April 2011

The softball played a non-league game against Bishop Blanchet yesterday afternoon. The Beavers started off well with a one to zero lead up until the third inning when Blanchet put 5 runs on the scoreboard. Ballard came back with two runs in the fourth innings but Blanchet answered them with three more runs in the fifth inning. The last two innings were scoreless and Blachet won eight to three.
Bernie Cardon was 2 our of 4, with two doubles and two RBI.

In other softball news, Sophomore pitcher Andrea Jewett was named WIAA Athlete of the Week for her performance against Roosevelt last week. Jewett hit a two-run double and struck out 11 in a one-hitter to beat rival Roosevelt 4 to 0.

Soccer

Varsity boys soccer lost to Garfield last night. The first Garfield goal hit the back of the net in the 22nd minute and from there, they just kept coming. A second goal was scored in the 24th minute and another in the 30th minute. Garfield closed the game with a final goal in the 60th minute for a 4 to 0 defeat over Ballard.

LAX:

The boys lacrosse team crushed Franklin on Tuesday night, 18 to 1.

People who don’t usually complain about the weather are complaining about the weather this year. Is it the freezing rain, the winds? Personally, I’m not complaining because there was that one really nice day on March 23rd; the day it actually hit 63 degrees.

My daughter helped put the situation in perspective last week. “Isn’t it true that trees start blooming in Seattle in February?” she asked from her dorm room in Massachusetts where it snowed on April 1st. “I’ve been telling people here about spring in Seattle and they don’t believe me.”

It’s no use trying to win a bad weather contest with anyone in New England this year, but it sure helps me appreciate every grape hyacinth. Back east they’ve been shoveling since Christmas and the snow gets ugly in more than one way. Seattle’s snow doesn’t usually last long enough to get dirty, but in New England more than the sky is gray.

At tonight's Ballard District Council meeting, the members will discuss and vote on small scale improvement projects that are considered for funding from the Neighborhood Projects Funds.

Earlier this year, the city put out a call for small scale improvements to parks and transportation proposed by citizens and neighborhood groups to be considered for funding from the Neighborhood Projects Funds.

Approximately $1.25M is available annually from the NPF to fund such proposals from across the city. Since the city attempts to distribute these resources equitably, approximately $90K is available to each neighborhood district.

In 2009, over 40 proposals from the Ballard district were received. Of this number, three were funded and constructed in 2010. Last year, this process was not opened to proposals from the public but this year, the application process was reopened. Proposals were due by March 8th and the city received 14 proposals from citizens and community groups in the Ballard district.

The Ballard District Council appointed a four-member committee to review the new proposals plus two projects which were prioritized but not funded from last year’s process.

Press Release:
Environmental, tribal, community, and government forces will join together at the semi-annual Duwamish Alive! Earth Day river restoration event on Saturday, April 16th. Starting at 10:00am volunteers will roll up their sleeves at multiple sites along Seattle’s industrialized watershed to perform cleanup and restoration work in the ongoing effort to keep Seattle’s only river alive.

TO SEE AN IMAGE OF THE NEW INTERPRETIVE SIGN TO BE INSTALLED AT T-107 CLICK HERE OR ON THE LINK ABOVE.

This sign will be installed at T-107 on Saturday, and at T-105 shortly thereafter. The sign is a project funded by the Rotary Club of West Seattle, with cultural and historic information created and reviewed by People for Puget Sound, the Port of Seattle, Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition/TAG, Suquamish Tribe, Duwamish Tribe, and the Burke Museum. Sign artwork by Noel Design.

Buddy, who lives with Nancy and John Lemmon, is a Havanese mix which Nancy explains as "part of the Bichon family but bigger." Buddy came to them in a somewhat unusual way.

"My friend's neighbor's son had to go back to Iraq and his ex-girlfriend just kind of left him (Buddy) and he was all grown out...up to here," Nancy said extending her hand above Buddy's back. "My friend's neighbor had two black labs but they work 12 hours a day and this little puppy was just too much to keep up with. He's too high energy so they were about to take him to the Tacoma Dog Pound." Her friend called and asked if the couple was interested but Nancy knew she had to check with John. "We had a very temperamental kitty for 18 years so we had to have her put down, so it was like, 'oh...never again,' but then this little guy came."

The Havanese, as a breed Nancy explained are "often found in the circus" because they are smart, agile, energetic and playful dogs.

