July 2010

Earl Cruzen, West Seattle was out for an early dinner at Angelo's Restaurant in downtown Burien Friday night about 5:30 p.m.

As he pulled into an open spot in front of the restaurant he inadvertently hit the gas instead of the brake sending his late model Cadillac through the north wall of the banquet room at the restaurant.

No one was injured in the mishap.

Cruzen was unscathed.

The car was towed to his home.No damage estimate was available.

The South Park community celebrated the completion of a full basketball court, two half court and tennis court behind the South Park Community Center the early evening of July 23. Fight the Fear Campaign, Seattle Storm, the Seattle Police Foundation, the South Park Plumb, Level & Square Foundation, the Seattle Storm, and Seattle Parks and Recreation collaborated.

Seattle Storm members Le’Coe Willingham and Abby Bishop, along with Adia Barnes from the 2004 championship team, ran a basketball clinic for South Park youth at the event, which also honored the life of Teresa Butz, who was tragically murdered last year, on July 29. Fight the Fear Campaign was formed after Butz’s death and provided $5,000 seed money for the project. Her partner and friends participated in the dedication.

The Aquila District of the Cub Scouts held their annual Day Camp at Sylvester Middle School on Friday July 23 for 145 boys, ages 7 to 10 from West Seattle, Burien, SeaTac, Des Moines, and Tukwila. The King County Fire Department was on hand to provide the centerpiece of the event, the 110 foot ladder atop their truck.

From that height they dropped specially prepared packages, made by each scout, designed as a science experiment to see how well they could protect an egg.

Some eggs survived. Many did not.

But for the scouts, that was all preamble to the highlight of the day.

That was being sprayed by the fire hose at full volume from the top of the ladder. With screams and laughter they ran from the spray and mist, that instantly drenched them, and everyone else down below. But that didn't quench their thirst. They shouted, "We want more" as if the firemen couldn't hear them. They got more alright, the spraying went on for a good five minutes until the ground was puddling up and the kids looked like fish.

After a brief drying out period it was time for archery and a range set up south of the school tested the scouts skills with bows and arrows.

A new local website has just been launched, www.westseattlefamilyzone.com, to help direct moms and dads to resources in West Seattle. The idea came to Fauntleroy resident, Jackie Clough, who, with husband, John, a professional consultant, just launched the site when she believed there was no one information site to help with her own two youngsters. The site lists doctors, dentists, pre-schools, and other resources and readers can sign in and suggest services and offer recommendations.

"I've been involved with West Seattle meet-up groups for moms but felt I wanted a website to gather and share resources, especially within the community," Clough said. "I want to spotlight resources locally and parents to support neighborhood businesses. My hope is they don't leave West Seattle. I am finding a lot of mothers who are entrepreneurs, some who are green-focused and want to get their message out."

John and Jackie have two children, Elissa, 7, and Matthew, 5, and said she and John became interested i collecting information for their own family, and is expanded from that point.

Jackie enthused, "We're pretty jazzed."

The Aquila District of the Cub Scouts held their annual Day Camp at Sylvester Middle School on Friday July 23 for 145 boys, ages 7 to 10 from West Seattle, Burien, SeaTac, Des Moines, and Tukwila. The King County Fire Department was on hand to provide the centerpiece of the event, the 110 foot ladder atop their truck.

CLICK ON THE IMAGE ABOVE TO SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT

From that height they dropped specially prepared packages, made by each scout, designed as a science experiment to see how well they could protect an egg.

Some eggs survived. Many did not.

But for the scouts, that was all preamble to the highlight of the day.

That was being sprayed by the fire hose at full volume from the top of the ladder. With screams and laughter they ran from the spray and mist, that instantly drenched them, and everyone else down below. But that didn't quench their thirst. They shouted, "We want more" as if the firemen couldn't hear them. They got more alright, the spraying went on for a good five minutes until the ground was puddling up and the kids looked like fish.

West Seattle born and raised professional actress Erin Register, Seattle Lutheran High School class of '03, is asking for your vote. She is vying for a role in the popular early 60's genre AMC TV show Mad Men. The popular show shines a light on the male-dominated culture of the advertising world and office environment in New York City from that era.

"It's all about this early 60's advertising firm and what that world was like," said Register. "Women were receptionists. It was a man's world where they smoked cigarettes in the office for the most part and when women walked by men would smack their butts, good old boys. The show is very well-written."

Erin Register received her Bachelor’s in Broadcast News with a double minor in English and Theatre from The Edward R. Murrow School of Communication at Washington State University. During her time at WSU, she was involved in Cable 8 Productions where she won The Edward R. Murrow School of Communication Best Female Talent Award for her work on the comedic late-night show After Hours, which she co-wrote.

Click onto Register's website to see her acting resume.

7 p.m. July 16 – 7:36 a.m. July 17, 7000 Block of 15th Ave. N.W.

Business owner "Emma" stated that she removed $870 from the safe and left the money unsecured and readily available for her employees, who would arrive early the next morning.

When employees arrived, the money was gone, but a cell phone was found where the money was last seen. Emma determined the phone belonged to a former employee, who had been recently fired.

There were no signs of forced entry. The door has a security code that several employees possess, but Emma said she believes the access code was changed after the employee had been fired.

Police were unable to verify the owner of the cell phone.

9:30 p.m. July 16 – 7:16 a.m. July 17, 5200 Block of 15th Ave. N.W.

Store manager "Tim" stated that the door was locked the previous night. The next morning, employees found the front door broken. A basketball-sized rock inside the business had apparently been used to smash the glass.

Tim stated it did not appear than anything had been taken. The damage to the door is estimated at $1,000.

Though the city has not granted the project its Master Use Permit yet, the Compass Housing Alliance plans to begin construction on Urness House, its Ballard housing development for formerly homeless individuals, this winter.

M.J. Kiser, Compass program director, announced the loose construction timeline for the seven-story, 80-unit development at 1753 N.W. 56th St. at the July 14 Ballard District Council meeting.

After back-to-back State Environmental Protection Act and Design Review meetings June 14, the project appeared ready to be given the go-ahead by the city, both in terms of design and environmental impacts.

The 77th Annual West Seattle American Legion Grand Parade held on Saturday, July 24 beginning at 11:00 am was hot, sunny, and punctuated with loud booms set off by the Seafair Pirates. Grand Marshall's for the event were West Seattle's own well known radio and podcast personalities Marty Riemer and Jodi Brothers.

HERE ARE THE WINNERS

CLICK ON THE PHOTO TO SEE MORE IMAGES FROM THE EVENT

Riemer said, "Jodi and I are truly humbled by this honor. And that's saying something because you walk around for a day with the title Grand Marshall attached to your name and it gets hard to be humble. Like Supreme Leader. Thank you, West Seattle!"

The grand parade featuring 78 entries began in the Admiral District and headed south down California Ave SW for 1.5 miles from Lander Street to Edmunds Street. A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter from Air Station Port Angeles flew down the parade route as it got underway.

Multiple fire units responded to a fire in a residence at 5657 34th Avenue S.W at around 8 pm on Thursday July 22. The owner was not home at the time but firemen on the scene said the fire was a small "contents" fire in the basement that was quickly put out.

The owner returned, according to neighbors, as the firemen were mopping up the scene.