With archetypal Puget Sound spring rain clouds lumbering above them, a large group of kindergarten students from the TOPS (The Option Program at Seward) school descended upon Pritchard Beach just north of the Seward Park peninsula on Thursday, April 6, bearing live coho salmon fry. The excited group of more than 50 young students each took their turn at releasing the small salmon into the waters of Lake Washington. TOPS kindergarten teacher Joby Moore estimated the children stocked the lake with more than 150 baby salmon. Moore, along with Lana Fuller and Joan O'Connor, chaperoned the children through the process.
"Emilie was the neighbor anyone would love to have," said Levecke Mas. And at 99, most neighbors would have said Emilie Kerkof was still just as youthful as a twenty-something. She loved to be caught up on the neighborhood gossip and enjoyed a Miller High Life from time-to-time.Mrs. Kerkof was born on Feb. 28, 1907, in Melebeke, Belgium. She married when she was 21 and moved to Beacon Hill in the 1930s to what would be the house she would reside in the rest of her life. While Mrs. Kerkof left all her relatives behind in Belgium, it wouldn't be long before her Beacon Hill neighbors would become just like family.
We often ask one another, "How are you today?" It's worth taking a moment to ask yourself this very question, and honoring what you discover. Do you feel a sense of heaviness or discomfort anywhere in your body? Is your mind occupied with recurring thoughts? A holistic approach to wellness instructs us to listen to the messages of imbalance, and respond constructively. I can remember repeatedly stubbing my toe when I was a child. Each time I'd first cringe with pain, then slap a Band-Aid on it and get running again. I don't recall taking a moment to ask myself what this accident was telling me. Maybe the same cycle kept repeating because I just wasn't getting the message.The body is like that. The information we need is right with us at all times, held and reflected by our bodies. Take a moment to notice those around you. Notice how body posture and movement reveal a life story.
There is no such thing as too much art instruction, and Queen Anne is fortunate to be able to welcome another children's art instructor to the neighborhood.Ann Freistadt moved to Seattle from Yakima in December to be closer to her three grown sons. She brings with her an enthusiasm for teaching children art, and experience.Freistadt attended Cornish College of the Arts in the '70s and has taken many art classes since. Fourteen years ago, in Yakima, a friend begged her to start an art class for her three young daughters. Freistadt obliged, teaching them in her home. Word spread, a month later she had 15 students, and she moved the class to Yakima's Allied Arts Center.For a while, Freistad also taught adults. She loved it, but gave it up because she found that most adults are too busy to attend classes regularly.As do most art instructors, Freistadt teaches the elements of art (such as line, shape and color) and principles of design (balance, contrast, movement). Sometimes she finds herself teaching math, because artists have to calculate proportion.She also teaches her students to leave little or no white space. "This is not just for artistic reasons," she says, "but because it teaches them patience."Now she is teaching art history as well.
The Potawatomi tribes were original residents of what is now the state of Michigan. Like all Native Americans, during the 19th century they were forced from their land onto reservations. Today many Potawatomis live in Oklahoma.Isabella W. is a card-carrying member of the Potawatomi Nation (actually, her father carries the card). What does that part of her heritage mean to her? "It's lots of fun," she says.Every year, she and her parents attend powwows in Oklahoma and Tacoma."There's lots of food and music, and you get to buy stuff," she says.Isabella is in the second grade at Matheia School, a small, private elementary school on Queen Anne. She lives in this neighborhood in a house with a commanding view of Elliott Bay, where she has lived all her life. She describes the house as "an explosion of different things"-i.e., messy-but she keeps her own room clean.
Magnolia Village is attracting more and more people for food, coffee, drinks and shopping-all a good thing-though as a server in a restaurant said one night, they refer to 9 p.m. as Magnolia midnight.I'm okay with that. What I'm not okay with are people who don't seem to know how to park a car so that they leave two feet, or a little less, between each car.When I come down to the Village in the morning to post something in the mail or grab a cup of coffee at the McGraw Street Cafe, there are six cars taking up the entire block on that side of the street-a stretch that should be able to handle at least 10 cars, and maybe more if we're all driving compacts.Here are some numbers for the linear thinkers. A city block, with some variation, is going to be around 250 feet long. Take away the 30-feet-from-the-corner parking restriction, and allow for a 6-foot-wide pedestrian walkway at the other end, and you have about 210 feet of parking.The overall length of most cars is between 14 and 15 feet (would you believe a Prius is 14.3 feet long?). If I go with 15 feet, and add another 3 feet for space, I can park 11 cars on that block.Okay. So I drive around the block a few times, spewing invectives at my windshield, finally finding a spot-maybe behind the block, or over by the hardware store.Yeah, I know the exercise is good for me, and there's nothing I like better than walking around on a cold, drizzly winter day. And if you think I'm upset when I finally find a spot and walk past those 4- and 5-foot openings between cars, you should see me after I've had my jolt of caffeine.
