January 2010

OYEHUT - Evergreen closed out its North Beach Holiday with The Hyaks tournament with a 50-14 girls basketball demolition of outsized and outgunned Forks to come away with third place on Wednesday, December 30, 2009.

The dominating Eagles also shocked Forks with their trademark pressing defense and transition baskets en route to a 10-0 first quarter margin.

Up by 23-6 at halftime, Evergreen Lutheran racked up a 17-point third quarter to build up an insurmountable 40-7 lead. All eleven players that suited up for the Eagles from Des Moines scored and amassed considerable playing time.

Amanda Meyer and Erica Hansen totalled eight points each in the team triumph.

Evergreen Lutheran continued to demonstrate its speed and played like Class 2B girls state basketball contenders in a 36-24 SeaTac 2B South division victory against Crosspoint Academy (Bremerton) at its Des Moines campus on Saturday, January 9.

In running their league record to 3-0 tie for first with Tacoma Baptist and overall mark to 8-3, the flying Eagles established the tempo early to seize sizable leads before the Warriors made the game look closer with a fourth quarter flurry.

"This game was physical, but we can play that way if we need to," said EL head coach Jeff Kurbis. "We've won two big games during this period of the season. Today, we kept their big gal under control until she started to get too many inside shots. We go nine deep and our speed was much greater than theirs. We're still improving everyday and the girls continue wanting to learn more."

Last night, Chief Sealth (4-2 in conference) dropped a close game to the Seattle Prep Panthers (6-1 in conference) by a final score of 50-47. Sealth got off to a slow start trailing almost immediately 0-6.

As soon as juniors Korwin Flowers and D’nique Hams-Welch were inserted into the line-up Sealth began playing with better rhythm. Harris-Welch connected on a 3 pointer and senior Tomas Ogbaslassie pitched in a lay up giving Sealth a 9-9 tie at the end of the first quarter.

A basket by senior Greg Wilson, another bucket from Harris-Welch and big plays from Daniel Davis gave Sealth a 6 point halftime lead, 23-17. Knotted through much of the 3rd, Prep went on a run in the early fourth opening up a 9 point lead with just over 4 minutes remaining. Back to back 3-point plays from Ogbaslassie cut the lead to 2 at 47-45, but the Seahawks couldn’t convert to looks from close in.

Izzy is a 2 1/2 year old Golden Retriever whose owner Dave Johnson said is a "total love dog" and who has an unusual behavior. She meditates.

"She'll splay her back legs so her belly is flat on the ground, she'll grab one of her plush toys and she'll lay it between her front legs and just lay like that with her eyes open for 15 minutes at a time." While Johnson himself mediates he swears she did not learn this calming practice from him, "She did it all by herself, she sure didn't pick up the splayed legs and belly on the ground from me," he said laughing.
She loves plush toys and she "Likes to make little sticks out of big ones," Johnson said as he watched her gnawing on a fallen branch. "We like to go to Lincoln Park and get some soft driftwood for her once in a while, she uses it for her toothbrushes" Johnson explained.
Izzy has a preference for the Park or Alki as walking destinations and enjoys swimming when she can.

Izzy is a squirrel chaser, "Anything else she just wants to play with," Johnson said.

What is a blue moon? What’s the difference between a donkey and a mule? When does the Central Library open on Saturdays?

The Seattle Public Library can now answer all these questions and more via cell phone text.

The library has joined more than 70 libraries from across the United States in providing the text reference service My InfoQuest.

To use My InfoQuest, type a text message with the code SEA and your question (up to 160 characters) and send to 309.222.7740. A librarian will text back a response in minutes.

Answers will be brief (320 characters or less). Answers exceeding 160 characters will be sent in two messages.

The library service is free of charge, but standard text messaging rates may apply depending on phone service provider.

Current hours of service are Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“Text a Librarian gives us another convenient way to provide service to the public,” librarian Toby Thomas said in a press release.

Library patrons already can get their questions answered by email, Web chat, telephone and in person.

BallardNewsTribune.com is looking for a few good columnists to join our talented contributers.

We are looking for Ballard-area residents with a knowledge of, and an interest in writing about, any of the following topics: auto repair, nightlife, gardening, technology, books, fitness and history.

