November 2012

Washington State Ferries announced today that there will be a temporary capacity reduction on the Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth route starting Friday evening and prior to the beginning of service, Saturday, Nov. 10.

The 90-car Sealth will replace the 124-car Issaquah for approximately one week while larger vessels are out of service for routine maintenance.

The galley on the Sealth will be closed Friday, Nov. 9 and will re-open on Sat., Nov.10, at 7:00 a.m..

From hamburger service to hospitality queen, young Penny Jumonville had a whirlwind adventure in the summer of 1962. Penny was too young for SeaFair but just right for the White Center Chamber of Commerce. They selected this counter clerk at Lou's Drive-In as their queen that year.

At Evergreen High Penny did not stand out. She was not part of the IN crowd. Her near straight A average and excellent work at the hamburger drive-in impressed only her boss Lou Dapas and her parents. Penny's charm and beauty did not go unnoticed however.

Jim Palmateer, Chamber prexy, was so impressed with her he promoted the idea that she could ride the White Center Float and enter the SeaFair royalty contest. Since Penny was not yet 18 it wasn't to be. Palmateer knew Lou Dapas. He knew that Penny had marched around White Center three years earlier, at age 14, with little pieces of paper fashioned as business cards to leave behind for prospective employers. Dapas hired her that same year. Penny worked a 40-hour week through her high school years. She needed to help her family get by as her mom and dad had split up the previous year. She gave her paycheck to her mom each week.

By Corbin Lewars

Several of my clients were struggling with what I call the fundamental step of writing: applying butt to chair. There are so many reasons to not apply your butt to the chair, and in my clients’ cases, all of them were extremely valid. One was recovering from surgery, another was caring for a daughter with cancer and another was moving. All of us have rich complicated lives and often this means we cannot or do not make time for our writing. And that’s ok. It’s more than ok, it’s reality. We shouldn’t beat ourselves up about this nor feel guilty or angry. Instead, we should accept illness, caretaking, job loss, and our general responsibilities as being part of our life and then try to make time for our writing the following day, or week, or for one hour in the evening when our life finally slows down enough to do so.

For the most part, Seattle City Council didn't touch items affecting the Ballard area in their 2013-14 city budget deliberations, which they voted unanimously on today. The budget will be adopted officially on Monday, Nov. 19.

The biggest change is added funding for the Ballard Greenway. They included $1.275 million to make it a reality. The greenway would make minor changes to NW 58th St from Seaview Ave NW to 4th Ave NW, making residential roads safer for pedestrians and bicyclists. Changes include sharrows, curb ramps, marked crosswalks, a median island at 24th Ave NW and NW 58th St, a widened multi-use sidewalk and bike ramp at 37th Pl NW by Seaview Ave NW, a permanent partial closure of NW 58th east of 15th Ave NW, and other improvements meant to provide safety and ease of access. You can read more about the proposed greenways here.

10 seconds of idling uses more fuel than turning off the engine and restarting it, and an idling vehicle emits 20 times more pollution than one traveling 32 mph.
Those sobering facts and others are part of an educational effort seeking volunteer support called Think Outside the Car sponsored by CoolMom, Safeway and the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods.

On Saturday, November 17 Think Outside the Car volunteers will help educate motorists about car idling and hand out friendly take away reminders to turn off the car while waiting for the ferry on the dock and along Fauntleroy Way SW.

The Think Outside the Car project has been building community, reducing carbon emissions, and promoting cleaner air through neighborhood schools and educating parents and students about the effects of car idling.

The project has also helped schools start Walking School Buses- which is a group of children walking to school with one or more adults. To find out more information about Walking School buses go here: http://coolmom.org/blog/walking-school-buses-in-west-seattle

Liquor moved into the private sector from state control in Washington this summer, and according to police it is now leaving retail locations unannounced at an alarming rate as a black market for stolen liquor that avoids state-imposed taxes has formed.

