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SLIDESHOW: Ballard Syttende Mai parade attracts thousands

steves — Sat, 18 May 2013 17:36:54 +0000

Ballard's 2013 Syttende Mai parade attracted thousands Friday, most staking their patch of grass or cement from the parade's start at NW 62nd and 24th Ave. NW along the route that headed south to Market Street and eastward to Bergen Place Park, then south down Ballard Ave. Many displayed the Norwegian version of red, white and blue on their shirts, ties, and bicycles as an assortment of Norwegian flags waved. Attendees from nine months old to 90 years old sported viking hats to show off their Norwegian pride.

The annual Norwegian Constitution Day event, the official National Day of Norway, is celebrated on May 17, or "Syttende Mai" (17th of May).

According to the Ballard website highlighting the festival, Ballard first celebrated Syttende Mai in 1901.

Police Blotter: Violent robbery and beating at Golden Gardens; several burglars strike Ballard

bryanz — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:42:00 +0000

By Cassandra Baker

9:48 p.m., May 10. 84th block of Seaview Pl NW

Police responded to reports of a violent robbery at Golden Gardens on the night of May 10. The 911 caller reported that the two suspects, both male, had fled the scene. The responding officer found the victim sitting in the parking lot. He had a cut and a bump above his left eye, and his clothes and hair were stained with blood. The victim said that he had only met the suspects a few minutes before the assault. He asked if they would give him a cigarette, and they told him to follow them from the parking lot to the beach.

Once they were at the beach, the suspects gave him the cigarette, but one of the suspects tried to take the victim’s wallet out of his pocket. Both suspects then began to punch the victim repeatedly. When the victim fell to the ground, the larger suspect continued to kick him while the other suspect watched. The victim said that the suspects were unable to take his wallet. He described one suspect as a white male 5’10” tall in his late teens wearing a white football jersey, and the other suspect as a 5’7” white male in his late teens wearing a red football jersey. He said he could definitely identify both of them in the future.

A witness said that he was walking his dog when he heard the victim yell for help. He approached and saw the larger suspect kicking the victim, and yelled at him to stop. The witness said that the suspects stopped, looked at his dog, and ran away. The witness then called 911.

A friend of the victim said that he thought he had seen two men matching the suspects’ descriptions at a fire pit. Officers located the subjects, who voluntarily provided their contact information and agreed to come with the officers to be identified. The witness was unable to identify either individual, and the victim said that one individual was definitely not involved and he thought the other might have been. The two subjects were released.

The victim was treated by Seattle Fire but did not want to go to the hospital.

8:36 p.m., May 9. 51st block of 1st Ave NW

A man called police after his home was burglarized for the second time in six months. The victim left his house securely locked at around 5:30 p.m. on May 10 and returned at around 8:30 p.m. to find that a pane of glass on a side door had been broken and the deadbolt had been damaged. This was believed to be the point of entry. The burglar stole several items, including a camera, a Kindle, three boxes with jewelry. The responding officer lifted partial fingerprints from several surfaces. The victim believed that the same person might have been behind both burglaries at his house because the point of entry was the same.

2:56 p.m., May 8. 44th block of Greenwood Ave N

A woman learned the hard way that burglars often need very little time to work. The victim said that she arrived home, took her child upstairs for a nap, and heard the garage door close. She went back downstairs and found that someone had taken her purse, keys, and garage door opener from her car. She said that it had to have happened in a space of about five minutes.

10:09 a.m., May 8. 58th block of 24th Ave NW

Many people use bike locks to secure their wheels, but one Ballard woman found that these locks were less secure than she had thought. The victim called to report that her two bicycles, which had been stored in a secured parking garage at her condo and locked together, had been stolen. The thief cut the locking cable connecting the bicycles and took both bicycles. There were no suspects yet, but the responding officer suggested that the victim check Craigslist and eBay to see if a bicycle that might be hers appeared.

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Ballard High Jazz Band wins first at Oregon festival

bryanz — Fri, 17 May 2013 22:36:51 +0000

For the Ballard High Jazz Band students, winning first place at the Mount Hood Jazz Festival the weekend of May 4-5 was no sure thing.

"It was actually a surprise for me," said junior Emerson Jordan, who plays tenor sax. "It was hard to judge sort of how good the other bands were. It felt good when they said our name."

Of course, the band didn't go to the festival necessarily to win. Students said they simply wanted to play well and put on a good performance.

"One of the things we focused on was not trying to win ... to win, that was just a nice surprise," said junior Julian Amrine.

Along with the first place trophy, the talented band also had three students get recognized as outstanding soloists: Amrine on Trumpet, Will Radford on Alto Sax and Luca Cartner on Drums.

"We know we played well, but we didn't hear all the bands," said director of bands Michael James. "I was hoping to place, but to get first place was fantastic. I think the kids worked so hard, so I was just very proud of their performance."

For most of the students, music has become not just a hobby or extracurricular activity, but a part of who they are. Students interviewed said they are likely going to keep playing music, whether as a career or otherwise.

When asked how long he has played music, Amrine said, "My whole life, I guess. My dad played jazz when I was little. I picked up piano when I was three and have played jazz since 4th Grade; I picked up trumpet in 5th grade."

While Cartner said he was surprised he got called as an outstanding soloist, his passion, along with the other students', probably should have acted as a warning signal that they were going to do good.

"Jazz is one of the things I live to play," Cartner said.

Jordan had a similar sentiment.

"It's a sort of way to express myself, it's very joyful to play music ... I'm never going to stop."

Jazz Band I and II will be playing at the Spring Band and Orchestra Concert on June 5, 7 p.m., in the Early Kelly Performing Arts Center at Ballard High School. For more info, visit http://www.ballardperformingarts.org

Zachariah Bryan can be reached at zachb@robinsonnews.com

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Red tide spotted at Carkeek Park

bryanz — Fri, 17 May 2013 00:44:03 +0000

A red tide was spotted earlier today by Ballard News-Tribune reader Catherine.

Don't worry, though, it's not the toxic kind, according to the Seattle Times, which reported on its appearance first near Edmonds. This red tide is the result of an algae bloom, specifically noctiluca, which is often seen in the Puget Sound as the sun warms the water, creating large reddish-brown streaks in the water.

The Times' has more:

"Noctiluca is a harmless single-celled micro-organism that bioluminesces and occurs normally at this time of year. This kind of plankton does not photosynthesize, but gets its red color from the phytoplankton it eats."

They add, "If you see red, brown or orange water in Puget Sound, it is likely this bloom. However, Ecology staff urge caution: It could be a toxic algae bloom that is poisonous to humans and animals."

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Ballard Traffic Watch

bryanz — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 15:12:05 +0000

SDOT alerts
--

As of 9 a.m., May 16, The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) Roadway Structures crew currently making repairs to one of the gate stands on the Ballard Bridge in the northbound curb (right) lane will need to do additional work in the southbound direction. Upon completion of the work northbound, the crew will then close the southbound curb lane from 11 p.m. to approximately 1 p.m. for similar work. The center lane will remain open during the work, however, motorists should expect congestion and plan on a delay crossing the bridge.

SDOT Concrete Paving crews will replace damaged or worn concrete panels in eastbound N 80th St between Greenwood Ave N and Aurora Ave N beginning Thursday May 16. N 80th St will be closed 24/7 to eastbound traffic (Tuesdays through Saturdays) with a signed detour route using N 85th St. Weather permitting, this project will be completed on May 24.

Below you will find current pictures of traffic cameras around Ballard. Click refresh to update them.

