May 2010

The Ballard High School girls tennis team wrapped up its 2010 season with a 6-1 loss to Inglemoor May 12.

Hannah Murphy and Susanna Bowers won their doubles match, earning Ballard its point.

Despite going 0-9 as a team this season, the Beavers won seven individual matches compared to only one last season.

"Although the record does not show it, this season has shown a lot of improvement in BHS girls tennis," coach Charles Brenner said. "Progress is slow, but it is happening."

Complete results from Ballard vs. Inglemoor:

In # 1 Singles Katie Coles from Inglemoor High School beat Anna Brokhaug from Ballard High School 6-0, 6-2

In #2 Singles Erin Bankaitis from Inglemoor High School beat Zoe Kasperzyk from Ballard High School 6-0, 6-2

In #3 Singles McKayla Dear from Inglemoor High School beat Stephanie Loo from Ballard High School 6-2, 6-1

In #4 Singles Leanne Thim from Inglemoor High School beat Maya Voelk from Inglemoor High School 6-0, 6-4

In #1 Doubles Meg Lindner and Ellie Tanaka from Inglemoor High School beat Jimena Diaz and Sara Gilmore from Ballard High School 6-2,6-2

Seattle City Light will be converting residential streetlights between the Ship Canal and 65th Street to LED streetlights this summer. Switching the approximately 5,000 sodium streetlights in that area to LED will save the city an estimated $295,000 in the first year.

Sodium streetlights burn out every three to four years, Edward Smalley, manager of streetlight engineering for City Light, told the Ballard District Council May 12. Sodium streetlight manufacturers guarantee only that 50 percent of the lamps will still be working after approximately four years, he said.

Smalley said it costs the city $2.5 million per year just to change light bulbs.

LED streetlights will last for 12 years, at which point they will begin to dim but continue to burn and give light, Smalley said.

He said LED streetlights can save 50 percent to 70 percent of the energy used by sodium streetlights.

LED streetlights will not cycle on and off, a complaint many residents have had about the current streetlights, Smalley said.

Washington State Department of Transportation awarded Skanska USA Civil the construction contract of the SR 99 S. Holgate Street to S. King Street: Stage 2 project. Skanska, based in Riverside, California, submitted the low bid of $114,569,194.25. The bid was 25 percent under WSDOT’s $152,620,104.46 estimate.

“It’s official. This summer we’ll begin work to replace almost half of the aging and seismically vulnerable Alaskan Way Viaduct,” said Paula Hammond, Washington Transportation Secretary. “This work is vital to public safety, and will also ensure that traffic, goods and services continue to move across the region.”

Drivers won’t see any major construction closures or detours until early next year. SR 99 will remain open to traffic during construction.

“We are thrilled to have Skanska on board,” said Ron Paananen, WSDOT’s Alaskan Way Viaduct and Seawall Replacement Program Administrator. “While most of the construction activities this year will not disrupt traffic, the public will notice a lot of work taking place in our construction areas near the sports stadiums.”

The Washington State Department of Transportation awarded Skanska USA Civil the construction contract for the State Route 99 South Holgate Street to South King Street: Stage 2 project.

Skanska, based in Riverside, Calif., submitted the low bid of $114.6 million. The bid was 25 percent under the department's $152.6 million estimate.

“It’s official," Paula Hammond, Washington Transportation secretary, said in a Department of Transportation press release. "This summer, we’ll begin work to replace almost half of the aging and seismically vulnerable Alaskan Way Viaduct. This work is vital to public safety and will also ensure that traffic, goods and services continue to move across the region.”

Drivers won’t see any major construction closures or detours until early next year. State Route 99 will remain open to traffic during construction.

You're a Seattleite. It’s Tuesday. It’s summer. What should you do? The In Ballard Merchants Association is hoping the answer to that question is, "Come to Ballard."

Last night, Ballard merchants met to plan the second annual Tuesdays in Ballard marketing campaign, designed to drive people to the neighborhood to eat, drink, shop and play.

With perks like kitchen tours at Ray’s Boathouse and free popsicles at Re-Soul shoe shop, plus community events like rummage sales and pottery contests, these merchants want to make Ballard the place to be from July 6 to Aug. 31.

Last summer, happy hour Tuesdays saved the Hi-Life, said general manager Dave Kearns. The American grill continued the specials throughout the year, and even last Tuesday, had to usher guests onto a waitlist after 9:30 p.m.

