January 2014

UPDATE Feb. 6
West Seattle Nursery has won the Gold Medal for Best Show Theme at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle the "Museum of Foliar Art" is their first time creating a display garden for the show which runs through Feb. 9.

Original Post Jan. 28
They've participated for years in one form or another but this year will mark West Seattle Nursery's first as the designer and sponsor of a display garden in the main hall at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show Feb. 5 through 9, at the Washington State Convention Center in downtown Seattle.

Manager Marcia Bruno said, "The theme of the whole show is "Art in the Garden" and what were doing is creating something we call the "MOFA—Museum of Foliar Art" which will be like a gallery space with outdoor plants. It will have three green walls all with plants and it will look like a museum but outdoors."

The word “pono,” may not mean much to mainlanders, but ask any Hawaiian and they may say it means “righteousness ” or “in perfection.” There are countless uses for the word, but Jon Burgett, owner of Ballard’s newest hangout, Pono Ranch, says the word means, “organic balance and harmony.”

Set to fully open in the spring, right now the Pono Ranch started their soft opening with a drive up café, and the restaurant is open for brunch starting Feb. 10. To wet the whistle of Seahawks fans, the Pono Ranch bar will be open for the Super Bowl.

Burgett is a long time resident of Ballard. He has worked in the solar energy, general contracting and landscaping industries for most of his life. He owns Paving Stone and Supply across from Fred Meyer.

In his youth Burgett spent time in Honolulu teaching tennis and working in a restaurant. He has since spent a lot of time visiting friends and family in Hawaii and getting to know the tone of the culture there. Though not a Hawaiian themed restaurant, he wanted to share the Hawaiian feeling and the idea of pono by opening Pono Ranch.

By Peggy Sturdivant

It was a coincidence that I had started writing a column about the Sunset Hill Green Market at the same time that demolition started on the buildings on the southeast corner of 65th and 24th NW. They are now related by ownership, and redevelopment.

Even as I was waiting for a callback from Bill Parks, the man who connects the two, demolition on the former Viking revealed a mural that had been in hiding. Painted on that thick paper that used to cover lathe and plaster the Viking figure was more similar to the Leif Erikson statue at Shilshole than to the gnome-like Viking who had been overlooking the bar. Did anyone know the mural was underneath or had it already been forgotten?

When I learned about the earlier Viking I was already pondering the question of how to hold onto what we can no longer see and touch. If I discard the brown chair where I always read to my daughter, where she sometimes slept, will I lose the memories of the sweet times? What will jog them, the way that my grandmother’s wedding ring on my hand pings me with the memory of when my grandfather gave it to me.

Are you ready to REALLY show your 12th man spirit? You are going to get your chance this Thursday, Jan. 30 when the biggest 12th man flag in the world goes up in West Seattle outside the headquarters for Bartell Drugs and Metropolitan Market.

The building is located at the corner of Delridge Way S.W. and Andover Street S.W. or 4025 Delridge Way S.W.

The ceremony will start at 11 am and the public is invited.

On hand to do the honors will be Jack Thompson, White Center's "Throwin Samoan" (Evergreen High School, WSU and the NFL), and former Seahawk Robbie Tobeck.

Sharp eyed readers may have noticed that the official notice shows "12th FAN" and not 12th MAN. That's because Texas A&M University actually owns the copyright and trademark on "12th MAN" and the Seahawks use of it is through an agreement under which they pay the University an annual license fee. Others, such as Bartell Drugs and Metropolitan Market don't have such an agreement and would be in copyright violation should they use that name in promotional materials.

The fire that destroyed the home in the 9400 block of 30th Ave. S.W. on Sunday morning Jan. 26 was tragic, as many fires are, but for the Riddle family it was just the latest blow. Not only did Eileen Riddle lose all her valuables, and clothing in the fire, and almost lost her truck but it makes caring for her husband Greg who is in the final stages of terminal cancer, much more difficult.

The Red Cross, as well as neighbors, helped with getting them each a set of clothes and a few miscellaneous items. Eileen’s family is helping to find temporary housing.

The fire department estimates damage to the structure and contents at over $300,000. The cause of the fire was ruled accidental.

An account has been set up at Sterling Savings Bank in Eileen Riddle’s name for anybody wishing to make financial donations to this family. Please send or drop it by to any Sterling Savings Bank. The closest branch is in Burien at 224 S.W. 152nd St. Burien, WA, 98166.

