April 2011

As the West Seattle Herald reported on March 29, Westwood Village is being bought by Bentall Kennedy, www.bentallkennedy.com for $78 million from Wesbild, http://www.wesbild.com/.

Press release:

MADISON MARQUETTE EXPANDS SEATTLE MANAGEMENT SERVICES WITH ADDITION OF WESTWOOD VILLAGE

Madison Marquette Retail Services has been selected by Bentall Kennedy to provide management services for Westwood Village, a 407,000 square foot infill grocery-anchored center. Madison Marquette will manage Westwood Village on behalf of Bentall Kennedy, a Toronto-based investment management company that recently acquired Westwood Village.

“We are very pleased to have been selected by Bentall Kennedy to manage this tremendous infill center,” said Robert Pittman, Vice President of Management Services of Madison Marquette’s Northwest region. “Westwood Village is a very well located property with a strong tenant line-up. Our mission is to improve the asset’s operating performance, enhance the property’s physical attributes, improve the customer experience and to work with Ownership to drive value through several key new initiatives.”

A panel of judges sat as a series of applicants came before them, each seeking support for their cause or agency. The questions were probing and pointed and the answers provided real insights into both the spectrum and depth of their need.

But this wasn't in some stuffy conference room, it was at Madison Middle School and the judges weren't old men in robes they were middle school students taking part in an annual effort called The Common Cents Penny Harvest.

Mike Beebe, Program Director for Seattle Metro/King County described the effort, "Penny Harvest is a youth philanthropy program. Our main mission is that young people have the tools to make a difference today on the issues that they care about."

In the current program year The Penny Harvest has about 15,000 students participating at 52 schools. They collected $52,000 this year. The schools are in Seattle, Tukwila, Highline School District, Federal Way, and the Bethel School District south of Tacoma, plus Edmonds and Vashon Island.

A bipartisan team of Washington state senators and representatives sent April 6 a letter to NASA Administrator Charles Bolden showing their strong support for Tukwila’s Museum of Flight as a final home for one of the retired space shuttles.

"The Museum of Flight is a source of pride to all of us in Washington state and we are confident that no other facility in the world can match the Museum's ability to preserve and utilize an orbiter in a manner befitting its historical importance," the delegation members wrote in the letter. "...We are confident that the Museum of Flight is an ideal home for a Space Shuttle Orbiter. These important national artifacts deserve to be well cared for in a historically-relevant environment, to have their history told accurately and in an engaging manner, and to inspire the next generation of aerospace workers. No facility is better suited than the Museum of Flight."

The delegation included U.S. Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, and U.S Representatives Jay Inslee, Rick Larsen, Jaime Herrera Beutler, Doc Hastings, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Norm Dicks, Jim McDermott, Dave Reichert and Adam Smith.

A decision is expected by April 12.

Seattle Fire responded to a car fire on the 7100 block of 39th Ave. s.w. at 2:30 p.m. on April 6.

According to the scanner, firefighters responded to a call of a vehicle engulfed in flames near a structure.

Firefighters were able to contain the blaze to the Jeep Cherokee and minimal damage was done to the nearby building. The fire was out before 3 p.m.

This story will be updated once the fire's cause is determined.

Press release:
American Pain Foundation
Please JOIN US in Seattle for this exciting PUBLIC EDUCATION EVENT!
SPEAK OUT for the Rights of People with Pain_Saturday, April 16, from 10:30 am to 3:30 pm
Cedarbrook Lodge_18525 36th Avenue South_SeaTac
DON'T MISS THIS UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY - REGISTER TODAY
AT THIS EVENT YOU WILL:
· Learn about the pain care YOU deserve
· Hear from experts and your peers
· Network with others affected by pain
· Visit with exhibitors
· Take home valuable information and free printed materials
· Find out how you can be part of improving pain care in Washington - TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Cedarbrook Lodge is handicap accessible. Please know there will be people ready to assist where needed.
Cost: $10 per participant in advance, $15 at the door, space permitting. A limited number of scholarships are available. Lunch will be provided for all pre-registered participants. NOTE - Pre-registration deadline is Saturday, April 9.
To register and for more information, visit: www.painfoundation.org/speakout

On March 2 the Herald met with a crew of five people, four of them members of St. John the Baptist on California Ave s.w., who headed to Mulundi Village, Kenya on March 21 to help villagers build a four-room secondary school.

