September 2009

While visiting England this summer I picked up a copy of the London
Times and noticed that there was a debate going on about holding
“Secondary School Proms”.

In the past I have watched on English TV a series of documentaries on the “American High School”, as it so different than English secondary schools where they concentrate on “traditional education.”

I think that this is a debate that would be worth having in America also.

While the British are debating whether they should have such “social” activities in their schools, we in America need to be thinking about whether these are just a distraction to “getting an education” which seems to be a major problem here. Significant portions of the British public do not think that proms should be
school functions.

I can clearly remember that in my time in high school kids were “excused” from classes to “decorate” the gym for a prom.

In Federal Way there was uproar over not having a “Homecoming Dance” for a school that didn’t have any graduates!

Charles Hoff is a former Federal Way School Board member.

"We call him 'The Cannonball,'" said Cannon Rickman's grandmother visiting from California.

She was patiently filling his three stroller tires with air at a Morgan Junction service station.

I was fine for at least a week after my fabulous Labor Day weekend golf game.

Though we did not keep score, Mrs. A was especially good during the round at North Shore Golf Course, parring two holes and bogeying another and I personally felt satisfied that all those sit-ups and gobs of herbs she gives me had fixed me up enough so that I would never have another problem with back pain.

For those who have not heard, I am another one of the walking wounded, one among the gazillions of back pain sufferers around the world who spend their days either recovering from a back injury or nearing the onset of one.

It seems that no amount of therapy, book reading, supplements or surgery can stave off the inevitability of another visit by the vertebra with a vendetta .

So for me to risk a round of golf and then have a few days of apparent freedom from a back attack was a pretty good victory, that is, until I went to get out of my van.

Swinging my legs out first, I leaned over to grab my camera bag and ‘zzzoink’…it was like those cartoons where the freshly-dazed character has little stars and birds circling around their head.

On Wednesday, Sept. 16 at approximately 11:15 p.m., the victim (male, 22-years-old) was in his apartment in the 8600 block of 3rd Avenue Northwest when he answered a knock at his door. Upon opening the door, the victim was pushed backwards as the suspects forced their way inside the unit.

The suspects ransacked the apartment and left with a shotgun, electronic equipment, money and other miscellaneous items, according to the Seattle Police Department.

The suspects were all armed with handguns and were wearing gloves, ski masks and bandanas.

The victim was treated at Ballard Swedish Hospital for a head wound requiring several sutures. The victim’s 23-year-old girlfriend (who was also on scene during the robbery) was not injured. The suspects are described as four black males. The victims were unable to provide additional suspect information.

The robbery unit responded and processed the scene. The investigation continues.

On Wednesday, Sept. 16 at approximately 2:20 p.m. a suspect entered and then robbed the Westside Pharmacy located at the 5400 block of California Avenue Southwest.

The pharmacy had closed its operations the night prior to prepare for its move into the new Junction QFC.

The suspect pushed the female clerk against the wall, pointed a gun at her and demanded drugs. The clerk gave him a large bag full of drugs. The suspect fled westbound on Southwest Brandon Street, then northbound on 44th Avenue Southwest.

According to the Seattle Police Department, witnesses saw a gray American-made two-door sedan driven by a light-skinned black male traveling back and forth on 44th Avenue Southwest with the trunk open. Witnesses then saw a white male with blue jeans and a white T-shirt run to the car, throw a white plastic bag in the trunk and get in the car.

The suspects then fled northbound in the vehicle and remain at large.

The robbery suspect is described as a white male in his 20’s with dark hair over the ears, last seen wearing a hat, sunglasses, gloves, bluejeans, a sweatshirt with an earth logo on it and a white T-shirt underneath.

The League of Women Voters conducted a community conversation in Burien concerning health care on Monday, Sept. 14.

The attendees discussed the recent introduction of H.R. 3200, "America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009."

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that educates and supports citizens.

One of the largest concerns discussed during the meeting was where the money comes from to pay for their health insurance.

"Most people don't realize when a company pays for their health care that they are taking it out of their pay," said Karen Lunder.

"Most people don't have to use their health care," said Bob Fithian. About 5 percent of people use more then what they pay for and 95 percent don't use all that they pay for, said Fithian.

Another issue discussed was why costs for health insurance are so high.

Extending Medicaid is the reason why health insurance costs are so high and so many people are unemployed who can't afford it, said Mary-Ellen Hamilton.

It was agreed upon that ways to bring this cost down would include eliminating waste and health services that don't help the public.

A 16-year-old Burien girl, who pled guilty to using a pit bull to attack two women, will spend a year in juvenile detention.

The sentence came down Thursday morning in King County Juvenile Court.

Both women attacked by the dog testified at the sentencing hearing, as did the teen's mother.

The mother testified she had been unsuccessful in getting mental health help for her daughter. The teen's father has not lived with his daughter since she was very young. He now lives in Portland.

A probation officer and the prosecutor said the girl would have no chance of getting treatment if she stayed in the home and the judge agreed.

The Burien girl cried as she listened to her victims speak. Later, she apologized to both of them.

The attacks occurred back in June when a woman spotted four youths kicking a pit bull in the 13300 block of Des Moines Memorial Drive South.

The woman stopped to help but was attacked by the 16-year-old girl and the dog.

A second woman was also attacked and bit on the elbow by the dog.

"Snaps," the pit bull involved in the attack has been sent to an animal sanctuary on the Olympic Peninsula.

Original Story:

(Editor's Note: Jerry Robinson had a fun gift in his driveway but it left, so it must have been meant for someone else.)

Some nice guy decided to do something nice to make me feel better and left a new Ferrari for me today.

Looks like the one Ian Briscoe drives.

Ken Smith lives across the street and spotted the glossy dream car and sent me a photo.

Looks like it was right at home in my driveway.

After Burien's Georgette Valle served our area for 24 years as a legislator it seemed past time to show her appreciation for her years of service. Flora Belle Key, recently written up here as the "host with the most," made it all happen.

She staged an impromptu patio party inviting many of Georgette's friends and former constituents, and the sun cooperated. It was great to see former senators Bob Ridder and Ruthe Ridder, Virginia Galle, former legislative colleague, and Beth Greiser, who was recently presented with a special volunteer award for community service.

Many current politicians sent their greetings in absentia due to conflicting commitments during this summer campaign season.

Even after stepping down from district politics Georgette didn't stop. She went on to serve on the Burien City Council for four years and then after working in Arizona politics recently ran for the Senate.

When she was asked what a woman of 83 was doing running for office she said, "I doorbelled four hours a day in 100 degree heat so don't think I am not capable."

The Decatur girls' soccer team added a tick to the tie column of their record Tuesday, September 15 in a low-scoring battle with Curtis High.

Sophomore midfielder Abby McFaul put the Lady Gators up 1-0 in minute 64 with a goal. First year student Victoria Braun assisted McFaul in the score.

But Curtis battled back in the closing minutes of regulation, as Viking junior forward Chloe Roisum tied the game with a goal at 75:00.