December 2011

Tuesday, Dec. 20
Girls basketball
Highline 58, Ingraham 29
The Pirates plastered the Rams in a non-league game they hosted Tuesday, Dec. 20.

Mt. Rainier 64, Decatur 22
Mount Rainier dealt Decatur a non-division South Puget Sound League loss this past Tuesday.

Boys basketball
Mt. Rainier 72, Enumclaw 47
Caden Rowland swished in 18 points to lead Mount Rainier past the Hornets last Tuesday.

Lakeside 87, Foster 63
Foster took a loss to Lakeside in a non-league game Tuesday.

Wrestling
Blanchet 78, Chief Sealth 6
Jordan Armstrong posted the only win for Chief Sealth in this past Tuesday's Metro League match.
Armstrong won by pin with 36 seconds elapsed in the 106-pound match.

Wednesday, Dec. 21
Boys basketball
Chief Sealth 73, Garfield 67
Chief Sealth's Seahawks slipped past perennial power Garfield this past Wednesday.

Liberty 53, Highline 44
Highline was handed a non-league loss Wednesday.

Girls basketball
Wilson 89, Foster 20
Foster fell victim to the Rams in non-league action Wednesday, Dec. 21.

Thursday, Dec. 22
Boys basketball

Tukwila made national news on Dec. 23 when an early morning crowd swelled to over 2,000 people all hoping to get their hands on a new pair of Nike Air Jordan XIs, and then things got out of hand.

Details from Tukwila Police:
Starting at about 2:00 AM today, a large crowd gathered to buy Air Jordan shoes that were to go on sale at four stores in Southcenter Mall this morning. As the crowd increased, fights broke out as people tried to cut in line. The crowd swelled to over 1,000 people (one report estimated the crowd at 2,000 people). The situation continued to degrade. Tukwila Police called for mutual aid; officers from Kent, Renton, Des Moines, King County, and Seattle responded to assist.

Two mall doors were broken by unruly people trying to gain entry to the mall. Officers used pepper spray to disrupt fights in the crowd. One officer was punched by an 18 year-old man; that man was arrested and taken to jail. The officer was uninjured. Once additional police were on scene, the crowd waited without further violence. Empty alcohol bottles were found and officers smelled marijuana on some people as they passed.

The Nordic Heritage Museum on December 22 announced its third annual Nordic Lights Film Festival to be held January 6th through 8th.

This cutting-edge cinematic festival offers an immersion into the world of hot Nordic films during the chilly winter film season, focusing on contemporary, award-winning films from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, according to the museum.

All films are presented at the new SIFF Cinema Center, located in Seattle in the Seattle Center’s Northwest Rooms.

“We have a great line-up of Nordic movies, documentaries and shorts that will appeal to the general public as well as to those who are specifically interested in Nordic film,” said Eric Nelson, the Nordic Heritage Museum’s CEO, in a press release. “There has been a surge of interest in Scandinavian films, but few make it to mainstream US theaters. This is a good opportunity to experience a diverse selection of award-winning films, and Seattle audiences will have the opportunity to meet two filmmakers from Sweden, Anna Wessman and Nilsmagnus Sköld, who are coming to the Northwest to present their film.”

By Cassandra Baker, Intern

10:18 p.m. on December 19th. 95th block of Aurora Ave N

A clerk called 911 to report an armed robbery at the mini-mart where he was working on the night of December 19th. The clerk said that three black males had just robbed him at gunpoint. Police responded and searched for the suspects with a K-9 unit, but the track ended near the mini-mart. Police believe that the incident may be related to another robbery that occurred the same evening in the south precinct.

5:31 p.m. on December 17th. 25th block of NW 80th St

A Seattle school was burglarized on the weekend of December 16th and 17th. The responding officer found that the door to a portable was not secure and that a window in the back of the classroom had been broken with a rock. A computer had been taken from the teacher’s desk, and some drawers and cabinets were opened. It was unclear whether anything else had been taken, and school security did not name any suspects.

