February 2012

A break in 12 inch water main that happened late on Saturday night near 39th and Barton curtailed water supply for the neighborhood. Crews from Seattle Public Utilities dug out the dirt and realized that the only sleeve they had for the repair was too small.

They called for and waited for a new sleeve to arrive to complete the repair. Water pumps were set up to keep the area around the leak free of water.

The water remained on, but at reduced pressure. The main was fixed by approximately 7:45 am.

Jenna Thomas Lutton brings her dance students from Gildenfire Dance twice a year to the Kenney for a recital she calls "Random Acts of Dancing." While Lutton teaches dance to girls from 2 1/2 to 11 the girls dancing in the recital ranged in age from 5 to 7. This was their first recital and Lutton's fourth time at the Kenney.

"It's a no fail atmosphere," she said," as long as they are trying and having a good time that's the goal."

Her students performed for parents and assembled senior citizens, dancing, sometimes not exactly in unison or on the beat to the absolute delight of the nearly capacity crowd.

Gildenfire Dance is located in the Highland Park Community Club and Lutton, who has a degree in dance has been teaching for 12 years. After the recital the most favored activity seemed to be giving their teacher a big hug and having their photo taken with her.

You can reach Lutton and Gildenfire at GildenfireDance@hotmail.com or by visiting her website http://www.gildenfiredance.com/

West Seattle nature guide and ecological consultant Stewart Wechsler has a wide ranging set of interests but his recent forays into local parks to reveal their hidden treasures are starting to get popular. On Feb. 4 he led a group of more than 40 people through Lincoln Park on an "Owl Prowl" , seeking to show off not just that remarkable bird but along the way, some other interesting aspects of the natural world preserved in our largest park.

Wechlser began his nature walk with an introduction near the entrance, sharing his knowledge of the species of owls and other flora and fauna that the park holds. Fees were collected (donations of anything from $1 to $20) and the journey started.

On the way to some likely roosting spots for owls, Wechsler stopped to notice some plant life, and an abandoned hummingbird nest then pointed out how you can spot owls yourself. "Look up and down the trunks of trees, because owls like to roost near the trunk and look for pellets and droppings below." He noted that they normally hunt just before and after sunset.

Rose Egge was 25 years old when she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic lymphoma. Egge is a journalist (formerly with the Herald now with KOMO) and chose to blog about her treatment to document it and assist others.

"I was so lucky in my circumstance because I had a job I got to keep and health insurance. I had lived with my boyfriend who I had been with for years so I had a supportive care giver and I lived six blocks from my parents. I had the perfect nest of support around me, but it was still the hardest thing I've been through in my life," Egge said.

While she had some advantages she was also acutely aware that many others, especially young adults, do not have the kind of support and care that have helped her. Egge also recognized that many cancer support organizations are aimed at women, or children, but for people in their 20's or 30's there were unique challenges. That led her to create a foundation that is purposely aimed at helping people diagnosed with cancer between the ages of 18 to 39.

The theme of the upcoming Friday morning Earlybird Toastmasters Club is "Good Girls Go to Heaven. Bad Girls go to Toastmasters." There will be three main speakers, and members and guests can read one-minute speeches. The public is welcome.

Upbeat evaluators who are seasoned Tostmasters members offer gentle corrections to speakers to boost their confidence and communication skills. Issues that seem to vex include nervous pacing, erroneous hand gestures, lack of eye contact, and those pesky um's. In addition to the evaluator, all members scrutinize each others' speeches with evaluation forms.

"Toastmasters is the best hidden secret in West Seattle," said Alki resident Judy Townsend, a member. "You feel so good about yourself when you do it."

Why the provocative title?

"We're trying to spice things up a bit, and attract more members," she said.

They meet every Friday morning, 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. at ArtsWest, 4711 California Ave. SW. Use back door entrance off alley. They meet on stage and in the audience.

