September 2010

I have no idea who this fisherman is but he has no oars and somehow keeps changing direction.
He is obviously up a creek without a paddle, like most of us.

Get the scoop on tuning up your health from the experienced healthcare professionals of Burien's medical community at the city's free Community Wellness Fair.

The event at Burien Town Square on Sat. Sept. 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. provides a terrific opportunity to learn about the newest and best in healthcare. You can also improve your general well-being with free health screenings, healthy cooking demonstrations, presentations on wellness topics, free samples, fire safety and physical fitness information, and much more.

Give back by donating blood during the fair's blood drive. And be sure to bring the kids for some fun with face painting, clowning and balloon art.

Health Care job openings in Burien and details on local education programs in this well-paying, ever-expanding field will also be available.

The fair is an outgrowth of the Burien Wellness Cluster, an economic initiative launched by the city of Burien in early 2008. The idea behind the cluster is to boost Burien's economy by building on Burien's existing wealth of high-quality healthcare providers.

(Editor's Note. This is Nancy Jerominski's last column. Look for future Op-eds from her.)

Did you know that Nobel Prizes were awarded for determining the cause and cure for diabetes and for what actually causes cancer?
Neither did I.

Bernardo Houssay won the Nobel Prize in 1931 for finding the cause and the cure for diabetes. In 1947, Otto Warburg won the Noble Prize for discovering what causes cancer and how we can prevent it (www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/).

What they uncovered is decidedly not in line with most of our current "health care" recommendations. It seems we actually can prevent and cure cancer and diabetes.

Why aren't these men and women sanctified saints? Who wants this information kept secreted from the minds and eyes of sick, fat and tired America -- indeed the world?

Who to believe?

What happened to the H1N1 pandemic that was poised to "kill literally tens of thousands," a number screeched by a CDC expert from the media mountaintops last year? Who was set to make billions from the lemming-esque mentality our society practices with their television sets and newspapers?

On Saturday, Sept 18th, Burien Town Square Park 5th Avenue Southwest and Southwest 152nd Street will be illuminated with the glow of lanterns.

All are invited to this free community event celebrating lantern artistry. The event will be held from 5- 10 p.m.

In 2009, over 1,000 people created lanterns and participated in the festival and procession. This year there will again be a lantern making booth at Kids Day at the Burien Fire Station, 15100 8th Ave. S.W., from 10 a.m.- 3 p.m., and at the Lantern Festival from 5-7:30 in the park.

You can also go to the Glow website for information on how to make lanterns at home.

The festival will include lantern making, face painting, stilt walking by Cabiri, and artist created lantern installations and performances.

The Normandy Park Youth Orchestra, Boys of Greenwood Glen and Yellow Hat Band will provide music and free treats will be available thanks to Phoenix Tea and Grand Central Bakery.

The Australian Pie Company Burien Press, both across the street, will be open late for those seeking food.

Policing our community loses much of its meaning in the sense of protect and serve.

After reading about the fatal shooting of the B.C. Native Artist, John T. Williams, I was shocked.

Mr. Williams in his last moments of life had in his possession a folding knife and a piece of wood. Williams also had a serious drinking problem.

Williams used his knife to carve totem poles out of wood. There was no evidence to support his intention to harm people in or out of a police uniform.

On 8/30/2010 a police officer spotted Williams on the street. He ordered Williams to drop the knife. Williams did not respond.

The policeman felt his safety was in jeopardy. He over-reacted and fired four rounds and gunned Williams down, killing him.

A witness states Williams' back was turned and he was not threatening or aggressive.

Another witness reported Williams may not have realized the officer was trying to get his attention. Williams was hard of hearing.

Also, had the officer been equipped with a taser or pepper spray, there could have been a lesser show of force and Williams would be alive today.

The Health Care Incentives Improvement Institute has announced that endocrinologist Carrie Bagatell, MD, received the highest level of certification from the Bridges to Excellence Program for demonstrating superior levels of diabetes care to her patients.

