September 2015

By Eric Mathison

My computer tells me “whither” means ”to what place” or “into what state.”

Let’s discuss this week—Whither, Burien?

In other words, with inevitable growth and an almost certain future “discovering” of Burien what do we want our town to be like in the future.

In an earlier column, I charged that the city of Seattle is trying to commit livability suicide for its middle class residents. I cited outrageous housing prices, threats against single-family zoning and possible new restrictions on parking.

I also took a bemused shot at formerly bedraggled Seattle neighborhoods that suddenly are trendy.

I characterized the old West Seattle as a place populated by retired workers who had never got out and young marrieds planning their escape. Belltown was where you picked up day help at the Millionaires Club.

Georgetown was where Boeing employees moved to cold-water flats after their ex-wives hired merciless divorce attorneys. South Lake Union was a parking lot for Seattle Times staffers. As for the old Scandinavian hotbed of Ballard, I could only manage, “Ya sure, ya betcha.”

By Amanda Knox

There’s the dutiful packing away of white pants and sundresses. The last escape to the lake to shiver around the last campfire, even as the damp creeps. Traditions from across the globe ask that we tend the graves of our dead. In Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, ‘The Man’ is burned as a sacrifice. In Greek myth, Persephone, goddess of vegetation, returns to the underworld to be with her husband, Hades, god of the Dead. The sun enters Libra, the constellation of the weighing scales, marking the time when the nights grow as long as the days, before overtaking them. Put this way, and for those afflicted by SAD (seasonal affect disorder), the end of summer can feel a bit like the End, even when it’s really more like a waltz away from lazy afternoon BBQs toward soggy socks and rain slickers.  

By Pat Cashman

Old Man Walters lived two doors down from us. In fairness, Mr. Walters probably wasn’t all that old, but when I was a kid anybody that had a job and real responsibilities was old.

Old Man Walters was a mill-worker and had been since he graduated high school. (I found out years later his first name was Walter. Yes, Walter Walters. His parents must have been quite lazy.)

Whenever my younger brothers or I would encounter him he’d always say something like: “I’ve got six years, three months, two weeks and five days left until I can retire from that $#@&! job!”

Next time we saw him it might be: “I got four years, seven months, three weeks and two days left until I can retire from that $#@&! job!” The point was that he knew his coming retirement day down to the moment---and for him it couldn’t come soon enough.

The class of 1965 will be presenting a granite and brass Memorial Plaque of all Sealth graduates that were killed in action in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan at sometime in the near future.

They are attempting to notify the families of these brave soldiers so they might attend if they wish or are able.

Date to be determined.

Vietnam -
Sigrid Karlstrom '61 family notified Lewis Nelson '62 Allan Potter '64 Luigi Filbanese '65 Thomas Foster '65 Thomas Harding '65
Richard Krogh '65 Norman Chaney '66 Dick DeGraaf '66 family notified David Lauritsen '66 John Rauen '66 Mark Knollmeyer '67
Donald Douglas '68 Clarence Risher '68

Iraq -
Tracy Melvin '95

Afghanistan -
Jarod Newlove '03

If you know any of the families please contact

Ron Templin Sealth '65
r_templin@yahoo.com

The West Seattle Blockwatch Captains meeting is happening Tuesday, September 22nd at the SW Seattle Police Precinct 2300 SW Webster Street at 6:30pm.

Yowl hear about AlertSeattle, findings from the MCPP Focus Groups, and more.

Kristin Tinsley, Outreach & Training Specialist from the Office of Emergency Management, will be one of the guests. She will explain AlertSeattle, the City’s new emergency alert and notification system that launched this summer.

AlertSeattle is a free service that allows you to sign up online to receive customized alerts via text message, email, voice message, and on social media (Facebook and Twitter). Learn more about this system and how you can create customized notifications about severe weather, safety, health, utility disruptions, major traffic incidents, and more.

Jennifer Burbridge, the Research Assistant who is working with the SW Precinct on the Micro-Community Policing Plans (MCPP’s), will be back to report on the findings from the focus groups she conducted throughout our area.

Also on tap are updates from SW Precinct leadership about issues that they saw over the summer months.

