August 2016

Dear Editor:

I complained to Lisa Herbold -City of Seattle regarding the signage allowed on businesses. Particularly the ridiculously large LA FITNESS that now assaults all of us every day we return to West Seattle; not LA...noting that most people don't even use signage anymore. To find places, they use GPS. So really, signage is just very inexpensive advertising for these corporate chains. LA Fitness has signs on every side of the building! If only they appreciated and wanted to honor the neighborhoods they are planting themselves into! Wouldn't West Seattle look so much better where LA FITNESS is now? At least they would appear to be a part of the community they serve.

What is now next for the WHOLE FOODS complex across the street? As things go, once somebody goes huge like LA FITNESS, everybody else tries to "keep up"!

Enough huge electric signage!!! Plant some trees instead!!!

Vicki Pardee

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

Ishikawa homers, doubles twice

Federal Way High School graduate Travis Ishikawa hit two home runs and two doubles for the Sacramento Rivercats of the San Francisco Giants' organization over the past week.
Ishikawa now has a total of 12 apiece for his Rivercats' season and is hitting .260 (61-for-235) with 29 runs and 53 RBI.

Barnette appears in two games

Thomas Jefferson graduate Tony Barnette made two appearances for the Texas Rangers this past week and now has a 6-3 record with a 2.21 earned run average over 53 innings of work.
Barnette has recorded 39 strikeouts and appeared in a total 47 games.

Conger adds a double to total

Federal Way native Hank Conger hit one double over the past week, bringing his total to four to go with three home runs and one triple since being sent down to the Durham Bulls of the Tampa Bay Rays organization.
Conger is hitting .182 (16-for-88) with 10 RBI and six runs.

Brett has yet to play for Bulls

You are invited Saturday Sept 10th to experience "...the Renaissance to the Baroque, through the Classical and Romantic ages, and into the 20th Century for some jazz and toe tapping rags!" when the Olympia Chamber Brass comes to Alki UCC. The ensemble includes: John Wells, trumpet; Patrick Harvey, trumpet; Ryan Wagner, trombone; James Harper, french horn; and Edward Phillips, tuba.

Refreshments and treats at intermission

Who: Olympia Chamber Brass
When: Sept 10, 2016, 7pm
Where: Alki United Church of Christ
6115 SW Hinds St, 98116
206-935-2661
www.alkiucc.org

Free will $20 suggested

Net proceeds benefit West Seattle Helpline

Information from WDFW
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has temporarily suspended the sale of fishing and hunting licenses while it works with the state Office of Cyber Security (OCS) to investigate a vulnerability in an outside vendor’s license sale system that was recently exploited in several states, including Washington.

The vendor’s vulnerability allowed access to some personal information provided by customers who purchased fishing and hunting licenses. WDFW and OCS are working with the vendor and collaborating with law enforcement, federal agencies, and officials in other states to determine how much information was accessed.

WDFW is working to resume license sales as soon as it can ensure the security of the system. More information will be released as it becomes available.

Information provided by Seattle Parks and Recreation

The stairway from lower Golden Gardens Park to the off-leash area is scheduled to close on August 25 for approximately three months for a park improvement project. During this time, the stairway and upper landing area will be closed.

This project will provide drainage improvements and replace damaged portions of the existing concrete stairway. The project will replace multiple sections of failing stairs with a new 6 ft. wide concrete stairway. New ADA-compliant hand railings and landings will be installed as part of the renovation. Drainage improvements will include replacement of deteriorated storm drain infrastructure and enhancement of the open concrete channel adjacent to the stairway. The improved drainage system will capture and redirect localized surface and subsurface flows to reduce subgrade settling and re-occurrence of current erosion problems. The work will be done in accordance with applicable environmental and regulatory requirements.

Funding for the project is provided by the 2008 voter-approved Parks and Green Spaces Levy.

Join us to share and hear stories about the YMCA from every era of our 94-year history in West Seattle. Bring and view Y memorabilia. We want to hear your YMCA story!

