January 2012

This spring, 12 students in the Ballard High School Video Production Program will be visiting Hollywood to tour the industry, meet with professionals, visit world-class film schools, and connect with program alumni.

Filmmaking is a competitive career and it’s not uncommon for top college programs of film and television to admit as few as 2 percent of applicants, according to instructor Matt Lawrence. Despite these odds, BHS video students regularly gain admission to these prestigious schools and as they move through college and enter the industry, Ballard alumni provide an ongoing source of inspiration and support for students currently in the program.

"We’re hoping that this trip will help students understand that the world of filmmaking is a realistic goal if they’re willing to work hard and prepare," said Lawrence.

The Ballard alumni leading the tours include:

The Beavers boys basketball team hosted Inglemoor last night, resulting in the Beavers' fourth loss in a row.

It was neck and neck in the first quarter with Ballard coming out with a one-point lead at the end.

But Inglemoor made a strong comeback and the score was 19 -11 for Inglemoor at halftime.

It was another close second half with both teams scoring 15 points in the third quarter and Inglemoor sealing the win in the final minutes with a final score of 67 to 56.

Johnny Verduin led the Ballard team in scoring with 14 points, seven rebounds, and one assist.

The Beavers play again on Friday, Jan 13, at 8 p.m. at Woodinville High School.

Remember the term “empty nest?” Before the day when virtually every family household had two wage earners it was common for a mother to be asked when her children left home, “How are you dealing with the empty nest syndrome?” From what I understand it’s far more difficult when they return home to roost, mostly staying in pajamas, ostensibly job-hunting as they peer at a small electronic screen.

I’ve been wondering this last week why I was in such a funk despite the fact that snow in Seattle usually brings me such joy. Right outside my window has been a parade of skiers, snowshoers and children sliding on objects of every shape and color. Yet I’ve been scowling, thinking dire thoughts about the possible impact of their skulls against hard surfaces. It finally occurred to me that I was suffering from empty sled syndrome.

Whenever it snows I think of Emily’s best friend calling from up the street at the sight of a snowflake, I swear before it could hit the ground, to suggest they try his new sled with runners, a gift from neighbors whose children were grown. When I watch snowflakes beneath the streetlight I miss them both. I miss their childhood and my own.

Timber, an admittedly male name, is nevertheless the name of the female cat that obviously owns David Rosen and Kendra McLeod. Rosen, a contributing photographer for the West Seattle Herald also works in his own business SlickPix Photography which he can operate from the couple's home. That means he spends a lot of time with Timber, a medium brown haired tabby. The couple got Timber, who is 18 months old, from the Seattle Humane Society.

Rosen explained that the agency was holding a Christmas event, "where you could take home a cat anywhere over the age of 1 year for free and kittens were $50," so they elected to get a kitten. All the animals were spayed or neutered.

McLeod said they spent more than three hours however looking at all the choices before settling on Timber. "I made the final decision on picking her out," said Rosen, "When I came across Timber the first thing I noticed was the long hair out of her ears."

If you are a cat fancier you know that they, just like many other animals, have unique personalities.

The high winds from a weather system that blew in on Tuesday night managed to take out the power for nearly 900 people in Fauntlee Hills and near Westwood Town Center and did some other damage. The outage was repaired in fairly short order and ahead of Seattle City Light's own projection in about 2 hours.

One of the rare public phone booths still remaining outside the 7-11 store at California Ave. s.w. and Erskine Way s.w. had its line snap, fly up and smash out the store sign according to Seattle Police at the scene.

Numerous small branches were damaged and one large one broke from a tree and for a time blocked traffic at Frontenac Street south of the Morgan Street Junction.

A power pole at the intersection of Glenn Way s.w. and s.w. Oregon Street snapped causing the lines to arc until Seattle City Light crews could get the situation under control.

One of the largest flags in the Seattle area, that is displayed at the West Seattle Corporate Center at 4025 Delridge Way s.w. at Andover Street was whipping at a high rate in winds that were forecast to be 30 mph steady with gusts to 45 mph.

KIRO -TV reported a gust at Alki Point of 48 MPH.

Surveillance video added on Jan. 27.
Press release from KCSO
Seattle-The King County Sheriff’s Office has released a video of a robbery that occurred on Tuesday evening around 7:30 PM at a pawn shop in the 10200 block of 16 Ave SW.