We are also looking for a writer to take over the "101 Things To Do In Ballard" column.

Of course, we are open to any additional ideas you may have.

The online columnist position is unpaid, but your writing will appear on our Web site, and if you are part of a business related to your column topic, the business will be mentioned at the end of every column.

Our online columnists are committed to writing a monthly or twice-monthly piece on their topic. The pieces should average about 500 words, though longer or shorter is fine.

The online columns on BallardNewsTribune.com are some of the best-read articles on the site.

Any interested writers can contact BallardNewsTribune.com editor Michael Harthorne at 206.755.8147 or michaelh@robinsonnews.com for more information or to discuss ideas.

The Citizens Budget Conference is coming up Sunday, January 31st in the Center House at Seattle Center. At least two well known West Seattleites will be in attendance. Chas Redmond (Morgan Community Association/SW District Council) and Jim Del Cielo (Admiral Neighborhood Association/SW District Council) are the Chair and Vice Chair, respectively, of the City Neighborhood Council.

This is an opportunity for citizens to talk with various departments and get an understanding of where their tax money actually goes and what programs are supported - and given the current economic realities, what programs are at risk.

Seattle's newly elected mayor, Mike McGinn will be there as will Jean Godden of the Seattle City Council, who chairs the Finance and Budget Committee. Beth Goldberg, Director of Seattle's Department of Finance will be on hand to provide an overview of the budget process.
Other city agencies will make presentations in the afternoon and allow questions and provide some answers.

The schedule:
12:00 noon REGISTRATION/FOOD/BUDGET FAIR

The Green Party of Washington State will hold a convention Jan. 30 in Ballard to formally reconstitute the state party.

The convention will be a working assembly, grappling with many important questions facing our nation and the Green Party of Washington State.

Topics of immediate concern include growing local chapters, upcoming electoral work and outreach.

The convention will be held at 8:30 a.m at Trinity United Methodist Church, 6512 23rd Ave. N.W. Registration will begin promptly at 8:30.

Attendance is free with donations accepted. Coffee and tea will be provided. Attendees are encouraged to bring a brown bag lunch or visit locally-owned restaurants close by the convention site. Limited housing is available for those who wish to stay overnight.

Despite the best hopes in our first African-American president, we have an escalation in Afghanistan, a continuing war in Iraq, high unemployment, millions facing foreclosure, a health care plan written by insurance lobbyists, and billions in bailouts to Wall Street.

All of this is reflected in Washington state's massive budget deficit and shredding of the social safety net.

By Dan Satterberg, King County Prosecuting Attorney

Ed. Note: This column originally appeared in the Jan. 10 edition of Dan Satterberg's "The Prosecutor's Post."

It was 20 years ago when the Washington State Legislature began deliberations on comprehensive recommendations to overhaul our state's sex offender laws. The calls for reform arose, as is often the case, from terrible tragedies.

As we begin the 2010 legislative session on Jan. 11, we should pause to look back at the positive outcomes achieved two decades ago. It is particularly important that we do so as we turn to face the new challenges arising from the tragic and outrageous attacks on this state's law enforcement officers.

The Community Protection Act, as it was known, was enacted in 1990 in response to two violent sex crimes that sparked widespread public outrage and concern throughout our state.

First, a young woman named Diane Ballasiotes was abducted and murdered in a downtown parking garage by a dangerous psychopath who had walked away from his work release bed.

If you’re tired of the upkeep, dealing with tenants, repairs and maintenance, now is a great time to sell your rental property. If you’ve owned your rental property for approximately 7 years or more, than you’ll still be seeing a profit if you sell. Furthermore, buyers that never thought they could afford to own rental property, are now interested more than ever.

With mortgage interest rates at historic lows, prices low, and an increased demand for rentals due to people that aren’t able to qualify for a home loan these days, it has created a terrific opportunity for real estate investors to begin their portfolio of investment properties.

There is optimism amongst experts based on a new report that provides the strongest evidence yet that buyers are starting to return to the local real-estate market. According to Housing Wire, it looks like the extended and expanded tax credit is truly getting buyers off the fence.