December 2012

Highline College press release:

Reconnect with classmates, faculty and staff and enjoy an evening of Highline memories. The night will include a welcome back toast from President Bermingham, giveaways, a photo booth and more!
Be sure not to miss the great raffle prizes from Anthony's Restaurant, Panera Bread, Ivar's, Red Robin, Starbucks and more.

Thursday, December 20, 2012 from 6–8 p.m.
Highline Community College, Building 8
Located at 2400 S. 240th Street, Des Moines.
Tickets are $10 per person and include dinner, beer and wine.
Please R.S.V.P. and pay online by Wednesday, December 12 at: alumni.highline.edu.
Guests are welcome.

Thanks to our generous sponsors: BECU, BNY Mellon, Red Canoe Credit Union, Burien Toyota Scion and the Highline Community College Foundation!

If you have questions, contact Madison Gridley at mgridley@highline.edu or (206) 592-3312.

Thursday, December 6th, the 21 elected members of the Chief Sealth Associated Student Body will take a field trip to the White Center Food Bank. The student leaders will be helping stock and distribute food to the center’s clients. “I strongly believe in the model of servant leadership, and this is an opportunity to give just a few hours but make a big difference. Not only does this serve as a powerful leadership lesson for our student leaders, it also helps connect them with the community as a whole and provides a good team-building activity for the group,” said Sam Reed Sealth Athletic Director, who also oversees student government at Chief Sealth.

Update for Dec. 17
37-year-old West Seattle resident Amy Lynn O'Brien pleaded not guilty to two charges of assault and one charge of felony hit and run on the morning of Dec. 17, according to the King County Prosecutor's Office.

Here is the full announcement:

Arraignment in Hit and Run/Car Attack: Amy Lynn O’Brien was arraigned this morning and pleaded not guilty to assault charges for allegedly running down two teens following an altercation outside Chief Sealth High School in West Seattle on November 28. O'Brien, 37, is charged with two counts of Assault Second Degree and one count of Felony Hit and Run. Earlier this month, prosecutors had requested that the defendant be held on $250,000 bail; however, the Court struck the bail and released the defendant on a summons to appear in court. A case setting hearing is scheduled for January 17.

Original story on Dec. 5
West Seattle woman charged after allegedly running down Chief Sealth students in hit and run

Highline Public Schools press release:

Seahurst Elementary students, families, and staff set a goal to collect more than 2,000 items for the Highline Food Bank.

Thanks to the leadership of students and the generosity of families, the school nearly doubled its goal, contributing 3,661 items for needy families.

The Seahurst Student Council, comprised of two representatives from each classroom in grades three through six, enthusiastically led publicity for the food drive. They made and placed posters and talked with students in all classrooms about the importance of the event.

“The generosity shown by our families is remarkable,” said Seahurst Elementary Principal Chris Larsen. “More than 80 percent of our students qualify for free- or reduced-price lunch, and our families may be struggling themselves during this holiday season. I am very proud of our students, who have demonstrated the joy of giving to those less fortunate.”

As a reward for reaching and exceeding the goal, the entire school will enjoy an extra recess period.

Port of Seattle press release:

The Port of Seattle Commission approved Wednesday, Dec. 5 an aggressive 25-year program that positions the port as a leader to help create 100,000 new jobs in the region while reducing the port’s environmental footprint.

“We established bold, achievable goals for the port and regional stakeholders in our Century Agenda,” said John Creighton, Port of Seattle commissioner. “It builds on the 100 plus year role the port has played in creating economic growth for the Puget Sound region and the state of Washington. The Commission thanks the hundreds of citizens who worked with us to a set a path forward for the next 25 years.”

“As commissioners, we’re getting to work, contributing resources and joining teams to pursue these new initiatives,” said Tom Albro, Port of Seattle commissioner. “We look forward to working with stakeholders throughout the region to accomplish the goals of the Century Agenda.”