The video shows four men entering the store and ordering customers and employees to get to the ground. The video also shows a suspect forcing a youth to the ground. At least one of the suspects was armed with a handgun. The others carried baseball bats.

While in the store the suspects struck an employee in the shoulder with a bat and smashed a glass display case. The suspects took jewelry and an undisclosed amount of money and fled on foot.

The suspects are described as 4 black males, wearing dark clothing.

If you have information related to this crime please call the King County Sheriff’s Office at (206) 296-3311.

Update for Jan. 25
At least four men entered the crowded Pawn Pros pawn shop in White Center around 7:30 in the evening on Jan. 24 - one of them armed with a handgun and the others with baseball bats, according to Sgt. Cindi West with the King County Sheriff's Office.

The deadline for the The West Seattle Rotary Club Service Foundation Vern Gambriell Scholarship is coming up in just a few weeks. Feb 15 is the last day that applications can be made for the annual award totaling about $6000, given entirely to one student or split between multiple students.

The scholarship is meant to make it possible for the recipient(s) to pursue a post-secondary educational program at an accredited institution. The scholarship is awarded based on financial need and academic merit with the specific desire of the donor being that assistance is provided to students who would not otherwise be able to attend college. The funds may be used for tuition and fees.

Any unexpended funds will be returned to the West Seattle Rotary Club Service Foundation Gambriell Scholarship Fund. Preference will be given to residents of West Seattle.

The full scholarship application form can be read and downloaded at the link above.

Update at 8:12 pm
The power outage that hit Fauntlee Hills and areas east along Barton Street has been repaired ahead of schedule. Only minor pockets of outage remain in the affected areas.

Original Post
Seattle City Light estimates it will be after midnight until power is restored for 874 customers in West Seattle. High winds expected to reach gusts of up to 50 mph tonight are the likely cause. The outage began just before 6 pm.

The area affected reaches from 30th Ave. SW along SW Barton Street then down 32nd Ave SW to Roxbury Street and to the west down Barton to 42nd Ave. SW, Another pocket of outage is across Roxbury to the south from 28th to 32nd Ave. SW. Other customers to the south of these areas are also in the dark.

Seattle Police are reporting that traffic signals are dark near Westwood Village.

You can check the status of the City Light system (assuming you have power to a device to do so by checking their system status page at http://www.seattle.gov/light/sysstat/

All four corners of the 15th Avenue N.W. and N.W. Market Street intersection were filled with dozens of protestors on Tuesday afternoon as teachers, students, and parents called for more education funding.

In August 2011, the Seattle Education Associated announced that Seattle Public Schools teachers and classified staff would be taking a series of furlough days without pay to offset the State Legislature’s recent $4 million reduction in funding for SPS salaries.

Today was a furlough afternoon so instead of standing in front of a classroom, teachers were standing in the rain asking for more funding for education.

"We are out here not only to protest budget cuts and show that we are reluctant to take furlough days but also because we need the public to understand the impact of these budget cuts," said Marian Wagner, a third grade teacher at Salmon Bay School. "These cuts hurt us. We are strapped for resources and planning, which are needed to provide students with a good education."

SLIDESHOW: CLICK ON PHOTO FOR MORE.

Teachers, parents, professionals, school nurses, psychologists, and office workers were released at 11:00 a.m. today for a statewide furlough. At about 1:15 a.m. some teachers gathered with signs in the West Seattle High School Commons. At 1:00 p.m. they joined others from area schools holding signs at the Fauntleroy/Alaska corner and waved as cars drove by, some honking with support. They demonstrated against budget cuts and for the legislature to fully fund education.

Protester and Schmitz Park third grade teacher, Sabrina Storlie, has a son attending her school and another at West Seattle High School.

"Some genius, I'd like to know who, decided we should have furlough days- today, and we also had one at the beginning of the year- because the state didn't have enough money to pay us, so we were forced to leave," said Storlie.

"The worst part about it is the days they chose," added Storlie, a Delridge resident. "We just came off of Christmas break. This is a critical time of year when things get going and the kids are really rolling. Plus, we just had a bunch of snow days. The teachers are trying to catch up.