July 2009

With no actual name to call it’s own, there have been many attempts from both east and west Fremont communities to rename and beautify the park where the Fremont Troll sits under the Aurora Bridge.

But Fremont resident Kimberly Scrivner has spearheaded a committee of neighbors from both sides of Fremont to finally name and clean up the park.

“When I started this project about a year ago I mostly envisioned something on the west side because thats the side the sun hits and it’s a more open area that can be converted to a community space,” Scrivner said. “But there is quite a lot of land there.”

Scrivner had been referring to the park as Imagination Park because she said before anyone is able to call the area Troll Park they first must get permission, since the Troll itself has a copyright regarding the use of the name.

In response to the copyright, Scrivner started a survey to get an opinion from the community as to what they would like the park to be named.

“There are some creative ideas and Troll Park so far is the winner, but we’ll see if we can get it approved,” she said.

This month's regularly scheduled Southwest District Council meeting has been replaced by two community presentations.

First, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will hold a public meeting on the topic of neighborhood traffic calming beginning at 6:30 p.m. Later, the Department of Planning and Development will discuss backyard cottages (formerly detached accessory dwelling units) at 7:30 p.m.

Date: Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Time: 6:30-7:30 p.m. - Neighborhood Traffic Calming Presentation, Seattle Department of Transportation
7:30-8:15 p.m. - Backyard Cottages Presentation, Department of Planning & Development

Location: President's Board Room
South Seattle Community College
6000 16th Ave. S.W.

This meeting is open to the public.

Community members came together last evening, July 14, at Hiawatha Park to socialize, enjoy picnic dinners and listen to the sounds of the West Seattle Big Band.

The concert was sponsored by Hi-Yu and previews the many events coming up this weekend for the organization.

For more on Hi-Yu events happening this weekend please click here.

On Wednesday, July 15, the Landmarks Preservation Board will consider a nomination to designate The Kenney's Seaview and Sunrise buildings as historic landmarks.

The Kenney Presbyterian Home was established in 1898 through funds left in their will "to maintain a home or retreat to be called The Samuel and Jessie Kenney Presbyterian Home."

By the early 1900's, by the executors of their will were able to purchase five acres near Lincoln Beach--the present site of The Kenney--for $105,000.

With additional funds left to build a building, the Seattle firm of Graham & Myers was chosen to design the building, and construction began in 1907.

The Seaview building, located at 7125 Fauntleroy Way S.W., was built in 1907, patterned after the Independence Hall in Philadelphia with a prominent tower and cupola.

By 1909 the facility was open for membership, although the third floor was not yet complete.

The site was rural, and on the property through the early part of the 20th century there were cows, pigs, horses, chickens, and a freshwater spring as a water source.

This upcoming weekend is the annual Hi-Yu event and parade. Read on to find out what special events are happening.

Friday, July 17

12 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Hiawatha Kids Fun Festival and Junior Court Coronation
Hiawatha Community Center

Saturday, July 18

10:30 a.m.
Rotary Club Kiddies Parade with Junior Court
California Avenue between Southwest Lander Street and Southwest Edmunds Street

11 a.m.
American Legion Grand Parade
California Avenue between Southwest Lander Street and Southwest Edmunds Street

Sunday, July 19

9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Community Brunch
American Legion Post #160

Monday, July 12

7 p.m.
Miss West Seattle Hi-Yu Coronation and Reception
West Seattle High School Theater

Three Ballard High School video production students had their film “Unplugged” named an Official Selection by the 11th Annual Seoul International Youth Film Festival. It is one of only 36 films selected for the festival.

The film, the story of a teen whose connection to music deepens after the loss of his iPod, by Ballard High School students Kaelan Gilman and Del Brummet and Ballard graudate Diana Federighi, will be shown at the festival, one of the largest youth film festivals in Asia, which runs July 9 to July 15.

The short had not originally been entered in the festival, but the festival committee saw the film on the Images of Youth Video Festival Web site and then contacted Ballard High School to request that the short be submitted.

“Unplugged” won awards for Special Recognition for Overall Excellence in Media and Peer Achievement from the Images of Youth Video Festival in 2008.

The following letter has been distributed to community organizations throughout Seattle:

METRO TRANSIT SERVICE – FACING A CRISIS

As you know, Mayor Greg Nickels is committed to ensuring that our residents have great transportation choices – whether it’s light rail, buses, bike lanes, or sidewalks. You may also know that King County Metro, who provides the bus service for our city, is facing some very tough financial times.

In fact, Metro’s budget deficit is so serious that we will likely be facing severe transit service cuts across the county and most of those cuts will come out of Seattle’s bus service. This will have devastating effects not only on the riders who use the system, but on the transit system’s overall health.

As a leader in your community, we feel it is critical to make you aware of this situation. But we are not simply sounding an alarm bell; we are working with community members, stakeholders, and other governmental entities to find solutions to this problem.

Why do certain thoughts jump into our heads at strange moments, when we are brushing our teeth or turning over in bed? What if my doctor retires? What if my favorite restaurant closes? When was the last time that I saw my daughter’s passport?

A more normal person might think how they could escape from their home in the event of fire, but I worry about whether the culinary artists at Café Besalu will tire of baking.

But worrying about whether the Sunset Bowl or Olsen’s Scandinavian Foods would close didn’t change the outcome. The doctor who caught my daughter in her arms like a basketball on the top floor at Ballard Community Hospital did leave private practice for volunteer medicine.

Everything Must Go! signs hang at Epilogue Books, Olsen’s and a little house three doors from the annual Fourth of July flag display on 32nd Avenue Northwest.

The last few months have brought a lot of change to our downtown; bringing new businesses in certain locations and leaving sad little gaps in other blocks like missing teeth.

Directed by Gavin Hood
Rated PG-13
(Two Stars)

If you’ve ever wondered where Logan, easily the most photogenic member of the X-Men team, got those shiny blades that come out of his knuckles then “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” is must-see entertainment.

X-men follows a well-worn path of super-hero franchises that try to regain some of their old spark by taking us back to where it all began. For Logan (Hugh Jackman) it’s a story of hard times. The death of his father puts Logan on run with his brother, Victor (Liev Schreibner), an unhealthy blend of prodigious fingernails and anger issues.

The two eventually come to the attention of the U.S. government and wind up as mercenaries in a band of super-human mutants. For Victor life as a paid killer is a cozy fit, but Logan wants none of it. He packs in his superpowers and a government paycheck in favor of a quiet life as a lumberjack with his beautiful girlfriend, Kayla (Lynn Collins).

There are six billion people on this ball we call earth, of those six billion, one billion are hungry. That is, they can’t count on the next meal, unlike the rest of us, who can.

That’s a big number, almost overwhelming in scope. There are a lot of organizations and individuals that try to do something to alleviate this hunger. I recently met three such people who are doing something extraordinary to do their part. They call their campaign “Tour de Revs 2009.”

The “Revs” in this title are real reverends from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). All are pastors of churches in West Virginia.

Rev. Dr. Fred Soltow, Jr. has been a competitive runner since high school. He’s completed five marathons including Boston and New York.

Rev. Ron Schlak caught my attention when I noted in his biography a mention of his having been trained in Lombard Mennonite Peace Ministries as a mediator. Rev. David Twedt is a biking animal. In addition to completing several century rides (100 miles), he’s done the Paris-Brest-Paris ride.