November 2009

Mugs is an Australian Cattle dog (mix but "Mostly Cattle Dog) who is also a rescue dog. He's approximately six years old and at least in part because he's a rescue dog he's got a distinct attitude. He's not mean but he lets you know he won't take any guff.

"In a dog obedience class we took, the trainer had him up in front of the class and she was trying to get him to do something and it was treat based and Mugs just would not do it for her, so she kept trying and trying and she wouldn't give him the treat and finally Mugs grabbed her finger and held it. He didn't bite down hard, he just got tired of her holding back the treat," DeMartin explained.

Now his favorite trick is to "Boing" or jump up, well off the ground to get a treat. "He'll keep boinging until the food is gone," DeMartin said laughing.

Renee DeMartin rescued him via the Snoqualmie Teen Detention Center. They have a program where they take in dogs and put them through obedience classes with the teens so the teens can have control over the dog and see progress. Then the dogs are advertised.

Construction of the six-story, retail and residential Avalon Ballard development on the site of the former Sunset Bowl is free to get underway after it passed its State Environmental Policy Act review Nov. 23.

The Seattle Department of Planning and Development gave a determination of non-significance, meaning there are no outstanding negative environmental impacts, for the project at 1400 N.W. Market St.

The complete decision can be viewed with the link to the right.

Avalon Ballard, an AvalonBay Communities development, passed a final design review meeting April 27.

Since that meeting, the number of residential units has risen from 233 to 271, and the number of parking spaces in a two-story, underground garage has gone from 277 to 320.

The project now includes 12,200 square feet of ground-level retail space instead of the previous 13,000.

The 51-year-old Sunset Bowl closed in April 2008 and will be demolished to make room for the new apartment building.

The apartments will rent at market rate, AvalonBay representatives have said.

AvalonBay has built across the country, from New York City to southern California.

At approximately 7 p.m. on Nov. 22, the victim was walking in the 9000 block of Holman Road Northwest when she noticed a male who appeared to be following her.

The victim went into a nearby gas station and exited a short time later. She saw the male again, but it appeared as if he was going to enter the store. As she crossed the street, she noticed that the male was behind her again and had not entered the store.

The victim slowed her walk and then stopped to let the male go past. He walked past but then also stopped. As she attempted to walk by him, the male grabbed her around the neck and chest from behind and then stabbed her with an unknown object in the lower back.

The victim struggled to get away, falling out into the street in front of a witness who was driving by on Holman Road. The witness stopped to assist, and the suspect walked off southbound on Holman Road.

A K-9 track for the suspect was attempted but not successful. The victim was transported to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries from the stabbing.

How to contact the Ballard News-Tribune Staff:

Michael Harthorne (reporter/photographer/Web editor) 206.755.8147 michaelh@robinsonnews.com

Amanda Stanek (ad sales) 206.940.0778 amandas@robinsonnews.com

Ken Robinson (editor) 425.238.4616 kenr@robinsonnews.com

Main office (Burien) 206.708.1378

A few weeks ago, I noticed a “rave” for Ballard Market in the “Rants and Raves” section in the Sunday paper.

Ballard Market had made a gift of specially ordered flowers on behalf of an employee celebrating 45 years of service at Ballard Swedish Hospital. That would be Zita.

Zita Niemeyer has worked at Ballard Hospital for 45 years, starting when it was Ballard Community Hospital and now as Swedish Hospital. She is manager of surgical services.

When she found out that Ballard Market insisted on donating the special order of zinnias ordered by her husband Phil, she asked son Joel to help her submit a “rave” to the Seattle Times.

In turn it was Joel, by coincidence one of my favorite readers, who convinced his mother to let me interview her.

Zita didn’t want to talk about herself, but she’s always eager show off surgical services. For several hours last week, I tried to keep pace as we charged through the hospital, lay in wait for the Executive Director and experienced the love fest that exists between her and her surgical staff.

The styles varied among the 18 bands at this year’s Jazz Walk, and each of the 12 venues lent its aura to the Nov. 20 performances.

Many among the Jazz Walk attendees stuck to venues along Ballard Avenue, where Hadley Caliman and Pete Christlieb reunited to play in front of a large and delighted crowd.

Further along down the street, bars and restaurants hardly had enough seats for acts like the McTuff Trio and the Brent Jensen Quartet.

For those not yet 21, the Jazz Walk had plenty of venues to offer. Egan’s Jam House hosted the talented Chad McCullough Group. And, at perhaps the oddest venue of all, visitors could lounge around on couches or recliners and enjoy music from Collier and Dean at Skarbos Furniture.

Click on the image above for a slideshow from the 2009 Jazz Walk.

Kennedy Catholic’s path to the 2009 Class 3A girls soccer state championship hit its final roadblock in the quarterfinal round on Saturday, November 14, at Cottonwood Field in Yakima.           

Rallying back after missing two of its first three kicks in the shootout, West Valley of Yakima topped Kennedy, 2-1, to advance to the state semifinals at Harry Lang Stadium in Lakewood (south Tacoma area). Holding the No. 1 state ranking much of the season, the fighting Lancers closed out at 19-2 after 14 regular season shutouts.

In the shootout, the Rams’ Ashley Richardson and the Lancers’ Alex Diaz had each scored before Rebekah Kurle gave Kennedy Catholic a 2-1 lead, bouncing her shot off the left post in the third round. Lancer goalkeepr Ashley Chard’s block of a shot had given Kurle the chance to send Kennedy ahead. Morgan McDonald got the Rams back even at 2-2, setting up the decisive fifth round. Kennedy’s Maria Diel shot over the crossbar and West Valley’s Jamie Dolquist followed with the decider into the right corner of the net.

Kennedy finally didn’t win the 3A state title in girls swimming after having won it in both 2007 and 2008, but that was just letting someone else get some credit. The Lancers didn’t drop too far off the podium’s top spot, either, finishing third at the WIAA Swimming and Diving Championships at the Weyerhaueser King County Aquatic Center Saturday Nov. 14.

“It’s a talented group,” said Sean Prothero, the Lancers’ first year head coach. Former head coach Marc Stock coached many years in a row in leading the Lancers to near-dynasty status.

Prothero, whose dad, Mark, led the Kent Seattle Summer Swim League program to great finishes for decades in a row, competing against local teams like Normandy Park, Olympic View, Gregory, Seahurst and Arbor Heights. Mark Prothero also coached successfully at Kentwood, getting district and close-to state championships there. So, Sean is a cut out of dad and he also assisted Sean Hutcherson, who coached King’s exclusive club swim team (year-round) before Hutcherson left.

I first met Lee (Ryan) this past weekend in Bellevue. What a delightful lady.

She shared her news of being able to publish this article ("There are many pearls among us" Times/News, Nov. 20) and today, as I read it, it took me back to my own childhood, growing up in Spokane.

I look forward to reading Lee's future articles. Ya know, I agree with Lee. We do have a lot of negativity coming our way each and every day.

Her article is a breath of fresh air and I eagerly look forward to her next writing.

JoLynn Yates
Greenacres, WA

It will be a very sad day for the City of Des Moines if we let the closure (sale) of the Reuben New York Eatery proceed.

Mike and Debbie Rovech have the BEST Reuben sandwiches in the whole state.

They always greet you with a smile, most friendly atmosphere and make you feel WELCOME.

If they have to sell, we will really miss our monthly get together at their establishment.

I hope everyone will stop in and keep this business OPEN.

P.S. We always order a FULL Reuben sandwich.

Joanne Hoelzl
SeaTac