West Seattle, Washington
10 Sunday
Sustainable local food is what Eat Local Now! is all about – and what you’ll enjoy during next Thursday’s 7th annual Eat Local Now! dinner – as long as you hurry up and get your tickets. WSB is proud to again be among the co-sponsors for this event that’s both delectable and educational, presented by Sustainable West Seattle, CoolMom, Herban Feast and The Seattle Good Business Network next Thursday (September 30th) at Herban Feast’s Sodo Park. Organizers have gone public with the final chef lineup, and the roster of local-food producers/providers – note West Seattle favorites new and old:
Ariel Bangs – Healthy Creations
Dalis Chea – Herban Feast (Fresh Bistro)
Marisa Lown – The Radical Cupcake
Traci Knight – Personal Chef
Hajime Sato – Mashiko
Jack Spiess – Seatown
Jacob Wiesberg – Blackboard BistroLocal food producers and providers include: Field Roast, Full Circle Farm, Bird on a Wire, Radical Cupcake, Mashiko, Spud, Elliott Bay Brewing, Thundering Hooves Farm, PCC, Platypus Breads, Seatown Snack Bar, Blackboard Bistro, The Grange Café, Blackboard Bistro, Alvarez Organic Farm, Big Al Brewing, Chef Tracy Knight, Chef Ariel Bangs, Salumi, Brian Allen, Charlie’s Produce, Willie’s Organic Greens, Hope Burundi Cooperative and the Somali-Bantu Farmers of Washington
Not only do you get dinner, you get entertainment, the chance to bid in a silent auction, and the opportunity to meet exhibitors providing information about growing and/or buying fresh local food. It’s at 6 pm Thursday, September 30th, at Herban Feast’s Sodo Park, with tickets available online now.
As the Seattle-area Susan Komen 3 Day for the Cure walk starts this morning, thanks to Glen Syvertsen for sharing that new video featuring Tracy Dart, the breast-cancer survivor who is namesake for West Seattle’s best-known 3 Day team, Team Tracy, with narration by Tom Hutyler, best known as the Safeco Field “Voice of the Mariners.” (Tom and Glen are both West Seattleites too.) Team Tracy did make the $40,000 fundraising goal mentioned in the video, by the way, and as Tracy mentions on her website, she’s carrying the “Courage” banner in the Survivors’ Circle. Team Tracy members and hundreds of others will leave Redmond this morning on an east/north route, concluding at Memorial Stadium downtown on Sunday. If you’d like to cheer the walkers along the way, “cheering stations” are listed on the 3 Day website. Good luck to all the walkers!
In case you missed the mention in WSB coverage of this week’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting – this Saturday, local police are helping with the coast-to-coast National Take Back Initiative event, inviting people to clean out their medicine cabinets to reduce the risk that old/unused prescriptions will be abused or otherwise misused/inappropriately disposed of. Sandra points out that there are two collection points listed for West Seattle between 10 am and 2 pm on Saturday – not just the Southwest Precinct (Delridge/Webster) but also the High Point Walgreens parking lot (6330 35th SW). There’s more information on SPD Blotter.
Two years ago, we caught the start of “Walk ‘n’ Roll for Ataxia” on Alki; this morning, we have the announcement that it’s happening again in a few weeks, to benefit the National Ataxia Foundation in its fight against the not-so-well-known nervous-system disease (explained here). It’s at 10 am Saturday, October 2nd, starting from Alki Beach shelter #1 (across from Pegasus Pizza). Registration form here – or e-mail ataxiaseattle@comcast.net or call 425-823-6239. The very next day, there’s another awareness-and-money-raising walk in the Alki area:
(WSB photo from 2008 CROP Walk)
Sunday, October 3rd, is the day for this year’s CROP Walk, leaving from Alki UCC at 1:30 pm, raising money to fight hunger. More info here about how to participate and/or pledge.
