March 2010

Machel Spence is passionate about mushrooms. Not to create a guide, or for cooking or any other purpose than one.

She seeks them for their beauty.

Originally from Florida she is a stay at home mom, with a little girl and a husband now, but her background includes a masters degree in zoology, and she worked for the Seattle Aquarium as a Beach Naturalist. Spence explained, "My passion for mushrooms and other fungus started in late 2008, but really became an obsession in Fall of 2009 when I was hiking in the woods of Mt. Rainier with my daughters class on a camping trip, and discovered a bolete species. It was the largest mushroom I had ever seen."

This ignited her curiosity about all things mushroom related and, "Since the day I photographed the first bolete I have documented over 300 different species in Lincoln Park, Schmitz Park and Me-Kwa-Mooks Park."

Guy Ritchie directs his films like a bar fight. If his heroes aren’t being literally knocked about, their best-laid plans certainly are. “Sherlock Holmes” is no exception.

Ritchie keeps all of the famous detective’s formidable intelligence but chips off the Victorian polish. Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) blows off steam boxing in seedy London fighting pits, frequently drugs Dr. Watson’s (Jude Law) dog to test potions that criminals may have used (the housekeeper, at one point, exits his room with the observation, “He’s killed the dog…again.”), and is discovered by a hotel chambermaid, tied to a bed, buck naked, with the only accommodation to propriety being a strategically placed pillow. This is not Sherlock Holmes as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle originally conceived him, but he is a lot of fun and Robert Downey Jr. plays him with relish—as a brilliant man whose exertions to keep up with his own high-revving intelligence have left him a little unhinged.

Principal Dr. Carol Coram and her Arbor Heights Elementary School raised $567.39 for ShelterBox, a Global Rotary Club Project, to benefit the victims of the Haiti earthquake.

Arbor Heights Elementary School fourth and fifth graders researched several charitable organizations assisting Haiti. A special assembly was held to present their findings. All students (kindergarten through fifth grade) voted to determine which organization should received the money raised by the entire student population. The overwhelming choice was ShelterBox.

Dr. Coram said she was very proud of her students, and also because she is a past-president of the Rotary Club of West Seattle.

“I had the opportunity at the last regional Rotary District Conference, in Victoria, to see the contents of the box with the tent set up,” she said. “It’s like setting up a home. One shelter box goes to one family. The box is very compact, but it seems to meet a lot of their needs.”

The long talked about annexation of the White Center area has been delayed by the Seattle City Council and Mayor Mike McGinn's office because doing so would be too expensive. The action may happen in 2011.

Annexation of the north part of North Highline could cost Seattle as much as $12.6 million a year more than than new taxes would generate, plus the city would incur $8.7 million in one-time costs, based on a preliminary analysis by the city Budget Office. The annexation area is home to approximately 20,000 residents.

Game on! The annual Global Book Challenge has its semi-finalists, 10 teams of 4th and 5th grade students from about 45 Seattle Public Schools. These include the Arbor Heights Elementary School's "Orange Lightning Reading Squad," Lafayette's "Awesome Speedy Stinging Readers," and Highland Park's "Nerdy Turtles" are three of ten semi-finalist teems of 4th and 5th graders in the Global Reading Challenge contest.

The ten teams compete Tuesday, 7pm, at the downtown public library to determine the winner. The winning Seattle team takes home the Global Reading Challenge traveling trophy and goes on to a videoconference challenge between Seattle and Fraser Valley and Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada. Up to 10 teams within each school participated, the winning team then challenging another school's winning team.

Because of recent concerns over the health of the environment and the health of pocketbooks, the federal government has been pushing for weatherizing homes and businesses to prevent the loss of energy.

Windovative Design, a Bellingham-based company expanding to Seattle, is trying to make it easier for businesses located in historical buildings, such as Divine Spine on the third floor of the Old Ballard Firehouse, to do just that.

"The government is starting to realize that this is really important – that conservation is the easiest form of energy renewal," said Van Calvez, owner of Windovative Design.

Up to 40 percent of a typical energy bill can be covering energy lost through single-paned windows, Calvez said.

