Family/Children

Top 10 Thanksgiving injuries...and how to prevent them

ericm — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 23:02:12 +0000

ericm Mon, 11/19/2012 - 3:02pm

Press release:

Whether you deep fry the bird or stuff the turkey, cooking together for Thanksgiving is a family tradition. But that very tradition (cooking) is the #1 cause of accidents over the Thanksgiving Holiday.

That’s why urgent care centers like Doctors Express, the first ever national franchise of urgent care, expects a huge hike in patients over this holiday week.

Doctors offices are typically closed over weekends and you can wait for hours at the ER. Urgent Care centers like Doctors Express are open 7-days-a-week .  

Here are the Top 5 Thanksgiving Injuries (and Tips To Prevent Them):

• Burns
 Avoid wearing lose clothes. A dangling sleeve can easily catch fire.  Make ovens a “Kid Free Zone”   Keep pot handles toward the back burners to reduce risk of knocking pots over.
 
• Food Poisoning
 Wash hands thoroughly when handling uncooked meat and keep it separate from other food.  Oven temperature when cooking a turkey should be no lower than 325 degrees and the turkey should be completely thawed before cooking.   A food thermometer must register a safe minimum temperature of 165 degrees inside the turkey.  Best to cook stuffing outside the turkey in a casserole, but if you choose to stuff a turkey, make sure the stuffing also reaches a temp of 165 degrees.

• Cuts
 Stay totally focused when slicing food  Don’t rush. Give yourself plenty of time to carve slowly .   Give the carving duty to the most experienced carver. No first timers allowed!

• Sprains, strains and fractures
People tend to eat and then immediately head out for that annual game of football, overexerting themselves. They can develop chest pain and shortness of breath which leads them to seek medical care.
 Take a break after eating before you rush out to play sports  Remember, this isn’t the NFL and you are out to have fun, not win the Heisman Trophy or impress relatives and friends.

• Heartburn
many people eat too much, too fast on Thanksgiving which can quickly cause heartburn, indigestion and create chest pain. This can feel like a heart attack which leads people to seek medical attention.
 Eat slowly  Take breaks in between courses  Keep antacids on hand

Family/Children

Emergency Preparedness/Safety

Healthcare

Highline Times

Seahurst Park night beach walk set for Dec. 14

ericm — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 00:49:56 +0000

ericm Wed, 11/14/2012 - 4:49pm

Press release:

The Environmental Science Center (ESC) would like to invite the public to join us for this free ONCE A YEAR event at the Environmental Science Center at Seahurst Park. An After-Hours Beach Walk will take place Friday, December 14th, 2012 from 8:30 PM to 10:30 PM.

An especially low tide combined with the protective darkness of night will give you the opportunity to see marine animals in a new light- your FLASHLIGHT! Naturalists will be taking groups from the Environmental Science Center down to the beach to guide the experience and identify discoveries. Inside the center, you can learn more about marine life at the microscope station or join a game of marine bingo. Warm up with cider and cookies while socializing with fellow Puget Sound enthusiasts.

A few friendly pointers and reminders:
- Dress warmly
- Wear rubber boots
- Bring a flashlight
- Do No Harm
-Touch animals gently with a wet finger
- Watch where you step
- Leave rocks bigger than your fist where they are (don’t flip over)
- Save the Children
- Leave ALL animals and shells where you find them (don’t take them home)
- Pass It On
- Share what you learn with others

To attend this free event, please RSVP to Jennifer Dumlao, Outreach Manager
Outreach@EnvScienceCenter.org
206.248.4266

Our center is at Seahurst Park: 2220 SW Seahurst Park Rd, Burien. Park in the lower or upper lots. To get to the center, walk along the trail that runs north from the turning circle and bathrooms at the lower parking lot until you reach the first building.

