Polar Bear plunges are planned again at noon Sunday at Angle Lake and Burien’s Three Tree Point.
Other ambitious people may join Burien’s Walk-n-Talkers Sunday at Town Square Park, S.W. 152nd St. and 5th Pl. S.W., at 2 p.m. for a walk around the city.
A very thoughtful Des Moines Police Det. Mike Thomas gave his mother ”Bigfoot Benny,” the polydactyl, for Christmas.
No, that’s not some strange dinosaur ancestor, although, admittedly, it is a little bit weird.
Actually, Bigfoot Benny is a super-cute, friendly kitten that needed a new home. He is around 3 months old, shorthaired black with white markings…and six toes on both his front feet, giving him big bear paws.
That makes him a polydactyl, also known as a “Hemmingway Kitty Cat.”
Nobel Prize–winning author Ernest Hemingway was one of the more famous lovers of polydactyl cats, after being first given a six-toed cat by a ship's captain.
Upon Hemingway's death, his former home in Key West, Florida, became a museum and a home for his cats and it currently houses approximately fifty descendants of his cats, about half of which are polydactyl.
Because of his love for these animals, "Hemingway Kitty Cat" is a term, which has come to describe polydactyls.
Des Moines Animal Control Officer Jan Magnuson was looking for a home for Benny this holiday season and Det. Thomas stepped right up to claim him for his mother.
By Rachel M. Lusby
The Tukwila Police Department. is at it again, helping the kids of their community. This time they are spreading holiday cheer through their “Shop with a Cop” event, held annually for the last three years.
The goal of this event, coordinated by Officer Ted Rutt, is to give children from the three elementary schools in the city a Christmas that exceeds the expectations those children initially had. School faculties are asked to choose children who have the absolute greatest need each holiday season, and then police officers volunteer to take these children Christmas shopping not only for themselves but for their siblings as well.
This year, Toys R Us in Southcenter kindly donated $100 gift cards for a shopping spree through the entire store. Officer Rory Mettlin donated an extra $25 for each card.
Police Chief Mike Villa volunteered for the first time this year. He is the new chief for the city.
“It’s a good time,” said Villa. “It’s good to have this positive interaction with the kids-- between the police and youth.”
Villa said it is just fun to be able to do stuff in the community with the kids.
Unruly crowd pepper-sprayed at Southcenter
Police peppered sprayed about 20 people at Westfield Southcenter Mall in Tukwila Dec. 23 after fights broke out among people trying to buy Air Jordan sneakers. About 1,0000 people gathered at Southcenter before four stores opened to sell the shoes. There were no injuries but one man was arrested for pushing an officer. The melee was the lead story on some morning network newscasts.
Rourn pleads not guilty in Jayme Thomas murder case
29-year-old Johnny Rourn pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder (for the shooting death of Jayme Thomas) and second-degree assault (for injuring a 24-year-old male friend of Thomas's) on Dec. 22, according to King County prosecutors.
Rourn is charged in the shooting that occurred on Nov. 5 at Redondo Beach in Des Moines.
His next court date is Jan. 31 at 1 p.m. in courtroom GA at the Norm Maleng Regional Justice Center. Rourn remains in jail on $1 million bail, according to Ian Goodhew with the prosecutor's office.
Burien woman killed in Tacoma hit-and-run
Press release from Ann Kendall for the White Center Food Bank
December 26, 2011. Seattle, WA. – Endolyne Joe’s in West Seattle along with Sozo Wines announce their first Winemaker’s Dinner on January 14, 2012 at 7pm. Space limited to first 20 reservations; $60 per person. This five course meal will feature Endolyne Joe’s New England themed winter menu paired with wines from Sozo Wines collection. In addition to a fabulous meal, paired wines will be available for purchase to benefit the White Center Food Bank. Representatives from Sozo will be at the dinner to introduce each wine; current varieties include Compassion Cabernet, Bountiful Bordeaux and Humanity Riesling.
Four unwelcome visits, one locksmith, two chainsaws and a rifle
4:05am update
Power has been restored.
Update 11:20pm
Power poles were knocked askew and trees fell on lines along 152nd Street in Burien stretching close to Seahurst on Christmas Day as high winds gusted throughout the greater Seattle area. The National Weather Service had no indication of the weather disturbance that put 188 customers without power for several hours, persisting into the evening for some 35 homes.
CLICK THE PHOTO ABOVE TO SEE MORE
Update 10:20pm
A persistent pocket of outage is persisting in Burien with 35 homes still without electricity. City Light confirms it was a tree that caused the outage and they expect to have power restored close to midnight, Christmas night.
The equipment failure in Tukwila however continues to deny power to the 279 homes that lost it in the late morning hours of Christmas day. No time estimate for repair is being offered at the time of this post.
Original post
The New York Time's Warren Buckleitner chose Bartleby's Book of Buttons Volume 2 as one of the "Best Apps for Children - End of Year Edition.
The app/e-book was developed by Alki Beach based Monster Costume and was a featured app for Apple within a week of its release. It's playable on both an iPad and iPhone.
The app was also awarded a Children's Technology Award and a a Kirkus Star.
Bucklietner writes: "Bartleby’s Book of Buttons Vol. 2 ($3) stretches the definition of ebook because each of the 17 pages contains a riddle that must be solved in order to unlock the next page. To move the sleeping whale on one page, you have to spin a record, D.J. style, and play some street noises long enough for the whale to wake up and move. Ages 6-up."
LAST MINUTE SHOPPERS!! Come down to the Beveridge Place Pub today to have your presents wrapped by our elves! You can relax and take a deep breath (and a drink or two) while we make your presents beautiful and festive! All proceeds go to AARF & Furry Faces and we need your help!
It’s up to you how much you would like to donate for the gift wrapping and 100% of donations go directly to helping animals. So sit back, enjoy a beverage and/or nibble, and watch them dazzle you with their brilliant smiles and big hearts.
A West Seattle patriarch, friend to many, and admired by many, Al Bostrom died Dec. 4 at his home in West Seattle after a stroke. He was 95.
Services are scheduled at 3 p.m. Dec. 28 at Fauntleroy Church, 9140 California Ave. S.W.
Mr. Bostrom was born and raised in West Seattle and attended West Seattle High School, Class of '34. where he starred in basketball and baseball. He attend the University of Washington, where he earned a degree in education.
He joined the merchant marine during World War II and served in the Aleutian Islands. After the war, he taught and coached at Stadium High School in Tacoma.
He became the youth director at the downtown YMCA, where he helped save the Y's Camp Orkila from developers. He met his wife, Pearl, of 64 years.
Bostrom won more than 22 national and international titles, plus two Senior Olympics gold medals. He was inducted into the U.S. Handball Association Hall of Fame and organized and was the commissioner of the Puget Sound Handball League for 28 years. He recently received the National Handball Association's Kendler Award.
The West Seattle Herald has written three stories honoring Al Bolstrom:
