March 2012

Our story about the loss of a beloved pet, by Managing Editor Ken Robinson touched many hearts in the community and led Marianne LaBarre to write to us with a problem she is facing. If you can help please contact her at the email address below.

Dear Editor-
I have never written a letter regarding a newspaper article but I was really touched reading your article about your little kitty Spats. So sorry for your loss.

I am struggling with a different kind of kitty challenge. We have two beloved cats--Benny, short for Bengali is the lover boy kitty of the neighborhood. Everyone adores him. He is friendly to everyone and easily wins hearts. Chrissy his all black sister is a little more shy but loves nothing better than curling up next to who ever is sitting on the couch. Totally cat like, she likes to set the terms of connection but purrs her heart out if you just let her sit close.

Friday, March 23 is the final day to nominate an Unsung Hero for the Delridge neighborhood (please see details below).

Also, the Delridge Neighborhood District Council is hosting an Unsung Heroes Banquet on April 20 to celebrate the Outstanding Unsung Hero and they are still looking for financial support.

From DNDC:
"To help support the Unsung Heroes Banquet, we need $2,000.00 for us reach our budget of $2,500.00. Please contact Mike Shilley to become an event sponsor at michael.j.shilley@q.com or by phone at (206) 762-7111."

Press release
DELRIDGE DISTRICT LOOKING FOR UNSUNG HEROES

The Chief Sealth International High School PTSA shared the results of the Dinner/Auction held last Saturday night in a letter to supporters. The event raised close to $60,000, which is more than last year's total. "Passport to Excellence" was the third year for the event.

Greetings,
Thanks to the wonderful Seahawk Spirit on display last Saturday night, we are thrilled to announce that our 3rd Annual Auction raised nearly $60,000!! That is a huge increase over last year's successful event and we are so proud of and grateful to our fantastic community for supporting Chief Sealth International High School.

The final figures are still being sorted out, but we are pleased to share the proceeds equally between the PTSA, which funds programs and activities that support academics, student enrichment, and staff/curriculum support, Chief Sealth Performing Arts, and the Chief Sealth Athletics program. Our goal this year was to unify community-building and fundraising efforts to continue to reinforce all we do together to make Chief Sealth the great place that it is.

By Shane Harms

From a struggling citizen down on his luck to an inspirational speaker, in the last few months the story of Ballard sweeper Tim Allen has touched people all over Seattle.

Last week Allen was invited to speak at the South Seattle Community College, where a group of under-privileged youth are enrolled in the YouthBuild educational program by YouthCare, a not-for-profit organization that provides over 4,000 youth per year with basic services, emergency shelter, housing, counseling, education, and employment training. 

After being laid off from his job last October and losing his home, Allen has been sweeping the streets of Ballard and Queen Anne with his trademark 5 gallon bucket and broom, accepting donations while he tries to find work and a place to live.

Jon Bersche, Program Manager for YouthCare, met Allen in Ballard and was immediately impressed with what he had to say.

“He has such an inspirational story, I was moved. I thought the students would benefit from hearing it too,” Bersche said.

After working with around 100 principals as Seattle’s interim superintendent, Susan Enfield is excited about the great things that can be accomplished when she can focus on working with about a third that many principals in the smaller Highline district.

In an in-depth interview with the Highline Times in her Seattle office, Enfield, Highline’s newly selected superintendent, declared she thinks, “Highline can be a district people look to.”

Enfield, who officially begins her new duties July 1, emphasizes that operating a school district is a team effort.

“A superintendent alone can’t do much but with a great team and partnering with families, we can do great things,” Enfield declared.

“It will be hard and it will take time. It won’t happen in the first year,” she said.

After announcing that she did not want the permanent position in Seattle, Enfield said she looked at both the Highline and Bellevue school districts.

But during Highline’s all-day interview process, Enfield said she was “wowed” by Highline and the community’s level of commitment.

She was especially impressed with the students.

