July 2014

Patxi’s Pizza (pronounced PAH-cheese. ‘t’ before ‘x’), one of the most loved pizza restaurants in the Bay Area, announced today that it will open its first Northwest location in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood at 5323 Ballard Ave NW later this summer.

Patxi’s celebrated its 10th anniversary on June 4 and is famed for classic Chicago-style stuffed pizza and authentic Italian thin crust. What began as a labor of love for old friends and now business partners, William Freeman and Francisco “Patxi” Azpiroz, has grown into nine locations in the Bay Area, a thriving three-store operation in Denver, and the soon-to-open location in Seattle.

information from SDOT

Once Fourth of July festivities are over, Seattle Department of Transportation paving crews will move in to California Avenue Southwest to pave the block south of the Morgan Junction.

Providing the good weather holds, the crews will grind and pave California from Fauntleroy Way Southwest to Southwest Holly Street, starting at 7 a.m. on July 8 and July 9, and ending at 7 p.m. each day.

One lane of traffic will remain open in each direction with Police Officers and traffic flaggers assisting drivers through the work area. Crosswalks and sidewalks will remain open. On-street parking will be restricted.

By Tim Clifford

Few songs are as instantly recognizable and steeped in varying iconography as Steppenwolf’s 1968 hit “Born to be Wild”. So when Glen Bui, the guitarist for the band Magic Carpet Ride, says that they have recorded a new and improved version that will be released later this summer one immediately wonders how it could be done.

“We made it more sexy, more grooving, you move to it better. We slowed it down a bit and gave it the Seattle sound” describes Bui of the new version that he and Magic Carpet Ride have concocted.

Bui, 56 and a transplant to the Pacific Northwest from the San Francisco Bay area in the 1980’s, toured and played keyboards for the original Steppenwolf and was a founding member of the band Pegasus. After obtaining the rights to perform and record the group’s greatest hits from Steppenwolf Productions Bui and Steppenwolf founding member Goldie McJohn formed Magic Carpet Ride, named after another notable Steppenwolf single, here in the Seattle area.

August is the time to raid the closet for those Nordic swords, horned helmets and faux-fur booties, because the Nordic Heritage Museum’s 31st annual Viking Days on August 16 and 17 is featuring a new event this year, the Run Like a Viking 5K.

The Viking Days celebration kicks off with the run at 8 a.m. August 16 at the Golden Gardens overflow parking lot. Runners are encouraged to wear their best Viking costumes. The costumes with the most Nordic spirit will pillage a prize.

The time to register for the race is now at www.nordicmuseum.org because this year there is a 500 runner cap. Any age can participate and leashed dogs and strollers are welcome. Furthermore, the run route is design to be a pleasant leisurely run along the waterfront. Runners will receive a Run like a Viking t-shirt and an inaugural finishing medal. The registration fee is $40 and goes toward supporting the Nordic Heritage Museum fund for their future move.

By Ed Shepherd
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

Night and day.

Looked like two different teams out there for West Seattle between Sunday's and Tuesday's game, as it played in it's second game of the Little League District 7 All-Stars 9-10 Tournament, now having to go through the loser's bracket after having lost Saturday to Seattle Central in a game not close, but this game Tuesday was close and, more importantly, a win, 20-2 over Renton at Pac West Fields.

"Playing at 9 a.m. and at 6 p.m. is the biggest difference in the world for 9 and 10 year olds," said Isaiah Brent, West Seattle's manager.

The first game of the tourney against Seattle Central was played at 9 a.m. and errors early in the game cost West Seattle some runs and things just went from bad to worse there in a 12-5 loss. But this game against Renton started at 6 p.m. and West Seattle just looked more ready than their game before and it showed in it's top of the first at-bats.

By Ed Shepherd
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

It wasn't supposed to be this way, but, then, again, maybe it was, if one talked to South Highline National manager Pat Adams after West Seattle beat his team of 11 to 13 year olds, 12-11, in a seventh inning comeback of the Little League All Stars District 7 Intermediate championship first game at Pac West Fields Monday.

