On June 17 it was published that a new deli, The Swinery, would be moving into Seattle Fish Company's storefront.
Despite the deli original proprietor's claim, The Swinery has now decided to move into a space on California Avenue Southwest and Southwest Hanford Street.
Artist Mandy Greer is creating an artwork this summer at Camp Long--working with the public to crochet, knot and twist recylcled fabric into artwork.
Titled "Mater Matrix Mother and Medium," the project includes the temporary installation of a 200-foot fiber "river" and a dance performance. "Mater Matrix Mother and Medium" celebrates the splendor of Seattle's urban creeks and encourages stewardship of essential watersheds.
Greer's residency begins this week. The public can meet the artist on Tuesdays and Thursdays between June 23 and July 9, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Polliwog Pond.
"I have been chomping at the bit to begin the process of installing this giant river form into the woods at Camp Long, so am excited to say I have started," said Greer. "It's a slow, laborious process, like putting together a giant puzzle (...) but it's really fun!"
The project culminates with a performance produced by Greer in collaboration with choreographer and dancer Zoe Scofield. The performance will take place July 16 at 6:30 p.m., near Polliwog Pond.
While Seattle is home to many local farmers markets, few have been as successful as West Seattle’s. Since it began 10 years ago the local market has become one of the most financially successful and largest in the state.
“Of all the markets, the farmers and managers like West Seattle the best, I think because of the community,” said Curtis, of the Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance. “They’re totally loyal. There’s a connection between merchants and buyers.”
Curtis remembers how popular the market was from the beginning.
The market always had the support of the junction’s merchants, said Curtis.
They wanted to activate the Alaska Junction on Sundays, and the Farmers Market did just that.
But to get the market up and running took a grant from the King County Agricultural Program as well as funding from Puget Sound Fresh and other farmers markets in the county.
All the support paid off on opening day. Curtis said nice weather brought 35 vendors and nearly 4,000 shoppers to the brand new market. In just a few hours, most vendors were sold out.
“There was a great deal of curiosity around the neighborhood,” said Curtis.
Those looking for gardening inspiration will find it in spades this coming Saturday, June 27 as Ballard's first Edible Garden Tour runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
In cooperation with Groundswell NW, Sustainable Ballard’s Ingela Wanerstrand has put together a diverse group of 14 edible gardens that are all located in Ballard.
Think your yard is too small for fruit? See what can be done with espalier.
Small yard? Be amazed at how much food can be grown with creative uses of pots and vertical spaces for vegetables and herbs.
This is a self-guided tour and the price is $10 per person or $20 per vehicle (and those who can walk or bike are appreciated!).
Tickets can be purchased through Brown Paper Tickets (www.brownpapertickets.com).
Meet at the Ballard P-Patch at 26th Northwest and Northwest 85th Street at 10 a.m.
Rhonda lives in Ballard and is the Urban Crop Circle Project Leader for Sustainable Ballard. She and Jim garden in a tiny yard and always find something to eat. Questions, Comments, Ideas? You can reach her at Rhonda@sustainableballard.org.
She had tears in her eyes when she thanked me for showing her my miniature gardens. It was like she had a new lease on life, a new purpose.
I was a bit overwhelmed that she was overwhelmed and, at that moment, neither of us really knew what to do. We quickly hugged, said our good-byes and walked away.
A few years ago, when I used to do the Fremont Sunday Market, I would secretly watch the people that would stand and stare at my gardens. It was as if they really weren’t expecting it to see such a thing.
You could hear the gears whirring in their heads as they stood, literately wide-eyed with mouths open, trying to figure out what I’ve done. I knew I rocked their world, but, to me, it was just a mini garden.
It was my very first presentation back in 2006. All the women were staring at me, most with a patronizing look in their eyes, trying to be polite. Dessert was waiting and I had to hurry.
“How do you see this as a viable business? Who is going to be interested in Miniature Gardening?”