For more information about the Environmental Science Center visit: www.envsciencecenter.org

Parks/Open Space/Trails

Highline Times

Kids day at Burien fire station set for Sept. 8

ericm — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 17:49:39 +0000

ericm Fri, 08/31/2012 - 10:49am

The Burien / Normandy Park Fire Department will be hosting their annual open-house event on Saturday, Sept. 8th at the downtown Burien fire station, 15100 8th Ave. S.W.

During the event from 10 a.m.- 3 p.m., there will be a wide range of activities. The firefighters will demonstrate their skills in emergency automobile extrication and high-angle rope rescue.

Kids can practice escaping from a burning house, squirt a fire hose, learn about safety in many areas, and answer questions for prizes.

Balloons, fire hats, and safety information will also be handed out. Bully prevention and low cost helmets for anyone over the age of 1 provided.

Burien

Family/Children

Emergency Preparedness/Safety

Festivals/Annual Events

Highline Times

No Poolin’, swim for free in Tukwila on April 21

ericm — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 21:01:25 +0000

ericm Wed, 04/11/2012 - 2:01pm

The Tukwila Pool is among 22 pools in King County that will hold free events where children and families can learn important water safety skills, while enjoying free swim time and games on April Pools Day, Saturday, April 21.

The Tukwila Pool, located at 4414 S. 144th St., will hold its free event from 1-3 p.m. Call 206-267-2350 for more information.

"Water sports are a great way to have fun and be physically active," said Dr. David Fleming, Director and Health Officer for Public Heath – Seattle & King County. "But please stay safe. That means closely supervising children, wearing a life jacket and avoiding the deadly mix of alcohol, drugs, and water activities."

“Research has shown that learning to swim is an important skill to help prevent drowning and that it’s great exercise, as well,” adds Elizabeth Bennett, Advocacy Director for Seattle Children’s Hospital. "April Pools Day is a perfect time to visit your local pool and have fun as a family. You can also find out about water recreation programs and swim lessons, including scholarships that may be available so that all children can learn to swim.”

During April Pools Day, families will have the opportunity to learn drowning prevention strategies, proper lifejacket fitting and use, basic self-help skills, and rescue techniques in a water emergency.

Local events will be held in Bellevue, Covington, Enumclaw, Everett, Federal Way (4/22), Seattle and Tukwila. For a schedule of events, please call Amy Collins at 425-670-5521 or visit www.seattlechildrens.org/pdf/april-pools-day-event-listing-2012.pdf.

Find coupons for a discount on a variety of lifejackets at Big 5 Sporting Goods at www.seattlechildrens.org/dp.

Water safety tips:
Make sure all family members know how to swim.
Always wear a lifejacket when boating in lakes, rivers or Puget Sound.
It’s best to swim only in designated areas with lifeguards. If that is not possible, wear a lifejacket.
Be especially careful when swimming, boating, tubing, or rafting in rivers due to dangers from currents and cold temperatures. The best decision may be not to enter the water.
Have infants and children wear a lifejacket when in or near open water.
Supervise children and teens when they are in or near all types of water. Ensure supervisors are close enough to provide immediate rescue to children.
Do not drink alcohol when swimming, boating, or supervising children.
Learn CPR.

Drowning facts:
Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for children and teens in Washington.
The populations at highest risk for drowning are young children under the age of five, males (especially those between 15-24 years and those 65 years and older), people with seizure disorders, and people who cannot swim.
In 2009, there were 103 unintentional drowning deaths in Washington. Fourteen of these drowning deaths were children younger than 18.

April Pools Day is presented by Public Health – Seattle & King County, the Drowning Prevention Network of Washington State, Washington Parks and Recreation Association, Seattle Children’s, and Safe Kids Seattle. The annual event gives families and others a chance to safely prepare for the wide variety of water-related recreation available in Washington.

