September 2009

The new Matt Griffin YMCA in SeaTac threw open its doors to members on Sept. 8.

It will open to the general public on Saturday, Oct. 3.

The YMCA of Greater Seattle dedicated the new facility on Sept. 3.

The 48,000 square-foot building features twp 25-yard pools for lap swimming, aquatic classes and youth and older adult programs.
The pools could become a very valuable asset for the Highline community if North Highline's Evergreen and Des Moines' Mt. Rainier pools close permanently.

The new Y also includes a family center, healthy lifestyle room, youth development center, community kitchen, meeting spaces, climbing wall, and full-size gym.

The facility is a silver-rated LEED green building.

At dedication ceremonies, Norm Rice, Seattle Foundation president and former YMCA of Seattle board chairman, described Matt Griffin, namesake of the new building, as the major fundraiser for the YMCA in the past 25 years.

"Every beacon has a light and Matt is our light," Rice declared.

Griffin is principal and managing partner of Pine Street Group L.L.C. and has been involved with the Seattle-area Y for almost 30 years.

Jarrett Mentink, Ph. D is off and running on a new adventure.

Mentink and his “Kids In the Clouds” publishing company just released a book on Seattle Mariners star Ken Griffey Jr., which is written for children but also contains a good deal of Griffey and Mariners history that older readers would enjoy.

“The Kid Returns” will be the fourth book put out by Mentink, following the initial “Alley the Cat” and two other sports books, “Alexander the Great” about the Seattle Seahawks’ Shaun Alexander and “Ka-Boone” about former Seattle Mariners star second baseman Bret Boone. The Boone book includes what it was like for Bret to be in a third generation Major League Baseball family.
Mentink wrote the book about Griffey, as well as the earlier “Kids in the Clouds” books, while Patrick Carlson of Valdosta, Georgia turned in the full-color illustrations.

One of Mentink’s original reasons for starting “Kids in the Clouds” was to provide reading material for youngsters flying on airplanes, and the books are provided on Horizon Air.

Football

Puyallup 21, Kennedy 19
The Kennedy Catholic Lancers opened their season by taking a narrow loss to the perennially powerful Puyallup Vikings at Sparks Stadium.
The Lancers actually took the lead to open, as L.J. Jennings scored on a 95-yard run with 31 seconds to go in the first quarter.

The kick for the extra point failed, and Puyallup answered with a touchdown with eight seconds left in the first quarter.
Michael Smith struck on a 1-yard fumble recovery and Sean Halligan’s kick made it 7-6.

Nathan Ernst punched in a 1-yard run for the Vikings with 3:18 left on the second quarter clock and Halligan’s kick widened the margin to 14-6.

Jennings finally got JFK on track with 8:53 to go in the third quarter, scoring on a 1-yard run. The pass for a two-point conversion failed to leave the Puyallup lead at 14-12.

Ernst scored on an 8-yard run and Halligan made his extra point to put Puyallup up, 21-12,with 1:59 to go in the third quarter.

Defense highlighted the day as the Highline Pirates met the Hazen Highlanders at Highline Memorial Stadium Thursday.

The two Seamount League rivals played to a 0-0 tie through the first half before Hazen scored two touchdowns to take a 14-0 lead in the second half and then held on for the win.

Highlanders kicker Michael Ion attempted two field goals in the first half and missed, then made both of the kicks for the extra point in the second half.

The first field goal attempt that narrowly went awry came with 5:16 left in the second quarter from 27 yards out, and the next was from 31 yards out with only two seconds on the second quarter clock. That attempt was a low line shot that skimmed off the turf way short of the goal post.

Hazen broke the scoreless tie at 8:03 to play in the third quarter when Pedro Trujillo rumbled up the middle for a 32-yard touchdown run.
The Highlanders of Renton struck again with 7:35 left to play in the fourth quarter. This time James Holland ran around the left end for a 5-yard touchdown.

Highline ended the game on a drive that was stopped 22 yards out as the clock expired.

