Madison Park Times 10-5-2022

Parlour Wines in Madison Park adds bar to offerings

By Jessica Keller Madison Park Times editor

Parlour Wines will not only celebrate its one-year anniversary of opening in Madison Park this month, but owner Brendan Casey is pleased that word is slowly spreading about his expansion.

This summer, Casey expanded his business to include a wine bar after his permit was approved. Now, in addition to bottles to purchase, Casey sells wine by the glass, which people can enjoy while sitting at the bar, a cozy seating area off the main room or on the patio.

“Being a wine shop and a wine bar, you really do feel like you’re part of people’s lives,” Casey said, adding one of the things he likes most about his business is getting to talk to customers, hear about their day and their lives.

Casey said running a wine shop and wine bar is a perfect fit for him. He not only gets the human interaction a regular bartender does, as well as the satisfaction of sharing his expertise with his customers, but he also keeps more reasonable hours and maintains a healthy home-work balance.

“So, it really is the best of both worlds,” he said.

In addition, Casey opened Parlour Wines in Madison Park with plenty of experience. Casey worked in the fine-dining industry for many years, where he developed his knowledge of wines and spirits. At his wife’s recommendation, he gave that up to open his first store — one that offers wine and spirits — in New York City. When he and his family moved to western Washington in 2020 to be closer to his wife’s family, he decided to become bi-coastal.

“I always joked that instead of getting a real job, I’d just open another wine shop,” Casey said, adding his wife has a more traditional, 9-5 job.

After scoping out locations in Seattle, he saw a niche he could fill in Madison Park. He opened Parlour Wines as a sales-only bottle shop in October 2021.

“This is the place that I felt the most connected to in terms of the space,” he said, adding his establishment used to be the

Photo by Jessica Keller Brendan Casey, owner of Parlour Wines in Madison Park, stands behind the bar

By Jessica Keller Madison Park Times editor

Since mid-March, Seattle native David Tagliani has encountered destruction, loss, pain, fear and hope while doing humanitarian work in war-torn Ukraine.

Tagliani wouldn’t be anywhere else, which is what he tells friends back home in Seattle and Magnolia, where his family has had a home for more than 50 years, if they ask why he stays in the war-torn country.

“My answer is, ‘Where else would I be?’” he said.

Tagliani has been doing volunteer work with various non-governmental humanitarian organizations for 25 years after retiring from Microsoft and wondering what he was going to do next. A certified emergency medical technician, he is also a search and rescue dog handler and responded in the aftermath of hurricanes Harvey and Marie, as well as the Oso landslide.

Prior to his search and rescue work, Tagliani lived in Russia for eight years helping run an internet café he created for children living at a Russian orphanage. After that, he was sent to Afghanistan and then Iraq.

Working with the people in Ukraine, however, has pushed him to expand his humanitarian efforts.

When he first started his humanitarian work in Ukraine, he was volunteering with an NGO based out of the United States, performing patient care and aiding with evacuations near the Polish border, where people were dying of hypothermia just trying to reach safety.

It was a dramatic scene, he said. The line to cross to Poland in mid-March was eight to 10 people wide, mostly women and children, and three to four miles long. All men, ages 16 to 60, were required to stay and fight. At that time, neither Ukrainian nor Polish officials were taking much time looking at documentation, doing very precursory examinations and just trying to send people across the border, Tagliani said.

“It was quite heartbreaking,” Tagliani said, adding men would drive up and kiss the women and children goodbye and have to get back in their cars and turn around, while their loved ones waiting to cross the border to safety had to endure long waits in 26-degree weather.

After working in Ukraine a few months, Tagliani joined with a small group of Ukrainian men to lead their own evacuation, EMS and supply-distribution missions, and formed his own humanitarian NGO, Stay Safe International.

“We just fly by the seat of our pants,” Tagliani said.

After a trip back home in August to see family, Tagliani returned to Ukraine with one valuable tool to aid his work — his chocolate Lab search and rescue dog, Libby.

He said he wanted to bring Libby to Ukraine for three reasons. First, Ukrainian forces don’t have search and rescue dogs, and Tagliani knew Libby would be an asset when it came to finding people in rubble.

“Rather than having to pull off 800 tons of concrete to start searching and not knowing where to look, search and rescue dogs can pinpoint where the victims are,” Tagliani said.

He said the second reason was that he thought he could teach rescue workers or firefighters to train their own search and rescue dogs, which is how he justified bringing her to Ukraine to the organization that paired him with Libby.

“She’s technically my dog, but she’s actually a FEMA asset,” Tagliani said.

The third reason? His own mental health, he said.

“There’s nothing like having a dog,” he said. “Every day can be pretty stressful.”

Tagliani said when he and his team were first evacuating people, they heard artillery fire frequently, with the Russians shooting randomly at targets. Because the Russian artillery was not very accurate, the shells went everywhere, hitting anything in their path — from schools to shopping centers.

“You get to the end of the day, and you’re not only exhausted but completely strung out from the stress,” Tagliani said. “There’s nothing like having this waggy tail coming up to you, so excited to see you.”

Up until Tagliani’s trip back from the U.S., he and his crew strictly conducted evacuation missions. For these missions, they leave their home base in Lviv with four or five ambulances and vans filled with food, medical supplies and other

Gut microbiota: An ecosystem within all of us

Each of us is a walking ecosystem. Though we may identify as human, the microbes within us outnumber our human cells. In fact, only 10 percent of the cells within us are human; the rest are microbial.

From a genetics perspective, we are even more them than us. In fact, 99.5 percent of the genes in our bodies are actually the genes of the microbes that inhabit our gut.

It would seem plausible then that our multitudes of microbiota (around 100 trillion per person) could have an outsized impact on our health and well-being. Cuttingedge research over the last five years demonstrates that they do. Moreover, the specific food we choose to eat modifies our gut microbiota, which in turn transforms our health.