Last month the city of Seattle announced that it would move forward with replacing the seismically weakened Magnolia Bridge with an alternative currently referred to as "Alternative A." The structure, originally called the Garfield Street Bridge, was built in 1930 and spans two-thirds of a mile. It connects Magnolia with the rest of Seattle, and provides an essential connection to the Port of Seattle and many manufacturing and marine industries. Unfortunately, the bridge was seriously damaged during the 2001 Nisqually earthquake.Because the Magnolia Bridge plays such a critical role in connecting neighborhoods and industry, the Seattle Department of Transportation considered several replacement options. The city has also enlisted citizens in the Magnolia and Queen Anne communities to help with narrowing replacement options down from 25 to just one preferred alternative. Our recent announcement reflects three years of negotiating with representatives from the Magnolia and Queen Anne communities, the Port of Seattle, freight interests and others. The department specifically created a citizens organization, the Design Advisory Group (DAG), so we could hear directly from community members.The group, which meets on a monthly basis, has representatives from the Magnolia Chamber of Commerce, Magnolia Community Club, Magnolia/Queen Anne District Council, Port of Seattle, Queen Anne Chamber of Commerce, Queen Anne Community Council, Bicycle Alliance, Seattle Design Commission, Seattle Marine Business Coalition, Ballard Industrial North Manufacturing and Industry Council, Uptown Alliance and Friends of Queen Anne. The Seattle Department of Transportation proudly submitted Alternative A as the preferred alternative not only because it was the least expensive replacement option, but also because it was supported by the DAG, as well as by local residents taking part in no fewer than six public meetings over the past three years.
There's been a changing of the guard, so to speak, at one of the oldest barbershops in the area.The Fishermen's Terminal Barber Shop, located next to the Bay Café, now has a comparatively new face attending to the tonsorial needs of whoever walks through the door.That new face belongs to Arthur "Art" Jenkins, 41, who has been cutting hair in the area for the past 10 years. "There are not many of us 'strictly barbers' who are under 40 anymore," says Jenkins with a smile. "Nowadays they're all 'stylists' or 'cosmetologists' or some other thing. Here, I cut hair."The Fishermen's Terminal Barber Shop is something of a throwback to the barbershops of year's past. There's no carpet on the floor, just an easy-to-sweep expanse of linoleum or asphalt tile, and friendly conversation.Neither does the shop have soft music playing in a waiting area where you can get a latte. Just two barber chairs, pictures of fishing boats from the terminal on the walls and a selection of men's-interest magazines ranging from Popular Mechanics and Playboy to various hunting and fishing magazines.
It's almost curtain time for the Coe Elementary School production of Engelbert Humperdinck 's opera "Hansel and Gretel," scheduled for performance Thursday, Friday and Saturday, April 20-22. Mark Power, Coe parent and classically trained tenor, is directing the production. He and his wife, Elizabeth, are producing the show through their nonprofit organization ARThaven. Tickets for the show are on sale now at the school, 2424 Seventh Ave. W.
At a recent dessert for newcomers to our church, I made reference to being evangelical. Someone asked: "What do you mean when you say 'evangelical?'" I probably blundered around and wasn't as coherent as I would have liked. But here is some of what I said. Or if I didn't quite say it this way, this is what I think I should have said.There's a difference between Evangelical, big E, and evangelical, small e.Evangelical big E refers to institutional Evangelicalism, which is a very big deal in the United States today. In many people's minds it is linked with "the religious right" and has a clearly defined political agenda. It involves big-name organizations like Focus on the Family, NAE (National Association of Evangelicals) Prison Fellowship and Campus Crusade. It includes big-name and usually politically conservative figures such as Jim Dobson, Ted Haggard, Jim Kennedy, Pat Robertson, Chuck Colson. Yes, Evangelicals big E have a strong belief system, which I summarize below.On the other hand, evangelical small e is primarily about "the evangel" or gospel, but is not as defined by institutions. People who call themselves evangelical are folks who center in the gospel or good news of what God has done for us in Jesus.
