August 2011

The Dog Days of August Beerfest was a hit for the Furry Faces Foundation (F3) animal welfare agency on Aug. 14 with an array of regular dogs (and cats) joining a steady stream of Hebrew National Hot Dogs and Lowman Brau beer (from Big Al Brewing in White Center), all to support the efforts of Teri Ensley and her dedicate crew of volunteers.

Update from Teri Ensley Aug. 15,"We were stunned at how much people were donating and West Seattle Nursery's 50% match puts the day over $800...that is huge for us and will go a long ways in helping people with their animals."

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The West Seattle Nursery took donations throughout the day and matched them.

Nursery Manager Marcia Bruno said, "For us this is just a great excuse to throw a party, then we like to bring the community together. We've worked with Furry Faces before but then Teri just takes it and runs with it."

Dr. William Lien established Lien Animal Clinic as one of the first veterinary hospitals in West Seattle in 1951.
On Sunday, the clinic celebrated 60 years in service and invited their clients in to enjoy cake and refreshments while they provided activities and information about the clinic and its services.

But back to the history for a moment. Dr. Larry King joined the staff with Dr. Lien in 1968, and subsequently owned the practice for 18 years. He then continued to work at the clinic as an associate veterinarian until his retirement in 2007.

Drs. Timothy Kraabel and Elizabeth Fritzler, both WSU graduates, purchased Lien Animal Clinic from Dr. King in February of 1999 and are currently joined at the practice by Drs. Benjamin Fisher, Kristin Wrycha, Marc Duyungan, and Jody Zawacki.

By Lauren Elizabeth DiRe, Intern

Children flooded the streets when 20 blocks of Greenwood Avenue were closed off Friday night for the third annual PhinneyWood Summer Streets block party.

The family-friendly event provided activities ranging from “walking pianos” to aerial performances to obstacle courses.

And for those who needed a pick-me-up to hang with the high energy levels of the children, seven coffee roasters provided samples for a blind taste-off. People were able to try the brews and then pick their favorite one.

“People seem to really enjoy voting,” said Jeanne Barwick of Mae’s Phinney Ridge Café.

Several booths lined the streets selling various forms of artwork, and live performers could be seen every block or so exhibiting their talents.

Volunteers of America paired up with the Seattle Department of Transportation and the Senior Companion Program to construct a canned-food pyramid to donate to the Greenwood Food Bank.

Sydney Pawlak, an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer, said they were hoping to collect 30,000 cans to donate. Around 6:30 p.m., they were well on their way with 17,000, she estimated.

Civil rights attorney and gay activist Abby Dees was just in town from L.A. to promote her new book, Queer Answers Straight Talk. Its subtitle is 108 frank & provocative questions it's OK to ask your lesbian, gay, or bisexual loved one.

Some can be humorous, like, "Is there a reason lesbians are handier with a socket wrench?" and "Why does it seem like all lesbians have cats and gay men have little matching dogs?" More serious questions include, "With all the other problems in the world right now, can't gay and lesbian rights wait a bit? Is it really as important as things like poverty, global warming and racism?"

Dees writes that her book "is your permission slip to put an end to the awkward silence (…) We live in a world where the default setting is always heterosexual. If that is not you, then you've got to (nicely, I hope) tell folks that you are not actually heterosexual. Or choose to stay silent."

Vera Johnson of White Center's Village Green Nursery has become something of a poster child for banks vs. the people in the last few weeks with attention from the media focused on her fight with Bank of America for a loan modification. Last week she delivered 10,000 signatures to the bank from an online petition hosted by Change.org.

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She learned at that meeting that while her home and business are not yet in foreclosure proceedings her ultimate fate is still undetermined. That petition by the way has now risen to more than 13,100 signatures and is still going.

Jurassic Park, the 1993 Steven Spielberg dinosaur classic is the West Seattle Outdoor movie for Aug. 13.

The film is a science fiction adventure story. It's based on the book by Michael Crichton.

Starring Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Martin Ferrero, and Bob Peck. The story is about an island near Costa Rica off the Central American Pacific Coast, where a billionaire philanthropist and a team of genetic scientists have created an amusement park of cloned dinosaurs from the DNA of insects that once consumed their blood.

Preshow entertainment is by musical act Jermey Serwer and the Spaghetti Benders, presented by the Coho Team of Windermere Agents. You can hear some samples of their music on their MySpace page here.

West Seattle Outdoor Movies are shown in the courtyard at 4410 California Ave SW between Hotwire Coffee and Dr. Wolff. Bring blankets, chairs family & friends for the 7th year of the West Seattle Outdoor Movies.

All movies start at dusk and are FREE. Gates open at 6:30pm

Concessions and raffles too, all proceeds go to charity.

Twenty-five rentals, called the Zephyr, are the first available at the Seola Gardens development. The grand opening was July 29, and the King County Housing Authority encourages potential renters to take a look at the Zephyr this summer.

According to the King County Housing Authority's website:

At Seola Gardens, children can easily access rich education opportunities and get support in their homework and studies. Play fields, a swimming center, a lake, a Frisbee golf course, and a park are nearby. The community itself offers sidewalks, parks with public art, exercise stations, and community pea patches.

To apply, please submit a Public Housing application at your nearest property management office.

The King County Housing Authority is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities so that their living arrangements are, as a whole, comparable to that of other residents.

Lien Animal Clinic has been in the West Seattle neighborhood since 1951 and on Sunday Aug. 14 they will celebrate with a special party. They will offer a closer look at veterinary medicine, tours of their new facility and give visitors a chance to see what happens behind the scenes. Dogs and cats are welcome but dogs must be on leashes and cats in carriers please.

During the celebration there will be:

• Tours of the clinic
• A teddy bear clinic (bring in your broken teddy bear and we’ll stitch 'em up)
• Photo of your pet
• Teeth Brushing/Dentistry demonstrations
• Ultrasound Demonstrations
• Client Education
• Complimentary refreshments
• Prizes and giveaways

Registration is optional, but for planning purposes please email them to let them know you plan on attending.

Sunday, August 14, 2011 from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

For more information please email them at contact@lienanimal.com.

The clinic shared this history:

Twenty-five rentals, called the Zephyr, are the first available at the Seola Gardens development. The grand opening was July 29, and the King County Housing Authority encourages potential renters to take a look at the Zephyr this summer.

According to the King County Housing Authority's website:

At Seola Gardens, children can easily access rich education opportunities and get support in their homework and studies. Play fields, a swimming center, a lake, a Frisbee golf course, and a park are nearby. The community itself offers sidewalks, parks with public art, exercise stations, and community pea patches.

To apply, please submit a Public Housing application at your nearest property management office.

The King County Housing Authority is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities so that their living arrangements are, as a whole, comparable to that of other residents.

C&P Coffee, 5612 California Ave. SW, holds its one-day Arts & Crafts Fair featuring unique, local and foreign arts and crafts for sale. Jewelry, toys, clothing, prints, paintings, furniture, and more will be on display.

The show runs 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

The shop's walls feature (through August) Caribbean artwork that benefits the triple bottom line company, "A Splash of the Caribbean".

"We have masks made out of calabash cords, paper mache carnival masks, metal etched paintings on wood, and rag rugs made out of rice sacks from the Dominican Republic," said Alyssa Johnson, a Queen Anne resident who operates A Splash. The triple bottom line company comes from the "people, profit, planet" model and Johnson said she fundraises and donates to schools in the Dominican Republic.

Also featured at the Fair is photography by Sydni Smith, and whimsical handmade hats and other fabric art by Helen Johnson. This is Smith's second time fundraising for Charlie, her dog with the mounting vet bills.