From the dawn of humanity, we have coexisted with microbes. These microbes (including bacteria, viruses, fungi and protists) depend on us for shelter and food. We, in turn, depend on them for a sizable portion of our digestive prowess, immunity and even neurotransmitters, which influence our moods and more.

While some biota are harmful, a vast majority coexist with us in a mutually beneficial symbiosis.

These microorganisms make themselves at home throughout our bodies — in our mouth, eyes, nose, vagina and more — though they are most abundant in our digestive system, specifically in our large intestine (home to 97 percent of our microbes), where they excel at foraging on fiber from our food.

Not all human gut microbial ecosystems are alike. In fact, we each harbor a unique ecological community of microorganisms that changes rapidly (the average microorganism generation is 20 minutes) with the specific foods we consume and the people, animals, plants and environments we encounter.

Because microorganisms are picky eaters — each species sporting specific plant fiber preferences -— biotic populations in our colon grow and shrink based on our food choices. When microorganisms get to eat their preferred fibers, they multiply, and when deprived of their predilections their populations are reduced.

So how can we adjust our diets to herald a healthy microbiotic ecosystem in our gut, one that minimizes inflammation and dysbiosis (includ-

ing gas, bloating, abdominal discomfort and irregular stools), decreases the likelihood of chronic disease and enhances longevity and well-being?

Science strongly suggests that our gut health is dependent upon diverse microbiotic communities supported by diets brimming with abundant and diverse plant fibers.

Decades of research shows that a high-fiber diet is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, obesity, inflammatory disease, kidney stones, colon cancer and other malignancies. Now, cutting-edge studies suggest that our gut microbiome plays a key role in those benefits. Whereas animal products, simple sugars and processed foods are digested earlier in the digestive tract, plant fibers (veggies, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains) arrive at our large intestine mostly undigested, becoming a welcome meal for microbes. When our gut microbes feast on these fibers, they produce short chain fatty acids and butyrate metabolites, which reduce inflammation, thus mitigating chronic illness.

But for our microbes to produce these helpful metabolites, we must eat plants. Lots of them.

Health-promoting gut microbiota not only flourish with the consumption of diverse plant fibers, but with fermented foods. Recent research, including a study headed by Stanford researchers Erica and Justin Sonnenberg and published in Cell in August 2022, indicates that diets high in fermented foods (think yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchee, miso soup, kefir, lassi, tempe) both increases microbiota diversity and decreases inflammatory markers in healthy adults. In a seven-week doubleblind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, participants who switched to a diet high in fermented foods (eating an average of seven servings per day compared to less than one per day pre-study) experienced a 25 percent increase in the variety of gut microbe species as well as a significant, cohort-wide decrease in inflammatory cytokines.

Diets high in fruits, vegetables and other plant fibers not only nourish us with vital nutrients, they also support the microbial communities that are the foundations of our health. A fun way to increase the number of plants you consume

SEE GUT, PAGE 4

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Seattle’s freakiest Halloween party returns to MoPOP

The Museum of Pop Culture has announced that its epic Halloween bash “Fashionably Undead” is returning after a multi-year hiatus. From 8 p.m. until midnight on Oct. 29, visitors can don their scariest costumes and make their way to the museum (325 Fifth Ave. N.) for the Halloween dance party of the season. There will be a

costume contest with $500 cash prize, an escape room experience, horror exhibition, and more — all to the beat of DJ Morgue Anne’s spinning.

The event is for those 21 and over only. Tickets range from $20 to $28. For details, visit MoPOP.org.

About Museum of Pop Culture MoPOP is a leading-edge nonprofit museum in Seattle, dedicated to the ideas and risk-taking that

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fuel contemporary pop culture. With a mission to make creative expression a life-changing force by offering experiences that inspire and connect our communities, MoPOP reaches multigenerational audiences through our collections, exhibitions, educational programs and community partnerships. At MoPOP, artists, audiences, and ideas converge, bringing understanding, interpretation, and scholarship to the pop culture of our time.

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Photo courtesy MoPOP

The Museum of Pop Culture’s Halloween bash, Fashionably Undead, will take place from 8 p.m. until midnight Oct. 29 at the museum (325 Fifth Ave. N., Seattle).

Courtesy MoPOP

Annie Lindberg The Point

No sleeping in Seattle

By Richard Carl Lehman Revisiting the Park

Garfield High School turned 100 years old in 2020. To celebrate, a delayed reunion was held Aug. 27 for all classes, arranged by decades, at the school.

It was a cool, dark day, so the classes of the 1930s to the 1950s were happy to reunite indoors at an auxiliary gym. The ’60s and ’70s met at the Commons, the ’80s and ’90s in a tent on the athletic field. The years 2000-22 also met on the athletic field later in the day. Food trucks provided a plethora of delicacies in the performance center driveway.

Our ’30s to ’60s-decades were designated by flags on several tables depicting the sections.

Mine was the class of 1954, where only four males showed up. I remembered everyone who had come from J.J. McGilvra and Edmund Meany Junior High, even those from other years.

The class of 1952 had the distinction of Quincy Jones being a student. He and his musical group played at many affairs and taverns in the area. He was an honorary chairman for the centennial event and gave a speech via YouTube.

I have attended a few of the milestone reunions; I find myself reflecting on how small the class size has become and the toll 68 years has taken on our lot.

In its heyday, speaking of Quincy, there were many places to dance and/or listen to music. The Downbeat opened on Second and Yesler, close to the train station, and on one Friday night, I went in to have a beer. Like most males, I wandered around looking for a dance partner. A gentleman seated at the large Hammond organ played as the stage rotated.

Suddenly I heard, “Dick Lehman!” and turned to see Quincy. He said, “Join us!” so after thanking the young lady for the quick dance, I sat with Quincy, Dave Lewis, Dave Hammond, Bill Somrise — a disc jockey — and some band members. Several of the artists took turns creating impressive music. The club was open from 9 until midnight, and later we headed to the Black and Tan on 12th and Yesler. A dark stairwell led down to the sound of the blues.

