Folks at the City of Kent and local volunteers are busy planning another fun You We Me, an interactive evening of free family fun. This year’s event will be held at ShoWare Center on Fri., Mar. 1 and will feature a variety of activities for kids of all ages. In addition to collecting food for the Kent Food Bank, event highlights include:

• 44 interactive vendor booths
• Bike raffle from Redline Bikes
• Radio Disney
• Sports competitions
• Face painting, hands on activities, games
• Bounce houses
• Rainier Youth Choirs
• Neely O’Brien DRUM and Red Hawk Singers
• Electronettes Drill Team and Drum Squad
• Cameron Sterling
• Kitana Turnball
• Allegro Performing Arts Academy
• Kent Elementary STOMP and Dance Team
• New Beginning Alofa Tunoa Youth Dance Group
• Kent Meridian Bridging the Seas Bollywood Group
• Kent Knights Jr. Cheer Team
• Kent Meridian Pacific Island Club
• $1 hot dogs and soda

Kent Food Bank will be on hand to accept donations of nonperishable food items. The event is organized by a cross-section of community groups, the Kent School District, Kent Parks, local youth groups, sports teams, scouts, churches, local businesses and service clubs. Come join the fun!

The Kentridge High School dance team, the Chatelaines, is participating in “Kick It Up,” a dance and drill competition next Sat., Feb. 9 at Kentridge High School, 12430 SE 208th St., Kent. The competition begins at 1 p.m.

Booster Club parents Joy Theisen and Carol Jackson said that 28 teams with more than 670 dancers, including Kentridge High School, have signed up to compete in the event. The girls are coached by head coaches Ashley Naset and Staci Mattson and assistant coaches Tami Printz and Joelle Fleming. The competition will help the Chatelaines raise money to pay for other competitions, uniforms and other dance team-related needs. Cheer on our local dancers.

Pictured at right:  Kentridge HS Senior Talia Carchedi, daughter of Joe and Alison Carchedi

UPDATED Feb. 2, 2013, 6:18 a.m. — On Feb. 2, local Kent firefighters will climb stairs at Kent Station to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. In this year’s event, the Kent Fire Department will have 14 participants who will climb stairs on a stairclimber at the Kent Station Fountain Stage outside of AMC Theatres. The goal is 69 flights of stairs, 1,311 steps and 788 feet of vertical elevation. In 2012, participants raised $7,000. The goal this year is $10,000.

Want to make a donation on site? The firefighters will not only appreciate it but they’ll also give each donor a card with a list of Kent Station discounts as a thank you. Discounts for donors include Cow Chip Cookies, Duke’s, Extreme Pita, Hairmasters, Naked Pizza and Trapper’s Sushi!

For more information, or to make a donation online, visit the Kent firefighters’ Stairclimb page, call 206.628.0777 or send an email.

In 2011 and 2012, Valley Medical Center provided 261 low-income, high risk women with mammograms, ultrasounds and biopsies. Because of the October 2012 Pink-the-Rink fundraiser held by GLOW at a Seattle Thunderbirds game, an additional 55 women will receive evaluations this year for possible breast cancer. At the Pink-the-Rink event, more than, $15,000 was raised to help provide this care. Additional funding is provided through a grant from the Washington Breast and Cervical Health Program (WBCHP), funded by the CDC and the State of Washington.

In a press release dated, January 14, 2013, Sherry Kuzan, RN, The Breast Center at Valley Medical Center, said, “It’s our mission to provide care to any woman who comes through our doors. When you are a woman at high risk for cancer, and don’t have the means to get preventative medical attention, it’s very scary. Through grants from organizations like WBCHP and our own fundraising efforts, we are able to help many women in our community who would otherwise not be able to get care.”

For more information about The Breast Center at Valley Medical Center, visit Valley Medical Center online.

Starting Monday, November 5, outdoor walking enthusiasts can get out of the rain by participating in ShoWalk, a free indoor walking opportunity on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 to 11 a.m. at ShoWare Center, 625 W. James Street, downtown Kent.

Sponsored by Kent4Health, ShoWare Center provides ‘ShoWalkers’ two levels for walking with a full loop on the upper level for walkers and a horseshoe on the lower level for those with strollers or walking aids. There are also stairs for those interested in getting additional cardio and variety.

While there is no cost, registration is appreciated at Kent4Health.com or at the door on walk days.

