April 2017

By Lindsay Peyton

There’s something fishy going on in Miller and Walker Creeks.

The waterways wind through Burien, Normandy Park and SeaTac – and adult salmon use them as a place to spawn eggs. Younger salmon use the creeks as aquatic highways, traversing the paths to Puget Sound.

But each year, a number of fish are dying before they are able to spawn. Volunteers are keeping count of how many salmon suffer from “pre-spawn mortality.”

The City of Burien and King County teamed up to present the findings from the most recent “Community Salmon Investigation” in the Highline area to residents on Thursday, April 6 at the Burien Community Center.

Elissa Ostergaard, King County basin steward of Miller and Walker Creeks, said 31 volunteer citizen scientists spent months in 2016 counting the salmon in various locations on the creeks.

In total, they reported seeing 294 live fish. There were 68 dead coho and 43 dead chum counted – and most were found in Miller Creek.

For nearly two decades Ola Salon has been a staple to the Luna Park neighborhood in West Seattle. When Rachel Karlin purchased Ola Salon in 2005, she deepened her love for all things hair, makeup and beauty but also focused on her commitment to the community. Those traditions are being carried forward as the salon opens a new location in Burien, Ola Burien. The Grand Opening and ribbon cutting is April 30 from 2pm to 5pm with the salon open for business May 2. The address is 1835 Southwest 152nd Street Burien, WA 98166. For appointments call 206-933-6702. The new business will have 8 employees.

The new Ola is located just outside of Old Towne. She plans on offering services similar to those in West Seattle with additional medispa services such as Botox, Restylane, B12 shots and IV infusions (also known as the "hangover cure").

Ola Burien will have more capacity with it's own backyard and more rooms. Brides and their bridal parties will benefit from personalized service, on site catering and cocktails - making it a one stop destination (private parties will also be available to book). Stay tuned for hot summer months bringing Salon Sessions with local art and music.

By Lindsay Peyton

Cassandra Collins keeps an eye on the King County’s Dzrepair timedz events. DzI follow these guys wherever they go,dz she said. DzIt’s worth it to drive. These guys fix everything for free – and they’ve saved me a lot of money.

At the most recent event, held on Saturday, April 8 at the SeaTac Community Center, volunteers soldered a piece of jewelry back together for Collins – and fixed her CHI hair dryer. "I’m a recycler," Collins said. "I don’t like to re-buy.
If I can reuse something, I want to do it. And these guys help me accomplish that.
That’s King County’s mission, after all," Tom Watson, project manager for the EcoConsumer public outreach program, explained.

"We do repair events all over King County to reduce waste, keep things out of landfills and save people money," he said.

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

High schools
Baseball
Chief Sealth visits Garfield for a 4 p.m. game Wednesday as West Seattle travels to Franklin, and Friday at the same time Chief Sealth is at home playing Bainbridge as West Seattle goes to Lakeside.
Monday's schedule has West Seattle home against Bainbridge and Chief Sealth home against Seattle Prep, also at 4 p.m.
Mount Rainier is scheduled to host Kennedy Catholic at 4 p.m. Wednesday and Foster visits Foss at the same time Friday before entertaining Lindbergh on Tuesday.
Tyee travels to Steilacoom at 4 p.m. Friday as Highline visits River Ridge then at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday Highline hosts Clover Park and Tyee entertains Renton.
Seattle Christian travels to Cascade Christian for a 4 p.m. game Wednesday and hosts the same team at the same time Friday. The Warriors travel to Vashon Island on Monday.
Seattle Lutheran hosts Evergreen Lutheran at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Southwest Athletic Complex and visits Crosspoint at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday before visiting Tacoma Baptist at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Fastpitch softball

By Peggy Sturdivant

I don’t know why I love quotes about beavers. My favorite is from a woman who had a run-in with one on her property, “I’ve lost all respect for beavers,” she was quoted as saying about the incident.

Let me go on record, I will never lose my respect for beavers. Have you seen their work by the pond at Golden Gardens lately? Which brings me to my second favorite quote (regarding the animal not any of the high school teams), “the beavers always win.” I recall that was a response from Seattle Parks in a 2014 interview.

Between the first settlers who logged Ballard for timber, and the large rodents who started and continue it, I would never bet against a beaver. In fact Ballard High School’s choice of the beaver as mascot could be a sign of its brilliance. Which brings us to the Golden Beavers. Hello BHS Class of ’67. You can finally join the Golden Beavers Association.

