July 2009

Ballard's sugar addicts just got another place to satisfy their sweet tooth.

Blackbird, the clothing store adjacent to Bergen Place Park, has created a candy store that opens onto the park.

"We wanted to start a little punk-rock candy store," said Nicole Bentley, new business developer at Blackbird. "And, Ballard didn't really have a candy store."

Bentley said Blackbird owner Nicole Miller, as well as the rest of the staff, love candy.

The candy shop has been open since Thursday, but Blackbird is still waiting for the rest of its candy stock to arrive before it has a grand opening for the small store.

The store currently has a good selection of bulk and prepackaged candies, as well as Empire Ice Cream, which is sold at the Ballard Farmers Market.

Bentley said they hope to have a wider selection of regional candy as well as Japanese and old-fashioned candy in the coming weeks.

Creating the candy store took about three weeks from start to finish, Bentley said. Blackbird walled off the northwest corner of its retail space to make room for the store.

The Seattle Planning Commission and the Neighborhood Planning Advisory Committee are planning meetings to discuss progress on updating neighborhood plans.

The two citizen groups want people from the community talk about how their neighborhood has changed since its neighborhood plan was adopted more than 10 years ago.

Comments and input at this meeting will help the city complete a status report that will look at how well each neighborhood plan is achieving its goals and strategies.

This first series of meetings will provide an opportunity to learn about the neighborhood plan, the projects that have been implemented, and growth and changes that have occurred since the plan was written in
the late 1990s.

Issues, such as growth, transportation, housing, economic development , basic utilities, neighborhood character, open space and parks, public services, public safety, among other issues, will be explored.

The second meeting series, tentatively scheduled for October, will be an opportunity to review the status report.

Dates and locations for Series One - Neighborhood Status Report Updates.  

In/around Ballard:

Dear Editor,

Joni Balter’s chagrin-laced treatise about what a sad day it is that certain “A-List” candidates didn’t run for mayor, and how the present field of candidates for mayor are so much mediocre election fodder is offensive and it is disrespectful to not just the present candidates for mayor, but also to candidates of all persuasion that do run for office.

This idea that there are these supposedly A-List people that were “candidates," that we should all mourn the fact that they didn’t run, and that they represented the best chance for our city is a bunch of baloney - for the mere fact that if they were so “A-List” they would have run.

Peace activist Cindy Sheehan will speak at Trinity United Methodist Church on Saturday, July 25 at 7 p.m.

Sheehan, who, after her son oldest son Casey was killed in Iraq in April 2004, camped out, along with a contingent of Veterans for Peace, on President George W. Bush’s doorstep in Crawford, Tex.

Called “Camp Casey," in honor of her son, it soon burgeoned into a whole village of supporters.

Since then she was a 2005 Nobel Peace Prize nominee, has received several peace awards from around the world, and has written three books: "Not One More Mother's Child," "Dear President Bush," and "Peace Mom: A Mother's Journey through Heartache to Activism."

She ran against Speaker of the House. Nancy Pelosi in 2008, and now has her own boat-rocking radio show called Cindy Sheehan’s Soapbox (click here).

Now Cindy comes to Seattle, on tour with her latest book, "Myth America: 10 Greatest Myths of the Robber Class and the Case for Revolution." Her new book can be ordered for a minimum $10 donation here.

An alert officer was patrolling South Park on Thursday afternoon when he noticed a man (and car) that matched the description of a suspect in attempted armed robbery at a West Seattle drugstore. (The suspect had brandished a “rifle”--the pharmacist thought it was a cane—wrapped in a towel.) The officer ordered the driver out of the car at gunpoint when he wouldn't show his hands. The suspect—a convicted felon—was wanted on an outstanding felony warrant and was driving with a suspended license. He was booked into King County Jail. Oh. And that long item at his side, wrapped in a towel? That was no cane. It was a Bushmaster .223 assault rifle.

