February 2015

By Katy Wilkens, MS, RD
Nutrition and fitness manager, Northwest Kidney Centers

There is nothing quite so pleasant as a mug of soup on a cold winter’s day. Homemade is much better than most canned soups, or those in boxes, or soup from a kiosk in the grocery store – because they are all full of salt and that’s not good for your heart, blood vessels and kidneys. How do you enjoy the comfort of soup without the salt?

Try making your own and pumping up other flavors. The fresh herbs and vegetables that you put in the pot will taste much better than the pressure-canned, flavorless commercial options you can buy.
Make soup on the weekend and freeze it for meals during the week when you don’t have time to cook, or try putting everything in a slow cooker before you go to work. When you get home, dinner is ready. Just add a slice of whole wheat bread and a quick salad or sectioned tangerines, and you’ve got a complete meal.

Slow cooker split pea soup

UW Medicine will open a new multi-specialty location on February 2, 2015 on Leary Way in Ballard. Situated next to the Ballard Bridge, UW Medicine Ballard will offer primary care, sports medicine and physical therapy, and later in 2015, urgent care.

The second floor of the UW Medicine Ballard location will house a new 10,000 square foot UW Neighborhood Clinic that will provide comprehensive primary care, from pediatrics to geriatrics. The clinic was designed to support teamwork and the exam rooms were designed for greater patient privacy. The clinic also features five original oil paintings by local artist, Robin Siegl, who has had a studio in Ballard since 2007. The paintings are inspired by Seattle’s industrial waterfront. The clinic will offer extended hours, including evenings and weekends, and same-day appointments, as well as on-site laboratory, digital radiology services, and free parking. A UW Medicine Urgent Care clinic is expected to open on the building’s first floor in June 2015.

Seattle has been blooming with Recreational 502 shops and Herbs House is excited to be the first recreational marijuana store to open in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood.

Herbs House has been operating as a Medical Marijuana Collective since September 2013 and is elated to announce its expansion into the recreational market. Located at 716 NW 65th in a converted 1920s Craftsman, Herbs House is true to its name. Herbs House has proved itself to be a cornerstone in the cannabis community over the last year by hosting regular events such as gallery nights, as well as boasting a full organic café and juice bar open to the general public. Herbs House, with its comforting atmosphere, is the perfect gathering place for the cannabis community to grow.

In the words of Owner, Sharon Jacobson, “As a lady entrepreneur I’m thrilled to create an environment where even my mother can feel comfortable accessing cannabis. I’m grateful for my position in our community and I look forward to giving back.”

Eighth grade students from Seattle’s Hamilton International School toured the state Capitol on Feb. 2 as guests of Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, D-Belltown, Sen. David Frockt, D-Seattle, Sen. Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, Rep. Jessyn Farrell, D-Seattle, Rep. Gael Tarleton, D-Seattle and Rep. Brady Walkinshaw, D-Seattle.

“It is always great to meet young people who are excited to learn about civic engagement and our state’s political process,” said Kohl-Welles. “I was particularly pleased that they all brought in cards stating their position on a bill currently before the Legislature. I really enjoyed being able to hear about their positions directly when we talked.”

Hamilton International School is located in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle.

Seeking to improve the streetscapes of downtown Seattle and South Lake Union, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) today issued a request for proposals (RFP) for a Coordinated Street Furniture Program. The program’s goal is to enhance the public right of way through high quality street furniture and a higher level of maintenance while also improving pedestrian circulation and safety.

Qualified companies are invited to offer their proposals for the design, fabrication, supply, installation, operation, maintenance and repair of coordinated street furniture located in the public right of way in downtown Seattle and South Lake Union.

“Street furniture programs provide the opportunity to make streets more inviting while also supporting critical transportation needs,” said SDOT Director Scott Kubly. “We will explore potential street furniture options guided by similar successful efforts in New York, Boston, Chicago and San Francisco.”

The key benefits the City expects to achieve through a Coordinated Street Furniture Program include:
· An enhanced public realm experience for pedestrians, transit riders and visitors.

If there is an issue being discussed this session that you would like to weigh in on, or if there is something you would like to bring to the attention of your legislators, come to Olympia on Presidents’ Day, Monday, Feb. 16, to meet with Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles and Reps. Reuven Carlyle and Gael Tarleton for the annual 36th District Legislative Action Day.

“Hearing the active voice of my neighbors in the 36th Legislative District is one of the best part of my position,” Kohl-Welles said. “This is a great opportunity for us to be able to exchange ideas with engaged citizens and hear their thoughts and concerns about the issues that are most important to them.”

“The 36th Legislative District has some of the most engaged, active citizens in the state,” Carlyle said. “Every year, I look forward to their input and our authentic dialogue about the issues we face and the solutions we can build together.”

“Constituent engagement is a critical part of the legislative process,” said Tarleton. “It’s absolutely essential that our neighbors make their voices heard and the 36th District Day in Olympia is a great way to do that.”

The Neighborhood Matching Fund, a program of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, is hosting six workshops for those interested in applying to the Large Projects Fund this May. The Large Projects Fund awards matching funds of up to $100,000 to neighborhood groups for community-building projects. Attendance at one of the six workshops is required in order to submit a Large Projects Fund application.

The mandatory workshop will provide an overview of the Neighborhood Matching Fund, the qualities of a strong application, and the review process. Neighborhood and community groups interested in the fund are invited to attend. Workshop dates and locations are as follows:

Tuesday, February 10, 6 – 8 p.m.
Northgate Community Center, 10510 5th Ave NE

Thursday, February 19, 6 – 8 p.m.
Casa Latina, 317 17th Ave S.

Tuesday, March 10, 6 – 8 p.m.
High Point Community Center, 6920 34th Ave SW

Wednesday, March 18, 6 - 8 p.m.
Northgate Community Center, 10510 5th Ave NE

Tuesday, April 1, 6 – 8 p.m.
Garfield Community Center, 2323 E. Cherry St.

Thursday, April 9, 6 – 8.p.m.
El Centro de la Raza, 2524 16th Ave S

On Feb 6, Anthony’s Restaurants celebrates the photography of Jana Suchy with the release of her new black and white photobook, Alaska Fishing Gold Rush of the 1980’s! We have been proud to showcase Jana’s photographs on the walls of Chinook’s at Fishermen’s Terminal for more than 25 years and this Tuesday, February 10, Jana will be there signing copies of her new book from 4:00pm-7:00pm!

Her second photobook is “a gritty look at a gritty life” of Alaska fishing in the 1980’s. “Gold fever struck in the icy waters off the craggy coast of Alaska on the bottom of the ocean in the North Pacific. The mother lode of fish sparked a stampede of fishermen who risked everything to fill their boots—or sink trying. A high-stakes crap shoot for big money or death with every boat a contender for either.”

Jana M. Suchy’s book will be available for purchase this Tuesday. Her book is also available to order online at FishingForaLivingAlaska.com. Chinook’s at Salmon Bay: 1900 W. Nickerson St. Seattle, WA 98119. (206) 283-4665. http://www.anthonys.com.

Public Hearing for legislation:

SB 5259 - Improving voter registration by providing new residential tenants with voter registration information. (Billig/Shani Bauer)
SB 5376 - Concerning the disclosure of certain eviction records in certain reports. (Habib/Shani Bauer)
SB 5377 - Concerning the provision of time and assistance for tenants to relocate due to a rent increase or change of use of the residential unit. (Kohl-Welles/Shani Bauer)
SB 5683 - Creating a short-form registration statement for small securities offerings. (Litzow/Shani Bauer)
SB 5826 - Creating the Washington small business retirement marketplace. (Mullet/Susan Jones)

Financial Institutions & Insurance
Wednesday
Senate Hearing Rm 2
February 11, 2015
J.A. Cherberg Building
1:30 p.m.
Olympia, WA

West Seattle Nursery will have a much larger presence at this year's Northwest Flower and Garden show.

Bill Hibler speaking for the Nursery said, "Prior to 2013, our only presence was one of the small displays on the Skybridge. In 2013, we were asked to provide the plant material for one of the large garden designs. We installed over 63 varieties of conifers and other shrubs and were the unofficial designate of second place in the People’s Choice award. The garden itself earned a silver medal. In 2014, we elected to have our own display garden and won a gold medal as well as the “Best Show Theme”.

The show was very pleased with our performance as a first time displayer and invited us back. This year, we will have a display twice as large as last year and be in one of the main islands in the center of the floor. We will be displaying a variety of plants and habitat for birds and bees, all constructed from reclaimed materials.

Tickets for the show are available at the nursery.