November 2012

By Liz Talley

In Ballard we are changing our image from quiet coffee drinkers to community activists and are working to stop proposed coal trains from entering our area.

It all started small just north of here in Bellingham, WA, with concerns about environmental damage if coal companies and SSA Marine were allowed to build a proposed coal exporting facility. Their concerns became ours, as information was passed along and folks in Ballard heard what the impacts would be to our unique area.

Since then, we've been holding neighborhood meetings, getting politicians to speak up, collecting signatures on petitions and posting "Power Past Coal" yard signs throughout the area.

The City Council and Mayor are in agreement with us, and the Council passed a resolution against coal trains, as did many other communities along the tracks throughout Washington State.

There are many reasons for this anti-coal train effort.

First off, the trains are uncovered, so coal dust blows off the open bed cars as they travel across our State. Right now about three trains come through a day on their way up to Canada, for the coal to be shipped to China.

The King County Housing Authority announced on Nov. 28 that smoking in public housing (Seola Gardens and Greenbridge near White Center for example) will end Dec. 1.

The policy is aimed at protecting nonsmokers, especially children and frail elderly residents, from breathing second-hand smoke. In a survey conducted in 2011, more than 80 percent of public housing residents indicated that they want to live in smoke-free housing. The demand for no-smoking apartments in public housing mirrors the national trend in private sector apartment communities.

In a press release from the King County Housing Authority they said:

Life Care Center of West Seattle will close at the end of January the company announced Nov 28,

The facility is located at 4700 Southwest Admiral Way.

In a press release the company said:

“Life Care has been forced to face a difficult decision,” explained Todd Fletcher, a spokesperson for Life Care’s Northwest Division. “Due to the difficult economic environment and the age and maintenance requirements of the physical building, Life Care is unable to continue operating this facility.”

The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services has been notified, and Life Care associates are now focused on appropriately placing each of its approximately 70 residents. Residents and family members received a list of local care facilities, and Life Care is providing clinical social workers to assist with every discharge to ensure residents are secure and comfortable with the changes.

All of the building’s eligible employees will be offered a severance package and the opportunity to possibly obtain work within other Life Care buildings.

By Christy Wolyniak

A time when there were no Seahawks or Mariners, a fleet of hydroplane boats attracted adrenaline junkies and diehard fans in Seattle.

Though perhaps forgotten, Ballard has a rich hydro history, as the Bardahl Oil Co. once housed these boats for racing. Cruising at up to 200 mph in present day, these flat, spaceship-like crafts ‘hover’ over the water with only three points touching the surface.

“For Seattle, the only big league sports were Husky football, so it became in the minds of Seattleites, ‘We are the kings of this, and it’s a professional sport,’” said Jon Osterberg, author of “Dragon Days and the 1960s kids who loved hydros,” a historical book about the history of hydroplanes in Seattle and, more specifically, “Miss Bardahl,” Ballard’s own hydroplane.

"In the 1950s and ‘60s, hydros were central to the cultural fabric of the Northwest – and definitely to my family," Osterberg said.

Miss Bardahl was the brainchild of Ole Bardahl, owner of Bardahl Oil Co. in Ballard. Bardahl, with the help of designer and builder Ted Jones, created a seemingly indestructible speedster that would leave its mark on hydro-history forever.

Deadline for receiving items for Community Calendar is 5 p.m. Wednesday for the following week’s Times/News. Events are published based on timeliness and space availability. Email submissions to: hteditor@robinsonnews.com Items can be accepted from nonprofit groups and government agencies only. Others may call Dona Ozier at 206-708-1378 for inclusion in our “Out & About” advertising section.

Art Exhibits

Burien Community Center --Artist Teresa Burrelsman will be displaying her paintings in the lobby until the end of November. Teresa is a Seattle artist working in oil paints, pastels and mixed media. The community center, 14700 6th Ave. S.W. is open Monday-Thursday from 8:30 a.m.-8 p.m. and Friday from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
Burien Press --Artist Scott Grigg, presents American Spring Art show a visual critique of modern American politics. 423 S.W. 152nd St.

