October 2013

This past weekend, local cartoonist and Fremont resident Henry Chamberlain set forth to explore and capture the Ballard neighborhood in a comic.

As part of 24-Hour Comics Day on the first Saturday of October, which artists all around the world participate in, Chamberlain wanted to draw something that he had been eyeing for a while. He said there was a funny aspect between the laidback locals and the fastpaced, market-crazy hipsters in Ballard.

He wound up on a quest to find Ballard's soul, which is epitomized by none other than local icon and hero, Edith Macefield, who would not sell her house even for a million dollars to developers of the Ballard Blocks. (It was also wonderfully coincidental that Macefield Fest lined up with his comic event.)

Macefield's story is symbolic of the greater Ballard story -- the clash of the old and the new, of a history full of industry and grit being confronted by an influx of condos and apartment buildings and hip restaurants and bars.

For his comic, Chamberlain focused on the historic Ballard Ave, visiting Hattie's Hat, Stoneburner Restaurant, The Tractor Tavern, Hi-Life, Kickin' Boot Whiskey Kitchen, the Ballard Inn and more.

By Patrick Robinson and David Rosen

The demolition of the buildings on 4700 block of 42nd SW began Monday Oct. 7 as the next step in the remaking of the core of West Seattle began. Tom Goett, Project Manager for Andersen Construction said the work was expected to take until the end of October to complete.

The demolition work is being handled by Rhine Demolition.

Once complete the work can begin on the construction of Equity Residential's project. It is projected to be two seven-story mixed-use buildings. Equity owns or has an interest in more than 550 apartment communities in 13 states and the District of Columbia plus condominium and corporate housing business lines.

Equity Residential has not issued any information about the project beyond what has been covered in previous coverage of the project.

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information from the Seattle Fire Department

Seattle Firefighters quickly extinguished a fire this morning at a West Seattle assisted living facility.

The first 911 call came into firefighter/dispatchers at the Fire Alarm Center at 8:08 a.m. reporting smoke coming from the back of the one-story complex located in the 8400 block of 16th Avenue SW. Engine Company 11 arrived to find the staff had already evacuated the residents from the facility.

Firefighters were able to contain the fire to a dryer in the basement of the building. The fire was tapped within 4 minutes of firefighter arriving on scene. The damage was limited to the basement area.

The building had several fire protection systems in place including a sprinkler system and a fire alarm system which sounded allowing for the safe evacuation of the facility.

There were no injuries.

I met up with my old friend Morey Skaret in at Roxbury Lanes in White Center. I say old since he turned 100 years old in August. We talked about the usual things people our age talk about. Health... It's a big deal when you get to be like us. His beautiful and always getting younger sidekick, Elsie Freeland was there too. Morey was in a great mood, dining on French Toast rather than his usual Teriyaki Rice. He felt great, had no pains and though he walks with a cane sometimes, he looks to be a much, much younger man. I'd say maybe 100 years and 10 days, not 60.

We got to talking about old White Center. Did he remember "Pop" Brown who ran the roller rink but previously had a boxing club upstairs on 16th, in the middle of town? Morey remembered and cited the week he learned a big lesson.

“You forgot my (expletive) McChicken!”
Shortly after 10 p.m. on Oct. 1 an employee at a fast food restaurant in Westwood Village was working the counter when a woman in her 40’s walked in with one of the restaurant’s bags and yelled, “You forgot my (expletive) McChicken!” The employee had not seen the woman come in as a customer and asked if she had been through the drive through. “Do I look like I have a (expletive) car you (expletive) (expletive)!” she yelled back. At that point the suspect threw a cup of soda at the victim’s face and lunged over the counter to punch her. The victim’s fellow employees came to her aid and the suspect fled towards a nearby grocery store where she pulled out pepper spray and threatened more people, but did not assault anyone. By the time police arrived, she had fled the scene.

Bomb rambling causes ferry disruption

By Peggy Sturdivant

Lockhaven Apartments, north of Market Street between 30th and 32nd Ave NW has seemed frozen in time for years. The three-story apartments are separated by courtyards, like an off-street campus. Despite some 180 residents it has been an apartment complex known best for its sense of community. There’s a communal garden, clotheslines, picnic tables and benches. One renter has lived there since 1968.

However, market forces have brought change and the reality of the outside world very abruptly to residents; first in a few units and then throughout all the buildings. In the pre-dawn hours of September 10, Jett Terrell heard footsteps in the stairwell but reassured herself that only residents had keys. When she opened her door the next morning she found a 20-day eviction notice taped to her door, “Your last day of residency will be September 30th.”

By Georgie Bright Kunkel

There appears to be no way to unseat the profit makers that have hidden their assets in foreign countries. The power that has attempted to buy Congress and advertised the sleeping public into oblivion continues to reap big profits at our expense. We amoebas are relegated to worrying about bad breath and visiting places that claim they can make us look like the airbrushed beauties in movie magazines. The latest scam of our political energy is the abortion issue. It doesn’t cost anything for Congress to focus on that controversial never ending fight while numerous other life threatening issues are pushed to the sidelines. Now, don’t get me wrong. That issue is important to women who want to control their own bodies.

Information from King County Sheriff

At about 11:15 A.M. today, the words of a suspected mentally ill man halted ferry traffic between Point Defiance and the Talequah ferry terminal on Vashon Island. A witness overheard a 48 year old Vashon Island man rambling about having explosives and wanting to detonate the explosive after a particular car disembarked the boat.

The King County Sheriff’s Office began receiving calls about a man at the Talequah Ferry Terminal (the Vashon Island side of the Point Defiance to Vashon route) carrying a broom around and talking about killing all of the rats. Multiple callers reported various suspicious and disturbing behaviors from the Vashon man.

The terminals and ferry were inspected and deemed safe. Ferry traffic is back on schedule. The Vashon Island man was booked into the King County Jail. King County Sheriff’s detectives will review the case and recommend any additional charges to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. The KCPAO will, ultimately, decide what charges the man will face.

A new store called Northmart will open in White Center "In about ten days or so" according to the General Manager Phil Langer, at 9841 15th Ave SW. The store will offer retail and wholesale goods.

The White Center location joins an existing store in Huntington Park, in Los Angeles and one to be established at 150th and Aurora in Shoreline in the near future. Langer said the White Center location, at 11,000 square feet will become the company's largest and will be the warehouse distribution center.

Through arrangements with Chinese manufacturers the company imports bulk goods and then sells them either in bulk at wholesale prices or in lower quantities at retail prices. "We know either way our prices will be far lower for comparable merchandise than anywhere else you can shop," Langer said.

Luggage, hand bags, paper goods, clothing (underwear and bras), shoes, hair accessories, earrings and hats are all part of the store inventory. "You can buy one or a dozen in a bulk pack," said Langer.

By Clay Eals

Words, Writers, and West Seattle, an event designed to showcase local area authors was well attended on Friday Oct. 4 and deemed a success by those participating. The free series is set to continue monthly.

Stephanie Guerra, an Admiral resident, did a great job of describing and reading from her brand-new book "Billy the Kid Is Not Crazy," captivating an audience of 15 who filled all available seats. (We will need to provide more chairs next time.) It also was special because this installment was the actual launch of her book. She had not seen finished copies of the book until she arrived at the event, and she was thrilled. We have the whole thing on videotape (which we won't be able to edit until our volunteer video editor is back from an out-of-town trip). Also, for the first event of the series, it was a good learning experience in that we were able to work on some of the technical bugs and learn what to do down the road.