February 2011

Last week, Mayor Mike McGinn announced a $1 million investment in 18 Seattle neighborhood business districts, including Ballard.

The Seattle Jobs Plan specifically targets investment in Seattle’s neighborhood business districts and the small businesses, which employ 72 percent of Seattle’s workforce and contribute 35 percent of the city’s business tax revenues, totaling $55.4 million. Local neighborhood business districts serve as the location and incubators for many of the city’s small businesses.

McGinn announced that "focused investments" of $247,500 will be made in Ballard, Beacon Hill, Columbia City, Rainier Beach, University District and White Center to aid The Office of Economic Development's Only in Seattle campaign.

In addition, $35,000 will be invested to build strong business-focused organizational capacity to sustain the efforts of neighborhood business districts Business Improvement Area (BIA) formation in various neighborhoods including Ballard.

And finally, $20,000 is set aside for farmers market support in neighborhoods across the city.

The Ballard Beavers came closer to be named KingCo 4A champion than they have in years as they faced the Garfield Bulldogs at Juanita High School for the title game on Friday. But cold shooting left them disappointed as the Bulldogs took the lead and the title, beating Ballard 63 to 50.

The Beavers were behind by 12 points at half time and despite decent defensive efforts, they couldn't catch up to the number-one ranked Bulldogs.

Senior Salim Gloyd had 18 points and 11 rebounds. Sophomore Johnny Verduin added 6 points and 8 rebounds.

Ballard moves on to the state tournament as the District 2, number 2 team and will play their first game on Friday evening at Puyallup. Their opponent won't be known until Monday night.

See the attached file (.pdf) for the tournament bracket.

Local artist and muralist Glenn Case has been painting the wall at Easy Street Records for about seven years now and his latest work is a reproduction of the newest album by Columbia Records/XL recording artist Adele called 21 which debuted on January 24.

Columbia pays for the promotional consideration.

Case, who is just back from Australia where he had accompanied his wife, is now back doing what he loves.

The painting of album art usually takes about two days, Case said.

He's an artist who works in many variations and styles who does "signwork or original artwork as well. I paint on any material imaginable," he said.

Matt Vaughn, owner of Easy Street said, "That's one of our biggest records, as far as new artists go. She's going to be an absolute superstar. Once this mural is done, she's on her way."

You can reach Glenn Case via email at Superwetpaint@gmail.com or by phone 206-853-9025

The upcoming Poetrybridge reading, POEMS & TALES, approaches, this Wednesday, Feb. 23, and this time features two poets, Terry Johnson and Mishabae. Fourth Wednesday poetry and storytelling readings take place at C&P Coffee, 5612 California Avenue SW in West Seattle.

Featured readers start at 7:00PM followed by Open Mic. Sign-ups for Open Mic starts at 6:45 PM. Open Mic is generally from 8-9 PM. Open Mic will accommodate the first 10 people that sign up with about 5 minutes each or more time if fewer people sign up.

According to the Poetrybridge website:

Terry Johnson is a Vietnam veteran. He learned early that emotions only caused problems and learned to bury them deep in his mind. He applied this through life, business and marriage only to find late in life that it wasn’t working.

While wandering through his mind on a journey of self, he found an opened door that had been there a very long time. One day he decided to open that door, discovering a whole new world. It allowed creativity and emotions out into the light.

Curt Knox and Edda Mellas, the parents of West Seattle raised Amanda Knox, have been ordered to stand trial for alleging that Italian police abused their daughter. They were indicted Feb. 10 in Perugia for criminal libel. The trial is set for July 4. The charge is based on their June 15, 2008 Sunday Times of London interview where Curt Knox alleged that police had physically and verbally abused Amanda during questioning after Meredith Kercher's 2007 slaying, but before Amanda was arrested.

