Entries from May 2012
May 31st, 2012 by Sara
From our sister site My Ballard
The project to replace the 77-year-old sewer line that runs beneath Ballard is moving forward with planned road closures this summer. King County says crews have finished digging the shaft at the south project site on West Commodore Way and 24th Ave W, and plan to pour a “concrete plug” at the bottom of the shaft. On Friday, June 1, they say to expect heavy truck traffic at the site from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.
King County also says that starting June 2, West Commodore Way will be closed between 23rd Ave W. and 24th Ave W. for approximately four months. They say traffic will be detoured around the road closure via 23rd Ave W., West Jameson St. and 24th Ave W. The closures are necessary to connect existing sewer pipes to the new siphon pipeline, says King County.
For more information about the Ballad siphon project, click here.
May 30th, 2012 by Sara
By Reporter Steven Smalley
Business is good at the Wheeler Street Kitchen, say owners Greg and Carrie Campbell. It’s family issues that prompted the husband and wife team to put their dream restaurant up for sale. “It comes down to what’s right for our family. We just decided we want to look into selling. If nothing comes of it, we’ll keep it running,” explains chef Greg. “It’s a personal family decision. Business is good. We’re not getting out of it because business is bad. It came down to what kind of life we want to have with our family. After doing this for a couple of years we decided that we want to be in a different place.”
An ad was placed on Craig’s List by broker Laura Miller of Gibraltar Investment property asking $95,000 for the business and its contents, describing it as a “turn-key neighborhood restaurant.” Monthly rent is listed at $1800.00 at 3216 West Wheeler Street. The restaurant seats 22 people. “We’ve been really busy,” said Carrie. “Greg and I have been slammed. We have a rush every single day. We’re serving lunches Monday through Saturday 11 to 3 and we’re going to continue that.” In the meantime, look to attend Greg Campbell’s hands-on cooking classes for the next several Mondays as the master chef shows you recipes and cooking skills you can put to use right away. He promises classes on everything from knife techniques to sauce preparation at $60 for 2-hour classes.
Greg emphasizes, “We’re still open and we’re not planning on going anywhere. Customers will know if we sell. It’s 100% transparency. We’re part of the community. We love being here.”
May 29th, 2012 by Sara
From our sister site My Ballard
The Aurora Bridge will be closed tonight while crews work to raise the bridge a 3/4 of an inch. The work is part of a project to help the 80-year-old bridge better withstand an earthquake. The bridge will be closed from midnight tonight until 5 a.m. tomorrow (Wednesday, May 30) morning. Northbound drivers will be detoured off SR 99 at Denny Way and onto Dexter Avenue and/or I-5. Southbound drivers will be detoured off at 39th and onto Fremont Avenue.
The retrofitting has been underway since April 2011, as crews have been under the bridge reinforcing the steel and concrete on the north and south ends. The project includes, “adding steel to the skeleton, thickening concrete girders and covering existing columns with fiber designed for shaking,” according to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). During the daytime closure, crews will work on 6th Avenue North underneath the Aurora Avenue Bridge. They are building a skeletal system for the extra steel that will be attached to the existing girders
May 29th, 2012 by Sara
MV reader Kenn writes:
I though I would send in a couple pictures of happenings from our end of Magnolia over the past few weeks. The squirting Dead End sign is a city installed sign that punctured a sewer line. When the sewer pump comes on the lawn gets fertilized (this is under repair by the city):
Squirting sign
The second is one of a random car left on the beach about 1/2 mile south of the lighthouse. It is low tide in the picture….
Low tide
Thanks, Kenn! Please send us your favorite neighborhood pictures at tips@magnoliavoice.com.
May 25th, 2012 by Sara
Join landscape designer Jennifer Carlson for a morning of exploring colorful and flavorful plant combinations for your pots and garden beds at Magnolia’s Manor Park tomorrow. They will discuss designing with edible plants, berries, nuts and leaves. After the discussion, tour the future Manor Park P-patch site and learn more about upcoming events.
Place: Manor Park (3500 28th Ave. W)
Date: Saturday, May 26th
Time: 10:00am – 12:00pm
About the speaker:
Jennifer Carlson is an illustrator, landscape designer, and urban farmer. She has degrees in both art and in landscape architecture. Since the 1970’s she has planned and implemented many organic gardens in the Pacific Northwest. She has lived and studied sustainable gardening practices while residing outside the U.S., in Nepal, Yugoslavia, and Germany.
Jennifer is now based in Seattle, where she teaches classes in low-maintenance plant selection, sustainable landscape design, hen keeping and many other classes. She organizes and leads garden tours of her family’s demonstration garden and has written articles about organic garden design and seasonal activities and crafts for Farmer’s Almanac TV. Her garden has been featured in local and national magazines as a well as a PBS program for public TV.