Saturday September 12th saw the Arts-A-Glow festival takeover downtown Burien. The event featured seven local and regional artists who created temporary, site-specific lantern installations ranging from salmon to seahorses to creations that defied description. All of the artists designed around the theme of Gathering!, which celebrates the beauty and magic of coming together. Many people in attendance made their own lanterns to join the fun. Live music was provided by the Yellow Hat Band and later in the evening by the Boys of Greenwood Glen.

A lantern procession began from the new Burien Town Square park around 8 p.m and was followed by a 3-D shadow puppet theater and more live music. The event was sponsored by the City of Burien, Burien Arts, B/ IAS, Denise Henrikson & Leslie Zenz, 4-Culture, Elliott Bay Brewing 

Feet First is orchestrating this year’s annual PARK(ing) Day held on Sept. 18 when vehicle parking spots throughout the city will, for one day, become parks.

The event shows how precious space can be used in a more fun, sustainable and exciting way, according to Feet First, an organization that promotes walkable communities and safe routes to schools.

Parks will highlight the creative expression of residents all across Seattle. The day event will conclude with an awards ceremony at the People’s Parking Lot at Summit and Pine Streets on Capitol Hill beginning at 6 p.m..

PARK(ing) Day began in 2005 when Rebar, a San Francisco art collective, converted a single metered parking space into a temporary public park. Since its inception, PARK(ing) Day has been established as an international event.

“This is a great opportunity for Seattleites to see the hidden potential in every parking spot and get people thinking about the way we use our public space,” said Lisa Quinn, executive director for Feet First.

Seattle residents first took part in PARK(ing) Day in 2007 with just four parks. This year the event has ballooned to more than 30 parks.

Seattle Parks and Recreation is seeking nominations for the Denny Awards, which honor volunteer service to the city’s parks system. The deadline for nominations is Thursday, Oct. 1.

The awards will be presented at the third annual recognition ceremony, which will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 17.

The Denny Awards acknowledge and honor the crucial role volunteers play in neighborhood parks, community centers, and recreation programs throughout the city. Volunteers help Parks and Recreation staff and management in the work of the department and give valuable advice on important decisions about our Parks and Recreation facilities and operations.

Volunteers also pull ivy and plant native trees in our parks, coach kids’ sports, work as docents at selected parks and the Seattle Aquarium, and serve on various advisory councils and boards.

The name of the awards reflects the early commitment by the Denny family to the preservation of parkland and open space for public use and enjoyment. David Denny donated land that became the first Seattle park, Denny Park, in 1864.

Denny Awards nominees should meet the following minimum qualifications. The nominee must have:

South Park Arts' "Crank it Up 2009" festival in Cesar Chavez Park took a lot of heat this year, literally.

The annual event attracted kids and the young at heart who decorated their bicycles with art supplies on hand like paper flowers, colorful ribbon and magic markers. They glided off on their colorful chariots a short bicycle ride around the neighborhood and returned for freshly cooked ethnic foods and live music.

This year's event, Saturday, Sept. 12, found its participants blanketed under blazing sun, with temperatures in the high 80's.

Items are being organized to be placed inside the Alki Time Capsule, which will not again see the light of day for 50 years.

The capsule will be sealed at the Log House Museum, then marched at bout 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, a block down 61st Street toward the water, just shy of the Alki Liberty Statue, where it will be placed under bricks that now sit atop stairs between Alki Avenue and the statue.

The ceremony is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.

Astronaut Gregory C. Johnson West Seattle High School class of 1972 graduate will be honored and the mayor and city council will proclaim it "Gregory C. Johnson Day." Deputy Mayor Tim Ceis will do the honors.

Johnson piloted the Space Shuttle Atlantis launched May 11 of this year. He was with the fifth and final Hubble Telescope Mission.

Johnson will be presented with a bronze tribute plaque like the eight now embedded in cement stairs in front of the statue. Seven more are still available for a $2,000 donation.

For more information: http://www.sealady.org/, or contact the Log House Museum: (206) 938-5293.

Three floral bouquets, including two leaning on the base of Miss Liberty, were placed there to remember the attacks of Sept. 11, which occurred eight years ago Friday.