"First game" because West Seattle came through the loser's bracket in this double elimination tournament, having lost to National, 6-5, on Saturday. And, so, Tuesday at 6 p.m. will be the if-necessary game that decides who moves on to the state tournament happening in mid-July, which now brings us to the next part aforementioned about things "supposed to be this way."

Both West Seattle and National have played each other several times already in the past regular season as well as Saturday's game and wins have been by each club in close fashion. Well, aside from the two teams' one meeting where West Seattle won the game by 10 runs, the rest were close.

By Ed Shepherd
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

South Highline National kept the game at a scoreless pace through the first two innings of play before getting behind by five runs in the third and not fully recovering for an all and all down feeling afterward from its opening round game 7-3 loss to Rainier.

The Little League District 7 All Stars Majors Tournament action was played at Valley Ridge Sunday.

Now, South Highline National's 11 and 12 year olds on this team must battle through the loser's bracket, with it's next game at 6 p.m. Monday and then, if they win, they will play on Thursday at 6 p.m. and on Friday at 10 a.m. And, then, get through those two games, they would play in the championship game and have to beat the winner's bracket team twice in order to advance to the state tournament that commences July 12 in West Seattle.

Pac West is their opponent on Monday, so they are in the same predicament, after having lost to West Seattle in their first game by 10 runs.

By Ed Shepherd
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

West Seattle didn't hammer out the most hits in the game, but runs are what count, and they scored more of those than its foe, beating Pac West, 11-7, in the Little League All Stars District 7 10-11s Tournament Sunday.

"We didn't play well," said Pac West manager Mitch Stone.

Following a nice 9-3 win over Renton to open the tourney, Pac West just never quite righted itself to start the game against West Seattle and played catch-up throughout against a very good hitting team, too.

West Seattle hit the ball 11 times in the game, and, Pac West did outdo them in that department, hitting 12 themselves. But, the biggest hits of the game came in the first inning by West Seattle. The biggest plays of the game, too, which weren't necessarily all Pac West's fault. But the plays happened, of error and bad luck both, and the pendulum of momentum was swinging West Seattle's way.

The offense flowed early for South Highline National in its Little League 10-11 All Stars Tournament opening game versus West Seattle but stopped up after that.

A lead through the first couple innings for National stayed strong until the fourth and fifth, where West Seattle scored two and six runs, respectively, en route to a 8-3 win at Pac West Fields Saturday.

South Highline National opened up a lead in the first inning on a couple walks to Jack McGrath and Tyler Kephart, along with a West Seattle fielding error after that, for a 1-0 lead.

Then, in the top of the second inning for National, they scored again. Simon Adams singled, leading things off, and Tristen Trujillo drew a walk. Then, Parker Stonecifer collected an RBI single, swinging hard but hitting it softly down toward third base, and Adams scored on the play, making it a 2-0 lead. But that was all the scoring the offense mustered as West Seattle battled against National pitcher Jack McGrath, unsuccessfully, until the scoring started in the fourth inning for them.

By Ed Shepherd
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

Pac West led, 10-9, late in a 9-10 All Stars Tournament nail-biter, and South Highline National manager Chad Parker pulled out all the stops, with his No. 7, No. 8 and No. 9 hitters and also No. 1 hitter in the batting order, Cadyn Sava, doing the final damage that translated to a stirring, 11-10, win, that included National having been ahead, 9-1, through four innings before Pac West rallied and nearly won this one at Pac West Fields Saturday.

The win moves South Highline National into the winner's bracket final game on Tuesday at 6 p.m. vs. Seattle Central.

This game between these two clubs came down to the very end, with Pac West ahead, 10-9, entering the bottom of the sixth and South Highline Natonal's Mason Hayes up, who singled and stole second base and third base. Then, the first out. Then, Jake Gwinn was up. After four pitches and a 2-2 ball/strike count, Parker called Gwinn over for a pep talk, in this pressure-cooker situation.

Was he really giving Gwinn a pep talk?