January 2010

It took two overtimes to do it, but the Ballard High School boys basketball team beat Inglemoor 73-69 Jan. 22, breaking a two-game losing streak.

The teams were close all game, and the first overtime was no different with Ballard and Inglemoor matching each others' six points.

The Beavers finally got the advantage on Inglemoor in the second extra period.

Junior Salim Gloyd scored a game-high 26 points. Senior Gary Smith had 19.

The Beavers improved their record to 4-6 in the conference and 5-9 overall.

Ballard's next game is at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 26 at Ballard High School against Eastlake.

The Ballard High School girls basketball team's Jan. 22 comeback attempt fell short as the Beavers lost to Inglemoor 43-35 in overtime.

Ballard was trailing 33-24 heading into the fourth quarter. But after the Beavers forced a handful of Inlgemoor turnovers, senior Kayla Wenger tied the game at 35 on a free throw with 1:50 remaining.

Neither team would score in regulation, though Ballard had a chance to put the game away on a fast break in the final seconds.

The Beavers appeared to run out of gas in overtime, as Inglemoor shut them out in the extra period.

Wenger had a game-high 10 points, and junior Elena DeWeese chipped in nine.

The loss dropped Ballard to 1-9 in KingCo and 3-11 overall.

The team takes on Eastlake at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 27 at Ballard High School.

Before the Jan. 22 Ballard High School boys basketball game, George Irvine, Ballard class of 1966, had his number 44 jersey retired and became the third name on the Ballard High School Basketball Wall of Fame.

In the three years he played for them, the Beavers went 42-10.

Irvine went on to play at the University of Washington. He was named an all-conference player twice and is a member of the university's all-century team.

Irvine played professionally from 1970 to 1977. Since then he has spent stints as an assistant coach, head couch and scout in the NBA.

He is currently a scout for the Orlando Magic and the Utah Jazz.

"George was a true Ballard legend," said Jim Vatn, master of ceremonies for the evening.

In his speech to the packed Ballard gym, Irvine said he didn't start playing basketball to have his name and number added to the Wall of Fame, and he didn't spend 40 years involved in the NBA for the money and fame. He did those things because he loves the game of basketball, he said.

Irvine closed his speech with a piece of advice for all the young people in attendance.

Saturday, January 23rd, Willie Murderface will donate *ALL* wages and tips to Officer McKissack, who was injured in the line of duty protecting West Seattle.. ***UPDATE*** Goldie's will be contributing 5% of all sales during the event, and will be hosting a raffle as well.

Saturday, January 23, at 9:00pm to Sunday, January 24, at 1:30am
Location: Goldie's on Airport Way
3924 Airport Way S, Seattle, WA

Jason McKissack was severely beaten on the job while trying to break up a fight in West Seattle. As a result, he has suffered mental and physical damage and can no longer serve, and he's losing his medical benefits.

Prizes for the Raffle have been generously donated by:

Goldie's
Full Tilt Ice Cream (http://fulltilticecream.com/)
C and P Coffee (http://www.candpcoffee.com/)
Proletariat Pizza (http://www.proletariatpizza.com/)
Cherry Consignment (http://www.cherryconsign.com/)
Envy on Alki Skin Boutique (http://www.envyonalki.com/)
Alki Beach Tattoo (http://www.myspace.com/alkibeachtattoo)
Via Tribunali Neapolitan Pizzeria (http://www.viatribunali.net/)
Club Motor (http://www.clubmotorseattle.com/)

A mistrial was declared Friday in the assault trial of former King County sheriff's Deputy Paul Schene after a lone juror held out for acquittal.

Schene was accused of assaulting a teenage girl in a holding cell in the rear of SeaTac City Hall.

The 12-member jury voted 11-1 to convict Schene of the fourth-degree assault charge. The jurors began deliberating on Wednesday.

King County Superior Court Judge Michael J. Fox declared the mistrial Friday afternoon.

Prosecutors immediately said they would retry Schene.

Schene, 32, was accused of assaulting SeaTac resident Malika Calhoun, then 15, after she flipped one of her shoes at him.

A widespread video apparently showed Schene kicking her, grabbing her hair, shoving her into a wall and punching her while she lay on the ground.

Calhoun was being booked after being suspected of stealing her guardian's car.

