June 2011

Opening at 4:00 pm the Bang Bar, West Seattle's newest restaurant/lounge is elevating people's expectations about Thai food by presenting it gourmet style in an elegant atmosphere.

The new restaurant the West Seattle Herald profiled here, will hold its grand opening next week, June 17 when it also opens for lunch at 11:00 am.

They held an invitation only party to introduce themselves to the community June 6.

West Seattle High School PTSA has some last-minute chaperone and support needs for activities involving graduating seniors. Here's organizer Lisa Clark's letter outlining what is needed:

Confirm or sign-up for food and/or service contributions (see below details). ==> Please confirm your availability and specifics by TODAY Fri 6/10 6pm with Lisa Clark (phone 206-713-6490, email lisaj.clark@comcast.net).

Attend the Arbor Heights Pool on Wed 6/15 from noon to 2. Need eight women, eight men. ==> Please confirm your availabilitiy by Mon 6/13 with Amy Doll! (work 252-8813, email asdoll@seattleschools.org).

Please note - if more people show up on Sunday night, we can finish the set up faster.

Thank you for volunteering to help with the Senior Breakfast this year. I have listed below the schedule for the set up, breakfast and food donations. Please email me if you need to change anything - my cell # is 206-713-6490 if you need to call me for anything. Please note - if more people show up on Sunday night, we can finish the set up faster.

Senior Breakfast Set Up Schedule
Hiawatha Community Center

2700 California Ave SW

Three collections of work among the many caught our attention during the June 9 edition of the West Seattle Artwalk. The "Cheap Side Review Flea Market" was a collection of art work and collectible items out for the fourth time only in the Artwalk, at Easy Street Records. Mike Doyle said, "Stephanie Dorman had this idea and everyone just got on board. We have five artists now and next month we'll have six. The collection is arts, crafts and vintage housewares." You can look for them next month too.

Michelle Prater had 19 of her somewhat mysterious paintings on display at Coffee to a Tea with Sugar. Up close the shapes and colors tend to blend and deceive the eye but at a little distance new shapes and themes emerge. Her favorite thing about her art is that "It's messy. I get paint all over me, the floor, the canvas, and sometimes th cats. They get excited and run across the paintings."

She draws inspiration from her environment, rather than any artists. Flowers, trees, buildings, cars, people. She uses a variety of paints including one called Duochrome that is iridescent and one that is more transparent for some paintings.

From Jenny Rebecca Almukhtar, event planner, The Bridge restaurant and bar, 4439 35th Ave SW by Avalon:

Here's an update on tonight! Thanks for the support.

BENEFIT AT THE BRIDGE

Last week you heard about a house that burned down in Tukwila where one of the residence ran back in to try to save his guitars and ended up in the hospital. Unfortunately, they ended up losing everything.

Those guys are members of the band, The Gifted Program.

So, West Seattle has pulled together to throw a benefit for those guys tonight, Thursday June 16, at The Bridge starting at 8:30pm in which the band will be performing until midnight.

Every Men's Room Original Red sold this night, 100% of the proceeds will go towards the benefit.

We will also be selling raffle tickets at $5.00 to win gift cards from these generous donors:

The Tug Inn, Paquitos , Talaricos, Shadowland, The Feedback Lounge, Mission, West 5, Angelina's, Locol and The Side Street Kitchen in Burien.

We'd also like to thank Joe at the Elysian Fields for sponsoring a keg of The Men's Room Original Red.

The annual West Seattle Relay for Life, raising money for cancer research is a very special event not just because it goes all night long from June 10-11 at West Seattle Stadium but because it reaches across all ages, all incomes, all differences in fact to, as the American Cancer Society puts it, "Celebrate, Remember, Fight Back."

The event chair this year is Jilyan Perry, a familiar face you may know from Coffee to a Tea with Sugar in the West Seattle Junction. While they inevitably exceed these numbers thus far they have 26 teams, 217 participants registered, and $33,746.52 raised in pledges for the event.
B.J. Duft owner of Herban Feast and Fresh Bistro is donating meals for cancer survivors participating.

