December 2016

By Pat Cashman

A U.S. president named Donald? That’s a first.

History records no presidents Donald Washington, Don Lincoln or Donnie Roosevelt.

It is also worth noting that there have also been no presidents with the last names of Sutherland, Rickles or Duck.
Another fact: The first time President Trump signs a piece of legislation, he’ll be the first in eight years to do it right-handed. Not a fascinating fact. Just a fact.

In fact, in a further factual fact, not only is Barack Obama left-handed---but same with Bill Clinton and H.W. Bush before him. Gerald Ford was left-handed too. And perhaps left-footed.

Ronald Reagan was left-handed, but learned to write with his right---as did Harry Truman.
That all seems a bit odd---especially since perhaps only 10 percent of people in this country are left-handed---but more than half of recent presidents have been so.

Maybe it is because left-handers have to persevere more than the rest of us---and it translates into working harder to achieve. Or maybe left-handed presidential candidates put together stronger ad campaigns---who knows?

By Amanda Knox
 
When Chris mentioned this great film we should watch called “Spring Breakers,” I made a face. The title brought to mind an easy, lewd, slap-stick romantic-comedy, like “Bridesmaids” or “Wedding Crashers” except, instead of a dirtied-up wedding, it’d be a cleaned-up episode of “Girls Gone Wild.” Not a bad genre of film, seeing as films like that seem to entertain a lot more people than they bore, and find reiteration year after year. But certainly not my piece of cake.

Robbery at U-Haul

When an area resident visited his storage unit at U-Haul, located at 6343 35th Ave. S.W., to pay his bill on Fri., Nov. 4, he found smashed objects and a number of items missing. The man contacted an officer but was told it was too late to do anything, since there were no witnesses. There were no cameras, and no alarm sounded. He has since found out that four other units were also robbed and found a police officer willing to help file a report. He estimates that his losses exceed $1,000.

Pokemon Go game turns ugly

A Christmas poem by Carol Smith

Is incredibly awful where you would rate Wassel
Should those who make fruitcake do time
Are you for making unlawful out of town guests who waffle
On contributing for their board one thin dime

Rather than munch on turkey jerky’s old crunch
Like the kind Grandpa keeps in his pocket
Would you instead lunch on your intuition’s hunch
That it’s safer to stick your finger in a light socket

Is old King Cole lazy, is the Grinch far too crazy
Is Santa too wide in his girth
Is it your consensus that Good Old King Wenseslas
Is the least interesting man on this earth

Well if this is you, don’t think with Christmas you’re through
Just because Auld Lang Syne has been sung
For if stores as they do, keep pushing it earlier to you
Christmas may one day, never get over being done!

Update 9:35pm
Power has been restored.

Update 6pm
Power was quickly brought back online for thousands in West Seattle after a transformer in a vault failed on Saturday afternoon. Seattle City Light reported that only 136 customers were still affected at 3pm and that they expected to have the power restored completely before 9:25 PM.

Original post 1:40pm
Seattle Fire Dept emergency crews responded to call for "vault fire" in the 3900 block of Alaska Way SW around 1:25 pm on Saturday. One person contacted the Herald and said a manhole cover had blown off as a result of an explosion caused by failed transformer.

City light said via Twitter that power should be restored within a few hours.

By Gwen Davis

Homelessness is a crisis in Seattle. Fortunately, the city is responding.

In September, the city released a plan to transform the current homeless service delivery system, so that people who are experiencing homeless will have more access to longer-term solutions. The city will invest over $50 million in shelter and services.

However, transforming the system will take time. In the interim, Mayor Ed Murray convened a task force to provide recommendations on how the city can best respond to individuals who are in crisis now.

On December 1 of this year, the city announced three new sanctioned encampment locations, one of which will be located on 9701 Myers Way S. with capacity to serve 60-70 people. The encampment will be permitted for 12 months with an option to renew for an additional year. The city is in discussion with potential operators for the Myers Way site.

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

Thursday, Dec. 8
Winter sports
All Winter sports events were either postponed or cancelled because of snow.

