November 2015

Ballard is old. It used to be its own city, and the history is rich. But things are changing. Structures that make up Old Ballard are being torn down as new development moves in. Walking the streetscapes one cannot wonder what came before this new jungle of gentrification. Cranes, hipsters, apodments and traffic congestion are the symptoms of a population boom and a sign of a new era.

Finding out what has come before the present and what remains from the past helps shape how society grows, and the Ballard Historical Society launched a project last Nov. 12 that does just that.

“Mapping Historic Ballard: Shingletown to Tomorrow” is a project that will develop an original Historic Resource Inventory and turn it into a dynamic, “living” interactive map. The Ballard Historical Society received a Department of Neighborhoods Small & Simple grant to launch the project.

The official Land Use Application has been filed with Seattle's DPD to allow two, 4-story structures, to be built at 6058 35th SW, one containing 61 residential units above 5,533 sq. ft. of commercial space and one containing 41 residential units above 4,612 sq. ft. of commercial space. Parking for 109 vehicles would be provided in a below grade garage.

Dubbed Upton Flats the project has been in process for sometime after the soil was remediated in 2010. It is project number 3020272 .

The following approvals are required:

Design Review

SEPA Environmental Determination (This project is subject to the Optional DNS Process (WAC 197-11-355) and Early DNS Process (SMC 25.05.355). This comment period may be the only opportunity to comment on the environmental impacts of this proposal.)

You can comment on the application here:
http://web6.seattle.gov/DPD/LUIB/CommentEmail.aspx?BID=1086&NID=20973&P…

Starting this afternoon and for the following two days South Seattle College's Northwest Wine Academy will celebrate it's fall release of wines. The celebration is set for November 19 – 21 from 2 PM – 7 PM each day.

Friday night’s tastings will be highlighted by more than 10 NWWA Alums who will be pouring their own wine from 5-7 p.m., alongside current students’ fall collection.

You''l find the Northwest Wine Academy, at the north end of campus.

New wines in this season’s release include Chardonnay Reserve (2014), Chardonnay (2014), Viognier (2014), Cabernet Sauvignon (2013), Merlot (2013), Reserve Red – Malbec/Petit Verdot (2013), and a Nouveu (2015).

All grapes for the NWWA student-produced wine was donated and locally grown in Washington state.

Throughout the fall release celebration, light appetizers produced by South’s Culinary and Pastry Departments will be paired with NWWA’s wine.

Santa Claus will be at Westwood Village at 2600 SW Barton Street starting on Nov. 25 (not there on Thanksgiving.. he has a family too), and there on the following days and times:

Nov. 25 through Dec. 17 Monday through Friday 12pm to 8pm (break 3pm to 4pm)
Nov. 28, Dec. 5, Dec. 12 (Saturdays) 10am to 8pm (break 3pm to 4pm)

Nov. 29, Dec. 6 (Sundays) 12pm - 6pm (break 3pm to 4pm)
Dec. 13, Dec. 20 (Sundays) 10 am to 7pm (break 2:30pm to 3:30pm)

Dec. 18, Dec, 23 (Friday and Wednesday) 10am - 8pm (break 3pm to 4pm)
Dec. 24 (Thursday) 10am to 5pm (break 1pm to 2pm

Pecos Pit Bar-B-Que™ said in a press release that their plans for opening at the corner of 35th Ave SW and Fauntleroy Way SW in the former Yasuko’s Teriyaki location, across from Taco Time will now happen next Spring.

See our previous coverage on Pecos here.

The West Seattle location will feature indoor seating, and an outdoor deck as well as a drive through. The new Pecos locations will serve the same famous Pecos Pit BBQ found on 1st avenue for decades

Pecos Pit traces their roots to 1980 when Ron & Debra Wise opened Pecos Pit Bar-B-Que™ in Seattle, WA on 1st Avenue South where it has operated for the past 33 years. That location, even with limited hours weekdays, has developed a cult like following with long lines forming before lunch every weekday. Now they have teamed up with Salty's on Alki owners Gerry and Kathryn Kingen to take the name and flavors to a wider audience.

