West Seattle Daily

King County has been approved for Phase 1.5 yesterday - businesses are allowed modified openings & we'll go over some of the stipulations and guidelines around that... Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily (should really change the name to West Seattle whenever I get around to putting out a new episode), Episode #066, brought to you by Sea-Town Team Powered by eXp Realty. I'm your host, Christian Harris. FYI restaurants are allowed to open at 25% capacity now in king county. Tables of no more than 5 and tables 6 ft away. Masks are highly recommended and likely required in most businesses. Please follow the rules so we can all stay open and continue to operate under a new normal Here is an overview of what’s happening in key sectors across King County: Restaurants     • Outdoor dining activities is allowed at 50 percent of capacity with all tables and chairs maintaining 6 feet of distance     • Indoor dining services may operate at 25 percent of capacity, provided such tables and chairs are more than 6 feet away from each other. In-store retail     • All non-essential retail activities occupancy may not be not be higher than 15 percent of capacity.     • Businesses are directed to provide signage encouraging indoor visits to less than 30 minutes, with face-to-face interactions limited to 30 minutes.     • No changes for essential retail activities Personal services: Cosmetologists, Hairstylists, Barbers, Estheticians, Master Estheticians, Manicurists, Nail Salon Workers, Electrologists, Permanent Makeup Artists, Tattoo Artists, Cosmetology Schools and Esthetics Schools     • All activities may operate but the number of clients served will be limited to no more than 25 percent of capacity or one person if it is a single bed/chair studio. Professional services: Accountants, architects, attorneys, engineers, financial advisors, information technologists, insurance agents, tax preparers, and other office-based occupations that are typically serving a client base     • All activities allowed but an establishment's occupancy should not be higher than 25 percent of capacity.     • Businesses are directed to provide signage encouraging indoor visits to be less than 30 minutes, with face to face interactions limited to 30 minutes. Construction     • All construction, including those activities for which social distancing may not be maintained and the start of new construction projects, is authorized to resume. “By opening our economy carefully and deliberately, we make sure to stay healthy and continue down the path to full recovery.” ALSO, DON'T FORGET TO JOIN US TODAY (SATURDAY, JUNE 6TH) IN WEST SEATTLE FOR THE "MARCH FOR BLACK LIVES" FROM 1-3PM. MEETING IN FRONT OF THE ANYTIME FITNESS IN THE ADMIRAL DISTRICT AND MARCHING TO THE THE ALASKA JUNCTION. IT SHOULD GO WITH OUT SAYING, THAT THIS WILL BE A PEACEFUL PROTEST AND VIOLENCE AND PROPERTY DESTRUCTION WILL NOT BE TOLERATED

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle If you own an Amazon Echo device, you can enable this daily audio content by simply saying "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily Skill" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account and click the "Enable" button. ---- If you are anything like me, you drink copious amounts of coffee and probably have your favorite local coffee roaster... well, I just found my new favorite, and it's a startup, right here in West Seattle. Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily, Episode #065, brought to you by the Sea-Town Team, powered by eXp Realty. I'm your host, Christian Harris. https://www.blackfin.coffee Started by Brian Jenkins The Mission BlackFin Coffee was born out of the desire to reverse the unsustainable practices that are contributing to the plight of our oceans' marine life. Here in the Pacific Northwest we love our resident orcas and salmon, and It hurts our hearts to see them slowly slipping into extinction. That is why we will align with other businesses who are making efforts to clean our oceans.  Kindness Every human and creature on earth has value and deserves to be treated with respect and love. Kindness extends far past personal interaction, but instead reverberates throughout the whole world as one life impacts another, and so on. At BlackFin Coffee, we care about income inequality, and just treating people equally. That's why the employees at BlackFin Coffee will be paid the exact same wages as the owner. Everyone is equal, and everyone will be treated as an equally valued partner. Conservation When we create a product, waste reduction is the top priority. While we realize that zero waste is nearly impossible in an American society, we still have the power to package our products in a sustainable way. That's why we package all of our products in either bio-degradable packaging, or recyclable packaging that will not spend hundreds of years floating around in our planet's oceans. Excellence If a product isn't top notch, then it's not good enough. We care deeply about creating a great product, and giving great experiences. If you're unsatisfied with your product or experience for any reason, we will gladly give you your money back, without any hassles. We believe that the best way to build a brand is to give 100% satisfaction to every customer. We are eager to hear your feedback. If we could have done better in any way, please email us at brian@blackfin.coffee so we can make improvements moving forward.  https://www.blackfin.coffee https://www.pnwprotectors.com Don't forget to subscribe to this on your favorite podcast app or on your Amazon smart speaker by simply saying, "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily".

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle If you own an Amazon Echo device, you can enable this daily audio content by simply saying "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily Skill" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account and click the "Enable" button. ---- A little late but Happy day after Mother’s day to all the mamas out there! WE are so fortunate to have your support & guidance. While only some of us are mothers (or are married to mothers), what all of us have in common is that we all have mothers... Have you ever wondered how Mother’s day started? We did some digging and found the story to share with you. Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily, Episode #064, brought to you by the Sea-Town Team, powered by eXp Realty. I'm your host, Christian Harris. https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/mothers-day The first Mother’s day was celebrated in 1908. Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother at St Andrew's Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia, as a way of honoring the sacrifices mothers make for their children. Mother's day became an official U.S. holiday in 1914. Jarvis would later denounce the holiday’s commercialization and spent the latter part of her life trying to remove it from the calendar. While dates and celebrations vary, Mother’s Day traditionally involves presenting moms with flowers, cards and other gifts. Celebrations of mothers and motherhood can be traced back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, who held festivals in honor of the mother goddesses Rhea and Cybele, but the clearest modern precedent for Mother’s Day is the early Christian festival known as “Mothering Sunday.” Over time the Mothering Sunday tradition shifted into a more secular holiday, and children would present their mothers with flowers and other tokens of appreciation. This custom eventually faded in popularity before merging with the American Mother’s Day in the 1930s and 1940s The origins of Mother’s Day as celebrated in the United States date back to the 19th century. In the years before the Civil War, Ann Reeves Jarvis of West Virginia helped start “Mothers’ Day Work Clubs” to teach local women how to properly care for their children. These clubs later became a unifying force in a region of the country still divided over the Civil War. In 1868 Jarvis organized “Mothers’ Friendship Day,” at which mothers gathered with former Union and Confederate soldiers to promote reconciliation. Back to Anna Jarvis Following the success of her first Mother’s Day in 1908, Jarvis—who remained unmarried and childless her whole life—resolved to see her holiday added to the national calendar. Arguing that American holidays were biased toward male achievements, she started a massive letter writing campaign to newspapers and prominent politicians urging the adoption of a special day honoring motherhood. While versions of Mother’s Day are celebrated worldwide, traditions vary depending on the country. In Thailand, for example, Mother’s Day is always celebrated in August on the birthday of the current queen, Sirikit. Another alternate observance of Mother’s Day can be found in Ethiopia, where families gather each fall to sing songs and eat a large feast as part of Antrosht, a multi-day celebration honoring motherhood. In the United States, Mother’s Day continues to be celebrated by presenting mothers and other women with gifts and flowers, and it has become one of the biggest holidays for consumer spending. Families also celebrate by giving mothers a day off from activities like cooking or other household chores. At times, Mother’s Day has also been a date for launching political or feminist causes. In 1968 Coretta Scott King, wife of Martin Luther King Jr., used Mother’s Day to host a march in support of underprivileged women and children. In the 1970s women’s groups also used the holiday as a time to highlight the need for equal rights and access to childcare. What an interesting story? I had no idea. In the spirit of Mother's Day, I hope you had a chance to show your appreciation to your mom or the other mommas in your life who mean a great deal to you... you all do so much, often with so little appreciation or praise. Thank you for all that you do! Thanks for joining us and talk with you tomorrow.

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle If you own an Amazon Echo device, you can enable this daily audio content by simply saying "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily Skill" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account and click the "Enable" button. ---- Hopefully by now you have heard of the WS Small Business Relief Fund, being run by the WS Junction Association... and now our Sea-Town Team is partnering with the Junction Association to launch a challenge as a fun way to rally my industry here in West Seattle, to ensure that our favorite WS Businesses survive and make it through these difficult times. Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily, Episode #062, brought to you by the Sea-Town Team, powered by eXp Realty. I'm your host, Christian Harris. We are launching the "Real Estate 4 West Seattle" Challenge, with this video... INSERT VIDEO For more information, to watch the video again and to make a TAX DEDUCTIBLE donation to your favorite WS business, go to www.Sea-Town.com/help. If you post or share about this campaign online, make sure to use the hashtag #RE4WS (Real Estate 4 West Seattle). Together we can really make a difference in this community that we all love so much. And to kick off the "Real Estate 4 West Seattle" Challenge, I'm challenging a few of my WS real estate friends, who I know also have big hearts. I'm talking to you, Larry Johnson Jr. with Windermere, Chad Zinda of Metropolist & Debbie Kerns at Berkshire Hathaway HS, lets help set the example by committing to donate a portion of your commission proceeds to the small business relief fund too... & then share this video and challenge with your network of agents and extend the challenge to 3 other agents. Let's keep this thing going, have some fun with this and make a real difference together!

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle If you own an Amazon Echo device, you can enable this daily audio content by simply saying "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily Skill" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account and click the "Enable" button. ---- It’s Friday & we have more exciting news. The West Seattle Farmers market is going to be opening back up this Sunday... with some major changes to help everyone stay safe, while supporting our local small farmers & WS community Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily, Episode #062, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate. I'm your host, Christian Harris. As we talked about on WSD Ep. 047 on March 23, Neighborhood Farmers Markets have been working closely with the City of Seattle and Seattle-King County Public Health in each neighborhood to re-open safe, permitted farmers markets. The U-District Farmer's Market just re-opened 2 Saturday's ago. The West Seattle Farmers Market will re-open on Sunday, May 3, and they are asking West Seattle residents to observe new rules. Agriculture is the most essential act, and the farmers markets serve as the essential link between farmers and eaters. This weekend, we need you to help protect public health and our community by following new guidelines. Market Modifications Include: · Modified layouts to ensure 10’ between vendor booths to allow for greater circulation and distance. · Market entrance at Alaska & California to control the capacity and foot traffic. You can expect a line to enter the market. · Hand sanitizer will be provided at Market Manager tents, with public hand washing stations available in the market. · There is no sampling or prepared food until further notice. · No music, entertainment, cooking demos, or public seating areas. Staff and Vendor Responsibilities: - All vendors and staff must wear protective face mask and gloves, separate cash and product handling, and ensure regular and proper hand washing. - All vendors will select and serve your produce and products. - Vendors and staff will politely ask you to keep moving so we can serve as many shoppers as possible. - Vendors and Staff will limit the number of shoppers in front of booths at any given time. - Surfaces... will be sanitized regularly. Shopper Expectations: Before the market: - Make a list.
Designate one shopper per household.
Service dogs are permitted otherwise leave your pets at home.
Bring reusable bags – these are permitted, but you will be the only person touching them.
Check yourself – stay home if you are sick or if you’ve been in contact with someone who is sick. During your market visit: - Be alert! The market has major modifications and there are new signs to help you move through the market.
Do not touch the products, the vendors will help you.
Maintain 6 feet of space at all times. This is crucial! Look for physical cues like tape, chalk, and signs all around you as a reminder.
Shop quickly and efficiently. This isn’t the time to chat. Big smiles welcome!
Wash hands often with soap & water for at least 20 seconds especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, with at least 60% alcohol.
Wear a face mask.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, mouth, and face in general.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then dispose of it. It is vital that everyone act in these efforts together to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The safety and health of our shoppers, our farmers, and staff is critical – this is our primary concern. Please do not come out to the farmers market if you cannot observe the new guidelines. We hope you all are staying healthy and well. We miss our West Seattle community. Stay safe! Don't forget to subscribe to this on your favorite podcast app or on your Amazon smart speaker by simply saying, "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily".

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle If you own an Amazon Echo device, you can enable this daily audio content by simply saying "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily Skill" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account and click the "Enable" button. ---- #WeGotThisSeattle Perhaps you've been doing your part in supporting your favorite Seattle restaurants and have found a good rhythm with doing pick-up or delivery... but if you are wondering what other food and beverage establishments are still open and where to find the most up-to-date info on... you've come to the right place. Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily, Episode #061, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate. I'm your host, Christian Harris. Perhaps you have seen or used the City of Seattle's #SupportPugetSoundSmallBiz map... well, they just revamped it and along with the map allowing users to search for open small businesses in their neighborhood and click directly to their website or third-party delivery service page... It has now been expanded to include small businesses from outside of Seattle, in the larger King, Pierce & Snohomish County. The map is being updated in real-time and if you are a business and want to be added to the map, email supportsmallbiz@seattle.gov for instructions. The maps URL is way too long to simple say here, so go to the link in our Instagram bio for that. Enjoy #SupportPugetSoundSmallBiz map or https://seattlecitygis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=1499ec293fed4fc587e2c559099a7e64 https://www.westsideseattle.com/ballard-news-tribune/2020/04/28/city-seattle-expands-small-business-map Don't forget to subscribe to this on your favorite podcast app or on your Amazon smart speaker by simply saying, "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily".

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle If you own an Amazon Echo device, you can enable this daily audio content by simply saying "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily Skill" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account and click the "Enable" button. ---- It’s Thursday friends. Thirsty Thursday. Have you been wondering where in West Seattle you can still get good beer? We are going to run through a list of who in WS is still open for pickup, delivery or curb-side pick of brew. Treat yo self. Support a local business. Enjoy the sunshine, pull up a lawn chair & enjoy a much needed cold beer. Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily, Episode #060, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate. I'm your host, Christian Harris. We start our list with my personal favorite... and closest to my office: Good Society Brewery @goodsocietybeer open from 3-7 M-F and 12-7 Sat and Sun for pickup or delivery of Crowler's, canned fresh from the tap Order online, for pick up or delivery, at https://shop.goodsocietybeer.com. OUNCES TO-GO
@ounceswestseattle Place your order online at www.ounceswestseattle.com , then choose to either pickup at the taproom OR have it delivered to your door! - Pickup Available: Tue-Fri: 4:30-6:30 & Saturday: 3-6pm - Pickup only available with clean growler Best of Hands @bestofhands Order online during these times at www.bestofhandsbarrelhouse.com We will let you know if your selection is available. Pick up in-store only during posted hours of operation. 24 hours prior notice strongly encouraged. Mon, Thurs & Fri - 3-7 Sat - 12-7 Sun - 12-5 The Beer Junction @thebeerjunciton Tue-Fri: 4-7 Sat: 2-7 To maintain distance, plan to enter the store using our front door on California Ave SW and exit using the rear door that leads into the back parking lot.  Limit is six customers inside at a time. West Seattle's newest brewery addition: Cold Crash Brewing - a gluten free beer option! @coldcrashbrewing PICK UP HOURS SATURDAYS ONLY 12-5 PM Order and pay online at www.coldcrashbrewing.com. They will have your order ready for pickup within 1 hour (if during pickup hours). All items will be thoroughly sanitized and placed in a bag with your name on it. 
Super Deli Mart on 35th Ave SW (East of Westwood Village) @superdeli_mart providing to go growler fills during their regular business hours Call ahead for order to go at (206) 937-1442 Elliot Bay Brewery @elliottbaybrewingco They are still offering the full menu, kids menu and 1/2 priced growlers. Call-in to to place an order.
Monday: CLOSED Tuesday-Thursday: 4-8 Friday-Sunday: 12-8 Tin Dog Brewing @tindogbrewingco Located at the entrance of the Cloverdale Business Park Open M-F 4-6 Sat/Sun 2-6 pm Call or visit their website at tindogbrewing.com to order for pickup Beverage Place Pub @bppub Order for pickup online at www.beveridgeplacepub.com Pick-up will be at the back drive-way, so everyone can stay at a safe distance. Pick-up times: Wed, Thu, Fri 4-7pm; Sat 1-5pm Please have your ID ready to show from your car door so we can make sure we have the right order…and that you’re 21 or over. (yes, it’s OK to bike/walk, too) BONUS: When you get your growler filled at Beverage Place, receive a 15% discount off your next order at the neighboring restaurant, PEEL & PRESS! What has become your "go to" WS place to get your beer? Thanks for you for supporting local businesses during these unusual & difficult times! Don't forget to subscribe to this on your favorite podcast app or on your Amazon smart speaker by simply saying, "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily".