Before those two walks in West Seattle, there is another walk happening outside our area but with West Seattle participants. Lisa from Arbor Heights e-mailed to let us know about Light the Night Walk, a cancer-fighting event for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, coming up next Saturday. Lisa is planning to walk with her friend April Fennell Robinson (photo left), whom Lisa says is fighting non-Hodgkins Follicular Lymphoma (and has already survived breast cancer). The walk is at Green Lake Park, starting at 7 pm September 25th, more info here.
And the day before that – it’s the Susan G. Komen 3 Day for the Cure, with a big West Seattle contingent, led by local survivor Tracy Dart‘s Team Tracy. She’s been continuing to chronicle their hard-fought fundraising successes online, and her excitement over being chosen to carry the “Courage” banner in the Survivors’ Circle during the 3-Day. This year’s walk starts next Friday night; Tracy has posted information on her site about how you can cheer on the walkers.
(Photo by Sofia Zadra Goff)
Two celebrations of note: First – Parent Trust for Washington Children has given its 2010 Leadership Award to the five authors of the million-plus-copies-selling manual “Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Newborn” – including West Seattle’s April Bolding (second from right, with, from left, Penny Simkin, Ann Keppler, Janet Whalley, and Janelle Durham). Thursday also was proclaimed “Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Newborn” Day by King County Executive Dow Constantine, in honor of the book that’s guided countless expectant parents over the past 20 years. It’s been revised multiple times, with the fourth edition now out; Bolding joined the co-author team in 2007. (Read more about her on her website, here.)
More awards: At left, a photo from Tuesday night’s awards ceremony at the Duwamish Longhouse for the West Seattle Garden Tour (co-sponsored this year by WSB) and its 2010 beneficiaries – who received a total of $23,190 from the nonprofit tour’s proceeds. The 2010 beneficiaries were Highland Park Elementary School, Seattle Tilth, Duwamish Longhouse & Cultural Center Rain Garden, South Seattle Community College Arboretum and ArtsWest (WSB sponsor). WSGT provided the photo, identifying those left to right as: Jim Reid (WSGT 2010 VP and current President) and Kam Boulle (WSGT 2010 President) with representatives from HP Elementary, Duwamish Longhouse, Seattle Tilth and ArtsWest. Meantime, the West Seattle Garden Tour membership committee is seeking new volunteers – they meet for monthly potlucks “to review the steady, building progress of the tour.” Interested in helping? westseattlegt@gmail.com – next meeting is October 13th.
Today we welcome one of our newest WSB sponsors, Futura Health Screening, located in Jefferson Square. Here’s what they’d like you to know: Did you know that 80% of strokes could have been prevented? Screening for stroke in at-risk people can identify early signs of carotid artery disease, the major cause of stroke. Recommendations can then be made for lifestyle changes or care that can significantly manage this risk. 
Futura Health Screening now has a West Seattle facility at Jefferson Square – SW Alaska and 42nd SW. Please visit our website or give us a call to make an appointment. Futura recently launched a comprehensive online resource for Vascular Disease concerns. Here you can use the Risk Calculator to assess potential concerns, learn more about vascular disease, lifestyle adjustments, options for treatment if necessary and to schedule a screening. Futura Health Screening utilizes non-invasive ultrasound scanning technology to see the inside your arteries, which assesses your current state of risk for stroke. Screenings are inexpensive, do not require a physician’s referral and are quick & comfortable. Unlike other screening services, Futura takes great care to make sure that only those at risk for vascular disease (blood circulation diseases) are screened. Inappropriate screening for people who are not at risk may result in false-positive results (tests indicating disease, when it is not present). These incorrect results can lead to additional testing or care that is unnecessary, costly and potentially dangerous. In addition to screening for the risk of stroke, Futura can also screen for peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA), conditions that can lead to death or disability. You can contact Futura Health Screening at www.futurahealthscreening.com or at (425) 398-7797 or toll-free at (866) 486-4882.
We thank Futura Health Screening for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news on WSB; find our sponsor team, and info on joining, all here.
Thanks to Suzanna at Providence Mount St. Vincent for sharing that photo and this report about local participants in today’s Memory Walk at Seattle Center:
Today more than 30 people from Providence Mount Saint Vincent participated in the annual Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk to raise funds for Alzheimer’s research. Our team was composed of staff, residents, families, volunteers and even children from our Intergenerational learning center! The team was captained by Marie Hoover (ILC Director) and Eileen McCloskey (Recreational Therapy Coordinator) We had a great time and we have raised almost $3000 so far!