For a detailed traffic map of Seattle, including traffic alerts, travel time and real-time traffic cameras, click here. For more traffic cameras, click here.

How can we be more useful? Let us know at zachb@robinsonnews.com

Looking South at 15th Ave NW and NW Market St

Looking North at 15th Ave NW and NW Market St

Looking North at the Ballard Bridge from W Emerson St

Looking South at 15th Ave NW and NW 65th St

Looking North at 15th Ave NW and NW 65th St

Looking East down NW Leary Way, away from Ballard Bridge

South of Ballard Bridge on 15th Ave NW and W Dravus St, where many Magnolia residents come out at.

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Beloved Sunset Hill barber, Gene George, passes away

bryanz — Tue, 07 May 2013 17:13:11 +0000

Update, May 15:

Sunset Hill Community Association, 3003 NW 66th Street, on Tuesday June 11th, 6:30-9:30pm.

A public potluck celebration in memory of Gene George, the beloved barber who owned Sunset Hill Barbershop, will be held on Tuesday, June 11, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Sunset Hill Community Association (3003 NW 66th St). Donna, Gene's colleague, is planning this gathering as a remembrance of Gene George’s life and a time for the community to share memories and stories.

Furthermore, Donna would appreciate volunteer assistance to coordinate and host the potluck, as she expects to be a bit tearful and emotional during Gene’s life celebration.

To help with the potluck/celebration, please contact Donna at the Sunset Hill Barbershop, 206-465-7803.

Lastly, here's a letter from Donna to the community:

"My name is Donna. I have been Gene’s friend and co-worker for 20 years. I am heartbroken at our loss. Even though his health was failing this past year, he continued to try working. He was happiest when he held court at the barbershop especially the years since his wife passed away. I am so glad that everyone is remembering Gene with kind thoughts. He was not himself this past year and those who knew him well realized something was terribly wrong. Please always remember the real Gene, the one who gave everyone young or old his heart and 35 years of his physical strength to make all look better then when they entered. He always greeted with a genuine smile, a joke and a great haircut. I will miss him everyday, he was my mentor and friend for over 23 years. His daughter has given me her blessing to organize a “Celebration of his Life”; I am planning a community memorial celebration Tuesday evening, June 11th, at SHCA. A potluck would make us all feel like were doing this together. If anyone has the time to help me plan, please stop by the shop, as I’m not much of a computer person. Also I’m hoping someone very close to Gene over the years will volunteer to moderate. I would be too emotional.

Thank you,

Donna"

Update, May 8

We stopped by the barbershop today to find it closed until tomorrow. On the door was a piece of paper notifying customers of Gene's passing (see above). A couple of people also left flowers and a note.

Here's the neighbor's note:

It reads: "He was here for so long -- I always looked to see if he was in the shop and we'd wave. I am a neighbor who lives on the alley across the street, I will miss seeing him here. My condolences to all his family."

In addition, until a new barber is hired, the shop will only be open Wednesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m..

Original, May 7

Ballard News-Tribune columnist Peggy Sturdivant reports that Gene George, who owned and had worked at the Sunset Hill Barbershop for 31 years, passed away.

Peggy featured Gene in a 2007 At Large in Ballard column, "The Businessman."

We'll write more about his passing and his effect on the community. In the meantime, here's a fun excerpt from Peggy's column:

"While I was still in the barber's chair a man entered and asked if there was a wait. I offered my seat. 'The businessman,' he said to Donna. I noticed a chart with pictures of haircuts such as the Ivy League and the Businessman. The walls were completely covered with old signs and clippings; magazines ranged from the brown wrapper variety to Outside and Ebony. There were gumball machines and kid's videos. I asked Gene if he really gave kids a quarter on their first haircut. 'Every haircut,' he said. 'But how it starts is that I give them a penny for the gumball machine and whatever color they get, I tell them that's the winner and give them a quarter. Every visit.'"

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East Ballard neighbors feel vulnerable after string of car break-ins

bryanz — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:06:46 +0000

For the residents around NW 52nd St in East Ballard, the last thing they expected was for them to be the victims of a string of car break-ins. Everyone interviewed said they lived on one of the safest blocks in the neighborhood.

“I have been here for 5 years and this is the first time I have experienced anything like this,” Nicole Matuska wrote to the Ballard News-Tribune. “I brag to others about the safe and wonderful neighborhood in which I live. Now I am starting to be concerned about staying here if this doesn't change, especially as the block seems to be targeted night after night right now.”

While Matuska’s car was broken into and her belongings rifled through, she did not have anything actually stolen. Other neighbors have reported the same strange incident.

But things began escalating last week. On the night of Sunday, May 5, Angie Calvetti’s woke up in the middle of the night to her daughter’s car alarm going off. The suspect or suspects had broken into the car and stolen her daughter’s wallet. Nearby neighbors reported seeing a man, apparently spooked, run away and jump on a bicycle.

Luckily, the wallet was recovered shortly thereafter as the suspect had dumped it off nearby. Like Matuska, in the two years that Calvetti has lived on the block, nothing has happened.

Rajesh Raman was not as lucky. He woke up sometime in the night to his dog Baxter barking, but, thinking it was just his new neighbor making noise, rolled over and went back to sleep. When Raman got up in the morning and opened the front door, though, Baxter bolted out as if something was wrong. And then Raman saw the back window of his car completely shattered.

“I saw the glass and said, ‘OK’ … it kind’ve came together,” Raman said.

In the back, he had a box of awards from work that was stolen. He had put it there as he was packing up to move at the end of the week. Until the latest incident, he had been adamant about staying in the area.

“I lived here five years now and I’ve been saying I’d like to stay in this neighborhood because it’s so safe. I’ve actually left my side door open before, by accident, and nothing’s happened,” he said. “…Ever since I came here there hasn’t been a peep.”

While he still wants to live in the area -- he said he realized he lived in a city and that crimes do occur -- he isn’t quite as optimistic about it as before.

“This kind of stuff really puts a damper on … if I find a place I’m going to get one with a garage,” he said.

The suspect appears to be going for convenience rather than high-priced items. Most likely he didn’t know that Raman’s box contained awards, but seeing it sitting in the back could have been tantalizing. Same with Calvetti’s daughter’s wallet.

When the suspect realizes he has nothing of value, he seems to be dumping it in random places. In front of Raman’s house was a pile of miscellaneous items -- a pair of shoes, energy bars, a tote bag and more. Some of it was from Calvetti’s daughter’s car. Calvetti reported waking up one morning to a baby stroller in the trees of her front yard that belonged to a nearby neighbor. Police have been returning whatever items have been reported to them.

Photo by Jerry Gay

In addition, during April, another, perhaps unrelated string of incidents occurred on NW 52nd St. Neighbors reported multiple incidents of thieves ripping out plants from large and medium planters and stealing the pots, according to a Neighborhood Watch email obtained by the Ballard News-Tribune. In one case, neighbors know it happened between 7:30 pm and 9:30 pm.

“This is a new one! I don't think we've seen this happen before,” the email continued. “Definitely an odd kind of theft. Please keep your eyes open and if you see anything unusual, don't hesitate to call police.”

Calvetti reported some frustration in working with responding officers on the car break-ins, who have told her that there will likely be no follow-up investigation, even though there is a string of apparently connected crimes committed by the same person or persons. Raman said that his responding officer also seemed to be dispassionate about any further investigation.

Furthermore, Calvetti said she has seen a suspicious black truck prowling through the neighborhood at night. But even if she were to get the license plate number, police said they most likely could not justify looking into it.

