August 2013

By Georgie Bright Kunkel

Yes, I know. You have learned all about Mt. Rainier and don’t need another reminder of its glory. But hear me out. No single view is a duplicate. The Puget Sound area is blessed (if I may use that religious term) with this majestic eruption of lava which has become our area’s landmark. Our family inherited a view of this peak when we built our new house many years ago. I could look out of my kitchen window and be distracted from doing dishes, at least on clear days.

No matter how many thousands of people have experienced the mountain up close and personal our family called it ours. My oldest brother, Ray, was a park ranger at this mountain for many years. My brother Norman, the long distance runner, climbed it with my sister Sarah. My sister, Grace, spent many weekends exploring the trails. And her daughter worked in the gift shop giving her a chance to meet her future husband who became a park naturalist there. No wonder that one of her splendid quilts was an original design of Mt. Rainier.

By Kyra-lin Hom

I've been awfully serious here lately. What with my hammering on the toes of Big Food industries, terrifyingly zealous Jesus camps and big-mouthed hate mongers you'd think I never find my eggs sunny-side up. I don't know about you, but every once in a while a person needs a break to just let the silly shine. I know I could use one right now.

This week, my boyfriend and I found out we need to have our things packed and shipped out two weeks sooner than we'd planned. Wonderful. That's just... wonderful. I was, in fact, so flushed with joy at discovering this that I backed into a parked car in the U-Haul parking lot. Perfect. Just what I wanted. Anyone out there who thinks moving across the country is fun should be duct-taped to a pole and beaten by a hoard six year-olds with sock'em boppers – best and worst toy EVER. On the upside, I get to continue providing you all with scintillating entertainment even after my Chicago-ward jaunt at the end of this month. Thank you Ken!

Hiawatha Summer Concert Series
Aug. 8
HIAWATHA PARK, 6:30 - 8 PM (adjacent to West Seattle High School)

Impossible Bird - Nick Drummond and Tyler Carson create a stellar and mesmerizing combination of fiddle, guitar, and voice.
See the full schedule here: http://www.admiralneighborhood.org/summer-concerts/

West Seattle ArtWalk Thurs. Aug. 8

From Alki to Endolyne, the West Seattle Art Walk is brought to you by your local West Seattle merchants. Dozens of merchants in the West Seattle Junction, Alki Beach, Admiral District, Morgan Junction, Fauntleroy District and Delridge are displaying art and showcasing artists the second Thursday of EVERY month, 6-9pm!
http://westseattleartwalk.blogspot.com/2013/01/west-seattle-art-walk-20…

Community Picnic/Alki Fun Fest Aug. 9
Alki would like to thank our community by hosting a community picnic on August 9th. Join us for a BBQ style picnic from 5-7pm. We’ll enjoy great food, music, neighbors, games, prizes, cotton candy & so much more. Food is FREE games and selected treats at a small cost. We hope to see you there.

Alki Community Center

Vikings are set to invade Seattle at the 30th annual Viking Days on Saturday, August 17, and Sunday, August 18. The free admission event at the Nordic Heritage Museum in Ballard (3014 NW 67th St) will feature Nordic entertainment, food, activities, and lots of Vikings.

A traditional Swedish pancake breakfast will start each day at 9:00 a.m. while the festival will run both days from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. And on Saturday night only, guests can enjoy a special alder-smoked salmon BBQ from 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

One of the most exciting elements of the weekend is the Viking Encampment, where event-goers will see what a day in the life of a Viking was really like from demonstrations in cooking, weaving, and wood carving to interactive games — and battle!

Even the HISTORY® original television series Vikings will have a presence at the event, offering those who take and tag their pictures a chance at Vikings prizes.

Mayor Mike McGinn made an up close and personal campaign stop in West Seattle on Saturday Aug. 4 when he visited C & P Coffee to answer questions. He talked about issues of concern to people in West Seattle including transit, development, public safety, Nickelsville and what he thinks he's accomplished so far.

Transit

Burien—A 58 year old Seattle man was captured after ramming his truck into Highline Medical Center at about 7:10 A.M. The man drove to the hospital and drove his truck into the hospital’s outpatient care entrance causing significant damage to the entrance and lobby. The suspect is known to Burien police for having suspected mental health issues.

Burien Police were called to the hospital and encountered the man as he was trying to leave the area in his pickup. The suspect then tried to ram a deputy’s patrol car and yelled for the deputy to kill him. The suspect drove away and that deputy pursued the suspect. The Seattle man successfully rammed the pursuing deputy and also hit a light pole near the Burien branch of the King County Library system.

The Burien deputy was able to use a PIT (pursuit intervention technique) to get the suspect stopped. Then two deputies pinned the car into a pole at the intersection of SW 146 ST and 4 AVE SW where the pursuit ended. The suspect was pepper sprayed and taken into custody with minor injuries.

A domestic violence incident in the 6300 block of 42nd SW resulted in the arrest of a male suspect around 9:30pm Saturday night.

Multiple cars responded to the call which was first reported as an assault with weapons but there were no serious injuries involved. A female victim suffered superficial wounds according to SPD.

The male suspect was arrested and taken to the SW Precinct for further questioning.

Alki Arts, the gallery space 2820 Alki Avenue SW will close at the end of September, in preparation for what will most likely be a new restaurant. Owner Diane Venti who established the gallery in July of 2010 knew the location was subject to change. She shared, "We got our notice from our landlords yesterday. They gave us through the end of September which was kind, then they will cover the windows and start construction plans... no one said 'Cassis Restaurant' but that has been the plan all along so it is bitter sweet part sad, part scary."

Venti opened another location downtown at Harbor Steps but that location is tenuous as well. "We are trying to hang on to it but are waiting for a response from our downtown landlords," Venti said.

Alki Arts has been the host for hundreds of events, artists, and thousands of works of art during its three year run, always showcasing local talent.

Venti, whose background includes sales, event planning, catering and more said she would likely try to find a job now that the gallery is closing. "this is the end of an era," Venti said.

Gators, Sharks and Maddogs were among those gathered at the Gregory Seahurst pool in Burien for the annual Southern Division swimming meet Thursday, Aug. 1.

The meet held at the Gregory Seahurst Gators' home facility gave athletes one final tuneup -- and one final chance to qualify -- for Tuesday's Seattle Summer Swim League All-City Meet.

Swimmers and divers will be taking aim at individual and relay wins -- and SSSL records -- at the All-City action for ages 6-18 from teams all the way from Federal Way to North Seattle.

The All-City competition will take place at the Sand Point Country Club in North Seattle this year, with the gates opening at 12:30 p.m. for swimmers, coaches and onlookers alike for a meet that will get underway at 4 p.m.

Sand Point is located at 8333 55th Ave. N.E.
Warm ups will be all that is featured before 4 p.m.
The Normandy Park Sharks will be joined by Gregory Seahurst of Burien and Arbor Heights of West Seattle and White Center in the 2-2:20 p.m. session as the Olympic View Maddogs of Normandy Park await the 2:20-2:40 time slot.

By Carol Smith

B is for the bedlam that will break out down below
If the tunnel springs a leak and we’ve no boat in which to row

E is for the exit that is missing from this route
To let empty shoppers into town and all the full ones out

R is for a roadway that can never be enlarged
For a tunnel only grows in its capacity to charge

T is for the toll we’ll pay for being stuck inside
When once a splendid mountain view, came free with every ride

H is for the hindsight that our leaders will ignore
Even when the title “Big Mistake” replaces the “Big Bore”

A is for their attitude, that other ways were wrong
Which is the only thing, in Bertha’s hole, that really does belong!