October 2009

The annual Lafayette Elementary School Walk-A-Thon was more of a run as kids darted around the quarter-mile track Friday, Oct. 23. First-graders took to the pavement first, many going 16 laps, a few going 20.

"I can barely walk," said first grader Jordan Allen with pride after running 16 laps. "My feet hurt."

Kids, and some brave teachers and parents, ran laps around the school’s playground in the chilly rain to raise money for school programs. The funds raised from this volunteer-run effort allow Lafayette to offer a variety of programs not funded by the school district.

According to the school, In 2008, the event raised more than $55,000 in pledges and sponsorships, which enabled the school to pay for: a tutor program, Accelerated Reader tests, computer lab equipment, art and science enrichment programs, library books and art materials and playground fund.

Taproot Theatre Company is moving its closing weekend performances of 'Enchanted April" to Seattle Children’s Theatre due to fire at an adjacent building, which caused significant smoke and water damage to Taproot Theatre.

The fire early this morning has forced tonight’s performance to be canceled. Tomorrow’s shows (Oct. 24) will take place at 2 and 8 p.m.

See related coverage of the fire here.

Patrons who have tickets for tonight’s performance may choose to attend either of tomorrow’s performances. Taproot Theatre is calling patrons who have tickets to the remaining shows to let them know about the change.

Taproot asks that due to the high volume of calls, please wait to hear from them and to not call Seattle Children’s Theatre.

The performances will have festival seating, on a first-come, first-served basis. Additional tickets will be available to purchase immediately prior to performances, cash or check only.

Seattle Children’s Theatre is located at 201 Thomas St. at Seattle Center.

Owners of the Green Bean Coffee House announced this morning that fire consumed their location at 210 N. 85th St. this morning, destroying their business.

Here is the release from the company:

We announce with great sadness that this morning, Friday Oct. 23 a fire consumed the Eleanor Roosevelt Building on 85th Street in the Greenwood Neighborhood of Seattle. The fire destroyed four businesses, including The Green Bean Coffee House. Taproot Theatre was also damaged to a lesser degree.

We are grateful that no one was hurt in the fire. The damage is extensive and it appears that the Green Bean is a total loss.

The Green Bean is a non-profit organization owned and operated by Sanctuary Church. Sanctuary meets in the Greenwood area at Taproot Theatre on Sunday mornings at 10 a.m. Much of the church’s equipment appears to have also been lost in the fire.

Dr. Randy Rowland, chief executive officer of the Green Bean Coffee House and pastor of Sanctuary Church, responded to this morning’s catastrophe.

The Washington State Department of Transportation Ferries Division (WSF) will implement a two-week temporary revised schedule on the Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth ferry route beginning Monday, Nov. 2, according to a release from the state department of transportation.

Customers should expect delays during those two weeks as construction crews work to build new dolphins (offshore structures that help guide the ferry) at the Vashon Island terminal.

From Monday, Nov. 2 through Sunday, Nov. 15, Manson Construction will replace two 20-year-old dolphins and install three new dolphins at the Vashon Island terminal. This work will close slip 1 and impact the ferry schedule for two weeks. Work will occur daily from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The state says there will be a minor impact on the weekday schedule for Vashon customers and a significant impact on the schedule for the entire route for the weekends of Nov. 7 and 8 and Nov. 14 and 15.

Go here to view temporary schedule bulletins.

The state also said all customers using the Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth route should expect delays during this project.

Dear Burke-Gilman TRAIL SUPPORTERS in Ballard and Beyond,

Join us for a quick "flash" action to declare our collective support for completion of the Burke-Gilman Trail Missing Link - from Fred Meyer to the Ballard Locks. Let's demonstrate that the trail is for A L L of us, and that WE ARE THE MISSING LINK! We would be honored to have you stand with us.

In 1997, the Ballard Neighborhood Plan identified completion of the trail as its No. 2 priority. In 2003, the Seattle City Council adopted a preferred route along the rail right-of-way, and directed the Seattle Department of Transportation to design and seek funding. In spring 2009, the transportation department prepared to put the project out to bid - but several business groups filed a lawsuit opposing trail construction. It's time to move on and get the trail built.

Who/What: A gathering of ALL TRAIL SUPPORTERS, be they walkers, skaters, strollers, bicyclers, moms, dads, kids, grannies, for a silent show of support honoring the trail and the decades of hard work it took to get us to this point.

When: Tuesday, Oct. 27, 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m.