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle If you own an Amazon Echo device, you can enable this daily audio content by simply saying "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily Skill" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account and click the "Enable" button. ---- Happy Wednesday everyone! We are half way through the week. & lot’s of news to share :) let’s get started! Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily, Episode #059, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate. I'm your host, Christian Harris. One of the businesses completely closed by the coronavirus crisis has announced it won’t be reopening. Is from Many Moons Trading Co.  On Easter, we mentioned Alki UCC‘s all-day donation drive out front. Today we got a note to share with you, expressing gratitude for everyone who helped:Alki United Church of Christ (Alki UCC) thanks everyone who came by our building Easter Sunday to donate food and clothing for our vulnerable neighbors in need, those who have been disproportionately impacted by COVID 19. Your food contributions will be distributed via the White Center Food Bank; clothing donations will go to either the West Seattle Clothesline or the King County Drug Court to help men receiving treatment for minor drug offenses transition back into our community. Your spirit and generosity will warm many, many hearts. Thank you. Note: We hope to continue our socially-distanced food donations drive every other Sunday beginning April 26. Check alkiucc.org for details. Our office manager Haley walked passed the church on Sunday and the front lawn was full with donations and it’s so great to see everyone helping & doing their part! When Gov. Inslee activated the National Guard in our state to help with the COVID-19 response, the plan was for members to help out at food banks. We checked with the West Seattle Food Bank at the time and they were not yet sure if anyone would be assigned – but on Monday, they arrived! Remember that scene from Thursday night, downtown, lit blue to honor health-care workers and other heroes of the coronavirus response? ‘Downtown West Seattle’ will join in, starting tomorrow night – the Junction Plaza Park evergreen that serves as the area’s official Christmas tree will be decked in blue by Tuesday night. West Seattle Junction Association executive director Lora Radford explains: Some are morphing those fundraisers into virtual events, like the West Seattle Food Bank‘s “Instruments of Change” – and you’re invited! We are excited to be celebrating our wonderful community and raising funds to help our neighbors through an online Instruments of Change on May 9th at 5:30 pm. This virtual event will include a silent and live auction, fun activities, and a compelling program. Join the fun for free! Register today to spend a short time celebrating our community, the merge between the West Seattle Food Bank and West Seattle Helpline, and to raise funds to help our neighbors stay safe, fed, housed, and healthy. Plus, everyone who registers and attends is automatically entered into a drawing to win 2 round-trip tickets on Alaska Airlines! Two food-related biznotes today. First, from Meghan & Mark Hogan, proprietors of longtime WSB sponsor Dream Dinners West Seattle Unlike many grocery stores, Dream Dinners is not experiencing distribution issues and our full menu is available, including breakfast, lunch, and dinner items. We can help you avoid the grocery store while enjoying free meal assembly by our ServSafe certified team, plus curbside pickup. Do you have family or friends in need of groceries? Are your elderly family members in need of homemade, delicious meals? We are here to help. To take advantage of our FREE Made for You and curbside pickup, visit our website and select a “Made for You” session and place your order using the coupon code APRILMFY at checkout. We will assemble your order and have it ready for you to pick up at the chosen time slot! HEARTBEET ORGANIC SUPERFOODS CAFE: This eatery has just opened a pop-up location in The Junction’s otherwise temporarily (mostly) closed Naked Crepe at 4508 California SW. Proprietor Monica Colgan (a West Seattle resident) tells WSB, ” We will be open for take-out/pick up immediately, and over the next couple of weeks will be going live with several third-party delivery services to include UberEats, Postmates, Caviar, GrubHub, and DoorDash. People can pre-order pickup on our website, or call and place phone orders at 206-486-4606.” We’ve also added this to our 140+-establishment ongoing list of local restaurants/beverage businesses. Don't forget to subscribe to this on your favorite podcast app or on your Amazon smart speaker by simply saying, "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily".

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle If you own an Amazon Echo device, you can enable this daily audio content by simply saying "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily Skill" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account and click the "Enable" button. ---- With the recent news that our kiddos will not be returning to school this school year, homeschooling while trying to work has become the new norm for many parents. We try to get our high-energy kid outside as much as possible and what better way to celebrate #NationalGardenDay then taking advantage of the free labor by putting them to work in the yard! Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily, Episode #058, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate. I'm your host, Christian Harris. It’s #NationalGardeningDay hopefully these weird plant tips will inspire you & your family to get out in the sunshine this week and learn more about plants! Start a summer garden to learn more about the earth & to stay connected to nature through this #stayathomeorder Here are some crazy plant tricks! Put coffee filters in your potted plants Sounds pretty weird, doesn’t it! By putting the filters in the bottom of a plant, it helps make the transportation process easier. Once the plant outgrows its pot, it will need to be moved to something new, dirt and all. The filter keeps the entire plant in one piece, avoiding a huge mess to clean up later. Grow a rose bush in a potato Not as hard as you think! You can take the trimmings from other roses that you have cut, and stick them into potatoes. Yes, you read that right! Securing the trimming in the potato makes it easier to plant it. Simply dig a small hole in the dirt, stick the potato in the hole, and cover it back up. This avoids the need to buy a rose plant and follow all the rules that come with it. Eggspecting Quality soil? No problem! Instead of buying mineral rich soil that is definitely overpriced, you can just as easily make your own. You can take the eggshells from the eggs that you have used and put them in the blender. From there you blend them into a powder, which you can then take and sprinkle into your soil. From that you just created soil filled with calcium! Start composting with your kitchen leftovers Most people enjoy helping the environment with as little effort as possible. Composting is one way to do this. All you need to do is take the food that you are no longer going to eat, stick it into leftover takeout bags, and bury them in your garden near the plants. This makes your plants healthier, relieves you of more waste, and helps the environment. Want to create your own greenhouse? Use plastic bins! This task can seem daunting at first. A greenhouse is a large structure that you would need to actually create before you even begin the planting. It is overwhelming and a lot of work. A way to start smaller and leave more room for growth before giving up is to create a mini greenhouse. This can be done by taking old plastic storage bins and filling them with potted plants. You now have the start to a wonderful greenhouse without all the stress! Too many weeds? Vinegar to the rescue Gardening cannot be done without finding weeds along the way. It can be a challenge to pull them out, because that can run the risk of messing up your plants. However, you want to keep your garden looking as beautiful as possible. An easy fix to the weed problem is to pour vinegar on them. Vinegar is a great solution to the problem because it kills the weeds without destroying the environment. An eco-friendly weed killer? Sounds pretty good to me! Want to keep animals away from your garden? Instead of buying all the gardening tools to scare away animals, create your own tool. All you need to do is plant plastic forks into your soil with the tips pointed out of the ground. This keeps the animals away from your plants. They will see the forks, get scared, and turn away. Avoid the expensive and potentially unhelpful methods with this simple gardening trick without harming the animals. Keep fungus away from your garden with cinnamon Often times, gardeners like to move plants from one place to another. If you are replanting something, you do not want fungus to start growing in place of the actual plant. It will ruin your garden, and will be a frustrating process. To avoid it altogether, use cinnamon! Before you plant what you want to, dip the root into cinnamon. It will help keep fungus from invading your garden, and keep the plants healthier. Don't forget to subscribe to this on your favorite podcast app or on your Amazon smart speaker by simply saying, "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily". See you tomorrow.

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle If you own an Amazon Echo device, you can enable this daily audio content by simply saying "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily Skill" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account and click the "Enable" button. ---- 63 degrees & sunny. This sunny weather feels good. Hope everyone is taking good care of themselves and finds time to take a social distancing walk! Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily, Episode #057, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate. I'm your host, Christian Harris. Did you know that the West Seattle Eagles provides free daily dinners... Please share with family, friends and ANYONE IN NEED...#FREEMEALS Chef Gabby Torres, her Mom Debbie Torrison along with their merry group of VOLUNTEERS step back into the West Seattle Eagles Community Kitchen and prepare dinner nightly for the community They are 100% FREE, OPEN TO THE PUBLIC WITH DONATIONS GLADLY ACCEPTED. Doors open at 5:30 - until sold out. Please enter through the blue door located at the SE corner of the building. The West Seattle Eagles follows all CDC Social Distancing Guidlines, with limited entry and all meals are to go. 11:30 Cafe Mia IT’S ALL THE COMFORT FOOD  FREE SACK LUNCH FOR ANYONE THAT NEEDS IT NOON-3PM SHOOT A TEXT TO 616-818-2183 TO SEE WHICH DAYS AND OFFERINGS  READY AND BAGGED DONATIONS GLADLY ACCEPTED VIA VENMO NEED HELP? OFFERING HELP? Another reminder that West Seattle Support is up and running at westseattlecovid.recovers.org – matching requests for assistance with people who can help. If you want to ensure your favorite WS business is able to survive this downturn and actually be able to re-open their doors after all this is over, consider donating to the WS Junction small Business Relief Fund. 100% of your donation goes directly to the small business you choose and since the donation is going through the WS Junction Association, a 501c3, your donation is tax deductible too! - http://wsjunction.org/blog/#post-23290 Update on the West Seattle bridge: At this time, the Low Bridge remains closed to people driving general purpose vehicles to keep essential and life-safety services moving. Considering the current public health emergency, our top priority is emergency access to hospitals and protecting the supply chain, so we are reserving access to emergency vehicles, freight, and transit. This means that on top of the mandate to not leave your home unless absolutely necessary, you really want to avoid trying to leave WS, as all alternative routes to the WS Bridge are seeing pretty consistent and substantial backups and traffic. Since the initial recommendation, their biggest concern has become the extent and rate of cracking near the quarter points of the main span could lead to collapse in the near future if strengthening is not implemented quickly. We know how the WS bridge is holding up... but how are you holding up? Would love to hear what you're doing to stay busy sane during these uncertain times? I really feel like our community is showing up in big ways! Don't forget to subscribe to this on your favorite podcast app or on your Amazon smart speaker by simply saying, "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily". Thanks for joining us and talk with you Monday.

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle If you own an Amazon Echo device, you can enable this daily audio content by simply saying "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily Skill" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account and click the "Enable" button. ---- Today I'd like to talk to you about Meditation, Yoga & some tools for calming your inner anxiety. In case you're week is a bit of a blur, it is Wednesday. Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily, Episode #056, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate. I'm your host, Christian Harris. We have a special guest today ~ Haley Derge, who is actually our office manager at my brokerage. But she also practices meditation, is an avid Yoga, as well as teaches Yoga classes here in West Seattle. Today she is going to talk to us about her journey with yoga & mindfulness practices. Hi everyone, thanks for listening & I’m really excited to share my tools with you on how I’ve been coping through all this craziness. I recently moved to West Seattle from Milwaukee, WI in June 2019. Shoutout to the midwest! After graduating college from UW-Madison, I found myself struggling with western medicine & felt quite lost in my connection with the world. Yoga had always been considered a good workout, but nothing more. After finding a studio that felt like home in Milwaukee I decided it was time dive deeper into eastern practices to search for healing. I completed my 200 hr teacher training with an emphasis on alignment based yoga practices. Through this training I learned how to practice safer and how to be an advocate for my future students. Fast forward ~ I’m here living on Alki beach teaching yoga to various corporate clients & studios around the Seattle area. I recently started hosting pop-up free yoga classes through zoom. We need community more than ever right now & I’d be honored if you join me for some movement. You can follow @hrderge on instagram or I have a facebook page dedicated to all things yoga @haleyraeyoga These are beginner classes and the whole family is invited! What a fun way to break up the day? If your looking to dive deeper into the spiritual world of yoga while quarantined I’d highly recommend these books: The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself Book by Michael Alan Singer When Things Fall Apart Book by Pema Chödrön Light on Life: The Yoga Journey to Wholeness, Inner Peace, and Ultimate Freedom Book by B. K. S. Iyengar Starting a new habit is hard, especially meditation. It’s been a roller coaster ride for me. Using an accountability method such as a friend, teacher, partner is helpful if you have that available to you, but there are so many amazing meditation apps that can help. I personally like the Calm app, but I would recommend trying a few different ones and see which one fits you best. Every teacher has different perspectives to offer & it’s best to keep searching until you find one that feels good. Currently I’m working through the series How to Meditate with Jeff Warren on the Calm app, & I’m impressed with his easy explanations of meditation & mindfulness. One of my all time favorite Youtube Meditation videos is Guided Meditation (Awakening The Mind) by Alan Watts. When I first started meditating, I was under the impression that meditation would completely dissolve my thoughts. & I quickly learned that meditation is not the lack of thoughts, but the lack of attachment to said thoughts. “We so often create experiences in our head by attaching emotions and feelings of right or wrong without any awareness. If we continue to come back to the present moment we make space for things to truly just be. We aren’t attached to a certain outcome because we are in the present moment - enjoying it for exactly what it is.” I believe meditation is the ultimate investment in self-care. Giving yourself the space to check in with your internal environment & just notice what comes up. Without Judgement. Just be there breathing, noticing, letting go with each inhale & exhale. It’s a magical practice of self love. If you’re interested to learn more about where I’m teaching you can reach me at haleyraederge@gmail.com or follow her on instagram @hrderge and @haleyraeyoga on facebook. Feel free to ask any questions I’m more than happy to help :) Thank you Haley for sharing one of your self-care practices! Thanks for listening everyone - be sure to reach out to Haley if your interested in learning more about meditation or yoga!

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle If you own an Amazon Echo device, you can enable this daily audio content by simply saying "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily Skill" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account and click the "Enable" button. ---- Time for some good news on this West Seattle Monday. 5 Generous Independent WS restaurants donating over 200 meals to medical personnel, seniors and those who have lost their jobs due to the current economic struggles. Happy Monday everyone. Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily, Episode #055, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate. I'm your host, Christian Harris. It feels like forever since we've been able to enjoy getting together with our friends and family at our favorite West Seattle restaurants... but despite these trying times when businesses and individuals are suffering, the WS community still pulls together to do good and help. Some of my favorite WS restaurants (& favorite business owner friends) are rallying to prepare over 200 individual meals to be donated. The restaurants Peel & Press, West 5, The Bridge, Mission Cantina, and The Westy will be preparing and packaging these meals for pickup to be heated up at home. 30 of the meals will be giving to the West Seattle Senior Center for delivery. The remaining meals will be available for pickup on today Monday, April 6th, starting at 4 pm at Mission Cantina in Admiral Junction, West 5 in the Alaska Junction, and Peel and Press in the Morgan Junction. Being able to provide these meals is all thanks to the donations from vendors, owners, and generous customers, to help bring some stability to those in need. Another fun announcement, Bakery Nouveau is now offering NO-CONTACT PICK UP! 1. Call to place your order. 2. Specify if you want them to walk the order out to you, or you can go inside to designated “no contact station” and pick it up. Don't forget to subscribe to this on your favorite podcast app or on your Amazon smart speaker by simply saying, "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily". Thanks for joining us and talk with you Monday.

