October 2009

Dear Editor,

After watching the debate between Nick Licata and Jessie Israel on City Channel 21, I have decided on Nick Licata.

Jessie Israel is all for a tunnel we don’t need. I am hoping that Nick will refit the viaduct. He agrees that the mayor let Mercer Street go to ruin to get big cost repair when left as is and repair is done, which most users agree.

I see no need to put money in all the change when we can save tax dollars in repair. We have so much repair that doing all we need now, will save money in repair and we will be able to take care of all the fixing with less tax dollars. And, we have enough money to fix all.

So please tax payers please vote wisely to save money. It won’t be with a tunnel. We will have lots of jobs in fact more with repair than rebuild.

Kathleen Vogel
Delridge Way

The Admiral Junction seems to be exploding with new energy, and customers, as it quickly transforms from the quietest Junction to the “Upstart Junction," trying to stand on equal footing with its two bustling rivals to the south, the Alaska and Morgan junctions.

Porterhouse, the restaurant and bar that took Blackbird Bistro’s space, and the Brickyard BBQ each opened in August. The Shipwreck Lounge opened Oct. 10. The refurbished Angelina’s Trattoria opens within two weeks, and even the old Admiral Benbow Inn space, next to the Shipwreck Lounge, will open as the Heartland Restaurant next year, with late-night hours on the menu.

Also, the historic Admiral Theater seems to be responding by offering more live entertainment.

According to Admiral business district owners and observers, the new kids on the block help draw crowds to the more established restaurants and pubs, including the Admiral Pub, Mission, Circa, Yen Wor, south to Prost! and the Bohemian.

The race for King County Executive is supposed to be non-partisan, but it has clearly become a contest between both parties, underscored by Susan Hutchison’s ardent denials of her affiliation with the Republican camp.

There is nothing wrong with Hutchison’s embracing her Republican friends other than the fact that she is pretending she doesn’t know anyone of that persuasion. This act is part of a pattern of deception that has been revealed by successive appearances before the voters.

When the campaign began and she was still trying to find her political balance and had not yet gotten her marching orders from the well-heeled business leaders behind the scenes, she didn’t have much to say.

Then, as the campaign heated up, as her opponent Dow Constantine began to score points, Hutchison shifted her strategy to specific aspects of county government and how she would do things differently.

The thrust of her campaign became a series of sound bites. When we heard her interviewed on a talk show, she made it clear that she had learned her lines well.

This time the Raiders were doing the routing.

Thomas Jefferson picked up its first football win of the year Friday by a 52-7 score over Kent-Meridian, after taking a beating in its past games. The Raiders improved to 1-6 overall with the lopsided win under rainy conditions at Federal Way Memorial Stadium.

“It’s about time,” said TJ head coach Dean Peck. “It’s also special when it’s homecoming.”

It was a soggy but happy bunch of royalty that ascended the Raiders’ throne, and it was the Royals who had a truly miserable night as they took a beating on the field.

It took work for TJ to accomplish the feat.

“We were just working on stuff we were not doing right,” said Peck of the practices leading up to the game. “Tonight it all came together.”

Keagen Giles led the Raiders’ running game by gaining 87 yards on 22 carries, while Michael Salle gained 67 yards on 10 carries and scored two touchdowns.

Quarterback KW Williams completed 9 of 14 passes for 149 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions to provide the aerial game.

The spirit rides high for the green and white clad Eagles of Evergreen Lutheran.

The 0-4 Eagles hosted the 2-2 Quilcene Rangers in a non-league contest at Federal Way Stadium last Saturday. The Eagles are in their third year as a football program and were looking for their first win in the 2009 season.

They came off a tough loss to Crescent High School in an 8-man shootout, and with the Rangers coming in, they match up quite nicely.

Both programs have had their share of tough competition over the past two years. The Eagles’ only victory last season was over the Rangers.

Nathan Seiltz, is in his first season as head coach.

“We have a couple guys back this week that we did not have,” says coach Seiltz, “It is good to have junior Roland Wedder finally back from a leg injury. Last week we did not have Stevie Lawrence due to the flu. This will greatly help us today.”

The Eagles are still without junior running back Tom Simone and junior defensive corner Favian Chung.

Alki Elementary School's 10-year-old Vanessa Radke is one of 16 semi-finalists on the TODAY show's "Kid Reporter Contest" and will appear on the show Oct. 19, on KING 5. Radke was a 2008 Hi-Yu Junior Princess.