Neighbors have started working with community police officers, who they say have been more helpful. Calvetti said they confirmed an increase in car break-ins recently.

For neighbors’ part, where once they may have been careless, now they are careful to lock their cars up and to not leave any valuables or targetable belongings in plain sight, either in the car or on their front porch. They are also keeping an eye open for any suspicious activity happening in the neighborhood and say that anything and everything possibly related to the crimes should be reported to the police.

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At Large in Ballard: Ballard Days, Turkish Nights

bryanz — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:14:44 +0000

A little over a year ago I ran into then Ballard News-Tribune news reporter/online editor Anne Marije Rook at the Ballard Bartell’s. I pulled out my camera, already considered vintage digital, and showed her a photograph of the Egan’s Ballard Jamhouse marquee from the night before, upon which was written in large, “Ballard Writers.”

“I feel like a proud mama,” I said. Inspired by friends who would mention other friends who were writers, I had launched the Ballard Writers Collective. Despite the events already under our belts, nothing means more to a writer than seeing their creation in really big letters.

“Are you going to write about it?” Rook asked. It hadn’t occurred to me. I just wanted to show everyone the photograph. Contrary to what my family and neighbors may fear I really don’t write about all aspects of my life. I happened to be present at the birth of Ballard Writers but they don’t belong to me; however, I am exceedingly proud of the connections that happen when we share our stories.

The first Ballard Writers’ event was billed as “The Writer Next Door.” Subsequent years have proved that not only is the writer next door to where you live, they are beside you on a yoga mat, in the same line at the grocery store and have been walking their dog past your house for years. It turns out their mothers work with your friend’s husband or they are Facebook friends with someone on the same Masconomet High School French exchange trip in 1977. It is wonderful and a bit frightening to learn we are all connected in more ways than we knew.

I have regularly mentioned that I am a believer in making lists, but I think the most important list is the one that documents what gets crossed off the to-do list. I like to take stock occasionally of what’s been accomplished and list that instead. Since Ballard Writers began meeting in person, online books have been published that might not have otherwise been completed (at least according to Claire Anderson and Alison Krupnick); and collaborations have come about such as that between Ingrid Ricks and teacher Marjie Bowker resulting in not one, but two anthologies of stories by teenagers.

,Joshua McNichols, of The Urban Farm Handbook, has not only helped connect stories with KUOW producers and create a relationship with Egan’s, he has come to my house on a half-hour’s notice for a cherry tree consult. (Even though I didn’t have any more wood shavings for his chickens.) Ballard Writers Collective members have trooped to my porch to drop off items for Ballard Senior Center auction, Sunset Hill Community Center and our own lending library, and even forgiven me when a bottle of wine intended for a book basket was deemed too good to donate.

As with things given the most freely, we don’t think twice about lending our time or efforts, offering to help with a website or review a draft. It’s a delightful surprise to see our names in the acknowledgements but even better than an individual’s name is those words on the signboard. We exist as an entity, if only for a Tuesday night on Market Street, Ballard, USA.

On a night that was too warm to be early May in Seattle, I circulated through the tables at Egan’s, querying the twelve people who had prepared new short pieces about travel. I was trying to decide the order in the way I think bands must create their playlist, a fast song, a slow song, a new work, one that everyone knows … but my choices included “heavy & depressing,” “Summer of Love,” “wartime” and “revenge fantasy.” Having only heard one of the pieces I just had to leap.

For the next two hours, as an overworked server wove through the tables with food pronounced delicious, Ballard Writers took us on a wartime island hop looking for General MacArthur, to a county in Ireland, two Greek islands, a nude beach in Italy, a surprising number of Turkish nights, a diner and finally onto a motorbike, lost in Ho Chi Minh City. It was twilight as we finished and the words were shining even brighter on the marquee. Inside, two distinct themes had emerged, “travel at your own risk,” as Alison Krupnick put it, and how often we realize the meaning of home when we travel.

Based on the stories just heard, yet more people were connecting, unwilling to break apart on the twilight sidewalk. Carol’s husband had obviously been stationed near Roselle’s father; by coincidence another chaperone from an Istanbul trip was in attendance. The next morning, words from the night before were still taking precedence over thoughts in my head. So yes, I did feel like a proud mama once again, for bringing together more people, for encouraging others to share their stories who in turn encourage others.

A friend once said I wouldn’t be able to stop until I had connected everyone in Ballard. I can’t cross that off my to-do list yet, but with every Ballard Writer’s event I feel a bit closer.

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Scenes From Old Ballard: Ballard Boat Works

bryanz — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:43:30 +0000

Ballard Boat Works, now Sagstad Marina, was started by Norwegian immigrant Silvert Sagstad as a boat building company that gained fame by building a Viking boat replica for the Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition in 1909. In 1916 the company was moved to its current site off Shilshole Avenue. It built many vessels during World War II, but by 1960 the shipyard was converted to a marina for moorage and repairs. Ballard still has a vibrant boat building and marine repair industry along the Ship Canal, which can be evidenced by the busyness at the recent opening of boating season.

Scenes from Old Ballard consists of notes and photos taken from the Ballard Historical Society archives. You can follow BHS at ballardhistory.wordpress.com.

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Big Fire Department response to ship fire at Fisherman's Terminal

bryanz — Wed, 15 May 2013 05:37:04 +0000

By Shane Harms

At approximately 6:14 p.m., the Seattle Fire Department responded to a small fire in Fisherman's Terminal that occurred while crew members were making repairs on Oceanic Cape, a 100 ft., thirty-year-old fish processing ship.

The fire was caused when a fuel line was accidentally cut by welding and less than five gallons of residual diesel fuel spilled into a vacant space below deck called the "void." Crew members flooded the room and were able to put out the blaze with fire extinguishers.

SFD Spokesman Kyle Moore said 27 units responded, including units from Ballard, Queen Anne, and Greenwood. Harbor patrol boats were also called.

"Ship, pier, and marine fires call for the most attention because these vessels are all very close together and full of fuel making fires spread quickly."

Moore explained that a commercial vacuum truck will remove the rest of the water and fuel mixture.

Captain Kieran Kelly said the fuel lines to the tank were dry so there was not a lot of fuel for the fire to burn. "We were lucky that the crew acted so quickly and that the responders got here when they did."

Oceanic cape was in harbor for repairs and was set to leave next week.
"Now we will have to stay a little longer I imagine," Kelly said.

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See old vintage houses, buy tickets now for Ballard Classic Home Tour

bryanz — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:24:04 +0000

Like a magnificent comet that we only get to see in this neighborhood every three years, the Ballard Classic Home Tour is back this year, and tickets are on sale.

If you don't know the drill, the 2013 Ballard Classic Home Tour features seven vintage Ballard residences of "unique character and modern livability." Built by skilled craftsmen decades ago, the homes exemplify lasting quality that continues to support generations of Ballard families.

The Ballard Classic Home Tour is BHS’ biggest fundraiser, which enables the organization to take part in community projects; present free informative lectures related to Ballard’s History and maintain its archives.

When: Sunday June 23, 2013 from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. All tickets are will-call only. Exchange your tickets beginning at 9:30 a.m. day of tour for a brochure with locations.

Where: Tour starts at Sunset Hill Community Clubhouse, 3003 NW 66th St, Ballard.