Tukwila

County Government

Family/Children

Emergency Preparedness/Safety

Highline Times

Des Moines Area Food Bank wins award for local child hunger program

ericm — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 00:14:19 +0000

ericm Mon, 03/26/2012 - 5:14pm

Local food bank receives $5,000 from Food Lifeline for Excellence in Collaboration

Press release:
The Des Moines Area Food Bank received $5,000 and one of the 2012 Agency Excellence Awards for the organization’s exemplary approaches to ending hunger through its mobile summer meals program for children in low-income households.
Food Lifeline presented the food bank with the Excellence in Collaboration award and $5,000 to continue expanding its mission, and to increase and better its capabilities to serve the hungry people in the Des Moines community.
The White Center Food Bank also received Honorable Mention in the Excellence in Client Service category.

While the Des Moines Area Food Bank has long prioritized the issue of child hunger, they recently discovered that the rate of food insecurity for children in their part of the county is nearly twice the rate found in Seattle or other King County communities. Through a series of innovative local collaborations the Des Moines Area Food Bank implemented a mobile summer meals program that resulted in over 14,000 nutritious summer lunches and snacks for children in the heart of low-income neighborhoods.
The collaboration behind this much-need service included local businesses, government, schools, churches, the emergency food network, and other human service providers to reach hundreds of different children with healthful food, wholesome activities, and resources to expand their academic potential. Partners provided a variety of resources including meal sites, funding, food, staff support, and special benefits for children and their families.
"We would like to thank Food Lifeline for this award and Unified Grocers for the $5,000 in funding support. We were excited to work with so many great partners this year, including Highline School District, Matt Griffin YMCA, Washington State OSPI, City of Des Moines Parks and Recreation, City of SeaTac Parks Department, United Way of King County, Des Moines Lions Club, Des Moines United Methodist Church, Food Lifeline and many community volunteers! We love working with you!"
The Des Moines Area Food Bank won this award for its excellence in collaboration which is given to a Food Lifeline member agency that demonstrates exemplary approaches to ending hunger by pulling together the community, agencies, organizations or the government to end hunger.
• Food Lifeline presented the Agency Excellence Awards at its Annual Agency Conference in Shoreline, on March 22. The conference hosts expert leaders from Food Lifeline’s nearly 300 member agencies from all throughout Western Washington, connects them with each other and offers educational and informational workshops.
“Our member agencies face considerable challenges due to the lingering effects of the economy and the significant increase in people seeking food assistance,” says Linda Nageotte, President and CEO of Food Lifeline, “These awards allow us to provide recognition and support to those agencies who have responded to the great need in their communities by developing innovative and deeply impactful programs to feed hungry people.”

About Des Moines Area Food Bank
The Des Moines Area Food Bank serves an average of 1,000 different families each month in the area south of Sea-Tac airport. In addition to this regular service, the food bank has focused on addressing childhood hunger through its weekend backpack and summer meals programs.

Two out of three students in local elementary schools qualify for the federal free and reduced program and 1 in 5 children in South King county live in families that "often" or "sometimes" run out of food.

"When we learned children’s health as well as educational success is closely linked with adequate food, we knew the food bank needed to act with summer meal support for children," stated Kris Van Gasken, Executive Director. "The summer meals program is important because it not only addresses the need for food, but also the need for highly nutritious food." For more information on the food bank, or to make a donation, visit www.myfoodbank.org.

About Food Lifeline
Food Lifeline is a local hunger relief organization, efficiently serving the Western Washington area by using 96% of revenue to directly feed hungry people. Last year the organization delivered more than 27 million meals to hungry people through its network of nearly 300 food banks, meal programs and shelters. Food Lifeline is also a member of the national organization, Feeding America. For more information about Food Lifeline or to make a tax-deductible donation, visit www.foodlifeline.org or call 206-545-6600.

Ballard Big Picture: Small Faces celebrates 35 years, new playground

michaelh — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 19:24:57 +0000

michaelh Sat, 09/11/2010 - 12:24pm

Children from Crown Hill's Child Development Center, which celebrated its 35th anniversary Sept. 11, do their own celebrating of the center's brand new playground.

