June 2008

Eating with the meek one, the food snob and the meat and potatoes girl

By Annette Herrick

Periodically, I will be dining out with three of my personal training clients. This is a review of our second meal with Jen Ament (the food snob) Liz Woody (the meat and potatoes girl) and Katie Schielke (the meek one). We're on a mission to eat out at all kinds of tempting places, ones you wouldn't even consider healthy without totally blowing it.

The goal is not to be perfect, pious, or anorexic.

Sometimes it appears the Washington State Republican Party works hard to make sure it never returns to power.

Just last weekend, its members meeting in Spokane approved a plank in the party's platform that would require amending the United States Constitution or that courts reverse major landmark decisions given over many years.

Strange but true.

Volunteers boarded tugs, kayaks, small boats and recreational vessels to pick up litter from the Ballard Locks to the Fremont Bridge last Saturday during the annual Ship Canal Clean Up Project.

Over 90 people gave up their Saturday morning to use nets and pickup sticks to retrieve plastic bottles, aluminum cans, Styrofoam and just about anything else that ends up in the water.

Foss Maritime brought 16 volunteers and the Port of Seattle had the most with 20.

"We're being good stewards for the water front.

It all started at Ballard High School and will be concluded this fall when the students in the last four high schools make their transition from using yellow buses to using King County Metro for transport to school.

The Seattle Public School District thinks this will not only save taxpayers money but will give students independence and flexible transportation for before and after school activities and off-campus events.

The district says that twice a day about 25,000 students are transported on buses provided by First Student Inc.

The best Seattle pitcher was left on the sidelines as the Seattle Mariners gave up seven first inning runs to lose to the Detroit Tigers 7-3 last Friday.

Seattle School District superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson threw out the ceremonial first pitch during the Ballard Night at the Mariners event at Safeco Field.

"It was fun, it went straight," said Goodloe-Johnson.

Ballard principal Phil Brockman brought his Mizuno glove and was Goodloe-Johnson's catcher.

"It was a fast ball over the plate.

Fishermen's Terminal remodel is done

Summer brings a whole new look for Port of Seattle's Fishermen's Terminal as the two-year, $22 million remodel comes to a close - on time and under budget, the port says.

The newly dredged inner harbor now has new docks, finger piers at each moorage slip, plus upgraded utilities on the docks.

Fishermen's Terminal, historic home of the North Pacific fishing fleet, is located on the Ship Canal at the southwest corner of Ballard Bridge - adjacent to shops, restaurants, and all the services boat owners need to keep their ve

A walk around Green Lake can earn you prizes now that the Orbiter Seattle system has been installed to keep track of people's exercise habits.

Participants purchase an Orbiter Seattle tag from Tim's Concessions, near the boat rental and Green Lake Community Center. The tag serves as an electronic lap counter. Three Start/Stop Radio-Frequency Identification stations have been mounted around the 2.8-mile lake.

Ballard resident Gabrielle Bennett has received a Margin of Excellence Award from the Bellevue Community College Foundation in recognition of her outstanding work in support of the college and its students.

Bennett, a program manager and Associated Student Government advisor in college's Student Programs office, is one of six Bellevue Community College faculty and staff members to receive the honor this year. Nominated by students, faculty and staff, each received a $1,000 award from the Foundation.

KapKa Primary School students became scientific straight-talkers at two forums last week thanks to their completed study on Fauntleroy Creek bacteria. Their study showed excessive findings of dog poop which, scientifically speaking, means high fecal coliform bacterium levels in its waters.

The Phinney Ridge kindergarten through second grade classes took five trips to the creek and discovered a total of 55 puppy piles left behind.

The city is making it easier to garden the natural way by offering huge discounts on compost bins.

Residents can save more than $100 on high-quality compost bins while building healthy soils and helping their plants to thrive.

Carl Woestwin, landscape conservation manager at Seattle Public Utilities, said home composting creates beautiful gardens without resorting to chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

"Composting at home is easy to do and you get a great natural soil builder to use in your garden," said Woestwin.