The American Cancer Society’s 37th annual “Great American Smokeout” is November 15.  Use the date to formulate a plan to quit smoking; even if it is for one day.  This could be your first step to a healthier, smoke-free lifestyle, and reducing your cancer risk.

This online resource can offer great resources on how to begin quitting.  Remember, it’s easier to quit when you have support, and The American Cancer Society has fantastic support tools to help you quit. 

It’s back to school time and that means it is also time to update your children’s immunizations. To help parents with those expensive but necessary shots, Kent School District and Valley Medical Center are teaming up to provide two free immunization clinics in September. Valley Medical will immunize children entering 6th, 7th or 8th grades. The children must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian and bring their immunization records with them, or have them on file with the clinic. Dates, times and clinics are:

Wednesday, Sept. 19, 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Valley Family Medicine
3915 Talbot Road S., Suite 401
Renton, Wa 98055
425-656-4224

Wednesday, Sept. 26, 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Kent Clinic
24920 104th Ave SE
Kent, Wa 98030
253-395-2000
*Immunization requirements for children entering the 6th, 7th and 8th grades:

- Three doses of Hepatitis B
- Five doses of Dtap and one dose of Tdap
- Four doses of polio
- Two doses of Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR)
- Two doses of Varicella or one dose and verification of the disease

Thanks to the Kent School District for posting this information.

Kent business owners Nicole Adams of Intimate Pilates and Sandy Newby of Rain & Co. Salon/Spa are inviting the community to visit their new downtown location at 109 2^nd Ave. S. during an open house on Fri., Aug. 17, 5 – 8 p.m. During the evening event, Intimate Pilates will offer refreshments, gift bags, a raffle and 15-minute free Pilates demos. Rain and Co. will offer hand and arm massages, complimentary bang trims or hair touch-ups, product samples and a raffle.

Intimate Pilates:  In June, Adams relocated her Intimate Pilates studio from her original 1^st Avenue location. She needed the larger space to expand the studio’s private sessions and group classes. The space includes a cozy waiting area, Pilates machines for individual workouts and group classes, as well as space for Pilates mat and yoga classes. The group classes can accommodate between four and six people at a time.

“We just love the new space,” Adams explains. “It’s bigger but it still has that intimate, personal feel our clients love.”

Open seven days a week by appointment only, Intimate Pilates also offers SOMA neuromuscular integration, a treatment-oriented massage. Since opening in November 2009, Adams says the demand for Pilates and yoga has grown, in part because of the studio’s intimate feel and personalized attention but also because services are priced more affordably at $60/hour (less for packages) compared to $70 to $75 in Bellevue or Seattle. Visit the studio’s website for dates, times, classes and appointments.

Rain & Co. Salon/Spa:  Upstairs from Intimate Pilates is Rain & Co. Salon/Spa, a contemporary boutique salon, featuring a talented team of independent salon professionals who focus on the satisfaction and well being of their clients. Eighteen months ago, Sandy Newby, the original owner of Excalibur Salon, took back over her location from Humanity Salons, and has named her new venture Rain & Co. Salon/Spa.

The salon staff offers haircuts and styles, hair color and highlights, deep conditioning treatments, special occasion hairstyles and updos, “real feather” extensions, body and skincare treatments, waxing, massage, body wraps and more. The salon is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., and it features Bumble and Bumble products. For more information about Rain and Co., visit the salon online.

“When our clients visit the salon, they enjoy the inviting atmosphere, are genuinely welcomed by our friendly staff and leave feeling absolutely beautiful,” Newby says. “We hope people will visit the salon during the open house to see how relaxing a visit to an upscale salon can be!”

As Valley Medical Center has reached the one-year anniversary of our Strategic Alliance with UW Medicine, I am pleased to report that we have already increased the availability of quality healthcare in our community. 

In the July 2011 to July 2012 period, we have increased the clinical expertise and services available to our residents by expanding coverage at Valley in neurological surgery and thoracic surgery, expanding education and training through the UW emergency medicine residency, standardizing reporting for patient safety and quality, implementing a rapid process improvement program to reduce the costs of care and creating additional access to primary care, secondary care and highly specialized care when needed. 

The coming year should bring expansion to oncology services, cardiology, urology, ophthalmology and several other clinical areas. Being a part of the UW Medicine system allows our physicians to have priority access to specialized care at UW Medicine when a patient needs urgent specialty services such as open heart surgery or organ transplant surgery. 

