Longtime news director and reporter,
Dennis Shannon, 68, has died. His familiar voice was known on KOMO and several
other Seattle, Bellevue
and Everett radio
stations before putting down roots at KONA in the Tri-Cities, which became his
home for more than 17 years. He developed his own journalistic style. He was well-known to Seattle and Puget Sound radio
listeners after having grown up in Lakewood,
but found his home in the Tri-Cities. In 2013, Shannon received a regional Edward R. Murrow Award for excellence as a broadcast journalist for his coverage of a tragic charter bus crash near Pendleton, Oregon, which killed nine and injured 38.
He attended college and
pursued a career in Broadcast Journalism at WashingtonStateUniversity.
Numerous Facebook tributes
have sprung up expressing great affection for him and shock at his passing.
He was found dead in his Pasco home on Monday
following Thanksgiving. The FranklinCounty coroner has indicated that his
death was due to “natural causes.”
Cherry Creek Media Tri-Cities
is hosting the memorial gathering for Dennis Shannon at the Pasco Eagles’ Lodge
on Saturday, December 15 from 1:30-3:00 p.m.
Everyone who knew Dennis – family
members, friends, colleagues – is welcome to attend and share special
memories. Bring photos, tapes or other
memorabilia from his career as a news broadcaster, and stories that will
memorialize him for years to come.
The Eagles’ bar will be open
during the get-together. However, no
food service or potluck is planned.
If you are driving to Pasco for the memorial
get-together from outside the area and are unfamiliar with the location of the
Eagles’ Lodge, the address is: 2829
W Sylvester St,
Pasco, WA99301. Call 509) 547-5071, if you have any additional questions.
Left to Right: Charles Jones, Joe "Copper" Cooper aka Joe Giannunzio, Jaynie Dillon Jones
Joe "Copper" Cooper aka Joe Giannunzio's paintings were featured among a spectrum of some 30 artists at the recent Trilogy Art Show and Sale in Redmond, Washington. Joe is best known from his decades on-the-air in radio here in the Seattle area, Portland, Oregon, and in Michigan long ago where his radio career began.
However, Joe's artistic talent has always been smoldering in the background. Few people know of his remarkable talents and accomplishments as a home builder. But beneath all of those other natural talents and abilities, Joe has always had a passion for drawing and painting.
Now that Joe is retired he is able to devote more time to painting and has completed more than 50 fairly large scale paintings.
Earlier this month (May 2017) the Trilogy community in Redmond sponsored an Art Show and Sale where Joe exhibited some of his paintings for the first time in a public show. Charles and Jaynie Jones drove up to Redmond from Tacoma to take in the show.
There were interesting and outstanding works of art from many artists who were on-site. All of the pictures shared in this blog post feature paintings by Joe Giannunzio.
The show spanned two days, Friday hours were exclusively for residents of Trilogy, but the show hours on Saturday were open to the public. It was a thrill to see so much creativity on display.
Excuse the mass email but when it comes to blatant self-promotion, it’s really the way to go.
So, I made this documentary called I Am What I Play...Many of you know this. A number of you saw it. For some, it may be news.
After playing at festivals, special screenings and on the CBC Documentary Channel for the last two years, my film will finally be available to anyone in the world as of midnighttonight!
For those who don’t know, it’s a documentary about rock radio disc jockeys, told through the life stories of 4 different DJ’s form 4 different cities: Meg Griffin (New York), Charles Laquidara (Boston), David Marsden (Toronto) and Pat O'Day (Seattle). But it’s really the story of anyone who has worked on-air in radio – and the story of radio itself, from the free form era of the 60’s and 70’s right up to present day.
The film includes songs from The Ramones, Rush, The Kinks and David Bowie, among others. It really is for radio & music fans everywhere. So, as of May 1st, people can stream or download the film through Vimeo on Demand at this link:
If you haven’t seen it, I hope you will. If you have seen it, I hope you will forward this email to others, raving about it. If you haven’t seen it and couldn’t care less, maybe you know some radio & music fans who might. Whatever camp you’re in, I hope you’ll tell two friends and they’ll tell two friends...Well, you know the drill.
And hey, if you tweet or Facebook or have a blog, don’t be shy to spread the word. All the support is (and has been) much appreciated!
Twenty-three Annie Wright students earn International Baccalaureate Diploma
Tacoma, Wash. — Annie Wright Schools announced today that 23 out of 26 International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma candidates have been awarded the prestigious IB Diploma. Two students earned bi-lingual diplomas, and Annie Wright’s first student to test in Mandarin as an acquired language received a seven, the top score possible.