We know they weren’t the only West Seattleites in Memory Walk – if you were there and have a photo to share of yourself (and/or other West Seattleite/s), here’s how!
Just announced by Michael Mandell of M3 Bodyworks, a longtime WSB sponsor – a new location a short distance north of M3’s old one!
As of September 6th, 2010, M3 Bodyworks Massage Clinic is pleased to officially announce its relocation from the old clinic at 5410 California SW to our new space at 5236 California SW (map)!
Our new clinic is only a block away from the old one, but it offers many exciting improvements. We will be more visible and accessible, with a front entrance right off the street. We will have more treatment rooms, which will make it much easier for us to accommodate your scheduling needs, especially those last-minute appointment requests (you know who you are)! We will also have a small courtyard where you may sit and relax before or after your massage.
We at M3 Bodyworks believe that this move will help us fulfill our mission to provide the community of West Seattle with outstanding massage therapy at a great price. To help welcome you to our new home, we would like to offer you $10 off your next 60- or 90-minute cash visit*. Just mention “West Seattle Blog $10 off“ when booking your appointment. We are looking forward to seeing you for many years to come in our new clinic!
M3 Bodyworks Massage Clinic, 5236 California Ave SW, Suite D, Seattle WA 98136
(206) 331-3999
M3bodyworks.com(*Only one per customer, valid for new or existing customers. Not applicable toward package discounts or copays, not valid when combined with other coupons or discounts)
This morning, we welcome a new WSB sponsor: Melanie Carey, CH, hypnotherapist and Reiki practitioner at West Seattle Wellness. As per the WSB new-sponsor tradition, here’s what she’d like you to know about what she does: 
“Actually, I feel like I UN-hypnotize people”, Melanie says. “We are all walking around in a trance most of the time, moving through our routine, serving our addictions and habits. My sessions offer a place away from everyday life, to clear your mind, hear yourself think, and connect with what you really want from your life.” Whether it’s time to change, or time to get ready to make that change, hypnotherapy is the most effective method out there. Hypnotherapy is for freedom from smoking and other addictions, letting go of weight, birthing without fear, or discovering blocks to fertility, hypnotherapy can help with any issue that exists. It empowers you. “I have never felt so relaxed” is what Melanie says she hears most often from her clients at West Seattle Wellness. Deep relaxation and freedom from issues – a new way of handling problems. It doesn’t have to be a fight; it is inspiring and empowering. If you’re wondering: What is Reiki? Reiki is a hands-on therapy that clears energy blocks in the body. It is similar to acupuncture, except without the needles. Reiki can offer relief from: stress, allergies, depression, anxiety, emotional and mental confusion, insomnia, or any other dis-ease. It is worth experiencing the peace and beauty of Reiki. You can find Melanie Carey, CH, at West Seattle Wellness LLC, online at westseattlewellness.com – where you’ll find an online appointment scheduler! – or call 206-453-5397.
We thank Melanie Carey, CH, at West Seattle Wellness for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news on WSB; find our sponsor team, and info on joining, all here.
Back in December, we introduced you to Kenny Wolfe, who was taking over the former Westside Pharmacy immediately south of West Seattle Nursery. He thought he’d have the renamed West Seattle Pharmacy – closed when its former owner moved to the then-new QFC in The Junction last fall – open before long. Eight months have passed, and he and wife Scarlett Wolfe are finally almost there, as the brand-new sign in the window (top photo) says. We pulled over to check in last night when we saw saw that sign and another one on the shop’s north side, just painted by West Seattle’s popular “Sign Savant“ Japhy Witte, so fresh that he was still there talking with them when we walked up.
