May 2013

The West Seattle Wildcats being in the state playoffs for the first time is big news but the Wildcats need more support.

They are selling tickets to the Monday, June 3rd Mariners game against the Chicago, White Sox. The game starts at 7:10 pm and the price per ticket is $10.

Over the last 4 years the team has partnered with the Mariners to sell 1,000 tickets to a designated ballgame. In return, each Spring, the team has had the privilege to play against another area high school team at Safeco Field.

The team needs to sell 200 tickets by Friday, May 31st. If they fall short of this goal they will lose the opportunity to play at Safeco Field for many years or possibly forever because there is a long waiting list and only a handful of schools get to participate in this program each year. If the current participating schools continue to sell the allotted number of tickets each year they continue to participate in the program, if they don't they are placed at the bottom of the list.

For tickets please contact Gina Coats at (206) 779-9793.

Thank you for supporting the West Seattle High School Baseball Team.

Who doesn't love a good spray of water at the local park on a warm summer day?

Ballard residents can get just that starting this weekend, when the spray park at Ballard Commons starts back up. Except, well, this weekend will be bringing temperatures hovering around 60 degrees with a chance of showers.

Still, for the recent warm weather Seattle has been getting (dismissing the more recent rainy weather), reintroducing the spray park may come as a welcome relief.

Water parks throughout the city will be operating from Memorial Weekend, starting on Saturday, May 25, all the way to Labor Day Weekend. Granted the heat stays around, Parks will continue operating the spray parks until Sept. 15.

Wading pools, which unfortunately Ballard Commons does not have (there's one at Soundview Playfield in Crown Hill)), will open on June 22 and will operate on sunny days that reach over 70 degrees.

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Memorial Day services at Forest Lawn/Dignity Memorial at 6701 30th Ave SW took place under a steady rain but that didn't dampen the spirits of those who came to honor American veterans.

Commander Nicholas Sullivan from the Farwell Roosevelt VFW Post 2713 spoke movingly of his grandfather and his own reasons for joining the military in 1998. He served in Iraq. Commander Kyle Gerah from American Legion Post 160 also spoke.

Boy Scout Troop #284 had placed crosses and flowers on the site prior to the service.

Forest Lawn's Hank Kearns welcomed those in attendance, about 40 people, who sat beneath a temporary shelter. American Legion Post # 160 presented the colors and Ross Hauk sang "Star Spangled Banner" and "America the Beautiful". People were present all around the service placing flowers and honoring loved ones.

Echoing taps were played by Pete Kirkman and Greg Lyon.

Our news partner, Q13 Fox News is reporting that authorities said a father and son working at a SeaTac car dealership forged title documents that kept the state from collecting excise taxes. Investigators worry this scheme has been going on since 2007.

Read more: http://q13fox.com/2013/05/23/investigators-car-dealer-agents-defrauded-…

Cecilia Vu of Evergreen High School (White Center) led a procession of area players to the Class 2A girls state tennis tournament with her championship round achievements out of the West Central District tournament in closing action at the Bremerton Tennis Club on Saturday, May 18.

In the championship match, Vu was locked into a tense battle with LIezel Villanueva of Lindbergh in girls singles. The first set played out with neither player giving much ground until the action reached a 6-6 stand off. Brokered in a bristling battle, the Wolverine finally fell in a 7-4 tie-breaker. Action in the second set was just tenacious before Villanueva emerged with the No. 1 seed to state which will be held on May 24-25 at the Nordstrom Tennis Center on the University of Washington Campus. Vu opens up against Calle Hanson of East Valley (Spokane).

Beginning with the round of eight, Vu stayed in control throughout her winners bracket matches.

This morning in Southeast Washington the fur flew when the Wildcats of West Seattle defeated the Mount Si Wildcats 3-1 and advance to the final game of the WIAA 3A State Baseball championship.

West Seattle has never advanced this far in team history. They did it today on the strong pitching arm of senior Sam Hellinger and freshman shortstop Morgan McCullough’s standout defense. Hellinger is a member of the Seattle Times All Area Team for 2013 and McCulluogh is the 2013 recipient of the Josh Dickerson Inspirational Award.

West Seattle struck first when in the top of the first Spencer Elder was advanced to second base on a baulk. That brought up Sam Hellinger who took a first pitch deep to right field for a stand up double. Elder was held on third and the Wildcats and runners in scoring position. Next batter up was Tim Adams who took a 2-0 pitch just past the second baseman for an RBI single and West Seattle jumped out to 2-0 lead and would never look back.

When Ballard High School student Celia Major conceived of the Stylin' and Sharing fashion show and clothing drive, which takes place on May 31 and which will benefit Treehouse, she saw an opportunity to throw on a fun event and help people at the same time.

"I’ve always liked fashion, my mother had a fashion show in college, but she didn’t have a fundraiser. So I thought maybe I could do the same, but maybe help others at the same time," Major said.

Treehouse is a Washington-based nonprofit that serves youth in fostercare, providing education support and childhood experiences, among other services. Clothes brought in by guests to the fashion show will go to a Treehouse warehouse, which will be sorted and in turn donated to foster youth who are in need of new clothes. Major has five bags of clothes waiting to be donated back at her house.

"You don’t realize how important clothes are for those who can’t afford them," Major said. "We take clothes for granted, but there are those who can’t afford clothes, can’t get new clothes, and getting them is just an amazing gift."

A 911 report about a boy jumping a fence and opening a door to a parking garage led to the arrest of two juvenile would be car thieves on May 23 in the 5400 block of Delridge Way SW.

The caller followed up by going to the garage and saw two boys breaking into a Toyota Matrix, starting it up and driving it backwards, hitting a fence.

When officers arrived they apprehended the suspects behind the Delridge Library. Witnesses positively identified the two suspects, and the 14- and 15-year-old suspects were arrested. They have been booked into the Youth Services Center.

Just prior to midnight on May 23 a man walking in the 1600 block of SW Barton St was attacked with a baseball bat and robbed by two men. Seattle Police say that an "older model white car pulled up next to him. Suspect 1 (S1) and Suspect 2 (S2) jumped out of the car. Suspect 1 had a baseball bat and struck the victim on the lower right back area then used the bat to push the victim onto the ground.

The victim heard S2 (suspect without the bat) asking if he should “pull out” his gun as he began reaching towards his waist. The victim was not sure if S2 was asking him or S1 about pulling the gun out."

Though no gun was displayed the victim said he believed they had one.

A laptop bag containing a laptop and other miscellaneous items was taken.

Robyn Emery, currently serving as the Queen of the Ballard-based Leif Erikson Lodge 2-001, Sons of Norway, has been selected to be a Seafair Princess.

The Seattle Leif Erikson Lodge is the largest of over 390 international Sons of Norway lodges, with more than 1,500 members. Celebrating its 110th anniversary this year, it has been active in promoting the heritage and culture of Norway since 1903.

This year, Emery will be graduating with honors from the Ocean Research College Academy at Everett Community College, and from Kamiak High School in Mukilteo. This fall she will be attending Northwest University in Kirkland to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology/Pre-med. Her goal is to become a medical doctor, possibly specializing in oncology. Her platform for Seafair will be for Seattle Children’s Hospital, where her 7-year-old brother successfully underwent treatment for pediatric cancer. She will be investing 10 hours of community service at Children's.