April 2011

Thistle Theatre's puppeteers will bring a musical to the Sunset Hill Community Club next month.
"Quest for Planet X, the space musical" will take viewers on a flight into the future from earth to the moon.

As a strange chrysalis-like growth starts to form on Earth it's up to the space team to fly to outer-space to find the antidote. If they're unable to reach Planet X and fulfill their quest, the Earth will be doomed.

An evil Queen adds to the suspense but silly robots on a recycling space station lightens the tension.

The musical is written by Jean Enticknap and Dan Nelson with music by Sue Ennis and Frank Cox.

Quest for Planet X will be performed at the Sunset Hill Community Club on May 13 at 7:30 p.m. and  May 14 and 15 at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

Tickets are $7 for children and seniors and $9 general admission. Tickets are available via Brown Paper Tickets.

The West Seattle Herald has gotten reports and inquiries about the passing of the owner of The Swinery, Joey Brewer. The store was closed on Saturday with a sign noting a "family emergency." His death was confirmed by owner James Dillon.

Brewer was part of the original staff when the specialty butcher shop opened in 2009. After some personnel changes and ownership alterations, Brewer came to be a co-owner.

Dillon himself, speaking from Florida on a trip, said, "Joey was bigger than life, and was a wonderful person. He enjoyed living in all of its variations. Even the challenges were just something to learn from and do. He was introspective. He might not like an idea I but he'd think about it. He wasn't afraid of ideas."

Dillon said he had no details on Brewer's death but noted that he would find out more when he returns on Sunday evening.

The apprentice program at the Swinery is now thrown into higher relief as Dillon said, "The mission carries on."

Photographer Kurt Howard captured these images of Kennedy's 10-3 victory over Renton on April 8.

SLIDESHOW: CLICK ON THE PHOTO TO PLAY SLIDESHOW.

Around 800 aircraft take off and land at Sea-Tac International Airport everyday and with that traffic comes a lot of noise.

The Port of Seattle held an open house for the public at Sea-Tac on April 9 to display the latest possible remedies to reduce noise emanating from the airport that negatively effects surrounding communities, called the Part 150 study.

Part 150 Study

The impetus for this latest study (it’s the fourth they have done, with the last one in 2002) was the completion of Sea-Tac’s third runway in 2008. The third runway sits on the western edge of the airport and its use brought new communities within the affected area of airport noise pollution.

“We look all of the noise environment and it’s an opportunity for us to look and see if we can do things better,” said Stan Shepherd, manager of airport noise programs for the Port of Seattle.

By Cassandra Baker, Intern

8:40 a.m. on April 1st. 75th block of 15th Ave NW.

A psychiatrist’s office was broken into and ransacked on the night of March 31st. The suspect(s) entered by breaking a window in one of the nearby rooms. The alarm system had not been activated when the last person left the office at 6:30 in the evening. The suspect(s) stole money and checks. No fingerprints could be obtained because the office was open when the police arrived in the morning and employees had touched the drawers that the suspect had gone through.

10:38 p.m. on March 31st. 80th block of 9th Ave NW.

A family returned home around 10 p.m. on March 31st to find the back door of their house open, several items knocked off of the kitchen window sill, and several items missing. The responding officer determined that a burglar may have entered the window by climbing onto a cooler located outside. The burglar(s) went through the wife’s purse and took her wallet, and went through every room upstairs, taking a laptop and cash. No fingerprints were found.

1:00 a.m. on April 1st. 65th block of Sycamore Ave NW.

West Seattle Nursery held its Spring Open House on Saturday April, 9 under cool and cloudy skies and featured some high quality azaleas for under $9 to get people in the door.

Sustainable West Seattle was at the event promoting the Tool Library, urging people to donate a tool. The library itself also moved today to its new location at the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center on Delridge Way.

Community Orchard of West Seattle was on hand. Their mission to harvest local fruit for neighbors and food security programs in the area and to create a venue for public agricultural education and community gathering.
They are located at South Seattle Community College, North entrance at 6000 16th Ave. s.w.

