March 2011

The softball fields at Lower Woodland Park were closed due to rain yesterday afternoon but that didn't keep the Beavers softball program from coming out to hit homers for a cause.

The Ballard High softball teams held a Home Derby for Cancer yesterday to raise money for brain tumor research in support of the Kathi Goertzen Foundation. Kathi Goertzen, long time news anchor, has been battling a brain tumor for over a decade and her daughter, Andrea, pitches for the Ballard team.

The players took pledges for each homerun they hit and each player got ten swings. Coach Kyle Gray said 91 homeruns were hit and the team surpassed their intended goal of $1,500, raising over $5,000 instead.

"I've been doing Free Throws for a Cause at North Seattle Community Colllege where I coach basketball and I've been wanting to start something similar at Ballard to give back to the community," Gray said. "The captains got to decide who it would benefit and obviously this is a personal cause for us. I'm really impressed and proud of these girls for all the work they have done and are continuing to do."

Cheyanne the Corgi was out for a walk with Eddie and Michelle Conway in the West Seattle Junction on Saturday even though she's officially Stephanie Jones dog. Cheyanne is 2 1/2 years old and is a Pembroke Welsh Corgi. "She is from a friend of my sister's," said Michelle," down in Springfield, Oregon and she was the last in the litter that did not have a home yet and my sister always wanted a Corgi so the owner gave her to her."

Lamb food is almost her entire diet. "Only lamb treats, only lamb and rice food," said Michelle. "If she gets anything more than that she get's a really upset tummy," said Eddie.

Corgis are small dogs to begin with and Cheyanne is on the small side for the breed. Slender but not too skinny. And she loves to jump up and be held. Up high. "She thinks she's a shoulder dog," said Michelle.

So while she can't have rawhide toys she does have her fun. "She is a rope lovin fool," Michelle explained. "She'll chase balls but she won't bring them back," said Eddie, " but if you have a rope she's all over you."

As we just reported here, City Attorney Pete Holmes is suing the Protect Seattle Now Coalition for collecting what he believes is enough signatures to put the deep bore tunnel project to a vote:

http://www.westseattleherald.com/2011/03/29/news/pete-holmes-law-suit-a…

Named first in the suit was Drew Paxton, a Coalition Chair and a "Principal Signature Gatherer" according to the suit. The suit was filed just one hour after the Coalition handed the City Clerk's office the nearly 29,000 signatures gathered.

Paxton spoke to the West Seattle Herald to give his reaction, "It's a very new development," he said. "I'm a little shocked by it. I've never been sued before, and never been sued by the City.

"I'm not in any position of power," he added. "I don't even have a job for Christ's sake. They're not taking anybody down by suing me.

"Regardless of which position they take (on the tunnel) I think it's a perilous for any elected official to argue a position that denies the public a right to vote. The timing is ominous. Here's a guy who campaigned on being the 'people's' city's attorney, and now he's suing the people for wanting the right to vote."

In the 1960’s a California boy begged his father to help him build an electric motor bike. The boy grew up and became known in certain circles as the man who brought coffee to Seattle (his name is not Howard), but he remained fascinated by electric vehicles, no matter how many wheels. In 1978 Kent Bakke began working in the coffee industry. In 1994 he was a business partner in Espresso Specialists when they purchased ownership in the La Marzocco espresso machine factory in Florence, Italy. That same year his company bought a converted electric Volkswagen.

X-Ray Auto owner Matt Pollitz grew up in the Boston area and went to college in Maine. His first car was a Volvo. He soon realized that to keep it running he would need to learn how to fix it himself. He graduated with a degree in Fine Arts and an aptitude for Volvos with an engine type manufactured only through 1974. Fast forward to 2011, Matt’s X-Ray Auto business is on Market Street, at the future site of the Nordic Heritage Museum, and it already functions as a veritable museum for those uniquely Swedish automobiles, the first imported Volvos.

After months of living with a banner above the door for a visual identity, Westside School got their new sign in the ground and on display Tuesday, Mar. 29. The school is located at 7740 34th Ave. s.w.

Designed by Darren Medina (who is also a Westside parent) the sign is all steel, powder coated for durability and incorporates the schools "three tree" logo.

