The 2006 U.S. Rowing Master's National Championships regatta was held Aug. 10-13 at Green Lake, marking the first time the Seattle area has hosted this major event. Several Kirkland notables helped put our fair city on the rowing map.Lake Washington Rowing Club member Kari Page, who is the neighborhood services coordinator for Kirkland, rowed as an independent in this event, and in her modest words, "did well." Translation: two golds, two silvers and a bronze. That's five medals - and, by the way, she said she competed in six races. She diverted attention from herself again, saying that "Green Lake did an outstanding job - this is the biggest national regatta they've ever hosted - it's a small lake, and it went like clockwork."The Lake Washington Rowing Club finished third in team points, which is no small feat considering the enormity of the event. There were nearly 1,400 entrants with 110 clubs from 26 states and three different countries. Entrants had choices of several categories, including eights, fours, doubles, singles and distinction by gender and age. (For full race results, go to www.regattacentral.com.)
Congratulations go out to the Lake Washington High School drill team. During Universal Dance Association summer camp competitions they achieved many goals. They took a home routine to camp for the first time and won first place with it.They also received a superior place trophy for getting the highest percentage of superior ribbons earned by each individual member of the team, a superior ribbon for their home routine, special recognition for their team routine for transitions, and dozens of drill down ribbons.  There were also four members of the team who made the all-stars team and were invited to perform in the New Year's Day parade in Paris.They were: Brie Watkins, Gina Cole, Cheyenne Sanders and Hailey Skelcher.Because of their first-place home routine, the team is invited to go to Orlando and perform at Disney World. This is a great start to the year. Congratulations, girls!
The teachers, lessons and surroundings are different. So are the expectations.The changes - and potential stresses - are significant for students making the milestone leaps between elementary, middle school, high school and college. Pre-teens entering middle school must leave the cozy comfort of a single classroom to go to a bigger building with multiple subjects and teachers.Young teens entering high school must balance greater academic and social pressures as they look ahead to college.High-school seniors face a state graduation test, college requirements, career choices and separation from parents as they enter adulthood.To help bridge these big transitions, Bertie Conrad, school-based counseling supervisor at Youth Eastside Services, has these words of wisdom.
Rose Hill Elementary is very excited to open the doors to our new school bright and early on Sept. 5 at 8:25 a.m. August has been a month of preparations on our campus. Many of the staff, students, former students and families watched nostalgically as our 52-year-old building was dismantled.The school district informed us that we set a record for storage trailers - 14, to be exact! After the trailers were emptied, we began the challenge of finding that "perfect place" for all of our belongings. One of the priorities of our community design team was to build a school that fit into our neighborhood and reflected its child centered and playful personality.
On Aug. 7, the Lake Washington School District board stamped its approval on a cost-cutting and revenue-producing budget that freed up $3.5 million.The shortfall was expected; as a result, the board was able to insulate the classroom and mitigate any impact on learning by increasing external fees and not cutting programs.Following is a brief overview of the 2006-07 school year budget:
All schools in the Lake Washington School District reopen on Sept. 5. There are no scheduled days off in September, but remember those early-release Wednesdays. All schools dismiss students one-and-a-half hours earlier than their usual release time to allow for scheduled teacher planning and meeting time. For more information, see www.lwsd.org.New nutrition and physical fitness policyEating to learn and learning to eatStudents who have nutritious food and appropriate physical activity are better prepared to learn. A Lake Washington School District committee took that statement to heart in their year-long process to develop new guidelines that will help schools and parents partner to support students' health and well-being.Parents should know about some of the changes that will go into effect this year. The district will provide more detail, information and suggestions for healthy eating throughout the year. With cooperation, all students will be healthier and better prepared for learning.School lunch/breakfast programSchool food services will offer more healthy choices this year. Meals will be low in fat and include a variety of vegetables, fruits and whole-grain products. Sugars and sodium will be used in moderation. Learning from some of the pilot projects completed last year, food services will develop and implement more healthy menu options. They will also develop a program to help students learn to make nutritious choices from menu options.
The annual Zucchini 500 races were hosted at the Columbia City Farmer's Market on Wedneday, Aug. 23. After constructing their garden-variety speedsters, the children raced three at a time by placing their cars at the top of the track and then running around to the bottom to catch their custom zuke-mobiles at the end of their run.Event organizers had a bevy of wheels, pipe cleaners, shiny doo-dads, umbrellas, and beads for the children to decorate their cars.
What's Cookin' in Wallingford returns Saturday, Sept. 9, after a one-year absence. The festival will feature $3 food samples from 16 restaurants, sidewalk sales from many stores and two stages of live music. The sidewalk sale will run from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and the food is available from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. The festival will feature stores spanning all the way from Stone Way North to Latona Avenue NE.Cindy Payne, a promoter who has worked with Ballard Seafoodfest, said the festival is primarily a community event for residents of Wallingford. It also seeks to promote businesses in the neighborhood. A portion of the proceeds is being donated to Family Works, a food bank and family center.Dave Harris, owner of Ebb & Flow (formerly the Jitterbug), 2114 N. 45th St., said that he hopes people "show up and support Wallingford. It is changing."