The Seattle City Council’s Transportation and Pedestrian Safety Committees will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, July 21 at 5 p.m. in Council Chambers to hear input on the draft of the city’s proposed Pedestrian Master Plan.

The council was initially briefed on the draft in April by the Seattle Department of Transportation that, along with the Pedestrian Master Plan Advisory Group, developed the plan. It was created with a focus on making Seattle a safer, more pedestrian-friendly city.

The joint committee will receive a briefing Tuesday morning from the transportation department that will focus on input collected during its extensive public outreach process on the draft plan.

"I want to thank the Advisory Group for all of the time and effort put into this project," said council member Jan Drago. "I am really looking forward to hearing the public's feedback on it."

Public input will be used by the council to assist it in its overall review of the plan.

"Thanks to the work of the citizens Advisory Group, we are entering a new era for pedestrian safety in Seattle, toward a safe walking environment for all,” said council member Nick Licata.

Taproot Theatre is bringing Late-Night Improv back to its mainstage this summer for three evenings.

Following the performances of "Smoke on the Mountain Homecoming" on July 24 and 31 and August 7, Taproot’s improvisers will take the stage to entertain audiences with their imaginative sketches based on audience suggestions. Performances start at 10:15 p.m., or shortly after the mainstage performance ends.

Tickets are $10 at the door, or $8 for patrons staying after the performance of "Smoke on the Mountain Homecoming." Taproot Theatre is located at 204 N. 85th St. in Greenwood.

"Smoke on the Mountain Homecoming" is a toe-tappin’, knee-slappin’, heartwarmin’ bluegrass gospel extravaganza. Written by Connie Ray and conceived by Alan Bailey, with musical arrangements by Mike Craver, this musical runs through August 8. For tickets, call the box office at 206-781-9707.

This week, Scott in West Seattle asks: What are the differences in servicing a regular car and a hybrid?

Well, the Car Counselor would like to thank Scott for writing in and I welcome any questions from my readers to make me earn my keep here at the Herald!

My answer and opinion is this: Whether powered by a traditional power-plant, hybrid, electric, hydrogen, or whatever lies in store for us in the future, all of our vehicles need regular service.

As technology continues to advance and improve, some services become harder - such as spark plug replacement - and some get easier or are eliminated altogether – such as points and condenser in a pre-electronic ignition vehicle. Hybrids have a few very dangerous components and now anyone who services them will need additional special training to deal with the potentially deadly high-voltage batteries.

On the other hand, hybrids, like other regular ol' gasoline powered cars have an engine, brakes, a cooling system with hoses, tires, shocks, etc. In short, hybrids have most everything a “normal” car has, as well as new items that require technical know-how.

Owners of the Ama Ama Oyster Bar & Grill have announced that they will be closing their doors after a final good-bye party on July 25.

“We want to thank all of our fans and we hope you will come in at least one last time and get your fill of Oysters and Chef Jared's fantastic food!” the owners wrote on their Facebook page.

The restaurant has been at 4752 California Ave. S.W. since opening in 2007.

Please check back for updates on this story.

The ninth annual Ballard art in the Garden Festival drew crowds the the Ballard P-Patch July 18.

The festival, which lasted from 10 a.m. to 6. p.m., featured 10 musical acts, 24 artist booths and a beer garden.

Self-described festival czar Kelly Ryan said he expected this year's Art in the Garden to be the biggest yet, with the festival getting mentioned on KPLZ and drawing three-times as many people to its Web site this year than in 2008.

"One of our goals as a P-Patch is to bring in nieghbors to our local garden," Ryan said. "And, this is how we do it."

He said 46 neighbors with gardens in the P-Patch, more than half the P-Patch's occupants, volunteered to help at the festival.

"That's commitment," Ryan said. "It makes me feel good to see that level of commitment."

Ellen Cafferty, a P-Patch gardener and Art in the Garden volunteer, was manning the entry to the beer garden on Saturday.

She said the festival is a great event to give attention to local artists and musicians. She said she volunteered because she loves the Ballard P-Patch.