Tomorrow night (Thursday, May 17), bring your pooch over to Wally Pets (4411-C Wallingford Avenue N.) from 5:00PM – 7:00PM, where Paws4training owner Susan Oshie (CPDT-KA) will provide a demonstration on K9 conditioning and body awareness exercises. You and Fido will want to check it out because body awareness helps with so much of the following:

• Improves balance and coordination
• Improves flexibility & stabilizes weak areas
• Improves distribution of weight & muscle tone
• Improves performance
• Improves bond between dog and handler
• Improves tolerance of handling & interacting with novel objects
• Provides mental stimulation

This class is ideal for active dogs and your older less active dog. It’s also great for dogs recovering from orthopedic surgery released by their veterinarian. Puppies are also welcome, too, as the class is a great way to build confidence, as well as physical and mental stimulation.

Watch your dog’s focus and confidence improve while having a blast!

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Wallyhood thanks our sponsors, including Green Cleaning Seattle, for their generous support.

High in the mountains of Eastern Tibet stands a tiny school focused on doing a world of good. Education at Elevation (E@E), located in rural Kham, Tibet, educates and houses 75 orphaned children from ages 6-14, who come from nomadic families. The school was founded by Wendy Wong in 2007 after she met Sonam Rinpoche, a Tibetan Monk who planned to build in Tibet and was inspired by his passion to help needy children. According to Wong, “It is our mission to create a safe home and a school for children living in Eastern Tibet and to give them hope for a brighter future.”

This Saturday beginning at 6:00PM, you’re invited to a special auction at OmCulture (2210 N. Pacific St.) to help support E@E. Proceeds from the evening will provide the school with supplies and teacher salaries, and enables the school to purchase food, clothing, shoes for the children, and to building a water system for the school. Here’s a summary of the evening’s events:

6:00PM:  Doors open at OmCulture
6:30 PM: Entertainment and live music by the Steve Bell Trio
8 – 9 PM: Auction

During the benefit, guests will be treated with hors d’oeuvres, wine, Tibetan specialties and live music by Steve Bell Trio. A special Tibetan mask dance and song will be performed by Seattle’s Tibetan Language and Culture Class. The benefit will feature items an array of auction and raffle items. Wong said that there will be something for everyone to enjoy:  electronics, a sailing adventure, and even tasty gourmet treats.

Tickets for the event are $30 per person (includes a complimentary glasses of wine).  Purchase tickets online at E@E’s Website www.educationatelevation.org  or through Brown Paper Ticket www.brownpapertickets.com/event/239111.

Photo by Education at Elevation

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Mother’s Day may be over, but why not treat mom once more with an old fashioned high tea? This Friday (May 18), beginning at 5:30PM the Wallingford Community Kitchen will hold an old fashioned ladies high tea by prepping and serving the following fancy treats and delectables:

Chicken Curry Tea Sandwiches
Old Fashioned Cucumber Sandwiches
Mini Veggie Quiches
Scones with Jam and Clotted Cream
Chocolate Truffles

Not to mention an assortment of teas, of course.

The Wallingford Community Kitchen meets at the Wallingford Community Senior Center at the Good Shepherd Center (4649 Sunnyside Avenue N.)

Tickets are available for purchase now through Wednesday May 16 via Brown Paper Tickets.

For more info: Email: register@wallingfordseniors.org Web: http://wallingfordseniors.org

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Wallyhood thanks our sponsors, including Murphy's, for their generous support.

Oh lordy, the old bones ain’t what they used to be. Used to be I could just lope into a jog and turn it into a run, maybe not break any records, but certainly not tear any tendons breaking a sweat. Staying out late and getting up early was just a regular Tuesday. Now, I’ve got a crick in my ache just thinking about it all.

Sounds like I’m not alone. Kathleen Cromp over at the Wallingford Community Senior Center gave us the 411* on a session they’ve got coming up to discuss issues around aging:

Aging in Community – Aging “Your Way”
a starting conversation to listen, learn, and define what you want
Thursday, May 17th at Wallingford Community Senior Center

All of us are on the highway of aging – but talking about it may be a rare thing. Denial, fear, too busy, “it’s not about me”? Ten thousand “Boomers” turn 65 every day. This age wave brings diverse, thoughtful, yet definite ideas, attitudes and expectations of what we need as we age. How do we want to stay active, healthy, and engaged? What do we want and need of our communities to support these years of our lives? There is a lot of buzz about a village concept (as in NEST on one side of us and Phinney Village on the other), and plenty of discussions – in-person and online – about aging in community. We hope you’ll join in this opportunity to explore these ideas, and breathe life into the community you would like to grow old in.

5:45 – Potluck & Social
6:30 – Information, guest speaker, conversation

* If you whippersnappers are wondering what “411″ is all about, it’s how we’d get information from our phones back Google was just a really big number.

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Every time we post a “lost and found”, we find there’s so much out there that’s been lost. Maybe we could do a weekly “round-up” of lost items and pets. Here are two more.