Every time I drive past that area, I think of all the good times and that we always left just before dawn.

Other evenings, we would head north to Madison and 23rd; there was no better place than Birdland to sip a beer behind a napkin holder. In those days, with the

increase in clubs, the liquor board was hard and heavy on violations. You could not carry your brew to the table after ordering as that was the waiter’s job. The hours there were 10 a.m. until midnight, but closed on Sundays — Seattle really never closed.

Not far from the Black and Tan, west to Chinatown, was the Wai Mei Club, where Hank the owner/manager would let us in from a dark alley just east of Tai Tung’s. After pressing a bell in the small door, Hank peered through a peep hole and let us in and led us to a table near the dance floor.

There were many Arthur Murray-types flailing their arms, inviting fisticuffs. Hank was always able to put an end to the mêlée; the dancers never missed a beat. It was easier to order two or three drinks at a time there because the place was so crowded. There was some gaming but only for special patrons.

One block west was Bob Kivo’s 605 Club, with a long staircase entrance where one could chance on dice or just partake of friends and conversation. The rule here was to bring your bottle of choice and pour drinks under the table, although bottles could be purchased in the kitchen. It always drew a great crowd from all areas of Seattle and Madison Park. High rollers seeking a game of chance, cocktails and charming ladies could find private gatherings not far from Madison Park. Poker was open for the casual player, but as the pot grew, feelings of seriousness became apparent so one or two bouncers stood by. Some of these functions were by invite only. One was downtown where folks dressed to the nines attended.

We took an elevator to the top and then a private elevator to the grand event. Everything from chips and dips to lobster was offered. A full band played for the guests who shined on the dance floor. The Western swing and its many versions were the dances

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of choice.

Simpler entertainment became common in neighborhoods abiding with the closedon-Sunday’s rule. Events with baseball and barbecues were organized at local lakes. Sometimes the Red Onion and the Attic played each other there. A mile east of Issaquah and north through the woods sat a guy reading a paperback and collecting $2.50 a car for parking by the water’s edge next to a small stove. There were hot dogs or steaks grilling on the iron barbecue, keg beer and baseball all day. A great sport north on Aurora was the Figure 8 and Demolition Derby, and nearby were modified races. Engine on a frame, helmet required. That was very close to Playland in Seattle, where most rides were 35 cents and 50 cents for the roller coaster. Playland disappeared in 1961 and is now a play field for the R.H. Thomson Jr. High School. The speedway was incorporated into a shopping center. Seattle was alive with events. In the early 60s, rumors spread there was to be a race hosted by KVI’s star disc jockey, Bob Hardwick. He announced loud and clear, “A race between two top cars: the Madman Muntz Jet — plush coup — and an early ’60s Corvette.” Soon word spread via KJR and other stations about the upcoming race. The Corvette was owned by Bob’s father of Westlake Chevrolet. The Jet was a dealership on Pike near Boren, which was new in Seattle. The big day took place on Fifth Avenue, which was blocked thanks to the Seattle Police Department. People lined the streets, banners and all. “And away they go!” The Jet, with four tail pipes, roared off the line. The Corvette did little more than squeal its tires, blowing the socks off the Jet. Corvettes increased in sales and the Muntz Jet, like Seattle rain sometime does, just went away.

is to keep a log awarding yourself one point per plant, aiming for a minimum of 30 distinct plants per week. It’s not as hard as you might think! Recently, I ate 45 unique plants in a single day in three delicious, nutritious home-made meals and felt incredible.

Adding plant fibers can be a healthfully rewarding and creative process. In fact, you can simply up-level meals you already enjoy, adding additional fruits, veggies, whole grains, nuts and beans to your favorite soups and salads. You can even up-level simple staples like oatmeal. Annie’s Oats is one of my favorite autumn morning meals, full of diverse plant fibers. Soaking and fermenting the oats overnight before

BRIEFS

McGilvra Elementary’s Wildcat Cleanup coming up

Residents are invited to volunteer at the McGilvra Elementary Wildcat Cleanup from 11 a.m. to noon Oct. 9. Volunteers can show their McGilvra school spirit and meet at Madison Park Playground, 4201 E. Madison St., to help pick up trash along East Madison Ave. Trash bags and grabbers will be provided by the McGilvra PTA. Email community@mcgilvrapta.org for more information.

Northwest Kidney Centers hosting 60th anniversary Discovery Gala

Northwest Kidney Centers will host its 60th anniversary Discovery Gala — its annual fundraising dinner and live auction — from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Oct. 15 at the Hyatt Regency Seattle (808 Howell St., Seattle). Proceeds benefit equitable access to life-saving care and transformative kidney disease research. The community is invited to attend this in-person festive event that features live auction packages, raffle prizes and patient stories. Register online at www.nwkidney. org/gala or contact Northwest Kidney Centers at 206-720-8585 or events@nwkidney.org. Find more information about Northwest Kidney Centers at www.nwkidney.org.

Seattle/King County Clinic offering free eye exams, eyeglasses for those in need

Seattle/King County Clinic returns to Seattle Center Oct. 20-23 for a seventh year of free eye exams and prescription eyeglasses for those who struggle to access or afford eye care.

Led by Seattle Center and Seattle Center Foundation, Seattle/King County Clinic brings together healthcare organizations, civic agencies, nonprofits and private businesses for the event. Licensed healthcare professionals and general support volunteers donate their time and expertise with a goal of helping more than 1,000 people in need during the four-day period. Tickets are limited, and participants are admitted for service on a first-come, first-served basis. Organizers open the facility and begin to distribute free admission tickets beginning at 6 a.m. each day at the Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center, on the corner of Second Avenue North and Thomas Street/Lenny Wilkens Way. Doors to the clinic open at 7:30 a.m. Patients are then escorted to the service facility and admitted by ticket number to be registered and receive free eye care. If prescription eyeglasses are ordered, they will be distributed in early December.

Additional Seattle/King County Clinic details include:

• Face masks are required, though no one should attend if they are feeling sick.

