Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center is seeking women from all over Seattle to participate in stress-reduction workshops for those with a family history of breast cancer.

The goal of the study, funded by the National Cancer Institute, is to see whether various stress-management and coping techniques improve immune function.

Specifically, the study will teach women scientifically proven stress-management techniques. All workshops are conducted in a supportive group setting with other women who have a family history of breast cancer. Participants will be asked to complete questionnaires, give blood and saliva samples, and receive two Hepatitis A vaccinations. Some risks involved in participating in the study include the possibility of discomfort and a bruise at the blood draw site, the possibility of distress from discussing your breast cancer risk in a group setting, brief pain at Hepatitis A vaccination injection site and, in rare cases, an allergic reaction to the vaccine. There is no charge to participate.

All participants will receive a set of CDs with relaxation exercises, a tote bag and a workbook filled with stress-management techniques taught in the classes.

The study aims to recruit 96 Seattle-area women with any family history of breast cancer, age 18 to 60.

No family history of breast cancer but still want to help? We are also looking for women who do not have a family history of breast cancer to participate in a 90 minute study that examines how women process information and how hormone function may differ in women with and without a family history of breast cancer. Participating in this study involves a few short tests that include identification of colors, reading simple words and answering questions about your thoughts and feelings. Height-weight measurements, saliva and a single blood sample will be collected.

All study activities will take place on the Hutchinson Center campus in the Prevention Center, which is located in the Robert Arnold Building, 1212 Aloha St, Seattle.

For more information about the Health SMART Study, call the study information line at (206) 667-2448 or e-mail healthsmart@fhcrc.org.

Red Mill Burgers celebrated its 15th anniversary on Phinney Ridge last month by donating 15 percent of its proceeds over 15 days to three neighborhood non-profits.

Here’s owner John Shepherd and two employees handing $1,000 checks to (left to right) Patty Leach from the Greenwood Food Bank, Cecily Kaplan from the Greenwood Senior Center and Lee Harper from the Phinney Neighborhood Association.

Several years ago, Sandel Park held a summer evening concert series, every Sunday in August. Musicians were paid mainly by passing the hat through the audience. It was a lovely way to gather with neighbors, bring a picnic, and enjoy local musical groups.

But the shoe-string budget led to the concerts’ hiatus after four years, says Julie Howe Gwinn, one of the organizers.

The main reason we stopped holding the concerts is that our “sound guys”/owners/operators of all the sound equipment , my neighbors Tim and Phil Hanseroth, signed a record deal along with their lead singer Brandi Carlile, and took off to tour the world….and they are still going strong! (Their third album came out in October if you havent heard it yet.)

So we were left without the free use of equipment and expertise that enabled us to put on the concerts inexpensively and simply. So I thought I would throw this out into the world… Is anyone interested in helping get the concerts rolling again? We need someone with sound equipment and the committment to run it at each concert at no cost.

If you are interested or you know someone who has equipment and may be interested, shoot me an email cjgwinn@msn.com.

Determined to celebrate Valentine’s Day with the animals of the Woodland Park Zoo, a crowd of hearty Washingtonians scoffed at the wind and rain last Saturday to watch animals share Valentine’s Day-themed treats like heart-shaped boxes filled with fruit, heart-shaped fruit wreaths and heart-shaped ice pops.

The annual event is what’s called “thematic enrichment,” according to zoo spokesperson Gigi Allianic. “Enrichment is the process of creating a challenging environment to address an animal’s social, psychological and physical needs,” Allianic said. She added that such events contribute to successful breeding of endangered species in captivity and connecting zoo visitors to the animals. “It’s an opportunity for visitors to learn about behavioral enrichment,” Allianic said.

Allianic said themed events are not only a great way for visitors to learn about the zoo’s animals, but is also an important part of caring for the animals. “It reinforces natural behavior such as exploring and foraging and is a part of the daily care program,” Allianic said.

While Valentine’s Day at the zoo is a hit with heart-shaped treats being fed to the animals, Allianic said it’s not the only event that draws a crowd. The zoo offers other events on Easter, Fourth of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Allianic said she proposed the idea in 2004 of having a series of zoo events that corresponded to yearly holidays. The idea became reality with the help of the zoo’s animal management team.

On Saturday, zoo visitor Carroll Ladasgaskin was standing in a nearby tree to watch several lemurs fight over a heart-shaped box smothered in smashed bananas. She said she found out about the event by accident last year during a Valentine’s Day visit.

“We were so excited; we went around to every place we could go,” Ladasgaskin said.

Ladasgaskin said this year she was going to hurry to visit all of the animals she could before the zoo closed for the day.

