October 2016

West Seattle author, Conrad Wesselhoeft whose contemporary novels for young adults have won awards here and in Germany will be on hand Nov. 4 at Barnes and Noble/Westwood to talk about his latest book, "Dirt Bikes, Drones and other ways to Fly"

In 'Dirt Bikes', a 17-year-old dirt-bike-riding daredevil catches the eye of the U.S. military due to his first-place ranking on a video game featuring drone warfare. The conflict between what the military wants him to do and the emotional scars he has suffered following a violent death in his family creates huge problems for the young man.

Wesselhoeft's free presentation will begin at 5PM on Friday, November 4th, at Barnes & Noble/Westwood Village. All purchases made by those attending the talk that afternoon and for the next five days will result in a contribution of ten percent of proceeds to the Southwest Seattle Historical Society under the Barnes and Noble's Book Fair program.

Councilmember Lisa Herbold in her email newsletter to constituents outlines the Seattle City Council budget committee deliberations and her own budget proposals.

"Next week the Council’s Budget Committee will hold the final meeting of the “Budget Deliberations” round on Monday the 24th. This meeting will cover departments and issues not covered this week on the 18th and 19th.

On Tuesday the 25th, the Council will hold its 2nd public hearing on the budget.

The hearing begins at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall; sign up begins @ 4:30. The hearing will advise the Budget Committee Chair (Councilmember Burgess) in the release of his Initial Balancing Package, scheduled for November 2, and any potential budget actions by other Councilmembers, due by the end of the day on November 4 (with a minimum of three sponsors).

information from SDOT

Westbound SW Spokane St at E Marginal Way and the off- ramps to Harbor Island from westbound West Seattle Freeway and from southbound SR99 will be closed this coming weekend beginning Friday evening, October 21, at 7 p.m. The roadway and off-ramps will reopen Monday October 24, by 5 a.m. This work was rescheduled from last weekend due to rain. The closures are needed to remove an abandoned railroad track crossing and to perform pavement repairs on SW Spokane St.

· Motorists who are not in large trucks/commercial vehicles can detour by taking the high level West Seattle Bridge, using the Delridge Way exit, then taking the right onto Chelan Ave SW, another right onto SW Spokane St, and eastbound across the Duwamish West Waterway and back onto Harbor Island.

The Seattle Police Blotter reports that on Oct. 20 just before 4pm eight robbery suspects in a stolen Hyundai Sonata were finally pulled over and arrested following a brief high speed pursuit and crash near South Park.

Police spotted the silver 2006 Hyundai that matched the description of a suspect vehicle used in a robbery in West Seattle earlier on Thursday. A vehicle matching that description had previously eluded officers when they attempted to pull it over on Wednesday. Officers attempted to stop the car, but it took off. Then using emergency lights and sirens, the driver of the suspect vehicle accelerated until he lost control and struck a curb, and stoped near the intersection of South 96th Street and Des Moines Memorial Drive South.

Officers then arrested the eight individuals inside the car, which they then learned was a reported stolen vehicle from Kent.

The Seattle Fire Department was called in and look at some of the suspects that were exhibiting the effects of drug consumption.

Monty Penney and Praju Tuladhar, one of the major sponsor this year, provided massage stations for guests.
 Multiple community sponsors included major contributors like Alaska Airlines and the Museum of Flight
Ashley Fosberg, Executive Director, Highline Schools Foundation was MC for many of the door prize giveaways and was instrumental in this years success.

Funds from Oktoberfest directly benefit the foundation's Excel Grant program, which funds immediate classroom needs for teachers. All excel grant funds are distributed by the end of November.

Oktoberfest also directly funds: sports participation fees for students in need, early learning resources for our community, high school career awareness programs, and urgent needs like food, clothing, and transportation for the most vulnerable students—among many other student needs and our district’s priorities.

