June 2010

The West Seattle High School Alumni Association All School Reunion celebrated its centennial Friday night, June 4. Alumni were divided by their graduating year into 37 class rooms, the library and Commons area. According to the program hand-out, room 131 hosted Class of 1910-1940, although, after closer inspection by the West Seattle Herald, nobody showed from the class of 1910, as they would have to be 118 years old!

But former students did show from the class of '32 and on. Marylee Sailor sported a "Class of '32" sticker.

"Oh gosh, I remember Earl Robinson," said Sailor, who now lives in Puyallup, of the balladeer who would be 100 this year. "I played piano. We all played instruments. I suppose I had my share of boyfriends in high school. I went to the University of Washington. I haven't left this country much. I'm a sticker. I like it here."

Lovebirds Edward and Irma Chamberlain also attended the reunion. They were each Class of '35, high school sweethearts, and married in1939 at age 23. They have lived near the Alaska Junction for many years.

Celebrate the arrival of summer at the Northwest Wine Academy's festive event featuring the latest wine releases, gifts baskets and more. Featured vintages that will be available for sampling and sale are the 2009 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay, 2009 No Oak Chardonnay, 2009 Late Harvest Viognier 375 ml (limited edition), 2009 Collaboration White Blend (mostly Roussanne with a touch of Viognier), and 2007 Cabernet Franc.

Can't make it to the summer release event? Wines are available for purchase on site weekdays from 10 am - 4 pm (closed during the quarter break June 21-25). From July 16 through September 3, the retail store will close at 1 pm on Fridays.

Since releasing its first five vintages in 2005, the NWA has consistently created award-winning, student-produced wines that have medaled at numerous prestigious competitions. Most recently NWA wines earned seven Grand Awards of Excellence from the 2010 Seattle Wine Awards Tasting Panel - Silver / 2008 Muscat Love, 2007 Cabernet Franc; Bronze / 2008 Chardonnay, 2007 Syrah; and Outstanding / 2008 White Table Wine, 2007 Barbera, and 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah Blend.

Charges are expected to be filed soon against Jayson Boehm by the King County prosecutor, Highline Public Schools Superintendent John Welch told about two dozen concerned parents and students June 3 at the Evergreen High campus library.
Boehm was fired last month for giving physicals to male student athletes without appropriate medical supervision.

Pending a hearing, the state Department of Health also issued an emergency suspension of Boehm's four state licenses. The licenses allowed Boehm to act as an emergency medical technician (EMT,) certified nursing assistant, massage therapist and certified counselor. He was not licensed to conduct physical exams.

A preliminary interview of students revealed that Boehm provided sports physicals to approximately 50 male student athletes without a medical license, according to district officials. Nearly all of them were conducted at the Evergreen campus, but a few were of Highline High students. The physicals included touching of the genitals.

Boehm then falsified sports clearance forms to make them appear a doctor had done the physicals.

On Thursday, June 10, 7 p.m., SEATTLE CHANNEL 21, tune in and call 206-684-8821 or email askthemayor@seattle.gov and communicate in real time with the new mayor and host C.R.Douglas. If you can't call or email then, call 206-684-8821 or email askthemayor@seattle.gov anytime to record your question for the mayor.

Do you have questions for Mayor Mike McGinn? How will the mayor choose Seattle's next Police Chief? Even though the City faces a $50 million budget deficit, can the mayor find money for his "Walk.Bike.Ride." initiative to improve transit and people-powered transportation? Do other political leaders share the mayor's concerns about cost overruns on the replacement of the Alaskan Way Viaduct with a tunnel?

On Thursday, June 10, 7 p.m. call 206-684-8821 and talk to the mayor and SEATTLE CHANNEL host C.R.Douglas. If you can't call then, call 206-684-8821 anytime (right now for instance!) and have your question recorded for the show. Or email your question by replying to this email or writing to askthemayor@seattle.gov anytime the inspiration strikes you.

When West Seattle's Marty Riemer went to work one day at 103.7 FM KMTT last September he thought something might be brewing. "They hadn't been talking to me, even though my contract was nearly up," he said, but he never thought that after 12 years with the station he would be "escorted out of the station by a guard." He loved working at 'The Mountain' even though in the last year it had gotten tougher. But given all the commitments he had, it never occurred to him they would remove him so suddenly. "The industry has learned that no one is doing that anymore."

