April 2012

Update for April 26
Southwest Youth and Family Services board member Susan Lantz-Dey reported back from the April 22 SYFS fundraiser that brought the Opera Belles trio to a West Seattle home. The event raised over $2,500 to date for the program in dire need of additional funding in the face of continual budget cuts.

Susan wrote:
It was a spectacular event. Perfect weather, 45 guests, wine & cheese and milling about the house (west side entirely glass) and deck, and a program of opera duets. With the doors closed, the acoustics were unbelievable, and all seats were essentially front-row. Even if opera wasn't one's preference, the display of the vocal instrument was truly inspiring.

Words do not begin to express the good that Southwest Youth and Family Services (SWYFS) accomplishes in the lives of at-risk youth and families in West Seattle. All that SWYFS does, with a very limited budget, speaks volumes about their programs and dedication of their staff. I am proud to serve on their board.

Dear Editor:

"Rapid Ride" in West Seattle is an oxymoron!  For many years I took the 54 Express to and from Downtown even though I had a company car and was authorized a parking space in 2 Union Square.  Why didn't I drive?  The 54 Express was faster and more convenient.  Forty-five minutes from the time I closed my front door in Fauntleroy until the time I switched on my computer on the 38th Floor versus up to an hour and fifteen minutes if I drove.
At the Fauntleroy Food Fest (Fauntleroy Community Association's Annual Meeting) at the Hall of Fauntleroy I had the opportunity to speak with the representatives from Metro King County.  After learning that the 54 Local and Express would be discontinued in West Seattle and replaced by Rapid Ride, which goes through Alaska Junction, I asked a number of questions, including "how much longer will it take to go downtown on Rapid Ride (and return) at rush hour from the 45th and Wildwood?"  I was shocked by their admission:  "Between 10 and 15 minutes LONGER (my emphasis)."

Brian Pare, West Seattle Little League President shared the news of a remarkable athletic achievement in West Seattle.

On Thursday April 12th, 2012, 12 year old West Seattle Little Leaguer, Jacob Terao accomplished one of the rarest feats in baseball by pitching a perfect game. During a West Seattle Little League majors game at Bar-S Playfield, Terao struck out all 18 batters from the opposing team. No walks, No runs and No one on base. With a combination of 2 and 4 seam fastballs Terao threw 54 strikes and 27 balls for a total of 81 pitches leading his team the WSLL Rays to a 4-0 win over the WSLL Braves.

Game Pitching Summary

1st Inning : 9 Strikes 7 Balls
Inning Total: 16 Pitches
Game Total: 16 Pitches

2nd Inning: 9 Strikes 4 Balls
InningTotal: 13 Pitches
Game Total: 29 Pitches

3rd Inning: 9 Strikes 4 Balls
InningTotal: 13 Pitches
Game Total: 42 Pitches

4th Inning: 9 Strikes 4 Balls
InningTotal: 13 Pitches
Game Total: 55 Pitches

5th Inning: 9 Strikes 3 Balls
InningTotal: 12 Pitches
Game Total: 67 Pitches

6th Inning: 9 Strikes 5 Balls
InningTotal: 14 Pitches
Game Total: 81 Pitches

Killing time
On April 8 at 9 a.m. a patrol officer received the call of someone trespassing on an industrial block of S.W. Andover. A security guard led the officer through a locked gate and as he walked towards the train tracks he heard noise coming from a box truck. “As I walked closer I noticed pieces of steel being thrown over the side,” the officer wrote in his report. “I crawled up the side of the box car and noticed (the suspect) loading scrap metal into a suitcase.” He arrested the suspect and asked what he was doing. “Killing time,” the man said as he was given a ride to jail for investigation of burglary.

God only knows

By Georgie Bright Kunkel

Those two days that were predicted as possible sunny days recently turned into four sunny days on the northwest peninsula without a cloud over the Olympic Mountains nearby and the Cascade Mountains in clear view as well. I recognized glorious Mt. Baker that I had climbed one summer while going to WWU. A few years back I even visited the area to revel in a nearby mountain reflected in a pristine lake. Not even a drug store camera photo could diminish its grandeur.

