March 2014

Seattle police report that at approximately 3:45 AM Monday, an alarm was tripped inside Alki Elementary School, in the 3000 block of 59th Ave SW.

A school security arrived at the school and found the back door to the school’s kitchen had been propped open.

After checking to see if the alarm had been accidentally tripped he discovered all the lights were off inside the building, he exited the building and waited for police.

As he waited three men walked out of the school carrying a frozen pizza.

The school security guard ordered them to stop where they were, and the suspects, aged 18, 19 and 20 waited with the security guard until officers arrived and took the men into custody.

The three suspects said to police that they had been walking around inside the school and planned on going up to the roof of the school to hang out. They did not say what they had in mind for the pizza.

Officers booked all three suspects into the King County Jail for burglary.

Information provided by the Center for Rural Affairs

Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers proposed an administrative rule to close loopholes in the Clean Water Act that have left more than half of America’s streams and millions of wetland acres unprotected from pollution. The Center for Rural Affairs predicts that the new rules will provide much needed clarity in Clean Water Act enforcement that will be advantageous across rural and small town America.

“Rural America - and the family farmers, ranchers and small towns therein - are the tip of the spear in protecting the quality of the water of the United States,” said John Crabtree of the Center for Rural Affairs. “The proposed rule is a commonsense effort to clear the regulatory waters, protect the quality of the nation’s surface waters, and provide an environment in which economically vital activities such as hunting, fishing and birding as well as farming and ranching can both thrive and contribute to a better quality of life and safer drinking water for those of us that live here, and also for our neighbors downstream.”

Two weeks ago the Lockhaven Tenants Union and the Theodora Rescue Committee picketed in front of the Goodman Real Estate (GRE) office downtown.

The demonstrators demanded relocation aid for evicted Lockhaven tenants and that GRE not purchase the Theodora building.

Both buildings provide housing for low income individuals. GRE has evicted many of the Lockhaven tenants in order to refurbish the buildings. Once the construction is complete they plan to charge slightly below market rates to tenants. Similar plans are in order for the Theodora building.

GRE released a statement to the Ballard News-Tribune articulating their interpretation of events leading up to the demonstration and how they are responded to the tenant's demands.

Here is GRE's statement:

Goodman Real Estate --

Thief makes off with $1500 worth of wire

March 17, at the 8300 block of 12th Avenue Northwest officers responded to a burglary at a construction site. Officers made contact with the complainant who told them that he was a contractor and was doing electrical work on the home. When he came to the job-site he noticed $1500 worth of electrical wiring gone. There was no sign of forced entry, but the foreman noticed a back sliding door was open during the day of the burglary. Numerous people had used the door since the incident, and so no fingerprints were recovered.

Kiss and make off

by Charles Burgess

Once in a while, a customer is still apt to enter the Wah Kue Cafe' at 13434 First Avenue South, look around, and ask, "Where's Louie? Haven't seen him here for awhile." Proprietor "Louie," whose given name was Wing Doo Wong, usually could be easily spotted as he moved along his route between the kitchen, the dining area, and the bar or handled the take-out orders and tended the cash register. He had long been a firm and familiar fixture in his popular eatery. When not at work, Wing might have been seen almost daily at a local athletic club where swimming kept him fit for the relentless demands of his restaurant.

Actually, Wing Doo Wong died nearly three years ago, with his family at his side. At his request, there was no public note made of his passing. Wing made it clear to his family that he wanted no fanfare upon his death, no notices posted, no obituaries, no memorial services. Period. What he did want was to have his Navy dog tags buried with him.

Sports Roundup

Friday, March 21
Fastpitch
Kennedy 12, Highline 1
Maggie Gallagher hit 2-for-3 with two home runs and four RBI for the Lancers as they sunk the Pirates on Friday.
Lindbergh 16, Foster 6
The Bulldogs took a 16-6 loss to Lindbergh this past Friday.
Boys soccer
Auburn 1, Mt. Rainier 0
The Rams were blanked by Auburn in a South Puget Sound League North Division game on Friday.
Foster 4, West Seattle 1
The Bulldogs buried the Wildcats in a non-league game Friday.
Kennedy 3, Shorewood 3
Kennedy Catholic battled Shorewood to a 3-3 tie last Friday.
Baseball
Tyee 19, Renton 2
Tyee routed Renton in a game stopped after five inning by a 10-run rule on Friday.
Brock O'Brien threw four innings to get the win, striking out eight.
Jordan Owen hit 2-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and five RBI and Ethan Park hit 2-for-2 with four runs scored and two RBI.
David Smith contributed a 2-for-4 day with a double and three RBI.
SCS 7, Riverside Christian 2
Seattle Christian scored a decisive win over Riverside Christian on Friday.

