April 2012

Press release:

The Highline Public Schools Department of Athletics is partnering with the Highline Schools Foundation to recognize outstanding scholar-athletes, coaches, and community contributors in Highline.

College scholarships will be awarded to two girls and two boys from each of Highline’s four main high school campuses.

The program is modeled after one developed in Edmonds School District by Terri McMahan, who now serves as Director of Athletics in Highline. The Edmonds program has generated over $300,000 in scholarships since its inception in 2002.

“My goal is to raise that level of support for deserving students in Highline,” says McMahan. “Many of our students are in great need of support to realize their academic goals and dreams. We want to give a hand-up to students who have demonstrated potential for success academically, athletically, and in serving the community.”

Alumni and parents are encouraged to support the scholarship fund. Contributions can be made through the Highline Schools Foundation:
• Donate online using Paypal.
• Donate by credit card over the phone at (206) 248-5196.

press release:
The Seattle School Board on Wednesday decided to extend the school year by two days to make up for January’s inclement weather.

The last day of school will be Friday, June 22. Seattle students lost three days of school in January because of severe winter weather conditions. One day was made up on Jan. 27.
The School Board voted 0 to 7 against applying for a waiver from the state, which would have allowed Seattle Public Schools to not make up those two days. Not making up the days would have saved the district about $500,000.

“This is a statement on the value of classroom instruction,” said Board President Michael DeBell, after the unanimous vote.

Posted by Detective Mark Jamieson on the Seattle Police Blotter

On April 4th, at approximately 8:30 pm, Southwest Precinct officers responded to a report of a theft/shoplift in progress at the Safeway store in 2400 Block of California Avenue SW. The call indicated that store security officers were struggling with a shoplifter just outside the store, and that the suspect had just pepper sprayed them, as well as a passerby, in an attempt to avoid detention. The caller stated that the suspect was last seen running southbound on California Ave. SW and then west on SW Lander Street.

On the eve of the official release of the next West Seattle charity beer Hi-Yu Brü, Locöl Barley and Vine has donated $400 to Roxhill Elementary from the proceeds of sales of the previous release, Whale Tail Ale.

Staff from the school, including Principal Carmela Dellino stopped by to collect the check on Wednesday from owner Shane Whitall and Head Chef Charlie Worden. Dellino said, "Celebrating how our "Locol" communities support our neighborhood schools is fabulous."

Area bars and pubs that carry the charity beers including Löwman Bräu and Whale Tail Ale have benefited the West Seattle Helpline, West Seattle Food Bank, the Hiawatha Summer Concert Series and others. Each charity is designated by each bar.

For the past year, The King County Wastewater Treatment Division has been working on the installation of a new 84-inch siphon pipe under Salmon Bay. The new pipe will replace the 77-year-old wooden sewer line, and run between Seattle’s Ballard and Interbay areas to reduce the potential for sewer overflows into the Ship Canal and to meet north Seattle’s wastewater conveyance needs into the next century.

The new siphon will lie 120 feet underground and connect the Ballard Regulator Station to the North Interceptor in Interbay (see map). Wastewater from north Seattle will be conveyed through the new pipe to King County’s West Point wastewater treatment plant in Magnolia.

To complete this project, the county is using sophisticated engineering to make construction a smoother, quieter experience for neighbors of King County’s Ballard Siphon Project.

Local filmmakers have been sweeping the Seattle area for locations for their upcoming film, “Matt’s Chance”, a dark comedy about a mid-20s cowboy who spirals into revenge after finding his fiancé sleeping with another man.

‘“Matt’s Chance” is a dark tale about love and revenge, and the fickle nature of human morale: how we will do whatever it takes in crazy situations to find ourselves. The movie is about self-discovery,”’ said writer and director Nicholas Gyeney.

Written over the holidays, Gyeney based the script off the real-life experiences of a man who lives in Ballard.

Gyeney began his company, Mirror Images Ltd., in 2006 after finishing his first professional independent film at the University of Southern California. Childhood friend, Nathan Riley, is helping Gyeney produce the film while his college film professor, David Friedle, came on as the second unit director.

