June 2013

The new $6.5 million harbor seal exhibit at the Seattle Aquarium means some seals have a fancy new home on the waterfront. The exhibit features doubled-tank depths over previous accomodations, a 180-degree visitor viewing area outdoors and surround seating for 100 people. While the exhibit can hold up to five seals right now the three harbor seals Barney, Q and Siku are getting used to their new surroundings after spending the past few months at Tacoma's Point Defiance Zoo. The City of Seattle contributed $3.5 million for the project. Private donors will cover the remaining $3 million.

“We are so thrilled to deliver this exciting new habitat for our seals and viewing accommodations for our visitors of seals and Elliott Bay,” said Aquarium President and CEO Bob Davidson. “Barney, Q and Siku are ambassadors to the wild harbor seals who inhabit our beautiful Pacific Northwest marine environments. Visitors can now enjoy both the spectacular view of our seals and Puget Sound.” More than 830,000 visit the Aquarium each year.

By Georgie Bright Kunkel

Information from KCSO

King County Sheriff John Urquhart will meet with Sound Alliance leaders and members on Wednesday, June 5, at 7 p.m. at Saltwater Unitarian Universalist Church in Des Moines about a proposed immigration-related ordinance the King County Council is expected to consider in June.

Leaders of Sound Alliance, a coalition of religious congregations, labor unions, and other organizations, plan to ask Sheriff Urquhart to work with them to persuade undecided King County Council members to vote for the proposed ordinance and to support similar ordinances at the municipal level.

“As a result of King County’s current practices, our communities are not as safe as they could be, families are being broken up, and tax payer money is being wasted,” said Rev. Dr. James Kubal-Komoto, minister of Saltwater Unitarian Universalist Church in Des Moines, where the meeting will be held. “Current practice is particularly bad for immigrant victims of domestic violence,” Kubal-Komoto said.

Update from Seattle Police
Seattle Police Traffic Collision Investigation Squad (TCIS) detectives are investigating the cause of a two car, multi-person injury collision that happened yesterday afternoon in the 1200 Block of SW Holden Street.

At about 3:52 pm on Sunday, it is believed that a Hyundai Santa Fe was travelling westbound on SW Holden. At the same time, a Dodge Caravan was travelling eastbound on SW Holden. For reasons still to be determined, while the cars were mid block, they collided head on.

Seattle Fire responded and treated the three adults and two small children that were in the Santa Fe. All the occupants were transported to Harborview Medical Center. Two of the adults suffered serious, but non life-threatening injuries. The two adults (one man and one woman) in the Dodge Caravan were also transported to Harborview, one with serious but non life-threatening injuries. The three young children in the Caravan were evaluated at the scene by Seattle Fire, but they did not have to go to the hospital.

By Maggie Nicholson

The man and the boy sailed over the water, lemon-yellow under the sun’s gaze. Beneath their boat, fish droned in circles. The man knew that soon they would catch a fish. The boy knew that the fish would be good to eat. When they returned home, they would cook and eat the fish together in their small kitchen.

The man, Dilbert, turned to the boy, Bob and grinned. Dilbert was Bob’s father. Dilbert was a fisherman by pleasure and a policeman by trade, stationed within West Seattle. He was married to his loving wife Bertha, who raised Bob and took care of their home.

Bob Minckler was born and raised in West Seattle. The only child of his parents, he was talkative even as a boy. He played on his local baseball team as a pitcher and hunted occasionally with his beloved dog, Jack. He passionately studied art. In high school, he lived across the street from Audrey Gessner. Both Bob and Audrey’s homes were small and wooden. Grass sloped up to Bob’s front door, and Audrey’s backyard was filled with fruit trees.

The Alki Point Light Station, built in 1913 celebrated 100 years on June 1 with a special exhibit at the Log House Museum and tours of the Lighthouse itself. The US Coast Guard held a special ceremony, open to invited guests, to commemorate the event. Speaking at the event were LT Jarrett Owens, Project Officer for the USCG, Lyn McClelland, daughter of the first Admiral at Alki Point and USCG Auxiliary member and Rear Admiral Keith Taylor, District 13 who lives on the property with his wife.

According to legend (and the U.S. Coast Guard) Hans Martin Hanson hung the first lantern to mark the hazardous Alki shoals and the southern entrance into Elliott Bay in the 1870's. The lighthouse was constructed in 1913 and has remained the same (but well maintained) ever since. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.

While no longer burning an oil lamp the facility is a functioning warning beacon for sailors during inclement weather though much of that is now handled by on board technology. The view from the top of the lighthouse itself extends all the way from downtown Seattle to well past Point Williams in Lincoln Park.

Press release from Mayor Mike McGinn

Mayor Mike McGinn joined community members and Patches Pals to give the honorary name of “J.P. Patches Place” to North 34th Street between Fremont Avenue North and Troll Avenue North. Members of the public requested the renaming in honor of Chris Wedes, the Seattle actor who played the role of J.P. Patches, the beloved clown and star of the J.P. Patches Show. Wedes died on July 22, 2012 after a long battle with multiple myeloma.

“When Chris Wedes passed away last year, we received letters and e-mails from residents all over the region asking us to rename this street in honor of Seattle’s favorite clown,” said McGinn. “Today I am proud to join our community in giving this honor as a way to thank Wedes for all the joy, friendship, and laughter that he brought us over the years.”

The West Seattle Pony Baseball team welcomed several members of the 2nd in state West Seattle Wildcats baseball team at the opening of their League Tournament. The coach and players for the Wildcats were presented with a commemorative baseball, honoring their season.

Many of the High school players played their first baseball at the Peewee Fields by Riverview.

Even Coach Velko Vitalich was once a baseball player in the West Seattle League.