May 2014

The White Center Eagles #2568 is raising the stakes for the reward for information on the murder of Steven Jeffries Jr. who was shot in White Center on New Years Eve at a party. They are planning a fundraiser June 28, 2014 at the Eagles Club located at 10452 15th Ave SW, Seattle, WA.

All the money raised that day will go to help raise the reward to get some one to come forward and provide information.

The schedule:

Starting at 3:00 p.m. BBQ Dinner $10.00---Raffles---50/50 Drawings---Wrist Bands $5.00 each---Live Music from 8 to Midnight by The Dakota Boys.

The Eagles want to work with the Washington's Most Wanted program produced by our news partner Q13 Fox News.

By Georgie Bright Kunkel

With the aid of modern medicine there are a lot more century-old human beings living their lives today. I joke when I go to my swim class that not one of us would be there if it weren’t for high tech operations and modern medicine. Just recently an acquaintance who was told that he was dying, got a reprieve. He had lost a lot of weight and coughed off and on most the day and night. A friend who is knowledgeable about the drug companies stepped in and read the fine print in his contract. After intervention by this health advocate, he managed to obtain the costly medication that has given him a new lease on life. Believe it or not, he has gained weight and has stopped coughing and is able to care for himself again.

By Jeremy Martin

Wednesday afternoon the Southwest Athletic Complex played host to day one of the 2014 Sea-king Class 2B and 3A boy’s and girl’s track and field meet as athletes from across the county gathered in the hopes of earning a birth in Friday’s District Championships.

Several area participants, representing Chief Sealth International High School, West Seattle High School and Seattle Lutheran took part in the well attended and festive event.

Though the afternoon events marked the end of the season for some of the student-athletes, others such as Chief Sealth’s Brady Crane will use their performances as momentum heading into the finals.

Crane, a Seahawk junior claimed the final spot in the 3A triple Jump championship with a distance of 41 feet 11.5 inches.

A strong showing Friday at the SWAC may earn him an opportunity to represent Sealth at the 3A State Championships which begin May 29th at Mouth Tahoma High School in Tacoma.

Sealth junior Ronnie Parker also took part in the triple jump finishing with a mark of 41 feet 9.5 inches which was good for a 7th place finish.

By Gerald Elfendahl

Harold Alden Champeness, 90, beloved Pacific NW upright jazz bassist, singer and humorist – including 45 years with Stan Boreson Band - died April 10 in Poulsbo. He lived his life in Seabold on Bainbridge Island, Ballard, Poulsbo and Bergen, Norway.

Hal was born August 9, 1923, and raised with his sister, Solveig, in Seabold, children of Esther and Bernard Champeness - Norwegian immigrants Esther Kalsett and Bernt Kjaempenes.

Hal went to first grade in 1929 at Olympic School in Manzanita on the Island Manzanita. When Island school districts consolidated, he bused to Winslow’s Lincoln School. In the Great Depression, Hal, 10, joined mother and sister to live with a grandmother in Norway. He learned Norwegian.

Hal loved music, played violin in Bainbridge HS’s orchestra and sang in glee club. He was chosen for senior boys’ quartet with Silven Moench, Jim Johansson, and Carl Ness. They sang class reunions and throughout the years. Hal was also vocal on yell squad, student council, barking signals and calling plays as a shifty, 5’-3” short, 140 lb. quarterback - 1940 football squad’s Inspirational Award recipient!

On Monday, June 2, 2014, Beth’s Café will kick-off their weeklong 60th Anniversary celebration with a blast-to-the-past, featuring 50s priced food, quirky contests and mid-century revelry.

The celebration begins bright-and-early at 6 a.m. Monday, June 2. This marks the beginning of the drawing competition and 1950s menu insert, and will be a day dedicated to giving back to the community. The café will be donating a portion of Monday’s profits to Treehouse, a local nonprofit caring for foster children that Beth’s has been involved with for several years.

