February 2012

It's rummage sale time again at the Ballard NW Senior Center.

Voted the Best Bargain in Ballard, the two-day sale features a great selection of gently used and antique items including household items, furniture, clothing, jewelry, games, books and toys.

Delicious lunch items and pies will be available for purchase at the Lunch Café, and there will be a door raffle.

The rummage sale happens three times a year, and is hugely popular with the people from Ballard and surrounding areas.

The two-day sale takes place from 9 a.m. till 4 p.m. on Friday, Feb 24, and from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb 25, at the Ballard NW Senior Center, 5429 32nd Avenue NW.

Call 206-297-0403 for more information.

Interviewee: Matt Messenger

Occupation: Carpenter/remodeler/father/event coordinator/bike polo player

Riding style: Skilled. Plays bike polo

His ride:A polo bike assembled from a K2 Energy Cross bike, BB5's dual brakes, short riser bars, time pedals

On a frigid February night, I rode up to Capitol Hill to meet bike polo guru Matt Messenger at the Seattle Bike Polo garage, a shed that houses around a dozen of his bikes and doubles as his bike shop.

He asked me to turn around as he changed into his knickers and then dusted off a cup and poured me a beer.

Matt is not only considered one of the founders of "hardcourt" bike polo -- the urban strain of bike polo played on concrete surfaces -- he's also one of the original bicycle messengers in Seattle. And yes, Messenger is his real last name.

"I was a bike courier in the late 90s and somebody talked about bike polo and brought out crochet mallets for us to play with," he recalled. "It was the most fun I had had on a bike."

Former Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels announced his run for Secretary of State today. Also in the race are Democratic state legislators Zack Hudgins and James Kastama, and former Democratic lawmaker Kathleen Drew, also Republican, Thurston County Auditor Kim Wyman, campaigning to succeed Reed, who has held the office since 2000.

Nickels was urged to run by state Democratic Party Chairman Dwight Pelz, and has hired Democratic consultant Christian Sinderman.

A North Admiral resident, Nickels shared some thoughts on running with the West Seattle Herald last month when he announced he may run.

Nickels, 56, a Democrat, was legislative assistant to Seattle City Council member and future mayor Norm Rice from 1979 to 1987. He was elected to the King County Council in 1987, defeating longtime incumbent Bob Grieve, and reelected in 1991, 1995 and 1999. In 2001, he was elected Mayor of Seattle and was re-elected in 2005. Nickels ran for a third term in 2009, but he failed to advance to the general election after coming in third place in the primary election held in August 2009.

The U.S. Army will be firing cannons on Friday, Feb 24, and Saturday, Feb 25, in Discovery Park as part of the closing ceremony of Fort Lawton.

Fort Lawton officially closed in September, 2011 when the last U.S. Army Reserve tenant on the post moved to its new facility in Marysville, Wash. The ceremony on Saturday marks the return of the property to the city of Seattle.

Fort Lawton was one of the many bases on the 2005 United States Department of Dense Base Realignment and Closure list, which recommended closing 22 major United States military bases and decreasing the size of various other bases in order to cut costs.

The ceremony will honor the base's 111 years of history in Seattle, starting with an outdoor flag ceremony and ending with a reception at the Daybreak Star Cultural Center.

According to the Seattle Department of neighborhoods,
the Secretary of War selected the location of the base in 1896, intended to defend Seattle and the south Sound from naval attack.

press release:
Families interested in the new K-5 STEM at Boren in West Seattle have a second opportunity to learn about this new school at an informational meeting 7-8:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 1 at Denny International Middle School, 2601 S.W. Kenyon St. Interpreters will be available.

STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. These subjects are an increasingly popular focus for elementary students.

Seattle Public Schools will be opening the new elementary program for fall 2012 in response to strong enrollment growth in West Seattle. The STEM program will be housed in the Boren building (5950 Delridge Way S.W.). It will be a K-5 option program and open in September 2012 offering all six grade levels.