The espresso bar in the drugstore space has been open for a week-plus – using Pioneer beans, and please note, per the sign, they’re making smoothies too – and they intend for West Seattle Pharmacy to be a coffeehouse/Internet café as well as a drugstore, with Wi-Fi and probably even a desktop computer to be used by customers who don’t bring their own. Getting the pharmacy open took a lot longer than expected because of various delays, Kenny explains, including a long wait time for the state Pharmacy Board to get to their application. But now everything’s falling in place. What the Wolfes would love is if you come in – even now, before the drugstore opens – and let them know what you’re interested in buying. They plan to offer a wide range of merchandise including medical, health and fitness equipment as well as over-the-counter sundries, and they promise that since they’re your small, independent drugstore, if you ask for something, they’ll do their best to get it – no corporate approval needed – “we ARE corporate,” they grinned. (They’re at California/Brandon; here’s a map.)
Seattle Parks is presenting “Big Day of Play” a week from tomorrow at Magnuson Park. Before you say “North end? Too far!” check this out – Parks points out today that they’re offering free shuttles from community centers including Southwest CC and Delridge CC in West Seattle. The schedule for the “Big Day of Play” events 9:30 am-5 pm Aug. 28 (including stage performances starting with the popular band Recess Monkey) is here; the schedule of free shuttle buses is here. There’s also a 3-on-3 basketball tournament (info here) and a fun run too.
These aren’t happening IN West Seattle, but the recruiting notice for volunteers to help with two drills is shared by WSB’er LyndaB, and given our peninsula’s leadership role as a hotbed of disaster preparedness, somebody out there just might want to help. And the volunteers for the first one can be as young as 14 – high-school students, that means community-service credit! Read on:Read More
Just noticed something you’ve probably noticed already if you’ve looked to the west or south – despite the bright sunshine, you can’t see the Olympics or Mount Rainier. If you suspected smoke from wildfires including the one that’s been visible at sunset the past two nights – you’re right. This just in from the state Ecology Department:
Smoke from several wildfires burning in Washington and British Columbia is spreading throughout the state.
That trend is expected to continue for a few days. Some clearing of hazy skies is expected later this week, possibly by Wednesday.
“Smoke from a wildfire can travel rapidly, affecting air quality hundreds of miles downwind from the fire’s location,” said Stu Clark, Air Quality Program manager for the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology). “Smoke pollutes the air you breathe and harms your health, especially if you have existing health conditions.”
The announcement, including advice for people sensitive to pollution, continues after the jump:Read More
(Photo added 12:55 pm)
TODAY: Till 4 pm, West Seattle’s most renowned 3-Day for the Cure team, Team Tracy, is outside West 5 selling bracelets and T-shirts and accepting donations – the big walk is a little over a month away (9/24-9/26, Redmond to Seattle). West 5 also is donating a portion of today’s proceeds during the fundraiser, if you head in (air conditioning!) for food and/or drinks.
TWO WEEKS AWAY: Just 2 weeks left till Northwest Hope and Healing‘s Alki Beach 5K Walk/Run! 9 am Sunday, August 29th, leaving Alki Bathhouse for a 5K round-trip course along the water. This year for the first time they’re closing Alki Avenue for the event – the projected time frame is 8 am-11 am – with more than 1,000 people taking part, that’s just too many to funnel onto the sidewalks/bike path. Signed up yet? You can do it online here.
As was observed during this morning’s groundbreaking for Transitional Resources‘ new Avalon Place facility (2988 SW Avalon Way, just north of the old Tillicum Village building) – here’s the before/after:
TR is one of those places you drive by all the time without realizing it’s there. Its business is to help those with “serious, persistent” mental-health challenges, dozens of whom either live in its current buildings along Avalon, or get services there. Now it’s adding a brand-new building that’ll provide 16 “permanent, affordable housing” units, as well as space for other services, and that’s what brought TR staff, board members, and dignitaries out for today’s brief ceremony. In our video, the woman toward the right is TR CEO Darcell Slovek-Walker; the others include King County Executive Dow Constantine and City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen (project funding includes county and city dollars). Slovek-Walker tells us the house now on the site (you can see it in our video) will be demolished within a week or two; construction of Avalon Place should take about seven months.