• Identification or proof of immigration status are not required.

• Free interpretation services are available.

• Free parking is available at the Mercer Street Parking Garage at Seattle Center (650 Third Ave. N.)

Additional information is available at seattlecenter.org/patients.

cooking can add bonus benefits for your microbiome.

Annie’s Oats: A morning microbiome multiplier

■ 1/3 cup gluten-free oats (presoaked overnight with 1 cup of water and 1 tsp of yogurt to ferment)

■ 2 Tbsp chia seeds

■ 2 Tbsp flax seeds, ground

■ Handful of raisins or blueberries

■ 3 dried mission figs, sliced

■ 1/2 cup of toasted walnuts

■ 1/4 cup toasted coconut

■ 1/4 tsp fresh ginger, chopped

■ 1/2 tsp lions main mushroom powder

■ 1/2 tsp turkey tail mushroom powder

■ 1/4 tsp whole fennel seeds

■ 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder

■ Pinch of cardamon, cloves,

nutmeg, sea salt, turmeric and black pepper.

■ 1/2 tsp ghee

■ Water (to desired consistency)

In the evening, put the oats in a cup of water, stir in a teaspoon of yogurt, and place the mixture on the countertop overnight to ferment. In the morning, pour out the soak water to reduce phytic acid and improve digestibility. Add in the rest of the ingredients, as well as plenty of water, and bring to boil. Reduce the heat and simmer on the stove for 10 minutes, stirring regularly. Enjoy your fermented fiber-filled breakfast, brimming with 17 plant points.

Annie Lindberg is a licensed practitioner and the owner of The Point Acupuncture and Ayurveda in Madison Park.

SOUND THEATRE PRESENTS SPECIAL PERFORMANCES OF ‘CLOUD TECTONICS’

Sound Theatre Company is offering Spanish-captioned performances of “Cloud Tectonics” this month. The company’s mission is to empower artists to amplify the dignity and diversity of the human experience. Since Spanish is the second-most spoken language in the country, Sound Theatre has committed to offering performances to an audience that may not otherwise be able to attend live theater in their preferred language.

“Cloud Tectonics” was written by Academy Award nominee José Rivera and tells the story of Celestina (Jay Woods), a pregnant woman who can stop time but not control it. During the night of a great storm, she meets Anibal de la Luna (Myles Romo) and the audience is transported to a world of magical realism.

For three special performances, Grecia Leal Pardo, who immigrated from Mexico, has translated the play into Spanish: Tectónica de nubes. She said it is exciting “because you get to think about the interplay between intention, meaning, and interpretation and how it lives not just on the page but in a moment.” Cloud Tectonics runs until Oct 15 at 12th Avenue Arts, 1620 12th Ave., Seattle. Spanish-captioned performances are at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 6 and Oct. 15. Visit soundtheatrecompany.org for more information.

The finale was unforgettable

By Steve Lorton Tree Talk

Hal Prince, the legendary Broadway director and winner of 21 Tony Awards, was famous for his knockout finales. With the audience pumped-up, the dropping of the curtain only solidified the euphoria. Everyone left the theater on a high, happy to savor quieter times ahead.

That lesson is likely to have been gleaned from nature. The chill in the air, the shorter days, the disappearance of many vibrant colors seem somehow comforting, I suspect, because the blaze of autumn foliage brings down the gardening year with Broadway pizazz.

There’s more, however. We really don’t think about it much, but there are many plants that wait until growing season’s end to burst into bloom.

I once knew a gardener in Tacoma who had cultivated a show-stopping fall perennial border. He planned the spectacle of spring from rhododendrons to bursts of bulbs but basically ignored June, July and August. Why? His children were out of school in summer, and the family was hiking, boating, on the tennis court and golf course. No time for gardening, not really home enough to savor the explosions of bloom.

Come September, however, he wanted to be able to look out at his garden and see sweeps of color, the likes of which everyone bragged about in late spring and through summer. Japanese anemones, rudbeckia, mums, sedums, asters, golden rod and dahlias filled beds at the entry and encircled the lawn behind the house. It was a collection of bloom and color that rivaled anything, any time of year.

You’re too late for this kind of garden this year, but the good news is that you can have it to enjoy next autumn if you get going

While gardeners are too late to plant a fall garden

ing months for a showpiece next fall.

interested in flower gardening.

now. October and early November are prime planting months.

First, stroll the neighborhood, notebook or phone camera in hand, and see what is in bloom. You’ll be amazed. Here and there will be all sorts of floriferous outbursts. The trick is in gathering them and massing them, just as you would earlier bloomers.

Plant-identification apps like PictureThis allow you to snap a shot of a plant you see and — voila! — back comes the botanical identification, often with tips and growing instructions. Also, Graham Stuart Thomas’ “Perennial Garden Plants” is an indispensable reference for anyone interested in flower gardening, a must-have for every serious gardener’s library.

Next, go to nurseries. Look at

what is in bloom and for sale. Talk to the staff. You can coordinate flower color, plant height, leaf textures and colors as you eyeball the offerings there, in full bloom, in nursery cans.

Once home, the old planting adage applies: a million-dollar hole for a $10 plant. Dig out a spot for the plant that is about 30 percent wider than the circumference of the pot in which you bought it. The hole should be just deep enough that the top of the plant’s root ball sits at the surrounding surface of the bed, or no more than an inch below.

Fill the empty hole three times with water, allowing it to thoroughly soak in before you fill it again. This fully saturates the soil around the new planting. Take the plant out of the container,

squeeze the root ball repeatedly and vigorously to loosen the roots. Set the plant in the ground, fill in the soil and water thoroughly again, adding more soil, if necessary, as it settles. Cover the area above the root ball with a layer of mulch.

When cold weather turns the plant brown, cut it back, leaving about 4 inches of stem. This will keep you and animals from walking on the crown. Next spring, as the new shoots emerge, the cluster of old upright stems will protect the new shoots. Keep the plants watered through summer. When next fall arrives, it’s curtain up on the last act, headed into the finale.

