January 2010

Crews started work early Jan. 21 to remove the large monkey tree from the property on the southeast corner of Northwest 60th Street and Ninth Avenue Northwest.

East Ballard resident Robert Donat was watching as the tree came down. For some people, the tree was a symbol of the neighborhood, he said.

Roger Smith, another observer, said the tree has been there since before most of the residents – at least since 1947.

Dawn Hemminger, president of the East Ballard Community Association, said she noticed them preparing to take the tree down on her way to work.

The tree removal company tried to convince the new owners of the property to simply prune the tree, as it was still very healthy, but they wanted to tear it out, Hemminger said.

She said she is upset the tree is coming down and thinking about the generations of children who spent their youth climbing it.

The Department of Planning and Development is looking into whether the removal of the tree went against a city ordinance requiring the removal of "rare, uncommon, unique or exceptional" trees on private property to be approved by the department.

Expect congestion and detours around the West Seattle Bridge this weekend as construction crews work to improve the South Spokane Street Viaduct.
If you’re planning to travel around West Seattle and the SODO area this weekend, please plan ahead for a longer trip.  As construction continues to improve the 60 year old South Spokane Street Viaduct, drivers will see added traffic impacts westbound beginning tomorrow night.

Ramps leading to West Seattle Bridge from northbound I-5 and Columbian Way closed this weekend; westbound Fourth Avenue S off-ramp to be permanently closed

Work by the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) to widen the South Spokane Street Viaduct – the 60-year-old elevated roadway that connects I-5 to the West Seattle Bridge – will have additional traffic impacts beginning Friday, January 22. SDOT’s contractor, PCL Construction Services, will begin construction near Fourth Ave S and S Spokane St that will necessitate the following ramp and lane closures (subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances):

· Permanently close the existing westbound Spokane Street Viaduct off-ramp to Fourth Ave S beginning Friday, January 22, at 10:00 p.m.

The Ballard High School girls basketball team committed 20 first-half turnovers leading to 20 Skyline points on the way to a 67-41 defeat, its worst since Dec. 16 against Garfield.

Skyline (4-5 conference) jumped on Ballard early, going ahead 19-6 after the first quarter and 37-12 at the end of the first half.

Skyline's 67 points were the most given up by the Beavers all season.

Juniors Elena DeWeese and Theresa Moriarty led Ballard with 12 points each.

With seven games remaining, Ballard is 1-8 in KingCo and 3-10 overall.

Coach C.J. Sealey said the team needs to play with focus and consistency, which has been a problem this season, in order to finish strong down the stretch.

"It's frustrating to the girls and it's frustrating to me that we can't put a complete game together," Sealey said.

She said Ballard played well against Skyline in the second half when they focused and controlled the ball, and the team has shown throughout the season that it has the ability to play with good teams.

The Beavers' next game is against Inglemoor at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 22 at Ballard High School.

Lafarge North America Inc. which operates a cement and aggregate plant at 5400 West Marginal Way has agreed to enter into a settlement agreement, announced today, with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and 12 states to resolve claims arising under the Clean Air Act for historic emissions of nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxides. The settlement addresses all of Lafarge’s active cement manufacturing plants in the United States.

The settlement is the first of its kind in the cement sector and is consistent with settlements the DOJ and EPA have obtained in other industry sectors, including electric generation and petroleum refining. The settlement represents for Lafarge a complete and expeditious resolution of issues under the Clean Air Act which Lafarge has sought to address in a proactive and cooperative manner with the DOJ and EPA.

Portions of the 1977 Clean Air Act require companies to obtain pre-construction permits if a large facility is upgraded or modified through

As the Seattle Public Library trims branch service hours to help cut $1.7 million from its 2010 budget, the Ballard branch will see its hours of operations increase beginning Feb. 3.

Ballard is one of 11 branches that will gaining an additional five hours per week.

Starting Feb. 3, the Ballard Library will open at 10 a.m. instead of 1 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays. But, it will open at 1 p.m. instead of noon on Sundays.

The change increases Ballard's hours of operation from 55 to 60, while 15 other branches are seeing their hours reduced from 55 to 35.

Jennifer Patterson, assistant director of branches for the Seattle Public Library, said it is unclear if the reduction of surrounding branches' hours will have an impact on traffic to the Ballard Library, already one of the city's busiest.

It is hard to predict how people will react to the hour changes, she said.

Some people will stay loyal to their local branches and adjust to the new hours, while others may find the hour changes at their branches too inconvenient and stop using the library system altogether, she said.

