August 2015

The number one seeds dominated at the National Volleyball League Seattle Championships with Dave Palm & Eric Zaun and Brooke Niles & Karolina Sowala taking home titles. Both teams won straight matches in extreme weather conditions throughout the weekend to get into the finals on Sunday.

Coming off a victory at the Hermosa Beach Championships, Palm/Zaun won another hard-fought three game match going 21-18, 11-21, 16-14 over No. 7 seed Drew Mallin & Ryan Vandenburg. This is Palm’s third win in 2015, partnering with Mike Placek for the Panama City Beach Championships to defeat Erik Haddock and Roberto Rodriguez-Bertran.

Niles/Sowala conquered No. 2 seed and reigning women’s champions Vivian Cunha & Raquel Goncalves Ferreira, 10-21, 21-19, 15-10. Niles/Sowala opened the season with a win at the Panama City Beach Championships, defeating Cunha/Ferreira in a close two game match.

By Marjorie Young

One facet of our life journey is the unique associations we make along the way. Some strike me as ‘preordained,’ possessing a far-reaching resonance and the potential to alter us in myriad ways.

I have been fortunate to have a number of such people in my life. One particular connection I’ll reflect upon here concerns my god-daughter, Lea; now a gorgeous eighteen; a gifted artist with a loving heart. I met her father, Dilip, years ago, while wandering across Asia. The nineteen-year-old Swiss traveler and I crossed paths in Kathmandu, and though having little in common superficially, we immediately hit it off, trekking the Himalayas together, then heading for Burma and Thailand, where we went our separate ways. In a time before email, we managed to stay in touch, knowing our rapport was a rare thing.

Some years later, Dilip married Carole. Six months after welcoming their first daughter, Meera, Dilip phoned to report that his parents were visiting Seattle and wanted to meet me. Of course, I agreed.

The Kick-starter campaign that would move the Edith Macefield “Up” house to Orcas Island is having a slow start getting off the ground.

Last month it was announced that OPAL (“Of People And Land”) Community Land Trust --a land trust non-profit based on Orcas Island -- was the recipient of the house. Since then they have started a campaign to raise money for the move from Seattle to Orcas Island. The estimated cost of the move is $205, 000 and as of August 29, they have raised just over $17,000.

“It is a make it or break it deal. We have to reach the full goal, and likewise that is the cost we have to cover to make it work. The only other option would be some magic donor out there,” said Lisa Byers, Executive Director of OPAL. “We have been reaching out individually to people to make more substantial donations.”

Byers said she attributes the slow donation rate to summer plans and distractions and that it’s tough for Ballardites to support the house being moved after Edith Macefield held her ground for so long.

Courtesy of CBRA

The Central Ballard Residents Association plans to host a forum where residents of District 6 will have the opportunity to meet candidates running for positions of Seattle City Council. The forum will be held at Leif Erickson Hall the evening of Sept. 17 and October 7.

Each date will have one of the candidates from Districts 6, 8 and 9.  CBRA decided to not have a debate format, but one that permits the candidates to individually engage the audience. Each candidate will have a one-half-hour time slot, along with three minutes to provide an introduction to his or her positions and/or philosophy. Then the audience will have the opportunity to ask questions and the candidate will have the chance to respond.  They will finish with a short statement. 
 
The schedule is as follows:
 
September 17, 2015
7:00-7:30     District 8     Jon Grant
7:30-8:00     District 9     Bill Bradburd
8:00-8:30     District 6     Catherine Weatbrook

October 7, 2015
7:00-7:30     District 9     Lorena Gonzales
7:30-8:00     District 8     Tim Burgess
8:00-8:30     District 6     Mike O-Brien

A new recreational cannabis shop opened over the weekend, and customers flocked to the grand opening party to get their hands on the latest harvest of Washington State grown pot.

Stash Pot Shop Ballard, at 4912 17th Ave. NW, opened last Saturday August 29 and held their grand opening bash. They featured vendors, food, music and, of course, cannabis. They also collaborated with neighbors, Hilliard’s Beer and Shelter Lounge, who offered specials for Stash customers.

The event was for adults 21-and-over and had a good showing with at least a hundred individuals. Local band, Ayron Jones and The Way closed the night with a stellar and uplifting performance.

The store is one of two opening in Seattle; Stash is also opening a recreational store in Lake City, called Lake City Stash.

“They are going to be identical shops and offer the same premium products,” said Shea Hynes, Product Buyer for Stash.