"Vanessa has a very bubbly and charismatic personality," said Tim Winston, president of the West Seattle Hi-Yu Summer Festival. "She sang with her grandmother at our Spring Tea and Auction at Fauntlery Hall last spring."

Performance seems to run in the family. Radke's father is H.B. Radke, of the popular jazz band HB Radke & the Jet City Swingers. His father Fred performed with the Harry James Orchestra.

"I am so amazingly proud of my little girl," said Vanessa's father. "She had a clear goal and did what she needed to do to reach it. I hope the rest of the city gets behind her and votes!"

The city will hold a series of community open houses on its new winter weather plan and preparations for the upcoming winter season.

The Seattle Department of Transportation invites the public to attend to learn more about the plan and tips for being fully prepared for sometimes unpredictable and adverse winter weather.

The schedule for the Winter Weather Open Houses will be as follows:

-Tuesday, Oct. 20, 7 p.m. – Jefferson Community Center

-Wednesday, Oct. 21, 7 p.m. – Delridge Community Center

-Tuesday, Oct. 27, 7 p.m. – Queen Anne Community Center

-Wednesday, Oct. 28, 3 p.m. – City Hall, Boards and Commissions Conference Room

The new plan, which was released earlier this month, will facilitate a coordinated response aimed at keeping buses moving and critical institutions accessible.

Here are some highlights of the plan:

-A new approach to snow that includes an expanded use of salt brine and salt, and limited use of sand.

-Significant improvements to facilities and fleet to include GPS technology and weather awareness.

The spirit rides high for the green and white clad Eagles of Evergreen Lutheran.

The 0-4 Eagles hosted the 2-2 Quilcene Rangers in a non-league contest at Federal Way Stadium last Saturday. The Eagles are in their third year as a football program and were looking for their first win in the 2009 season.

They came off a tough loss to Crescent High School in an 8-man shootout, and with the Rangers coming in, they match up quite nicely.

Both programs have had their share of tough competition over the past two years. The Eagles’ only victory last season was over the Rangers.

Nathan Seiltz, is in his first season as head coach.

“We have a couple guys back this week that we did not have,” says Coach Seiltz, “It is good to have junior Roland Wedder finally back from a leg injury. Last week we did not have Stevie Lawrence due to the flu. This will greatly help us today.”

The Eagles are still without junior running back Tom Simone and junior defensive corner Favian Chung.

Kennedy Catholic scored three goals, starting with the first 39 seconds before halftime off the sweet-shooting foot of senior Katy Dunphy.

That psychological lift against a good, competitive Highline foe led to two more in the next 20 minutes of a 3-0 win over the Pirates at Highline Stadium Thursday.

Kennedy improved to 9-0-0, currently ranked No. 2 in the state according to the Seattle Times rankings. Only Everett, the team that beat them, 4-1, in the semifinals of the 3A state tournament, looms larger at this level classification.

These teams battled back-and-forth like a teeter-totter see-sawing for the first 38 minutes, with Kennedy blasting three shots on goal but all from long, long range. None were going in. The best chance of one going in was crossed by senior Julia Besagno across the goal mouth.

Senior teammate Susan Hildebrant skillfully stuck a foot on the fast-skipping sphere across the turf. The ball directed to the far-post, but it was one great sliding kick save shot made by Pirates keeper Alana Lopez, a senior, screaming across the goal desperately.

But then came Dunphy’s work, sensing, along with teammate, Marissa Monson, a chance.

The score really did not reflect the intensity of 80 minutes of play, with the first 35 minutes of the first half scoreless. Then the Totems improved things a little more after that, striking for three second-half goals en route to a 4-0 win at Highline Stadium Thursday.

Tyee picked up its second win of the season while Evergreen continues to try hard and not have one yet.

The game plan was simple, talking to Tyee coach John Yellam. “Go out there, play hard.”

He also told his girls to be aggressive and to “fight to the end.”

They did. Both did, as the Wolverines fought hard, too, especially the first half. Their few shots on goal were saved by Totems keeper Ashley Lambe.

“She worked hard out there,” said Yellam. “She didn’t have a lot of opportunities for saves, but she made the most of the one’s she had.”

She did, and her Totems offense that helped earn her the shutout was scratching and clawing to score the first half on the other end of the field the first 30 minutes. They finally found the net five minutes from halftime on a free kick taken from the top of the 18-yard-box by senior Lisa Campos.