By Kyra-lin Hom

Back in mid-February I wrote a column about the difference between abortion and contraception. This was in response to employers being unwilling to provide contraceptive health insurance for their employees. As you may remember, the decision of whether or not to provide this coverage was redirected to the health insurance companies themselves therefore rescinding the responsibility from the employers.

Specifically, my column addressed the pill known commonly as Plan B. Politically and socially conservative individuals refer to it as the 'abortion-inducing' drug. However, medically it is a contraceptive and has nothing to do with abortion. I naively thought that might be the end of it. I was wrong.

Discovery Shop
4535 California Ave. S.W.
206 971 7169
Our first Craft Event continues through the end of April with items hand-made by our talented volunteers, their family members and friends.  We're celebrating Earth Day on Sunday, April 22nd with 20% off anything in the shop that's green, and Arbor Day, Friday, April 27th with 20% off anything brown and Tax-Free Day in the Junction on  Saturday, April 21st.  All items with blue tags are $1.00 Sunday, April 22nd through Monday, April 30th.  When you shop at the all volunteer run Discovery Shop you support the quest to find a cure for cancer. Double stamps on your customer card every Monday from 10 to noon, seniors get 20% off all day Tuesdays and high school students receive 20% each Saturday just by showing their student I.D.  Please consider volunteering for a 4 hour a week shift - we need your help.  The American Cancer Society shop is open Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and all other days from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Delridge Ballroom Dancing for Ages 50+
Delridge Community Center
4501 Delridge Way S.W.
206-684-7423

Over thirty of Ballard's top Track and Field athletes competed at the Larry Eason Invitational Track Meet in Snohomish on Saturday, April 14th.

There were seven schools from British Columbia and 50 from Washington at the meet.

Senior Alex Bowns had his first Invitational wins of his high school career, winning the 1600 M race with a time of 4:17 and the 3200 M race. Bowns also broke the Ballard High School 1600 M record. These wins continue his undefeated winning streak of 10 first place finishes this season.

Senior Emma Suchland also had a great day with 2nd, 4th and 8th place finishes respectively in the 100 M, 200 M and 400 M events. Emma also broke the school record in the 100 M with a time of 12:27.

Other top finishers for Ballard included:

Junior Stuart Thomas – 4th in the 110 M Hurdles, 9th in the 300 M Hurdles
Senior Matt Kelly – 4th in the Javelin
Sophomore Carolyn Birkenfeld – 3rd in the 400 M, 14th in the 100 M and 8th in the 200 M

The Ballard boys finished up 6th overall and the girls were 15th.

The boys team also won the Academic Achievement Award for highest combined GPA of a team.

The Woodland Park Zoo announced the hatching of two Humboldt penguins last week, but if it hadn't been for the sharp eyes of a little boy, the second egg might have perished.

The zoo hopes to find this little hero to properly thank him for his keen observation and help in rescuing the egg. If anyone knows this mystery boy, please contact the zoo by emailing: woodlandparkzoopr@zoo.org.

On April 3 while the first egg was hatching, the young boy, while enjoying the penguin exhibit, alerted the keeper that he could see an egg on a cliff in the exhibit. The keeper, Celine Pardo, immediately followed the boy’s instructions and scooped up the egg. The egg was rushed indoors and relocated under a pair of foster parents; it hatched on April 5.

The Woodland Park Zoo announced the hatching of two Humboldt penguins last week, but if it hadn't been for the sharp eyes of a little boy, the second egg might have perished.

The zoo hopes to find this little hero to properly thank him for his keen observation and help in rescuing the egg. If anyone knows this mystery boy, please contact the zoo by emailing: woodlandparkzoopr@zoo.org.

On April 3 while the first egg was hatching, the young boy, while enjoying the penguin exhibit, alerted the keeper that he could see an egg on a cliff in the exhibit. The keeper, Celine Pardo, immediately followed the boy’s instructions and scooped up the egg. The egg was rushed indoors and relocated under a pair of foster parents; it hatched on April 5.