“We are very proud of our Class of 2015,” said Head of Schools Christian G. Sullivan, who is a native of the United Kingdom and has worked at schools in Europe, Africa and the East Coast. “Our students have performed well based on international standards of achievement, and are poised to make a profound and lasting impact on the world.”
All Annie Wright Upper School students follow the IB Diploma Programme curriculum, and around half choose to fulfill all the requirements, including sitting six comprehensive and rigorous exams in a range of subjects, to earn the full IB diploma. The average score of this year’s IB Diploma recipients was ten percent higher than the world average (this year's average is published in September).
Recognized worldwide as the gold standard of education, the IB aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. Annie Wright received full authorization to deliver the IB Primary Years Programme in Preschool to Grade 5 last month, and is in the process of adopting the Middle Years Programme in Grades 6-8. When this process is complete, Annie Wright will become one of only a handful of IB continuum schools, delivering IB curricula in Lower, Middle and Upper Schools, in the United States.
Founded in Tacoma in 1884, Annie Wright Schools are two schools on one campus. Annie Wright Day School serves boys and girls in Preschool through Grade 8, while Annie Wright Upper School offers all-girls day and boarding programs for Grades 9 through 12. Annie Wright is proud to be an International Baccalaureate World School. Learn more at www.aw.org.
Gray outside. Sun is breaking through. I am feeling mighty happy. I hope you are feeling happy too.
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Jen Willey, Communications Director and Executive Assistant to the Head of Schools at Annie Wright shared some exciting new with me yesterday.. Jen says, "We have some big news with regard to our Early Childhood program here at Annie Wright. We are now extending learning and care of our youngest students to year-round (closed only 10 days annually), and doing so without raising our tuition costs. We look forward to serving more families in the community and hope that you can help us get the word out. We are still accepting applications, on a space available basis, for the coming academic year." Questions? Please call 253.284.8602.
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Homestyle
Chili Cookoff at Hometown Throwdown sanctioned in the first-ever Washington state
Homestyle Chili competition Saturday, June 14, 2014 and has qualified a winner
to the World Championship with International Chili Society. With 10
competitors, the number required to sanction the event, it is considered a
regional homestyle cookoff.
First place
winner is: Sue Simons, Roy. As first place
winner, she will advance to compete at the world championship.
This is the
third year for Homestyle division and the first time Washington state has hosted this level of
competition. “Last year was my first year to coordinate the event and focus was
on sanctioning Chili Red, Chili Verde
and Salsa and we were successful,” Cynthia Stearns, Homestyle Chili Cookoff
at Hometown Throwdown event producer said. “This year, we were ready to take on
this competition and are excited we have been able to sanction this as well.”
Others
winning include:
Second place: Leonard
Kellogg, Lynnwood
Third Place: Ross Lunbeck,
Lacey
Fourth Place: Rescue Mission, Tacoma
Fifth Place: Yuki Batten, Auburn
Also
competing were:
Penny and Daryll Grant, GigHarbor
Sally Jo Hagen, West Seattle
Destry Henderson, Tacoma
Larry and Betty Mayer, Lakebay
Stadium Thriftway, Tacoma.
This
competition was designed for teams (one-four persons) allowing individuals,
businesses and organizations to participate.
Races were
tight including a three-way tie for fifth place with a tie-breaker to name the
fifth-place winner.
Guest
judges sampled in blind tastings.
Head judge Ken Peach of Spanaway and Scorekeeper Ann-Marie Anderson of Lynwood oversaw the judging and
scoring process.
Guest judges were Judie Anderson,
former restaurant chef and BBQ and chili judge, Austin and Cheryl Miller, KCBS
BBQ judges, Nick Alan from 100.7 FM and Jim Flavin from Tacoma Rainiers. Health
Department Liaison was Greg Frederick.
Also
announced was People’s Choice, won
by Rescue Mission of Tacoma. Prize
was tickets to Tacoma Rainiers.
“Up in Smoke” won for Best Booth,
created by Yuki Batten of Auburn. Prize was Chili Pepper necklace
and earrings by Bernesa’s Beads of
Pacific Beach.
Concert tickets to Blake Shelton,
Toby Keith and Zac Brown Band (100.7 The Wolf), VIP package (TacomaRainiers) were awarded for those finishing first through
third. (First place had prize package valued at nearly $300, second $115 and
third $85.) Heritage Distilling Company
and Lynnae’s Gourmet Pickles were
included prizes. Additionally, a signed book by local author Bernadette Pajer and Touchstone Crystal Jewelry (Elaine Thompson) were presented.
“We were
presented the opportunity to coordinate this cookoff with 100.7 The Wolf
Hometown Throwdown concert at Cheney Stadium. It was a natural to have this
combination and bring an event of this caliber to Tacoma,” Stearns said.
