December 2012

I noticed on the Highline Times website that Husky Deli over in the West Seattle Junction is celebrating its 80th Anniversary.

Wow, that’s a long time for a small family business to stick around. It’s going great as it serves up delicious ice cream cones and homemade sandwiches in the yuppie heaven of West Seattle.

It’s so popular, Husky ran the hugely successful nationwide Ben and Jerry’s chain out of town a couple of years ago.

All of West Seattle is on a roll. Its arterials are lined with high-rise condos and chic eateries.

A Whole Foods Market will anchor a six-story 370-apartment mixed-use project. It will sit across the street from “The Hole” project, which is to be filled in with a fitness center and 216 apartments.

I fondly recall Husky Deli from my days as a West Seattle resident. That was more than 20 years ago.

But what I remember from the 1980s is Husky Deli as a local business struggling just like its fellow West Seattle merchants as chain stores like J.C. Penney’s moved out of the Junction, leaving behind vacant storefronts.

Burien woman sentenced
A Burien woman was sentenced Dec. 6 in U.S. District Court in Seattle, to five years in prison and five years of supervised release for four felony counts connected to the laundering of illegal proceeds from the drug distribution conspiracy she participated in with her husband, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.
Svetlana Angel Yim, 30, was convicted in April 2012, following a five-week jury trial. The jury found her responsible for being part of a conspiracy that trafficked cocaine and methamphetamine, as well as laundered millions of dollars in drug proceeds. Yim’s husband, Drew Yim, 38, was sentenced to 15 years in prison in May 2012 for leading the drug conspiracy that distributed a variety of illegal drugs from Mexico to Canada and east across the United States.
Svetlana Yim handled money laundering in the conspiracy, purchasing property and cars in the names of other people, as well as expensive jewelry and other luxuries.

Student pleads not guilty

Highline Public Schools press release:

David Danh, a sophomore at Highline High School, along with Arts Corps Executive Director Elizabeth Whitford, recently visited the White House to accept an award from First Lady Michelle Obama.

The 2012 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award recognized Arts Corps effectiveness in developing learning and life skills in young people by engaging them in the arts. Arts Corps is one of the organizations that provides outstanding services to children and youth in Highline.

Danh has been taking breakdancing with Arts Corps for three years.

He says, “Taking these classes affected my life in so many ways and it continues to change my future. I learned the true meaning of motivation and integrity. It's an honor to be accepting this award from First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House on behalf of Arts Corps students. Do what you are passionate about, because you'll never know where it will take you.”

press release:
A grant application written jointly by seven King County school districts has won $40 million in federal Race to the Top funds, the U.S. Department of Education announced Tuesday.

The Auburn, Federal Way, Highline, Kent, Renton, Seattle and Tukwila school districts competed together this fall as “The Road Map District Consortium,” a reference to their participation in the Road Map Project. The Road Map Project is a collaborative effort to dramatically improve education in South Seattle and South King County.

The King County districts’ application was among 16 winners selected out of 372 applications. Awards ranged from $5 million to $40 million, depending on the number of students served by the plan. The Road Map District Consortium was one of only two applicants to win the maximum award of $40 million.

One of West Seattle's rockstars Chris Ballew (of the Presidents of the United States of America fame) in his alter ego of Caspar Babypants is appearing live at Easy Street Records in the Junction at 6:30pm Dec. 11.

His new album, “I Found You,” will be officially released on 12/18, but those attending can get a copy at the event. As Caspar Babypants, Ballew writes and performs music aimed primarily at young people with songs about bugs, fishies, kangaroos & other comedic children's themes.

This is a free event.

This article has been updated with quotes from Perry Cooper, representing the Port of Seattle. We incorrectly said they could not be reached for comment; we apologize for the error.

Airplane noise grinding your gears? You're not the only one.

A North Ballard resident has filed claims against the Port of Seattle and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) seeking compensation for reduced property value as a result of increased airplane noise in northwest Seattle.

David E. Ortman, who claims to have documented hundreds of noisy low flying commercial airplanes -- including ones under 3,000 feet -- is the man behind the litigation. He was the subject of a Ballard News-tribune article last year, in which he analogized the constant nuisance of the planes to "mosquitoes in a tent."

State Superintendent Randy Dorn has released a statement on marijuana in the wake of the passage of Initiative 502. He makes clear that those found possessing, using or distributing marijuana in or near schools will be disciplined or prosecuted :

"Recent anecdotal reports from school districts suggest an increase in marijuana possession and consumption among young people, especially after the passage of Initiative 502, which legalizes small quantities of the drug for people age 21 and older. Below is a statement from State Superintendent Randy Dorn on what the law means to public schools.

The passage of I-502 changes nothing in public schools in Washington state. Certain drugs, including marijuana, continue to be illegal on school property and to anyone younger than 21 years old.

To receive federal funds, districts must abide by the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act and must have a Drug and Tobacco-Free Workplace and a similar student policy in place. Each district’s policy has a number of common requirements about marijuana and other drugs, such as not allowing any student to:

· Possess,
· Distribute,
· Manufacture or

This article has been updated with a quote from Keven Wynkoop, principal of Ballard High School.

In case you were wondering, marijuana will still be illegal for people under 21 years old, which of course means students won't be able to smoke or possess marijuana, especially at school.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn issued a statement this morning reaffirming this. He also suggests that there is anecdotal evidence for increased marijuana problems at the school since I-502 passed.

However, that does not seem to be entirely the case for Ballard High School.

"We have not seen an uptick," Ballard High School Principal Keven Wynkoop said. "The reality is that even before it was 'legal,' students had no problem getting it if they wanted. Students will tell you that Marijuana was as easy to get as alcohol."

Here is the full statement:

The highest tides of the season arrive this week preceded by a minus 3.6 tide the evening of Dec. 13. then on Saturday Dec. 15 at 6:50AM the tide will have come up, and up until it reaches a +13.0 foot high tide which should see some water coming over lower bulkheads.

Though the weather is calling for rain and temperatures in the low to mid 40's there is no stormfront predicted that would accentuate the tidal effects.

So called King Tides (a non-scientific term) simply refers to the very highest tides. They occur when the earth, moon and sun are aligned at perigee (when the moon is closest to earth) and perihelion (when the earth is closest to the sun), resulting in the largest tidal range seen during a year since the gravitational effects are magnified.

The tidal chart is here.

Here's the quick list of the coming low and King Tides:

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Tide Peak Time: 10:41PM

Tide Level: - 3.6

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The Helmstetler Display- This animated display is on every evening and has a series of songs that play in coordination with the lights. It's really West Seattle's most unique Christmas light display. It's at 3908 SW Charlestown Street. The West Seattle Herald covered the display (with a video of one song) here.

The Menashe Display- The grand daddy of Christmas light displays in West Seattle is the Menashe home on Beach Drive. With more than 50,000 glowing LED and other lights this stunning collection of motion figures, and unusual lighted elements. It's in the 5600 block of Beach Drive SW. The West Seattle Herald covered the display here.

Multiple blocks of displays - Starting at 40th Ave SW & SW Andover St the lights continue on 40th Ave. SW all the way to SW Hanford St.

You will also find worthy light displays near these locations: