Widower and Fences played at the Tractor Tavern Saturday, Feb. 28.
The Ballard Sound is a slideshow showcasing an evening of music in Ballard and Fremont.
If you are out enjoying music in the Ballard area and would like to see your photos in The Ballard Sound, please email photos (no more than 20), location, date and your name to michaelh@robinsonnews.com.
The Seattle Department of Transportation will close the Fremont Bridge early Sunday morning, March 15 to all traffic, vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians, from 2:30 a.m. to 6 a.m., in time for the St. Patrick’s Day Dash.
During the repair work the city will provide a shuttle service for pedestrians and bicyclists.
The transportation department announced earlier this week that the bridge would close from 11 p.m. Saturday until 5 a.m. Sunday. But in response to requests from the community, the schedule has been shortened to keep the bridge open Saturday night.
Crews will repair a damaged center lock, the device that keeps the two leaves of the bridge firmly fastened down when it is not opening
for marine traffic.
In April and May two local events will aim to get people out of their cars to explore the neighborhoods.
To celebrate "Seattle Summer Streets," the Greenwood and Phinney Ridge Chamber of Commerce are organizing a car-free street on Phinney/Greenwood Avenue North from North 65th to North 87th streets, April 10 from 6 to 9 p.m. The next month, in Ballard at the Bergen Place Park, the Cascade Bicycle Club will host "bike to work day" May 15, from 4 to 7 p.m.
Mayor Greg Nickels today announced this summer’s schedule of street festivals. Celebrate Seattle Summer Streets will open up streets to pedestrians and bicyclists, and aims to celebrate the spirit and personality of their neighborhood, and support local businesses, according to the city.
Each event is organized by a local group.
If you have ever traveled across the Ballard Bridge at night, you have seen the colorful neon sign that tells passersby to “Add Bardahl- Add It To Your Oil.” This sign, which has been lighting up the Ballard skies since 1953, is perched atop the headquarters of the Bardahl Oil Company.
Bardahl Oil was started in Ballard by Ole Bardahl, a Norwegian immigrant, and has provided the world with oil and fuel and oil additives ever since.
Bardahl Oil is, in the words of Eric Bardahl Nicolaysen, the vice president of the company, a “small multinational company.” They employ around 50 employees in their factory and offices located at Northwest 52nd Street.
They blend and package a number of oil and fuel additives onsite. These products help to make engines run more effectively. As it is a privately owned company, Nicolaysen would not reveal any business numbers but said that they are one of the top 10 in oil industry sales, and are the No.1 seller in many foreign countries.
Wednesday, Feb. 25, around 5:30 p.m., a woman was walking in the 1200 block of 9th Avenue Northwest when she realized she was being followed by a man in a car (she provided no description of the vehicle). He pulled up alongside and asked if he could take her picture. She began knocking on doors of homes, trying to get assistance. The man then asked, “Do you live here?” The man kept pace with her but drove off when someone finally answered her knock. He is a white male with black hair (but balding).
Late Thursday, a man whose face was covered by a scarf followed two women who were walking in the 7700 block of 3rd Avenue Northwest. He was walking quickly and did not respond when one of the victims yelled at him. After they entered a residence, he remained outside on a corner and seemed to be “casing” a nearby car. He was a white male with a slim build, appeared to be between 18-21 years old, and wore a hooded dark coat and a scarf over his face.
Dear Editor,
As street activity increases at Bergen Place it is important to differentiate between the types of activity.
People engaged in drug activity are in all likelihood not homeless, but are using Ballard’s growing popularity as a market for drugs. People who are homeless are usually too busy trying to survive to engage in drug activity.
While it’s possible there is some overlap (some homeless folks may be drug customers, although not likely drug dealers), the issues should be addressed separately. Illegal drugs are a law enforcement issue and should be treated as such.
Growing homelessness is a symptom of a society that lacks affordable housing, good paying jobs, treatment for those who do have addictions, etc. There are no easy answers, but some kind of community task force to address the issues is needed, involving community leaders, the police, social services, churches, business, the affected homeless, etc.
David Bloom
Seattle
On 40th Southwest, two women reported that a “completely nude man” was standing in front of a window and masturbating. Officers paid the fellow a visit, and he “hesitantly” denied the allegations. Investigators will be following up.
A man with a history of domestic violence was released from jail with the stipulation (a no-contact order) that he not go to his girlfriend's Highland Park residence. But citizens who knew of his release were helping to keep an eye on the girlfriend's home and noticed activity that seemed suspicious. Officers called to the scene made several requests for any people inside the house to come out. Then the homeowner told officers to kick in the door. The suspect was found hiding in the basement and was booked back into King County Jail for violating the no-contact order. The victim was not home at the time of the incident.
The Seattle Parks and Recreation announced last week a partnership with the Seattle Animal Shelter to step up enforcement of dog off-leash violations in several parks. The increased enforcement is part of an effort to raise awareness about the laws regarding dogs in parks.
“We love dogs in Seattle,” said Parks Superintendent Tim Gallagher in an email release from the department. “That’s why we have many designated dog off-leash areas in the city. We also have a responsibility to ensure that all parks are safe and welcoming for everyone, and to protect our natural environments for native plants, spawning salmon, songbirds, and nesting shorebirds.”
Parks and Humane Law Enforcement Officers have established a new policy to meet regularly for the purposes of discussing parks that have become unofficial off-leash areas. Parks’ district maintenance staff have created a “Top Ten” list of worst offender sites.
Currently, these sites include West Queen Anne Playfield, Gilman Playfield, Bitter Lake Playfield, Ravenna/Cowen Parks, Green Lake Park and Volunteer Park.
I think it’s sad when papers choose
To change from print to online news
For though the GUI world is great
Exclusive use I would debate
An online screen can’t pack a dish
Or wrap a smelly day old fish
Or cradle roses like a vase
Or when I nap, lay on my face
It cannot line a dresser drawer
Or from wet paint, protect the floor
Or be a playmate for the cat
Or fold into a pirate’s hat
But what I’d really miss the most
Is how, each morning with my toast
I’d sit and savor, as I read
Each page until my soul was fed
Dear editor, and West Seattle friends,
On Feb. 20, our beloved Papillon, Pogo, a 7 lb. long-haired dog with large, erect ears, ran away from our house in Delridge after her bath, wearing no collar or tags. She was tracked from our home up to the High Point Library on Feb. 22 by a K-9 tracker with a trained sniffer dog. The Seattle Librarian at that branch alerted me to the news that three weeks ago, another small dog had been nabbed from the back door of the library and sold to gang-bangers to be used as a bait dog for dog fights! We really hope this hasn’t happened to Pogo!
Two young people (in High Point found Pogo) and took her around the neighborhood, asking households if anyone knew her. They also took her to the Seattle Housing Authority office. None of these people could identify her, since she lives down on 26th and they were up in High Point.
When these young folk had to leave town, they entrusted her to a neighbor, who graciously offered to watch her in the meantime. Sadly, the dog escaped from that home on Feb. 21. She has not been seen since.