Tasting
kits included five tastes for $5. The chili was a huge hit with the crowd (over
3,000 in attendance) and was sold out in two hours.
Founded in
1967, the International Chili Society
is an organization that sanctions nearly 200 chili cookoffs each year that are
governed by ICS rules and regulations and a blind judging process. These events
are worldwide and benefit charities or non-profit organizations. Local winners
of ICS sanctioned cookoffs qualify to compete for prizes and awards throughout
the year.
Over $90,000,000 has
been donated to charities through the cookoffs. One million spectators a year
participate in ICS events by cooking, tasting, judging, and having a good time.
“We would
like to thank the businesses and people who supported this event including
100.7 The Wolf and Cheney Stadium. Also, a thank you to the competitors, our
head judge and scorekeeper, plus our guest judges and others who assisted,”
Stearns said.
For more
information, please contact: Cynthia
Stearns, 360.589.7751 or by email:
Emerald Downs will host the 37th annual Washington State Chili Cookoff on Saturday, August 16, 2014. The Chili Cookoff will be held in conjunction with live racing, and event producer Cynthia Stearns said over 50 venues vied to host the competition. “We are pleased to have Emerald Downs as our host site this year,” Stearns said. “It’s a unique locale for our state and easily accessible. Plus, we have the exciting atmosphere of Thoroughbred racing and a wonderful venue to make this a terrific reason to enjoy both.” The International Chili Society officially sanctions the Washington State Chili Cookoff, with winners advancing to the World Championship in October. The ICS is the world’s largest food festival. At Emerald Downs, competitors will compete in three categories: Chili Red, Chili Verde and Salsa. Winners in each category advance to the World Championship (with minimum 10 competitors per category). Last year’s Washington state winners were: Lisa Beaver, Chili Red, West Richland Chris Beaver, Chili Verde, West Richland Ron Bryan, Salsa, Seattle In addition to live racing and the chili competition, sponsors and vendors will be on-site at Emerald Downs. For more information, please contact: Cynthia Stearns, Washington State Chili Cookoff Event Producer: (360) 589-7751 or washingtonstatechilicookoff@gmail.com. There is sponsor/vendor space available. For information and/or directions to Emerald Downs please visit emeralddowns.com. General Admission is $7 with post time 2 p.m. There were six World Champions in attendance and seven states represented. The second-most winning person from ICS and former Chili Red World Champion, Doug Wilkey, is from our state, a Shoreline resident. Founded in 1967, the International Chili Society is an organization that sanctions nearly 200 chili cookoffs each year that are governed by ICS rules and regulations and a blind judging process. These events are worldwide and benefit charities or non-profit organizations. Local winners of ICS sanctioned cookoffs qualify to compete for cash prizes and awards throughout the year. Top-level winners compete for a total prize package of $55,000 at the Worldʼs Championship Chili Cookoff held each year in October. One million spectators a year participate in ICS events by cooking, tasting, judging, and having a good time. Over $90,000,000 has been donated to charities through the cookoffs. Chili Red is where the big money is, with the winner at World’s receiving $25,000 first prize.
Special thanks to Jen Willey for providing this press release: Annie Wright Upper
School
presents Molière’s comedy The Learned
Ladies with a modern twist! Friday, February 21, and Saturday, February
22 Shows begin at 7:30 pm at Annie Wright Schools’ Kemper Theater, 827 N
Tacoma Ave, Tacoma Wash, 98403.
The
greater Tacoma community is invited to attend the zany production of this delightful
French satire and for an evening filled with comedy, pop music, and wild
costumes. Come and discover if the 17th century characters will be doomed to
re-live their story for all of eternity or if their modern counterparts will
finally get it right and allow for the two lovers that belong together to
finally be united.
As
part of Annie Wright’s commitment to the community, Annie Wright Upper School
will host a drive for the NW Furniture Bank. Attendees can
help by donating any small home goods items such as: plates, cutlery, serving
pieces, glasses or the like that are in good repair.
(Comments from Jaynie: It's a great service that the NW Furniture Bank provides to the community to help people get back on their feet and set up housekeeping after being homeless or from other circumstances where they've lost everything and are starting over.)
Students
will be admitted free with their student ID and/or donation. Adults who donate
a home decor item will also be admitted for free. General admission (without a
donation) for students is $5.00 and for adults $7.00.
Annie Wright Schools Host Events for Middle and
High School Students
Tacoma,
Wash. — Annie Wright Schools announce two
unique events for students to visit campus and explore the schools’ programs,
curriculum and community: Ticket to Thrive, for boys and girls, entering grades
6-8; and Scholar Search Weekend, for girls entering grades 9-12. Both events
are free and require registration.