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle To enable on your Amazon Echo device say "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account & click the "Enable" button. ---- Yesterday, Gov. Inslee extended the Stay at Home order for another month, until May 4th. While that may feel heavy, I'm going to choose positivity and gratefulness. We made it to Friday and if you're listening to this hopefully you feel lucky to have a safe home surrounded with your loved ones. Many are struggling to have that simple luxury right now. So let's take a deep breath or gratitude for that. Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily, Episode #054, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate. I'm your host, Christian Harris. In partnership with the Alaska Junction Association. Here is some of the latest updates from around West Seattle: - Last nights press conference came with heavy news. Gov. Jay Inslee opened by saying he’s extending the “stay-home order” through May 4th. (Its original expiration was to be April 6th.) He says it’s “morally necessary” because the full force of the virus hasn’t hit yet and modeling suggests at least 1,000 deaths, “and more will die if we stop now.” He says the percentage of positive tests is going up, so “we’re not out of the woods yet” and “we will not accept unnecessary deaths in our state.” - He acknowledges there are economic consequences and that everyone must find ways to support those who fall into financial hardship “through no fault of their own.” He reiterates that health recovery is vital for economic recovery. He quotes FDR about confidence and courage. “I have confidence in the courage of Washingtonians.” He stresses, “This is temporary. … All of us are leaders in this effort.” - Also, while it’s OK to be outdoors, and go for walks around your block and what not – but don’t, for example, go to Skagit Valley to see the tulips, or other areas where people may be tempted to congrigate (which apparently some are doing even though the Tulip Festival was canceled). - So what is going on with the West Seattle Bridge? - It isn’t looking good. Basically the cracks in the bridge are still growing even thought they have closed the bridge to traffic, they don't know why and they can't do anything about shoring it up so it doesn't fall on the lower bridge or figure out a long term fix until they discover why. It's going to be closed for at least 6 months... but probably more likely at least a year. - In closing, I wanted to highlight a thoughtful reminder from the Senior Center of WS. Take a moment to drop a note into the mail for a senior. I'm sure at times like these, seniors are especially feeling isolated and vulnerable. Let's do what we can to bring a little connection and joy to each other's lives. What are some of your favorite moments from "self-quarantine" and staying at home these past few weeks? Common, it's not all torture and monotony, right!? Don't forget to subscribe to this on your favorite podcast app or on your Amazon smart speaker by simply saying, "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily". Thanks for joining us and talk with you Monday.

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle To enable on your Amazon Echo device say "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account & click the "Enable" button. ---- We've got some updates from Gov. Inslee's press release yesterday, will talk parking enforcement and some things you can do to help the heavily taxed medical community during these times. Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily, Episode #053, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate. I'm your host, Christian Harris. In partnership with the Alaska Junction Association. Here is some of the latest updates from around West Seattle: Thanks to Kerri Ann & Christie of The West Seattle Life IG page for the tip: Join your West Seattle friends and neighbors in a singalong this Saturday, April 4th at 7pm! We don’t need to be socially isolated in times like these! We can connect by doing something collectively, as a community, while still staying safe! We’ll be singing "Times Like These" by Foo Fighters. COVID-19 info update: ⁃ During yesterday's Press Conference from Governor Jay Inslee, “What we have done so far is not enough.” Orders out to the feds aren’t being fulfilled quickly enough, so “We need to seize our own destiny,” as the state did in World War II. So he’s asking “all businesspeople, all skilled workers, all leaders” to ask themselves if they could “change what they’re making now” and instead make what’s needed. “This is a moment that counts.” If you can, go to coronavirus.wa.gov and sign up to help. ⁃ He’s also given “guidance” to mortgage companies to find ways to help mortgage holders. He also notes that 130 WA National Guard members are mobilizing to help food banks across the state, in many cases replacing volunteers who need to stay home because they’re in at-risk groups. Then he acknowledges encouraging reports about how social distancing is working in our state, even better than in some others. But he says we can’t let up now – so it will be likely the stay-home order will be extended, though he says he’s not ready to make that announcement now – more likely in the next few days. ⁃ If you overloaded on hand sanitizer and have an unopened bottle to share, that donation bin is set up just inside the door at Easy Street Café (California/Alaska) in The Junction. As explained via Instagram, it’s for neonatal intensive care nurses. 8-ounce bottles of gel (not spray) preferred, not expired; the bin is accessible 7 am-noon daily through Sunday. (Easy Street remains open for takeout – as shown on our ongoing West Seattle list – and proprietor Matt Vaughan and son Archie have been delivering online-ordered music, too.) ⁃ SOME PARKING ENFORCEMENT SUSPENDED, BUT NOT ALL: We had sent the mayor’s office a question last week, to date unanswered, on behalf of a reader who thought ticketing people in a 2-hour zone east of a mostly shuttered business district was a bit harsh, considering everyone is under orders to stay home. This provides something of an answer: The city reiterated today that while it’s changed some parking policies (mainly the 72 hour parking limit in residential neighborhoods) because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s still enforcing most parking rules. ⁃ Food and COVID-19 - While we want to use caution... we don't want to stray into paranoia. The FDA is reiterating that there is no evidence to suggest that COVID-19 is spreading through food. Not through take-out orders, groceries, or produce. When you return home from the grocery store, please thoroughly wash your hands, but there is no reason to try to disinfect your groceries. And please, don’t put disinfecting chemicals like household cleaners on the food you’re going to eat. ⁃ Speaking of groceries — agriculture and food production are also considered essential activities. This is to make sure food continues fill our grocery stores and food banks. Deliveries to grocery stores are continuing steadily, and farmers, ranchers, and food processors are producing plenty to meet our needs. There is no need to worry about shortages, and no need to stock up, other than to make sure you don’t have to leave the house more than once each week. ⁃ Practice compassion. While you are doing your once-a-week grocery shopping, is there something you can pick up for someone who cannot leave the house? Leave a bag on their porch, ring the bell, then run back to the side of the road to wave! ⁃ Got a little more time on your hands while at home, knock out some of those home projects with the help of the WEST SEATTLE TOOL LIBRARY: Open Saturday & Sunday 11 am-4 pm & weeknights from 5-8pm – www.wstools.org Have you pulled out the board games & puzzles to keep busy this weekend? Don't forget to subscribe to this on your favorite podcast app or on your Amazon smart speaker by simply saying, "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily". Thanks for joining us and talk with you tomorrow!

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle To enable on your Amazon Echo device say "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account & click the "Enable" button. ---- Happy April Fools Day... but this West Seattle update is no-joke Speaking of... those COVID-19 extra pounds from staying at home are no-joke either. Today we have some free online workout classes to tell you about. Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily, Episode #052, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate. I'm your host, Christian Harris. In partnership with the Alaska Junction Association. Here is some of the latest updates from around West Seattle: Free online exercise classes! Do you want to continue or start your yoga practice at home? @BikramYogaWestSeattle is offering free and donation-based yoga classes through Zoom. Star Cycle Online Rides Join @StarCycleWestSeattle for free LIVE rides on Instagram weekdays at 8am and 5:30 pm (no 5:30 pm on Fridays), plus Saturday at 9am and Sunday at 10am. You can register for these rides online or on the StarCycle app to earn credit towards your next milestone.⠀ Can't join them at these times? No problem, the live video will be available on Instagram for 24 hours for you to clip in on your own time. Row House West Seattle's Virtual Row - live stream workout from their Facebook Page. I think you sign up under their "Events" tab. WHY ROW? Because it's an awesome freaking full-body workout! Rowing has so many benefits and at Row House there is a place for everybody whether you are an accomplished athlete or just starting out. Now, I'm not sure if they are assuming people joining from home will have their own rowing machines or not... but no better way to find out then to tune in... and then DM me to let me know, because Lord knows I need more movement in my life than I'm getting right now. Don't forget to subscribe to this on your favorite podcast app or on your Amazon smart speaker by simply saying, "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily". Thanks for joining us and talk with you tomorrow!

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State.For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattleTo enable on your Amazon Echo device say "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account & click the "Enable" button.----It's the last day of March, & what a crazy month this has been? We’ve made it. You should be proud of yourself. This hasn’t been easy and it’s important to celebrate the little victories right now.Take time today to reflect on the last few weeks of staying at home. Questions you could ask yourself, what feels good about staying home? What is working with your daily schedule? What habits are holding you back? If you find you have a lot of time on your hands, how can you make the most of it? Maybe make a short list of all the things you want to learn about in the month of April.Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily, Episode #051, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate. I'm your host, Christian Harris.In partnership with the Alaska Junction Association.Here is some of the latest updates from around West Seattle:* With many restaurants still open, we can support our small businesses by ordering pickup or delivery. The City of Seattle and @MayorJennyDurkan created a #SupportSeattleSmallBiz map to help you find open locations in your community - https://seattlecitygis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=1499ec293fed4fc587e2c559099a7e64* If you a restaurant, bar, café, or brewery owner interested in being added to @MayorJennyDurkan’s #SupportSeattleSmallBiz map? Email them at supportsmallbiz@seattle.gov, and we’ll get you added to the map as quickly as possible.- The West Seattle Bridge - WHAT WILL BE DONE TO FIX IT? Right now they are working with consultants WSP to determine what kind of “immediate shoring” can be done “to be sure it doesn’t fall on the low bridge.” Whether that will mean they can reopen the bridge to some traffic, too soon to say. Then they will work on a design-build contract for whatever needs to be done long-term to save the bridge. Not fixing it is NOT an option, she reiterated, for those who are worried. It’s the busiest roadway in the city – 100,000 vehicles a day, 14,000 transit riders. “There’s no way we’re not going to fix it.” But it will be out of commission for weeks at the very least. Marx reiterated that 80 percent of the load on the bridge – a unique structure, in many ways – is its own weight. No idea yet how much the repairs will cost.- Regarding the low bridge – Do not use it unless your transit, freight, emergency response, or working on Harbor Island. SDOT says police will be stationed by it during “peak periods” but there will not be “checkpoints” at this point..*Don't forget to subscribe to this on your favorite podcast app or on your Amazon smart speaker by simply saying, "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily".Thanks for joining us and talk with you tomorrow!

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle To enable on your Amazon Echo device say "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account & click the "Enable" button. ---- It's Monday March 30th and Seattle has been staying home for over 3 weeks now. How is everyone holding up? Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily, Episode #050, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate. I'm your host, Christian Harris. In partnership with the Alaska Junction Association. Here is some of the latest updates from around West Seattle: * Over the weekend, the Gov. clarified the restrictions and business practices for real estate, so while it won't be "business as usual", I am still able to continue helping my real estate clients, so don't hesitate to contact me with your questions & real estate needs. * Social distancing + volunteering + getting your steps in = Junction social distance cleanup kit. While the Junction is emptier than usual, take the opportunity to help out by walking around picking up debris! Four kits at a time will be handed out to maintain plenty of distance. Interested in helping out? Email the Junction info@wsjunction.org to schedule the pick up time for your social distance clean up kit * West 5 has "Cabin Fever" carry out meal specials to feed the family (small for $30 & large for $50). They also now has their famous Mai Tai’s! Swoop up one or 2 of these kits! Just add ice to enjoy up to 6 Mai tais per kit! $60 Includes: -2 glasses (Jungle Juice style) -House-made Mai Tai Mix -Bacardi gold rum -2 nips of Kraken dark rum -2 vintage west 5 stir sticks -festive, fancy umbrella -a whole lotta love Order online or call in to pre-order. They'll give you a call when your kit(s) are ready to be picked up! - https://westfive.com Don't forget to either subscribe to this on your favorite podcast app or on your Amazon smart speaker by simply saying, "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily". Thanks for joining us! Stay home and stay healthy this week everyone! Catch ya tomorrow.

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle To enable on your Amazon Echo device say "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account & click the "Enable" button. ---- It's Wednesday March 25th and we have more big news for you. As of this morning, WA State Parks are closing all parks, including day use and trails, along with any wildlife areas managed by Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife. Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily, Episode #049, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate. I'm your host, Christian Harris. In partnership with the Alaska Junction Association. Here is some of the latest updates from around West Seattle: - Gov. Inslee has signed a statewide proclamation for all Washingtonians to stay at home for the next two weeks. This order is similar to what we’ve seen in California. - Grocery stores, pharmacies, and gas stations are considered essential. Inslee’s office said it will provide a full list of businesses that are essential. - “This weapon, this distancing ourselves, is the only weapon we have against this virus.” - “This does not mean you can’t go outside” for a walk or bike ride, or to go to work in an “essential” industry. But the order bans ALL social/spiritual/recreational gatherings – no beach parties, no pick-up sports, no wedding or funeral gatherings... and as we just found out, no WA State Park outings or hikes. - Inslee says they expect people will voluntarily comply – but if they don’t, the order is enforceable by law. He says this is tough but “we want to get back to normal as soon as humanly possible … (to do that) we need to hit this hard. - Among the workers who don’t have the option of staying home to do their job … your U.S. Postal Service employees. Letter carriers, for example, are continuing to deliver, to houses, apartments, businesses, and other places, as always. One of your local letter carriers called us the other night, asking if we could share her request: Please allow your letter carriers to observe “social distancing.” Some residents, she said, are “coming right up to the door” to greet her as usual – but as we all have to remember, these are not “usual” times. “A lot of people don’t realize how serious this is all getting,”she said. She can’t necessarily disinfect every single thing before and after she touches it – “we’re touching so many things all day” – so please allow her to drop off the packages, put the mail in the box or slot, and move on, for your safety and hers. “I adore my people, I would do anything for them,” she said. “I’m not trying to be rude …” just trying to stay safe. - P.S. As for whether the mail itself can spread the virus – the latest USPS statement on COVID-19 was issued on Sunday. It reiterates “the CDC the World Health Organization, as well as the Surgeon General have indicated that there is currently no evidence that COVID-19 is being spread through the mail.” Don't forget to either subscribe to this on your favorite podcast app or on your Amazon smart speaker by simply saying, "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily". Thanks for joining us and talk with you tomorrow!

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle To enable on your Amazon Echo device say "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account & click the "Enable" button. ---- Hey there party people. The last 24 hours has been a doozy for WS News. By now you've probably heard that the upper WS Bridge is closed indefinitely for repairs & Gov. Jay Inslay has issued the "Stay Home, Stay Healthy" order, officially mandating people to stay home & close down non-essential businesses, for at least 2 weeks. Today is Tuesday, March 24th. Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily, Episode #0478 brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate. I'm your host, Christian Harris. Today's episode is a little rawer than usually, as in anticipation of a mandated stay at home order, I packed up my office yesterday and am in the middle of setting up my home office... so everything is in shambles right now. West Seattle Bridge closure Washington States "Stay Home, Stay Healthy" isn't really that much different than what has already been recommended but now it's an enforceable mandate, not just a recommendation. Governor Inslee made it a point to emphasize * You can still conduct necessary activities like getting groceries and you can leave your house to play outside or go on a walk, just make sure to use the 6' social distancing guidelines. * Nothing is changing regarding restaurants who are already providing take out, curb-side pickup and delivery options but all non-essential businesses will either have to work from home or be shut down... still waiting on guidelines for how that will effect the real estate industry in WA... * People still need a place to live and despite everyone thing that is going on and the economic uncertainty, the housing market is really strong with people still buying and selling houses, though our activities have had to change of course, like not doing open houses and being very cautious when showing any houses or even showing properties "virtually" through video chats. If you like these daily updates, you can also listen to them on your Amazon Alexa devices, by simply saying "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily". Thanks for joining us and talk with you tomorrow!

