July 2009

Superintendent Maria L. Goodloe-Johnson has announced three new leadership appointments for the Seattle School District, including a new executive director of special education, Marni Campbell.

In this leadership role, Campbell will oversee delivery of services to students with special needs, including implementation of a service delivery model that focuses on integrated comprehensive services. 

In addition, Goodloe-Johnson announced the appointment of Dr. Jill Hudson as principal of Nathan Hale High School and Henterson Carlisle as interim principal of Madison Middle School. All three appointments are effective immediately.

"The three appointments that I am announcing today are great examples of how we continue to strengthen leadership across our system," Goodloe-Johnson said.

Campbell's school leadership experience reaches back nine years with Seattle Public Schools. She served as principal for Nathan Hale High School for two years and Eckstein Middle School for four years.

Campbell also taught at Lakeside School for two years and at Shoreline and Edmonds community colleges. 

Dita Vox, lead singer of local garage rock band Thee Emergency, has a pretty good handle on Ballard's nightlife.

Since Thee Emergency formed in 2004, Vox has played often in the Ballard area, and she has been working at King's Hardware on Ballard Avenue for almost a year.

On top of that, she was named Seattle's sexiest musician by the Stranger in February and included, alongside nationally-ogled acts like Dave Matthews and the Fleet Foxes, in that newspaper's April survey of sexy musicians.

The Ballard News-Tribune had a chance to ask Vox a few questions July 7 while she walked her dog.

Ballard News-Tribune: What are some of your more memorable Ballard?

Superintendent Maria L. Goodloe-Johnson has announced three new leadership appointments for the Seattle School District, including the appointment of Henterson Carlisle as interim principal of Madison Middle School.

Goodloe-Johnson also appointed Marni Campbell as the executive director of special education for Seattle Public Schools. In this leadership role, Campbell will oversee delivery of services to students with special needs, including implementation of a service delivery model that focuses on integrated comprehensive services. 

In addition, Goodloe-Johnson announced the appointment of Dr. Jill Hudson as principal of Nathan Hale High School.

All three appointments are effective immediately.

Carlisle has worked in Seattle Public Schools as an assistant principal and teacher for 11 years and has four years of administrative experience, including two years as the assistant principal at Madison Middle School.
He was an assistant principal and teacher at the African American Academy for five years and at Madrona K-8 for three years.

Tuesday, August 4 is nationwide Night Out event, a community event happening across West Seattle and the country aimed at keeping neighborhoods safe.

This is an event where around the city and country, neighborhoods close down their blocks to come together for a community party to celebrate and foster safety in their neighborhoods.

The city usually charges for a permit to close down streets, but on Night Out, it's free.

To register your southwest block, click here. Registration is due by July 31.

This year the Seattle Police Department is using Night Out to thank their strong community partners and organized block watched, according to the police department. Officers will also be out on August 4 to visit neighborhood celebrations.

More information can be found here.

The West 5 hosted the Vera Project's annual benefit, "A Drink for the Kids,", July 7, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Cocktails proceeds from ordering a Stone IPA or the special "A Drink for the Kids" benefit the Vera Project, an organization dedicated to Seattle's all-ages music scene.

Megan Jasper from Sub Pop Records hosted the event.

The Vera Project is non-profit, all-ages music and arts space at Seattle Center that fosters a participatory creative culture through popular music concerts, arts programs, experiential learning and volunteer opportunities for all ages, especially young people. Vera produces all-ages shows every week, ranging from indie rock to punk to hip hop and beyond.

Vera also produces education curriculum in silk-screening, sound engineering, recording and arts production. It serves more than 37,000 each year.

For a full list of all events please visit www.adrinkforthekids.org.

West 5 is located at 4539 California Ave. S.W.

For the Woodland Park Zoo's Overnight Adventure, it is offering a chance to spend a night at the zoo.

See what goes bump in the night at the zoo when participants explore zoo grounds after dark without the crowds. Then enjoy a pizza dinner and sleepover.