Click here for more information.
May 25th, 2012 by Sara
Magnolia Little League Summer Ball is an informal five week baseball league for 7 to 12 year olds from July 9th through week of August 6th. There are n0 practices, and there are two games per week (Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays only). There’s a total of eight to ten games depending on registration. There are two separate leagues: 7-9 year olds (A & AA) – Machine Pitch, and 10-12 year olds (AAA & Majors) – Kid Pitch. 7-9 year olds will play at Lawton Field, and 10-12 year olds will play at Raye Field.
Registration is open now through June 15th. Click here for registration instructions. MLL Summer Ball needs coach volunteers for both leagues. Please contact Andy McDonough at andymcdonough1@gmail.com if you are interested in volunteering.
Going on vacation during a portion of the league schedule? No problem. Teams are organized assuming kids will come and go throughout league play.
May 24th, 2012 by Sara
Seattle garbage, food and yard waste and recycling collections will be on normal schedule for Memorial Day, Monday, May 28. Seattle Public Utilities customers should place their containers out for collection by 7 a.m. to ensure collection.
May 22nd, 2012 by Sara
Catharine Blaine School didn’t have to look far to find their next Principal- current Assistant Principal Julie Cox will soon be stepping into the role. She sent this email to the Blaine community yesterday:
May 21, 2012
Dear Blaine Staff Members, Students and Parents,
It is an honor and privilege for me to be selected as the next Principal of Catharine Blaine K-8 School. I’m thrilled to be the next leader of a school in such solid standing, under the reigns of Ms. Heather Swanson. I know her shoes will be tough to fill, but please know that I will put my heart and soul into the work. Upon my arrival in early April, as your assistant principal, it didn’t take long for me to notice that I was surrounded by an upbeat, growth-oriented group of educators; an inviting school culture in which to work and learn; a supportive and engaged parent community; and curious and happy children. To see you interact in harmony this past month has solidified for me that I want to be a part of this collaborative team.A little about my background: I’ve been an educator for 26 years. In fact, I began my career as a teacher for Seattle Public Schools before taking on the role of a Curriculum Specialist at the central office. I’ve also had experience as a Literacy Coach for Minneapolis Public Schools. Prior to this, I was a Principal in India (Pre-K-5), Jordan (Pre-K-8) and Minnesota (KG-6). In this capacity I was involved in nearly every aspect of these high-energy schools of excellence and school communities – with a focus on student achievement and creating a positive school climate in which teachers and students can thrive and parents can feel valued and heard.
During my career in the United States and abroad, I have had the opportunity to work in a variety of educational settings. The diversity of students is what made my experiences the most rewarding. We, the staff, students, and administrators, became culturally competent as we built solid relationships with not only people from varying backgrounds, nationalities, and religions, but also from people who had view points and perspectives that differed from our own. I come to you with a global perspective. I thank you all for welcoming me to the Catharine Blaine community. It is my pleasure to be a part of thisschool of excellence. I am pleased that my daughter, Ava, will be attending Blaine in the fall.
With kind regards,
Julie A. Cox
May 22nd, 2012 by Sara
From our friends at Queen Anne View
SDOT was aiming for this spring to open the West Thomas St. pedestrian and bicycle overpass — the one over Elliott Ave. that links Lower Queen Anne to Myrtle Edwards Park — but the city says it’s now scheduled to open in July.
You may have noticed slow progress recently, and SDOT blames construction delays as well as the late delivery of new handrails for the overpass. The overpass begins at 3rd Ave. W, twists across Elliott near Big Fish Games, and drops down into Myrtle Edwards Park:
As the weather warms up, Lower Queen Anne residents and employees have been excited for the overpass to open. Currently, accessing the park involves a healthy walk south to the park’s entrance. We’ll keep you updated
May 21st, 2012 by Sara
by Reporter Steven Smalley
Eleven months, six offers, and three inspections later, Rudy’s Place at 3656 34th Avenue West has sold. The new business will be an Italian restaurant owned by successful chef and Queen Anne resident, Stefan Petrov. The property, building, business, and contents all went as one package for $425,000. When it reopens, the new restaurant will, “ be friendly, have great prices, and wonderful food,” according to Petrov. He adds there will be a bar, but the emphasis will be on cuisine.
Originally from Bulgaria, Petrov (37), is a graduate of four years of culinary school in his home country, and of Seattle’s Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Art. He owned a Romio’s Pizza and Pasta restaurant in Everett which he sold, and the well-reviewed Vincenso’s Pizza and Pasta on Queen Anne. Currently he owns and operates Verona Pizza and Pasta in Burien which he will keep. Chef Petrov says the menu is still in the planning stages, but will have a nice selection of meat, fish, salads, and appetizers. “We want to do it right,” he said. It seems neighbors are interested in having their own place to dine on the north end of Magnolia. “People came by in their cars shouting, ‘When are you going to open?’” says real estate broker Melanie Smith of John L. Scott. If permits and remodeling go well, look for an opening of the currently unnamed restaurant by the end of the year.