How: Tickets can be purchased at local businesses, including Secret Garden Books, and on Brown Paper Tickets at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/356011

More info: ballardhistory.wordpress.com

Tour Guidelines:

It is a self-guided tour; no transportation is provided.
It is not wheelchair accessible; there will be stairs and uneven sidewalks.
Guests will kindly remove shoes before entering homes.
No children under the age of 12; babes in arms are allowed.
No food or drink.
No cameras or video equipment.
Only a limited number of people will be allowed in a house at a time.
Due to the location of a few of the homes, parking may be required some distance away.

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Celebrate Norway in Ballard with Syttende Mai Parade on May 17

bryanz — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:02:51 +0000

The most important day in Ballard is almost upon us. Syttendae Mai (17th of May), otherwise known as Grunnlovsdagen (Constitution Day) -- the day that Norway signed their Constitution and took its first step toward freedom from Swedish rule.

In Ballard, 1901 (four years before independence), celebration of the day started with a children's parade from a church to Salmon Bay Park, with entertainment and speeches by Mayor Johnson, Pastor Syrdal, and Colonel Alden J. Blethen. The evening ended with the singing of "Ja vi elsker dette landet," now Norway’s national anthem. Syttende Mai didn't become the extremely popular neighborhood festival that we know it as today until 1974.

On Friday, May 17, Ballardites and people from all over will celebrate the day once again, and with just as much passion and fervor. Throughout the day, their are several festivities, including a luncheon at the Leif Erickson Lodge, free admission and activities at the Nordic Heritage Museum and entertainment at Bergen Place Park.

It will end with the big parade at 6 p.m., which features Norwegian organizations, children, marching bands, drill teams, community groups and more. The parade begins at the corner of NW 62nd and 24th Avenue NW, goes south to Market St and eastward to Bergen Place park, then turns right onto 22nd and continues south down Ballard Ave and ends at Dock St.

Schedule of Events

Luncheon
12-2 PM
Leif Erikson Lodge
Admission: $30 per person
Tickets available at Leif Erikson Lodge.
Join us for a traditional Norwegian lunch with our Grand Marshal and Honorary Marshals! Special guest entertainment!
Address: 2245 NW 57th St, Seattle WA
Phone: 206-783-1274

Barneleker (Children's activities)
10AM - 2PM
Nordic Heritage Museum
Pet the fjord horses!
Children can enjoy easy craft projects at the Nordic Heritage Museum. The crafts are free and children must be accompanied by an adult.
Address: 3014 NW 67th St, Seattle WA
Phone: 206-789-5707

Nordic Café
10AM – 2PM
Nordic Heritage Museum
Free Museum admission all day! Enjoy Scandinavian food and beverages available for purchase.
Address: 3014 NW 67th St, Seattle WA
Phone: 206-789-5707

Copper Gate
3PM - 7PM
Syttende Mai Party
No cover. Discounts on aquavit and Nordic specialty food.
Address: 6301 24th Ave NW
Phone: (206) 706-3292

Entertainment at Bergen Place
2-5 PM
http://www.seattle.gov/default.htm
Intersection of Market St., Leary Ave., and 22nd Ave.
On parade day, there are public performances at Bergen Place featuring a number of acts with Nordic flair!

2:00—Adams Elementary School Choir
2:30—Klem og Kram, featuring accordion and vocal works
3:00—Matt Jorgensen of Ballard Jazz Festival, featuring jazz
3:30—Norwegian Male Chorus, with piano or a capella
4:00—Leikarringen of Leif Erikson Lodge #1, featuring
song, music and dance
4:30—Bonnie Birch, featuring accordion

Café at Leif Erikson Lodge
3-5 PM
2245 NW 57th St. Food, beverages, wine/beer, pins, programs, flags, and DVDs available for purchase. Local Scandinavian organizations will have promotional material about their groups available.
Leif Erikson Lodge
Join us at Leif Erikson Lodge before the parade for Nordic food, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages, which are available for purchase.
Phone: 206-789-5707

17th of May Parade
6-8 PM
Come early to save your spot! This year's emcees are local radio personalities Tim Hunter and MJ McDermott.
Click here for Parade Participant Forms!

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Work being done in off-leash dog park at Golden Gardens

bryanz — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:43:40 +0000

If you're headed to the off-leash dog park at Golden Gardens, watch out for work being done.

Fifteen parking spots will be taken up as Parks and Rec workers remove 450 cubic yards of wood chips and temporarily place them in the middle parking lot, according to Joelle Hammerstead, spokeswoman of the Seattle's Park and Recreations Department. Workers will be replacing the wood chips with gravel, for better drainage.

The dog park will be closed through Friday, May 17, at the latest. The parking spaces will be closed through Friday, May 24, at the latest

Zachariah Bryan can be reached at zachb@robinsonnews.com

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Herons seek refuge in Commodore Park from eagle devastation

bryanz — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:38:39 +0000

Due to eagles devastating their eggs, all 90 heron roosts in the Kiwanis Ravine have been completely abandoned.

“Eagles are opportunists,” said Heron Habitat Helpers (HHH) monitor Pam Cahn, who has been witnessing the heron displacement since February. “It’s available, you got an egg on a nest, they can see it as they fly over.”

Now, you can see the herons nesting in Commodore Park, on the Magnolia side of the Ballard Locks. It’s a rare opportunity to see herons -- birds that usually try to stay hidden -- up close and personal. Whereas there were six heron nests two weeks ago, there are now 40. As you sit in the park, you can see herons frantically rebuilding nests in an attempt to lay another clutch of eggs before its too late.

“There is just a frenzy of nest building here,” Cahn marveled as she watched the herons flying every which way.

This year, many of the herons will be having a late season as young won’t hatch until August. Usually, but not necessarily, a great majority of eggs will hatch much sooner.

While eagle-heron interactions such as this are normal, they have been on the rise since 2007 as a result of an eagle population bounceback due to cleanup efforts. “It’s a success story,” Cahn said.

In other words, it’s good news for eagles, a species which in the past has had trouble maintaining a healthy population. But bad news for herons, for obvious reasons.

A heron sits on its new nest in Commodore Park, on the Magnolia side of the Ballard Locks. Photo by Erik Haugen-Goodman

It wasn’t until this year that herons have not been able to adapt and resist the eagle predation. What’s more, according to Cahn, it appears that it could be the doing of a single, immature brown-headed eagle who has been coming back week after week to ravage the eggs. At least, sightings point to the same kind of immature eagle, which nixes off the possibility of a nearby mature couple as culprits.

HHH, a group of volunteers who have been mainly working with the birds in the Kiwanis Ravine until the latest incident, is asking residents to help find the remaining herons. So far, only about 40 are accounted for, which means there are about 50 more who have gone elsewhere.

“It would be great to figure out where these herons are renesting,” Cahn said. “… The community has this opportunity to figure out what the herons are going to do next.”

She said the best time to figure it out is when the nests are in the process of being built. People can help by spotting where, approximately, herons are carrying twigs and other nest building materials. People can send any nesting information they observe to info@heronhelpers.org.

Herons can nest in a wide variety of trees, but Cahn said conifers, which offer more cover, might prove to be more alluring to herons. She also noted the possibility of Discovery Park, but said herons for some reason have not nested there in decades.

Of the herons’ displacement, HHH volunteer Sue Gillepsie said, “It’s sad, but it’s not sad. It’s just the way nature works, and we’re really glad they’re renesting.”

Cahn was also optimistic.

“I think it’s amazing that these birds are living so close to an urban environment.”

