May 2012

West Seattle Junction-area residents and business owners filled the seats at the May 24 early design review for a seven-story, mixed use project planned for the old Petco space at 4724 California Ave S.W.

The project passed the early design stage, and the Southwest Design Team gave Weber Thompson Architects, and developers Urban Evolution and the Wolff Group, the go-ahead to continue towards their application for a master use permit to build (as a side note, the project is likely at least a year away from breaking ground).

It was clear the proactive approach by developers paid dividends (they have already met with several Junction-related neighborhood and business groups) as the drama was minimal and only a few people stood up to speak. It was a sign of general acceptance that seven stories are inevitably going up based on the 85-foot code of downtown West Seattle, and the suggestions were based on making those seven stories as small in scale as possible, and in line with the look of the Junction today.

By Christopher Duclos, Sports Intern


Sounders FC defender Adam Johansson will be coming to the Swedish Cultural Center on Friday, June 8th.

The Center is partnering with the Swedish American Chamber of Commerce to bring people this exciting meet-and-great with the Swedish national.

Born in Gothenburg Sweden, Johansson made appearances for Swedish teams Västra Frölunda, IFK Göteborg as well as the Sweden international team before joining the Seattle Sounders in 2012.

Prior to the season Johansson was sought out by the Sounders to fill the right defender position vacated by former Sounder James Riley.

Terry Anderson from the Swedish Cultural Center said this will be an opportunity to share in business, culture, family, sports, and fitness as the young Swedish professional soccer player and his background and journey to the Sounders team here in Seattle.

Come meet the new Swedish soccer player as he will be speaking at the event and signing autographs.

Students from the Ballard High School Video Production Program won multiple awards and honors at the 14th annual Northwest High School Film Festival last week at the Cinerama Theater in downtown Seattle. NWHSFFT is the largest and longest running festival for high school filmmakers in the Puget Sound region.

This year 354 productions were entered in the competition from 25 high schools. Ballard High School led the pack of winners with a total of 14 awards and honors.

The festival was judged by a panel of 23 industry professionals and college media professors. The event was organized by the Media Educators Excellence Team (MEET) and sponsored by Adobe, the Art Institute of Seattle, Shoreline Community College, Seattle University Film Studies, the Academy of Interactive Entertainment and Key Code Media.

BHS productions were honored in six different categories. Ballard’s Northwest High School Film Festival winners:

Awards of Excellence:

Comedic Narrative
The Number
Alex Guettler, Ana Krafchick, Helen Miller

Commercial
Crash Landing Pizza
Ariahna Ghormley, Louis Weissman, Mackenzie Wright

Full of laughs and reminiscences, Taproot Theatre takes you on the ultimate, classic family road trip in the regional premiere of Leaving Iowa.

Remember those family vacations you tried to forget?

Stand-up comedians Tim Clue and Spike Manton teamed up to tackle issues of family and the Midwest in their hit play Leaving Iowa.

Clue explains, “Leaving Iowa is a postcard to anyone who has ever found themselves driving alone on a road, revisiting fond memories of their youth.”

In the play, Don’s memories of family road trips come to life as he travels cross-country to scatter his father’s ashes.

Packed with rollicking good humor, this celebration of family reminds us that sometimes the journey is more important than the destination.

In Taproot Theatre’s production, director Karen Lund emphasizes the hysterical truths about wacky families while not losing sight of the importance of relationships and respect that grows over time.

Icelandic sculptor Steinunn Thórarinsdóttir will be featured in two cross-town exhibitions opening Wednesday, June 6.

Titled "Borders", the Thórarinsdóttir installation at Westlake Park will consist of 26 life-size androgynous human figure sculptures made of aluminum and cast iron. The installation will be at Westlake Park for the entire summer.

Coinciding with the installation at Westlake Park will be "Borders at the Nordic Heritage Museum", an exhibition open through August 28 of smaller figures by Thórarinsdóttir and photographs by Murray Head of the exhibition when New York City hosted Borders in 2011.

Both Seattle exhibitions open on Wednesday, June 6 with an opening ceremony at Westlake Park at 5:00 p.m., where Ambassador of Iceland to the United States Gudmundur Árni Stefánsson, Deputy Mayor of Seattle Darryl Smith, and Seattle City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen will be among the guests. The festivities will then move to the Nordic Heritage Museum with a reception from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

By Marjorie Young

Perhaps the most frequent theme during my readings concerns the elusive quest for the ‘right person.’ “Where is he?” many bemoan. Clients recount numerous relationships, including marriage, yet still fail to find ‘the one,’ creating much frustration and hopelessness.

