February 2010

Beamer and Decatur represented the Federal Way area well, with the Titans reeling in seven state qualifications and the Gators four in action at the Region II wrestling championships in Todd Beamer's gym last Saturday.

"Awesome, hard work pays off," said Ben Thuney, who co-coaches with Bret Lucas for the Titans, in the long haul reaping their most rewards ever leading up to state.

The most wrestlers the Titans ever sent to state prior to this year was five.

"Our goal was eight to state, and we're sending seven and one alternate " said Thuney.

Top four wrestlers from regionals qualify automatically for state that happens this Friday and Saturday in the Tacoma Dome, and a fifth place finisher is the alternate, getting to compete only if one of the top four can't make it for an illness or injury.

Thuney and Lucas, and also assistant Randy Burns, have been telling the wrestlers since the infancy of this past South Puget Sound League wrestling season what is needed. Their best efforts now!

"Been telling the kids since Day one it's all about peaking at the end of the year," said Thuney.

Bam! It's happened.

On Thursday, February 11, the No. 1 state ranked boys basketball Federal Way Eagles overcame carelessness against a speedy foe to subdue No. 3 Curtis 59-52 at the ShoWare Center and claim the South Puget Sound League championship as well as the No. 1 seed to West Central District.

"We made turnovers," lamented Federal Way head coach Jerome Collins. "More importantly they were unforced. We were undisciplined on offense and that caused us not to score, which caused us not to press and not to run. Although we spaced well, we didn't send the ball to the right places. We were lackadasical with the basketball."

Curtis used its quickness to move smartly forward for an 8-2 first quarter lead, but the "Eagle Express" started hitting the tracks in earnest to thunder ahead with 13 consecutive points. Stealing the ball and making quick transitions, the Eagles (20-1) also started finding Cole Dickerson with passes into the paint while running to a 15-8 lead that became 15-10 at the end of the quarter.

After a horrendous fourth quarter defensive collapse in a Tuesday, February 9, 61-50 playoff loss to Kentwood for the South Puget Sound League North second spot into the league tournament, the Federal Way girls basketball team regained its trademark, physical defense to demolish Puyallup 46-28 in an SPSL 4A tournament game held at Thomas Jefferson High School on Friday, February 12.

Federal Way (18-4) went on to play Rogers (Puyallup) on Saturday, February 13, at Kent's ShoWare Center to decide the fourth place and fifth place seeds to the West Central/Southwest 4A bi-district tournament.

The Vikings broke the press and got good ball movement against the Federal Way zone to stay close for one half.

Carefully cradling a 19-16 edge heading into the second half, the Eagles buried the Vikings in the third quarter with a clamp down man-to-man defense that forced seven turnovers and limited Puyallup to one field goal with 1:51 remaining before the fourth quarter.

Ed. Note: This piece originally appeared in Tim Burgess' "City View" newsletter.
Education has been in the news a lot lately.
Seattle voters once again granted supplemental funding for our public schools by overwhelmingly approving two Seattle School District levies. The continued generosity of this city amazes me.

You might have also read about a court case regarding state funding for education.
A King County Superior Court ruling last week eloquently articulated the importance of a good educational system: educated citizens are crucial to a healthy democracy, a robust economy, a fair justice system and a strong pluralistic and equitable society.
In essence, everything we strive for here in City Hall starts with education.

"Paramount Duty"
The legal judgment of the Superior Court ruling is interesting.
Article 9 of the Washington Constitution states, “It is the paramount duty of the state to make ample provision for the education of all children residing within its borders, without distinction or preference on account of race, color, caste or sex.”

Travelers at Sea-Tac International Airport on Feb. 12 and shoppers in West Seattle on Feb. 13 and Feb. 14 may have been exposed to measles.
Local public health officials have learned of a confirmed case of measles in a King County child who was exposed while outside the United States. The child developed a measles rash on Monday, Feb. 15 after arriving in King County on Feb. 12.
The child was contagious during travel, and had health care visits and community exposures subsequently. The child was hospitalized during the illness and is recovering.

