May 2014

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

O'Dea ran away with the 2014 Metro League Baseball Tournament trophy and the No. 1 state berth that goes with it Thursday with a 7-2 win over West Seattle, but the Wildcats still got one heck of a consolation prize.
Coach Velko Vitalich's team is going to state, too.

"Second in this league is not bad, and we're still going to state," said Vitalich. "You got to give credit to O'Dea. They hit the ball hard."

In spite of the loss the Wildcats advance to the regional level of the state tournament Saturday, May 24 at 10 a.m. or 1 p.m. against an opponent to be determined.

That was the same site where the team went last year -- and snagged a state final four berth.
"We're going to state and we're proud of that," said Vitalich.

O'Dea got the early jump on West Seattle with a run in the bottom of the second at Mel Olson Stadium at Steve Cox Memorial Park in West Seattle, as Scottie Graham doubled and scored on an error.
The Wildcats answered with two in the top of the third.

With more than 50 restaurants breweries and others contributing time, food, and expertise a crowd of 600 crowded into the Hall of Fauntleroy for the annual Taste of West Seattle. The event will, when it is all tolled, raise more than $50,000 for West Seattle Helpline.

Best Taste went to Fresh Bistro and the best Sweet went to Stuffed Cakes.

Sponsored by:

• Home Street Bank
• Metropolitan Market
• Tuxedos and Tennis Shoes Catering

• The CoHo Team of Windermere Agents
• Vulcan Inc.

• Charlies Produce
• Nucor Steel
• Swedish Automotive

• BR Networking
• Cedar Grove
• Northwest Art & Frame
• Williams & Callan PLLC
• Uber

information from the city of Seattle

Seattle Mayor Ed Murray was joined by Seattle City Council President Tim Burgess and members of the education community this morning to announce their proposal for expanding access to high-quality early learning throughout the city.

“At a time when disparities in education reinforce the widening gap between those who fill the high-wage jobs of the future and those who struggle to make ends meet, one of the most important questions we face as a society is: what can we do to build a school system that works equally and fairly for all of our children,” said Murray. “The answer starts long before our children show up for their first day of kindergarten.”

“High quality preschool is proven to be a game-changer that prepares our children for success in school and in life. Preschool will boost not only the children but also our city with a stronger workforce and safer neighborhoods,” said Burgess. “The evidence already shows us what to do; we just need to muster the will to do it.”

Thousands to ride their bike to work on Friday, May 16; Ride & Rally with Seattle City

Councilmembers Mike O'Brien and Tom Rasmussen

Who: Thousands of people across the region and the state. Seattle City Councilmembers Mike O'Brien and Tom Rasmussen.

What: Bike to Work Day presented by F5.

When/Where: Friday, May 16. 6 to 9 a.m.

Contact: Anne-Marije Rook, Communications Director. (208) 870-9406, amrook@cascadebicycleclub.org

Details: On Friday morning, thousands of people across the city, region and state will leave their cars at home and pedal to work. Dozens of Commuter Stations along the way will provide them with encouragement, snacks and swag. And with the weather we’ve been having, we are expecting the biggest Bike to Work Day numbers yet!

Bike to Work Day presented by F5 shows what our streets could look like every day if we continue encouraging and investing in bicycling as transportation.

Ride & Rally with Mike O'Brien and Tom Rasmussen

By Peggy Studivant

I drive past the house near the Ballard Bridge where Edith Macefield lived until her death almost every day, but I haven’t really looked at it in years. I remember her blue car parked in front, the one just like my father’s. Sometimes I would see Edith Macefield picking blackberries along the fence that separated her house from the garbage truck lot. She looked like my grandmother. I wanted to ask what it was like to live in a place that had gone from residential to industrial. Why she stayed?

The 1900 house is boarded up now, obscured on three tall sides by Ballard Blocks. She wouldn’t sell developers the 1550 square feet that included her lifelong home. The story of a woman rejecting a million dollar offer drew national media. At the age of 83 she was adopted as a poster child for resisting development, anti-greed, co-opted for a cause, wily enough to know it.

With the U.S. experiencing its highest period of income inequality since 1928, it makes sense that what constitutes a living wage has risen to the fore of our national debate.

From the Ballard News Tribune to The Seattle Times and the Wall Street Journal, stories about income inequality and housing troubles abound. Mayor Ed Murray’s announcement that over the next five to seven years Seattle’s minimum wage will increase to $15 per hour is a significant story in a long list of recent revelations about wages. Some businesses, even those right in Ballard, are already opting for a higher minimum wage.

There are many factors to take into account when evaluating income inequality, and housing is one of them. Even with the highest minimum wage in the country, our state has tens of thousands of working families still struggling to put food on the table and a roof over their head – and the problem seems to be getting worse.

The designs from Johnson Sutherland for the Pathfinder K8 playground will be shown at a May 20 meeting at the school.

The first design meeting allowed the community to share ideas for a playground that would reflect the needs and desires of those who will use it. From the approximately 45 adults and dozen children who attended, over 50 ideas were gathered, then voted on to prioritize.

The top three ideas were:
1. Bars and upper body elements
2. Climbing structures for all levels
3. Integrate the green space

Attendees will preview three design concepts that will shape the final design. The public is welcome to attend.

When: May 20th, 5:30-7pm
Where: Pathfinder K8, 1901 Genesee SW

The fInal design meeting and design reveal plus an Ice Cream Social is set for June 16, 5:30-7pm.

By Shin Yu Pai

I walk by the non-descript office tucked upstairs from the Ballard Health Club (BHC) countless times before discovering it’s home to Ki Bodyworks, a vibrant massage therapy and nutrition practice run by Ballard business owner Evelyn Lim.

I began working out at BHC late last year to get back in shape, following the arrival of my son. Pre-pregnancy, I’m a regular at the Olympic Athletic Club, but since Tomo’s birth, even short 15-minute workouts on the elliptical left me feeling exhausted. When I developed acute back and joint pain related to attachment parenting a squirmy 15-pound infant, I looked around for a massage therapist close to home. A Yelp search turned up dozens of practitioners in downtown Ballard. Evelyn has just one review, but the five-star write-up brims with praise.

Dates: Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Time: 11 a.m.–2 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Highline Community College’s Student Union; Building 8, Mt. Constance Room

Highline’s main campus is located midway between Seattle and Tacoma at South 240th Street and Pacific Highway South (Highway 99); address: 2400 S. 240th St., Des Moines, WA 98198.

Description: Highline Community College Women’s Programs in partnership with the Southwest King County Coalition Against Trafficking (SWKCAT) is hosting the “Her Choice, Our Choice!” forum to raise awareness about human trafficking.

Come to learn more about this important issue from two perspectives, the victim and the buyer, and how we can end sex trafficking in our community. Make your reservations for free at: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/670020. Lunch is provided.

Sponsored by: Highline Community College Women’s Programs, Southwest King County Coalition Against Trafficking, Federal Way

By Emile Monte

Grand Marshall Marit Kristiansen and Honorary Marshalls Mari-Ann Kind Jackson and Warren Aakervik have much in common: Norwegian heritage, roots in the Ballard community, ongoing social service, and a humble wonderment over the fact of being chosen as the honorary guests at this year’s particularly special Syttende Mai (17th of May) festivities marking the 200th anniversary of the Norwegian Constitution and the 125th anniversary of Ballard’s celebration of its Norwegian heritage.

Together, these guests represent and serve disparate organizations and projects who share the ultimate goal of maintaining the cultural and economic vitality of Ballard.