August 2010

The Chelan Cafe at 3527 Chelan Ave SW is taking the West Seattle Herald Great West Seattle Cocktail Contest seriously. They've put it on their outdoor reader board.
The contest, which runs until October, pits local establishments against one another in a friendly competition for the best alcohol concoction (though some of them might be available alcohol free, check with the establishment).

By voting for your favorite you are entered into a contest for a pretty amazing prize. A $40 gift certificate from EACH of the participating establishments will be awarded. And the research to find out which one you like best is easy. Just try the signature drink at each place,
come back to WestSeattleHerald.com, look for the Cocktail Contest ad and vote for your favorite.

Coming up!
Judgement night, your best chance to sample the featured beverages at a considerable discount is August 14, starting at 8 PM.
Put that on your calendar and give some of them a try.

The West Seattle Herald urges you to have a designated driver and to drink responsibly.

Around 8 pm Thursday, a citizen called 911 to report that a man “wearing a football helmet and cargo shorts” was yelling, throwing things, and dry humping a dumpster in the 5400 block of California Ave. SW. When officers arrived, the 32-year-old began talking about his wife (pointing to a soiled cardboard cutout of a woman) and called the eight rocks of crack in his tobacco pouch his “good night kiss.” He also appeared to have been getting high on inhalants. The man is a convicted felon and has a history of mental issues. He was transported to the hospital for further care.

A little later Thursday, a 16-year-old was waiting at a Junction street corner for a ride from his father when a stranger approached and began yelling profanities. He then threatened to kill the young man, pulled up his shirt, and displayed a knife tucked in the waistband of his pants. The suspect is a white male, aged 30-49, of medium build. He wore a black bandana do-rag, a white T-shirt, and tan slacks.

On Aug. 4, teachers, parents and students from St. Alphonsus School harvested seven medium-sized bags of a variety of vegetables and herbs from its new community garden and donated the produce to the Ballard Food Bank.

The volunteers at the food bank were appreciative and thanked the students for their hard work and for their donation.

A second harvest is planned for mid-September when class is back in session at the school, located at 5816 15th Ave. N.W.

St. Alphonsus' community garden opened with a 60-person ground breaking event in March and the garden is flourishing.

The school garden was the first stop in the Ballard Edible Garden Tour that took place in June.

“You want to run something, don’t you?” Dr. Rayburn Lewis recalls the new CEO at Swedish Hospital saying to him back in 2008. “How about the Ballard campus?

Lewis claims he had to keep from jumping up and down for joy. Recounting the story, he still looks like he could jump for joy, especially in light of the nearly completed new medical building that will dramatically increase the range and level of services available to patients in Ballard.

Talking about the new facility, Lewis, as executive director, beams as though speaking of new toys. As it happens, these toys are actually pieces of cutting-edge technology that will enhance medical services, but Lewis, who is also senior medical director, can say bowel resection and make it sound exciting. (His specialty is internal medicine).

I’ve wanted to interview Lewis ever since Zita Niemeyer, manager of Surgical Services (and a 45-year employee) decided to introduce us last November. My impression was that we chased him down the hall. I noticed he managed to be very light on his feet and still polite.

Warren Aakervick notes that there are only three major truck routes running north to south in the city of Seattle: I-5, SR-99 and 15th Avenue Northwest. But for the owner of Ballard Oil, gridlock traffic is not just a commuter inconvenience, it is a threat to the maritime industry.

“The largest fishing industry in this nation works out of Seattle," Aakervick said. "Most of the people in that industry live in the Seattle area. It’s billions of dollars to our economy each year. And, nobody can do the things we do or move the amount of fuel that we move."

The debate surrounding replacement of the Alaskan Way Viaduct project began nine years ago when the structure was damaged in the 2001 Nisqually Earthquake. After scores of exhaustive meetings and hundreds of questions raised, the Seattle City Council selected a north-south tunnel as the preferred option in October of 2009.

Alternatives included a surface route or repairing the current viaduct. But, city officials feared further congestion and even greater expenses down the line.

ChoralSounds Northwest will host two open community "Sings" on Tuesday, Aug. 17 and Tuesday, Aug. 24, 7 - 8:30 p.m. at St. Bernadette's Catholic Church, Southwest 128th Street and Ambaum Boulevard Southwest.

