December 2009

Dear Editor,

I was saddened by your article ("Library Turns Volunteer into 'Secret Gardner'").

There are so many factors in play around this episode that it is a mistake to point a finger in any one direction.

Ms. Malone wants to help her local library by maintaining the grounds, which desperately need more maintenance, as a volunteer. However, the Seattle City Library system has no procedures in place to allow supervised or unsupervised volunteer work on its grounds.

If an unsupervised volunteer is injured while "secretly gardening," the library could be liable. I am sure this is not what Ms. Malone was thinking of when she offered to help, but we have all read many stories of good intentions gone bad.

The library workers were probably nonplussed at what was occurring and didn't know exactly what to say to Ms. Malone. I am sure no offense was meant.

The looming 2010 budget crisis and two pieces of marijuana legislation seemed to be the topics of the night for the three legislators and two dozen constituents at the 36th District open house Dec. 15.

One attendee said she hoped to hear what legislation Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, Rep. Reuven Carlyle and Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson were working on, but had a feeling budget talk would largely preempt that.

"We are in a crisis, a very real crisis," Dickerson said. "I don't think the general public realizes the crisis we are in."

Kohl-Welles said the legislature will be facing making amendments to Gov. Chris Gregoire's balanced 2010 budget in the upcoming legislative session, which starts in January.

The state is facing a $2.6 billion shortfall, even higher than what was anticipated at the end of the last session in April, she said.

"We have to find cuts," she said. "And, there is just very little space to find cuts to make."

Kohl-Welles said many in the legislature believe any further cuts would have a horrendous effect on the quality of life in the state.

One of the only options to get around that is to create new revenue sources, she said.

The Ballard High School wrestling team lost its third match in a row Dec. 14, this time 58-10 to Lake Washington.

Soren Heinecke was the only Beaver to win his individual match.

He beat Lakes Washington's Gabe Brunson 19-8 by major decision.

Ballard doesn't wrestle again until 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 7 at Bellevue High School.

Recently I have attended two separate college admissions events in the Puget Sound area.

I was dismayed to see how few Federal Way students and parents who could attend either of these two events. For many colleges in this nation a trip to Washington is considered a “Trip to the Desert” as it is so hard to find qualified candidates for their fine schools.

Why is this so? Guidance Departments don’t seem to have the time, or preparation, to deal with any schools outside of their immediate area. It is well to note that Massachusetts has more colleges than there are west of the Rockies and most kids and parents in Federal Way can’t name many of them.

Certainly those that do not have a Division I athletic team are almost surely not known.

Many of these colleges make some pretty deliberate efforts to recruit students from all of the country, not just their local area such as the University of Washington. Many of these schools are also leaders in some particular fields as well.

She informed me this way, “ Are you ready?”

I’m used to this line of inquiry and expected the usual dog walk. “Be sure to grab the checkbook.” This was the clue that there would be the dreaded ‘shopping’ foray, deep into the heart of Federal Way’s shopping menagerie that I normally try to duck.

She was ready for me this time and employed the one caveat that I couldn’t refuse.

“We can start at the bookstore, if you want,” she added.

I hauled my frame from in front of the computer and we made for the car. I was relieved to get some respite from the story I was reading about the life and death of former Beatle George Harrison.

There are lots of different ways to become melancholy during the holidays and this news was just right. So as the wife and I drove toward the glow of taillights in the packed traffic, I reflected on the good memories surrounding George’s life and music.

I was a devoted Beatle fan, having grown up during the sixties, my brother Pat and I would sit in his bedroom and wonder at the gorgeous harmonies and complex arrangements that set the stage for hundreds of rock and pop music groups that would follow.

Elaine Rolf has had her dog Xena for 10 years. Xena is a Bouvier (technically a Bouvier Des Flanders) a breed that comes from the Flanders region of Belgium. A breeder named Judy Soule near Vancouver, Washington was where Rolf acquired the dog as a "tiny pup".

"She's just a good dog," said Rolf, "She stays home and doesn't rip up the house, which seems like a pretty good thing to me."
Her grooming is handled by Great Dog near Northgate. She's not a great guard dog but "She does have a fierce bark" acknowledged Rolf.
She considered making Xena a show dog for a while, since her parents were both show dogs but the time commitment proved to be too much.

Xena is not a particular eater."When we were training she liked hot dogs and string cheese and she still thinks hot dogs are about as good as anything in the world." Xena learned the commands 'down' and 'stay' in training and, "The one thing she does pretty well is that I can go into a coffee shop and leave her outside with her leash just sitting beside her, said Rolf.

"She's the only dog I've really had as an adult", Rolf said, "I feel very fortunate."

How to nominate your pet for Pet of the Week:

The 50-member WellnessWestSeattle.com is in its second year of serving the West Seattle community. The ad-free site includes a directory of health and wellness practitioners with educational links. Visitors to WellnessWestSeattle.com can find service descriptions, photos of practitioners, contact information, and links to practitioner sites.

Categories include Acupuncture to Yoga. Some of the services include medical and dental, mental health and well being, coaching, complementary and alternative medicine, body work and fitness, youth care and other “community care” services, and more.

To celebrate their second year as a community wellness resource, health and wellness professionals at WellnessWestSeattle.com have been talking about the special things they personally appreciate about West Seattle. With the perfect storm of economic pressure meeting typical holiday stress, the gratitude antidote is especially valuable.

West Crown Hill, a small pocket neighborhood just off 15th Avenue Northwest, has many things: proximity to shops and bus stops, a sense of community and comparatively cheap housing.

But, there is one thing it doesn't have: sidewalks. And, a growing number of residents say they will not rest until that changes.

West Crown Hill is a half-dozen square blocks bordered by 15th Avenue and Olympic Manor to the east and west and Whitman Middle School and Northwest 85th Street to the north and south.

At the Dec. 9 Ballard District Council meeting, 30 neighborhood residents showed up to ask the council to consider them and their lack of sidewalks for a portion of the Bridging the Gap funds available to the city in 2010.

Deborah Jaquith, leader of the West Crown Hill sidewalk project, said she and a handful of other volunteers canvassed the neighborhood, asking residents how they would feel about sidewalks and informing them of the upcoming Ballard District Council meeting.

Jaquith said there is a real public safety need for sidewalks in West Crown Hill. Cars cut through the neighborhood, and on one block alone there are 13 children younger than 5, she said.

The Ballard High School boys basketball team will be playing the rest of the season without senior John Barnes, who left the team to focus on academics.

Barnes was an All-KingCo honorable mention last season and played in the KingCo All Star game.

He was the Beavers second leading scorer last year, averaging 10. 6 points per game. He was also sixth in KingCo in total blocks and 11th in rebounds per game.

Before the first game of the season, coach Billy Rodgers said Barnes success would be a key to Ballard's season.

"Not having him is a huge loss for our team," Rodgers said. "We will ask all of our players to help us, but no one can make up the void left by John’s departure."

Rodgers said he hopes this time off from basketball will give Barnes the time he needs to do well in the classroom.

Barnes scored 10 points in his only game this season.

The Beavers face Garfield at 7:30 p.m. tonight at Ballard High School.

I know we all must do with less

Because the times are tough

But when it comes to parking

I’ve been down sized quite enough

For now behind the Liquor Store

They’re forcing us to squeeze

Like coins in slots, in narrow spots

Where once we parked with ease

So even though your car is one

That modesty defines

If it came not from Lilliput

It won’t fit in those lines

And if somebody parks too close

While you’re off buying gin

You might be left, though it’s not right

Outside and not within

Now at the risk of sounding

Rather flippant or bizarre

Did no one really know we got

Both in and out the car?