May 2009

Adrian Sharp and his friend Joseph Francisco took advantage of a warm spring Saturday to open the first lemonade stand of the season (as far as we can tell).

Former West Seattle resident Kathy Lutovsky stopped by to get a cup, saying, "I used to have a lemonade stand when I lived in West Seattle so I always stop."

The Sharp's live on 35th below the Myrtle Street reservoir and that prime location netted them sales of over 35 cups.

Adrian's mom, Ella Sharp said, "We made the lemonade from a mix (with some added lemon juice and sugar) but the one in the jar is just for show!"

Four of the past Miss Wheelchair Washington's gathered at the home of the 2006 winner Tammy Wilber for a "Day of Beauty" on May 16.
They all share an unusual fact: all their birthdays are in May, so it was a joint birthday celebration too. The event takes place in Burien in February and is hosted by the Northwest Paralyzed Veterans Association.

The purpose of the organization Wilber said is to "promote achievement, advocacy, and opportunity for all women including the disabled. There are three criteria for entry. You must be between 21 and 60 years of age, have lived in the state for at least one year, and you use a wheelchair for your community access.

The four are Tammy Wilber (2006), Sigrid Lagreid (2007), Meg Paulfen (2008, and the current title holder Jannette Saxton. "We want to be 'roll' models, said Wilber.

Duwamish Longhouse director and tribal member James Rasmussan hosted a State of the Duwamish River symposium with three speakers and more than 80 attendees at the Longhouse and Cultural Center Thursday, May 13.

He referred to the event as an annual accounting of the clean-up process. The three speakers included Kathy Fletcher, executive director of People For Puget Sound, BJ Cummings, Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition departing coordinator, and incoming coordinator Thea Levkovitz.

"For 20 years I have been an environmental point person for the Duwamish cleanup effort," said Rasmussan. "In the changes we've made we are in a much better place than we were 20 years ago. But it's like cleaning up your kitchen. If you don't get it completely clean the dirt comes right back. We need to do a 'state of river, state of the Sound' annual update. There is no yearly update of what is happening and thats what we want to do."

As Rasmussan Introduced Fletcher, he said, "When we and other curmudgeons got things started it was Kathy who was able to bring our ideas on line."

Fletcher is known in the area for getting a tugboat stationed at Neah Bay, a decade-plus effort.

West Woodland Elementary is a step closer to improving their play field facilities thanks to a unanimous endorsement received from the District Council Matching Fund Project Review Committee Wednesday, May 13, at the Ballard District Council meeting.

A group of faculty, staff, and PTA members, called the Friends of West Woodland (FOWW), recently applied for an $85,000 grant from the city’s Neighborhood Matching Fund program. Select members of the group, including school principal Marilyn Loveness, presented their case to the district council at Wednesday’s meeting.

Loveness described how the school, located at 5601 4th Ave. N.W., is often forced to close their play field due to inclement weather. This has led to a drastic decline in its use by both the school and local community. She said the renovation would restore both the field and playground.

A new track would also be added around the field.

Katie Barrett, West Woodland’s physical education instructor, emphasized the need for these improvements. According to her, the current field is not safe for children or east Ballard residents to use.

Through the overactive imagination of a fifth-grader named Alexander, a knight with a backpack for a shield and an umbrella for a sword, Ballard students learned that bullying, and allowing bullying, is not right.

On May 15, the Road Company of Greenwood's Taproot Theatre performed "Alexander and the Dragon" for the students at North Beach Elementary.

The play is based on curriculum on bullying prevention developed by the Committee for Children, a Seattle-based non-profit organization.

It follows Alexander, a fifth-grader who likes to pretend he is a knight. On the first day of school, he watches as his friend bullies another student. Alexander is stripped of his knighthood for not doing anything about the bullying and must find a way to earn it back.

"Alexander and the Dragon" is fun and entertaining, but the Committee for Chilrden curriculum makes it effective, Road Company member Soloman Davis said.

After every performance, the company members have a dialogue about the performance with the children.

"Some students just want to know how we change costumes," Davis said. "But, some want to know what to do about problems with specific bullies."

Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Maria L. Goodloe-Johnson, confirmed today, May 15, that the School district is implementing a layoffs in response to an estimated $34 million budget shortfall for 2009 and 2010.