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle To enable on your Amazon Echo device say "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account & click the "Enable" button. ---- One full week down... it felt like a month to most people but we are getting by. Happy Monday everyone. Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily, Episode #047, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate. I'm your host, Christian Harris. In partnership with the Alaska Junction Association. Here is some of the latest updates from around West Seattle: * Seattle Parks crews are continuing to make the rounds, taping off playground and fitness equipment at parks, now off-limits by order of the mayor. To be clear, the parks themselves are still open, just not the playgrounds or sports field and courts. * Riding public transportation at a time like this would certainly not be my first choice... but some people don't have a choice and so to try and ease the economic burden most of us are feeling, King Co. Metro (Busses and Water Taxi) & Sound Transit (buses and trains) are not charging as of March 21st. * Riders also will be directed to board and exit at the rear doors of buses, reserving front-door access for customers using mobility devices or who require use of the boarding ramp. * An open letter to the City of Seattle has been released request that Farmer's Markets be Designate as Essential. * The letter was coined by The Neighborhood Farmers Markets, a 501c3 whose mission is to support and strengthen Washington's small family farmsTo Mayor Durkan & City of Seattle Partners, * They say, "It is our firm conviction that farmers markets are an essential part of Seattle’s food supply and that they should remain open, along with grocery stores, during the COVID-19 outbreak. We are gravely concerned about the abrupt closure of farmers markets at a time when food supply chains and our economy are under threat." * "The truth is, if we cannot support and strengthen our region’s farmers during this crisis, that many small farms will not recover from the market closures and that our local food supply and regional network of farmland will be forever changed." * The letter goes on to mention other areas of the country in which farmers’ markets are designated as “essential” businesses – Like in San Francisco’s shelter-in-place order. The letter also notes that the markets also have not been part of any of our governor’s orders, just the city. * If you are interested in signing - click on this link - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScsemvp7p-Tn17IxYpsTjO8Nw-X2W_3iWn74IsMRr2p6d009w/viewform Finally, MORE TIME TO PAY THE IRS: It's been officially announced that the tax deadline has been pushed back three months from the normal April 15th, to July 15th this year. If you like these daily updates, you can also listen to them on your Amazon Alexa devices, by simply saying "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily". Thanks for joining us and talk with you tomorrow!

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle To enable on your Amazon Echo device say "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account & click the "Enable" button. ---- INTRO Happy Friday everyone. Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily, Episode #046, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate, WS only Indie brokerage. I'm your host, Christian Harris. In partnership with the Alaska Junction Association. Here is some of the latest updates from around West Seattle: From WSJunction Association IG post today: Some of your favorite Junction restaurants will be creating specials for take home, like new favorite @ladyjayewest who’ll be firing up this bad boy for the best in smoked...well...everything. Ready for the fun NEW ❤️ #GotThisWS challenge? 1️⃣ Challenge a friend to order from any Junction restaurant or retail store by tagging them in your Insta post or story 2️⃣ Tag the business and @westseattlejunction 3️⃣ Use #GotThisWS hashtag in the post You’ll be entered to win a $25 gift card to a surprise Junction business! Winners drawn weekly so enter often! See the #GotThisWS in the story! If you are not already following the @WestSeattleJunction on Insta, you totally should be On top of that, just got word that - Lady Jay will have a new family menu every da (feeding 2-4 people), of delicious meals from their smoker for takeout - Watch their short announcement video on Instagram from the @WestSeattleJunction page - https://www.instagram.com/p/B96yhvZAZfi/ On a little more serious note, The State Department just announced that U.S. citizens need to avoid all international travel due to the global impact of COVID-19. * U.S citizens who live in the U.S. but are currently abroad, should arrange for immediate return to the United States, unless they are prepared to remain abroad for an indefinite period. * U.S. citizens who live abroad should avoid all international travel. If you decide to travel abroad or are already outside the United States: * Consider returning to your country of residence immediately using whatever commercial means are available. * Have a travel plan that does not rely on the U.S. Government for assistance. * Review and follow the CDC’s guidelines for the prevention of coronavirus. * Check with your airline, cruise lines, or travel operators regarding any updated information about your travel plans and/or restrictions. * Visit travel.state.gov to view individual Travel Advisories for the most urgent threats to safety and security. * Visit our Embassy webpages on COVID-19 for information on conditions in each country or jurisdiction. * Visit the Department of Homeland Security’s website on the latest travel restrictions to the United States * Visit Keeping workplaces, homes, schools, or commercial establishments safe.

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle To enable on your Amazon Echo device say "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account & click the "Enable" button. ---- - So, it has brought to my attention that I need to do less script reading on these videos and speak more freely and let my personality show. Apparently I have been rather dry in my delivery. - You see, my wife just found out I have been doing these... - It wasn't so much anything she said but rather the look she gave me when she was watching one of my videos. - She is often embarrassed by me... which I don't blame her... can you imagine how embarrassing it would be to be married to me ;-) Happy Wednesday everyone. Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily, Episode #045, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate. I'm your host, Christian Harris. In partnership with the Alaska Junction Association. Here is some of the latest updates from around West Seattle: * The April 9th Art Walk has been cancelled BUT they are creating a Virtual Artwork in it's place, * If you haven't heard, the WS Farmers Market has been cancelled until further notice. * Good Society Brewery has new hours so you can swing by to pickup to-go crowlers of beer and merch. Swing by M-F 3-7 and Sat-Sun 12-7. * The following businesses are still open for call-in, take out or curb-side pickup * Arthur's * Bakery Nouveau : Open for takeout * Circa - providing pick-up orders during regular business hours + now offering breakfast take out starting at 9am * Dream Dinners has shifting to offering only "made for you" meals that can be taken home & prepared when needed * Elliott Bay Brewing : Taking call-in orders offering their full menu, kid menu and growler fills. * Haymaker - Offering full family meal package options for pre-order and pickup * Hotwire Coffee * Ittos Tapas * Lady Jay * Maharaja * Ma'ono * Marination * Mission Cantina (best buffalo wings in WS BTW) * Peel & Press - open for takeout 4-9pm * Pho Aroma (best Pho in WS if you ask me) * Sound and Fog Coffee * West 5 * West Seattle Grounds * The following businesses provide their own delivery: * Click! Design that Fits They can deliver within West Seattle for no charge (orders of $50 or more) and will have curbside order pickups by appointment * Coastline Burgers offers online ordering now * Easy Street Cafe Coffee bar and full-menu take out from 7 am to 3 pm. And if you want delivery, Matt V says he will personally deliver! * Falafel Salam offers pickup or delivery. Only $20 minimum order. $5 delivery fee. * Husky Deli is offering a $50 ‘survival bag’ delivered to you!!! Need meat and cheese - they got you!   Free delivery in West Seattle – $50 minimum order. * Available on Doordash App: * Flying Apron * Seattle Fish Company (best fish n' chips in town) * Gyro Heroes * Available on Uber Eats App (who is currently waiving delivery fees for independent restaurants): * Lula Coffee Co. * Seattle Fish Company * Pizzeria 22 (super good authentic Neapolitan pizza) This is hard for all of us right now, especially those who work in food or hospitality. One of the things I love about West Seattle is how tight the community is and how quick everyone is to help out in tough times... so if you have the ability, order some take-out from your favorite restaurant, brewery or coffee shop and let's band together before anymore local businesses have to close up shop. Have a good day and keep looking out for one another.

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle To enable on your Amazon Echo device say "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account & click the "Enable" button. ---- Until further notice, we will be using the West Seattle Daily to bring you the latest updates from WS Businesses, and changes in the day-to-day around WS, including closures & special programs to continue supporting the community through these uncertain times of the COVID-19 outbreak. Happy Monday everyone. Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily, Episode #044, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate. I'm your host, Christian Harris. In partnership with the Alaska Junction Association and just general connections and friendships with local businesses and local media outlets, we are going to do our best to provide you with the essential need-to-know news and changes happening around WS due to the new norm of not having a norm due to COVID-19 essentially shutting down our Seattle. Here is where things currently stand: * Currently, anyone with a fever and cough should assume their illness could be COVID-19 and take steps to protect others in the community and household from the disease. If you are sick, you need to stay home and stay away from other people in your home. If you need to go into public to visit a healthcare provider, wear a mask and practice meticulous hand washing. * Seattle Public Schools has announced that they will be providing free grab-&-go sack lunches during the extended school closures and can be picked up Monday through Friday from 11am-1pm. In West Seattle, the pickup locations are at WS HS, WS Elementary, Denny Middle School and Chief Sealth HS. * On top of all WA State schools being mandated to close for 6 weeks... * Last night (March 15th), Gov. Inslee enacted an EO that all WA State Restaurants and bars to close their dine-in facilities, entertainment & recreational facilities are to close & events are capping to 50 people. This means that most businesses including my neighbors at WeSweat infrared sauna and the newly opened Good Society Brewery have had to close their doors till further notice or if they have the ability, are adjusting their services to pickup or delivery orders only. * Many WS restaurants are now offering deliveries via "Door Dash", so make sure to download the app and wee what's available. * Many 15-minute parking spots setup in the Junction for easier quick pickup at your favorite Junction restaurant or coffee shop. * Businesses like Husky Deli, Haymaker, have added family meal ordering options * Sound & Fog Coffee, C&P Coffee will be doing take out coffee orders, including out their back walk up window off the alley. * Many of the boutique retail businesses have made the hard decision to close their doors for the foreseeable future, with some still providing online ordering options. If you need to do some shopping or just want to help support these great local businesses during this time, make sure to call-ahead before heading out. For a more complete and updated list of WS Cancellations, Postponements and changes, head over to the West Seattle Blog at westseattleblog.com/event/cancellations-postponements/ So in all that is going on and with the daily changes and news, it's real easy to get a bit paranoid and fearful. Let's just remember to take some deep breaths, everyone is feeling the pressure and stress, so let's be kind to one another and we'll all get through this together.

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle To enable on your Amazon Echo device say "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account & click the "Enable" button. ---- As I'm recording this on Thursday afternoon, we just got the news that Governor Inslee is ordering all public and private schools to shut down until April 24th (6 weeks). That's some rough news. Between this and most events around town being cancelled, this is going to hit most of us in the pocket book in a serious way. So with all this uncertainty right now, we wanted to try and find the good and positive in our current situation by provide you with some suggestions for fun things to do at home while self-quarantining. 
 Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily, Episode #045, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate, West Seattle's only Indie Community brokerage. I'm your host, Christian Harris. Looking on the bright side of all this, many of us are too busy to spend the quality time with our families that we often want to and now with school, events & meetings being largely cancelled, we don't have to feel that life itself has been cancelled. Try some of these fun activities: * Dust off those board games and have some good old fashioned fun * Try to avoid the temptation to bing watch Netflix and spend some time instead reading a good book that's been sitting in your "too read" pile for years... (or maybe it's just me that has that problem..) * Go to the park or get out and do a hike, mt bike or even ski. Your outside and often separated by significant distance from others, making this a low-risk contagent activity * Find and put together a puzzle * Cook a new recipe as a family trying to use up old ingredients in the fridge, bake banana bread or maybe chocolate chip cookies * This would be a fun time to learn something new as a family. Google or your smart speaker might become your new best friend * arts & crafts, macrame, painting, creating something 3D with a glue gun, see this as a time to get in touch with your creative side * Listen to a podcast (Like the Sea-Town Podcast, you may be staying at home but doesn't mean you can't hear the stories of your favorite businesses and personalities of West Seattle) - www.sea-townpodcast.com) * Find new music to play in the background while you'r doing these activities * Don’t forget to keep eating a healthy diet, with lots of antocodants and maybe even take an afternoon nap! To help keep your immune system kicking. What do you like to do to keep yourself busy or productive at home? Thanks for tuning in, make the best of this weekend and catch you on Monday.

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle To enable on your Amazon Echo device say "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account & click the "Enable" button. ---- The news is full of coverage on the latest updates for the Coronavirus. How are you protecting yourself behind stock piling hand sanitizer and TP of course. It’s easy to fall victim to the media and news scare/fear. Welcome to West Seattle Daily, Episode #042, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate. I'm your host, Christian Harris. I wanted to share some ways for you to keep your immune system healthy: ⁃ Sleep ⁃ We heal during sleep. One of the ways we do this is to release melatonin from our pineal gland. ⁃ We do this best sleeping in a room that is dark and has minimal EMF (Electromagnetic field).  ⁃ Keep phone and electrical equipment, including radio alarms well away from you, as the body confuses EMF with light, suppressing melatonin secretion. ⁃ We produce the most melatonin when asleep between 11pm and 3am. ⁃ Enjoy Nature ⁃ We are so lucky to live in the PNW with so many options to get outside t& explore. Check out our website for a list of our favorite parks in West Seattle. ⁃ Getting out into the fresh air can stimulate the immune system cells in lungs and help make our immune system more active.  ⁃ Deep breathing can help as this will also bring more oxygen to our blood.  ⁃ T.L.C. ⁃ Give yourself lots of T.L.C.(tender loving care).   ⁃ Dry skin brushing daily is a wonderful way to rid the skin of dead cells and boost the lymphatic system.  ⁃ Bubble Bath ⁃ Infrared Sauna @wesweat ⁃ Curl up with your favorite book ⁃ Exercise: Moderate exercise, even walking a mile or two at least three times a week, helps your lymphatic system cleanse impurities to boost your immune system. ⁃ Avoid long grueling workouts. A brisk walk every day is all you need in the winter. ⁃ Stress Less: This should be an all year practice. Many consider stress or anxiety as the leading cause for decreased immunity. Lighten up. Try meditation or yoga. Laugh more. Be less critical. Worry less. ⁃ Immune Booster Rules ⁃ Remove Sugar: Cut out canned drinks, pastries, biscuits and such. A few grams of sugar can destroy your white blood cells' ability to resist infections for several hours. ⁃ Eat for the season – Root vegetables, soups and slow-cooked stews and casseroles are all favorites for the winter, as are beans and lentils. Don’t worry about calories.  Focus instead on the nutritional content. ⁃ Eat more Garlic and Onion: Besides being rich in antioxidants and selenium, garlic is antibacterial and antiviral. ⁃ To support your immune system, you can eat immunity supporting foods like citrus fruits, broccoli, and spinach. ⁃ Reduce Inflammation ⁃ Sugar, processed meat, vegetable oils, and alcohol tend to be inflammatory foods so they busy the immune system, leaving other problems in your body unaddressed. That's why it can be really helpful to remove these inflammatory foods if we want a healthy immune system.  We hope this list provides you a start to a happy healthy week. Sit down with your loved ones over a warm meal this evening and create a plan and habits to implement together. Keep each other accountable for whatever goals you set. Don’t let fear freeze you. See you tomorrow!