Hal Prince was once interviewed and shared how he coped with the opening of a Broadway

show. He’d always schedule a meeting with a producer for the morning after opening night. If the show bombed, he had a next step set up. If the show was a hit, he could ride more swiftly into the new project. Sage advice. Always focus on the next project.

Following the autumn finale, bulb planting, and garden cleanup, next are holiday decorations and the gem-like joys of the winter garden. Then comes spring, summer, autumn and the cycle is complete.

Curtain up! Light the lights! You’ve got nothing to hit but the heights. It’s show biz, and who knows? You might pick up a horticultural Tony. Whatever, you’ll never lack for a reason to sing and dance in your garden.

Photo by Mary Henry

featuring an explosion of colors, October and early November are prime plant-

Graham Stuart Thomas’ ‘Perennial Garden Plants’ is an indispensable reference for anyone

Photo courtesy Sound Theatre Company

Secrets

This story begins with a photo.

Pope Francis is on the front page of The New York Times, and it makes me remember a few secrets that need to break loose. Let me just say, there is no end to secrets that need to break loose.

The Roman Catholic leader is sitting in a wheelchair in a graveyard. White crosses surround him. He traveled to Canada to apologize for the church’s role in running boarding schools where Indigenous children were abused and where many died.

Everything about the photo arouses in me both gratitude and suspicion. Gratitude because someone influential is holding himself accountable. Suspicion because of the infinite number of leaders who speak up once it is too late. It’s as if the photo is trying to remind me

TAGLIANI

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of that.

Growing up, the Pope was someone my family believed in; it was just what Catholic families did. I didn’t not believe in the Pope, no more or any less than other presiding men in my life.

One such man comes to mind: a young priest new to our parish. I believed in him right up until he slept with a girl in our high school.

Once I left home, I never gave him another thought. Priests and popes came and went. All those secrets are behind me now.

But then the truths began to surface. Unrelenting secrets. Who could imagine such things done to children? It must have occurred to me that many people still care what the Pope has to say about the major issues we face, but when I saw the photo, I realized he had become someone I barely remembered being

necessities, such as clothes, diapers, baby food and pet food. Then they drive 1,200 kilometers to the Kharkiv region, which Tagliani said is about a two-day drive, even taking short breaks.

Tagliani said many people in the larger cities didn’t need a lot of help, so outreach typically goes to the people in the tiny surrounding downs.

Tagliani said he and his team will help anyone they come across, Ukrainian or Russian.

“We help everybody,” he said. “If you need assistance, I’m going to help. That is the ethos I’ve basically taken with Stay Safe, to help everybody.”

He said Stay Safe International is different from NGOs in that he and his crew can go directly to the front lines because they have necessary security passes.

Before recent Ukrainian military successes in driving the Russian soldiers out of previously occupied areas, Tagliani said his team started their days by going to the front lines distributing supplies and evacuating civilians, taking them to Red Cross stations before returning to the front lines again, making up to 10 to 15 trips a day

“We do that all day long, basically, until sunset, and then we do it again the next day,” he said, adding their forays can last two or three days, with the volunteers eating their own food and sleeping in the ambulances at night.

“We have no weapons, we wear flak jackets and helmets, but we’re soft targets,” Tagliani said. “If the Russians advance, we get out of there.”

After they run out of supplies and need to regroup, they drive back to Lviv for a short break before making the 1,200-kilometer trek again.

Tagliani said being able to help Ukrainians who have been living in fear and

told to care about.

I couldn’t wait to leave the steepled white churches and village greens of New England where everything looks serene from the outside. But if there is one thing that the church taught me, it’s that, within, things are secretly falling apart.

I held on to my secrets.

It’s been years since I thought about my neighborhood friend, pregnant at 15. Her father had abused her for years. He wore an expensive suit to church. That’s what my mother called it, “an expensive suit.” One day her mother took her to the city. When they came home, my friend was no longer pregnant. I knew this, but we never talked about it.

Something about everything felt very hidden after that, and I didn’t know what to do with all the secrets piling on, but they affected me.

There is an image recurrent in religious promotion of a bucolic child, hands folded in prayer, looking up to the sky as if someone up there knows. I never saw myself in that face. All of my life, I have been defying this idea that any one religion has the “answers.” But the questions? Writers are nothing if not open to the questions. I can even drive myself a little crazy with the questions. The Catholic stuff I love to avoid is still the Catholic stuff I love to study. And why I suddenly need to know what Pope Francis had to say about the reversal of Roe v. Wade.

And there it is in black and white, the reason for my suspicion: He strongly upholds the church teaching of opposing abortions, equating it to “hiring a hit-man to solve a problem.” It proves that avoidance of hypocrisy is not something we can ever assume from the church any more than from Congress or the Supreme Court. And, Francis, see, I wanted to believe in you.

My neighbor had friends in to celebrate when Roe v. Wade was reversed. One man looked innocent enough, so I asked him what the party was about, knowing full well.

“We are living in a pro-life country now,” he said.

“Really? Pro-life?” I said. “How does one think no abortion, but it’s OK that there hasn’t been a single week in 2022 without a mass shooting?”

It wasn’t fear that made me speak up. Nor any need to “win.” No. It was the effect of hands-on pressure. Scared for the future of reproductive choice, I’d booked a massage to calm me. The therapist kept saying, “Oh! I need to unblock you.” And then she’d press down on just the right spot and say, “There, can you feel it?”

And, to my surprise, I could.

Little pops in my neck. Where the blunt spine meets a churning mind. Pop. Pop. Pop. And then an honestto-goodness peace came over me. I forced myself not to doubt the feeling. To believe.

When my massage was over, I sat up and admitted my abortion at 19.

I didn’t feel ready to say this out loud. But I felt ready to be ready. And then a small miracle happened: The therapist admitted hers at 16 to me. Some basic part of us opened to a truth of ourselves, and we had a private opportunity to share precisely what that truth was, and how grateful we are to live in our city where choice is still possible. I was her. She was me. And we were millions of other women.

