July 2015

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

Youth sports
Swimming
The Southern Division of the Seattle Summer Swim League will hold its championships at 4 p.m. Thursday at the Arbor Heights pool in West Seattle ahead of the All-City meet at the same time Tuesday at the Wedgewood pool in North Seattle.

Semipro
Bears
The Highline Bears of White Center have a busy week ahead to close out their schedule.
Highline visits the Snoqualmie Hurricanes for 5:30 p.m. action Wednesday before dropping in on the Kitsap Bluejackets at 7 p.m. Friday at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds. The Bears will stay for 12 p.m. action Saturday.

Pros
Sounders
Seattle hosts the Vancouver Whitecaps for 7 p.m. men's professional soccer action at CenturyLink Field on Saturday.
The action can be seen on Channel 13 and heard on 1360 AM and 97.3 FM.

Mariners
Seattle hosts the Arizona Diamondbacks for 12:40 p.m. action at Safeco Field on Wednesday before going on the road to Minnesota for four games against the Twins.

By Tim Clifford

On July 14, about 1:15 a.m., Edward “Eddie” Grant was out on the street near the Coronado Springs Apartment Complex in White Center when he noticed a street robbery in progress and a person in trouble. According to witnesses Grant rushed across the street to help the victim and stop the robbery. Seconds later he was on the ground, shot in the chest, and both the robber and victim were gone.

Now, nearly two weeks later, a GoFundMe page (http://www.gofundme.com/z2ak29hw ) has been created with donations going towards supporting Grant’s wife and two children. As of Saturday night the page has earned 5 donations, reaching $95 of a $5,000 goal.
According to the site the page has already been shared on both Facebook and Twitter 228 times.
Grant was 51-years-old at the time of his death and was laid to rest on Saturday, July 25. His services were held at the Greater Mount Baker Missionary Baptist Church with a viewing the day before at Bonnie Watson.

The City of Seattle is awarding $467,562 in matching funds to support neighborhood-initiated projects across Seattle. Twenty-eight community groups received awards from the Neighborhood Matching Fund for a variety of events, cultural festivals and projects.

“These projects are the result of neighbors working together to better their community,” said Mayor Ed Murray. “The entire city benefits from their volunteerism and talent as they create, plan and implement these projects. The Neighborhood Matching Fund is there to support their efforts, whether it is an exhibit, a documentary or a playground.”

These awards are part of the Small and Simple Projects Fund, one of three funds offered by Seattle Department of Neighborhoods. It provides cash awards of up to $25,000 in matching funds to community organizations committed to fostering and building a better community. The 2015 June awards range from $4,000 to $25,000, and the organizations pledge to match the City’s $467,562 investment with $600,132 of locally raised money, donated materials and volunteer labor.

Among many names for Ballard like “Snoose Junction” and “Gilman Park,” readers may not be privy to the fact that Ballard was once named “the shingle capital of the world” because of all the lumber and shingle mills that took up shop here. The industry was so successful that it rivaled even the maritime industry in jobs and culture.

It’s no wonder that Ballard resident and owner of The Ballard Loft, Dan Murphy, has opened a new restaurant that celebrates the lumber and shingle industry.

ShingleTown Northwest Pub and Eatery (2016 NW Market Street) opened mid- month and already Ballardites are clamoring to find a seat. On a Friday night it’s becomes a wilderness of patrons savoring pacific northwest inspired cocktails and dining on dishes sources from the region.

The space is vibrant, clean and the exposed wood and shingles lining the bar harkens to a different time when the mills rattled and Cedar dust flew. The bar itself has the iconic timber saw image imbedded in it. Indeed, ShingleTown is a space that celebrates not only Ballard but also the region as a whole.

By Tim Clifford

The family that preys together
Family bonding time took on a new and grotesque meaning following an assault in a bathroom stall in Roxhill Park on July 20. Police were dispatched to the park and met up with the victim around 9:20 p.m. near the 9200 block of 29 Ave. S.W., minutes after the assault had occurred.

