Karen Pickett met me at Shari’s, and her soft-spoken voice belies a ton of passion for Ruston and its political scene. Pickett, a former councilwoman, recently launched the Ruston Home blog.

“It wasn’t anything too preplanned. I just wanted something where we could have some online dialogue – like a bulletin board or something,” she said. “It just popped in my head in November to start a blog.”

It’s not meant to go head-to-head with Ruston Connection.

“Some people said it’s like picking a fight – or continuing a fight – against the Ruston Connection,” she said. “I don’t see it that way. I just wanted to get people talking.”

She believes there is good reason for the anger in town.

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I sat down at Don’s Market & Deli in Ruston to chat about the town’s politics. The first person I talked to was Craig Fletcher, who offered up this theory on why Ruston politics are so sticky:

“It’s a bit more vicious because we know these people intimately,” he said. “Some of them are former friends. Some are current friends.”

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Janaia Secrest might have worn a purple jacket to the college South Sound College Fair on Saturday, but that doesn’t mean she is on a predestined path to Montlake.

“I actually want to go to Washington State,” said the senior at Foss High School, showing off a house key emblazoned with the Cougars logo. “But I looked around at a few different places today.”

She wants to study philosophy or political science and is also applying to the University of Washington and Saint Martin’s University in Lacey. She stopped by Saturday’s event to find out more about 25 Western Washington colleges and universities that set up booths in the UW Tacoma’s main academic building.

“There’s a ton of information in there,” she said. “It was definitely worth the time.”

Organizers of the college fair expected 300 to 400 students to attend. Most visitors were high school students and their parents, but community college students and people interested in graduate work also talked to recruiters.

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The University of Washington Tacoma offers stacks of free papers to its students. The sign advertised issues of The News Tribune, the New York Times and USA Today.

But look what's in the New York Times bin. It's like ordering fillet mignon and getting a double cheeseburger from McDonald's.

I'm going to be at a college fair at the University of Washington Tacoma today, so check back in later to see what that was like.

I'll also post some more Ruston interviews.