June 2014

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

District 7 Little League action is set to get underway at the PacWest complex in Burien and at the Valley Ridge site in SeaTac located next to Tyee High School.

First up will be the three-team Intermediate tournament for players between the Major and Junior levels at PacWest.

Southwest of White Center plays South Highline National at 6 p.m. Friday, June 27 with the winner facing West Seattle at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 28 in the winner's bracket final.

Saturday's loser plays the loser of the first game at 9 a.m. Sunday, June 29, with the first championship at 6 p.m. on Monday, June 30. The if-necessary game of the double-elimination tournament would be at 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 1.

The age 9-10 tournament at PacWest starts with West Seattle playing Seattle Central at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 28.

Rainier meets Renton at 12 p.m. and South Highline American meets Southwest at 3 p.m.

PacWest opens against South Highline National at 3 p.m. on another PacWest diamond.

The tournament will continue with action each day through Saturday, July 5.

HomeStreet Bank is partnering with the West Seattle Food Bank in handing out $10 Helping Harvest Vouchers for use at the West Seattle Sunday Farmers Market.

In the 2014 summer season, Helping Harvest Vouchers will be distributed in $10 increments at the West Seattle Food Bank to food bank clients, thanks to the support of HomeStreet Bank. The vouchers give Food Bank Clients a chance to participate in the weekly community event that is the West Seattle Farmers Market, meet their farmers, and also help Washington State Farmers get introduced to new shoppers.

The vouchers will give Seattle food bank clients the opportunity to increase the quality, variety and nutritional value of food they eat.

In addition, HomeStreet will be on-site Sunday, June 29 to hand out shopping bags and a chance to win a basket of gardening goods.

The West Seattle Farmers Market is operated by the Neighborhood Farmers Markets, a 501 c 3 non-profit supporting Washington and runs from 10am to 2pm Sundays behind the West Seattle Junction.

by Ann Kendall
Sometime in the past several years you might’ve seen Richard hunched over his laptop at the Java Bean on Avalon Way in West Seattle, perhaps deeply engaged in conversation with other regulars about local economics. What you wouldn’t know from the casual glance across the top of his screen or an overheard tidbit about money matters was that he was in the midst of writing his recently published book, Effortless Savings: A Step-by-Step Guidebook to Saving Money without Sacrifice, full of practical ways to save money (or not spend) that don’t feel like suffering.
Richard grew up in New York in a family that enjoyed the thrill of the deal – from the best deals on household items to steals on family vacations. He learned, with the guidance of his mom and extended family, how to locate off-price stores along with bargaining skills that served him well through his youth and into adulthood. He jokingly refers to his family affectionately as “frugal maniacs,” while at the same time he emphasizes that he never felt like he went without the niceties of life growing up. These life lessons form the core of Effortless Savings.

To the editor:

In your June 16 article, “Meatless in Seattle,” I was excited to read about the push for healthier meals in the Seattle Public Schools. I have two kids in Seattle schools, and they both complain about lack of healthy
options. When my daughter started middle school last fall, she started buying school lunch every day because the early start time left her little time for packing a lunch. She almost made it through the first semester before
telling me she could not go one more day eating cheese pizza for lunch – the one meatless option. I know it takes a bit more planning to incorporate whole grains, legumes and vegetables into a menu, but it involves creative energy that even I, a working mom, can appreciate. Let’s keep some momentum on this one, please!

Robin Corthell

Green thumbs across Ballard will be pleased to hear Ballard Sustainable is hosting their sixth annual Edible Garden Tour Saturday June 28, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This year over a dozen urban farms/gardens will open for touring starting with the Ballard P-Patch next to Our Redeemer’s Church (Northwest 85th Street and 25th Avenue Northwest).

Jennifer Mundee, a project leader for Sustainable Ballard said this year they have a few new things to offer and hopefully it inspires and educates attendees.

The tour starts at the Ballard P-Patch, which is just behind the parking lot at Our Redeemers. The patch offers a plethora of planting examples for viewers.

“Ballard has a well organized P-Patch, and we’ve started there in the past so we thought it would be a good place this year where people can see all the gardens that people have come up with and then check out the other ones at peoples’ homes," said Mundee.