With large open plans, multiple exits and entrances, booze on shelves just like canned goods, and, according to one grocery store owner, the plastic bag ban making it common for people to come in with their own bags - supermarkets have become the primary target.

The story has been picked up by media citywide, and Seattle Police announced their first sting operation striking at the black market on Nov. 2, providing insight into why thieves are working the liquor aisles hard, stealing, at times, thousands of dollars worth of alcohol in a single heist. Corporate offices of large grocery store chains have been mum on the subject, and many are wondering if stores will need to move liquor from the store aisles to behind the counters, or at least increase security along those aisles.

Legislators have asked Gov. Christine Gregoire to take action and have the full, state-wide impact of coal trains studied.

In a letter sent on Wednesday, Nov. 7, seven state representatives, including Rep. Reuven Carlyle (D-36), signed and sent a letter to Gregoire addressing concerns about the proposed coal export terminal at Cherry Point, north of Bellingham. The export would result up to 18 trains, each more than a mile long, passing through Seattle and through the Ballard area every day. Every year, the trains would carry 48 million tons of coal through Seattle.

The legislators ask in the letter that Gregoire "immediately establish and empower a multi-agency task force to identify the full range of economic, environmental, transportation, and infrastructure implications of the proposed coal export terminals in our state." The task force would aid in the Environmental Impact Study, the comment period for which ends Jan. 21, 2013.

KENT - Call it continuous control.

Summoning up strong, synchromous second half play, the Seattle Christian girls soccer team took charge and eliminated the Northwest School of Seattle in a round of 16 WIAA/Dairy Farmers of Washington/Les Schwab Tires Class 1A state soccer championship match up at slippery French Field on Tuesday, Nov. 6.

Undefeated Nisqually League and Tri-district 1/2/3 Champion Seattle Christian (18-0) moved on to a Nov. 10 quarterfinal at French Field on Saturday, Nov. 10.

"We really started moving the ball around," said Warrior head coach Melissa Dunckley. "Our center forward moved high so their middle defender could not stay back. All the forwards moved high and we worked them wide. This opened up the midfield and all our parts meshed together. It was one of our best halves of the season."

After a tough first half, in which the Warriors held a slight field advantage over the Tri-district No. 6 Northwest from the tough and speedy Emerald City League, Seattle Christian adjusted its offense to ignite its powerful midfield that abetted its strong forwards.

If you're a regular reader of the West Seattle Herald online you may have noticed we've made a change in the way we post and display photos.

Stories that have multiple images will carry a photo gallery below them. The slideshow designation in the headline means that you can still click on the main image, and using the navigation arrows see the photos in sequence.

But the new gallery display means you can view the photo of your choice immediately.

The photo above? That's a screen capture from Steve Shay's story about the new Space Shuttle at the Museum of Flight. You can't click those! But you can see that story and images at this link:

http://www.westseattleherald.com/2012/11/09/news/slideshow-sneak-peak-m…

Praisealujah’s Food Ministry, from Des Moines is embarking on an ambitious food drive and you can help. The ministry has three locations where food donations can be made (full list of what they are hoping to get is below).

Over 3,000 people in Des Moines/SeaTac communities receive food each month through Praisealujah’s Food Ministry. 

Friday, Nov. 9th @ 10am-7pm
Saturday, Nov, 10th and Sunday, Nov. 11th @ 9am-5pm.

Three locations:
Saar’s Grocery Store – 9000 Rainier Avenue S., Seattle (MLK location)
Saar’s Grocery Store – 3208 NE Sunset Blvd., Renton
Saar’s Grocery Store – 10616-16th Avenue SW, White Center

All food donations will help local families in the surrounding communities during this holiday season.

If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Praisealujah: Pastor Kelly @ 206-429-3383 or 206-307-9166

Food and other supplies you can donate:

• Sugar/flour/cooking oil
• Tuna
• Cookies
• Chocolate chips, raisins
• Cake mixes, brownies