Archive for the ‘Local Events’ Category
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Feb
05
Posted by James Lupori
Don’t Miss this Fascinating Conversation at Bastyr University
Warren Etheredge
A series of conversations on Body, Mind, Spirit, Nature and Medicine - Feb. 8
Bastyr University is proud to host a series of conversations examining the intersections of science, spirituality and medicine. The events are presented by the Bastyr University Center for Spirituality, Science and Medicine and will be moderated by Warren Etheredge of The Warren Report.
Event Details:
Where: Bastyr University Chapel, 14500 Juanita Dr. N.E., Kenmore, WA 98028
When: Musical conversation begins at 6:30 p.m.
Moderated conversation is 7 – 8:30 p.m.
Advance Tickets: $15/night, $40 for series
At the Door: $20
Students: $10/night, $25 for series
Dine in Bastyr’s award-winning, vegetarian cafeteria before the conversation. Open until 6:30 before the event.
Spirit conversation:
When: Monday, February 8, 2010
With: Rabbi Ted Falcon, PhD, Terrill Gibson, PhD, and Leanna Standish, ND, PhD, LAc
Music: By Thomas Arthur
Register online for this lecture.
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Jan
12
Posted by James Lupori
A Good Recap of 2009 in Kenmore
Click on this picture to view the whole newsletter
The current City of Kenmore Newsletter contains a number of interesting articles about the various projects and accomplishments of the City this last year. Of particular interest are:
- Improvements to SR522
- City Budget and Property Tax Levy Information
- The City Manager’s 2009 Review
- An Update on the new Kenmore City Hall
- Swamp Creek Park Master Plan
I encourage you to read through this newsletter. The sections regarding the budget and property taxes are quite interesting.
Also, if you want to become more involved in the planning of “our fair city,” check out the section regarding the Planning Commission and Downtown Task Force. I think this would be a good opportunity for residents to help shape the future of Kenmore.
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Jan
06
Posted by James Lupori
Thinking Out Loud about Bastyr University
In a recent press release by Bastyr University, it was announced that the City of Kenmore approved a master-plan which will nurture a greater level of cooperation between this famous University and the city. Click on the link below to read the whole press release:
KENMORE CITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY APPROVES BASTYR UNIVERSITY MASTER PLAN
To me, this is really good news. There is no other institution in the City of Kenmore that commands national and, indeed international recognition as Bastyr. I feel it’s time to take the relationship one step further and have the city leadership approach Bastyr with a plan to create a satellite campus in the current Kenmore Village. This is not my idea. I’ve spoken with a number of residents who believe this would be both feasible and beneficial to everyone.
Think of the possibilities: The University could offer classes and also have a “store front” that might offer acupuncture, homoeopathic or herbal medicines and other products/services that are a reflection of Bastyr’s mission!
I would love to hear any other ideas Kenmore residents have about forming a deeper relationship with Bastyr University. Oh, and for some other Bastyr news:
BASTYR UNIVERSITY HOSTS 12TH ANNUAL SPLASH AND DASH
Students, faculty and staff plunge into new year with icy swimming tradition
These are some tough honchos and honchettes!!!!
ATTEND THE INNOVATIVE SERIES: BODY, MIND, SPIRIT, NATURE AND MEDICINE
BASTYR HOSTING SERIES ON SPIRITUALITY AND HEALTH
Events presented by the Bastyr Center for Spirituality, Science and Medicine
The Bastyr University Center for Spirituality, Science and Medicine is pleased to present “Body, Mind, Spirit, Nature and Medicine: A Series of Conversations.” This innovative series brings together Bastyr experts and leading local authorities on physical, mental and spiritual health to discuss how each focus area is vital to whole-person health and health care. Presented in early 2010, the three talks will focus on “body,” “mind” and “spirit” respectively. They will be moderated by Warren Etheredge, founder of The Warren Report.
The Jan. 11 talk will focus on “Body” and include the perspectives of Seattle physicians Christine Adams, MD; Cathy Rogers, ND; and internationally recognized mind/body expert Joel Levey, PhD. The Feb. 1 event will cover “Mind” and feature Bastyr University faculty member Brad Lichtenstein, ND; Seattle naturopathic physician Sheila Dunn-Merritt; and Robert V. Taylor, author of I’m Spiritual Not Religious: Making Sense of Finding Meaning. The discussion on Feb. 8 will revolve around “Spirit” and include Rabbi Ted Falcon, PhD, co-founder of Bet Alef Meditative Synagogue in Seattle; Terrill L. Gibson, PhD, pastoral psychotherapist; and Leanna Standish, ND, PhD, LAc, FABNO, medical director of the Bastyr Integrative Oncology Research Center (BIORC).