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle To enable on your Amazon Echo device say "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account & click the "Enable" button. ---- It's Friday, March 6th and you know what that means. We are going to go over events happening around WS that you don't want to miss! Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily, Episode #041, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate, West Seattle's only Indie Community brokerage. I'm your host, Christian Harris. Karaoke happens regularly around West Seattle every Friday and Saturday night, to include Yen Wor Village, Talaricos and the Admiral Pub Friday - HPIC Corner Bar @ Highland Park Improvement Club @ 6:00 pm – 11:00 pm. Doors open 6 pm - As always, Corner Bar is all ages with free entry & welcomes everyone! Bring your families, bring your neighbors! Food and beverages are available. - Pay-what-you-can yoga @ Youngstown Cultural Arts Center - @ 6:15 pm - Local music happening at C&P Coffee - Nelson Wright, Steve Beck, & Brian Cutler perform - @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm Saturday - Urban Forest Restoration with FLIP @ Lincoln Park - 7 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm Help us restore another beautiful forested area of Lincoln Park. We’ll be removing invasive plants and trees and making room for future native plantings. We guarantee a great nature-workout and lots of eco-karma! Kids welcome. - Free Tax Help @ Southwest Library - @ 10:00 am – 4:30 pm - Free Tax Help @ West Seattle Food Bank - @ 10:00 am – 2:00 pm - Free Native Plant ID Workshop @ Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center @ 11:00 am – 1:00 pm Looking for FREE & easy way to identify Pacific Northwest trees? - Do you have kiddos or teens? Drop them off Saturday for a "Parent's Day Out from 1:30-5:30 or "Parent's Night Out" from 5:30-10 at the West Seattle YMCA. $35 for members, $48 for non-members... cheaper than getting a sitter. Sunday - West Seattle Ultimate Family Frisbee: Sundays @ Walt Hundley Playfield - Mar 8 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am - 3rd Annual Washington State Entertainer of the Year competition – all ages @ Skylark Café & Club @ 5:00 pm - Free community dinner @ High Point Community Center @ 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm - West Seattle Farmers Market @ West Seattle Junction 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle To enable on your Amazon Echo device say "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account & click the "Enable" button. ---- Coronavirus is the talk of the town... but not in a good way. Today we are going to give you a few tips on what you can do to stay healthy but not be crippled by fear and anxiety in the midst of the media hysteria of a looming pandemic. Good Day WS! This is West Seattle Daily, Episode #040, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate. I'm your host, Christian Harris. It's all over the news, people are freaking out, travel is down, stores are sold out of toilet paper and hand sanitizer, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria! It's the Coronavirus. Now, I'm no doctor, so I'm not going to try and get all technical on what it is... as one of my friends says, GTS (Google that shit). It's essentially a family of viruses with severity ranging from symptoms of a common cold to sever respiratory diseases like MERS & SARS. Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.  This all sounds very scary but there are some basic pre-cautions you can do to protect yourself and others. • Washing your hands regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. • Cover your mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing. • Don't touch your face, as that is the most common ways germs get into your body (Through your mouth, nose & eyes) • If you are sick, wear a mask to prevent your germs from getting airborne through your coughing or sneezing (Masks are not necessary and don't do you any good if you are NOT sick, as most off the shelf masks are not airtight and will not protect you from germs... though they can help by keeping you from touching your face) • Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing. • If you have the luxury, avoid crowded enclosed places for a time... like buses or airplanes. If you weren’t able to wash your hands on the regular, make sure you have some alcohol based hand sanitizer on hand. If you the stores around you are already out of stock, it's pretty easy to make your own. If you're watching this on YouTube or Instagram, I'll include the ingredient list below. Here’s what you need: • 2/3 cup Isopropyl alcohol 91% (rubbing alcohol) • 1/3 cup aloe vera gel • Optinal Essential oil in your choice of fragrance (optional) • A small mixing bowl & spoon • An empty container, such as a 3-ounce container from a travel toiletries kit • A small piece of masking tape or permanent marker for labeling Here’s how to make it: In a mixing bowl, stir Isopropyl alcohol and aloe vera gel together until well blended. Add 8-10 drops of scented essential oil (optional, but nice!). Stir to incorporate. Pour the homemade hand sanitizer into an empty container and seal. Write “hand sanitizer” on a piece of masking tape and affix to the bottle. The CDC recommends using hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol content. This recipe makes a sanitizer that slightly exceeds that alcohol content at 60.66%, so follow the proportions exactly -- no fudging or winging it! While a virus outbreak like this is scary, it's also a good reminder that we each need to plan ahead with an emergency plan, including a minimum of 2 weeks extra food and water for you, your family and any pets in the case of a natural disaster or outbreak. This will help us not panicking when something comes up and not having to worry about rushing out to Costco at the last minute to stock up with the masses who also did not plan ahead. What are you doing to stay healthy right now? Let's hope the Coronavirus just ends up being another over-hyped media scare... but in case it's not, do your part to stay healthy and stop putting your dirty hands in your mouth ;-) Talk with you tomorrow. https://www.cdc.gov/nonpharmaceutical-interventions/pdf/gr-pan-flu-ind-house.pdf https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans.   It’s easy to fall into fear, but what we need to focus on is coming together as a society to make sure we can get through this together. Talk with your family and neighbors to see how you can best support each other. Be aware of your body & when you start feeling sick stay home and take care of yourself first.

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle If you own an Amazon Echo device, you can enable this daily audio content by simply saying "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily Skill" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account and click the "Enable" button. ---- Happy Monday everyone. Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily, Episode #039, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate. I'm your host, Christian Harris. Today we are giving you a peak behind the scenes at how we do our Amazon Alexa Flash Briefing.

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle To enable on your Amazon Echo device say "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account & click the "Enable" button. ---- Happy Friday everyone! Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily, Episode #038, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate, West Seattle's only Indie Community brokerage. I'm your host, Christian Harris. Let's go over some of the events happening around WS this weekend: Karaoke happens regularly around West Seattle every Friday and Saturday night, to include Yen Wor Village, Talaricos and the Admiral Pub Friday ⁃ Northwest Flower and Garden Festival in FULL BLOOM Wed, Feb 26 – Sun, Mar 1 Washington State Convention Center 705 Pike St, Seattle, WA ⁃ Pay-what-you-can yoga @ Youngstown Cultural Arts Center Feb 28 @ 6:15 pm ⁃ Impact West Seattle Rainbow Bingo Carnival Senior Center of West Seattle West Seattle
Fri Feb 28, 5:30–9 pm ⁃ Friday Nite Live Open Mic Launch Party @ Hghland Park Improvement Club Feb 28 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm Saturday ⁃ West Seattle Tool Library Garage Sale Feb 29 @ 9:00 am – 4:00 pm The West Seattle Tool Library needs to clean out our inventory. Come check out the hundreds of tools we have for sale! ⁃ Croft Forest Restoration with DNDA Feb 29 @ 10:00 am – 2:00 pm ⁃ Free Tax Help @ Southwest Library Feb 29 @ 10:00 am – 4:30 pm ⁃ Community meeting for 3010-3015 SW Avalon Way project @ Delridge Community Center Feb 29 @ 11:00 am – 12:00 pm Let your voice be heard on the proposed construction of an eight-story, 87-unit apartment building. The existing structures will be demolished. Coffee and cookies will be provided. All are welcome. No RSVP needed. ⁃ Delridge Grocery Co-Op Leap Day Ice Cream Party Feb 29 @ 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Celebrate Leap Day 2020 by getting an extra dessert and a sneak peek into the DGC retail space on Saturday, February 29. We’ll be hosting an afternoon Ice Cream House Party, where we’ll be serving up a special ice cream flavor made with help from Full Tilt Ice Cream and some live music. Sunday ⁃ West Seattle Farmers Market @ West Seattle Junction 10:00 am – 2:00 pm ⁃ Sun, Mar 1, 1:30 – 4:30 PM - Come Play at West Seattle Library on a beautiful grand piano. This is your opportunity to perform on a beautiful grand piano in front of other piano enthusiasts. All skill levels are invited.  ⁃ Ready Freddy Workshop @ West Seattle Coworking Mar 1 @ 3:00 pm – 3:30 pm ⁃ Our Ready Freddy Workshop makes getting prepared for emergencies fun! ⁃ Are you ready to dip your toes in the pool of information about emergency preparedness, but not ready to dive into the deep end? Join us on Sunday, March 1st, 2020 for a 30-minute presentation to learn about small steps you can take to get yourself and your home ready in case The Big One hits. There will be plenty of time and opportunity for Q & A at the end, so plan to stay longer. We’d love to visit with you! ⁃ Free community dinner @ High Point Community Center - Mar 1 @ 5:00 pm – 6:30 pmm

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle To enable on your Amazon Echo device say "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account & click the "Enable" button. ---- 
Good Day WS! Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily Ep 033 on this Thursday, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate. I'm your host, Christian Harris. On this Throwback Thursday, we are going to conclude our 4 week exposition of racism in the housing industry! With February being Black History Month, we’ve been researching and educating ourselves on some of the history of racism in real estate, specifically in Seattle. At the start of the month, I attended the Inman Real Estate Connect conference in New York City and during this conference we heard from a panel of reporters, who did a very detailed, in depth 3 year undercover experiment in Long Island, NY. In their tests, they found that 40 percent of the RE agents did not treat the undercover minority buyers the same as the white buyers. This experiment is one of the first investigations of real estate agents discrimination since the enactment of America’s fair housing act in 1968. Newsday, a local New York journalism company found evidence of widespread separate and unequal treatment of minority potential homebuyers and minority communities on Long Island. The results of this study, specifically the poor manor in with the agents and their brokerages responded when their illegal & racist behavior was brought to their attention, inspired us here at Sea-Town Real Estate to take a deeper look into discrimination, specifically in our neighborhood of West Seattle. In past episodes we covered some for the history of "Racial Restrictive Covenants" in deeds, which prohibited minorities or even in some cases, Jewish people from buying homes in specific communities, even here in the oh so progressive Seattle. You can still see some of these effects of the more racially segregated communities here in West Seattle and South Seattle. 
We covered the practice of Steering (which is also illegal) and is essentially when  builders, brokers, and rental property managers use words or actions that direct or "steer" prospective buyers or tenants into or away from particular neighborhoods based on the racial makeup of a neighborhood or area. Last week we dove into some of the history of The Fair Housing Act of 1968 and how that was a game changer piece of legislation, finally providing legal teeth for violations of fair housing law and racist behavior in real estate and rentals. So now what? We have the laws on the books and we all know... or should know that treating someone different based on their skin color, nationality, sex or whatever is wrong. But the experiment sited earlier provides empirical evidence of what many of us already know anecdotally known. People (including myself and you) still have biases and there is still discrimination. So what do we do about it? Through our conversations and research this last month, we wanted to put together a list of ways that you individually can work to dissolve racism in your everyday life. Educate: ⁃ Listen carefully & respectfully, follow accounts on social media that shed light on these various topics, so that you can share with others or be an advocate for people who are experiencing discrimination ⁃ Honor the feelings and experiences of people of color ⁃ read books that make you uncomfortable... So you can better understand people who have different life experiences and perspectives than you. ⁃ Ask questions and earnestly listen to better understand people of color before speaking or trying to have your viewpoint heard or understood ⁃ Challenge other people in your life to think critically about racism and their own biases. This goes for people of color too. We can't fight racism and un-equal treatment with racism and unequal treatment. We all have biases but if we are unaware that we have them, we will continue being blind to our culpability in the problem. ⁃ Let's move the ball forward with MLK's vision of a color blind society, ..."Judging others not based on the color of their skin, but the content of their character." ⁃ accounts on Instagram to follow on these issues: ⁃ @rachelcargle ⁃ @ijessewilliams ⁃ @mkbhd ⁃ @serenawilliams ⁃ @iamderay ⁃ @angeladavis ⁃ @oprah ⁃ @blackgirlnerds

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle To enable on your Amazon Echo device say "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account & click the "Enable" button. ---- 
Good Day WS! Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily Ep 036 on this Wednesday, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate. I'm your host, Christian Harris. We have another new brewery to welcome to the West Seattle neighborhood. Cold Crash Brewing Co. The Nation’s 14th Gluten-Free Brewery and the second in Washington (Ghostfish Brewing Co. is the other) Cold Crash Brewing is founded by Robyn Campbell & Erin Treankler, who met in 2017 while working for Starbucks corporate. Erin has a degree in business and is the brewmaster, who found out she had Celiac’s Disease (meaning her body can't digest gluten at all) while she was in pastry school in Colorado – can you imagine what a bitch that would be? Robyn has been home brewing since 2012 has a specialized chemical engineering degree and a degree in computer science. After several successful small-scale batches of gluten-free beer, in 2019 Erin and Robyn decided they wanted to share their craft with other beer lovers, whether gluten intolerant or not... and Cold Crash Brewery was born! What’s behind the name? If you brew your own beer (I don’t, so I learned something new), then you understand where the term cold crash comes from. Cold crashing is the process of lowering the temperature of your beer before packaging (kegging, bottling, canning) which gives the beer a cleaner and crisper finish. Since the name cold crash can conjure up images of waves crashing, it only seemed natural for Erin and Robyn to create their wave logo and beers with names reminiscent of a day at the beach. With chill vibes and a sustainable business – why not have the feelings you are sitting on a warm beach enjoying a cold brew? Cold Crash Brewing is located in West Seattle at 4507 48th Ave SW and is open Saturday's and Sunday's from Noon to 5pm. When you first pull up to Erin and Robyn’s house, you might wonder where the heck the brewery is exactly. Fear not, park your car (or if you are a fellow West Seattleite, maybe just walk over) and go around from 48th to SW Oregon Street and then you’ll find an alley. Cold Crash Brewing at The Alley is where you will find the small brewery and tasting room. The 600 sq ft brewery is a licensed home-based commercial brewery, with a large patio behind their home. A truly the perfect West Seattle spot for a neighborhood brewery. Not to mention, everything they use in their business is designed to be compostable or recyclable. They even donate the spent grain to local farms that feed goats! Drink a beer, feed a goat! https://www.coldcrashbrewing.com/news https://whatsupnw.com/2020/02/cold-crash-brewing-in-west-seattle-the-nations-14th-gluten-free-brewery/

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle To enable on your Amazon Echo device say "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account & click the "Enable" button. ---- Good Day WS! Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily, Episode #035, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate. I'm your host, Christian Harris. 
Tuesday Tips! Today, we’d like to share a reminder that hopefully motivates you to protect your data before it's too late. Our office manager recently went through a stressful situation where she unfortunately lost some of her data on her phone, text messages, photos etc. She recently switched to an android device & was unfamiliar of all the various apps needed to fully back up data. I've been telling her she needs to switch over to Apple... but to each their own. Not backing up your digital files, smart phone or computer is usually a mistake people only make once, before realizing how important it really is. Between the possibility of loosing our phone or having your computer crash on you, even your most-trusted gadgets and apps could go haywire and you can lose your data. Or as was the case with me in the past, simple user error and your music library or photos are gone forever. I for one am a bit paranoid about loosing my data, so I not only backup everything locally but also to the cloud via multiple services. At the risk of insulting your intelligence, I'll take a moment to explain what a backup is: A backup is just "an extra copy of data in case the original is lost or damaged". It's important to note that there is a big distinction between file storage and sharing services like Dropbox or Google Drive and an actual backup service. These cloud storage services will store certain files but they are not backups of your computer or phones settings, apps or operating system like iCloud for your iPhone, Time Machine for your Apple computer or a third party backup service like Backblaze (which is what I use to ensure my entire computer and all attached hard drives stay backed up in real time). While I love the integrated Apple Time Machine backup service to an external hard drive and it's saved my bacon many times when I needed to restore a specific file app and on occasion, my entire computer after a failed upgrade... it's still susceptible to the external hard drive failing, being stollen or other local damage. That's why you should have a backup of all your data that's stored somewhere safe and separate from your everyday devices, like a cloud backup using iCloud if your on the Apple ecosystem or Backblaze.com https://zapier.com/blog/backup-everything/ Do you have any horror stories of lost data and did it motivate you to find a backup solution? Thanks for tuning in & we hope this reminder keeps you productive even when unexpected things occur!

