May 2009

The Seattle City Council Parks Committee approved an ordinance that would authorize an appropriation of an additional $5 million for the Parks and Green Spaces Levy that was passed by voters last fall.

Before this proposal, an initial $24.4 million was appropriated for the levy.

If approved by the full council, the additional funding would be divided as $1.4 million for neighborhood parks and playgrounds; $650,000 for forest and stream restoration; $2.3 million for major parks (i.e development of Jefferson Park); $100,000 for shoreline access acquisition; and $1 million for P-Patch development.

Richard Conlin, city council president, became in favor of funding for P-Patches after a review revealed a possible 500 to 600 locations.

“A lot of it will be on existing city property instead of acquiring property, which would eat up a lot of city funds, so I’m really happy about this,” Conlin said.

If additional funding is approved, renovation of the play area at Golden Gardens would be one of a number of projects that would benefit from the $5 million.

The ordinance is scheduled for a full council vote on June 8.

To many, the phrase “healthy chocolate” seems like an oxymoron, but a few local women are proving that chocolate can be more than a delicious treat.

Xoçai chocolate is a company that has developed various chocolate products with various health benefits. The company was started four years ago by Jeanette Brooks, a woman with a deep love for chocolate and whose diabetes kept her from enjoying her favorite treat.

So she developed a chocolate that she, and others with health concerns, could enjoy.

The chocolate is uniquely healthy because of how it is made. Xoçai has the patent on cold pressing chocolate which better maintains the antioxidants.

They use cocoa powder, açaí berry and blueberry as well as other healthy ingredients like flaxseed, plant based omega-3s.

As a result, three Xoçai chocolate squares, containing only 100 calories, has as much antioxidants as 1.91 pounds of spinach, two pounds of raspberries or 12 pounds of tomatoes.

The chocolate also combats free radicals, which cause disease and aging. It doesn’t have added caffeine, preservatives, fillers waxes, trans fats or processed sugar.

Cupcake Royale, which originated on Market Street and has locations in West Seattle and Madrona, announced today they will open a new store in Capitol Hill this July.

Cupcake Royale has a full construction crew underway at its forthcoming Capitol Hill bakery, their biggest location yet, at 1111 E. Pike St., said owner Jody Hall.

“We’re so excited to open here,” Hall said. “I’ve lived on Capitol Hill for nearly 20 years, and it just feels really good to build my dream bakery, from scratch, in the neighborhood I call home.”

"With a bakery nearly three times the size of Cupcake Royale’s current World Headquarters in Ballard, the company’s baking capacity will get a much-needed boost," according to the press release from the company.

This will be Hall’s first design-build bakery endeavor, and she’s enlisted a dream team of artisans and architects.

According to Jacqueline Banchero, "nothing prepares you for heaven like family."

The local author has written "Coded Blue," a book about her father's battle with lung cancer and the last four weeks of his life. The narrative tells about her family coming together to care for her father, despite struggles they had dealt with in the past.

Readers with aging parents or dying friends will be able to relate to Banchero's experience.

"Writing 'Code Blue' I came upon many truths but one stands out: we withhold so much from our loved ones especially those that hurt us the most," said Bancheros. "What’s amazing is when we are fully present and mindful of our surroundings, life will present moments of forgiveness, healing, laughter, sadness and love."

The Ballard News-Tribune has established a video channel on the popular video file sharing service YouTube.

The channel will feature the videos produced by Ballard News-Tribune and parent company Robinson Newspapers staff.

Look near the lower right corner of the video player for videos available in "HQ" or High Quality.

It's possible to subscribe to the channel and be notified when new videos are posted. The web address is http://www.youtube.com/user/BallardNewsTribune.

On Thursday, May 28 at around 11:53 p.m. Seattle Police North Precinct and Port of Seattle patrol officers responded to the 6200 block of Seaview Avenue North to investigate a report of a vehicle collision involving fleeing armed suspects.

When officers arrived they located and detained two suspects, a 17-year-old male driver and a 20-year-old male passenger. It did not appear that anyone else had been in the car. The driver, who officers believed to be under the influence of alcohol, had crashed his black sedan into two parked cars damaging all three vehicles.

