June 2009

Smokin' Pete's BBQ in Ballard was named the seventh-best barbecue joint on the west coast in the June issue of Sunset Magazine.

The restaurant was opened five years ago at the corner of 20th Avenue Northwest and Northwest 65th Street.

Owner Julie Reinhardt was raised in Ballard and attended Ballard High School. She said the location was perfect because the former butcher shop had a smoker in the back and there is a long tradition in Texas of barbeque restaurants opening in old butcher shops.

Sunset described Smokin' Pete's meat as "juicy with a subtle, almost haunting quality." Read the entire article here.

Reinhardt said Smokin' Pete's stands out from the rest of the barbecue pack because they use high quality meats, slice their brisket Texas-style, and make everything from scratch.

"We do some things differently," she said.

On top of co-owning Smoking Pete's with Eric Reinhardt, Julie recently wrote her own barbecue book, "She Smoke."

The Seattle Police Department is reporting that, overall, major crimes were down in Seattle in 2008 by 4 percent, but its up in the Southwest Precinct, which has seen an overall increase in major crimes in the first four months of 2009 when compared to the same period in 2008.

But unlike the other Seattle precincts, the overall crime rise is being driven more by increases in property crimes than by violent crimes. Among property crimes, both burglaries and larceny/thefts are up, compared to a year ago.

The Southwest Precinct is also the only precinct posting an increase in vehicle thefts. While it has relatively fewer violent crimes compared to the other precincts, increases have been posted in both robberies and aggravated assaults, according to the report.

Read the Southwest Precinct Crime Trends report here.

Citywide there was a large decline in crime in 2007 that saw the crime rate fall to a 40-year low. 

From the report:

The Seattle Police Department is reporting that, overall, major crimes were down in Seattle in 2008 by 4 percent, but its up in the North Precinct, which has seen an overall increase in major crimes in the first four months of 2009 when compared to the same period in 2008.

Among violent crimes, both robberies and aggravated assaults are up through April 2009 when compared with the same period in 2008 in the North.

There are also increases in property crimes in North Precinct, particularly burglaries and larcenies, but these are not as large proportionally as the increases in violent crimes. Vehicle thefts, show a strong downward trend in the precinct.

According to the report, as a result of quick response to street robberies, North Precinct officers have obtained good suspect descriptions that have led to rapid identification, and in some cases, almost immediate arrests.

Read the North Precinct Crime Trends reporthere.

Citywide there was a large decline in crime in 2007 that saw the crime rate fall to a 40-year low. 

From the report:

Since the Student Assignment Plan Part I was introduced by Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson, new details have been made regarding the choices parents will have regarding where they send their children.

Tracy Libros, Seattle Public Schools enrollment and planning manager, met with media on June 2 to discuss details of the plan. She explained that district staff have designed the new Student Assignment Plan to be much easier to understand and accessible to families.

“We’re going for clarity or simplicity,” said Libros.

The biggest change parents will see compared to the current plan is that their students will start with a predictable assignment to a local school based on their address. Each elementary school will have a specific reference area and groups of those schools will filter into middle schools and, later, high schools.

To ensure that all students have equal access to special services, middle school attendance areas will also become service areas. The district aims to offer all basic services in each of these areas and Libros ensures that all students with special needs will have access, including transportation, to the services they need.

Dear Editor,

As part of the transition to a Chase branch, the clock tower that had been at the Ballard Washington Mutual bank for 50 years was removed.

The community is upset. It's another Ballard landmark that has been taken down.

A representative at the bank said they took it down because it was old and they didn't want to put the money into it that it would take to repair it.

What's the price for having it in the community?

Chase didn't give any warning they were removing the clock tower. I found out when I walked by and it was being taken out.

If they are not willing to put the clock tower back where it was, they should pay to install it somewhere else in Ballard.

These are not just my words. There wasn't much left of Ballard to begin with.

