If you or someone in your family gets hurt or sick and needs attention immediately – you’ll soon have another choice in West Seattle.
Highline Medical Center Urgent Care debuts in October. For now, it’s in the same location where Highline (a WSB sponsor) has its Family Medicine Clinic – across from the east side of Jefferson Square – but they’re also finally going public with the news that next year, they’ll move into their own building in The Triangle.
It’s happening in nine days – on Wednesday, August 24th – at Chief Sealth International High School, but it’s an offer for EVERY student in this area, no matter where they’re enrolled: Get a free heart screening, a painless 25-minute test that is especially recommended for athletes. It’s a life-saving test that could detect the kind of previously undetected problem that, without warning, killed 16-year-old Nick Varrenti, the namesake of Nick of Time Foundation, which is offering the free screenings in conjunction with Seattle Public Schools. The screenings will be offered 7:30 am-3 pm on August 24th. E-mail now to get an appointment time, appt@nickoftimefoundation.org, and read on for the full announcement, including what info to provide :Read More
(August 2010 photo by Christopher Boffoli)
Two weeks from today, Alki Avenue SW will fill with runners and walkers – more than 1,100 last year – for the Alki Beach 5K, raising money for Northwest Hope and Healing‘s work to help breast-cancer patients. Starting at 9 am Sunday, August 28, participants will head east from the Alki Bathhouse vicinity to Anchor Park on Duwamish Head, and back, as detailed on the official website. Something special this year: NWHH director Shari Sewell says participants will hear from “Warrior Marathon Runner” Carol Dellinger, who’s finished 253 marathons – 19 since being diagnosed with breast cancer, including one less than three months after a mastectomy (scroll down this page for her story). You can register for the Alki Beach 5K now – at West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) or CAPERS, or online by going here. Click ahead for the official news release with even more info:Read More
Today we’re welcoming one of our newest WSB sponsors, and per WSB tradition, here’s what the Community Acupuncture Project of West Sea would like you to know about who they are and what they do:
West Seattle finally has our very own full-time community acupuncture clinic. The Community Acupuncture Project of West Sea is now open 7 days a week, in the heart of the Junction. Acupuncture is now affordable in our neighborhood, every day, with no need to cross the bridge! Sonja Sivesind, a licensed acupuncturist and owner of the Project, is a Westwood resident who opened this second location after two years of running the Community Acupuncture Project of Columbia City. Sonja is also an acupuncturist at a methadone clinic downtown and loves offering acupuncture to so many members of the community. She is thrilled to be providing acupuncture to her neighbors and fellow West Seattleites while also offering jobs to Seattle acupuncturists.
The Community Acupuncture Project of West Sea, which opened for business on June 12, joins the ranks of 9 other community acupuncture clinics in Seattle and more than 200 sliding-scale clinics nationwide. “Community acupuncture surprises people. It is powerful to be treated with others and feel healing energy radiating off one another. Because acupuncture is most effective as a series of treatments, our sliding scale ($15-40) allows people to come in often and really get better,” explains Sivesind. “Patients come in for everything from back pain and allergies to insomnia and anxiety,” says Sivesind. “Most people feel more relaxed when they leave our clinic and are pleased with the calmness they feel as they re-emerge into their daily lives.” The Community Acupuncture Project of West Sea is located at 4545 44th Ave SW @ Alaska. You can reach us at 206.933.7891. To learn more about community acupuncture, check out: acupunctureforall.org
(Photos by Beth Grotelueschen for WSB)
The guest of honor was resplendent in purple, and bathed in love and support, as the “We Heart Tracy Dart” bash filled The Bridge on Sunday night, to rustle up some financial assistance for somebody who has given so much even while fighting a three-round battle against breast cancer. (With Tracy in the top photo are Trudy Muller and Chad Johnson.) Lovely night, so many were out on The Bridge’s spacious patio:
” Also donated: Live music – In Cahoots opened the night (Explone was the other scheduled band):
You can still pitch in to help Tracy, by donating online via PayPal (you don’t need a PP account – you can just use a credit card). As explained on the official We Heart Tracy Dart website, “100% of funds donated go to a trust fund that will be used to directly pay for things like prescriptions, insurance premiums, utilities and rent. Meanwhile, besides going through cancer treatment, Tracy also is preparing for the next 3-Day Walk with her ever-growing “Team Tracy” in mid-September; she’s also chronicling that on her personal website.