(Thursday photo by Susan DuTemple)
By noon tomorrow, the fog from earlier in the week might seem like a particularly pleasant memory. The National Weather Service has called for an official “heat advisory” for noon tomorrow through 10 pm Monday. According to the newest forecast, we could be in the mid-90s tomorrow and Sunday, with only a bit of cooling the following three days. You know what this all means – time to haul out the “who has air conditioning” lists! These started a month ago during the last heat advisory. Here’s the one with A/C-equipped restaurants; here’s the (longer) list of “other places with A/C.”
ALSO: Note that tomorrow night, there are special events to cool you off – West Seattle Outdoor Movies (co-sponsored by WSB) in the courtyard by Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor) features “Wayne’s World” at dusk – and tomorrow’s the last of three monthly movies presented by Coastal next to its Alki store (“Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle“).
This afternoon we welcome new WSB sponsors, Dr. Paul Smits, DDS, and Dr. Kyle Smits, DDS, who own and operate a dental practice in West Seattle, at 5647 California SW (map). 
Dr. Paul Smits has operated his practice in this location for many years, and the office has made a couple of new enhancements this summer. Dr. Paul Smits‘ son, Kyle, joined the practice after graduating from the University of Maryland Baltimore College of Dental Surgery. They are currently installing a new computer system and digital X-ray equipment; this will lead to paperless charts and will help make each visit more efficient. In addition, the doctors say digital X-rays will reduce the amount of radiation exposure and help improve the doctors’ ability to diagnose dental conditions.
Acknowledging that most people don’t count going to the dentist as one of their favorite activities, Dr. Paul Smits and Dr. Kyle Smits say they try to make visits more enjoyable. They strive to create a personal relationship with each patient by learning about their lifestyle, their concerns, and their budget. Dr. Paul Smits says he and his son will continue to provide an efficient, gentle approach to dental health that also respects the patient’s time. The doctors are members of the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce, long-time sponsors of the West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival, and regularly participate in several study groups with local dentists. They also belong to Seattle-King County Dental Society, Washington State Dental Association, and the American Dental Association. Both doctors have appointments available for both adults and children and can be reached at 206-935-4611.
We thank Dr. Paul Smits, DDS, and Dr. Kyle Smits, DDS, for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news on WSB; find our sponsor team, and info on joining, all here.
That video clip is tonight’s KING5 story about Jayme Miller, a White Center woman, and 1994 West Seattle High School graduate, whose friends are working to get the word out about a fundraiser coming up in a little over two weeks. As you’ll hear in the story (here’s the full online version with text), she is fighting her way back from a rare neurological problem, transverse myelitis, that struck out of the blue three months ago and left her suddenly, terrifyingly paralyzed. Jayme’s friend Sydni Smith also sent WSB word of the fundraiser (and a photo), explaining:
… While in therapy Jayme surprised the doctors again and again. She pushed her herself harder and added new challenges each day. Walking 10 feet down the hallway last month, using a walker and with an aide behind her in case she fell, was a monumental victory. Every time she was told she might not be able to regain a function, she willed herself right through that obstacle.
Jayme went home on Tuesday the 20th of July. She still has many mountains to climb, but hopefully she will keep progressing and regain full function. At this point she’s able to walk short distances with the aid of a walker and a “spotter” behind her in case her legs suddenly give out.
She has medical insurance, thankfully, but with three months of hospitalization and being away from work, her medical bills are another mountain she’ll need to climb. The ten-day stay in the hospital cost $200,000. The Doctor visits while in the hospital were between $80 – $140 each. The ambulance ride cost nearly $900 and each day in Mount St Vincent she was charged $575 a day for the room alone.
We’re holding a fundraiser/birthday bash we’re calling Walk On, Jayme! which will be held at RockSport Bar and Grill August 21st. There will be a silent auction from 7:30 to 9:30. Bring cash or your checkbook and bid on items from local artists and businesses and follow it up with Karaoke and dance hits hosted by DJ Tony B.
