July 2015

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

Strains of Sheryl Crow's "Soak Up The Sun" echo through the covered grandstands as shadows creep across the field at Steve Cox Memorial Park in White Center.

The Highline Bears are wrapping up infield practice in preparation for another Pacific International League semiprofessional baseball game at the park that has also gone by Mel Olson Stadium and White Center Stadium in its history that dates back to the 1940s.

The Bears are only in their inaugural season but follow distantly in the wake of other semiprofessional baseball and national level men's fastpitch teams that called White Center home in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s.

Aside from offering the area its highest level of ball in over 30 years, the Bears are also offering winning ball.
The Bears boast a 14-12-1 record as only an expansion team in a league full of college players in their summer season as well as some former college and professional players.

"We projected eight wins, but we've already won more and we're over .500 and that's cool," said Bears manager Todd Coughlin.

information from Seattle Public Library

The West Seattle Branch and book drop, 2306 42nd Ave. SW, will be closed from Monday, Aug. 17 through Sunday, Aug. 30 while the front steps are being replaced as part of an exterior construction project to improve access to the branch.

The branch is scheduled to reopen at 10 a.m. Monday, Aug. 31.

While the branch is closed, patrons may choose any other Library location as a pickup location for items placed on hold and may return materials to any branch. If patrons don’t select an alternate branch, their holds will be sent to the Southwest Branch, 9010 35th Ave. SW, 206-684 7455.

Other nearby branches are:

· Delridge Branch, 5423 Delridge Way SW, 206-733-9125
· High Point Branch, 3411 SW Raymond St., 206-684-7454

Exterior construction work started June 15. Improvements include:

· Rebuild front steps
· Redo ramp from rear parking lot to main front entrance
· Redo ramp from rear parking lot to lower-level meeting room
· Add lighted handrails to ramps and steps
· Resurface parking stalls on north end of the lot

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

Youth sports
Little League
West Seattle opens state Little League Major (age 11-12) all-star baseball action Saturday, taking on the District 8 champion at the Northshore Athletic Fields in Woodinville at 2 p.m.
The winner plays again at 2 p.m. Sunday and the loser plays again at 5 p.m. Sunday.

Swimming
The "B" championships for the Southern Division of the Seattle Summer Swim League are scheduled for 4 p.m. Thursday at the Kent pool.
Girls "A" preliminary action then takes place at 4 p.m. Monday at the Gregory Seahurst pool in Burien with the boys prelims scheduled for he same time Tuesday at Lakeridige in Renton.

Semiprofessional
Highline's Bears are at home at Steve Cox Memorial Park in White Center playing the Seattle Studs at 7 p.m. Friday and the Northwest Honkers at 7 p.m. Saturday.
The Bears then finish out their season on the road.
Highline visits the Honkers for 5:30 p.m. games in Fall City on Monday and Tuesday.

Pro sports
Mariners

Cake Wars, a show on the Food Network, will feature West Seattle's Stuffed Cakes tonight July 20 in a competition for a $10,000 prize. The show appears on channel 675 on Comcast, and will be televised at 8pm
We reported on this in early June.

In the show four expert bakers aim to win their cake a spot at a major party or special event. Jonathan Bennett is the host.

Each of the bakers will bake one-of-a-kind creations with the hopes of impressing well-known pastry chef Ron Ben-Israel, Fonuts co-owner Waylynn Lucas and some very special guest judges.

Only one contestant will take the cake to headline the main event, and take home the grand prize of $10,000.

Duwamish Native Foods ~ Now & Then ~ Teachings of the First People
Duwamish Longhouse & Cultural Center
4705 W. Marginal Way S.W.
206.431.1582 or www.duwamishtribe.org
Sun., July 26, Noon-4 p.m. Free program sharing the cultural and food traditions of Chief Seattle’s Duwamish Tribe. Doors open 12 p.m. Cultural Program 1 p.m. Storyteller Roger Fernandes shares: Teachings of the First People. Shared Meal 3 p.m. Enjoy Art Gallery & Exhibits & Waterfront Park beforehand.

