September 2016

After a recent story was published about a trash pile accruing as a result of an unsanctioned homeless encampment at the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, a growing conversation has evolved on the Ballard News-Tribune website, and the Army Corps of Engineers has entered that conversation.

Three weeks ago the BNT reported that a pile of over 30 bags of garbage was building up at the “Ballard Jungle” near the Ballard Locks. The encampment is located on top of a slope running between the Ballad Locks fence and the railroad tracks, which is an easement. The Army Corps of Engineers owns and operates the Ballard Locks but does not own the property where campers are living. Campers there told the BNT that they had an agreement with the City to place their trash near the tracks for pick-up. The City confirmed the agreement, however the trash pile had not been picked up in over a month and neighbors were complaining. The City treats the trash there as illegal dumping, and Seattle Public Utilities’ Illegal Dumping unit responds when there are complaints.

By Peggy Sturdivant

We picked up others as though we were a walking school bus, two at one corner and another one at the next. I’d wavered on joining this walk. One friend I see several times a week but it had been long time since I’d seen the others who socialize frequently. Still, a good long walk and catch-up…I took the plunge.

Some of our lives used to be more entangled by living on the same block, then crossed with extended friends of other parents, widening out from school and soccer. Now all our kids have graduated, if not actually launched from the nest.

The plan was to walk to Swanson’s from South Sunset Hill, picking up others in North Beach. It was Labor Day weekend, cloudy with a chance of rain. Walking by houses triggered my ongoing obsession with the stories within houses and new construction. Another friend wanted to photograph a sculpture she’d seen on a walk.

I mentioned the Early Design Guidance meeting planned for the development of site of El Camion. “How do you hear about these things?” Kay asked.

Burien, WA–Families, community members, and staff are invited to join Highline Public Schools Superintendent Susan Enfield to a community conversation on September 19, 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. in the Highline High School library.

Conversations with the Superintendent are intended to be open conversations. Participants can bring up issues of concern, ask questions and bring ideas.

Please come with questions and ideas so Superintendent Enfield can learn about the issues that are important to you.

All community members are invited to attend.

Two other Conversations with the Superintendent are scheduled for Monday, March 13, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, May 20, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. Locations are to be determined.

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

High schools

Football
Highline Memorial will host a double-header Friday, with Washington at Evergreen at 5 p.m. and W.F. West at Highline at 8 p.m.
Seattle Lutheran, meanwhile, will entertain Neah Bay at 6 p.m. at West Seattle Stadium.
Four other area games start at 7 p.m. that day.
West Seattle hosts Garfield at the Southwest Athletic Complex as Chief Sealth goes on the road to Sammamish. Foster entertains White River at the same time and Mount Rainier is at Tahoma.
Kennedy Catholic waits until 7 p.m. Saturday for a home game against Kentwood at Highline Memorial.

Volleyball
Kennedy visits Graham Kapowsin for a 7 p.m. match Thursday before dropping in on Auburn Mountainview at 7:15 p.m. Monday. Mount Rainier is at Federal Way at 7:15 p.m. Monday.
West Seattle travels to Eastside Catholic and Chief Sealth to Seattle Prep at 7 p.m. Thursday, with Evergreen hosting Washington and Foster entertaining White River at the same time.

By Gwen Davis

The City of SeaTac will appeal the Port of Seattle's decision to forgo an environmental review for the first phase of their 3,000 tree-cutting plan.

The Port will cut down nearly 3,000 trees in the upcoming three or so years. But the Port determined that for the first part of the plan, where they will cut down nearly 1,200 trees on Port property, they will not need an environmental review to proceed with the cuttings. (However, future phases will need environmental reviews, Port officials have stated in the past.)

But the question was brought up in Tuesday's council meeting by Councilmember Peter Kwon.

“The Port will not conduct an environmental study, but they will cut down 1,200 trees,” he said. This plan should require an environmental study, despite what SEPA (the Port's environmental review group) has determined. Therefore a motion to appeal might be warranted, he said. The deadline to appeal the decision is this Friday, which doesn’t give the council much time, he warned.

