December 2015

2016 brings some significant changes to the leadership and organizational structure of the Department of Planning and Development (DPD). After 38 years with the City and 14 as director of DPD, Diane Sugimura will be retiring. At the same time, the department will become two – the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections and a new Office of Planning and Community Development. Current staff and services within DPD will remain in place for most of 2016. Staff in both departments will continue to work closely together to help ensure coordination as we move forward.

The Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (Seattle DCI)
The new department will be led by Nathan Torgelson, current DPD deputy director. Seattle DCI will primarily include regulatory functions such as: permitting, construction inspections, code compliance, tenant protections, rental housing registration and inspections, but will also include a smaller unit for code development.

The Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD)

North Seattle’s Boy Scout Troop 100 has started their annual tree sale at St. Alphonsus Church in Ballard, continuing a tradition that goes back over 60 years in the Ballard community. In fact, this fall Troop 100 will be celebrating their 75th year as a troop in Ballard.

The sale is their sole fundraiser for the year.The fundraiser raises money for their many adventures in the wilderness and to pay for summer camps. Once a month from September to June the scouts have an outing and the funds go toward paying for those trips. Also, every year scouts have a special extended summer trip where they go backcountry and hone their skills. Last year the troop went canoeing down the Pend Oreille River near Spokane and 45 kids went to Camp Meriwether in Oregon.

Ballardites should hurry to claim their trees because they are going fast. This year the troop has everything from Norway Spruce, Noble Fir, Grand Fir and Fraser. Wreaths and garland are also offered.

Walter Blom CHRISTENSEN
August 22, 1952 ~ November 18, 2015

The family and friends of Walter Christensen regretfully announce that Walter passed away November 18, 2015, in Ballard, Wash.

Born August 22, 1952 in Vancouver BC to Olaf (deceased) and Solveig (Blom) Christensen, the family later moved to Ballard. Walter graduated from Ballard High School in 1970. At the age of 15, Walter got a job painting halibut schooners at Pacific Fishermen Shipyard. It was then that he decided he wanted to become a fisherman.

After graduation Walter immediately went off to Southeast Alaska for a summer of salmon seining. That was the start of a rich and colorful career for Walter that spanned over 40 years and included west coast trawling, Bering Sea crabbing, and Bristol Bay salmon. In the early 1970s, Walter fished the west coast on the Windjammer where he met and became friends with Dan Hanson.

By Zach Watson

In response to what happened in Paris and California, the House last week passed legislation that changed our Visa Waiver Program. After talking to my fellow Seattleites, I’ve learned that many don’t know exactly what this program is. And why would they? It isn’t something that any of them will ever use.

But I tell you, it is still important.

The Visa Waiver Program uses the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) to eliminate the need of a visa for people from partner countries, thirty-eight of them in all including Western Europe, Japan and Australia. People from those countries go on the ESTA website, pay a small fee and answer security questions. Then sometime in the following day(s) they are granted permission to enter the U.S. for three months without having to apply for a visa at a consulate or embassy, a process that can be lengthy, arduous and expensive.

The new bill, according to CNN.com, would bar those from Iraq, Syria, Iran and the Sudan, and any traveler from the partner countries that has visited those countries in the last five years from entering the U.S. without a visa.

Seattle Department of Transportation has done a new study that qualified an area in Central Ballard to one day be designated as a Restricted Parking Zone.

The Central Ballard Residents Association sent Seattle Department of Transportation a letter last September that requested they look into implementing an RPZ after a rise in street-parking congestion.

Michael Kahrs is a founder and Committee Chair of CBRA. He said that the group was concerned for the wellbeing of residents in Central Ballard.

“One of the issues I was seeing was problems with parking. It seemed that every neighborhood that’s had growth has had success with an RPZ, and Ballard did not have one,” said Kahrs. "Parking has been an issue near and dear to my heart since I started CBRA, and my goal is to make it easier for residents to live here.”

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

Thursday, Dec. 10

Wrestling
Chief Sealth 55, Bainbridge 22
The Seahawks scored a victory over Bainbridge Island in Thursday's Metro League action.
Hazen 48, Foster 30
Foster fell to the Highlanders on Thursday.
Renton 72, Tyee 6
The Totems were pinned with a loss Thursday.

Girls basketball
Muckleshoot 43, Seattle Lutheran 40
The Saints were edged by the Muckleshoot Tribal School.

Wednesday, Dec. 9

Girls basketball
West Seattle 80, Nathan Hale 7
West Seattle won big in Wednesday's game against Nathan Hlale.
Cleveland 59, Chief Sealth 54
Cleveland clipped the Seahawks in Wednesday action.
Foster 62, Tyee 38
Foster felled the Totems in a Seamount League game.
Hazen 51, Evergreen 23
Evergreen dropped one against Hazen.

