January 2017

What caused the power outage last Monday that affected over 22,000 people in Fremont, Queen Anne and Ballard?

Seattle City Light Engineering and Technology Innovation Officer, Sephir Hamilton, reported today on twitter that a failed “cable terminator” was the source of the failure.

SCL made the announcement in response to public inquiries on social media about the causes of the outage. A popular question was if a squirrel had caused the failure.

The Ballard News-Tribune asked SCL this question directly.

“No, a squirrel did not cause the outage,” said Scott Thomsen, Public Affairs Officer for Seattle City Light.

“We are not certain of the cause yet, but we are continuing to look at all the parts to see what we can determine.”

Hamilton explained on twitter that cable terminators move power from underground wires to wires on the surface, which eventually feed homes and other surface infrastructure.

SCL would not reported where exactly the failed cable terminator was located in North Seattle but that it was in the “general vicinity of the neighborhoods affected.”

By Peggy Sturdivant

Madison Thomas thought she wanted to go into medicine. Then she got a taste of government as a page for then-State Senator Jeanne Kohl-Welles and realized, instead of one patient at a time, she could help masses through legislation. Now she’s in truly in charge of organizing the masses, as college engagement coordinator for the January 21, 2017 Women’s March on Washington.

Thomas considers herself a citizen of two cities; her hometown of Seattle (Ballard), and her Georgetown University college town of Washington, D.C. Like many she watched the presidential election returns in shock, but unlike most she was shortly fielding thousands of phone calls as an intern in Senator Patty Murray’s D.C. office. “Citizens were worried about the future of the United States. ‘What do I do?’ they kept asking?’ I didn’t have an answer.”

Sex. No other word like it captures the entire breadth of human experience from procreation to pleasure. In many circles it is a means to an end, to some an act of pleasure, however, to others it provides a platform for experimentation and expression. But just how far can experimentation go before it brushes up on taboo, and how does taboo sit in a community?

That’s just the case in Ballard as the Center for Sex Positive Culture moves into a warehouse near the Ballard Bridge. The new arrival to Ballard has some longtime neighboring business owners frustrated.

Dick and Kathleen Waller have owned and operated United Electric Motors in Ballard for the last 15 years. The Center for Sex Positive Culture (CSPC) has reported on their website that they are moving to at 1514 N.W. 46th St., which is next door to the Waller’s business. The space is around 9,500 square feet and was listed for around $1.10 a square foot a month.

information from City of Seattle

Seattle Department of Neighborhoods’ popular Neighborhood Matching Fund (NMF) offers new funding opportunities for community members in 2017. The program features added flexibility, a simpler application, and faster review and award processing. Its two funds – the Small Sparks Fund and the new Community Partnership Fund – continue to support community projects that build stronger neighborhoods and communities such as park improvements, public art, community gardens, cultural festivals, community organizing and so much more. For 2017, the NMF Program has more than $3 million dollars to award to community projects!

The Community Partnership Fund combines two former funds into one. It provides funding up to $100,000 with three opportunities to apply. Applicants will also receive decisions on their funding requests within eight weeks. The deadlines for the Community Partnership Fund are March 27, June 26, and September 25 by 5 p.m.

By Sarah Cecil

As we get older, the end of another year takes on greater meaning, in many ways, than it did when we were young. And if you’re a certain age, December 31 has a very specific meaning in terms of your finances, because it’s the deadline for withdrawing money from some of your retirement plans. What should you know about these withdrawals? And how much control over them do you have?

Here’s the picture, in a nutshell: Once you turn 70½, you generally need to start taking withdrawals – the technical term is “required minimum distributions,” or RMDs – from your traditional IRA and your 401(k) or similar plan, such as a 403(b) plan (for employees of pubic schools, religious institutions and other tax-exempt organizations) or 457(b) plan (for employees of state and local governments and governmental agencies). After the first year in which you take these RMDs, you must take them by the end of each year thereafter.

