December 2009

The Ballard High School girls basketball players gave themselves and their coach a gift heading into winter vacation – their first win of the season, 37-34 over Ingraham Dec. 21.

The victory may not have been pretty, but it was important, coach C.J. Sealey said.

"A win is great," she said. "We definitely needed a win."

Junior Elena DeWeese led the Beavers with 10 points, and senior Alexandria Lawrence added nine.

Newcomer Tai Tautolo chipped in eight points in her debut game.

Sealey said the team has a few more practices before vacation.

She said she hopes to make some more progress before the break because the team returns with two games in two nights.

The Beavers are 1-5 overall and 0-4 in the conference.

Next up for Ballard is Auburn High School at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 28 at Ballard High School.

By Tim Burgess, Seattle City Council

Ed. Note: This column originally appeared in the December issue of Tim Burgess' newsletter, "City View."

My first two years on the city council are coming to an end soon. People keep asking me if I’m still having fun, and the answer is a resounding “Yes!”

I can’t think of a better job, even with the challenges and disappointments. I’m just very grateful the people trusted me with this honorable work.

So, as we face a new decade, here are a few thoughts, impressions, accomplishments and goals for the next year.

Public Safety

Crime and policing issues take a lot of my time as chair of the council’s public safety committee. Several crime-related projects in particular are worthy of mention.

After receiving a special report documenting the prevalence of prostituted children, I pressed for funding for a residential recovery program where 14 to 17-year-olds could find a safe haven and receive the specialized services they need to escape a life on the streets.

One year old Captain is a miniature Pinscher and he's an active, happy attentive dog who clearly enjoys life. He was wearing a pink coat on a misty day but his owner, Emily Zander said, "He's very manly. He can pull off wearing a pink coat." It wasn't his coat originally. A neighbor with a daschund gave it to Captain and he now wears it proudly.

Captain wasn't always his current rank. "I got him at the pound," Zander said, "and his name was Dale and I thought it needed to be changed."

Even though Captain is a rather small dog he has a commanding presence and gets his way when it comes to sleeping arrangements. "He likes to sleep under the covers in the bed," said Zander, but "He's a wiggler. He must dream because he kind of kicks and gets up and walks around. He's not quiet and still at night."

Captain does have some particular preferences for entertaining himself. "He likes dirty clothes," explained Zander, "I leave him at home when I go to work and I come home and there's just clothes everywhere. And he likes to chew up fancy shoes." Zander now keeps her good shoes up and out of Captains reach.

Music sudents of Federal Way Public Academy had their premier public performance at the Historical Society of Federal Way's Holiday Open House Tuesday December 15.

Classical Christmas music was the theme of the performance and at the end of their performance, Mary Gates, Executive Director of the Federal Way Symphony presented flowers for each musician.

Over 60 people attended the Society's Open House.

Joseph Rohrbach, a resident at Ballard Care and Rehabilitation Center, should be a popular guy at the center in Crown Hill.

Rohrbach won $1,150 for Ballard Care in the national SunBridge Healthcare holiday art contest. The money is being used for a new high-definition television for the residents.

Every year, SunBridge Healthcare holds a holiday art contest at its care centers. Artwork is created by the residents and then voted on by SunBridge employees.

Rohrbach's piece, "Winter Cabin Under a Starry Night," chosen over submissions from SunBridge's centers in 25 states.

"Winter Cabin Under a Starry Night" has been framed with a brief biography of Rohrbach and displayed in Ballard Care's main foyer.

The Holiday Art from the Heart contest has been offered to residents of SunBridge Healthcare since 2000.

Each year, four resident drawings are chosen to be the company's holiday card.

Residents look forward to this annual tradition so that they may share their own vision of the holidays, according to a SunBridge press release.

As a teen, Rohrbach traveled to Europe with his parents, where he developed inspiration to create art.

South Seattle Community College Art Gallery seeks proposals for the exhibition of artwork in all media, with particular emphasis on new and emerging local artists. The Art Gallery is interested in showcasing diverse programming, spanning across many mediums and themes. National artists may apply. Scheduling is done at least one year in advance.