These fun evenings are designed for ChoralSounds members past and present to reconnect with friends, get singing voices going again, and to meet new Artistic Director Cathy Bleecker.

But these "Sings" aren't only for members. Friends, associates, family members and any other singers who might like to come out for an evening of fun singing are welcome.

Each "Sing" will begin with a warm-up and practice of one or two pieces from one of the upcoming season's shows. There will be time for some socializing before the evening ends with participants "performing" the rehearsed songs.

ChoralSounds' new Artistic Director, Cathy Bleecker has an extensive background in choral music and musical theatre. In the early 90s, she served as an assistant professor of music at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, where she directed the University Chorale, University Singers and the "Park Avenue" vocal jazz ensembles.

Rain on a Saturday morning didn't stop several dozen people from marching to stop sex trafficking along the once-notorious Sea-Tac Strip.
Before the City of SeaTac incorporated two decades ago, Highway 99 near the airport was well known for prostitution and drug dealing. It was an area where many of the women murdered by Green River killer Gary Ridgway were picked up.

People from around the SeaTac neighborhood came together Aug. 7 for a fundraising event held by the Genesis Project, a nonprofit agency that aims to serve girls between the ages of 12 and 14 who might get caught up in prostitution and need a safe place to stay.
Christie Thomas chose to work on the issue of sex trafficking last year when she asked Officer Andy Connor of the SeaTac Police Department what the greatest need around the community was.

"He said he was picking up all these girls [for prostitution] and had nowhere else to bring them but jail," she said.
She said that 81 girls were arrested in the SeaTac area for sex crimes last year.

That inspired her to take on the issue within the last year, leading right up to Saturday's fundraising event
Thomas founded the Genesis Project a year ago.

Many people in West Seattle want to get the answer straight from the source and you will have your chance Wednesday.

Do you have questions for Mayor Mike McGinn?

Why don’t the mayor and the city council agree on the construction of a deep-bore tunnel to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct?
What has Mayor McGinn heard from the public about his nomination of John Diaz as Seattle's next Police Chief? Will people lose their jobs because of city government’s $50 million budget deficit? What is the City of Seattle position on the immigration law passed and then blocked in Arizona? What is the city doing about homeless people under his administration?

On Wednesday, August 11, 7 p.m. call 206-684-8821 and talk to the mayor and SEATTLE CHANNEL host C.R. Douglas. If you can't call then, call 206-684-8821 anytime and have your question recorded for the show. Or email your question by replying to this email or writing to askthemayor@seattle.gov anytime the inspiration strikes you.

Arts in Nature Camp
Camp Long
5200 35th Ave. SW
August 16-20, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Ages 12 & up. A week of eco-arts, music, naturalist activities, challenge course, games and more put on by the Nature Consortium! This day camp also features workshops. Campers will have the option to engage in physically improving and protecting the forested areas of Camp Long. Snacks provided; please bring a sack lunch. Camp is $250 for the week. Register online today at www.naturec.org/camp.htm.

Summer Classes for Kids at Alki Bathhouse
2701 Alki Ave. SW
seattle.gov/parks or 206-684-7430

Beginning Kids Pottery
Mondays, August 9 to September 13, 4-5 p.m, ages 5-10. Introduction to clay basics. Experiment with textures, shapes and colors while learning to sculpt animals, cups, and more. Materials are included in class fee. $85

Clay Works Pottery Camp
August 16 - 20, 9 a.m.-noon, ages 5-11. Kids learn the basics of hand-building, then get creative making clay masks, animals, portraits, frames, vases, and toys. Materials are included in class fee. $160

Wishes & Dreams Box Workshop

Through our tips@WestSeattleHerald.com contact email we got this report from Mary and Bill Decker who report that they have been the victims of theft from their storage locker at a storage facility on Avalon Way. They are asking other people who maintain lockers there to check their belongings since they suspect it was not an outside person who committed the alleged crime.

"Our storage unit was recently robbed of over $6,000 worth of property. The two locks were not broken and the employees had access to the only extra keys. It appears to be an "inside job". We reported it to police, but we would like to publicize this, as we have heard of many other such incidents at the same location. We want their customers to check the contents of their units, and be aware that their belongings may not be as safe as they think they are. Please help us."

Thank you.

Mary & Bill Decker
206-713-5797