Michael Harthorne

Crown Hill's Small Faces Child Development Center celebrated its 35th year as a nonprofit organization Sept. 11. And, for the first time in 35 years, the older children of Small Faces had a playground of their own to celebrate on.

In addition to the anniversary, Sept. 11 was the official debut of Small Faces' new playground for older children. Before that, Small Faces only had a preschool-centric playground.

John Otto, executive director of Small Faces, said he found a letter from the 1980s signed by students and a teacher asking for a playground for older children.

The new playground was built by volunteers in two days, but it took a week before children were allowed to use it, Otto said.

"The kids could just not wait," he said. "They were on the other side of the fence like, 'Please just let us in.'"

Otto said he is looking forward to another 35 years of Small Faces. And, now that Small Faces owns its facilities at the Crown Hill Center, there is a chance to make some real improvements, he said.

Ballard Big Picture is a column of scenes from around the neighborhood. If you would like to submit a photo for use on this site and in the Ballard News-Tribune, please send it to Michael Harthorne at michaelh@robinsonnews.com. Be sure to include your name and information about your photo.

Small Faces Child Development Center

Crown Hill

Family/Children

Robinson Papers

Project Cool eases back-to-school for homeless families

michaelh — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 15:01:27 +0000

michaelh Sat, 08/14/2010 - 8:01am

Co-Chairwoman Cecelia Linsley (right) with another volunteer stuffs backpacks Aug. 11 in Crown Hill for Project Cool, a nonprofit that provides school supplies to homeless children.

Bethany Overland

By Bethany Overland

It’s mid-August, and the new school year is less than a month away. New clothes, shoes and school supplies can be hard on the budget of any family—that is, if you’re lucky enough to have a budget.

For homeless parents, back-to-school can mean back-to-wondering how they’ll meet their children’s needs for the new academic year. But thanks to Project Cool, more than 1,800 homeless students across King County will enter the year with a brand-new backpack, binder and other basic supplies necessary for success in school—and eventually in life.

More than 30 volunteers met Aug. 11 at a former Baptist church in Crown Hill to stuff backpacks with school supplies. Thousands of packages of crayons and markers and stacks of notebooks littered the hall, and brand-new backpacks waited reverently in the pews.

“On the surface, what we do doesn’t seem like a big deal,” said Project Cool Co-Chairwoman Cecelia Linsley. “It isn’t working to solve the bigger issue of homelessness or anything. But to these kids who rarely get new things, imagine walking through the school doors with brand new supplies, just like the rest of your peers. And, that’s what Project Cool is about, making these kids who constantly feel ‘different’ for once get to feel like they’re the same. We already know school is hard enough to begin with.”

Project Cool is a division of the Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness, a nonprofit organization that works to assist homeless people in King County while working on a long-term solution for what they call the regional crisis of homelessness.

Run solely by volunteers, Project Cool has provided school supplies to children of homeless families for 20 years. The backpacks, stuffed with supplies, are dispensed across King County’s numerous homeless agencies and given to children who are either in emergency shelters or transitional housing. In addition to the backpacks, the children also receive a $20 Payless Shoe Source gift certificate and a personal hygiene kit.

A King County case worker told a story of a mother and son who entered a Seattle shelter the night before school started. Because of Project Cool, the case worker was able to give the 10-year-old boy a backpack that could help him start his academic year off right, despite a rough time in the family’s personal life.

“It’s just as much a gift to the parents as it is to the children,” Linsley said. “Homeless parents aren’t concerned any less about their kids. Every kid wants things, and the parents want to provide. But, just because it’s back-to-school time doesn’t mean they suddenly have the extra cash.”

Though the fundraising drives are over for 2010, Project Cool still hasn’t met its monetary goals for the year. Donations can be made by visiting www.homelessinfo.org/project_cool or calling 206.926.9300.

Bethany Overland is a student in the University of Washington Department of Communication News Laboratory.

Boys & Girls Club basketball signups Sept. 8

michaelh — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 17:09:40 +0000

michaelh Wed, 08/11/2010 - 10:09am

Signups for Ballard Boys & Girls Club winter basketball camps and leagues start Sept. 8.

