January 2014

I'm not much of a craftsman. I admit it. I do like to tinker in the garage and I've owned nearly every type of woodworking tool to make everyone think I know what I'm doing. Crosscut saws, rip saws, band saws, table saws, hack saws. I never saw a saw I did not think I needed.

It wasn't always like that. My six thumbs were no challenge to my brother Russ. We once made sailboats to race at Peninsula Park wading pool, in Portland. Russ was gifted. His sleek sloop cut a fine figure. Its billowed sail moving briskly across the water. As captain of my boat, I should have scuttled it before launch. No one told me cardboard and balsa wood are not good in water.

With help from Mr. Turner I was able to make an end table for my mom in manual training at Jefferson High. I also participated in the construction of a clubhouse on Simpson St., right across from our house in a vacant lot. We cut holes in the front so we could sling shot rocks at the enemy. Since there were no enemies, I practiced hitting shrubs near our front porch. That backfired when a stray shot hit our front window. My slingshot was mysteriously missing soon after.

SEND CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS FOR NON-PROFIT EVENTS TO CALENDAR@ROBINSONNEWS.COM

Discovery Shop
4535 California Ave. S.W.
206 937 7169

By Ann Kendall

If Doris Feragen’s 92 years could be described in just one word it would be “kokoro,” a Japanese word meaning heart. Not the physical heart but the living of heart through intention, intellect and emotion. From Doris’ (born Hisa Tanaka) childhood in the fishing village of Furubira on the island of Hokkaido and the World War II years in Sapporo to coming to West Seattle as a young war bride in 1953, Doris tackled each challenge with resolve and dignity; this tenacity proved to be her greatest strength during times of trouble from the long absences of her often deployed U.S. Army husband to raising bi-cultural children in an interracial marriage in 1950s Seattle – her mere presence and circumstance were groundbreaking.

By Kyra-lin Hom

Let’s take a break from the recent film binge and talk about something we all use every single day. No, I’ll go further and say this is something we use nearly every single hour of every day. In 2010, the world produced 330 million tons of it. In 2011, the US alone produced 32 million tons. It can be soft or sturdy, clear or transparent. And it can survive relatively intact for up to 400 to 1,000 years. That’s right, let’s talk about plastic.

In 2011, of that 32 million tons produced in the US, 7 million were what is called “nondurable goods.” These are products destined for single-use such as plastic spoons and those infamous red party cups. 14 million tons were dedicated as containers and packaging materials like your yogurt cups, Barbie doll packaging or ready-to-eat food wrappers. That means that 66% of the plastic produced was made to be used once and then thrown away.

This is a nearly indestructable manmade polymer being used for single-use products. Yeah, think about that one.

A shuttle bus for the Snoqualmie Casino crashed into a building around 9pm in Burien Sunday Jan. 26 in an accident involving another vehicle, an SUV, according to the King County Sheriff.

No one was killed in the incident but there was substantial damage done to the building located at 136th Street S.W. and Ambaum Boulevard.

According to witnesses the SUV was traveling westbound on 136th when it impacted the bus, which then left the road, hitting and entering the building which is a former auto repair facility that was for rent.

The driver of the bus was taken to Harborview Hospital in critical condition and 2 passengers in the SUV were taken to Highline Medical Center.

Sheriff's deputies were told by witnesses that there was a woman and a child that fled from the SUV but this is unconfirmed.

No one was killed but the cause of the accident is under investigation.

West Seattle Elementary recently partnered with local screen printing shop, Rain City West Screen Printing, to create spirit wear to boost school pride among staff and student body. The school huskie mascot made up the design, and was hand drawn by one of the West Seattle Elementary students.

The design was printed on over 300 sweatshirts and t-shirts in adult and youth sizes.

“The fabric of the shirts and hoodies were of great quality and true to size. The shirts were a huge hit among staff and students. Our school can now show its pride and will hopefully have its first Spirit Day soon. Staff and students alike look great in their WSE Husky Gear” said Amber S., 1st Grade teacher.

The spirit wear project was led by the West Seattle Elementary PTA. This was their first time producing spirit wear for the school. West Seattle Elementary serves more than 85% free and reduced lunches.

To ensure that the spirit wear could be afforded by all families, Rain City West Screen Printing donated design and printing time to help lower the cost of the sweatshirts and t-shirts.

A fire broke out in the morning of Jan. 26 at a home at 9430 30th Ave. S.W. just north of Roxhill Elementary School. It apparently began in the garage of the house and resident Eileen Riddle, her husband and daughter barely managed to get out of the house. Riddle told the West Seattle Herald that she managed to grab her keys to her truck, and dressed in pajamas jumped in the truck, and backed it out away from the flames, though it suffered some damage. Her husband and daughter also managed to get out safely.

Riddle said, "I woke up at 7:15 this morning and I heard noise out in the house and walked out into the garage and it was engulfed and we just hightailed out of the house. My husband, my daughter and I and our dog. Then the fire department showed up. The Red Cross gave us a little debit card to help us through till tomorrow."

She said her brother was working on a place for them to stay for a few days until they can work something out with the insurance company.

Fire investigators on the scene have not yet determined a cause and no estimate of damages was as yet released.

By Emile Monte

A family haunted by the sudden and tragic loss of the mother. A father struggling professionally. Teenagers at crossroads. Even a grinning, standard poodle. “Sounds familiar,” jokes Conrad Wesselhoeft, West Seattle author of Dirt Bikes, Drones, & Other Ways to Fly, due to release in April. It’s been eight years since the tragic loss of his wife and the mother of his three children and Wesselhoeft writes what he knows: grief, friendship, and healing.

“Themes find their writers,” said Wesselhoeft. Dirt Bikes comes after his acclaimed Young Adult (YA) debut Adios, Nirvana which also centers around the loss of a loved one. Adios is the voice of Jonathan, a seventeen-year-old West-Seattleite struggling to reclaim life after the death of his twin brother. Dirt Bikes is the voice of seventeen-year-old Arlo Santiago.

As a young mother, Candis Outsen lost her job and felt somewhat lost. After some serious soul searching, she discovered that her true passion in life was cooking. As she puts it, cooking and bringing people together “ignited her fire.”

Outsen, a student in SSCC's Culinary Arts program was a featured speaker at the college's annual Gifts from the Earth fundraising dinner Jan. 25. SSCC announced that the event raised $210,000, a new record in its eleven-year history.

Financing the pursuit of her dream was going to be difficult but she earned a scholarship that has allowed her to continue on her professional path – and has made the Dean’s List along the way.

"Since I enrolled here a whole new world has opened up for me," Outsen said. "I'm doing things I never thought I would. During my first three quarters at South I made the Dean's list three times and maintained a 3.8 GPA and I participated in an honors competition class. I also established a student organization called the "Culinary Council", she explained whose purpose is to represent culinary students acting as a liaison to instructors.