October 2011

The Beavers beat the Garfield Bulldogs 26-7 at Memorial on Saturday night, providing the perfect ending to a festive homecoming weekend at Ballard.

Johnny Verduin threw for two touchdowns— including one to Dominic King, who also scored twice— while the Beaver defense played stingy all night.

After an early defensive stand gave Ballard the ball at their own 31-yard line in the first quarter, the Beavers put together a scoring drive, culminating in a 9-yard touchdown run by Jordon McColloch. The drive nearly stalled earlier on, but a huge 22-yard conversion on fourth-down set up the score.

The Bulldogs started to put together a drive of their own in the second quarter, moving the ball into Ballard territory, when the Beavers forced a turnover on a Matt Deehring interception. Capitalizing on the take away, Dominic King broke off a 69-yard touchdown run to put the Beavers up 14-0.

After the 1951 state champions were honored at half time, the Beavers picked up right where they left off with the first play of the third. Blake Sechler took a screen pass from Verduin 68-yards to the end zone, putting the Beavers on top 20-0.

By Kyle Howard

A division rivalry rematch between Chief Sealth and West Seattle High school on Oct. 5 began with Sealth trying to redeem themselves from a previous 3-0 loss to West Seattle earlier this season. The girls took the court with the band blaring and students dancing to the music. Both the band and student section was full and ready for this showdown. Even the visiting West Seattle side was full of fans. Chief Sealth started things off in the first game with a 5-0 run but was quickly countered with a West Seattle run of their own to tie the game at 5. The match continued back and forth with several lead changes until the game was tied at 24. Sealth’s Sam Foy served the ball that was unable to be returned by West Seattle for game point. The next serve was volleyed back and forth until West Seattle went to spike it and the ball was blocked by Lorraine Toilolo for the Sealth’s final, game winning point. Sealth won the first game 26-24.

When West Seattle High School head girls basketball coach, professional model, and Admiral resident, Sonya Elliott was 24, she was driving home from her wedding shower with her fiancé, Mark, Overholt, who she met at Eastern Washington University. It was Oct. 20, 1991. While driving through rural Ritzville, their car was hit by a train. Only Sonya survived. She shattered her right arm and leg, suffered from a punctured lung, lacerated spleen and kidney, and a bruised heart.

Yes, a bruised heart, literally and figuratively. In her new book, "Back on the Court", TIGRESS Publishing, to be released Oct. 16, Elliott takes us through the loss of Mark, and her fight to move on. While the tragedy occurred almost half her lifetime ago, she feels she is ready, through her writings, to help others get through their personal challenges. She remarried, has two children, and with her active coaching and modeling careers, and loving family, you might say her life sets an example, as is reflected in her book, for others struck with crisis searching for hope through it all.

Children 6 to 12 will have the opportunity to have their cake, then eat it, too, as they decorate their own, individual cake through a class offered by BAKED., the custom cake bakery at 2604 California Ave SW, by Admiral Way. Coined "Future Little Bakers" the first class is offered Oct. 26. Sign up by Oct. 23. The class costs $75 and includes a six-inch cake of their choice, which serves 12 to 14 people, to bring home after they add their personal, artistic touches.

"This is our first run," said Natalie Vorpahl, who owns and operates BAKED. with Kristina Serfass. The Herald reported on their opening here.

'We will see how it goes, then probably offer the class once a month," she added. "Parents can drop their kids off, or stay if they want to watch."

Serfass and Vorpahl will offer their gentle assistance, but the kids are free to decorate as they wish.

"It's one of those things that little kids, both boys and girls, enjoy," she said of decorating. "They have been exposed to Cake Boss (TLC) and Ace of Cakes (Food Network).

Watch for orange barrels and "Construction Ahead" signs in Tukwila.

On Oct. 18, the state Department of Transportation starts fixing the worst and bumpiest spots on I-5 near Southcenter.

At night, nearly every night for the next two months, crews will be closing multiple lanes to cut open, break apart, remove and replace the worst sections of old and broken concrete between S. 188th Street and the I-5/I-405 interchange at Southcenter.

The work is being done at night and on weekend nights to avoid peak commute times. The work will be noisy.

If you would to receive weekly updates on this project, send an email to murphym@wsdot.wa.gov with I-5 Tukwila in the subject line.

A project hotline has been set up with current information. Callers may also leave a message. The number is 206-440-4440.

The Croatian community in West Seattle and beyond is gearing up for CroatiaFest with its theme Taste of Croatia Oct. 23 at the Seattle Center. There are 40,000 Croatian Americans in Western Washington, including over 300 families living near the Alaska Junction. Many here attend Holy Rosary Catholic Church. Every January the Croatian Community gathers at Holy Rosary to celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany with a Croatian Mass, and proceeds benefit St Theresa's Orphanage in Zagreb.