“It doubled our business,” Kearns said. “Tuesday is now our busiest night besides Friday or Saturday.”

There are a few new ventures in store for this year.

“Hopefully, we’ll have more involvement and momentum from last year,” said Inez Gray, In Ballard president and owner of Habitude Salon and Spa.

On the Ballard High School softball team's senior night honoring Sophie Overlock-Pauley and Syrina Bailey, second-place Inglemoor seemed all too eager to play the spoiler as it handed the Beavers their worst loss of the season, a 14-3 defeat in five innings May 12.

Hard Inglemoor hitting and a number of bobbled balls on Ballard's part helped Inglemoor to a six-run third inning and a 7-0 lead.

Inglemoor opened up a 12-0 lead midway through the fourth inning before a pitching change allowed the Beavers to put up three runs.

Two more Inglemoor runs in the fifth ended the game.

Ballard was outhit 17 to seven and finished with five errors. Inglemoor's 14 runs were the most given up by the Beavers all season.

Seniors Overlock-Pauley and Bailey were playing in their final home game as Ballard High School students. Both plan on playing softball for Shoreline Community College next year.

Ballard has a 4-11 KingCo record and an 8-11 overall record with one game remaining at 4:30 p.m. on May 14 at Redmond High School.

Peter Hahn, who was appointed director of the Seattle Department of Transportation in January, met with many Ballard leaders for the first time at the May 12 Ballard District Council meeting to introduce himself and answer their transportation questions.

Hahn said his job encompasses everything from fixing potholes to managing the city's large transportation projects, which are in the news far too often for his taste.

He said the city council, mayor and city, despite some apparent disagreements, share many of the same transportation goals.

Hahn encouraged Ballard residents to contact his department with any questions or concerns. Since taking over for Grace Crunican, he said he has found his staff to be very knowledgeable and responsive to questions and issues.

But, there will be 70 to 80 fewer of those staff members due to looming budget cuts, Hahn said. He said it is hard to make those choices of what and who to cut, and that has occupied much of his time so far.

"We will just have to do less with less," he said. "We don't do more with less."

The South Spokane Street Viaduct Project is scheduled to take its next major step Monday May 17, 2010, when crews will close the westbound 1st Ave S on-ramp and prepare it for demolition. This will precede work to widen the upper roadway 41 feet to the north, and build a new on and off-ramp along 1st Ave S.

In the sixteen months during which there will be no westbound access to the Spokane Street Viaduct from surface streets in SODO, southbound vehicles approaching Spokane on First Ave S will be detoured to the low level swing bridge to get to West Seattle. To reduce the expected congestion on this bridge during construction, the Seattle Department of Transportation is working with the Port of Seattle, U.S. Coast Guard and maritime community to reduce bridge openings during the heavy afternoon commute, and to provide advance notification, when possible, of openings that must occur.

Please note the primary detour route is a heavily used truck route serving industry in the Duwamish and the Port of Seattle’s terminals. Many industrial and maritime businesses - and the thousands of jobs they support - depend on the corridor for the movement of goods.

Get gardening in West Seattle with one of these engaging classes taught by garden educators from Seattle Tilth in conjunction with Community Harvest of SW Seattle.

Vertical Gardening (St. James Annex) May 16, 10-noon. Learn to build cool garden trellises is this fun class.

1-2-3 Grow a Garden (St. James Annex) May 16, 1-2 p.m. Get a one-hour introduction to growing veggies in your garden.

Garden Helpers (St. James Annex) May 20-Jun 13. A dynamic training program for people who want to help others in their community grow gardens.

See the full list of upcoming classes in West Seattle and in other neighborhoods: http://www.seattletilth.org.

The 34th District Democrats endorsed Marcee Stone for 34th District Representative Wednesday night May 12 at their monthly meeting. She got 80 votes, Joe Fitzgibbon got 42 votes. Michael Heavey withdrew from the process because he knew in advance that it was not likely he would get the endorsement. He will, however continue to run for the office.

The meeting became heated when West Seattle resident, Bill Hoffman, running against Jim McDermott U.S. Representative 7th District, was given 2 minutes to speak with the hope he would receive a co-endorsement with Jim McDermott. He asked for more time to speak but due to procedural regulations his request was denied. He complained that McDermott was already nominated in advance, due to a procedural exception made, which the 34th District Democrats have acknowledged is true.