"Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared."
-- Buddha --
 On Tuesday, I joined my fellow South King County Mayors for our monthly Sound Cities Association meeting. Since COVID, most of our meetings are virtual, but Maple Valley Mayor Sean P. Kelley invited us to join him at the beautiful Lake Wilderness Lodge for an in-person lunch. There is definitely much to be said about being face to face to discuss the issues.
As with most of our meetings lately, the topic of juvenile crime was at the top of the list. Every city is feeling the impacts – some more than others. You’ve heard me say before that I am so appreciative of the relationship I have with Kent Mayor Dana Ralph and Renton Mayor Armondo Pavone, and the relationships with the other SKC mayors are equally important. We are working together – sharing ideas and proven strategies, and we’re holding each other accountable as well.
 Yes, it seems that fall came out of nowhere, but don't let it fool you -- we still have an end-of-summer celebration this weekend!
Hops and Crops is a wonderful celebration of the rich cultural heritage of the White River Valley region and its history of growing hops. Attendees can sample a robust selection of regional breweries, including Auburn's Rail Hop'n Brewing Co., Acord Brewing, 2 Towns Ciderhouse and more!
 Enjoy your brews while listening to music from a diverse lineup of musical acts -- or test your axe throwing skills! For the first time, the festival will feature Sea Axe. If you have never tried it – you’re in for a big treat! Don't just take it from me -- we had FOX13's Carly Henderson out at the farm Friday morning tasting brews, feeding the animals and throwing (and sticking!) an axe with Sea Axe!
Don't forget to bring a lawn chair, kick up, relax and say farewell to summer the right way!
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Saturday, Sept. 14
Noon - 6 p.m.
Mary Olson Farm, 28728 Green River Road
$35
 Sadly, Sunday marks the closing of the summer-long farmers market at Les Gove Park and that means this is your last chance to stock up for fall and say farewell to the farm, food and craft vendors.
All summer long, our communications and parks team has been putting together weekly Harvest Highlights which tell the story of the vendors and people who sell at our market. I'd like to share a couple!
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Sunday, Sept. 15
10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Les Gove Park, 1140 Auburn Way South
 Meet Rocky, owner of Border's Jewelry at the Auburn Farmers Market in Les Gove Park. Rocky crafts glass jewelry, including pendants, earrings, and rings that have been shipped globally for a range of occasions, from celebrations to memorials.
“There have been times when people have bought my crosses to hang a cross on their loved one's grave. And that always touches me that they have honored me to use my jewelry as a form of their being close with their lost loved ones. I always thought that was touching experience.”
 Meet Amanda Walters, co-owner of Contrivance Wine & Mead and vendor at the Auburn Farmers Market at Les Gove Park. Amanda and her husband Brandon’s journey in winery spans nearly a decade. And it all started with a grape.
“My husband’s coworker brought cases of grapes from his yard. My husband’s mind went straight to ‘you could make alcohol out of that.’ He is one of those kind of guys that picks up hobbies here and there and completely researches the heck out of it when he decides he wants to do something.
He started making wines at home and he’s been doing that since 2015. He went to wine college at South Seattle College to make sure he knew what he was doing. Once we had way too many cases at home and we were trying to figure out what we were going to do with everything, we decided to take the plunge and try opening a company and see where it took us.”
 Meet Dao, owner of Dao Lee Garden and florist at the Auburn Farmers Market at Les Gove Park. Dao, of Hmong descent, handpicks and arranges vibrant bouquets that bring a touch of beauty to the market.
“I have always been farming since I was little with my family back in Thailand and Laos. My family migrated to the United Stated from Laos in the early 90’s from the Thailand Refugee camps. I always grew things to sell or for our family to eat, so I decided to put my hobbies into work to support my family. I like that I get to be my own boss and at the same time do what I am good at. I love growing flowers and vegetables for the local farmers market at affordable prices.”
You can read more Harvest Highlights by subscribing to the Auburn Arts and Entertainment newsletter, or checking out our Facebookor Instagram pages.
 The City of Auburn received this letter and award recently from Edward J. Chrystal Jr., Major General, U.S. Army Director, in recognition of our efforts in commemorating the Vietnam War! According to the Department of Defense, Auburn is in the top 15% of more than 13,000 commemorative partner organizations that have participated in this noble effort.
"Your dedication and initiative contributed significantly to this national tribute," Edward writes. "While truly amazing, your indelible impact cannot be measured in numbers, but rather in the hearts and faces of those whose lives were touched and will never be the same again."
 A huge round of applause to our Parks, Arts and Recreation department for their continued work in honoring our veterans via the Veterans Parade, and to our local veteran communities for their round-the-clock support!
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