Lina Kim gave kids something to smile about last Friday: Her new dental practice in Magnolia offered children from low-income families free dental care.

The one-day event was Kim’s first time participating in the Give Kids a Smile program, which the American Dental Association (ADA) organizes annually to raise awareness about the importance of dental health in children. Patient visits to Kim’s practice were arranged beforehand by the Seattle-King County Dental Society (SKCDS) and the Washington Oral Health Foundation (WOHF).

According to the ADA Web site, children’s teeth are open to tooth decay as soon as the very first nibblers come in. A SKCDS placard mailed to dentists in the Seattle area said 45 percent of preschoolers from low-income families show signs of tooth decay; 25 percent receive no treatment for their condition or have limited access to oral health care.

The numbers climb as the children grow – 59 percent of low-income children in elementary school have tooth decay.  “They have a lack of access to care,” Kim said. “They come from large families where it’s hard to go. Sometimes the family doesn’t have a car. It’s hard to plan a visit or it’s just too much to take the bus.”

Many families are eligible for free or reduced-rate health-care vouchers from the Department of Social and Health Services. But some kids don’t get care they need because few private dental offices accept the vouchers.  “The reimbursement rate is very low, if not minimal,” said Kimberly Reyes, a dental assistant at Kim’s other office, in the Laurelhurst neighborhood.

“A lot of parents, even if they have coupons, don’t know they have dental coupons,” said Ruth Abate, administrative assistant at the Oral Health Foundation. “It really surprised me.”

Abate has been spreading word about free dental care around the Seattle area, leaving flyers about the WOHF and its services at the Ballard Community Center, coffee shops and schools such as Lafayette Elementary School in West Seattle and the Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center on West Government Way and 36^th Avenue West.

James Goldsmith was among the parents who brought their children to Kim’s practice on Friday. His 4-year-old son Carson came in for his first dentist visit, slipping on a pair of shades and chatting with him about Spongebob Squarepants.  Carson was Kim’s first patient at the new practice. Kim sang songs to him as she checked his teeth – and even found a few cavities.  Kim asked his father about the 4-year-old’s tooth brushing habits. Carson doesn’t like toothpaste, Goldsmith said, and brushes his teeth with water. His father was hesitant about using fluoride – which he learned would protect Carson’s teeth – but later changed his mind.

Also at Kim’s practice was Wendy Wilson and her daughter Madison. Like Carson, the 8-year-old didn’t make a fuss about getting her teeth cleaned.   “She was concerned she would need to be numbed,” Wilson said. “But I assured her that wouldn’t happen.”  Madison wore giraffe-patterned sunglasses, got her teeth cleaned and received sealant so that the grooves of her pearly whites would be protected from cavities.  But Madison wasn’t the only one with a smile on her face – Kim and the rest of her staff were beaming.  Kim says federal reimbursement for her work isn’t the No. 1 priority. Instead, she enjoys the satisfaction and gratification of being helpful.  “I helped save a mouth,” she said, smiling.

Lina Kim Dental is located at 3150 West Government Way. (206) 985-0232.

It was a pleasant day for a stroll in Discovery Park today, here’s what you may have missed while watching the gold medal hockey game…

Magnolia celebrated the re-opening of Fire Station 41 this weekend, giving lots of little firefighters a chance to check out the equipment.

Station 41, located on 34th Ave West, houses four firefighters who respond to over 900 emergency calls each year.  The station got a big facelift that increased the building size from 3,967 square feet to 6,067 square feet.

It now has more room for equipment and space to operate, improving station operations. The building was strengthened to meet the seismic code and all new mechanical and electrical systems were installed.  The remodel was paid for by the 2003 $167 million Fire Levy.

Station 41 was built in 1936 and is designated as a landmark by the Landmarks Preservation Board. The remodel maintained the look of the building while adding upgrades that include a large apparatus door.  The old bi-fold doors were re-used in the building. 

Mayor McGinn was on hand for the ceremony that included fire department bagpipers.

Our news partners at The Seattle Times report that the man who brought international attention to Discovery Park is back in Seattle.

Jon Doe wandered out of Discovery Park last August with $600 in his sock and no idea who he was or how he got there.  He is now receiving psychotherapy at Sound Mental Health and participating in a day program at the Emerald House.  Although he has been identified as 53-year-old Edward Lighthart, he still prefers to go by the name Jon Doe.

While he’s hoping to stay in Seattle for good, he said, he still has panic attacks and impulses to flee. Recently, police found him back in Discovery Park, under a tree, with no idea how he got there.