ADDED 9:32 AM: Co-organizer Lisa Dawson says as of first thing this morning, the fundraiser had brought in more than $6,300, with online donations still coming in. More than 50 prizes were donated, and an estimated 200+ people attended the party. Lisa’s summary: “It was a great night!”
Less than two weeks till a brand-new fundraising 5K in West Seattle – Breathe Deep Seattle, the first 5K event benefiting the LUNGevity Foundation, raising money for lung-cancer research. Starting at 9:30 am on Saturday, August 13, participants will run or walk the course through Lincoln Park, both through the forested upper area and along the beachfront lower area. Not signed up yet? Wondering what it’s all about? Organizers have shared a personal story in their latest news release – read on:Read More
It’s the fitness equivalent of zero-to-sixty – a “couch-to-half-marathon” training plan. West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) has led a successful group through it before and is getting ready to do it again – so if you’re interested in running/walking a half marathon (13.1 miles) but stymied about where to start, you’re invited to the info night for the next group, this Thursday (July 28). If you’re interested in the (free!) training, the 17-week plan starts Sunday, culminating in walking/running the Amica Seattle half-marathon on November 27th. The shop’s at 3727 California SW, northwest corner of Calif/Charlestown, upstairs; Thursday night’s info session begins at 7 pm.
Today, we welcome one of our newest WSB sponsors, Breathe Hot Yoga, which has now added a West Seattle studio in The Triangle, on the north side of Link (also a WSB sponsor). As is WSB tradition for new sponsors, Breathe Hot Yoga was invited to share what they would like you to know about their business:
Breathe Hot Yoga was founded by Amber Borgomainerio and Ross Yearsley. Amber is well known as an expert yoga teacher whose greatest passion is sharing the gift of a regular yoga practice with her students. It should be no surprise that Breathe‘s mission is to bring authentic, accessible and affordable yoga to Northwest urbanites hungry for healthy life challenges.
Breathe Hot Yoga opened its doors in South Lake Union in early 2009 and is now excited to announce the opening of our West Seattle location at 3750 SW Alaska (map). Amber is no stranger to West Seattle, having brought hot yoga to West Seattleites as the manager and lead teacher of the West Seattle Yoga Center from 2002-2008. Everyone at Breathe Hot Yoga is excited about being back in West Seattle, and we look forward to reconnecting with the community as well as making new friends! You will love practicing yoga with us at our beautiful new studio! Breathe Hot Yoga is online at breathehotyoga.com, and reachable by phone at 206-659-0092.
New information tonight about fundraising efforts to help West Seattle born-and-raised Tracy Dart, who’s helped raise tens of thousands of dollars for breast-cancer research even while fighting the disease herself. Lisa Dawson, one of the organizers of the August 7th “We Heart Tracy Dart” benefit event (here’s our report from last week), sent word this weekend that a new website is now set up at wehearttracydart.com. It not only has details of the August 7th event, but also a PayPal link for online donations any time. As noted on this page of the new website, these efforts are intended to help Tracy – who’s on her third round of the breast-cancer fight at just 36 – handle living and medical expenses. (There’s also a bank account and postal-mail address for donations, listed here.)
Good thing most of Wednesday’s big events were scheduled for evening – that’s when the sun shone the brightest, which was good news for the ribbon-cutting at Avalon Place, the new apartment building for Transitional Resources. They are headquartered in the 2900 block of SW Avalon Way, south of the Luna Park business district, and that’s where they have long provided housing, help, and hope for people dealing with mental illness; Avalon Place also reaches out to chronically homeless people, who are the targeted clients for the new building. Read on for more photos from, and information about, Wednesday night’s event:Read More
(Photo tweeted by @cpatchworks)
We’re not sure if this is the helicopter that’s been flying low over parts of West Seattle this morning, from Alki to Fauntleroy – haven’t gotten a close enough look yet – but in case you missed the advisory we published on Friday, here it is: A chopper based at Boeing Field is flying over local urban areas to get a baseline reading on “normal” radiation levels, not related to the Japan disaster, but as part of a two-year-old federal project. If you get a close look at the low-flying chopper, you can compare it to the photo on this page.
That photo and the next one, just sent by a WSB’er who didn’t want to be identified, shows the first hint we had at the information booth of the emergency that was happening just yards away outside Cupcake Royale (previously reported toward the end of our afternoon festival coverage). Suddenly sirens pierced the ongoing buzz of festival revelry, and people rushed to clear tables from SW Alaska east of California so the Seattle Fire vehicles could get through.