My experience with massage, actually the whole way I felt about the neuromuscular system, had changed in an hour. Not only had each of my physical centers been unlocked, but the door to the shame closet flew open. And two more secrets took wing. Freer for having been kept.

After the story broke about the 10-year-old Ohio girl who was raped and then had to flee her state in order to have a safe and legal abortion, I booked another massage, but not with the same therapist. I wanted to set apart what surprisingly felt like one of the most honest encounters of my life. And I believe it always will be.

Mary Lou Sanelli, author, speaker and master dance teacher, is the author of 12 books, including, most recently, “Every Little Thing,” which has been nominated for a 2022 Washington State Book Award. Her children’s book, “Bella Likes To Try,” will be available in October. For more information about her and her work, visit www.marylousanelli.com.

without supplies has been rewarding.

“It is beyond my ability to describe what the effect is on these people who may have had nothing for the last three months,” Tagliani said. “It is quite moving, and our team, it hits them really, really hard because they are Ukrainian.”

The young men, mostly in their 20s and 30s, are all volunteers, and many joined after losing their own livelihoods.

“To see how they’ve been affected by this, it’s really, really torn me up,” he said. “I have to say it’s been very emotional.”

The emotional connections, along with the Ukrainians they are helping, are why Tagliani said he will stay in Ukraine for as long as he is needed. To leave his teammates there to continue their work alone is not an option.

“For myself, from a moral standpoint, I couldn’t do it,” he said. “To face these

guys and say, ‘I’m leaving,’ I just wouldn’t have been able to do that.”

Tagliani said one of the things he did on his trip back to Seattle in August was to register his NGO as a non-profit in Washington so any donations can be taxdeductible.

To learn more about what Tagliani and his colleagues are doing or to donate to Stay Safe International, visit staysafeua. org.

Mary Lou Sanelli Falling Awake

Photo David Tagliani

Ukrainian volunteers sit on the back of an ambulance during a mission in Ukraine’s Kharkiv with Stay Safe International, a non-governmental organization formed by Seattle native David Tagliani, who has been volunteering in Ukraine since mid-March.

WINES

From page 1

garage of a house, and it is in an ivy-covered building that is 100 years old, which is unusual for Seattle. “It has character.”

In addition to the atmosphere, Casey said he didn’t want to open in a retail space at the bottom of an apartment building because that doesn’t offer the personal feel he wanted. He also likes that he is situated across from Madison Park in the heart of the village and likes it when people casually strolling by stop in to check out his shop, or now that he has expanded, enjoy a glass of wine on the patio.

“To be here in the middle of the community, it just feels like it’s more of a homie feel,” Casey said. While he offers a small selection of Washington wines in his New York shop, Casey said he opted to specialize in European wines, mainly focusing on French and Italian, at his Madison Park store. That was a deliberate decision because he wanted to differentiate

himself from other businesses, where Washington wines are common.

Plus, he said, because his familiarity with European wines is extensive, as is his knowledge of wine pairings, Casey draws from that expertise to make recommendations to customers, even if they don’t know much about European

wines, by listening to their current taste and preferences.

“I already have the background,” he said.

Casey said the wines he offers at his business reflect his personal tastes, which don’t include many sweet or dessert wines, although he is happy to order them for customers.

“Wine is food, too. I don’t really like the extra sweet. I struggle to fit that in my own life, so I struggle to fit that in here,” Casey said. Now that he is more established in the community, Casey is also expanding his services. He said he is happy to host events at Parlour Wines. In addition, every first Friday of the month he hosts a party

featuring the artwork of local artists. The art and artwork changes monthly.

In the fall, Parlour Wines, 1803 42nd Ave. E, in Madison Park, is open from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays. Visit parlourwinesmp.com for information.

Photo by Jessica Keller

Wines in Madison Park has a small seating area where customers can

and enjoy the European wines Brendan Casey

“I always joked that instead of getting a real job, I’d just open another wine shop.”

Brendan Casey Parlour Wines owner

What a ‘normalized’ market means for buyers, sellers and homeowners

While home prices aren’t escalating at the staggering rate we’ve seen over the past couple of years, if buyers are waiting for a crash to get into the market, or sellers are holding out and pricing in hopes of a bidding war … we want to talk about where the market is right now.

Property Views

For sellers, it comes down to pricing your home appropriately for the market you’re in. For buyers, there are two avenues to address — mortgage rates and cash.

Sellers: What you need to do now

So, you’re ready to list your home. There’s great news; home prices are still up year over year. According to the Case Shiller Index, which lags by a few months, May to June 2022 saw the first dip in home price sales growth, falling 2 percent. But home prices are still up year over year — keep that in mind.

The other big factor is there are fewer buy-

ers in the market than there were at the beginning of 2022, whether it’s because of mortgage rate increases or other economic uncertainties. In Seattle, however, the demand is there.

As of this writing, Trendgraphix reports that in Seattle, there are 2.2 months of inventory available — a seller’s market. As inventory increases to over 3 months, it’s a neutral market, and at six or more months of inventory, that’s when it is a buyer’s market. We’re not even close to that level.

As we look at the recent home sales for the area in our table, you’ll see that 15 of 25 homes sold at the listing price or higher. It’s true, the bidding wars are mostly over. But that just means you need to partner with a real estate agent who A) knows how to market your property; B) works with you on the right price point, so that you’re not undervaluing your home or inflating its worth and

driving away potential buyers; and C) know how to negotiate on your behalf for the best deal possible.

Having a knowledgeable real estate agent on your side — from prepping the listing to close — is key because for a few, the answer

might be taking a listing off the market and exploring other options. We’re in the process of taking a client’s home off the market because the target buyer has been hit hard by

Linda Chou and Summer Carlton

Fall rituals: Finding next year’s dahlias

As I write, the autumnal equinox is upon us — the day when light and dark are served in equal measures. It’s the perfect reminder that fall is coming and with it my annual fall rituals.

