August 2008

When his dad died, the son of a prominent Burien merchant recalled how his father managed to be a great family man while still being the workaholic he needed to be to keep his business going.

On the occasional Friday night, the merchant would pack his family and a bunch of camping gear in the car and head out on the road for a state park.

Did he brave the mountain passes to reach Lake Chelan or slog through the downtown Seattle I-5 commute headed for Deception Pass?

No, he drove down First Avenue to Saltwater State Park in Des Moines.

That's right--w

What was all talk is now all action as construction at Chief Sealth High School get underway. The initial hurdle is removing the floor tiling at the high school's cafeteria which contains asbestos. Other, non-hazardous tile was removed from the high school's commons. The middle school will share these areas during renovation. The flooring will be replaced in the entire school. This is phase one, the structural upgrade. Remodeling will occur during phase two.

Ron and Pat Dahl's backyard was one of 10 stops on the 1st Annual Edible Garden Tour of West Seattle last Saturday, and while the vegetables were on the menu, the animals were not. Surrounded by a cornucopia of enormous squash, sweet Walla Walla onions, pungent garlic, and a patch of cabbage, stood an aviary of doves, a shy chicken and two cockatiels. One is named Pearl, but sometimes Earl, as its gender is unknown, and the other, a sorry-looking little creature with no crest is named Crackers.

They also have three pet ducks that waddle around their 48th Avenue SW backyard.

The United States Navy Blue Angels maneuvered with that unmistakable roar over and through downtown Seattle, and even flew over West Seattle Friday for the 2008 Seafair Festival. Friday was their practice show, while their official show is scheduled principally over Lake Washington on Saturday and Sunday. The six, F/A-18 Hornet's reach nearly 1400 MPH while their support plane, "Fat Albert," keeps a watchful eye on the crew and their craft.

The Blue Angels debuted at Seafair in 1987 and returned annually until halted in 1994 for safety concerns of spectators. They returned in 1996.