WHEN
Thursday, September 22, 2016
5:30 to 7:30pm

WHERE
Fauntleroy Church / YMCA Fellowship Hall
9140 California Ave SW, Seattle

RSVP
By September 15 to Maria Groen at 206 935 6000 or mgroen@seattleymca.org.
Light refreshments provided. This event is appropriate for kids ages 6 and older. Free child care is available for ages 4 weeks to 12 years, with reservations required.

In this interactive event for all ages, we’ll start the evening off with memorabilia and story sharing about the many community activities that the Y has led over the years, including Bean Feed, YMCA Adventure Guides and Princesses, Dolphin Swim Team, California Caravans, Kobe Cultural Exchange, Y teen dances, basketball leagues, summer day camp, pinewood derby, Camp Colman and much more!

We’ll end with Clay Eals, Executive Director of the Southwest Seattle Historical Society, interviewing these West Seattle locals:

Seattle, Washington – The community is invited to attend the first annual Be There Rally at West Seattle Elementary on Wednesday, September 7, from 7:00am to 8:00am. The school, in partnership with the West Seattle & Fauntleroy YMCA, is rolling out the red carpet and asking community leaders, school supporters, family and friends to line up to cheer, clap and high-five students as they enter into the new school year.

The West Seattle Elementary Be There Rally draws inspiration from an event held in Hartford, Connecticut where over 100 Black men in suits got together to greet and encourage children on the first day of school. They did it because they wanted to show children of color positive images of Black people in their community instead of the negative and damaging images commonly portrayed in the media. That event sparked a couple of Seattle Public Schools to keep that momentum going. From the Seattle High Five held at Leschi Elementary last August, to the over 200 Black men at South Shore PK-8 in February, the goals at West Seattle Elementary are the same.

By Sarah Cecil

It’s almost back-to-school time. If you have young children going to public schools, your biggest expenditures may be on pens, pencils and notebooks. But if you want those same kids to go to college someday, you’ll eventually face considerably larger costs – so you may want to start preparing soon.

College is costly. For the 2015-16 school year, the average expense (including tuition, fees room and board) was nearly $20,000 at a public, four-year school, and more than twice that amount at a four-year private school, according to the College Board. Of course, cheaper alternatives are available – your children could go to a local community college for two years at a very reasonable cost, and then transfer to a four-year school.

Still, if your child does go on to get a bachelor's degree, those big bills will eventually arrive. As you consider how you can best deal with these costs, ask yourself these questions:

information from SWSHS

Molly Ringle's third and final book in a successful series,The Chrysomelia Stories (published by Central Avenue Publishing), weaves an intricate and detailed world where ancient gods Persephone and Hades are reincarnated in modern-day students. Immortal's Spring spans both the modern day and bronze age Greece, presenting the myths in fresh new ways, telling a love story brimming with magic and good-against-evil in the backdrop of the Pacific Northwest. Her trilogy of novels about the Greek myths include Persephone's Orchard and Underworld's Daughter.

The Southwest Seattle Historical Society sponsors this free book-talk on Friday, September 9th (the Second Friday this month because of the Labor Day Weekend) instead of the normal, "First Friday" of this series. This presentation of Immortal's Spring is the 36th installment of the series and will take place at 5 p.m., Friday, Sept. 9, 2016, at Barnes & Noble/Westwood Village.

Come out and dance hard to the enchanting and infectious rhythms and melodies of Cold Comfort. This upcoming Seattle band will be making a video for their single "My Appetite." Bust out your best moves for a chance to be a cameo in the video.

Uptempo and high energy, headliners The Black Cheveys’ skillful musicianship and blues rock sound perfectly showcases the soulful vocals of singers Maya Marie and Adrian Loro -- exciting and compelling, not to be missed.

The Slow Dark will start the show at 8pm, $8, 21+. This event will no doubt be a ball, head down for an evening of excellent music and boogie.

coldcomfortseattle.com

https://soundcloud.com/the-black-chevys