March 2010

Auditions

Breeders Theater - General audition for summer show, "Withering Heights," 7 p.m., April 19 at E.B. Foote Winery, 127B SW 153rd, Burien. Looking for three men and three women, ages 20-30. Bring resume, head shot, short comic monologue. Questions: tmsell@aol.com.

Music

Bull Pen Pub - April Fools Shipwreck Dance. April 3. 9 p.m. No Cover. Come dressed as sailor, commodore, pirate, wrench. Prize for one who most looks like they've been in a shipwreck. Capt. Kenny, the Pirate DJ & Rev., plays classic rock and soca from the Caribbean. 20011 International Blvd.

Crumac - Seattle-based traditional Irish music band. April 20. 7 p.m. Highline College Artist-Lecture Center, 2400 S. 240th St., Des Moines. Tickets $15 adult, $5 student or $30 for three tickets. Available at Des Moines Parks and Recreation Department, 1000 S. 220th St.; Des Moines Florist, 721 S. 219th St. and at the door. Part of Waterland Music Series. 206-870-6527.

After six years of serving the city of Des Moines as its head of police, Police Chief Roger Baker will be retiring on June 15.

Baker announced his plans to retire on March 15. Des Moines City Manager Tony Piasecki said Baker still plans to work as a consultant and interim chief.

Before coming to Des Moines, Baker spent 29 years working for the Anaheim Police Department, serving as its Chief of Police from 1999 to 2003.

Piasecki said there were so many things that stood out about Baker, when he was being interviewed to become the Police Chief of Des Moines, but what impressed him the most was his professionalism and his positive attitude.

Des Moines Mayor Bob Sheckler said the impact Baker has had on the city is nothing short of huge.

"Things began to change for the better the moment he donned that uniform," Sheckler said.

There is usually a learning curve when you go into a new city, Sheckler said, but Baker bypassed that learning curve and came in running.

Sheckler cited the double-digit reduction in crime as Baker's biggest legacy.

The Burien Planning Commission made some dramatic changes to the proposed Shoreline Master Program at the March 23 meeting. They raised the trigger requiring a destroyed non-conforming structure to meet new vegetation buffer standards from 50 percent to 75 percent.

The 50 percent threshold has been a contentious number for shoreline homeowners, many of who will see their houses become non-conforming if new setbacks are passed.

Planning Commission Chair Joe Fitzgibbon proposed the percentage increase, saying he wanted to give flexibility to homeowners.

If 75 percent is used in the SMP passed by the city council, it will leave a disparity between the SMP and the zoning code. 50 percent is the number used in the zoning code for non-conforming structures, and was originally used in the SMP for consistency.

Planning Commissioner Rebecca McInteer was the only commissioner opposed to the change. She said there was value in consistency.

In the proposed SMP new building setbacks along the shoreline of the Puget Sound would become 65 feet, increased from the 20-foot setback in place now.

The Loyal Heights Community Center is looking for teenage bands from any genre and any area of Seattle to participate in its annual Rock the Gardens event at Golden Gardens.

The event is a series of summer concerts that take place at the Golden Gardens Bathhouse on the beach.

The shows, which take place on July 9, July 23 and August 20, run from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and are free and open to all ages.

Each night will focus on a different musical theme and include genres from rock to metal to acoustic to punk to hip hop.

This year, Rock the Gardens is being offered in partnership with the Vera Project, Seattle’s all-ages arts and music center.

Rock the Gardens is currently in the process of recruiting bands.

Any teenage bands looking to play to a crowd in one of the city’s most scenic locales should contact Alexis Govan at alexis.govan@seattle.gov or 206.684.4052.

The bands being featured in Rock the Gardens 2010 will be announced in June.

The signs for an estate sale beckoned, so I followed. It was an error in judgment.

Estate sales seem synonymous with great bargains and possible treasures. But unless it’s an attempt to falsely elevate a garage sale hosted by the living, a true estate sale is about disposing of property because of a death.

Although “estate” suggests a house with grounds and a sweeping drive, the sale last Saturday was in a single-family residence on a typical east-west Ballard street.

