March 2010

Seattle City Council member Tom Rasmussen, chair of the council's Transportation Committee, stopped by the March 10 Ballard District Council meeting for a brief question and answer session.

Ballard resident Stephen Lundgren told Rasmussen that Ballard was promised access to Sound Transit and has paid into the system but has received very little actual service.

One of the biggest challenges for the city is providing good transit service to the west side of the city, including Ballard, Rasmussen said.

He said Mayor Mike McGinn wants to propose light rail service to northwest Seattle. During his campaign, McGinn talked about putting light rail service to Ballard to a vote within two years.

Rasmussen said he is interested to see how McGinn proposes paying for such a line, which could be wildly expensive.

Typically, light rail has been funded regionally because it serves regional areas, such as service to Sea-Tac or future service to Bellevue, he said. He said a line to Ballard would be the city's responsibility.

Another Ballard resident complimented Rasmussen on the 15th Avenue West bus-only lanes, saying they have sped up service and increased ridership.

The Ballard District Council, with the help of Mayor Mike McGinn, honored six individuals from the neighborhood with the council's annual Community Service Awards at the March 10 council meeting.

Steve Cohn, a past president of the Ballard District Council, was given the award for his strategic advice and hands-on work with a variety of civic improvement projects in Ballard.

Fred Maxie, owner of Ballard Auto Licensing and the evening's presenter, said Ballard has been very fortunate to have the expertise of Cohn, who has been a city planner for more than three decades.

"He has always been a valuable asset to our neighborhood planning efforts," Maxie said.

George and Jane Hancock, owners of Maritime Pacific Brewery and the Jolly Roger Taproom, were awarded for turning their business into a unique icon for the Ballard community.

Seattle City Council member Tom Rasmussen held a question and answer session earlier in the meeting. He started that off by saying he always enjoyed coming to meetings in Ballard because it meant he could stop off at Maritime Pacific Brewery for a six-pack on his way back to West Seattle.

Every year, I look forward to April. It’s a very special month.

First of all, the last frost date is in April, whereupon it’s time to rock and roll in the garden.

Much lusted-after seeds, purchased months before, can go into the ground and begin the journey that will hopefully end with a tasty treat for Jim and myself.

Secondly, April is the month that the old cherry trees on 33rd Avenue Northwest and Northwest 77th Street bloom, the entire block of them, and they are beautiful.

Folks line up on the sidewalk with very fancy cameras to capture their pink ballet-slipper flowers.

But this spring is different. This year, and this year only in anyone’s memory, the cherry trees have bloomed, bloomed in March, and early March at that.

Everything seems to be blooming, sprouting or emerging. Will they regret it with a blast of cold weather? It’s anybody’s guess.

So let’s just say that it’s an anomalous year and not go into possible reasons.

Shhhhhhh…It’s the library.

Shhhhhhh…The King Conservation District Board election is this Tuesday but…shhhhhhh…It’s at the library. Shhhhhhh…you are not mailed a ballot…shhhhhhh…you have to go in person to the downtown Seattle or Des Moines public library…shhhhhhh.

I love our libraries, but what kind of message does this send? What kind of message does it send when the only public election that deals directly with the conservation of King County’s important natural resources is the only public election not publicly administered by the King County Department of Elections? There is no such thing as hushed democracy.

Secret elections may work for the Skull and Crossbones society. Secret elections may work to ably disenfranchise the vast majority of voters. And, secret elections may work to marginalize positions or issues. But, secret elections do NOT work for the King Conservation District and they certainly do not work for West Seattle – not when so many KCD programs, funds and opportunities could improve the lives of West Seattleites in our great neighborhoods.

As he fought to land his plane loaded with 155 passengers and crew safely on the Hudson River on that remarkable day in January 2009, Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger never once thought he was about to die.

His first thought was disbelief-"this doesn't happen to me."

"In four decades (of flying,) I had solved every problem; I had never been challenged to my limit," Sullenberger told an audience at Tukwila's Museum of Flight on March 8.

Disbelief was quickly followed by a realization that this would be his challenge of a lifetime and he would have no time to do everything he should do,

He took three steps that he credits with helping him successfully land the plane on the water.

"I forced myself to be calm, I imposed order on the situation, and I focused on the highest priorities," Sullenberger reported.

