May 2014

Players from the University of Washington football team paid a visit to West Seattle’s Roxhill Elementary on May 14 to come and talk about being in college and being a student athlete. The event called, Jump Rope for Heart, sponsored by the American Heart Association teaches students how to jump rope and is a fundraiser for the Association.

Chellie LaFayette Physical Education Specialist, for Roxhill said she had an opportunity to combine a visit from the players that was already planned with the AHA Jump rope event. “I thought it would be fun for the kids to jump rope for the athletes.”

She explained that AHA produces a video every year for children who have gone through a serious heart health issue. She said that many of the children have someone in their extended family with a heart condition and the funds raised by events like this, “goes for research to figure out how to lessen the impact of heart disease.”

The players who visited were Hauoli Kikaha (linebacker), Marvin Hall (receiver), Brandan Beaver (safety), Mike Criste (center), Sean Constantine (linebacker), Jarrett Finau (def. end).

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

West Seattle opened the Metro League fastpitch softball tournament with a 4-1 victory over Eastside Catholic on Tuesday.

The home win at the Southwest Athletic Complex advances the Wildcats into a 3:30 p.m. Wednesday game at Lower Woodland Park in Seattle.

The Wildcats are assured of advancing to the final day of the tournament at Lower Woodland on Thursday.
They are also assured of going on to next week's Sea-King District tournament no matter what the results.
Gabby Wenn hit 1-for-2 for West Seattle in Tuesday's game on a home run and racked up two RBI. She also stole one base.

The Wildcats opened with two runs in the bottom of the first and tacked on insurance runs in the fifth and sixth.

Eastside Catholic scored its only run off pitcher Wenn in the fifth.

Bainbridge 10,
Chief Sealth 0
Chief Sealth journeyed to Bainbridge Island for its tournament opener Tuesday and took a 10-0 shutout loss.
The Seahawks are also assured of reaching next week's Sea-King District tournament, however.

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

West Seattle earned its way into the Metro League Baseball Tournament championship game with a 13-8 victory over Bainbridge on Tuesday.

The Wildcats will face O'Dea in a 7 p.m. title game at Mel Olson Stadium at Steve Cox Memorial Park in White Center on Thursday.

The Wildcats are already assured of a top two tournament finish -- and a seed into next week's state regional action.

O'Dea advanced with an 11-6 victory over Seattle Prep on Tuesday.

West Seattle trailed by an 8-3 score going into the fifth inning in Tuesday's action that was played at Mel Olson, but rallied for eight runs with the help of eight walks at that time to take the win.

Graham French led the way at the plate for the Wildcats with three hits including a home run and a double. He racked up four RBI.

Chief Sealth 4, Nathan Hale 3
Chief Sealth kept its season alive by edging Nathan Hale, 4-3, in a loser-out game at Mel Olson Stadium on Monday.
"It was a great win," said Seahawks head coach Ernest Policarpio. "It was back-and-forth until the end."

For the past two years Roxhill Elementary has enjoyed grants to fund Safe Routes to School, a program that promotes both student safety and physical health in an all-school walk to school day on Friday, May 16 at 9am.

Local walking promotion organization Feet First has been working with the school to implement the grant that has helped make walking and biking easier and safer for Roxhill families.

A remote bus drop-off will allow students, who take the bus, to walk the remaining three blocks to school, while other students in the neighborhood are encouraged to walk to school by joining parent-led Walking School Buses. A Walking School Bus is a group of children and adults who walk to school together from particular location.

Representative Eileen Cody of the 34th Legislative District and Seattle School Board Member Marty McLaren, representing District 6, will join students on their walk to school. Band Director Marcus Pimpleton and the Denny International Middle School Marching Band will march with the students and perform in front of the school.

The controversial 30 unit 'No Parking' apartment building (now called Pholston Paradise) at 6917 Calfornia Ave. S.W. that has faced a series of questions from neighbors, will get a hearing update on May 15. A group of neighbors have continued to advocate for possible solutions with Seattle DPD and the developer Mark Knoll.

