December 2011

If you still don't have your Christmas tree up, here's a solution like we did when we were kids. You have to get up real early, before the neighbors, even.

We had no money (it was the Great Depression) but there was a big bunch of fir trees near our house. With my brother Russell, who was 10 (I was 8) we would take Dad's hand saw and climb one of those fir trees. Russell would hoist me up on his shoulders where I could stand high enough to get a branch to climb up further. I was a little tree monkey, making my way to the very top. After a few minutes of cutting, it would fall to the ground where Russ was waiting.

We had a wooden apple box near our garage. We cut a ragged round hole in the bottom to stick the tree through and poked some wire into the sides of the box to wrap it around the tree trunk to keep it from falling over.

It was ready to carry into the house. We never thought about watering the tree. We figured once it was cut, it was cut and that was it. We cleared a space near a wall. It was time to decorate.

Deadline for receiving items for Community Calendar is 5 p.m. Wednesday for the following week’s Times/News. Events are published based on timeliness and space availability. Email submissions to: hteditor@robinsonnews.com Items can be accepted from nonprofit groups and government agencies only. Others may call Dona Ozier at 206-708-1378 for inclusion in our “Out & About” advertising section.

Classes
The Hi-Liners DownStage Center's Winterfest at Hogwarts Academy—Dec. 26-29, 10 a.m.-1p.m, Ages 5-18. Burien Annex, 425 S.W. 144th St. Join us for Magic at Hogwarts with Professors Dumble-Curry and McGona-Webb! Graduation Performance December 29th, 6:45 p.m. at Winterfest in the Main Hall. Please come prepared for: Sorting into Appropriate Houses, Rudimentary Wand Construction, House Song Competition, Potions and Spells. Hogwarts Academy accepts school age Witches and Wizards in training. www.hi-liners.org.

Theatre

Mail theft in Boulevard Park
An unknown suspect wandered around Boulevard Park “delivering” bits of a ripped-up phone book to mailboxes in exchange for their mail on Dec. 11.

A forgiving pastor
The pastor of a Burien church on S. 168th St. refused to press charges against a homeless man who broke into the church by shaking a window open.

Suspected bomb in Tukwila turns out to be a firework
On Tuesday, Dec. 13 Tukwila police pulled a man over for a traffic violation and noticed a large plastic tube with a fuse sticking out in his vehicle. Bomb squad responded and detonated the device that turned out to be an oversized firework instead of a bomb.

Drunk man inside another person’s vehicle
Deputies were called to the 11300 block of 26th Ave. S. for a report of a male in another person’s vehicle. Upon arrival, the deputy saw a man standing outside a Cadillac, not in the vehicle. He was clearly intoxicated and swaying while he was trying to stand still. The man’s zipper was down on his pants. Deputies sent the man to detox.

Attempted burglary of occupied home

Friday, Dec. 16
Boys basketball
Evergreen 56, Foster 48
The Wolverines won the day against the nearby Foster Bulldogs this past Friday.

Kennedy 64, Renton 40
Kennedy Catholic crunched Renton in Seamount League action Friday evening.

Lindbergh 77, Tyee 37
Tyee took a lopsided defeat against the Eagles this past Friday.

Mt. Rainier 70, Auburn 46
Mount Rainier dominated the Trojans in a South Puget Sound League North Division game on Friday.

Crosspoint 42, Seattle Lutheran 26
Crosspoint coasted to victory over Seattle Lutheran Friday.

Rainier Christian 40, Ev. Luth. 32
Evergreen Lutheran came up short against Rainier Christian this past Friday evening.

Girls basketball
Foster 65, Evergreen 25
Foster won over Evergreen by a 40 point spread Friday.

Hazen 56, Highline 43
The Pirates went down to defeat at the hands of the Highlanders Friday.

Lindbergh 53, Tyee 46
Lindbergh outlasted the Totems in a close game Friday.

Mt. Rainier 63, Auburn 39
The Lady Rams continued their dominating season with a dominating win this past Friday.

Saturday, Dec. 17
Girls basketball

West Seattle resident Tim Nelson was hit by a semi truck on the lower West Seattle Bridge while jogging to work during the Alaska Way Viaduct week-long closure in October, sustaining life-threatening injuries.

Nelson told KOMO News on Dec. 20 that his lawyer obtained the dash-cam video from the responding SPD officer’s vehicle, and he was appalled by the comments apparently made by two officers after he was taken away by ambulance with a broken back, six broken ribs, a fractured skull, lacerated organs and a collapsed lung.