“For awhile after (being found) when people asked me who I was, I just showed them The Seattle Times article,” said Lighthart, sitting in a downtown office building, his black pants, shirt and jacket contrasting with his white beard and mustache.  His memory of the past six months is hazy, but seems to include Portland, Minneapolis, Cleveland and Las Vegas, N.M.

Lightlart told The Times “I’m not aware of this getting better, I don’t want this to be a permanent thing, but I’m beginning to feel it might be.”

Another shop is vacating the Magnolia business district but this time the departure is due to the need for more space.  After opening last October, Fabric Crush has decided to move to Wallingford.

Here is the note posted on the company website.

While we have loved our little boutique in Magnolia it has become clear that we need to move to a larger space. So, after much thought and consideration Fabric Crush will be moving in March to the Wallingford Center.  This move will allow us to have more classes and much more room for inventory in a more easily accessible neighborhood location. The close proximity to I-5 will make it nice for our out of town customers and the big free parking lot will make it convenient too. Add in the other great merchants at Wallingford Center (yarn and cupcakes, hooray!!) and you could spend a fine afternoon in Wallingford.  We hope our local Magnolia customers will follow us to Wallingford as we continue on this fabric filled journey.

Fabric Crush will be open in Magnolia at 2312 Viewmont Way West through next Saturday (3/6) and then close for a few days to make the move. 

Earlier this week the Washington State House Transportation Committee passed through SB 6345, a new bill that would further prohibit cell phone use while driving, making having a phone in your hand a primary offense subject to traffic stops and a $124 fine, with the sole exception of emergency use only. 

In July 2008 legislators made the use of handheld devices while driving a secondary offense, meaning police could only dock you for it if they see another violation before initiating a traffic stop. If passed, this law would make Washington the fifth state to elevate holding a cell phone while driving to a primary offense, alongside the District of Columbia.

36th District Rep. Reuven Carlyle (D), who is behind companion bill HB 2635 that would make texting while driving specifically a primary offense, has thrown his support behind SB 6345.

“I am excited that the House Transportation Committee has passed this bill. Parents and other volunteer citizen activists worked incredibly hard along with Sen. Eide and me for many, many months, and I look forward to doing all that I can to get this bill through the House,” Carlyle said in a written statement.

Click to read the rest of the story…

Its almost time to play ball and the popular Magnolia Little League Opening Day parade is scheduled for March 20th starting at 10:30a.m.  As you can imagine, it takes lots of volunteers to put the parade together each year. Getting everything ready for the big event and making sure that everyone  is where they are supposed to be on the day of the parade is a big job. 

If you would like to help with the parade, organizers could use help with both set up and clean up. If you are interested, you can call  Sandy at 206-301-0171.  Volunteers will start meeting early next month to get ready for the parade. 

Here is your chance to have your artwork used for the 2010 Summer Festival poster.   Artists are invited to submit up to three pieces of artwork around the theme of Summer in Magnolia to be considered for the Magnolia Art Show’s Poster Contest.

The winning piece will be featured on the 2010 Magnolia Summer Festival and Art Show poster, postcard, program cover and other print media advertising. The artist will be given full credit for his/her work and information about the artist will appear in the program and website. Additionally, the winner is invited to have a free booth during the festival which is a $100 value.  There is no entry fee but you need to have your work in by the deadline on May 1.  You can apply online here.  Or apply by mail to the Magnolia Chamber of Commerce at 3214 West McGraw St, 301B, Seattle, WA 98199.  

This week the Seattle Department of Transportation is working on one northbound lane of the Ballard Bridge, next week they’ll move to the southbound lanes. This was sent to us from SDOT:

The southbound, right lane of the Ballard Bridge will be closed from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, March 1 to 5. Crews from the Seattle Department of Transportation plan to make repairs on the underside of the bridge.

This work is subject to change in the event that crews are called away to perform emergency work at another location.

The fire station on 34th Ave West near The Village has gotten a big makeover since last summer and the public is invited to check it out and take a tour this Saturday (2/27).

The historic nature of the front facade of the station remains unchanged but inside there is now an additional 2,000 square feet. This is one of the 32 neighborhood fire station projects funded by the Fire Facilities and Emergency Response Levy.

The dedication will run from 1 to 3p.m. and will include visits from the Mayor and City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw, a pipe and drum band and tours of the fire station.   If you want to be there for the formal speeches, make sure to arrive at 1p.m.

