March 2013

The Evergreen Campus and Cascade Middle School were placed under modified lockdown status from 9:35 a.m. to 10:41 a.m. on March 14 while the King County Sheriff's Office searched for a suspect in the North Highline area.

The suspect was detained by deputies. According to Sgt. Cindi West with KCSO, their suspect was stopped near S.W. 116th St. and 16th Ave. S.W. for driving a stolen vehicle. The man, who already had a warrent out for car theft, fled on foot and deputies brought in K-9 units and the Guardian One helicopter to nab him.

West called it a "good team effort" between the helicopter crew, K-9 units and deputies on the ground.

Here is the Highline Public Schools message to parents:

This morning at about 9:35 a.m. we were advised to go into a modified lockdown due to police activity in the area. This is a standard precautionary measure.

At 10:41, we were advised the suspect was detained and it was safe to lift the lockdown.

North Precincts new community police officer Tim Wear dropped by the Ballard District Council on Wednesday, March 13 to introduce himself to the folks of Ballard.

He's been on the job for a few weeks and, according to Ballard District Council President Catherine Weatbrook, "He's aleady hit the ground running."

Wear brings with him 28 years of experience in a variety of positions, so you might say he knows a little bit about how to be a police officer.

“A lot of people joke I’ve been in every unit in the Police Department, but I don’t think that’s neccessarily true. I haven’t worked with the horse patrol and I haven't been on the canine unit. But that's about it," he said.

He's even worked in Ballard before. But that was back in the 1980s.

"Believe me, I got lost when I came back," he joked. He said Ballard was entirely different looking with all of the new development that has been sprouting up.

Wear is taking over the place of Scott McGlashan, who took a position with the harbor patrol.

Ballard High School Baseball is well underway, and the team has already chalked up two wins, before losing to Eastside Catholic. Now the team is 2-1.

In their first game on Saturday March 8 against old rival Bishop Blanchet, a team which made it into the final four in the state last year, the Beavers showed up early and strong. In the second inning, they scored two runs, which Bishop Blanchet responded to in the third inning with just one run. But then Beavers ran away with the game in the fourth inning, scoring four runs. Bishop was unable to muster much more, scoring two more runs, and so the rest of the game was sealed for a total of 6-3, Ballard.

A shout out must be given to Sophomore 2nd basemen Jacob Westerman, who gave a stellar performance in his first start for Ballard high School, who was up to plate three times, hit the ball three times and rallied in four runs for the team.

Against West Seattle, Monday, March 11, the game was a lot closer, resulting in a sweat-beading win clinched by Ballard, 2-1.

Wondering what all that art is doing at the Ballard Branch Library? Adams Elementary is throwing a fundraiser at the Daybreak Star Cultural Center on Saturday, March 28 from 5 to 10 p.m.

Being featured is art done by their very own students, along with other items. You can view auction items and details here.

Unfortunately, the auction is sold out, but you can get added to a waiting list. Here's a message from the Adams Elementary Newsletter:

"This year's auction sold out in record time. If you want to attend but were unable to purchase tickets, please join our waitlist by emailing Amber Christensen at auctionreg@adamselementary.org.* By joining our waitlist, you will also have the opportunity to sign up for a bidder number and have a friend place proxy bids for you at the auction -- ask Amber for more details! *Since we do have a growing waitlist this year, if you know in advance that you will not be able to use your auction tickets, please get in touch with us at auctionreg@adamselementary.org."

Club Evo has an infamous history in White Center, and the man who was supposed to bring it back as a Latin bar and restaurant in 2011 (with the promise of increased security) is now in hot water with the City of Seattle for public safety problems at three of his Seattle nightclubs.

Evo (Evolución in full) , for those unfamiliar, was shut down in 2010 after an injunction was places on the 16th Ave. S.W. business for improper licenses. Before that time, the all ages club brought in rowdy crowds that often spilled their disputes into the streets while, reportedly, security did nothing but watch. Citizens and law enforcement said the club was a drain on resources and a black eye for a business community working to revitalize.

By Patrick Robinson and David Rosen

The rise of condos and loss of iconic businesses in West Seattle is emblematic of change in the community and there are few more representative of that shift than the Alki Tavern which closes for good on Sunday, March 17.

As the West Seattle Herald was the first to report, the bar at 1321 Harbor Avenue SW, will close and the land will be sold to developers though that deal is still in process.

As the son of the owner, Gil McLynne noted in January, "Development is inevitable at this point on Alki, especially with the space we have down here with the empty lot next door and the run down house next to that. This building is over 100 years old. It's a very sad thing for West Seattle so I'm really hoping to put a positive spin on things."

Janet Noble loves to take Park Department trips and signed up for one last June to visit Pasado's Safe Haven an animal sanctuary located in Sultan, Washington. "I had thought about going on the trip and felt that I didn't want to be upset seeing these animals but then it was a $10 donation so I went. I was not intentionally looking for an animal at the time but I spotted Tyson and he was in a pen walking back and forth." Tyson is a ten year old Boxer but for reasons that are not clear is completely blind. "I don't know what drew me to him."

When he was first found, near Seabeck, he was emaciated and the Humane Society was going to put him down. He became something of a star on the Pasado's Safe Haven website as he was being nursed back to health.

Press release:

On March 27th from 2:30 to 4:30 PM, members of the Highline Forum will meet at SeaTac’s City Hall Council Chambers(4800 South 188th Street). The public is invited to make comments at the start of the meeting. The City of SeaTac is hosting the meeting and the theme is the SR 509 Extension/I-5 Improvement Project.

The Highline Forum includes the southwest King County communities of Des Moines, Burien, Normandy Park, SeaTac, Tukwila and Federal Way and the Highline School District, Highline Community College and Port of Seattle.

Press release:
Upcoming dog events in Burien
Burien wants to talk DOGS
Wed. Mar 13, 2013 7pm
St. Bernadette’s Parish Hall

Join the Burien Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and staff for a dog park planning meeting. Come discuss a proposal for an off-leash area. Sites to be discussed include Hazel Valley Park and Salmon Creek Park. This project also supported by the B-Town Dog Owners Group. Join us and show your support!

(Just a reminder, St. Bernadette’s Hall is not a city facility so only service animals will be allowed at this meeting.)

St. Bernadette Parish Hall
1028 SW 128th St.
Burien, Wa. 98146
For more information call (206) 988-3700

Park-n-Bark
B-Town DOG Community Walk
Sat. Mar. 16, 2013, 11AM

Our first planned Community Walk will be an easy stroll around the loop at Lake Burien School Park. Let’s get to know each other!
This is an on-leash event.
Lake Burien School Park
14640 18th Ave. SW

I am very concerned about the huge dropout rate in America’s urban school districts. Based upon the research that I have done, the high school dropout rate can be traced directly to America’s urban school district’s abandoning the traditional junior high system of 7-8-9th grades and transforming to the middles school system of 6-7-8th grades.

Most ninth graders are unprepared academically, mentally and physically for the rigors of high school and as a result drop out of school.

Tacoma School District is an example of the middle school failure.
In the 2006-2007 school year there were 3059 9th graders attending Tacoma schools, four years later, 2009-2010 there were 1587 12th graders attending Tacoma schools. Over a four year period, 1, 472 students dropped out of Tacoma schools.

In the 2007-2008 school year there were 3040 9th graders attending Tacoma schools, four years later, 2010-2011 there were 1710 12th graders attending Tacoma schools. Over a four year period, 1,330 students dropped out of Tacoma schools.