February 2012

press release:
In response to strong enrollment growth in West Seattle, Seattle Public Schools will be opening a new elementary program for fall 2012: K-5 STEM at Boren.

The new STEM program will be housed in the Louisa Boren Building (5950 Delridge Way SW). It will be a K-5 option program and will open with all six grades in September 2012.

Family Information & Input Night: There will be a K-5 STEM at Boren information meeting on Wednesday, February 15 from 7:00-8:30 PM at Schmitz Park Elementary (5000 SW Spokane Street). Interested families are invited to learn about STEM and help identify program priorities as this new educational option is developed.

The Ballard boys basketball team faced Redmond in their playoffs opening game last night and it was a tough night for the Beavers.

Redmond previously upset the Beavers' winning streak during the regular season and last night's loss was equally upsetting.

Redmond outscored the Beavers 17 to 10 in the first quarter but Ballard started to gain on the Redmond lead by halftime.

Starting the second half with a score of 27 to 24 for Redmond, the game was far from over and Ballard made a comeback. In the lead for the first time in the game, Ballard needed to step up the defense in the last quarter for a chance of winning. But Redmond came back strong, outscoring Ballard 22 to 12 to secure the victory.

Ballard lost 51 to 55.

The Beavers will continue their playoffs on Friday at 3 p.m. against Newport at Juanita.

press release:
King County’s clean-water utility has announced the launch of Loop, its new biosolids brand, at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show at the Washington State Convention Center, Feb. 8-12.

“Establishing a brand for our biosolids product gives us a great platform to communicate the benefits of the program and product to our customers and the people of this region,” said King County Wastewater Treatment Division Director Pam Elardo.

Produced by the King County’s regional wastewater treatment plants for nearly 40 years, Loop is a natural soil amendment and endlessly renewable resource that restores carbon and nutrients to the land for the good of plants, people and Puget Sound.

People are invited to stop by King County’s booth to meet soil experts and urban farmers who will share plant care tips as well as free samples of GroCo compost made with Loop.

Gardeners and commercial landscapers value the Loop in GroCo because it’s a source of micronutrients and macronutrients that build soil and boost plant growth. GroCo is weed-free and pathogen-free. It also aerates soil, retains moisture, and naturally helps plants grow bigger and better.

Ballard's Cupcake Royale is bringing in a special guest froster today to help decorate Cupcake Royale's delicious treats.

It's KEXP's popular DJ Darek Mazzone who will be helping out and ProBooth photo booths will be there to capture the event.

Mazzone has been a Producer/DJ for over 20 years, working in radio as well as the film industry. In 2000 he produced ten films for Seattle’s Experience Music Project that were met with wide acclaim and continue to be a showpiece of the 300 million-dollar facility.

At KEXP Mazzone hosts the highly regarded World Radio Music Program, “Wo Pop", which has been the driving force toward engaging audiences through modern global music for the past 19 years.

Meanwhile Mazzone continues to DJ around the world, playing at various clubs in the US and Europe, playing with such artists as Santana, Pearl Jam, REM, Ozomatli, Kruder & Dorfmeister, Paul Oakenfold, Roots, Dengue Fever, and numerous others.

The frosting event will take place this evening at 5 p.m. at Cupcake Royale, 2052 NW Market Street.

Rosa is a Teddy Bear Hamster (yes there are several different types) and she lives with Alex Chapman and his Mom Cheryl Ann Chapman in an apartment near Alki. "When I first picked her up she was just so adorable," said Alex who is 13. Rosa has been part of the family now for about a year.

She came from Pet's Place in Burien.

Rosa is the first hamster the family has had and her care is sort of a mutual effort between mother and son.
A hamster's diet it turns out is pretty important and there was a learning curve that almost cost Rosa her life. More on that shortly.

They feed her a kind of fruit chew and hamster pellets plus lettuce and carrots.

A multi-chambered Habittrail hamster home in a bedroom is where she spends most of her time and her behavior, according to the Chapman's is pretty typical. She doesn't really do any tricks but does know her name and when they tap on the edge of her home, she comes down to see who's knocking. They originally got the the unit from a friend and later expanded it. This home too is due for replacement with a gleaming stainless steel version pretty soon.

