September 2011

ifly Seattle is the northwest's newest thrill ride but the vertical wind tunnel in Tukwila which held its grand opening/ribbon cutting on Friday Sept. 23 is far more than a just a ride or a really fun experience.

It's a flight training center.

It joins some 22 other vertical wind tunnels in the SkyVenture franchise across the nation (the first one went public in 2000 in Orlando) and does in fact train those who come to be lifted by the powerful blast of air, rising up through a mesh floor at speeds from 116 mph (for beginners) to 155mph or faster for advanced or expert flyers.

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This one is owned by husband and wife Bill and Lisa Adams and it began as a dream for him when he was in the military as a green beret and part of a HALO (High Altitude Low Opening) team. In HALO the parachutist opens his parachute at a low altitude after free-falling. During training Adams was in an experimental wind tunnel (secret at the time) in 1988 and he recognized that a civilian version of the technology might be very successful.

Mike Keysor, 56, and his team members were working hard on a balmy Friday afternoon, preparing the space at 9640 16th Ave S.W. for their weekend opening as the Northwest Cannabis Market in White Center.

Keysor, manager of the market, said the space will be used as a private farmer’s market and information hub where medical marijuana patients, collective garden cooperatives and patient growers can connect to form grower-patient relationships.

The market opens on Saturday, Sept. 23 and will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, and Keysor said they may expand to three days in the future.

As an information hub, Keysor envisions “an exchange of ideas” where patients can learn about the different variations of medicinal cannabis and learn how to set up their own collective (or private) gardens. He also plans to have attorneys and real estate professionals on hand to provide people with a roadmap to understanding the tricky legal landscape of medical marijuana in Washington.

“We are really patient oriented,” he said, “giving them a place where they can take the time to learn about different medicines and the law.”

Some brats went for a trot Thursday evening on the merry-go-round horses at Burien Carnival Days.

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The brats, actually people dressed up as giant sausages, took a ride on the wienie wagon to publicize the Burien Brat Trot 5K, a great day of German-style fun and exercise presented by the Tin Room Bar and Theater on Sunday, Oct. 9.

Brat Trot proceeds will go to Safe Kids King County and Highline Schools Foundation for Excellence.

After their thrilling ride, the brats retired to the Tin Room where they were welcomed by proprietor Dan House with some of their favorite beverages and foods.

Burien Carnival Days at Town Square Park lasts through Sunday, Sept. 25.

Here is our previous coverage on the brat trot:
Registration open for those hot to brat trot
Registration is now open for the Burien Brat Trot 5K, a great day of German-style fun and exercise presented by the Tin Room in Olde Burien on Sunday, Oct. 9.

The 5K race starts at 1p.m. in Olde Burien and widely circles Lake Burien.

Seattle Christian used quick forwards and strong support from the midfield to constantly pressure Cascade Christian in a 5-0 home girls soccer victory against the hard trying Cougars in an afternoon Class 1A Nisqually League match up at Valley Ridge Park on Tuesday, September 20.

For the Warriors it was a league opening win to improve their overall record to 2-1 while the ever improving Cougars fell to 0-3, 0-5 respectively.

"We set up our goals for the season a few weeks ago," said Seattle Christian head coach Melissa Bennett Dunckley, who is pregnant and due to give birth anytime within the next few weeks.

"Our approach for each game is to meet our goals. so far we've done what we wanted to accomplish," Dunckley explained. "We don't have a lot of players, but they're very good. Because our forwards are so good, we can afford to push up from the midfield and go forward with the passing of the ball. (Coach) Lisa Peterson has really helped Cascade Christian improve."

On the evening of Sunday, September 18, Ballardite Anthony 'Tony' Nunes went missing. He didn't answer his cell phone and he was a no show at work the following morning.

"That was not like him. He loved his work," said his mother Marilyn Daschofsky.

Tony's father, Ronald Nunes, went looking for him at the local hospitals and filed a missing person report.

Daschofsky said that Ronald Nunes found their son underneath his boat in Ballard. It appears that he had slipped, hit his head on the dock leading up to his boat, and drowned when he fell into the water.

Only 37 years old, Tony was a proud member of the Ride the Ducks of Seattle where he was known as Captain Tristan Shout of the Might Duck Boat.

"Whether it was the people on his tour or people walking down the streets of the Emerald City, Tony could always make you laugh and smile and feel so much alive," writes Ronald Nunes in a tribute. "Many people dream, have hopes and ambitions but here was a man that actually fulfilled all of his dreams, celebrating life to its fullest."