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle If you own an Amazon Echo device, you can enable this daily audio content by simply saying "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily Skill" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account and click the "Enable" button. ---- Happy Monday everyone. Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily, Episode #034, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate. I'm your host, Christian Harris. I can’t believe it’s already the last week of February. It felt like January slowly moved forward with lot’s of time to spare & February has quickly come & gone. This week for Monday motivation, we thought it would be a good idea to start things off by revisiting our intentions for 2020 & refocusing for the month of March. What goals did you set at the start of the New Year? Have you completed any? Have you found it easy or hard to stay focused? Which goals do you find yourself avoiding? While the goals we set for ourselves are important, I think it's just as important to understand WHY we have set these goals. Understanding our motivation behind the goals. You can think of two different driving forces as either INTRINSIC GOALS or EXTRINSIC GOALS. Intrinsic goals are all about doing or pursuing something that’s personally meaningful to you, based on truth and inline with the nature of the universe. These goals fuel your core needs & wants - who you are as a person. Some people may think of these things as thinking inward but I personally believe that is too narrow of a definition. We need to think outward in the sense of what is the larger meaning and purpose of life. What are we here on the earth for. How are we intrinsically tied to the physical and spiritual world around us and in us? Examples include: your passions, interests, core values, relationships, personal growth, core human needs for meaningful relationships & physical health. Extrinsic goals help you achieve something outside of yourself. They are often about obtaining other people’s validation and approval or external signs of self-worth. They are about polishing your public image, becoming famous, getting rich, or seeking power over others. All about the prize at the end of the journey. They are about getting to a certain outcome while not appreciating or even neglecting the process of getting there. An extrinsically motivated person looks at something as a means to an end. It’s all about reaching the end. It’s about the outcome, not the process. Think outward. Extrinsic goals relate to "worldly goals," like money, status, or fame.  Let’s look at a couple of examples of these motivators. You’ll get what I mean: • Exercising to impress others (extrinsic) • Exercising to feel more energized (intrinsic) • Studying to get a good grade (extrinsic) • Studying because the topic excites and interests you (intrinsic) • Starting your own business to become rich (extrinsic) • Starting your own business because you are passionate about it and want to make a positive change in the world (intrinsic) I'm talking about these distinctions today because in our American culture, we tend to be very driven and results oriented, which seems to lead to two distinct outcomes depending on ones motivation. People driven by extrinsic goals tend to not ever be happy or fulfilled, even when they may reach great levels of success and wealth… They tend to actually be associated with narcissism, anxiety, depression, poorer mental health in general, and even poorer social functioning. They are living out of a world view that believes, “Once I get _____, then I’ll be happy and satisfied.”  And I think to a degree, we all suffer from this mindset, even if we know it to be unhealthy. The problem is, there’s no end to this. There’s always more stuff. There’s always more money to be made. There’s always more bling to be bought. There’s always someone else to impress. There’s always more more more… It's the pursuit of Intrinsic Goals that align ourselves with with our larger purpose in the world that will bring satisfaction, peace and happiness. As someone who believes in God and that there are larger forces at work than just human effort and our individual pursuit of happiness, if we pursue the good of others and take time to enjoy the journey we are on in life... that is what will ultimately lead to our happiness and satisfaction that we are all seeking. Does any of this ring true for you? I'd encourage you to sit down this evening with your loved ones over a warm meal & lovely music & think about your motivation behind your goals and write up your goals for the month of March! We'd love to see what you come up with & hear your thoughts. Feel free to share your goals and thoughts with us in the comments or in a DM. Thanks for listening :)

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle To enable on your Amazon Echo device say "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account & click the "Enable" button. ---- 
Good Day WS! Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily Ep 033 on this Thursday, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate. I'm your host, Christian Harris. With February being Black History Month, on this Throwback Thursday episode, we are on our second to last installment on the topic of long-lasting effects of institutionalized racism in real estate. For some additional context, listen to our last couple Throw Back Thursday episodes on Youtube. Last week we talked the effects of "Racial Restrictive Covenants" tied to specific properties or entire neighborhoods, prohibiting non-whites from residing there. Today we are going to talk a little about the Fair Housing Act of 1968 that officially made it illegal and provided a meaningful federal enforcement for prohibiting discriminating based on race, religion, national origin or sex in the sale, rental or financing of housing. The Fair Housing Act is actually part of the larger Civil Rights Act enacted in 1968 by President Lyndon B. Johnson during the Martin Luther King assassination riots. It is built on the already established Civil Rights Act of 1866, which defined US citizenship and affirm that all citizens are equally protect by the law. In the wake of the Civil War, this law was intended to protect the civil rights of persons of African descent born in or brought to the US as slaves. This legislation was a major support for the Thirteenth Amendment and was passed by Congress, but vetoed by Democrat Andrew Johnson but then overruled by a two-thirds majority vote by the Republican majority Congress, making this bill the first major piece of legislation where Congress overrode a presidential veto, allowing it to become law without a presidential signature. The problem with the civil rights laws that were already on the books prior to 1968 is that none of them had any enforcement mechanism built in, so there was nothing that could really be done if they were violated... and let's be honest, from what we have observed from history, it didn't really sound like the majority of society or the government had any real intention of enforcing such laws back then anyways. It's taken us a long time as a society to get to where we are now and be able to have honest conversations about racial issues. While overt and on-the-books racism may be a thing of the past, our individual biases & prejudices are something we need to be keenly aware of... We will talk about that more on our next Throwback Thursday episode. Info from https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/fair_housing_act_overview#_The_Fair_Housing ---- Examples of Housing Discrimination: Discrimination Isn’t Always Obvious – Example #1: John, who is a Black man, speaks to a prospective landlord on the phone about leasing an apartment. On the phone, the landlord seems eager to rent to John, but when John meets with the landlord in person to fill out an application, the landlord’s attitude is entirely different. A few days later, John receives a letter saying that his application was denied because of a negative reference from his current landlord. John is surprised because he never had problems with his landlord, and his landlord swears she was never contacted for a reference. John suspects that the real reason he was denied the apartment was because he is Black, so John files a complaint with HUD. HUD investigates and it turns out John is right – the landlord’s files show a pattern of discrimination because of race and color. Who Is Protected? The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing because of: • Race • Color • National Origin • Religion • Sex • Familial Status • Disability Equal Treatment in Home Renting and Selling: • Refusing to rent housing, sell housing, or negotiate for housing • Making housing unavailable or lying about the availability of housing • Denying housing • Establishing different terms or conditions in home selling or renting • Providing different housing accommodations or amenities • Blockbusting (convincing property owners to sell cheaply because of the fear of racial, religious, or other minorities moving into the neighborhood) • Denying participation in housing-related services such as a multiple listing service Exemption From the Fair Housing Act: In certain cases, the following groups may be exempt from following the Act: • Single-family homes that are rented or sold without using a broker • Owner-occupied homes with no more than four units • Members-only private clubs or organizations Enforcement of Fair Housing: The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is responsible for enforcing the Fair Housing Act. HUD enforces the Act in two ways: 0. Fair Housing Testers: HUD hires people to pose as renters or home buyers to see if discriminatory practices are being used. As a landlord, you need to be careful what you say in person, on the phone, and in rental ads. 0. Investigate Discrimination Claims: Individuals who feel their fair housing rights have been violated under the Fair Housing Act can file a discrimination claim with HUD. HUD will investigate the claim, determine if there is any merit to it, and decide if further legal action is necessary. I hope this mini history lesson has been interesting and educational for you & opens other conversations with friends & family. Feel free to reach out and share your thoughts. Thanks for listening & catch ya tomorrow. Link to full investigation video - https://projects.newsday.com/long-island/real-estate-agents-investigation/

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle To enable on your Amazon Echo device say "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account & click the "Enable" button. ---- 
Good Day WS! Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily Ep 032 on this Wednesday, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate. I'm your host, Christian Harris. We’d like to take a moment to celebrate another new awesome neighbor - Good Society Brewing. A few weeks ago we celebrated the opening of We Sweat next-door & now we get to celebrate Good Society Brewing opening right behind our office. I'm super excited but it's also going to make sheding this "dad-bod" that much harder.. Nick Berger and Phil Cammarano, the co-owners are some great guys brewing up some very tasty beer. They have been working hard day in and day out for many many months getting their space looking great, with a great vibe. They say that “The Good Society Brewery & Public House is where good beer meets good deeds. The brewery's mission is to create a positive social or environmental impact, with every pint poured having part of the proceeds going to charitable causes.” The first two local non-profits they are partnering with to donate a portion of the proceeds from each beer sale, are West Seattle Food Bank (https://www.westseattlefoodbank.org) and Forterra (https://forterra.org), which does work with various types of land conservation here in the Pacific Northwest. They officially opened their doors last Friday, February 14th, 2020 and had an amazing turn out! https://www.goodsocietybeer.com The taproom is open to all-ages and offers wine as well as their house-brewed beers and some some light food options. They are open Wed-Friday, 3pm -10 & Saturday/Sunday 11:30am to 10pm, closing an hour earlier on Sunday at 9pm.

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle If you own an Amazon Echo device, you can enable this daily audio content by simply saying "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily Skill" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account and click the "Enable" button. ---- Happy Tuesday everyone. Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily, Episode #031, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate. I'm your host, Christian Harris. Yesterday was Presidents day. If you had the day off, I hope some of you had a chance to enjoy the beautiful sunny weather and get outdoors. "It’s not just the iconic mountains and parks that we protect. It’s the forests where generations of families have hiked and picnicked and connected with nature."  - Barack Obama We’d like to take a moment to honor the presidents that have valued our national resources to serve generations to come. Now that the sun has started to come out a bit more often & the rain is slowing down, we thought it would be a good time to share our tips on the best parks around West Seattle. If you like discovering new outdoor spaces around Seattle, I was fortunate enough to interview Linnea Westerlind, the author of "Discovering Seattle Parks" on Ep. 55 of The Sea-Town Podcast. She has done her research and has quite a few hidden gems in her book and a fascinating story behind how she got started on the journey to hike all of Seattle's 500 parks in 1 year! https://sea-townpodcast.com/ep-055-linnea-westerlind-author-of-discovering-seattle-parks/ Here are a few of my favorite & lesser known West Seattle parks: • West Crest Park - Westcrest Park is a very large park in the Highland Park neighborhood. It has a great panoramic view of the city skyline, flat open meadow, with a short walking path, and an off-leash dog area. • Ercolini Park - Named for Joe (1891-1984) and Julia (1894-1979) Ercolini, who sold produce grown at this site for several decades beginning in the 1930s, this park is a playground with a small lawn in a neighborhood spot.
 • Lincoln Park - Amazingly diverse for its size, Lincoln includes 4.6 miles of walking paths, 3.9 miles of bike trails, five picnic shelters, acres of playfields, and an outdoor heated saltwater pool and bathhouse.
 • Jack Block Park - is a 15-acre park in the West Seattle neighborhood. Situated on the northwest corner of the Port of Seattle's Terminal 5.
 • Camp Long - is one of Seattle's best kept secrets. Along with the many hiking trails, it is a popular event space, has cabins for rent and is the home of Schurman Rock, built in 1939, is believed to be North America's first man-made climbing structure.
 • Schmitz Preserve Park - has huge old growth forest, walking paths, hiking and with only a 1/2 mile walk, provides easy access to Whale Tail park (by Alki Elementary) and Alki Beach, for those crazy summer days where Alki is super crowded and impossible to find parking.
 • Fauntleroy Creek Park - A densely wooded patch of forest in West Seattle, Fauntleroy Park has a network of trails and paths great for wandering, hiking and dog-walking. We at Sea-Town love to spend as much time as we can outside! Comment & share below your favorite park spots in West Seattle! Enjoy the fresh air! Happy day after Presidents day!

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle To enable on your Amazon Echo device say "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account & click the "Enable" button. ---- Happy Friday everyone! Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily, Episode #030, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate, West Seattle's only Indie Community brokerage. I'm your host, Christian Harris. Let's go over some of the events happening around WS this weekend: Karaoke happens regularly around West Seattle every Friday and Saturday night, to include Yen Wor Village, Talaricos and the Admiral Pub Friday *Good Society Brewing grand opening -Doors official open Friday 2/14 at 3pm! Can't wait to see you here. Come join us for our grand opening! We will be debuting with five of our own beers along with guest taps from Lowercase Brewing, Best of Hands Barrelhouse, and Counterbalance Brewing Company. For the non-beer drinkers out there, we have two taps of cider and two taps of wine as well as a few non-alcoholic choices. Unfortunately, our kitchen is not quite ready to go, but we will have some snacks and light fare. Until the kitchen is ready to rock, feel free to bring in outside food. *Chocolate Beer Week! The Beer Junction West Seattle - Feb 8–15, 11 am–11 pm The Beer Junction will assume the role of a hops-loving Willy Wonka with a selection of chocolate-inspired beers. Order a sampler tray with at least four of them to receive a free side of assorted chocolates, and you might just receive a "golden ticket" to redeem for a prize. Feeling a little jaded this valentines day? *Anti Couture: Anti Romantic Virago Gallery West Seattle - Feb 14–March 28 - opening Fri Feb 14, 6–9 pm, Free - See vibrant, one-of-a-kind embroidered clothing items by anti-couture (and, for this occasion, anti-Valentine's Day) artist India Spence. *Art Lounge @ Highland Park Improvement Club - Feb 14 @ 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Art Lounge – doors open at 7 pm. 21+. Bring your art/craft to the Lounge where you can relax and have a go at drawing a live model. *Between the Lines Log House Museum West Seattle Thursdays–Sundays, 12–4 pm All Ages - $3 suggested donation "The Log House Museum is excited to annouce the opening of a new exhibition, "Between the Lines: Power and Parallels of the West Seattle Annexation"! Uncover the history of how West Seattle joined 'Greater Seattle,' and discover how Seattle's past mirrors it's present." *Valentines in the Junction - Hosted by West Seattle Junction Round up your friends, lovers, and pets for a host of sweet activities around the Junction, including chocolate beer (and actual chocolate) at the Beer Junction, a Golden Ticket contest, a chocolate tasting at CAPERS, and a natural wine tasting at Sound & Fog Coffee / Wine Bar / Beer. *Valentine’s treats at Locust Cider’s Alki taproom - Feb 14 @ 4:00 pm – 9:00 pm We will be hosting Indulge Desserts for a sweet treat pop-up. There will also be flights of pink beer and cider! This event will be from 4 to 9 pm on February 14th. Should be fun! Saturday *Don't Hesitate...Meditate! - Inner Alchemy West Seattle - Saturdays, 9–10 am - Free - Unwind from the week every Saturday at this free guided meditation class. *Free Tax Help @ Southwest Library - Feb 15 @ 10:00 am – 4:30 pm At the Southwest Library: The Seattle Public Library, AARP, and the United Way of King County are working together to offer free tax help at 11 Library locations through mid-April. Trained volunteers will be available to answer questions and prepare personal tax returns. Sunday *Alki Oyster Fest 2020 @ Multiple Alki Beach venues Feb 16 @ 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm - join us for the third annual Alki Oyster Fest on Alki Beach. Bigger and better than ever! This year features delicious oyster selections from Hama Hama, Baywater Shellfish Company, Taylor Shellfish and Chelsea Farms. Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/alki-oyster-fest-tickets-83886850829 *Fall in Love with 25 Seattle Birds @ Youngstown Cultural Arts Center - Feb 16 @ 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm 2/16/2020 @ 1-3 pm Youngstown Cultural Arts Center 4408 Delridge Way SW Seattle, WA 98106 Have you ever wondered what that little brown bird over there is? Or who on earth is singing so loudly outside your window at 4 a.m.? Do you consider yourself…bird curious? Have we got a workshop for you! *West Seattle Farmers Market @ West Seattle Junction 10:00 am – 2:00 pm *Love beer but can't handle Gluten? Grand Opening of Cold Crash Brewing, a dedicated gluten-free brewery - Cold Crash Brewing Co. West Seattle - Sun Feb 16, 12–5 pm at 4507 48th Ave SW, Seattle *Sunday Night Jazz - The Alley West Seattle - Free - Every Sunday, round out your weekend with a couple hours of live music with the Triangular Jazztet.

