November 2012

Normandy Pk. PD reports increase in burglaries
On Tuesday, Nov. 20, the Normandy Park Police Department issued the following two warnings: The Normandy Park Police Department would like to warn citizens of a recent upswing in burglaries and vehicle prowls. This is mainly happening off of 1st Avenue but almost all areas have been hit. The police department has recently made an arrest in one case, which may decrease the number of crimes in the future. We would remind citizens to not leave valuables in your vehicles and to lock doors and set alarms. We also encourage citizens to immediately report any suspicious activity to the police department by calling 206-248-7600 or 911. Any questions regarding these incidents you can contact Chief Gaddis at chrisg@ci.normandy-park.wa.us

Ecstasy confiscated in Burien

Although next year’s Cove to Clover fundraiser marathon is still five months away, it is already making news.

The best registration deal is for people who sign up before Jan. 1:

Cove to Clover press release:

December Registration Incentive
Register for the Cove to Clover (online only) in December and earn a chance to win Adobe Photoshop CS6. Drawing will be held for all registrants signed up before Jan 1 in early January. Also, this is also the time to register with the lowest fee.

Introducing the Snakezilla Half Marathon
The Snakezilla half is best described as a 4 city suffer-fest (Des Moines-SeaTac-Normandy Park-Burien), you'll hit Snake Hill at mile 10 when you're "warm."

Still offered are the classics 5K, 10K and Wee Race. A course map can be found at www.covetoclover.com. Walkers are allowed and super-cool "Snake" medals will be given to all finishers.

Sponsorship Open
Interested in extending your corporate brand on the region? Sponsoring the race is a great way to leverage a highly popular south end event.

Mayor Mike McGinn, City Librarian Marcellus Turner and others dropped by the Ballard Branch Library on Monday, Nov. 26, to thank voters for passing the Library Levy and to tell them what that levy does.

For libraries, the levy helps reverse a trend of cuts that have been happening because of the economy.

"We've had a bunch of tough years in a row (because of the economy) ... and that means everyone has been squeezing a bit tighter," McGinn said.

He said that the squeeze has been particularly noticeable at the library, where reduced hours and furlough days have limited for many people how much they can use the facilities.

Levy funds will be mostly directed at buying more books and increasing access to materials online.

With the levy, the library will purchase in 2013 an additional 26,000 books and other media for the children's collections. The combination of general funds and Levy funds will mean approximately 75,000 new books, materials and online resources for children in 2013.

At the press conference, speakers stressed the importance of early learning.

Mount Rainier H.S.
SPSL Winter Schedules
Friday, Nov. 30
Boys basketball: Auburn at Mt. Rainier, 7:30 p.m.
Girls basketball: Mt. Rainier at Auburn, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 4
Boys basketball: Mt. Rainier at Kentlake, 7:30 p.m.
Girls basketball: Kentlake at Mt. Rainier, 7:30 p.m.
Boys swimming: A-R at Mt. Rainier, 3:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 5
Gymnastics: MR, Kentridge, Em. Ridge at A-R, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 6
Boys swimming: K-M at Mt. Rainier, 3:30 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 7
Boys basketball: Tahoma at Mt. Rainier, 7:30 p.m.
Girls basketball; Mt. Rainier at Tahoma, 7:30 p.m.
Boys swimming: Holiday Relays at Rogers, diving 3 p.m. and swimming 5 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 11
Boys basketball: Mt. Rainier at Kentridge, 7:30 p.m.
Girls basketball: Kentridge at Mt. Rainier, 7:30 p.m.
Boys swimming: Mt. Rainier at Kentlake, 3:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 12
Gymnastics: Mt. Rainier, K-M, Olympia at Federal Way, 7 p.m.
Wrestling: Mt. Rainier at Tahoma, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 13
Boys basketball: Mt. Rainier at Kentwood, 7:30 p.m.
Girls basketball: Kentwood at Mt. Rainier, 7:30 p.m.
Boys swimming: Kentwood at Mt. Rainier, 3:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 15

press release:
King County Metro Transit is adjusting the schedule for the next round of construction in West Seattle. The contractor for the project is tentatively scheduled to start bus zone and sidewalk improvements Dec. 10 and focus work on the south side of Southwest Barton Street.

The project builds improvements that will help pedestrians and bus riders for Route 120 – one of Metro’s top 10 busiest routes. Three to four weeks of construction are expected on the south side of the intersection of Southwest Barton Street and 26th Avenue Southwest just south of Westwood Village. Work on pedestrian improvements on the north side of the intersection is scheduled to begin after Jan. 1.

The updated construction timeline works around the contractor’s revised schedule and traffic during the holiday season. Once work begins, a flagger and a uniformed police officer will ensure traffic flows reliably around the work zone.

