February 2012

UPDATE:

The closure of the northbound lane of the Ballard Bridge will begin tonight at 8 p.m. until 2 p.m. tomorrow, and through the week the same.

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The contractor painting the Ballard Bridge for the Seattle Department of Transportation expects to begin closures of the northbound (eastern) outside lane on Monday, February 27, weather permitting.

The lane will be open only for the afternoon peak commute period, from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. but closed at all other times on weekdays; the lane will normally be open on weekends.

The sidewalk on the northbound (east) side will also be closed during these hours, and will also be open on weekends. The northbound lane closure will last from two to three weeks, at which time a southbound, nighttime lane closure will begin.

Drivers headed northbound when the lane is closed should expect congestion and are advised to seek alternate routes when possible, or allow extra time for their trip.

Periodic painting of the steel parts of the bridge is necessary to reduce corrosion and lengthen the life of the bridge.

Ballardite Eric Nielsen will see a composer's dream come true next month when one of his compositions is performed in Benaroya Hall by a 40-piece orchestral ensemble made up of some of Seattle’s most talented musicians.

"The dream has always been to write for a live audience and to write music people want to hear," Nielsen said. "Writing for a concert is a fabulous way to realize it."

Nielsen, a very active member in the Seattle music community, is a talented musician and artist who composes imaginative works for small chamber ensembles and orchestra.

The invitation to compose a piece for a full orchestra at Benaroya Hall is his biggest opportunity yet.

"Six years ago I wouldn't have had a clue how [writing a composition] like that gets done," Nielsen said.

Nielsen has only been a full-time composer for the last two years after a film scoring course inspired him to follow his talent.

"It's been an evolution," he said.

To go back to when Nielsen first discovered his interest in music is to "go waaayyy back" to when he was just a grade schooler, Nielsen said.

Robin Lindsey, head of marine mammal protection organization Sealsitters.org has posted a story on their companion site Blubberblog.org about the attempted rescue of a seal pup last friday. The rescue, authorized under a standing agreement with NOAA was attempted due to the observers awareness that the pup was apparently suffering with health complications and had gone into "dramatic decline" in the last few days. The matter was complicated by the presence of off leash dogs.

Outside of the agreement, it is illegal for anyone to disturb marine mammals and Lindsey writes, "With limited rehab options and the inherent stress on a captured pup, intervention is always a complicated decision and one which is weighed heavily."

With the pup on the beach Friday morning, the intervention was implemented but unfortunately died overnight at PAWS.

The full story is on the blubberblog.org site here.

The only one of three Highline schools superintendent finalists to attract television coverage at her public forum, Dr. Susan Enfield said she is eager to work in the district.

Enfield, Seattle’s interim superintendent, told forum participants Friday night, Feb. 24 that while she wants to put roots down in the Northwest with her husband, she wants to go to a smaller district than Seattle. She noted that she and her husband have been living in separate cities.

Enfield said Highline is a district that has a strong base so doesn’t need a “turnaround.

“It just needs to go from good to great,” she declared.

The Highline district is “further down the pike” than many districts in preparing students for life beyond high school, she noted.

Enfield said Highline has great people who are eager to build excellent schools.

Asked if she would “stick around” if hired by Highline, Enfield answered she is looking to be a superintendent for at least 5 to 10 years.

“I want to be part of a community,” Enfield declared. “I want to Susan who lives here, not just the superintendent.”

Al and Ray DeGabriele may not be the oldest twins in the world (that distinction belongs to two Scottish sisters who are 102) but at age 96 they are easily the oldest twins in West Seattle. They celebrated their birthday together on Feb. 24 with family and friends. Ray is fifteen minutes older than Al.

They were born in Roslyn, WA in 1916 and lived there for a few years. Their father was, "an important man in the town," they said, and they had a good childhood. Their mother dressed them alike when they were young but after they got a bit older their styles diverged but not by much. Al has a different explanation, "Our mother couldn't afford his lifestyle," he said laughing. In later years Ray explained, "One time each of us went out to buy clothes and darn it if we didn't come home with the same stuff." The two of them got almost identical grades through their school years.