TICKET TO THRIVE:
Don’t just survive middle school. THRIVE at Annie Wright.
WHO: Boys and girls
entering Grades 6-8 in fall 2014
WHAT: Meet current
students, enjoy a free lunch, learn about our Middle School and participate in
fun activities (including a scavenger hunt with iPads!). Attending Ticket to
Thrive simplifies the application process:
>> Your application
fee will be waived
>> Your
assessments will be completed during the event
>> An
admission decision will be made within two weeks of the event
WHERE: Annie Wright Schools, 827 North Tacoma
Avenue, Tacoma, WA 98403
WHEN: Saturday, February
8, 2014, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
WHAT: Spend a night at
Annie Wright, learn about the benefits of the all-girls
experience
and compete for partial merit scholarships. The overnight event includes
student interviews, class visits and our popular lip sync event. Attending Scholar
Search Weekend simplifies the application process:
>> Your application
fee will be waived
>> Your
assessments will be completed during the event
>> An
admission decision will be made within two weeks of the event
WHERE: Annie Wright Schools, 827 North Tacoma
Avenue, Tacoma, WA 98403
WHEN: Friday, February 7,
12:00 pm – Saturday, February 8, 1:00 pm
Founded in Tacoma in 1884, Annie Wright Schools are two schools on one
campus. Annie Wright Day School serves boys and girls in Preschool through
Grade 8, while Annie Wright Upper School offers all-girls day and boarding
programs for Grades 9 through 12. Annie Wright is proud to be an International
Baccalaureate World School. Learn more at www.aw.org.
Jennifer Haley
to lead Enrollment; Stacey Guadnola to lead Development
Tacoma,
Wash. — Annie Wright
Schools announced today that Jennifer Haley has been
appointed to Director of Enrollment and Stacey Guadnola has been appointed to
Director of Development. Both women are members of the schools’ senior
administration, reporting to Christian G. Sullivan, Head of Schools.
Jennifer Haley, a member of Annie Wright’s class of
1989, will lead the Admissions Team for the Day School and Upper School at Annie
Wright Schools. Jennifer joined Annie Wright in 2009 and has already succeeded
in enrollment as the previous Upper School Admissions Director where she was charged
with filling the boarding department and succeeded by increasing enrollment from
50 boarding students to the current 100. Ms. Haley also led the recent launch
of Annie Wright’s intranet website. Prior to Annie Wright, Jennifer served as
an executive at DIRECTV Broadband and has a background in leadership
management, technology, customer service and restaurants. Jennifer graduated
from Smith College and earned an MBA from Western New England University.
Stacey Guadnola will lead the Development Team for Annie Wright Schools. She has worked with
Annie Wright in various capacities for almost a decade, serving most recently
as the Director of Enrollment. Under Stacey’s leadership Annie Wright’s
enrollment increased by 14%. Previously Ms. Guadnola was a sales executive for
the Wall Street Journal, raised $2MM as the co-founder of Chicago Jesuit
Academy and served as the founding executive director of the Make the Dash
Count Foundation. Stacey graduated from Boston College and earned a Master’s in
School Leadership from Harvard University.
“Jennifer and Stacey have both demonstrated that
they are goal-oriented professionals,” shared Christian G. Sullivan, Head of
Annie Wright Schools. “They are the best people to lead these two very
important teams in our school. Both Jennifer and Stacey have a long tenure with
the school and are integral leaders in the Annie Wright Schools community.”
Founded in Tacoma in 1884, Annie Wright Schools are two schools on one
campus. Annie Wright Day School serves boys and girls in Preschool through
Grade 8, while Annie Wright Upper School offers all-girls day and boarding
programs for Grades 9 through 12. Annie Wright is proud to be an International
Baccalaureate World School. Learn more at www.aw.org.
Years ago
when my husband Charles was on dialysis and having so many health-related,
life-threatening medical complications, it seemed that we careened along from
crisis to crisis. One of those years he
was hospitalized as an in-patient at St. Joseph Hospital following an emergency surgery and was not
going to be discharged until sometime after Thanksgiving.
I arrived
home from the hospital late one night just a couple of days before Thanksgiving
and there was a phone message from a stranger on our answering machine (we
didn’t have voicemail or Caller ID then).
The young woman and her siblings wanted to come over – right then. She insisted it was urgent and would only
take a few minutes. She wanted me to call back as soon as I arrived home, no
matter what time it was. I was both exhausted and hesitant, but she sounded so
sweet and upbeat, I returned her call.
