November 2009

Terrific testimonies by a determined defense helped John F. Kennedy Catholic deliver a 1-0 verdict against Bainbridge on Tuesday in a loser-out Class 3A state girls soccer preliminary round match.

Kennedy (19-1) faced West Valley (Yakima) at Cottonwood Field in Yakima on Saturday, Nov. 14 in a quarterfinal round. A win there moves the Lancers into the semifinals on Friday, Nov. 20, at Harry Lang Stadium in Lakewood. Bainbridge concluded its season at 14-6-3.

“That was a tough team,” said Kennedy head coach Doug Stamnes. “They were very physical. Our defensive play was excellent. Sam (Crawley) and Kristen (Olson) did a great job. All our defenders played well.”

For much of the game, the strong Spartans flexed their muscles while continually firing most of the threatening shots. Like deadly dreadnoughts in enemy waters, the Bainbridge shooters targeted the Lancer goal. Holding their ground, the solid- as- a- rock Kennedy defenders held off the hordes of Spartan attackers.

(Editor's Note: This year's benefit game will be held Nov. 29 at Highline Memorial Stadium, beginning at 11 a.m. Admission is by donation at the stadium or after the game at Mick Kelly's Irish Pub, 435 S.W. 152 St. A raffle drawing will be held at Mick Kelley's. For more information call 206-439-0745.)

I am writing you on behalf of the Andy MacDonald EMT Scholarship. Andy was a friend, son, brother and volunteer firefighter, who tragically lost his life in the flooding of the Cowlitz River three years ago.

Out of tragedy something good can be born; Andy's family and close friends set up a scholarship in his name.

Each November, in honor of Andy's birthday and untimely passing, a soccer game is held, known as the "Boys vs. Girls" game. All of his old teammates and friends come out to play a friendly game, and the public is invited to attend.

Afterwards the team holds a raffle at a local restaurant. This consists of items donated from local business and personal items contributed by Andy's family.

Last year over 200 people attended the game, which was held at Highline Stadium, and we raised more than $4,500.

As a long-time educator in the Highline School District, I have participated in and been responsible for organizing many such assemblies.

Yesterday, as a substitute teacher, I had the occasion to observe yet another such assembly.

This assembly, organized by the students and staff at Mt. Rainier High School. was, by far, the best Veteran's Day assembly I have ever attended.

From the opening with the bagpipes, marching drum corps and the Marine Color Guard; to the closing, where white roses were handed out to school staff members who had served in the military, this assembly held the rapt attention of the audience of high school students - no small feat to be sure!

Everyone should have the opportunity to watch the excellent slide show these students produced. I was moved to tears when plaques of former MRHS students (some of them my friends) who died in combat were pictured in front of a U.S. Flag.

A major part of this program was a presentation by a staff member relating her experiences as an Army Reserve soldier and the impact of being separated from her "real life" to serve.

Three days a week, at Arena Sports on East Marginal Way South Michael Vujovich, uses his head. At the age of 56 he plays in an adult soccer league.

Michael's love of the game began in his native Yugoslavia as a child. He played competitively and if you ask him, he still does. It keeps him in great shape. He's still fast, outrunning much younger men, and is often at both ends of the field ahead of his teammates. Four minute games are fast and loose. No refs, no hard and fast rules. Play safe and call your own fouls, like pick-up basketball. Score a goal and the balls comes back out immediately in play again.

Sideboards circle the playing pitch, ala hockey. A loose net hangs from the ceiling to protect balls from striking the overhead lights. A ball into the nets halts play. But not for long. No time is wasted as the players begin again. With only four minutes, it does not take long.The buzzer signals the end of action. Like an Olympic athlete Michael hops the 3-foot side panel, landing lightly on his feet to wait for the next round of play. At 1:30 he says "showtime" which is basically the last 30 minutes of the two hour session.

Decisions by the SeaTac Council affect the future of the city. Members are voted into office to look forward and make decisions that protect the interests of its citizens.

Much emphasis has been put on creating a pedestrian-friendly City Center and making the environment appealing for people who want to live and work here.

The Council is currently considering rezoning part of the Washington Memorial cemetery for more surface parking.

This is the "Gateway to the Northwest." Most residents agree that surface parking is a huge eyesore; acres of cars and windshields are just plain ugly.

When the current MasterPark Lot "C" was developed with access on International Boulevard the trees came down and there has been a definite increase in airport noise heading this way. If this is approved, airport noise will be heard even louder.

Once surface parking is installed, redeveloping it later probably won't happen in our lifetime. Twenty-five years turns into 40 with deals being extended or enhanced.