In addition to the expansion of clinical services, we are working to reduce the overall cost of healthcare and to transform healthcare delivery. The recent Supreme Court decision on healthcare reform validates the concept of integrated delivery systems; a key component is readily available primary care. The combination of VMC’s clinics and UW Medicine’s Neighborhood Clinics has increased access to care in your neighborhoods and access to world class specialists when needed.

Valley Medical Center is committed to continuing the progress we have achieved in the first year of the Strategic Alliance. The shared mission to improve the health of the public has allowed VMC and the rest of UW Medicine to focus on expansion of services and alignment of best practices as we prepare for healthcare reform and the growing needs of our population.

The focus of the Board of Trustees, with eleven trustees living in the service area, is to provide oversight to the delivery of healthcare in our community. We will continue to provide progress reports to let you know when new services are added. Thank you for relying on Valley Medical Center for your healthcare.

Friday, June 15  and
Friday, August 17
6:15 p.m.
Lake Meridian Park

- 0.5, 1.2 and 2.4 mile distances
- Wetsuit and nonwetsuit divisions
- Winners get a pie
- Bring the family for a BBQ dinner. Athletes eat for free.
- Perfect prep for the swim leg of your next triathlon, and ideal for Ironman Couer d’Alene athletes. Register online here.

Event sponsored in part by Northwest Tri & Bike.

What do ice dancer Ben Agosto, Hilton Hotels and ShoWare Center have in common? They will all be integral players in bringing Skate America 2012 to Kent October 19 and 20, drawing thousands of sports fans and journalists from around the world to South King County.

Kent Mayor Suzette Cooke announced the news this morning at a press conference attended by local and state officials and representatives, media and residents and business people. Skate America will feature three days of competition featuring 52 world-class figure skaters from 15 countries. The DoubleTree by Hilton (SeaTac location) will be the host hotel, and ShoWare Center will host the competitions during the weekend-long event.

An enthusiastic Mayor Cooke said she wants to show the world “the very best Kent has to offer” in terms of dining, restaurants, lodging and other amenities.

“Let’s roll out the red carpet,” she said.

Though she had originally been scheduled to make the announcement, Governor Christine Gregoire was called away on last minute business. She made this statement in a press release issued following the press conference:

“We are excited to again welcome the international figure skating community and its fans to the state of Washington for 20120 Hilton HHonors Skate America,” Governor Gregoire said. “In recent years, Washington has hosted record-setting crowds in Spokane and Everett. The anticipated economic impact and international television exposure the event will bring to Kent and the greater Seattle area is exciting.”

King County Executive Dow Constantine was on hand to share in the good news. Constantine said he hopes to build on the success of the Olympic Diving Trials to be held in Federal Way next month, helping to position the area as a premier destination for sporting events.

“Thank you, Skate America, for choosing King County,” Constantine said.

Medalist Ben Agosto encouraged attendees to buy tickets for the event, explaining that some of the competitions held in Washington State are among the most memorable of his career.

“When you see it live, it is completely different than seeing it on TV,” Agosto said. “There’s a big energy transfer between the skaters and fans.”

Laura Lee of Production Sports will be handling the promotion of the event, with Ben Agosto serving as Skate America’s honorary chairman.

“This is our time to get noticed,” she told an audience of about 100.

Sports commentator Chris Egan of KING5 concluded the program: “It’s coming to YOUR city!”

Tickets for the international skating event will range in price from $75 for a weekend pass to $350 for premium seats. Tickets will go on sale tomorrow. For more information about the event, visit www.2012skateamerica.com.

Did you know that prescription drugs are the second most commonly abused narcotic preceded only by marijuana? A nation wide effort to reduce drug abuse, Prescription Drug Take Back Day is scheduled for Sat., April 28 from 9 am to 2 pm at the front of the Kent Police Station, next to Kent City Hall, 220 Fourth Avenue South in downtown Kent.  The goal of this unique program is to provide a safe and secure environment for the community to turn in unused, expired or otherwise unneeded medications.

Medications that can be dropped off include controlled, non-controlled and over the counter medicines; all solid dosage pharmaceutical products and liquids in consumer containers and liquid products like cough syrup, cold medicines, etc.

Let’s reduce drug abuse!  If you have any of the above medications to get rid of, support the Prescription Drug Take Back Day by taking them to the Kent Police Station on Saturday, April 28 from  am to 2 pm.

2012 Relay for Life of Kent Kickoff

January 26, 2012
7:00 p.m.