UPDATE 10:00pm Nov. 30

The West Seattle Herald was granted a special preview and vantage point on Nov. 30 to photograph the 2012 edition of the Menashe family Christmas lights before the official lighting event on November 30. Photographers David Rosen and Patrick Robinson were allowed to shoot the lights both from the ground and from the same lift used to put the lights in place. Rosen got a vantage point more than 40 feet up to get his photo (seen above) and both got close up images of this years show.

Original Post
Josh Menashe was a man in motion on Nov. 26 as he and his crew of workers hurried around his brother Jack's home at 5605 Beach Drive SW to prepare their annual spectacular light display.

It all comes alive on Nov 30 at 7:00pm in a special lighting event with live music, food collection for the West Seattle Food Bank and more.

Menashe said the display this year has a few new features including 5000 more lights (these are all LED's),
some new reindeer, new angels, and some new 15 foot custom made candy canes.

Hello!

We make our seventh annual excursion into the wild and wonderful world of traditional English Christmas pantomime. Ridiculous, riotous, ribald, and rambunctious, Cinderella is chock full of great songs, outrageously bad jokes, horrible ugly sisters, and ancient routines that have been entertaining audiences for over 300 years. Designed for the whole family.

Cinderella begins November 30 and runs through Dec. 23, 2012.

Please note our special holiday schedule: Cinderella and Sister's Christmas Catechism are running at the same time - call or check online for performance dates. Buy tickets to both shows and save!

Go online: www.CenterstageTheatre.com/Events
or call: 253-661-1444 for more information or tickets!

Seamount League
Winter sports schedules
Thursday, Nov. 29
Gymnastics: Highline at Mt. Rainier Jamboree, 6 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 30
Boys swimming: Seamount Kick Off Relays at Hazen, 3:15 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 1
Wrestling: Kennedy at Auburn, 9 a.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 4
Wrestling: Stadium at Kennedy, 5 p.m.
Gymnastics: Highline, Lindbergh at Hazen; Kennedy, Tyee at Renton, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 6
Boys swimming: Hazen at Kennedy, 3 p.m.
Wrestling: Kennedy at Kent-Meridian, 5 p.m.; Hazen at Highline; Evergreen at Lindbergh; Foster at Renton; Tyee at Lindbergh, 7 p.m.S
Saturday, Dec. 8
Wrestling: Kennedy at Decatur Invitational, 9 a.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 11
Gymnastics: Kennedy, Evergreen at Highline; Hazen, Renton at Tyee, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 13
Boys swimming: Highline, Tyee and Evergreen at Lindbergh, 3 p.m.; Kennedy at Renton, 4 p.m.
Wrestling: Kennedy, Evergreen at Tyee; Highline at Foster, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 18
Gymnastics: Renton, Hazen at Kennedy; Evergreen, Tyee at Lindbergh, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 20
Boys swimming: Renton, Tyee and Highline at Evergreen, 3 p.m.
Wrestling: Hazen at Kennedy; Renton at Highline; Foster at Lindbergh, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 3

With the successful Normandy Park levy lid lift behind us, it is time to be thankful for the outcome. City Councils in the past have long avoided taking on this difficult task of passing a tax levy. As a member of the Pro Committee, it seemed ironic that I would be in support of higher property taxes. I first ran for office on a platform of stopping new fees and sales tax increases. I consider myself a financial conservative and am a pensioner who is thankful for social security.

Yet, having worked on the council now for the last nine years and having seen all the cuts, layoffs, and depleted reserves, I knew it had to be done to help save this gem of a city. More has to be done to bolster revenues as we continue looking at ideas to lower costs.

Firstly, I want to thank our police guild members who spent hours of their personal off time in building the signs, planting them out and keeping them up. Survey after survey has shown that the citizens put keeping our independent and pro-active police force as the foremost goal of the city. It takes the biggest part of our budget, but we are committed to them and their job of keeping our city a safe place for our families.

Highline Public Schools press release:

Thanks to the very generous Highline community, the Global Connections High School wind ensemble will travel to Washington, D.C. January 18 to perform at the 2013 Presidential Inauguration Music Festival.

“I am delighted to announce that our $60,000 goal has been met and exceeded,” said Rick Harwood, Principal of Global Connections High School. “Our community has demonstrated in a big way just how much it cares about all students.”

Many individuals and organizations pitched in to reach the goal. Parents hosted potlucks, and students sold Entertainment Books. More than 50 percent of the funds were raised at a special event, An Evening of Jazz and Friends.

The largest individual donation came from Congressman Adam Smith, an alumnus of Tyee High School. Rep. Smith made a personal visit to the Tyee Educational Complex, where Global Connections is located, to congratulate wind ensemble students.