April 2012

I have driven my 1979 Cadillac Coupe deVille  daily since 1995. The car, now 33 years old, is showing signs of its age. 

It was called "A personal luxury car" when it was issued in 1979. 

That was the year grandma and Papa bought it. They put just 40,000 miles on it in their lifetime. My wife's mom bought it from their estate. She drove it to 70,000 miles and then sold it to us. It still ran like a new car. Smooth and powerful and luxurious in its appointments; plush, butter-yellow leather seats, everything electric and very roomy inside.

Now that I am thinking about selling the old girl, I find there are some parallels between its history and my own. 

When that great car came off the assembly line, it was in perfect condition. It was tight and strong and the big motor hummed. It could climb long hills and barely breathed. It was fast when it needed to be and could cruise forever. Everything worked. When I was 18 (the same age the car was when I bought it) I was in great condition, strong and light on my feet and brimming with energy

By Peg Rutchik and Kathie Belsky

April 16, 2012, is the fifth annual National Healthcare Decisions Day. The focus of this day is to think about and document our wishes related to healthcare provision. Called “advance directives,” these legal documents provide written instructions to guide your family, physician and other health care providers on your wishes at times when you are either too ill or hurt to express them yourself. There are no right or wrong answers – just your wishes.

But how does one start the conversation? Many people sit down and fill out the forms as a family. If someone is facing a significant illness, having that conversation earlier rather than later is best. Involving your physician in the discussion can aid your understanding of the options for treatment.

Talking isn’t enough. We must write down our decisions.

Drum bands cranking out the rhythms! Cheering face painted crowds, and school mascots acting like… well mascots! Is it another Friday at the stadium? No. These folks are excited about math and science students competing at the 2012 Seattle FIRST Robotics competition Friday and Saturday March 23rd and 24th at the Century Link Events Center this last weekend. 93 high school teams from all over the Northwest, including a team from Mexico and three teams from the nation of Turkey, came together in the spirit of scientific excellence to showcase their talents in preparation for the US Nationals later this year in St. Louis.

PLEASE CLICK THE IMAGE ABOVE FOR MORE

An estimated ten thousand people attended the two day robotics competition at Century Link to watch these incredibly talented high school aged boys and girls show that they are capable of amazing feats of knowledge, skill and cooperation equal to any athletic endeavor.

Drum bands cranking out the rhythms! Cheering face painted crowds, and school mascots acting like… well mascots! Is it another Friday at the stadium? No. These folks are excited about math and science students competing at the 2012 Seattle FIRST Robotics competition Friday and Saturday March 23rd and 24th at the Century Link Events Center this last weekend. 93 high school teams from all over the Northwest, including a team from Mexico and three teams from the nation of Turkey, came together in the spirit of scientific excellence to showcase their talents in preparation for the US Nationals later this year in St. Louis.

PLEASE CLICK THE IMAGE ABOVE FOR MORE

An estimated ten thousand people attended the two day robotics competition at Century Link to watch these incredibly talented high school aged boys and girls show that they are capable of amazing feats of knowledge, skill and cooperation equal to any athletic endeavor.

By Kyra-lin Hom

Surely, you've heard of them, this Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins that's swinging the world around by its sensitive bits? Well if not the books, perhaps you've heard of the recent release of its major motion picture counterpart directed by Gary Ross and starring Jennifer Lawrence? If you haven't, get on that because both are fantastic. It's about time the public gets so riled up over a real heroine. I'm sorry Twilight fans, but even you have to admit that Bella doesn't count.

Introduction to Chinese Language & Culture
Seattle Chinese Garden
6000 16th Ave. S.W.
Learn basic Mandarin Chinese conversation words, learn about Chinese culture, and join easy all ages games and activities such as painting, mah jong, and card games using your new words. Eight sessions on every other Thursday from 4-6 p.m. Dates: April 12 & 26, May 10 & 24.
Free, but donations welcome.

