, no postmark, no way of identifying him, I thought was incredibly selfless.

'One of the sweetest things I have ever read.

'The play-group has been going for about 30 years and in the past our good security has not been as good as it is now.

'I would love to know when it happened. We also just want to say thank you to him and it would be quite fun to meet up and talk about it all.

'We would like him to know that we acknowledge what he has done and are really grateful for him even thinking of us, even all these years on.'

'The pre-school is planning to use the voucher to buy some new outdoor play equipment.'

View the original article here

Walla Walla Sweets ready for encore WCL season

WALLA WALLA — By most baseball standards, finishing a season 12 games under .500 — when you play only 48 — is more a foul ball than a home run.

But for the Walla Walla Sweets, their debut campaign in the West Coast League was a big hit — with the fans, anyway.

The Sweets open their second season today in the Northwest's summer collegiate wood-bat league as the defending champions ... in attendance.

Nearly 35,000 fans trucked to Borleske Stadium last summer on 24 dates, averaging 1,451 a game.

"There's an excitement, a buzz that's maintained through the offseason," said manager J.C. Biagi, a Walla Walla native who played at DeSales and is the assistant coach at Walla Walla Community College.

More than a century after the Walla Walla Walla Wallas played the first minor league ball in the city in 1908, the Sweets again have made baseball a big deal.

"The buzz is around town," Biagi said, "and people are getting excited."

If that's the case, then expect a big house for today's 7:05 p.m. first pitch against the Corvallis Knights at Borleske.

Neither team will be at full strength until the college season and classes end and players have a chance to report. The Knights, who have won four consecutive WCL West Division titles, will travel with just 20 players.

The Sweets will be missing 10 players, four taking part in the NCAA regionals: UCLA's Kevin Williams (infielder) and Brenton Allen (outfielder), and U.C. Irvine's Scott Gottschling (outfielder) and Jimmy Litchfield (pitcher).

Walla Walla has a strong connection to the area's baseball scene, with six players having local ties. However, at least half of them will be inactive to start the season, including former Richland star Brett Jacobs (Washington State) and Southridge standout Andrew Mendenhall (Oregon).

Mendenhall is still finishing classes in Eugene, and Jacobs will rest a nagging wrist injury. Another former Bombers player, Eric Yardley at Seattle U, is listed on the inactive list.

Three players expected to play right away all were on the Walla Walla CC team: former Hermiston standout infielder Chance Kopacz, who was one of the best hitters in the NWAACC this season, as well as outfielder Alex Bonczyk (Las Vegas) and pitcher Brett Watson (Lewiston, Idaho).

NOTES: Kody Young, former Kamiakin and Columbia Basin College pitcher who threw for the Sweets last summer and is headed to Liberty University in Virginia, will take the summer off. ... The Sweets poured $250,000 into renovating Borleske for last season and were back at it again in the offseason. Among the improvements: 156 seats added behind home plate along with a new press box; general admission bleachers behind right-center field to bring capacity up from 1,600 to more than 2,200; a satellite beer garden next to the picnic pavilion behind right field; the outfield fence in center has been lowered to better see the game; wooden frames for the seats along the first-base line; and new lockers for the players in the clubhouse. ... Other Mid-Columbia players in the WCL: Spencer O'Neil (Southridge) with the Cowlitz Blackbears; Shawn O'Brien (Kamiakin, Saint Mary's) with the Bend Elks and Britt Hammer (Kamiakin, CBC) has a temporary contract with the Wenatchee AppleSox.

To see more of the Tri-City Herald, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.tri-cityherald.com. Copyright (c) 2011, Tri-City Herald, Kennewick, Wash. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.?

View the original article here

Stewart Homers Twice, Sweets Win 10-6

June 17, 2011 - West Coast League (WCL) Walla Walla Sweets Walla Walla-- Elliot Stewart's three-run home run in the fifth put the Sweets ahead 6-4 and his seventh inning solo home run added insurance as the Walla Walla Sweets defeated the Klamath Falls Gems 10-6 Thursday night at Borleske Stadium.

