November 2008

It was an odd score for a football game, with Decatur’s 8-3 lead sounding more like a baseball score. Then it got even weirder when the two teams got into a baseball-style benches-clearing brawl.

The fight broke out - and ended - with 43.8 seconds left to play in last Thursday’s action. A Kent-Meridian player ran out of bounds and into the Decatur bench, sparking the incident.

Before the fight was over in the season-ending “crossover” game between the South Puget Sound League South and North Division, both benches were emptied.

Swimmers from Todd Beamer, Thomas Jefferson, Federal Way and Decatur spent time doing well in the water, going against each other and others from competing schools in the South Puget Sound League and Narrows League -- all for a right to go to state out of West Central District action at the Rogers Pool on South Hill Saturday Nov. 1.

The Titans narrowly lost last year to the Gig Harbor Tides in districts. And, the fifth-year local school this year finished the same way - second -- albeit by not as close a margin, 221-169, this time around.

Drive after drive, near miss after near miss.

That is what Kentwood used to wear down Todd Beamer on its way to winning Wednesday’s South Puget Sound League championship girls soccer match at Federal Way Memorial Stadium, 3-0.

Both teams advanced to this past weekend’s West Central District playoffs, with Kentwood going on as the SPSL’s No. 1 team and Todd Beamer advancing as the No.

Our school district is now a school district "In need of Improvement" according the Feds.

What does this mean?

Two days before Election Day, I was driving out of my neighborhood and saw one of my neighbors putting an American flag up on his garage.

I kept driving and noticed another guy up the road who has a faded Old Glory attached to his patio roof.

It's seen brighter days, but it still looks nice.

My neighbor, Mr. Perfect has a dedicated, 20-foot flag pole with a light at the bottom. He's up to speed with the rules, no doubt.

I remembered that at Celebration Park they have a nice big flag by the ball fields.

After the full City Council approved the proposal for the Interbay rezone many residents and surrounding neighborhoods are happy about the outcome, but some are still worried about affects the new urban village may have on the already heavily trafficked Dravus Street.

Interbay will now be upgraded to a residential and commercial district.

"The area, due west of 15th Avenue East and adjacent to West Dravus Street, will be rezoned to allow for residential units up to 85 feet and businesses at street level," said a city press release.

Developers will also be requi

Kristine Leander, a local author and cultural director for the Swedish Cultural Center, has recently published the book "Norwegian Seattle."

The book is part of a series called "Images of America." The series uses pictures from the past to illustrate a community's journey to the present.

Leander is a Swedish descendant but after living in Norway for a couple years during the '80s, she fell in love with the culture.

After a drawn out trial in which Peso's Kitchen and Lounge founder Brian Hutmacher sued the Matador for trade dress infringement, the restaurant chain is pleased with the settlement reached and happy to reassure customers that they won't notice too many changes.

"We felt great at the end of the day," said Zak Melang, one of the Matador's founders.

With the recent upheaval in the national economy, Mayor Greg Nickels and Seattle City Council members say "adjustments" are needed to the proposed 2009-2010 budget to reflect slower growth in projected revenue to the city's general fund.

"Seattle remains in a much stronger position than the rest of the nation, but it is only prudent that we budget cautiously in these uncertain times," said Nickels.

With the installation of Whole Foods put on hold in the Interbay neighborhood, Ballard will get a Trader Joe's.

Located in the heart of Ballard just east of the Ballard Bridge, Trader Joe's and LA Fitness will reside on a two-property site that will encompass the block bound by Northwest Ballard Way, 15th Avenue Northwest, 14th Avenue Northwest and Northwest Leary Way.

The development site is about 100,000 square feet and Trader Joes will occupy 12,120 square feet of proposed building space.

It will be located in the northwest corner of the east site (4609 14th