June 2010

The crowds showed up for Delridge Day and reFresh Southwest on June 5 at the Delridge Community Center and Youngstown Cultural Arts Center on Delridge Way. There were a bevy of family events, kids activities and since the event merged the previously standalone West Seattle Sustainability Fair there were lots of exhibits on the environment, gardening, and recycling.

There were 55 exhibitors at the event, staged in the north parking lot of the center. DJ's and live music, and plenty of information to be shared between those working the event and people visiting.

King County Executive Dow Constantine walked through the event and took time to speak with the West Seattle Herald. We asked him how he's adjusting to his job. "It's more physically taxing than I thought it would be," he said, "this is my third event today, but I'm enjoying it." Is he having fun? "I wouldn't exactly call it fun but it's challenging and satisfying." What about those times he gets to work "in the shoes" of a county employee? "That is fun," he said, "but I have to chose another one coming up soon and I think this time it will be one where I can learn more."

This is the seventh in a series of articles on Fauntleroy resident Morey Skaret, who has been swimming, paddling, sailing and boating around Puget Sound for the last eighty-five years. One of his first aquatic jobs was in the 1930s as a lifeguard at Lincoln Park’s Colman Pool, when it was little more than a tidal lagoon.

“There were some creeks that flowed into a marsh at Lincoln Park Point,” Morey recalls. “Point Williams is its true name.” Looking out of Morey’s living room window on this late-autumn afternoon, I can just make out the Point’s dark outline through soggy wisps of fog.

“There was kind of a muddy marsh where ducks swam around. You couldn’t wade in it. But there was a constant flow of water down there. And when the Knights Templar—a national organization—came here, they told our city management that if they could get a salt-water pool, they could swim in salt water, because the Sound was too cold for pleasant swimming.

The Highland Park Improvement Club sponsored a group walk to the Delridge Community Center where the reFresh Southwest Festival and Delridge Day event took place from 1 to 5 pm

They competed for prizes: the largest group walk, most trash collected, most landmarks visited, largest piece of garbage plus photos of problems that need fixing, and best photos of Delridge. Contributing photographer Dina Johnson took the photos in the slideshow.

CLICK THE PHOTO ABOVE TO SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THE WALK

On Saturday morning the West Seattle Stadium was for people 50 and up as they hosted the Northwest Senior Games (NWSG). Several hundred people competed in the 12 track events, every competitor 50-years-old or older.

The events included pole vaulting, long jump and triple jump, shot put, discus, high jump, etc., as well as a series of races.

The games originally began as the Greater Seattle Senior games in 1998. Over 500 seniors competed in the games in 2007.

A Normandy Park family is mourning the loss of their son in a South American ski accident.
Arne Backstrom was the reigning Freeskiiing World Tour champion. He was a graduate of Highline High School.
His love for skiing started at Crystal Mountain. His parents served on the ski patrol at the Mt. Rainier resort for over two decades. His sister, Ingrid, is one of the world's best free skiers and his brother, Ralph, is a professional snowboarder.
His father, Steve Backstrom, told KING TV News, "They have to live their lives the way they want to. I'm naturally sad that his life is stopped this way, but he had 29 pretty awesome years and a very quick ending."

If you eat out, you know that you can often order a larger size of most items.

This concept, that bigger is better, is everywhere. Look at muffins in the grocery store. They are easily twice as big as they used to be. Cookies have also expanded. Now one chocolate chip cookie could feed two hungry teenagers!

This move toward larger serving sizes is one of the reasons obesity is rising in America. With bigger serving sizes, you get more sodium, protein and calories.

Download the attached document for examples of sodium and calories for common portion sizes and larger sizes.

How do you know how much sodium and how many calories are in a restaurant meal? New regulations require restaurants with more than 15 outlets nationwide to post calories, sodium and other nutritional information on menus.

If you’re eating at a restaurant that doesn’t have available nutritional information, use your good judgment on portion sizes. When a serving seems too big, cut it in half and take the rest home for another meal.