Curt Knox said this: “Amanda was abused physically and verbally. She told us she was hit in the back of the head by a police officer with an open hand, at least twice. The police told her, ‘If you ask for a lawyer, things will get worse for you’ and ‘If you don’t give us some explanation for what happened, you’re going to go to jail for a very long time.’”

This statement follows: Edda adds tearfully: “She was told she wouldn’t ever see her family again, and her family is everything to her.”

Police have denied harming Knox.

The Knox and Mellas family released this statement Feb. 16:

NEW THIS WEEK:
Arugula
Baby Bok Choy
Cauliflower
Chickweed

DOWNLOAD THIS LIST IN PRINTABLE FORMAT AT THE LINK ABOVE

Alden Farms has been a long time farm vendor at both the West Seattle and U-District Farmers Markets. Their organic potatoes are some of the best grown in Washington State; Yukon Golds, Red Thumb Fingerling, German Butterball, Purple Majesty, Austrian Crescent Fingerling, Bintje, Desiree, Carola, Princess LaRatte Fingerling, Red Norland, Ranger Russet and Yellow Finn. We are sorry to announce that Alden Farms (Peter and Jan Alden) are retiring from farming and will be leaving our markets at the end of this month. Their last weekend at both markets is this Saturday and Sunday. Please come by and wish them well on the next phase of their lives and stock up on their fabulous potatoes. We will miss them very much.

Click on to photo for SLIDESHOW

A community event to push for a coal-free Washington took place today by the Alki Beach House. Musicians entertained, food was supplied, and City Council President Richard Conlin and others spoke. Kids and grown-ups grabbed paint brushes to create a four-panel mural with the coal-free theme that will be presented to 34th District State Senator Sharon Nelson. Because of high gusts, wind energy was on the minds of many.

The event was sponsored by the Sierra Club, CoolMom, and Earth Ministry. Our state has one coal plant, the 40 year-old TransAlta in Centralia. It is scheduled to transition to natural gas by 2025. It supplies about 10-percent of Washington's energy, but is also the state's biggest polluter, releasing 350-400 pounds of mercury pollution into the air. The plant reports that it has spent $300 million in pollution controls. The plant employees 300.

Anti-coal activist Millie Magner sported a "Beyond Coal" t-shirt at the event.

Four photographers, shooting for the West Seattle Herald captured images along Alki as the wind drove the waves into white caps and inspired wind surfers, a real board surfer and others out to the beach and the water.

The seagulls thought better of being on the water and either rode the wind or stood on the beach.

Steve Shay, David Rosen of SlickPix Photography, Kimberly Robinson and Patrick Robinson all contributed to the slideshow.

CLICK ON THE PHOTO ABOVE TO SEE MORE

In the slideshow, you will see Sofia Vega, of Lynnwood whose birthday is Feb. 19 celebrate her quinceañera with her friends. After their brief and cold stop on beach where they were photographed by Corey Holland Photography they were headed to the Knights of Columbus in Bothell.

Vega said, "This was my idea to come down here. The quinceañera is in my culture."

The photos of the birthday celebration itself will be on Holland's site later this week.

On Monday, February 21 from 8:00pm - 11:00pm you have a chance to hear the Jacob Lakatua Quartet in the cozy atmosphere of Locöl Barley and Vine at 7902 35th Avenue s.w.

There's no cover charge but it is open only to those over 21 years of age.

The Quartet is comprised of:

Jacob Lakatua: Saxophone
Greg Belisle-Chi: Guitar
Jake Brady: Drums
Nathan Parker: Bass

In the first move towards a renovated Fauntleroy Triangle, Link Apartments is nearing completion with a targeted opening date of the end of March, according to developer Harbor Properties marketing director Emi McKittrick.

The six story building with a multi-colored façade is going up on s.w. Alaska St between 38th and 37th Ave s.w. and sits on pieces of land once owned by the Huling Brothers auto dealership and Alki Lumber.

To read more on plans to revitalize the Triangle, check out the Herald story, West Seattle learns more about The Triangle’s future.