Seattle Sun Newspaper - Vol. 8, Issue 6, June 2004
Copyright 2004 Seattle Sun. Please feel free to use the article below in your research. Be sure to cite the Seattle Sun as your source.
Seattle Sun healthy living briefs
Big Rock Fun Run set for July 31
Maple Leaf Lutheran Church and the Mariner Moose will host the Second Annual Big Rock Walk and Fun Run on Saturday, July 31. The event will start at 9 a.m. and will cover a two-mile course from the big rock in front of the church (at 10005 32nd Ave. NE in the Meadowbrook neighborhood), down to the Nathan Hale High School track, and back. T-shirts and refreshments will be provided. The cost of the event for preregistered runners is $15/$10 for seniors, kids, and walkers. Day-of-race registration costs an additional $5.
The fun run will benefit the Thornton Creek Alliance. For more information, call 524-2448 or go to www.ReachOutChurch.org.
Annie's Playground project seeks volunteers
Volunteers are being sought for work parties on weekends during the month of July at Annie's Playground at Meadowbrook Playfield.
The playground renovation project is being completed in memory of Annie Yasuda, a regular playground visitor who died in November 2001, just a few weeks before her third birthday.
Volunteer work parties will be needed on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from July 9 to August 1 to help assemble playground equipment (first weekend), install decorative tiles painted by local residents (second weekend) and spread the wood chip safety surface (third weekend).
While persons with construction experience and skills are especially invited, these work parties are designed for people of all ages and skills, says Tammie Conder, who is organized the crews. Professional supervision will be provided for the workers. Volunteers are also needed to provide refreshments and child care for crew members.
The project is funded by an $86,000 Seattle Neighborhood Matching Fund grant, plus grants from Starbucks, the Seattle Foundation, Safeco and King County. The work parties will provide the required in-kind services match for the city grant.
To volunteer or for more information, call Tammie Conder at 526-2970 or tammieconder@yahoo.com.
Bicycle helmets available
With summer fast approaching and people getting their summer sports gear ready, it's a good time to think about bicycle safety. On the third Saturday of each month, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., from now through September, Seattle Parks and Recreation and the Cascade Bicycle Club's Education Foundation are offering bicycle helmets for sale for $10 each. All bicyclists and bicycle passengers in King County are now required to wear a helmet that meets the standards set by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The following is the schedule of sale dates, times, and locations in North Seattle where the bike helmets can be purchased (youths under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to buy a helmet): Evans Pool, 7201 E Green Lake Way N; and Meadowbrook Pool, 10515 35th Avenue NE.
Children's Hospital official earns national honor
Dr. Michael Mitchell, chief of pediatric urology at Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, has been awarded the 2004 Hugh Hampton Young Award from the American Urological Association.
Mitchell, a professor of Urology at the University of Washington, received the award on May 12 at the organization's annual meeting in San Francisco.
Mitchell was honored for developing surgical techniques to correct the most complex urologic malformations in children. He pioneered surgical intervention for patients diagnosed with bladder exstrophy, a serious and rare birth defect in which a child is born with his or her bladder on the outside of the body. Previously, patients with complex abnormalities like exstrophy were subjected to a "staged approach" of numerous surgeries meant to correct the condition. Now, using Mitchell's techniques, just one surgery is performed in the patient's first few days of life.
Mitchell received his undergraduate degree from Princeton University and his medical degree from Harvard Medical School. At Children's, Dr. Mitchell has an active research program in bladder reconstruction and replacement. His work has been widely published and he has lectured around the world on a variety of subjects in pediatric urology.
Children's Hospital is located in North Seattle's Laurelhurst neighborhood.
Qualis Health hires new VP
Qualis Healthcare of Seattle, a nonprofit healthcare quality improvement organization located at 10700 Meridian Ave. N., has hired Eugene F. Sun as its new vice president for medical affairs. Sun, a medical doctor who also holds a master's of business administration degree, most recently was associate regional medical director for Merck & Co. Other positions he has held include regional medical director for PacifiCare in Seattle, medical director of United HealthCare of the Mid-Atlantic in Baltimore, and associate medical director for Regence in Seattle. He is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and maintains a part-time clinical practice.
Sand Point center now open
The Sand Point Community Center, at Sand Point Magnuson Park, is now open. The center is located in two buildings the "Recreation Center" at 7110 62nd Ave. NE (the old Navy Building 47 formerly used for recreation and training), and the "Activity Center" at 6344 NE 74th St. (the old Navy brig, or prison). Both have been renovated the former with funding from the 1999 Community Centers Levy and the latter with funding from the 2000 Pro Parks Levy. For a schedule of programs and events offered at the center, call 684-4946, or visit the web at: www.cityofseattle.net/parks/Centers/SandPoint.htm.