Consequently, Friedle also offered his three-story Ballard home to use as Matt’s house in the film.

by Greg McCorkle
The Raiders of Nathan Hale traveled to West Seattle and ran into a tornado in the form of Wildcats pitcher Sam Hellinger, who pitched seven innings of outstanding baseball.

Number 20 allowed no runs on three hits, struck out fifteen, and walked only one batter. No Raider base runner advanced beyond first base.

CLICK ON THE PHOTO ABOVE TO SEE MORE

The Wildcats were able to take advantage of several Raider fielding errors to cruise to a 4-0 victory. Wildcat coach Velko Vitalich said of young Hellinger, “I thought he was going to be good”.

The Wildcats are now 6-3-0 overall and 5-3-0 in league play. West Seattle travels to Nathan Halle’s diamond on Friday.

Here's the rest of the Wildcat's Varsity Baseball Schedule:

Fri. April 6 Nathan Hale Meadowbrook 3:30
Mon. April 9 Rainier Beach Hiawatha 3:30
Tue. April 10 Franklin * Rainier Playfield 3:30
Thu. April 12 Franklin * Hiawatha 3:30
Fri. April 20 Ballard Hiawatha 3:30
Mon. April 23 O’Dea Judkins Park 3:30
Wed. April 25 Franklin Rainier Playfield 3:30

Hook, Line and Dinner, a show on the Cooking Channel featuring Ben Sargent will air an episode April 19 (8pm EDT / 5pm PDT) featuring West Seattle's Mashiko Japanese Restaurant, Seattle's only fully sustainable sushi restaurant.

In West Seattle The Cooking Channel is Channel 204 on Comcast.

In the show Ben joins Brian Phipps of Taylor Farms, and goes on an overnight geoduck harvest (a long necked clam native to our area) and brings his catch to Ethan Stowall at Anchovies and Olives where they make a geoduck crudo. Ben then dives for sea cucumber with Michael Ellis and prepares sea cucumber sashimi with Chef Hajime Sato, the owner of Mashiko located at 4725 California Avenue s.w. in the West Seattle Junction.

Ben is best known as the chef and fisherman who ran a successful underground lobster roll business from his Brooklyn basement apartment. Often referred to as 'The Brooklyn Chowder Surfer', he also founded the 'Brooklyn Fishing Derby' in 2009.

press release
The Watershed Walks Program is designed to train Neighborhood Walking Ambassadors to educate residents about the natural ecology of the Longfellow Creek Watershed. Camp Long Naturalist Jeanie Murphy-Ouellette and Feet First Volunteer Coordinator Darcy Edmunds will lead this training on how to effectively engage walking groups, what environmental threats affect our watersheds, and how individuals can reduce their impact on local ecologies. Participants will leave the workshop as a designated Neighborhood Walking Ambassador.

Feet First Executive Director Lisa Quinn said, “The Watershed Walks Program provides an enjoyable opportunity for people to learn about the relationship between their actions and a clean environment. Those who become Neighborhood Walking Ambassadors through this program will have the ability to share with their neighbors the natural environment in a different, more intimate way.”

WHAT: Training on how to lead engaging walks focused on the natural watershed environment of Longfellow Creek.

The "Gathering of Neighbors" an event designed to increase engagement with businesses and community organizations, is set for Saturday, April 21, 11:00 – 3:00 pm, at Chief Sealth High School, 2600 Sw Thistle St

Organizers are asking for all businesses or organizations that serve the West Seattle Community through community building, resource sharing or business services, to participate.

Visualizing Increased Engagement in West Seattle (VIEWS) and the SW Youth and Family Services are co-sponsoring the event where businesses and community organizations from across the West Seattle Peninsula, come together, one day, one place, as “one community”.

Deadline for registration is Friday, April 8th. Forms can be downloaded from http://www.dnda.org
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Questions about the event? Contact Dorsol Plants 206-355-7900, dorsol.plants@gmail.com

Gathering Of Neighbors:
Date: Saturday, April 21st, 2012
Time: 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Location Chief Sealth High School,
2600 SW Thistle St