We don’t know the condition of the man who suffered cardiac arrest. But we do know that if he has survived, heroic action by a bystander is no doubt the reason. A witness told us he collapsed; the bystander was soon doing CPR, as evidenced by the scanner call WSB contributor Katie Meyer heard, “citizen CPR under way.”
The call was a Medic Response, 7-per rule – enough personnel needed to make sure resuscitation can be performed. Following Medic 32 from nearby Station 32 (38th and Alaska) came Engine 32, Engine 29, and Medic 44 (an SUV-type unit with the on-duty supervisor). SFD personnel took over CPR. Festival crew and police worked to keep the scene clear, eventually putting up yellow tape – not because it was a crime scene, but because a crowd of gawkers gathered and needed to stay back. The CPR continued, and scanner traffic indicates other resuscitation means were used.
Festival crews cleared the curbside lane on the east side of the street all the way from Alaska to Oregon. The man was moved into the medic unit, where efforts continued a while longer before the crew left for the hospital, and while they were in transit. And that’s the last we heard. Two things worth noting: If there is an emergency and there is nothing you can do to help, please stand back and keep the area clear – the gawkers were way too close here. Also, consider learning CPR – you might be the bystander sometime, when someone suddenly collapses or is seriously hurt. Here’s one option we found for CPR classes in West Seattle; please let us know about any others you’re aware of, so we can add the info here.
10:47 PM: We have exchanged e-mail with the aforementioned bystander, who prefers to remain unidentified. He says he wasn’t the only citizen to jump in and help – a Cupcake Royale team member, he says, “took charge and did the mouth-to-mouth and got me going” on the chest compressions.
We don’t often get advance warning of helicopters that might give you cause for concern, but here’s one: The state is doing a survey of urban radiation levels, with a chopper that will be based out of Boeing Field over the next couple weeks. No, they say, it has nothing to do with the quake/tsunami-related nuclear trouble in Japan – they’re taking baseline readings of “normal” levels as part of a project that started two years ago. Seattle-based Local Health Guide explains the plan here; the state’s own webpage, with even more details, is here. Flights are scheduled to start next Monday, and so far we do not have a schedule of when, or even if, you might see the chopper here.
It’s a disease that’s difficult to talk about … but even more difficult to live with. Crohn’s Disease has no cure – but that’s not stopping a West Seattle patient, Heidi Coy, from doing what she can to help find one. She’s organized the Bowl vs. Bowel fundraising bowling event at West Seattle Bowl this Saturday night. She tells the story:
I was diagnosed with Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis April 29, 2008. After suffering chronic pain, consistent vomiting and diarrhea, fevers, fatigue, and losing more than 30 pounds in body weight, I was not able to keep any nutrients in my body. I underwent diagnostic testing revealing I have Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. Little is known about what causes Crohn’s Disease and there is no known cure. I am currently able to work as a full-time nanny and am a mother to an 19-month-old son. He is the light of my life and want nothing more than to be healthy for him. I will be on medicine and other treatments, as well as dealing with flare-ups for the rest of my life.
On July 9, 2011 we will be putting on a bowling fundraiser “Bowl vs. Bowel” to benefit the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America. I would like to give back to this foundation (CCFA) to help raise money while I am healthy to hopefully find a cure. This fundraiser will take place at WS Bowl from 6:00 p.m.- 8:00 p.m. Help fund research and treatment of all Irritable Bowel Diseases. Every amount counts great or small. Cost is $20 a person. Raffle tickets $1 each or 15 for $10. There will be raffle prizes, shot calls for prizes, great music, $2 jello shots, HighStrike Grill, a helpful and welcoming staff, and a great time had by all!
You can pre-register to ensure your spot at WS Bowl; discounts if you register a team of 5. Contact Chris at ctroupe27@gmail.com – mention Crohn’s fundraiser. You don’t want to miss this! Thank you for your support!!
As is a tradition, new sponsors get the chance to share what they would like you to know: First, you donʼt have to go downtown to get high-quality medical care – it is right here in West Seattle, as demonstrated by the fact that In 2010, Highline Medical Group was the only Family Medicine practice in the city of Seattle to earn the Premera Blue Cross Healthcare Quality Award for exceptional clinical performance on a variety of measures. Second, and perhaps even more important, weʼll treat you the way weʼd want to be treated. Weʼre committed to an open and relationship-focused approach that engages you in your own health. Finally, West Seattle Family Medicine is conveniently located in the Alaska Junction business district of West Seattle, open Saturday — and we accept walk-ins — all of which are helpful for working families. Some of what we have heard from patients: “I like that you take time to get to know me and our family.” … “You are really easy to talk to.” The number-one referral source for our practice is existing patients.