The layoffs will affect approximately 172 teachers and other certificated staff (approximately 5 percent of the total certificated workforce), although Goodloe-Johnson said she was optimistic that retirements and resignations would allow the district to recall a number of the individuals who are being laid off.

“Closing a $34 million budget gap requires a combination of strategies,” said Goodloe-Johnson in a statement released Friday.

She noted that the district has already implemented a number of budget-cutting strategies, including a reduction in central office staff, hiring freezes, increased efficiencies in operations such as transportation and nutrition services, closing schools, a responsible use of reserves, and freezing cost-of-living-adjustments.

Port of Seattle and area political officials welcomed back to Seattle U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke on Friday, May 15, to dedicate the newly configured facility at Terminal 30.

Officials from China Shipping, SSA Marine, and Matson Navigation also appeared. The project was a joint effort between those companies and the Port. The Port invested nearly $50 million in the 70-acre (hectares) facility with two container ship berths. In a joint venture, China Shipping, Matson, and SSA Marine will operate the terminal under a long-term agreement signed in 2007 on Shanghai.

The program included remarks, ribbon cutting, and a lunch. Port Chief Executive Officer Tay Yoshitani hosted.

Speakers included Port Commissioner Bill Bryant, China Shipping Group President Li Shaode, SSA Marine president Jon Hemingway, Matson Navigation West Coast Vice President Bal Dreyfus and Gary Locke.

Locke was Washington's governor 1997-2004 and was tapped by President Obama for United States Secretary of Commerce.

“Everyday is a gift, that’s why they call now, the present.”

When buying plants, what is your time limit? Are you worried what will happen 25 years from now? Twenty years? Ten years? It really depends on where and what doesn’t it?

When choosing plants for your life-sized garden, there should be some consideration for planting giant sequoias or a huge laurel hedge right next the house. But when choosing plants for your miniature garden, I think you can throw a little caution to the wind.

“It’ll take 25 years to reach its mature height of 2.5 feet.”

“No, too big.”

Surprisingly, I hear this a lot. What I want to ask next is, “Do you actually know where you’re going to be in 25 years?” But, alas, I can’t, for that would be rude.

(But, really, do you know where you are going to be in 25 years? A piece of airplane shrapnel may fall on your head tomorrow! Really!)

When planting your wee miniature garden, I think worrying about the year 2034, is a lot to ask from such a small garden. Some true miniature trees, or shrubs, have a growth rate as slow as 1 inch, or less, per year.

It began with one boat and one fish.

In May of 1979, West Seattle resident Pete Knutson took his pregnant wife, Hing Ng, out on their newly purchased boat, The Loki—named after a god in Norse mythology, who, like he himself, was known for being mischievous. While Hing became sea sick, Knutson caught the salmon that became their first sale.

Today, Loki Fish is truly a family business. Pete’s oldest son Jonah has joined his father on the fishing boats while Dylan, their younger son, manages the company’s marketing and distribution. Hing even runs Loki Fish’s office with help from Jenn Pellerin, Jonah’s fiance.

As Loki Fish celebrates 30 years of business this month, the locally-owned fishing business prides itself not only on a long history, but on a commitment to sustainability and independence.

Pete worked in commercial fishing for seven years before starting his own company. During that time he grew unsatisfied with purse seine fishing—a method that uses a large net to catch fish. When he started his own company Pete harvested with gillnets, a more selective and environmentally friendly technique.

Signatures are being gathered to support an amendment for inclusion on the November 2009 ballot to change the way Seattle City Council members are elected from nine at-large to five district-based positions and four at-large positions.

The "Districts Now" amendment to the Seattle City Charter is being proposed by Action Seattle, a recently formed organization that says it's non-partisan, "committed to promoting civic engagement by informing and engaging the residents and business owners of Seattle."

According to Action Seattle, a recent poll conducted by True Blue Innovation shows strong voter support for regional representation.

Seattle voters have rejected two previous charter amendments, one in 1995 and another in 2003, to change the council to nine district-based positions. The proposal on the table now is mixture of at-large and district representatives.

Action Seattle argues that the five district-based seats would require less "high stakes funding" and give Seattleites access to a "more accountable council."