Thursday night's designated hitter, Stewart had grounded out twice in his first two at-bats. Things took a dramatic turn in the fifth. Stewart worked the count full, fought off two pitches and then golfed a breaking ball over the Inland Cellular sign on top of Borleske Blue to erase a 4-3 Gems lead. He hit the next pitch he saw out of the ballpark as well leading off the seventh. Stewart drilled the first pitch from reliever Josh Ferrell over the wall in left-center to put the Sweets (5-4) ahead 9-6.

The two home runs and four RBI were one highlight of a night that was full of exciting moments. Denver Chavez started things with a bang, ripping a double down the third base line to start the game and eventually scored on an infield throwing error. That lead was short-lived however as Tom D'Aboy ripped a two-run home run to left field in the top of the second.

In a night signified by lead changes, the Sweets quickly rallied in their second at-bats. Zach Wentz singled and Brenton Allen walked to start the inning and both moved into scoring position on a balk. James Campbell, who had fouled off two sac bunts, refocused and scored Wentz with a ground out to short. Allen scored shortly after on a wild pitch to put the Sweets ahead 3-2.

Klamath Falls (4-6) put together their own rally in the fourth as Rich Sanguinetti and Turner Gill smacked back-to-back singles to start the inning. Al Selanders moved them up with a bunt and a wild pitch scored Sanguinetti with the tying run. Nick Miller put the Gems on top for the second time in the game with a sac fly to right.

Walla Walla nearly answered right back, loading the bases with two outs but could not score. Starter Trent Allianic pitched a 1-2-3 fifth and the Sweets got right back to work. Andrew Mendenhall walked and Chance Kopacz singled, extending his hitting streak to six, to start things for Stewart. The three-run shot brought the crowd to its feet and put Allianic in line for the win.

The Gems did not go quietly, scoring single runs in the sixth and seventh innings off of reliever Kyle Anderson. The left-hander from Cal Poly was making his first appearance of the summer and lasted 2.1 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits.

But for each run the Gems scored, the Sweets matched them in the next half inning. Kevin Williams started the bottom of the sixth with an infield single and moved to third as Mendenhall's fly to left was dropped, extending the inning. Kopacz took advantage, ripping a two-run double off the wall in left-center to push the lead to three. Stewart then answered Klamath Falls' seventh inning run with his second round-tripper.

The game got a bit feisty in the third inning with the Gems batting. Joel Atkinson was picked off first base and tagged out by Campbell to end the inning. After being tagged, Atkinson shared some choice words that Kevin Hawk did not like. The catcher sprang from behind home plate and met Atkinson in between first and second. The two shared words as both benches emptied onto the infield. No punches were thrown and both players remained in the game.

Stewart finished with three hits, three runs and four RBI, Campbell had three hits and Wentz and Kopacz each had a pair for the Sweets. Allianic picked up his first win as four relievers closed the door. Geoff Soja and Tyler Billen each recorded an out in the eighth and Aaron Hoverson struck out two in a 1-2-3 ninth.

Sanguinetti and Gill each had two hits for Klamath Falls but the Gems made four errors that led to three unearned runs. Matt Klein started and gave up three runs on two hits over three innings. Hunter Greenwood was saddled with the loss, giving up three runs on three hits in 1.1 innings.

With the win the Sweets won their second series of the season, taking two-of-three from the Gems. The Sweets improve to 6-2 at home on the season and continue their eight-game homestand with a three-game weekend series against Wenatchee. The Applesox come to Walla Walla winners of 11 straight and lead the league in batting average and ERA.

Game one is Friday at 7:05 p.m. and will pit the Sweets Daniel Jewett against Wenatchee's Mike Murray. The teams will meet again Saturday at 7:05 and close out the series on Father's Day with a 6:05 start.