The mission was led by Janet and Mike Johnson. Janet is originally from Mulundi Village where she met Mike in 2000 while they were both working for humanitarian causes in Kenya. The married couple has been together ever since and the school-building project was the latest in a long line of philanthropy efforts the Johnsons have done to improve education opportunities for Kenyan children.

To read the full story on their mission, please check out the Herald article West Seattle church members on a mission to build Kenya school.

Kate McCormick, who traveled with the crew along with her son James Saadeh, said everyone except Mike and Janet are back in Seattle. The Johnsons are flying back on April 6.

The pictures from McCormick were taken from the last day at the school, April 3.

Ten Ballard High School alumni were honored at the Wall of Recognition ceremony this morning. Each of the alumni received an engraved marble paperweight and their portrait was added to the Wall of Recognition in the lobby of Ballard High School's main entrance.

Created by the Ballard High School Foundation in 1997, the Wall of Recognition honors BHS alumni who have been recognized by their peers for their achieved preeminence in their respective field.

Today's honorees included ice skating champion Deanne Beideck Olsen, real estate giant and philanthropist John Goodman, Mr. Ballard Jim Vatn, life-saving hero Tom McAdams, and six more well-established and celebrated BHS alumni.

"This is a great opportunity to welcome them back and thank them for the great things they've done to represent Ballard High School," said BHS Principal Keven Wynkoop in addressing the auditorium filled with students, staff, and guests.

"Students, for you to be here and hear these amazing achievements of our honorees should give you a challenge and inspire you to think of ways you can help people. It's up to you to fill that role for the next generation," Wynkoop said.

The Ballard varsity softball team won their first Kingco game yesterday over school rival Roosevelt.

The Beavers won four to zero.

Andrea Jewett pitched a complete game shutout, striking out 11 batters and only allowing one hit. 
Bernie Cardon was 2 for 3 with 1 RBI. Andrea Jewett had an 2 RBI double and Jamie Thelen was 1 for 3 with 1 RBI.

Soccer:

Ballard's spring soccer team crushed Bothell last night four to zero. Brent Cambell scored all four goals, two in each half.

Lacrosse:

The Ballard boys lacrosse team lost against Lakeside 7 to 8.
Lakeside got their one-point-lead in the first quarter with a 2 to 3 score and managed to keep a lead throughout the game.

In other news, The Beavers boys basketball season video is now available on YouTube.

The community will get a chance to meet the new Beavers Football coach, former NFL player Joey Thomas and his staff and bond with players during a spaghetti dinner and Beavers Jeopardy.

This is a meet and greet opportunity for football players, their families and friends. There will a spaghetti dinner, salad and bread, a raffle, and games. Proceeds will benefit the football program.

The event will take place on Friday, May 6th at 6:30 p.m. in the Ballard High School Commons.

Tickets are $15 for adults; $10 for students and children and can be bought from any BHS football player or at the door.

Contact Sue Rauda at 782‐9085 or rauda@comcast.net for questions or volunteering.

The annual West Seattle Chamber of Commerce Awards Breakfast honored Rick Jump, Director of the White Center Food Bank. Jump said, "I'm very honored. It's such a pleasure to be able to serve the community in which I live and anything that brings awareness to the issue of hunger in our community is a great thing. I'm very very happy." Jump wanted to emphasize that both the White Center and West Seattle Food Bank are participating in the Feinstein Million Dollar Giveaway in which every donation they receive in March and April will result in an additional gift from the Feinstein Foundation.

Others honored at the event were Salty's on Alki as Business of the Year, with Bonnie David and Cindy Smith accepting the award with owner Gerry Kingen looking on, The West Seattle Farmers Market was honored as the non-profit organization of the year. Chris Curtis accepted the award. Greg Whittaker spoke as the owner of Mountain to Sound Outfitters, winners of the Emerging Business award. "I learned the secret to making a small fortune in business is to invest a large fortune," Whittaker said which drew laughs from the crowd.