Saturday, March 22
Baseball
Tyee 6, Kent-Meridian 4

By Gerardo Bolong

SPSL 4A girls pre-season favorite and defending Central Division girls tennis champion Thomas Jefferson locked horns with SPSL North contender Mt. Rainier in Des Moines on Fri., March 21, with the Raiders claiming a 4-1 non league team tennis win.

"We had five good, competitive matches," said Ram head coach Tim Lee who is in his 28th year at the Mount Rainier helm. "This was a test we needed to see where we are. Thomas Jefferson is the top team, so this helps in future matches and practices so we can work on what is needed."
Junior Anya Bonner carried the banner for Mt. Rainier on this sunny, although slightly chilly afternoon with her achievements in the No. 2 girls singles against TJ sophomore Alicia Gim.

Controlling the action by way of patience and steadiness, Bonner posted a 6-2, 6-1 verdict.

"We were pretty even, but I stayed consistent and kept hitting the ball back on the court until she made unforced errors. She's a good, young player. For me, the best offense is a good defense. I made it to district last year and I just want to do better."

By Marcee Stone-Velkich

Recently, the E-Board discussed upcoming programs for our monthly meetings, and they enthusiastically chose the implementation of legalized marijuana to be the focus of our April program. According to WeedMaps.com, of the 200 medical marijuana dispensaries and delivery services located in Seattle, the 34th Legislative District is home to less than ten. Posted to that website are links to doctors, marijuana publications, free Apps, videos, and many social media tools. In preparation for our meeting, I encourage you to take a magical mystery tour of that website because today marijuana is not about nickel bags, homemade hash pipes and listening to Pink Floyd in our dorm rooms. My past didn’t prepare me for the modern marijuana culture.

Many of you may share my reaction.

Why do whales and dolphins have finger bones in their flippers? Did you know that today's cetaceans are descended from ancestors who once lived on shore, and then returned to the sea?

Join The Whale Trail on March 27 to hear more about this amazing chapter in evolution as they present 'Biology & Evolution of Whales: The Historic Return of Mammals to the Sea'

This is the third in a series of Orca Talks 2014 hosted by The Whale Trail in West Seattle. The program also features updates from Laura James (tox-ick.org) and Seal Sitters.

Presentation by Jim Kenagy
Curator of Mammals, Emeritus, Burke Museum
Professor of Biology, Emeritus, University of Washington

Thursday, March 27, 7 to 9 PM

C&P Coffee Company, 5621 California Ave SW, Seattle WA 98136
$5 (kids free!)
Advance tickets: brownpapertickets.com

About the Speaker

“BUFO” Fest arrives April Fool’s Day beginning at 7 p.m. in and around The Tin Room Bar at 923 SW 152nd.

After last year’s wildly successful inaugural event BUFO is returning to Burien again with a 3-D UFO rendition, flash mob dance, cash costume contests for Best Man in Black, Best Woman in Black and Best Alien, as well as live music, a photo booth and much more.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will also include something new – a record attempt for most Men/Women in Black and Aliens in one place! Participants are encouraged to dress up as well as bring their own UFOs (and other appropriate props) to the event. In addition, exclusively for those participating as costumed as aliens or Men/Women in Black, the Producers of “The Maury Island Incident” will conduct a photo shoot and final test screening of the film inside the Tin Theater starting at 9 p.m. Pending the film’s premiere, this screening will not be open to the public.

WIN CASH PRIZES!
Organizer John White will be giving $100 cash awards to the following “Bests” in a costume contest for:
Best Man in Black
Best Woman in Black
Best Alien