Gardening Tips: Labor Day weekend, from a gardening viewpoint

Labor Day weekend generally marks the last weekend of the summer vacation season. Next week the kids will be heading back to school and some seasonal residents will be beginning to close up their summer homes.

Wessels' kids

News-Times/Candace Blomendahl Genevieve Tonniges helps with an adult cooking class at Wessels Living History farm earlier this summer. Tonniges is one of eight kids who spent their summer volunteering at Wessels Living History Farm.

Kids-East Bay Through September 19

"BERKELEY OLD TIME MUSIC CONVENTION," -- through Sept. 12. A variety of concerts and dances suitable for the whole family. Events take place at various venues; check website for details.

Oasis of inspiration in Tacoma's North End

A vegetable garden is growing in the North End of Tacoma that’s inspiring neighbors, passers-by and the community to begin gardening on their own. Call it viral gardening. Terry and Michele Drochak have turned their corner lot into a terraced vegetable oasis that doesn’t sacrifice aesthetics despite its almost industrial-paced output of produce.

Sonoma County kids summer lunch program jumps 22 percent

The Redwood Empire Food Bank summer lunch program served more than 90,000 free lunches to school-age children in Sonoma County this summer. These children participated in the program June 28 at the Canyon Run Apartments in Healdsburg.