Seattle

The Case for Buying School Lunches

/ Sydney Parker / Leave a comment
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Cathy Walls-Thompson. Photo: Joshua Huston

“Since Michelle Obama’s Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act passed in 2010, the nutritional quality of school lunches has improved dramatically. The act established science-based nutrition standards for all food sold and marketed in schools, increased access to healthy food for children from low-income households and helped communities create local farm-to-school networks.

Lunchroom manager Cathy Walls-Thompson has witnessed the benefits of the act firsthand in the kids she serves at Hawthorne Elementary in Southeast Seattle’s Columbia City. The children have started choosing locally grown fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains instead of French fries or tater tots. 

“I encourage kids to just try it, and see what happens,” says Walls-Thompson. “Parents tell me all the time, ‘I’ll be doggone — my kids are eating salad now because of you!’” She adds that she’s lost 165 pounds by following the new guidelines.” 

READ THE FULL ARTICLE IN SEATTLE’S CHILD

Learn to Love Nature’s Slithery Beasts with the Seattle Reptile Guy

/ Sydney Parker / Leave a comment
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Photo: Joshua Huston

“As a little boy growing up in Holland, Marc van Steenis loved to chase snakes and lizards around on family vacations. His fascination with animals evolved into a degree in zoology, and a collection of around 800 to 1,500 creatures, including reptiles, amphibians and large bugs. Luckily, his wife and two children don’t mind. 

“They grew up around these animals, so they are used to it now,” says van Steenis. “They love to pet the cute reptiles like baby geckos and tortoises, but they are less interested in the snakes. Snakes pretty much just eat, sleep and poop.”

When he’s not busy raising his kids, ages 8 and 10, he travels around the city as the Seattle Reptile Guy, presenting his menagerie in classrooms, at children’s birthday parties, and even for corporate team-building events. 

“In my experience,” says van Steenis, “when people see and touch animals at a young age, they are more likely to care about them for the rest of their lives.'”

READ THE REST IN SEATTLE’S CHILD HERE

A Totally Tubular History of Seattle in the 1980s

/ Sydney Parker / Leave a comment

 

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Photo: Seattle Municipal Archives

“The 1980s were an exciting — and sometimes horrifying — time in Seattle. Construction of Columbia Center was completed, the Green River Killer was on the loose, the first Costco opened, Ted Bundy was executed, Boeing headquarters relocated, the first pint of Red Hook ale was sold, Bill Gates became the youngest billionaire of all time, three robbers raided the Wah Mee gambling club and killed 13 people, the Tacoma Dome opened, Sir Mix-a-Lot exploded on the scene and fathers grew mustaches.”

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

 

When Your Child’s Worrying Becomes Worrisome

/ Sydney Parker / Leave a comment
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Jocelyn Skillman, Youth and Family Therapist. Photo: Joshua Huston

“What Seattle’s children are anxious about today might surprise you. While many are afraid of the dark or getting bad grades, some local mental health professionals say others worry about Mt. Rainier erupting and Donald Trump becoming president.

Regardless of the source, anxiety is a natural part of being alive. When we perceive danger, our thoughts race, our heart rate increases, stress hormones pump and our breath becomes shallow. This physiological response compels us into action when a real threat is present, or it’s time to perform a challenging task. But when the anxiety is prolonged and irrational, it can become a barrier to fully engaging in life. “

READ THE REST IN SEATTLE’S CHILD MAGAZINE

Or pick up a hard copy at your local Seattle library!

 

The Faces Behind the Names of Five Seattle Streets

/ Sydney Parker / Leave a comment

“Every street in Seattle has its own story. All are fascinating, most weird, some — tragic. Here are the the faces and brief histories behind five notable Seattle streets.”

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Kikisoblu aka “Princess Angeline”. Photo: Seattle Public Library

 

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

This little story only scratches the SURFACE of the fascinating history behind Seattle streets. If this peaks your interest please seek out a more in-depth look through HistoryLink, Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center, and Wedgwood in Seattle.

The Odd History of the Amazing Seattle Public Library

/ Sydney Parker / Leave a comment

“Rain, coffee, cat ladies, and a robust literary arts community make Seattle one of the best cities in the world to curl up with a book. Seattle’s bookish heritage extends all the way back to the city’s earliest beginnings. Houses were built, a few buildings, a lumber mill, and then — libraries. Stunning, glorious, introvert-friendly libraries.

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Photo: Seattle Historical Photograph Collection/SPL

After two decades of book nerd community rabble-rousing, the first Seattle public library opened in 1891 on the fifth floor of the Occidental Building in Pioneer Square. According to Seattle Public Library lore, a lumber company vice-president checked out the first book, a brand new copy of Mark Twain’s Innocents Abroad…” 

I LOVED learning about the Seattle Public Library. Read all about it and see some more great photos by clicking HERE.

18 Retro Scenes of Seattle in the 1960s

/ Sydney Parker / Leave a comment

“Seattle was a gas in the 1960s. The Century 21 Exposition, also known as the Seattle World’s Fair, was held in 1962 and drew almost 10 million visitors from around the globe. The space exploration-theme of the fair inspired major construction projects including the Space Needle and Alweg monorail, as well as several sports venues (Washington State Coliseum, now KeyArena), performing arts buildings (the Playhouse, now the Cornish Playhouse), and the Pacific Science Center.”

Learn more and check out awesome vintage photos from the archives here.

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Passengers on Seattle Monorail, 1962. Photo: Seattle Municipal Archives

Prohibition in Seattle: Party Like it’s 1916

/ Sydney Parker / Leave a comment

“On January 1, 1916, Prohibition began in Washington State, making the production, distribution and possession liquor illegal. This was three years before liquor was prohibited by the federal government and it would be seventeen years before prohibition ended in 1933. But the party didn’t stop in Seattle. Who would have guessed that polite, tech nerd Seattle was once home to approximately 4,000 raucous illegal speakeasies?”

Thanks to Roy Olmstead, cop turned bootlegger, Seattle was one wild place in the early 1900s…

Get the scoop here!

King of the Puget Sound Bootleggers 4Roy and Elise Olmstead with Roy’s mother Sarah at courthouse, Seattle, 1926. Photo: MOHAI

Seattle is Not San Francisco – Yet.

/ Sydney Parker / Leave a comment

“If you’ve been apartment hunting in Seattle recently, you’ve probably heard someone say, “Seattle is becoming the new San Francisco.” A handful of news sources outside of Seattle seem to confirm this opinion. It sounds like a compliment. Afterall, San Francisco is the city by the bay where Tony Bennett left his heart. But it’s not. Seattle, like San Francisco has had a rapid influx of young, wealthy, tech workers crossing state lines at a rate of about 6,000 per month, dramatically driving up the price of rent to prices unattainable for the average bear.

However, unlike San Francisco, Seattle’s median rent for a one-bedroom in November ranked 10th highest in the country at $1,710 per month whereas San Francisco came in at number one with a median rent of $3,670 per month, according to a recent report by Zumper. Yikes. So while we may be Rice-a-Roni, we aren’t the San Francisco treat.”

Read the full article here.

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Photo: Sydney Parker