Rituals might be too heady a word. These rituals don’t involve dancing in the moonlight so much as scouring plant catalogs for seeds, spring bulbs and dahlias.

September is a perfect time to evaluate your garden’s dahlia game and scout for new recruits. Late August through early September is the time of festivals offered by dahlia societies and growers. If you missed these, don’t worry. This year was a slow one for dahlias, thanks to the endless and clammy spring we had, so there are still scads of blooms to enjoy at public gardens.

Trial gardens are perfect places to find your new favorites. The Bellevue Botanic Garden and Volunteer Park have dahlia trial gardens planted by the Puget Sound Dahlia Association that will have blossoms to astound and delight. The show should go through October (or when the membership digs the tubers up for storage). Another trial garden is at the Point Defiance Park in Tacoma.

If there is a downside, it’s that some of these dahlias are so new they’re unavailable in the trade. I’m waiting for “Sandia Gold,” which I spied at the BBG in 2021. I think that’s what the washed-out marker on the stake read, anyway. It looked like a cabbage rose in butterscotch — minus the blackspot. Let me know if you see it.

The good news is that if you fall for some of these dahlias and they have been introduced for sale, you can likely find them at one of the PSDA’s sales around town next March. Botanical gardens’ regular displays, such as at the BBG and the Center for Urban Horticulture, usually have established varieties nicely tagged.

There’s a lot to love about dahlias. The more you cut them, the more flowers they send out. They aren’t prone to many pests or diseases, although it can be helpful to protect emerging tubers from slugs with cloches or slug bait and provide good air circulation to avoid powdery mildew. Dahlias also are promiscuous plants. Like a potato, one tuber can produce 20 or 30 more in a season. This makes them an economical crop if a variety is a reliable tuber-producer.

With the pots in my driveway, I should be able to start a small dahlia farm in the next two seasons.

The larger varieties can grow six feet by three feet from a cold start in April. None of this slows down my search efforts for the next great dahlia. Instead, I enjoy giving the extras away to friends and neighbors.

One of my favorite questions I get at the nursery is: “Are dahlias annual or perennial?” To which my answer is, “Yes.” Or if I’m feeling less sassy, I’ll say, “It depends.”

Hailing from Mexico and Central America,

What My Clients Are Saying...

“After an extensive search of the top agents in the area, I selected Laura to sell our parents’ home of 25 years in Broadmoor. Laura’s professionalism and genuine care for her clients were present every step of the way. She worked tirelessly with me, even as I asked her to try some things that weren’t customary to the Seattle market, and never wavered from her exemplary customer service. Her availability and responsiveness for even the most basic requests were second to none. Even now, months later, the urgency with which she responds is amazing. She truly does make you feel like you are her only client. Laura's friendly demeanor, extensive experience and knowledge, and customer-first approach mean she will always be my go-to realtor.” - Greg Wickstrand

2061 43rd Avenue East #202 Twenty Sixty-One… an exclusive boutique building of only four homes, all with protected lake and mountain views. This unit feels like a home in so many ways…but lives like a condo.

1140 Parkside Drive East For obvious reasons, classical homes conceived by the famed architects of yesteryear enjoy a sacred place in the hearts of design aficionados. Lionsgate is one of those homes.

Photo by Erica Browne Grivas

With over 34 years of real estate experience, we would love to be your real estate experts when it comes to marketing your home and purchasing a new home. We are excited to talk with you about your options!

Dawg Dash

The Dawg Dash is your chance to get together, score some sweet swag, support student scholarships, and enjoy a trot through UW’s iconic campus. The 10K and 5K run/walk take place Oct. 9 at 9 a.m. It’s fun for the whole dawg pack. Details and registration at dawgdash.com

Arboretum Walk Tour

Tailored for an adult audience, these free tours on the first Thursday of the month cover plant collections as well as highlight plants and gardens of seasonal interest. Tours depart from the Graham Visitors Center at 11:30 a.m. More info at bit.ly/3RZBe1y

Theater offers special performances

Book It Repertory Theatre is offering Spanish-captioned performances of “In The Time Of The Butterflies.” Since Spanish is the country’s second most-used language, Book It Repertory Theatre has committed to offering performances to an audience that may not otherwise be able to attend live theater in their preferred language. The play is Caridad Svich’s adaptation of a novel by Julia Alvarez and is directed by Ana María Campoy. It is set in the Dominican Republic and focuses on the Mirabel sisters during President Trujillo’s authoritarian reign. This production runs until Oct. 16. The next Spanish captioned performance is at 2 p.m. Oct. 15. Go to book-it.org to purchase tickets.

PROPERTY

From page 1 rising interest rates. It made more sense for their real estate goals to find a renter who is flexible, and who can accommodate the listing of the home when the market is better suited.

To buyers who might be on the fence

If you’ve been looking at mortgage rates, you’ll know that just when you think they’re trending down, they tick right back up again. It can be discouraging if you’re ready to buy a home — be it your first, second or 10th. But what if you thought about it as dating the rate and marrying the home? What kind of loan you take out is a personal decision that will make sense for you and your finances, but even if you take out a fixed-rate 30-year loan, you will have the opportunity to refinance when the rates go down and get that lower rate. You can look for a home, not compete with 10 other offers like you might have a year ago, and, by 2024, when rates are expected to decline, you can work with your lender to refinance.

Cash buyers: for the past two years, you’ve had to

From page 3

dahlias crave hot weather and excellent drainage. Here in Seattle, this means a gritty hillside facing south or west is their happy place. Soggy soil will melt them like chocolate chips in a microwave. They can also overwinter in pots — if they neither freeze nor get overly wet. This means that besides having excellent drainage, the pot needs to be just-right sized — not so big comparative to the tuber(s) that it rots in the excess soil, and not so small that it freezes from the lack of soil insulation. That’s why people keen on the tubers’ survival, like the PSDA, dig up the tubers before frost, brush off the soil, label and store them in wood shavings in a cool dark place such as a garage.