On July 15, Taproot Theatre Company continues its 35th Anniversary Season with a murder mystery musical.

Something’s Afoot has been delighting audiences for decades and asks the classic "Whodunit" question.

When wealthy Lord Rancour is found dead at his lakeside estate, the race to find out whodunit begins. Filled with booby-traps and belted songs, this hilarious spoof hums along as you play armchair detective to a zany cast of characters.

Something’s Afoot, directed by Scott Nolte, opens on July 15 and runs through August 13, with previews on July 13 and 14.

“Murder mysteries have always been a big hit among our patrons, since the early days of Taproot Theatre,” said Nolte in a press release. “So, we got to thinking, what better way to celebrate our 35th Anniversary Season and say thanks for the years of support than to present a murder mystery musical? This clever spoof honors the mystery greats like Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers.”

Something’s Afoot premiered in 1972 at the Alliance Theater in Atlanta and features book, music and lyrics by James McDonald, David Vos and Robert Gerlach, with additional music by Ed Linderman.

By Dr. Ron Inge

Thankfully, many of us have dental insurance allowing us to visit the dentist twice a year. Most of us take advantage of this opportunity because it’s paid for by our employers. We go because we want our smiles bright and white. We go for the free toothbrush.

But now, we’re learning there’s a much more important reason to visit the dentist regularly: our overall medical health. Your mouth, teeth and gums are connected to your general well being in ways that you may not be aware. Dentists are increasingly becoming the first line of defense for many systemic diseases including, respiratory diseases, heart disease and diabetes.

Over the past decade, Washington Dental Service and the Group Health Research Institute, both Seattle-based organizations, have teamed up to sponsor innovative research regarding the links between diabetes and periodontal disease. These studies, many of them conducted by the University of Washington, have proven that the two diseases have a symbiotic relationship and neither can be solved without addressing the other.

Despite the fact that it was 2 p.m. on a workday, friends, family, neighbors and former students of Bertha Davis packed the Ballard First Lutheran Church on Thursday, June 9 to remember the life-long Ballard teacher.

Bertha Davis passed away peacefully at her home in May at the age of 97.

Born in 1914, Davis was a long-time Ballard-resident who was a beloved teacher at Webster School for over 25 years where she taught thousands of students and remembered every single one of them.

"She could remember everyone. And not just their name but also their parents' names and siblings' names," said grandson Jeff Hoover.

Davis was also a community activist involved in many organizations and projects, most recently the Ballard Bell.

"When she started a project, she saw it through. The Ballard Bell was an example of that," said Amy Ayers, a friend of Davis for over 40 years.

The old Ballard city hall bell rang again for the first time in years on Bertha's 97th birthday in February.

At the memorial service, tears were interspersed with laughter.

"Bertha had a great sense of humor. She loved to laugh and found humor in the most serious of times," Ayers said.

The Highline School Board gave final approval June 8 to adoption of "Math in Focus (The Singapore Approach)" as the new textbook material for elementary math instruction.

The board also supplemented the textbooks with plans for strong professional development and technology support for elementary math teachers.

Board members also heard complaints from Pacific Middle School parents about proposed cuts to Pacific's music program.

Pacific music teacher Jeffrey Steen said the district is out of compliance with state law and its own board policy by cutting two music classes at Pacific for the new school year.

Steen said elementaries and high schools are in compliance but "there is a black hole at the middle school level."

He said middle school principals want to provide arts and music programs but they are directed by district administrators to focus on increasing reading and math scores.

Superintendent John Welch said it was a matter of "kid choices" of electives.

"Kids can choose electives that meet student interest," Welch said. STEM (Science, Technology Engineering Math) electives are in strong demand, according to Welch.

According to the Washington Beer Blog, The Cask, an ale and wine house across the street from the Admiral Theater is now for sale. Here is their story:

We contacted the owner who acknowledged the sale but asked that we respect his privacy and not interview him further.