August 2010

A Sneak Preview of the new Chief Sealth International High School is set for Sept. 1 at 6:00. The event will include a private tour through the main building, the gymnasium and the Galleria. The school in now in the final stages of a $50 million two year renovation and remodel. See our previous coverage of the remodel in progress here.

The Friends of Sealth, a non profit organization "established in 1999 for the purpose of supporting and enhancing the five A’s of CSHS:
Academics, Athletics, Arts, Alumni, and Activities" have sent an invitation (see the link for the invitation itself) to the event which will cost $50 as a donation to support education, artistic and athletic programs.

On hand to explain and guide visitors through the new school and talk about it's design will be Ross Parker of Bassetti Architects, the firm in charge of the design for the facilities.

The Vedic Cultural Center in Sammamish returned to Alki Beach near the bathhouse to celebrate Krishna culture that the Center embraces.
According to the Vedic Cultural Center website:

We are holding our annual Ratha Yatra and festival of India on Aug 7'th and 8'th at Alki Beach Park. This is the 15'th grand year of Festival of India in Seattle. Please come along with your family and friends for a large, free vegetarian feast. Enjoy devotional music and dances. There will also be booths, book tables, exhibits, and dioramas showing Srila Prabhupada's teachings.

Once a year during the two week period, the Lord permits all persons to bathe him and pull his chariot during the public festival of Jagannath Rath Yatra on August 8th from 3:00pm to 5:00pm at Alki Beach Park.

Below are the list of event booths:
Gift Shop, Cooking demo, Yoga booth, Golu, Vedic Mathematics, Ayurvedic and Naturopathic, Massage, Reiki, Astrology, Palmistry, Q&A booth, Snow cones, Govardhan, Deity booth, Palm reading, Jhulan, Arts and Crafts and Henna, Vedic World view Vedic displays, Vedic Personality test, Temple Architecture.

CLICK ON PHOTO FOR SLIDESHOW

Many people put their cars on pedestals and classic car owners from all over the region came to Burien's Hot August Nights event on Saturday, Aug. 7. Although it was not exactly hot due to the rain, plenty of people showed up to see the cars. Car owners and those in charge didn't let the rain dampen their spirits.

CLICK THE IMAGE ABOVE TO SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT

The event was staged in Burien Town Square, on 152nd S.W. and vehicles competed for awards in a variety of categories. Jake and Myla Jacobs own the 1958 BMW Isetta that won two awards, Best Headlights and Peoples choice. Jake says his car is "sure a lot of fun, more people take pictures of it then any other single car." There was also live entertainment.

Burien Auto Row and the Discover Burien Association are the sponsors of Hot August Nights. Discover Burien Association is a nonprofit organization that works on the economic development, promotion and marketing of the city. Proceeds from the event go toward operation of the event and Discover Burien.

Highlights from all-area swim meet

A lot of stories from the Southern championships swim meet but maybe two of the most noteable tales come from the Arbor Heights 8-& under

Under a relay team that had "vroom, vroom," on their mind -- (plus 17-year-old Jason Lemley zooming to a pool record in an unusual way) there was action for all six area Seattle Summer Swim League teams at the Olympic View pool last week.

Before we go on, the final score was Kent, 402 points for first and Marine Hills second with 294. Arbor Heights was third with 281, Normandy Park fourth with 267 and Olympic View, fifth with 221. Twin Lakes came in sixth.

Well, what about that young group of Arbor Heights relayers?

They wanted to go on a ride. That was their goal all season long, according to one of their coaches, Mariah Crockett, who is a Kennedy swimmer on that traditionally strong swim team and state placer as a junior as well.

Crockett is a senior now, and she's helping out until the season starts this fall in high school with Arbor Heights swimmers. One of the swimmers is her little brother, Sal.

Twelfth Night Productions (TNP) is excited to celebrate our fifteenth year producing theater with How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying. In addition to producing high quality, community theater and providing an artistic outlet for residents of the Puget Sound, each summer TNP has partnered with a local charitable non-profit organization. Donating a portion of the proceeds from each summer show, TNP has helped such organizations as the Delridge Neighborhood Development Association, the All City Band and the White Center Food Bank among others. This year we are proud to partner with FareStart, a culinary job training and placement program for homeless and disadvantaged individuals.

ELMA - For the better part of five innings, South Highline National was positioned for a monumental upset that would kept its hopes for a championship alive, but a last-ditch comeback, instead, set the continually battling squad on the road out of town.

