April 2009

Conrad Wesselhoeft has a lot of fun with his poodle, Django (pronounced JANGO), who was named after the Belgian gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt.

Conrad describes him as "back of the class smart," because, while Django failed obedience school, he does a lot of "wacky" things that make him lovable. He was recently groomed in Burien at Horizon Pet Supply making him look quite civilized.

But Conrad, a journalist himself, can tell it best.

"He's a standard poodle. The word “poodle” is related to the German word for “puddle.” Poodles are water dogs—excellent retrievers. Django is an excellent retriever, too, but only on dry land.

He is one of two famous canine Djangos that frequent Lincoln Park. The other is "Jeff and Marcie's Django." (could not find last name or breed.)

In Django's mind, the most powerful word in English is not “no!” it’s “cheese!” He will do anything short of a felony for a bite of Tillamook Sharp Cheddar.

Just after 8 p.m. April 25 the Fauntleroy man surrendered to Seattle Police. He was in fact alone in his home, armed with a shot gun. Upon his surrender he was taken in an ambulance, though he appeared unharmed.

More information to come.

6 p.m.
Police have now set off three percussion grenades. Police are instructing the suspect via a loudspeaker to exit the residence through the west door with his hands up.

5 p.m.
SWAT teams and an armored vehicle have surrounded a four-plex in the Fauntleroy neighborhood where an armed man is considered a threat, according to police.

Neighbors called police when they noticed a man who seemed agitated outside of his home with a shotgun, said Seattle Police spokesperson Renee Witt. Witt also said the police believe the incident to be alcohol related.

Police have set up a perimeter around the house, located at the corner of Southwest Wildwood Place and 45th Avenue Southwest. SWAT teams are also on the roof of Canine Casa.

State lawmakers Friday approved the plan to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct with a deep-bored tunnel.

The Senate voted 39-9 to accept a controversial House amendment that was added Wednesday that would require Seattle property owners to pay for any cost overruns on the tunnel construction, a $4.3 billion project.

The bill now goes to Gov. Chris Gregoire for approval.

The amendment would require property owners in Seattle to pay for any excess expenses beyond the $2.8 billion dollars that the state receives from taxes and tolling.

In a failed vote on Wednesday, the amendment squeaked by with a 49-47 roll call vote.

However, Mayor Greg Nickels along, with Seattle lawmakers, senators and council members, found the amendment to be unclear on how to differentiate who would actually be required to pay and how. Because the state will be in charge of the construction contracts for the tunnel it is still in question on how private property owners will be taken into account for overrun charges.

However, Seattle voters will get to vote on any city-wide property taxes before they are enacted.

The Ballard High School softball team played well enough to earn the win until the fifth inning, when it blew a 1-0 lead, ultimately losing 9-1 to Eastlake.

Coach Kyle Gray said the team played great defense and Sophie Overlock-Pauley pitched a great game to preserve the shutout for five innings. But he said a few controversial calls in the fifth lead to an Eastlake rally.

"It was a poorly umped game, I thought," said Gray, who left the game due to those calls.

Kimmerly Amry stole home for the Beavers' one run.

Ballard (1-9 overall, 1-8 conference) has lost six in a row, during which stretch they have only scored three runs.

Gray said the record and the scores can make it seem like the team isn't competing, but that isn't true.

"These girls are still getting better everyday," he said. "They're young and they're excited and they're fighting every game."

Ballard plays Redmond at 4 p.m., April 27 at Lower Woodland.

The Ballard High School girls lacrosse team lost 15-4 to Lakeside April 24. It was the team's ninth loss in a row.

Jayne Barnes had two goals for the Beavers, and Allison Jackson and Maddie Soukup had one apiece.

Goalie Hannah Breton had 14 saves.

Ballard (1-9) has a tough matchup against first-place Mercer Island (9-1) at 4:30 p.m., April 28 at Mercer Island.

The Ballard High School boys soccer team pushed itself over .500 on the season with an impressive 2-0 shutout of Inglemoor April 24.

Greg Testa got the Beaver offense going early with a goal of a Kentaro Bowzewski assist in the 11th minute.