May 18th, 2012 by Sara
This was on MyBallard’s forum and I thought you would want to know about it- especially as the weekend approaches:
“Cheese” writes:
If you bike in Discovery park, beware of a lady who sets her dog after bikers going down the hill by the Daybreak Star entrance. Ran into her last night and it was a brief glimpse into insanity. I was going down the hill slowly since I hadn’t gone down it yet this spring. I think you could probably get over 30mph (not advised in my opinion, but I’m sure some do). I turn the corner and I see a group of people off to the side with a loose yip-yap type of dog. Since I had a near miss at this location several years ago (dog on right edge, owner on left edge, near-invisible leash ready to garrote me in the middle) I just stopped.
I hear the lady say “Here’s another one!” At this point, don’t know what that means. But I’m walking my bike down past the loose dog and as I start talking to her she picks up the dog as I relate her how dangerous this corner is and told her my story of the time I could have been severely injured if I hadn’t stopped in time – hopefully she would get the hint that a loose dog at the bottom of a hill is bad for the dog and for the bikers. She seemed to take it in but said, “Oh my dog loves to chase bikes!” Like this is a fun, cheery thing to enjoy on a great spring day.
She was still holding the dog when I got on my bike and went down the hill. I look back a few seconds afterwards and she had let the dog down to chase me! Let’s just say that I lost it and screamed at her… She called the dog back and I got …out of there.
Putting everything together afterwards, from her location at the bottom of a hill where bikers are going fast, the comments “Here’s another one”, “My dog loves to chase bikes”, and her letting the dog go, leads me to the conclusion that she intentionally is doing this. I can’t see an innocent explanation. By the time I figured it out it was too late to call animal control (or even 911!) which I regret.
If some biker going 20-30mph turns that corner into that loose dog and slams on the brakes or loses control, serious injury is almost certain – so be forewarned!
Be careful Magnolia peeps!
May 18th, 2012 by Sara
By reporter Steven Smalley
The front of Magnolia Elementray
Boarded up and overgrown, Magnolia Elementary School on 28th Avenue was closed by the Seattle School Board 10 years ago. Now Magnolia Voice readers write to ask, what’s happening to our school on the hill? In a letter dated 2005, community advocate Elizabeth Campbell asked the school board various questions – Can the community find a use for the school? Will Magnolia Elementary continue to slowly deteriorate into a useless heap? What will happen to this once great facility? Magnolia Voice followed up seven years later and asked Campbell what she thinks today about the state of our moth-balled school with the great big view.
Phenomenal view from the property
Here are some of her frank assessments edited for this story: “It (Magnolia Elementary) should have been something the community could access. The school district has a history of not managing its assets very well and this is one example of it. They have this thing called, ‘Deferred Maintenance’ where you waste the asset by not taking care of it. You have maintenance by attrition…you don’t have to take care of it anymore because it’s beyond being able to retrieve it.” Campbell continued, “It gets boarded up like this is, and it gets somewhat vandalized – it goes to seed…the grounds do. Also they lose their occupancy permit with the city and then the school will come back and say, ‘Well, we can’t use it because it’s substandard,’ and that it’s either earthquake substandard, or it has asbestos, or it has lead. They should save some of these buildings which are really the district’s legacy,” she said. “The district is obligated to be a steward of the public’s property, and these schools are public property.’” When asked what she would say directly to the Seattle School District if she could, Campbell stated, “You have a covenant with the people who came before you. People in the past have paid their hard earned money to create this facility…there’s no sense of obligation to the public’s assets.”
In response to Campbell’s criticism, a spokesman for Seattle Public Schools sent an email to Magnolia Voice. It says in part, “There has not been a capacity need to open an elementary school in Magnolia in recent years. It [Magnolia Elementary] is being held (and not sold) pending possible future use. Reopening the school would require a major renovation at a substantial cost to bring the building up to current city codes and modern educational needs.” He goes on to write, “…There is no graffiti on the building at this time, but our maintenance team would make it a priority to clean it up when/if it does happen.”
This reporter notes that since Campbell’s 2005 letter complaining of the open nature of the play area in the rear of the school, it is now completely fenced with no access to it except through a locked gate,
MV readers- please let us know what you think!
