April 2010

Set to blossom April 17 is the latest addition to West Seattle's core of unique businesses, Fleurt, a florist at the corner of California Ave. S.W. and S.W. Oregon Street. The new owner Sam C. said she waited for the location for some time and really only got going in earnest on getting the shop ready in the last few weeks. But that doesn't take into account her wealth of experience in the floral industry where she has worked on both the wholesale and retail sides of the business.

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The name Fleurt,"Is a little bit of a play on words," Sam said, "It's a little bit of my personality, it's little firty, a little cheeky and it's French (Fleur meaning flower), and having come from Australia and a european background that I have a european, old flower shop kind of a feel here but with a modern twist. I don't do FTD flowers here. I have a very different approach to flower arrangements. It's a little wild."

In an April 16 ruling on the Missing Link of the Burke-Gilman Trail, King County Superior Court Judge Jim Rogers determined that the Seattle Department of Transportation must conduct an environmental analysis on the stretch of Shilshole Avenue between 17th Avenue Northwest and Northwest Vernon Place before the trail can be completed.

That section of Shilshole was not reviewed under the city's original State Environmental Policy Act study because the most recent plans for the completion of the Missing Link, the portion of the trail between the 11th Avenue Northwest and the Ballard Locks, did not include a trail along that part.

Instead, a temporary trail was to be built on Ballard Avenue between 17th Avenue and Vernon Place for the foreseeable future.

David Hiller, advocacy director for the Cascade Bicycle Club, said he believes the judge made an error in including a section of roadway not up for construction in his ruling.

This ruling, as well as future legal battles, will delay the completion of the trail indefinitely, which has been the goal of the plaintiffs all along, Hiller said.

Seattle journalist Candace Dempsey gave the West Seattle Herald her first interview about her book, “Murder in Italy: The Shocking Slaying of a British Student, the Accused American Girl, and an International Scandal.” The 352-page Penguin book, plus photos, is scheduled for release April 27.

The book examines West Seattle UW student Amanda Knox, the British roommate in Italy she was found guilty of murdering, Meredith Kercher, and the real life drama that played out in the courtroom and behind the scenes, as she sees it.

Dempsey writes the blog “Italian Women at the Table” which appears online in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. She has never been an employee of the PI.

How did you become interested in the case of Meredith Kercher’s murder?

“I started a blog on the PI to examine the Italian culture. But very soon into it I started to write about the Knox case and became obsessed with it.

Was writing Murder in Italy stressful?

Yet another controversy between residents and city officials has erupted in SeaTac. This one involves a one-word response from CouncilpersonMia Gregerson to an e-mail from resident Leonard Luna.

Luna said Gregerson’s response was insensitive and hurtful to him as both a Filipino/Chinese and a disabled person. Gregerson is Taiwanese.

Luna is calling for the City Council to publicly reprimand Gregerson or issue an official council apology.
He dismisses Gregerson’s subsequent e-mail and public apologies as insincere.
The city has also received a public disclosure request for all of Gregerson’s e-mails as a public official.

The flap began when Luna e-mailed Lesa Ellis, executive assistant to interim city manager Todd Cutts, about a city coffee chat with residents on April 13. Luna sent carbon copies to council members and others. He complained that issues raised by neighborhood residents had not been addressed by the city even though lawmakers had taken notes at previous coffee chats.
Gregerson’s one-word response to Luna’s e-mail was “Lunatic.”

The Ballard High School girls tennis team lost 7-0 to Woodinville April 15 but put up a good fight.

"Though the scores may not have shown it, there were some very good rallies and points won by the girls," said assistant coach Carmel Easley.

Hannah Murphy and Sarah Gilmore lost their doubles match 6-1 and 6-2, but their ability to understand the doubles game and strategy to win points is improving every match, Easley said.

Easley said she was also impressed with Stephanie Loo's effort and ability to get to the ball anywhere on the court.

The Beavers (0-4) will take a swing at Roosevelt on April 22.

Complete results from the April 15 match:

In # 1 Singles Cora Byers from Woodinville High School beat Anna Brokhaug from Ballard High School 6-1, 6-4.

In #2 Singles Jane Rose from Woodinville High School beat Jimena Diaz from Ballard High School 6-4, 6-2.

In #3 Singles Jenny Foote from Woodinville High School beat Zoe Kasperzyk from Ballard High School 6-0, 6-0.