While each individual is unique, the same patterns tend to repeatedly emerge. It goes something like this: they’ll meet someone, quickly jump into a physical relationship, then notice ominous symptoms that cause dismay (a controlling personality, drinking to excess, etc). However, by then, she feels ‘involved’ and wills herself to believe things will somehow magically improve. She may further be convinced that ‘fate’ is responsible this encounter…and so is compelled to ‘make it work.’

Obviously, such a formula hardly promises success. But when/if the relationship ends, she’ll likely return to the same merry-go-round to seek another partner. (Men can prove as guilty of this as women).

While the “Aluminum Overcast,” the Experimental Aircraft Association’s (EEA) restored B-17 bomber, offers tours and rides at Boeing Field by the Seattle Museum of Flight through Sunday, the Seattle Veterans Museum will be open Friday, Saturday and Monday May 25, 26 & 28, 10 AM to 5 PM for Memorial Day Weekend.

SVM is located on 2nd Ave between Union and University Sts (west side of Benaroya Hall) in downtown Seattle, behind the Remembrance Garden, a granite wall memorial completed in 1998 that lists all Washington State service members killed during wartime since 1940.

The museum consists of displays from the Revolutionary War to today’s War on Terrorism with over 1,000 pieces of military history, including 10 mannequins, fully equipped from boots to helmet, and many other displays of authentic military gear, uniforms, and weapons.

Post-Fight UPDATE: Vince Thompson won all 8 rounds. Fight went without a knock-out. He won by unanimous decision by the three judges.

By Bob Sims

It's been more than six months since undefeated heavyweight boxer "Vicious" Vincent Thompson has been in the ring.

The wait has been well worth it.

Thompson (10-0, 2 KOs) is fighting Joell "Joe Slick" Godfrey (14-6-1, 6 KOs) on the ESPN Friday Night Fights tomorrow at 6 p.m. at the Ameristar Casino Conference Center in St. Charles, Mo., on ESPN 2.

It will be Federal Way boxer's first appearance on national TV. The fight is scheduled for eight rounds.

"I thank God for this opportunity first and foremost," said Thompson by phone from his hotel room today. "This dude (Godfrey) is done. He is not ready for me. I'm going to stop him in Round 3 or 4."

The main event on the Friday Night Fights card features lightweights Ji-Hoon "Volcano" Kim (23-7, 18 KOs) against undefeated Alister "Ali" Rahimov (23-0, 12 KOs).

Greg Whittaker, owner of Mountain to Sound Outfitters on Alaska Street and Alki Kayak Rentals has been in negotiation with the City of Seattle for some time to gain permission for Stand Up Paddleboard Rentals on Alki Beach with Seattle Parks and Recreation. He finally got the permit and soon you can rock on the water on boards and kayaks and roll on the paths on skates.

The concession will be located off of 55th Ave SW and Alki Avenue at the human powered launch area of Alki Beach, close to the Alki Bathhouse.

It will be open beginning this Saturday, May 26. as Mountain to Sound Rentals and renting Stand up Paddleboards (SUP).

Mountain to Sound Rentals will also be providing sit on top kayaks, skates, and longboards as the season progresses.

By Cassandra Baker, Intern

7:45 a.m. on May 24th. NW 85th St and Mary Ave NW

Police are searching for an arsonist who set a fire that damaged an apartment building in the Crown Hill neighborhood on the morning of May 24th. The fire was set at around 7:45 a.m. in the carport, and several people were able to put it out with garden hoses. The fire burned the walls of the building and a nearby parked car, but no one was injured.

10:52 p.m. on May 19th. 3rd block of NW 82nd St

Police responded to reports of a residential burglary on the night of May 19th. The victims said that the break-in occurred between 10:00 a.m. and 10:45 p.m. The suspect forced open a window in the back of the house and went through various drawers and cabinets inside. Several pieces of jewelry were taken, including an engagement ring. The suspect left the residence through the back door. The responding officer believed the suspect wore gloves. The house had a security system, but the alarm was not on at the time of the burglary.

9:00 p.m. on May 19th. 9th block of NW 45th St