October 2009

Jean Smart, a Ballard High School graduate and Emmy Award-winning actress, has joined the Chris Elliott Fund as a board member and as their public spokesperson in its fight against brain cancer.

Smart will be speaking at the Chris Elliott Fund's Eighth Annuyal Gray Ribbon Gala and Benefit Auction tonight at the Golf Club at Newcastle about her sister's battle with brain cancer.

"It's time to wage war against brain cancer as we do for any other life threatening disease," she said in a press release. "The work that CEF does for people like my sister and all brain tumor patients and their families is phenomenal."

The Chris Elliott Fund is a nonprofit organization, which funds the Integrative Patient Support Program at Seattle's Swedish Neuroscience Institute.

Folowing her stint as a Ballard Beaver, Smart has starred in the television series, such as "24" and "Designing Women." She won an Emmy Award in 2008 for her role in the ABC show "Samantha Who?"

The Ballard High School girls soccer team faced another tough opponent in Eastlake during its Oct. 1 match.

Eastlake, one of the top 10 teams in the state, came away with the win 4-2. The Beavers previously lost to Skyline, the No. one team in the state, Sept. 29.

Freshman Kat Aneseni scored both goals unassisted for Ballard in the Oct. 1 match.

The competition should get a little easier for the team in a coming showdown with Bothell, which is 0-4 in the conference and 2-6 overall.

The Beavers head to Bothell Oct. 6 for a 7:30 p.m. match.

It was one year ago that we experienced Uncle Sam's takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the downfall of Lehman Brothers, the hasty sale of Merrill Lynch - the financial meltdown's most gut-churning period - and now a year later, signs of optimism in the housing market are everywhere.

Existing home sales rose in July for the fourth time in as many months and inventory totals are off their record levels of a year ago. And prices, while still declining, are no longer in free fall.

However, the looming expiration of a popular federal tax credit has some worried that the housing market may give back its recent gains, and the real estate and home building industries are pushing lawmakers to extend the incentive. Here's a look at the impact of the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit, and the political outlook for its extension.

Photographer Kurt Howard captured this photograph of Sara Shimer of Federal Way (left) as she celebrates knocking in a goal against TJ.

Sara Shimer's goal at 44:00 was assisted by Andrea Ferguson. The goal put the Eagles up 2-0, a lead they held until the end of the game.

Federal Way also received scoring contributions from Molly Campbell (un) at 22:00.

The Ballard High School football team is having a rough season. Playing the number-two team in the state is never a high-percentage way to turn that around.

The Beavers succumbed to the odds Oct. 1 with a 42-7 loss to second-ranked Bothell.

Bothell (2-0 conference, 5-0 overall) leapt out to 21-0 first-quarter lead and never looked back.

Ballard (0-2 conference, 0-5 overall) avoided the shutout when sophomore Jesse Scott found the end zone after a 60-yard run in the fourth quarter. It was the Beavers' third touchdown of the season.

The best chance for a Ballard football win is coming up next week when the Beavers take on winless Lake Washington at 7 p.m. on Oct. 9 at Lake Washington High School.

After a year of planning, the Philadelphia Church in Ballard has opened a non-profit program aimed at empowering and educating single mothers.

Part of the program, Single Mothers Acquiring Resources and Training (SMART), provides a free mother and child clothing bank.

“We wanted to decide what kind of ministry we wanted to do and how we wanted to help,” Vicky Berg, SMART volunteer said. “(It was) either a food bank, clothing bank or GED program.”

It wasn’t until a couple of teachers and administrators from Edmonds Community College came to speak at the church that Berg, along with fellow volunteers Joan Roddy and Jeanne Congdon, heard about the SMART program.

“They were telling us that if we wanted to get this kind of (program) we should probably have some kind of ministry where moms can have their own businesses, support themselves and their kids,” Berg said.

Roddy said the program was an obvious choice to help empower single moms while also providing support and education.

A river otter checks out photographer Seth Bynum in Marlake Pond last month. This secretive creature has taken up residence within the West Hylebos Wetlands Park in Federal Way, and is one of the many species that call the green spaces of our community home.

The West Hylebos Wetlands Park is located on S. 348th Street. For more information about the park or to help volunteer to protect this natural resource in Federal Way, contact the Friends of the Hylebos.

Dr. Andrew Weil is a medical doctor who favors herbs and organic food products over pharmaceuticals and the food produced by the congloms.

To me, and I’m certain, to a lot of folks he looks a bit like Santa Claus, albeit without the red hat.

His cherubic smile, holistic tendencies and professional standing make him popular with the back-to-earthers.

A couple of months ago, Mrs. Anthony and I visited with her mother on the outskirts of town.

‘Ma’ is half Irish, half Russian and all beauty queen, and I love visiting her.

She gives me home-baked organic cookies and sews my torn up jeans.

Ma is also what used to be called a ‘health nut’.

She can be found at places like Marlene’s or Fred Meyer Nutrition center, stocking up on Stevia or Vitamin Q.

At Ma’s house, I noticed a copy of a natural health magazine laying on a pile of newspaper. Dr. Weil’s Christmassy face was beaming from the cover.

I said, “Hey Ma, what do you think of Doc Weil…pretty neat guy huh?” I expected her to agree with me, but instead, she wrinkled up her nose and nearly shouted, “OHHH..I can’t STAND his FACE!”

District 4 of the Federal Way School Board has two candidates running for this position that share, at least minimally, some similar concerns about our school district.

The district has according to “Education Week” only 45.7% of its 9th graders graduating and has no Black or Hispanic that has attained “Level 4,” known as “Exceeds Expectations.”

Angela Griffin was appointed to her position upon the resignation of Tom Madden and has now served about one year on the Board.

She is an executive in the YMCA and has seen some of the poverty and culture issues that face this community.

Steve Skipper has run for the School Board in the past and has continued to be aware of the schools, and school boards’ actions for many years. In some cases I have, in brackets ( ) included some of my observations from 16 years of school board involvement including 7 years on the Board.

1. What do you regard as some of the most pressing problems for the school district? Other than financial.

Angela Griffin

The vast auditorium at the state Criminal Justice Training Center in Burien proved big enough Sept. 29, to accommodate Highline residents with questions and concerns about jet noise from Sea-Tac International Airport.

Crowds overflowed the Des Moines City Council Chambers at an earlier meeting on Aug. 19 called by local lawmakers.

State Sen. Karen Keiser, Rep. Dave Upthegrove, Rep. Tina Orwall, Rep. Sharon Nelson and King County Councilwoman Julia Patterson attended the meeting. Des Moines Councilwoman Susan White introduced the speakers.

As at the previous meeting, speakers vented their anger at the airport and asked pointed questions of Port of Seattle and Federal Aviation Administration officials.

Upthegrove noted he was born and raised in Burien "under the shadow of the airport."

He recalled when 1,000 people showed up at Foster High School to protest construction of the third runway.

"The community has been down this road before and we came together to challenge the Port of Seattle," Upthegrove declared. "This community has a proud history of standing up for ourselves."