July 2009

A weekend salmon fishing in Westport and a stop by my sister’s garden sent me home with a cooler of salmon, homemade goat cheese, fresh eggs and lots of veggies. I also came away with a renewed respect for Chinese medicine.

I was the only one onboard without a motion sickness patch. I was determined to live or die by my natural remedies- my SeaBand acupressure bracelet, some ginger tea, and some crystallized ginger-all found at Fred Meyer the morning I left Ballard. As a sponsor of the Seafood Festival, the only way I would have left was in search of even fresher seafood, like right out of the water fresh.

Armed with my thermos, my bracelets and ginger and about a year’s-worth of experience down-rigging small sailboats on Lake Union (where the waves were considerably smaller, to put it mildly), I set out on my first deep-sea fishing trip ever. Everyone was in high spirits until we had to go over the bar. Then, only the kids were excited. They are still of an age to enjoy roller-coasters.

Seattle City Council Transportation Committee Chair Jan Drago announced that on Wednesday, Aug. 12 she will convene a special noontime session of the Transportation Committee, designed to engage decision-makers and stakeholders in a conversation about looming Metro budget shortfalls and what they may mean to Seattle transit riders. 



The discussion will include members of the city’s Transportation Committee, King County Council Chair Dow Constantine, Metro General Manger Kevin Desmond, as well representatives from the Downtown Seattle Association, Transportation Choices Coalition and city neighborhoods.


Acting King County Executive Kurt Triplett is also invited.



The format will include a presentation of proposed changes in service by Metro transit and a discussion by the panel participants, followed by audience questions.

The meeting at Wednesday, Aug. 12, starts at noon at City Hall, 600 Fourth Avenue - Council Chambers, Floor
 2.

La Isla, the Puerta Rican restaurant on Market Street, completed its expansion this month and debuted its new, twice-the-size space July 23.

The restaurant at 2320 N.W. Market St. got a permit in mid-March to expand into half of the former Bella's Boutique space next door.

At the time, Jason Mikos at La Isla said the restaurant had been wanting to expand for some time, and the closure of Bella's presented the best opportunity.

The new space adjoins the original La Isla though an arched entryway and features a full bar and much more seating.

A La Isla employee said the expanded space has been a hit with customers so far.

"They love it," she said.

The restaurant will look to expand its outdoor seating next summer, said John Wakefield at La Isla.

How do you know whether a neighborhood's growth and change has matched projects and whether it's synching with the neighborhood plans developed by residents a decade ago? You don't unless you ask.

As part of the work updating Seattle's 38 neighborhood plans, the Seattle Planning Commission and the Neighborhood Plan Advisory Committee are holding a series of open houses this (and last) month to pose a series of questions to attendees about how their neighborhoods have changed and what people would like to see in the future.

The goal is to produce a mini "almanac" by the end of the this year for each planning area showing demographic, housing, open space, transportation infrastructure and other changes over the past 10 years. These status reports are intended to help neighborhoods decide if their plan needs updating or not.

How do you know whether a neighborhood's growth and change has matched projects and whether it's synching with the neighborhood plans developed by residents a decade ago? You don't unless you ask.

As part of the work updating Seattle's 38 neighborhood plans, the Seattle Planning Commission and the Neighborhood Plan Advisory Committee are holding a series of open houses this (and last) month to pose a series of questions to attendees about how their neighborhoods have changed and what people would like to see in the future.

The goal is to produce a mini "almanac" by the end of the this year for each planning area showing demographic, housing, open space, transportation infrastructure and other changes over the past 10 years. These status reports are intended to help neighborhoods decide if their plan needs updating or not.

The Seattle City Council will hold a public hearing on backyard cottages at 5:30 pm on Sept. 15 in Council Chambers at City Hall.

Public comments are welcome and encouraged, according to the Seattle Department of Planning and Development.

Mayor Greg Nickels has proposed legislation that would allow more homeowners the option to build backyard cottages, or "mother-in-law" units.

The city describes a backyard cottage as a small dwelling unit that is on the same lot as, but physically separate from, a single-family house.

