March 2009

A ribbon cutting tomorrow at Swedish Medical Center in Ballard will celebrate the opening of a new primary-care unit with an open house and tour of the newly remodeled space.

The event is not open to the public. A public open house will be scheduled for a future date.

This new primary-care clinic is the first at Swedish, and in the country, to open utilizing the medical home model exclusively from day one, which involves a patient-centered team of caregivers as well as information technology to provide better access for patients.

The clinic, which officially opens to the public on Tuesday, March 31, will serve as a Family Medicine Residency training site.The clinic is located on the fourth floor, east wing of the hospital.

Swedish is excited to pilot this project and offer this new model of health care to the community, according to Ed Boyle, Swedish Medical Center spokesman.

The event, at 5300 Tallman Ave. N.W., begins with opening remarks at 2 p.m. Friday, March 27.

Attendees will get a chance to meet the clinic staff, tour the newly remodeled space, and learn more about the medical home concept.

Rain forced a one-day postponement of the Ballard High School basetball team's March 24 match-up with Lake Washington. But, the Beavers fell to Lake Washington 3-1 in a March 25 make-up game.

Ballard (2-2 overall, 1-1 in the league) only managed four hits on the day.

Conor McClure provided most of the Beavers' offense with two hits in three at-bats and a stolen base.

Ballard's starting pitcher Jimmy Pugel gave up seven hits and three runs in five innings but also threw five strikeouts.

Weather permitting, the Beavers play again at 7 p.m., March 26 against Inglemoor at Inglemoor Field.

The neighborhood group Friends of Greenwood Park has been awarded $15,000 from the Neighborhood Matching Fund grant for their long-term plan to develop four open plots along the eastern edge of the current Greenwood Park.

The group’s plan is to use the land to fullfill the community’s growing interest in a neighborhood P-Patch or a multi-faceted expansion that would cater to a number of user groups.

"We’re very excited that the city gave us the opportunity with the grant to work on the park," said Mike Stringer, chair of Friends of Greenwood Park. "What we plan to do now is to hold a community planning process to create ideas and a conceptual design to expand the park in the east."

Seattle Parks purchased two of the four plots, located on Fremont Avenue North from North 87th Street to North 90th Street, in 2005 with Pro Parks Levy Opportunity money after the group had applied for funding.



When initial planning for the construction of Greenwood Park began in 1999, the community got together through public meetings to help decide what resident's would like to see in the community park. The park was completed in 2003.



Former Ballard resident Joe McMurchie found his mother yesterday, ending a year-long search for her.

Last week it was reported that McMurchie had been searching for his mother, Gini McMurchie, 57, for more than a year after she disappeared from his grandmother's Ballard home. She suffers from seizures and possibly the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.

Yesterday, March 25, Joe received a call from someone who had read the story about his missing mother. The caller said she had seen Gini regularly at a Ballard home, where it turns out she had been staying since Christmas.

Joe and his son immediately took the bus to the address given.

"My mom was right there with an erderly gentleman that had been letting her stay there," said Joe, a Lynwood resident. "I know she is fairly OK. She definitely needs some help, but she has a roof over her head, and is safe."

Joe had plans of bringing her home, but for now, she will stay where she is.

Mayor Greg Nickels has ordered the Department of Planning and Development to review sidewalk requirements in urban
villages as they apply to homeowners who want to build a new home on their lot.

“I am committed to building more sidewalks in our city and requiring developers to do their part, but let’s make sure there aren’t
unintended consequences,” said Nickels.

In January 2008, the land use code was amended to require sidewalks when any new development is proposed in urban villages, urban centers
and along arterial streets.  For example, a homeowner with a lot inside one of the city's urban villages would be required to build a sidewalk. A sidewalk would not be required if it were an addition or remodel to the existing house.

The mayor has asked the planning department to re-evaluate the regulations and determine if changes need to be made.

Urban villages and centers have been identified in Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan as areas most suitable for accommodating additional housing and employment growth.  The city has put a priority on making these areas more pedestrian friendly.

