In July the Nordic Heritage Museum will start paying nearly double it's current rent for a Seattle School District building while it waits to move into a new facility.
The non-profit has settled a new five-year lease with the district, boosting its rent from about $72,000 annually to $139,000, a 92 percent increase, said Gordon Strand, business manager for the museum.
"It's a hefty increase," said Strand.
Just when the day is winding down at Ballard's Gardner Boat Repair, office manager Stephen Dun sets to work on his second job: fielding phone calls from displaced Burmese citizens and directing funds from his non-profit group to aid emergency situations in his homeland.
Formerly known as Myanmar, Burma has been under military rule for decades, and until 1994, Dun lived out the daily challenge of surviving there.
Move is a four-letter word. That's exactly the sentiment of many seniors as they think about leaving their home for a smaller one.
Laurie Lamoureux has worked for a decade in the move management field. During the last seven years she has specialized in helping seniors navigate the downsizing process.
President of "Out of the Box," Lamoureux shares her downsizing and organizing tips in a free seminar called "Move is a Four-Letter Word."
It will be held at 12:30 p.m. this Saturday (Feb. 15) at the Ballard Senior Center.
Mayor Greg Nickels has added $2 million to the city's Neighborhood Street Fund in his 2008 budget and that addition means the fund will grow to $10.1 million over the next three years.
"We listened carefully to neighborhoods, and expanding this program was clearly a top priority," Nickels said.
I met my best friend in French class in seventh grade. Julie was the one who burst out laughing at my introduction, "Je m'appelle Peggy" with a pronunciation destined to provoke a chorus of oink, oinks. It was 1972 and Mademoiselle Soucy was fresh out of college - too much eye make-up and polyester bell-bottoms that strained across her thighs.
An event at Abraxus Books on Northwest 24th just before Valentine's Day resurrected my junior high and high school memories. Back then I lived in hope of a fairy tale romance that would transport my knobby-kneed self into a starring role, with no further reason to attend the daily horror that was school. The dictionary says fairy tales involve magical creatures and are primarily for children. I don't agree. Many adults still dream of fairy tale endings; but our dreams are different now than when we were children. We still want the charming prince or princess, the happily ever after without car payments or misunderstandings, the once in a lifetime love that exists in books.
The legendary "Seattle Way" of doing government business is to hold a slew of hearings and make a ton of Power Point presentations, take a bushel of incoming paperwork from the people and give them a bushel of stuff back - then have a couple of more hearings just because the decision is hard and may offend someone and the decision makers have no desire to offend anyone.
It doesn't always work, in fact often it does not work.
A study at the University of Washington's Economic Policy Research Center said a basic cost of the landmark Growth Management Act may be a primary dr
Nov. 16, 1934 - Feb. 6, 2008
Silverdale, Wash.
Gary passed away at home with his wife of 54 years, Carole, daughter, Dawn Johnson and son, Brian Christensen at his bedside.
Gary was born in Omaha, Neb. and moved to Ballard in 1948. After graduating Ballard High in 1952 He attended OC/PSNS engineering/training program in Bremerton where he met and married Carole (Winger).
He worked at Boeing for 10 years. He and his father founded "Lortone, Inc." Lapidary Equipment Manufacturing Co. in 1964.
November 27, 1942 - January 30, 2008
Our father always had a strong attraction to Ballard. He played football with the Ballard Boys Club and baseball with the Little League. He attended Ballard High School, from 1956 - 1959. From the mid 60's to early 70's he owned the "First Addition" tavern in Greenwood. He was a member of the Seattle Inboard Racing Association from the 1962 - 1980. He is survived by his three children - Stacey, Mike and Peggy (Milan) and three grand children Joshua, Robert and Nickolai.
Greenwood/Ballard resident Jean M. McCarty passed away on February 7, 2008. She was predeceased by her loving husband of 58 years, Art (who died this previous November), her daughter Carol (died in July 1997), and her sister, Gloria. She is survived by her granddaughter Tammy, Tammy's husband Bret, and great-grandchildren Tony, Charlie, Sam and Savannah. Also surviving are several cousins, nieces and nephews.
A memorial service was held on Saturday, February 16, at Columbia Lutheran Home at 4700 Phinney Ave. N. 98103.
Marjorie McKinney and Wookie are walkers, but Wookie, a pomeranian, is remarkable since he only has three legs. In January of 2004 he lost his left front leg in an altercation with a truck, yet three days later he was eager to walk again. Wookie has been through a lot in his 13 years. He's has been sick a few times and he was mauled by a larger dog in 2005. "He's a survivor," said Marjorie.
