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DECEMBER 28, 2022
Magnolia news
Serving Queen Anne & Magnolia Since 1919 www.QueenAnneNews.com
@qamagnews VOL. 103, NO. 49
Magnolia mom, advocates launch Summit FEATURED STORIES Community Center to fill critical void
Facility opening in Capitol Hill will serve ‘chronically marginalized population’ By Jessica Keller
QA & Magnolia News editor
When Morgan Brewer and Luke Sarantinos saw each other at the Magnolia Starbucks recently, it was like no time had passed at all since they were last together. The pair became friends when they participated on the same Special Olympics Washington track team years ago, Erin Brewer, Morgan’s mom, said. When recreational opportunities for the two ended, they lost contact, even though they live in the same Seattle community. While unfortunate, Erin Brewer said this isn’t unusual for young adults in the intellectual or developmentally disabled community. That is something, however, that Brewer, other parents like her and advocates are changing with the creation of Summit Community Center. Brewer is the co-founder and co-board president of the SCC, an educational and recreational center and resource for members of the intellectually or developmentally disabled community or people considered neurodivergent and their families. While some programs have already begun, the
SEE CENTER, PAGE 2
GET GROWING PAGE 5
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Photo by Jessica Keller Summit Community Center Executive Director Alicia Nathan, center, speaks with a parent during a tour at the center, currently under construction, in Capitol Hill.
LIBRARY PROGRAMS PAGE 3
Pandemic turns into business opportunity for Queen Anne woman By Laura Marie Rivera Contributing writer
In Latin, “velle” means “to be willing is to be able,” and that is exactly what Shenalyn Castoldi had in mind when she started her own business during the pandemic. As a designer by trade and an
Photo by Ryan Castoldi Shenalyn Castoldi makes candles in her Queen Anne home. When the pandemic hit, Castoldi learned how to make scented candles, which she turned into a business, Velle Candles.
esthetician by practice, the long-time Queen Anne resident found herself with a lot of free time when the world shut down. With two little ones who had shifted to virtual schooling, however, Castoldi discovered she needed something she could do from her own home. “There was so much uncertainty in the world, I felt like I just needed to keep going,” she said. After the first few months of the pandemic, Castoldi was becoming an accomplished sourdough baker, and she wanted to try something different. That’s when she discovered candle making on social media and decided to order a starter kit. “It was kind of a fun experiment,”
Castoldi said. Her first batch of scented candles was really more of a test to see if she liked the hobby and would be any good at it. “It’s similar to baking, with specific temperatures, recipes and timing, but I also find it to be a therapeutic and relaxing distraction,” Castoldi said. She gifted the candles from her original kit to friends and received a lot of good feedback. And at that point, she started to consider making it an official business – Velle Candles. Castoldi discovered her creativity and design skills could shine when she started developing her own recipes.
SEE CANDLES, PAGE 8
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