Millions of Americans currently have some form of diabetes, and millions more cases are undiagnosed. To encourage more effective treatment and management, the program works with diabetes experts to develop measures to assess and recognize superior clinician performance.

These measures address a broad range of issues affecting patient health and wellness. To earn recognition, clinicians must meet benchmarks on measures such as; blood pressure, LDL levels, HgBA1c levels, ophthalmologic and podiatry exams and nephropathy.

Those who earn recognition will improve overall patient health and well-being, while reducing the risk of potentially avoidable complications.

Dr. Bagatell has been on Highline Medical Center's Medical Staff since 1994 and has been practicing medicine for 26 years. She is board-certified in internal medicine and endocrinology at Three Tree Internal Medicine in Burien.

Highline Community College will start offering evening classes at the Burien Community Center Annex this fall.

"We're excited about the opportunity to provide higher education access to the Burien community," said Rolita Flores Ezeonu, the college's dean for Transfer and Pre-College Education. "By locating these classes close to where people live and work in Burien, we hope to make it more convenient for local residents to fit college into their busy lives."

Fall quarter classes begin Sept. 20. This fall's offering include Art Appreciation from 6-8:10 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays and American Government from 6-8:10 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The introductory general-education classes are designed to meet basic requirements for transfer to a four-year college or university.

The college plans to offer two courses each quarter. Future offerings may include Saturday courses and pre-college credit classes.

"Right now, we're focused on offering enough courses to help people get a good start on a college degree," Ezeonu said. "We plan to provide the kind of courses that most students take in their first year or two of study, regardless of their eventual major."

If you ask West Seattle residents Ed Johnstone, 89, Shoko Tanaka, 81, and Ken Gifford, 87, what racket they are in, they will probably tell you “pickleball.” And they are champs, too.

The sport is like tennis, but is played indoors with paddles. It’s like volleyball, but the ball has holes in it like a Wiffle Ball. And while some may say the ball resembles a round pickle, the sport was actually named after Washington State Congressman Joel Pritchard’s cocker spaniel named “Pickles,” who chased the ball when the congressman was developing the sport on Bainbridge Island the summer of 1965.

“We used to play marbles upstairs in the old gymnasium here,” said Gifford, referring to the Hiawatha Gym, where the three play pickleball three times a week. They play volleyball at Southwest Community Center twice a week, too. I’ve played tennis all my life. Pickleball is faster and you play more at the net. But it hurts your tennis game because you come up at the net.

“I retired 16 years ago from the Bank of Tokyo,” said Tanaka. “I played pickleball here ever since. I fish for salmon in Alaska. I fly-fish. I golf. I’m going to South Dakota to bike.”

During the first week of August Westside School completed most of their move from 28th Ave SW to the E.C. Hughes site on 34th Ave SW.
Hughes at 7740 34th Ave. S.W. has been in the Seattle Public Schools inventory since last December when the Seattle School Board announced its availability.

On Labor Day over 50 volunteers, armed with brushes, rollers, and a sense of community, spruced up Westside's appearance with a paint job. Members of nearby Mars Hill Church and the West Des Moines Christian Church, Disciples of Christ, teamed up with neighbors to paint the retaining walls to welcome the students. They started at about 9:00 a.m. and finished about five hours later.

Admiral Congregational United Church of Christ
4320 SW Hill Street
932-2928
Admiral UCC will hold a Dinner Auction on Friday, Sept. 24th at South Seattle Community College in the Ballroom of Brockney Center. The community is invited to come for a fun evening of fine dining and a chance to bid on some fabulous auction items such as vacation rentals, restaurant gift cards, special gift baskets and other unique items. Doors will open at 5 pm for the silent auction with dinner beginning at 6:30 p.m. followed by the live auction.

Tickets for the dinner/auction are $26 per person and will be sold until Sept. 19th. Call the church at 935-2928 for tickets. Proceeds will help, in part, to support the many community outreach efforts of Admiral UCC.

Discovery Shop
4535 California Ave. S.W.