You know, over the past few years, we've been inundated with politics, deficits, crime, foreclosures and natural disasters.

With due respect to the marvels of the internet, I'm here to say that I just don't think that we humans were created to deal with that much negativity coming at us, all at once - at micro-second speeds, in fact.

Do you ever just want to yell, "STOP!!" and then, slowly back away and keep backing, until you reach that time in your life when you could keep it all in focus? Me, too.

There was a time, not too long ago, when kids created with crayons and spent most of the day out in the backyard.

Moms would be busy using a light bulb to darn socks - hoping to get another few months wear out of them. Little girls might even help bake cookies and they played with their dolls, until they weren't little girls, anymore, and Dads were around to teach their boys how to change the oil in the car and throw a curve ball.

If there ever was the sound of a gunshot, it was either a car backfiring or someone spotted a coyote in the chicken coop.

Those seemingly unfriendly "Closed" and "Keep Out" signs appear limitlessly at Des Moines waterfront. Yellow caution tape, orange traffic cones and wire fences are plentiful in the Marina and Beach Park. What happened to "You're Welcome Here - Come-On In!"

What is puzzling is why both of these high-use neighboring recreation properties are literally closed to public use at the very same time.

Marina work is part of the master plan. Beach Park public facilities use has been restricted to limited activities for years, with the exception of kid's summer Camp KHAOS.

Even Field House property is torn up, extending a ball field and cutting down a stately old tree that provided shade and meaning for decades.

Des Moines Creek Trail, opened for use this summer, is now posted "Closed" for construction and expected to stay closed to early 2010.

With summer temperatures over 100 degrees, a huge rock near the creek in the shade of untouched native trees was heavenly.

When Beach Park was declared a Federal Historic Site a few years ago a sizeable grant of federal money accompanied it to help maintain buildings. It's rumored to be about $250,000.

Guy Harper is a retired citizen who resides in Gregory Heights and is a nationally respected wood carver, working with red cedar to create Northwest Indian art.

Several years ago, when I stumbled on the wonderful unsung work Guy writes about below, I called the carver who lives in New York. He said he hoped the city would do whatever is necessary to preserve the carvings and the big stump, which he found in Snohomish County and trucked to Burien.

We will send him a copy of this renewal of his creation.

- Jerry Robinson

THE RETURN OF THE STUMP PEOPLE!
By Guy Harper

Many years ago, before Burien became a city, King County provided several neighborhood parks--of which one was King County Park #10--now Dottie Harper Park located at 4th Avenue Southwest and Southwest 146th Street.

The landscape architect, at that time, called for the design of a sculpture using a very large "old growth" Western Red cedar stump. Large cedar pieces, in the shape of humans and animals, were to be dancing around the outside of the stump.

Be prepared for the holiday music blaring from televisions and radios even earlier this year. Will we rise to the call to ”buy and buy” in this atmosphere of economic depression felt by most every family in this country? Our minister has already offered a workshop on how to overcome the holiday hype and have a more peaceful season.

I pondered this as I decided to prepare for the holidays. Even though I can’t stir up huge batches of cookies and fruitcake anymore I decided to use my husband’s fruit cake recipe one more time. As all you cooks know, it takes a month for a fruitcake to steep in brandy before it is ready for tasting. Now I am in a real quandary about this because I am a teetotaler.

I have a miniature Women’s Christian Temperance Union pin that I got as a child if I promised never to touch evil drink. Would eating fruit cake, which had been wrapped in cloth soaked in brandy, disqualify me from keeping my temperance pledge?

Burien stabbings

A bar fight at closing time Nov. 12 led to the death of one man. A second victim was taken to Harborview with stabs wounds. However he is expected to survive.

The incident occurred about 1:40 a.m. at Good Time Ernie's, 15747 Ambaum Blvd in Burien. A fight inside the bar involving several people spilled out into the parking lot where the stabbings occurred.

A Burien man, age 25, died at the scene, despite CPR efforts from Sheriff's deputies (Burien Police) and then from fire personnel. A second stabbing victim, age 24 and also from Burien, was taken to Harborview. The two victims are brothers.

Sheriff's detectives interviewed bar patrons and witnesses, but no one was arrested. What prompted the fight is unknown. Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff's Office at (206) 296-3311 (24 hours) or 9-1-1.

Man found

A "missing" SeaTac man has been found alive and well, living in another state. The man, Nicholas Francisco, was last seen leaving his work on February 13, 2008. He was supposedly heading home to bake cookies with his children.