December 2012

According to the "Extrarordinary Women of Highline" display now at the Burien Community Center through Jan. 31, "The Highline area has been home to many incredible women since the settlement if the Washington Territory in the 1800's. Dentists and soldiers, politicians and writers, the women who blazed a trail to the West demonstrated a fiery spirit and a love for their new homes that has survived with each passing generation."

It continues to state that these are just a a small number of the many women of history in our area. Fifteen were chosen. Twelve are currently displayed, and the other three will be up shortly. All have passed away, but each has passed on a legacy of note.

Exhibit organizers with the Highline Historical Society include Nancy Salguero McKay, Curator of Collections, Cyndi Upthegrove, Managing Trustee, and intern Colleen Lenahan. Some were pioneers from the 1800's, others lived until just recently and may have been friends of yours.

In 1920 a future Normandy Park resident was born among the scenic fjords of Halsa, Norway. Ruth Durham, a professional dietician, would arrive here in 1957 to continue her practice at Virginia Mason, Firland Sanatorium and the Norse Home, where her name is inscribed as a life member.

When she packed her bags in Scandinavia her culture also came along for the ride, and remained until her recent passing, on Dec. 6. She loved Norwegian books, craft and history.

Tom and Ingeborg Herring, and Judy Earle say they were like close family members to her, and compiled some of her accomplishments.

Ruth was married to Jim Durham for 40 years. She was a member of Leif Erikson Lodge Sons of Norway where she danced with the Leikarring folk dancers. She was active with the Valkyrien Lodge, Daughters of Norway, and was instrumental in the founding of Solveig Lodge in Burien, her home lodge. She was Honorary Marshall for the Seventeenth of May Parade in Ballard in 2001, and served as a judge on the reviewing stand. She walked in the parade annually until 2009. Called the Syttende Mai Parade, it commemorates Norway's Constitution Day.

Port of Seattle Press Release:

The Port of Seattle Commission announced at their last meeting the outlines of the process and the timing for identifying and appointing a successor to fill the vacancy on the Port Commission created when Commissioner Gael Tarleton resigns from the Port Commission on Jan. 31, 2013. On Nov. 6, Tarleton was elected to represent the 36th legislative district in the Washington State House of Representatives.

Under State law, the Commission will have 90 days to appoint a successor. The decision will be taken by majority vote at a Commission meeting. Tarleton’s successor will serve until the November 2013 general election when a candidate will be elected to complete her term that expires on Dec. 31, 2015.

“We are undertaking an ambitiously open process to fill this vacancy and continue the momentum of our Century Agenda,” said Tom Albro, Port of Seattle Commission president. “The Commission will alter the schedule if necessary to ensure we have a robust process, but we believe our schedule allows opportunities for public comment and a thoughtful review of interested candidates.”

The Marine Science and Technology (MaST) Center, the marine laboratory for Highline Community College, located four miles south of campus at Redondo Beach, experienced exterior damage during the Sunday night, Monday morning Puget Sound storm (Dec. 16 & 17). Also, power went out which could have been life-threatening to the marine creatures in the aquarium depending on oxygen from pumps. A tidal surge of one and a half feet prompted by high winds combined with a high tide of 13 feet-plus at 8:17 a.m. Monday gave a one-two punch to the Center, to Salty's next door, and flooded the street there.

According to MaST's website, their 2,500 square-foot facility offers public space, classroom, laboratories, office and research areas with state-of-the-art equipment 3,000 gallons of flow-through saltwater tanks, holding more than 100 species of local marine life.

Highline Public Schools press release:

Lyn Nelthropp, a music instructor at Global Connections High School, has been selected as a Symetra Hero in the Classroom.

Nelthropp was nominated for the honor by a former student.

“Ms. Nelthropp cares deeply about her students and their education. When you see her teach, her love of music is obvious. She is the kind of person you can speak to, no matter what age or band you are in, but something about her also always demands a level of respect,” said Briana Glover, a former student. “Ms. Nelthropp expects a lot of her students — practice, focused participation in and out of the classroom, and a healthy love of music.