Seattle Parks and Recreation recently brought in their one millionth rebate dollar and by doing so, they are keeping more than just the grass “green”.

Over the past few years, Parks had made significant investments to reduce operating costs while upgrading the quality of parks and facilities.

Provided by Puget Sound Energy, Seattle City Light and Seattle Public Utilities, the rebate dollars come from 59 energy and water conservation projects that Parks has completed over the past five years.

The benefits are compounding each year and in addition to one-time rebates, the projects and other conservation work are saving Parks more than $1.5 million each year on utility costs, according to Parks.

Parks stated that it has reduced the amount of energy consumed per square foot of building space by 14 percent since 2005, and has also significantly reduced water use.

“We’re moving beyond the concept of re-inventing government to green-inventing government,” said Christopher Williams, Acting Parks Superintendent, in a press release.

In addition to the investments, Parks has reaped substantial savings from no-cost and low-cost projects.

The ever-energetic 91 year-old Georgie Bright Kunkel has a crowded home. That's because the stand-up comedienne, book author, and West Seattle Herald columnist, has accumulated over 75 dolls, both during her childhood, and travels abroad. She has about 60 displayed in her living room and dining room for Christmas.

"I don't collect certain 'valuable' dolls," Kunkel said. "I collect a mixture." Most are valuable for sentimental reasons. "For instance this one is called a '3-foot doll'."

She points to a large doll seated in a dark blue chair.

"I made this dress by hand for my daughter Susan when she was about three, when she was a flower girl," she said of the garment donned by the doll. "I brought the doll to Susan's wedding shower and sat her in a chair in the corner," Kunkel giggled wryly. She has another daughter, Kim, and a son, Steve, nine grandkids and nine great-grandkids.

The Seattle Department of Transportation noted today that a major milestone has been reached in the Spokane Street Viaduct widening project which will nearly double its width by adding 41 feet of new roadway.

Westbound traffic on the Spokane Street Viaduct will be shifted onto the newly constructed bridge deck tomorrow morning, December 23, in advance of the morning commute.

The SDOT press release states:

Motorists will find the shift to be seamless, maintaining the current two lanes of traffic in each direction; however, the posted travel speed for westbound traffic will be temporarily reduced to 25 miles per hour (down from 35 miles per hour) until the project is completed this coming summer. The remaining construction work requires westbound travel lanes to be narrower than standard lane widths. This, in addition to the presence of construction vehicles entering and exiting travel lanes, requires a lower travel speed for driver safety.

After 47 years cutting hair in West Seattle, John Burmaz, 70, has decided to hang up his clippers. Burmaz, who operates Alki Style & Barber Shop, 5040 California Ave. SW, across the street from Rite Aid Pharmacy, will retire Dec. 31.

Moving into his space Jan. 3 will be The Classic Barber & Style Shop, in the Alaska Junction since 1927. Owner Keith Grayson and Julie Dodson will still be with the shop at the new location, but will retain their current 937-4447 phone number.

Burmaz said now is the best time for him to retire, since he is in good physical shape and can enjoy his free time. He has been running since 1975, and goes six miles, three times a week, and also works out three times a week at 24 Hour Fitness.

"It's the end of an era because I'm one of the last of the traditional old barbers that still shaves around the ears with soap, and shaves faces using a straight razor," said Burmaz, who cuts his own somewhat bushy, white hair himself because, he said, "The price is right and I always seem to get what I want."

The White Center Community Development Association (WCCDA) has hired Mikel Davila as Neighborhood Revitalization Program Manager. He will join the CDA team in mid-January. The job has been covered by existing staff since the departure of Nahn Nguyen in August.

The WCCDA provided a brief bio on Mikel:

SLIDESHOW: Please click on the above image to see Suzanne Tennant's pictures of Mt. Rainier's Dec. 14th girls gymnastics meet.