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

High schools
Football
Chief Sealth hosts Ballard for 7 p.m. action at the Southwest Athletic Complex this Friday as West Seattle goes on the road to the Southeast Athletic Complex to play Rainier Beach.
Highline Memorial Stadium will be the site of a football double-header the same night, with Highline and Kennedy playing at 5 p.m. and Evergreen and Renton going at it at 8 p.m.
Foster is at home against Hazen at 7 p.m.
Saturday's schedule has Seattle Lutheran going to Marysville-Pilchuck to play Tulalip at 1 p.m. and Mount Rainier traveling to Federal Way Memorial to play Todd Beamer at 6 p.m.

Volleyball
Seattle Christian hosts Klahowya for a 6 p.m. match on Wednesday and at 7 p.m. West Seattle is at Liberty and Chief Sealth at Rainier Beach.
Shorewood Christian goes to Quilcene at 5 p.m. Thursday and Seattle Lutheran hosts Auburn Adventist at 6:30 p.m.
The 7 p.m. Seamount schedule has Foster at Evergreen, Renton at Tyee, Kennedy at Lindbergh and Highline at Hazen, while Mount Rainier goes to Kentlake at 7:15 p.m.

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

Saturday, Sept. 19
Girls soccer
Highline 2, Bellevue Christian 0
The Pirates scored a non-league shutout victory over Bellevue Christian.

Friday, Sept. 18
Football
Kennedy 49, Renton 7
Kennedy Catholic routed Renton by a 49-7 score Friday, running its Seamount League record to 1-0 to go with a 3-0 mark overall
Treshaun Harris led the way to victory, scoring three touchdowns and running the ball 10 times for 190 yards.
Garfield 21, West Seattle 17
West Seattle was edged by the Bulldogs in Metro League action.
Nathan Hale 28, Chief Sealth 7
The Seahawks went down to defeat at Nathan Hale.
Cleveland 24, Foster 6
Foster of the Seamount League played Cleveland of the Metro League and took a loss.
Lummi 72, Seattle Lutheran 64
Seattle Lutheran was outgunned in a wide-open Class B-8 contest.
Lindbergh 50, Highline 6
Lindbergh swamped the Pirates in a Seamount League game.

Girls soccer
SCS 9. Tyee 1
Seattle Christian slammed its neighbors in a non-league contest Friday.

Volleyball

by Ken Robinson

Michael and Gloria Colasurdo will have been married 70 years Oct. 6, 2015. There is a long story here. But the heart of it is about family, about staying the course, having a lot of friends and a sunny outlook on life.

"Mike" Colasurdo is 92. Gloria is 89. They have lived in the same house, a house they built near White Center on 16th S.W. for 65 years. Across the street, close enough to hit with a tossed olive, is the house where Mike was born.

They met at the old Security Market at Third and Virginia in Seattle on October 6, 1944. Gloria was 18, Mike was 21. Mike lived with his parents and Gloria lived on Beacon Hill.

The attraction between them was strong. "He came from White Center to Beacon Hill every night to see me," Gloria said.
She liked to dance. Mike was the old-fashioned type who "didn't play cards or anything."

After they married, they attended church together at Holy Family on Roxbury Street. The single ladies would comment about Mike's dashing good looks. She reminded them that she was married to him.

GriefShare Support Group
Grace Church
10323 28th Ave. SW
Lower level
Saturdays, starting Sept. 12 for 13 weeks thru Dec. 5, 10 a.m.—Noon. This international grief recovery support group is open to anyone who has lost a loved one to death. You can start at anytime and it doesn’t matter how long ago the death occurred. One time cost for $15 journal. Contact: Barb 206.932.7459

West Seattle Kiwanis Weekly Meeting
Masonic Hall
4736 40th Ave. SW
www.kiwaniswestseattle.org
Every Wednesday, 6:30 p.m. Guests Welcome. People dedicated to community service, and we have FUN, too! Key Clubs at local High Schools plus many other activities. Information: Linda Cox, Membership Chair, 206.910.1234

2016 West Seattle Garden Tour Committee Members Needed