December 2010

With only two days left of their book drive, Viking Bank and Page Ahead are asking you to give the gift of literacy.

Viking Bank, Ballard's very own community bank, is collecting new books to be donated to Page Ahead, a Ballard non-profit with a mission to promote literacy and to give children new books.

"We serve 55,000 at-risk kids per year. About a third of which live in King County," said Susan Dibble, Executive Director of Page Ahead.

Dibble said Page Ahead hands out 164,000 new books to kids each year. She said the kids get to pick which book they want and take it home with them to start their own library.

"Ownership is important because many of these kids come from a home where there are no books in the house," Dibble said.

The book becomes like a prized possession for these kids to be read and re-read time and again.

"It's important for kids, especially when they're young, to have someone who will read with them. Studies have proven that access to books and reading aloud to children are essential to developing language and reading skills," Dibble said.

Gordon Hanson got his Springer Spaniel, Junior from his ex-girlfriend and although his original birth and very early life is not clear, he had some issues to overcome. He was timid and afraid when Hanson first got him and he needed some TLC from Gordon and his wife Sheena to blossom into the loving companion he has become.

Junior is now about a year and a half old.

"When he first came here he was so scared he would just lay there, he was a puppy at that time, it was sad. He wouldn't bark or run but eventually we taught him how to fetch and now he plays all the time. We have a cat and he chases him all the time in a playful way" Hanson said.

Junior's favorite toy is a little yellow football. "He's learned that if he gets it on the end he can carry it in his mouth and he will run up on the couch," explained Hanson.

Junior's acclimation is now pretty complete since, "He likes to shake hands, and he will get up on top of me and lay down, upside down. He's really, really loving and he has responded so well since we've had him here."

He's very affectionate and will lick Gordon's ear or put his paws on Gordon's shoulders and try to climb up.

The comedy Tuna Christmas currently playing at ArtsWest must close Dec. 24 so these next few days will be your last chance to catch it. The play is a very physical laugh out loud style comedy set in the town of Tuna, Texas but only has two actors who must perform 40 very quick costume changes to play the 22 characters.

Tickets are $32 and may be purchased online at http://www.ArtsWest.org, by phone at (206) 938-0339, or in person at the ArtsWest Box Office at 4711 California Avenue S.W. Groups of 10 or more save up to $12 per ticket. $10 tickets available for ages 25 and under. This show is suitable for all ages.

Performance Schedule: Wednesday-Saturday: 7:30 pm; Sunday: 3 pm; Additional performances on , Dec. 21 at 7:30 pm; and Dec. 24 at 5 pm.

Press Release:
The City of Seattle’s North Recycling and Disposal Station in the Fremont/Wallingford area and the South Recycling and Disposal Station in the South Park area will be closed on Christmas Day, December 25, and on New Year’s Day, January 1.

Seattle residents who subscribe to curbside food and yard waste collection can put their trees and greens out on their regular collection day at no extra charge from Dec. 26, 2010 to Jan. 9, 2011. Trees should be cut into sections of six feet long or shorter, with branches trimmed to less than four feet to fit into the collection trucks. Sections should be bundled with string or twine. Multi-family buildings can put out one tree next to each yard waste cart at no extra charge.

Trees that are flocked and/or have tinsel or ornaments will be collected as extra garbage. Customers will need to cut the tree into three-foot pieces and each piece will be charged as extra garbage. Starting January 1, each unit of extra garbage will cost $8.10. Plastic trees are not recyclable.

Editors Note: Todd Ainsworth of West Seattle Autoworks shared this note with us, prompting us to share this story from our sister site, FederalWayNews.net about a crime problem that seems to keep happening despite the efforts of owners and law enforcement. Todd writes, "We had a customer come in who had his catalytic converter sawed off his Toyota 4 Runner last week. He just woke up and started it up, sounding loud and called me up.
We had kind of a "mini epidemic" a couple of years ago, I'm sure you remember and I just want people to be wary of it rising up again."

By Scott Anthony

My pal Damon sent me the email: 'I just wanted to share something that happened today,... there were guys crawling under the cars and with a battery operated saw they were cutting the catalytic converters off of the cars... The police officer told us the salvage yards will pay up to two grand for them when turned in for recycling.'

The indoor holiday decorations are so spectacular at the Shorewood home of Doug Durbin and Mark Whitman, they were featured in the Dec. 13, 2009 Seattle Times "Pacific Northwest" magazine. In the first photo, nutcrackers populate the media room mantle.

In the second photo, Christmas stockings are hung with care above the glowing fire place.

By Jerry Robinson
When Rich Simmonds of Burien asked his daughter, Jamie what she wanted for Christmas, she instantly answered "a hedgehog."

So that is what she got. Here is Artie in Rich's arms.

Artie is a year and a half. He loves apples, pea pods, and has fur like a Brillo pad of stickpins.
That towel is not to ward off a bee.

Just holding him might make your arm look like a screen door. Jamie is 19.

On Dec. 13, sometime between 3 and 7 p.m. a house on the 8000 block of 45th Ave SW was burglarized. The unknown suspect(s) broke down two south-facing doors to gain entrance and stole $50 in silver dollars and a safety deposit key from the victim’s bedroom. The suspect(s), unable to find more loot, wrote, “You need more (expletive) to steal,” on the wall of a different bedroom.

PRESS RELEASE:

HO - HO- HOLIDAYS FROM THE ADMIRAL

The verdict is in.....drum roll please...... our free Christmas movie on Thursday, December 23rd. at 7PM will be, JIM CARREY'S, A CHRISTMAS CAROL.

Jim Carrey not only does the voice of Scrooge but the voices of the trio of Ghosts that visit Scrooge. Along with Carrey you will notice the voices of Colin Firth, Gary Oldman and Robin Wright Penn among others. This computer animated film brings its viewers into the middle of the action in a way the regular style of filming is unable to.

Remember, we are doing this as a benefit for the Humane Society. Statistics prove that animals are a good Xmas gift only to be brought back after the holidays. That's when animal shelters see a large jump in attendance.

So before you get your "Jingle Bell's on, you MUST bring something from the list below to the theater:

Animal crates (all sizes)
Premium dog & cat food
toys
bedding
collars
leashes
brushes
shampoo's
warm blankets
and a new Prius (okay, that's for me)

Can't wait to see you there!

Mrs. Claus (Dinah)

Tap Dance Class for Beginners
Alki Community Center
5817 S.W. Stevens St.
Thursdays beginning Jan. 6, 11:30 a.m. $45 for 11 weeks. Info: 206-935-2162.

Read the Qur’an
First Lutheran Church of West Seattle
4105 California Ave S.W.
www.flcws.org
Thursdays, Jan. 6 13, 20 & 27, 7-9 p.m. A four-week guided reading of the Qur’an led by Pastor Ron Marshall. The $50 fee includes and authorized translation of the Qur’an. Register now at 935-6530.

Rainbow Girls Christmas Tree Recycle
Alki Masonic Center
4736 S.W. 40th St.
Saturday, Jan. 8, 9-2 p.m. Suggested donation $5. The West Seattle Rainbow Girls, with help from the Royal Arch Park, will be happy to recycle your Christmas tree back to nature. Info: Jan at 206-849-7906. Rainbow gets girls ready for life and helps prepare them for their futures. Go to www.gorainbow.org

Sign Language Fun Classes for Children Grades K-2nd
Gatewood Elementary School
4320 S.W. Myrtle St.