Randi Hansen,
Ballard

"Up"
Dir. Pete Docter and Bob Peterson
PG, 96 min.
Showtimes: 11:30 a.m., 2, 4:30, 7:15, 9:55
Majestic Bay

It is impossible for a Ballardite to watch "Up," Pixar's newest classic, without thinking of Edith Macefield and her house.

Like Macefield, Carl Fredricksen (Ed Asner) owns a quaint home that has been beset by construction on all sides. The difference comes when Carl gets fed up and sails his home away with the help of thousands of helium-filled balloons.

So much of Carl's life rings true to Ballard that it feels like a neighborhood movie. A sushi restaurant and a tanning salon face his home. His best relationship is with the construction manager. And, he just doesn't want to move out of his house.

The Ballard angle notwithstanding, "Up" is simply a great film. The jokes hit all the right notes and there are moments in the film, especially an opening sequence recapping Carl's life, that will moisten more than a few eyes in the theater.

On Sunday June 7, All The Best Pet Care in Ballard will host a fundraiser event to help cover Ballard the cat’s medical bills, an injured feral cat rescued on Memorial Day weekend.

A rescue mission for Ballard the cat took place by Ballard residents, Margie Carrell and Jeff Isaacs on Memorial Day weekend in a local homeowners yard who had been feeding the cat.

After successfully rescuing him, Ballard was taken to the South Seattle Veterinary Hospital where they decided to amputate his arm.

Ballard’s front paw was four times the size of his other paw so he was immediately taken to surgery, where the vet team realized his arm was full of dead tissue.

Space was made for Ballard at Feral Care, an all-volunteer cat rescue organization and sanctuary, where he is currently recovering for the next two weeks.

Once recovered from the amputation surgery, Ballard will be neutered and released into Feral Care’s sanctuary to live out his life.

The event will feature guest Joy Turner, radio host and animal communicator, pet care information, samples, treats and fun things to purchase to help pay off Ballard the cat’s vet bill.

The Seattle Fire Department responded to a call today about a possible hazardous material in the area around the 9900 block of 33rd Southwest in Arbor Heights, but the substance turned out to be windshield-washer fluid and motor oil, according to the fire department.

Seattle Fire Department spokesperson Dana Vander Houwen said the department received a call from someone who said that there were a few gallon jugs of a substance that were making their "eyes water."

The fire department hazmat team investigated the substance that someone spotted in a jar wrapped in a blanket that looked "suspicious."

There were no injuries or evacuations, said Vander Houwen.

A Port of Seattle candidate forum will be held Wednesday, June 3, 7 p.m. at the South Park Community Center, 8319 8th Ave. S.

All five announced Port of Seattle Commission candidates (Albro, Cain, Creighton, Fisken, and Holland) will face questions from community, environmental, labor and immigration groups. This non-partisan forum, moderated by former Seattle PI reporter Kristen Young, is sponsored by more than 25 community groups in a first of its kind event.

Port candidates may be asked about controversial issues such as the jet ghettos in Burien, development of industrial lands, discrimination against immigrants, exploitation of truck drivers, cruise ship pollution, Duwamish River PCBs, the quality of airport jobs, and the future of Ballard's Fisherman's terminal. More than 175 community members are expected to attend.

The Phinney Farmers Market is in full swing, and it wont be too long before there are strawberries, cherries and raspberries on the farm tables, said Chris Curtis director of the Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance.

The Alliance also operates the West Seattle, University District, Capitol Hill, Lake City, Columbia City and Magnolia markets.

Curtis said each week in June, there will be a "tasty selection of uber-fresh, healthy, and absolutely delicious greens and other spring veggies," at the Phinney Market, which operates Fridays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. May 29 through Oct. 2 in the lower parking lot at the Phinney Neighborhood Center, at 67th and Phinney Ave. N.

The market has a line-up of weekly music and other events, including a special cooking demo by New Orleans chef Poppy Tooker.  Chef Poppy will show shoppers how to make a fabulous gumbo using what’s fresh on the market tables on Friday, June 19, 4 p.m. 
She is touring with her new cookbook, which shoppers will be able to purchase at the market on June 19. 

For a quick list of farmers and vendors at the market this year, click here.