Head of the school Jo Ann Yockey said, "We didn't want to remove the E.C. Hughes (the building that Westside occupies) since it is a historical building. But a sign was very important. One of our fifth grade parents thought it would good to have the current fifth graders make a donation toward the sign."

Director of Admissions, David Bergler wanted to mention that while they now have a sizable student body, "Westside School is still accepting applications for 4th 5th, and 6th grades."

The school is in the process of expanding the grades they instruct as they grow into a K-8 school.

Press Release:
The West Seattle/downtown Seattle water taxi operated by the King County Ferry District will again offer an enhanced spring/summer schedule beginning April 8 that will include daily service across Elliott Bay.

DOWNLOAD THE SCHEDULE FROM THE LINK AT RIGHT

In addition to offering 15-minute weekday service during morning and afternoon commutes, the new schedule includes extended Friday night service between Seacrest Dock and Pier 50 and daily weekend sailings to give residents and visitors more opportunity to avoid congestion and construction activity when traveling between West Seattle and downtown.

The West Seattle Water Taxi will once again make attending evening Mariners and Sounders games a breeze for sports fans by offering expanded evening service. Special service will be offered for home games scheduled between April 8 and October 30. Eight additional departures will sail every 30-minutes with the last departure of the evening from West Seattle at 11:00 p.m.

As we reported here:

http://www.westseattleherald.com/2011/03/29/news/update-protect-seattle…-

City Attorney Pete Holmes filed a lawsuit against the Protect Seattle Now Coalition. That group this morning turned in almost 29,000 signatures to the City Clerk to put the deep bore tunnel project to a vote. The Clerk's office then hands the signatures off to the King County election board to validate each vote.

Seattle Citizens Against the Tunnel, or SCAT spokesperson/organizer Elizabeth Campbell is also a Coalition member who was present at City Hall this morning with the signatures.

She just told the West Seattle Herald, "Within an hour after we submitted the signatures Pete Holmes ran off into court to file the lawsuit. Why did he file it so soon? King County elections does not have the petitions yet, The City Clerk sends the petitions to them. So how can he file against a referendum that hasn't qualified yet? I think he is being overzealous."

Campbell also questions why Holmes placed certain names and not others on the lawsuit.

Pastor Rich Lang announced this past weekend that after eleven years with Ballard's Trinity United Methodist Church, he will leave Ballard to become the pastor of University Temple United Methodist Church.

Lang said his sermon on Sunday was a "blubbery event filled with deep emotions" as he leaves the people he greatly loves and respects. 

"When I came to Trinity 11 years ago, Trinity was a church in decline. It was down to 30 or 40 in attendance," Lang said. "Now, it's a church with 110 - 120 people on Sunday mornings with a real impact on the community."

Lang said his specialty is in church redevelopment.

"My specialty is in helping churches that have lost their ways," he said. "In the years I have been here, Trinity has become a healthy, vibrant part of Ballard and the city. It is a political and moral voice for the homeless and against the war. So it's time to say goodbye."

The goodbye is bitter sweet for Pastor Lang. While his job to redevelop the church has been completed, he is saddened to leave his congregation.

On Monday, March 28th, the Army Corps of Engineers applied herbicide to a number of planting beds in the Carl S. English Jr. Botanical Gardens at Chittenden Locks.

Three applications lasting one hour each at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., and noon were
made and signs were placed at the entrance to the Locks indicating "several plant beds" were sprayed. As an extra precaution small yellow herbicide
application warning signs were placed on the edges of the planting beds where herbicide was applied.

A few residents had expressed concern regarding the use of herbicide in such a well-visited area and its proximity to water but the U.S. Corps of Engineers assures that "the application fully conformed with the Washington State
Department of Agriculture guidelines and the legal binding label on the
herbicide," according to Andrea Takash, Public Affairs Specialist.

The herbicide used was Trailblazer MAXX which contains Glyphosate. According Takash, "Trailblazer MAXX is not dangerous to humans or animals, unless freshly sprayed weeds are ingested or skin comes into contact with the spray solution or wet solution on foliage. People and pets and not allowed in planting beds."

Photographer Kurt Howard captured these images of the 3A vs. 4A All-Star girls' basketball matchup at Seattle Christian on March 26.

SLIDESHOW: CLICK ON THE PHOTO TO PLAY SLIDESHOW.