March 2009

The Ballard Food Bank has done their part by assisting those who are struggling in these hard economic times and in return for their hard work they have been named the 2009 winner of Food Lifeline’s “Agency Excellence Award” for Excellence in Food Resource Development.

For their achievement they have been awarded $5,000 to continue expanding its mission, and to increase and better its capabilities to serve the hungry people in the Ballard community.

Food Lifeline presented the Agency Excellence Awards at its Annual Agency Conference in Shoreline, on Monday March 24. The conference hosts expert leaders from Food Lifeline’s 300 member agencies all throughout Western Washington, connecting with each other, opening channels of communication and highlighting their successes.

As the Excellence in Food Resource Development award-winner, Ballard Food Bank demonstrated its exemplary approaches to ending hunger through its efforts to develop food programs and strengthen donor relations, according to the Food Lifeline. The winning best practices included creating a new avenue to distribute food with the Mobile Distribution Project.

The King County Water Taxi, formerly the Elliott Bay Water Taxi, returns to the water on Sunday, April 5 with a new name and logo reflecting its status as a program of the King County Ferry District.

“We have made some low-cost service improvements based on comments by Water Taxi riders since the Ferry District took over funding of this route last year,” said Dow Constantine, King County Council Chair and chair of the Ferry District’s Board of Supervisors. “The Ferry District will take the West Seattle-to-downtown Water Taxi to year-round operation in 2010, with a new vessel and an improved Seacrest dock.”

That issue is scheduled to be voted on by the Board of Parks Commissioners this Thursday, March 26.

The free shuttle buses have been renumbered to show riders the route they serve, with the West Seattle Junction shuttle keeping the route 773 designation and the Admiral/Alki shuttle operating as the route 775. New signage has been installed at the Seacrest and downtown docks and King County Water Taxi vessels will accept the new ORCA cards as well as other Metro passes.

Local teenagers have a chance to experience Japanese culture through the YMCA Youth Leadership Institute.

Youth will travel to Kobe, Hiroshima and Kyoto this summer (July 19-Aug. 1) to be immersed in the culture, history and family life in Japan.  Applications will only be accepted through March 30, and financial assistance is available.

Participating youth learn important leadership skills, cultural sensitivity and international communications. There are 13 spots available for the program, which is part of the YMCA Youth Leadership Institute, an international program offered each year to greater Seattle youth ages 14-18.

The Kobe YMCA will provide guides for the group and arrange home stays.  YMCA of Greater Seattle staff and adult chaperones will accompany the youth during the trip.

“The lesson I took back with me to the U.S. is: Travel is not about showing your independence but learning to rely on strangers from different backgrounds and gaining new experiences,” said Erin McLean, a junior at Inglemoor High School in Kenmore and participant in last year’s program.

Mayor Greg Nickels announced today the 26 "outstanding" middle school students, including one from Ballard, who have earned this year’s scholar awards for service to their schools and communities.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the mayor’s Scholars Awards and in celebration, all 189 past award recipients will be honored.

Each of this year’s students will receive $500 that can be used for education or donated to a charity. Criteria for selection include overcoming obstacles or meeting challenges, giving back to the community, and maintaining good academic standing.

“With this award, we recognize Seattle’s next generation of leaders,” Nickels said in a statement. “Service to others is the foundation of a strong community, and I’m glad we can help these promising young people with their education and service goals.”

Students wrote short essays about how they contribute to their community and how they would use a $500 cash award. In addition, students were required to provide several recommendations from adults familiar with the students’ service work.

Ballard area award recipients include:

Sidney Axtell, Salmon Bay School, 8th grade

Mayor Greg Nickels announced today the 26 "outstanding" middle school students, nine in West Seattle, who have earned this year’s scholar awards for service to their schools and communities.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the mayor’s Scholars Awards and in celebration, all 189 past award recipients will be honored.

Each of this year’s students will receive $500 that can be used for education or donated to a charity. Criteria for selection include overcoming obstacles or meeting challenges, giving back to the community, and maintaining good academic standing.

