August 2012

By Christy Wolyniak, contributor

UPDATE 7:05 p.m., Aug. 20: So far the fundraiser has raised $1160.35 in cash donations, which doesn't include credit card, check and direct deposit donations, according to Ryan Barber. The autographed Seahawks jersey is expected to match the cash donations in auction. Ryan Barber said that Girls & Boys Club and COPS will be "extremely grateful."

So far we raised $1160.35 in cash donations. We still have credit card, check and direct deposits to account for. Plus the Seahawks donation of autographed jersey and football will most likely equal the cash donations in auction.

Friends and family members handed out soft, fluffy chocolate and maple bars on Saturday at Ballard Top Pot Doughnuts in memory of SPD officer Joselito Barber, who lost his life at age 26 six years ago.

By Cassandra Baker

11:22 p.m., August 11. 58th block of 7th Ave NW

A man called police after he returned home to find that his home had been burglarized. The victim left his residence securely locked at 7:00 a.m. on August 11th. When he returned home at 9:30 p.m. that day, he found his back door open. Several items had been moved inside the house, and the suspect stole about $200 worth of coins from an upstairs bedroom. The victim told police that he believed the suspect gained entry through an already broken basement window and then left through the back door. No fingerprints were found at the scene.

2:29 a.m., August 11. 77th block of 15th Ave NW

Police responded to a business in the middle of the night on August 11th after the burglar alarm was tripped. The suspect used a blunt object to break a window and gain entry. No fingerprints or suspects were found in the area. The business owner said that over $800 worth of a product had been stolen, and that the same product had also been targeted in a previous burglary. A laptop computer was also taken. The business owner said that there was surveillance video from the night of the burglary.

SLIDESHOW: Click on photo for more

At yesterday's 2nd Annual Pie Joust in Burien's Town Square it was hard to tell the jousters from the jesters as grins were garnished with cream in the circus-like atmosphere. While Brooks Stanfield came in first place and John Lasswell, second, most participants got creamed at one point. Stockades were utilized for punishment when participants were challenged with a spelling bee.

Close-up pies in the face were awarded to those who did not pay attention to their English teacher in grade school.

Entry fees supported WABI (Walk/Bike), Cove To Clover, and Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance organizations.

Update for Aug. 25
Michael Helmer, 27 of Kent, was charged with fourth degree assault on Aug. 22 for allegedly pulling out a 9mm handgun and shooting - striking one victim - after a fight broke out in front of the Bamboo Tavern on Aug. 19, according to the King County Prosecutor’s Office.

Helmer was arrested by Southwest Precinct officers shortly after the shooting, with the help of a witness who followed the suspect.

Charging documents reveal a 30-year-old male was standing outside the bar around 1 a.m. when Helmer and an unidentified suspect allegedly attacked him, kicking him in the head several times after he fell to the ground.

A witness to the attack stepped in and attempted to separate Helmer and the other suspect from the victim. Helmer allegedly pulled out a 9mm Makarov semi-automatic pistol at that time, pointed it at the man who intervened, and shot him in the upper left arm.

Both suspects ran away on foot, Helmer eastbound down the beach. A third witness saw Helmer run, got into his vehicle and followed the suspect while he communicated with authorities.

An ordeal reaching back to 2007 has come to an end as the City Attorney's Office reached an agreement with a Beach Drive resident and his insurance company to pay for the repairs necessary to shore up a hillside and stop the threat of landslides.

Last year, 28 neighbors from the 5000 to 6000 blocks of Beach Drive S.W. filed a lawsuit against the City of Seattle and upslope resident Peter Saladino, based on the homeowner’s decision to build a retaining wall in a non-compliance area and the city’s delay in fixing, or have Saladino fix the problem. Inadequate drainage on Atlas Place S.W. above Beach Drive led to several overflowing drains that further destabilized the slope.

Mike Winter, a resident living below the slide prone area, addressed the Seattle City Council on January of last year, saying, “We live in constant fear of another event and worry not only for the safety of our adjoining neighbors … (but) the public who use the Beach Drive arterial on a daily basis. If we had even a minor earthquake during a period of heavy rains it could be disastrous.”