She
explained that their family anonymously adopts a family each year for
Thanksgiving. She seemed to know that Charles was hospitalized and we were
having a difficult time. She said they
could be at our apartment in a matter of minutes and indeed they were. It was four or five young adults who were all
brothers and sisters; this tradition of theirs is something they had grown up
doing.
They arrived
in several vehicles and formed a bucket brigade to haul in bag after bag, and
box after box of every type of grocery item anyone could ever imagine including
a turkey to roast and all of the trimmings to go with it.
Additionally,
they presented me with a wreath for our door as an expression of hope and
encouragement that things would get better.
It was so humbling and overwhelming to be on the receiving end of so
much love and generosity, I will never forget it.
They filled
our refrigerator, freezer, and pantry so full we didn’t need to buy groceries
for months afterward.
When
Charles was able to come home from the hospital the week after Thanksgiving, we
had one of the most memorable Thanksgiving celebrations ever.
We vowed
then that in the years ahead when we were able to do so, we would adopt their
family’s tradition as our own and bestow those blessings on another family
anonymously as they had done for us.
We will
never forget Thanksgiving from that year.
Please know that whether you give a jar of peanut butter to a food bank
or a whole shopping cart full of groceries to a family in need, they will
always remember it and be grateful that you cared. Those needs exist daily, not just during the holidays and 'season of giving.'
Here is something fun that we, as a community, can do to support our seniors locally. Activity Director Emily Murer at University Place Care Center has a request for two things: pumpkins for planned activities for the nursing home patients, and donated bags of wrapped candy for Halloween.
Emily is seeking "...approximately *50 sugar pumpkins for activities at our intergenerational Halloween party (on the 31st) and perhaps two dozen full-size pumpkins for the residents to decorate/carve in the next couple weeks to decorate the building." *Happily, they are already halfway to their goal for the sugar pumpkins and some other pumpkins have been brought in. Special thanks to the donors!
Donate additional pumpkins for the seniors to enjoy and the bags of wrapped Halloween candy for their big party on Halloween!
Drop off donations during business hours at University Place Care Center, 5520 Bridgeport Way West, University Place, 98467. Let's see what we can do to help achieve this goal for the seniors and their grandchildren. Thank you in advance for your support.
Jen Willey, Communications Director for Annie Wright Schools, has provided the following announcement about the upcoming Forum for Intellectually Curious Students on Sunday, October 27, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Scholar Search Educational Forums are a
combination of talks and workshops where parents and students are exposed to and
can explore pertinent educational concepts and processes and other topics that
tickle the mind. They also offer students and their parents a chance to be
engaged with others who have similar interests. These discussions and workshops
provide considerable food for thought by people who are experts in their
fields.
Annie
Wright Schools and ScholarSearch Associates. Other participating organizations
include: Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth, Northwest Gifted Child
Association, University of Washington, Seattle Theater Group, Washington
Imagination Network.
Founded in Tacoma in 1884, Annie Wright Schools are two schools on one
campus. Annie Wright Day School serves boys and girls in Preschool through
Grade 8, while Annie Wright Upper School offers all-girls day and boarding
programs for Grades 9 through 12. Annie Wright is proud to be an International
Baccalaureate World School. Learn more at www.aw.org.
Annie Wright Schools proudly announce that 100% of their full International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma candidates have been awarded the prestigious IB Diploma. The 100% pass rate of Annie Wright girls exceeds the world average pass rate of 78.54%. Annie Wright girls scored highest in physics, mathematics, business and English. Eight girls earned bi-lingual diplomas. The IB Diploma recipients come from a range of backgrounds. Manmit Dhami achieved her IB Diploma as a five-day boarding student. Originally from Ferndale, Wash., Manmit heads to the University of Redlands this fall, making her the first member of her traditional Sikh family to attend college.
Manmit's Family
Three of Manmit’s friends and classmates, Zoe Adberg, Emma Middleton and Inessa Palchikova, also received the IB Diploma. Zoe, a day student from Tacoma, will attend Emory University in the fall. Emma, another five-day boarding student, from Seattle, will attend the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Inessa, an international boarding student from Russia, will attend Boston University School of Management in the fall. “We are exceptionally proud of our students,” said Head of Schools Christian G. Sullivan, who is a native of the United Kingdom and has worked at schools in the UK and Kenya, as well as on the East Coast. “Successful completion of the IB Diploma Programme means our students are prepared to compete and collaborate according to international standards of achievement, as opposed only to local or national standards. That is 21st century learning at its best.” Recognized worldwide as the gold standard of education, the IB Diploma Programme aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. The program prepares students for success at university and life beyond. The IB Diploma Programme was initiated at Annie Wright Upper School in the fall of 2009. All junior- and senior level courses at Annie Wright Upper School are IB courses. More than 50% of Annie Wright Upper School students have opted to participate in the full IB Diploma Programme, which requires comprehensive exams in a range of subjects, in the past three years. Annie Wright is currently in the authorization process to offer the International Baccalaureate’s Primary Years Programme (PYP) for boys and girls ages 3-12 and has already begun to integrate the PYP and Middle Years Programme into its curriculum. Founded in Tacoma in 1884, Annie Wright Schools are two schools on one campus. Annie Wright Day School serves boys and girls in Preschool through Grade 8, while Annie Wright Upper School offers all-girls day and boarding programs for Grades 9 through 12. Annie Wright is proud to be an International Baccalaureate World School. Learn more at www.aw.org.
