March 2017

BY GERARDO BOLONG
Special to the West Seattle Herald

TACOMA - Ability to adjust propelled the West Seattle Wildcats to a historic 66-54 Sat., March 4, comeback boys basketball victory against the Lincoln Abes who had entered the 2017 WIAA/Dairy Farmers of Washington/Les Schwab Tires Hardwood Classic tournament unbeaten before being deflated by No. 1 in the nation Nathan Hale in the Fri. semifinals.

With the courageous comeback, the Wildcats claimed the third place state trophy which is the highest all-time finish in school history. In the 1970 state championship AAA tournament which was conducted under a different format, West Seattle was undefeated heading into the final four at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. The Wildcats lost a tight 63-62 decision to Snohomish while Pasco had to reach into overtime to defeat Aberdeen 62-59. Snohomish would then upset Pasco and the Aberdeen Bobcats, led by Washington state player of the year Steve Soike, beat Roger Wong-led West Seattle in the third-fourth game.

BY GERARDO BOLONG
Contributing Sports Correspondent

TACOMA - West Seattle was within a few heartbeats of advancing to the Class 3A Hardwood Classic championship game when Jaylen Nowell broke its heart with a throw up put-back shot that officials ruled was a buzzer beating goal that gave Garfield a 44-43 semifinal win on Fri., March 3, at the Tacoma Dome.

After controlling the tempo most of the game, the Wildcats trailed 42-41 with just more than one minute remaining in the fourth quarter and victory seemed elusive.Senior Wildcat guard Nate Pryor quickly raced down the court to deliver a runner thatshot WS ahead with 10 seconds to go.Garfield decided to forego a time out, immediately inbounding from back court and flashing down the court.

Nowell accepted the ball near half court and penetrated into the paint only to roll his shot off the rim with four seconds left. In the ensuing struggle to the secure the loose ball, he secured possession and instinctively threw up another shot near the expiration of the shot clock and the accompanying buzzer.

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

West Seattle came from behind to post a 66-54 victory over Lincoln Saturday, taking home the third place state Class3A boys basketball tournament trophy from the Tacoma Dome.

The win over the Abes of Tacoma came on the heels of a 44-43 heartbreak loss to Garfield the night before.

Update March 23
The GoFundMe campaign has topped $20,000 and with the additional help from area restaurants and the prospect of more coming, reaching the $30,000 goal is in sight. Peel and Press, The Westy, Mission, Baked, Noble Barton, and others brought is more than $2200 and there are discussions to have others help now underway.

Update March 14 6:30pm
The campaign to help the family of Geoffrey Ly and the New Leaf Bistro is really picking up steam. Now area restaurants are planning a benefit night donating 10 percent of their proceeds this Wednesday. Here's the complete story.

Update March 11 8pm
The total funds raised now exceed $16,000. That's more than halfway to the campaign's goal of $30,000.

Update 1:00pm March 6
The campaign to support Shi Chen and family has surpassed $11,000 in less than two full days.

Update 8:00pm March 5
The total has risen above $9400 in a single day of fundraising.

Update 12:30pm March 5

Information from WSDOT

It's March and that means it's time for a weekend-long inspection of the State Route 99 Alaskan Way Viaduct. Every March and October, the Washington State Department of Transportation closes SR 99 through Seattle so engineers can conduct a thorough inspection and make sure the viaduct remains safe for everyday driving.

On Saturday, March 4 and Sunday, March 5, the viaduct will close in both directions between South Spokane Street and the north end of the Battery Street Tunnel from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

On Sunday, March 5, the annual Hot Chocolate Run will also extend the closure north of the Battery Street Tunnel.

Drivers through Seattle should plan ahead and be prepared for additional congestion.

CLOSURE DETAILS

6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, March 4 and Sunday, March 5

Alaskan Way Viaduct closed for its scheduled inspection between South Spokane Street and the north end of the Battery Street Tunnel.
Sunday, March 5

The Hot Chocolate Run will close SR/99 Aurora Avenue North in both directions north of the Battery Street Tunnel.

