“I’ve lost control,” I said to Martin in the face of gusting winds and crowds swarming the doors.
He rightly replied, “You never had control.”

It has been almost three weeks since the occasion of Bertha Davis’ 97th birthday was used to launch the Ballard Historical Society and Bring Back the Bell steering committee’s effort to complete the Centennial Bell Tower project but my ears are still ringing.

It’s not that the bell when specially rung by Don Aupperle was inordinately loud (although I wasn’t standing beneath the bell). What’s still ringing is the buzz surrounding the party, the project, the community support and the turn-out.

In late December I wrote about longtime Webster School teacher Bertha Davis’ desire to have Ballard Avenue’s bell automated, thereby completing the project she worked on with the late State Senator Ted Peterson and other Ballard businesspeople. What happened over the next few weeks was like watching a wildfire – in a drought year. Grant written, steering committee formed (I’m on it) and within one week local people had volunteered their time towards the grant at a calculated value of $18,000. Ballard Landmark on Leary Avenue offered to host the launch party. Doug Dixon of Pacific Fisherman Shipyard oiled the bell and tested it (sorry neighbors) at 6:30 a.m. the Tuesday beforehand.

Although there was certainly interest in the bell itself, the main attraction is, as ever, Bertha Davis.

The night before the February 12th party I had an inkling of what might happen the next day (but no inkling to be worrying about high winds in addition to a deluge). Carrie Gustafson called from Bremerton to double-check the party time, because not only was she planning which ferry but her sister was going to drive up from Olympia.

“Mrs. Davis was my 4th grade teacher,”Carrie said, “Back in the day when the teacher came to your birthday party.”

Ballard Landmark had offered to send a van and staff to Sunset West to pick up residents who wanted to attend. I’d envisioned everyone gathering behind Ballard Landmark for remarks and the bell-ringing then a move inside for cake, cupcakes, punch and delicious baked goods made by ladies from Sunset West. There was a banner, balloons, microphone, picture boards and a speech in my pocket.

“I’ve lost control,” I said when the Sunset West arrivals swarmed directly inside to escape 30 mph wind gusts. None of us had control. So much for my speech. The only thing Laura Cooper, Cass O’Callaghan and I managed to do was call Don Aupperle and Jay Craig, positioned at the bell, to beg them to start ringing before we lost someone in an updraft. Several dozen people were at the bell, others were already at Ballard Landmark. The van driver kept trying to track down Bertha, who’d already arrived with the family, to give her the corsage.

The bell sounded wonderful. I was holding onto a very petite woman in pink who’ll turn 94 on her next birthday with two hands. She insisted she wasn’t freezing. The bell rang earlier than we’d advertised. Some people came running outside too late, others had found themselves too close to the clapper. “Have them ring it again,” I told Laura Cooper, my steering committee co-hort. She looked so happy when the bell first rang that I could imagine what she’d looked like as a child on Christmas morning.

Then everyone got off the windy streets and crammed into the normally spacious first floor of Ballard Landmark. Contrary to other media reports there were at least 200 people in the lobby, with 40-50 in line to speak with Bertha. I’d never felt closer to a celebrity. Former students and their parents had brought grandbabies to kiss, spouses to be introduced.

Even with a microphone I couldn’t get anyone’s attention and so finally I gestured to Laura to get me her friend Christina, on hand to sing a “If I Had a Bell.” “Sing Happy Birthday,” I commanded Christina, realizing it was our only shot at crowd control. After that I gave up and just starting offering homemade sweets to those in Bertha’s receiving line. It was a Ballard “Who’s who,” including the son and daughter of the late State Senator Ted Peterson as well as many members of the Ballard Historical Society and Nordic Heritage Museum.

The crowd interrupted its delighted reunion chatter long enough to chorus. “It'll ring for you and me, and the history of Ballard” to the tune of “If I Had a Hammer.”

Then it was time to clean up what Ballard Landmark Vitality Director Leslie Elvebak later pronounced, “The largest party we’ve every thrown.” Bertha was still going strong.

Three weeks later Ballard is still buzzing and Bertha is exuberant. Meetings are scheduled with Seattle Parks & Recreation and Ballard Avenue Landmark District. The Seattle Times sketcher Gabriel Campanario wants to meet Bertha and sketch the bell. Her former student Dori Monson mentioned the festivities on his radio program. Don Aupperle and steering committee member Jay Craig have put in many hours of engineering research. Ballard Historical Society has posted photos and updates on their website.

As for Bertha, she is still flying high over the events. “Not everyone knew I was still alive,” she said. “You wouldn’t believe all the people that I’m hearing from now. I just wish that all those good teachers that I taught with could have lived long enough to have a day like that.”

Don’t we all?

On behalf of the steering committee special thanks for the party and project support go to Don Aupperle, Doug Dixon, Rob Mattson, Kris Royer Collins, Ballard Landmark and their staff, Miro Tea, Robinson Publishing, Ballard Historical Society, the family of Bertha Davis and her devoted friends at Sunset West.

Sincerely,

Laura Cooper, Jay Craig, Cass O’Callaghan and Peggy Sturdivant.