Boys basketball
Highline 66, Kennedy 59
The Pirates sailed to victory against the Lancers Wednesday.
Foster 58, Tyee 52
Foster topped the Totems.
Hazen 71, Evergreen 34

he Everett Silvertips defeated the Seattle Thunderbirds, 4-1, at ShoWare Center in Kent Saturday night.
The T-Birds next play on Tuesday against the Prince George Cougars at 7:05 p.m. at ShoWare Center.

Seattle (18-10-2-0) took a 1-0 lead at 12:44 of the first period on Turner Ottenbreit's second goal of the season. Ryan Gropp passed the puck from the left boards to Ottenbreit at center ice. Ottenbreit took a slap shot that hit the cross bar and went into the net. Ethan Bear had the second assist on the goal to give him a seven-game point streak.

The Silvertips outshot the T-Birds 16-7 in the first period.

Everett (17-10-0-2) tied the game 1-1 at 16:27 of the second period on a goal from Patrick Bajkov.

Mackenzie Dwyer and Matt Fonteyne had the assists.

Seattle outshot Everett 13-9 in the second period. Everett led in total shots 25-20 after two periods.

Everett scored three goals in the third period to get the win. Remi Laurencelle scored 44 seconds into the period to give the Tips a 2-1 lead.

Cole MacDonald scored on the power play at 8:58 of the third to make it a 3-1 Everett lead.

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

Saturday, Dec. 12

Girls basketball
Auburn-Riverside 59, Kennedy 32
Auburn-Riverside routed the Lancers in a rematch of the schools that played for the state Class 3A volleyball title in the fall with Kennedy winning that one.
Saturday's game took place at Highline Community College.
Mt. Rainier 67. Evergreen 25
Mount Rainier won Saturday's matchup of former Seamount League rivals.
Seattle Lutheran 39, Bush 29
Seattle Lutheran High School of West Seattle took Saturday's SeaTac League matchup by 10.

Boys basketball
Mt. Rainier 67, Evergreen 43
Mount Rainier rallied to beat the Wolverines in non-league action Saturday.
Todd Beamer 59, Kennedy 49
Kennedy Catholic took a loss in a non-league game played at Highline Community College.

Friday, Dec. 11

Boys swimming
Mt. Rainier 97, Kennedy 86
The Rams edged the Lancers in a matchup of close non-league neighbors Saturday.

Girls basketball
TJ 43, Mt. Rainier 32

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

High schools

Gymnastics
Mount Rainier hosts North Thurston, Decatur and Todd Beamer for a 7 p.m. meet Wednesday.

Girls basketball

Shorewood Christian visits Northwest Yeshiva for a 6:15 p.m. game Wednesday, then at 7 p.m. Lindbergh is at Kennedy Catholic, Evergreen at Foster, Hazen at Highlne and Tyee at Renton.
West Seattle entertains Lakeside at 7:30 p.m. as Chief Sealth entertains Rainier Beach.
Scheduled for 6 p.m. Friiday is Shorewood Christian at the Christian Faith Center as Seattle Lutheran travels to Bear Creek, then at 6:30 p.m. Chief Sealth is at Ballard and West Seattle at Ingraham.
Highline visits Evergreen at 7 p.m. as Kennedy drops in on Tyee, Foster goes to Lindbergh and Mount Rainier to Decatur.
Seattle Christian is at home against Lindbergh at 3 p.m. Saturday and at 3:30 p.m. West Seattle is at Kentridge and Seattle Lutheran at Mount Vernon Christian.
Highline hosts Decatur at 5:15 p.m. Monday and Seattle Christian entertains Cedar Park Christian at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Penner named Player of the Week

Senior forward Mitch Penner from Kennedy Catholic High School in Burien, who earned the tournament Most Valuable Player award after leading 13th-ranked Seattle Pacific to a pair of men's basketball home wins, was named as the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Week on Monday.
The Falcons (9-1) were the only undefeated team in the Oak Harbor Freight Lines Classic at Brougham Pavilion led by Penner's 30 points, 11 rebounds and three assists.

He hit 6 of 14 shots from the field while converting 18 of 23 free throws during the two outings.
Penner produced 16 points and five rebounds in Saturday's 71-54 victory over defending West Region champion Azusa Pacific. He had 14 points and six boards on Friday in a 76-64 win against Northwest University.

Penner currently leads SPU by scoring 14.8 points per game. He also averages 5.2 rebounds and is shooting 46 percent from 3-point range.
The SPU men take a break from competition for Christmas break before returning to action at home on Dec. 31. They host GNAC rival Alaska Anchorage at 4 p.m. in Brougham Pavilion.