Press release:

Since 2008, volunteers in Walker Preserve have removed large amounts of invasive plants and planted many native trees and shrubs. You can help – no experience is required! We will be removing ivy – making sure the trees can continue to grow. Ivy removal is easiest at this time of year, when the ground is moist, and other plants are dormant

When: Saturday, December 8, 2012, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Where: Walker Preserve park, SW. 168th St. and 2nd Ave. SW. in Normandy Park, up the road from Normandy Park City Hall. If driving, your parking options include:

Three spaces in the small lot at SW 171st St. and Second Ave. S.W.
On the street along SW. 168th St

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please plan ahead - this park does not have a restroom.
From the gate behind the Walker Preserve sign, walk down the trail towards the creek.

Activities:

1:30 a.m. UPDATE WITH SLIDESHOW, Click on photo for more:

Alki-raised Sen. Ed Murray

State Senator Ed Murray and partner Michael Shiosaki were at the King County Courthouse to show support. Murray was instrumental in the cause of marriage equality.

"I had the privilege and the pain of working on this for 17 years in the Legislature," said Sen. Murray. "Finally we turned around DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) and won in the Legislature and won at the ballot. It's a great night, an historic night. Michael and I have been together for 21 years and we're going to wait until August on our 22nd anniversary to get married."

Added Murray, "I lived on 61st. St. as a kid and went to Alki Elementary, and Holy Rosary. Tim Cies (the former Deputy Mayor) and I were in the same first grade class."

KC Council Member Joe McDermott of West Seattle

Rhoda Fry, who lives near the West Seattle Junction got her dog Stimpy, who got his name from the cartoon "Ren and Stimpy" but in the cartoon Stimpy was a cat and Ren was the dog. "My Stimpy is too skinny to be Ren and the cat was skinny wo we decided that would be his name," Fry said.

Stimpy is a Chihuahua and mini-Pinscher mix and he's five years old. Fry got Stimpy as a gift from her daughter and her "significant other," said Fry, " I was wanting a dog. I have a problem with depression and anxiety so I was wanting something that I could love and take care of and that would be companion to me so they brought me Stimpy. Whenever I get anxious he helps. He even wakes me up. I have a bit of Sleep Apnea and he jumps on me when I stop breathing."

Fry feeds him Rachael Ray dog food and he loves his squeaky toys and "cat mice". He gets dog bone biscuits for treats.

Stimpy is not a fan of big dogs said Fry. "His personality I say is complicated. When he gets around a big dog I tell him he has 'Big Dog-Itis' but otherwise he is very calm. He loves other people and loves other dogs wanting to play with them all the time.

By Christy Wolyniak

Last weekend, local Ballard artists came together, handiwork in tow, and demonstrated that sometimes art is just transforming ordinary, everyday materials into a masterpiece.

Take stained glass, for example.

“If you're a control freak, this isn't the hobby for you,” said stained glass artist, Karen Seymour. “You need to cooperate with the glass. You're not really cutting the glass; you're encouraging it to do what it's going to do anyway -- break.”

Seymour made her first stained glass table in 1998 and has continued the art ever since. She now teaches a Do-It-Yourself class once a month and has self-published two books for those motivated individuals.

Stained glass pictures took on quilt-like qualities, with different colors and broken shapes cooperating and interacting with each other. Seymour's Koi pond tables were her most popular item, reflecting a variety of hues and shapes on the floor. She had other items on display, as well, such as colorful lanterns hanging from the ceiling and frozen, glass flowers adorning a vase.

The Seahawks first two opponents of the season didn’t put up much of a fight. Not so with the Eastside Catholic Crusaders.

The Crusaders matched up well with the Seahawks. Equally fast, a swarming defense, and able to shoot from outside and in the paint.

Eastside Catholic quickly jumped out to a five point lead before Sealth got on the board. But the Seahawks never got rattled in front of the home crowd and in no time had erased the deficit.

The two teams battled back and forth. No team gaining an advantage and at the end of the first quarter the score was tied at fifteen.

The half ended with Eastside Catholic up 27-26. The Crusaders aggressive defense, while flummoxing Sealth’s ability to get points, also committed many fouls but the Seahawks were unable to capitalize at the line and left many points on the floor.

In the third period the Crusaders found a rhythm and sliced lanes to the post. The Seahawks found themselves the victims of their own style of play as the Crusaders fast break cut through the Sealth defense, and by the end of the third period the Seahawks were down by eight, 45-37.