March 2009

Put on your walking shoes. The 14th Annual Greenwood/Phinney ArtWalk will be Friday, May 8, from 6-9:30 p.m. and Saturday, May 9, from noon to 5 p.m.

Designed to promote the arts in the neighborhood, the ArtWalk has become a very popular neighborhood party, featuring work from more than 80 area artists in 70 businesses along Greenwood and Phinney avenues between 59th and 87th streets.

What’s your favorite kind of art? We’ve got ‘em all: paintings, sculptures, photography, prints, glass, metal and fiber art, ceramics and mixed media.

There will be entertainment, too. Over the years, this hugely popular event has turned into a neighborhood party with musical performances in participating businesses and churches, street performers, chalk art and activities for children.

The Jurors’ Top Picks will be featured at the Phinney Center Gallery, 6532 Phinney Ave. N., during the ArtWalk put will also be on view at the Gallery through May 25.

These are tough times. It’s tough to stay calm when you lose your job. It’s tough to stay focused when you are worried about money. It’s tough to stay present for your children when you are stressed. And, it’s tough to stay healthy when fast food beckons.

Everything in our culture tells us fast food is easier, that it can fit more easily in a busy parenting day. At the YMCA, we believe there are ways to stay healthy and fit – and save money in this economic climate.

One of our biggest challenges is how busy we all are and it may feel like it takes too much work to feed your family healthy meals. According to Molly Rapozo, a registered dietician with the West Seattle and Fauntleroy YMCA, there are easy steps you can take to eat healthy in this economy.

“Make a big pot of something on a Sunday like soup or chili. Then reheat it during the week or turn your rotisserie chicken into enchiladas the next day. Be creative in re-using what you have,” she says.

Tomorrow, March 17, the King County Council Budget Committee will hear an update on the County's revenue forecast

The County's Budget Director, Bob Cowan, will discuss the challenges of maintaining services in the face of the current economic recession.

King County Council chambers, 10th floor, King County Courthouse, at 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 17.

Cowan will brief committee members on the department’s revenue forecast and the likely impacts that decreased revenues will have on the ability to maintain current levels of services for County programs.

In the 12700 block of Palatine Avenue North, a homeowner was gone for a brief time on Monday morning. When he returned to his residence he found that someone had entered the home through some French doors, pepper-sprayed the family's 100-pound dog (and locked it in a first-floor bathroom), and ransacked the house, taking some electronic items. Interestingly, the victim's truck and tools had been stolen the previous day from near the home. The homeowner had recently spotted a suspicious white male, aged 24-25, slender, wearing a dark jacket over a gray hooded sweatshirt, who seemed to be casing the area one day at 8 a.m.

A citizen was suspicious when he spotted a tire rolling down California Avenue...right near a tire store. He called 911. As a result, a West Seattle man who has been arrested more than 20 times has continued his streak: He had broken into the store's storage area and was in the middle of heaving $90 worth of used tires into the back of his vehicle. He claimed to be “helping” the store's owner by taking care of the recycling and disposal on his behalf. (This despite prominent signs stating that it's unlawful to remove tires from the locked area.) The suspect mentioned he'd been doing this “service” for awhile—and the owner confirmed to officers that several thefts have occurred. The suspect's previous arrests and convictions have been for robbery in the first degree, theft, drug charges, and assaults. Did we mention that when he was apprehended he was already wearing a home detention ankle monitoring bracelet?

Seattle Department of Transportation crews plan to complete a repair to Holman Road Northwest from Greenwood Avenue North to Third Avenue Northwest on
Thursday and Friday, March 19 and 20, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Crews will repave the northbound, curb lane of Holman Road on Thursday, restricting access to the sidewalk during construction.

On Friday, crews will repave the southbound curb lane, closing the sidewalk on that side of the street during construction.

Boeing Employees Credit Union and Buffalo Exchange will be moving into the the vacant storefronts in the Ballard Square Building on Market Street in the near future.

BECU, the largest credit union in Washington, is moving its Ballard Safeway location into the Tux Shop space at 2232 N.W. Market St.

Todd Pietzsch, spokesperson for BECU, said the credit union had outgrown its Safeway location and is shooting for a July opening on Market Street.

The Tux Shop relocated to Northgate.

Buffalo Exchange, a used-clothing consignment store with 36 locations nationally, will move into the space recently vacated by Supercuts, also at 2232 N.W. Market St.

Buffalo Exchange President Kerstin Block, a Swedish native who started the business in 1974 in Arizona, said the company had been looking for another Seattle location since the closing of the Capitol Hill store.

A number of the employees at the other Seattle location, in the University District, live in Ballard and recommended it as a good location for a new store, Block said.

She said the Ballard location should open in early June.

Early last year, Groundswell NW received a nearly anonymous e-mail with information that the 7th Elect Church of Israel property in the 7000 block of 9th Avenue Northwest was being very quietly marketed for sale. At first we thought it might be a hoax, as this property has been privately held for decades, but we decided to check it out.

(Groundswell NW member) Dave Boyd contacted the agent, and immediately alerted Don Harris, in Seattle Parks’ Acquisitions unit. Many enthusiastic letters and e-mails from the neighbors led to very quick action by Seattle Parks staff making it possible for Mayor Greg Nickels to announce the purchase of this 39,000 square foot property at Groundswell’s annual meeting last March.

To have this wonderful open space preserved is a tremendous accomplishment for the Whittier Heights neighbors and for the city.

The immediate neighbors of this new park have already logged over 300 volunteer hours in clearing and weeding. The new Friends of the Park, working with Groundswell NW, have held two successful fundraisers.

The West Seattle Crime Prevention Council will meet tomorrow evening, March 17, to discuss neighborhood crime issues.

The meeting is held at the Southwest Police Precinct at 2300 S.W. Webster off Delridge Way Southwest from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Some topics of discussion are: What does a Community Police Team Office does; recent neighborhood safety issues, community concerns and precinct updates.

The agenda:

7 p.m. Greetings and Introductions – Dot Beard, council president

7:05 p.m. Precinct Updates on “hot spots” and recent crime, liquor licenses

7:30 p.m. Sergeant Jeffery Durden – Community Police Team Officers

7:45 p.m. Community Concerns/Highlights/Questions

8:15 p.m. Community Announcements and a date for Police Appreciation Day

8:30 p.m. Adjourn

Next crime prevention council meets again Tuesday, April 21.

Contact program coordinator Jennifer Duong at jennifer@sngi.org.

Starting this Saturday, March 21, the White Center Food Bank will be open on the third Saturday of every month between the hours of 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to meet the rising demand of its services, according to a release from the food banks' executive director Rick Jump.

“During these tough economic times local food banks are serving more families than ever," said Jump in the release. "Many of them are first time visitors to a food bank. This increased demand for services is likely to continue over the next several months. To help meet the need we find it necessary to expand our hours to include a weekend distribution for those who are unable to access our services during the week.

Registration begins at 10 a.m. and proof of address is required on each visit. The White Center Food Bank service area includes between Southwest 140th Street and Southwest Myrtle Street and between Highway 509 and Puget Sound.

The White Center Food Bank also welcomes donations to help meet the increased need in the community. Donations may be mailed to 10829 8th Ave. S.W.