Two and a half months after we first reported a medical-marijuana business was taking over the 35th/Roxbury ex-Payday Loans space, Northwest Patient Resource Center is open. WSB contributor Deanie Schwarz, who broke the original story, confirmed tonight that NPRC opened on Monday. It’s one of at least three medical-marijuana businesses in West Seattle (we get periodic reports there are a few other that keep a low-profile, but have yet to confirm any of those reports). Deanie talked with NPRC co-owner John Davis at the newly opened business; he says they are open 9-8 Mondays-Saturdays and 1-6 pm Sundays, and she reports that the proprietors “are quite thrilled they have been approved for credit cards.” As for the legal status of medical-marijuana businesses, they remains in that so-called “gray area” – examined by Deanie in this report earlier this month – with new state legislation looming next month that some say will make them clearly illegal – though a court challenge seeks to prevent that.
‘OUTDOOR SENIOR WELLNESS FACILITY’: Did you know that, among the city’s neighborhoods, West Seattle has the second-highest percentage of over-60 residents? (25 percent, topped only by downtown/First Hill.) So said Irene Stewart, briefing the FCA board on a concept she is circulating for an “outdoor senior-wellness facility,” or, put another way, a playground for older adults. She brought a four-page document outlining the proposal – FCA is the first group with which she has discussed it, but many more are on her list. Stewart said the idea is already in action in parts of Canada, Asia, and Europe, with areas set aside for elders to exercise outdoors – a benefit for health, longevity, and fitness. Because of its older population and large number of retirement centers, Stewart said, West Seattle might be just the place to try this. Potential sites are plentiful, both public and private (FCA board members suggested the north end of Lincoln Park, and Stewart said that has potential, also considering The Kenney is nearby). But she can’t serve as the project coordinator, since she works on senior issues for the city – she’s just trying to launch the idea. We’ll be following up on this, to find out more about how you can get involved, if you’re interested.
BREAK-IN UPTICK: The FCA board heard from Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator Mark Solomon, who says there’s been more burglaries than usual in the Fauntleroy area lately. Most had something in common, Solomon noted – the burglar(s) got in by using a tool to pry open a back door or sliding-glass door. Then, during our rare bouts of warm weather, there were the crimes of opportunism – getting in through an open window, door, or garage. How to fight back? Besides preventing those opportunities, Solomon said, make sure you know your neighbors, and that you are watching out for each other. He also reminded the FCA board that Night Out is coming up August 2nd (you can register your block party here).
The Fauntleroy Community Association board meets the second Tuesday of the month, 7 pm, at the schoolhouse, 9131 California SW.
The nonprofit Delridge Produce Cooperative has been working for the past few years to find ways to get more fresh food to the supermarket-less stretches of eastern West Seattle – affordably! – and they’re inviting you to come on board for their next move: Forming a Buyers’ Club to buy local, organic food, “in bulk from local farms.” Anyone and everyone interested is invited to come to the club’s first meeting, 7 pm next Tuesday (June 21) at Delridge Community Center. Questions before you leap in? delridgeproducecoop@gmail.com or 206.660.8958.
11:15 AM WEDNESDAY: Galena White from the co-op writes to say they have a new website – so we’ve changed the link above: www.delridgeproducecoop.com
It’s been half a century since a vaccine breakthrough led to the near-eradication of polio in the U.S. But as the Rotary Club of West Seattle is explaining today in The Junction – the rest of the world is a different story, particularly isolated areas of Asia and Africa. Till 5 pm today, West Seattle Rotarians are by KeyBank with an iron lung – the device that paralyzed polio victims needed to keep breathing. Contributions will go toward the Rotary International campaign to match a nine-digit grant from the Gates Foundation for worldwide polio vaccination, to wipe out the disease once and for all. (P.S. The WS Rotary’s Berry Sale is under way too, supporting all their charity programs including the Christmas Shopping Spree – you can order online; deliveries are just weeks away.)
When you’ve been going all night – it takes a final push to make it through those final hours. At West Seattle Stadium this morning, a team captain blew bubbles to keep spirits high as the 2011 West Seattle Relay for Life reached its final hour. On the other side of the field, a throwing game had takers:
And special visitors drew attention – Ladder 11 (off-camera, its stationmate from Station 32 in The Junction, Engine 32, was on hand as well):
As we reported last night, organizers say this year’s Relay was bigger than ever – we’ll check in the days ahead for final fundraising totals. At the heart of it all, the fight against cancer – on a large scale, and on a very personal scale, as West Seattle survivor Wendy Weeks told participants just before the Survivor’s Lap launched the event last night:
She has been undergoing treatment for breast cancer for 10 months but is a longtime Relay for Life participant; she said that last year, as she walked past the luminarias lit after dark on Relay night, she could never have imagined that this year, her name would be on one of the bags.