Proposals should include:

· A representative sample of works (digital images) – Images submitted on CD must be jpegs formatted for PC; maximum size is 10 inches or 1024 pixels in the longest dimension at 72ppi.

· Artist or exhibitor statement.

· Artist résumé or bio.

· Self-addressed, stamped envelope with sufficient postage if you would like materials returned.

Proposals may be mailed to:
Tracy Cilona - Art Gallery Coordinator
South Seattle Community College
JMB 135 Student Life
6000 16th Avenue SW, Seattle, WA 98106-1499

Proposals may be emailed to:
Tracy Cilona
tcilona@sccd.ctc.edu

For additional information, contact Tracy Cilona at (206)764-5337.

Dear Editor,

It's all changing. We know that. And some of us are just trying
to stand still whilst the wind whistles by. What left when you went
from  paper person to mail delivery is, of course, the person...the
personal touch. But what also left was efficiency.

Now, with the inefficiency of the Westwood post office we receive
the paper on Friday. So, for example, I hope Jack Miller's event
at the Husky Deli was grand. It sounded like it. I would have
loved to attend...but I read about it after the fact.

Andy Helman
Arbor Heights

A 31-year-old West Seattle man with a long history of defacing property with homophobic slurs was arrested at a Junction bus stop on Thursday after being spotted by officers. Most recently he is suspected of defacing both a garage door of a residence on Admiral Way and the tennis backboard at Hiawatha Playfield. In his backpack were a black marker, a fixed blade knife, and a silver pen. He was booked into King County Jail for possession/concealment of a knife or cutting instrument.

A teenager was recuperating at home Wednesday around noon when she heard the doorbell ring, followed by the sounds of someone trying to break in through a rear door. She called 911, and officers arrived to find fresh pry marks around the back door, which was ajar.

Just around the corner (3800 block of 40th SW) and around the same time, someone stole items from a detached garage. A neighbor stated that an older “Cutlass-type” vehicle had been driving slowly through the neighborhood and had sped off when the passenger realized they had been spotted.

Virginia Swanson, who has chaired the City’s Special Events Committee for more than 25 years, has received the Big Bertha Landes Award from the Fremont Chamber of Commerce. The award recognizes “women who take charge and take action.”

The award is in recognition of the assistance Swanson has provided over the years in support of Fremont special events, such as the Red Bull Soap Box Derby, Fremont Fair and Solstice Parade, Fremont Trolloween and Fremont Oktoberfest.

“We, the small businesses of Fremont, realize our events make us a happening place,” Suzie Burke, board member of the Fremont Chamber of Commerce, said in a press release. “Virginia has made Seattle a happening place for years. We are so lucky to have her.”

Past award winners include former Seattle City Council member Jane Noland, Jeanne Muir, Jamie Shanks, Susan McClosky, DeeDee Footer and Lillian Tangen.

Bertha Landes was mayor of Seattle from 1926 to 1928 and was the first female executive of a major American city.

Passiveness proved to be deadly for the Class 1A Seattle Christian boys basketball team Tuesday, December 15, in a 67-53 loss at Class 2A Fife.

“We really backed down against the pressure to start,” admitted Warriors coach Shaun DeYager.

Capitalizing on turnovers and getting easy shot attempts, Fife quickly broke to a 7-0 lead before Michael Watts dropped in two free throws for the Warriors. Continuing the turnover trend, Seattle Christian (2-2 overall) fell back to a 21-2 first quarter deficit against the taller and crisply passing Trojans.

Blake Weber fired home a three-ball and Chris Holmes tallied a lay up at the buzzer as SCS penetrated the shadowing man-to-man defense to pull within 21-7.

Seattle Christian continued to fight hard, although the torrid Trojans kept up their prodigiously hot shooting to lead 41-23 at halftime and 57-36 after three quarters.

The Warriors refused to fold and flurried back to close the gap at the end. Mackinnon Simpson ignited the surge with a mixture of outside accuracy and inside moves for points. Seattle Christian was effective when it decided to attack the pressure instead of backing down.