March 2011

Update 5 for Aug. 23
On Aug. 12 King County Superior Court Judge Susan Craighead made it official that West Seattle’s Hole at the corner of Fauntleroy and Alaska is going up for sale, coordinated by the King County Sheriff.

The sale will occur on Oct. 7 at 10 a.m. at the King County Courthouse and will likely mark the first clear step in The Hole’s transition into something ... other than a hole.

The Hole was original slated to become a mixed-use combination of Whole Foods Market, Hancock Fabrics and 185 apartments with underground parking, but in 2008 construction stopped.

Update 4 June 22
Word came down June 3 that a settlement had been reached in the several-year litigation process over “The Hole” at 3922 S.W. Alaska St. It was originally stated that details of the settlement were confidential, but new court documents released on June 22 provide new details.

Firstly, Aero Construction Company, Inc (a plaintiff in the case attempting to recover money sunk into The Hole from Fauntleroy Place, LLC) “acknowledges the receipt of payment in full” for their judgment, however that actual number was not revealed.

Normandy Park Mayor George Hadley Mayor announced his resignation from the council on Monday, March 8 as he undergoes treatment for cancer.
Hadley was diagnosed in January with Glioblastoma Multiforme, the most common and aggressive form of brain cancer.
Normandy Park is taking applications until April 5 to fill the empty council position. The new council member will serve out the term, which goes until December.
Normandy Park Mayor Pro-Tem Clarke Bryant is the acting mayor until a new council member is selected and the council votes on a new mayor.
Shulze said he anticipates the council will appoint a new member to the council at the May 10 council meeting. At that meeting, they will decide on an appointment to the mayor position, Shulze said.
He said the council will be looking for some of the same strengths Hadley brought to the council.
“We refer to him as 'Green George,'” Shulze said. He said the nickname came from a council retreat they had in 2007 where each member took a personality trait test. Personality traits were assigned different colors.

Robinson Communications and The Ballard News-Tribune announce a new iPad app that brings local news to this new publishing platform.

Developed by Sachmanya LLC in Santa Clara, California, the new app aligns the articles in titles allowing the reader to quickly glance at the most recent local news as posted on BallardNewsTribune.com and also provides direct access to the BNT's Flickr Photo Gallery and YouTube videos.

This app joins the existing iPhone and Android apps for the BNT as well as a new iPad app for one of Robinson Communications sister publications, the West Seattle Herald. Both papers' iPhone apps have also been updated with new graphic structures.

What makes the apps truly unique is the ability to capture news events with your mobile device to submit for publication through the app itself. Utilizing a service called 360 News registered users can submit photos, videos, and local stories to the BNT for publication. Submissions are reviewed and then posted on the site but may also appear on CNN iReport, YouTube, Flickr Twitter and 360 News. Users can see where 360News posts come from on a map and engage with other community members.

The Ballard District Council will meet tonight at 7 p.m. at the Ballard Library.

Chairperson Catherine Weatbrook will lead the meeting and the following items are on the agenda:

At 7:15: Update to Seattle’s Shoreline Master Program, Maggie Glowacki, Project Manager – Department of Planning and Development. DPD has released its recommendations to update the plan which was revised last in 1984. The SMP establishes regulations and incentives to protect water quality, marine life, maritime businesses and public access to the water. Whether you live on or near the water, operate a business or own property on our shoreline, or simply enjoy this most valued asset here in Ballard, you will want to know more and have a say about this public policy.

7:45: City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw. Sally was elected to the Seattle City Council in November, 2009. She chairs the City Council’s Committee on Parks and Seattle Center. She chairs the Council’s Special Committee on Viaduct, Seawall, and Waterfront. Sally also serves on the Public Safety/Education Committee and the Committee on the Built Environment.

8:10: Staff Report by Rob Mattson

Robinson Communications and The West Seattle Herald announce a new iPad app that brings local news to this new publishing platform.

Developed by Sachmanya LLC in Santa Clara, California, the new app utilizes a tiled structure that allows the reader to instantly scan for the most recent local news as posted on WestSeattleHerald.com but also provides direct access to the Herald's Flickr Photo Gallery and the Herald's YouTube videos.

This app joins the existing iPhone app for the Herald as well as a new iPad app for one of Robinson Communications sister publications, the Ballard News-Tribune. Both the iPhone apps have also been updated with new graphic structures.

What makes both apps truly unique however is the ability to capture news events with your mobile device to submit for publication through the app itself. Utilizing a service called 360 News registered users can submit photos, videos, and local stories to the Herald for publication. Submissions are reviewed and then posted on the site but may also appear on CNN iReport, YouTube, Flickr Twitter and 360 News. Users can see where 360News posts come from on a map and engage with other community members.

