August 2008

With a history of a rich culture of people emigrating from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden to the Pacific Northwest and prominently to Ballard, the Nordic Heritage Museum has become a pillar in Ballard's community.

But after 30 years in its cozy residential location, this place of Ballard's Nordic roots is slowly preparing itself to make a move to Ballard's mainstream Market Street sometime around the year 2014.

The Nordic Heritage Museum has been located in the Seattle School's 1907 red brick school building that originally was Daniel Webster Elementary Scho

The Seattle City Council passed the Local Food Action Initiative but many people are left wondering what it will actually do.

The truth is not much, at least not right away. The initiative requires several agencies to develop policies for strengthening Seattle's food system and adding emphasis to locally grown food. Agencies are to report back to the council in the fall.

The initiative establishes healthy food goals including advancing the city's environmental sustainability, improving public health and reducing energy use.

In the August 13 issue of the Ballard News Tribune, incorrect information on the size of Ballard Corners Park was given ("Corners Park work underway after snags", page 1). It was said that the designated site would be 37,000 square feet however instead the park has been limited to two standard size residential lots. Both at 5,000 square feet the park will be a total of 10,000 square feet. We regret the error.

This August Ballard resident David Ortman took home six medals in the USA Track and Field National Masters Outdoor Championships - as many medals as some countries earned at the entire Beijing Olympics.

Ortman is officially the Brazil of Masters Track and Field.

Masters Track and Field is an organization that holds competitions for athletes over the age of 30. Ortman's success with the organization comes despite getting a 10-year late start.

"I always thought Masters Track and Field started at 40," he said.

The Ballard Library and all of the other 25 new and remodeled branch libraries as well as the startling Central Library will open for tours with a commemorative Library Passport available at Ballard Branch and all other library locations beginning Saturday, Sept. 13.

Ballard branch architects David Cinamon and Robert Miller be in Ballard from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. to visit with members of the public and to sign passports. Free coffee and snacks will be provided.

Distribution of the Library Passport on Sept.

Since I was two years old I've spent at least part of every summer of my life on a small island in Massachusetts called Martha's Vineyard. My parents first visited then returned as assistant house parents at the Youth Hostel. At a sleepy time in island history they purchased a ramshackle cottage for $2,000 which is now in its fourth generation of our family history.

Paper or plastic?

By Barbara Sims

If plastic bags are such so bad, you might be tempted to switch to paper bags. Problem is the paper bags take about the same amount of oil to make as a plastic bag, are six times as bulky and therefore require more transport fuel and they generally fall apart after one use.

Most of them will end up in the landfills, will rot and release greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.

Exactly what did we learn from the recent state primary election, actually the second one this year? The first one was ostensively for president, which was ignored mostly by the political parties. Yes, it was early but that turned out to not mean much.

The August 19 primary was about state and local matters. We had a primary for governor and other state offices. In King County the incumbent Democratic governor got more votes which experience tells us that does not mean much for the November general election.

It's a story for everyone, about an 11 year old girl named Autumn Fairall, who has leukemia, that plays, rather, used to play on the HPFC Eagles Red '96 P-1 girls soccer team out of the Highline premier organization.

Fairall has played soccer since age seven, the last year was for the top-tier Highline Eagles Premier One select association. Not anymore. Hopefully, she will again.

Her life is like this now.

"It's going OK, it's very tiring," she said.

Leukemia has her literally out of breath now.

Speaking of leukemia, what is it?

Is it all over at 13?

By Lauri Hennessey

I recall a woman telling me once at a party years ago that her 12 year old was rebelling, starting to date boys too early, and starting to be snappy and surly.

I listened with trepidation, holding my new baby in my arms and wondering how I could avoid this fate. I remember the woman sighed deeply and said (something to the effect), "I don't know what good it will do me to correct anything at this point. All of those parenting experts say that once your kid hits 13, you've done pretty much all you can do anyway.