May 2012

Mikael Perla asks what side the red-and-black tassel goes on as he tries on his cap and gown for the first time. His black gown is adorned with many colorful cords signifying achievements, and a big golden medal that reads "Valedictorian", an honor he had not expected.

He was always a good student, but Mikael's high school years were unusual. While his peers fought bullies and parental rules, Mikael fought for his life.

It was during his freshman year, just after Christmas break on a Monday afternoon at 2 p.m. when Mikael's mother, Sally, received the phone call. The little lump on Mikael's head that doctors had dismissed as an in-grown hair or something cosmetic had been removed and autopsied. The diagnoses: Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia.

"He was 90 percent leukemic then," said Sally, adding that she felt angry that doctors hadn't taken a closer look at the then mosquito-bite-sized lump when she had brought Mikael in for the first time six months before.

After the diagnoses Mikael went straight to the hospital and stayed there for a month.

More than 350 cyclists will race through the heart of Ballard at breath-taking speeds next week at the 19th annual Second Ascent Twilight Criterium.

Commonly called "The Ballard Crit", it is one of Seattle’s classic bike races and a favorite among both racers and spectators.

A criterium takes all the excitement of a road race -- team tactics, climbs, descents, sharp turns, and sprints -- and concentrates it into an aggressive, high-speed race along a single, spectator-friendly urban block.

What makes the Ballard Crit so popular is a combination of a challenging course, a great crowd and good organization.

The race draws top cyclists from the region and Canada to race the Ballard course which sends them from Ballard Avenue down the descent on Vernon Place onto Shilshole Avenue and via a sketchy sharp turn on Dock Place back to the Ave where racers face cobblestones and competition on their way to a sprint finish. All in pursuit of cash, prizes, and overall placement in a four-part professional race series.
 

Dear Editor

Re: the Petco Space

When my family first moved to Seattle it was a flat city. There was the Smith Tower. Then we added the Space Needle and later the Bank of America Building which became known as the box the Space Needle came in. I moved away for a decade or so and came back to more tall buildings and more trees planted on parking strips. The trees seemed a good idea at the time but we were never a city that needed protection from the sun.

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).

press release
The Green Seattle Partnership Forest Monitoring Team is a collaborative effort between Seattle Parks and Recreation, EarthCorps and volunteers. We are recruiting volunteers for the 2012 Forest Monitoring Team, its third year to collecting valuable data in Seattle’s 2,500 acre urban forest, while teaching community volunteers about forest ecology and plant identification.

Over the past two years we have established about 30 permanent monitoring plots in 12 parks in West Seattle alone (over 120 plots/40+ parks city-wide)

Press release:

Washington Conservation Voters, the political voice for the environment, just named State Representative Zack Hudgins (D-11, Tukwila) its 2012 “Legislator of the Year” for his outstanding leadership during the legislative session.
 
“Rep. Zack Hudgins demonstrated exceptional leadership on several critical issues affecting the environment during the 2012 session," said Washington Conservation Voters’ Executive Director Brendon Cechovic. “Rep. Hudgins’ commitment to defending basic environmental laws, protecting Washingtonians from toxic chemicals, and creating a clean energy economy was unparalleled this past year.”
 

Westwood Village is bringing back their popular Street Fair event June 16.
The event will run from 10am to 7pm and feature vendor sales booths, food vendors, and as in year's past
live music, a fashion show, a dog show and more.

Amusement rides, (usually a bouncy house and other inflatables) for adults and kids will be on site.

New this year will be a beer garden on site. Entertainment will take place throughout the event.

Live Music Schedule:

• 3 pm Gunn and the Damage Done
• 4pm NW Rivals (with Jim Basnight from The Moberly's and Steve Pearson from The Heats)
• 5pm R.A.F.
• 6pm West Side Sally with Annie Rose

You can find more information on the shopping center's website at www.westwoodvillagecenter.com

Marination, the Hawaiian-Korean food vendor who won the contract to move into the space at Seacrest Park late last year has finally gotten the go ahead to proceed from the city. The permit decision states : "expansion of an existing restaurant within existing building envelope. Project includes interior alterations and replacement of patio railing. No proposed changes to existing parking or 2,109 sq. ft. patio."

Marination won't expand the existing building footprint according to the permit and Alki Kayak Tours, operating in the adjacent space will sign a new sub lease with Marination as soon as that is practical.

The King County Water Taxi operates daily from the pier at the park.

Long time community activist Margaret Ceis has died at the age of 86. She was a founding member of the ArtsWest board and most prominently on the Harborview Medical Center Board of Trustees. She was also involved with ARC Associated Recreation Council of the Seattle Parks Department.

The Ceis family is well known in West Seattle with Jerry Ceis who was a Seafair Pirate for many years and Tim Ceis was Deputy Mayor.

King County Executive Dow Constantine today mourned the passing of Margaret Ceis, a West Seattle activist and former president of the Harborview Medical Center Board of Trustees:

Our community lost a genuine champion with the passing of Margaret Ceis.

A life-long community organizer and political activist, Margaret led the 34th District Democrats, the Alki Community Council and the League of Women Voters, among many other groups. She helped to create and promote the landmark 1989 King County Open Space bond issue, chaired the Seattle Parks Board, co-founded ArtsWest, and co-chaired the Three Projects/One Community campaign in Delridge.

King County will break ground on a massive upgrade of the Barton Street Pump Station sometime in June as they update the underground facility next to the Fauntleroy ferry landing to accommodate modern times and West Seattle’s ever-growing population.

The Barton Pump was originally built in 1958, and construction crews will replace outdated electrical equipment, upgrade heating, ventilation and air conditioning, build underground backup generator systems, odor control systems, and a new underground valve room – all for the sake of effectively moving up to 33 million gallons of wastewater a day to the West Point Treatment Plant. King County said the improvements should cover West Seattle’s needs until 2060.

Community feedback on the project is built into the update as well, including, “landscaping and artistic elements to restore Cove Park and blend the pump station into the surrounding environments,” according to a King County newsletter sent out in May.