Sullenberger presented a highly inspirational talk to the sold-out crowd packed into two auditoriums at the Tukwila museum.

He emphasized preparation, integrity, realistic optimism, teamwork and high professional standards.

Each year one in three people in the U.S. visit an emergency room - 40 percent as a result of injury related accidents and a third under the age of 21.

Highline Medical Center in Burien, which serves nearly 50,000 ER patients annually and is opening a new and expanded state-of-the-art ER in April, wants to change those statistics for its community. It has joined with Highline Public Schools to launch Kidz Tipz for Safety, an innovative program to engage children in childhood safety.

Elementary school students in the Highline School District have been invited to design their own safety billboard featuring an up-to- eight-word safety tip, with three winning entries to be featured on billboards in the surrounding community. Finalists' artwork will be also featured at the Grand Opening Celebration of Highline Medical Center's new Emergency Room on April 10. And every child who enters will be eligible to win a party at Family Fun Center in Tukwila.

Nervous Nellie’s, the Ballard coffeehouse at 17th Avenue Northwest and Northwest 56th Street that is known for its toast as well as its coffee, is relocating after the end of the March.

The news is being met with mixed emotions by the regulars, but partners Jeannette Meade and Todd McAllister are excited about the change – certain that, as in the story of Goldilocks, their third location in Ballard will prove to be “just right.”

First and most important, they will still serve toast in their new location adjacent to the Lockspot Café.

Although their present landlord hoped to keep them in their current space, at nearly 2,000 square feet, it is just too big.

Their last day in the current location will be March 31. They will reopen near the entrance to the Ballard Locks, at 3005 N.W. 54th St., in mid-April and will be renovating the former espresso stand space.

The history of Nervous Nellie’s in Ballard started with a La Marzocco GS espresso machine that Todd and Jeanette found in a closet after Grape Wine Bar on Ballard Avenue closed.

They opened in the small space off the alley near the Azteca on Market Street and quickly outgrew it.

Freddie Ljungberg, the Seattle Sounders' star midfielder, may have been the only person ever fooled by the one-time Wendy's slogan "It's not fast food."

That's according to his Sounders teammate Taylor Graham, who stopped by Ballard High School March 10 to answer questions and give advice to a group of student soccer players.

Graham told the students that Ljungberg, who had previously played soccer in Europe, suffered his worst American eating experience at the hands of the fast food provider, claiming he ate there only because it expressly stated it wasn't fast food.

Ballard soccer players took the opportunity to ask Graham for tips on the game.

He said the best players are the ones who are technically clean, not necessarily flashy. Those are the players who get the ball and the game slows down, he said.

To get to that point, players should spend time juggling the ball – using their feet, thighs, head and chest to keep the ball off the ground – to get more comfortable handling the ball.

He said his teammate's record for juggling is 12,345.

"That's ridiculous," Graham said. "But, he's calm on the ball, and he's got great touch."

The effective date for North Highline residents to become City of Burien residents is April 1. Residents of the southern section of North Highline voted on Aug. 18, 2009, to annex to the city.

As part of the annexation process, the city is required to conduct a special census of all housing units. A census worker wearing a fluorescent vest and a City of Burien identification badge between March 12 and April 25 will visit households in the annexation area. The only information required in this census is the names of all individuals residing in a household. Annexation residents may also provide this census information directly, at any time after March 12th, by calling the Burien Census Hotline at 1-800-635-6594. The Census Hotline is available 24 hours a day. Any information provided will be held confidential. Cooperating with this special annexation census ensures that Burien receives a full share of state funds allotted for essential public services.

On March 9th, at approximately 9:30 PM, police responded to a call of a single vehicle collision into a tree in the 7200 Block of 16th Avenue Southwest. Witnesses stated that a Saturn SL2 was travelling northbound on 16th Avenue SW approaching the 7200 Block. The Saturn left the roadway onto the planting strip and first struck a metal light pole, before turning sideways and striking a tree.

Police and Fire arrived at the scene and Medics attempted First Aid to the driver. The male driver was declared deceased and later transported to Harborview Medical Center. The Traffic Collision Investigation Squad (TCIS) responded to the scene to begin their investigation and collect evidence. Investigators were at the scene for several hours last night and will continue their investigation.