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An evening with Paul Tough

Parents, you might want to make next Friday night (September 21) a date night. That's when Meridian School will host NY Times Magazine contributing writer and editor, Paul Tough, who will discuss his upcoming book, How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character. Here's a review from Publishers Weekly: “This American Life contributor Tough (Whatever It Takes: Geoffrey Canada’s Quest to Change Harlem and America) tackles new theories on childhood education with a compelling style that weaves in personal details…

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Wallingford Real Estate Market Favors Sellers in August

The following guest post was written by John Madrid, a Managing Broker with John L. Scott Real Estate - University Village and is a 2005-2012 Seattle Magazine "Five Star" Agent. His clients include both home buyers and sellers. He can be reached at 206-498-1880, [email protected] or www.live206.com. Click on each image once to open them individually, then again for a larger view. For the 8th consecutive month the median sale price for single-family homes sold in Northwest Seattle, including Wallingford, met or exceeded the…

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Off-Leash or Playfield? Shape the Parks Legacy Plan!

Back in November, 2000, one of the first acts that I committed as a new Seattleite was to vote in support of the Pro Parks levy. IMHO, this levy has done great things for Seattle’s parks. Practically every time I’m at a park, I see a sign boasting that X project was completed with funds from the Pro Parks levy. And if you don’t believe me, just take a look at this project list,  which impressively covers everything from Ballard Commons Park…

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Last chance to see sloth bears until 2014

You have one more chance to visit the sloth bears at Woodland Park Zoo this weekend (September 15-16). After that, Randy and Tasha, the zoo's resident sloth bears, will be off-exhibit until 2014 while construction begins on the new Asian tropical forest exhibit. Here are some bear facts from the zoo: Randy, the 16-year-old male sloth bear, came to the zoo in June of 1996. Tasha, a 7-year-old female, has lived at Woodland Park Zoo for just under a year. She made…

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Abacus West

Next week, a new after-school math enrichment program will open in the Good Shepherd Center for kids ages five through 12. Abacus West puts a new twist on mathematics using an ancient calculating tool, the Japanese abacus (soroban). Once students get comfortable using the beaded calculating tool, they're taught to develop a "mental abacus" (anzan), and in doing so, the kids enhance their mental calculating skills. According Abacus West founder Vinaya Kulkarni, "Along the way students develop their focus, concentration, confidence,…

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Diplomatic plates

Congratulations goes to Maria Hines, owner of Tilth here in Wallingford and the Golden Beetle over in Ballard. Maria was one of over 80 chefs appointed by the U.S. State Department to the newly-created American Chef Corps under the Diplomatic Culinary Partnership with the James Beard Foundation. This means Hines and her peers will create meals for foreign dignitaries or, when necessary, will travel abroad to engage in public diplomacy programs. The announcement was made at the U.S. State Department last Friday,…

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Public Meeting about I-5 Noise Reduction

On Thursday, September 13, at 7 p.m. there will be a public meeting on reducing noise from I-5, co-sponsored by the Eastlake Community Council, Wallingford Community Council, and Portage Bay/Roanoke Park Community Council. The meeting will take place at Pocock Rowing Center (3320 Fuhrman Ave E.).  Rep. Frank Chopp, Rep. Pedersen, Rep. Clibborn, a staff person for Senator Murray, and WSDOT representatives will be in attendance.  This is an opportunity for the community to ask about plans for completing I-5 noise…

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