Pilates studio expands staff, services

Since Clare Baxter opened Flourish Pilates in historic Willamette about six months ago, she has added three more Pilates instructors and a number of classes as well as three massage therapists.

And next Tuesday, she and her instructors and therapists will not only have an open house, but also they will be assisting a local non-profit animal shelter.

Pet Adoptions West Side, 1741 Willamette Falls Drive, (503-650-0855) needs about $4,500 every month to provide shelter, insurance, telephone, food, litter and veterinary services for lost, strayed or orphan cats in the shelter.

PAWS owner Sharon Murphy will be at the Flourish Pilates studio during the 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. open house to receive donations to keep the shelter open and serving the needs of local animals.

For people who would like to donate in addition to financial help, Murphy has a top-10 “Wish List” of items such as cat litter, string mops, old wooden chairs, plastic grocery bags, cat food and volunteers.

“I think the cats in our shelter are the lucky ones,” Murphy said. “If I was a homeless cat, I would want to live at PAWS. But there simply is not enough room to take in all of the cats who need a place to stay.”

Murphy gets between 300 and 500 calls each month from people who want to bring a cat or kittens to PAWS. She says she would like to open other locations to house homeless cats, but she is not financially able to do that yet.

During the open house Tuesday, four Pilates instructors along with the three massage therapists will join Murphy in the modern studio on Willamette Falls Drive.

They will serve wine, cheese and chocolate to visitors as well as give free mini sessions on the Pilates Reformer and complimentary mini chair massages.

One of the ways that Baxter’s business has expanded is its collaboration with Elysium Body Therapies, a business operated in the Flourish Pilates studio by Laura McCorkle, LMT. Serving on her staff are licensed massage therapists Marie Blacklidge and Larry Wolfe.

McCorkle’s specialties are Swedish relaxation massage and deep tissue massage, but she also does pregnancy and Reiki massage. Also available at this studio is Thai massage from Wolfe and Swedish and deep tissue massage from Blacklidge.

A certified Stott Pilates instructor and certified group fitness instructor, Baxter has been teaching since 1999. In her recent expansion, Baxter has hired certified Pilates instructors Elizabeth Payne, Nissa Windsong and Michelle Kinkade.

The additional instructors give Baxter the chance to offer more and different classes because of the specialties of each instructor.

“My instructors can offer personalized Pilates training and sport-specific workouts for golfers, tennis players, runners, cyclists, equestrians and skiers,” she said. “They are also trained to work with clients who are rehabilitating from an injury or have Parkinson’s disease as well as women who are pregnant or post-partum (visit www.pilatesmommy.com).”

Three words summarize the benefits of regular Pilates practice, Baxter says: thrive, prosper and flourish.

The benefits include improving posture, balance, lung capacity, flexibility and strength as well as tightening abdominal muscles and decreasing neck and back pain.

Baxter says the studio not only offers personal training by appointment, but also will be open for anyone to observe Pilates classes during the farmers market every Tuesday evening throughout the summer.

Flourish Pilates is located at 1785 Willamette Falls Drive, between 13th and 14th streets. Take the path through the white picket fence, behind the rose arbor and alongside the 1895 Victorian home to the modern studio near Knapps Alley. McCorkle is available by appointment and may be contacted by calling 503-201-8333 or visit www.elysiumbodyther

apies.com.

For more information, attend Tuesday’s open house, visit www.flourishpilates.com or call Baxter at 503-869-8295.

Families who lost pets in food recall near settlement

Washington families who lost companions after last year's major pet food recall are close to a settlement -- and, finally, closure to a tragedy that killed more than 1,500 pets.

A judge granted initial approval Friday to a $24 million deal reached last month in which companies that made or sold contaminated food will pay pet owners for all costs related to the death or illness of their pets.

"We are kind of waiting for this to wrap up and for there to be closure," said Cecily Mitchell, a Seattle resident involved in a class-action lawsuit against pet food manufacturer Menu Foods.

We talked to Mitchell last year, when all this got started. She and husband Terry lost their cat, Yoda, last March (read Mitchell's story about Yoda on MySeattlePets), and are still saving evidence of her illness.

"I have these frozen bags of Yoda's food in the freezer, and I really, really want them to leave," Mitchell said.

That could happen soon. Tom Baisch, an attorney with Myers and Co. who has consulted with Washingtonians affected by the recall, said it is "more likely than not" that the settlement will be granted final approval later this year.

The settlement is expected to cover a wide range of costs -- everything from replacement pets to burials to veterinary bills even for those whose pets were pronounced healthy after their check-ups.

But it won't compensate owners for the pain of watching pets get sick and die.

"I don't know how anyone can pay for that," Mitchell said.

If your pets were affected by the contaminated food, watch for news later this summer and into the fall about the terms of the settlement. If you saved your receipts, you could be compensated for costs related to your pets' illness. If you didn't, you can still request up to $900.

Money left over after claims are paid will go to animal-welfare charities.

P.S. -- To anyone out there who may have suffered in a particularly painful way from the death of their animal, animal law attorney Adam Karp recommends that you weigh your options and consider opting out of the settlement. Washington law is more progressive that others in considering this kind of compensation. If it's worth it for you, you could file your own suit and seek special damages.

Ben Huh, publisher of popular Seattle pet blog Itchmo.com, hoped the law could keep up with the growing place pets occupy in people's lives.

"As the importance and value of pets in families grow, laws will have to address that issue," Huh said.

After that, it'll be up to those affected by the recall to file their claims.

Mary Remer, Dog Trainer

Looking for your very own dog whisperer? Mary Remer, founder of Villanova, Pa.-based What a Good Dog Inc., might be your answer to bad-doggy behavior. A breeder, handler, trainer and judge of English bull terriers, Remer has won the Westminster Dog Show's "Best of Breed" for bull terriers more than 15 times. She's also known for her ability to coach abused puppies and dogs through their behavior problems.

Remer's staff is filled with professionals who have advanced degrees in animal behavior and certifications from organizations including Therapy Dog International and the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. Remer works from her office in Pennsylvania, but she'll make house calls for specific cases.

For more information, visit www.whatagooddoginc.com