Most of us who think “Japanese uncooked fish” probably think “sushi.” But Tom Ravenscroft thinks “Gyotaku,” the Japanese art of fish printing, and he teaches it. A whole, raw fish is brushed on one side with ink, and rice paper is rolled over the inked scales to make a lasting impression that outlives the fish.

Ravenscroft, a West Seattle resident, will teach gyotaku, pronounce “gee’-yo-tah’-koo,” Japanese for “fish rubbing,” at South Seattle Community College’s Continuing Education Department. Two separate classes will start Tuesday, Feb. 9, and Saturday, Feb. 13.

Gyotaku began as a practical tool in Japan in the mid 1800’s, then evolved into an art form, said Ravenscroft, who both teaches classes, and sells his framed works.

“Japanese fishermen would take rice paper down to the sea, catch a fish, put some ink on it, then do a rubbing, like a fingerprint of the fish. If they cut up the fish later they could remark to their friends, ‘I really did catch a fish this big!’ It was the Japanese version of the American fisherman’s tale. It is still practiced in Japan today.

The Ballard High School boys swim team may have lost 102-83 to Woodinville Jan. 21, but more than 75 percent of the team posted personal bests, nearly leading to an upset.

The Beavers lost four meets in a row to start the season. But since then, with the help of nine workouts a week, they have posted a 2-1 record.

"The Ballard boys swim team has had to rely on one basic element: hard work," said coach Leo Jaeger. "The turnaround has been remarkable with very good showings in their last three meets."

Jaeger said Ballard's meet against Woodinville was probably its best of the season.

Caleb Jaeger took first place in the 100-yard fly and 100-yard breaststroke with times of 1:00.14 and 1:08.40.

Sam Hall posted times of 24.47 and 54.6 in the 50 and 100-yard freestyle.

In the same events, Alex Larson had times of 23.67 and 53.47.

Diver Louis Weisman scored more than 150 points in six dives and will compete in the district qualifier.

Ballard has its final meet of the season at 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 26 at Juanita Pool, taking on Lake Washington.

"We will see if we have one more in us," Jaeger said.

By Erin Schultz, Schools First

The campaign to renew the Seattle Public Schools levies hosted a campaign phone drive Jan. 20 at the campaign headquarters as King County Elections mailed out more than 360,000 ballots for the Feb. 9 special election.

PTA representatives, educators, current and former students and Schools First supporters made calls to thousands of voters reminding them to check their mailboxes and encouraging them to vote yes on Propositions 1 and 2, the Seattle Public Schools Operating and Capital levies.

Central District Resident Ryan Curren came to the event for his 2-year-old daughter.

According to Ryan, “I want her schools to be good when she gets there. Education is just generally underfunded, so anything we can do to supplement the state’s insufficient funding is essential. I can’t imagine what our schools would look like without this levy funding.”

A SeaTac woman has been charged with threats to bomb a Highline district school bus. Ubax Gardheere, 29, posted bond on Friday, Jan. 22 and was released.

The incident occurred Jan. 12 when prosecutors said she boarded a school bus headed for Chinook Middle School in SeaTac. She allegedly said a national security incident was happening and harangued the driver and student passengers about Somalia.

When told to exit the bus, prosecutors say she claimed she might have a bomb in her clothing.

Students began fleeing out the rear door of the bus and Gardheere told them they were cowards, according to reports.

She allegedly told a responding police officer that she was prepared to die.

Prosecutors said the students feared for their lives and thought she might have a bomb or weapon.

Love Song at ArtsWest
ArtsWest presents the Seattle premiere of Love Song by John Kolvenbach, directed by Kate Witt and featuring Cindy Bradder, Nick DeSantis, Heather Hawkins, and Christopher Zinovitch. The production begins performances on January 27, 2010 at ArtsWest. Press performances are January 27, 28, 29, and 30 at 7:30 and January 31 at 3:00.

Kate Witt, who starred in ArtsWest’s productions of Dead Man’s Cell Phone and Well gives her directorial debut in this off-beat romantic comedy from hot young playwright John Kolvenbach.

“The humor of this piece is great,” said Ms. Witt. “The lyrical quality of many of the lines is beautiful. But most of all, I love the sibling relationship between Joan and Beane.”