November 2015

by Pat Cashman

I was ushered into the manager’s office quickly. The round conference table was absent of anything except a single box of Kleenex. I assumed it was there to dab potential tears. Or blood.

My firing happened quickly after a preamble about how much they liked working with me, how painful it was to let me go---and how well I was taking the news.

As I rose to leave, the manager offered one final thought. “Let me tell you something,” he said. “I got let go from a job a few years ago too---and it was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

He may have meant well, but I was glad I didn’t have a concealed weapon. After all, getting fired can’t possibly be the best thing that could happen in someone’s life. I mean, is getting fired really better than a first kiss---getting married---the birth of your kids---or winning at pull-tabs?

By Peggy Sturdivant

My husband can’t hear birdsong anymore, but he can hear the sirens that are increasingly the soundtrack of Ballard life. His early years of working with heavy machinery damaged his hearing. What’s left for him is the Stellar Jay fighting off the crow, but not the Black-capped chickadee.

Growing up in a small fairly quiet town what used to strike me about cities was the sound of sirens from the streets below, night and day. I can still hear the birds in Ballard but Martin mostly hears sirens, float planes and leaf blowers.
.
So I’ve been thinking about density and increased noise as I scurry between planning meetings: 2016 Budget Committee at City Hall, project kick-off for Ballard Historical Society interactive mapping project, Sixth Annual Ballard Writers Collective on Friday the 13th. But with all my planning for this week and next year I haven’t made time for what should be the highest priority: planning for Seattle in 20 years.

It’s 2015, do you know about your Seattle 2035 Comprehensive Plan?

SEATTLE, Nov. 11, 2015--On Nov. 14 at 2 p.m., the Museum hosts an inspiring program with U.S. Air Force American Fighter Ace Brig. Gen. Steve Ritchie. One of the most highly decorated fighter pilots in American History, Gen. Ritchie is the only Air Force Ace since the Korean War, and the 8th most highly decorated living member of the United States military. Joining Gen. Ritchie for the program is his wife, Mariana Ritchie, who presents a powerful story about her experiences growing up in Communist-ruled Romania. Together, their unique perspectives offer a dynamic story about freedom that has inspired audiences everywhere they've spoken. The program is free with admission to the Museum.

The Ritchies will be available to sign copies of the book "Speaking of Flying," as well as any other items visitors wish to have signed.

For more about Brig. Gen. Steve Ritchie visit his Website.
Museum of Flight Media Releases

Access this and all other Museum of Flight news releases online at: www.museumofflight.org/press/archives

from the National Weather Service

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SEATTLE HAS ISSUED A WIND ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM THURSDAY TO 4 PM PST FRIDAY.

* TIMING...WINDS WILL INCREASE THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND BE AT ADVISORY LEVELS AT TIMES THROUGH FRIDAY.

* WINDS...SOUTHERLY WINDS 20 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH ARE LIKELY AT TIMES.

* IMPACTS...WINDS THIS STRONG CAN CAUSE TREES AND TREE BRANCHES TO FALL. LOCAL POWER OUTAGES ARE POSSIBLE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WIND ADVISORY MEANS THAT WINDS UP TO 35 MPH ARE EXPECTED. WINDS THIS STRONG CAN MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT...ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. USE EXTRA CAUTION.

By Amanda Knox

For those who are or have worked in the service industries, it can sometimes feel like you can tell who also serves or has served in the industry or not. There’s something about the tips, the eye contact, and they way they receive your service—with either compassionate patience or ruthless accountability.

Elizabeth Irwin’s My Mañana Comes introduces the all-too-real-life scenario of such servers. Behind the scenes of a fancy New York City restaurant, four busboys, Whalid (Joshua Chessin-Yudin), Peter (Tyler Trerise), Jorge (Santino Garcia), and Pepe (Chris Rodriguez) are comrades-in-arms on a common quest to make a decent living. And while they do, they can sympathize with and even envy each other’s drudgery and dreams. Whalid wants to move out of his parents’ house, Peter wants to provide for his family, Jorge is saving up for a house, and Pepe would like a better life.