Press Release:

Seattle Parks and Recreation is hosting two public meetings to gather input on the future of Seattle Parks and Recreation outdoor facilities.

Both meetings will take place from 7 – 8 p.m.
· Wednesday, March 16, 2011 at the Jefferson Community Center, 3801 Beacon Ave. s
· Wednesday March 23, 2011 at Bitter Lake Community Center, 13035 Linden Ave. N.

These meetings are an opportunity for the community to provide Seattle Parks and Recreation input on preserving and developing public outdoor recreation facilities, including parks, trails, and boating facilities. Parks encourages the public to attend and also to answer a quick nine question survey located at the plan update site: http://seattle.gov/parks/Publications/DevelopmentPlan.htm

With community input, Parks will update the 2006 Development Plan by the end of the year; it establishes eligibility for State grants through the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office.

Parks staff will brief the Board of Park Commissioners on the draft 2011 Development Plan on May 26, 2011, and the Board will hold a public hearing on June 9, 2011.

Ballard High School will be performing the musical Cabaret at the end of the month in a production intended to make a spash.

"It's different from what Ballard High has done in the past. I wanted to make a splash," said Shawn Riley, the new BHS Theatre director.

Riley came to Ballard a mere two weeks before the start of the school year after teaching at Olympia High School for 13 years.

"Cabaret is a real American classic and yet it's relevant to what's going on the world today," he said.

The musical takes place in a night club in Berlin at the end of the 1920s. It's a tumultuous and heartbreaking era leading up to World War II. But whatever their troubles, people can forget them at the Cabaret. The story follows a british singer who ran away from the UK to be free in Berlin. When she's fired from the Cabaret she get slapped in the face with reality.

"It's a classic. Everyone knows it, or the music at least," said Courtney Rowley, director of vocal music, "People love the music."

The production is based on the original musical rather than the popular movie.

Seattle Pride AAU Basketball is a local West Seattle AAU basketball program that practices out of Seattle Lutheran High School. They are looking for kids in ages 10-17 years old for traveling AAU teams.

Visit them on the web at www.westseattleyouthathletics.com
or Facebook here.

2011 Seattle Pride AAU High School Tryouts

Date: Friday, March 11th
Place: Seattle Lutheran (off California Ave in West Seattle)
Time: 7:30pm - 10:00pm
Date: Saturday, March 12th
Place: Seattle Lutheran
Time: 7:45pm - 10:00pm
Date: Sunday, March 13th
Place: Seattle Lutheran
Time: 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Date: Tuesday, March 15th / Last Chance HS Tryouts
Place: Seattle Lutheran
Time: 7:00pm - 9:00pm

2011 Seattle Pride AAU 7th & 8th Grade Tryouts
Date: Friday, March 11th
Place: Seattle Lutheran (off California Ave in West Seattle)
Time: 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Date: Saturday, March 12th
Place: Seattle Lutheran
Time: 5:30pm - 7:30pm

2011 Seattle Pride AAU 5th & 6th Grade Tryouts

Date: Saturday, March 12th

Harrison Ford’s character in “Raiders of the Lost Ark” wonders aloud, “Why did it have to be snakes?” For me it’s usually wind. On Wednesday, March 2nd there was so much wind whipping through Ballard I was afraid we were going to land in Kansas.

I’ve lived through quite a few wind storms in Ballard, not as far back as the famous Thanksgiving Day storm of 1983, but the Inauguration Day storm of 2003 and the nasty one on December 16, 2006, with one in between that involved music piped from the Christmas Ships at the Ballard Locks being pushed through every crack of my south facing windows.

When wind is seemingly trying to break the window over my shoulder and start a shingle-trading party along the street I don’t like to be home alone. Give me hail or pounding rain, but there’s nothing creepier to me than high gusts of wind while the sun shines. It reminds me of the creepy smile of a child I used to babysit, right before she bit.

Joe Crevling and Vanessa Foster found their puppy Manny online through WashingtonBreeders.com which is a pure bred breeding website, based in Seattle. He's actually a rescue dog from Houston but for all parties involved, everything is new. Manny is only 10 weeks old and they have only had him for one week.

He is named after the famous boxer Manny Pacquiao, former WBC lightweight world boxing champion.

It's true what they say about puppies, that you fall in love with them instantly and Manny is no exception. "We love him to death," said Crevling.

Even though their relationship with Manny is just getting started there are already things about him worth talking about. "Most dogs, will bark at the vacuum cleaner, but not Manny," said Crevling," he barks at the broom."