Playground
May 16th, 2012 by Sara
By Almeera Anwar
A group of women in the Quest Life Together Women’s Group from Interbay is hosting a free documentary screening this Friday at the Q Café (3233 15th Ave W., south of the Ballard Bridge) in hopes of sparking some dialogue and awareness around the issue of girl bullying. The documentary is called “Finding Kind” and it addresses girls bullying other girls. (View the trailer here)
It was produced by two filmmakers from Seattle, Lauren Parsekian and Molly Thompson, and has been viewed in schools, hosted screenings, and numerous film festivals. The film discusses how girl bullying is different than other kinds of harassment and this women’s group truly believes that the response needs to reflect those differences.
Christina Olson is a Ballard resident and a member of the Quest Church women’s group that raised the $500 licensing fee in order to put on this free screening. The group of about ten to fifteen women raised the money through a variety of means such as donations, babysitting, the Good Neighbor fund and spreading the word about the project at large.
“Every year our group takes on a project or a series of projects that we think will benefit the community,” said Olson. “Someone brought up this documentary, asked how we would feel about doing the screening and it quickly evolved into our project for this year.”
Olson thinks that people were extra generous with this project because it’s an issue that so many people can relate to. “Many women have been victims of bullying and this documentary focuses on how bullying within girls is very different than with boys,” said Olson. “It does not diminish what happens to boys but the actions definitely manifest differently in adulthood for girls.” Some of the women in the group are teachers and they discussed how they witness this bullying every day. While there are some things they can do, there is a lot that is out of their scope as well.
The group will be hosting a guided discussion after the film. The filmmakers have created a curriculum that can be used to help guide dialogue. Some of the women from the group will speak during this discussion, including Olson, and will be sharing their own experiences with bullying and how it can relate to later issues.
The goal is not to put people on the spot, but rather to open the dialogue and share thoughts on this issue. If people are interested in attending the screening and discussion after they need to RSVP ahead of time in order for the group to ensure they have room for all that wish to attend.
May 16th, 2012 by Sara
Mayor Mike McGinn announced today that 34 community organizations will receive more than $500,000 in matching funds to support neighborhood projects across the city. 2 projects in Magnolia and one in Interbay are the lucky recipients of the The Neighborhood Matching Fund Program money, (which supports projects as diverse as community fruit harvests to neighborhood festivals). The city says
The Small and Simple Projects Fund, one of three funds managed by Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, provides cash awards of up to $20,000 in matching funds to neighborhood organizations committed to fostering and building a better community. The 2012 awards ranged from $4,200 to $20,000, and the organizations have pledged to match the City’s $534,666 contribution with resources valued at nearly $760,123. Recipients of the Neighborhood Matching Fund match their awards through a combination of locally raised money, donated materials and volunteer labor.
“These awards recognize the dedication and hard work of community members working together to improve their neighborhood,” says Mayor Mike McGinn. “Whether the projects are for physical improvements or a community celebration, the benefit of this program is the connection and engagement of neighbors and the broader community.”
The City figures on average, volunteers give $1.45 of donations and sweat equity for every $1 of taxpayer support: “There’s a reason why the Neighborhood Matching Fund is being replicated by other cities the country. This fund provides another reason for neighbors to get together and it allows them to create a vision to improve their neighborhood and it helps implement that vision. It’s the building block for community projects,” says Seattle City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw. Bernie Matsuno, director of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, says “The Neighborhood Matching Fund has been emulated by cities all over the world. And what makes it so successful is the
connection and engagement that happens when neighbors work together to make improvements in their community.”
The Neighborhood Matching Fund has awarded more than $49 million with a community match of more than $71 million, since its inception 24 years ago. During that time, more than 85,600 volunteers have donated over 573,000 work hours.
Magnolia Projects to receive matching funds:
Magnolia’s First P-Patch
Construct the first 30 plots of the new P-Patch community garden at Magnolia Manor Park. With more than 100 Magnolians on the waiting list for a garden, the P-Patch meets a community need and will serve as a focal point for community interaction.
Organization: Friends of Magnolia Manor Park
Amount Awarded: $20,000
Match Amount: $22,900
Heron Viewing Improvements in Kiwanis Ravine
Improve heron viewing in the Kiwanis Ravine from public access points. Using a consultant, identify potential public access points and selective tree pruning, while maintaining neighbor privacy and without disturbance to the heron. Enhanced viewing by increased webcam broadcasts will also be studied, including viewing stations with webcam monitors placed at the visitor centers at the Ballard Locks and Discovery Park.
Organization: Heron Habitat Helpers
Amount Awarded: $16,500
Match Amount: $8,580
Interbay:
Interbay Path Link to Ship Canal Trail
Construct a spur trail off 16th Ave. W to go north on a city right -of-way to the Ship Canal Trail. The project will reduce bike and pedestrian congestion on Dravus and create a safe access point for residents and workers needing to go north and east out of Interbay.
Organization: Interbay Neighborhood Association
Amount Awarded: $19,700
Match Amount: $21,700
For a complete listing of the 2012 Spring Small and Simple award recipients, click here