The kindergarten through first-grade boys camp runs on Tuesdays and Fridays from Oct. 19 to Dec. 17 and features 8-foot basketball hoops.

The second-grade boys camp runs on Mondays and Wednesdays from Oct 18 to Dec. 15 and features 9-foot hoops.

The second and third-grade girls camps runs on Thursdays and Saturdays from Oct. 21 to Dec. 18 and features 9-foot hoops.

Winter basketball in-house leagues for third-grade boys, fourth and fifth-grade boys, and fourth and fifth-grade girls start practice Jan. 3. Games begin in late January, and the leagues end March 4.

The cost for all leagues is $75 and includes a Boys & Girls Club membership.

In addition to basketball, the Ballard Boys & Girls Club is offering first through fourth-grade coed flag football. Signups are Aug. 13, and flag football runs Mondays and Wednesdays beginning Sept. 13.

For registration information, visit www.ballard.postiveplace.org or call 206.783.5775.

Ballard Boys and Girls Club

Ballard

Family/Children

Robinson Papers

Neighbors shape Crown Hill's newest skatedot

michaelh — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 17:11:30 +0000

michaelh Tue, 08/03/2010 - 10:11am

Brad Siedlecki of Pillar Design Studios gets input on the new Crown Hill Park skatedot from 8-year-old skateboarder Charlie after an Aug. 2 meeting. CLICK IMAGE TO SEE PLANS FOR THE PARK.

Michael Harthorne

The final piece of the new Crown Hill Park is ready to be completed after a handful of parents, activists and skateboarders met with Seattle Parks and Recreation and Pillar Design Studios Aug. 2 to discuss the park's skateboarding area.

Kim Baldwin, project manager for Parks, said the public's reaction to a skatedot, a 1,500-square-foot skateboarding area, was overwhelmingly positive at previous meetings.

Out of a total budget of $1.2 million for Crown Hill Park, located on the north side of Holman Road Northwest between 13th Avenue Northwest and 14th Avenue Northwest, $55,000 has been designated for the skatedot, which will be located in the southeast section of the park.

Brad Siedlecki of Pillar Design Studios was on hand to facilitate the discussion about the shape and scope of the skatedot. He said, due to space and budget constraints, it would be best to keep the design simple and make sure it does one thing great instead of trying to fit in a bunch of poorly funded elements.

"I'd like to make a big bang with 1,500 square feet," Siedlecki said. "To me, less is more, and I've been doing this for 12 years."

Kate Martin, a cofounder of Parents for Skateparks, said she has concerns about safety and wants to see the design kept above ground to minimize hiding places. Other attendees said above-ground elements present just as much opportunity for hiding.

Neighborhood resident Todd Werny said he wants the skatedot to include elements for older skaters. Drawing older skaters to the site will increase adult supervision at the skatedot, he said.

Scott Shinn, director of Parents for Skateparks, said he wants to make sure the design is suitable for beginners and young skaters.

One meeting attendee suggested a small kidney-shaped bowl for the skatedot.

In the end, the discussion boiled down to weighing a pair of mini-ramps against a sunken bowl.

Siedlecki suggested a kidney bowl with the elbow and the opposite wall cut out. One end of the bowl would be 5-feet deep and the other would be 3-feet deep. The design, which he said has never been tried, would allow skaters to cut through the bowl as well as skate figure-eights inside it.

Siedlecki will take the neighborhood's comments into consideration while designing the final skatedot. He will also work with Parks to successfully integrate the design into the park's landscaping.

In order to keep the community involved throughout the design of the skatedot, Pillar has created a website to allow neighbors and designers to share ideas.

To access the community website, visit www.pillardesignstudios.com, click on the Services tab at the top of the page and enter "crownhill" as the login and "skatedot" as the password.