‧ Discuss this story on the West Coast League message board...
‧ Digg this story
‧ Add to Del.icio.us
Tweet

‧ Two Giveaways in Bells Upcoming Home Stand - Bellingham Bells
‧ Stewart Homers Twice, Sweets Win 10-6 - Walla Walla Sweets
‧ Elks Commit 7 Errors, Fall to Bells by a Score of 5-3 - Bend Elks

The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

View the original article here

Cheap Eats: India Sweets and Spices

Like many Indian groceries, India Sweets and Spices is a modest establishment located in a strip mall. It also features a small cafe that caters to the South Asian palate (the food is spicier). The caliber of the food makes this cafe special. India Sweets and Spices' menu was designed by Vikram Singh, the former executive chef of Gaylord India Restaurant in Beverly Hills. India Sweets and Spices doesn't offer a five-star environment, but the cafe's food is worth the trip.

The chow: The menu is entirely vegetarian, but you won't miss the meat. The side dishes constitute a meal by themselves. The dal makhani (lentils in a buttery sauce; $5.99) is my wife's favorite. The aloo gobi ($4.99) is another must-try, featuring tender cauliflower and potatoes in a robustly spiced sauce.

For dessert, make room for rasgullas (cheese curds and semolina dough cooked in sugar syrup), which aren't usually available at restaurants. Two pieces are $2.99.

Real deal: The daily special ($5.99) is a can't-miss. It comes with the vegetable of the day, rice, raita (yogurt-based sauce) and a pickle (a vegetable cooked in oil and spices). The Maharani Thali ($8.99) provides dal makhani, the vegetable of the day, rice, roti (buttery flatbread), raita and a pickle.

Hangout factor: There are a few tables at the cafe, but the space is not designed for a leisurely meal. It's best to order takeout and enjoy the food at home.

Liquids: Three different lassis (frothy yogurt drinks): mango ($2.49), sweetened ($1.99) and masala ($1.99). Definitely try the chai (99 cents). It's perfectly spiced, fresh and hot.

Inside tip: Order your food first if you plan to shop or buy some sweets to take home. That way, you can pay for all your goodies at once.

The numbers: 16205 N.W. Bethany Court, Suite 110, Beaverton; 503-690-0499; kitchen hours are Tues.-Sun. 11:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. The kitchen is closed on Mondays.

-- Mahesh Raj Mohan

View the original article here

Sweets and Beans offering candy and coffee in Williamstown

By Meghan FoleyPosted:?06/22/2011 04:13:55 AM EDT
Wednesday June 22, 2011

North Adams Transcript

WILLIAMSTOWN -- The owners of the recently opened Hops and Vines restaurant on Water Street are pursuing another local business venture focused on the sweet things in life.

Business partners David Aldecoa and Gil Rubenstein are serving up a menu packed with something for everyone in the family at Sweets and Beans.

The eatery, which opened Saturday at 61-63 Spring St., has candy for the kids and coffee and pastries for adults, and Aldecoa and Rubenstein are hopeful the combination will win over local families.

"It’s really geared toward kids and families." Aldecoa said Tuesday of the shop’s unique blend of offerings. "It’s a concept that’s not really seen anywhere else. We hope to bring added value to Spring Street. The street has so much potential, and we want to enhance it."

Like its name, the storefront is a combination of a candy shop and a coffee shop. While the sweet shop will primarily be stocked with loose and penny candy, and dried fruits and spicy nuts, the coffee shop is offering a variety of La Colombe’s high-end, specialty Italian coffee.

While Sweets and Beans opened Saturday, Aldecoa said the business is still evolving, and it will have much more to offer in the coming weeks.

In addition to the offerings already available, the business will soon boast fresh crepes, cream puffs, chocolate croissants and pastries.

Aldecoa said the grand

opening of Sweets and Beans is planned for the July 4th holiday weekend in conjunction with the grand opening of Hops and Vines.

"Right now our shelves are half filled, but there is more to come," he said.

To compliment the retro and modern assortment of candy that will be available as well as the coffee and pastries, Sweets and Beans mixes the modern and classic with a little European design, Aldecoa said.

As the store gets more established, its hours are expected to range from 6 or 7 a.m. to 10 or 11 p.m. possibly on Fridays and Saturday, he said.

View the original article here