August 2013

Anytime Fitness, currently located in the Charlestown Center on California Ave. S.W., is moving to the old Blockbuster Video spot in the Admiral District and plans to open up their expanded facility late this year, according to co-owner Andrew Saldana.

The Blockbuster lot (at the northwest corner of College and California)is currently used for pay parking after the video rental store shut down in early 2012.

Saldana, along with his brothers Daniel and Jacob, (all West Seattle natives) purchased Anytime Fitness in December of 2012. They also operate a Capitol Hill branch.

Andrew shared the story behind their move, which will result in a building about twice the size of their current location:

By Georgie Bright Kunkel

While examining his female patient, the doctor tells her: "Your heart, lungs,
pulse & blood pressure are fine. Now let me see that little thing which gets you “ladies” into all kinds of trouble." The woman started taking off her clothes when the doctor said, "No! No! Please put on your clothes. Just show me your tongue." I am sure that any so-called bull session would find men as loquacious as women in a women’s coffee klatch. But traditional humor focuses on the stereotypes for both men and women.

Recently at church we sang a hymn with words bringing out that some women are strong and some men are gentle. We aren’t all stereotyped by sex. Granted, there are more strong men and more little women but within each group of men or women there is great variation. It is possible that an exceptionally strong female might qualify for a football team but professional teams aren’t recruiting women. Football is symbolic of male might and prowess. It is reserved for the strongest of the male sex. What nurturing woman would appreciate playing the dangerous game of football anyway.

By Ken Robinson

Beginning with the issue of Sept. 6, your local paper will take on a new look. We are combining all the elements of your community paper with those of neighboring communities in a package called The Westside Weekly.

For many decades, the West Seattle Herald , White Center News , Ballard News-Tribune and Highline Times have provided essential news to their communities. Inside The Westside Weekly, you will find news, features, photos, columns and advertising from the community in which you live along with coverage from adjacent communities west of I-5, from Des Moines to Ballard.

Robinson Newspapers have been serving this community for more than 60 years, and we thank our readers and advertisers for supporting us throughout that time. We have been able to bring you many hours of news and entertainment custom-tailored to your community, which has always been our goal.

You can sing! And are invited to attend the first-ever FREE Northwest Associated Arts (NWAA) Community Sing! This event will combine ChoralSounds, YouthSounds, TeenSounds, KidSounds, and SilverSounds NW and both Paula Hawkins and Brian J. Winnie will be leading the Sing. Beginning with a warm-up and vocal technique session with Brian, attendees will continue on to sing through a variety of repertoire from NWAA’s most recent season, including Old Time Rock and Roll, New York New York and CSN’s traditional Kumbaya, as well as favorites from Hair, Into the Woods, Rent, Spring Awakening, and Sweet Charity. Whether you can sing in harmony or only the melody, all are welcome!!

Information from Jeanne Flohr with Seattle Lutheran High School, located at 4141 41st Ave. S.W. in West Seattle:

Seattle Lutheran High School welcomes football players Orlando Huff, Greg Lewis and Mario Bailey to address student athletes, parents and friends about the importance of teamwork, training and faith in the development of student athletes.

Two former Huskies and a former Seahawk will speak at Seattle Lutheran High School’s Football dinner Thursday, September 5, 2013 at 6:00 pm in the SLHS Menashe Gymnasium. The dinner is a fundraiser for the Football and Cheer programs at SLHS.

SLHS Football Head Coach, Jeff Scott, invites you to celebrate the new football season at our annual Pasta Dinner Fundraiser for our football and cheer programs. We are excited about our upcoming football season and invite you to be a part of it. Go Saints!!!

On Saturday, Aug. 17, sailors donned pink and raised money for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation as they sailed around Shilshole Bay.

At last count, the event raised almost $38,000, and more checks are rolling in. During the race, teams earned money for each buoy they rounded, either by purchasing themselves or asking for donations. Each buoy rounded amounted to $100 if funded. Teams could prearrange buoy purchases before the race. There was also a silent auction.

Last year, the Seattle Pink Boat Regatta raised $36,000.

Some changes happened between last year, Seattle’s first annual Pink Boat Regatta, and this year. According to Three Sheets NW, founder Thomas Watson bailed on the project he started. He had initially planned to raise up to $1 million for breast cancer research and had intended to embark on a ‘round-the-world journey in his pink boat, which would have been a world record for the size of his boat.

But, life interrupted.

The following warning on consuming shellfish was released by King County Public Health on Aug. 13:

Shellfish infections running double summer average; oyster fans beware
Tuesday, August 13, 2013

A saltwater bacteria has sickened more than twice the number of people in King County this summer than typically is reported during this period – leading health officials to warn of the dangers of eating raw or undercooked shellfish.

During July, there were 13 confirmed or probable cases of Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection in King County, compared to an average of four reported in that month in recent years. Since the beginning of August, an additional eight cases have been confirmed, while typically King County would see six for the entire month.

"This is probably the tip of the iceberg. For every case that is reported, an estimated 142 additional cases go unreported," said Dr. Jeff Duchin, Chief of Communicable Disease for Public Health–Seattle & King County.

Local residents will have a prime opportunity to learn about the internal workings of the 9-1-1 emergency dispatch center when the next 9-1-1 Citizen’s Academy is held on September 28th, 2013.

The academy will educate citizens about the role 9-1-1 Communications Specialists play in the public safety system and prepare them should they ever need to dial 9-1-1.

The all day informative class includes everything from the History of 9-1-1 to how citizens can help 9-1-1 help them! A tour of the KCSO 9-1-1 Center is included, and optional “plug-in” time will be offered to academy attendees.

The academy is open to anyone at least 18 years old with no felony convictions. Applicants must live or work in King County.

Applications to attend are now being accepted. Space is limited and completed applications should be turned in by Friday, September 20th, 2013.

Applications are available on the King County Sheriff’s Office website: http://www.kingcounty.gov/safety/sheriff/Enforcement/911Center/2012Citz…. You can also request the applications by calling our Hotline at 206-205-6625, or by sending an email request to: KCSO911.FB@kingcounty.gov

Aug. 13 at Steve Cox Memorial Park was a day of reflection on the unincorporated area of White Center and North Highline for King County Executive Dow Constantine, and a chance to talk about the area's future in addressing the WC Chamber of Commerce.

Before getting elected as executive in 2009, Constantine spent seven years on the King County Council (representing the 8th District which includes North Highline) and started his political career in 1996 as a state legislator. During that expanse of time, he said, he’s spoken to the Chamber several times. He took note of a difference on this most recent occasion.

“I used to come and speak to the Chamber, and this was something that was not lost on the members … the Chamber was not a very diverse group,” he said. “(It) was a lot of longtime white businesspeople and there was a lot of consternation about how could we have the chamber be truly representative of the whole community.”

By Cassie Campbell

It was a busy morning along the north shore of Seahurst Beach park where naturalists from the Seattle Aquarium and other volunteers combed the beach trying to find various sea creatures that need to be relocated.

Next month, the north wall will be torn down. Without help, the creatures that live here could be killed during the construction process.

According to the Seattle Aquarium "Beach Naturalists are local citizens who care about Puget Sound beaches and want to help protect them." These individuals, which number more than 100, go out to 11 different parks in the Puget Sound to not only educate but to help people have fun exploring the beach without hurting it.