July 2014

By Peggy Sturdivant

The other day I did something strange. I sat in my backyard. I sat in my garden.

While weeding I’d been mulling what it would be like to write a column on one subject every week, such as the garden, or birds. I went from thinking it would be easier than trying to write about Ballard as whole, no interviews with tomatoes, to realizing it would be harder because I have no idea what I’m doing in the garden. I could barely answer a garden question to save my life.

I read the garden column in The Martha’s Vineyard Gazette, once it makes its slow, broad-sided way across the country to my mailbox. That writer often veers into politics, interspersed with people she met at the post office, spectacular bushes in bloom and reflection on recent deaths in the community.

I knew I had been trying to avoid writing a column on a certain subject; weeding seemed preferable.

17TH ANNUAL ALKI ART FAIR JULY 19-20, 2014
The Alki Art Fair, now in its 17th year will fill the Promenade on Alki Beach July 19-20 offering visual arts, crafts, food and music. Artist booths are open from 10 am - 6 pm with music all day until 9 pm. On July 20, artist booths are open 10 am - 6 pm with music until 8 pm. This event is free to the public.

This year’s Fair will feature:

• 65 artist vendors selling works of a variety of media including painting, pottery, glass, textiles, metal, jewelry and more
• 3 stages featuring 45 musical acts ranging from rock to jazz to world beats and more
• 6 Food booths offering savory to sweet fare and various non-alcoholic drinks
• An interactive Children’s Art Area
• Silent (mostly art) Auctions, inside the Alki Bathhouse

The Alki Art Fair is offering a free park and ride from the West Seattle High School parking lot (3000 California Avenue SW) to and from Alki Beach. Shuttle will run from 12 pm to 6 pm both days.

If you like chowder (and many do) you will have a chance to enjoy it and do some good this weekend at the Alki Art Fair.

Spud Fish and Chips is donating $1 to marine mammal protection organization Seal Sitters for each cup of chowder purchased during Fair.

During the fair, SealSitters will feature art activities for kids. First Responder Lynn Shimamoto and her 7-year-old granddaughter created some creative origami and paper cups seals. Seal Sitters is encouraging families to bring their kids by for free stickers and to do some art.

Thanks for everything you do for us!

Seal Sitters also reports that seal pup "Junebug" (http://blubberblog.org/files/tag-junebug.html) who continues to do well in rehab at PAWS. He continues to gain weight and is now eating some solid fish in addition to formula - and he's enjoying his personal swimming pool in this very hot weather.

information from West Seattle Rotary

West Seattle native, businessman and community leader, Earl Cruzen, has been named the recipient of the 2014 Orville Rummel Trophy for Outstanding Service to the Community. He will be honored at the West Seattle Grand Parade this Saturday, July 19th.

Cruzen was the driving force behind West Seattle’s mural project, depicting the neighborhood’s rich history on 10 murals still visible around Alaska Junction. In 1992 the mural project was named the National Winner of Neighborhood of the Year Project.

The big “Gateway Cleanup” was also the idea of Cruzen and his mural group. The “Walking on Logs” sculptures and "Welcome to West Seattle" sign at the Bridge was part of that cleanup.

Cruzen was born in 1920 and raised in West Seattle’s Highland Park neighborhood. He graduated from West Seattle High School, Class of 1939. He spent much of his business life operating C&C Properties, investing in area real estate. He is married and has one daughter and four grandchildren.

By Gerardo Bolong
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Lights out pitching kept the District 7 champion West Seattle Little League Majors 11-12 ages baseball All-Star team alive in the 2014 state tournament held at West Seattle's Bar-S fields on Mon., July 14.
Four pitchers combined comfortably in a 3-hit, 9-0, shut out of District 11 Burlington-Edison in a loser-out match up. Next up on the opponent list was District 9 Eastlake on Tues., July 15.
Starting left handed pitcher Konrad Gerhardt dazzled Burlington-Edison hitter for the first three innings, allowing only one hit while striking out six batters.

"I was fast and smooth while I mixed up my pitches, using my off speed pitches when I needed to," Gerhardt said.

Kenji Suzuki followed on the hill, giving up two hits while stranding runners on second and third in his fourth inning stint. Continuing the succession of successful West Seattle mound masters, Henry Muench set the side down in order in the fifth inning. Walker Nelson took the mound to record a scoreless sixth inning while allowing only a walk to preserve the whitewash.