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle To enable on your Amazon Echo device say "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account & click the "Enable" button. ---- 
Good Day WS! Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily Ep 029 on this Thursday, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate. I'm your host, Christian Harris. Happy Throwback Thursday! On our TBT during this Black History Month, we are talking the rather dark history of legalized segregation and institutionalized racism in Real Estate... Last week I talked about a ground shaking undercover investigation that Newsday did in Long Island that revealed un-equal treatment of minority prospective home buyers. While "Racial Restrictive Covenants" in deeds were deemed unenforceable in 1948, this practice of not allowing minorities or even Jewish people into specific communities was still practice for many more decades. One thing that helped put an end to this overtly racist practice in real estate, was the passing of the Fair Housing Act of 1968, which among other things, made "steering" illegal. 
Steering is The process whereby builders, brokers, and rental property managers use words or actions that are intended to influence the choice of location a prospective buyer or tenant based on the racial makeup of a neighborhood or area... even if the potential buyer or tenant wants it
 • Examples/Cases in Seattle: • https://depts.washington.edu/civilr/covenants_report.htm • Richard Ornstein, a Jewish refugee from Austria, contracted to purchase a home for his family in the Sand Point Country Club area of Seattle in late 1952.  • Unknown to both Ornstein and the seller, the property’s deed contained a neighborhood-wide restrictive covenant barring the sale or rental of the home to non-Whites and people of Jewish descent.  • In spite of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that deemed racial restrictive covenants unenforceable in 1948, Ornstein’s case reveals that this ruling yielded little power over the application of these restrictions on the individual level. • Daniel Boone Allison, Head of the Sand Point Country Club Commission, approached the realtor negotiating the sale and announced:  “the community will not have Jews as residents.”1  • Over the next several weeks Allison campaigned to stop the sale by both citing the covenant barring the sale of homes to Jews  and by threatening Ornstein with a list of ways intolerant area residents “could” respond to the presence of the Ornstein family in the neighborhood.  • Despite the willingness on the part of the home seller, despite the support of civil rights activists, and despite the 1948 court ruling, Ornstein eventually became a victim of Allison’s threats and “made it clear that he [had] no intention of moving” into an area that did not accept his presence. • Consequences • https://tcf.org/content/report/attacking-black-white-opportunity-gap-comes-residential-segregation/?agreed=1 • Black–white residential segregation is a major source of unequal opportunity for African Americans: among other things, it perpetuates an enormous wealth gap and excludes black students from many high-performing schools. While some see residential segregation as “natural”—an outgrowth of the belief that birds of a feather flock together—black–white segregation in America is mostly a result of deliberate public policies that were designed to subjugate black people and promote white supremacy. • two entrenched inequalities that are especially glaring: • the enormous wealth gap between these races • grossly unequal access to public education opportunities. • Because homes are typically the largest financial asset for most Americans, segregated markets significantly reduce the accumulated wealth • This phenomenon—on top of the penalties endured during the historical legacy of slavery and Jim Crow—helps explain why the black–white wealth gap is so much larger than the black–white income gap.  • Having or lacking wealth influences many of life’s big decisions—from financing a child’s education to saving for retirement. • This inability of most students to attend schools beyond their neighborhood is troubling, because low-income students who are given the chance to attend socioeconomically integrated schools are shown to achieve at much higher levels than do low-income students in high-poverty schools... which is also an enditment on the federal education system in this country... but that's a conversation for another time... • devastating consequences for the consumer • it limits their housing choice to certain areas • it locks people out of communities • it can deny people of all races the opportunity to enjoy the social professional and personal benefits of living in an integrated community • it sends a disgraceful message to people that the real estate industry or at least some within the real estate industry still view them as less worthy • Call to Action • Government is the laboratory in which many of the schemes for black–white segregation were (and still are) concocted; it is also, therefore, where much of the effort must be placed in order for racial segregation to be undone. Members of government who want to reverse segregation must work to remove policies that promote and protect white supremacy, and replace them instead with ones that actively fight segregation. • Scholars have found that African Americans in moderately segregated metropolitan areas have much better employment levels, earnings, and mortality rates than do African Americans in metropolitan areas with very high segregation levels. • Stay tuned next week we will talk about The Fair Housing laws and government involved in the call to action, so that we can better understand all of the things at play in this issue of inequality. We hope that this continues to spark conversations with you & your loved ones. This is something I find extremely important & I hope you do too. Until next week - talk soon! I hope that over the next few weeks we can continue to educate and share our experiences to open a dialogue to make sure this behavior/biases ends here. My goal is to do my part to ensure my sub-conscious bias are made conscious so I can fight against them and do my part to ensure the American dream of home ownership is an opportunity for all people.... not just those that look like me. I hope that this opens other conversations with friends & family. Please reach out and share your thoughts. We will be back next Thursday to share more details from the study. Thanks for listening. Link to full investigation video - https://projects.newsday.com/long-island/real-estate-agents-investigation/

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle If you own an Amazon Echo device, you can enable this daily audio content by simply saying "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily Skill" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account and click the "Enable" button. ---- Happy Monday everyone. Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily, Episode #028, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate. I'm your host, Christian Harris. You may be wondering what that rhythmic sound is in the background or why I'm bobbing up and down in the video, if your watching this... I'm implementing a new habit in 2020 of increasing my physical activity while at my office by walking on a treadmill at my standing desk... which I've found also helps me to focus when I'm working, as opposed to if I'm just sitting or standing... interesting. Here is a little quote: “Life offers you so many doors, it is up to you which to open and which one to close.” – Unknown It's February 10th... We are already 9% of the way through 2020. In January we’ve spent a lot of time talking about goal setting and how to do that successfully. As important as it is to set goals, I would argue that setting healthy habits is just as important, to control our use of time and maintain our sanity. This means critically observing what types of behaviors help us succeed and which ones hold us back from being our best selves. So today’s exercise we are going to suggest that you take a few minutes to jot down 3 habits you’d like to change/close the door on. Observing this habit and learning to take control/close the door, will help make room for new doors to open. Here are some ideas/habits that help me create new habits -Find yourself mindlessly scrolling on social media? - set a timer on your phone for a specific amount of time that feels right for you and this way your phone has control of closing down the app when you’ve exceeded your time on each app... or if you need to use social media for your business, time block that time so it doesn't dominate your day and suck your time and productivity -Feeling overwhelmed and not being able to focus resulting in never finishing tasks on your to do list? - set a timer for yourself to complete a specific task and see if you can beat the timer, then set another timer for the next task - this works great to schedule reading & meditation time... or do what I have done and go analog with a physical 1/2 hour glass that I set before I start a new task. -Feeling stagnant and unmotivated? - drop everything and take a walk outside 5 min, 10 min, fresh air is worth it Hopefully over the next few weeks you can continue to remind yourself of these focusing and life giving activities and do them enough to create new healthy habits. I find that going "analog" with reminders like this can be helpful, like writing them down & posting them in your bedroom or in your planner as an extra reminder.

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle To enable on your Amazon Echo device say "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account & click the "Enable" button. ---- Happy Friday everyone! Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily, Episode #027, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate, West Seattle's only Indie Community brokerage. I'm your host, Christian Harris. Let's go over some of the events happening around WS this weekend: Karaoke happens regularly around West Seattle every Friday and Saturday night, to include Yen Wor Village, Talaricos and the Admiral Pub Friday *Free First Time Acupuncture @ Community Acupuncture Project of West Seattle Feb 7 @ 10:00 am – 3:00 pm Join us for our Free First Visit Friday of 2020 on February 7 at Community Acupuncture Project of West Seattle. Appointments are required and can be made on our website. *Bingo at the Senior Center! Fridays from 11 am to 2:30 pm. Check-in at 10:45 am. (Come at 10:30 am if it’s your first time.) $6 buy-in. Break for lunch. Must be 18+ to play. *Adult Jump Rope Night @ West Seattle Health Club Feb 7 @ 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm Adult Jump Rope Night Feb. 7, 2020 – Jump like never before! REGISTER for $35, get a free jump rope and have a great time!
https://tinyurl.com/tupeoxk Come support the West Seattle Ninja Jump Rope team by taking an Adult Jump Rope Class! All skill levels are welcome AND you’re supporting a local businesswoman who helps kids build confidence, strength, passion and commitment. West Seattle Tool Library @ Youngstown Cultural Arts Center is open mid-day on most Saturday and Sunday's, for all of your home & garden projects. Saturday *Cleanup with Delridge Grocery Coop @ Meet at Youngstown Coffee Co. Feb 8 @ 9:30 am – 12:00 pm We’ll be doing it again on Saturday, February 8, working to beautify Delridge Way SW from SW Juneau St to SW Alaska St. Trash bags, gloves, pickers, and other supplies will be provided. This is a great family activity (as well as a great way for middle and high schoolers to get some community service time), and you can participate for as little or as much time as you have to spare. Meet up at Youngstown Coffee Company starting at 9:30 am, and then cleanup will be between 10 am and noon. Let us know if you’ll be able to come by adding your name to this Signup Genius event. *Free Tax Help @ Southwest Library Feb 8 @ 10:00 am – 4:30 pm *Women’s Personal Safety Course @ Seattle Police Department’s Southwest Precinct--Community Meeting Room Feb 8 @ 10:00 am – 1:00 pm This class features facilitated discussions and lectures about crime and public safety. It is not a self-defense class. This class is open to women of all ages and is most appropriate for young women who are at least 14 years of age. *Paper Boat Booksellers Family Reading Time - Everyone’s welcome. Jan 11 @ 11:00 am *Seattle Chinese Garden Lantern Festival @ north end of South Seattle College campus - Please join us for this special celebration at the Seattle Chinese Garden! Activities will include:
• Traditional Chinese music
• Riddles
• Tai Chi demonstration
• Tongyuan (sweet dumpling) making demonstration
• Tea tasting 2–4 pm
• Kids activities (origami & lantern making) Feb 8 @ 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm *Crab Fest with West Seattle Lions Club @ Senior Center of West Seattle - All you can eat Crab Fest! Saturday, February 8, 2020. Located at the West Seattle Senior Center. Doors open at 5 pm, dinner served at 6:15 pm, followed by dancing to the Oldies. Raffle tickets and Silent Auction. *Evening low tide beach walk at Alki @ Constellation Park, Alki - Feb 8 @ 8:30 pm – 10:30 pm Explore Constellation Park/Richey Viewpoint beach in West Seattle during two winter nighttime low tides with Seattle Aquarium beach naturalists and discover what creatures we see at this time of year. This is a free, family-friendly, drop-in program—no registration necessary! Dress for the weather (bundle up!) and for tide pooling: boots, hats, gloves and a good flashlight are musts. *’90s Party at Admiral Pub - Feb 8 @ 9:00 pm – 10:00 pm ’90s Party at the Admiral Pub — 9 pm VJ Andy will be playing all your favorite ’90s music videos, so come dressed up for some ’90s fun. Sunday *West Seattle Farmers Market @ West Seattle Junction Jan 12 @ 10:00 am – 2:00 pm *West Seattle Farmers’ Market cooking demo Feb 9 @ 10:00 am – 11:00 am More dates TBA! 2/9 Salty’s on Alki – Winter comfort food

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle To enable on your Amazon Echo device say "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account & click the "Enable" button. ---- 
Good Day WS! Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily Ep 026 on this Thursday, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate. I'm your host, Christian Harris. Happy Throwback Thursday! It’s February, which is Black History Month and while I generally avoid controversial topics, especially in this day and age with so much divisiveness, I also think it's important to know and discuss some of the darker sides of history and specifically how this topic relates to real estate. Recently, I attended the Inman Connect conference in New York City and during this conference we heard from a panel of reports who did an experiment in Long Island, NY that exploded in the real estate world a few months ago. This experiment is one of the first investigations of real estate agents discrimination since the enactment of America’s fair housing law in 1968. Newsday, a local New York journalism company found evidence of widespread separate and unequal treatment of minority potential homebuyers and minority communities on Long Island. “This three-year probe strongly indicates that house hunting in one of the nation’s most segregated suburbs poses substantial risks of discrimination.” “Two undercover testers – for example, one black and one white – separately solicit an agent’s assistance in buying houses. They present similar financial profiles and request identical terms for houses in the same areas. The agent’s actions are then reviewed for evidence that the agent provided disparate service.” In their tests, they found that 40 percent of the agents did not treat the undercover minority buyers the same as the white buyers. “As permitted by law, all tests were recorded on hidden cameras to ensure accuracy in describing interactions between agents and customers.” The investigation reveals that Long Island’s dominant residential brokering firms help solidify racial separations. They frequently directed white customers toward areas with the highest white representations and minority buyers to more integrated neighborhoods. They also avoided business in communities with overwhelmingly minority populations. These findings an incredibly eye opening & both shocking but not entirely surprising. I hope that over the next few weeks we can continue to educate and share our experiences to open a dialogue to make sure this behavior/biases ends here. My goal is to do my part to ensure my sub-conscious bias are made conscious so I can fight against them and do my part to ensure the American dream of home ownership is an opportunity for all people.... not just those that look like me. I hope that this opens other conversations with friends & family. Please reach out and share your thoughts. We will be back next Thursday to share more details from the study. Thanks for listening. Link to full investigation video - https://projects.newsday.com/long-island/real-estate-agents-investigation/

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle To enable on your Amazon Echo device say "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account & click the "Enable" button. ---- 
Good Day WS! Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily Ep. 25 on this Wednesday, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate. I'm your host, Christian Harris. Did you know there is a new coffee shop that just opened in West Seattle? With beet root lattes and fun eye-catching aesthetics, this coffee shop is Instagram ready for all you millennially out there. From the Eater Seattle website: In a competitive Seattle coffee landscape, there’s a new player on the scene adding a splash of neon — and some serious Millennial energy. Lula opened this weekend at 4451 California Ave SW in West Seattle, with a menu of playfully-named items like “B*itch Better Have My Matcha,” “Healthy AF” options (such as a red velvet latte with cacao and beet root powder), and bright Instagram-friendly artwork along the walls. Lula is owned by 27 year-old Taylor Platt (who has nine years of experience working in the coffee industry), and the eight-person staff consists entirely of women in their 20s. Platt tells Eater Seattle that her goal was to try to stand out from the crowd with a “happier, lighter mood” than some of the other cafes around the neighborhood. The eye-catching mural is by local artist Tori Kirihara, and the decor — including the giant “Coffee” sign — was all created by Platt and her crew. Lula tries to skew toward healthy options for the drinks menu, with collagen powder lattes (rather than ones made with regular milk) and a turmeric-flavored option blended with oat milk, while aiming to limit ingredients with refined sugars. All beans are espresso roasts from Cutters Point Coffee Co., a fair trade-focused roaster from Gig Harbor (and Platt’s former employer). On the food side of things, there are burritos from neighboring food truck El Chapulin Oaxaqueño, along with some pastries and bagels. Platt also wants to give back to the community by following the example of businesses such as Conscious Eatery, which donates a meal for every one sold. Right now, that means connecting with local schools on fundraisers, but she hopes to get to a point where every transaction has a charitable component. Beyond that, Platt says she wants to make sure people come first, before profits: “If someone’s having a bad day, the coffee’s on us.” Now that is a coffee shop and attitude I can get behind. My next coffee will be from Lula.

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle To enable on your Amazon Echo device say "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account & click the "Enable" button. ---- Good Day WS! Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily, Episode #024, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate. I'm your host, Christian Harris. Industry Conferences... do you attend them? Why or why not? I just got back from a real estate conference in NY and while I learned some new stuff, got some inspiration and some great actionable items to apply to my business. Not only was it my first time back in New York since I was last there the week after 9/11... it was also my first time doing a speaking engagement in front of a live audience! The panel discussion I was part of was in front of several hundred other Indie Brokers from around the country on the topic of "Marketing your brand on skinny margins". I attended Inman Connect in NY. I attend Inman Connect each year because they are not only the front-runners of the Real Estate trends, tech and information in the industry but it also draws some of the best minds and personalities of fellow Agents, Brokers, RE Tech Vendors & Startups. I attend these to not only consume the great content but to also meetup with old friends, make some new friends and generally talk shop about how I and we can do better in our businesses and in serving our clients and to share what has worked for us and where we can use some help. I'm always encouraged, inspired and challenged to keep innovating and serving my clients. The hardest part about attending Inman Connect is that between the content in the sessions, and breakouts, and the discussions with people around the various ancillary events, parties and happy hours, I have more ideas and takeaways from the event than I can realistically implement... so it's all about prioritizing and systematically executing. Do you go to industry conferences? What is the flavor and your experience been like? Send me a message, DM or leave a comment and let me know.