Professional folklorist and musician John Morovich, an Alaska Junction resident whose great-grandparents settled in West Seattle from Croatia's Dalmatian Coast, will offer his talents and enthusiasm to help mark his culture's century-long presence in Puget Sound.

A sound engineer for the Museum of History and Industry in Montlake, Morovich, 46, and his sister, Joanne Abdo, also of West Seattle, direct the 40- member Seattle Junior Tamburitzans, a Croatian youth (age 5 to 21) music and dance ensemble. They will perform at CroatiaFest. The tamburitza is a long-necked lute. There has always been a tamburitza band in West Seattle since the 1920's.

The Rainier Beach Vikings played host to the West Seattle Wildcats, fresh off a 35 - 0 win last week against Cleveland and they didn't skip a beat.

The first touchdown was set up on a nice pass play by quarterback Isaac Johnson and receiver Joe Ylagan. Mikko Em punched the ball in from the 2 yard line for the first six points and Isaac Johnson kicks the PAT.

Ylagan scored again with the second touchdown on a 48 pass play thrown by Isaac Johnson.

With 10:30 on the clock in the second quarter West Seattle had a 20 yard catch and 52 run by George Edwards who scored the third West Seattle touchdown, Bringing the score 20 - 0 with the kick by number 10 Isaac Johnson.

DiAndre Jackson picked up 12 yards on a run and then a 17 yard pass play to George Edwards and the Wildcats moved the ball down the field in the second quarter with 6 minutes left in the half.

The Wildcats, moved the ball and got down into scoring range but turned it over on downs.

In a key defensive play, Nate Ve’e sacked the Vikings quarterback and on the very next play George Edwards intercepted the ball on the 22nd yard line and ran it back 26 yds with 48 seconds left in the half.

Daystar Retirement Village held an art walk Sept. 22 featuring nearly 25 paintings and drawings that remain displayed in their lower level. Daystar residents featured are Paco Berg, Chiyako Oka, and Catherine Schade. Their work has hung in art galleries, and Oka teaches a watercolor class monthly at Daystar.

"When I first saw this apartment, I thought, 'Oh gosh! This will be a perfect studio,'" recalled Oka, who was born in Kobe, Japan. She moved to Daystar here one and a half years from the neighborhood above Lincoln Park. "Northern light, that's what they say," she remarked pointing to her large, north-facing windows, desirable to painters.

"I started painting 40 years ago, with oils at the YWCA here in West Seattle," she recalled. "Then I started to do acrylic, then water color. Oil is kind of hard because you have to stand up and extend your arm, and you have to have a very steady hand."

Heather McCallum is Daystar Activity Director. Prior to this post she worked at a Pioneer Square art gallery call Global Art Venue.

The first half of the game between the Franklin Quakers and the Chief Sealth Seahawks at the Southwest Athletic Complex on Friday Oct. 7 was largely a defensive standoff.

Sealth had an opportunity late in the second quarter on a field goal attempt but missed it. Then with 2:04 left Franklin scored on an 11 yard touchdown run making it 7-0. Less than a minute later Sealth turned the ball over on a fumble and Franklin capitalized on the mistake with a run making it 14-0.

CLICK THE IMAGE ABOVE TO SEE MORE

The second half was a different story.

Franklin punted on their first possession and Sealth had a great runback to the Franklin 12 yard line but three downs later missed another field goal with 7:37 left in the third quarter.

Franklin took possession and two plays later they scored on a 92 yard screen pass, making it 21-0.

Sealth mounted another good drive but had a pass intercepted on the Franklin 12 yard line.

The opening play of the fourth quarter Franklin threw a pass and scored on what was close to an 80 yard play.

The North Highline Unincorporated Area Council voted unanimously to continue on as a community advocacy group for White Center and the rest of North Highline in 2012 and beyond on Oct. 6.

“I think we have a purpose in this community and we should continue on,” NHUAC councilmember Ron Johnson said.

The Council’s funding and contractual relationship with King County will officially end on Dec. 31. The county is developing a new system for community engagement with Community Service Areas (CSAs) that is still in the works.

Although the council agreed to stay together regardless of their relationship with King County, they also voted unanimously to propose an extension of the NHUAC contract into 2012 to the county, so they can help in advocating for the annexation of White Center/North Highline to Burien. Burien City Manager Mike Martin said the city is not allowed to take a stand on annexation, only provide information.