Wednesday, Dec. 7
Gymnastics
Mount Rainier
The Rams scored 159 points to win a four-team meet Wednesday, besting the 157 of Auburn-Riverside, the 137 of Decatur and the 134 of Kentridge.
Kennedy
Kennedy Catholic finished fourth in a four-team meet Wednesday with 91 points.
Kentwood and Auburn tied for first with 135 points and Todd Beamer was next with 130.

Wrestling
Highline 34, Mt. Rainier 33
It was as close of a match as you can get as Highline edged Mount Rainier in non-league action Wednesday.
Kentlake 72, Kennedy 12
The Lancers were pinned with a loss in Wednesday action.

Boys basketball
Evergreen 49, Highline 44
Evergreen rose up to score a close win over the Pirates on Wednesday.
Seattle Christian 62, Bush 37
The Warriors were winners Wednesday against Bush School.

Girls basketball
Highline 47, Evergreen 28

The Argosy Cruises Christmas Ships will be entertaining people in West Seattle again on Saturday Dec. 10..

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10 – FIRST SAILING
LEAD BOAT with Choir
FOLLOW BOAT Goodtime II
CHOIR: Dickens Carolers
DEPARTS: Seattle Waterfront – Pier 55, 2:30-4:50pm

1st Performance: 3:25-3:45 Lowman Beach Park

2nd Performance: 4:10-4:30 Alki Beach Park
Beverages and treats provided by Alki Community Center/Seattle Parks Department. Here's the schedule:

3:30-3:50 Endolyne Children's Choir
3:50-4:10 Band lead caroling
4:10-4:30 Christmas Ship (all head to the water's edge to listen to on-board carolers)
4:30-4:40 Band lead a couple carols
4:40-5:00 Sea Lu band
5:00-5:10 Band lead a couple carols

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10 – SECOND SAILING
LEAD BOAT with Choir
CHOIR: Dickens Carolers
DEPARTS: Seattle Waterfront – Pier 55, 7:00-9:45

1st Performance: 8:00-8:15 Duwamish Waterway Park

2nd Performance: 9:05-9:25 Salty’s on Alki
Salty's will be offering free parking, blankets, heat lamps, festive cocktails and Northwest holiday cuisine.

information from Whale Trail
The Whale Trail presents Lynne Barre, NOAA Fisheries in a talk about Species in the Spotlight, focusing on the Southern Resident Orcas at C&P Coffee on Dec. 15.

Last year NOAA Fisheries launched the Species in the Spotlight initiative focused on stabilizing the populations of eight endangered species at very high risk of extinction. Southern Residents are one of the Species in the Spotlight.

With this effort NOAA is marshaling resources and focusing on partnerships to turn around the decline towards extinction and support conservation of endangered species. Lynne will highlight some recent recovery and conservation efforts for Southern Resident killer whales called for in the Species in the Spotlight Action Plan.

This is the first of the 2016/17 Orca Talk series hosted by The Whale Trail in West Seattle, with help from Seal Sitters. Join us to celebrate the seasonal return of the orcas to local waters, and do some holiday shopping too!

Buy tickets now to reserve your seat. And hurry! This will likely sell out.

About the Speaker

By Lindsay Peyton

Among members of the community, business leaders and non-profit representatives assembled on Thursday, Dec. 8 for a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Whittaker, a luxury apartment on 4755 Fauntleroy Way SW, was one especially special guest.

Mountaineer Jim Whittaker, 87, was the first American to summit Mount Everest – and erected a U.S. flag on the top. He was also the first full-time employee of REI – and held the title of CEO for the company throughout the 1960s. He’s from West Seattle, a graduate of West Seattle High School -- and the namesake of the luxury apartment complex.

Whittaker climbed up a few steps in the main entry of the south building to address the crowd.

“This is home,” he said. “I used to walk from Fauntleroy to Arbor Heights for lunch. I’m sure that’s where I began to develop my lung capacity.”

Whittaker said the apartments were built to fill a need for the area – with so many new people moving in and searching for residences.