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Nov
20
Posted by James Lupori
“With Thanks and Praise: Music for Christ the King”
Where: Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, 6211 NE 182nd St.
When: 7:30 pm Saturday, November 21st
Admission: Free-will donation to support Redeemer’s music program
The holiday season is definitely upon us. If you enjoy classical music, attend this wonderful concert. The concert falls on “the feast day of Christ the King,” which in Redeemer’s Anglican tradition, marks the close of the church year. So take this opportunity to share some holiday cheer, listen to some beautiful music and meet your neighbours.
Soprano Janeanne Houston performs tomorrow night!
Soprano Janeanne Houston will be performing in Kenmore this Saturday evening with a program that includes Bach’s Cantata 84, English songs by Finzi and Holst, and a fiery aria from Mozart’s Davidde Penetente. She will be accompanied by organist Sheila Bristow, a fellow faculty member at Pacific Lutheran University.
The Organ at Episcopal Church of the Redeemer in Kenmore
For more information, visit Episcopal Church of the Redeemer’s website or Facebook page.
This bulletin and pictures courtesy of Wade Rockett.
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Oct
28
Posted by James Lupori
Boeing Is Going to Leave Seattle – Deal with It!
Here is my thoughtful prediction about the future of the Boeing Company in Seattle/Puget Sound. I am not an aerospace expert, engineer, economist, pilot, air steward or employee of Boeing. Simply put, I’m one of the two million people in the area whose life has been inexorably connected to Boeing for many years. Boeing’s successes and failures have a direct and powerful impact on everyone around here. This was forever made clear by two Realtors in 1971 when Boeing tanked and Seattle almost died:
Two Realtors put this sign up!
“WE NEED TO FACE FACTS. BOEING IS GOING TO LEAVE IN THE NOT-SO-DISTANT FUTURE”
OK, there, I said it. I would love to hear some other opinions, but to me, current events strongly suggest that there’s going to be an ugly divorce in Puget Sound: One of the spouses is leaving for a younger “thang,” taking the income, the furniture, the kids and is leaving town…….The other spouse is going to be left with an empty house and bitter memories.
Ever since my wife and I moved to Seattle in the mid-1980’s, the “relationship” between Boeing, the State of Washington, the Unions and the the local population has always seemed dysfunctional at best and downright nasty a lot of the time. Boeing’s announcement today to open a 2nd manufacturing line in South Carolina for the 787 jetliner, is the REAL beginning of the end of this this relationship.
And here’s what’s so disturbing to me: I’ve observed that people in this area (especially Boeing employees) live in a perpetual state of denial about this inevitability. It was the same situation with the automobile, steel and clothing industries. To this day there are a lot of people still wondering where all the jobs went once the clothing mills left New England for the Carolinas and Texas. I have friends who live in New England that still harbor ugly resentments toward the South over this.
Let’s Get Past the Blame Game
Do yourself a favor: Read the comments to the Seattle Times article “Boeing Picks Charleston for new 787 line.” There you will find the same mind-numbing arguments about the Unions, Labor, Greed…blah, blah, blah….It’s business-as-usual. IT’S THE BLAME GAME. Well, my friends, instead of arguing about who is to blame for the departure of Boeing here’s what we and our leaders need to do:
LET’S CREATE A NEW ECONOMIC BASE OF GREEN AND HIGH TECH MANUFACTURING BUSINESSES!
Instead of bemoaning the loss of Boeing, we should be looking far into the future. We have the material and human capital here in Puget Sound literally to reinvent our economic base. Let’s take the experiences (successes and failures) with Boeing, learn from them and build our economics around smaller, more resilient business models.
It’s time for all of us to quit living in denial about Boeing. It’s going away. Planes will be manufactured somewhere else. Deal with it. If the Seattle area is to survive, we need to put our minds to work on 21st Century industries and innovative technologies.
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Oct
12
Posted by James Lupori
Here’s the Current Fire Department Newsletter!
Click on this picture to view the whole newsletter!
As a resident of Kenmore, I’m grateful that we have the Northshore Fire Department (Station 51) in our city. Each Quarter, the fire department provides the residents of Kenmore and Lake Forest Park a newsletter featuring public events and giving practical safety advice.