Because most people in our area are vaccinated against measles, the risk to the general population is low, according to King County health officials.
Persons who are unvaccinated, pregnant women, infants less than six months of age and persons with weakened immune systems are at higher risk if exposed to measles and should contact their health care providers promptly if they develop an illness with fever or an unexplained rash illness.

Travelers at Sea-Tac International Airport on Feb. 12 and shoppers in West Seattle on Feb. 13 and Feb. 14 may have been exposed to measles.
Local public health officials have learned of a confirmed case of measles in a King County child who was exposed while outside the United States. The child developed a measles rash on Monday, Feb. 15 after arriving in King County on Feb. 12.
The child was contagious during travel, and had health care visits and community exposures subsequently. The child was hospitalized during the illness and is recovering.

Because most people in our area are vaccinated against measles, the risk to the general population is low, according to King County health officials.
Persons who are unvaccinated, pregnant women, infants less than six months of age and persons with weakened immune systems are at higher risk if exposed to measles and should contact their health care providers promptly if they develop an illness with fever or an unexplained rash illness.

West Seattle Nursery has been a mecca for gardeners and people who love plants for well over 20 years now. The building was originally home to a Herfy's Hamburger's and briefly an auto parts store but the Nursery has been the one to really take root and grow.
The business recently recognized that having the checkstand in the middle of the store needed some re-thinking and chose to remodel to gain more counter space and provide better flow through for customers.

The design was created with the use of recycled materials in mind. Instead of buying new cabinets they simply moved the old ones, and the front of the new counter was built from recycled wood, cut on the ends while the counter itself consists of recycled pallets.

Brian Beck is a local West Seattle artist who designed and built the remodel, assembling all the parts elsewhere. He then moved it all and constructed it on site in one evening.

A park is going to be built soon on Ninth Avenue Northwest between Northwest 70th Street and Northwest 73rd Street. If you go there now, there are two houses, some sheds, what was once a huge garden and a mysterious message written in stones: SALWT.

I know everyone is excited to see this park completed, but I am interested in finding out a little more about what went on behind the big holly bushes that used to be there and whether this past is worth remembering.

The “SALWT” stone message refers to Daniel Salwt (a.k.a Sult), the founder of the Seventh Elect Church in Israel.

According to a fascinating report available from the Seattle Parks Department, Salwt was a preacher who abandoned his family in the Midwest and travelled by bicycle to Seattle, preaching the word of God along the way.

When he arrived in Seattle, he preached on the corner of Fourth Avenue and Pike Street in Downtown.

The self-proclaimed “Seventh Messenger” had somewhere between 80 and 400 followers and believed that Ballard (well, Phinney Ridge actually) was going to be the gathering place of the Elect, who were to be saved when Judgment Day came.

In recent months the City of Burien has been attempting to fulfill a state mandate to develop a Shoreline Management Policy. This policy affects Lake Burien and all waterfront property on Puget Sound within city limits.
As the plan has been developed it has evolved into a blatant attempt to co-opt the property rights of those who live in the affected areas.
In some cases these properties have been in families for generations and many others are long time residents whose occupancy predates the City of Burien.

In the case of Three Tree Point their inclusion in the city was entirely voluntary in order to lend a voice in the opposition to the Third Runway. These residents have for the most part proven themselves to be good stewards of their properties and the adjoining beaches.
Now the city is using the SMP as its stalking horse in a thinly disguised attempt to take waterfront property from its rightful owners.

According to a press release today from King County Executive Dow Constantine:

Constantine vows to continue pursuit of federal funding for South Park Bridge
Federal TIGER grant awards do not include vital link for access to SR 99 and I-5

King County Executive Dow Constantine today vowed to continue pursuit of funding for replacement of the county’s South Park Bridge:

“I am very disappointed for the people of King County that our application for federal stimulus funding to replace the South Park Bridge was not approved.

“While the bridge competed against a lot of other worthy projects, replacing this key transportation link is imperative to the economic health of affordable, diverse neighborhoods and the hundreds of industrial businesses that depend on direct vehicular access to State Route 99 and Interstate 5. It may not be a glamorous or high-profile project, but it’s one that is vitally important to our economy and our society.