Learning what is a regular size serving will help you keep your diet under control.

Here are some easy ways to estimate serving sizes.

Decatur's Meghan Cassens was forced to use every part of her cunning and experience to survive on the tennis court while capturing her second consecutive Class 4A girls singles state championship at the Tri-City Court Club.

Cassens completed a run through the gauntlet of the state's best players while remaining unbeaten in her junior year with a convincing 6-1, 6-3, defeat of WesCo League Stanwood's Megan Lalone, on Saturday, May 29. It was also the third consecutive year playing in the state championship final match. As a freshman, Cassens lost to Gig Harbor's Christy Sipes. Last year she beat another WesCo League player in the form of Lake Stevens' Antonia Liebenow.

Zero hour for the talented Gator ace came in the semifinals against the stiff challenge of Newport's Angela Chen.

After Cassens controlled the first set 6-2, Chan stormed to a second set 6-4 win to set up a three-set marathon. The situation looked rugged for Cassens when the Newport star broke service early and led 3-0.

Mustering up all her experience and fortitude, the talented junior from Decatur broke her opponent's serve twice to win six of the next seven games.

The newest produce stand in town, West Seattle Produce at 4721 Fauntleroy SW is holding their long awaited Grand Opening June 5 and 6.
After a few delays in the arrival of refrigerated cases, "things have come together and we're doing well," said one of the owners Mike Cairns.

"We're getting some special buys on mangos and avocados. Tons of wonderful, super sweet California corn, both white and yellow. We've got bins of watermelons coming. We've got a very special melon called an 'orange flesh honeydew' that is the tastiest melon you've ever sunk your teeth into. We'll have papaya and lots of pineapple," said Cairns. Also new at the stand is Oak Leaf Lettuce (in addition to Red and Green leaf lettuce) from Whidbey Island. "It's naturally grown," said Cairns which means it is grown without pesticides. "It takes 7 years to till and retill the land to become certified organic and they have two years to go at this farm so, we can't call it organic but it's as close as possible to that designation."

The reFresh Southwest Festival and Delridge Day event is happening today, June 5 from 1 to 5 at 4501 Delridge Way S.W. featuring 55 exhibitors, live music (as well as DJ driven tunes), workshops on the arts and the environment, and much more.
The West Seattle Herald booth will be at the northeast corner of the exhibition area. Stop by and say hello and pick up a FREE copy of our local environmental guide, The Green Book.

FAMILY ACTIVITIES

Tents will be set up for families to enjoy the festival: a photo booth, face painting, Henna Extravaganza, bubbles, potato sack races, and a jumpy tent are just a few of the features that will be offered for free throughout the day. The Austin Foundation will also offer a fun obstacle course for kids to get active and learn more about exercise.

URBAN FARM WORKSHOPS

City chickens, bees, a worm bin, and maybe even a goat? Come check out what's possible when city and farm collide, and learn more about your ability to grow, cultivate, and be more sustainable as a Seattle resident. Sustainable West Seattle will host featured stations and speakers throughout the day.

The Seattle Police Department is excited to present a new way in which to view certain police reports online. Accessing police reports will now be more convenient and easier for the public. This will replace the current system of redacted reports on CD-ROMs available at selected police precincts when the Department went “paperless” in 2007.

For the past 6 months Department staff from SPD IT, the Public Requests Unit, Data Center, Records Files and the City of Seattle DoIT Web Team have worked together to create internet based access to police reports. This access is provided via a user authenticated website similar to other web applications provided by the City of Seattle.

Beginning Thursday, June 3rd, all homicides, robbery, burglary and aggravated assault cases will be available online. Naturally, there will be a delay as the reports are transcribed and redacted, but generally they will be available within 2-3 business days of when the report was written. The reports will be searchable by General Offense number, offense and/or date range. If more staff becomes available, more types of crime reports may be added in the future.