The current issue also has an interesting article regarding the new fire station being constructed across the street from the current station. If you want to learn more about the new facility, check out my blog post: Kenmore’s New 21st Century Fire Station is on the Way.
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Oct
05
Posted by James Lupori
Kenmore City Hall – O’Brien vs Van Ness
The new Kenmore City Hall under construction
I have asked the Kenmore City Council candidates for positions #2 and #6 to comment here on KenmoreUndressed regarding their campaigns, philosophies and plans for the future of our city. I was hoping that Dianne Brennan, Laurie Sperry, Patrick O’Brien or Allan Van Ness would respond. I have also tried to contact Bob Hensel (who is running unopposed). Only one candidate, Patrick O’Brien has responded.
At the recent Kenmore City Council Candidate Forum, some sparks flew between Patrick and his opponent, Allan Van Ness, the sitting council member. Unfortunately, that particular venue did not allow some important issues to be debated very deeply by the candidates. One of the most contentious issues raised was that of the new Kenmore City Hall. Patrick O’Brien reached out to me after the forum to ask if I would post a piece that would explain his position regarding the handling of the new city hall. I agreed.
What follows is a statement from Patrick in response to Allan Van Ness’s statements on his website and at the recent forum regarding the city hall:
Patrick O'Brien
Why I’m running
After seeing our City Counsel blunder into a string of mistakes that’s costing us millions, people asked me to run again. The majority of the counsel is in need of removal due to their lack of openness, rampant spending, and non-public process. To best serve the Public of Kenmore the City Counsel must ask the citizens of Kenmore what they think about major projects, not with an open house but with a ballot! Multi million dollar issues (like New City Hall) certainly need to be stopped or moved forward based on the results of a public vote. Time was not the issue for voting as they have had years to ask you for a vote on this issue. My opponent Allan Van Ness promised to get the voter’s approval. He did not. He said the sale of the Kenmore Village property would pay for City Hal. It did not.
About Kenmore City Hall
The following statement is taken from Allan’s campaign website:
Throughout the years of planning I was opposed to the City Hall project due to its size, cost and the uncertainty of the economy and the use of long term financing. I feel the size is still bigger than we need, but now that construction costs have been reduced from $15 million down to $8 million, financially it makes sense to build now rather than to wait. The City has been saving for eleven years for this purpose. These savings plus the funds that will be available from the sale of the Kenmore Village property will be more than sufficient to cover the costs.
Timing: The City’s investment accounts are currently earning very low interest. The cost of construction will never be better. It makes sense to invest in real estate now rather than later. If we need to borrow until the downtown property closes, the interest rate is under 4%.
The significant public projects currently underway or planned in the near future (522 improvements, City Hall, Fire Station and Library) tell the retail, housing and construction industries that Kenmore is where they should be investing as well. Yes, the time is right.
Patrick O’Brien’s Response:
The new City Hall is emblematic of the current City Council’s pattern of not asking for voter approval before committing to a multi-million project. A new City Hall is not our top priority and, yet, the Council operates as if the City had no financial risk in building it. To this day, I don’t believe the Counsel knows if the public would have approved the new Hall. Even my opponent indicated that he originally opposed the project.
Regarding the cost of the new City Hall: During a recent public debate at the Uplake Community Center, my opponent used a figure of $8 million dollars for this project. If it were only true. The $8 million dollar figure does NOT include the costs of land acquisition, consultants, architecture, furnishings, maintenance or carrying costs on borrowed money. A figure of $17.5 million would be more accurate in spite of the claims that construction and borrowing costs are attractive. In addition, why did the City Council feel that using Kenmore’s cash reserves for this project was fiscally responsible? Instead of acting frugally and strategically by reducing city staff and maintaining the present location, the City of Kenmore is building a City Hall that is neither fiscally responsible or, at this time, necessary. We could have sold the Kenmore Village three years ago.
DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed in this post are those of the candidates and do not represent this author’s positions or opinions.
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Oct
04
Posted by James Lupori
Only Two More Weeks to Go!
When we went to pick up our Growing Washington food box today, it became clear that this season of wonderful summer bounty is coming to an end. Today was the last day of the Lake Forest Park Farmer’s Market for the year. We are also two weeks away from the end of our farm subscription. I’ve got to tell you, I’m not looking forward to shopping for vegetables at the grocery stores again. It has been “empowering” to know that living here in Kenmore, WA we can take advantage of local farms that are literally up the road from our town.
This Week’s Bounty
This week we ordered yellow carrots, sweet potatoes (oh I can hardly wait to prepare them!), scallions….