Derek Strachen from Divine Spine said he wanted to weatherize his windows because he always had an interest in doing something to help the environment and keep energy costs down.

Calvez said weatherizing historic buildings can often be a challenge because people want to keep the old windows and replacement windows are often too expensive.

Exterior storm windows can also be difficult to install on taller buildings, he said.

This winter, Ballard resident Hovie Hawk was becoming overwhelmed by what he saw as mounting threats to the safety of the neighborhood.

There were fights outside of his business and people camping in a nearby parking lot, he said.

A probation officer he knows said there was a dangerous element congregating near the Ballard Library that most people aren't trained to see, and he should keep a careful watch on his children.

"Since the New Year, I started getting depressed about what I was seeing here," Hawk said. "I started thinking, 'Maybe it's time to move my business out of Ballard.'"

Hawk said a group of friends convinced him to do something to fight the problem before abandoning ship. On March 16, he and five other residents unveiled the Keep Ballard Friendly campaign.

The Keep Ballard Friendly Web site includes phone numbers to call for graffiti, vehicle camping, trash carts and more. But, the emphasis is on the nonemergency helpline for the Seattle Police Department.

Mike Heavey has announced his candidacy for State Representative from the 34th Legislative District, Position 2 – the seat currently held by State Representative Sharon Nelson, who will run for the open State Senate seat in the same district this fall.

Previously announced are Sabra Schneider, Marcee Stone and "Mac" McElroy.

Heavey cited three top concerns as the reasons why he is running for office, “The Legislature has a responsibility to make our state safe and secure for Washington families, to boost our economy and to create living wage jobs. I look forward to taking my community service, my experience not only in government but also in the private sector and putting it to work for the people of Washington State.”

“I am running to carry on the tradition of strong, energetic leadership from the 34th Legislative District. The state’s budget is stretched thin, human services and infrastructure spending are slashed while more and more people are idling in traffic and out of work. We need leaders who can hit the ground running, put people back to work and find progressive ways to fund our highest priorities," Heavey said.

Seattle Department of Transportation has issued an update on all the construction work on roadways and the impact on transportation through SODO and on to downtown Seattle. Also included in this update are roadwork projects in key areas of downtown and special events that may cause traffic tie-ups or slowdowns:

Highlights:
- 4th Ave S will be fully closed between Royal Brougham and Edgar Martinez the entire weekend (Mar 19-22).
- Crews will be closing the Alaskan Way Viaduct from 6AM to 6PM both Saturday, March 27th and Sunday, March 28th for bi-annual maintenance.
- Waterline work is starting soon on 1st Ave S near S Spokane St. Lane restrictions will be in place for approximately five months, including reducing the EB off-ramp from the Spokane St Viaduct to one lane.

West Seattle Planned Construction / Events

March 27-28
6AM to 6PM daily

Maintenance Closure of Alaskan Way Viaduct

Crews will be closing the Alaskan Way Viaduct both Saturday and Sunday for bi-annual maintenance.

Through Apr 5
24/7

Road closure on SW Oregon Way/23rd Ave SW

Two local girls' fastpitch softball teams clashed at Mount Rainier High School with the results being indicative of each squad's stage of development on Wednesday, March 17, at Mount Rainier High School.

Last season's Class 3A state semifinalist Mount Rainier quickly tamed the young and learning Foster team, 16-0, in three innings of a Seamount League opener.

Losing only one senior off last year's club, the state tested Rams kicked away the Bulldogs by first manufacturing a pair of first inning runs before powering home 11 runs in the second inning.

Foster pitching was inconsistent and the fielders were hesitant as befits a developing squad.

The second inning Mount Rainier barrage was triggered when BJ Mipalar turned on a fast ball and smoothly drove it over the right field fence for a solo home run within the framework of 16 Ram at bats. Maddy Dorhofer, Hillary Klein and Amanda Hopkins each clubbed two-run doubles. Tristen Vonn also singled home a run.

With the score at 14-0 in the bottom of the third inning, Tashia Keeve's two RBI double closed out the proceedings on the 15-run mercy rule.