Ballard continued to put pressure on the Inglemoor goalie, and Balin Larson added to the Beaver lead with an unassisted goal in the 27th minute.

Ballard goalie Lazardo Lopez preserved the shutout.

After a 1-4 start, the Beavers are on a three game win-streak and have won four of their last five games.

They are 5-4-1 overall and 3-3-1 in the conference with three games remaining.

Ballard can keep the streak alive against Skyline at 7:30 p.m., April 28 at Skyline.

The second annual Sustainable West Seattle Festival is just around the corner, especially if you find yourself at the Alaska Junction next Sunday May 3.

The fest will expand westward from the Wells Fargo parking lot, as this year nearly 80 exhibitors will participate, up from the high-40’s last year. The five-hour festival opens with Cecile Hansen and Duwamish Drummers and Dancers at 10 a.m. Following them will be opening remarks by Jim McDermott, U.S. congressman, Bill Reiswig, festival president and co-founder of Sustainable West Seattle and Vic Opperman, president and founder of Sustainable Communities All Over Puget Sound, or SCALLOPS.

The festival’s theme is “Building Resilency in our Local Community.”

According to fest organizers, the more citizens can depend on each other locally for transportation and food needs, the more resilient, and sustainable, they will become in the face of the economic downturn and inevitability of future oil shortages and price increases. They say it will result in a more socially just life without depending on the unpredictable winds of local and national government.

The Vashon Maury Community Food Bank is the 2009 winner Food Lifeline’s “Agency Excellence Award” for excellence in collaboration.

For its excellence in collaboration, Vashon Maury Community Food Bank receives $5,000 from Pacific Continental Bank to continue expanding its mission, and to increase and better its capabilities to serve the hungry people in the Vashon community, according to a release from the agency.

Food Lifeline presented the Agency Excellence Awards at its Annual Agency Conference in Shoreline, on March 23. The conference hosts expert leaders from Food Lifeline’s 300 member agencies all throughout Western Washington, connecting them with each other, opening channels of communication and highlighting their successes. The awards, presented to four individual agencies excelling in their mission to feed hungry people include:

Excellence in Community Resource Development, sponsored by Food Lifeline
Excellence in Collaboration, sponsored by Pacific Continental Bank
Excellence in Food Resource Development, sponsored by Food Lifeline
Excellence in Client Service, sponsored by Food Lifeline

Mayor Greg Nickels has announced that Saturday, May 2nd is GAIN (Greenwood Aurora Involved Neighbors) Appreciation Day, to honor the local neighborhood crime prevention group.

Nickels will attend GAIN's neighborhood cleanup May 2 and, in celebration of GAIN's 30th clean-up, he is proclaiming the day "GAIN Appreciation Day."

The public is invited to attend and participate in the clean-up, as well as a BBQ following.

Meet at 10 a.m. at Greenwood Christian Church, 8018 Fremont Ave. N. The clean-up will be from 10 to 11:30 a.m., and meet for lunch 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Meet for both events at the church. "Come join in the fun and pride in our neighborhood," said the organizers.

This will be GAIN's 30th clean-up. Since GAIN's first clean-up in December 2005, it has collected 655 bags of garbage in the Aurora/Greenwood corridor.

On Friday, April 24 at about 11 p.m. the victims in this incident were returning to their parked vehicle, at 20th Northwest and Shilshole Avenue Northwest, when the suspect approached and pointed a handgun at them.

The suspect demanded their wallets, cellphones and car keys. After getting all of the above, the suspect drove off in their BMW.

Officers located the vehicle in the area of Northwest 85th and 30th Avenue Northwest. Officers followed the vehicle until it was confirmed that they had the correct vehicle.

Once it was confirmed that they had the right vehicle, they attempted to initiate a stop of the vehicle. The vehicle refused to stop and increased speed. The pursuit went approximately three blocks before the suspect drove into a dead end and struck a fence.

The suspect took off on foot from the vehicle. Arriving officers set up containment and K-9 track was started. The K-9 track led officers in the direction of several parked vehicles in the driveway of a house next to where the pursuit ended. The officers running with K-9 noticed movement in one of the vehicles and backed up to a position of cover.