After seriously considering dissolving their organization, the Monogram Club rebounded, not with new blood, but with new volunteers to help operate the club. Members donate $8,500 per year in college scholarships to about seven West Seattle High School male and female athletes. Their scholarship program has continued since the club began in 1965 and has awarded nearly 200 scholarships. To become a member you must have lettered in a varsity sport at West Seattle High School at least 50 years ago.

Past-President Ed Bangsund, Class of ’53, who lettered in baseball, basketball, football, and track as a pole vaulter, suggested the Monogram Club should end, as a result of a lack of interest of existing members to join the board, and volunteer.

"For the last year at the meetings I said we got the same guys as board members for years, and have been losing old board members, either passing away or whatever," said Bangsund, once Boeing’s director of space operations. "You've got to step up and share the work load. I said we might as well shut 'er down."

The Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD mandates an annual one night count called "Opening Doors" to determine the numbers of homeless people in and around urban areas, including King County. Federal grants are distributed on the basis of the numbers. More than 3,000 communities report numbers of homeless individuals, families and veterans on one single night in January.

HUD's website analyzing the Count said nationally, homelessness declined 2.1 percent compared to the prior year's count, or 636,017 individuals. In King County, the Count was held between midnight and 5:00 a.m. on Jan. 27. It is known as the One Night Count, coordinated by Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness, or SKCCH. Over 800 volunteers found 2,442 people surviving outside without shelter and another 6,382 people staying in shelters and transitional housing programs, an increase of about 3 percent.

For those whose ears perk up at the sound of slurping trout rising in a feeding channel and the zip of a tight line after a well-placed fly captures their imagination, a pretty cool film festival comes to Seattle's SIFF Cinema on Monday night, Feb. 6.

2012 Fly Fishing Film Tour
Where: Uptown Cinema - SIFF Theater (511 Queen Anne Ave North
Seattle, WA 98103)

When: Doors open at 6:30 p.m., show starts at 7 p.m.

How: Discount tickets available at The Avid Angler, Pacific Fly Fishers, Creekside Angling Co. $15 at the door day of show.

Press release
Fly fishing's most celebrated annual event, the Fly Fishing Film Tour (F3T), the original and largest event of its kind begins its continent-wide trek January 26th. The Traveling spectacle serves as a stage for the best filmmakers in the industry, an avenue for supporting critical conservation groups, an expo for local retailers and outfitters, and one heck of a party for aspiring outdoor enthusiasts and avid anglers alike.

The Highline Pirate’s boys’ basketball team visited the Evergreen Wolverines for a Seamount Conference game Friday night. The teams came into the game with almost opposite conference records; Evergreen had a record of 9-2, while Highline was 1-9.

From the start both teams looked good, running their plays, getting good shots, rebounding and playing tough defense. At the end of the 1st quarter the wolverines led by 4 points. In the second quarter things were much the same with Evergreen still leading by only 4 points, 21-25.

The second half is when things came undone for Highline as Evergreen’s coach Tony White had his team playing more aggressive, it was almost like two different games. They put on a full court press that caused havoc for Highline which caused turnovers and easy baskets for Evergreen. Highline just wasn’t able to figure it out as they passed the ball from side to side, getting double teamed, and having problems advancing the ball up court.

They lasted a year and one month to the day. The team at Avalon Restaurant had high ambitions and by all accounts made outstanding food. In the end however it came down to the monthly cost of doing business. The restaurant closed for good Friday Feb. 3 with some drinks, some memories, a lot of hugs and a few tears.

Avalon opened Jan. 3, 2011, taking over the former Cafe Revo location at 2940 s.w. Avalon Way. They made significant changes in decor and style and took an approach that was consistent with their experience.

Owners Deborah Breuler, Thomas Breuler, and Mary Palmer all have deep backgrounds in the restaurant industry. The Breulers worked Chicago at the highly regarded Zinfandel restaurant, then moved to L.A. to work for the movie business and cooked for people flying on private jets.

After moving to Seattle to be closer to her family, Deborah became the Executive Chef at Maggiano's Little Italy in Bellevue. Palmer was the Bar Manager and a wine expert.

"I really think it is a factor of location," Palmer said. "We're not in the Junction where people walk by every day."