I’ve learned a lot of this the hard way. There’s questions about when to plant them, where and how.

First, I planted tubers in March in the cold, wet ground, never to

spend, spend, spend to outcompete other offers. With more inventory on the market, this is your chance to come in and pay the current market value for the home of your dreams, that vacation getaway, or an investment property. As a cash buyer, you have some freedoms that those who are taking out a mortgage don’t have. Don’t take it for granted. Be sure to talk to your financial adviser, but for many, with a home in the right location, appreciation of real estate could be as fruitful as a diversified stock portfolio.

As global real estate advisers for Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty with 20 years of experience, we get to work with clients from down the corner and across the globe. We love helping our neighbors take the next step in their real estate journey and have seen the market’s ups and downs. We know the shifting market can add hesitation to a huge decision. Whether you’re partnering with us or one of our colleagues in the area, be sure to talk through your goals, options and how the market is shifting so you can be prepared for what’s ahead.

Linda Chou and Summer Carlton

Chou Carlton Homes

Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty

Dahlias aren’t prone to many pests or diseases in Seattle, and one tuber can produce 20 or 30 more in a season. This makes them an economical crop.

see them again. I learned that my back yard has one dahlia-friendly spot where they will return. Other spots, while sunny enough for raspberries, will still rot out dahlias. My sandy south-facing front yard is great for dahlias.

Another year, I planted them in

pots indoors to keep all the way until April, but the pots were too big and many never sprouted, or else were delayed a full season. I’m only now seeing the first blooms on some tubers planted in spring 2021. This year, I had much better results planting single tubers in

4- or 6-inch pots indoors and transplanted to 1-gallons outside when they got big enough — and the world got warm enough.

Recently, I became interested in the smaller single-flowered dahlias, which have a delicate charm compared to the billowy, bold double “dinnerplates” because they feed pollinators best. I’m in love with “Kelsey Annie Joy,” a sorbet confection in pink and yellow, but also the wildly contrasting “Pooh” — a traffic sign in red and yellow that you can see from space.

Then there’s the other myriad forms — little button “Valley Rust Bucket,” 2-inch spiral balls in pumpkin, or full-blown “Fairway Spur” — with mango flowers as big as a newborn’s head, it looks like a ruffled prom dress. “Crème de Cassis,” a 5-inch waterlily, brings all the drama with lavender petals framing a blackberry eye. “A la Mode” is a longtime favorite in my garden — striped in persimmon and cream, it adds excitement to any arrangement.

I welcomed the puff-balled singles “Anemone”-style dahlias that look like the hottest new echinaceas but that come with a simpler owner’s manual. “Totally Tangerine” is orange with golden stamens, while “Mexico” is purple with a gold center expanding like its own galaxy.

Some of my choices are heirlooms, like “Kaiser Wilhelm,” a ball of yellow dipped in wine, and “G.F. Hemerik,” a beautiful single in the clearest orange. Both were from the historic conservationists at Old House Garden, an online catalog.

You can wait for mail order in December or January, or for nursery tuber sales in earliest spring through April. Online ordering gives you the pick of the world’s varieties. Several growers attend the Northwest Flower and Garden Show, too. For instant gratification, however, some growers, like Dahlia Barn in North Bend, offer dahlias for sale now that you can be picked up or mailed in April. Just saying.

Photo by Erica Browne Grivas

Photo by Anthony Floyd, courtesy Book It Repertory Theatre

Finding a new path with art ArtHOME community hub launches at Seattle Center

By Laura Marie Rivera Contributing writer

Last Saturday, Path with Art, an organization dedicated to healing the effects of trauma through arts engagement and community-building, celebrated the grand opening of ArtHOME — a community arts hub at Seattle Center.

ArtHOME is stationed on the ground floor of Plymouth Housing’s newly completed Kristen Benson Place (200 Mercer St). The building offers 91 housing units for formerly unhoused neighbors. The community arts hub features 4,800 square feet of multidisciplinary art studios, gallery and recording facilities built to serve thousands of low-income individuals and community members, according to a news release. The shared goal of ArtHOME is to connect arts, culture and social service to create a place for communities to come together.

The grand opening celebration included art-making workshops from Path with Art’s community of artists, as well as music, food, and dance. A large crowd gathered to visit the new space, listen to music and poetry, participate in a sweepstakes to win a signed Pearl Jam guitar and to hear remarks from some of the people who helped make the space a reality.

Jill Rulkoetter, Path with Art’s board president, and Holly Jacobson, Path with Art CEO, welcomed the crowd and introduced the other speakers. “The arts — in a safe and welcom-

ing community — help people heal, connect and thrive,” Jacobson said. “The ArtHOME will provide an inclusive community arts hub for people to come together to write and rewrite their own narratives and connect to each other through creativity. There really is an alignment right now between the need for community recovery and Path with Art’s mission.”

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell was on hand to sing the praises of the program and said that there could be no economic recovery without the arts. Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal was celebrated for securing federal funds for the Arts Recovery Project.

“The new Path with Art space in Uptown is a great addition to our community,” Seattle District 7 Councilmember Andrew Lewis said. “Their classes, mentorship opportunities and programming will change lives for years to come.”

ArtHOME’s fall programming starts in October, and registration is open now.

Path with Art partners with more than 60 social services agencies. Adults who are affiliated with these organizations and are veterans or earn less than $25,000 are eligible to register. Participants must also refrain from using drugs or alcohol during Path with Art activities.

Programs include art classes, a choir, open studio sessions and a Peer Leadership Program that offers members certificates and an opportunity to develop their voice in the Speaker’s Bureau.

Megan Bassetti Marketing

Brown Sales Broker

A girl finishes up an art project at the grand opening of ArtHOME, a community arts hub launched by Path with Art Saturday at Seattle Center.

Photo by Laura Marie Rivera