According to the victim he was using the facilities in the park when he heard the suspect; a man presumed to be in his 30’s, come into the bathroom and begin waiting outside the stall door. After a few moments the suspect began yelling at the victim to get off the toilet because his son needed to use the bathroom. The victim, still on the toilet, began yelling back at the man “leave me the f*** alone”.

Thief takes purse and cash from store employee room

Police are looking for a purse thief after he stole items from the private employee area of a store located on the 5400 block of Ballard Avenue NW on July 17. Witnesses told police that they saw a light-skinned black male, possible in his mid 20s, enter the private employee area of the store and rifle through employees’ things. One employee told police that she confronted the man while he was in the room. He dropped some of the items he was holding and made for the door. The employee tried to stop him and called for help. She grabbed his shirt as he pushed through the doorway. His shirt tore in the process. The thief made off with cash and at least one purse containing over $125, a blank check and credit cards. There was no security footage of the incident, and police were unable to recover any fingerprints.

Flower-power cyclist uses bike for weapon in assault

The annual Seattle Chinese Garden Kite Festival returns Aug. 1 from 2pm to 6pm.

Bring your own or buy one at the festival for a fun afternoon with family or friends. Activities for all ages include kite flying demonstrations, displays, kite painting for children, entertainment in the courtyard, and refreshment booth.

Free admission through age 17; suggested adult donation is $3.

Location: 6000 16th Avenue SW, North Entrance at South Seattle Community College

Cosponsors: Seattle Chinese Garden and The Boeing Company

www.seattlechinesegarden.org / info@seattlechinesegarden.org / 206-934-5219

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

WOODINVILLE--West Seattle did not get off to the start it wanted at the state Little League Majors age 11-12 all-star baseball tournament Saturday.

The Westsiders fell to the District 8 champion Northwest team by a 6-1 score in action at the Northshore Athletic Complex in Woodinville, dropping them straight into the losers bracket.

West Seattle now must win eight games in a row over seven days to take the title.
The long road back begins with a 5 p.m. Sunday game against Stilly Valley at the same location.

A community celebration for the Westcrest Park expansion was held on Saturday, July 25.

Music was provided by Correo Aereo, youth soccer fun by West Seattle Soccer Club, and an obstacle course relay by Camp Long Environmental Learning Center.

Westcrest Park is located in the Highland Park neighborhood in West Seattle at 9000 8th Ave SW. Entrance can be made at the intersection of 9th SW and SW Trenton street to the newly opened area which is on the north end of the park.

The 20-acre expansion of the park captures panoramic views of the mountains and city skyline, while integrating a range of multi-generational amenities. Features include a flexible great lawn, a new play area with two zip-lines and a hillside slides, swaths of native prairie, strolling paths, parking and streetscape improvements, restrooms, and public art.

A new public artwork by David Boyer, Flyers was installed in the park.

The piece consists of 15 bird- and plane-like kinetic sculptures mounted on steel poles. Flyers was commissioned with SPU and Seattle Parks and Recreation’s 1% for Art Funds and managed by the Office of Arts and Culture.

Expert log preservationist David Rogers will be featured in a two part event at West Seattle's Log House Museum on Aug. 9.

Rogers was the contractor for restoration of its “Birthplace of Seattle” Log House Museum 18 years ago.

The Southwest Seattle Historical Society's guest appearances are also supported by 4Culture.

The first event, free and open to the public, will run from 2 to 4 p.m. in the museum’s Circle Courtyard, 3003 61st Ave. S.W., where Rogers will conduct an interactive demonstration of log-restoration techniques and describe in detail the hands-on work he did on the museum.

The second event, a fundraiser for the historical society, is a no-host dinner at West 5 Lounge, 4539 California Ave. S.W. in the West Seattle Junction, at which Rogers will speak about the importance of preserving and restoring log structures. Admission is a $10 donation, payable at the door or online at http://www.loghousemuseum.info/events/welcome-back-david-rogers/. (Any food or drink ordered is in addition to the donation.)