Seattle City Councilmember Mike O’Brien received a report last week from the City Auditor regarding the City’s Incentive Zoning program, and said that the report shows “clear problems” in the program that date back decades.

“Two years ago, I stood with UNITE HERE Local 8 who raised concerns over missed opportunities for greater affordable housing contributions from hotel developments like the proposed R.C. Hedreen Co. hotel in the Denny Triangle,” said O’Brien.

“The findings shared today by the Auditor demonstrate that the complexities of the Incentive Zoning program have left a lot of room for improvement in administering the policies. Now that we’ve identified the clear problems, it’s time to correct them.”

O’Brien requested the audit in order to identify and measure the public benefit of the incentive program. The program provided Incentive Zoning in Seattle to developers since 1985, which meant if they built affordable housing or paid into an affordable housing fund, they would be allowed to build more square footage.

By Jean Godden

So much has happened lately that it's hard to settle on one single topic to discuss. But, for Seattle and its future, I believe the most significant story -- surpassing an ugly, perhaps politically-motivated lawsuit filed against the mayor -- is Bertha's Big Breakthrough on April 4.

The five-story tunnel boring machine, nicknamed Bertha for the city's only woman mayor, began its journey from Pioneer Square to South Lake Union in July 30, 2013. Days before the launch, I donned a yellow hard hat and went eyeball to eyeball with Bertha, a behemoth idling in its Pioneer Square launch pit.

I snapped pictures and thought I would next see the world's biggest tunnel-boring machine sometime in 2015 when the 57-foot machine was due to emerge from a 1.7 mile Odyssey.
I was wrong, very wrong. So were many others.

Seattle police are investigating after a burglary turned into a potential assault at an apartment building located on N.W. 56th Street on April 8. The victim went down to the parking garage after he observed a male and a female suspect enter the secure parking area of the building he lived in. He noticed the light in his car was on. Looking in his car, he noticed a pair of sunglasses, a garage door remote and a knife was missing. Then he noticed the light to the elevator service room on. That was not typical, so he went to open the door and found that the door would open but people immediately inside obstructed it. He tried to call police and hold the suspects inside the room, but they were able to open the door and push passed the complainant. They ran to the garage door and used the remote they stole to open it. However, the door was slow to open and they were held up. The complainant caught up with them at the door. The male suspect swung at him with a knife, giving time for the female suspect to slip under the door. However, she dropped her bag while leaving. The male suspect followed her, and they both hopped in an orange cab and fled.

By Pat Cashman

It was in a coffee place whose marketing slogan was posted right behind the counter: “Just Brew It!” My order had arrived: A grande, quad, non-fat latte with caramel drizzle, iced, sugar-free, with soy, chocolate sauce, cinnamon, nutmeg, extra whip, 10 pumps of vanilla with an extra shot at 120 degrees---and a sprinkling of bacon.
It was a bit expensive. I paid with a hundred dollar bill, receiving 58 cents in change.

I strolled out the door just as a large disposal truck passed by. There was signage on the side of the vehicle---with a slogan below the company’s logo. It read, “We will do whatever it takes.”
What does that mean? “We will pick up your trash at gunpoint?”
The slogan seems to fit the mission of a Navy Seals special operations force---not a garbage crew. Rather than “We will do whatever it takes,” shouldn’t the slogan be reconfigured to “We will take whatever you do”?

information from Seattle Neighborhoods

Would you like to have a plot in one of Seattle’s fabulous P-Patch community gardens? Do you want to grow fresh organic produce for yourself and your family? Would you like to learn great gardening techniques from your gardening neighbors? If so, Seattle Department of Neighborhoods has P-Patch plots available for a small fee in these neighborhoods and gardens:

West and South Seattle
Highland Park: West Crest Park P-Patch (8th Ave. S.W. and S.W. Henderson St)
Highland Park: Longfellow Creek P-Patch (25th Ave SW and SW Thistle)
Georgetown: Oxbow P-Patch (Corson Ave S and S Warsaw St)
New Holly: John C. Little Park P-Patch (37th Ave S and S Willow)
Rainier Vista: Dakota West P-Patch (2902 S Dakota St)
Rainier Valley: Courtland P-Patch (3600 36th Ave. South)
Rainier Beach: Leo St P-Patch (51st Ave S and S Leo St)
New Holly: New Holly Youth & Family P-Patch (32nd Ave S & S Brighton St)

Central Seattle
Mt Baker: Colman Park P-Patch (32nd Ave S and S Massachusetts)