The city manger discussed how the question is legitimate: has SEPA done enough to throw away the environmental study for phase one of the plan?

by Brian DeRoy
Port of Seattle
Long before the “Miracle on the Hudson” became a national story and now turned into a movie, the Port of Seattle took the lead to address the issue of airplane and bird safety at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
The movie “Sully” premiered this past weekend, focusing on the untold story of the 2009 incident where a US Airways plane struck a flock of geese while taking off from New York’s LaGuardia Airport. Starring Tom Hanks and directed by Clint Eastwood, the movie gives us a close view of how the plane successfully landed on the Hudson River after Canada geese shutdown both engines on the plane, an extremely rare situation.
With Sea-Tac Airport being located near the Puget Sound, airport leaders knew long ago a proactive approach was needed to keep both airplanes and neighborhoods around the airport as safe as possible. That’s why 40 years ago, the airport started a first of its kind wildlife hazard management program in cooperation with the Federal Aviation Administration.

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

Saturday, Sept. 10

Girls soccer
Mt. Rainier 10, Foster 0
The Rams rallied for a shutout victory over the Bulldogs on Saturday.
Kennedy 3, Eastside Catholic 0
Kennedy Catholic also won by shutout in a non-league game Saturday.

Friday, Sept. 9

Football
West Seattle 43, Ingraham 7
The Wildcats stand at 2-0 on the year after routing the Rams this past Friday.
Nathan Hale 48, Chief Sealth 6
The Seahawks suffered a lopsided loss on the road.
Eatonville 51, Highline 6
Highline hit the road to Eatonville on Friday and came away with the loss.

Girls soccer
Federal Way 6, SCS 2
Seattle Christian went down to defeat against the Class 4A Eagles.

Volleyball
Forest Ridge 3, SCS 0
The Warriors were swept in three sets by Forest Ridge Friday.

Boys tennis
Kennedy 4, Mt. Rainier 1
The Lancers served up a victory as North Puget Sound League action opened Friday.

Thursday, Sept. 8

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

Blessing Leiato and Isaiah Ferrer scored three touchdowns apiece as the Foster football team felled Evergreen by a 48-0 score Friday.

The Bulldogs ran their record to 2-0 with the win while knocking the Wolverines to 0-2.

It was the first ever South Puget Sound League Class 2A game for both teams.

Leiato scored the first touchdown for Foster with 9:24 to play in the first quarter, but the Bulldogs failed on a two-point conversion attempt to leave the lead at 6-0.

Ferrer then struck on a 75-yard run into an open left side of the field with 3:59 remaining in the quarter and Leiato ran for a two-point conversion to make it a 14-0 game.

Leiato punched the ball in through the middle for a 3-yard touchdown 40 seconds into the second quarter and teammate Emerson Garcia sliced through the Evergreen line for a two-point conversion that made it 22-0.
Frank Leuga pounced on a Wolverine bad snap two plays later and two plays after that Leiato scored on an 11-yard run. A bad snap on the two-point conversion attempt left the margin at 28-0 with 8:32 to go in the second quarter.

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

They were celebrating in Lancer land Friday night after Kennedy Catholic held on for a 28-25 non-league victory over Seattle Prep.

The main and oft-repeated reason for departing fans' excitement was that they said it was the best game for the Lancers in years, as they normally have pounded their foes into submission.

This time they had their hands full from the Panthers of the Metro League, which is something they will have to get used to as they open North Puget Sound League Class 4A action with a 7 p.m. visit to Kentwood at French Field this coming Saturday.

Friday's game against Seattle Prep was not decided until the bitter end.
The Panthers were down 28-25 but had the ball and marched it down to the Kennedy 9-yard line.

But it was lost on the next play, with Trevor Hoffman of the Lancers grabbing it to save the day with 31 seconds remaining.

Kennedy took over at the 13-yard line and quarterback Ben Gaoteote took a knee to run out the clock.