March 2010

Seattle Public Schools Open Enrollment for the 2010-11 school year continues through Wednesday, March 31, 2010. During Open Enrollment, families may register their child to enter SPS in fall 2010 and/or apply for a school other than their assigned school.

Initial Assignment Letter: End of February
For the first time this year, current students in Pre-K, kindergarten and Grades 1-11 – and those who will be new to the District in fall 2010 and pre-registered before Jan. 15 – will get their assignment at the end of February. Under the District’s new student assignment plan, students currently enrolled are "grandfathered" through the highest grade of the school they attend, providing that services they need are available at that school. Students in the highest grade at their current school (rising from elementary to middle school or middle school to high school) will receive an assignment to their attendance area school, or another school based on availability of services.

A patient at Western State Hospital has lost phone privileges after repeatedly calling the family of a West Seattle woman, trying to get back in touch with her. (About ten years ago he had been arrested and imprisoned for crimes against the woman.)

A female student was standing outside James Madison Middle School when she was slapped hard in the face by a West Seattle High School student. A teacher grabbed the suspect and went to the office. He admitted that he didn't have an excuse for hitting the girl—he was just in a “bad mood.” The boy was trespassed from the grounds of Madison, released to his father, and will be investigated for assault charges.

Tuesday afternoon, while waiting for a bus at 49th and Charlestown, a 15-year-old girl was approached by a man in his twenties driving an older Jeep Cherokee. He repeatedly offered her a ride, said he wouldn't “do anything,” and would take her anywhere she wanted to go. He finally drove away when she said she was meeting someone on the bus. The suspect had a slim build, a shaved head, and white-rimmed sunglasses. He was a smoker.

What do you get when you cross-pollinate a former church, two rock bands, women dressed as bumblebees, a drink called The Stinger and a national spelling champion?

Correct. The first-ever Salmon Bay Spelling Throwdown is C-O-R-R-E-C-T.

A woman wearing black-and-white stripes and bobbing antennae greeted me at the door.

“I’m Robin,” she said. “And, this is my bee.”

Although she was rightly referring to her role as lead organizer, I later realized she was also carrying the handmade bee ultimately awarded to the second-place winner of the spelling competition.

Obvious as a woman dressed like a bumblebee, Robin Lofstrom was everywhere throughout the evening, collecting money at the door, showing off the surroundings of the Big House and rocking the rafters of the former church as vocalist with parent band The Zoinks.

One could make a case that raising funds for the school by holding an adult spelling bee models good learning habits for children, but anyone witnessing parents as rockers and spellers pumping the keg between rounds might think twice. This was an adult bee.

It’s a perfect Seattle Saturday, and the March sun glints off a reflector as Bob Jeffers-Schroder unbuckles his helmet and locks his bike. A box strapped to its back wears stickers that plead, “STOP GLOBAL WARMING.”

Jeffers-Schroder uncurls a wad of flyers from his forest-green fanny pack and trots down a quaint Ballard block. He rings the doorbell of the first house. No answer. Unfazed, he tries its neighbor. No answer. He waves to a car as it skims the curb and the driver cracks the window.

“I’m running for Congress because we need to do more to stop global warming,” Jeffers-Schroder says in one breath.

He asks if he can give the driver a flyer, and he accepts.

This is Jeffers-Schroder’s campaign strategy: Knock on 60,000 Seattle homes before the August primary and hand the resident a flyer.

As an independent, Jeffers-Schroder said he hopes to increase the political will to freeze global warming, an issue he thinks should top the nation’s to-do list.

West Seattle's Pet Elements pet shop, 6701 California Avenue SW, will host West Seattle-based pet masseuse Jennifer Streit of Hands to Paws who will offer free mini-massages there, Sunday, March 28, 10am-noon. She will also offer consultations, and there will be a raffle, so bring your "best friend."

Donation jars will be placed at Pet Elements to help Missing Pet Partnership of Federal Way, which utilizes search dogs to find missing pets.

Also, check out the West Seattle Herald profile on Jennifer Streit:

Pet Elements
(206) 932-0457

Wind? No problem. Specks of drizzle? Yeah, right.