With this wacky weather we've been having, there is no telling what kind of weather we'll get this winter. The upside is that we can react a lot faster because our gardens are miniature.

Here are some tips for the colder areas – or if the weather dips like it did here in Seattle last winter - and this will work for your other containers, too, not just for miniature gardens.

When a plant is in a container, subtract up to 15 degrees off the hardiness of that plant. A potted plant is a contained micro-environment, and the roots only have the walls of the pot to protect them.

It’s this difference that we forget about, and lose our marginally hardy plants to the winter weather.

Here’s more:

~> Keep an eye on the weather reports and stockpile what you need ahead of time so you can react quickly, without hassle.

~> Plant in the biggest pot you can. Big pots don't freeze as fast and the extra soil insulates the roots. This may be late news, but keep it in mind for future reference.

~> Plant the whole pot right in the ground for the winter, with the foliage above the earth of course, and let Mother Earth insulate the pot.

The Ballard Pool, 1471 N.W. 67th St., is closed temporarily for its regular 18-month preventive maintenance. It will re-open on Monday, Nov. 9, according to operators Seattle Parks and Recreation Department.

The pool will undergo the following work:

- Replacement of the pool’s two old drains, and the two drains in the pool’s hot tub, with drains that comply with the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act.

- New paint for the spa.

- Replacement of fallen ceiling tiles and fixing.

- Touch-up painting, light replacement, dryer re-venting, diving board maintenance.

- Creation of an exercise area on the pool deck that will feature exercise equipment, including mats, barbells, stretch cords, and large stability/exercise balls.

- Addition of a permanent basketball hoop on the deck in the shallow end.

The Southwest Design Review Board met Oct. 22 for a design doubleheader addressing two major West Seattle projects. The six-person board deliberated over a proposed expansion of the Safeway in the Admiral neighborhood and The Kenney property along Fauntleroy Way Southwest.

Board members gave the Kenney project the green light, but asked Safeway developers back for another round of design guidance meetings. Members of the board agreed that the designed storefront needs to be more open to sidewalks along California Ave. S.W.

The new Safeway expands the current store from 36,000 square feet to 58,000 square feet, while adding a four-story apartment complex, some small office space and a parking lot on the store’s roof. View the current designs here.

That rooftop parking also drew criticism from the board, which said it conflicted with the neighborhood’s sustainability goals.

“This building is saying in 15 years this building is going to be okay and then it's just going to be going backwards,” said Joseph Hurley, board member.

Heavy fire damaged storefronts between Taproot Theatre and Greenwood Academy of Hair early morning Friday, Oct. 23. No serious injuries have been reported.

The call came in at about 4 a.m. with reports of smoke in the area around 208 N. 85th St., said Seattle Fire Department spokesperson Dana Vander Houwen.

Pho Tic Tac, Green Bean, C.C.Teriyaki Wok, Szechuan Bistro were among the businesses to receive serious damage from the three-alarm fire.

About 100 firefighters battled the blaze for nearly 2.5 hours, said Vander Houwen. The blaze was so intense that the firefighters had to fight it "defensively" outside of the buildings, said Vander Houwen.

Vander Houwen said the most damage was to the businesses between Taproot Theatre and the Greenwood Academy of Hair. Those two businesses received only smoke and water damage.

Except for a firefighter's injured ankle, there were no injuries caused by the blaze.

Owner of a business next to Taproot told another observer that firefighters rushed in with fire axes and believed they were tearing down the wall between Taproot and his business.

A 16-year-old Burien girl, who pled guilty to using a pit bull to attack two women, will spend a year in juvenile detention.

The sentence came down Thursday morning in King County Juvenile Court.

Both women attacked by the dog testified at the sentencing hearing, as did the teen's mother.

The mother testified she had been unsuccessful in getting mental health help for her daughter. The teen's father has not lived with his daughter since she was very young. He now lives in Portland.

A probation officer and the prosecutor said the girl would have no chance of getting treatment if she stayed in the home and the judge agreed.

The Burien girl cried as she listened to her victims speak. Later, she apologized to both of them.

The attacks occurred back in June when a woman spotted four youths kicking a pit bull in the 13300 block of Des Moines Memorial Drive South.

The woman stopped to help but was attacked by the 16-year-old girl and the dog.

A second woman was also attacked and bit on the elbow by the dog.

"Snaps," the pit bull involved in the attack has been sent to an animal sanctuary on the Olympic Peninsula.