There's been a changing of the guard, so to speak, at one of the oldest barbershops in the area. The Fishermen's Terminal Barber Shop, located next to the Bay Café, now has a comparatively new face attending to the tonsorial needs of whoever walks through the door.That new face belongs to Arthur "Art" Jenkins, 41, who has himself been cutting hair in the area for the past 10 years. "There are not many of us 'strictly barbers' who are under 40 anymore," says Jenkins with a smile. "Nowadays they're all 'stylists' or 'cosmetologists' or some other thing. Here, I cut hair."The Fishermen's Terminal Barber Shop is somewhat a throwback to what barbershops used to be. There's no carpet on the floor, just an easy-to-sweep expanse of linoleum or asphalt tile, and friendly conversation. The shop also doesn't have soft music playing in a waiting area where you can get a latte. Just two barber chairs, pictures of fishing boats from the Terminal on the walls, and a selection of men's-interest magazines ranging from Popular Mechanics and Playboy to various hunting and fishing magazines.
I've got an appointment with a dental chair and some very sharp pointy metal things this morning. I'm not looking forward to this experience because I have a healthy fear of all things painful. This activity ranks very high on my Pain Meter. I mentioned to the dentist that I would like to have nitrous oxide while having my teeth cleaned. He blinked. Then blinked again. "But cleanings aren't painful, just uncomfortable at times," he said. "I'm sorry, but I subscribe to Medical Terminology for Dummies and have the great tome, 'How To Understand Your Doctor's Secret Code.' So I know for a fact that when you say something 'may be uncomfortable,' or 'You may feel a little discomfort,' or my all-time favorite, 'This might pinch a little,' I'm aware of the fact that in the next couple of seconds I'll be trying to leap from my chair to smack you repeatedly about the head and shoulders with your own dental drills."His eyes went wide, and he apparently lost the ability to communicate in a manner in which others could understand him. There were some hemmings and hawings, and his eyebrows were raised up over his eyes. I've been there. I know what goes on. This is why I haven't been there since I lost my last baby tooth. My Pain Avoidance System is in full operational order. Today, though, I am letting my guard down and allowing strangers to probe and poke me in places that I feel should generally remain unprobed and unpoked.
I have never quite been on the approved schedule for life events.According to the psychology textbooks, a "normal" person matures between the ages of, say, 14 and 21. That great Ameri-can aphorist Mark Twain obviously co-signed this future (to him) psychological note by saying that he was amazed how smart his previ-ously stupid father had gotten be-tween the ages (Mark's) of 14 and 21.I don't think I really and truly matured until after my divorce, when single-parenting was forced onto me by life circumstances.I was about 40.Of course, there are naysayers who - watching me spend gobs of time writing novels, five so far, that haven't been published, or observing me spending money I really don't have, struggling on the course to bring my golf handicap down (36 to 27 as of this writing, after 18 months of steady play) without benefit of driving range, golf lessons or expensive gear - would say I still haven't come to grips with reality.
The skiers, snowboarders, and snowmen makers were ecstatic this past weekend. Such a glorious late season for them. The dedicated gardeners were apoplectic. Such a frightfully cold and harshly wet change to the weather. And the Easter Bunny, with frayed ears and a stained bow from all the wind and rain, was so very grumpy with having to hide most of his eggs inside.I will never get used to the Northwest spring and early summer seasons. Friends of mine in other regions of this country seem to have well-defined and predictable seasons. Here in the Northwest, both spring and summer challenge us to be always in a flexible state.
He was an avuncular, corner oracle for several generations of Queen Anne kids who hung out at his store, dispensing common-sense advice peppered with dry humor. To numerous Queen Anne residents, young and old, he was simply "Mr. Nelsen."When Don Nelsen, 80, died April 12 after a long illness, a part of Queen Anne history died with him. He owned and operated Nelsen's Grocery at 325 W. Galer, Queen Anne's longest-running, continuing, family business until his retirement in 2001. The Phinney Ridge resident, with his quiet, sometimes gruff exterior, wry outlook and natural kindness, touched numerous Queen Anne lives."He was a man of many sides," recalled Carol Nagy, a close friend who owned a neighboring business, Soft Coverings, which closed last fall. "A pretty complex soul for someone who spent his life running a corner grocery on top of Queen Anne Hill."Indeed, Mr. Nelsen collected coins and stamps and was a railroad and maritime history buff with an encyclopedic knowledge of Queen Anne and Ballard history. His activities included the Bethany and Crown Lutheran churches, the Sons of Norway and several historical societies.