April 2009

A few Ballard restauranteurs will be joining in on the 16th year of Seattle's Dining Out for Life, an annual dining fundraiser to raise money for AIDS service organizations.

“Lifelong (Aids Alliance) with Dining Out International, team up to produce the event and we approach a lot of restauranteurs every year,” Trevor Dewitt, communication relations of Lifelong Aids Alliance said. “There are no national chains they’re all local and the community coming together. It turns out to be a big win for everyone involved.”

Created in 1991 by an ActionAids volunteer in Philadelphia, Dining Out is now produced in more than 55 cities through the United States and Canada, according to the Dining Out For Life Web site.

This year the event falls on April 30.

“Supporters and diners basically go out to involved restaurants and in return restaurants donate back 30 percent of their sales that night,” Dewitt said.

Susan Ward, a part owner of the Balmar cocktail lounge, said this will be their third year participating.

While many college students believe the appeal of studying abroad lies in partying and traveling far from parental restraints, West Seattle native Michelle Barker is using her time abroad in Northern Uganda to try and improve the lives of Ugandan society's most struggling.

The people of Northern Uganda continue to suffer after two decades of civil war in which the Lord's Resistance Army abducted young boys, forcing them to fight. Young girls were often forced to work as sex slaves, and many women were widowed. The armed conflict has had lasting, detrimental affects on all members of Ugandan society, but Baker was particularly compelled by the impacts felt by women.

"I would boldly say that each and every woman in Gulu has been emotionally or physically violated or abused," said Baker.

Now, with University of Colorado student Caitlin Long, Baker is attempting to establish a woman's soccer team in Gulu, Uganda. Both former players themselves, the two believe that soccer can spur positive empowerment and community building.

The Ballard girls golf team lost to Lake Washington April 15 302-316 to fall to 0-3 on the year, but the team is continuing to improve.

Coach Casey McMullin said Ballard played pretty well against Lake Washington and is showing progress.

Even the new players are getting better, McMullin said.

The Beavers' next match is at 3 p.m., April 21 at the West Seattle Golf Course against Juanita.

To celebrate national Record Store Day, Easy Street records in West Seattle will be hosting a number of events and offering exclusive, limited-edition titles on April 18.

In-store events include:

10 a.m. - "Coffee With Dylan"
While serving breakfast in the cafe, Easy Street will spin the upcoming new Dylan CD, "Together Through Life." The store will also be giving away a supercool Dylan litho to customers who pre-order the CD from us during the event.

9:30 p.m. - Wolves In the Throne Room live
When darkness falls, the West Seattle store will host a blazing "After Hours" in-store by Southern Lord recording artists Wolves in the Throne Room, whose conceptual, ambient black metal will surely provide a fiery finale to Record Store Day.

Some of the rare titles on sale will include:

Ben Harper 10" - "Shimmer and Shine"/"Spanish Red Wine" - B-side is unreleased.
Bob Dylan 7"-"Dreaming of You"/"Down Along the Cove" - Live at Bonnaroo; clear sleeve with 3x5 photo
Depeche Mode 7" - "Wrong"/"Oh Well"
The Decemberists 7" - "The Rake's Song"/"East India Lanes" - B-side is unreleased

A few of West Seattle’s very own restauranteurs will be joining in on the 16th year of Seattle's Dining Out for Life, an annual dining fundraiser to raise money for AIDS service organizations.

“Lifelong (Aids Alliance) with Dining Out International, team up to produce the event and we approach a lot of restauranteurs every year,” Trevor Dewitt, communication relations of Lifelong Aids Alliance said. “There are no national chains they’re all local and the community coming together. It turns out to be a big win for everyone involved.”

Created in 1991 by an ActionAids volunteer in Philadelphia, Dining Out is now produced in more than 55 cities through the United States and Canada, according to the Dining Out For Life Web site.

This year the event falls on April 30.

“Supporters and diners basically go out to involved restaurants and in return restaurants donate back 30 percent of their sales that night,” Dewitt said.

Jessie Summa-Kusiak, owner of Skylark Cafe and Club, said they have been involved in the event every year since they’ve been open, this being their third year.

