July 2011

By Chris Foster, Intern

Officer Scott McGlashan of the Seattle Police Department has been noticing some new faces around the streets of Ballard, and he’s not the only one. According to McGlashan, the SPD has been receiving a higher amount of disturbance calls in the last two months regarding the homeless.

“I get them about everyday,” McGlashan said of the complaints, which usually dea with loitering and drinking. “I’ll get a call, and I’ll move them on, at the request of the business owners or property owners … It gets a lot busier in the summer.”

It’s also getting busier at the Ballard Food Bank. Since Nancy McKinney, executive director of the Ballard Food Bank, arrived in 2007, there has been an increase from 700 visitors a week to around 1100.

“We have new faces at the food bank every week. It could be 30, it could be 200,” McKinney said. “But there’s a lot of reasons for new faces.”

McKinney cited the bad economy as a reason for the increase, but also stated that the majority of people who visit the food bank aren’t necessarily homeless.

My daughter Emily dropped me off at the entrance of Ballard Swedish at 7 a.m. “See you on the other side,” she said. Then I was ushered into day surgery by a nurse who already looked like an old friend as she announced. “We’re sort of in party mode here today.”

Not everyone schedules the procedure that will not be named here (but is associated with turning fifty) with a doctor one day short of retirement. After thirty-seven years in Ballard Gastroenterologist Peter Torelli was closing his practice. I’d heard good things about the doctor but it was his wife and office manager Karen Torelli that I’d follow anywhere. Even talking to her on the phone was like having a new best friend.

The day surgery nurse told me she had started Ballard just one month earlier than Dr. Torelli, back in 1975. I knew I would be in good hands even though discussion around me was centered on a Mariner’s theme for the party at noon, to include hot dogs prepared in a rice cooker.

Trespass complaints, transit, Dept of Neighborhoods, and Mercer West are all on the docket for this month's Ballard District Council meeting.

Opening the evening is community officer Scott McGlashan, who will give a briefing on SPD protocol regarding trespass complaints and Eric O'Brien will follow with an update on the Merecr West project.

Bernie Matsuno, Director of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods will present at 7:35 p.m. Matsuno was appointed to her post by Mayor Mike McGinn earlier this year. She has worked for the Department of Neighborhoods since 1989, previously serving as a project manager for Seattle’s well-known Neighborhood Matching Fund program.

She will talk about the diminishing city resources and how it could result in dramatic changes to how DON continues to provide services to and interacts with Seattle neighborhoods.

Joe Wert will present the Neighborhood Projects Fund's recommended priority projects and Kirk Robbins will talk about the possible changes coming to Ballard’s public transit system, Kirk Robbins.

The meeting will end at 8:30 p.m. with the annual Ballard District Council Ice Cream Social.

Update for 7:18 p.m.

One man was injured in single vehicle accident involving a black BMW.

The accident occurred in front of Ferguson Bath and Kitchen at 4100 W. Marginal Way.

The road was closed.

Original post
There is an overturned vehicle at the corner of W Marginal Way S.W. / S.W. Dakota St.

Police and fire response was at 6:10 p.m. and scanner traffic indicates the emergency response is still active as of 6:44 p.m.

Scanner traffic indicates the road is closed and this story will be updated as more information comes in.

Police mentioned over the scanner that a tan male German Shepherd dog is running loose. The dog was in the overturned vehicle but police mentioned he was "freaked out" but not hurt to their knowledge.

On July 13 at 9:30 a.m. the USA women's soccer team is taking on France in the semi-finals.

The quarter-final against Brazil was a thriller filled with unjust calls, a red card, a last minute goal, and penalty kicks.

The semi-final against France should be equally exciting. If USA wins, they're on to the final in Frankfurt on July 17th against the winner of the Sweden-Japan match.

Join USA fans at the Phinney Neighborhood Center where all the games are shown live on a big movie screen. Door open at 8:30. Admission is a $3 suggested donation.

Just down the street, Greenwood's Pig 'n Whistle Bar & Grill (8412 Greenwood Ave) is airing the match as well.

George and Dragon will be airing the game live in Fremont and Market Arms in Ballard will replay the semi-final at noon for those who missed it.

For more information on the Fifa Women's World Cup, visit fifa.com.