Kent Senior Center
600 E. Smith St.
Kent, WA  98030

For more info., call Dave Foltz at 253-686-6799 or email him.

Sign-up before kickoff for $50 registration.

Celebrate. Remember. Fight Back.

Valley Medical Center is getting in the holiday spirit by sharing their goodwill with those in need. The community is invited to help them make the holidays a little brighter this year.

Salvation Army Christmas Angel Tree

A Salvation Army Christmas Angel Tree is on the third floor of the hospital. It includes gift wishes for children from age 1 through 17. Select a tag, purchase a gift and return the unwrapped gift to the tree by Tues., Dec. 13.

VMC’s Occupational Health Services Teams up with BlanketSeattle

Valley Medical Center’s Occupational Health Services is accepting donations of cold-weather items for BlanketSeattle, including:

· Blankets

· Long-sleeve shirts

· Hats

· Thermals

· Pants

· Boots

· Sweaters

· Gloves

· Scarves

· Sleeping bags

· Socks (new)

Donation boxes can be found at the hospital through the end of December.

VMC Fitness Center:  Northwest Harvest Food Collection & Salvation Army Christmas Angel Tree

The Fitness Center at Valley Medical Center is collecting donations of non-perishable foods for Northwest Harvest, through December 31. Additionally, a Salvation Army Christmas Angel Tree is located at the Fitness Center. Gift wish tags for children ages 1 through 17 are still available. Unwrapped gifts need to be returned to the Fitness Center tree by Tuesday, December 20. The Fitness Center is located on the first floor of the Talbot Professional Center on the Valley Medical Center campus. Free covered parking is conveniently located in the VMC parking garage. 

VMC Day Surgery Center Food & Clothing Drive

The Valley Medical Center Day Surgery Center is having a non-perishable food drive for Faith Harvest Helpers, and a warm clothing drive for the Renton Clothing Bank through December 22. The Day Surgery Center is located at 17820 Talbot Road South, Renton.

Starting today, November 14, walking enthusiasts can get out of the rain and walk in ShoWare Center, 625 West James Street, Kent.  ShoWalk is presented by Kent4Health and ShoWare Center and is a free indoor walking opportunity on Mondays and Wednesdays, 9-11 am, running (or walking) through April 25,2012.

ShoWare Center provides “ShoWalkers” two levels for walking according to Pamela Clark, Kent4Health Coordinator.  “There’s a full loop on the upper level for walkers and a horseshoe on the lower level for those with strollers or walking aids.  There are also stairs for those interested in getting additional cardio or working their glutes,” Clark said.

Other features of ShoWalk include an area to stretch, warm up and cool down; free blood pressure and sugar screenings on the second Monday of every month provided by Valley Medical Center.

There is no charge to participate but registration is appreciated for planning purposes.  Please register at Kent4Health.com or at the door on walk days.  More information is available at Kent4Health.com or by calling 253-856-4968.

Kent, Washington, November 10, 2011 – Realtor® Marti Reeder of John L. Scott has pledged a donation of $5,000 to the Kent Parks Foundation in support of its Access to Recreation Initiative. This new program was developed by the City of Kent to provide scholarships to local kids who can’t afford to participate in youth or adaptive recreation.

Each year more than 9,000 kids participate in the city’s parks programs, but the need for scholarships grows along with Kent’s population. With 29,000 new residents from the Panther Lake annexation and a growing economic need, scholarship requests have increased by 30% since 2008. Marti Reeder wants to help meet that need.

“As a Kent resident and mom whose children participated in many Kent Parks sports activities and classes, I know how important it is for kids to have access to sports and other activities,” Reeder said.

“So does my son, Anthony Cantu, who has worked for Kent Parks in their afterschool and summer programs for the last four years. We are grateful that our city offers so many opportunities for our children, particularly those who don’t have the money to participate,” Reeder added.

As a result of Reeder’s donation and those of other local businesses, eligible children can qualify for scholarships which cover up to 50% of a program’s fee for parks classes, sport leagues, adaptive recreation and youth and teen courses. For more information about this program or to join Reeder in making a donation, call the Kent Parks Foundation at 253-856-5099. Donations can also be made online at www.KentParksFoundation.org.

About Marti Reeder:

Reeder is a broker/real estate agent with John L. Scott in Kent-Covington. She is an award-winning Realtor®, earning presidential honors from John L. Scott the last four years and named “Best in Kent” three years in a row. Last December, Reeder also received the “Five Star Real Estate Agent, Best in Client Satisfaction” award from Seattle Magazine.  Reeder is active in the Kent community as a member of the Kent Chamber of Commerce, Kent Downtown Partnership and Noon Kiwanis Club.