Bryce Pulver's five and one-third innings of no-hit pitching were offset by District III champion Centralia's one-out sixth inning rally as the Hub City boys dealt District VII champion South Highline National out of the 2010 state Little League baseball 11-12 year-old Majors All Star tournament 3-2 on Monday, July 26, at Smith-Murrey Park in the 10th Street Park Complex.

Trailing 2-1, Centralia's come-from-behind winning hand consisted of a final frame rally. After Pulver struck out the leadoff batter on five pitches, District III Centralia's Nolan Wasson lofted a single into left field, igniting the attack and ending Pulver's no-hit bid. Jake Sutton delivered a double down the right field line to move Wasson to third. Wasson then scored on a wild pitch to force a 2-2 deadlock.

ELMA- District VII South Highline National Little League suffered an 11-0 defeat at the hands of District X juggernaut Auburn in its opening game of the 2010 Washington state 11-12 year-old Majors baseball tournament hosted by District III East Grays Harbor Little League and held at the $65,000 two-year renovated Smith-Murrey Park in the 10th Street Park Complex.

"We're real proud of this field," said East Grays Harbor County Little League President Ian Osgood. "It took many people putting in many hours to make it happen."

South Highline National moved on to the single-elimination bracket of the tournament against District III powerhouse Centralia on Monday, July 26.

Situated just above somewhat rural downtown Elma and Elma High School, the well-hosted and promoted event was comfortable except for the rough reception given to National by its opponents of the day.

"We did okay for the first few innings," said National Manager Dave Galando. "Then, the third inning came and everything snowballed. Auburn is a fine team and hits the ball well. Our guys gave it their best today. It just wasn't enough. We'll have to dial it up a notch to stay in the tournament."

The toughest challenge young Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) faces when he gets off the plane in China—tougher than those bullies we know he will inevitably meet—is the title of the film. As a title, “The Karate Kid,” says all the wrong things: “Here’s an old chestnut some studio executive pulled off the shelf in the hope of making a pile of money with minimum creative exertion. So, settle in for some tepid entertainment while we try to get our hands in your wallet.”

It’s a big hurtle to overcome and the fact that this remake of “The Karate Kid” does so with an easy grace is enough to leave your mouth open and popcorn dribbling on your lap.

The good news starts with the cast. Jaden Smith (son of actor Will Smith) turns out to be a surprisingly competent actor. He telegraphs enough vulnerability to counterweight his smart mouth and make you believe he’s a kid who’s found himself out of his depth when his mother’s job transfer moves him from Detroit to Beijing.

The White Center Community Development Association released this news about SOPI (Strength of Place Village) rental housing project set to begin construction later this summer.

The WCCDA Press Release:

The White Center community is preparing for the groundbreaking of Strength of Place Village, a new construction project of 30 units of affordable rental housing near the business district, close to public transit, shopping and services. During this challenging economic climate for affordable housing developers, the White Center Community Development Association, Capitol Hill Housing and Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association have combined resources through an innovative partnership to develop Strength of Place Village.

Located on the corner of SW 100th Street and 13th Avenue SW, the project will have 30 apartments ranging from one-bedrooms to three-bedrooms for low-income families making less than about $55,000 per year. Strength of Place Village will also deliver living-wage construction jobs to White Center and will be green built to the Washington State Evergreen Sustainable Development Standard.

This Friday the 13th was a lucky day for participants who got to rappel off the rooftop of 514-foot high Rainier Tower. Media personalities including Q13's Bill Wixey, and, Seattle skiing icon Mike Hattrup, kicked it off, or rather, slid it down, during the first of the two-day Special OlympiWashington fundraiser "Over the Edge" that on Saturday, Aug. 14, welcomes over 100 participants rappelling that vertical rectangle resting on the upside down pyramid on 5th Avenue, three people every 15 minutes. (Friday's event was "Media Day.") Each will have raised at least $1,000 to rappel.

West Seattle resident Mike Gutt, Global Marketing Manger, K2 Skis, helped organize K2 Sports' sponsorship and involvement in the fundraiser. He rappelled side by side with Hattrup on Friday.

K2 Sports officially moved off Vashon Island and is now at 4201 6th Avenue South, two blocks east of the 4th Avenue South Costco. Roughly one third of its over 250 employees, like Gutt, live in West Seattle.

Gutt, a longtime outdoor enthusiast, explained how K2 Sports President Robert Marcovitch tapped him to organize the event. Marcovitch is a Special Olympics Washington board member.