Uncommon type of surprise arrives in the mail: Today So Far

• Tom Hanks unexpectedly gives one of his many typewriters to a small Bremerton shop.
• Young refugees find poetry in Tukwila.
• King County officials are tightening their grip on many oversight programs around at-risk youth.

This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for June 20, 2023.

It was an average day at Bremerton Office Machine Company when owner Paul Lundy began going through the mail, but one package among the stack stood out. It came as quite a surprise — a typewriter signed by Tom Hanks, with a special message, typed by the actor.

To say that Hanks loves typewriters would be an understatement. He has amassed a collection numbering hundreds the writing machines. I might say it's weird to be so fond of these outdated, complicated machines ... if I wasn't, sort of, one of these weirdos. They're interesting characters; the sort of people who type "ctrl z" on a typewriter in an antique shop and walk away snickering (or maybe that's just me). There remains a small market of folks who still use typewriters, from authors to offices that continue to use them. This spot in Bremerton is one of a few shops where people can still get typewriters repaired. Which is probably why Hanks was aware of it, as well as a handful of others across the USA where he recently sent some of his old typewriters.

The problem with collecting typewriters is that you end up with quite a few funky smelling machines that stay on a shelf somewhere. You tell yourself that you'll get to them someday, but they stay funky. I don't think Hanks has that experience, however. He likes to pick up rare models wherever he can find them and keep them clacking. But, apparently, he still has a problem with having enough space for all of them. Perhaps that's why he recently began mailing some of his collection to small shops. They each came with a letter, typed by Hanks, instructing the shops on what to do with his machines. That's not all that came with the typewriters. Over at Bremerton Office Machine Company, Lundy realized that this package was more than a typewriter, it was an opportunity. Check out the full story here.

"Working with my grandpa / under the pink sky to grow Mustard flowers / to give to friends and teachers.”

That's part of a poem, written by Nila Safi who recently graduated from Tukwila's Foster High School. It's also a memory Nila has of her grandfather who lives in Afghanistan. She hasn't seen him in many years. Nila came to the United States as a refugee. It was a difficult transition for her, and her sister Ada. English did not come easily, at first. On top of that was the strain of being connected to two worlds — a childhood in Afghanistan, and a new life in the USA. Poetry offered both Nila and Ada a solution. Not only was it a way to practice English, it was a way to connect different parts of their lives. That's the focus of Amy Radil's latest article on KUOW, which dives into a poetry writing class for immigrant and refugee students. Read that here.

Today is World Refugee Day. Ever since 2001, the United Nations has held this event to highlight the millions of people who have been displaced around the globe. According to state numbers, more than 30,000 refugees have come to Washington over the past decade from more than 70 countries. About 6,500 refugees have come from Ukraine since 2010. Washington has welcomed 3,200 Afghan refugees since 2021.

King County officials are tightening their grip on many oversight programs around at-risk youth. The move comes after concerning reports about of some of these programs.

The county council recently unanimously voted to require information about the outcomes of the Restorative Community Pathways program. This is a local effort to divert low-level youth offenders to programs outside of the court and jail system.

“The idea is good here,” Councilmember Rod Dembowski told KUOW. “But I think the county moved too quickly, tried to refer too many kids to too many organizations that weren’t ready from a capacity standpoint to do the work, and we just haven’t had enough transparency on this.”

“Dozens if not hundreds of youth are referred to the program and may never even be contacted, and may never participate in it," Dembowski said. "And then nothing is really done. So we’re spending tens of millions of dollars to support programs that may be providing very few services to very few youth.”

This is the latest story from KUOW around this county program. Read more here.

AS SEEN ON KUOW

Volunteer Shelley Acuña opens her trailer before unloading bags of food for students at Concrete Elementary School on Monday, June 12, 2023, in Concrete, Wash. Summer can be tough for low-income students who depend on school for most of their meals. But it’s especially tougher for kids living in rural Washington. That’s because the hurdles to addressing food insecurity here are often more complicated, compared to urban areas. (Megan Farmer / KUOW)

DID YOU KNOW?

While writing last week's "Did You Know" about the Carlile Room in Seattle, I was reminded about another Tom Douglas factoid — he once cooked himself out of a bind on Bainbridge Island.

As the story goes, Douglas was 19 years old when he got into a car accident, without insurance. That put him in quite a bit of debt. At the time, he had a cooking gig on Capitol Hill, and happened to be spotted by a restaurant owner from Bainbridge Island.

“This guy sat down and he asked me if I wanted to come cook out on Bainbridge Island,” Douglas once told me for an article, years ago. “He asked me if I’d like to be sous chef. I said ‘sure’ — if he wanted to advance me $4,000.”

Problem solved. Douglas' early cooking career began to take shape on Bainbridge Island, at Second Landing in Winslow. He lived in a house near Agate Pass during those years. For those unfamiliar with the island, Agate Pass is at the other end of Bainbridge ... and he didn't have a car. Douglas hitch-hiked to and from work most days.

Since then, Douglas went on to become the chef Seattleites know today — restaurateur, cookbook chef, TV show host.

ALSO ON OUR MINDS

Hunter Biden agrees to plead guilty in tax case and avoid prosecution on gun charge

Hunter Biden, the surviving son of the president, has been charged with federal offenses related to his taxes and business dealings, the U.S. Justice Department said Tuesday. The younger Biden has agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor offenses related to his filing of federal income taxes. Federal authorities also charged him with a felony firearm offense, for which he agreed to enter a pretrial diversion agreement that allows him to avoid prosecution.

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