June 2011

The Northwest Paddling Festival, taking place June 25 at Jack Block Park has released the map for the events set to happen at the event.

To see a larger version of the map of events and the route of the Alki Paddling Challenge Race click the link above.

As the West Seattle Herald reported first, the beach in the park, which has been closed to the public since the park was built, will open to the public for the first time for the festival.

A community clean-up of the Recovery Garden in North Delridge on Saturday June 25th from 10 am to noon.

This small park is located within Cottage Grove Park at Brandon Ave and 26th Ave SW and it honors those on the path of healing from substance abuse.

Join a unique partnership with a Seattle treatment center to restore one of Delridge's great corners.

Mothers in recovery will take part in light weeding, planting, and mulching.

For more information or to RSVP, contact Tasha Mosher at t.m.mosher@hotmail.com.

The Women in Black will hold a vigil in honor of Thomas Mumby on Wednesday, June 15. Mumby was a homeless man who was found dead on the corner of NW 56th St and 24th NW Avenue on April 21.

Mumby, 61, was found in a van, slumped over the driver’s seat. It appeared he had been sleeping in that van. The cause of his death was acute ethanol intoxication.

Mumby is the third homeless man who has died out on the streets of Ballard this year. In March, Charles Tompkins, 49, was found dead of hypothermia near the Ballard Locks. And in April, Ken Trygg, 47, was found dead near a dumpster at 2800 NW Market Street; the cause of his death isn’t determined yet.

Every time a homeless person is found dead outside or dies by violence in King County, WHEEL, a homeless women’s organizing effort, and the Church of Mary Magdalene mobilize for our silent witnessing vigil.

WHEEL and the Church of Mary Magdalene Women in Black will stand to honor and remember Mumby from noon to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, June 15, outside the Justice Center on 5th and Cherry St in downtown Seattle.

As it was revealed today that former King County Executive Ron Sims, the number two man at HUD since 2009, will leave his post and retire, some sad economic statistics were just released by King County Housing Authority revealing that they received 25,306 applications for its Section 8 Rental Assistance Program during the recent two-week period in which it reopened the waiting list, May 25-June 7. That is more than double the figure they received four years ago, which was 10,728 during the same two-week period in 2007, the last time they reopened their waiting list.

They will place a cap on a random selection of 2,500 applications from which to choose after they finish processing the mailed-in applications by hand in July. Generally the program pays the difference between the rent charged by a housing owner and the assisted household’s rental contribution, which is set at approximately 30-40 percent of the household’s income adjusted for family size and utility costs.
           

Local attorney Michael Kahrs announced today that he is dropping his appeal of the Olympic Athletic Club's plans for a hotel in downtown Ballard.

Filed in late April, Kahrs' appeal expressed concerns about parking and traffic issues the new development might create.

Kahrs, and Olympic Athletic Club owner Jim Riggle, have agreed to work together to address some of these issues to ensure that local residents' quality of life will not be impacted.

From the press release:

"I'm pro-business and want to see the economy of Ballard grow and prosper," said Kahrs. "At the same time the tremendous growth and development of the area has led to some real quality of life issues for those of us who live and work here."

"Mike and I met and we talked though the issues and his concerns," said Riggle. "We found that we had more in common than we had realized. We both care deeply about the Ballard community and want to ensure a good quality of life for those who live and work here."

Today, concerned citizens represented by the Animal Legal Defense Fund are filing an appeal in the Washington State Court of Appeals in their lawsuit against the City of Seattle and Woodland Park Zoo. The Animal Legal Defense Fund intends to stop the City’s unlawful use of taxpayer dollars to support the Woodland Park Zoo’s treatment of elephants in violation of Washington State and Seattle animal cruelty laws.

On May 27, King County Superior Court Judge Michael Heavey dismissed the Animal Legal Defense Fund's lawsuit against the City of Seattle and Woodland Zoo citing a technicality.