Under the proposal, homeowners would be allowed to build backyard cottages under certain conditions. The owner must live on the premises and there would be an annual limit of 50 new such developments.

The lot must be at least 4,000 square feet in area, with minimum width and depth requirements. The principal house and backyard cottage combined must not exceed the current 35 percent lot coverage limit for single family zones.

Cottages can be no more than 800 square feet in area with a height limit of 15 to 23 foot height depending on lot width. Parking is required.

The Seattle City Council will hold a public hearing on backyard cottages at 5:30 pm on Sept. 15 in Council Chambers at City Hall.

Public comments are welcome and encouraged, according to the Seattle Department of Planning and Development.

Mayor Greg Nickels has proposed legislation that would allow more homeowners the option to build backyard cottages, or "mother-in-law" units.

The city describes a backyard cottage as a small dwelling unit that is on the same lot as, but physically separate from, a single-family house.
Under the proposal, homeowners would be allowed to build backyard cottages under certain conditions. The owner must live on the premises and there would be an annual limit of 50 new such developments.

The lot must be at least 4,000 square feet in area, with minimum width and depth requirements. The principal house and backyard cottage combined must not exceed the current 35 percent lot coverage limit for single family zones.

Cottages can be no more than 800 square feet in area with a height limit of 15 to 23 foot height depending on lot width. Parking is required.

The Ninth Annual Ballard High School Golf Classic is a week away, and the fundraiser is still accepting golfers.

The Classic features a golf tournament, putting contest, hole-in-one contest, barbecue and a silent and live auction.

Over the past eight years, the fundraiser has raised more than $600,000 for Ballard High School's athletic teams and music programs.

Each year, the school district provides $500 for each sports team and no extra money for music programs, according to Ballard High School Principal Phil Brockman.

In the past, money from the Classic has gone toward uniforms, facilities, equipment, a full-time athletic trainer and marching band uniforms.

Jim Vatn, former chair of the Classic and this year's honoree, said the fundraiser is so successful because it is a lot of fun. It is a chance for old friends to reconnect over a day of golf and beer, he said.

The tournament can accommodate 288 golfers, and organizers are hoping to get at least 240.

Registrations will be accepted up to the Aug. 4 tournament, which takes place at the Golf Club at Newcastle.

The registration fee is $275 per golfer or $50 for just the barbecue dinner.

Ferry District Boardmember Larry Phillips has proposed cutting the Ferry District tax levy to $0 in 2010 in order to make tax dollars available to keep Metro buses running.

Phillips said this is necessary because Metro bus service is at risk of drastic cuts at a time when money is slated for increasing passenger ferry service.

The net impact of the proposal on taxpayers would be no increase in taxes, according to the King County Council.

“King County must make the same kinds of choices taxpayers are making when it comes to which priorities to pay for when there’s less money to go around,” said Phillips. “When it comes to a choice between keeping existing countywide bus service on the street or providing a more expensive and selective enhancement like passenger ferry service, we need to choose buses for all county residents.”

Updated sales tax projections show Metro is facing an estimated $200 million budget deficit in 2010 and 2011. Metro has been looking at scenarios for cutting up to 20 percent of bus service hours, with 62 percent of those cuts to be made in Seattle.   Metro carried more than 110 million riders last year.

Several residents at Loyal Heights Manor yesterday broke into singing Happy Birthday for Dorothy Watkins' 100th birthday.

After moving to Ballard in 1918 and living here for five years, Watkins moved to Grays Harbor for 10 years before she came back home to Ballard.

“I feel good, I had been sick, but I really feel good," said Watkins when asked how she felt turning 100.

She also celebrated the milestone with more than 80 family members at her son’s Woodinville home. Watkins said some of the people that came hadn’t seen each other in years. It was one big family reunion, she said.

At her second celebration at Loyal Heights Manor, where she lives, Watkins expressed how much she enjoys her home there. She looks forward to the gatherings and celebrations they often have.

Watkins said she wasn't sure if she did anything different than anyone else, but credited her longevity to a healthy diet and staying away from soda and sweets.

“Most always, we didn’t buy a lot of candy because that was our recreation- making candy,” Watkins said. “Some of it was terrible and some of it was good.”