SDOT announced today that the construction work on the Metro RapidRide C-Line will begin Feb. 13, and hopefully completed by May 2012, weather permitting.

The West Seattle C-Line will be Seattle’s first RapidRide line, and will employ a number of tools intended to speed up buses and increase capacity.

Key features will include:
· The installation of a Business Access and Transit (BAT) lane to allow buses to bypass traffic congestion
· Signal queue jumps to give buses a head start at intersections
· Curb bulbs to help buses stop in lane, rather than pulling over to pick up passengers
· Real time bus arrival information at all stations to inform passengers when the next bus is coming
· Increased distances between stops for faster, smoother rides
· Off-board ORCA card readers to allow faster boarding through all doors for faster loading times
· Hybrid, low-flow buses with wireless internet, and three doors for faster loading times

Convergence Zone Bluegrass Band
Kenyon Hall
7904 35th Ave. S.W.
Friday, February 10, 7:30 p.m. General admission $12/reserved $10, Seniors $10/reserved $8, Students $5.Reservations: 206-937-3613.

Lion’s Club Valentine’s Day Dinner
Senior Center of West Seattle
4217 S.W. Oregon St.
Saturday, Feb. 11, dinner starts at 5:30 p.m. Bring your Valentine and your friends. $20 per person. Reservations: 206-762-1221.

American Sewing Guild Monthly Meeting
The Kenney
7125 Fauntleroy Ave. S.W.
Saturday, Feb. 11, 10 a.m.-noon. We will be making blankets for babies, cancer patients and veterans as part of our National Community Service Project. Bring your machines, fabric and notions. If you don’t have anything to bring, come and we’ll find a job for you cutting and packaging. Also bring your Sew & Tell along with your questions. For more information: Claudia at 937-5774.

The Cultures and Landscapes of Western Sichuan
Seattle Chinese Garden
6000 16th Ave. S.W.

Be you bitter or blissful the season of hearts, candy and way too much red, pink and purple confetti is once again upon us. It seems appropriate that it's during the Valentine's Day season that the Washington State Senate has approved the bill allowing same-sex couples to marry. Given this is only the first step towards actually legalizing gay marriage in Washington State, but it is a monumental one and it came to pass with minimal hair pulling.

The bill's sponsor, Sen. Ed Murray (D), has taken a very diplomatic attitude towards his fellow lawmakers. He reminds everyone that those voting against gay marriage “are not, nor should they be accused of bigotry,” and that “those of us who support this legislation are not, and...should not be accused of, undermining family life or religious freedoms.” He understands that this issue is not as simple as 'do you accept or reject the expression of love between two individuals of the same sex' – something that people on both sides of the argument tend to forget.

Editors note: Jerry Robinson' first met Clay Abraham in high­­­­­ school in Portland, Oregon in 1936. They became fast friends, double dating, hanging out at Jantzen Beach. WWII interrupted their lives. Clay became a pilot; he lost his life over Germany in 1944. Jerry helped build the planes he flew. Here is a letter to Clay about things Jerry wished he could have shared with his best friend.
 
Dear Clay,
         Well buddy, it's been quite some time since we spoke to each other. When you left Boeing in '41 for the Army-Air Corp, I was jealous. But I've always been jealous of you. That tousled blonde hair, the steel-grey eyes and that courage. Man you had courage. I would never have tried to climb Rooster Rock on the Columbia River in '38 if you hadn't shamed me into it. I was a born chicken until I met you.

By Georgie Bright Kunkel

At one time in the early days of Seattle you could not find all night entertainment or high level dining for those who thought of themselves as worldly. Yes, Seattle was considered to be out in the boondocks. If you don’t know what boondocks are just look it up in the dictionary and you will find that it means out of the mainstream—a backwoods or marsh area or a remote rural area. When cities burgeoned on the horizon they became the places that corporations called home and anyone who wanted to move up the ladder needed to move there to find work.