May 2010

Decatur ended its baseball season with a 17-1 loss to Puyallup, last year's 4A state runner up in boys high school competition.

The Gators ended the season at 4-12 with Friday's loss while the Vikings won the South Puget Sound League South Division with a 15-1 mark.

"Puyallup has a good team. They are sure to be in contention (for a state title) again this season, too," said Decatur head coach Maury Kincannon.

But what about the Gators' season as we quickly skirt the undressing done by the Vikings in five innings of work (WIAA mercy rule) that included a 7-0 score after the first inning and just kept getting added onto.

The Gators' lone run in the bottom of the second came on opening walks to Gavin Cuddie and Tyler Finneseth and the latter scored on a Clark Colvin RBI single, making the score, 8-1, at the time.

This season started out tough for the Gators, with no help from injury as they lost a key player only one game into the season.

"We lost our senior captain, Sam Bingaman," said Kincannon, adding, "He was out here even though he couldn't play, cheering players on and being a true teammate."

By Nick Licata, Seattle City Council

Ed. Note: This piece originally appeared in Nick Licata's newsletter, Urban Politics.

The Seattle City Council's work plan for this year reviews proposed actions to implement our city's Zero Waste Strategy.

The origins of this approach lie in the comprehensive Zero Waste program legislation sponsored by Councilmember Richard Conlin. It prevented the need for a new city dump on Harbor Island off West Seattle or in Georgetown and saved Seattle garbage ratepayers from the cost of building a new city dump by emphasizing recycling and waste reduction.

Following through on this commitment, the council will look at incentives for self-haul trip reduction and construction and demolition recycling and any additional proposed waste bans, taxes or advance disposal fees.

If the city is truly committed to achieving zero waste, then we should revisit the challenge of how to reduce our reliance on plastic and paper bags.

Gertrude is a Pembroke Welsh Corgi who belongs to Claire Bonner, and Gertrude is one year old. "I got her when she was six weeks old in Kelso, from a friend. She was the runt of the litter that they couldn't get rid of and I offered some money and they said ok. I fell in love with her because of her pretty little face and she was so shy. She was tiny too, even now she's really small for her breed."

Gertrude has overcome her shyness now and readily licks anyone within reach but she may have body image issues. "When she was little she used to climb underneath my bed because she was really small," explained Bonner, "and she still does, but she gets stuck. Then she just wiggles around and she can't get out until she whines for me and I have to pull her out. It's really kind of pathetic and you just see her head and her feet and she's trying so hard."

Ed. Note: Laura McLeod is taking over the Green My Ballard column from Rhonda Brown. In her first column, she introduces herself and lets readers know why she is qualified to cover all things green in the neighborhood.

My Ballard roots are as deep and interwoven as those of our old Gravenstein. I’m not sure when it was planted but I have no memory of it being anything but big.

Standing in the northeast corner of the yard, what my family always called “the lot,” it’s a commanding presence, and despite some bias, it still produces some of the most flavorful apples around.

My great grandfather landed in Ballard, and the house where I live, in 1907. In what was little more than two rooms, he made a home for his mother-in-law, his wife and seven surviving children.

Today, May 4th, at 2:20 pm I was one of many who watched in horror and amazement as 15 to 20 (middle school ?) kids, rode their bicycles North, thru the intersection of 42nd and Edmonds. RIGHT PAST A STOP SIGN!. What was so awful about it, was that they were being led by an adult, and he didn't even look to see if they had stopped for the sign. Once the leader went through the intersection, the rest barreled thru like Lemmings, and you all know what happens to Lemmings! Who ever was in charge of the group needs to have a "rules of the road" talk with those kids.
I was at first, happy to see them all out riding their bikes (with helmets on), getting fresh air and exercise, but at the risk of what could happen, I guess they DO need to get back in front of their TV's and Wii's. What a shame!

Patty R.

Author and activist Judy Pigott hosted 70 guests at her North Admiral house Tuesday, May 4, to discuss the need for the wealthy to give their fair share of taxes and lessen the buden of the poor and middle class. She was joined by William Gates, Sr., an outspoken estate tax advocate. Gates co-authored "Wealth and Our Commonwealth: Why America Should Tax Accumulated Fortunes" with Chuck Collins, an heir to the fortune of 19th-century meatpacking mogul Oscar Mayer, and co-founder of "Wealth for the Common Good."

Guests were members of the non-profit advocacy group, "The Responsible Wealth Project" with the "United for Fair Economy" which grew out of "Share the Wealth."

"Tonight we are gathering people to share information about a proposal to roll back the Bush tax cuts on the rich and to let the estate taxes resume," said Pigott, a Paccar family member who authored the book "Personal Safety Nets" with a personal endordement from Gates, Sr.

"We look at taxes as an effective and ethical way of supporting all of us while recognizing we are all part of a community and nobody got here by him or herself no matter how hard he or she worked," said Pigott.