March 2014

West Seattle Nursery has a major expansion plan in mind but that means the house next door has got to go. But it won't be torn down. Instead they want to give the house away completely free.

They are planning to build a retail greenhouse, beverage stand and gift shop on the lot next door to the existing nursery space where owner, Mark Smith currently resides.

The one catch is that whoever qualifies to take the home must pay for it to be removed and taken somewhere.

The Nursery is hoping to start construction in July of this year but first the house will need to be removed. The spacious, well lit and comfortable house has very sturdy 1920’s era construction with original molding, windows and doors. Mr. Smith is only the 2nd owner in the house’s history.

The house is available for haul-away June 1, 2014. "We'd love it if a charitable organization could use it somewhere," said Marcia Bruno, Nursery Manager.

The Burien Eagles F.O.E #3523 presented USO Northwest with a check for $1,387.71 on March 3, 2014, to go toward the purchase of appliances for the new USO Seatac facility now under construction at the airport. The money was raised at the club through weekly raffles, a holiday bazaar and a dinner/dance.

Meaghan Cox, Communications and IT Lead for USO Northwest, supplied the following information:

"The USO Northwest is raising funds to build a new, 7,000-square-foot center at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The new center will be a great change from the current 3,500-square-foot center which has proven to be too small for the thousands of military personnel who visit each month. The new center will feature more showers, a larger family room and sitting area, and a United Through Reading room. Teak decking from the World War II battleship the USS Colorado will be used as flooring in the new center. Construction will be starting in the spring of 2014."

To donate or find out more information, visit usonw.org/campaign.

In the latest in a series of new large-scale projects in the City of Des Moines, on February 20th the City Council approved Panattoni Development Company’s proposed Master Plan for the 89-acre Des Moines Creek Business Park. “There is going to be hundreds of good paying jobs that will come out of this, and it will be good for the existing businesses and future businesses of Des Moines,” said Mayor Dave Kaplan. The property is owned by the Port of Seattle, which has completed negotiations for a long-term ground lease with Panattoni. The contract is scheduled to be brought to the Port of Seattle Commission for final approval this month.

We were both Franklin high school students in Portland. I was walking passed the auditorium and heard somebody playing a piano. The song Deep Purple resonated through the doors. It was a favorite of mine. I stopped, opened the doors and saw a pretty girl on the stage. I was 18 and instantly in love. She never saw me, so I went on my way.

My family home was about two miles from Franklin and our house was about two blocks from another gorgeous girl I had my eye on. Her name was Orpha. One Saturday I walked over to Orpha's place, an apartment house on 22nd St. I climbed some stairs and knocked on her door. Nobody answered. I was about to leave when I heard a voice from down the hallway yelling "Orpha is not home"

I turned and saw a girl about my age so I walked over to the voice and I recognized her. She was the same gorgeous chick I had seen playing a piano in the school auditorium.

I was a little stunned by the coincidence but not too frazzled. I learned she was dating one of the star athletes at school and asked her if she had seen me when she was playing the piano. She hadn't.

By Gwen Davis

Kavey Pollard knows the lifestyle struggles of low wage jobs all too well. He makes $12.75/hour as a machine operator, and while he would like to live in SeaTac, Pollard resides in Kent because it’s cheaper.
“I’m not making minimum wage, but even so, I’m barely on the ground,” he said.

Pollard’s in an interesting situation. He hardly makes enough to pay for basic living expenses, such as food and utility bills, yet he makes too much to qualify for special programs that are available to those who make even less.
Which is why he is in support of a $15/hour minimum wage. Those extra few dollars would help him out, and free his mind of constant financial worries.

“Even when you have a job like mine, it’s still hard,” he said.

A brief history: Proposition 1

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Volunteer Event to “Depave”
Highland Park Improvement Club
1116 S.W. Holden St.
Sat., March 22, 10-3 p.m. Bring your muscle to chop up asphalt and make way for a community courtyard at Highland Park Improvement Club. Join Sustainable Seattle, Stewardship Partners, and Highland Park neighbors on this Depave Event, a program started in Portland. When the community work is done removing some of the asphalt parking lot, permeable pavers and plantings will join the HPIC’s two rain gardens and cistern. There will be fun activities for all ages. Join us for the fun and food. This event is also sponsored by King County Lower Duwamish Air and Water Quality Improvement Grants.

West Seattle High School Class of 1974 40th Reunion
The Hall at Fauntleroy
9131 California Ave. S.W.

By Tim Clifford

Pepper Sprayed
Just before 4 p.m. on March 9 police were dispatched to the McDonald’s in Westwood Village on S.W. Barton St. after receiving several calls stating that a woman was being pepper sprayed and attacked in the parking lot. When officers arrived they made contact with the victim who was holed up in the QFC nearby.

The victim told police that the night before a male she knew had been beaten and robbed on the street by 5 or 6 young black males in this area. The suspects had beaten the male victim till he was unconscious and stolen his wallet and all of his cash.

The victim woke up hours later after this incident in a yard blocks away (presumably taken by the suspects and dropped off) and walked to the police station to report what had happened. The victim was in the area to locate possible surveillance video of this robbery.

by Jerry Robinson

We were both Franklin high school students in Portland. I was walking passed the auditorium and heard somebody playing a piano. The song Deep Purple resonated through the doors. It was a favorite of mine. I stopped, opened the doors and saw a pretty girl on the stage. I was 18 and instantly in love. She never saw me, so I went on my way.

  My family home was about two miles from Franklin and our house was about two blocks from another gorgeous girl I had my eye on. Her name was Orpha. One Saturday I walked over to Orpha's place,  an apartment house on 22nd St. I climbed some stairs and knocked on her door. Nobody answered. I was about to leave when I heard a voice from down the hallway yelling "Orpha is not home"

 I turned and saw a girl about my age so I walked over to the voice and I recognized her. She was the same gorgeous chick I had seen playing a piano in the school auditorium.

By Kyra-lin Hom

Receptionists get a bad rap. And I'm not just saying that because I am one. On the one hand, general office hierarchy (especially in a large office setting like where I am now) places us at the lowest of the low. As a receptionist, I make the least and rank lowest out of every employee in our office of near 200 people. On the other hand, people talk to me. I know things, and knowledge is its own form of power.

They talk to me because I'm visible. Where everyone else is tucked into their departments and office spaces, behind corners and closed doors, I'm up front and out there. When in doubt, consult the receptionist. So the gig is a delicate balancing act between being approachable, helpful, supplicating and firm. In short, it requires social and communication skills.