In #4 Singles Claire Dougherty from Woodinville High School beat Stephanie Loo from Ballard High School 6-0, 6-1.

Six short films by students in the Ballard High School Video Production Program have been named Official Selections of the National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY).

The international festival opens at the Seattle Cinerama Theater on April 29 and continues through May 2 at the Seattle Center. It features 190 films by filmmakers age 22 and younger from 33 states and 16 countries.

The honored Ballard films are:

• "The Crumb" by Emily Deering, Karli Lafferty, Sarah Maloney and Taylor Rubright
• "Girl's Best Friend" by Georgia Peck, Elizabeth O'Laughlin and Madi Fowler
• "Gourmandizing" by Levi Friedman and Matthew Law-Phipps
• "Manimal" by Levi Friedman, Matthew Law-Phipps, Esther Magasis and Ryan Zemke
• "Reflection" by Sheridan Koehler and Blair Scott
• "The Umbrella" by Parker Davis, Kaelan Gilman and Henry Shenk

"The Umbrella" was further honored by being selected for the opening night screening at the Cinerama.

Between them, these shorts have previously been honored by the Young People's Film & Video Festival, the Images of Youth Video Festival and the international Festival do Rio.

Ballard High School senior Kyle Brown-Wollin and freshman Max O’Neal both had podium finishes in the Volunteer Park Criterium cycling race April 10.

Brown-Wollin finished first in the men's 5 category and was racing at the front for most of the race.

Brown-Wollin races for the Recycled Cycles men’s team.

Racing in the men's 4 category, O'Neal was riding near the front when he snapped his chain midway through the race. He had to run with his bike across the course in order to have it repaired by the pit mechanic.

After his restart, O'Neal was in last position and had to make up ground just to get back into the draft of the main field.

He was able to retake the field in the closing laps and finished second in a bunch field sprint.

O'Neal races for the UBC Bikesale.com Devo team.

Full race results and images are posted here.

Every year, Seattle’s district councils seek funding from the Neighborhood Projects Fund to spruce up spots in their communities.

At the April 14 Ballard District Council meeting, Dennis Galvin of the council's Review Committee presented the following projects.

• Sidewalk and walkway improvement on 17th Avenue Northwest from Northwest 85th Street to Northwest 87th Street.
• Traffic circle improvement at the intersection of 18th Avenue Northwest and Northwest 67th Street.
• Traffic circle improvement at the intersection of 26th Avenue Northwest and Northwest 83rd Street.
• Crosswalk improvement at the intersection of 14th Avenue Northwest and Northwest 60th Street.
• Pedestrian crosswalk improvement and traffic adjustment at the intersection of 20th Avenue Northwest and Northwest Leary Way.

Priority is given to locations that are unsafe, would benefit a larger number of people and are shovel-ready.

The five projects were approved by a unanimous vote.

The Ballard District Council will ask the Seattle Department of Transportation to evaluate the projects for cost and feasibility.

The Seattle Department of Transportation presented its recently announced plan to create a turn-only lane at one of Ballard’s most congested intersections to the Ballard District Council April 14.

Right turn lanes on Market Street where it meets 24th Avenue Northwest could be temporarily made turn-only as early as June for a three-month trial period.

“As most vehicles on Market approach 24th—going east or west—most are turning right,” Seattle Department of Transportation spokesperson Bill Bryant said at the meeting.

Buses would be able to turn right or cruise straight through the traffic signal.

If residents decide they like the change after the trial expires, the department would have to uninstall it in order to reinstall and make the change permanent, Bryant said.

“It’s sort of unique in that it would be installed as a temporary project,” Bryant said. “Usually, transportation departments are very conservative with traffic changes.”

Some residents worried the lane change would draw traffic to streets that run parallel to Market.

Seattle Councilmember Tim Burgess was skewered in absentia by fellow Councilmember Nick Licata and three community activists for his proposed Aggressive Solicitation Ordinance on aggressive panhandling at a press conference held Wednesday, April 14 at the Social Services building, Yessler and 14th Avenue. The panelists sited an April 6, 2010 report by the Seattle Human Rights Commission that disagrees with the ordinance because, they say, it would most harshly impact the most vulnerable members of our community.

The Downtown Seattle Association is a highly-visible supporter of the ordinance and shows results of a poll it commissioned, on its website. Its website says it backs the ordinance because of "a deteriorating sense of safety-real or perceived-in our Downtown(...)"