After nine years, the residents of west Fremont weren’t going to let any pesky weather threaten their celebration as the Hazel Heights P-Patch opened March 21. They were just relieved the wait was finally over.

“It’s very exciting,” said Michael McNutt, treasurer of the P-Patch Trust. “It’s probably been one of the longest projects the trust has been involved in.”

Construction began on the steep, terraced site in May 2009, but locals have been canvassing for their own community garden for years.

When neighbor and namesake Hazel Hurlbert passed away in 2003, the lot next to her house at the corner of Northwest 42nd Street and Baker Avenue Northwest was left vacant.

The lot was later purchased for the P-Patch Trust by an anonymous Fremont couple.

But because the land was so steeply sloped, the site required a master use permit and State Environmental Police Act review before breaking ground, said Hazel Heights steering committee co-chair Toby Thaler.

Then began the fundraising process for the garden with a panorama of the Lake Washington Ship Canal and the Olympic Mountains.

Four Highline schools will be recognized with the 2009 Washington Achievement Award. The award celebrates the state's top-performing schools and recognizes achievement in several categories: language arts, math, science, gifted education, graduation rate, and overall excellence.
The four Highline schools to receive the award are:
Aviation High School - Science, Overall Excellence
Academy of Citizenship and Empowerment (ACE) - Language Arts
Health Sciences and Human Services High School (HS3) - Language Arts
Marvista Elementary - Science

The award was created by the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the state Board of Education. This highly selective award is based on schools' performance according to the newly created School Accountability Index, a comprehensive measurement of how schools in Washington are performing over time.

Schools are selected for the award based on their state assessment data for the previous three years.

Lunch With Our Neighbors
Seaview United Methodist Church
4620 S.W. Graham St.
206-932-7609
Friday, March 26, 11:30-1:30 p.m. All are invited to join in a free lunch. The menu consists of hearty, homemade soup, spaghetti, make-it-your-own sandwiches, dessert and beverage. Children are welcome.

Walking Tour of the Alaskan Way Viaduct

Saturday, March 27, 9:30 a.m. - noon. Tours last approximately 45 minutes each. Join us for a short walking tour of the viaduct while the structure is closed to traffic for inspection. Learn how the structure is maintained, about upcoming construction to replace the viaduct’s south end, and the proposed bored tunnel alternative. Tours begin at the Columbia Street on-ramp before continuing to the viaduct’s lower deck. No children under age 16 or pets allowed. Free but space is limited and reservations are required: send e-mail to viaduct@wsdot.wa.gov, or call 1-888-298-5463.

Dog Massage Event
Pet Elements
6701 California Ave. S.W.
206-932-0457

Well known West Seattle businessman, Mark Hegge, 52, of Hegge Chevron at 7580 35th SW , passed away unexpectedly, of natural causes at home on Thursday, March 18, 2010.

The service station was started by his father, Ted Hegge, over 40 years ago. When Ted passed away Mark took over the business.

A celebration of his life will be held on Tuesday, March 23 at 11:00 AM at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, 7000 35th Ave SW.

A visitation is scheduled for Monday, from 1:00 - 8:00 PM, at the Howden-Kennedy Funeral Home in West Seattle.
You can sign the guest book at www.Howden-Kennedy.com

UPDATE 3/23/2010: FWPD has identified the deceased officer as Brian M. Walsh, a 34 year old and 4 ½ year veteran of the Federal Way Police Department. He was hired as an experienced police officer with over 4 years of police officer experience prior to coming to Federal Way. He received an honorable discharge from the Air National Guard in 2005. He is survived by his wife, 2 children, and his extended family. Their third child is due in May.

Officer Walsh assisted in maintaining a perimeter around an officer involved shooting crime scene. At approximately 0645 hours 3/21/10, he was found collapsed in his patrol vehicle.

The cause of death has been ruled a heart attack by the King County Medical Examiner.

Federal Way Police Department is continuing steps to address the needs of our deceased officer’s family, in addition to offering support and assistance to the members of the Federal Way Police Department.

A Memorial Fund has been established by the Federal Way Police Officer’s Guild. Donations can be made to Officer Walsh’s Memorial Fund at any Key Bank Branch location.