I like the appearance and overall functionality of The News Tribune's new online format. But what concerns me is that the link to our "In Your Neighborhood" blog is absent. The only blogs I can find listed anywhere on the site are three for various sports teams. I've clicked on every tab and reviewed every drop-down menu on the site, but have come up blank on finding the "In Your Neighborhood" blog. So, perhaps I am just writing this to myself at this moment. I dunno. I've submitted an inquiry to The News Tribune regarding the matter -- complimenting them on the new design -- but also questioning where our blog has gone. If we, the contributing writers to the "In Your Neighborhood" blog have been kicked to the cyberspace curb, it would have been nice to have been informed of that. We have contributed 1,350 blog entries in the years since we were invited to participate by The News Tribune for the launch of the "In Your Neighborhood" blog. http://thenewstribune.com
Bring the whole family and your friends to the Community Health Fair today, Saturday, June 22, from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. at University Place Care Center, 5520 Bridgeport Way West, in University Place. Dozens of health and wellness businesses are participating.
The Health Fair is free and everyone is welcome to attend so bring your friends and family. Health screenings such as blood pressure checks will be included today, plus take a few minutes to sample seated chair massage, and more. The Oasis Spa is opening soon inside University Place Care Center and will feature massage therapy, acupuncture, professional nail care, and more for residents and their family members, and for staff members, too. Puget Sound Blood Center's Bloodmobile is on-site receiving blood donations. Plan to donate today! You could save someone's life. Parking is free. Visit the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/UniversityPlaceCareCenter
Bring the whole family to the Community Health Fair on Saturday, June 22, from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. The location is 5520 Bridgeport Way West, in University Place. It's an outdoor event that will be held in the large parking lot of University Place Care Center (weather-permitting). If there is heavy rain, the event will be moved indoors, but "the show will go on" no matter what the weather may bring. The healthfair is free and everyone is welcome to attend so bring the whole family. Have your blood pressure checked and gather information from every imaginable aspect of health, e.g. spa services, massage therapy, hypnotherapy, the latest in eyewear, and much more. Puget Sound Blood Center's Bloodmobile will be on-site receiving blood donations. Plan to donate while you're there. Parking is free, too. Bring the family! For more information or for any questions, please call 253.566.7166and ask for Chris, Jeanne or Sheila. Visit the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/UniversityPlaceCareCenter
Where have I been? Clouds dance across the Sound and I wonder, where indeed? We’re still in the Aerie above Joe’s Bay in Home, holding up our little patch of sky, standing firm on the land we pay to take care of, “watchin’ the tide roll in…just to watch it roll away again,” as one of my personal top-ten songs of life testifies. I really don’t know how sane I would be at this point, if not for Mama Nature’s kinetic art, movement that so soothes me. Seems normal is a very movable fulcrum, on this little ball that wobbles through space. You don’t go looking for a cause…a cause slaps you, upside the head, as I’ve said in this space before.
My family is in our fifteenth year of a journey with my daughter’s Lyme disease, complicated by co-infections…and a deplorable set of guidelines that perpetuate abuse in our medical system. At first we felt so alone, trying to understand tick-borne infections within a firestorm of political, “yes it is—no it isn’t,” and definitely not understanding why we were told Anna was “cured” of Lyme by a short course of antibiotics, told that it was all in our heads when it was so obviously an ongoing infection, the symptoms of which began to fill more and more pages with each passing year.
Slowly we began to meet other patients, families, advocates, and activists. Anna has been interviewed in print and on the radio, as have so many patients (even famous ones like singer Daryl Hall) trying to get the word out about chronic Lyme and the Infectious Disease Society of America’s chronic denial of this very real and growing problem.
Then Connecticut State Attorney General Blumenthal, now a Senator, felt there was enough evidence to move forward with a criminal investigation into the panel that made, and profited from, the Lyme Guidelines. We kept telling anyone who would listen, but a last-minute deal was reached, wherein the panel would review their guidelines. We held our breaths…but the new panel slapped the old ones on the back, and kept the exact same devastating misinformation as fact. Head of the original panel, Dr. Gary Wormser, actually used the term “Lyme-nuts” when speaking of the suffering patients he was supposed to help.
