March 2010

Jon and T. Frick McNamara are West Seattleites and the owners of the Junction's newest business Bin 41, at 4707 California Ave. S.W. in the heart of the Junction. A wine shop, Bin 41 will hold it's "soft opening" on Tuesday, March 16th.

The shop will feature wines from all over the world but offer a concentration on Northwest wines (although they can order almost anything).

Surprisingly they are not competing with the well known West Seattle Cellars, they are working with them instead. "West Seattle has room for two shops and by working together we can create a stronger portfolio and diversity of wine selections, we can increase the number of classes and special events...it just allows the community to get more exposure to fine wine," McNamara said. "We are working together and collaborating. We see this as a benefit. They are definitely wine experts... we're just passionate about wine." The McNamara's make it themselves, planning on introducing a custom branded Chardonnay sometime this spring, made in a bonded facility they use in Woodinville.

The Ballard High School boys soccer team opened its 2010 season March 13 with a 1-1 tie against Bellevue in a nonconference match.

Balin Larson got the Beavers on the board in the 53rd minute with a goal off a Ryan Zemke assist.

Bellevue was able to connect on a penalty kick to avoid the loss and keep Ballard from opening its season with a win.

The Beavers take on Stadium at 3:30 p.m. on March 15 at Memorial Stadium in a nonconference match.

With its March 12 matchup against Blanchet rained out, the Ballard High School baseball team officially got underway March 13 with a 13-11 loss to Oak Harbor in a nonleague game.

The Beavers got off to a hot start, leading 5-0 after the first inning and 7-0 after the second.

Coach John Lamm said he was saving his two senior pitcher for the rescheduled Blanchet game March 15, and using three pitchers with little to no varsity experience eventually caught up with Ballard.

Oak Harbor scored nine runs in two innings with the help of 10 walks and five errors from the Beavers.

Despite better hitting, it's hard to win when you give the other team 10 extra base runners, Lamm said.

But, he said it was more important to evaluate his new pitchers in this game than use his seniors.

Lamm said he was happy with Ballard's offense, especially from senior Kyler Korsmo and freshman Roy Graf-Brennen.

Korsmo finished two-for-four with two runs scored, two RBIs, a double and a home run.

Graf-Brennen was two-for-three with two RBIs, a triple and a stolen base.

Pictured here with her proud family, Hannah Matalone, a junior at West Seattle High School, recently won the $300 First Prize in the Seattle/Vashon Island post, District 2, of Veterans of Foreign Wars annual essay contest on the theme, “Does America Still Have Heroes.” Quoting Ms.Matalone’s essay, “Heroes do still exist in America. They come in different shapes and sizes but all have one common mission, one fight. Whether they come in the form of a social studies teacher, a student, or a U.S. Veteran, these unsung heroes are people who strive to make our nation better every day.”

The Seattle/Vashon Island post’s contest is preliminary to a VFW competition whose national grand prize is a college scholarship.

Dear Editor,

The Legislature now wants us to approve a State Income Tax. This isn’t something new. Why is it I hear this rumbling from the State Government about every ten years and from every Governor?

Let me remind the Legislature what they have done that upsets me.

This State already has one of the highest states sales taxes on gasoline and now the Legislature wants to raise it even more and the gas tax effects the poor and middle class far more than it does the wealthy. The Legislature even wants to add a tax on bottled water. I am sure, if they could, the Legislators would even like to tax the air we breathe and charge us an occupation tax for taking up space in this State.

The Legislature funded remodeling of the Key Arena for the Sonics basketball team and the Sonics moved to Oklahoma. We are still paying for the Seattle Kingdome and it was torn down in 1998. In fact we are still paying for roof repairs on that building and the roof came tumbling down in 1998.

A representative of the United States 2010 Census, Marcel Maddox, met with members of Delta Upsilon Omega, the Seattle chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority March 6 to ask them and other invited guests as part of a community outreach program to spread the word through the African American community the importance of participating.