On any given weekend, particularly in good weather, there’s a frenzy associated with garage and yard sales, but none greater than that generated by the prospect of an estate sale.

I happened upon last week’s estate sale at a critical juncture: the exact hour at which the entire contents of the home dropped 50 percent off the marked price.

Along the block, neighbors were mowing and weeding except at the house where a line was snaking from the front door like strangers waiting for a Port-A-Potty at the Fremont Fair.

Whenever a few shoppers finally exited a man at the door would open the screen door to announce, “Two more.”

Egan's Ballard Jam House
1707 N.W. Market St.
206.789.1621
Sunday, Monday: closed
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: 6 p.m.-11 p.m.
Friday, Saturday: 6 p.m.-1 a.m.

Market Street's Egan's Ballard Jam House (can we simply call it Egan's?) must be one of the best places to see jazz in the country.

The small theatre-type room is almost half stage with the other half filled with tables seating about 40, Vegas-style.

Beautifully lit and acoustically stunning, the intimacy of the space is moving, no matter who's on the stage.

Nice staff and an occasionally spotty menu make it possible to eat, drink and listen to jazz at the same time.

Of course eating is not required, so just having a drink and watching the band is fine too. But, our visits there have included far too many "I'll have tap water" patrons, and it's nice to help support this marvelous place by consuming something that costs money.

There are only two parks in Seattle’s Greenwood neighborhood.

Although resident Leah Rivers lives a block from Sandel Park on First Avenue Northwest and Northwest 90th Street, she usually totes her two kids five blocks to Greenwood Park, with its quirky silver climbing structures and spinning merry-go-round.

That’s going to change when Sandel Park gets a facelift later this year.

At the March 27 open house, curious park-goers peeked at design templates drawn up by Karen Keist Landscape Architects, tweaked over the past few months as residents proposed suggestions.

“I’m really excited to have a place where our kids can spread out and play,” Rivers said. “It’ll be great to have it basically in our backyard.”

Most were pleased with the plans for the renovation, which will modify the playgrounds with new equipment, primarily geared toward younger children, improve visibility and enhance safety.

There’s just not much to do at the park in its current state, said Friends of Sandel Park chair Julie Gwinn.

“It doesn’t have much play value,” Gwinn said. “Kids can just walk up a ramp and jump off.”

Perhaps we should start with the differentiation that my high school Physics teacher always discussed. In his mind there was a difference between “Students” and “Pupils.”

“Student” has a root of “Study” in it. “Pupils” doesn’t and “Pupils” in his mind was the same as “Attendees.”

He used to point out that in Pennsylvania all are allowed to set foot on the campus of Pennsylvania State University but only “Students” can enroll.

Looking at the local paper, in State College, it would appear that things have changed since I graduated.

According to the writings of a former City Council member about 4 years ago the President of the University decided that the University had to be more “Student Friendly.”

The University doesn’t have any shortage of qualified applicants according to “Barron’s” (39,551 applied for 6500 seats) but this seemed like the “Nice” thing to do.

Normally we wait until July for fireworks and since the Fourth of Jul-Ivars show is now history it is rare to see fireworks over Elliott Bay but General Construction chose Saturday night, Mar. 27 to sponsor an approximately 15 minute display.

Photographer Kim Robinson chose a spot just off Harbor Avenue to catch these beautiful images.

The sixth annual Strike Out Hunger was held this Saturday at West Seattle Bowl. 100 percent of the proceeds go to the Seattle organization Solid Ground’s Food Security for Children program, which helps to feed children and toddlers.

Over 150 people signed up to bowl for Strike Out Hunger. Organizer Anna Ramos said the even raised over $20,000 last year and she expects to raise even more this year.

Teams took the event very seriously, some dressing up in costumes, such as a cow and Brian Collins- who dressed up in a purple leopard print suit straight from the 1970’s. Another team wore black t-shirts with florescent green Xs on the back.

Solid Ground is a local anti-poverty organization, working toward a community that is free from poverty, prejudice and neglect.