The lawsuit, filed in June 2010, by plaintiffs Mary Sebek and Nancy Farnam, accused the City of Seattle of acting illegally in providing support for the Woodland Park Zoo and its ill treatment of elephants.

The Judge granted the City and Zoo's motion to dismiss the case because Sebek and Farnam, both Seattle taxpayers, had no standing to sue the city.

The summer solstice is just around the corner, which means that Fremont is the place to be this weekend for the annual Fremont Fair and the popular Solstice parade.

The 40th annual Fremont Fair returns to celebrate the arrival of summer with events that showcase all the quirkiness that resides in the self-proclaimed "Center of the Universe".

Held annually in mid-June to coincide with the Summer Solstice, the free event draws more than 100,000 people to celebrate Fremont’s official motto “Delibertus Quirkus” – Freedom to be Peculiar.

Fair highlights includes the free-spirited parade with the body-painted bicyclists, four music stages, craft and art booths, street performers, decorated art cars, and more.

Lacey Lybecker from Bold Hat Productions said they added Dads & Dogs Day events on Sunday. The Fair will celebrate dads and dogs with events such as PCC Natural Markets' Grilling Competition as well as Dog Parade paralleling Saturday's Fremont Solstice Parade

Ever wonder what Ballardites are jamming to on their iPods, in their cars or in their homes?

Here's the Top 25 albums sold at Ballard's Sonic Boom Records last week compiled by owner, Jason Hughes.

op 25 Albums at Sonic Boom Records for June 6 - 12, 2011:

1. Eddie Vedder “Ukulele Songs” (Monkeywrench)
2. My Morning Jacket “Circuital” (ATO)
3. Battles “Gloss Drop” (Warp)
4. Death Cab For Cutie “Codes & Keys” (Atlantic)
5. Fleet Foxes “Helplessness Blues” (Subpop)
6. Head & The Heart “Head & The Heart” (Subpop)
7. Adele “21” (Columbia)
8. Cults “Cults” (Columbia)
9. Black Lips “Arabia Mountain” (Vice)
10. Fucked Up “David Comes To Life” (Matador)
11. Arctic Monkeys “Suck It And See” (Domino)
12. Foster the People “Torches” (Columbia)
13. Lady Gaga “Born This Way” (Interscope)
14. Danger Mouse / Daniele Luppi “Rome” (Capitol)
15. David Bazan “Strange Negotiations” (Barsuk)
16. Thurston Moore “Demolished Thoughts” (Matador)
17. Beastie Boys “Hot Sauce Committee Pt 2” (Capitol)
18. Wilderness of Manitoba “When You Left the Fire” (TinyOgre)
19. Grand Hallway “Winter Creatures” (Porchlight)
20. Depeche Mode “Remixes 2: 81-11” (Reprise)

Several months ago my friend Jill asked me, “When was your last vacation?”
“I came to see you in the summer,” I replied.
“That doesn’t count. All of our recent visits have been about processing our divorce.”
When I mentioned the camping trip I took with the kids she howled with laughter. “Camping or any trip with your kids is not a vacation Corbin. I’m talking about relaxing and remembering how it is to just be. Any trip that involves extended family members or any responsibilities or obligatory commitments to work or people is not a vacation.”
“Oh, well then I’ve probably never had a vacation. Or if I did, it was over ten years ago.”
“That’s horrifying.”
Jill’s horror proved to be contagious, as well as motivational in making a promise to myself to take a real vacation sometime this year. But then money, my tendency to become overwhelmed with options, my fear and loathing of sites such as expedia.com, and the age old question, “Who can I stand to be around for nine days?” prevented me from actually planning any trips.

The Delridge Produce Cooperative is forming a Buyers’ Club to save money by buying food in bulk from local farms.

They are urging people to come to their first meeting to place an order and help create the club.

The meeting is Tuesday, JUNE 21, at 7:00 pm at the Delridge Community Center - 4501 Delridge Way s.w.

For more info: delridgeproducecoop@gmail.com or call 206.660.8958.