Alpha Kappa Alpha was America’s first African American sorority, founded in 1908, with its roots in Howard University, Washington, D.C. The meeting took place at Starbucks’ Corporate headquarters.

Several Delta Upsilon Omega members are West Seattle-based educators. Among those attending were Denny Middle School Assistant Principal Chanda Oatis, Arbor Heights Elementary School Principal Carol Coram, and Family Service Provider for Head Start at West Seattle Elementary School, Gwendolyn Jimerson.

“The role of partnership is to proactively share the message to participate in the 2010 Census so that folks feel enfranchised,” said Maddox, a former West Seattle resident who served with the United States Coast Guard. He said he would ride his bicycle from his West Seattle home to the Coast Guard Base at Pier 36.

A top martial arts master, retired FBI agent, and former West Seattle High Point resident, Chin Ho Lee, visited Alki Taekwondo Friday, March 12, to observe demonstrations and speak to students and parents, and reunite with the instructor there.

The instructor, black belt master Stephen Coates, is a former pupil of Lee, from 1973 to 1983. Coates’ school is in the basement of the Alki Congregational United Church of Christ, Alki 6115 Southwest Hinds Street. When Lee lived in High Point, he attended UW. He opened a small school there, Lee’s Taekwando, in 1965, and also taught judo and aikido. He moved into a bigger space where the Senior Center of West Seattle now is, and again to a spot across the street from the post office on California Avenue.

At the table of observers, Korean-born Lee, now in his 70’s, sat between Coates’ father, Jack, and Cheryl Snyder who operates Alki Kid’s Place, a daycare center across the hall from Coates’ classroom. Some of Snyder’s pupils attend Coates’ class. Students demonstrated kicks, jumps, and one student split a heavy-duty block of cement with his bare hand. Lee then spoke and said he was encouraged by what he saw.

8 time Olympic medal winner Apolo Ohno appeared at SeaTac Airport Friday afternoon as part of a promotion with Alaska Airlines. Ohno signed an Alaska Airlines Airplane with his picture on the side. Afterward he greeted all of the passengers on the plane, giving them a lei and getting his picture taken with them.

CLICK ON THE PHOTO TO SEE A SLIDESHOW OF THE EVENT

March is World Kidney Month, so it’s a great time to think about behaviors we choose every day that put these precious organs at risk.

Since pizza is a beloved food around the world, let’s look at ways you can make this typically high-fat, high-salt food fit into a healthy diet.

It’s easy to pick up the phone and order a pizza. But, as with all things salty, the best answer is always to make your own.

You can make the recipe below in less than 30 minutes and have it on the table before your local delivery guy rings the doorbell. The bottom line is it takes the same amount of time, whether they make it or you do.

Some great low-salt items to keep on hand for your homemade pizzas are:

• Packaged yeast (get the rapid rise kind)
• Olive oil
• Flour, white or whole wheat
• Canned pineapple (buy small cans, one per recipe)
• Pesto (choose pesto with the lowest salt content; buy small jars, one per recipe, or make your own)
• Canned tomato paste
• Ground beef (keep frozen in small amounts and microwave to defrost)
• Sun-dried tomatoes
• Fresh green or red peppers

Buses would travel on California Avenue SW rather than 41st Avenue SW and SW Ida Street

King County Metro Transit is considering a revision of Route 22 in West Seattle, and wants to know what you think.

Metro is proposing that Route 22 buses would no longer travel on SW Ida Street and 41st Avenue SW, and would instead operate on California Avenue SW between Ida and SW Thistle streets. Several new bus stops would be added along California Avenue between Ida and Thistle streets.

Riders who now get on and off Route 22 buses at stops along Ida Street and 41st Avenue could instead catch the bus at new stops on California Avenue or at stops on Thistle Street.

The map shows the proposed new routing. Metro has not yet determined where bus stops would be added on California Avenue.

Metro is considering this new routing because it is more direct, keeps buses on arterial streets, has fewer turns, and eliminates several difficult street crossings along 41st Avenue where drivers’ visibility is limited. Transit travel time and safety would be improved as a result.