March 2013

Update, April 9

Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welle's bill to allow wine and beer samples at Farmers Markets all over the state is on its way to becoming law.

Senate Bill 5674 was passed in the State House of Representatives today in an 81-12 vote. A minor amendment was made to it in the committee so the bill would make sure to include the Olympia Farmers Market, meaning that the House and Senate versions of the bill must be reconciled before moving on to the governor to sign. Otherwise, nothing else was changed.

Read below to find out what the bill entails.

Original, March 12

What could make the Ballard Farmers Market even better? If it was able to showcase some of our neighborhood breweries.

If Jeanne Kohl-Welles (D-Belltown) has anything to say about it, that could be a possibility in the near future.

Under Senate Bill 5674, which passed the State Senate today, three wineries and/or breweries per day would be able to offer samples at farmers markets across the state.

SDOT Press Release
Starting the week of March 18, southbound Delridge Way Southwest traffic will be detoured at Southwest Thistle Street in West Seattle to facilitate roadway reconstruction and storm drain installations. This work is Phase 2 of the Seattle Department of Transportation’s Delridge Way Southwest Paving Project that is rebuilding much of Delridge Way Southwest between Southwest Orchard and Southwest Roxbury streets.

Traffic will be directed:
· West on SW Thistle Street

· South on 35th Avenue SW

· East on SW Trenton Street

· South on Delridge Way SW

The detour is expected to be in place until early June 2013. Northbound traffic on Delridge Way Southwest will be maintained.

Local access and access to businesses will be maintained during project work.

By Christopher Duclos

The season may be over for the Beavers, but not for senior forward Seth Berger.

Berger, along with other top names in high school basketball has been selected to participate in the All State Game Presented by Adidas and Could 9 Sports. The contest selects the best in high school class 4A and pits them against the top names from class 3A. Following the scheduled games, there will be a presenting of awards to the top players of the year, coaches of the year and the prestigious “Mr. Basketball” award. The All state basketball game has a reputation for being a well-attended event, garnering statewide attention and fanfare.

“I am really happy for Seth to have the honor of playing in the All State Game. It is great for him to represent his teammates, school, and community. These are the top players throughout the state, so this is a big honor. Seth had a great senior year and I know he is excited to play at the college level,” said BHS head coach Billy Rodgers.

By Katy Wilkens, MS, RD

I tell my patients at Northwest Kidney Centers that following a healthy low-salt diet means you can’t just “pick up something,” “open something,” “thaw out something” or “microwave something.” At some point, you actually have to cook something if you want to eat healthy. That is why I love my slow cooker. When I am in a hurry, it helps me keep salt out of my food.

The night before a really busy day, I put a still-partially-frozen 4-pound roast in the slow cooker, added some great Chinese seasonings, put on the lid, and went to bed. I was testing my own healthy adaptation of a recipe I’d seen in a magazine. I wanted my version to have a lot less salt so it would be better for my heart, blood vessels and kidneys.

By Pete Treperinas

Multiple sclerosis has affected Molly Johnston her entire life.

Her dad, Steve, was diagnosed with MS two years before Johnston was born. She grew up witnessing its effects, both on a loved one living with the condition and on a family as a whole.

“I think MS affects all of us in some way,” said Johnston, who now works for the National MS Society.

Eight years ago, she decided to make a difference.

As a student at Western Washington University, Johnston came up with the idea for the MS Pub Crawl. Saturday night, several bars on Ballard Avenue played host to the eighth annual crawl.

In those eight years, Johnston has seen the event grow immensely. That has translated into more donations, too.

In the first year, Johnston’s event had roughly 50 attendees, many of whom were classmates and friends. They raised $1,500.

Saturday, March 9 in Ballard, there were around 300 people donning orange t-shirts — the color for MS support. They raised roughly $9,000.

Over the course of its eight years, the pub-crawl has raised over $64,000.

Burien Arts’ Fifth Annual Highline Classic Jazz Festival took place at the Landmark Event Center in Des Moines, Saturday March 9th.

