November 2016

By Pat Cashman

Rueben pulled the old book down off his bookshelf along with a cloud of dust and the carcass of a long dead spider.

“Guess I ought to do some cleaning around here, “the old-timer said. “Next spring maybe.”

It was the day after the 2016 elections---and every time I need a wise take on things, I visit Rueben. He’s been around a long time and has seen it all.

He told me the first time he had voted for president was for a governor of Kansas named Alf Landon. “But that would have been 1936,”I said to him doing the math. “Landon ran against FDR who was trying for his second term. If you were eligible to vote then, you’d have to be over 100 years old by now.”
Rueben looked me straight in the face and then said, “Well, maybe I am over 100. Or maybe I mighta wrote Landon’s name in a time or two through the years.”

Maybe he did. Landon himself, after all, lived to be 100.

By Amanda Knox
 
Tuesday, I dressed up for a big celebration—pearl tie, rainbow-plaid pantsuit—and attended The Stranger’s countdown party at the Showbox. I rubbed shoulders with colorful Democrats sipping “Donkey” cocktails made with Bombay Sapphire gin. I joined in the sportsman-like cheers and boos as predicable states were officially called for Blue or Red. But as I witnessed Hillary lose Florida, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania…my jaw dropped. I backed up against a wall, sank to the ground, and watched as people with gold H’s painted on their cheeks trickled out of the venue, miserable and bewildered. At the end of the night, I was relieved that Hillary decided to wait until the morning to give her concession speech. I was already crying.
 
Like all of my politically liberal friends, I still haven’t wrapped my mind around it. I’ve not strayed far from media and social media, scrolling for signs of perspective and direction. I’ve struggled to reflect on what’s happened, what’s going to happen, and what, if anything, I can contribute to the conversation. What unique perspective do I have on the whole thing?
 

Robbery on 56th Avenue S.W.

A woman residing on the 3200 block of 56th Avenue S.W. called police around 10:40 p.m. on Mon., Nov. 7 to report a burglary. She went downstairs early in the evening to lock the doors and turn out the lights. Around 10 p.m., she noticed that her window in the basement had been shattered and pushed back. The screen was outside the house and bent. She went outside and saw that her gate, which she had locked and closed earlier, was open. Objects inside the house were out of place, but she wasn’t sure if anything had been stolen. Officers photographed the scene and secured the window with trash bags and duct tape.

Assault at clinic

If you are looking for a local event that is guaranteed to get you into the holiday spirt, the annual West Seattle Nursery Holiday Open House is it.

Set for Saturday Nov. 19 from 2 to 5pm the event will feature their brand new green house which has meant work day and night to get it completed. Enjoy food, beverages, wreath demos, photos with Santa and more at this holiday gathering. West Seattle Nursery is located at 5275 California Ave SW.

Schedule:

2 - 2:45 p.m. Succulent wreath making demonstration with Angela Gayle

3 - 3:45 p.m. Winter Birds talk with Connie Wurm

3 - 3:45 p.m. Evergreen wreath making demonstration with Mary Holdsworth

4 - 4:45 p.m. Making Use of Your Summer Preserves with Sharon Massey

2 - 5 p.m. FREE! Have pictures taken with Santa! You can bring your own camera or have a photo provided by Santa's photographer.

information from King County Sheriff

The King County Sheriff’s Office, Major Crimes Unit, in conjunction with King County Search and Rescue, conducted an evidence search on Saturday morning, for victim remains of Green River killer Gary Ridgway.

The area searched was on South 178th Street, near Interstate 5, south and west of the Southcenter Mall, in the city of Tukwila.

As with the search last week near Duvall, this search was based on continuing reevaluation and analysis of information provided by Gary Ridgway in 2003 regarding the location(s) of possible victims.

These were the first searches of these sites. Neither site was specifically identified, or pinpointed by Ridgway at the time of the 2003 interviews with KCSO.

These searches represent the results of a continuing effort by KCSO to clear up matters related to Gary Ridgway and the Green River cases.

Coming to ArtsWest Theater for a holiday run is the play "Peter and the Starcatcher" from Nov. 17 through Dec. 23.

Written by Rick Elice, with music by Wayne Barker the play is based on the novel by Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson.

It was the 2012 winner of Five Tony Awards and a 2012 Nominee for Ten Tony Awards, including Best Play.

Here's a synopsis of the play:
When starcatcher-in-training Molly meets an orphan boy longing for a home, they embark on the adventure of a lifetime to protect a precious cargo. In this Tony Award-winning, magical and hilarious play with music, a dozen brilliant actors play more than 100 unforgettable characters. Peter and the Starcatcher uses ingenious stagecraft and the limitless possibilities of imagination to finally reveal the origins of Peter Pan, Wendy, the Lost Boys, their piratical nemesis, Captain Hook – and a far-off place known as Neverland.

The play will be presented Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 3 p.m.
*Run time – 2hrs. 15 mins | 1 intermission

Tickets
Adults – $39.50
Seniors – $35 – 65+
Students – $19 – with valid school ID

Tha National Weather Service has posted a Wind Advisory in effect from 9am to 3pm for Saturday Nov. 12. They predict wind gusts as high as 45mph. At that speed tree limbs can break and power outages are possible.

Here's their advisory:

...WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO 3 PM
PST THIS AFTERNOON...

* TIMING...STRONGEST WINDS WILL OCCUR FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING THROUGH 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON.

* WINDS...SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH.

* IMPACTS...WINDS OF THIS MAGNITUDE CAN BREAK TREE LIMBS FALLING ONTO ROADS...VEHICLES...AND ROOFTOPS. ISOLATED POWER OUTAGES ARE POSSIBLE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

On Veteran’s Day war stories are expected. They are laced with horror, humor, courage, grief and often, modesty. “Thank you for your service,” is an automatic response. But when a fallen veteran’s sacrifice goes unnoticed, somebody has to step up.

Ballard High School graduate Douglas Zeller was killed during the Tết Offensive on March 19, 1968. Zeller was with the 19th Engineer Battalion and worked building and maintaining roads and bridges throughout Vietnam. He died during an attack at age 21.

But his name was missing from the war memorial in the entryway of Ballard High School.

Enter Jerry Smith, Vietnam vet and author who discovered after doing some research that after 48 years, Zeller still deserved to be honored.

Ballard High School veterans and family members gathered yesterday to honor the addition of Douglas Zeller to the Vietnam War Memorial plaque.

Contract negotiations between the administration and faculty of the Seattle Colleges, which include South Seattle College have reached a deadlock and a federal mediator is coming in to resolve the conflict.

Despite this, and to bring attention, and likely pressure to the mediation process a walkout by faculty is planned for Thursday, November 17 at 12:30 in front of the Olympic Hall theater.

The Chancellor is scheduled to do a budget update at 1:30,

Faculty member and English Instructor Mike Hickey said, "We haven't received a salary increase in seven years, our tenured faculty with PhD's can't even afford to rent an apartment in West Seattle, and meanwhile the Admin has over $20M in a reserve fund. Oh, and did I mention? The president's salary has increased 28% in those seven years. Out of 34 community and technical colleges in the state, Seattle FT faculty is ranked 14th, yet Seattle has the highest cost of living by far."

The faculty members also say that the SCC student government has agreed to support them and will be in attendance at the walkout.

Members of American Legion Post 160 and their families took part in honoring American veterans on Nov. 11 by placing 48 flags along California Ave SW.
Post Commander Keith Hughes said "We need twelve more flags and we're hoping to get help from the Junction merchants."

The junction lost some of the flag placement holes as new construction has taken place and those have yet to be drilled.