Just in time for school, children's author-illustrator Laura McGee Kvasnosky has released her 14th book, "Zelda and Ivy, the Runaways," the fourth in her series about two fox sisters.In this early reader aimed for ages 5 to 8, the story begins when the two sisters run away to avoid having to eat cucumber sandwiches."I don't like candy-coated stories," said Kvasnosky. "My girls are sassy and tart. They're real."The other books in the series include "Zelda and Ivy," "Zelda and Ivy and the Boy Next Door" and "Zelda and Ivy One Christmas." Two of the books have been translated into Danish. All of the books have also been adapted for British and Australian markets.'Absolutely wonderful'"We sell them quite regularly," said Chauni Haslet, owner of All for Kids Books and Music, of the series. "We think she is absolutely wonderful for children. She's inpiring. She's clever. She's everything you would want in a children's author and illustrator."Some of Kvasnosky's illustrations are on display in the store's window at 2900 N.E. Blakeley St."Writing and illustrating for kids was something she dreamed about for years and then realized in her mid-40s after several years of preparation and hard work," said her husband John.
This is the time of year to keep children in kindergarten to high school safe this upcoming school year by making sure all immunizations are up to date.Besides increasing the risk of getting a disease, a child who is not fully immunized may be excluded from attending school or childcare during an outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease, possibly lasting weeks. An infected child also can spread an illness to others, like those who are immunosuppressed, pregnant women or infants.This year, children entering kindergarten and sixth grade will need to get their varicella vaccine for chickenpox or prove that they have had the disease.This is the time of year to keep children in kindergarten to high school safe this upcoming school year by making sure all immunizations are up to date.Besides increasing the risk of getting a disease, a child who is not fully immunized may be excluded from attending school or childcare during an outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease, possibly lasting weeks. An infected child also can spread an illness to others, like those who are immunosuppressed, pregnant women or infants.This year, children entering kindergarten and sixth grade will need to get their varicella vaccine for chickenpox or prove that they have had the disease.
Restored and renovated, Roosevelt High School was dedicated on Aug. 30 and officiated by Mayor Greg Nickels and Seattle School District superintendent Raj Manhas. The $93.8 million project, under construction for the past two years, was made possible by voter approval of the $398 million Building Excellence II capital levy in February 2001. The project included an historic renovation of the 1922 and 1928 buildings and additions to the north side of the main building to house a new gym, cafeteria and performing arts center. The new athletic field is named for Art Wiper, a graduate of 50 years ago, who went on to teach, counsel and coach at the school for more than 35 years.
We've all looked at busy, bouncing children and wondered, 'Where do they get all that energy?'  Grandparents or older adults in particular may feel daunted by the prospect of spending time with little ones.But intergenerational activities can be easy and fun, not to mention good for you, says the Healthy Aging Partnership, a coalition of 40 Puget Sound area not-for-profit organizations dedicated to the health and well-being of older adults.Interactions with young people allow older adults to relate to another generation, learn about new technology and trends and serve as role models for children growing into tomorrow's adults.The excitement of seeing the world through younger eyes can get older adults "up and doing," reducing depression, relieving boredom and improving health.
America is growing like Topsy, or so it seems.Wild, almost weedlike.McPaper - I mean USA Today -bannered that fact in a front-page headline early in July.The reason national media trendster folk are noting our national growth is that this year we are approaching a population of 300 million people. We're expected to cross that particular numerical finish line in early October.We are growing faster than at any time since census takers started collecting extensive data early in the last century.In 1915, 91 years ago, America was a country of 100 million people. Pundits of the day pronounced shock and amazement.But 100 million was just the beginning. By 1950 there were 150 million of us. And in fact, that rise was nothing compared to what we Baby Boomers were going to do.Between 1946 and 1964 another 50 million of us came onto the American scene.In 1967, America's population was 200 million. Now, 39 years later, the country has added another 100 million people.Naysayers are worried about immigrants and immigration, legal and illegal, but I am all for letting in damn near anyone who wants to come. New blood, new life.Plus, there has always been an outcry and prejudice toward the newest Americans.
I've always found Fremont history extremely difficult to commit to paper. Printed words don't capture the nuances of our stories, and pinning down concrete facts goes against our grain. I don't brag when I refer to Fremont as mythic, the stories legendary and the history too slippery to capture.Which is why I admire Helen Divjak for attempting a task I've found overwhelming. This summer Arcadia Publishing released her pictorial history called "Seattle's Fremont" as part of their "Images of America" series. I've seen these concise histories for sale in museum gift shops and tourist centers, but always about well-known, populated cities. This is the first I know of their honoring an odd little neighborhood.Crammed with pictures, the book gives a brief written overview of Fremont history. If readers take the book as comprehensive, it is no fault of the author. She clearly advises anyone, in the introduction, to contact the Fremont Historical Society (www.fremonthistory.org) with any memories and/or photos they want to share.
Fall fecal fest It's that time of year for the annual fall fecal fest when garden enthusiasts enter a drawing in hopes of being selected to purchase Woodland Park Zoo's highly coveted zoo doo. It is said that the pungent piles of poop make up the richest, highly aromatic, most exotic compost in the Northwest. Dr. Doo is accepting entry cards from Sept. 8 through 22. Entry cards will be randomly selected. Dr. Doo will contact the lucky entries only. The fecal fest traditionally sells out.