Update 2 (additional details from the search warrant):
According to court documents, Jeremy Peck was last seen by friends at the Admiral Pub in West Seattle after closing time, between 2 and 3 a.m. on Christmas Eve, December 24 2010. He was seen getting into a white vehicle with two men described as “Hispanic looking” by a witness.

Those two men are now persons of interest in Peck’s disappearance and the search warrant was issued for one of their homes (they will not be named unless charges are filed).

Jeremy’s uncle, John Peck, whom he had been living with most of his life in West Seattle, called police on Jan. 1 of this year to report Jeremy was missing and it was highly unusual not to hear from him for such a long period of time.

Eighteen days later, on Jan. 19, Jeremy’s body was discovered along the Manitou Beach shore on Bainbridge Island. Medical examiners were able to identify Jeremy by tattoos and clothing, but were unable to determine a cause of death due to state of his body.

Starting July 11, a low-flying helicopter will measure background readiation levels around Puget Sound, making daily flights between through July 28.

Lessons from the nuclear incidents in Fukushima, Japan show the value of a project to measure background radiation levels in several parts of the state. A low-flying helicopter will gather radiological readings this summer, starting next week around Puget Sound. Information about the project is available on the agency Aerial Radiological Survey website (www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/rp/rep/aerial.htm).

Radiation detection equipment mounted in a helicopter will measure "gamma emitters" like cesium and radioactive iodine — materials that would likely increase in a radiation emergency. This kind of material releases X-rays, or gamma radiation, a type that can be easily measured from the helicopter. State radiation experts expect to find natural radioactivity and material produced by licensed radioactive material users such as hospitals.

Close to 30 North Delridge residents packed into the Delridge Branch library community room on July 11 to discuss neighborhood concerns, hopes, upcoming events and an opportunity for graphic artists with a flair for pro-bono work to develop a logo for the council.

The issue of DESC’s (Downtown Emergency Service Center) plans to build a homeless housing project across the street from the library was the focus of the evening.

Delridge area residents first got word of DESC’s plan to build a 75-unit Delridge Supportive Housing Project for homeless high-risk individuals with severe addiction and/or mental health issues at a meeting on June 27. EDIT: Per a comment from a North Delridge resident, they first heard about the project "at the North Delridge Neighborhood Council meeting on June 13, and from there the word went out about the meeting which was hosted 2 weeks later on June 27 by DESC at Delridge Library."

The plan, presented by DESC’s Executive Director Bill Hobson, was met with community trepidation and NDNC Chair Karrie Kohlhaas devoted a portion of their July 11 meeting to generate a list of facts known about, and concerns over the project.

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

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

Top 25 Albums at Sonic Boom Records for July 4 - 10, 2011

Ballard

1. Gillian Welch “Harrow & the Harvest” (Acony)
2. Shabazz Palaces “Black Up” (Subpop)
3. Bon Iver “Bon Iver” (Jagjaguwar)
4. Head & The Heart “Head & The Heart” (Subpop)
5. My Morning Jacket “Circuital” (ATO)
6. Adele “21” (Columbia)
7. Blue Scholars “Cinemetropolis” (self released)
8. Thievery Corporation “Culture of Fear” (ESL)
9. Handsome Furs “Sound Kapital” (Subpop)
10. Various Artists “Rave On Buddy Holly” (Hear Music)
11. Grand Hallway “Winter Creatures” (Porchlight)
12. Battles “Gloss Drop” (Warp)
13. Eddie Vedder “Ukulele Songs” (Monkeywrench)
14. Radiohead “King of Limbs” (TBD)
15. Jolie Holland “Pint of Blood” (Anti)
16. Fucked Up “David Comes To Life” (Matador)
17. Brian Eno “Drums Between the Bells” (Warp)
18. Fleet Foxes “Helplessness Blues” (Subpop)
19. Moondoggies “Tidelands” (Hardly Art)
20. Memory Tapes “Player Piano” (Carpark)
21. Beyonce “4” (Columbia)

Sheriff's deputy shoots pit bull

According to police, a woman walking in the 15600 block of Maplewild S.W. with her baby in a stroller from a bed and breakfast was attacked by two pit bulls on July 7. Shortly thereafter, former Burien Mayor Sally Nelson arrived home and was reportedly also bitten. Both women received minor injuries; one pit bull was shot and killed by deputies. The other pit bull has been found.

Drunk driver falls asleep at the wheel