Annie writes:

my dance bag was stolen out of my car last night. although the contents were only valuable to me – i’m hoping it was dumped somewhere when whoever took it saw it wasn’t worth much. please keep your eyes peeled for a largish black leather bag with a red lining, some high top black, dance sneakers, pink ballet slippers, notebook, receipts for dancewear, scraps of paper with dance notes etc. thanks, annie

Jane writes:

Our cat has been missing since the morning of 5/11. He has never stayed out longer than 1 day, so being gone this long is unusual.

• Name: Nameer; pronounced: nuh-mirror
• Blue collar with gold tag – tag has imprint of phone number only
• Long body, Circle-like marking on his side
• Lives in Wallingford next JSIS
• Indoor/outdoor cat
• Very friendly. Not skittish.

Call 206-310-0262

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Wallyhood thanks our sponsors, including Michelle Quesada, Architect, for their generous support.

On Thursday, we told you about Pugilist Specialist, an independent theater production that opened last night at Stone Soup Theater. Running Friday and Saturday nights through May 19th, Pugilist tells the story of four Marines preparing to complete a “black ops” mission in an unnamed Middle Eastern war zone.

The set is very simple, a soft soundscape moves over the dialogue and silences, and the characters frequently stare straight ahead at the audience while speaking. The message is communicated through stark, fast and striking language: “Victory forgives dishonesty.” “Secrets are my armor.” “I stand not with the advocates of disunion.” Director Tyrone Brown, a Gulf War veteran, admits openly to his audience that artistic license is taken with the characters’ words in order to bring attention to the horrors of modern-day warfare. In doing so, the tension and pure awfulness of war, which happen so fast in reality, are drawn out by the rhythm of the character’s movements and delivery.

How does anyone go about communicating the internal and external struggles of war to those on the home front? Video games, movies, novels and comic books have tried. The success rate depends on the audience. Pugilist presents a different angle–that of typical soliders, typical emotions, typical tragedies–in an entirely atypical manner. Even if it helps us to understand just a little bit what it’s like to be “over there,” than everyone has succeeded.

The Wrecking Crew Theater Company presents Pugilist Specialist at Stone Soup Theater on Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30 through May 19th. Written by Adriano Shaplin and directed by Tyrone Brown, the plays features Wrecking Crew members Colin Featherston-Wilkinson and John-Paul Wilson and guests Lyam White and Andy Tribolini. Tickets are available at Brown Paper Tickets.

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Wallyhood thanks our sponsors, including Murphy's, for their generous support.

Hey readers, want be writers?

We sometimes get asked why we cover this or that, and don’t cover something else on Wallyhood. Well, want to know Wallyhood’s dirty little secret? This blog is nobody’s full-time job. Yep, writing this blog and keeping up with the news around Wallingford is not the full-time occupation of Margaret, me (Jordan) or anyone else who’s writing you see here. It’s something more than a hobby, much less than a job, and definitely a labor of love. We do it because we think keeping the community engaged and informed about who our neighbors are, what they’re doing and what important events are going on around us is aWorthy Goal, fighting the good fight.

So do you have something you think your neighbors should hear about? There are two great ways to get the word out through Wallyhood:

• Write a article and send it to us! Did you see Greg Flood’s article earlier this week about the Wallingford wading pool? It’s something he was passionate about, so he shared what he knew. How about Lisa de Alva’s article about the issues she and her neighbors are facing due to the sale of cheap alcohol at the 7-Eleven and the 50th Street Market? Same thing! Do you have something on your mind? Type something up and send it in, we’d be happy to share it with your neighbors.
• Don’t feel like you’ve got the chops to write something up yourself. Feel free to send us a “tip” to blog@wallyhood.org. Remember, the more information you provide, the more likely it is we’ll be able to pull together a story. Bonus points for photos!

Don’t be shy, now!

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While more than 95% of the readership of this blog lives in Wallingford, and the majority of the remaining 5% live north of the ship canal, we do enjoy a small readership as far away as Connecticut, where I was born. So, to our Connecticut reader, I say: thanks for reading, Mom, and happy Mother’s Day.

As my local family drove home last night, my wife Michelle tried to explain to our three-year-old son that, although he may want to spend every waking moment with her now, some day he would be happy to be away from her for a while. Yes, he would still love her just as much, he would always love her just as much, but he would be happy to be on his own.

He wasn’t buying it, but it’s true. He will always love her just as much, just as I will always love her just as much. Happy Mother’s Day to the patient, warm and joyful mother of my child.

And to Margaret and all the mothers of Wallingford, thank you! Enjoy this beautiful day.

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Farrah writes:

I am writing because I had a package stolen off my porch that was very, very dear to me. It apparently happened on either May 3 or 4th. Unfortunately, I did not know when to expect the package and didn’t realize it was missing right away.

It was a Fed Ex package containing a big stack of loose leaf papers with handwritten notes. The person that sent them back to me forgot to require a signature upon delivery, and so it was left on the porch apparently in plain sight of the street. I live at the corner of 46th and Eastern.