The YouTube video posted by Nelson can be viewed here, but be aware it has verbal and written profanity.

In the video posted to YouTube two SPD officers on the scene of the crash are overheard discussing Nelson’s decision to run to work:

“Yeah, They say he flew up in the air and landed on his noggin," a female officer said in the recording.

A male officer responded, “Hey, that ain't my problem."

The commercial auctioneers at James G. Murphy Co. will be auctioning off Thaiku's antique Asian decor to the highest bidder on December 29, creating a unique opportunity for people to take home a piece of Ballard Ave's beloved restaurant and bar.

Last week the owners of Thaiku and Fu Kun Wu bar announced they will be closing after ten years due to ongoing dispute with the property owner.

Owned by Jazz musician Jon Alberts, Thaiku offers regional, home-style Thai cuisine while the Fu Kun Wu bar is known as a jazz haven.

Thaiku and Fu Kun Wu’s last full day of operation is Friday, December 23, 2011 but the owners are confident that Thaiku and Fu Kun Wu will once again reincarnate in another form.

"We are actively looking for a new space and we are hopeful to reopen within a year," management said in a press release. “We are open to suggestions for a new location and a landlord that understands the commitment of building a community while having the security of a consistent and responsible tenant.”

The Recognition Wall at the Seattle Chinese Garden saw donor tiles go up on its 30 foot length on Monday, Dec. 19 as Miguel Aparicio and Dan Johnson from LP Tile from Bellevue worked to place and space them properly.

The two sided wall sits just southwest of the Knowing the Spring Courtyard which was dedicated May 15.

The first 269 tiles purchased by donors (with some as commemorative gifts) were being set with a fast-setting thinset and were covered at night with thermal blankets for the curing process.

Tiles ordered by early supporters have been inscribed and were mounted on the wall in mid August.

Prices range from $200 to $600 depending on the size of the tile and number of lines included. There's still time to order a tile for Christmas and the SCG will issue you a certificate if you order or visit them.

The City of Seattle will be updating the Climate Action Plan in 2012 and is seeking community input.

The Office of Sustainability & Environment is asking for feedback on how Seattle can achieve a low-carbon future. Visit this link for a short survey.

The Seattle Climate Action Plan will lay out a roadmap for how Seattle can become a carbon neutral city by the year 2050 and be prepared for the impacts of climate change. The plan will include strategies identifying how we can reduce our greenhouse gases in the transportation, building energy and waste sectors.

In 2010, the Seattle City Council challenged residents and city staff alike to think about what it would take to become carbon neutral. The community came together around different sectors and presented their recommendations to City Council in September of 2010.

In celebration of Ballard's green spaces, Groundswell NW features and celebrates a "Park of the Month" and the community around it. In November the spotlight is on the Sunset Hill-Shilshole gateway.

Last month Groundswell announced that it will match donations up to $2,000 for the Sunset Hill-Shilshole gateway project.

The combined amount of money raised will go toward the Neighborhood Matching Fund grant project to develop an overall concept plan and implement initial improvements on the connection between Sunset Hill and Shilshole.

The improvements aim to enhance the walkability, safety and appearance of the main southern connection between Sunset Hill and Shilshole, on the area from Seaview Ave NW and the Burke Gilman Trail up 38th Ave NW and NW 61st St to the block of 36th Ave NW divided by an overgrown landscaped median.

A unanimous vote from Seattle’s City Council approved rezoning changes for West Seattle’s Triangle on Dec. 19, leading the way for new developments and streetscapes to transform the area confined by Fauntleroy Ave to the northwest, 35th Ave to the east and Alaska St. to the south.

Here are the specifics of the resolution as presented by Councilmember Tom Rasmussen
Rezone from Commercial 1 to Neighborhood Commercial 3, described by the city as “a larger pedestrian-oriented shopping district serving the surrounding neighborhood and a larger community, citywide or regional clientele; allowing comparison shopping among a range of retail businesses.”

“It encourages pedestrian-friendly development while allowing existing buildings to continue to operate and that’s important to the community,” Rasmussen said prior to the vote, mentioning Tom’s Automotive (no relation) and Alki Lumber as examples.

Additionally, the resolution proposes the establishment of a “pedestrian designation” along S.W. Alaska St. between the junction business district and 35th Ave S.W. to encourage the walkable connection between the Junction and Triangle business districts.