Lawton Elementary is holding Math Night on Thursday (2/25) from 6 to 8p.m. Math Night is meant to get kids excited about math with  math games, a Math Olympiad for 4th and 5th grade students and interactive displays that show how math is used in various professions and everyday life.  Blue Highway Games from Queen Anne will be there to sell games with a percentage of the proceeds going to Lawton PTA.

This just in from the Seattle Department of Transportation:

Thursday, February 25, a Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) crew will make emergency repairs to an expansion joint on the Ballard Bridge. The north bound right lane will be closed at the north end of the bridge where roadway crosses over NW Leary. The left lane northbound will remain open to traffic. The work will begin at 9 a.m. and wrap up by 2:30 p.m. If necessary, the crew will return and do additional work in the same location on Friday, February 26, between 9:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Motorists should expect slowing at the north end of the bridge and use added caution when passing the work zone.

Magnolia Voice reader Justin found a wallet today (2/22) and wanted us to post this in hopes of locating the owner. 

Today at approximately 2:00 I found a brown leather wallet on the corner of 34th and Government Way. The wallet contained money, credit cards, and identification. I left the wallet with the Shell gas station, so if anyone has lost a wallet today it can be found at the gas station. The mechanics indicated that they recognized the owner of the wallet.

Magnolia Voice has learned that a Magnolia couple has been charged with running a ponzi scheme by the Washington Department of Financial Institutions (DFI).  They are facing a $25,000 fine in the administrative case for violating the Securities Act of Washington.

James H. Liddell and Leslie Collins, a married couple who live in Magnolia, are charged with raising in excess of $3,750,000 through the sale of promissory notes to eight investors through their business Payright Merchant Services.  The investors included business acquaintances of Liddell and Collins, parents of their children’s classmates and friends of investors.  We are told that some of the victims live in Magnolia.

According to papers filed by DFI, from December 2005 through December 2008, Liddell and Collins told investors that they had a business buying used point of sale (POS) terminals and then reselling the terminals to a company that would refurbish the units for resale.

DFI says that Liddell told investors that he was a middle man in the transaction and that he never took possession of the terminals but needed funds to purchase the units.  Liddell also told investors that he had pre-existing sales agreements and/or purchase orders to purchase the used units from a large Seattle area pharmacy.   

“As far as we know the POS terminals were never purchased or put in the stores,” said Tyler Letey, Financial Legal Examiner, DFI. 

According to the statement of charges filed by DFI:

Liddell showed investors sales agreements and purchase orders indicating the existence of the negotiated terms for a particular shipment of POS terminals to the refurbishing company or pharmacy.  Liddell then provided the investors with promissory notes normally varying in length from 20 to 45 days.  The rate of return on the promissory notes varied from 5.8% to 9.9%.  Additionally, some investors were promised a percentage of the gross profits for the particular transaction in which they had invested.  The percentages ranged from 14% to 50% of the gross profits of the transaction.  Investors initially received their return on investment and Liddell then offered them the opportunity to reinvest their money.

“It’s a ponzi scheme, said Letey.

According to the DFI, payments to investors from Liddell and Collins started to fall behind in 2008.  Some investors refused to invest more money until they had their existing investments returned with the interest earned.  On multiple occasions Liddell and Collins made deposits into investor bank accounts giving the investors the belief that this was the return on their prior investments.

DFI says some of the deposits made by Liddell and Collins were from new investors whose money was deposited directly into an existing investor’s bank account.  On other occasions the deposits made by Liddell and Collins into investor bank accounts were later returned due to insufficient funds.  These were not discovered by the investors until after they had already given more money to Liddell and Collins based upon the mistaken belief that their prior investment money had been returned.

The first complaint came in April ‘09 from one of the investors. After an investigation, DFI charged Liddell and Collins with violation of the Securities Act of Washington.  They face a fine of $25,000.  They have requested a hearing in the case.  

“In a perfect world we get the money back for the investors but our objective is to stop the activity,” said Letey.

Letey also said that in an administrative proceeding people can’t be made to liquidate their assets to pay back victims.  That would come as part of any action taken by the criminal justice system. Victims could also take civil action against Liddell and Collins.  Letey could not say whether the case has been turned over to the prosecutor’s office or the attorney general’s office for investigation.

The DFI investigation also revealed that in 1987 Liddell was named in a cease and desist order for securities fraud.  In that case, Liddell was convicted of first degree theft for raising over $125,000 from investors, claiming that he would purchase investments through Fidelity Investments. He was not licensed to make such sales and did not use any of the investor funds to purchase securities from Fidelity for the investors benefit.

“We encourage people who have the opportunity to invest to do their research. In this case investors would have found out about the prior order and conviction,” said Letey.