“As soon as these [lemurs] are finished we’re gonna run, even in the rain,” she said.

Ladasgaskin added that she is very excited not only for her own enjoyment of the animals, but for the positive affects these events have on the animals themselves.

“I think it’s great because animals that are enclosed, as beautiful an environment as this is — they need enrichment; they need to have little spices in their life just like us,” Ladasgaskin said. “I think it’s quite perfect.”

Zoo visitor said Beau Hayden said he and his family didn’t know about the event prior to their visit, but really enjoyed it and are looking forward to coming back next year. Hayden said his favorite animals of the day were the snow leopards. “They gave them a box and they were playing with it; it was really cool,” Hayden said.

Of course adults weren’t the only ones who had a good time; a young brother-sister duo by the names of Liam and Frances said they had a lot of fun, too.

When asked what his favorite animal was and what treat it got, Liam said he liked the gorillas and that they got a paper bag as their treat.

Frances said she liked most of the monkeys but wasn’t able to see what their treat was.

The next enrichment event at the Woodland Park Zoo will be Easter-themed, on April 3. For more information about upcoming events, visit the Woodland Park Zoo events calendar.

(Contributor Chris Mongillo is a student in the University of Washington Department of Communication News Laboratory.)

If you’re hearing the sirens and helicopters, fire crews from all over north Seattle are on the scene of a building fire east of Green Lake.

Our sister site, MapleLeafLife is reporting one fatality.

The 85th St. Market at the corner of NW 85th Street and 8th Avenue NW opened Friday and here’s a look inside today:

We can’t compare the convenience store to the old place - we avoided it, as did a lot commenters on some of our earlier posts. As you can see from the picture, the cheery yellow paint, new floors and new lighting brighten it up quite a bit.

Owner Chuck Shin, pictured, says they’re getting in more inventory and are at about 70 percent of where they want to be. They’ll get hot food in soon and they’ll be bringing in some dairy products as well. They’re even considering a hand-dipped ice cream station during the summer.

Two things they won’t have is malt liquor and porn, which some commenters on those earlier posts said attracted a negative element to the area.

The building has been repainted and new security lighting has been installed all around the building to further discourage loitering. There are plans to repave the parking lot this summer to further improve the visual appeal of the property.

“A lot of people have come in to say they’re glad we’re here instead of the other store,” Shin said.

Festivities, including a live radio broadcast and a six-piece mariachi band, are ushering in the opening of the cozy bar that’s been in the works for months at Taqueria Tequila at the corner of NW 85th Street and 3rd Avenue NW.

Mariachi Fiesta Mexicana is belting out peppy music until 9 p.m. and La Gran D 99.3 FM is broadcasting live cut-ins from the parking lot until about 8 p.m.

While the Hernandez brothers have been running their family-owned business in the neighborhood for 10 years, today marks the first time they’re able to serve the second half of their namesake. They have 19 kinds of tequila, including several varieties of Don Julio and Hornitos.

Customers can get the same food in the bar as they can get in the restaurant, which also added oysters to the menu today. Customers “can have in here the same experience as they have in the restaurant,” said Gerado Perez, brother-in-law of the Hernandez brothers. “If they like the food in there, they’ll like the hospitality in here,”  he added. 

Even though Monday is the Presidents’ Day holiday, it’s still a normal garbage, recyling and yard waste pick-up day. So if your normal pick-up day is Monday, put it out by 7 a.m. just like usual.

And the North Recycling and Disposal Station in the Fremont/Wallingford area will be open on Monday during regular business hours: 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Shopping for a Presidents’ Day Sale? If you’re replacing a large item such as a couch, bed or dishwasher and it’s in no condition for selling, exchanging or donating to charity, give SPU a call at (206) 684-3000 and request a bulky item collection. SPU will pick up the item from your curb for a $30 fee ($38 for items containing gases, such as refrigerators) and save you the hassle of driving to the transfer station. The North and South Recycling and Disposal stations accept bulky items for a $30 fee.

Kalia Indian Cuisine at 8518 Greenwood Ave. N. reopened today after closing down because of extensive damage from the Nov. 9 arson behind neighboring Olive You mediterranean restaurant.

Cindy Potter, one of the trustees of the Greenwood Fire Relief Fund, sent this note:

I talked to the owner yesterday and personally handed him his check for $766 from the Fire Relief Fund. As you know, the Fire Fund is now closed but as a community we raised $19,158! The owner was pleased to have the help from the neighborhood and also excited to open again. It sure would be great to have neighbors stop to welcome him back, and stay to eat! 

Update: Bonnie has been adopted.