The project is allowed under the city code revised in 2010. That code allows even greater density with up to 8 unrelated people to an apartment. Under the proviso of the Growth Management Act of 1990 the Seattle Comprehensive plan called for 36 Urban Villages in Seattle and the Morgan Junction area is one of the villages intended to accommodate 80% of the growth.

The project cleared a major hurdle in March when it was given the green light by DPD when they made a "Determination of Non Significance."

Now a SEPA hearing appeal update offering possible mitigation is happening in a public meeting, May 15 at 7pm at The Kenney, 7125 Fauntleroy Way S.W.

By Traci Bruckner, tracib@cfra.org, Center for Rural Affairs

USDA’s Census of Agriculture provides statistical information that should help the agency respond to opportunities in American agriculture, such as the 14,000 more farms claiming farming as their primary occupation than there were in 2007.

However, in the size categories from 50 to 999 acres nearly 56,000 fewer farms were reported nationally.
And there was a net loss of over 96,000 farms in the 35-54 age group categories.

Mid-size and middle-age farmers make an essential contribution to strong rural communities. They support rural businesses and put kids in our rural schools - the source of future generations of farmers and ranchers who will live in rural and small town America.

Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, often suggests that we must not lose our rural and small town way of life. He also correctly points out that large farms are doing well, but farms in the middle are eroding.

This year’s 17th of May festival is going to be one to remember because it marks the 200th anniversary of the Norwegian Constitution and also the 125th year the parade has been celebrated in Ballard.

To celebrate the event the Norwegian 17th of May Committee will bump up the musical entertainment with Northwest Scandinavian performers jubilating Norwegian music most of the day at Bergen Place Park (5420 22nd Ave. N.W.) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

To help curate the festival tunes the the Committee has asked Lori Ann Reinhall to coordinate, perform and emcee at the event.

Reinhall, grew up in Magnolia and has attended the parade for most of her life. She has also been a participant in the parade sporadically and emceed the music last year. Reinhall is fluent in Nynorsk and is a Scandinavian musician. She studied music in Sweden and said that’s where her love for Scandinavian music developed. She also studied Scandinavian language and literature at University of Washington and UCLA. On top of her rich background in Scandinavian studies, Reinhall also plays the accordion – a traditional instrument found in Norwegian music.

South Seattle College is hosting a forum on May 14 titled “VOICES III: THE SEASON FINALE ON TRANSFORMATIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING” from 1 PM to 3 PM in the Olympic Hall Theatre.

A keynote address will be delivered by the University of Washington’s Dr. Anu Taranath that will cover transformative curriculum and pedagogy. Dr. Taranath, a senior lecturer at the University of Washington, earned her Ph.D. from the University of California. Her areas of specialization include contemporary world and multi-ethnic literatures, transnational feminist and cultural studies.

This event is free and open to the public.

The forum will also showcase members of South’s faculty and their projects that create a culturally responsive learning environment with a focus on equity inclusion and social justice.

information from West Seattle Community Orchestra

The West Seattle Community Orchestra is proud to present a unique concert for musicians and concert goers, as they conclude the 2013-2014 concert series.

Power lines down in Ballard UPDATE -- Tuesday, May 13: 1:24 p.m.

What the Ballard News-Tribune reported as downed power lines earlier today turned out to be a downed phone line. The line was snagged by a City of Seattle Waste Management truck while it passed the Ballard Senior Center.

The low hanging phone line was strung from a phone pole across Northwest 59th Street and connected to the Ballard Senior Center. The truck snagged the line and ripped it from the top of the building taking some bricks and mortar along with it.

City of Seattle officials were at the scene but were unable to comment on the incident.

Meanwhile, seniors at the center were left with no phone service; however Waste Management maintained its service, though delayed.

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There are downed live power lines at the 5429 32nd Ave. N.W. in Ballard.

According to Seattle Fire Department over 13 units were dispatched for a “Rescue” emergency. Once at the scene SFD determined there was no one injured and they secured the parameter.

Lt. Sue Stangl with SFD said that once crews secured the area Seattle City Light takes over to restore the wires to their position.