“She requires things that other band teachers don't, such as mandatory participation in solo or ensemble contests. However, she also attends everything she expects her students to attend. She dedicates as much effort — and often more — as all of the students and parents involved in the band.”

Under Nelthropp’s direction, the Global Connections High School Wind Ensemble received national recognition.

By Christopher Duclos

Both on and off the court, Beverly and Johnny Verduin are exceptional kids. They're both starters and standout athletes on Ballard varsity squads and they both maintain solid performances in the classroom.

Junior Guard Beverly Verduin shows up consistently for the lady beavers. Wearing the no. 1 jersey and having a nose for the hoop, she's been sinking in double digit points every game so far this season. She's easily the best scorer on her team, averaging 12.7 points per game for a total of 76 points, as of press time.

Former starting quarterback for the Beavers, Senior Forward Johnny Verduin also takes his athleticism to the court. He is one of the lead scorers on the team, netting an average of 12 per game for a total of 60, and is second only to UMass-recruited Senior Seth Berger (17.2 points per game and a total of 86), as of press time.

I suppose I knew when I said goodbye last summer to a lifelong family friend that it was probably forever. My husband had been trying to warn me, and also prodding me to finally talk to Bill about purchasing one of his paintings. “I don’t like to sell them to my friends,” Bill said. It was the first summer in my life that he wasn’t in his art studio.

“But it gives us such pleasure to have your work on our walls,” I told him. “Shouldn’t we be able to have that?”

He died three days after, but not before quizzing his daughter and granddaughter who went right from the airport to his side about their own work. He worried whether his granddaughter could make a living as an artist.

Throughout our home we have works from all three generations of their family on my walls: Bill’s watercolors of me as a child; his daughter’s silk-screen of grey whales. Now granddaughter Katherine has also sent me a piece, a wood block carving of my mother’s Heavenly Blue morning glories, as a thank you for the obituary.

Aaron and Dana Clark got their dog Gansett three years ago in Florida where Aaron was stationed in the Coast Guard at Port Canaveral. They named her after another place he was stationed, Naragansett, Rhode Island.

Gansett is a Treeing Walker Coonhound, a breed the couple didn't know much about. When they came to the Humane Society shelter the pick her out she was the only one not barking. This breed normally bays and barks a lot, but not Gansett. That was a big factor in deciding to take her home plus, "he was going out to sea for two months and I needed a friend," said Dana.

Here only since August, the Clarks have come to really enjoy walking Gansett on Alki Beach. Gansett is about 7 or 8 years old.

Just as she was quiet in the shelter, Gansett is different in that, "She doesn't bark," said Dana. "That's just her behavior," said Aaron. Otherwise at home, "She's a baby and she likes to cuddle," said Aaron.

Gansett has formed some close canine relationships in her brief time here. "Shout out to Shorty and Lexi," said the Clarks. "and Rufus," they added.

On Tuesday night, Dec. 18, Christmas music poured into the Ballard neighborhood as the Argosy Christmas Ship Festival visited the Ballard Locks, Golden Gardens and Shilshole Bay Marina.

The Ballard News-Tribune made a visit to Golden Gardens and listened to some Christmas classics sung over loudspeaker by the beach-side. Luke Knecht created a time-lapse photography video for us, which you can view above.

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Seattle Police are looking for a man who followed a woman off the RapidRide bus and proceeded to attack and rob her.

According to our news partner, KCPQ Q13 News, the strong-arm robbery happened around 12:30 a.m. on Dec. 10 when the woman got off the King County RapidRide bus at NW 85th St and 15th Ave NW.

The suspect is white, in his early twenties, heavy-set and was wearing a blue and green Seattle Seahawks cap, a gray sweatshirt, blue jeans and dark Converse tennis shoes with green laces and white toes, according to Q13's interview of the victim, who only wanted to be identified as Tracy.

Tracy had been working on her Macbook laptop on the bus and when she left the bus the man had tried talking to her. However, his intents quickly became clear as he asked for her phone, backpack and money, she said.

“His voice escalated and (it) started getting physical and he hit me in the face, hit me in the gut,” she told to Q13. “I didn’t let go of my bag and so he dragged me, with the bag, across the intersection.”