September 2011

Seattle Parks is hosting a meeting for the skatespot schematic design, set to eventually be installed at Roxhill Park, on Wed. Oct 12, 2011. The play area schematic design meeting is set for Mon. Oct. 17 and the final designs of each project will be seen in a meeting on Mon. Nov 14.

All meetings will start at 6 p.m. at Southwest Branch Library.

For additional information or to read the meeting notes from the first public meeting please visit: http://seattle.gov/parks/projects/roxhill/

Download the meeting flyer at the link above.

The Roxhill Skatespot and Playground project is being funded by the Parks and Green Spaces Levy.

The contest between the West Seattle Wildcats and the Cleveland Eagles Sept. 30 got off to a very promising start when George Edwards of West Seattle returned the opening kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown. Nikko Em scored the 2 point conversion. From that point forward, the game was essentially all West Seattle.

CLICK THE PHOTO ABOVE TO SEE MORE BY Nathaniel Solis

Following a George Edwards interception, Wildcats QB Isaac Johnson completed a 50 yard pass to George Edwards for a touchdown (his first of three on the night). West Seattle pushed it down the field at the end of the first half, but time ran out.

In the third quarter, Cleveland’s offense struggled against the West Seattle defense, which is led by Nate Ve’e at Middle Linebacker.

Numerous penalties negated plays by both teams, the most egregious being an “inadvertent whistle” that cost West Seattle a recovered fumble on an onside kick.

Dan Sullivan, taking over Running Back duties after an injury to highly productive Jovan Washington, punched in West Seattle’s last touchdown to make the score 35-0 (with the Isaac Johnson kick).

Futurewise, a nonprofit organization protecting land and promoting sustainable urban growth in Washington State, held a fundraiser, "Feast With Friends", at Kaspars on Queen Anne Thursday. Participants from West Seattle and Burien attended. You can read our story about one of the event's vendors, West Seattle- based "11 Olives", here.

"Futurewise protects and preserves local land," said Rick Martin, owner, 11 Olives. "I was more than happy to participate. That's part of the vision of my company."

Other West Seattle vendors included Chaco Canyon Organic Cafe, 3770 SW Alaska St., (with another location at 4757 12th Ave. NE.) and Blackboard Bistro, 3247 California Ave. SW.

Blackboard Bistro chef Jacob Wiegner trained at Le Cordon Bleu London. "I looked into Futurewise and it seemed like a natural fit," he said of participating. "I try to use local farmers and producers as much as I can and it's something I definitely agree with. I think they are a great organization."

By Jennifer Hall

I was walking my dogs up from the pea patches into Solstice Park at 6 PM. There were around 15-20 young people there, laughing raucously, squealing. Young men were yelling at the young girls to, "Come hither, ladies!" After being at the park for about a minute, I realized that they were high school students. There were beer cans, white powder, and plastic containers littering the grass. One of my dogs was especially interested in a large fleshy thing that they were batting around on the grass. I walked into the group to look at it. It was a large animal heart -- a pig's or a cow's.

Homecoming for the Chief Sealth Seahawks could have gone better. It was a battle between an experienced and powerful team, the Eastside Catholic Crusaders and the smaller and less experienced Sealth Seahawks.

Eastside Catholic (E.C) scored with 8 minutes remaining in the first quarter and scored a 2 point conversion on a fake extra point attempt.

Sealth got the ball back and on third down threw an interception. E.C. scored three plays later on a screen pass with 7:56 remaining in the first quarter and with the extra point the score was 15 -0.

Sealth turned the ball over on downs following the kickoff and E.C. scored again still in the first quarter making the score 22- 0.

The second quarter did not improve for Sealth because E.C. ran a 75 yard touchdown play to score yet again for a 29 - 0 lead.

E.C. scored again on a pass play, kicked off again, Sealth went four and out and E.C. marched down to finally score a field goal bringing the total with 2:58 left to 39- 0 at the half.

A new, West Seattle-based organic brand of extra virgin olive oils and artisan crafted balsamic vinegars called 11 Olives, is making a splash, finding its way into dishes at Blackboard Bistro, Chaco Canyon Organic Cafe, and residential kitchens through retail sales at West Seattle Produce Company and the FarmBoat Floating market on Lake Union.

11 Olives' balsamic vinegars include Cinnamon Pear, Black Walnut, Chocolate Raspberry, Tangerine, Zesty Lemon and more. Olive oils include Black Truffle Garlic, White Truffle Garlic, Blood Orange, Citrus Habanero and more.

