June 2009

Kelsey Waldon, a Chief Sealth High School junior, is participating in a week-long motherhood project in her child development class.

"It's to teach us about the responsibilities of a parent, to think before you act," said Waldon.

"I don't even know if I want to have kids," she continued. "If I did it would be very, very far away."

Waldon said all her classmates, about 15, are toting "babies."

"His head is made out of newspaper, his body is a bag of flour," she said. "His name is Vladimir John Wayne. It just seemed like a really cool name."

A man plays volleyball with his pal Wilson by the Alki Statue of Liberty on another sunny day by the beach Thursday, June 11.

Members of the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) were on-hand Wednesday night at Madison Middle School for an Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement “scoping” meeting.

The meeting was designed as an informative meet-and-greet with boards explaining the project plans circling the room. Members of WSDOT, the Seattle Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration were on-hand to hear comments and explain the recent bored tunnel legislation.

The focus of the meeting was to gain feedback for a second supplemental draft environmental impact statement (SDEIS) on the proposed bored tunnel alternative.

“The focus of this meeting is to give the public a chance to come out and understand what the project is, what we’re proposing, and to let us know what issues or concerns they have on what they would like to see included on the environmental documentation,” said Allison Hanson, director of environmental services at WSDOT.

Alki Kid's Place, an after-school program housed in the United Church of Christ, is beginning its Summer Camp Program for kids ages 4 through 14.

"We try to get to the beach as often as we can," said school director Cheryl Snyder. "With the summer program we come every day as weather permits.

"We offer flexible scheduling, which most parents appreciate," she said.

"It's so nice to have this program in our own backyard," said Hollie Nikodem, whose daughter Maddie attends. The Nikodem's live just a few blocks from the church.

"As working parent's Kid's Place has been a lifesaver for us," added Maddie's mother. "She comes home happy and exhausted."

Maddie will attend the Summer Camp Program, and it is not too late to sign up.

Alki Kid's Place celebrates its one-year anniversary June 24, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The public is invited, and Zeeks pizza, refreshments, and children's activities are all on the menu.

The school is located at 6115 SW Hinds St. or call (206) 938-0145.

Seattle Department of Transportation crews plan to close the right-hand, westbound lane of the Magnolia Bridge on Thursday, June 18, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

There will also be intermittent closures on 23rd Avenue West under the bridge.

The crews will remove loose delaminated concrete from the bottom of the bridge.

Illegal use of a blue or red disabled parking placard hangtag will result in a $250 parking ticket under new legislation Mayor Greg Nickels announced on June 11.

The proposal aims to end the unlawful use of placards that denies disabled individuals accessible parking and hurts patrons’ access to local businesses and activities.

“Abuse of disabled parking placards has real consequences for the disabled, denying them accessible parking for their daily work, shopping and medical appointments,” Nickels said in a statement. “This proposal will give our officers more tools to ensure disabled drivers, residents and visitors can more easily park on our city’s streets.”

The Seattle Police Department recently reviewed disabled parking hangtags used citywide and uncovered significant problems. Abuses found were placards that were expired, issued to people since deceased, or reported “lost” to the Department of Licensing but still in use.

When contacted about possible misuse, 85 percent of drivers were found to be inappropriately using placards.

Fire trucks and emergency response vehicles swarmed Crown Hill June 11 when a resident put in a hazardous materials call.

A resident who had recently purchased a home near 80th Avenue Northwest and Northwest Mary Street found a number of mysterious bottles, Fire Department spokesperson Dana Vander Houwen said.

Neighbors said the house may have been used for cooking meth under previous owners, Vander Houwen said.

She said the bottles turned out to be bleach.

"It's bleach," she said. "Were' taking care of it, and nobody was hurt."

Holy Rosary School will say goodbye to Kris Brown, its principal for the past 23 years, in a special celebration event tonight.

Parents, students, parishioners and alumni are invited to the school's Lanigan Hall at 7 p.m. to "toast and roast the one with the most."

Brown announced in early April that she will be leaving to lead St. Catherine School in Maple Leaf.

Brown has been at Holy Rosary for 25 years, teaching third and fourth grade her first two years and leading the school as principal for 23 years.

While the principal was not actively looking for a new job, the opportunity at St. Catherine intrigued her. The school is just two miles from Brown's home and half the size of Holy Rosary.

"It's been the hardest decision I've made in my life," said Brown. "But through change comes new life and new energy and I feel that for Holy Rosary and for myself."

Holy Rosary, a Catholic K-8 school, has grown and changed significantly under Brown's leadership. The student body has doubled with two classes at each grade level and the faculty has nearly tripled.

When I moved to Ballard, the first thing that I looked for was the library. What can I say? I’m a voracious reader.

When I found it, I realized that Seattle was a city with very different priorities. The Ballard Public Library is not just an interesting building with a grass-covered roof, it is a multi-purpose facility that has become a destination for the people in the neighborhood.

According to the Seattle Public Library’s Web site, the Ballard Branch was opened in 2005, replacing the original Carnegie building (1904-1963) and the one on 24th Avenue Northwest (1963-2005).

Situated a block back from Market and across from Bartell’s as well as Ballard Commons Park, the Ballard Branch is in a prime spot.

I believe that the priorities of a community are reflected in how they treat their libraries. Some places can’t scrape together the money to keep their libraries open. Others create a lavish downtown library and leave the branches to rot.

Editor's note: This letter from the Ballard District Council is addressed to Ron Paananen, Alaskan Way Viaduct and Seawall Replacement Program Administrator for the state department of transportation, and was also copied to the Ballard News-Tribune.

Dear Mr. Pannanen: 

The Ballard District Council leadership has identified a number of concerns related to the process and proposals for the Deep Bored Tunnel project’s North Portal.  The District Council is composed of representatives from 26 member community organizations in the Ballard district.   

Process 

1. To date, neither the district council nor its executive board has had any contact with the “Ballard Representative."  Though I’m sure she’s well qualified, this situation could have been avoided had the professional staff on the North Portal project contacted the council before appointing a representative to ensure that the representative had long-term connections to the community.  If representatives are to be chosen by staff, it is incumbent on the staff to ensure that communication with community leadership is occurring.