Community leaders discussed issues related to gang violence and education at a joint meeting of the Southwest District Council and the Delridge Neighborhoods District Council April 15 at the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center.

There major topics were covered. They were made by the Seattle Alliance for Education, an independent nonprofit organization which acts as a constructive partner to Seattle Public Schools, by Mayor Greg Nickels’ new Seattle Youth Violence Initiative to lower school truancy and gang violence, and by the environmentally-friendly new High Point Neighborhood Center. The June grand opening of the new park at Morgan Junction was also mentioned. The petitions to name it after longtime West Seattle Herald reporter, Tim St. Clair, who passed away last year, have been turned in.

“At the end of the day we need to create academic success to benefit our students through the involvement of parents, public officials, volunteers, and the school district,” said Solynn McCurdy, of the Alliance for Education, who joined colleague Karen Tollenaar Demorest.

Tammy and Andy James opened Market Street Traders after a trip to Thailand last year opened their eyes to the difference fair trade could make in the lives of people around the world. They will be sharing that realization with the rest of Ballard through a drum circle celebration on World Fair Trade Day May 9.

The fair trade movement builds equitable and sustainable trading partnerships between North American organizations and countries around the world and creates opportunities to alleviate poverty, posts the Fair Trade Federation Web site.

The Jameses decided to focus on fair trade after buying about $500 worth of handmade embroidered bags, woven bracelets and belts from villagers on their Thailand vacation. A village elder told them that the amount that they had spent would be able to send all the children in their village to school for a year.

“It really empowered us to really want to do this and bring attention to fair trade,” Tammy said. "They figure one store like ours, even though we're not so big, supports about 10,000 people in extreme poverty. That's a big deal in this economy, where there are so many people hurting."

The Greenwood Driver Licensing Service Office at 320 N. 85th St. is closing permanently.

The last day of service at the office will be Friday, April 24, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The office closure is part of Gov. Chris Gregoire’s plan to reinvent government services. As part of this plan, Department of Licensing is planning to consolidate driver licensing offices around the state and offer more online and self-service options, according to a press release from the department.

Customers can conduct many transactions, including renewing a driver license or ordering a duplicate driver license, online at www.dol.wa.gov.

Customers that must visit an office in-person can go to one of the following locations, which offer full service and are open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Lynnwood Licensing Services Office; 18023 Hwy 99 North, Suite E, Lynnwood, (425) 672-3409.

Seattle East Licensing Services Office, 5811 Rainier Ave South, Seattle, (206) 721-4561.

Seattle West Licensing Services Office, 8830 25th Ave. S.W., Seattle, (206) 764-4143.

A talented Woodinville team exploited the youth of the Ballard High School softball team in a 17-0 romp April 15.

The Beavers started freshman Haley DeGarmo at pitcher in order to rest Sophie Overlock-Pauley, and she did her best against a very good Woodinville team, coach Kyle Gray said.

"She hung in there and pitched her butt off," he said.

Walks hurt Ballard, Gray said. Woodinville scored their 17 runs on just nine hits.

Gray said the team needs to have a short-term memory this week because they are playing three teams that he called the best of the best.

The Beavers face Lake Washington today, in a rescheduling of their rained-out April 13 matchup, and Inglemoor on Friday.

"We have a big battle ahead of us and we just have to go out there and get the job done," Gray said.

Ballard (1-4 overall, 1-3 conference) plays Lake Washington at 4 p.m., April 16 at Lower Woodland.

Skyline used an eight-run third inning to blast by the Ballard High School baseball team April 15 for a 10-5 victory.

The Beavers got on the board first with three runs in the opening inning, but starting pitcher Jimmy Pugel gave Ballard two and a third innings before being pulled during Skyline's big third inning.

Ballard tallied nine hits in the game but couldn't match the offensive efficiency of Skyline, which earned its 10 runs on 10 hits.

Seniors Conor McClure and Grady Williams each went two for three with three RBIs between them for the Beavers.

Ballard lost 5-2 to Redmond April 13, bringing their current skid to six games. The team started off the season 4-2 overall but now finds itself at 4-8, 3-7 in the conference.

Ballard faces Eastlake at 3:45 p.m., April 17 at Whitman Middle School.