October 2011

Who works in an overstuffed room on the second floor of the NW Senior Center five days a week? Who spends her Saturdays washing and ironing donated linens? Who decides the price on thousands of items per event with the aid of one loyal assistant? That would be Beatrice Castona, the 91 year-old Queen Bea of the Ballard center’s rummage sale.

“I wouldn’t do what she does,” is the phrase I heard over and over as I picked my way through a hallway filled with last minute donations to find Bea Castona. The boxes lining the hallway appeared in the one day off that Bea took to join the NW Senior Center’s casino trip.

“I blew my top when I saw them,” Bea said. With just days to go before the start of the NW Senior Center’s October 14-15 rummage sale the latest donations were yet more items to sort, clean, price and stack. Already there are so many items that some will have to wait for the February sale.

“I don’t know what they’ll do when I quit,” she said. “No one else is willing to take it on. I’d like to train someone but there are no takers.” Even her most steadfast assistant Pat Fleury tells her, ‘When you go, I’m going.’

The Ballard District Council is convening for its monthly meeting tonight and topics on the agenda for the evening include Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan, the future of Metro transit service in N.W. Seattle, water quality in Salmon Bay, upcoming elections, and more.

AGENDA:

7 p.m: Introductions & Short Announcements

7:15 Updating Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan by Kristian Kofoed, City Dept of Planning & Development.

Get involved, and be part of planning for the future of our community. Check out information about this process and take the online survey at http://www.seattle.gov/DPD/Planning/Seattle_s_Comprehensive_Plan/Overvi…

7:30 The Future of Metro Transit Service in NW Seattle by Ashley DeForest, Community Relations Planner, King County DOT.

In early 2013, King County will initiate service on the “D Line” (Rapid Ride service to Ballard on the 15th Avenue corridor). As a result, Metro Transit expects a number of modifications to existing transit service in the Ballard area. We can also expect to see changes in our Metro Transit services resulting from the County’s “Congestion Reduction” initiative.

Taeya Lauer and her children acquired their dog Sadie Ann Lauer is a Labrador Retriever. She is a very white version of breed and as Lauer explained, "Her dad is a Golden Labrador and her mother is an English Labrador and they are both hunting dogs. She is awfully white, actually a yellow lab but very light white."

Sadie is 1 1/2 years old and she is from a breeder in Oregon call Duckflat Retrievers and "Her mom is Duckflat Maddie," said Lauer.

Sadie eats a normal two scoops of dry food twice daily but she does have an obsession, bread.

"If there's bread on the counter, cinnamon rolls or scones, anything (...) she will steal it and eat it. You have to have your bread under lock and key," Lauer said chuckling.

Maybe Sadie is just carbo loading because, "She trains with me," explained Lauer. "I run half marathons so she's pretty incredible. She ran 14 miles with me just about three months ago." Sadie goes hiking with Lauer as well.

press release:
Star chef and author Greg Atkinson is the featured speaker at the 8th Annual Eat Local Now! dinner, a fundraiser for groups working to encourage our local food systems: Seattle Good Business Network, CoolMom and Sustainable West Seattle. Themed “Eat Good Food,” the dinner will be held at Herban Feast’s Sodo Park historic location on October 24th.

Greg Atkinson served as executive chef at Canlis Restaurant and earned national acclaim that placed it among the "Fifty Best Restaurants" in Gourmet magazine. As chef at IslandWood, an environmental learning center on Bainbridge Island, Atkinson was instrumental in establishing the sustainable cuisine program that helps school age children understand the impact of their food choices on the natural world. Author of many books on Northwest cuisine, Atkinson won the James Beard Foundation's M.F.K. Fisher Distinguished Writing Award. He will be signing his new book “At the Kitchen Table: The Craft of Cooking at Home” at the event.

A City Council-led walking tour and discussion about the proposed West Seattle Triangle rezone began at 4:30 p.m. today in the rain. But a rainbow appeared as many involved seemed optimistic about future plans.

The walk began at the corner of 36th Ave SW and SW Snoqualmie St. just south of the YMCA at 4:30pm, and migrated west to the Link Apartments, 4550 38th Ave SW, then up to the conference room reserved for a discussion about the neighborhood and the proposed rezone.

Some then proceeded to the Senior Center for a public hearing pertaining to the Triangle.

Susan McLain, Director of Planning and Development for DPD told the West Settle Herald prior to the walk, "This is a tour for the Seattle City Council Committee on the Built Environment."

Council members Sally Bagshaw and Sally Clark participated, as did a representative for Tom Rasmussen.

The 14th annual fall fundraiser dinner event for West Seattle Helpline is set for Nov. 3. The organizations exists to come to the aid of West Seattle families that are facing a one-time emergency.

Proceeds from the dinner will be used to help families that have faced emergency situations with rent and utilities so that they may remain in their homes with heat and water.

This mission becomes even more vital as the weather turns colder and the need is especially great this year.

With high unemployment and rising costs the need is greater than ever. The fall fundraiser dinner will be held at the Duwamish Longhouse on Thursday, November 3 from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

Tickets are $100 and may be purchased by calling 206-932-2746.

Update for Oct. 20
29-year-old Jesse K Drugger has been charged with one count of second degree child molestation and five counts of indecent exposure for an alleged string of flashing incidents late last month and into October, including one incident in West Seattle, according to the King County Prosecutor's Office.

His bail was also raised from $100,000 to $250,000 and Drugger remains in jail.

He will be arraigned on charges on Nov. 3 at the King County Courthouse.

Update for Oct. 19
The man arrested for an alleged string of flashing incidents involving children was in court today and had his bail set at $100,000. King County Prosecutors have until Oct. 20 to file charges against him.

Update for Oct. 18
The Seattle Police Department reports they have a suspect in custody believed responsible for five flashing incidents starting late last month, including one incident on S.W. Lander St. in West Seattle.

The man was arrested at 1 a.m. on Oct 18 in Kenmore.

An open house was held last week for SeaTac's South 200th light-rail station set to open along 28th Avenue S. in Sept. 2016, four years earlier than originally planned.

Officials said the station would also have a parking garage with 700 parking spaces plus room for another 300 cars in nearby surface parking lots. The station will open at the same time as the University of Washington light-rail station, allowing riders to go between SeaTac and the UW in 49 minutes.

A semi tractor-trailer delivered food to the Des Moines Marina last week as part of Feed The Children's Feeding Americans Caravan, which has helped more than 280,00 families since 2009.

Please click the photo above for more.

The Des Moines Food Bank preselected 400 needy families to receive the food and personal care products. Barb Shimizu, executive director of the South King County Food Coalition said local food banks have seen a 35-50 percent increase in clients since 2008.

By Julie Polwarth

They gather on Monday nights, sometimes as many as 12 or as few as three.

They jockey for places around the large dinning room table. All are welcome. There is only one rule-- the newcomer gets to sit next to Sharon.

They laugh and talk, sometimes they pray, oh yes, and they knit. Sharon Larson started this group several years ago in her dining room.

It started as a craft group, one of several fellowship groups at Lake Burien Presbyterian Church in Burien. But when the others saw all the beautiful gifts Sharon was turning out with her knitting needles they all asked her to teach them how.

Always there is the ritual of admiring each other's projects. They pass around new yarn and patterns. If anyone has a question they trade places to sit by Sharon.

Tonight, Sharon shows off her latest project-- a pair of soft pink fingerless gloves. She says she will sell this pair for $25 and has orders for nine more. What will she do with the money?

"I'm knitting a spring," Sharon proudly announces.