By Greg Whittaker

It is starting to feel like fall outside, and with the storm of the century narrowly missing us; we are greeted of views of the Olympic Mountains with a fresh topping of snow. Lots of Washington Ski and Snowboard Areas are busy getting the final stages of the season prep done as the snow looms and the Pray for Snow parties commence. As we continue our series on prepping for the season by our GM and lead tech Nate Bales, we want to hit on the most important part of your ensemble your ski and snowboard boots.

Gear Tip, by Nate Bales: Boots, The Intimate Connection
Hey Snow Sliders, whether you prefer two planks or one, the common bond we share is the desire for a comfortable and properly fitted pair of ski or snowboard boots. Just like the many shapes of the world, feet can also take on a shape of their own and over time, our feet change.

by Lindsay Peyton

Options are changing for foodies in West Seattle who are on the hunt for fresh produce and gourmet goodies.

Metropolitan Market is undergoing a major renovation, Whole Foods is coming to town and PCC is preparing to close its doors – so it can later reopen in a larger space.

“We’re all really unique and serve customers in different ways,” Helen Neville, executive vice president of sales and operations for Metropolitan Market, said.

She believes that having multiple options benefits residents.

Neville said Metropolitan Market has been under the same ownership since 1971. “There are generations of customers who say this is their store,” she said. “Some of the original people we hired are still here. It’s a community within a community.”

She said that the remodel will make room for a new pizza section of the store – and for extra options in prepared meals.

Store director Paul Marth added that the cheese department has been completely updated, and the coffee shop merged with the bakery, making more room for seating and housewares.

“We’ll have a whole new deli department and upgrade the produce section,” he said.

information from King County

Over that last two weeks, the Metropolitan King County Council’s Budget and Fiscal Management Committee has heard from people throughout King County on their budget priorities at three meetings on the proposed 2017-2018 King County Biennial Budget. From Seattle to Redmond to Kent, testimony was presented to the Budget Committee, which all 9 members of the County Council serve on during budget deliberations.

“Every year, the budget town halls are an important way for citizens to share what is important to them about living in King County and this year was no exception,” said Councilmember Dave Upthegrove, Chair of the Council’s Budget and Fiscal Management Committee. “I want to thank everyone who testified and encourage anyone to continue to offer comments as the Council continues its deliberations.”

by Tom Keogh

The “Northwest” in “Northwest Symphony Orchestra” isn’t just a regional designation.

It’s an acknowledgement of one cultural institution’s commitment to the music of composers living and working in the upper-left corner of the Lower 48.

Founded in 1987 as an ensemble dedicated both to the breadth of classical repertoire and contemporary works by Northwest composers, NWSO has ambitiously developed its expansive mission for three decades. Under the guidance of longtime music director and conductor Dr. Anthony Spain, the organization has performed approximately 140 pieces by Pacific Northwest composers, including more than 60 world premieres.

That impressive, peerless track record and the consistently high quality of the orchestra’s musicianship have drawn local and national press raves over the years, as well as appearances on National Public Radio and NBC’s “Today Show.” NWSO has won eight national ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) awards, and its several CDs have earned praise.

By Lindsay Peyton

In the fall, West Seattle High School teacher Kira Hopkins usually leads her students in lessons about literature.

This year, she decided to mix things up a bit – and get her ninth graders to focus instead on the bigger picture.

Hopkins stumbled upon a national project called Letters to the Next President 2.0 about a month ago – which encourages teens ages 13 to 18 to describe their opinions about the issues that matter most to them.

Students have until Election Day to compose letters expressing their opinions. Then, their essays will be posted online – and remain up through the inauguration of the next president.

“I thought it was a really cool idea,” Hopkins said. “The election is so pervasive in our lives. This was a fantastic opportunity for my students to get involved.”

She asked the teens to pick a topic – then research the subject. The students were also tasked with analyzing the validity of their sources.

Hopkins said that through the process students learn how to use technology for research – and how to write opinion pieces. “They had inward passion, but then they didn’t know what to say,” she said.