Born in Texas, Tony grew up in a military family and developed a love for traveling and life at sea.

In October, Ballard's beloved Bad Albert's Tap & Grill will reopen under the ownership of twin brothers Shawn and Cory Rockey.

In June, Steve Katsandres announced that due to personal health issues and financial hard times he would be closing Bad Albert's after being in business for over 16 years.

Now, the Rockey brothers are happy to announce that they'll continue the business with the same name, kitchen crew, and customer service standards people have come to expect of Bad Albert's.

"Steve was the epitome of old school customer service and we want to build on that," Cory said.

Cory and his brother Shawn are long-time Ballardites who have been doing business together since they opened their first lemonade stand as five-years-olds and later deliveredthe Ballard News-Tribune as carrier boys.

As adults, they've worked in a variety of industries including distributing, construction, and most recently, credit card processing.

"Our real passion is in old school customer service and taking care of people," Cory said.

Press release:

The Southwest King County Chamber of Commerce and ACME Bowling, Billiards and Events will present the South Side Young Professionals' (SSYP) VIP Launch Party at Tukwila's ACME Bowling, Billiards and Events, on Wednesday, October 12, 2011.

Attendees will be able to mix and mingle with other young professionals at ACME Bowl's stylish, upscale entertainment venue. This will be a great opportunity for young professionals to make business contacts and begin to develop lifelong friendships and work relationships.

Admission will include delicious hors d'oeuvres and two drink tickets per guest, billiards games, and the chance to win raffle and door prizes. There will be opportunity for attendees to give generously to the group's Toys for Tots campaign.

The South Side Young Professionals, or SSYP, were founded in 2011 as an open networking group under the auspices of the Southwest King County Chamber of Commerce. The group is open to young business professionals, ages 21-40.

Press release West Seattle's Lisa Skvarla, organization chair, AWSDA (Association for Women's Self Defense Advancement) READ ABOUT HER IN THE WEST SEATTLE HERALD HERE:

Self Defense and Rape Prevention the Theme of AWSDA 2011 Training Symposium

AWSDA (Association for Women's Self Defense Advancement) is holding its self-defense training symposium in Newtown , Pennsylvania , November 4-6, 2011. A.W.S.D.A is an international, non-profit (501-c), educational organization, dedicate to ending violence against woman by providing training programs for instructors and a variety of services for women, all of which is designed to increase education about self defense and rape prevention.

The organization chair, Lisa Skvarla, a local West Seattle resident, has been a member of AWSDA since 2004. "I am very excited about this symposium," Skvarla says. "We have exceptional instructors who will be at the conference and the classes will be extremely beneficial to the participants."

Press release:
Eight retirement and assisted living communities of West Seattle, WA are coming together on October 1, 2011 for a Town Hall Meeting. Local community members may attend this free event which will be held from 10 am to 12:30 pm at the Fauntleroy Church.

SHAG Arrowhead Gardens, Boulevard Park Place, BridgePark, Daystar, The Kenney, Merrill Gardens at Admiral Heights, Merrill Gardens at West Seattle and Providence Mount St. Vincent will all be present. This forum will allow community members to gather information from each community at once and learn about the similarities and differences they share.

Attendees will enjoy breakfast bites prepared by each community while they visit the information booths. Karen Sisson, the Director of the West Seattle Senior Center, will MC the event. Presentations will be given by each community and there will be a question and answer period to follow.

Reservations for this event are requested at 206-937-6122, but are not required.

Sept. 30 UPDATE: Here are two links to video interviews with Duff McKagan and Jamie Chamberin, filmed by Casey Poier, Digital Strategist
Destination Marketing for Kenmore Air

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUhQSWMTRyU Duff Interview
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcOLTczpFlo Jamie Chamberlin interview
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Little did land-based Seattleites realize Wednesday afternoon that musical and cinematic history was being made high over their heads as rocker Duff McKagan and his band Loaded flew overhead on a de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter 10-seater Kenmore Air seaplane for one of the final scenes in their film, "The Loaded Project".

Because of the band's busy touring schedule, the film has taken 387 days, collectively, to shoot. It follows a fictional story line featuring songs from the band's album, The Taking. In one vignette of the movie, band members are being chased by a crazed taxi driver, portrayed by White Center musician Joe Dredd of the band Gunn and the Damage Done, a West Seattle band.