Here’s our newest Pet of the Week from PAWS Cat City at 8503 Greenwood Ave. N.

Bonnie is a black and white, short-haired beauty of just three years old. She has a sweet, quiet personality and adores visits with friendly people. She has previously lived with a variety of animals, including cats, dogs, rabbits, ferrets, birds, fish, mice and a turtle! She also does well around children of all ages. All-in-all, she is a wonderful girl and a wonderful family companion. Bonnie is very affectionate and enjoys being pet, especially around her tush. She currently spends most of her days lounging in a cozy, elevated spot in the colony, and she would love a new home to explore and to make her own. Please come visit this gem at PAWS Cat City in Greenwood near the intersection of N 85th St. Bonnie is spayed, microchipped, up-to-date on her vaccines and litter box trained. Her adoption fee is $90.

Seattle Department of Transportation reports it has wrapped up its extensive work on Greenwood Avenue North between 105th and 112th streets. Work started last April. Read SDOT’s blog post with details and pictures of the new crosswalk at Greenwood and Holman Road, two westbound turn lanes onto Holman Road from southbound Greenwood Avenue, and stormwater runoff systems.

And now in more (not so) good news on the economic front, Zillow is suggesting that there may be a looming “double-dip” in home values.

At least from Seattle’s perspective, we’re not listed as one of most likely candidates for another drop in value, but data from Zillow’s Home Value Index indicates if you bought anytime in the last few years, your home is probably worth less than when you bought it.

Here’s a chart showing the change in values over the last five years. The real estate experts can chime in here on what it really means, but it appears Greenwood is a relative bright spot compared to everyone else in the past year:

According to Zillow, here are some toplevel findings:

• Decreasing Home Values: Home values changed -5.8% to a Zillow Home Value Index of $300,400. Values also fell in the short-term, changing -0.5% from November to December. The Zillow Home Value Index measures the value of all homes, not just those that sold in a particular period.
• Homes with Negative equity: 22 percent of all owners of single-family homes with mortgages were underwater at the end of Q4.
• Foreclosure re-sales: 19.5 percent of all sales in December were foreclosure re-sales (REO sales). Nationally, foreclosure re-sales made up 20.3 percent of all sales.
• Homes sold for a loss: 18.5% of all homes sold in December sold for a loss.

I’m not a real estate analyst, so I’ll point to the SeattlePI for more information.

Here’s a look at values over the past 10 years in the same neighborhoods:

Zillow Home Value Index

More Seattle Home Values

Here’s the full press release:

Continued High Negative Equity and Home Value Declines

Put a Damper on an Encouraging 2009

Despite Some Areas Experiencing Flattening or Reversal of Home Value Declines Last Year,

One in Five Markets Now Showing Signs of a Possible Double Dip in Home Values,

According to Q4 2009 Zillow® Real Estate Market Reports

Key facts:

Negative equity remains high at 21 percent of all single family homes with mortgages, but was flat quarter-over-quarter.

U.S. home values fell 5 percent year-over-year, and declined 0.5 percent quarter-over-quarter, marking the 12^th consecutive quarter of year-over-year declines.

In one in five, or 29 of the 143 markets tracked by Zillow, home values have flattened or have begun to decrease again after showing at least five consecutive monthly increases during 2009 – early signs of a what could become a “double dip.”

SEATTLE – Feb. 10, 2010 — Home values across the country declined again in the fourth quarter of 2009, as the Zillow Home Value Index[i] fell 5 percent year-over-year, and -0.5 percent quarter-over-quarter, to $186,200. That marked the 12^th consecutive quarter of year-over-year declines, according to the fourth quarter Zillow Real Estate Market Reports.

Despite home value declines seen across most of the country throughout 2009, some markets experienced what appeared to be a bottom in home value declines, or even increases in home values during the year. However, the fourth quarter of the year brought signs that the fledgling recovery of home values in many of these markets is slowing again. If the declines are sustained, the result will be a “double dip[iii]” in home values, defined as two periods of sustained declines in home values separated by a brief period of stabilization or recovery.

One in five, or 29 of the 143 markets tracked by Zillow, showed at least five consecutive month-over-month increases in home values during 2009 before beginning to flatten or fall again in the second part of the year. These markets include the Boston metropolitan statistical area (MSA), the Atlanta MSA and the San Diego MSA.

Home values in an additional 29 markets, including the Los Angeles and New York MSAs, increased on a month-over-month basis each month throughout the fourth quarter. However, the rate of increase slowed from November to December in 21 of those markets, and several appear likely to experience several months of sustained decline in early 2010.

