Red Cross honors Carnation woman

Carnation resident Kathy Brasch was honored by the American Red Cross serving King and Kitsap Counties as a 2009 “Everyday Hero.”

In the aftermath of the 2006 winter floods, Brasch helped the Red Cross relief effort and managed a shelter. After her experience she realized that her community needed to be better prepared for the next emergency.

The Carnation and Duvall area has the potential to become isolated because many roads close when the area floods.

Brasch single-handedly founded the Carnation-Duvall Citizen Corps, a group of local volunteers who dedicate themselves to preparing their neighbors and communities for disasters. She also organizes and teaches most of the communities’ First Aid, CPR and Red Cross shelter training classes. This past fall, she organized a shelter drill and helped test the disaster response capabilities for the cities of Sammamish, Issaquah, Snoqualmie and Carnation.

Carnation City Manager Candice Bock describes Brasch as a “one woman force.”

Students need host families

More than 25 exchange students from Taiwan will be visiting Fall City for three weeks this summer. Host families are needed to give them a place to stay as they visit America. The students, who are ages 8 to 13, are visiting July 5 through 25. For information about becoming a host family, call (425) 518-1636.

Anniversary party set for Martys

Lower Valley residents Anton “Pink” and Dorothy Marty will celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary at an open house, 2 p.m. Saturday, April 18, at Monroe Swiss Hall, 18500 Tualco Rd. in Monroe. All family and friends are welcome.

Anton Marty and Dorothy Sorensen were married on March 18, 1944, in Snohomish. After marrying, they resided at the family farm in Duvall, where they raised five children and still live today. Pink and Dorothy have 13 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.