The Aug. 2 skatedot meeting represented the fourth and final public meeting for Crown Hill Park. Parks will now be moving forward, accepting bids early next year, starting construction in the spring and opening next fall, Baldwin said.

Parks/Open Space/Trails

Robinson Papers

Robots invade Ballard Library

michaelh — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 15:40:15 +0000

michaelh Mon, 08/02/2010 - 8:40am

Benjamin Caffee tells teacher Emily Wojcik about the kind of robot he wants July 29 at the Ballard Library. CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE PHOTOS.

Sara Reardon

By Sara Reardon

On July 30, the Ballard Library looked more like the battle deck of a sci-fi spaceship than a library. Little barrel-shaped robots blooped and bleeped and whizzed their way about on the carpet as teams of children and their parents programmed instructions. The Robot Challenge was underway.

This summer, the Pacific Science Center’s Science on Wheels program has partnered with Seattle Public Library’s Summer Reading Program to put on a number of free Robot Challenge events at different library branches.

“This is the first year we’ve focused on summer programming,” said Emily Wojcik, an instructor with Science on Wheels who directed the event.

During the school year, the Science on Wheels program drives a brightly painted van to classrooms around the state, presenting workshops and hands-on science classes on a variety of topics from rock n’ roll to the human body.

Usually they take the summer off, but a recent grant from JP Morgan Chase has allowed them to provide free science programs at community centers like libraries and Boys & Girls Clubs.

Amy Twito, youth programs manager at the Seattle Public Library, was the one who asked for robots.

“We try to have a mix of topics that attracts all audiences,” she said.

She had expected robots to interest preteen boys, yet the Robot Challenge at the New Holly branch pulled in an almost exclusively female audience.

And, as evidenced by movies from “Wall-E” to “Blade Runner,” it would be hard to name a more generation-spanning theme. The group assembled at the Ballard Library consisted of both parents and children from preschool through junior high.

“The idea is for them to work as a team to perform tasks,” said Wojcik.
She showed the group pictures of robots such as the Mars Rovers, the crew of the Hubble Space Telescope and excavating “groundhogs,” and challenged the audience to guess what characteristics allowed these real-life robots to do their jobs.

The primitive little robots at the library, however, could do little more than roll around and flash their lights.

“How would you improve your robot?” Wojcik asked the group, which suggested changes such as legs, a voice and the ability to understand commands.

The young programmers offered impressed exclamations as Wojcik pulled a state-of-the-art RoboSapien from a box. Eighteen inches tall, with glowing red eyes and a gruff voice, the new robot could walk, sense sound and karate chop.

The robots had work to do – giving high fives, picking up small objects or waving like Miss America – and the teams had to figure out how to program the directions in the right sequence.

Ballard resident Gerardo DiPietro and his daughter Mirella spoke to each other in American Sign Language to complete the tasks, giggling and mimicking the robot. Brothers Manoli and Johnny Tramountanas directed their robots with a remote control to make them dance in circles.

“I like the big one better, he’s smarter,” said grade-schooler Benjamin Caffee, who wants to program a robot to buy things for him.

He and the other participants clapped along as Wojcik programmed five RoboSapiens in a synchronized line dance.

Part of the goal of outreach programs such as Science on Wheels is to work against the stigma of science as being dry and difficult.

“There’s a push for early education in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) careers,” said Wojcik. “If we get kids interested at an early age, maybe they’ll remember and want to take some classes in high school or college.”

“Science education in this country is very important, and often it goes in the wrong direction,” said Twito. “That’s what’s amazing about these PSC programs; they’re so fascinating and make science so accessible.”

Funding from the Seattle Public Library Foundation has allowed the Summer Reading Program to present the classes free of cost, for which Twito is grateful.

“With science education, income is a tough thing,” she said, adding that free classes can be children’s only access to hands-on science outside of the classroom, particularly if they attend schools in low-income areas.

Sara Reardon is a News Lab student at the University of Washington.

Ballard Library

Seattle Science Center

Ballard

Family/Children

Robinson Papers