If you take any photos, be sure to send them our way at zachb@robinsonnews.com

A heron feeds near the Ballard Locks. Photo by Erik Haugen-Goodman

Zachariah Bryan can be reached at zachb@robinsonnews.com

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Walrus and Carpenter gets a friendly neighbor: Barnacle

bryanz — Mon, 13 May 2013 18:17:19 +0000

Last week, Renee Erickson and partners announced their latest venture: Barnacle, a wine bar and restaurant that will act as a kind of supplemental extension to the perpetually busy Walrus and the Carpenter.

According to the announcement, made via Facebook, Barnacle will feature an extensive selection of wines by the glass, house-made charcuterie, seafood offerings, tartines, cheeses, beer and old world cocktails. The restaurant will seat 25 at a long bar and a private banquet.

Seattle Met has more details. Writer Allecia Vermillion, who talked to Erickson, says Barnacle will be taking over part of the Dutch Bike Co. (moving to a new, more spacious location on Leary Ave) and will act in part as a waiting space for Walrus. If you've ever tried to go to Walrus, you'll know there's often an hour-plus wait.

For Erickson and co., Barnacle presents a new opportunity to expand their menu offerings. Vermillion writes, "There’s no stove and no hood, so the food menu will be ultra-simple, she says. But, you know—Renee Erickson’s version of ultra-simple. She and Walrus chef Eli Dahlin are devising a menu of pickled and canned, smoked fish (this is a thing), caviar, and a salad of marinated Alaskan octopus that Erickson already thinks will be a staple on the Barnacle menu."

Barnacle will open by the end of the summer, hopefully, Vermillion writes.

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Last Angelo standing

bryanz — Mon, 13 May 2013 16:19:50 +0000

The sign on Angelo’s Hair Salon at Tallman Ave is down and in the window is a piece of paper that says “Chinso pisolino” -- Italian for “gone for little nap.”

The two Angelos are no longer working as the two Angelos. The older Angelo, or “the good Angelo,” is retiring at the age of 70, after 25 years of running the iconic neighborhood salon. He bought a house with his wife in Redmond to be closer to the grandkids, Lars and Allegra.

The younger Angelo, Angelo Sacco (or as he says, “the baaaad Angelo”) -- who had been at the salon for 10 years -- has already landed on his feet with a job at the Sweet Lily Salon (3000 NW Market St). Sacco said he’s happy to be working with Sweet Lily’s owner, Erin, because they both have the same vision of having an outdoor patio, an organic garden and a zen feeling. Sacco said he will be seeing a lot of the older Angelo’s clients.

“She has a beautiful vision for that space,” Sacco said.

Moreover, being down by the Locks, it offers Sacco some reprieve from the development taking over downtown Ballard. Fitting, seeing as how the older Angelo sold the Angelo Hair Salon -- an old building dating back to 1901 -- to be demolished and built over with two new seven-story towers with 17 live-work units and 286 residential units called the Ballard Tallman Apartments. The same development that displaced so many businesses in the Old Tallman Medical building.

Sacco recalled some of the good times he had with the hair salon. Such as when -- long before he started working there -- he and his friends would call up the older Angelo and boldly pronounce, “There can only be one Angelo!” (Sacco said that the older Angelo was actually on vacation in Hawaii one time and still answered the phone.)

He also recalled how nice it was to work with the older Angelo. “It’s always been an easy relationship … no forms, very old style, I liked it that way,” Sacco said. Working together every day, and even with each of their various quirks, the two had a smooth partnership.

Those living around the neighborhood have probably noticed, and might miss, the older Angelo’s routine. Every morning he would walk about a half-hour from his house in Sunset Hill down to the salon. He would take a few clients and read the Italian paper on his iPad. In the afternoon, he would spend a couple of hours at Anchor Coffee on Ballard Ave with a group of his friends. And then, after taking a few more clients, he would walk back to his home at 4 or 5.

For his part -- and perhaps carrying on the older Angelo’s legacy -- Sacco said he has started his own half-hour-ish walking routine, from 8th to 30th.

“You kind of catch up with people when you’re out walking around, stopping in shops,” he said, adding that he saw and talked to various people in the community that he might not have otherwise.

Back in the salon’s old area, people are already missing the Angelos, though. Sacco said the workers at the Sip and Ship Coffee have already texted him asking where he was at, saying work wasn’t as entertaining without him stopping in.

No doubt about it, Sacco has a lot of memories being a part of the Angelo duo. Though he will miss the times he had at the salon, he said he is optimistic about his future.

But, there was one thing, he said.

“You know what I’m gonna miss most of all?” Sacco said half-jokingly but with a glimmer of seriousness, looking at his black 1963 Volvo 1800, the same one used by Roger Moore in the 1960s spy thriller television series, The Saint. “That I’m gonna be able to park my car out here.”

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Write On: Get back on the horse

bryanz — Fri, 10 May 2013 14:40:45 +0000

By Corbin Lewars

I, like many other adolescent girls, had a fascination with all things equine. I was fortunate to have a best friend who owned a horse and had access to a stable of horses. One day, this friend and I were living our dream of galloping free along endless trails. The dream turned to a nightmare when my horse spooked, tried to buck me off, and instead dragged me for several hundred feet along rocky terrain. My foot finally freed from the stirrup, releasing me to the ground. Although I was scared, shaken, and possibly only semi-conscious, I knew I had to get right back on that horse otherwise I would fear horses forever.

Thirty years later, therapists and scientists have proven what I intuited as a girl—the best way to overcome fear is to do what we fear. The principle of “exposure therapy” is to have patients face their fear in a gradual and easy way in hopes of reducing the negative impact it has on their life. As the brain fills with neutral, or ideally positive experiences, the traumatic experience becomes diluted. By remembering all of my joyful, non-concussion inducing riding experiences, I was able to overcome my resistance to getting back on to my bucking bronco. The idea isn’t to attempt to forget the experience or rid ourselves of our fears entirely because some fear keeps us safe, but rather to learn how to stop being paralyzed by our fears.

Almost every writer I work with is afraid. And their fears vary from the ubiquitous fear of criticism, to fear of being emotionally vulnerable, to the tricky, elusive fear of success, not failure. All of these fears, and more, are valid and I would dare to say being an artist is the riskiest career path anyone can choose. It’s not physically dangerous (as far as I know no one has ended up in the ER after writing), but it’s emotionally terrifying, and our brain sometimes gets these two things confused. You probably won’t die from writing, but you feel as if you will. Even when you understand this and tell your racing heart and sweaty palms that it’s just words and you’re safe, your body shouts back, “I’m falling off a cliff, help!”

Needless to say, this can cause writers block. The only way to overcome the block/fear is to replace our skydiving without a parachute experiences with some nice picnic in the park experiences. If your palpating heart is due to some harsh criticism you received on a piece, replace that memory with praise. Send an essay or poem to a publication you are familiar with and respected by. If this “publication” is your grandmother, so be it, we all need praise. Search through your emails and facebook page to find every nice thing anyone ever said about your writing (and you for that matter) and paste all of these words into a document. Read this document every day if you can, ideally before writing. Read it several times and tape it on to your computer on days that you’re blocked by fear.

If your fear is based on what others will think when you expose them for the lying, stealing, abusive, or maybe just nasty when they aren’t winning an argument person that they are, tell yourself they will never read your story. This may not be true, but it is always an option, so believe it with all of your heart. Our writing does not need to destroy relationships or humiliate others, but it must be our emotional truth. Trying to hide this emotional truth leads to dull writing, so never deny your truth. But over time, and many drafts later, the truth can often be revealed in a way that is safe for everyone. Trust that this will happen after you say every thing you need to say uncensored.

