April 2010

Healthy Kids Day 2010 was celebrated at the West Seattle YMCA at 4515 36th Ave. S.W. on Saturday April 17. This year takes the event past the decade mark to eleven years. It's a national celebration that focuses on exercise, nutrition, sports and learning.
Jill Mudge, YMCA Family Program Director said, "This is a free event for the whole community with all kinds of fun activities for the whole family, there are fitness activities, arts and crafts, and lots of fun stuff.

The Seafair Clowns were there making balloon animals and getting laughs, the Seattle Fire Department was giving kids a chance to sit in the fire engine and kids had a chance to take a virtual tour around the world with passports they could get stamped showing they had been there. There was a climbing rock for the first time this year, and bubble blowing for the youngest visitors. But big line up was for the dunk tank.

Mudge said the goal was to get 1200 people to attend this year.

Crews of neighborhood volunteers braved the rain April 17 to install six of the eventual 27 city-donated planters in the median ends at the intersection of 14th Avenue Northwest and Northwest 60th Street as part of the East Ballard Community Association's Adopt-A-Street Cleanup.

The planters, three on each median end, were set in new gravel and filled with soil donated by Cedar Grove and various plants. The RE-Store installed metal mounts in the pots that can be used to hang banners and other artwork.

"It's making it feel like it's all worth it," said Dawn Hemminger of the East Ballard Community Association. "It's a lot more work than we all thought."

She said it's a great feeling to see her neighbors come out and work together, which is what projects like this are all about.

Volunteers working on the planters said they will beautify 14th Avenue, which has always been a bit of an eyesore. The planters will help with safety by preventing cars from parking too close to the median ends, improving visibility for traffic and pedestrians, volunteers said.

The Ballard High School softball team fell behind 9-0 to Inglemoor in the first inning and never had a chance to close the gap, eventually losing 13-3 April 16.

Senior Sophie Overlock-Pauley went one-for-one with a double, and junior Jamie Thelan went two-for-three with a double of her own for the Beavers.

Ballard has given up 21 runs in the past two games after giving up 20 in the previous six games. But, the Beavers have been facing stiff competition.

Inglemoor is in second-place in KingCo, and Woodinville, Ballard's previous opponent, is in first-place in KingCo and ranked third in the state.

After starting out the season with four straight nonconference wins, Ballard has fallen to 1-4 in KingCo and 5-4 overall.

The going gets a little easier for the Beavers as they take on Newport (4-4) at 4 p.m. on April 19 at Lower Woodland.

The Ballard High School boys soccer team earned its first KingCo win with a 1-0 victory over Redmond April 16.

Brent Campbell scored the match's only goal in the 70th minute, and goalie Mel Hernandez preserved the shutout.

Ballard's offense has been surging lately. In the past three matches, the Beavers have scored eight goals and gone 2-1. In the first seven matches of the season, the team managed just five goals and went 0-4-3.

Ballard's record has improved to 1-3-2 in KingCo and 2-5-3 overall.

Next up for the team is Newport on April 20.

Two days after being shutout by Skyline, the Ballard High School baseball team found its offense in a big way, scoring 18 runs on 16 hits to defeat Eastlake 18-10 on April 16.

The Beavers scored multiple runs in all seven innings to overpower their opponent. Ballard's 18 runs were the most the team has scored this year, beating its previous high of 11 in the season-opener.

Senior Charlie Beaudoin went two-for-five with two runs and three RBIs. Senior David Doerr hit two-for-three with four runs and one RBI. And, junior Oliver Guarino was a perfect two-for-two with two RBIs.

Freshman pitcher Joe Jacobson earned the win for Ballard.

The victory moved the Beavers up to third-place in the KingCo Crown Division and seventh in KingCo overall with a conference record of 4-6 and an overall record of 4-8.

Since starting the season with four straight losses, Ballard has gone 4-4 and won three of its last five games, including wins over two of the top 10 teams in the state.

The Beavers will look to continue their upswing against Garfield (3-8 in KingCo) at 3:45 p.m. on April 20 at Whitman Middle School.

