October 2011

Gas line work continuing on s.w. Holly Street

If you've driven down California Avenue and noticed that s.w. Holly Street is closed to traffic, it's due to crews from Puget Sound Energy (PSE) doing some gas line upgrades.

According to the project foreman the original line, which runs from Californian Ave. and Graham Street and goes down Fauntleroy Way to Frontenac Street s.w. was laid in 1929."It's served its purpose," he said.

He explained that PSE constantly monitors the system and that this one was due for an upgrade. To complete the work crews must break up cement alley entrances and then lay the new piping in trenches dug for the purpose.

The work is expected to take until the end of 2011.

Category

Ballard-made cycling apparel pays tribute to a pre-spandex cycling era while addressing the functional and aesthetic needs of the modern bicyclist

Clothing won't protect bicyclists from the La Nina weather expected for this winter but the right clothing can help you be more comfortable and looking fashionable.

Handbuilt in Ballard and sold at Hub and Bespoke in Fremont, Telaio Wool Bicycle Clothing is a small cottage industry that was started out of one woman's need for better, practical everyday cycling apparel.

Telaio founder and designer Katharine Andrews started the company while working on her final project for the Apparel Design Program at Seattle Central Community College.

"I was bicycling five hilly miles to school everyday in jeans and cotton t-shirts--I've never been inclined towards spandex or sports gear or carrying around a change of clothes--and, though I'd be warm when I arrived, I'd soon get chilled in my slightly damp t-shirt, etc. and spend the rest of the day trying not to shiver," Andrews recalled. "Basically, my clothes weren't working for my life style and so I put my efforts towards designing, and making, some that did."

Neighborhood
Category

Bank robbers arrested

Police report that the two men believed to be responsible for five violent armed takeover style bank robberies in the Seattle area since July 5th have been arrested.

Three banks were robbed in the Shoreline area north of Seattle and two were in Seattle, in Ballard and West Seattle on October 20th.

The suspects were armed with a shotgun and handgun and wore “presidents” Halloween masks to disguise themselves. They terrorized bank employees and customers, placing them on the ground and threatening to shoot them.

Detectives had developed information on the possible suspects. On October 25th, at approximately 5:15 pm, the suspects were arrested by members of the Safe Streets Task Force in Lynnwood. The suspects were transported to the Seattle Police Robbery Office where they were interviewed by detectives. The two suspects, ages 64 and 65, were later booked into the King County Jail for Investigation of Robbery. The Task Force detectives will continue to follow up on this investigation.

Neighborhood

New sign and more changes coming for the White Center DQ

The former restaurant in White Center that has been the Dairy Queen for decades has just been updated with a new sign making it the DQ Grill & Chill and more changes are coming. It's located at 10256 16th Avenue Southwest.

New owner since July Mark Shaughnessy said, "The first thing in purchasing this Dairy Queen was modernization which means new signage, new tables, new chairs, new paint but it's been a two month process to get to this point so far."

The company has been slowly updating franchises with the new identity and Shaughnessy is promising other changes such as table side service, a change in the counter and internal layout, upgraded bathroom facilities, and even menu changes that "reflect the White Center community a little more," he said, referring to a grilled quesadilla and asian influenced burgers that are coming to the menu.

His background is in hotel and restaurant service and he served as a sous chef at the former Qwest Field for six years. The restaurant was owned by Tom Jo, who is Shaughnessy's father-in-law.

Category

Ballard Sports Round Up: October 25

In their last game of the season, the Ballard soccer team defeated Bothell 1-0 on Tuesday night at Bothell.

The win was just the second for the Beavers in conference play, as they finished with a record of 3-8-2 overall.

The match was scoreless going into the second half, when Isabelle Marquez scored the go-ahead goal in the 73 minute off an assist from Kat Anesini. The win provided some hope for next year after a tough season.

Volleyball

The Ballard volleyball team, which was also playing its last match of the season, lost to the 10th ranked Roosevelt Roughriders Tuesday in four sets.

Roosevelt got out to a hot start winning the first two sets, but the Beavers made it a match by winning the third set 25-20.