If you’re working on a piece for the NY Times, The Sun, or Random House you are probably afraid of two things: getting accepted and getting rejected. Those are valid fears, seeing as one of these two things will most certainly happen, but either outcome is good. If you are rejected, you will become a member of the million member strong group of other talented, witty writers who have been rejected by these organizations. Relish the camaraderie and know you’re amongst the finest and the bravest. If you are accepted, thousands, maybe even millions, of people will read your work and maybe, just maybe, one or two of them will not adore every word you wrote. Sure criticism is hard, but it’s even harder when we fixate on it. Don’t read your bad reviews and comments, read your good ones.

And remember, you accomplished the goal of staring your fear in the face and not cowering. OK, maybe you cowered a little bit, but you kept writing, and that’s what matters. You overcame your fear and you wrote. Even better, you submitted that work which takes courage. Being a writer is scary, I will never try to tell you otherwise. I won’t even try to tell you to rid yourself of your fears, because they are part of the package. But I will tell you to write anyway, even when you’re trembling. As Cheryl Strayed said in her “Dear Sugar” column, “You want me to give you permission to write your truth with honesty and heart because doing so scares the living crap out of you. I’m here not only to give you permission, but also to say that you must. There is no other way.

Corbin Lewars (www.corbinlewars.com) mentors other writers in her office in Ballard and virtually. She is the author of Creating a Life: The memoir of a writer and mom in the making, which was nominated for the 2011 PNBA and Washington State book awards and Divorce as Opportunity (Summer, 2013). Her essays have been featured in over twenty-five publications including Mothering, Hip Mama and several anthologies and she teaches writing at The Richard Hugo House and at national conferences. She lives in Ballard with her two children.

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Planting A Life: How Keeping A Garden is Good for the Soul (May)

bryanz — Fri, 10 May 2013 17:53:42 +0000

By Rev. Judith Laxer

As a gardener, you engage with seeds twice during the year. Late Autumn for the gathering from what is dying and late Spring for the sowing of what will grow. You’ve been preparing the beds for the last few months, removing weeds, adding compost. You’ve walked around deciding exactly how you will rotate your crops this year, deliberating whether or not you will get the best yield if you plant the same crop in the same place as last year where they did so well. Some say never do that, some say all that matters is that the soil is amended, so plant at will. You’ve changed your mind again and again, but that’s part of the fun.

Though it’s a safer bet to plant vegetable starts here in the short Northwest growing season, and you do, there is something about the mystery of seed that is too intriguing and exciting to ignore. So you get the sweet pea, pumpkin and nasturtium seed you harvested last year, and walk from bed to bed holding them in your green-thumbed hands, imagining their fruition, listening as they silently tell you which ones want to grow here, which ones there. Now is the time to get them in the Earth.

In an attempt to keep the neighbor’s cats from using them as their litter box, you’ve been taking your time removing the dried maple leaves from your garden beds until the very moment you need the space for planting. This is a bit of a new experience for you because usually by now you have cleared all the spent leaves in that first garden-spring-cleaning frenzy. You notice that you have to keep telling yourself that this is an intentional choice, that you are not behind schedule, that it’s okay to keep some dried brown among the moist green.

And then you find yourself on your hands and knees and you remove the crispy top leaves to find the slimy ones beneath, and there are earthworms ( good!) and spiders (yikes!) and then the potato bugs (or are they called pill bugs?) and who knows what else is there, too microscopic to see. But it smells like home. Clean. Sweet. Comforting. And then you shovel in the compost you’ve made during the colder months, with its occasional chip of egg shell that never quite broke down, and you toss in some organic fertilizer and use your hands to mix it all up and aerate the soil, relishing the sensuous feel of it all. And then you draw the edge of your trowel in lines through it, making the rows ready to receive seed. And no matter how carefully and slowly you go, too many will surely fall in one place which will later have to be thinned, but right now you know you are planting the future. Your eyes watch your fingers drop a seed but your mind sees a beautiful flower and your nose gets a sweet whiff of fragrance. Your eyes watch your fingers drop a seed but your mind sees a delightful orange winter squash and your mouth waters at the thought of pumpkin pie. Your eyes watch your fingers drop a seed but your mind sees a spicy edible flower gracing your salad bowl.

It causes you to ponder. What seed will you leave for others to gather when your life is through? What seed of yours will get planted and bring itself to bear long after you have gone? Will your now lived life help make a future generation’s life easier or more difficult? Bring inspiration and wisdom, or indifference and foolishness? Cause a chuckle or a tear? Inspire awe or derision? Will the seeds you leave behind heal or harm?

Suddenly, the seeds planted, the soil tamped down over them, you return from your cultivating reverie to where the clock is ticking and it must rule the day. Standing up, you stretch the stiffness from your muscles, thinking there will come a time when you are too old for this. But not today. Today you know you have left the world a bit more beautiful. The month of May invites beauty to be a priority. And you feel grateful for a priority such as beauty. You just never thought it would make you feel so seedy.

Rev. Judith Laxer is a modern day mystic who believes that humor, beauty and the wonders of nature make life worth living. She is the founding Priestess of Gaia’s Temple, an inclusive, Earth-based Ministry with over a decade of service. www.gaiastemple.org, www.judithlaxer.com

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Ballard Art Walk, May 11: Students showcase work, 'subtle beauty' at Filthy Rich, pencil drawings by Gordon Lambert

bryanz — Fri, 10 May 2013 19:02:25 +0000

This Saturday is the monthly Ballard Art Walk, from 6 to 9 p.m., and as usual, there will be plenty of wonderful art to look at on what looks to be a nice sunny evening.

During the Art Walk, artists open their studios to the public and neighborhood businesses host local art on their walls. The Ballard Art Walk showcases painting, glass art, sculpture, performance, and more, in venues from Leary Way to Shilshole, and as far north as 65th.

For more info, visit ballardartwalk.blogspot.com. For a map, click here.

Here are a few highlights for this month's art:

Ballard High School students display art at Ballard Branch Library

For the 7th Annual Ballard High School Art Show, which is displayed at the Ballard Branch Library (5614 22nd Ave NW), students submitted between 120 pieces of art from students in ceramics, photography, and fine art. Now that Ballard High School is offering an AP art class as well as AP photography, there are several impressive pieces. Students from these three disciplines have also submitted art for the Naramore Art Show (March 13-May 12) held at the Seattle Art Museum. On the night of the Ballard Art Walk (May 11) during the artists reception at the library, award winning videos from the Video Productions classes will also be screened.

Student Artists for 2013: Frank Airey, Magan Bouriot, Troy Brasel, LeBron Castleberry, Spencer Chandler, Rowan Callahan, Jordan Hodgekiss, Ania Filimonov, Sophia Herrmann, Summer Gnoinsky, Katie King, Martina Kozber, Alyssa Ledgerwood, Lauren Lee, Julia List, Jade Lyon, Emma Maier, Brian Marassi, Maleah Metz, Phoenix Mosler, Esther Nelson, Remy Olivier Robin, Hanako Osuga, Samantha Proctor, Liana Seglins, Robin Thomas, Gerson Tschider, Tian Qing Yen, Maya Veneske, Lucy Williams

Subtle Beauty by Christy Kruse

From Ballard Art Walk: "Christy Kruse has been studying classical art, traditional and digital photography and videography locally and around the world for more than a decade. She is recognized as an intuitive artist who is able to capture emotion and subtle beauty.