Owner, Rick Martin, a former Alki resident now in Burien, has attracted a West Seattle crew of enthusiasts to help promote the product. The West Seattle Herald visited Martin's display at Kaspars in Queen Anne Thursday night in "Feast With Friends", a fundraiser sponsored by Futurewise. Futurewise is a non-profit organization promoting health in cities and counties by protecting land.

Check out our new story on Futurewise here.

The 2011-2012 season begins this weekend at Burien Little Theatre with the opening show of their 31st year, “Frankenstein.” Although the show’s run will eventually coincide with Halloween, don’t expect your predictable, scary monster story.

Please click the photo above for more.

Yes, it is a monster tale. Dr. Frankenstein brings his creation to life, a Creature that is hideous and deformed, rejected in horror by all he meets.

And it is scary, but not for the reasons you might think. The monster will probably scare you. But by the end of the story, you might ask yourself just which character(s) in the play is really the monster.
BLT’s “Frankenstein” is a world premiere adaptation written by Seattle playwright Roxanne Linnea Ray. It is much truer to Mary Shelley’s original novel, “Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus.” There is no square-headed monster with bolts sticking out from its neck. There is no mad scientist laughing madly while throwing switches in his lightening-filled basement laboratory.

Hicks Lake in Lakewood Park has been the butt of many jokes over the years and the subject of many motherly cautions (“Don’t you dare swim in that lake”). All in all, it’s the Rodney Dangerfield of lakes; the one that gets no respect.

Good news for the beleaguered body of water is far and inbetween. The new name may only add three letters to the root, but for Hicklin Lake crusader Dick Thurnau, it’s a victory several years in the making.

On Sept. 15 Thurnau, 86, received a letter from the United States Board on Geographic Names.

“Dear Mr. Thurnau,” it read, “We are pleased to inform you that the U.S. Board on Geographic Names … approved your proposal to change the name of Hicks Lake in King County to Hicklin Lake.”

The lake was originally named after Leonard Hicklin, an early settler who brought his family to the White Center area from Oregon in the 1880’s and bought the land including and surrounding Lakewood Park.

Over time the name started showing up as Hicks Lake on maps, and even had a period as Garrett Lake, named after L.B. Garrett who owned the land for a period of time in the 1930s after Hicklin died in 1931.

Danny O’Neal Jr., 30, was sentenced to 15 years in prison before King County Judge Joan DuBuque on Sept. 30, according to the King County Prosecutor’s Office.

O’Neal pleaded guilty to second-degree murder late in 2010, admitting he was one of two gunmen (along with John Sylve) who shot and killed Steve Bushaw in front of Talarico’s in West Seattle on Feb. 1, 2009.

John Sylve, 33, the other admitted triggerman facing a second degree murder charge, was scheduled for sentencing on Sept. 30 as well, but the court delayed his time to Nov. 4. Sylve faces a range of 15 to 23 years.

On Sept. 16 Bryce Huber,29, was sentenced to 32 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of first degree murder. Huber did not shoot Bushaw, but was found to be the mastermind behind the revenge killing in retribution for the robbery of a drug dealer he believed Bushaw was behind. No evidence pointed to Bushaw’s involvement in the robbery, according to court documents.

That same jury was unable to come to a decision on the fate of 32-year-old Brandon Chaney, the alleged getaway driver after Bushaw was shot. King County Prosecutors are currently considering a retrial in his case.

The future of the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council is the big agenda item for the Oct. 6 meeting at the North Highline Fire Station, 1243 SW 112 St. in White Center. The six unincorporated area councils (UACs) in King County received word in early July that their contractual agreement with the county and $10,000 in annual funding (for each UAC) will end starting in 2012. Essentially, the UAC's will lose their funding and King County plans to implement a new model for interaction with unincorporated area residents. The adopted legislation calls for the establishment of unincorporated community service areas (CSAs) that will cover all of unincorporated areas. Under the framework, a single point of contact will hold meetings with service areas to develop work programs and provide regular opportunities for community-based organizations, such as Unincorporated Area Councils (UACs), to meet and work with King County officials.

The plan is outlined here: http://your.kingcounty.gov/dnrp/library/dnrp-directors-office/rural/ua-…

Here's the agenda for the October 6 NHUAC Meeting