Anna has had a new primary since last July, when Medicaid required doctors to sign contracts with them, in order to pay for treatment, and her Lyme doctor refused. He had taken her on as primary care physician six years before, promising to see her through her illness. The change in rules made it easy for him to break his promise to Anna. Being let go as his patient turned out to be a blessing in disguise though, as this doctor had lost interest in her, and other complicated patients who weren’t responding to basic ILADS (International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society) antibiotic protocol and Naturopathic supplements. He had left ILADS and now seemed more concerned about moving his practice and home to an upscale Seattle neighbourhood. He added “Shaman” to his Medical Degree (after what amounts to two months of weekend ‘study’ at www.shamanism.org over two years) and began charging some $600 to make patients lie on the floor, listening to a CD of drumming, while he “retrieves parts of their broken souls,” as it says in his clinic’s literature.
Yeah.
I worked with a Native American Shaman for seven years, was taught Honour, Respect, Humility, and Love… how to recognize scat when I see it, and name it. Patients looking for doctors would do well to visit www.ratemds.com before making appointments. Problem was, Anna was now bounced to the side of the fulcrum that takes her Medicaid insurance, but full of doctors who have been trained to ignore Lyme. Many refused her because of her chronic illness, and the doctor who did take her states categorically that he is “not interested in learning about Lyme.” Every appointment, for nearly a year now, has been a carousel of ‘first-visit hell’ while the DVD of “Under Our Skin” we gave him sits unopened in his office. He treats her like a drug-seeker when, for six solid months, she had to keep correcting him on her narcotics prescriptions…DOUBLE the amount, on one prescription! When mistakes are made, his office is unreachable, until I ask to speak to the Clinic Manager. Dr. Useless has a pamphlet which states, “I treat patients like family!” Well, I wouldnae want to be in your family, Jocko, as they say in Glasgow!
But there is a difference, here in 2013, from 1998.
Photo by Paul Mall.
Even Dr. Useless keeps Anna on a maintenance dose of IV antibiotics. Slowly, chronic patients, and those who advocate for them, are making some sense to mainstream doctors, albeit precious little. George W. Bush was treated with antibiotics, over the whole last year of his presidency and, when the word got out, common sense trickled just a little from the mountain-top, seemingly. It is not enough…but it is a change I can report to you, here in year fifteen.
Paul Mall, taking part in the Lyme "Die-In"
For a few years now, I’ve been taking action in May by standing at the intersection of SR302 in Purdy with a sign that says, “Lyme Lives Here!” and have been heartened by the waves, honks and best of all, those who stop to ask me what Lyme is. 2013 was different. This year, Lyme patients, families, friends, advocates, and activists from thirty countries around the world (Australia, UK, Romania, Canada, and the USA, to name just a few) banded together for a two-day protest, May 10th and 11th, a Friday and Saturday. Social media like Facebook and Youtube exploded with events, sites for posters, support and just about everything else. Story after story, after story, after story came up, refuting the IDSA Guidelines that denied chronic Lyme.
This year Anna, with more of our family and friends, joined me on the Saturday, at my usual stand in Purdy. We made posters, and tied green ribbons around the posts in front of us. We had a tremendous response from hundreds of good folks. In our hearts, we felt the closeness of every person around the world, standing for the truth at the same time. We couldn’t help but also feel the pain inside the Lyme community, finally reaching numbers that can gather strength for an audible shout. Even though I wrote to every major news station, we were not enough bodies to deserve a story. You get used to the duality, living with Lyme. Let me say here, we’re indebted to Cas Slater and the Key Peninsula News, for her ‘where are they now’ follow-up interview with Anna this year, helping us to get the word out about our worldwide protest.
The State of Washington represented! Photo by Dale Goodvin.
Anna has been wiped-out, ever since—me too! Think I’ve aged thirty years, inside this fifteen. Still, we managed to get information into doctors’ offices, pharmacies, and online throughout the month. Saturday, May 25th saw a larger than usual number, rallying for a March to the White House, in Washington DC. If it was not covered well by the mainstream news, it was ALL over that beautiful world wide web! If you only knew what this cost patients to do, physically and financially, after so many have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars, trying to achieve some quality of life, trying to get help with research and healing. Other side of the coin is how this push has fed the spirit of Lyme patients who are having a hard time holding onto hope, while personal worlds crash and burn. Sixty percent of personal bankruptcies are because of medical debt in this country.