West Seattle Lions Club 18th Annual Plant Sale
Senior Center of West Seattle
4217 S.W. Oregon St.
Friday, April 13, 5-8 p.m. & Saturday, April 14, 9-3 p.m. Sale features a variety of Dahlia Tubers, Hardy Fuchsias, Perennials, unique Rhodies and much more. Local Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer gardening questions. A spaghetti Dinner is also available Friday, April 13. www.wslions.com

West Seattle High Fundraiser: Mr. Irresistible
West Seattle HS Theatre
Friday. April 13, 7-8:30 p.m. Tickets: VIP $15 or Reg. $10 (41 VIP tickets pre-sale only - Reg. tickets at door). Information: call WSHS 206-252-8816.

Up-coming DubSea Bike Events

SLIDESHOW, CLICK ABOVE TO SEE MORE

Thousands of nerds, cartoonists, performers, comic fans in costumes, collectors, many who were a combination of some or all of these, streamed into the Washington State Convention Center from Friday, March 30 to Sunday, April 1 for the annual Emerald City Comicon Convention, or ECCC.

According to Wikipedia, this is the 12th annual ECCC, and 32,000 attended last year. This year, over 130 panels participated. One panel was comprised of cast & crew from the new web-TV series "The Collectibles" which the West Seattle Herald has been following.

The Rat City Rollergirls had a promotional booth at the ECCC.

Monday, March 26
Girls tennis
Mt. Rainier 5, K-M 0
Alexis Gregerson won No. 1 singles, 6-2, 6-1, to lead the Rams past Kent-Meridian in a South Puget Sound League North Division match last Monday.

Golf
SCS 196, Vashon 195
Alex Hay shot a round of 45 to take top honors as the Warriors won in Nisqually League action Monday.

Fastpitch
Fife 25, Foster 0
Fife flew past Foster in non-league fastpitch action last Monday.

Tuesday, March 27
Fastpitch
Mt. Rainier 3, Auburn 2
Mount Rainier slipped past the Trojans last Tuesday in SPSL North action.

Boys soccer
Kentridge 3, Mt. Rainier 0
Mount Rainier went down to a shutout loss in soccer action Tuesday.

Boys Lacrosse
Kennedy 8, Blanchet 7
Kennedy beat Blanchet by one goal this past Tuesday.

Garfield 18, Highline 2
Highline suffered a 16-goal defeat at the hands of Garfield last Tuesday.

Wednesday, March 28
Soccer
SCS 8, Chimacum 0
Seattle Christian was a big shutout winner over Chimacum Wednesday.

Thursday, March 29
Boys track
Hazen 120, Highline 19

Katie Collier played in the game of her life and scored one against leukemia this past week.

The Seattle Christian senior and University of Washington recruit participated in the McDonald's All-American basketball game in Chicago last Wednesday, an honor bestowed to only the best female high school basketball players in the land.

This achievement pales in comparison to the obstacle she has overcome in life as a young woman: Collier, 18, has beaten cancer.

Collier was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), a curable disase, in September. Despite undergoing energy-sapping chemotherapy for six months, Collier played through it -- sometimes competing in games immediately after chemo sessions at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.

"Katie is a courageous young lady," said Seattle Christian coach Dave Jansen on Sunday. "She wanted to play this season no matter what. She was just not listening to any other alternatives, saying, 'I'm playing, somehow I'll get through it.'

"It was hard to realize just how sick she was sometimes," he added. "If I'd ask her how she felt before a game, she would just say, 'I'm good coach. I'm ready to go.' I could never tell."

Groundswell NW is hosting a spring clean-up even at Ballard Corners Park on Sunday.

Many hands make light work and volunteers are needed to help weeding, cutting back perennials, cleaning up debris, and raking leaves.

Some tools will be provided. If you have your own gloves, weeding tools, pruners, yard waste containers, or a wheel barrow, please bring those along, too.

Ballard Corners Park is located at 17th Ave NW & NW 63rd Street.

The clean-up will take place Sunday, April 15, 2012 from 9 a.m. till noon. Rain or shine.