November 2013

FEDERAL WAY--It was a big week for Megan Kawaguchi.

The Mount Rainier High School senior signed on to swim for the University of Utah on Wednesday and three days later she took a second and a third place medal individually in the Class 4A portion of the WIAA/Dairy Farmers of Washington/Les Schwab Tires girls state swimming and diving meet. She also helped the Rams take a third and a fifth place in relays.
Kawaguchi said that the choice of Utah came easily, even though the school is a good distance away from her current home in Des Moines.
"All of the pieces just fell into place there," she said. "I felt at home there. The team was so supportive and the coaches were great. I couldn't ask for any better."

Saturday Kawaguchi and the Rams started off on the right foot in the state meet at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, taking fifth in the finals of the 200-yard medley relay.

Kawaguchi joined Anna Burdine, Kristen Lemley and Erin Ronald in posting a time of 1 minute, 51.58 seconds.

By Gerardo Bolong

LACEY - Marcus Pavilion on the campus of Saint Martin's University was the final setting on Sat., Nov. 16th, as the John F. Kennedy Catholic girls volleyball team secured an eighth-place Class 3A trophy in the WIAA/Dairy Farmers of Washington/Les Schwab Tires state tournament.

The 10th-ranked Lancers began their day with a morning 16-25, 25-21, 25-21, 25-22, win against No. 6 Eastside Catholic in the consolation semifinals.

Fidth-ranked Tinberline (24-6) Timberline then took a 25-13, 16-25, 25-13, 27-25, victory against Kennedy Catholic (20-4) in the seventh-eighth place match up.

Kennedy completed a big comeback in set four to rally from a 17-9 deficit to lead 23-21, but ultimately settled for eighth place, the school's best state finish since 2008. Seniors Rachael George, Delaney Knox, Alex Rodal, Sydney Beach, and Amanda Shioyama exit their high school volleyball careers for the Lancers.

Mercer Island topped Holy Names, 21-25, 25-16, 25-23, 15-25, 15-13, in the title match.

By Gerardo Bolong

LACEY - The volleyball courts in the Marcus Pavilion proved to be tough starters for the John F. Kennedy Catholic girls volleyball team when No. 4 state ranked Mercer Island (19-2) captured a 3-1 verdict in a first round 3A

state girls volleyball match at Saint Martin's University.

"We had a good effort," said Lancer coach Joanne Uhl. "We were slow starting and did not play our best, but Mercer Island is a great team and took us out of what we do best. Maybe,it was also a little nervousness under the lights (at state)."

Kennedy showed good energy in the first set while the teams battled to a 14-14 standoff.

Kennedy gained leads of 2-4 points, the last being 21-17, ahead of an Islander comeback that brought them within two points twice and eventually to six more ties, the last at 27-27. Two consecutive Mercer Island points netted the first set.

Outside hitting and strong middle blocking for Mercer Island turned a 12-9 lead into an 18-9 dominance as the Islanders rolled to a 25-12 win.

By Kathryn Hunter
Contributing Writer

The second season of Seattle’s sketch comedy series, “The 206” is started up again Saturday night, November 16th, right after “Saturday Night Live” on NBC. The show stars Pat Cashman, John Keister, and Cashman's son Chris, and no one could be more excited and supportive of the old “Almost Live” crew than Seattle’s own local icon Cindi Rinehart. Rinehart, best known for her 24
years co-hosting KOMO’s, “Northwest Afternoon,” will appear on the second episode airing November 23rd.

“If I can help make the buzz louder, I’m gonna do whatever I can!” says Rinehart, She heard about the show from her old producer at KOMO TV, Steve Wilson. Wilson, who calls the new season “a labor of love,” felt Rinehart would be a great addition to the comedic team. Wilson, Cashman and Keister independently produce the show, which airs on KING 5.

“It’s just a good feeling,” Rinehart enthused, “They don’t want me to say too much about it, but basically I'm doing the same thing, scooping the scoop, except this time I'm scooping the poop!”

Information from Seattle City Council

City Council’s Budget Committee recommended this afternoon that the City’s 2014 budget place higher priority on public safety, education and moving homeless families and youth off the streets. The Committee voted 8-0 to advance the budget legislation to the full Council for final adoption next Monday.

“We prioritized funding for enhanced public safety and improved management of the Police Department, education services for our children, and moving our homeless neighbors off the streets,” said Councilmember Tim Burgess, chair of the Budget Committee.

