August 2008

Recycle bins, folding chairs, and cardboard boxes blocked off dozens of Ballard intersections August 5th as hundreds of families took to the streets to celebrate the 25th Annual National Night Out. All Across America, Canada, and on military bases far afield such parties were organized to heighten crime and drug awareness, to generate support for local anticrime programs, and to have some neighborly fun.

It was a perfectly mild and sunny evening in Ballard and by 6 p.m.

With the election less than one month away, King County Elections is still looking for 700 individuals to fill nearly 4,000 poll worker positions.

"King County hasn't yet made the transition to all-mail voting and poll workers are still needed to help ensure that poll voters can cast their vote on Election Day," said Sherril Huff, King County Elections Director.

Trading in her corporate job and laptop for a sewing machine in 1999, Heidi Fish knew that creating a fresh new look for swimwear was her calling.

Sewing ever since she was three years old, her grandmother Henrietta Staving-Baumann, a designer for Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City from 1934 to 1948, taught her the tricks of the trade.

The sun had begun to set. As the sky darkened from deep blue to black, little lights began to glow around the track. Like candles floating on a pond, the white bags cast a glow over the people moving in a circle. As more of the lights sprang to life, Melissa Bazala realized how many people had felt as she did right now: sad and frustrated.

Bazala continued to circle the track, participating for the first time in the Relay for Life of West Seattle.

The West Seattle "Seal Sitters" are regrouping in anticipation of what could soon be dozens of baby seal "pups" gracing our shores.

The pups "haul out" to get much-needed rest and warmth by sleeping peacefully on the beaches and rocks, often for long hours before mom returns for them. These pups are extremely vulnerable at this time and need our protection to help them survive; only 50 percent of harbor seals survive their first year.

Robin Lindsay, a freelance photographer, has been documenting the babies for the past few years.

If you've ever seen a Jack Russell Terrier you know how active they can be. These wonderful dogs are known for their intelligence and unique character. We encountered Danielle Martin, her daughter Sylvannah and one of their dogs, Casper at Alki. Despite their reputation for energetic activity Casper would prefer to be cuddled.

"We named him Casper because of the white patch on his face," explained Danielle.

He is 3 1/2 months old and loves to play with his brothers and sisters but that's kind of a problem.

'Iron Man' (the movie)

is irreverent fun

Directed by Jon Favreau

Rated PG-13

(Three stars)

By Bruce Bulloch

After only a couple of years, the U.S. strategy on biofuels and climate change has a clear record: dramatically higher food prices and an increase in greenhouse gas emissions.

Government programs have encouraged farmers to use marginal land to produce fuel crops, increasing carbon dioxide emissions in the process, in an effort to receive subsidies or the high prices such crops now fetch due to government mandates.

Now, this state is poised to follow those damaging policy footsteps.

More than 10 years after members of Grindline were kicked out of Schmitz park for attempting to build a skateboard bowl under a bridge, the local skateboard park design company has been selected to create West Seattle's first public skatepark at the Delridge Playfield.

The new skatepark will be implemented by the Seattle Parks and Recreation department as a part of Seattle's Citywide Skatepark plan, which established the new park at Lower Woodland earlier this year.

The Delridge Playfield was chosen as a site for the program partially because of the existing activity in t

Seattle Parks and Recreation has opened the Delridge Playfield wading pool, 4458 Delridge Way S.W., on Sundays until August 31, the last day of the season.

The wading pool will operate on the normal schedule and will be open and staffed from noon to 6 p.m. each Sunday. The pool is already open on weekdays and Saturdays. The site includes a drinking fountain and a public restroom.

To check for weather closures, please call the Wading Pool Hotline at 684-7796.