Arugula, also known as “rocket,” is garden green with a distinctive, smoky-nutty-spicy flavor. At one time it was considered a noxious-invasive plant that quite literally took over huge pieces of land. Today, it is one of the most versatile and flavorful greens one can use in the kitchen. It’s good alone, mixed with other greens and even served with a nice piece of beef! This particular batch we received this week is delicious!
It’s a good week for root vegetables! We received one large fennel bulb, small onions, blue potatoes and red potatoes. Aren’t the colors great?
This week we also order duck eggs, kale and the “braising mix” that you see above. This is a mix of chopped Swiss chard, collards and kale that can be added to soups or you can saute’ them for an incredibly healthy addition to your menu.
How to Prepare “Greens”
Here’s what you need to prepare kale, Swiss chard or beet greens:
A large bunch of greens
2 table spoons of olive oil (or butter if you dare!)
2 cloves of fresh garlic chopped
1 finely chopped scallion (or several tablespoons of finely chopped onion)
1 cup of vegetable/chicken stock or water
A pinch of salt
A big pinch of black pepper
Hot pepper flakes (to taste) or chop in a jalapeno or other picquant pepper
Heat the olive oil/ butter in a large saute pan and then add the onion and saute until the onion softens. Then place the chopped greens into the pan at medium high heat. Mix the greens with onion until they start to melt. Then toss the garlic on top of the greens and mix them in…
As you can see, the greens “melt as they cook. After you add the garlic, toss everything together add some of the stock to enhance the cooking process (and add flavor to the dish).
During the next 10 minutes or so, continue to add some stock to keep the greens from drying out. At this point, go ahead and add salt and/or the red pepper flakes. Mix this together and continue to cook until the greens are soft. Please note: sometimes you’ll get a batch of greens that resists getting tender……..deal with it! Sometimes greens are going to be chewy (my wife loves them like that!).
In the end, make sure the greens are not “dry” when you serve them. They should be moist.
Greens are one of the most healthful things you can eat. They go well with almost any dish and they are easy to prepare. Here in the Northwest our greens taste good almost all year round; however, kale is at its peak in the late Winter after it has been frosted (which makes them sweet). I hope you try them this year!
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Sep
18
Posted by James Lupori
The Excitement Grows Over the New Firestation
Last December I had a conversation with the Northshore Fire Chief Tom Weathers who, at that time, expressed a great deal of excitement about construction of a new Headquarters Station to be built across the street, on the corner of 73rd Avenue and 181st Street here in Kenmore. Well, on August 26th the long-awaited construction started. What was once a quasi-vacant lot is now being transformed into a 21st Century fire station that will meet the growing needs of the Northshore area for the next 40-50 years.The aging fire station (a 17,000 square foot structure built in the 70’s) ……..
…will be replaced by a 30,000 square foot station that will look like this:
Yesterday I had the pleasure of sitting down with Deputy Chief Jim Torpin (a 17-year veteran of the Department) at Fire Station 51 to discuss the need for a new station and how vital a new facility is not only for the purpose of emergency response but also for the community in general. As the Deputy Chief said,
“We designed the new station with the intention of having a facility that won’t need to be remodeled for the next 40 years. The station offers room for expansion, for regional fire training and it will also accommodate the great need for community space which is currently lacking in the City of Kenmore.”
What’s Going on Right Now
I took this picture of the new station’s site back in December. Up until recently it was nothing more than an overgrown lot. Nothing to write home about…..but today:
Since August 26th, when construction began, the lot has been transformed into something that looks quite different:
Deputy Chief Jim Torpin points to the site of the new station!
As Jim and I walked the construction site, it was obvious that he is incredibly excited about having a new facility. During our discussion he confessed that the Fire District’s Board of Commissioners and the Department itself thought carefully about the cost of building a new facility. There is always the concern that tax payers may not understand why a new station is necessary. After all, isn’t the current building sufficient? Well, not really. As the Deputy Chief explained:
“The idea of building a new station started back in 2002. Our studies concluded that it would cost over $6 million to remodel the current station and that simply didn’t make much sense. Today, the staff is crammed into what used to be closets and there are infrastructural issues (such as venting exhaust from the emergency vehicles out of the building, etc.) Essentially, the old station has seen better days. It was determined that building a new station would serve the needs of the community much better especially with projected population growth in the future. A lot of effort went into designing a structure that would accommodate more emergency vehicles, adequate facilities for both firemen and the public, an expanded training area, meeting rooms and office space. At the same time the structure will be as ‘green as possible’ with high tech systems to conserve energy and operate the facility efficiently.”