The committee acted after listening to hundreds of people from across Seattle in public hearings and through e-mails, letters and phone calls. With city revenues inching upward following the Great Recession, the Council was able to strategically increase investments in the following areas:

Public Safety. The Council approved $3.1 million to enhance public safety in all neighborhoods, including downtown.

by Jerry Robinson, Publisher

     Cold winters seemed to be more common in the 50's, where we raised our kids in McMicken Heights. Icy mornings never kept me from hunting Geese near the shallow depression of Bow Lake behind the SeaTac Office Towers on Hiway 99. I recall ice skating on Arbor Lake just east of 1st S. and 122nd St.  As an avid sportsman I could hold my own.... except when it came to sledding. 

      Just up the hill on 172nd street and east to 32nd Avenue S. the hill runs down steeply to Military Road near the old Lewis & Clark Theaters. The chance to take the kids sledding on this perfect incline only required some good sledding snow. We got it in bunches so we waxed up the runners on the Flexible Flyer and headed for the slippery slopes of 32nd Ave S. 
     
      As a kid we had snow sleds...or at least we knew kids who did. There were also toboggans. The sleds and toboggans were not all that "steerable", often bumping into people, parked cars or old tree stumps. The Flexible Flyer was advertised as just that... steerable. 

By Kyra-lin Hom

When I first pictured moving in to my own place, my imagination was… a bit ambitious. I had color wheels, floor plans and décor themes. I perused all the apartment style books in Barnes and Noble and consulted more than one virtual decorating program. I in fact had multiple mix-and-match plans, waiting until I actually wiggled my toes in the carpet before making a final decision. That was my version of being flexible. Right.

As you might have guessed, my imagined plans were pure fantasy. In the midst of making sure my potential drapes matched my potential dresser, I’d forgotten that I didn’t actually own either. Or other such essentials like chairs, trashcans, utensils and, oh yeah, soap.

I’d been so focused on the big things that I had completely taken for granted all the daily essentials that, when added up, took a wicked bite out of my budget. I needed a new strategy ASAP or I’d be left with nothing but severely color-coordinated cleaning supplies and plastic take out sporks.

Hello readers! My name is Shane Harms, and I am the new lead reporter and web editor for the Ballard News Tribune.

I humbly accept the reporting pen from Zachariah Bryan, who has taken a position with the Tundra Drums in Bethel, AK. Zachariah has done an amazing job keeping pace with the happenings of Ballard. I hope to provide the same quality of work and commitment to the Ballard community Zachariah has bestowed.

My background is in creative writing, journalism and photography. I graduated from North Dakota State University in 2010 with degrees in English writing and psychology.

I started up with the BNT as an intern. Eventually I become a stringer reporter sporadically writing feature stories and reporting emergency situations. In order to learn more about publishing, I took a job as the BNT advertising sales representative, and I have been selling ad space up until now.

I have experimented with many genres of writing including poetry, fiction, screenplay, blog, and journalism. My work has appeared in Coast Mountain Culture Magazine, The Conium Review, Revolver, Cirque, and other online publications. I have career aspirations in media and publishing.

Discovery Shop
4535 California Ave. S.W.
206 937 7169
It's none too early to get into the Holiday mood and our shop is a good place to start.  We are decorated and stocked with holiday treasures, ornaments, cards, and party clothes.  Plus we are the go-to place for unique, one of a kind gifts.  Saturday the 23rd is our 23rd anniversary and you are invited to celebrate with us.  We'll have refreshments between 1 and 3 p.m. and all clothing is BOGO:  i.e., buy one and get the second item (of equal or lesser value) free.  In addition, all yellow tagged items are reduced 75%.  Your shopping helps us in the important task of funding cancer cure research. The all volunteer run, non profit American Cancer Society shop is open Sundays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and all other days 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  Follow our blog at www.discoveryshopwestseattle.org and LIKE us on Facebook.

Junction True Value Holiday Food Drive & Open House
4747 44th Ave. S.W.

by Kathryn Hunter
Contributing Writer
A newlywed West Seattle couple is shaken and wary after their house was broken into and burglarized Friday Nov. 8. With their wedding only a few short weeks behind them, they came home after a night out on the town to discover their front door kicked in. The thief or thieves bypassed the valuables in the living room and targeted the bedroom, stealing all the couple’s wedding cash, gift cards and more.

The thieves not only broke in the door frame, but also broke the couple's peace of mind. The couple is so uneasy that they wish to remain anonymous. The bride, 30, describes the event as “Very unsettling. Its not only sad that we lost our gifts and other material items, it’s that we lost our sense of safety in our own home.”