Lakes high Lancers rolled into Chief Sealth High School Tuesday evening as a formidable opponent. Last year’s 4 A runner ups, the Lancers bring a good basketball team onto the court. As in any high school team seniors leave, but head coach Nick Jensen is a good teacher of the game. His Lancers are athletic and know how to pace a game, but the Sealth team that controlled Lynnwood only a few days ago showed up with a different twist.

The Seahawks were simply faster and more fluid. A few days ago the Lynnwood Royals couldn’t seal off the Seahawks inside attack. In this game Lakes couldn’t defend the perimeter game Sealth presented to them.

Sealth lead from the beginning, utilizing their speed for a quick layup off the opening tipoff and never looked back. It wasn’t until the second half when Lakes tied the score at 22 that the lancers posed a viable threat.

While the defense kept the lancers at bay, Sealth’s offensive patience ability was impressive. When a lane wasn’t available, the Seahawks relied an outside game that lakes was not prepared for. When the Lancers moved out to counter the long ball Sealth sliced inside for a short range jumper.

Members of the Burien City Council:

Annexation of Area Y was rejected by their residents.

The city of Burien spent a considerable amount of money studying and promoting annexation, including hiring staff for this purpose.

In light of the current deficit spending and tax increases passed for the 2013 budget and in the service of accountability and transparency the residents have a right to know how their tax dollars have been spent.

On behalf of the residents I am requesting a tally of the tax money spent pursuing the annexation of Area Y.

Please direct the city manager to make public a cost analysis of what this failed venture cost the city of Burien.

Thank you for your consideration of this important matter.

John Poitras
Burien

We have some late-breaking election results.

Actually, these are scientific poll numbers.

We toil away in the lower level of the Burien Elks building and don’t always know how the Highline Times is viewed out there in the wider world.

Lucky for us, the city of Burien hires a professional pollster to survey Burien residents every two years to assess how restless the natives are about the quality of life in Burien and services provided.

Four hundred scientifically selected residents are surveyed by phone. The 2012 survey showed Burien residents are generally happy, but not quite as happy as before the great recession and divisive election campaigns.

But the question we were particularly interested in concerned residents’ information source for news about Burien.

Overwhelmingly, Burien residents told the surveyors they get their news from the local newspaper/Highline Times. Thirty-one percent named us, your local community newspaper, as their information source.

I still look forward to Christmas even though Oregon Bank and Trust is now calling it something else and is probably not sponsoring Bank Day at grade schools anymore.

Starting in the first grade, I took my nickel or dime to school every Tuesday for Bank Day deposit. It was money I made, sometimes as much as a quarter, selling perfume or flower seeds or Liberty Magazine to neighbors down the street.

We lived in a middle class area (rented for $15 a month) near an extended family that owned the Hog Ranch, the Slaughter House and a cooperage (they made wooden barrels) and even in the twenties and thirties during the Great Depression they had money.

So every Christmas, my brother Russell and I took our savings out to buy gifts. It was always something like $3 each and we could hardly wait to go downtown Portland and blow all of it on the whole family.

Mom took us on the streetcar, but let us do our own shopping. Amazingly we were able to buy such things as a box of hankies, or a comb, or a fingernail file or a fountain pen.

Money stretched pretty far in those days.

Friday, a Jack Russell mix, only came to the Guiterrez family six weeks ago but they've gotten to know her well. "She's got the same energy as our six year old son, Ole," said Gary Guiterrez. Friday is approximately 3 years old herself.

They got Friday from a shelter in Friday Harbor (hence her name) after she had come from Yakima and brought her home.

They feed her dry food.

Friday has already formed some canine friendships with Bunny, Rudy and Lulu, some neighborhood dogs.

But both Gary and his wife Heather noted that Friday's natural playfulness and energy are good for their family. "She just loves to play with the boys," Heather said, referring to both Ole, 6 and son Leo, 10.

"She's normally pretty mellow but like most dogs will pay attention when somebody's at the door," said Gary.

They take Friday out for walks and she gets a lot of attention.

Friday is not a ball chaser per se, but does enjoy her squeaky toys.