July 2015

Contractor employee threatens theft before $2,900 in tools taken

A Ballard man is missing $2,900 in power tools after a burglary occurred at his home on the 100 block of Third Avenue NW on July 5. The man came home to find his front door unlocked. He thought this was suspicious because he always locks his doors. He looked around the house and noticed a back window was opened. The screen was outside with a rock placed on top of it. Nothing was taken from the house. In the garage he found many of his tools were missing. He told police that two different contractors worked on his home in the weeks prior to the burglary. According to the complainant, on one occasion he asked an employee of the contracting company to take some of the wood scraps and debris away. The pile was building up in front of his garage. The employ pointed to the tools in the garage and said in a sarcastic manner, “If some of those disappeared.” The complainant suspects that the employee had something to do with the missing tools. Police dusted for fingerprints amid the sawdust in the garage but were unable to recover any.

SeafoodFest set off to a cool start last Saturday July 11 with temperatures hanging in the mid 70s under an overcast sky. Despite the lack of sun, crowds showed up in shoals to celebrate the bounty of the sea, music and lots of fun. Indeed, some festers said the cloud coverage was a much-needed reprieve from the heat amid a statewide drought experienced the last few weeks. Some festers even experienced a few drops of much needed rain.

Stuck in the middle of alder smoked salmon smokers, live music at the KEXP sponsored music stage, buskers, beer gardens and countless vendors, the Ballard News Tribune managed to snap a few shots of the fun. We our readers had as much fun as we did.

information from Delridge Grocery Co-op

The Delridge Grocery Cooperative will launch a ten-week summer farmstand this Thursday, July 16th. The farmstand will feature local, sustainably-grown fruits and vegetables in a festive setting from 4:00 to 7:00 pm on Thursdays for the rest of the summer. This year (its second), the farmstand will have a new location in the parking lot of the Super 24 Food Store, at 5455 Delridge Way SW, thanks to the generosity of the Singh brothers who own the Super 24. The Little Red Hen Project has partnered with the Delridge Grocery to co-sponsor the farmstand.

Along with produce, shoppers will enjoy music from local musicians including Squirrel Butter, WB Reid & Bonnie Zahnow, Tim Wetmiller + friends, and Thaddeus Spae. The farmstand will also offer cooking demonstrations, kids’ activities, community organization tables, and possibly prepared food (organizers are still looking for a food truck to vend at the farmstand, food trucks should feel welcome to get in contact if interested!).

West Seattle High School Class of 1970 45th Reunion
Alki Shelter #1
62nd Ave. SW/Alki Ave., on the grass
Sat., July 18, Noon-4 p.m. Potluck, bring something to share. Paper products supplied. Also bring beverages, and chairs or blankets. Classmates, come have fun in the sun. Pass the word.

7th Annual White Center Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast
Holy Family School
9615 20th Ave. SW
Sun., July 19, 7:30-1 p.m. $7/person at door; $5/person pre-sale or coupon; youth under 5 are free with paid adult. Pre-sale tickets through any White Center Kiwanis Member or Bill Tracy: 206.248.2441. Raffle tickets at the door (6 tickets for $5 or $1 for one) for baskets full of goodies, including Seattle sports team memorabilia. Raffle drawing at 12:30 p.m., not necessary to be present. Kiwanis is supporting local non-profits who focus on families & youth; West Side Baby, White Center Food Bank and Southwest Boys & Girls Club.

27th Season ‘Shakespeare in The Park’
High Point Commons Park
6400 Sylvan Way SW
Fri., July 17, 7 p.m.: Macbeth
Sat., July 25, 7 p.m.: Much Ado About Nothing

By Pat Cashman

Last I knew, Ralph was still living in his parent’s basement---weak, wan and wary.

It began when we were students in the 7th grade. Ralph was a classmate of mine back in the days when parents still occasionally named a kid Ralph---back before the word had become a slang synonym for regurgitation.

Our science teacher that day had just said something so startling, that Ralph looked up in alarm from the spit-wad he’d been carefully crafting at his desk. He stared transfixed at the teacher---Mr. Rood. (Presciently, we called him Mr. Rood the Science Dude.)

“In 1908, an asteroid crashed into Siberia,” said Mr. Rood. “It wiped out hundreds of miles of forest land---and if there were any humans around, they would have been toast.”

Ralph gulped hard as the teacher narrowed his eyes and looked straight at him. “And when I say toast, Ralph---I don’t mean French or Melba.”

The July 15 meeting of the Morgan Community Association is jam packed with everything from a wrap up of the community festival to a visit from the City Council District 1 candidates.

Meeting Agenda
7:00-9:00pm


Welcome and Introductions - Deb Barker

7:25 MoCA Minute Updates

• 35th Ave SW Safety Design meeting July 16 at ** Library
• MoCA in the Hi-Yu Parade - July 18
• Morgan Bike Rack update
• Nazarene Church Rezone Update
• 2015 Morgan Junction Festival Wrap-up

7:30 Old Business

• Murray CSO Briefing Doug Marsano
- Morgan cut-through traffic study Cindi Barker
• Morgan Junction Business Mixer Eldon Olson
• NPSF Morgan Junction Sidewalk Improvement Grant Howard Wu
• Nazarene Church Comprehensive Plan Amendment status Deb

8:10 New Business

• SW Precinct Focus Group Interest Jennifer Burbridge
• KAWS (Kulture and Arts on the West Side) Endorsement Request Judy Pigott

information from West Seattle Grand Parade

On Saturday July 18th the 84th annual West Seattle Grand Parade (www.thewestseattleparade.com) will step off on California Ave SW at SW Lander St at 11:00 AM headed south to SW Edmunds St. Enjoy the many colorful floats, marching bands, princess candidates, vehicles, horses, clowns and civic groups participating from the Greater Seattle area.

The Kiddie Parade starts at the same time on California Ave SW at SW Genesee St traveling 3 blocks south to the end of the parade route; parents may sign up their children at the booth at California and Genesee anytime after 9:30 AM. Strollers, bicycles, wagons and costumes are welcome.

Local radio personality, Marty Riemer, will be the announcer for the parade as he was last year.

The Float Dodger 5K run down the parade route starts at 9:30 AM on California Ave SW near Hiawatha; the Seattle Police Motorcycle Drill Team starts down the parade route at 10:30 AM. At 2:00 PM parade entry winners will receive their awards in a ceremony at the West Seattle Veterans Hall, 3618 SW Alaska St.

information from SDOT

Crews working for the Seattle Department of Transportation have completed constructing signal and safety improvements at the five-leg intersection of 47th Avenue Southwest, Southwest Admiral Way and Southwest Waite Street for people walking, biking and driving. Construction began in early March and finished this week.

To celebrate the project’s completion and the community’s involvement over the years, SDOT and the Admiral Neighborhood Association will host a short completion celebration event on Tuesday, July 14 at 6:30 p.m. in front of Alki Mail & Dispatch. To commemorate the project’s completion, the Admiral Neighborhood Association commissioned artist Peregrine Church to design a sidewalk stencil for two of the intersection corners. This type of artwork only appears when exposed to water and the artist will unveil one of the stencils at the celebration. Please see the attached invitation for more details.

The 47th/Admiral Signal Project included the following improvements:
· Installing a new traffic signal and detection equipment

· Adding four additional striped crosswalks

Thursday night, around 6 p.m., a man was shot twice outside of the L.A. Fitness near Southcenter following an argument in the parking lot. Witnesses claim the victim was arguing with another man in a black sedan before the shots were fired. The victim is currently being cared for at Harborview Medical Center.

As KIRO 7 is reporting the Tukwila shooting last night is one of three that have occurred in King County within 7 hours of each other. The other two were a drive-by shooting in Kent outside of the Home Depot and a gunshot victim who called police from Rainier Beach.

More details to come as information becomes available.