The traditional Survivors’ Lap opened tonight’s West Seattle Relay for Life about two hours ago at West Seattle Stadium – and this year, the cancer survivors (in purple T-shirts) had extra company: Their caregivers were invited to walk along, and the survivors/caregivers group was followed by marching student musicians (all or most from Chief Sealth IHS, we believe, led by Denny/Sealth maestro Marcus Pimpleton), starting with the reassuring “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing.” Before the lap, survivor Wendy Weeks told her story of fighting breast cancer over the past 10 months (we’ll add video later).
WS Relay chair Jilyan Perry and other organizers tell us this is one of the biggest WS Relays yet – more than 230 participants in 26 teams, and so far they’ve collectively raised $36,000 for the American Cancer Society. They have campsites set up around the stadium for the duration.
The rules say each team has to have at least one person on the track at all times between now and the event’s end at mid-morning tomorrow. They have a variety of events planned along the way, and visitors are welcome (except for between 1-5 am). The big event tonight: The luminaria ceremony at 10 pm, with the track lined with luminarias honoring survivors and remembering those who have lost the fight. (If you can’t visit the Relay in person, you can donate online here.)
Today, we welcome a WSB new sponsor, Dr. Susanne Gee, who has owned and operated the Skin Doc Shop in West Seattle since 2002. New WSB sponsors are offered the chance to share information with you about what they do, and here’s what Dr. Gee wants you to know: She graduated from The George Washington University School of Medicine after completing a master’s degree in nutrition, and a bachelor’s in art. She says, “I approach skin conditions with a visual and artistic experience, which I have found very valuable in recognizing diverse diagnoses. In addition, nutrition is a valuable resource when treating certain skin conditions.” She believes that her practice is unique, as she treats all her patients herself. Unlike most practices, Dr. Gee is the sole provider of medical care, and does not defer the patient’s evaluation or treatment to associates or assistants. She has found this consistency of care is a great benefit to her patients. “We have grown into the successful dermatology practice that we are today by doing what is best for our patients– providing excellent-quality service. The personal relationship between the physician and patient is key to the successful treatment of the skin. We know that by providing our patients with the concern, attention and customer service they deserve, our company will continue to grow and prosper.”
Dr. Gee would like you to know that “the Skin Doc Shop is a private, solo practice with only one medical doctor with no affiliation to any multi-specialty group or hospital. I evaluate and treat all skin conditions from acne to skin cancer and I also enjoy turning back the clock for some of my patients with strategic use of Botox and fillers.” She has done extensive research in ultraviolet light, skin damage, and skin cancer at The George Washington University School of Medicine. She is also a member of the Rotary Club of West Seattle, the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce, and the BNI Westside Professionals networking group. Dr. Gee and her entire staff are residents of West Seattle. Find her online at skindocshop.com (more contact information and office location here).
As is WSB tradition for new sponsors, Breathe Hot Yoga was invited to share what they would like you to know about their business:
New information tonight about fundraising efforts to help West Seattle born-and-raised 
Little is known about what causes Crohn’s Disease and there is no known cure. I am currently able to work as a full-time nanny and am a mother to an 19-month-old son. He is the light of my life and want nothing more than to be healthy for him. I will be on medicine and other treatments, as well as dealing with flare-ups for the rest of my life. 
So said Irene Stewart, briefing the FCA board on a concept she is circulating for an “outdoor senior-wellness facility,” or, put another way, a playground for older adults. She brought a four-page document outlining the proposal – FCA is the first group with which she has discussed it, but many more are on her list. Stewart said the idea is already in action in parts of Canada, Asia, and Europe, with areas set aside for elders to exercise outdoors – a benefit for health, longevity, and fitness. Because of its older population and large number of retirement centers, Stewart said, West Seattle might be just the place to try this. Potential sites are plentiful, both public and private (FCA board members suggested the north end of Lincoln Park, and Stewart said that has potential, also considering The Kenney is nearby). But she can’t serve as the project coordinator, since she works on senior issues for the city – she’s just trying to launch the idea. We’ll be following up on this, to find out more about how you can get involved, if you’re interested.
and here’s what Dr. Gee wants you to know: She graduated from
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