After the sudden passing of her father, she dedicated her work to capture the beauty of life and its most precious moments. Moments that are treasured and cherished—as seen through her eyes and heart and lend an appreciation to the miracles around us."

Krus's art will be on display at Filthy Rich of Seattle (5402 22nd Ave NW).

Pencil drawings by Gordon Lambert

Working with pencil and paper, Lambert enjoys drawing letters, words, and blocks of text in an attempt to explore the act of reading and to depict the mind/eye connection and process involved in it.

His work will be showing at Art & Soul at 2860 NW Market St.

Police Blotter: Man shot while crossing Aurora; several burglars strike in Ballard, including one with interest in things medieval

bryanz — Fri, 10 May 2013 14:26:40 +0000

By Cassandra Baker

2:00 a.m., May 6. N 80th St and Aurora Ave N

A man was shot in the torso while crossing Aurora in the middle of the night on May 6. The victim and his brother, both in their 20s, were crossing the street at 2:00 a.m. when a vehicle drove up and stopped. The victim and his brother got into a dispute with the vehicle’s occupants, and the vehicle drove away, but then circled back. One of the car’s occupants fired several shots at the brothers, but only one was hit. The vehicle then sped away.

Seattle Fire responded to the scene and treated the victim, who was transported to Harborview Medical Center with serious injuries. The uninjured brother was too intoxicated to provide a suspect or vehicle description. At the date of the report, the investigation was ongoing and Seattle Police was soliciting any relevant information, including anonymous tips.

2:40 p.m., May 3. 17th block of NW 59th S

A man called police when he returned home on the afternoon of May 3 to find his home burglarized. The victim said that he had locked his house before he left that morning, but when he got home, he found the front door unlocked and no signs of forced entry. His portable DVD player and Kindle had been stolen. His laptop had been moved, broken, and left lying on the floor. No fingerprints or other evidence were found in the house.

6:00 a.m., May 2. 100th block of 8th Ave NW

A man and his wife woke up on the morning of May 2 to find that a burglar had stolen an interesting assortment of items from their house overnight. The missing items included a laptop, Xbox, $1,500, a passport ... and several pieces of their medieval role-playing collection. No fingerprints or other evidence were found at the scene.

11:40 p.m., May 1. 77th block of 15th Ave NW

A man called police late on the night of May 1 to report that he was watching surveillance video that showed three men breaking into his business. The responding officer arrived at the business and found a broken window and an open door. The business owner, who was watching the video from a different location, said that the suspects had already left. He did not believe anything had been taken. The suspects were not found in the area.

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Mother's Day Weekend: Go to the zoo, buy flowers, see low tides

bryanz — Fri, 10 May 2013 21:28:14 +0000

Mother's Day is just around the corner -- as in, Sunday -- which means you darn well better do something for the woman who gave birth to you and made you who you are today.

Here in Ballard, we have some wonderful places to help you celebrate your mom. Here are a few things going on this weekend for Mother's Day.

Ballard Farmer's Market

An obvious choice is the Ballard Farmer's Market, which as usual happens Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Old Ballard Ave. You have fresh produce (for a fresh, tasty Mother's Day meal), flowers and, uh, earl grey tea jelly.

That last one is a suggestion from the Farmers Market blog. It reads: "Mom’s love earl grey tea jelly, and Mothers Day is just a week away. Deluxe Foods has these lovely jars of it, all ready for you to present to mom at breakfast next Sunday, so you’ll get the day started off right. Cuz remember… when mom’s happy, everybody’s happy!"

Swansons’ Annual Mother’s Day Ikebana Exhibition

Ikebana is the Japanese art of flower arranging. On Mother's Day weekend Swansons is proud to host an exhibition of spring-themed arrangements made by members of the Sogetsu modern school of ikebana. The exhibit is located in Swansons’ Seminar Room by the Cafe.

When: Saturday, May 11: 9am –6pm; Sunday, May 12: 9am –4pm

More info: contact Megumi Schacher at 425-744-9751 or see www.IkebanaByMegumi.com.

Mom and Me at Woodland Park Zoo

On Saturday, May 11, celebrate mom with the 23rd annual Mom & Me at the Zoo presented by Verity Credit Union. Moms get half off admission.

The Northwest family tradition features a day of fun for moms and families on the North Meadow such as live entertainment by Arc School of Ballet, Pepper Proud, and Musicians of Bremen Greene, Cougar Mountain cookies, and a rock climbing wall and bounce house.

More info: http://www.zoo.org/

Ballard Blossom "Make Mom's Day"

Old neighborhood institution Ballard Blossom ("A Northwest tradition since 1927") is offering special boquets for Mother's Day, such as "Lavendar Beauty," "Pink Beauty," "Your Sweet Smile" and more.

More info: http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Make-Mom-s-Day-.html?soid=10984787342...

Bring Mom to the beach at low tide

Bring Mom for Mother’s Day and join Seattle Parks and Recreation naturalists and explore Carkeek or Discovery Park Beach with a naturalist. Search for anemones, moon snails, and clams during a great low tide. Explore the saltwater beaches of Puget Sound during low tide.

Saturday, May 11, Carkeek Park Family Low Tide Beach Walk
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. All ages. Free.
950 NW Carkeek Park Rd., 206-684-8077.

Sunday, May 12: Discovery Park Family Low Tide Beach Walk
11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. All ages. Free.
Discovery Park, 3801 Discovery Park Blvd., 206-386-4236.

Sunday, May 12: Carkeek Park Family Low Tide Beach Walk
Noon to 1:30 p.m. All ages. Free.
950 NW Carkeek Park Rd., 206-684-8077.

To register, please call the park number or go to http://www.seattle.gov/parks/ and click on SPARC.

Ballard High School men's ensemble places first at state competition

bryanz — Thu, 09 May 2013 23:21:16 +0000

When Ballard High School Senior Baritone Logan Monson first learned that the men's quartet won first place at the prestigious State Solo and Ensemble Competition on April 26-27, his reaction was, "What? No way."

And then, he says, he started getting weird looks because he found himself skipping from joy.

Senior Bass Spencer Johnson had a similar story. He hadn't checked his phone all day, so when it was about 10 p.m. at night, he received two texts from choir director Courtney Rowley. The first said that they placed. The second said they got first.

He cheered in his car.

"It was disbelief at first," said Senior Tenor II George Chrisafis.

The kids had good reason to be shocked. It's the first time that Ballard High School has ever placed first in the competiton. The quartet -- consisting of Monson, Johnson, Chrisafis and Senior Tenor I Gerson Tschider -- had to beat out 21 other men's vocal ensembles across the state to win the spot.

"It's cool for the program because we've had a lot of great success and it just builds on the work we've been doing here," Rowley said.

That's not to say the students knew they bagged first place. The Ballard men's ensemble was the first to sing, at 8 a.m. sharp. They got up at 6 a.m., ate breakfast at the hotel, and were out the door, with not even time to rub sleepiness out of their eyes. One of them had been sick until just the day before and, after they sang, they had to listen to the rest of the top schools sing after them.

"It was kind of nervous listening to the other groups ... they sounded like they were at a level above us," Chrisafis said.

Rowley said winning first place not only meant being good, but beating out Union and Heritage High Schools based out of Vancouver, WA, which are thought to be two of the best choir schools in the state.

As high school comes to an end, the boys in the quartet -- all seniors -- are beginning to think about their future.

For Tschider, who has been in choir for four years, the future is still full of possibilities and he isn't quite sure where he is going to land, music or otherwise. He'll be attending Western University.