By Katy G. Wilkens

One of my favorite veggies in my winter garden is leeks. I hardly notice them during the summer, but at this time of year they shine a wonderful soft green and white with their ladder-like leaves growing up the stems. Like a giant green onion, leeks somehow manage to make it through most winters. You can pull the fleshy, thick stems out of the ground until it’s freezing outside.

Leeks are high in vitamin C, vitamin A and folate, and their flavor is different enough from onions to make them a welcome addition to the vegetable palate of winter. I use winter leeks instead of onion in recipes that call for green onion, and often instead of white or yellow onion.

With leeks, use the bottom half to two-thirds. Reserve the upper, tougher dark green leaves for making low-sodium broth. For this, add the leek leaves, mushrooms, leftover chicken, bay leaf and black peppercorns to a pot of water, and simmer for an hour. Strain and freeze or use in soup right away.

Bloodworks Northwest (formerly Puget Sound Blood Center) issued an urgent appeal for healthy donors today as blood supplies remain at critical levels (less than one day supply) with the flu season, hospitals-at-capacity and weather all taking a heavy toll.

“Blood donations in the first two weeks of 2017 fell far below normal, with collections at 1,500 units below what patients need,” said James P. AuBuchon, MD, president and CEO. “With regular donors down with the flu or colds, we need others to step forward to help fill this emergency need.”

“All blood types are needed. If you are healthy and haven’t donated recently, or if you are a first time donor, we need you now,” he said.

A four day blood supply is normal. A one day supply means there is a risk that all patient needs cannot be met. Most donated blood is used for patients having surgery, cancer treatment or organ transplants.

“We’re doing our best to ensure that every patient who needs blood receives it, but we can’t do it alone” AuBuchon said. “We need more donors: they’re the ones who make lifesaving transfusions possible.”

BNT Staff

Shoplifter admits to having stolen car as well

Police were dispatched to N.W. 45th Street to investigate a theft at 10:40 a.m. on Wed., Jan. 11. The suspect was in custody. The complainant, a lost prevention employee, saw a woman take four jackets, a coin purse and a package of diapers, worth about $220 in total. He stopped her when she tried to leave the store without paying. She told him that she had driven to the store in a stolen vehicle and threatened to spit on the man. The suspect was placed under arrest for auto theft and having a warrant. The woman told police that she wanted to go to the hospital, because she thought she had MRSA. She declined treatment by the Fire Department and was sent to the hospital. The stolen vehicle was left at the scene to be picked up by the owner.

Couple assaulted while walking in the park

A clerk at the 7/11 store at 1600 SW Holden suffered injuries after a shot gun was fired through the front door of the store in the clerk's attempt to stop a potential robbery.

Police responded to the scene at 2:42 am and found the injured clerk and saw that the door had been shot out. The clerk's injuries were not life threatening but he was taken to the hospital to be checked out.

A K-9 unit was dispatched but produced no results. The suspect was described as being approximately 6 feet tall, of unknown race, with a thin build, he was wearing a red mask, black coat, black shirt, and gloves,

The suspect is still at large.

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

High schools
Boys basketball
West Seattle hosts Ballard for an 8:30 p.m. game Friday as Chief Sealth goes on the road -- and ferry -- to Bainbridge, then at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday the Seahawks go to Seattle Prep and the Wildcats to Roosevelt.
Kennedy Catholic goes to Kent-Meridian for a 7:15 p.m. game Friday as Mount Rainier travels to Hazen. The Lancers host Kentlake at the same time Tuesday as Mount Rainier goes to Tahoma.
Evergreen, meanwhile, goes to Mount Rainier for a 7 p.m. non-league game Wednesday and hosts Lindbergh at the same time Friday as Foster visits Foss,
Tuesday Foster is at Franklin Pierce and Evergreen at Fife, also at 7 p.m.
Tyee has a 7 p.m. home game against Steilacoom scheduled for Friday as Highline hits the road to River Ridge. Highline travels to Steilacoom on Tuesday and Tyee goes to Eatonville.
Seattle Christian gets a 7 p.m. visit from Bear Creek on Wednesday and Seattle Lutheran goes to Charles Wright at the same time Thursday. The Warriors visit Cascade Christian on Friday.

Girls basketball