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle To enable on your Amazon Echo device say "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account & click the "Enable" button. ---- Happy Friday everyone! Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily, Episode #023, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate, West Seattle's only Indie Community brokerage. I'm your host, Christian Harris. Let's go over some of the events happening around WS this weekend: Start with a little shameless plug: If you are thinking that 2020 may be the year you buy a home in Seattle, join us for some free drinks and appetizers at our Beers + Home Buying Class at the Westy on Sunday from 6:00 – 8:00 PM (you can sign up on our Sea-Town Real Estate FB page. https://www.facebook.com/pg/SeaTownRealEstate/events/ Karaoke happens regularly around West Seattle every Friday and Saturday night, to include Yen Wor Village, Talaricos and the Admiral Pub WS Tool Library at Youngstown Cultural Art Center is open 11-4 both Saturday and Sunday Saturday *Australia bushfire fundraiser @ Arthur’s All day Saturday, january 25th, Arthur's is donate 10% of sales to WIRES emergency fund for wildlife with the hope that some of the country’s animals can be spared. Coincidentally, Australia day is the same weekend and Arthur's is having their Aussie wine dinner the same evening. Sunday *Alki Beach Cleanup 1 PM – 3:30 PM We will be cleaning up whatever trash and pollution we can find on the Alki Beach in West Seattle. Meet by the statue of liberty *West Seattle Farmers Market @ West Seattle Junction Jan 12 @ 10:00 am – 2:00 pm *13th annual Storytelling Festival on Vashon at the Vashon Theatre from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm, hosted by the Vashon Wilderness Program (VWP) This free, family-friendly event is “for the community, by the community” and will feature nature-based stories–personal, mythic, and ancestral. *Seafood Fest and Scholarship Fundraiser @ Alki Masonic Hall Jan 26 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm Alki Lodge #152’s annual Seafood Fest and Scholarship Fundraiser
All proceeds support public schools scholarship program $35 in advance or $50 at door for adults For more info call Martin Monk at 425-681-5024
 Enjoy your weekend everyone! As a side note, I shan't be releasing any flash briefings next week as I'll be in NY for a real estate industry conference, which I'll be speaking out in front of a few hundred other Indie Brokerage owners from across the country. I'm excited but nervous. I'll be posting highlights from the conference on social media, if you aren't already following Sea-Town Real Estate on IG or FB... you should be ;-) See you in a week.

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle To enable on your Amazon Echo device say "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account & click the "Enable" button. ---- 
Good Day WS! Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily Ep 022 on this Thursday, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate. I'm your host, Christian Harris. Happy Throwback Thursday! If you live in West Seattle for any length of time, you'll inevitable hear people complain about the traffic on the West Seattle Bridge. But did you know that not that long ago, it was way worse! The upper WS Bridge wasn't completed until the mid-80s? Which is a bit shocking if you think about it, because there is only really 2 ways in and out of West Seattle... at the time it was just a lower two lane WS Bridge and the First Ave S Bridge going into Georgetown. The residence of WS had been wanting a new bridge option for decades but the city of Seattle didn't want to fund it. On June 11, 1978 the issue came to a head when the bascule West Seattle Bridge (built in 1924) was struck by the freighter Antonio Chavez, permanently damaging it in the open draw bridge position, making it unusable. losing that span to automobile traffic for the next six years until the new upper WS Bridge was built and completed on July 14, 1984 for $150 million with $60M secure from federal funding. The ship captain that hit the bridge was apparently had a drinking problem, "retired" 2 weeks after the bridge racing incident and was killed by his wife 2 years later... so crazy. The history of the WS Bridge is quite interesting. I discussed it and many other cool historical tidbits with Clay Eals, local history buff and past ED of the SW Historic Society on Episode 41 of the Sea-Town Podcast. https://sea-townpodcast.com/ep-041-clay-eals-executive-director-southwest-historic-society/ Check it out and I'll catch ya'll tomorrow!

Good Day WS! Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily Ep. #021 on this Wednesday, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate. I'm your host, Christian Harris. Who will be West Seattle’s Business of the Year? Time for your nominations in all categories of this year’s Westside Awards! Last year, Alki Lumber was honored as Business of the Year in the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce‘s Westside Awards (www.wschamber.com), which also recognize Emerging Business of the Year, Not-for-Profit of the Year, and Westsider of the Year. Who will it be this year? You are invited to make nominations – chamber membership is NOT required. Use this short form for each nomination; go here to see the criteria and lists of past winners. explains the criteria for each category. You have until the end of February to nominate someone (but why wait?). Once the winners are chosen, they’ll be honored at the annual Westside Awards breakfast, which this year wiil be held at The Hall at Fauntleroy, 7:30 am April 28th. Each year at the Annual Westside Awards Breakfast, we celebrate the successful business environment and community involvement found in West Seattle.  At this event, we honor three local businesses and one individual who demonstrate results oriented leadership, a cornerstone of a thriving economic region.     Westside Business of the Year – Minimum 3 years in business Westside Emerging Business – Less then 3 years in business Westside Not-For-Profit of the Year Westsider of the Year Criteria for the awards include:  • Nominees will have made a major or visible contribution in the past year that reflects commercial growth and achievement, innovation, creativity or community involvement. • Contributes and promotes the economic growth, stability and improvement of West Seattle. • Gives generously of themselves and/or staff in time and resources to community activities. • Consistently excels in customer service and business conduct. Westside Emerging Business of the Year 2019  Verity Credit Union Westsider of the Year 2019  Adah Cruzen - Philanthropist Westside Business of the Year 2019  Alki Lumber West Seattle Not-for-Profit of the Year 2019  ArtsWest

Good Day WS! Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily, Episode #020, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate. I'm your host, Christian Harris. 
Tuesday Tips - We hope to inspire you to use your time more wisely and put that smart phone down unless you're using it to read a rented ebook or listening to an audiobook. Which brings us to our question - Do you have a library card? If not, why not? While I love shopping on Amazon as much as the next person, let's not forget or take for granted what an amazing free resource the public library system is. Also, if you didn’t hear The Seattle Public Library just dropped their daily late fines for overdue items, thanks to the 2019 Library Levy. Our family uses a combination of the Seattle Public Library system and King Co... which can get confusing. Don't want to return the wrong book to the wrong library. -Here are some thoughts on why libraries should get rid of late fees as a whole? -Late fines are not effective. Other Library systems have stopped charging late fines and shown that this has no impact on return rates. Getting rid of late fines can even increase use of Library materials. -It’s good for our community. Late fines prevent people who cannot afford them from using the Library in the first place. -Fines are not predictable revenue. With more people using digital materials like e-books, we can no longer count on late fines to help cover costs. What have been some of your favorite books you've checked out from the library recently?

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle If you own an Amazon Echo device, you can enable this daily audio content by simply saying "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily Skill" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account and click the "Enable" button. ---- Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day on everyone. Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily, Episode #019, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate. I'm your host, Christian Harris. While you're enjoying your day off on this holiday, let's also take a look at Martin Luther King Jr.'s life for some lessons & inspiration. MLK was only 39 when he was shot and killed in 1968. "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." - Martin Luther King Jr. His words are still very relevant as we move into 2020 a big year filled with change, especially with the 2020 election coming up. Martin Luther King Jr. fought for many things when the world felt very stuck. Today we see his impact across the country. In a space where it is easy to give up - he continued to fight for what he believed in, no matter the cost. In 1954, Martin Luther King became pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. Always a strong worker for civil rights for members of his race, King was, by this time, a member of the executive committee of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the leading organization of its kind in the nation. After the arrest of Rosa Parks on a Montgomery city bus, for not giving up her seat to a white person, MLK lead the now famous bus boycott in early December 1955. A then largely unknown 26 year old minister. During the boycott that lasted 382 days, he prominence in the civil rights movement through his eloquent and inspirational speeches and practice of non-violent civil disobedience. It was not an easy rode for MLK. During the days of the boycott, King was arrested, his home was bombed, he was subjected to personal threats and abuse. But the sacrifice paid off. After the Supreme Court of the United States declared segregation on busses unconstitutional, on December 21, 1956, Negroes and whites finally rode the buses as equals. In 1957 he was elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization formed to provide new leadership for the now burgeoning civil rights movement. The ideals for this organization he took from Christianity; and commitment to non-violent tactics from Gandhi. In the eleven-year period between 1957 and 1968, King traveled over six million miles and spoke over twenty-five hundred times, appearing wherever he could where there was injustice, protest, and action; and meanwhile he wrote five books as well as numerous articles. In these years, he led a massive protest in Birmingham, Alabama, that caught the attention of the entire world, providing what he called a coalition of conscience. and inspiring his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”, a manifesto of the Negro revolution; he planned the drives in Alabama for the registration of Negroes as voters; he directed the peaceful march on Washington, D.C., of 250,000 people to whom he delivered his address, “l Have a Dream”, he conferred with President John F. Kennedy and campaigned for President Lyndon B. Johnson; he was arrested upwards of twenty times and physically assaulted at least four times; he was awarded five honorary degrees; was named Man of the Year by Time magazine in 1963; and became not only the symbolic leader of American blacks but also a world figure for Justice. At the age of thirty-five, Martin Luther King, Jr., was the youngest man to have received the Nobel Peace Prize. When notified of his selection, he announced that he would turn over the prize money of $54,123 to the furtherance of the civil rights movement. On the evening of April 4, 1968, while standing on the balcony of his motel room in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was to lead a protest march in solidarity with striking garbage workers of that city, he was assassinated. We remember this story every year at this time to never forget the risks taken to pave an incredible path in our history & future. It reminds us to keep fighting. To call out injustice and do our best to leave the world a better place then we found it. We hope that hearing this story reminds you to continue to fight & stay strong for the causes you believe in. "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." - MLK

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle To enable on your Amazon Echo device say "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account & click the "Enable" button. ---- Happy Friday everyone! Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily, Episode #018, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate, West Seattle's only Indie Community brokerage. I'm your host, Christian Harris. Let's go over some of the events happening around WS this weekend: Karaoke happens regularly around West Seattle every Friday and Saturday night, to include Yen Wor Village, Talaricos and the Admiral Pub Friday *Plant for the Planet West Seattle meetings @ Puget Ridge Cohousing Jan 17 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm With the growth of Plant for the Planet (a youth-led climate organization) in Seattle and enough Climate Justice Ambassadors in the South, we have officially kicked off our monthly West Seattle meetings. Every 3rd Friday we’ll meet at 7 PM at the Puget Ridge Co-housing Common House. Children who would like to be active to get our planet back to a stable climate and their parents are always welcome to join. Please RSVP by email – pftp-west-seattle@googlegroups.com West Seattle Tool Library @ Youngstown Cultural Arts Center is open mid-day on most Saturday and Sunday's, for all of your home & garden projects. Saturday *Mobile blood drive @ Westwood Village Jan 18 @ 9:00 am – 3:00 pm The BloodworkNW’s Bloodmobile will be parked at the Barton St. entrance to Westwood Village from 9 am to 3 pm (closed 11 am to 12 pm for a break). Blood drives are open to the public. Check here to find the drive and make your appointment. *Paper Boat Booksellers Family Reading Time - Everyone’s welcome. Jan 11 @ 11:00 am
*King County Democrats 2020 Kick-off Party @ Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center Jan 18 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Sunday *West Seattle Farmers Market @ West Seattle Junction Jan 12 @ 10:00 am – 2:00 pm *West Seattle Amateur Radio Club’s monthly breakfast @ Be's Restaurant Jan 19 @ 9:30 am – 10:30 am The West Seattle Amateur Radio Club’s monthly breakfast is the third Sunday of the month at 9:30 am at (new location as of Summer 2017) Be’s Restaurant. Our breakfast gatherings are open to members as well as non-members interested in Amateur Radio and emergency communication.

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle To enable on your Amazon Echo device say "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account & click the "Enable" button. ---- 
Good Day WS! Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily Ep 017 on this Thursday, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate. I'm your host, Christian Harris. We’d like to take a moment to celebrate our new neighbor - WeSweat, an Infrared Sauna Salon. They officially opened their doors this week and we can say with experience that you won’t want to miss out on visiting this amazing new company that now calls West Seattle home. WeSweat was founded by our fun & lively friend Athena Frederick, a long-time WS Resident fellow Army Veteran who has an amazing story... which i plan on sharing with the world in the not to distant future on the Sea-Town Podcast. If you're wondering what exactly is an infrared sauna, it’s similar to a dry sauna but the technology is different. While dry saunas heat up the room temperature, the Infrared Sauna uses advanced therapy to heat the user directly with only a small percentage heating up the air. The result is a deeper sweat at a lower ambient air temperature. Infrared Saunas usually operate between 115 -135 degrees F, the traditional sauna can get up to 180 degrees F. The sun produces a combination of visible and invisible light. Infrared is one part of the invisible spectrum which we feel as warmth or heat from the sun... the other spectrum we experience from the sun is ultraviolet light which includes the visible light spectrum and the radiation that gives you a sun-tan and can damage your skin (which is not part of these infrared Saunas) Benefits of using these saunas can include: • Weight loss & increased metabolism • Muscle pain relief • Immune System boost • Detoxification • Improves Appearance of Cellulite • Ease Joint Pain & Stiffness • Stress & Fatigue Reduction • Improves skin • Cardiovascular health • And its just plain relaxing!
 Be sure to follow WeSweat on social media for future deals! WeSweat we are so excited for you to join our West Seattle community. Welcome!

This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle To enable on your Amazon Echo device say "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account & click the "Enable" button. ---- Good Day WS! Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily, Episode #016, brought to you by Sea-Town Real Estate. I'm your host, Christian Harris. Normally we would reserve Thursday for our "throwbacks" but considering the date, we are changing it up... This Wednesday we are throwing it back to January 15th, 2001, when the first edit was made on Wikipedia by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger. Since then, wikipedia has dubbed it's birthday as “Wikipedia Day”. Love them or hate them, you have to admit they have made a large impact on how we view and think about information and knowledge... which I'll get more into in a couple minutes. Wikipedia was made from the concept of compiling the world’s knowledge in a single location allowing anyone and everyone freedom to edit and share this knowledge. This was really the beginning of the mainstream movement of what is today known as "crowd sourcing". Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales has stated that the concept for Wikipedia, came to him when he was a graduate student at Indiana University where he was impressed with the successes of the open-source movement and found Richard Stallman's Emacs Manifesto promoting free software and a sharing economy to be quite interesting. Fun Facts about Wikipedia: ⁃ Anyone can edit Wikipedia and become a Wikipedian! ⁃ There are currently 38,027,802 Wikipedia accounts, of which 123,869 are actively editing. ⁃ As of December 2019, Wikipedia articles have been created in 307 languages To quote some ideas from one of my favorite & thought provocative books, "The Next Story-Life & Faith After the Digital Explosion" by Tim Challies: This is a shift from the traditional model of knowledge and authority though. Let's take a minute to talk about the down-side of such a movement of crowd sourcing information. Wikipedia is the democratization of information and on Wikipedia, the information is never final or complete and always changing. Anyone at anytime can make changes to a page, and I would argue that those who are motivated to spend their time adding or updating a wiki-page are more likely to have an agenda or bias. Wikipedia measure truth by consensus while Search Engines measure truth by relevance - both of them highlight issues relevant to discovering what is true in a digital world.  Knowledge has typically come from above, from the chosen few, the experts.  Professors, pastors, Book Authors and others told us what is true about the world we live in.  But all of this is now shifting in the digital world.  It is now the consensus of the masses (crowd sourced like Wikipedia, social media & the internet in general) that informs our understanding.  In the place of few experts we have many amateurs.  New digital technologies function as a great leveler, reducing the authority of the expert and elevating the authority of the amateur.  The life long theologian has no more authority than the young child, the teacher has no more authority than the pupil, the parent has no more authority than the child.  As we undermine the authority inherent in knowledge, how long will it be before we undermine authority in other areas of life?  The more important the subject matter, the less you should rely on Wikipedia and other similar sites.  Just some food for thought. Let me know what you think.