October 2009

At 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 24, members of Sustainable Ballard gathered together in Bergen Place to "squash" global warming as part of International Climate Awareness Day.

Members of the neighborhood group arranged squash, gourds and pumpkins to write out the number 350.

The number 350 represents the parts per million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that scientists say is tolerable to humanity, according to www.350.org.

According to the site, current levels of carbon dioxide are approximately 390 parts per million.

In addition to the squash, the event included a pledge to lower carbon emissions for Ballard residents to sign, a letter to sign to President Obama to support the 350 goal, and a conference call with the Citizen Climate Lobby.

A citywide 350 event was scheduled for later that afternoon at the Seattle Center.

Sustainable Ballard's original plan was to destroy any extra squash if they had more than 350 as a symbol of lowering the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

By 10 a.m., the number of squash was hovering in the mid-250s, but event organizer Andrea Faste was able to put a positive spin on it.

The $8,000 tax credit has helped fuel a surge in home sales, nationally and locally. Closed sales of single-family homes in King County were up 14.3 percent in September from the same month last year, the Northwest Multiple Listing Service reported recently.

It was the fourth consecutive month of year-over-year gains.

But the tax credit is scheduled to expire Nov. 30. After that, some observers say, home sales could drop again, just as auto sales plummeted after the federal "cash-for-clunkers" program ran its course.

Some experts say the current apparent 'strength' in the housing market is due entirely to massive government intervention. But others say the $8,000 credit is only one factor in the recent increase in sales. Lower prices and historically low interest rates also are attracting buyers.

The local market is better able to withstand the credit's expiration now than it was 18 months ago, said George Rolfe, director of the Runstad Center for Real Estate Studies at the University of Washington.

Cucumbers and zucchini have started showing up in the most unusual places. There is a big pile in the break room at work with a sign pleading, “Take some, please.”

The other day, a pile appeared next to my neighbor’s mailbox. Last night when I got home, I found three anonymous zucchini on the front porch—sort of like finding an abandoned baby on the doorstep.

So how can you take advantage of these abundant late summer vegetables?

Since local lettuce is past its prime, try cucumbers and zucchini in salads made for hot days. Greek salads are usually high in salt—something we all need to avoid—due to olives and feta cheese. So keep the inspiration but vary the ingredients for a healthy alternative.

A good goal is to aim for less than 2,000 milligrams of sodium (salt) per day.

Try this recipe for a low-salt, cooling cucumber or zucchini salad. Then prolong the flavor of summer well into the dark months of winter with easy, salt-free pickles.

Cool Cucumber Salad

1-2 cucumbers or zucchini (about 3 cups), peeled
2 medium, firm tomatoes or 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup low fat yogurt

The Seattle City Council voted July 6 to name the West Seattle Bridge to honor Jeanette Williams, the longtime city council member who worked for many years to get the bridge built.

The council unanimously approved a resolution asking the city transportation department to give the bridge a "secondary designation" as the "Jeanette Williams Memorial Bridge." That means Williams wil be honored with signs at each end of the bridge, but maps and signs on Interstate 5 will still call it the West Seattle Bridge.

Williams served on the council from 1970 to 1989. She died last year at age 94.

"It feels great to have a bridge named for a woman," said council member Jean Godden after her speech at the event to honor Williams Friday, Oct. 23. "This is very appropriate. She did persevere to get a high level bridge. At first I don't think anyone thought it was going to happen the way she wanted it too. She had a great deal of gumption."

"She was uncorruptible, determined, and had the will to do it," added council member Tom Rassmussen who had also given a speech. "There were a lot of shenanigans going on back then. The engineering department director went to jail."

A suicide involving an adult male took place shortly before 2 p.m. at Jack Block Park, 2134 Harbor Ave. S.W.

The suicide, using a firearm, was inside the park, but the Seattle Police Department has not yet released any details.

Shelter Lounge, a new Ballard bar, is opening to the public tonight after a number of soft openings in the past weeks.

The bar is located at 4910 Leary Ave. N.W., the former site of Station Bistro.

Shelter is owned by Kevin Carlson, a 1994 Ballard High School graduate, and features a large roofed patio and a circular indoor/outdoor bar.

The small office belonging to Ed Medeiros in the Phinney Neighborhood Center does not look like the office of someone less than three months away from retirement.

Papers, folders and Post-Its cover nearly every surface. The calendar on the wall does not, at first glance, appear to contain any empty squares. And, one of the walls is home to hundreds of faces from the Phinney Neighborhood Association’s history.

But this January, after nearly 30 years as the executive director of the Phinney Neighborhood Association, Medeiros will be stepping down.

Though he will remain active in the association, Medeiros said it is time for a change.

"I'm not going to totally disconnect," he said. "But, I have three grandchildren and probably more on the way, and I want to be an active part of their lives."

Medeiros was there from the beginning of the association and Phinney Neighborhood Center.

In the late 70s, the Phinney Community Council received a $200,000 community development grant from the city, he said.

After a number of brainstorming sessions between the community and city, it was decided that what the neighborhood wanted was a community center, he said.

The Ballard High School boys tennis team finished its 2009 season Oct. 20 with a 6-1 loss to Newport.

The loss gave the Beavers a final record of 1-9. Their only win came Sept. 17 against Bothell.

Neal Berg scored the lone Ballard victory during his singles match Oct. 20.

Berg finished 8-2 on the season in singles matches and will be competing in the District quarterfinals Oct. 26 at the Mercer Island Country Club.

Ballard High School girls cross country will be heading to the 4A District Championship as a team after finishing sixth overall in the Oct. 22 KingCo Championship at Lake Sammamish.

The boys team failed to qualify for the District Championship by three points – the first time it has failed to do so in a number of seasons.

Senior Erin Philbeck led the Beavers, as she has most of the season, finishing 16th overall in a time of 20:00 over the 5,000 meter course.

Junior Natalie White (20th), junior Erle Lima (29th), freshman Rachel Livengood (57th) and junior Hannah Murphy (59th) were the rest of the top five for Ballard.

Though not qualifying as a team, four Beaver boys qualified for the District Championship as individuals by finishing in the top 35.

Sophmore Alex Bowns (17th), senior Jesse Bengtsson (23rd), senior Aaron Hamilton (29th) and junior Blair Scott (30th) will represent Ballard.

The 4A District Championship will be held Oct. 31 in Kelso. Qualifiers will then head to the State Championship Nov. 7 in Pasco.

The Ballard High School girls soccer team broke a two-game losing streak with an Oct. 22 tie against Inglemoor but no longer has a chance to make the playoffs.

The Beavers needed to win their final two matches in order to have a shot at the postseason.

Sophomore Cassie Winters scored Ballard's only goal off an assist from junior Crickett Harber in the 37th minute.

The Beavers (2-5-3 conference, 3-8-4 overall) finish up their season at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 27 at Memorial Stadium against Lake Washington.