Guests will discover the wildlife survival strategies of zoo animals through guided tours in the evening and early morning, plus get the inside scoop on animals from zoo employees and get up close with a zoo resident.

Overnight Adventures are offered Friday and Saturday nights from March through November. Other weekday nights may be available based on instructor availability. Overnight Adventures last from 6:30 p.m. to 9 a.m.

WHERE: Overnight location varies: Seattle Rotary Education Center near the South Entrance at North 50th Street and Fremont Avenue North, or Zoomazium near the West Entrance at North 55th Street and Phinney Avenue North.

COST: Cost varies upon Overnight location; Education Center: $42 per person. Zoomazium: $48 per person. Free parking after 6 p.m.

The Youngstown Cultural Art Center is looking for an artist to create a work of art for the Skateboard Park coming soon to the playfield on the corner of Delridge and Genessee.

The deadline to apply is July 31.

From Youngstown:

Youngstown is now accepting submissions for an exciting community-led project to install a piece of public art to accompany the Delridge Skate Park. We seek an artist or group of artists who wishes to collaborate with young people, the project team and local residents to produce a neighborhood landmark. If you or someone you know has art installation experience and wishes to engage and build with a community to produce an exceptional complement to the skate park, read more information about the submission process at youngstownarts.org.

For the first time in more than a decade, the mural in Bergen Place Park has been tagged.

The markings on the border of the mural were painted over yesterday evening, June 6.

Victoria Sangrey with the Friends of Bergn Place said she may look to local artists for help with the rest, since the original artists, Alan Wylie and Charles Svob, live in Canada. It would be costly for them to travel to Seattle, she said.

Sangrey said the mural has been in place since 1995 and has never been hit by graffiti in this manner.

"I am deeply saddened to see someone has tagged the mural," Sangrey said in an email. "I hope someone in the community will turn the person in who did this and that all in Ballard will watch Bergen Place for illegal activity and report it to 911."

The mural was created through a partnership between the Ballard Historical Society and Seattle-Bergen Sister City Association to commemorate Ballard's history and cultural ties with Norway.

Though the Ballard Historical Society has a fund set aside for such incidents, Sangrey said the Friends of Bergen Place may have to fund the restoration.

By guest columnist Deborah Barnes

I was invited to speak at the opening night fashion show and party at the East London Eco Design Fair, June 26. This was not the debut I had in mind when I decided to get louder and go farther with sustainable fashion.

I had my first lecture lined up at Seattle Central Community College for this coming fall quarter.  The lecture is still on but the debut is over and it was fabulous.

OK, it was good for me and feedback was positive, so I am going with it.

Why does this matter? Fashion is a column in the lifestyles section, fashion is a frivolity, not something you pay attention to even though you dress on a daily basis. Right? 

However, fashion is a multi billion dollar industry that instigated planned obsolescence and impacts our lifestyle choices in countless ways, literally. So, when fashion is confronted head on from the inside, is questioned about ethics, trade patterns, sources, toxins, processes, exploitive economics and resource abuses, we should all pay attention.  For this is the story of change and other industries can follow suit. 

As part of its ongoing outreach efforts to find suitable permanent homes for foster animals, the Seattle Animal Shelter will host a cat adoptathon on Saturday, July 18, at Phinney Neighborhood Association, located at 6532 Phinney Ave. N.

The event runs from noon to 3 p.m. and features numerous cats of different breeds.

“By holding monthly adoptathons in neighborhoods throughout Seattle, we are able to spread the word about the joys of adopting shelter pets and saving lives," said Don Jordan, Seattle Animal Shelter director. "If you have room in your home and your heart for an orphaned animal, this is a great opportunity to come and see some of the wonderful pets available from our foster-care parents."

View cat's available for adoption here.

Adoption prices for cats range from $102 to $107 and include:

- Initial vaccinations

- Deworming

- Feline Leukemia testing

- Certificate for free health exam at local veterinarians

- Spay or neuter