By Allyce Andrew

The Maldives are the embodiment of the impending Seattle freeze that recent immigrants to the deep North West are constantly warned about.

The band is filled with seven mercurial musicians—comparable to your favorite frustrating family members. They aren’t after generic conversation and fleeting contact, but building a lasting community through music.

The band has more than a decade of making music together under its belt and an endless reservoir of stories to tell. One especially nostalgic place for the Maldives in the Tractor Tavern in Ballard.

“To play in other places in town for us, specifically the Tractor, we have definitely created some form of identity for ourselves in that place,” said singer, songwriter Jason Dodson. “In that place we’re one thing, even if we aren’t that thing anywhere else in town anymore. But in that place we can do anything.”

“It’s become the home base,” drummer Faustine Hudson said.  “Next to the stage in the backstage area, there’s now a gate. ... The reason why that exists is because when the Maldives would play at the (Tractor)–”

Ethan Stowell, of Staple & Fancy Mercantile, has big plans for the neighboring space where the former Dutch Bike Co. coffee shop used to be in The Kolstrand Building.

Chippy’s Fish & Drink, with a fish and chips style cuisine, is slated to open this March and will bring another great eating option to the south end of Ballard. Ave.
 
The new spot uses “A Great Plaice to Eat,” as a slogan. The word “plaice” references a group of flat fish, like flounder, that are often found on menus in the UK.

“The food is the driving aspect for me,” said Stowell, “everything else centers around it.”

Stowell’s food philosophy revolves around simplicity and excellent ingredients, and so his menu will include a variety of fish and chips options, as well as chowders, sandwiches and salads, like Shrimp Louie.

High schools
Boys basketball
It's crosstown rival week in West Seattle sports, starting off with the boys basketball game between Chief Sealth and West Seattle on Tuesday.
The action in the West Seattle High School gymnasium starts at 7:30 p.m.
Evergreen, meanwhile, is at home playing Highline at 7 p.m. Wednesday and at Kennedy Catholic for a 7:45 p.m. game Friday.
Chief Sealth is at home playing Ingraham at 8 p.m. that day as West Seattle hosts Nathan Hale.
Seattle Lutheran visits Bear Creek for a 6 p.m. game Friday.
Shorewood Christian visits Christian Faith Center for a 7 p.m. game Tuesday and travels to Taholah at the same time Friday.

Girls basketball
Chief Sealth will go to West Seattle for a 7:30 p.m. crosstown battle Wednesday as Evergreen travels to Highline.
Friday's schedule has Ingraham at Chief Sealth and Nathan Hale at West Seattle at 6:15 p.m. with Evergreen at Kennedy Catholic at the same starting time.
The Seattle Lutheran girls are home against Chief Leschi Tuesday and at Bear Creek at 6 p.m. Friday.

Friday, Jan. 24
Boys basketball
Shorewood Chr. 68, Mt. Rainier Luth. 41
Shorewood Christian of West Seattle scored a victory over Mount Rainier Lutheran this past Friday.
West Seattle 81, Ingraham 37
The Wildcats of West Seattle were big winners against Ingraham last Friday.
DeAndre Love paced West Seattle with 27 points and Ruslan Burduzha was next with 16.
Tacoma Baptist 59, Seattle Luth. 48
Abijah Smith scored 23 points for Seattle Lutheran in Friday's loss.
Lindbergh 49, Evergreen 33
Kevin Ford led the Wolverines of White Center in Friday's loss with nine points.

Girls basketball
Mt. Rainier Luth. 54, Shorewood Ch. 46
Mount Rainier Lutheran got the best of Shorewood Christian in Friday's game.
Seattle Luth. 46, Tacoma Baptist 45
Seattle Lutheran edged out Tacoma Baptist by one point Friday, with Hailey Meyer swishing in 17 points and Abby Sanders throwing in 13.
Evergreen 48, Lindbergh 39
Caroline Tupa contributed 17 points to the Wolverines' winning cause Friday and Marleisha Cox finished with 14.
West Seattle 33, Ingraham 22

In a note this week from Keith Shaw, one of two West Seattle brothers charged in 2012 with mistreatment of their father in the home they shared, he told the West Seattle Herald the charges have been dismissed. A motion and certification and order of dismissal was issued by the King County Prosecuting Attorney Dec. 18, 2013.

The case was dismissed with prejudice by the prosecutor.

Our original coverage is here.