After a strong turnout at the first Family Information & Input night on Feb. 15, Seattle Public Schools is holding this second information meeting. It will be identical to the previous meeting, featuring a short presentation and a question-and-answer session.

press release:
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) recently concluded nighttime closures on the raised roadway of the Fauntleroy Expressway, but work continues underneath the bridge on Southwest Spokane Street.

On Friday, February 24th from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., northbound traffic on SW Avalon Way at SW Spokane Street will be restricted. During these times the following detour for SW Avalon Way will be in place:

Northbound motorists traveling on SW Avalon Way will be detoured to eastbound SW Spokane Street. They will then be directed to perform a U-turn at 26th Avenue SW onto westbound SW Spokane Street and then north on Harbor Avenue SW. Northbound trucks and Metro buses traveling on SW Avalon Way will be flagged through the work zone.

Drivers will still be able to get to the West Seattle Bridge from SW Avalon Way, SW Admiral Way or Harbor Avenue SW.

This detour will be put in place to accommodate work that includes fastening downspouts, installing restraining rods and removing work lights.

Intermittent interruption of traffic will occur in this area until construction is complete late this spring.

George Herbert LOVE

George Love, 92 and longtime resident of Des Moines, Washington, died peacefully surrounded by his loving family Friday, February 17, 2012.
He was born June 24, 1919 in Burien and lived his entire life in the South End. He owned that town. He attended Sunnydale and Highline HS. He met his wife Carol at the Burien baseball field and they married in 1963.

Mr. Love’s family includes: wife of 49 years, Carol Love; sister Betty Tollefsen; sons Eric (Amanda), Mike (Sue) and Pat Love; daughter Alyssa Love; and grandchildren Lydia and Parker Love. His extended family includes: Jeff Mill, Rhonda and Larry Nelsen, and Ralph Mill.

George owned his first gas station at the age of 16. He then owned Burien Cab and Towing, a home oil delivery service, and several grocery stores including a grocery distribution business.

Deadline for receiving items for Community Calendar is 5 p.m. Wednesday for the following week’s Times/News. Events are published based on timeliness and space availability. Email submissions to: hteditor@robinsonnews.com Items can be accepted from nonprofit groups and government agencies only. Others may call Dona Ozier at 206-708-1378 for inclusion in our “Out & About” advertising section.

Call to artists
City of Burien Arts Commission Mural Project-- The city of Burien and the Burien Arts Commission is seeking an artist or artist team to create a dynamic, innovative mural on the exterior surface of the Dollar Tree Store at S.W. 152nd St. and 4th Ave. S.W. in downtown Burien. This project is open to all Northwest artists and the budget is $12,000, inclusive of materials. The deadline for application materials is Friday, Feb. 24th. For more information please contact Gina Kallman, Cultural Arts Supervisor, City of Burien, ginak@burienwa.gov, 206-391-6605. Call can also be found on www.burienparks.net, click on “Arts and Culture.”

Car fire spreads to house
Just before 9 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 12, Tukwila Fire department responded to a reported car fire in the 13500 block of 35th Ave South. First arriving units reported a fully involved car fire that was extending to a single-family residence. The crews acted quickly, putting a good stop to the spread of the fire. Damage to the home was mostly on the exterior. A family of two adults and four children occupied the house. All occupants got out of the house safely. There was one minor injury to one of the occupants as she was exiting. Crews quickly confirmed no one else was in the house. Investigators are now investigating the cause of the fired, which hasn't been determined yet.

Normandy Park man arrested for alleged double shooting

New Futures Interim Executive Director Jenn Ramirez Robson, was one of two new commissioners appointed this month to the Washington State Commission on Hispanic Affairs.

Ramirez Robson said she is "thrilled and honored to serve the community on this capacity."

She said her priority is to bring the voices of Hispanics in South King County to the commission's work of improving public policy development and the delivery of government services to the Latino community.

A commission press release noted, "Jennifer Ramirez Robson has served New Futures...and is also on the Advisory Board for Latinos for Community Transformation, which develops new leaders from immigrant, low-income families so they can take action and create social change in their communities. She was also the co-chair of Seattle Latino City Employees, which provides resources and training and advocates for Latino employees!"