Deputy Chief Torpin addressed the cost issue this way: The projected cost for the land, design and construction is going to be about $18 Million. The irony is that, because of the current slump in the economy, the total cost will be about 20% lower than the original projections. To illustrate how large a project this is, here’s a schematic of the new station on the lot:
Click on the picture for a larger view!
It was a real treat to talk with Deputy Chief Torpin. He represents what’s so impressive about individuals who choose to work as firemen: They combine a vast array of practical skills from mechanics, chemistry, public relations, medicine and construction. They also work in a world that requires a military efficiency that allows them to deal with life and death situations. Personally, I’m very impressed.
I can’t wait to see the new fire station.
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Sep
06
Posted by James Lupori
News Flash – 3000+ Rally in Favor of Health Care Reform
Who Reported it?
NOT THE SEATTLE TIMES
NOT THE SEATTLE PI
APPARENTLY NO ONE!
- Photos by Goldie of horsesa*s.org
I don’t mind admitting that I am in favor of health care reform. And I believe that most Americans want to see meaningful changes in the way health care is delivered in the United States. We can argue about how reform might finally look, but anyone being intellectually honest knows the Main Stream Media has taken the “low-road” to journalistic bankruptcy in it’s coverage of the national health care discussion. Case in point:
On Thursday, September 3rd a large pro-health care rally of over 3000 people took place at the Westlake Plaza in downtown Seattle. This event was IGNORED by the local media. Several media observers such as the Washington State Labor Council noted:
More than 3,000 people came together for a rally Thursday to send Washington state’s Congressional delegation elected officials back to Washington, D.C., to finish the job of fixing our health insurance system. (As far as we can tell, the event was completely ignored by the commercial media, which hasn’t tended to cover any public demonstrations of support for national health care reform unless they involve screaming, disruptive counter protesters.)
Jason Linkins of the Huffington Report wrote on September 4th:
“I have personally never been to Seattle, Washington, but I am reliably informed that it is a major American city that enjoys many of the technological amenities of modern life, including news organizations with real live reporters and cameras and internet access and even a major newspaper called the Seattle Times. So, there’s really no reason why the media couldn’t have reported on the fact that yesterday, 3,000 people attended a rally for health care reform in Westlake Park.”
Non-Journalism and the Main Stream Media
The Media has had over 30 years to help educate the American public about our health care system. Of all the “watch dog” organizations in America, the Media has been in the preeminent position to inform us and clarify this complex subject. Instead, it has taken the “if-it-bleeds-it-leads” route and reports only the gratuitous, lowest-common-denominator events regarding health care reform. This morning, I did a Google search to see if the Seattle Times did report on the rally and, perhaps we missed it. The picture below shows what I found regarding “health care rally coverage”
Click on the picture for a larger view
- Man Punched at health rally – Miami 9/3/2009
- Part of Man’s finger bitten off at health rally – S. California 9/4/2009
- Just Who are these Health Care Protesters? – 8/12/2009
These are the types of sensationalized, insulting reports that the Seattle Times pushes as “news” these days. I suppose if Jim McDermott, one of the keynote speakers at Thursday’s rally, had called Glen Beck or Rush Limbaugh a fascist someone in the Media may have taken notice. Or better yet, it’s too bad no one brought their assault-weapon collection. That would have certainly received some media attention.
Perhaps I’m overstating my case a bit; however, you all know the truth about the Media these days:
There was a time when the “news” was a loss-leader on the TV networks. News coverage was considered a public service and a public good. Now that the “news” has become a 24/7 industry that exists in a universe all its own, Americans have become the most informed least educated people on earth. My dear readers, is it any wonder that Americans have become disenchanted with our institutions and our leaders? When the news is nothing more than another “commodity” to be manufactured to create ad revenue, and when people never question what they see and read, then our republic is in grave danger.
Over the last two months, I have watched and listened in horror as the Media has been allowed to frame the whole health care debate in what I call “The Holy Trinity of Propaganda.” You can make a great story (or political argument) by exploiting the only emotions Americans seem to have these days:
Anger, Outrage and Fear
I was strangely unsurprised at the incompetence of the Media with regard to the Westlake rally. I have come to expect little of a corporate driven media. This is why more of you should become bloggers in your local communities. As time passes and the Media becomes nothing more than an outlet for one or two corporate/political agendas, a diversity of ideas and on-the-ground reporting will come from citizen journalists.
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