Featured were 15 bands in three music venues playing Straight Ahead Jazz classics, and early to mid -20th Century jazz styles, Dixieland, Gypsy Jazz, Blues, Ragtime and Big Band Swing.

The fest provided plenty of dancing, food and drink, and schmoozing with the jazzbos.

Burien musician and festival director Lance Haslund started the festival. His wife, Laurie Haslund, the volunteer coordinator, said he puts in four months of full-time work to prepare each year's event.

"We started it as a program and project for Burien Arts," said Lance. "We're board members. Burien Arts used to have an art gallery and are working on getting one opened again. We present Shakespeare in the Park and we started the Strawberry Festival.

"The Highline Classic Jazz Festival is one of our signature events," he said.

This year's featured group was Casey MacGill's Orchestra, a 14-piece band playing swing and jump music reminiscent of Cab Calloway, Louis Prima, and others.

In a rather succinct City Council meeting that lasted 29 minutes, Florence McMullin was appointed to the Des Moines Art Commission and the first reading and public hearing was held on institutional campus zoning reclassification.

McMullin is a long-time activist in the community.

“I want to extend my thanks to my fellow colleagues on the council who extended the appointment deadline so we had time to identify quality individuals like Florence McMullin,” said Councilmember Bob Sheckler.

On Feb. 7, the council rejected Mayor Dave Kaplan’s appointment of Susan White to the city’s arts commission. Sheckler commented White has a tendency to take charge of a project in a bullying manner and then take much of the credit for its success. White was a former ally of Sheckler when she was a councilmember and Sheckler served as mayor.

The commission appointment is effective immediately and is a three year term. It will expire on Dec. 31, 2015.

The institutional campus zoning reclassification would only effect the properties of Wesley Homes, Judson Park Retirement Home and Highline Community College.

Volunteers are needed as beach naturalists this summer for Seahurst Park in Burien as well as Des Moines Beach Park, Redondo Beach and Saltwater State Park in Des Moines.

Volunteers will receive 22 hours of training from marine and interpretative experts at the Seattle Aquarium in April and May. Once trained, volunteers spend three spring or summer low-tide days educating beach visitors about inter-tidal life and beach etiquette.

Orientation for new volunteers will be held on Tuesday, April 2 at 6:30 p.m.

To register, email beachnaturalist@seattleaquarium.org.

More Highline Public Schools students are learning to be bilingual and bi-literate as the district expands its dual language programs to two more elementary schools and plans dual language offerings for middle and high school levels.


Next fall, Madrona Elementary in SeaTac will open a Spanish-English program for kindergartners. White Center Heights will offer both Spanish-English and Vietnamese-English programs.


In Dual Language immersion programs, a new cohort of kindergartners is enrolled each year-- about 24 who speak Spanish or Vietnamese as a first language, and 24 who speak English or another language at home.

The students have an English teacher and a Spanish or Vietnamese teacher; they spend about half the day with each teacher. Math is taught in English; science and social students, in Spanish or Vietnamese. In Kindergarten and 1st grades, reading is primarily taught in the students’ native language. After second grade, they are taught to read and write in both languages.


Students start the program as kindergartners. A new grade level is added each year as students move through elementary school.

UPDATE 6:10pm Mar. 19
Bada Bistro will open on March 20th at 5pm. Owner Sharon Bang said, "Everything from our kitchen is scratch made, as well as many of our bar items including bitters, spirit infusions, and our signature syrups. We offer many gluten free options on our menu.

We will start by opening for dinner at 5pm, and start opening for Happy Hour following week at 3pm. Lunch and brunch hours will be coming as soon as they are ready to be announced."

Business hours for next two weeks:
March 20 Wed & March 21 Thurs 5-10pm
March 22 Fri & March 23 Sat 5-11pm
March 24 Sun - March 26 Tue 5-10pm
March 27 Wed & March 28 Thurs 3-10pm
March 29 Fri & March 30 Sat 3-11pm
March 31 Sun - April 2 Tue 3-10pm

Original Post