The percent of single family homes with mortgages in negative equity was essentially flat from the third to the fourth quarter, changing from 21 percent in Q3 to 21.4 percent in Q4. This comes after a decrease in negative equity from the second quarter’s 23 percent.

The number of homeowners losing their homes to foreclosure[iv] across the country reached a peak in December, with more than one in every thousand homes being foreclosed – a number not reached since Zillow began recording national foreclosure data in 2000.

“While we have seen strong stabilization in home values during 2009, there are clear signs that they will turn more negative in the near-term,” said Zillow Chief Economist Stan Humphries. “What we saw in mid-2009 was a brief respite from a larger market correction that has not yet run its course. The good news is that, for those markets that will see a double dip in home values before reaching a definitive bottom, this second dip will not be a return to the magnitude of depreciation seen earlier, but rather will look more like a modest aftershock of the earlier downturn.

“The recent stabilization owed a lot to policy support in the form of tax credits, lower interest rates and increased Federal Housing Administration lending. The remaining correction in home values we’ll see in the first half of this year is a function of market fundamentals, such as the increasing flow of foreclosures, high levels of inventory in the market and a probable decrease in demand as the impact of the tax credit wanes and mortgage rates rise. While the next few months are likely to bring further home value declines in most markets, we do expect to see a national bottom in home prices by the middle of this year. Thereafter, home values are likely to bounce along the bottom with real appreciation remaining negligible for some time.”

Foreclosure re-sales[v] across the country remained high, making up more than one-fifth (20.3 percent) of all U.S. home sales in December. Foreclosure re-sales also made up the majority of sales in several MSAs, including

the Merced, Calif. MSA (68.3 percent), the Las Vegas MSA (64 percent) and the Modesto, Calif. MSA (62 percent). Additionally, 28.5 percent of home sales nationwide sold for less than what the seller originally paid.

Several markets across the country showed positive longer-term appreciation. Home values increased year-over-year in 27 of 143 markets and remained flat in 15.

The Boston MSA was the largest area with year-over-year appreciation, despite its more recent downturn in home values. The area’s Zillow Home Value Index rose 1.9 percent in 2009. Home values in the Boston area rose for eight months in 2009, which outweighed the recent declines.

Markets in Double Dip/Markets Showing Signs of Impending Double Dip

The full national report, in its interactive format, is available at www.zillow.com/local-info on Wednesday, Feb. 10. Additionally, in most areas data is available at the state, metro, county, city, ZIP and neighborhood level.

About Zillow.com®

Zillow.com is an online real estate marketplace where homeowners, buyers, sellers, renters, real estate agents and mortgage professionals find and share vital information about homes and mortgages. Launched in early 2006 with Zestimate® home values and data on millions of U.S. homes, Zillow has since added homes for sale and homes for rent, a directory of real estate and lending professionals, Zillow Advice and Zillow Mortgage Marketplace. One of the most-visited U.S. real estate Web sites, with more than eight million unique visitors per month, Zillow’s goal is to help people become smarter about homes and real estate in every stage of their lives — home buying, selling, renting, remodeling and financing. The company is headquartered in Seattle and has raised $87 million in funding.

Zillow.com, Zillow and Zestimate are registered trademarks of Zillow, Inc.

[i] The Zillow Home Value Index is the median Zestimate valuation for a given geographic area on a given day and includes the value of all single-family residences, condominiums and cooperatives, regardless of whether they sold within a given period. The Home Value Index at the national level is calculated using a weighted average of the median home value for each county and includes data from 440 metropolitan statistical areas. It is expressed in dollars and is for a particular geographic region.

[ii] The data in Zillow’s Real Estate Market Reports is aggregated from public sources by a number of data providers for 143 Metropolitan Statistical Areas dating back to 1996. Mortgage and home loan data is typically recorded in each county and publicly available through a county recorder’s office.

[iii] A market is defined as having a double-dip in home values if the following four conditions are met: 1) The market experiences five or more consecutive months of monthly home value depreciation and the annualized depreciation rate over this period is greater than 1 percent; 2) prior to this period described in (1), the market experienced five or more consecutive months of monthly home value appreciation and the annualized appreciation rate over this period was greater than 1%; 3) prior to this period described in (2), the market experienced five or more consecutive months of monthly home value depreciation and the annualized depreciation rate over this period was greater than 1%; and 4) the time span from the peak between (1) and (2) and the trough between (2) and (3) is 12 months or less.

[iv] Foreclosures are defined as a Trustee’s Deed Upon Sale or equivalent transaction.

[v] Foreclosure re-sales capture mostly sales of bank-owned (REO) homes. It measures sales of homes that were foreclosed on in the previous 12 months.