CLICK THE PHOTO ABOVE TO SEE MORE

If you drove around Alki on Saturday Feb. 25 you might have thought you were seeing tryouts for the next edition of the Fast and Furious movies as dozens of customized cars, many of them Japanese came to Don Armeni Park. With hoods raised, wheels turned just so and people crowded around it also could have been a car show, which it sort of was. It was a 'Car Meet' organized by a new West Seattle business called JDM Autos.

The business, owned by Joel and Thuy Straight is pretty new (it started in November) and is located on Alki at 2622 Alki Ave. SW.

"We sell performance auto parts, mainly for Japanese cars but pretty much any car you would ever want, we have performance parts for. We can go all the way back to 1932."

The parts the company can provide are not just for performance since the look of a car is at least as important so you get parts for customization through JDM too.

We have a small showroom, where we keep some of the parts," Straight said, "but most of the parts are order in. They usually take two to three business days to get in. You can pick it up or we can have it go to your house."

When Westwood resident Jeanne Read bought an antique desk from an Arbor Heights garage sale she figured it was treasure enough and a bargain at $20. Once she got it home and started taking a closer look she was surprised to see three small pieces of aged, yellowed paper fall to the ground as she opened a drawer.

Hidden from time inside the desk was a piece of history dating to the late 1930s and early 1940s: a letter from a young soldier in World War II to his grandmother dated Jan. 15, 1942, and a 1937 bill from The Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company for a Magnolia neighborhood address. The cost for a month of “exchange service” at that time? Three dollars.

The letter struck a chord for Read, who was born in 1938 and was just a young girl when the nation went to war. The memories started flooding back.

The Des Moines theater, purchased by investor/developers Tom Lin and Isaiah Dummer is now in the process of formulating their "big picture" elements for the 10,000 square foot building. It means a lot of ideas are being considered and some of them promise to be innovative, unique and to change the space into a genuine community resource.

Lin and his architects Greg Squires and Mark Haizlip of the Alloy Design Group were busy measuring the interior dimensions and talking about what they might keep, create and otherwise make possible.

CLICK THE PHOTO ABOVE TO SEE MORE- INCLUDING HISTORICAL PHOTOS

So far ideas such as a dinner theater, a lounge and dinner area upstairs they might call "The Projection Room", and an outdoor dining area on a deck adjacent to the projection room space with a view of the sound, are being seriously considered. The retail spaces along Marine View Drive are essentially already promised and include a pizza restaurant, frozen yogurt, and a coffee shop.

Movie goers could buy snacks or drinks at these vendors and bring them in.

If you are a vendor and want to take part in one of the longest running community celebrations in the State your chance is coming up in White Center for the 2012 July Jubilee Days Street Fair July 21 and 22.

The organizers are seeking vendors selling art, cuisine, as well as business and community organizations but they stress that early registrants not only get the best booth assignments but they get in on all the early publicity for the event too. Vendors must be registered by June 15 to qualify.

They promise a "bigger and better than ever event in 2012" including a carnival with rides, music stage, various live entertaiment, Car Show-n-Shine, Beer & Wine Garden serving local brews, festive parade, and a Kids Center Street Dance on Saturday.

White Center Jubilee Days booths are now open to Artists, Crafters, Farmers, Restaurants, Mobile Food Establishments, Non-Profits, Community Groups, and almost any other type of Business.

On Friday, February 24, Angie Andreson, owner of The Quilting Loft, welcomed customers to her brand new shop on 2622 NW Market Street.

A small celebration was held for the opening of the new location, just across the street from The Quilting Loft's previous site.

The relocation also coincides with the shop's five year anniversary.

"It's a nicer, bigger space with a larger classroom, and more parking," said Andreson. "I'm hoping it will better serve our customers."

The opening was celebrated with a ribbon cutting, door prizes, and coffee supplied by its neighboring Firehouse Coffee, which recently welcomed Cyrus Yun as its new owner.

Learn more about The Quilting Loft at www.thequiltingloft.com.