Chrisafis started singing when he was five and had been in the NW Boy's Choir for 10 years. He just started singing at BHS this year because, he said, "I missed singing." He'll be going to the University of Vermont to study biology, hopefully for med school, he said. He'll also probably join a men's singing group as well.

Monson, who just started choir this year ("I didn't really like singing in front of people"), plans on going to Shoreline for a couple of years before transferring to University of Washington or Seattle Pacific University.

Johnson, who has been singing since he was five starting out in church choirs, will be attending Western to study creative writing and will possibly go to school for screenwriting as well.

Next up, the BHS choir will be performing "Songs for the New World," created by Jason Robert Brown, in conjunction with the theatre program. For more info on that, click here.

Zachariah Bryan can be reached at zachb@robinsonnews.com

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As weather warms, City reminds users of beach fire rules

bryanz — Fri, 10 May 2013 00:16:53 +0000

Press release from Seattle Parks and Recreation

As May weather teases us with summerlike sunny days, thoughts turn to fires on the beach.

Seattle Parks and Recreation provides fire rings at two beaches, Golden Gardens Park, 8498 Seaview Avenue NW in Ballard and Alki Beach Park, 1702 Alki Avenue SW in West Seattle.

Parks encourages users to have fun, and provides a reminder of the rules that keep the parks clean, safe, and usable for everyone:

Please light fires ONLY in designated fire pits, available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Please burn only clean firewood (bare, clean, dry cordwood).
Please douse your fire completely (with water, not sand!) before you leave.
Please don’t remove anything from the park, beach, or dunes.
Please dispose of trash and ashes in the containers provided for each.
Please be considerate of others – amplified music is not allowed!
Please remember that alcohol is not allowed.

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Meeting notes: Warnings of Walmart in Interbay; Greenways on the way; 2013 Ballard road improvements

bryanz — Thu, 09 May 2013 15:56:09 +0000

At the May 8 Ballard District Council, residents got together to talk about the gnitty gritty details of projects that could have a big effect on the Ballard area. Those projects include the Interbay (and soon Ballard) land use study, the Ballard Greenways and a list of road improvement projects that the Seattle Department of Transportation will be working on.

Envisioning Interbay

Though not in Ballard, the Interbay land use study is significant for a couple of reasons: 1) The 15th Ave corridor is used by trucks from Ballard industrial companies, and 2) A similar land use study, which will look at zoning in Ballard's light industrial area, will be coming in the fall, likely starting in November.

At an open house meeting, the Department of Planning and Development discovered that Interbay residents and stakeholders had concerns over traffic, living wage jobs from the industrial sector and having nearby retail, which there is little of at the moment.

DPD's Patrice Carroll said that transit, environmental concerns and development prospects would all factor into what to do with zoning. With RapidRide D and any possible future transit improvements, it may be easier for people to come to Interbay. At the same time, however, there are a lot of steep slopes, poor soils and other potential environmental hazards. There has also been some, though not necessarily a lot, of recent development, including some office space, apartment buildings that add about 350 units to the area and some renovation.

Carroll said right now DPD's preliminary recommendation was to soften up zoning a bit around the Dravus St intersection, creating a "local production district." This would allow for bigger restaurants, office space, retail and more residential use. At the same time, it would not be to the scale of an urban village, and preserving small manufacturing would still be a goal.

In addition, the National Guard Armory is nearing the end of its useful life, Carroll said, meaning that something will eventually need to happen with the space. At the moment, she said DPD is keeping their hands off of it and allowing the owners of the armory to propose an idea.

For more info on the "Envisioning Interbay" project, visit http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/Planning/EnvisioningInterbay/Overview/

Walmart in Interbay?

There was some concern in the room over whether zoning changes -- which are still just preliminary -- would bring big box stores into the area. Particularly, with the armory site being so big, there was concern over whether a Walmart might look to move into the area.

Steve Marquardt from UFCW 21, the biggest union representing grocery store workers in the United States, said that Walmart was looking -- and has already tried -- to move into the city of Seattle. though still early on, he said that the armory space seemed like the kind of space Walmart would eye for a possible supercenter location.

Marquardt warned that introducing a big box store could severely reduce the wages and benefits of local workers, and could subtract from how much money is put into the local economy.

He said that it was best to catch this as far upstream as possible, by preventing land use zoning from making a Walmart move-in possible. Otherwise, he said, residents have few tools to prevent a tenant from moving in.

Ballard Greenways

There is little new to report on the Ballard Greenways -- which will make NW 58th St safer for pedestrians and bicyclists -- except that construction is going to be underway. Representatives of the Ballard Greenways project talked a little bit about the Ballard Box idea, which would provide a network of greenways in the Ballard neighborhood, with north-south routes connecting downtown Ballard with the Loyal Heights and Crown Hill areas.

Here's a refresher on the changes coming from the greenway:

Directional signs, neighborhood greenway signs, 20 mph speed limit signs and bicycle pavement markings
New stop signs to control traffic crossing the greenway at certain intersections
Wider sidewalk on Seaview Avenue NW
Rectangular Rapid Flash Beacons at 24th Avenue NW and NW 58th Street
Partial diverter for eastbound traffic at 15th Avenue NW and NW 58th Street (at St. Alphonsus School)
ADA ramps, speed humps, crosswalks and crossbikes
Bicycle parking at destinations along the route
Concrete panel and spot pavement repair

For our definitive article on the debate, from April's open house, click here.

For more info from the Seattle Department of transportation, click here.

SDOT Road Improvement Projects

Art Brochet from the Seattle Department of Transportation had plenty to say about road improvements coming to Ballard in 2013. Here's a list of them:

General:

New curb bulb at SE corner of NW Market St at Tallman Ave NW -- Currently this is a wide intersection, a curb bulb will make it safer for pedestrians
Mid block crosswalk improvements – 24th Ave NW (between NW 77th & 80th Sts)
New crosswalk – Seaview Ave NW near NW 70th St. – no curb ramps until 2014
Ped walkway improvements – 17th ave NW (NW 89th to 90th Sts)

South Ballard Ave corridor improvements:

Pavement patches on NW 45th St. west of 11th Ave NW (Fred Meyer)
Advisory bike lanes on NW 45th St. between 11th and 15th Aves NW -- It was noted that these were not sharrows
Revised striping on Shilshole Ave NW from 15th ave NW (around bridge piers) to 46th Ave NW
Painted island at intersection of Shilshole Ave NW and NW 46th St -- It was noted that painted islands allowed for semi trucks to drive over and at the same time were much cheaper than actual traffic islands)
Repair of shoulder on Shilshole Ave NW between 17th Ave NW and the 2300 block
Curb ramp on Shilshole Ave NW at 24th Ave NW (SE corner) -- this will allow bicyclists to jump off the road entirely and hop onto the sidewalk, as it can be a dangerous road due to trucks
Painted island at Ballard Ave NW and 17th Ave NW (SW corner near Canvas Supply) -- It was noted that this was a dangerous intersection for bicyclists and that the painted island helped define the area more
Painted T-intersection where NW 48th meets Ballard Ave

Future paving projects in Ballard:

2014:

Holman Rd, NW 87th to Greenwood Ave N - mill and overlay, 30 percent design

Not funded, no date:

NW Market
NW 54th to 24th Ave NW
24th Ave NW to 15th Ave NW
15th Ave NW to 9th Ave NW

Zachariah Bryan can be reached at zachb@robinsonnews.com

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