27th Season ‘Shakespeare in The Park’
High Point Commons Park
6400 Sylvan Way S.W.
Sat., July 25, 7 p.m.: Much Ado About Nothing

Lincoln Park
8011 Fauntleroy Way S.W.
Thurs., July 23, 7 p.m.: The Two Noble Kinsmen
Fri., July 24, 7 p.m.: Much Ado About Nothing
Sun., July 26, 3 p.m.: The Two Noble Kinsmen

Camp Long
5200 35th Ave. S.W.
Fri., July 31, 7 p.m.: Much Ado About Nothing
Sat., Aug. 1, 7 p.m.: The Two Noble Kinsmen
Presented by Green Stage. www.greenstage.org

Free Summer Drop in Family Events
Neighborhood House High Point Family Center

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

VANCOUVER--West Seattle got mixed results as it opened the 2015 Washington State 10/11 Baseball Tournament in Vancouver this past weekend.

The Westsiders opened with a decisive 8-2 victory over the host District 4 team on Saturday but turned around to take a 15-5 loss to a powerful District 2 (Bainbridge area) team Sunday.

That dumped West Seattle into the loser's bracket of the double-elimination tournament for ages 10-11, where it will play District 11 at 5:30 p.m. Monday at the Fort Vancouver Little League complex.

The Westsiders must win that game to reach Tuesday's 3 p.m. action at the same location, then win another game Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday to reach Saturday's championship.

9-10 Baseball

PacWest of the Burien and SeaTac area finds itself on the ropes at the age 9-10 baseball all-star tournament being played at Nelson Field in Montesano after opening with an 11-4 defeat at the hands of District 2 champion Bainbridge on Saturday.

Around 1:20am neighbors knocked on the door and called 911 to report smoke coming from the basement of a home located in the 4400 block of SW Graham Street.

Firefighters found flames visible coming from the crawl space of the home when they got there. Two people were safely evacuted. The flames were seen on the exterior of the house and extended to the siding.

Firefighters put out the fire within 20 minutes.

Investigators determined the cause to be accidental, caused by improperly discarded smoking materials ignited a wooden planter of the front porch. The fire spread to exterior siding and crawlspace. The damage estimate is $50,000.

There were no injuries. The adult male and female declined the Red Cross assistance and found their own temporary housing.

West Seattle's rock and roll bar, the Feedback Lounge is closing its doors. The last day is Aug. 8.
In an announcement on Facebook they said:

"What a fun and wild ride we've had over the last seven years. There are simply no words to express how grateful we are to have been a part of the West Seattle Business Community and to have made countless, wonderful friends and worked with many of the industry's best.

But all good things come to an end. The owners are moving on and the Feedback Lounge is closing. New ownership will be remodeling the space with anticipated reopening in the fall. Our last day of business will be Saturday, August 8th with a final blowout show. We'll announce the line-up soon. But in the meantime, please drop by to have a drink with us and say goodbye.

Stay tuned to our Facebook page – we have a few surprises coming up!"

By Pat Cashman

There comes a time in everyone’s life when they start to grow up.

I remember the summer it began for me. A light went on in my head---a sort of epiphany. I put aside all the Superman comic books and began reading “Moby Dick”, “Les Miserables” and “A Tale of Two Cities.” In comic book form.

I had another epiphany that summer. Actually it was my old man’s epiphany. He suggested that I might like to consider seeking some summer employment. He put it this way: “Get a job. Now.”

I began my job hunt right about this time of year: late July. I had stalled as long as possible, but my various excuses---twisted ankle, prickly heat, and amnesia---no longer worked.

A friend told me they were hiring at a camper and trailer factory. I’d be working around drills and power saws, so the job immediately sounded cool, stud-like and easy.

My friend wasn’t sure about the pay, but we both figured the money had to be huge. I went straight over to the factory---already practicing the laugh that I would use all the way to the bank after I got my first paycheck.

By Tim Clifford

Honey, I’m home?
During the early morning hours of July 12 a woman living on the 6000 block of California Ave. S.W. was awoken by the noise of someone breaking into her home. When the victim yelled downstairs that she had just called the police the suspect called back in a most unexpected way. “This is my home, I live here,” he yelled to her.
For a few minutes they yelled at each other over who actually owned the home. The suspect walked through the home casually for a while, going through the kitchen and eventually making his way to her bedroom. Once he was in her bedroom he turned around and crawled out of a window into the alleyway below.
When police arrived they found that nothing had been stolen and the suspect was gone. Before they could leave the suspect reappeared attempting to climb in through the window again. He was arrested and taken to the S.W. Precinct.