This Monday, April 19th, the Full Council will vote on CB 116807, the Aggressive Solicitation Ordinance. In my previous UP #289 I gave a lengthy description of it: http://licata.seattle.gov/2010/04/08/panhandling-legislation/

At the Public Safety Committee meeting I voted against the legislation. Councilmembers, Bagshaw and Conlin, supported Burgess's bill and voted affirmatively. The final vote for the bill was delayed one week, which is customary when the vote is not unanimous at the Committee level. There was some discussion to fast track it, but thanks go to Councilmembers Bruce Harrell and Mike O'Brien for agreeing with me that we should follow the usual procedure and wait a week.

In that week the general public has become more aware of the legislation. Up until yesterday, my own emails were running 6 to 1 in opposition to the legislation. The ACLU has sent out a bulletin opposing it and yesterday the Downtown Seattle Association (DSA) sent out one in support, asking their supporters to contact the four Councilmembers who have not publically taken a position: Mike O'Brien, Bruce Harrell, Tom Rasmussen and Jean Godden.

The West Seattle Junction Merchants are sponsoring the "Junction’s Tax Free Day for All.” today April 17. The event will feature tax-free purchases and discounts on products and services from 30 different merchants in the Junction.
The event will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

There are also ONLINE COUPONS you can use TODAY ONLY.

Look for the stores with a red balloon to find participating merchants.

Participating Merchants:
Bin 41
Brunette Mix
Capers
Carmilias
Clementine
Coffee to a Tea
Curious Kidstuff
Dream Dinners
Edies Shoes
Fleurt Studio
Friends and Company
Funky Janes
Great Harvest
Hotwire Online Coffeehouse
Jan’s Beauty Supply
JF Henry
Kits Camera
knows perfume
Leisure Books
Pharmaca
Red Cup Espresso
Seattle Fish Company
Sound Advice
Stop and Shop
Sweetie
Terjung’s Studio of Gifts
The Forsythe Studio
Twilight Artist Collective
Wallflower Custom Framing
Wild Rose’s Antiques & Gifts
Zamboanga

Muttley Crew Cuts at 4200 Admiral Way S.W. was the site of a fundraiser Friday, April 16, for English Springer Rescue America (ESRA). According to literature handed out at the event the English Springer Spaniel is "suceptible, as all breeds are, to impoundment, abandonment, and abuse." The organization has no physical shelter, so instead they work via the internet through their site www.springerrescue.org to coordinate fund raising and seek foster homes and adoptive homes for these dogs.

CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT

The event was sponsored by Muttley Crew Cuts, HappyHourExtended.com, Heartland Cafe, Red Star Pizza, City Dog Magazine, Pet Elements, and Hands to Paws small pet massage and offered food, beer, wine and dog treats. An auction was held and donations were of course accepted.

Muttley Crew Cuts owner Kelly Rothenbuhler spoke about Springer Spaniels, "I think people get them and don't realize the energy level or care they need. A lot of them are abandoned. In this economy people aren't able to care for them, so they turn them over to rescue because they aren't financially able to care for them."

West Seattle High School Class of 2010 Grad Night celebration will be June 16th, from 9 pm to 6 am. This safe event will keep our seniors off the road on the most dangerous night of their high school days. [Fact: 8 of 10 drivers on the road between 12 midnight and 5 am have used alcohol]. *

Grad Night is in it's 7th year at WSH. Because of Grad Night, over 700 students have been kept off the road on their Graduation Night, and had a blast at the same time for the last time, with their classmates.

As WSHS has the largest Alumni Association in the United States at 17,000 members, Grad Night is an important event to celebrate achievement, promote community, and keep kids safe.

Donations welcome for this important West Seattle Tradition! WSHS PTSA, 3000 California Ave 98116 marked "Grad Night"

Arbor Heights School welcomed grandparents of students Friday, April 16. Guests proudly marched into the cafeteria/auditorium for orientation, some holding hands with their grandchildren.

Principal Dr. Carol Coram took the stage to officially welcome them as they were treated to coffee, doughnuts, and bags of popcorn to go. At 9am classes started and they all fanned out into classrooms.

CLICK ON PHOTO FOR SLIDE SHOW