July 2012

For crying out loud this column has been appearing in this corner for more than 60 years. It has attempted to inform and amuse our readers over the long haul.                                                    
      
Our beloved readers have tolerated my meandering mind, unabated longer, as far as I know, than any other newspaper in the state; weekly or daily.

Lee, my high school heartbeat, who I later married, not only fed and changed diapers of five sons but often contributed erudite words and great humor by sometimes writing this column. 
                                                        
       The sons are men now and provide bread and butter to their own table but also see to the function of the family newspaper.

Every scribe runs scared he may be boring so I welcomed a lot of help on this space over the years and tears. 

Lee is no longer with us. I lost her many years ago. 

by Georgie Bright Kunkel

In my women’s movement days I never gave up on equality for females even though we women still are not considered equal citizens under the US Constitution. You cannot believe the emotional tirade against passing the federal Equal Rights Amendment. As a result, feminism got a bad name. That is why I sometimes wear my summer T shirt which announces, “Feminism is the radical notion that women are people.” Who could argue with that? But there are still people who do.

Even in today’s world where women have more choices there are nude women with breast implants who pose with fully dressed Hugh Heffner for their brief period of fame at the Playboy Mansion. Even their own mothers are invited there for visits to lend credibility to the pimping of youthful female sexuality for the pleasure of this old man on Viagra. He has admitted that his favorites are now limited to only three “girls” these days.

Yard sale gone awry

Discovery Shop
4535 California Ave. S.W.
206-937-7169
Join us for our Summer Spectacular Sale July 19-22. Enjoy 30% off on all clothing, shoes and accessories.  Blue tag items are priced at $1.00, August 22 through the end of the month and all men's wear is 50% off every Sunday.  Check our store often to take advantage of surprise Manager's Specials during the rest of this month and don't forget to bring your own bags when you shop.  Double stamps on customer cards Monday mornings, seniors get 20% off all day Tuesdays and high schoolers with student I.D. get 20% offf on Saturdays.  If you want to make a difference, we're looking for volunteers for 4 hours on Sundays.  The all-volunteer run, non-profit American Cancer Society shop is open Sundays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and all other days from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m

Free Pancakes & Flea Market
The White Center Eagles
10452 15th Ave S.W.

Development could be threatening the future of two established, long-time businesses in Ballard: 2 and 1/2 Happy Barbers and the Viking Tavern.

2 and 1/2 Happy Barbers has been at its current location for 14 years and The Viking has been serving people since 1950. Both places receive consistently high ratings on the popular review website Yelp.com.

The proposal is for a 6-story structure with 60 residential units with 5,000 square feet of ground level retail and below-grade parking for 60 vehicles, according to the Land Use Information Bulletin.

People at both businesses say they will stay open, but in what form, or if they will stay at the same location, is unclear.

An informal meeting will be taking place in the conference room at the Neighborhood Service Center on Wednesday, July 18 at 6:30 p.m. The developer, from Ballard Lofts, will be there to explain the project and to take questions. The business owners are invited, but not confirmed.

The meeting is open to the public and is meant to provide an open forum on the development.

(Click on picture for slideshow)

Thousands of people swarmed SeafoodFest this weekend, filling up the streets of Ballard Ave, Leary Way and Market St. It was the 38th annual SeafoodFest, and especially marked by the retirement of Stan Boreson, accordion player and "The King of Scandinavian Humor," who has opened for SeafoodFest for several years.

Ballard News Tribune was on the scene, too, and had the chance to speak to several SeafoodFest goers. Here are just a few people BNT spoke to:

Rep. Reuven Carlyle, D-36, was spotted early on near the big fish statue, campaigning and carrying a sign over his shoulders. This year two competitors, Leslie Klein and Robert Canamar, have filed against him in the race for the 36th District. Though Klein and Canamar have not been doing much in terms of fundraising and campaigning, Carlyle still thinks it is important that he campaigns and connects with the community. "I want people to know I don't take it for granted."

www.reuvencarlyle.com

Rocksport, the restaurant and bar that has been forced to close by the impending Equity Residential project at the corner of Alaska Street & California Ave s.w. Went out with a huge party featuring Helles Belles the AC/DC tribute band that rocked just as they did 17 years ago when the Rocksport first opened.

Though originally set to close on Sunday July 15 the sales on Saturday proved to be so big the owners chose not to open.

Posting on Facebook they wrote:
"Due to the overwhelming popularity of Saturday night we sold out of all food and liquor! So we will not be opening today! Thank you West Seattle for 17 years! You've been awesome! And that's a rap."

Starting at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, July 24, Rocksport will hold a public auction to sell off nearly everything, including audio and visual equipment, sports and rock memorabilia, and bar and kitchen equipment.

Visit their website, www.rocksport.net, for more details.

This year, SeafoodFest held two different eating competitions. First, the well known Lutefisk eating competition. And second, for the first time, the salmon dog eating contest, hosted by the Ballard Kiwanis Club.

Ballard News Tribune's lead reporter and web editor, true to his promise, participated in the lutefisk eating competition. And just as he predicted, he lost miserably and was kicked out in the first round, after just 1/2 pound -- a far cry from the 3 1/4 pounds required of the winner.

Other participants included a lifetime Ballard resident, David Johnson, who had competed in the contest around eight times before; Ed Valley, who has been in Ballard since 1993 and was competing for the first time; a man from South Dakota who simply loved Lutefisk; and an aspiring competitive eater, Victor "The Devastator," who won the Lutefisk eating competition last year.

Lutefisk, a traditional dish from Nordic countries, is a gelatinous food made from dried whitefish. Mostly it is known as a food that can make people's noses crinkle and stomach's churn just from the thought of it. One SeafoodFest goer described it as "Fish jello."

On June 1, the liquor landscape in Washington State transformed, never to be the same again. It was the day Initiative 1183 took effect, which privatized liquor and kicked the state out of the business.

Days of traveling long distances to the relatively scarce State-run liquor stores are gone. The reign of bland, windowless government stores is over. And liquor can now be purchased at the same time as everyday groceries.

Walking into Fred Meyer, one is greeted by large stacked boxes of Jack Daniels, Jose Cuervos and Smirnoff. Long aisles where there was once wine there is now liquor, left mostly unguarded by clerks or any sort of glass casing.

Ballard Liquor & Wine, previously a state run liquor store, is also changing.

Even before, the store was an anomaly among state run-liquor stores. Large floor-to-ceiling windows on the East side of the store provide plenty of light, the floor is spacious and uncluttered and the workers are nice, friendly and not quite so “creepy,” according to Yelp.com reviewers.

But now the state no longer owns the store and a new owner, Ablom Mengstu, who bought it during a statewide auction for $208,501, has stepped up to the plate.

On July 1, Washington State cut benefits in half to all legal immigrants signed up for FAP, the state’s food assistance program for those who don’t qualify for the federal version (SNAP), according to the Department of Social and Health Services.

For White Center, a community with a significant immigrant population - many struggling in these tough economic times – those cuts lead directly to greater dependence on the White Center Food Bank, according to Ann Kendall, the program’s spokesperson.

Couple that summertime explosion of increased need with a traditional dip in food bank donations during the hotter months, and things are bound to get tight.

“FAP benefits were cut by 50 percent – this is tough for families in our service area given our demographic,” Kendall said. “For those families barely getting by with FAP, we become their source of assistance.”

Recent local statistics and breaking news at the federal level also stir reason for concern.