November 2013

On Saturday, November 30th, West Seattle Lights held their 5th Annual Lighting Ceremony at the home of Corey and Taylor Helmstetler at 3908 SW Charlestown. A crowd of about 100 people showed up with many bringing a donation of food for West Seattle Food Bank or The Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation.

The event introduced new element this year, a talking and singing 8 Foot Tall Snowman who was the subject of a naming contest. Named Sir Charles of Charlestown he was named by Tim Van Liew who won a gift bag plus the honor of starting the show with a push of a button. Along with Sir Charles were two talking/singing Christmas trees.

The lighting ceremony included some carol singing by Derek Wickers and Elena Wickers and Julie Winder. Elena also sang the opening song for the event.

Derek is a software engineer at Boeing and Elena was with the Metropolitan Opera for four years and Julie is the bartender at West Seattle Bowl.

Last year West Seattle Lights collected nearly 1100 lbs of food for the West Seattle Food Bank and over $2500 for both the Food Bank and NW Parkinson’s Foundation.

The members of the Barton Street P-Patch were staying warm and baking bread on Saturday, Nov. 30 when they fired up Seattle's only community Pizza/Bread oven at the P-Patch at the corner of 34th S.W. and S.W. Barton Street.

Architect and designer/builder Chris Luthi explained that the oven, which had its first public firing at their harvest festival in October, would be heated to a lower temperature for bread, than pizza. "Bread cooks at around 350 degrees to 425 and it takes a little longer," Luthi explained. The pizza, which they refired for later in the day, cooks at 800 degrees and takes only 90 seconds.

They prepared a variety of breads including baguettes, and round loaves, making the dough offsite and then
baking it there.

They also prepared an Apple Tart in the oven, first baking apple slices then baking them into a crust.

An assault with weapons call, drew a heavy response to Arbor Heights on Saturday afternoon but police said it was a minor matter.

It took place in the 9700 block of 33rd Ave S.W. around 3:15pm.

Anti-Crime officers described it as a dispute between two room mates with one of them put in handcuffs for a time. The incident was over quickly as the people involved were interviewed by responding officers.

At last report no arrests were made and no one was in custody.

By Mike and Jerry Robinson

So Dad says, "I'm bored." He's 93, doesn't get around much any more. But he loves his Papa Chair and his view of Puget Sound, the big tankers ploughing past, the white regattas riffling. I said, "So let's get out and meet some people."

"Where?" he says. He's wary of getting too far from the familiar comforts of his den, his housekeeper and his pile of newspapers, not to mention the Golf Channel, which stays on even when he naps.
"How about the Burien Senior Center?" I say. He agrees, as long as he can get home in 15 minutes. I call the center to see if they offer a program that might work for him.

At the City of Burien's Parks & Recreation and Cultural Services Center, they connect me to Bo Du. She's the recreation specialist for the city's Senior Programs. Born in a Thailand refugee camp, she came to the US 30 years ago, and now has a Masters in Human Relations. I have a hunch her instincts for people were in place before she got the degree. She's warm, kind and helpful. On a recent Thursday morning, she met us at the door.

By Mike and Jerry Robinson

So Dad says, "I'm bored." He's 93, doesn't get around much any more. But he loves his Papa Chair and his view of Puget Sound, the big tankers ploughing past, the white regattas riffling. I said, "So let's get out and meet some people."

"Where?" he says. He's wary of getting too far from the familiar comforts of his den, his housekeeper and his pile of newspapers, not to mention the Golf Channel, which stays on even when he naps.
"How about the Burien Senior Center?" I say. He agrees, as long as he can get home in 15 minutes. I call the center to see if they offer a program that might work for him.

At the City of Burien's Parks & Recreation and Cultural Services Center, they connect me to Bo Du. She's the recreation specialist for the city's Senior Programs. Born in a Thailand refugee camp, she came to the US 30 years ago, and now has a Masters in Human Relations. I have a hunch her instincts for people were in place before she got the degree. She's warm, kind and helpful. On a recent Thursday morning, she met us at the door.

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

Eastyn Baleto of West Seattle topped the selections for the Metro League Sound Division all-star volleyball team this year, reeling in the Most Valuable Player award.

Baleto, a senior outside hitter, was also named to the Sound Division first team along with junior teammate Aspen Knowles, who is also an outside hitter.

Chief Sealth junior Lorna Sailiai captured first team honors as a setter.

The Sound Division second team included Chief Sealth senior outside hitter Nicole Carter, Chief Sealth junior middle blocker Olivia Boyd and West Seattle senior defensive specialist Mackenzie Harrison.

Making the honorable mention list were Chief Sealth players Sophie Boyd and Jackie Andrade and West Seattle's Gabby Sarver and Lexi Ioane.

Outside the West Seattle/White Center area, Ave Seni of Cleveland and Steve Endsley of Ingraham split the Coach of the Year award and Nathan Hale won the Sportsmanship Award.

Meetings ahead for Metro bus cuts
Nov. 20 starts three months of outreach on cuts in absence of stable funding

Due to inaction to date on stable funding for public transit, Metro must begin three months of meetings across King County to inform riders of proposed drastic bus cuts due to the absence of funding.

The first meeting is Wednesday, Nov. 20, in Federal Way.

Facing the proposed cancellation of 74 bus routes and revisions to 107 other routes, Metro is working hard to help riders understand the details and consequences of cutting up to 17 percent of the transit agency’s service. Thousands of riders have visited Metro’s website to see how the cuts affect them.

The question of whether these cuts can be averted is in the hands of the state legislature, which has not yet approved stable funding authority sought by King County. Metro must take steps to reduce costs in 2014 and in 2015 as temporary funding expires and reserves are exhausted.

Last Saturday, Nov. 23, two men entered the convenience store in the 8800 block of 9th Ave. S.W. with masks and brandished a gun. That didn't impress the clerk who turned and grabbed his own gun saying, "I have a bigger one."

That sent the would be armed robbers out the door. But now they've been arrested. Seattle Police and King County Sheriff's detectives arrested a group of men they suspect have been involved in multiple robberies in the Greater Seattle area, including the runaway one on 9th Ave S.W.

The suspects left the scene in a white Ford Explorer, which had its rear bumper held together by duct tape.

On Nov. 24 in the late evening, King County Sheriff’s deputies came to the scene of a street robbery in the 14500 block of Military Rd S.

The victim of that crime said two men had stolen her purse and cellphone and fled in a Ford Explorer that was described as having the same kind of duct tape bumper repair.

Seattle media came out Tuesday at SeaTac Airport to record the official announcement of the passage of Proposition 1, the measure which gives workers in the City of SeaTac a base wage of $15 an hour. Speakers at the press conference included State Senator Karen Keiser, Jan Bolerjack, pastor at Riverton Park United Methodist, David Rolf, president of SEIU 775, Sergio Salinas, president of SEIU Local 6 (airport workers) and SeaTac resident Chris Smith.

How about a kitty for Christmas? You can get an early Christmas gift of a loving feline friend this weekend in West Seattle.

Kitty Harbor is open this Thanksgiving weekend on Saturday and Sunday. Skip Black Friday shopping and instead rest up so you can spend your Holiday weekend with your newly, adopted cat(s).

They have one of the best selections of 60 kittens and 20 adults so far this year: so many great personalities; lovely, beautiful adults, and a dozen kitties with extra toes.

They are only open for three more weekends so let’s find a home for every one of these wonderful cats!

Kitty Harbor
 3422 Harbor Ave SW
Seattle, Washington 98126
Phone: (206) 935-1919
Dates: Nov. 30th and Dec. 1st (Sat & Sun)
Time: noon – 6 pm, both days