The agreement was reached on Wednesday night, Aug. 15.

Speeders beware: The Seattle Police Department announced plans to install a fixed school speed zone camera on Fauntleroy next to Gatewood Elementary School and to start parking their speed van near Our Lady of Guadalupe on the 7100 block of 35th Ave S.W.

SPD officials discussed their plans with the Seattle City Council Transportation Committee on Aug. 14.

The fixed school speed zone cameras are going up near four schools (including Gatewood) before the 2012-2013 school year begins. The cameras are radar-based and speeders will notice the tell-tale flash (similar to red light cameras) if they are speeding, meaning the camera has taken a photo of the vehicle, according to a memo from SPD to the Transportation Committee.

Those caught by the camera can expect a ticket in the mail about a week later.

Tickets will only be issued during school hours when the school beacons are flashing.

After months of planning from an all-volunteer corps, the 6th Annual Delridge Day Festival on Aug. 18 brought Delridge Park to life.

Ears were filled with the live music of the Ellis Brothers, Moongirl, SideSaddle Cowboy and Low Land High.

Alki Bike and Board’s Skate Competition had solid attendance throughout the day as MC Marshall “Stack” Reid coordinated the technical and athletic marvels in three age categories: 12 and under, 13 to 17 and 18 and over. The prizes were impressive, with tons of kids walking away with new skate decks, t-shirts and hats provided by sponsors.

Local vendors and community groups kept the commerce and information areas interesting while the kid's zone kept children entertained.

A flash mob even broke out (please see the video!).

And last, but not least, the weather decided to cooperate: bringing a nice cool summer day in lieu of the sweltering heat of the prior week.

Please enjoy our slideshow from the event!

by Kimberly Robinson

After three days of heat with highs mostly in the 80's and some places in the 90' most of us have trouble cooling our homes.

West Seattle's water access points are always crowded but never seem to have too many people and are the natural choice to get away from a hot house, apartment or condo.

You can go in the water (some don't mind swimming in the frigid Sound), linger beside it, dig in the sand (or bury your legs in it) dine, read, or go in a boat, paddle board kayak or an air mattress.

We walked around the Alki area taking in some of the fun. It was around 80 degrees at 7:00pm on Friday August 17th 2012.

Sone of the children were very serious about playing in the sand, others more relaxed. Everyone seemed calm and enjoyed the sun.

Friends of Hicklin Lake have been talking with King County politicians and scientists for months about having five floating islands installed at the heavily polluted body of water that, decades ago, used to be a favorite swimming hole for White Center locals.

It looks like their calls were finally heard, at least in part, since King County has announced plans to pilot a single island and monitor its success before committing further.

Floating islands are “Mother Nature’s way of cleaning polluted water by planting native vegetation on man-made islands,” Dick Thurnau of Friends of Hicklin Lake wrote recently. “Microbes attach to the vegetation roots (which) … devour the contaminants.”

Today, most do not go near the water. It has tested positive for a slew of contaminants over the years, including fecal coliform (aka human feces) since King County diverted drainage from the Salmon Creek Basin into the lake in 1965. The lake has no natural outlet, so those contaminants pile up. There is also plentiful algae growth that gives the water a green hue – not the most inviting for recreation.

The West Seattle Outdoor Movie for Aug. 18 is the classic animated feature Yellow Submarine starring the Beatles and their music.Based on the group's children's song of the same name the story has the Beatles agree to accompany Captain Fred in his Yellow Submarine and go to Pepperland to free it from the music hating Blue Meanies.

The film stars The Beatles (who appear in a brief segment), Paul Angelis and John Clive.

You are urged to bring blankets, chairs family and friends to 4410 California Ave. s.w. (between Hotwire Coffee and Dr. Wolff.

All movies are FREE.

West Seattle Outdoor Movies are presented by the West Seattle Junction. You can learn more by visiting www.wsmovies.org or on their Facebook page.

The West Seattle Herald previewed the entire summer series here
http://www.westseattleherald.com/2012/06/27/news/west-seattle-outdoor-mo...