By Cassandra Baker, Intern

1:09 p.m. on March 5th. 14th block of NW Market St

Police responded to a report that a shoplifter had been caught at a local grocery store on the afternoon of March 5th. The complainant told police that the suspect had been caught shoplifting at the store in July of 2011. The officer verified that the suspect had been previously charged for shoplifting at the date stated by the complainant. The suspect was arrested and later booked in King County Jail.

9:17 p.m. on March 3rd. 77th block of 31st Ave NW

A woman returned home on the night of March 3rd to find that her back door had been kicked in. She told police that she had left the house at 6:10 p.m. that day, and in the next three hours her house was burglarized. The suspect went through bedrooms and the computer room, taking a computer, coins, and a house key. The suspect also rifled through the victim’s jewelry, but it was unclear whether anything had been taken. Partial fingerprints were found on the jewelry boxes.

11:31 a.m. on March 2nd. 70th block of Mary Ave NW

By Bill Burkland

It is not often that one is presented with the opportunity to learn about a foreign culture and meet new people without ever having to leave one’s home, but through the Ergon Student Exchange program, that is indeed the case.
Over the last two years, my wife and I have had the good fortune of hosting two wonderful Italian exchange students through the program.
Most recently we hosted Letizia, a smart, personable and fun student from Milan. Even though it was Letizia’s first visit to the U.S., when she arrived at our house in September she knew a surprising amount about Seattle and Washington State; she knew the state flower, the state bird, she knew the Cascades were in the east and the Olympics in the west and she knew that the Mariners were in last place in the American League.

As the LED light demonstration and testing wrapped up in Ballard on Thursday night, the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) released a videoof the visual performance study done along 15th Avenue NW from March 6th through 8th.

NEEA and the City of Seattle are collaborating on a streetlight study that compares the difference in visibility between new LED street lights and traditional high pressure sodium lights.

For three nights the city closed down 15th Avenue NW between NW 65th and NW 80th Street to allow volunteer pedestrians and drivers to test the LED lights under varying conditions.

According to NEEA, the three-night streetlight testing in Ballard demonstrates the effectiveness of solid state lighting (SSL) using LEDs.

The guidance provided by these studies will help municipalities in selecting proper lighting levels for LED streetlights, which use up to 50 percent less energy than traditional streetlighting technologies. 

After Murphy's Paw prior owner Bonnie Davis was forced to closer her business in August of 2011, good news for dog owners:

Murphy's Paw will reopen at 9 a.m. on March 9 under the ownership of Robin Shelton, a dog grooming professional with 30 years of service under her belt.

Shelton said the name will remain Murphy's Paw and in addition to self serve dog washing stations, a professional groomer will be available daily.

The store will be open from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. for self serve washing and grooming is by appointment only (call Robin at (206) 384-8803).

Shelton is moving her business from Normandy Park to White Center and said she has operated in West Seattle and White Center in her long history as a groomer.

The Academy Awards take place Thursday, March 22, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Production Shop, 14634 9th Ave. S.W. in Burien.

No—not the one for movie actors, directors and producers.

We’re talking about the Academy Awards for Highline teachers, administrators and classified employees.
Each year, the Highline Schools Foundation for Excellence announces the much-anticipated Gold Star awards recognizing outstanding adults in Highline public schools.

The annual Gold Star Awards Breakfast honoring the winners is during the school day so teachers can’t participate.

So this year the foundation decided to throw a Gold Star Awards Bash in the evening on March 22 to announce the winners.

“It’s the schools version of the Academy Awards,” foundation executive director Ashley Forsberg declared.
The bash will be a red-carpet style unveiling of the 2012 winners, complete with drinks, light appetizers, dancing and an emcee.

Fosberg predicts the event will be “festive, fun, lively and full of anticipation.”
Tickets are $15 per person and can be ordered online at www.highlineschoolsfoundation.org.

The bash will be the first place the names of the winners are announced.