Buddy has a wonderful trait that is self taught. He can absolutely entertain himself.

I don't know why it is that every time when the GOP is given the opportunity to wear the Golden Helmet in victory all they can is drop it on their foot!

Speaker of the House John Boehner should have a sore foot because of his fiddling while Rome is burning while negotiating with a body so devious as the Democrats. He has a bully pulpit but apparently lacks the leadership and communication skills to describe this national critical financial situation to the voting public.

You have the public's attention and if you were to do an informal "man on the street" interview asking the question how much would we reduce the size of government in terms of regulations and spending; 30 percent, 40 percent 50 percent ... and my bet is that the replies would be in the higher values! And, yet Boehner apparently is stumped for a reply to the Democrats who indicate that a cut of less than 5 percent from a $1.3 TRILLION DOLLAR BUDGET in discretionary spending would somehow be devastating.

The aftershocks of the March 11 Japanese earthquake and tsunami were felt all the way to Washington state. Small tsunami waves crashed against the coast, but the personal impact hit even harder. Some students at the Himawari Japanese Preschool in Des Moines have extended family living in Japan who were directly impacted by the disaster.

"We knew we had to do something to help," says Kazuyo Hall, director of Himawari Preschool. "We decided the best thing was to raise money for those in need." Within a week, a charity bazaar was scheduled for April 16 at the Saltwater Unitarian Universalist Church. Proceeds will benefit the Save the Children: Japan Earthquake Relief organization.

The bazaar will be held 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. at the Des Moines church, 25701 14th Pl. S.

"The school is a tight-knit community and I feel so appreciative," says Yoko Inaba, parent of a Himawari student. Her parents and sister live in Miyako, Japan, which was hit hard by the tsunami. The family home, where Inaba grew up, was completely washed away.

The landmark Linda's Flowers on the corner of California Ave. s.w. and s.w. Admiral Way is under new but still familiar management. Wendy Damoth, an employee for seven years, now owns the store that was run by its namesake Linda Harader for more than 20 years. Harader chose to retire.

Damoth has been interested in flowers since her days in college, and has been in the floral industry ever since (though at times she has worked in other retail businesses).

Born in Reno she moved to West Seattle eleven years ago. She genuinely loves this business.

"I love working with people, and working with my neighbors and the fact that I'm working in my own community," Damoth said.

She's been busy since she officially took over in January but wanted to keep her ownership quiet until she had a chance to make some subtle but she feels important changes. "We've had a lot of giftware in the store and I didn't want to just buy a lot of stuff, so I've been trying to see what my neighbors need. A lot of shops have gone out of business in this recession."

What do her customers say they want?

The Sneakery, Ballard's beloved shoe and sock store on 65th, is opening another location in West Seattle.
The Sneakery has been in Ballard for over four years and business is good, manager Aaron Gill said.

"We've been discussing it for years and then, around Christmas we started looking," he said.

Gill said the Ballard community has been very good to the shop and that they're expanding due to customer interest.

The West Seattle shop will open in the Alaska Junction in early May.

"We like the neighborhood. It's a good area," said Gill.

Customers can expect the same services and selection of "cool, stylish shoes at affordable prices" at the new location, Gill said.

The owners are currently organizing a Grand Opening party with music and food and will announce the opening date when everything is planned.

For more information visit their website at thesneakery.com or find them on facebook.

Ultimate:
 
The boys ultimate team beat a very solid Garfield team 11 - 10 last night.
Captains Kenny Lane and Jake Lemmen dominated the game with 3
goals apiece but most encouraging was the solid play by a pair of
freshman, handler Lorenzo Rossi and cutter Daniel Lorigan, said Coach Ben Goldfarb.

Meanwhile, the girls ultimate team captured their first ever victory over Nathan Hale. The Beavers defeated the defending state champions, 10 to 7.
Hale was ahead by one point at half time, but Ballard came back by playing hard defense and making some big offensive plays. 

Jessi Spaulding scored 6 goals, and Maddie Gilbert lead the team with defensive blocks. Savanna Ryan played strong defense contesting many aerial passes as well as throwing the majority of the scores. 

Jasmine Isaacson jump started the offense by getting open on the first cut of every sequence, and Leeza Olson had a breakout game where she not only played solid defense, but she also threw a break-mark pass for a score.

After Spring Break, the Ballard girls will be back in action on April 25 at 4:30 p.m. at Magnuson Park against Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences.