September 2014

Raise your glass to wildlife conservation! Join Woodland Park Zoo for the fourth annual after-hours, adults-only Brew at the Zoo beer-tasting event on Thursday, October 2. Head to the zoo’s Rain Forest Food Pavilion and Zoomazium to sample imports, domestics, microbrews and ciders from a host of breweries.

Additional tastings and concessions from Lancer Catering will be available for purchase at the event. The evening includes live music, animal encounters, fundraising games and an opportunity to enjoy the zoo’s award-winning Jaguar Cove and Humboldt penguin exhibits. Proceeds from this event benefit the zoo’s operations, conservation initiatives locally and around the world, animal care and education programs.

Brew at the Zoo VIP tickets offer VIP guests a buffet of pub fare, a souvenir tasting glass, exclusive tasting opportunities, a complimentary zoo ticket for a future visit, and an assortment of goodies.

by Pat Cashman

Walking home from school one day, I saw the sign posted prominently on the door of a saloon called “The Palace.” It read: NO MINORS ALLOWED!

I remember feeling a sense of outrage. Why, I wondered, would hard-working guys---who daily risk their lives deep below the earth---be so singularly ostracized? Shouldn’t the person who misspelled miner be the one not allowed?
The fact is signs have always confused me---raising more questions than they answer.

Like STOP for example. Why? Maybe fewer drivers would comply if they had an explanation.

Some signs are just fine. WELCOME for example. Hard to have a problem with that one. Especially a sign that reads: WELCOME MINORS AND MINERS!

Others are placed simply to announce and identify a place:
ENTERING WEST SEATTLE.
LEAVING DES MOINES.
EXPERIENCING BURIEN.

Certainly those warning signs that let you know what’s coming are helpful:

CURVES. SHARP TURN. SUDDEN PLUMMET.

But many signs are noteworthy for other reasons---from where they are placed, to their spelling, to their content. Keep an eye out and you’ll start seeing them everywhere:

Family-friendly, FREE, and full of surprises, the Sustainable Ballard Festival is celebrating its 11th year!

Come sample Ballard craft brews and delicious bites, win prizes, catch live music on the solar-powered main stage, watch cooking demonstrations, test ride a cargo bike, make your own green cleaning product, and meet farm animals!

Reuse and Recycling is a dominant theme this year, with trash fashion, car-seat recycling, a kids bike and pet parade (we supply the re-purposed frippery), a local coffee cup campaign, and more. Some all-time favorite exhibits will be back, plus more new activities, workshops, and hands-on games than ever before. With more than 75 exhibits, the Sustainable Ballard Festival is a fantastically fun opportunity to learn together, get inspired, and discover new ways to live more lightly on the earth.

*WHERE:* Ballard Commons Park; 5501 - 22nd Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107
*COST:* Free
*WHEN:* Sunday, Sep. 28, 11:00am – 6:00pm

CONTACT: Jenny Heins: jenny@sustainableballard.org

The public outcry against development has led some opponents to espouse that the density issue is related to Ballard’s stormwater/sewage overflow problem.

Citizens at public meetings have said Ballard’s sensitive sewer infrastructure can’t handle more pressure from an increase in volume. Commenters on the Ballard News-Tribune website have directly noted that sewage will back up in the streets as more and more lots are subdivided and as population increases.

Indeed, Ballard development has already exceeded its target goal of development for 2024 by 317 percent.

It’s true that there are overflows when there is more than one tenth of an inch of rain. So, as Ballard grows in density of population, will the sensitive sewer lines overflow and flood the streets with poo?

The Ballard News-Tribune felt it was time to clear the air.
Susan Stoltzfus, spokesperson for Seattle Public Utilities says that the sewer line capacity is not the issue, but rather, that the issue is stormwater.

Seattle Mayor Ed Murray’s ‘Find It, Fix It’ Community Walk, focused on several crime hotspots, makes its way to Seattle’s International District on Thursday, Sept. 11. This is the seventh walk hosted by the mayor in neighborhoods around the city.

At the events, community residents, police, and city officials walk together to identify physical disorder and solve it. As a result of these walks, Seattle City Light, the Seattle Department of Transportation, the Department of Planning and Development, and Seattle Public Utilities have worked – and continue to work – to make improvements in Seattle’s neighborhoods. Watch videos, view photos and read actions taken as a result of these walks at: http://murray.seattle.gov/finditfixit

International District Find It, Fix It Community Walk:
Thursday, Sept. 11, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
S. King St. and Maynard Ave. S.
Meet at Hing Hay Park (Map)

6:00 – 6:15 p.m.
Short program featuring Mayor Ed Murray, City Councilmember Bruce Harrell, Seattle Chief of Police Kathleen O’Toole, and department representatives.

6:15 – 7:30 p.m.
Walk commences along the following route:
· West on S. King St.
· North on 5th Ave. S.

Information provided by Sightline

A new report from Seattle-based think tank Sightline Institute finds that new coal, oil, and gas shipments planned for the Pacific Northwest would carry more carbon annually than five Keystone XLs.

The report’s author, Sightline policy director Eric de Place, calculates the carbon in active proposals across Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia including four new coal terminals, three expansions of existing terminals, two new oil pipelines, eleven oil-by-rail facilities, and six new natural gas pipelines. Together, they would convey 822 million metric tons per year (mmta) of CO2 emissions—compared with Keystone XL’s roughly 149 mmta of CO2.

“If Keystone XL is ‘game over for the climate,’ Northwest coal, oil, and gas exports are like the game never even started,” de Place says. “We’re only talking about new capacity, on top of what’s already here, and we’re not counting all the carbon emitted from extracting, processing, or moving these fuels to market. In short, the Northwest is ground zero in the climate fight.”

The Dick's Drive-In Change For Charity culminated September 7th with participants and customers raising over $1,000 for Dick's Change For Charity Partners including Mary’s Place, First Place School, FareStart, ROOTS Young Adult Shelter, The Compass Center, Operation Nightwatch, St. Martin de Porres Shelter, and Cocoon House, all of which will be matched by Dick's Drive-In bringing the total raised by the event to over $2,000

In its 4th year, the event continues to double in size every year, with 19 participants covering 22 miles over the course of over 10 hours (with food breaks along the way!)

A huge thank you to the Dick's Drive-In Organization, the Spady family for continuing to be huge supporters of the event, and to everyone else who donated, helped to spread the word, or met us along the way.

Seattle water lovers, mark your calendars! West Marine’s newest location boasts 11,000 square feet of nautical necessities, as well as great apparel and accessories. On Sept. 12-14, West Marine Seattle is hosting three days of free product demos, a parking lot boat show, special deals on water gear, raffles, giveaways and more. You’ll have special access to experts who can help boaters, sailors and paddlesports enthusiasts make the most of their time on the water. PLUS: Information all boaters need to comply with Washington’s new Clean Boating regulations.

The opening will be held Friday, Sept. 12 - Sunday, Sept. 14. Grand Opening Hours: Friday and Saturday: 8 a.m. – 8 p.m., Sunday: 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. at the West Marine Seattle – The new Seattle store is at 1827 15th Ave W Ste A22 Seattle, WA 98119, between Fishermen's Terminal and Elliott Bay Marina

Highlights:
· Learn About Clean Boating - NMTA and the Clean Boating foundation will be onsite to discuss regulatory changes and how they will impact boaters, plus CSR will be demonstrating the application of copper free bottom paint

After an August break, Central Ballard Residents Assoc. is meeting this Thursday, 9/11 at 7:00p in the Ballard Swedish Hospital cafeteria conferenceroom (straight in from the main entrance on Tallman Ave. through the cafeteria).

David Folweiler, President of Groundswell NW, will come and talk about
his organization. Visit their website. http://www.groundswellnw.org/

Then Jonathan Williams and a friend from Seattle Department of
Transportation will come and talk about the proposed new parking
planned for downtown Ballard. This proposal includes installing a lot
more parking meters south of Market. Questions will be answered and
concerns acknowledged.

Finally, elections are coming up for two out of four CBRA positions. The
two open positions are President and Secretary. You will be able to
self-nominate. The process will be presented at this September meeting, with voting at the October meeting. All are welcome to attend these informative monthly meetings.

The City of Des Moines is looking for individuals to serve on the 2015 Des Moines Ad Hoc Parks, Recreation and Senior Services Master Plan Citizen Advisory Committee.

Public involvement is required and is a key element for the success of the Master Planning process. The Advisory Committee will be appointed by the Mayor and City Council and will have diverse membership from the City’s citizen committees and commissions, neighborhoods, recreation special interests and user groups, school districts and Highline College so that all citizens are represented and help inform the work.

The Committee will work with staff to host a series of community and user group workshops beginning in 2015. The Committee will gain knowledge related to the City’s demographic data, park and facility site conditions, participate in visioning activities, and review public feedback regarding recreation needs for the purpose of making recommendations for the 2015 Master Plan (encompassing the years 2016-2021).