More than 40 veterans were honored during a Veterans Day pinning ceremony at Providence Mt. St Vincent on Wednesday. Many of those honored are residents or volunteers there. They were each awarded a special pin and certificate honoring their military service to the nation.

These veterans served in WWII, Korea and Vietnam. The ceremony celebrated their service by describing what they did while in uniform and in some cases allowed them share some memories. One vet, 92-year-old Donald Hill, decoded Nazi messages off the cliffs of Dover and landed on Utah Beach in Normandy on D-Day shortly after the first troops landed. Hill continued to decode messages as he and his fellow soldiers made their way through France, Belgium and Germany. Hill and the other vets meet each week to discuss their memories of service. You can learn more about Providence Hospice of Seattle’s “We Honor Veteran’s” program, please see the videos and stories here:http://washington.providence.org/Washington/In%20Home%20Services/Hospic…

The 17th Avenue NW Greenway project is underway and the City has released an update on the construction progress. Construction started at the end of last summer and is scheduled to conclude in early 2016.

For more information visit: www.seattle.gov/transportation/BallardGreenway.htm

Construction and the weather
Please keep in mind that much of the construction associated with the greenway is weather dependent. Now that we are in the rainy season, the contractor may need to shift the construction schedule. Crews may do demolition, site preparation and sign installation when it’s raining. They will use dry days to pour concrete and asphalt and to install pavement markings.

NW 85th St and 17th Ave NW construction update
The final work to be done at this intersection includes pouring concrete and asphalt, both of which require dry days. Weather permitting crews may complete this work as early as mid-November. The south side of the intersection will then be reopened to through traffic.

NW 65th St and 17th Ave NW - Construction has begun

By Pat Cashman

I was ushered into the manager’s office quickly. The round conference table was absent of anything except a single box of Kleenex. I assumed it was there to dab potential tears. Or blood.

My firing happened quickly after a preamble about how much they liked working with me, how painful it was to let me go---and how well I was taking the news.

As I rose to leave, the manager offered one final thought. “Let me tell you something,” he said. “I got let go from a job a few years ago too---and it was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

He may have meant well, but I was glad I didn’t have a concealed weapon. After all, getting fired can’t possibly be the best thing that could happen in someone’s life. I mean, is getting fired really better than a first kiss---getting married---the birth of your kids---or winning at pull-tabs?

Jacob Kokko, 22, who was arrested by Seattle Police last week as a suspect in the string of arson fires in West Seattle was formally charged by King County Prosecutors yesterday with second-degree arson for allegedly setting fires Oct. 31 in garbage and recycling bins outside the Senior Center of West Seattle.

Kokko was also charged with second-degree reckless burning, in which charging documents say he set a fire on Oct. 31 near a building only a block away from the WestSeattle Senior Center.

He was also charged with third-degree malicious mischief for allegedly damaging a trash can in an Oct. 12 fire and is now being held with his bail set at $300,000

While over a three week period in October eight fires were set, Kokko has only been charged with three. Seattle police continue to investigate the other five.

Kokko is to be arraigned Nov. 23.

The kick-off party for the project, Mapping Historic Ballard: Shingletown to Tomorrow, is Thursday, November 12th at 6:30 p.m. at Ballard Homestead at 6541 Jones Avenue NW.

The Ballard Historical Society received a Department of Neighborhood Small & Simple to develop an original Historic Resource Inventory and turn it into a dynamic interactive map. They invite you join the party on November 12 to enjoy doughnuts and cider, hear live music hear and meet the project team.

Project Manager and architect Davidya Kasperzyk is a longtime Ballardite, most recently Design Manager of the SR 520 Corridor Project. Connie Walker Gray of Confluence Environmental Company is an Architectural Historian. The GIS Consultant Matt Stevenson of Core GIS, another local, is excited to be working on a project “so close to home” that helps Ballard’s history to inform its future. Steering Committee members include architect Bill Singer of Environmental WORKS and third generation Ballardite Caelen Ball of The Urbanist.