The West Seattle Garden Tour provides an opportunity for local artists to showcase their original artwork on marketing materials, including the cover of the WSGT ticket book and promotional poster. The winning artist also receives a $500 cash award.

Winning and honorable mention artworks will be featured during the June 2016 West Seattle Art Walk.

Please accept this invitation to submit your original artwork to the annual WSGT Poster Competition. Submission rules and entry form are available on our website: http://westseattlegardentour.org

The West Seattle Garden Tour (WSGT) is one of the premier garden tours in the Northwest, as well as a fundraiser for local non-profits promoting horticulture, education or the arts. We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organized by a group of dedicated volunteers. Since its inception in 1995, the WSGT has donated nearly a half million dollars to local beneficiaries.

King County Sheriff John Urquhart sent an email today to all deputies asking them to carry their weapons while off duty. “Of course we should all stay vigilant and ‘if you see something say something,’ but after Paris, that doesn’t seem enough,” said Sheriff John Urquhart. “While off duty I am asking all commissioned personnel to always carry their sidearm, with extra magazines.”

In the email Sheriff Urquhart also told his deputies that the FBI has not received any specific, credible information of any imminent attacks to this country. “I believe the bigger threat to the greater Seattle area is a home-grown terrorist who decides to act unilaterally in support of ISIL,” Urquhart said.

Sheriff Urquhart ended the email to his deputies saying, “Now is the time! With all that is going on in the world, it is more important than ever to have the means to protect your family, the public, and yourself.”

Email from Sheriff Urquhart to deputies 11/17/15 1249pm

"First the update:

By Amanda Knox

Accumulated experience has taught me to curate my thoughts, be mindful of when and how to share them, at least with strangers. It’s unfortunate and unfair when your words are purposefully taken out of context and used against you. When I was little, though—in elementary school, say—I was never shy with anyone. Hello, you’re pretty! No, I don’t want your half-eaten donut, gross. Yes, I wanna play! Race you! Um...your hair looks weird.

“Be nice!” Mom would shush, seeing as I had just addressed her hairstylist.
“But it’s the truth!”

In a world where so much was unknown to me, how could I not be affirmative of what I did know—what was true to me? “You’re allowed little white lies,” Mom advised, “so you don’t hurt people’s feelings.” But I couldn’t make sense of that. It unnerved me to say anything that didn’t accurately reflect reality as I knew it. At all times. Especially if you asked.

By Pash Cashman

While emceeing a fundraising event the other night, I thought back twenty years ago to another time I had hosted the same event---and recalled saxophonist Kenny G and the night I tried to impersonate him. More on that shortly.

Note his last name is G with no period after. President Harry Truman had S for a middle name. That’s all, just S. It didn’t stand for anything, so some people write it with no period ---an interesting bit of trivia perhaps, but only if you’ve got nothing better to think about.

The G in Kenny G’s name does stand for something: his actual last name, Gorelick. He grew up in Seattle, went to Franklin High School---and ultimately became a huge music star. Sounds simple, doesn’t it?

Kenny G has sold more albums than Pearl Jam and me combined.

He’s even bigger in China. Some say this is because in a country that seems to frown on sex---a word like sax is the next best thing.

Entering its second winter season, regional non-profit Nordic ski program Momentum Northwest is breathing new life into the sport’s local community.

Momentum Northwest utilizes a group of experienced volunteer coaches led by program director and head coach Sam Naney to foster ethics of individual accountability, goal-setting and stewardship in young athletes ranging in age from six to 18.

“The beauty of Nordic or cross-country skiing lies in how it challenges us as individuals,” says Naney, a former Dartmouth ski team captain and retired professional racer. “Our goal from the beginning has been to instill in our skiers not only a sense of competition with their racing efforts, but also a recognition of the value in taking care of our local outdoor venues and appreciating what’s available to us.”

Skiers in the program regularly combine long trail runs at regional locations such as Tiger Mountain with trash pick-ups, and several times each year they conduct multi-hour trail work sessions alongside groups such as the Washington Trails Association.