Aside from their special guests the nursery also offered gardening seminars on container gardening, curb appeal for your front yard, and one aimed at raising chickens called Urban Chickens. Connie Wurm is the "Chicken Lady" and an employee at the nursery.

The West Seattle Tool Library, a service provided by Sustainable West Seattle opened in its new, expanded location at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, 4408 Delridge Way s.w. on April 9.

The library, previously housed near South Seattle Community College had outgrown that space. The larger space at Youngstown will allow for the expansion of its collection, as well as open a 500 square foot community workshop/ makerspace with all the basic shop essentials such a tablesaw, bandsaw, mitersaw, drillpress, jointer, and many other shop tools.

Library Manager Micah Summers did the honors, and cut the appropriate "construction" ribbon to open the new space.

Patrick Dunn one of the people behind the effort noted that the greatest request they get is for the wood chippers they have. There are no reservations on tools, "You have to time it just right," said Dunn.

Once a month the Tool Library hosts Ask An Expert, a community forum for DIYers to connect and chat about their projects and also receive some great advice from local experts on topics such as Green Building & Architecture, Urban Agriculture, and Solar Power.

At 6:30 p.m. on Friday night, April 9, a group of around 30 family, friends and wives of the Seattle Police Department gathered to show their support of the SPD, waving signs and blowing whistles along Delridge Ave s.w. with the Southwest Precinct just behind them. A smaller group of five SPD protesters set up shop across the street.

The pro-police rally was the latest in a series at different precincts throughout the city, and in contrast to the more common SPD protests that have gathered in Seattle’s past, most recently in reaction to the decision that woodcarver John T. Williams’ shooting by SPD officer Ian Birk would not result in charges (Birk has since resigned from the force).

The police supporters held signs declaring, “Thank you for your service,” “Keep up the good work SPD” and “Thank a cop, they deserve it” and blew whistles and cheered as cars passed by.

The Delridge Produce Cooperative (DPC) has recently incorporated, and is moving toward opening a permanent produce stand in the Delridge Neighborhood of West Seattle. They are a community-owned organization, without large private investors. In order to sell inexpensive, locally-grown, pesticide-free produce, they are seeking financial support.

Galena White of DPC said, "Our 'Grow' bags were so popular at our 'Mobile Market' that we decided to offer them for sale. Each bag holds more than a regular plastic grocery bag, is reusable and washable, and stuffs into one of its own corners to form a cute little strawberry. We're all volunteers, so 100% of the proceeds from these $6 bags go toward Delridge Produce Cooperative's effort to open a produce stand on Delridge. Please visit one of the locations listed below and look for one of our baskets to help us bring healthy food to our neighborhood!"

Locations where you can buy a 'Grow' bag:

• Proletariat Pizza
• Again and A Gain Consignment
• Phở Aroma
• Blue Mist Hair Salon
• Super 24
• Delridge Deli Mart
• Pearls

On Thursday, April 7th the Ballard track team competed in a three team meet against Juanita and Eastlake.
In the running events junior Brad Baker took first in the 400,  junior Alex Bowns won the 1600 and sophomore Bryan Quandt took first in the 3200. Senior Alex Weatbrook had two wins for the throwing team placing first in both the javelin and discus.

The girls running team had two first place finishes; junior Emma Suchland in the 100 and the girls 4x100 relay team.

On Sunday, April 10th, some of these athletes will be competing in a 38 team invitational meet.

Lacrosse:

Blanchet moves into first place in Metro lax at Ballard's expense

Blanchet, now the leading team in Metro lacrosse, crushed Ballard in a 11 – 2 defeat on Thursday at Blanchet High School. 
 
Blanchet got ahead 4 – 1 in the first quarter and each team scored another point before half time. Blanchet continued to score 6 more goals in the second half while the Beavers were unable to net a single goal.

The Beavers’ Ray McCormick and Brian Gemme each netted a goal and Nick Onstad-Hawes had 8 saves in goal.