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

A basket at the buzzer lifted the Garfield Bulldogs past West Seattle, 44-43, in a state Class 3A boys basketball tournament semifinal at the Tacoma Dome Friday.

The loss dropped the Wildcats into the game for third and fifth place at 1 p.m. Saturday against Lincoln of Tacoma.
Garfield faces Nathan Hale in the championship at 5 p.m.

BY GERARDO BOLONG
Contributing Sports Correspondent

TACOMA - Intense interior effort on both ends of the court spring-boarded No. 4 boys basketball 3A West Seattle into a 62-54 quarterfinal win against Woodrow Wilson of Tacoma at the 2017 state Hardwood Classic held at the Tacoma Dome on Thurs., March 2.

"We're not a pressing defense, but when we got settled in we tried to keep them from getting (close) to the basket," said fourth-year Wildcat head coach Keffrey Fazio. "Yusuf (Mohamed), Abdullahi (Mohamed) were great inside and (guard) Nate (Pryor) did well on controlling the tempo. Our strength is inside."
Early on, Emmitt Matthews Jr.was on fire for the Wilson Rams, spearheading Wilson for 13 first half points on the way to a game total of 20.

Nate Pryor enjoyed a huge first quarter as the Wildcats moved to leads of 12-6 and 15-10 before Matthews and company had the Rams within 15-14 after one quarter.

By Gwen Davis

Fresh fruits and vegetables, along with organic selections of food items needed for healthy home eating are always on the menu at West Seattle. Especially when they're from a local food-supplier.

Stan Philip Richards, a Junction resident and marketing director at Apartments Northwest, feels that the upgraded PCC Natural Markets grocery store -- aimed at opening on California Ave. in a redeveloped property -- is a perfect fit.

Richards and his family currently do most of their grocery shopping at QFC and the Metropolitan Market, due to the stores' high food quality.

“But we find that the store size and layout size at Met Mart feels very cramped, and t’s hard to maneuver around,” he said. "I think from the prospective of West Seattleites, they tend to welcome local, organic business and not outside business. There is a Whole Foods coming in right across the street the for me — they’ll even cook my steak for me — but again, that's more of an outsider business than PCC or Met Mart.”

Spring is in the air and so is the sweet-smelling aroma of Zoo Doo, Woodland Park Zoo’s exotic, highly coveted compost. The annual spring Fecal Fest kicks off Monday, March 6.

Zoo Doo is composed of species feces contributed by a variety of the zoo’s non-primate herbivores, such as hippos, giraffes, mountain goats, tapirs and more, and is perfect to grow veggies and annuals.

The Fecal Fests, held each spring and fall, attract local gardeners to enter a bid to purchase the exotic, highly-coveted Zoo Doo and Bedspread that Dr. Doo, aka the “Prince of Poo,” the “GM of BM” or the “Grand Poopah,” has been piling all winter.

Zoo Doo is available in 5, 10, 20 and 50 gallons, and by the truck load.

Bedspread, the zoo’s premium composted mulch, is available by the truck load. Bedspread is a combination of Zoo Doo, sawdust, and large amounts of wood chips and is used to cushion perennial beds and woody landscapes including rose beds, shrubs and pathways.

Information provided by Seattle Police Department

A 19-year-old lifeguard at the Ballard Pool was arrested Monday after staff discovered he had set up a cell phone to record video inside an employee locker room.

Police were called to the pool around 8:30 PM after two female employees found a cellphone set up to record video from underneath a pile of swimsuits in a staff locker room. Employees reviewed the video on the phone, which reportedly showed the 19-year-old suspect setting up the camera, and called 911.

Officers arrested the man at the pool and booked him into the King County Jail for voyeurism.
The lifeguard has worked part-time at the Ballard Pool for the past two years. He was not employed at any other city pool facility.

Sexual Assault Unit detectives are investigating the case.