Patrick Hynes, Shea’s father, and Shea Hynes are a few of the owners/staff of the new shop. The two started in the industry with a medical collective called Professional Patient CO-OP.

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

Ugwoaba returns for Vikings

Highline High School graduate Uche Ugwoaba is back for his senior season as a midfielder for the Western Washington University men's soccer team in Bellingham.
Ugwoaba, who is originally from Lagos, Nigeria, is a three-year letter winner who started every game the past three seasons.
He was all-GNAC honorable mention last year, and a second-team selection the previous season.

Kela keeps improving

Chief Sealth graduate Keone Kela has continued to improve his pitching record with the Texas Rangers.
The reliever has lowered his earned run average to 2.72 over to go with a 6-5 record and one save in 59 games.
Kela has also struck out 59 batters in his 53 innings of work.
The Rangers will be playing in Seattle next week.

Ishikawa goes on DL

Federal Way graduate Travis Ishikawa has been placed on the 15-day disabled list for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Conger catches for Astros

Federal Way native Hank Conger is now hitting .212 (32-for-151) as a catcher for the American League West-leading Houston Astros.

       In light of the recent fires in eastern Washington, Village Concepts’ retirement and assisted living communities throughout Washington state are coming together to show their support for the cause through their Village Concepts Cares program.

To raise money for the victims, El Dorado West will be hosting a spaghetti feed on from Thursday September 3, 2015 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at 1010 SW 134th Street.
                       
The Village Concepts Cares program was created by Village Concepts to give staff and residents from each of their 15 Washington residences a platform to respond and lend their support in the wake of disasters or other tragic events.

Donations are greatly appreciated and will be accepted in the form of checks or cash.
All proceeds will be donated to the Red Cross.

Burglar pushes through AC unit to get in business

Police are on the lookout for a suspect who pushed through an air-conditioning unit in order to gain access to a business located on the 100 block of NW 85th Street on August 18. Officers were called to the scene after the business owner found his office in disarray and an AC unit on the floor. The complainant told officers that he left an exterior door unlocked, and the suspect managed to get into a hallway where he had access to a window. The suspect pushed the AC unit through the window and then slipped inside. The suspect made three trips from the office to a car parked in the alley outside. The business owners were able to supply officers with video surveillance of the incident. No fingerprints were recovered from the scene.

Man assaulted by angry pedestrian

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

High schools
Girls soccer
West Seattle and Chief Sealth will be joined by Vashon for a jamboree at the Southwest Athletic Complex starting at 3 p.m. Thursday.
The Highline Schools Jamboree involving Highline, Evergreen, Tyee and Mount Rainier starts at 10 a.m. Saturday at Highline Memorial and Mount Rainier plays its first full game at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Rogers.

Football
Highline Memorial will host a double-header Friday, with Rainier Beach playing Kennedy Catholic at 5 p.m. followed by an 8 p.m. game between Tahoma and Mount Rainier.
At 7 p.m. West Seattle is home at the Southwest Athletic Complex as Foster travels to Interlake, Evergreen to Nathan Hale and Highline to Ingraham.
Seattle Lutheran entertains Mary Knight at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at West Seattle Stadium and Chief Sealth meets Garfield at 7 p.m. at the Southeast Athletic Complex next to Rainier Beach.

Boys tennis
Mount Rainier visits Thomas Jefferson for a 3:30 p.m. opener Tuesday.

Golf
The Mount Rainier girls host Kentwood at 3:15 p.m. Tuesday as the boys travel to Kentwood.

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

Chief Sealth and West Seattle will wait until 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16 to play each other in the annual Huling Bowl at the Southwest Athletic Complex.

That is the local highlight of the football schedule announced last week on the Metro League's newly revamped website.

West Seattle opens Friday at 7 p.m. at home against Lindbergh High School of Renton and Chief Sealth travels to the Southeast Athletic Complex to play Garfield at the same time Saturday.

Both teams are on the road Friday, Sept. 11 with Chief Sealth visiting Kingsway Christian at 6 p.m. and West Seattle going to Parkland to play Washington at 7 p.m.
West Seattle comes home to the SWAC to play Garfield at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18 as Chief Sealth travels to Nathan Hale.

Chief Sealth plays its first game at the SWAC at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25 against Ballard as West Seattle goes to Rainier Beach.

West Seattle entertains Roosevelt at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2 and Chief Sealth is at Seattle Memorial playing Franklin at the same time only on Saturday, Oct. 3.