By Erin Bosetti

On June 20, Windermere Realty Ballard gave back to the community in a big way by giving Golden Garden’s beaver problem some much needed attention.

Twenty years after the beautiful wetlands area at the north end of the park was constructed, a group of beavers moved in. In theory, having beavers inhabit our parks seems exactly what parks were meant to be, a harmonious habitat where both humans and rodents can dwell in peace. In reality, the beavers, confined to such a small habitat, have been decimating the area, cutting down trees and changing the wetlands, causing some Golden Garden lovers to become outraged. Calls for the beavers to be removed were made even though they were once almost driven to extinction in the area by fur trappers and hunters.

Golden Gardens wetland habitat is very small compared to normal beaver habitats. The large scale decimation is a product of the fact that beavers must continually gnaw through trees in order to keep their incisors trimmed. They also use the logs to build shelter and dam ponds.

Every so often, products or ideas come out that seem great, but can cause injuries and property damage if not done properly.

The Kent Fire Department RFA has received several inquiries about fire glass and whether it is safe and non-toxic.

Fire glass is tempered glass that has been tumbled to make it into pebble sized pieces with no sharp edges. The small pieces are added to propane or natural gas fireplaces as a decorative bed under the existing “logs” or in place of them where the gas and flames come up through the glass bed. The reflective glass adds a very warm feeling to a fireplace and can be found in virtually any color desired. It is used both indoors and out.

According to the Kent Fire Department RFA’s fire investigators, they have never found fire glass to be the cause or a contributing factor in a house fire. In fact, one investigator has fire glass in his home and has never had any issues with it.

Because it is simply colored glass, there does not appear to be any issues with toxicity.

Deadline for receiving items for Community Calendar is 5 p.m. Wednesday for the following week’s Times/News. Events are published based on timeliness and space availability. Email submissions to: calendar@robinsonnews.com
Items can be accepted from nonprofit groups and government agencies only. Others may call Dona Ozier at 206-708-1378 for inclusion in our “Out & About” advertising section.

Burien Library June Events

400 S.W. 152nd St., Suite 100
206-243-3490

Children & Families:

New Summer Reading & Learning Program ~ “Thinkology: The Study of Fun” Build robots, do hands-on science projects, learn magic, create puppets and read! Be prepared for school in the fall. For details, visit any KCLS library of kcls.org/kids/summer
Toddler Story Times ~ Mon., June 30, 10:15am & 11am. Ages 24-36 months with adult.
Preschool Story Times ~ Mon., June 30, Noon. Ages 3-6 with adult.
Children’s Art Workshop: Still Life Object Collage ~ Sat., June 28, 2pm. Presented by Mandy Hallenius. Free arts program for children ages 8-12 in the multipurpose room. Please register.

Remember Zoopa in Southcenter? It is no longer just zoop and salad. Since January, the once-popular eatery has been transformed in what could be characterized as a full-service restaurant with a emphasis on fresh, organic foods.

The salad bar is still there, but it is all organic. The soup is there too, but it is all house-made. New offerings include fresh prepared pasta and stir fry, bakery items and a variety of meat and fish dishes.

Zoopa opened in Southcenter about thirty years ago and developed a strong following. Over time, it lost some of its luster and eventually closed. Regular customers Jerrod and Nikki Sessler of Burien made Zoopa part of a healthy diet in part to help Jerrod fight a cancer he contracted 15 years ago. Fresh food became the centerpiece of his life. The cancer is gone and Sessler points to a changed diet as a key aid in his recovery.

A few years ago, the Sesslers opened Home Task in Burien, a business aimed as helping householders with common chores around the house. One component is the business they call Freggies, which deliver fresh fruit and vegetables to local residents.

To the editor:

Just read in the paper that Highline School District is considering building a "new middle school" on the Glacier High School site in SeaTac. How can they do that when it is my understanding the FAA had already told them the existing building should not be used for a full time school. It is noisy enough that they felt the kids would not be able to concentrate! Lets get the stories together. Is it a matter of insulation and a thick
roof?

Virginia Dana
SeaTac