According to witnesses, the driver got out of the car armed with a rifle, then hid it in some nearby foliage. The driver returned to the car prior to the officers’ arrival.

Officers searched the area and quickly located an AK-47 assault rifle loaded with a 30 round ‘banana’ clip. Officers searched the passenger and discovered that he was armed with a ‘butterfly’ knife, illegal to possess in the City of Seattle.

Upon searching the suspects’ vehicle, officers found two baseball bats and a red bandanna in the back seat.

“Do I have to fertilize my lawn now, it doesn’t look like it needs it?”

“Can I use Osmocote on my vegetable garden?”

“I’ve got a plant in my garden that has a huge flower, and smells bad, what is it?”

These are just some of the questions I’ve asked West Seattle Nursery over the years. I know what to do with miniature gardens, and have let my knowledge of life-sized gardening slip a bit. But I have no worries ~ I have my local nursery!

Please note that answers to questions like these, will not be found at your local pharmacy or grocery store, but you can find them at your local nursery, or garden center.

(I mean, really, it’s like going to an Italian restaurant and asking for chow mien. Drug stores are for suntan lotion and toothpaste – not for plants. You know the saying, “When in Rome…?” You get a ton of hidden value at your local nursery – and better quality plants to boot! Make some friends, get some answers, and grow something different this year. Heck, what have you got to lose?)

You start with two or three. Within days you have 20. A month passes, and now you have more than 300 “friends,” and you wonder, “What just happened and how will it all end?”

This is not the result of becoming friendlier than you were a month ago. This 24/7 cocktail party commenced once you joined the trendy social networking rage, Facebook, or email on steroids, less ephemeral than Twitter, and more generic, easier to access, and more hip in some circles than MySpace.

You are free to limit your number of friends, or “block” those once accepted if you tire of them. But those you reject, well, you may hurt their feelings and if they are local you might even find yourself ducking behind the produce island at your grocery store.

Your “friends” are merely those you directly chat with, your close-knit club, and an unfurling sheet of flypaper because everyone wants in. You are in essence hosting 300 out-of-town guests each sleeping on your coach. You don’t have to feed them. You do have to pay attention to their thoughts of the day, hour and even minute.

On May 18, Seattle Public Schools announced a reduction in force (RIF), or layoffs, that could take 20 different instructors from West Seattle schools.

West Seattle High School's staff was hit hardest in the district, with nine staff members cut. The school lost five language arts instructors including the newspaper advisor, yearbook advisor and a reading specialist. Other positions cut included a bilengual specialist and a physical education instructor.

"I was in shock, that (the cuts) went so deep,” said West Seattle High School principal Bruce Bivins. “My first intentions were ‘how do I get them back?’ I did not want to lose these teachers that have developed curriculum in their department and are integral to our school.”

Madison Middle School's staff lost a counselor, two social studies instructors and one instructor who taught history and language arts.

Three instructors from Chief Sealth High School were cut, including language arts and physical education teachers.

An upper-level classroom teacher from Schmitz Park Elementary and a counselor from West Seattle Elementary were also cut.

The consignment clothing store Buffalo Exchange announced they will open in Ballard on June 20.

The chain shop will occupy the space recently vacated by Supercuts, at 2232 N.W. Market St. in the Ballard Square Building.

The 2,500 square-foot space was secured by Buffalo Exchange on April 20. The shop is at street level in the Ballard Square.

The shop will feature 10-foot high ceilings, floors refinished to look like weathered wood and accent mirrors, according to a press release from Buffalo Exchange.

There will be eight dressing rooms and two buy counters, where customers can sell their clothes for cash or trade.

The Ballard location is Buffalo Exchange's second store in Seattle, since the Capitol HIll location closed. The other Seattle store is in the University District, which opened in 2001. The chain has 36 locations nationally in 13 states.

Used clothes can be traded for any item in the store, including jewelry and brand new clothing. The inventory includes designer wear, basics, vintage, jeans, leather and more.