The Woodland Park Zoo received a master use permit from the Seattle Department of Planning and Development to build a new west entry.

The new entry, scheduled to open in 2010, is supposed to reduce wait times and add guest amenities, according to a March 25 press release from the zoo.

The north entrance will be removed as part of the project, but a new landscaped path will connect the north end of the zoo with the new west entrance.

The new entrance will include improved amenities, such as member services, equipment rentals, coffee and computerized sales system, according to the press release.

The project is part of the Long-Range Physical Development Plan for the zoo passed by the city council in 2004.

An appeal filed against the project by Irene Wall, Phinney Ridge Community Council president, was dropped in February.

Former Greenwood Community Council President and north Seattle resident Mike McGinn announced his campaign for Seattle mayor March 24 at Piecora's Pizza on Capitol Hill.

Today, former Seattle Sonic player James Donaldson also announced his candidacy to challenge incumbent Greg Nickels.

In his announcement, McGinn said his three major issues are the Seattle school system, the city's Internet infrastructure and overcrowded, unreliable public buses.

He said he wants to work with the Seattle Public Schools to improve school performances, and if that doesn't happen, transfer direct control of the district to the city.

"Seattle is one of the smartest and most creative cities in the world," McGinn said on his Web site. "We can do better, and we have to."

McGinn, an attorney and former local chair of the Sierra Club, founded the Seattle Great City Initiative, a group that says it is working to make Seattle a model of economic and environmental sustainability.

At least two others appear to be possible candidates, including former Seattle City Council member Peter Steinbrueck and current editor of The Stranger Dan Savage.

When Seattle Lutheran High School students Grace Puffert and Mary Griffin were asked to complete a senior project they wanted to come up with an idea that would utilize their interests and benefit the community in a way that's meaningful to them.

What they came up with was a fashion show to benefit the Providence Mount Saint Vincent Nursing Home where both girls volunteer.

The two have a strong connection to the nursing home; Griffin attended preschool at the center and Puffert's grandmother lives there.

"I love it there," says Puffert. "I've made some really great relationships."

The two were inspired by the way the Mount brings different generations together and thought that a fashion show celebrating different eras would be an appropriate benefit.

“Fashion Through the Ages” will feature dresses from 1900 to present day fashion, modeled primarily by Seattle Lutheran students.

"Fashion is timeless, and I feel like it's a common ground that connects every generation," says Puffert.

Owner of the Alki Homestead Restaurant, a city landmark that was damaged and closed by a Jan. 16 fire, said he plans to re-open the historic building as it was, but in the meantime will likely open a new restaurant in the North Admiral District to ensure the Homestead employees still have jobs.

"It's mainly for them (the employees), it's not for me," said Homestead owner of three years Tom Lin. I don't look at it from a business perspective."

The January fire at the Homestead left at least 10 people without work since the restaurant closed due to the damage to the dining area and roof. Lin said he does not expect it to re-open within the next year and starting a new restaurant was the best solution he could think of to retain his employees.

"It's not a done deal, but there's a good chance we are going to do it," said Lin, who would not reveal the exact location of the new restaurant space. "It's sort of a work in progress."

Recently, the Southwest Seattle Historical Society Board, which operates the Log House Museum in Alki, released a statement urging the protection and restoration of more than 100-year-old Homestead building, formerly Fir Lodge.

“I love the smell of new power tools in the morning. They smell like…. victory!”

When I twittered that the other day, it made me stop and think, "why?" Not why I twittered that, why I love the smell of new power tools.

Inspiration comes in many forms. Music, art, nature and people are our standard answers for, “What inspires you?” but are you ever in need of inspiration to get you motivated? Then go to your local nursery and check out the garden tool section.

There is nothing like standing in front of all those new garden tools, fondling each one, pretending that you’re actually in your garden with this magnificent tool, and working the magic that it had surely brought. I know it sounds weird, but you have to test-drive them somehow, eh? (And no, I haven’t been kicked out of a nursery for doing that either – for other reasons, but not that one.)

And there’s nothing like a brand-spanking-new weeder to get you out in the garden when the weather is not great, too.