Lyme is not going away any time soon. There are quite a number of deadly tick-borne infections present in Washington State actually, like Bartonella, and Babesia. It is a myth that ONLY the black-legged deer tick, riding on white-tail deer, carry these infections. It is fact that Lyme can be passed in-utero. It is a fact that Northern California is endemic for Lyme, and that birds carry ticks on their coastal migrations, north and south. This month some very interesting facts have come to light, about some less-than-transparent dealings between people at the CDC and the IDSA Lyme-Guideline Panel members, in Pulitzer-worthy articles by Mary Beth Pfieffer, for The Poughkeepsie Journal.
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/
Look to the bottom of the front page for all the Lyme-related articles. There’s a big tick…ewww! And below is a link to the article from Kris Newby, who made the request for emails from the CDC, through the Freedom of Information Act. It’s not supposed to take over five years to have a FOIA request filled. It’s supposed to take no longer than thirty days. A cover-up is no longer speculation.
Yesterday was the last day of May, Lyme-Awareness Month. It was an incredible thirty-one days of advocacy and activism. Clouds still dance across the Sound, on their way to the mountains of Washington, and we look to our next steps. Medicaid is moving Anna to a different system, where we have some hope in clinics that say they are used to having chronic patients, and will spend time listening to them. We’re going to try and get Anna to a good Lyme specialist in Northern California, and hope for more help. Around the world, patients with tick-borne infections hope for help. Those of us who love these patients, and have witnessed their private anguish, ask you to join us in the fight to see them cared for with respect and compassion. The IDSA Lyme Guidelines would be a joke at this point—if they were not still so damn deadly.
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Our regulars
Stephanie Frieze …has always liked to write. Her experience includes three years at the University Washington School of Communications studying journalism. She had a stint at the Chinook Observer in Long Beach. Raised in Bellevue, she’s lived in Gig Harbor for nearly 18 years. She and her husband have a home in Ilwaco, where they spend as much time as possible. This mother of four loves books, spending time with family and the color purple. Contact her at dbandstefery@comcast.net.
Lorraine Hart …was born a nomadic mutt. She spent her life observing, writing and making music. She’s an unabashed carrier of the titles “hippie,” “feminist” and “liberal.” She’s resided in the South Sound since 1996 and is currently living above Joe’s Bay in Home. She juggles her time between being a caregiver, a writer, an artist, a musician, a minister, a wife, a mother, an advocate, a friend and a pilgrim – not necessarily in that order. Contact her at matlox@cablespeed.com.
Jaynie Jones …is a Tacoma resident with diverse career tracks in broadcasting, journalism, teaching, health care, desktop publishing, floral design, special event planning and photography. She’s best known as long-time KOMO radio personality Jaynie Dillon and was once a familiar voice on Tacoma stations KTAC, KBRD-FM, KTNT and KNBQ-FM. Formerly a resident of Tacoma’s East Side, she’s volunteered in the Eastside Substation and with Safe Streets. Contact her at jaynie.jones@gmail.com .
Tracy Lebenzon ...is a blog contributor from Greenwater. Greenwater is the last stop before Crystal Mountain, Mount Rainier and the surrounding wilderness areas. When not exploring the next mountain peak or forest trail, Tracy also contributes to the Greenwater Community Council and the Explore-Greenwater.com web site. He writes about topics ranging from favorite foot, bike, and snow trails to community events, local merchants and politics. Contact him at dmountains@explore-greenwater.com.
Joseph McGowan …is a chaplain who supports patients, families, friends, nurses and doctors at St. Joseph’s Hospital. Being 67, he’s learned this about living: Meet people on their own ground and you will discover that this Earth is our special place to meet and support each other. His motto: Live now. Share yourself now. Every living thing you experience is a pure gift. Love all life unconditionally. Contact him at mcg9940@yahoo.com.
Mizu Sugimura …is a third-generation Japanese American living in Federal Way. She’s married and a parent of one adult child. A lifelong resident of the Puget Sound area, she graduated with a degree in journalism from the University of Washington School of Communications. and served on Federal Way’s Diversity and Art Commissions. Her interests are politics, art, the history of minorities in Washington and family history. She’s written a self-published family history about her paternal grandfather. Contact her at mizusugi@yahoo.com.
Kim Thompson …is a Grit City native who was born and raised in Tacoma’s Old Town neighborhood by the gulch. She boasts that she’s a former Lowell Leopard, Mason Mustang and Wilson Ram, a short-time PLU Lute and a longtime UW Husky. This former corporate businesswoman is a wife, a mom, a school volunteer, a substitute teaching assistant, a writer and a born-again distance runner. She has convinced friends from Bellevue that Tacoma is worth the drive. Contact her at kimricksy@comcast.net.
ugi@yahoo.com.