For more information about Reeder, visit http://www.marti-realtor.com. You can also find Reeder on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Biznik and YouTube.

For more information, contact:

Marti Reeder, John L. Scott
17115 SE 270^th Pl., Ste. 102
Covington, WA 98042
253.859.8500 (office) or 206.391.0388 (cell)
martireeder@johnlscott.com
www.marti-realtor.com

Kent, Washington, November 3, 2011 – Dr. Sue Hollinsworth, her staff and patients participated in Making A Difference Day on October 22. The Kent family dentist has had an ongoing project for several years of collecting personal hygiene supplies for the homeless and Kent Food Bank. Dr. Hollinsworth’s office continued that project this year for Make A Difference Day, a national day of helping others.

“Whenever anyone stays at a hotel, we ask that they bring back the toiletries to donate. My office adds toothpaste and toothbrushes to this. These are the perfect size to make up personal hygiene care packages that are small enough to carry for those living on the streets or in their cars,” Dr. Hollinsworth explained.

As a family-centered dental practice, Dr. Hollinsworth and her staff believe it’s important to participate in community events. In addition to the Making A Difference project, Dr. Hollinsworth also participates in Kent Relay For Life cancer walk, Kent Crop Walk, Valley Medical Center’s GLOW program, local health fairs and school groups. She serves on the board of directors for Children’s Therapy Center. Earlier this week Dr. Hollinsworth and her staff participated in a candy buy-back event.

Dr. Sue Hollinsworth is located at the corner of 132^nd and 240^th in Meridian Valley Plaza at 13210 SE 240th Street, Suite B3 in Kent. Her practice emphasizes family dental care as well as cosmetic procedures. Patients of all ages are welcome. For more information, call (253) 631-8286, email smilestaff@qwestoffice.net or visit the office’s website at http://www.DrSueHollinsworth.com or Facebook page at http://www.Facebook.com/DrSueHollinsworth.

For more information, contact:

Dr. Sue Hollinsworth, DDS
13210 SE 240th St., Ste. B3
Kent, WA  98042
253-631-8286
Email
www.DrSueHollinsworth.com

From Dr. Sue Hollinsworth, Kent Family Dentist

Kent, Washington, October 20, 2011 – What did the werewolf eat after he’d had his teeth cleaned?  The dentist!

One area dentist is redefining the phrase “put your money where your mouth is.” This Halloween, trick-or-treaters 12 and under can bring their excess candy to Dr. Sue Hollinsworth in Kent and receive a $1 per pound of unopened candy. For the second year in a row, Dr. Hollinsworth is leading this anti-decay movement by offering suggestions for non-candy treats and by giving cash in exchange for cavity-provoking candy.

“Ditch the candy; that’s what we are saying! Visiting your dentist twice a year and brushing daily are great preventative measures, but doing away with excess sweets altogether will really give your teeth a healthy boost,” says Dr. Hollinsworth.

“We all need to ‘think outside the candy box’ for Halloween. There are several great alternatives to candy, such as nuts, balls, seashells, polished rocks, stickers or temporary tattoos, or plastic animals. Kids can still have a lot of fun trick-or-treating, and, if they bring in their candy on November 1, their piggy banks will benefit too,” the Kent family dentist said.

Global sugar consumption for kids increases by about 2% annually and currently sits at 50 million tons per year, which means parents need to be sure their kids’ teeth are being cared for more than ever. Candy, as well as hurting children’s teeth, can lead to hyperactivity and weight gain leading to obesity and diabetes, major concerns for children.

Dr. Sue Hollinsworth’s office will collect candy the day after Halloween only – Tuesday, November 1 – from 4:30 to 6:30 pm. The candy must be unopened, so no nibbling please!

Dr. Sue Hollinsworth is located at the corner of 132^nd and 240^th in Meridian Valley Plaza at 13210 SE 240th Street, Suite B3 in Kent. Her practice emphasizes family dental care as well as cosmetic procedures. Patients of all ages are welcome. For more information, call (253) 631-8286, email smilestaff@qwestoffice.net or visit the office’s website or Facebook page.

For more information, contact:

Dr. Sue Hollinsworth, DDS
13210 SE 240th St., Ste. B3
Kent, WA  98030
253-631-8286

Email