Kelly Jackson who was rescued from an unsuccessful climb of Mt. Rainer is the host of a fundraiser at West 5 in the West Seattle Junction on Wednesday from 6 to 9pm. To add some sparkle to the event he will be joined by the West Seattle's own Jim Whittaker, who rose to fame, literally as the first American to climb Mt. Everest.

Whittaker will be on hand to sign books and posters, the proceeds will to go to Kelly Jackson’s effort to raise money for improved communications equipment for Mount Rainier National Park’s climbing rangers.

West 5 Restaurant and Lounge is located 4539 California Ave. S.W. A raffle of outdoor equipment (including a Rainier Beer mountain bike) and sales of beer and food will go toward the fundraiser as well. There are reports that the Wild Rainier beers will be roaming the junction around that time as well.

information from King County

Jailed King County Sheriff’s deputy Darrion Holiwell was fired by Sheriff John Urquhart today.

Holiwell was arrested June 19, 2014 and subsequently charged with three felonies, including Promoting Prostitution, Theft, and drug dealing. He remains in the King County Jail in lieu of $150,000 bail.

“Darrion Holiwell violated his oath, the trust of his fellow deputies, and the trust of the citizens of King County”, said Sheriff Urquhart. “He does not deserve to be a police officer,” Urquhart added.

Holiwell has been on Administrative Leave since the investigation into his activities began in late April.

According to Sheriff Urquhart, the criminal investigation is continuing, both inside and outside the Sheriff's Office. Additional charges are possible, both for Holiwell and others. A parallel administrative investigation is on-going and involves several members of the Sheriff's Office.

“We’re gonna need a bigger boat,” is what patrons might scream upon seeing the enormous behemoth burrito beached on a tray before them at El Camion in Ballard (6416 15th Ave N.W.).

Order any one of their epic burritos and you might find yourself yelling gibberish to a seasoned Irish fishermen named Quint that you’ve been cast out to sea, cut adrift in a sinking ship with a relentless giant fin incessantly circling your bewildered confidence.

The mass of meat, bean, pico, and rice might be named the Hispanic Ahab’s “Gran ballena blanca,” deluging with red sauce after a good harpooning from Queequeg. Some Seattle circles swear it’s the culinary manifestation of the true ultra-violence that drove Captain Nemo to despair and madness. Fear and Loathing knows no bounds at 20 thousand leagues below the surface of hunger where the Great Burrito Monster resides. Be weary, reader, if you yell “shark," waiting in the line that flows out the door on a Monday afternoon, there will be panic...and this time, Mr. Hooper will not emerge to the surface to help paddle the jetsam of your ego back to shore after the thrashing.

Seattle Mayor Ed Murray today announced Cuc Vu as his choice to lead the City’s Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA).

“I hope to establish Seattle as a leader in immigrant and refugee integration and create an environment that welcomes the participation and engagement of immigrants and refugees in all areas of Seattle,” said Murray. “Cuc is the perfect choice to lead the office, as her experience on immigrant and refugee issues is bolstered by her passion for equity and equality, working for two decades on some of the most important civil rights issues of our time, including the rights of workers, women and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.”

“I am honored and truly excited to join Mayor Murray and his team at City Hall, the most diverse cabinet I have ever seen in City government. I share the Mayor’s vision for immigrant and refugee integration in Seattle and commit to achieving real progress and equity for Seattle’s immigrant and refugee communities,” said Vu.

Storage lock snipped, bikes taken

On June 26 Seattle Police officers responded to a burglary at a business on the 1400 block of Northwest 57th Street. A storage facility manager told officers that a storage shed containing two bikes had been broken into, and the bikes were taken. The lock on the door had been cut. Officers contacted the bike owners but the owner could not provide registration information for the bikes. The cut lock was exposed to the rain and officers could not recover any fingerprints.

Garden hose and baseball bat: Round #2

On June 26 there was a response to an incident that Ballard News-Tribune reported in last week’s police report. In that report there was an incident where residents tried to tell a crowd outside their home to keep the noise down. The throng became agitated. The residents sprayed the group with a hose and defended themselves with a baseball bat as a few suspects damaged their fence and physically assaulting one of them. No suspects were arrested, but as the assailants fled they said they would back to rob or assault the victims.