As soon as someone opened it, they must have decided that it was of no value to them and tossed it somewhere. Maybe it was tossed in a garbage can. Well, garbage pick up has come and gone. But I am writing this on the slim chance that maybe it was tossed on the side of the road, or someone saw it in their garbage can and took it out.

Please, please, please if you know anything at all about this, or have any advice at how I may ever see these papers again, let me know!

And, lesson learned, packages cannot be left on the porch!

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Wallyhood thanks our sponsors, including Michelle Quesada, Architect, for their generous support.

Galium Odoratum - Sweet Woodruff Photo by Paige Embry

Have you taken walks around the neighborhood and admired other neighbors’ vibrant, colorful groundcovers? Garden blogger Paige Embry has a post on her blog, A Year in Seattle’s Gardens, that explores some of the groundcover in Tangletown through description and photography. Paige explains her gardening know-how and the reason behind the blog:

I used to run a garden design/coaching business and have just set up a blog, www.ayearinseattlegardens.com. The focus of the blog is pretty obvious from the name. It looks at plants not only when they are at their best but also in other seasons (the times when no one takes pictures for gardening magazines) so people really can make an educated decision before buying a plant.

 
As part of the blog, and just to inform people who are passing by, I’ve put together a self-guided groundcover walk down Keystone Ave N (between 51st and 56th) with some of the groundcovers labeled. Hopefully, I’ll put together different walks every few months that focus on different kinds of plants.

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Wallyhood thanks our sponsors, including Lesli Dalaba (Treetop Acupuncture), for their generous support.

One of Wallingford's new greenway signs

Just in time for a weekend of perfect bike riding weather, SDOT rolled out its new online bike map which you can find here. The online map features citywide routes that you can view via street map or aerial view; and this is the best feature: you can narrow your search by what kind of rider you are. Here’s an explanation from the SDOT Blog:

The first thing you’ll want to do is choose whether you are a frequent, average or occasional rider. This narrows or expands the routes you might want to use based on their difficulty. From there you can select ‘points of interest’ (coffee shops, bike shops, libraries, etc.), events that might impact the ‘right-of-way’ and your ride (such as construction) and ‘other transportation’ which shows where the Streetcar operates and direction of one-way streets.  Use the Legend button at the top of the page to find out what the map symbols stand for.  Don’t forget to zoom in—some of the data is not visible if you don’t.

I love, too, that the map points out bike racks and lockers (oh, and bakeries! Ha!) Happy riding!

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Wallyhood thanks our sponsors, including Scarecrow Video, for their generous support.

This year’s event features over 40 exhibitors and free food and drink samples – including wine tasting.This is a great opportunity to meet local business owners and mingle in a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere.

What: Cheers to Wallingford Business Expo
When: Wednesday, May 16, from 4-7pm
Where: Wine World Warehouse and Spirits, just off I-5 at 400 NE 45th St
Cost: Nada, zilch, free!

Come to Wine World Warehouse and Spirits, and raise a glass to your neighbors and our wonderful Wallingford businesses!

Parking is limited on the Wine World lot, so you might want to consider street parking, carpooling or busing to the event!

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The first graders at John Stanford International School are hosting their annual plant sale to raise money for their sister school Juan de la Barrera in Puerta Vallarta. The sale will be on the playground (on 4th Ave. NE, above 40th St. NE) near the basketball court on Saturday, May 12 from 10-1 pm.  We’re told there will be lots of heirloom vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers. Perfect timing for Mother’s Day!

The first graders have been planting and tending seedlings for over month now in anticipation of the annual plant sale. All of the seeds this year came from the Seed Savers Exchange which is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to conserving and promoting heirloom vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers. Supporting the sale this year will not only help their sister school, but will also promote plant diversity.

The plants are mostly organic and they will have varieties chosen to do well in our climate.

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Wallyhood thanks our sponsors, including Green Cleaning Seattle, for their generous support.

This coming weekend, The Wrecking Crew Theater Company will bring their production of Adriano Shaplin’s Pugilist Specialist to Wallingford’s Stone Soup Theater. Described as a “piercing look at our nation’s military power through the eyes of a group of soldiers assigned to perform a black-ops mission,” Pugilist promises to step outside traditional theatrical boundaries and engage spectators on an exploration of “freedom, gender equality, power and what it means to be a soldier in the modern age.”

A core mission of this company is to present the “riskier” side of theater–that which provokes the audience and prompts response across the barriers of that ever-pesky 4th wall. The company, director Tyrone Brown and actors Colin Featherston-Wilkinson and John-Paul Wilson, was formed in 2009 after performing another of Shaplin’s plays, Wreck the Airline Barrier. Inspired to action by Shaplin’s use of language, space and reaction, The Wrecking Crew’s productions are alive with ideas and emotions.

What: Pugilist Specialist, by Adriano Shaplin and directed by Tyrone Brown 

Where: Stone Soup Theater at 4029 Stone Way North

When: Friday and Saturdays from May 11^th through May 19^th at 7:30 pm

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Wallyhood thanks our sponsors, including Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services, for their generous support.