Tuesday May 13, the Assistance League of Seattle presented 26 Whitman Middle students with summer camp scholarships in the library of the school.

In total the ALS awarded 52 applicants in grades six to 11 in the district and 40 students came from the Ballard community from Salmon Bay Elementary, Whitman Middle School, Ballard High School and Ingraham High School.

Since Whitman showed such an overwhelming response to the scholarship program the ALS had a congratulatory party for them and celebrated the students’ efforts to achieve scholarships to camp with food and treats.  

The league is a national non-profit organization devoted to providing children without means financial assistance for education and experiences like summer camps that they might not experience. The ALS has been helping children in Seattle for over 50 years and has over 100 volunteer members. The Seattle chapter reaches out to students in the Seattle School District.

Dear Ballard News-Tribune,

Good day. A person need only recognize that animals have an emotional and tissue likeness to humans to realize that humane treatment is logical. Any child inherently knows that to maltreat anyone is upsetting and wrong. A child has to be desensitized to learn cruelty. Many societies do this with keen intent. A person doesn't need to be an animal lover, or know anything much about animals to see how deeply connected our welfare is rooted in our treatment of animals. Neuroscientists now conclude that our cerebral cortex evolved by way of compassion - fairness and logic are inextricably linked. We were evolved to be humane problem solvers - not only technical problem solvers.

Tuesday May 13, the Assistance League of Seattle presented 26 Whitman Middle students with summer camp scholarships in the library of the school.

In total the ALS awarded 52 applicants in grades six to 11 in the district and 40 students came from the Ballard community from Salmon Bay Elementary, Whitman Middle School, Ballard High School and Ingraham High School.

Since Whitman showed such an overwhelming response to the scholarship program the ALS had a congratulatory party for them and celebrated the students’ efforts to achieve scholarships to camp with food and treats.  

The league is a national non-profit organization devoted to providing children without means financial assistance for education and experiences like summer camps that they might not experience. The ALS has been helping children in Seattle for over 50 years and has over 100 volunteer members. The Seattle chapter reaches out to students in the Seattle School District.

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

An opening day split at the Sea-King fastpitch softball tournament left the West Seattle team needing back-to-back wins to get to state.

The Wildcats launched out into the tournament by ending rival Chief Sealth's season, 11-0, but they lost a close second game to Juanita, 2-0.

"It was real close," said West Seattle head coach Trevor Leopold, who was just named as the Metro League Coach of the Year, of the second game. "A fly ball to left field scored one run, then there was a steal from third to home. The catcher threw it back to the pitcher, and Gabby (Wenn) walked off the mound, and she took off and scored. I was like, 'What?'"

The loss dropped the Wildcats into a 2 p.m. Thursday loser out game back at Lower Woodland Park in Seattle, with the winner playing the Eastside Catholic vs. Liberty winner for a state berth at 4 p.m.
"It's a tough road," said Leopold, who expressed he thought his team could pull it off and get to next week's state tournament in Tacoma. "Bellevue was second in the Kingco."

Seal Sitters and PAWS Wildlife Center are sponsoring an Alki Beach cleanup on June 14 this season. Just before they hit the beach to begin the cleanup members of the two groups will speak briefly at 9:30 about the dangers of marine debris to wildlife and the difficult rehab of harbor seal pups.

All marine life is endangered by marine debris and pollution. Many, many thousands of marine animals and sea birds die each year from derelict fishing gear, marine debris and pollution. They are entangled and drowned by nets and gear. Strangled and contaminated by plastics.

This year's beach cleanup events will once again be in honor of seal pup Sandy who was rescued from a West Seattle beach in August of 2011, rehabilitated at PAWS Wildlife Center, and then released back to the wild in January of 2012. Sandy was found dead 66 days later, entangled in derelict fishing gear. The cleanup is also in honor of the gray whale who died on an Arroyos beach with a stomach containing only human trash.