October 2008

Some think Ballard is becoming another metropolis of condos, but as property values increase and business owners reach retirement age many are taking advantage of the opportunity to benefit from the fruits of their labor.

Considered staple landmarks of Ballard by many residents, Denny's for 43 years and Sunset Bowl for 31 years were two businesses seen as great hangouts for seniors and a place for the neighborhood to gather.

The popular Tex-Mex restaurant chain Matador will be required to change some of its decor and menu items in compliance with a settlement drawn up on Oct.

The summer's-long partial closure of the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks in Ballard is over.

Maritime traffic began moving through the small lock last week, said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which operates the project.

The problem involved the pintle bearings that support the four gates of the small lock. The lock operators noticed they seemed to be deteriorating at an increasing rate.

After their final meeting to discuss ideas and changes towards the design of the Aurora Bridge suicide-prevention barrier, members of the advisory committee still showed interest in staying informed with the process of implementing the barrier.

Planning to set up a number of community briefings in the next couple of weeks, the Washington Department of Transportation hope to use the meetings to hear more feedback, listen to comments and answer questions.

As neighborhood representatives of the committee persistently asked the Department of Transportation to create a mock-up

Ballard native Kailey Campbell is a member of the University of Washington women's cross country team that is ranked number one in the country heading into the championship meets.

Campbell, a Ballard High School graduate and a sophomore at the university, discusses the success of the team, how she became a part of it, and how the team can keep it going.

Ballard News-Tribune: What's it like being on a team that is ranked number one in the nation?

Kailey Campbell: It's really cool because the energy on our team is just amazing right now.

We support Reuven Carlyle to succeed Helen Sommers as State Representative for the 36th Legislative District. Reuven won the primary in August and as such was the choice of the voters in Washington's first "top-two" primary.

It will be a major challenge for either Reuven or his opponent, John Burbank, to replace the irreplaceable Helen Sommers. But, we believe Reuven better embodies and embraces the qualities of Helen Sommers that has made her such an effective legislator.

There are weeks when the sights and sounds of Ballard appear linked to me; then there are weeks when everything seems random. I can't seem to connect the dots between the man at Archie McPhee's wearing a gigantic foam cowboy hat and feeding the carp this morning at Swanson's. This year I'm having trouble distinguishing Halloween costumes from everyday wear; mudders with frog eyes, babies in leopard skin and tails.

But finally a day with time to errands on foot.

There are many species of sorrels found through out the world. Sorrel is an herb used in soups and sauces, but it can be the main meal. East Slavic, Polish, Lithuanian, and Yiddish people make sorrel soup, considered a kosher food in the Jewish religion. Sorrel leaves are also eaten fresh as in salads. The taste is slightly tangy due to the presence of oxalic acid, which is found in many dark green leafy vegetables like spinach, and in rhubarb, black pepper, cocoa, most nuts, many berries, and beans.

Oxalic acid in high concentrations is actually toxic to the human body.

200 medley relay - Inglemoor (Liane Lovitt, Leah Ruggerone, Claire Thompson, McKenna Grimsby) 2:05.14. 200 free - Briana Meyer, B, 1:57.93*. 200 IM - Katie Jo Burkland, B, 2:14.74*. 50 free - Dylan Miller, B, 26.70. Diving - Stacey Luke, I, 221.65. 100 fly -Annemarie Thayer , B, 58.52*. 100 free - Leann Yee, I, 56.08. 500 free - KJ Burkland, B, 5:08.98*. 200 free relay - Ballard (A. Thayer, Gailyn Portelance, KJ. Burkland, B. Meyer),1:44.10*. 100 back - A. Thayer, B, 58.03*. 100 breast - G. Portelance, B, 1:12.25. 400 free relay - Ballard (B. Meyer, D. Miller, G. Portelance, A.

When pumpkins appear at Top Banana at 15th and Northwest 65th I know that the end is near.

Soon there will be no more Top Banana until spring, except for the Christmas tree lot, and it's not like I need to pick up a fresh tree several times a week. January through March are long dark months when you've come to depend on owner Jimmy Wild's energy to light up Ballard.

What is it about Jimmy? Is it the fact that he carries a knife that makes him so direct? Have you ever been to Top Banana Produce for a watermelon or a bag of compost?