In the face of a large public outcry – a Facebook group called "Save the Woodland Park Nocturnal House boasts 24,595 members – the Woodland Park Zoo will be shutting down the Night Exhibit, formerly known as the Nocturnal House, March 1.

Despite 2009 cost-saving measures, such as a hiring freeze and elimination of programs, the Woodland Park Zoo needed to reduce it annual expenses by $800,000 to $1 million, according to a zoo press release.

"Like everyone else in the region and the nation, the zoo also has been hit by the economy," zoo President and CEO Deborah Jensen said in the press release. "We, too, need to trim expenses to allow us to operate sustainably over the long term."

According to the press release, zoo staff looked at staffing needs, energy use, conservation impact and other factors when deciding which exhibit to cut and the Night Exhibit was the clear choice.

The Nigh Exhibit, which opened in 1975, is expensive with high operating costs and high energy use, Jensen said. Closing it will save about $300,000 annually.

The campaign to renew the Seattle public school levies hosted a campaign phone drive Wednesday evening at the campaign headquarters as King County Elections mailed out just over 360,000 ballots for the February 9th Special Election.

PTA representatives, educators, current and former SPS students, and Schools First supporters made calls to thousands of voters reminding them to check their mailboxes and encouraging them to vote Yes! on Propositions 1 & 2, the Seattle Public Schools Operating and Capital levies.
Update January 21, 2 PM
The campaign to pass the Seattle Public School levies released our Schools First video today to our online community of over 2,000 supporters.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDkJ42rb_gw

Although levy funding is often a dry subject, our hope with this video is to provide voters with the information they need in a fresh and engaging way.
Please check out the video, share with family and friends and post as you see fit.

Our kids are counting on these funds for basic education, health and safety needs at our schools. Renew your commitment t our schools and vote Yes! on Props 1 & 2 by February 9th.

An unusual memorial gathering for a Burien woman that many consider extraordinary will occur Wednesday, Jan. 27 at Mick Kelly's Irish Pub in Burien.
The celebration of life for Cherisse Luxa will begin at 7 p.m. at the bar located at 435 S.W. 152nd Street as part of a regular monthly Burien Drinking Liberally event.

Luxa died Dec. 13, following a battle with stomach cancer.

Anyone with photos or stories to share at the gathering is asked to call Liz Giba at 206-605-3824. Luxa's friends also are trying to find a home for her two four-year-old cats, Howard and Harris. Anyone interested is also asked to contact Giba.

In an e-mail, Giba wrote, "Cherisse was a founder of Burien Drinking Liberally; anyone who ever socialized at Drinking Liberally knows of Cherisse's incredible energy and her unstoppable drive to make our community a better place.
"Through her years as a King County Sheriff's Deputy (among the first female deputies,) member of Evergreen Democratic Club, ardent and vocal supporter of progressive causes, Cherisse made a difference-both for Burien and for the broader community.

CLICK PHOTO FOR SLIDE SHOW

West Seattle filmmaker Jamie Chamberlin and others are organizing Rock4Relief with a line-up of bands, including West Seattle performers like "Bend" and "Gunn and the Damage Done." Ben Jenkins, band member of "Bend" also happens to own Shadowland Restaurant and Bar on Oregon and California just north of the Alaska Junction.

The event to take place at the Sodo Showbox 1700 1st Avenue South Thursday, Jan. 28. Proceeds to go to the American Red Cross.

UPDATE 11:00 AM Jan 28th

Adam Gerhke from channel 13 morning news has come on board to MC tonight's Rock 4 Rock concert and Raffle. As well, performance artist Jimmy Gersen will be in attendance to produce a wall size painting during the course of the evening and donated to the cause.

The Municipal League of King County today announced its support for the Seattle school levy Propositions No. 1 and No. 2 on the Feb. 9th Special Election ballot. A full summary of our report is available online at http://www.munileague.org/issues/ballot-issues.

In recent years, the Seattle School District has demonstrated accountability and a sincere effort to change the way it has managed its finances in response to community needs. The school levies are an integral part of the ongoing operating and capital budgets of the District. Without them, our schools would lose almost a quarter of their general fund along with much of their ability to maintain safe, modern and well-maintained school buildings. The levies replace existing voter-approved levies and do not represent an increase in tax rates. The League has consistently supported school levies over the years as there are major gaps in state funding for education that must be filled to meet the needs of our communities.

Proposition No. 1, Capital Levy -- YES