You can also donate to help her right now – via PayPal (which works if you have a credit card – you don’t have to be a PayPal accountholder), click “Send Money” and send it to WalkOnJayme@gmail.com. Or if you can give something for the silent auction at the August 21st event, e-mail Sydni at heysyd@gmail.com. There’s a sharable Facebook event page for this too – find it here.
Fruit and juice samples are part of what awaits you at the second Delridge Fresh Food Spot ‘Night Market’, in the north lot of Super 24 at Delridge/Findlay (map) till 8 pm tonight – the samples are free, but fresh produce is on sale too. The first Night Market, as part of transforming Delridge into a fresh-food oasis instead of its current “food desert” status, was held on a Saturday, but this one’s on a special night to link up with everybody out and about for Night Out. Just look for the signs:
(From December 2009 – “current” and “future” views of Avalon Place site)
Last December, the project finished Design Review – now, construction’s about to start. Transitional Resources has officially announced August 14th as the date for its groundbreaking ceremony at the site of Avalon Place (2988 SW Avalon Way). Read on for the TR news release:Read More
Today we welcome a new sponsor, West Seattle Natural Medicine, at 3256 California SW (map). As always, new sponsors are offered the chance to tell you about their business: The clinic is run by Dr. Katherine Oldfield and employs three other doctors – Dr. Debbie Whittington, Dr. Molly Gray, and Dr. Jennifer Lush. (Photo right, clockwise from top: Drs. Oldfield, Lush, Whittington, Gray) She and her staff work with patients to create long-term plans for health and nutrition. Dr. Oldfield says, “I’d like to think that we help empower people to realize that they have considerable control over their own health. We take the time to explain lab work thoroughly and explain what’s going on in their body physiologically to help them understand what is making them feel bad. Finally, we help them turn their health around with diet, exercise, counseling and maybe supplements, hormones, or a prescription.” West Seattle Natural Medicine welcomes those who are looking for another approach to seeking out health care. They do family medicine, pediatrics, allergy treatments, women’s health and physicals – including gynecological exams – and they draw blood for lab work at the office. Dr. Oldfield says the clinic has a great reputation for being compassionate, safe, consistent, and thorough. “We are very nice and approachable and treat everyone equally. Patients feel very comfortable talking to us. When patients are in a safe environment we can learn more about them and therefore help find the underlying cause of their health concern.” Dr. Katherine Oldfield is not only the director of the clinic, but also an instructor for PCC Cooks at PCC Natural Markets (also a WSB sponsor) and a member of CoolMom. She’s a specialist in women’s health and also a member of Physicians for Social Responsibility. You’ll find the clinic online at westseattlenaturalmedicine.com; you can call West Seattle Natural Medicine at 206-938-1393.
We thank West Seattle Natural Medicine for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news on WSB; find our sponsor team, and info on joining, all here.
(Photos by Christopher Boffoli)
Till 8 pm – produce from Clean Greens is part of the first-ever “Night Market” outside the Super 24 on Delridge – another event to offer more healthy food to people living in an area that needs more access to it. There’s a bit of garden showcasing going on, too:
And entertainment:
This is the kickoff to a season of Friday and Saturday produce markets, with Clean Greens, in the same spot, as reported here two weeks ago – so you should see the team back at Super 24 (5455 Delridge Way) 9 am-5 pm next Friday and 10 am-6 pm next Saturday.
Before the holiday weekend really revs up – we wanted to share this look ahead to something that’s happening next Saturday. Same day as West Seattle Summer Fest and the Seafair Pirates’ Landing at Alki, but this is big in its own way too, and everybody who’s rooting for little Hannah Grage is hoping you will stop by. She’s a West Seattle 4-year-old fighting cancer – acute lymphoblastic leukemia, diagnosed in April – and her family needs help with expenses, so friends, neighbors and relatives are having a garage sale/bake sale/lemonade-stand fundraiser one week from today – Saturday, July 10th. It’ll be 8 am-2 pm (so there’s plenty of time to go BEFORE, or after, Summer Fest and/or Pirates), 7228 39th SW (that’s in Gatewood; here’s a map; here’s the flyer for the fundraiser). You can read more about Hannah’s fight by going here, to see what her mom’s been writing about what they’re going through.
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