Liza Berg had 6 kills and Grace Taylor had 5, while Monique Marquez totaled 13 assists on the night. The Beavers will finish at 3-7 in conference play for the year, and 6-8 overall.

Neighborhood
Category

Jim McDermott to host 'Coffee with Your Congressman' event in Ballard

Congressman Jim McDermott is hosting a "Coffee with your Congressman" event in the Ballard this weekend.

Taking place at Cupcake Royale/Verite Coffee, McDermott invites Ballardites to join him for a cup of coffee and to exchange thoughts on current issues in Congress.

This is a great opportunity to hear firsthand what is happening in the U.S. Congress and to share your thoughts and concerns with your congressman.

This is the sixth in a series of monthly neighborhood coffee events McDermott is hosting throughout Seattle.

The coffee chats will take place on Saturday, Oct 29, from 11 a.m. till noon at Cupcake Royale, 2052 NW Market St.

To RSVP, call (206) 553-7170 or visit his Facebook event page.

Neighborhood
Category

Newly opened Highliner Pub & Grill to serve the freshest catch of fish in town

The Highliner Pub & Grill opened its doors last Friday and has been seeing a steady stream of customers since.

Previously known as the Highliner Tavern, the business acquired new ownership over the summer with a new coat of paint, significant interior and kitchen upgrades, and a new menu.

"We're really excited about this opportunity," said Paula Cassidy the new co-owner of the Highliner Pub & Grill in a statement. "We'll be cooking the freshest catch of fish in town, along with burgers, fries, and other pub food." Cassidy will be using fresh fish from Wild Salmon Seafood Market, her other business with partner Jon Speltz, located around the corner at Fishermen's Terminal.

The menu, featuring standard pub fare along with fresh fish specialties, was put together with the supervision of Jason McClure, executive chef of Sazerac restaurant. It also features six flat screen TVs and 15 beers on tap.

The Highliner Pub & Gril is located at 3909 18th Avenue West.

For more information, visit http://www.highlinerpub.net

Neighborhood
Category

Ballard's Tom Nissley to compete for a quarter of a million dollars in Jeopardy's Tournament of Champions

Jeopardy! is reuniting 15 of its recent champions for a head-to-head competition for a chance to win a quarter million dollars. One of these champions is Ballard's Tom Nissley, who became the third-highest winning Jeopardy player ever last December, winning $250,000.

The 2011 Tournament of Champions will begin November 2, and will feature the show’s recent highest money earners.

Since 1985, more than 300 contestants have competed in the tournament, with nearly $5.4 million in cash prizes awarded to the participating players. The featured champs for the upcoming 2011 Tournament of Champions have accumulated more than $1.9 million in cash prizes in their initial appearances on the show.

The Tournament of Champions will air November 2 through 15 on CBS. The winner will take home a quarter of a million dollars while the second place winner will earn a minimum of $100,000 and third place $50,000. Semifinalists receive $10,000, and contestants eliminated in the first round receive $5,000.

Visit http://www.cbstvd.com/shows.aspx?showID=6 for more information.

Neighborhood
Category

Commuters continue to face gridlock during Alaskan Way Viaduct demolition

Top deck of viaduct completely removed, demolition on lower deck continues

Only a handful of days of demolition are left on the southern mile of the State Route 99 Alaskan Way Viaduct before the road reopens, and traffic continues to be heavy for morning and afternoon commuters as they seek alternate routes around the closure.

“We understand drivers can only make adjustments for so long before going back to their normal routines,” said Matt Preedy, WSDOT Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement program deputy administrator. “If this trend continues during the next couple days, we could see regionwide gridlock on the highways and local city streets. Every driver can make a difference by shifting when and where they travel.”

Demolition progress

On Tuesday night, crews finished demolishing the entire top deck of the southern mile of the viaduct. Overnight, they hauled away a 100-foot-long mound of rebar and concrete. The concrete will be recycled and used to build temporary roads and the excavation pit for the bored tunneling machine for the SR 99 Tunnel Project. The rebar will be sent to two different recycling plants.

Neighborhood
Category