West Seattle resident, Timothy McClellan, the father of Shane, 16, who was beaten and tortured for four hours May 25 at 2:00 a.m. by two men at the top of the steps at 14th Avenue SW and Southwest Holden Street, told the West Seattle Herald that his son identified those he believed attacked him from a police photo line-up. He did so today, June 4.

On June 3, Timothy spoke to the West Seattle Herald to clarify the incident and feelings his family shares about the attack and its racial components. He asked that the "bloody nose photo" circulating not be used here, and provided a recent photo of Shane.

Timothy, 50, an unemployed union fire sprinkler fitter and stand-up comedian said that he, Shane, and Shane's mother, who he recently divorced, and who lives two blocks from him, characterize the national press attention brought on by Shane's attack as a "circus."

In a surprising move Water District 54 told the Des Moines City Council that, with some concessions from the City, the District said they will put together a package to put a 12 inch water main along Marine View Drive.

By the next study session on July 1 staff from the Water District and the City will likely have plans for a project ready that will solve the water problem in Downtown Des Moines, Des Moines Mayor Bob Sheckler said.

In order to move the project forward, Water District Commissioner John Rayback said the District would delay plans to connect water lines from 8 Ave. west to 7 Ave. Instead the plan being proposed by the District would put a 12 inch water main on the west side of Marine View Drive, and tie in that water line with the water main on 7 Ave.

This all comes less than a month after the Water District sent a letter to the City saying they did not want to be responsible for paying for the water main down Marine View Drive, sparking comments from City officials of possibly taking the Water District over.

Poetrybridge at C&P Coffee is adding a new poetry venue called Family Poetry Night on the 2nd Wednesday of each month with a special invitation to "all fledgling poets, more precisely those who may see themselves as fledglings." The first night will be Wednesday, June 9th, at C&P, 5612 California Avenue SW, from 6:30pm-8:00pm.

Each month Poetrybridge will invite elementary, middle, and high school classes in the West Seattle area to be special guest readers followed by open mic to anyone of any age who has original poems to contribute in the spirit of the evening.

This month's special readers are members of the third grade class at Gatewood Elementary School who have been writing poetry this year.

You can read the recent West Seattle Herald story about Poetrybridge here:

http://www.westseattleherald.com/2010/05/26/features/update-slideshow-p…

"Everything you need is here," Bryan Johnston said about his 3,500-square-foot, 98-year-old Ballard house. "There is a room for everything."

He isn't kidding.

There is the spacious living room and dining room, complete with fireplace and original woodwork. The sunroom that Bryan's wife Susan used while making calls for the 700 Club and now holds a half-played board game. A former bedroom with its own private stairwell to the kitchen so the children could eat without interrupting their parent's parties. Another former bedroom, now converted into a dressing room with tiered walk-in closet.

Add to the house's interior accommodations and surprises, the views of Puget Sound from second and third-floor balconies and a double lot-sized yard, and it becomes clear that Susan and Bryan Johnston's home isn't just any house.

"The moment you walk in, you feel something," Susan said.

In 1975, Bryan bought the house at 8344 32nd Ave. N.W. from his parents, who had purchased the house in 1943 when Bryan was 6 months old. In 1976, he started redoing the house.

Barb Balden lives in her vehicle on the streets of Ballard. She works but can't afford rent and homeless shelters are full.

It's a noisy and difficult arrangement – parking enforcement officials target and harass homeless people, having to move her vehicle every 72 hours uses up her gas supply, and there are few places left to park due the the proliferation of "No Parking 2 a.m. to 5 a.m." signs, she said.

Ballard Homes for All Coalition, started by State Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson in 2007, is launching the Congregation-Hosted Safe Parking for People Living in Vehicles project to create a safe place for homeless people to park their vehicles and have access to restrooms, waste disposal and showers.

"Everybody has to be someplace," Sally Kinney, a member of the Interfaith Task Force on Homelessness, said at the first meeting for the project June 3. "Even though we don't like the idea of people living in vehicles, we have to give them someplace to live."

The Safe Parking project is reaching out to 34 Ballard-area churches and religious organizations to convince them to host a small number of car campers on their property.