July 2009

The Altamira Apartments, one block west of the Alaska Junction at 4100 S.W. Alaska St., are now giving hard-hat tours of its rental units.

The 157 units range from $830 per month, plus utilities-that's with a year lease discount program-for a small studio, to nearly $4,000 for a 1,500 square-foot, two story "townhouse" with a view of Puget Sound. There are some 45 different floor plans, 10 just for studios.

The units are built around a large interior courtyard.

The complex, developer Leon Capelouto's "Capco Plaza," is set to open ahead of schedule in September and will sit atop a QFC supermarket, Office Depot, and Desert Sun Tanning Salon. The QFC will start stocking food in August to open in September.

"We gave an extra five feet for sidewalks 15-feet wide along Alaska Street as part of the public benefit that went with the vacation of the alley," said Rex Allen, Leon Capelouto's project manager. "There was an alley that went through the sight. We provided a new alley and gave the extra sidewalk space, extra plantings, a public outdoor seating area, and we will provide a canopy over the bus stop."

The West Seattle Hi-Yu Summer Festival Weekend was scheduled to begin Friday at noon in Hiawatha Park. However, Ballard entertainer Tony Comito magically appeared an hour earlier to mystify more than 150 young day campers.

Rainier Beach, High Point, Alki, and Hiawatha Community Center day camps were represented in the audience, each group distinguished by its official color-coded T-shirt.

Volunteers from the audience who assisted Comito with a variety of his magic tricks were rewarded with a balloon animal.

"You can choose any animal you'd like, as long as it's a dog," he told one volunteer.

This event was co-sponsored by Seattle Parks and Recreation.

CLICK ON IMAGE TO VIEW MORE PHOTOS

Baxter Patrick, who turns 10 this month, has almost outgrown the Delridge Playfield Wading Pool, and his shorts. But he still succeeded in chilling in the shallow water.

Volunteers from around the community worked together with the non-profit organization KaBOOM! to build a new playground for the Delridge Community Center on July 17.

In just one day the site transformed from holes and gravel to a completed play area. Throughout the day volunteers moved 165 cubic yards of mulch and mixed 14,000 pounds of concrete as well as building the actual play structures, landscaping and installing art projects by children in the community.

The project kicked off at 8 a.m. with words from Mayor Greg Nickels and Seattle Parks Superintendent Tim Gallagher and the rallying of nearly an estimated 270 volunteers.

“Thank you for coming out,” Nickels said to the many volunteers. “It’s going to be a great day, and it’s going to make a difference for the children here today and the children to come.”

At 11 a.m. the volunteers had made significant progress and KaBOOM! project manager Justin Fitzgerald said the project was progressing well.

"We're probably ahead of schedule thanks to the great energy of the Delridge community," said Fitzgerald. "We're having a blast."

The city of Seattle is the No. 1 large city for environmental stewardship and sustainability, according to a new “Smarter Cities” survey released by the Smarter Cities Project of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).

“This ‘Smarter Cities’ ranking reflects our city’s values and the commitment we have made to protect our climate,” said Mayor Greg Nickels. “Climate action takes each of us changing our individual habits and our entire community working together.”

The 2009 ranking took into account nine different criteria: air quality, green space, recycling, transportation, water quality and conservation, green building, energy production and conservation, environmental standards and participation, and standard of living.

Smarter Cities also cited the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement led by Nickels, which prompted cities across the country to cut greenhouse gas emissions to meet the goals of the Kyoto Protocol.

Dear Editor,

May I respond to the July 15 Letters to the Editor: Ms. Ritzenthaler wrote, "Are we really going to let a couple of people who don't like any change at all control our neighborhood?"

There are 685 people who signed the petition to "No Change to our Park." That is not two people who want to control our neighborhood. I am one of the 685 who signed that petition. The main object of a group of neighbors was not to beautify California Place Park, but to place a childrens playground on that park.

In the November meeting at Hiawatha at best 75 percent of the people who spoke were against what "a group of neighbors" wanted to do. Meanwhile, taxpayer money was used to keep on designing what "a group of neighbors"wanted. That design will now cost $300,000 to $400,000.

At the three meetings held at Alki Community Center, those who opposed were not permitted to speak. Our voices were stiffled. This "group of neighbors" use taxpayer money in the guise of beautifying California Place Park to further their agenda.

Ever dream of being up close and personal with some of Woodland Park Zoo’s fuzzy, scaly and noisy creatures?

With the zoo's Eye-to-Eye tours participants take in the sights, the sounds, and even the smells behind the scenes.  

Take an exclusive tour with experienced zookeepers and get up close to the animals like – touch a scaly reptile in the Day Exhibit, feed the elk of the Northern Trail or slide up next to a giraffe for an eye-to-knee view.

Upcoming Eye-to-Eye tours:

Day and Night Exhibits: Out from the Shadows ~ Sat.urday July 18, 1:30 to 3 p.m.

These animals are as different as day and night. From the large, hanging fruit bat to the sly, slithering legless lizard, get up close and personal with some amazing animals. Manipulate snake hooks, touch something scaly, and peer into the darkness as a keeper opens the door to the amazing world of nocturnal life.
 
Tropical Rain Forest: Warm and Wild ~ Saturday, July 25, 12:45 to 2:15 p.m.

The South Park Farmers Market is on Saturday, July 18, in the parking lot of 14th and Cloverdale, right next to Napoli’s Pizza, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Amanda Knox, the West Seattle native on trial for sexually assaulting and murdering her British roommate Meredith Kercher Nov. 1, 2007 in Perugia, Italy during her college studies there, spent her second birthday in Capanne Prison July 9. This time she turned 22.

Following the July 17 weekend, the court recesses until Sept. 14. A verdict is expected by October or November. Raffaele Sollecito, her former boyfriend she had met one week prior to the murder, is also on trial. Rudy Guede is currently serving 30 years in jail for the murder and was previously arrested for other break-ins and robberies. Amanda’s family, supporters, and defense team insists the right guy is behind bars, and acted alone.

Most of Knox’s extended family, including her aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandmother, lives within a three-mile radius in West Seattle’s Arbor Heights neighborhood. Her divorced parents, their spouses, Amanda’s sisters and half-sisters pride themselves in being one big functional family.

Rizzo's French Dip
7334 15th Ave. N.W.
206 588-2891 

Stop the presses! Run the biggest headline imaginable! "NEW FRENCH DIP SHOP OPENS IN BALLARD!! screams the front page. And indeed, there IS a new French Dip shop in Ballard, and it delivers the goods in ways far too few eating establishments ever approach.

Nestled on 15th Avenue Northwest just below 75th, Rizzo's combines a doll-house sized space, friendly and colorful staff, a menu smaller than some neighborhood lemonade stands, and one indescribably succulent french dip sandwich able of sending diners into a whole new headspace.   

According to Tony, the very friendly fellow who describes himself as the front counter person and "the closest thing we have to a manager," this version of the french dip comes out of Las Angeles, where the owner got the idea to bring this tender and juicy sandwich to Seattle.   

Known as the home of the French Dip, Los Angeles boasts french dip rival eateries Philippe's and Cole's. They've been arguing since 1908 over which one was the first to bring forth the french dip (originally "French Dipped"), with no resolution to the question in sight.