I stumbled through my answer, as if I had never thought about it before.
Easy Street records in the junction is well known for it's outstanding display work as well as it's wall murals. That's the work of artist, Glenn Case.
Case has other work in the area including Cafe Revo, and Mind Body Spirit as well as Cupcake Royale, but his most frequent canvas is the South wall at Easy Street.
He uses Benjamin Moore house paint for lot of his work (except for the work that needs more durability, then he uses enamels) and paints year-round except in pouring rain.
"I've always been an artist of some sort," he said, "Play outside and play with paints."
He went to college at North Carolina School of Arts, worked at the Seattle Rep and apprenticed with well known muralist James Crespinel. Case paints everything from trucks to menus and is also a fine artist.
Case said, "The funniest question I get asked is, 'Are you a painter?' even though I'm standing there with a brush in my hand."
Case also observed something funny about human nature.
Visitors entering the south entrance of the Woodland Park Zoo Saturday were greeted by 26 protesters holding signs that read "Lack of Space is Inhumane" and "Send Chai, Bamboo and Watoto to a sanctuary now!"
The protesters belong to the organization Friends of the Woodland Park Zoo Elephants. Their goal is to dislodge the zoo's three resident elephants, Chai, Bamboo and Watoto from their exhibit and send them to the 2,700 acre Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Ten. to join the other 18 or so elephants.
They also want other zoos and circuses to do the same. The Elephant Sanctuary pays the expenses when they receive zoo and circus elephants.
Nancy Pennington and Alyne Fortgang are the organization's co-founders.
"We are here today to expose the plight of elephants in zoos and how they suffer," said Fortgang." The elephants at the Woodland Park Zoo are confined to a small barn for 17 hours a day, seven days a week, seven months a year. The Woodland Park Zoo does many wonderful things, but having an elephant exhibit in this climate is not one of the good things they do.
West Seattle's northernmost P-Patch was dedicated Saturday by Mayor Greg Nickels, officials of the Department of Neighborhoods, and Family Life Pastor Dan Jacobs of West Seattle Christian Church. I
The P-Patch is a 24-foot by 105-foot parking median strip of land on Jacobs' campus that was utilized.
Ten gardens, each 10-feet by 10-feet, will serve individuals and organizations that volunteered most to organize the project.
A separate patch will grow vegetables to serve area food banks.
A five-foot by 100-foot swath of property that runs along the front wooden fence of the North Admiral Lofts, 1718 California Ave. S.W., will soon become a public space.
The landscaped mini-park, Palm Court, will accommodate four benches. The dedication will take place Saturday, June 27, 10 a.m. Seattle City Council member Jean Godden will speak.
Godden inspected the site four and a half years ago to insure that a public easement was included in the sale documents with the entire lot. That lot included the strip of land, the old four-plex behind it and an out-dated Seattle City Light substation behind the four-plex.
The entire lot was sold from private ownership to developers Dan Duffus and Mark Potvin of the Capitol Hill-based developer, Mark Potvin, Gerrard Beattie & Knapp. Palm Court is now a public easement.
"It is one of those small victories you have in the city you can cheer about," said Godden, who many remember as a writer for the Post Intelligencer.
By Paul Carr
The meeting of the Alki Community Council of June 18 was about the general level of violence at Alki Beach and the shooting that took place about one month ago. It was a follow-up to the May 19 meeting that included representatives of the Seattle Police Department and City Attorney's Office.
Although only 19 people were in attendance, the officers of the council received several calls the next morning about what transpired at the meeting. That meeting is summarized below:
GUN-FREE ZONE
Sidewalks are public property. Citizens licensed to do so have a right to carry firearms there. There are park signs at Whale Tail Park (nearby) prohibiting firearms, but none at Alki Beach. The Alki board will write a letter to the Mayor's Office and the city requesting clarification on this issue, and if gun can (or have been) prohibited in park areas.
CITIZEN PATROLS