“With this award, we recognize Seattle’s next generation of leaders,” Nickels said in a statement. “Service to others is the foundation of a strong community, and I’m glad we can help these promising young people with their education and service goals.”

Students wrote short essays about how they contribute to their community and how they would use a $500 cash award. In addition, students were required to provide several recommendations from adults familiar with the students’ service work.

Award recipients from West Seattle include:

Luke Asatiani, Madison Middle School, 8th grade

It’s that time of year again. The sun is starting to peak out of the clouds, sneakers are replaced with flip-flops, and the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) is back. But there might be changes coming soon to the WASL people have grown accustomed to.

To graduate high school, students must pass the reading and writing section of the WASL. Math also has a requirement, but there are alternatives. If the math section of the WASL isn’t passed, students need to take a math class each remaining year of high school, and earn a D or better in each of those classes in order to graduate.

Newly elected Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn was the one who proposed changes to the WASL. The several reforms to the WASL will start in 2010, if they are approved. Some of the changes include taking the test via computer, fewer extended answer questions, and faster results, among others. With this new test, Dorn hopes to reduce the amount of time students spend on response, and minimize the cost.

Even though Ssuperintendent Dorn is seeking to improve the WASL, it is easier said than done.

Owners of the West Seattle Thriftway announced they will not use plastic or paper bags for groceries to celebrate Earth Day on April 22.

Instead, groceries purchased that day will be bagged in free, reusable and washable canvas bags.

Paul Kapioski, storeowner, asked his staff to order thousands of bags
specifically for the event.

“Contributing to the well-being of our environment is important to us, we are a proactive company that uses eco-friendly business practices whenever possible," said Kapioski in a press release. "Putting a reusable bag in each one of our customers’ hands is just the first step.”

West Seattle Thriftway is a locally owned and operated grocery store
that has been in business for more than 20 years. It's located at 4201 S.W. Morgan St. in West Seattle.

The Parks and Seattle Center Committee of the Seattle City Council approved a resolution seeking public comments on the proposed
transfer of approximately 14,000 square feet of city property along Southwest Admiral Way from the Fleets and Facilities Department to the Parks Department. The fleets department coordinates and manages the city’s real estate.

The property is located at the northwest corner of Southwest Manning Street and Southwest Admiral. It was acquired by the city in 1961 for construction of the West Seattle Freeway. Since the Seattle Department of Transportation has no current need for the property it was transferred to fleets and facilities department several years ago for possible surplus and sale.

When the city first announced the possible sale of the property, community members, including the Admiral Community Council, requested that the city retain the property for greenbelt purposes. The property is zoned as “Single Family 5000” and, if sold to private owners, would likely be the site for two buildable lots.

If the transfer occurs the property would remain in public ownership for parks or open space purposes. The resolution calls for a public

The Ballard High School softball team couldn't keep up with Sammamish's offensive onslaught in a 13-3 defeat March 23.

The Beavers gave up 13 runs on only six hits and had five errors.

Starting pitcher Haley DeGarmo gave up 10 runs in three innings of work.

On the positive side for Ballard, Sophie Overlock-Pauley went 2-2 with an RBI and a walk, while Karissa Marshall and DeGarmo added an RBI each.

The Beavers, 0-2 overall and 0-1 in the conference, don't play again until April 6, when they face Roosevelt at 4 p.m. at Lower Woodland.

A team of Seattle Works volunteers joined Community Harvest of Southwest Seattle last Saturday to prepare two areas on the White Center Food Bank’s property for gardening.

The food bank is located at 10829 8th Ave. S.W. One site is a narrow strip of soil hugging the front of the food bank building. The other is a wider swath along the property’s eastern border.

“We’ll be putting in a vegetable garden of either corn, squash, beans, or all of these,” said Aviva Furman, Community Harvest founder and West Seattle resident.

You don't need a big yard, or any yard at all, to grow your own food, she said. Furman's Web site illustrates how to grow cucumbers, eggplant and tomatoes on apartment balconies and small patios.

“The vegetables will go to the food bank, but we also want to demonstrate that it’s easy and possible to grow your own food," said Furman. "At the time of the Victory Gardens, Americans grew 40 percent of their own produce from their home gardens.”