October 2009

The following are applications or decisions made by the Seattle Department of Planning and Development, which can be appealed or commented on by the public.

4741 15th Ave. S.W.
Project: 3003134

An appeal that has been filed against a land use application to allow construction of 33 single family residences with accessory parking in an environmental critical area has been rescheduled.

The appeal hearing will now be held on Nov. 12, at 9 a.m. It was previously scheduled for Oct. 27 at 9 a.m.

The project includes 5,500 cubic yards of grading.

The appeal specifically challenges the city's decision not to conduct an environmental review on the project. There are some conditions placed on this project. The development site is in a fish and wildlife area.

View details of the project here.

Applicant: Benjamin Pariser, 360-289-7995
City planner: Shelley Bolser, 206-733-9067

At Fred Meyer, we passed the freezer case and some organic sour cream caught my eye.

“Honey,” I said conspiratorially, “how about we break the Sunday night spaghetti dinner tradition and have Turkos?”

She gives the ok, and so I grab a container of the creamy stuff, then pick up some shells and taco seasoning in the next aisle.

For the uninitiated, tacos made with turkey meat are what I have branded as ‘Turkos’…just as tacos made from buffalo meat are ‘Bufcos’ and, I suppose, if you made them from, say, duck, they’d be ‘Duckos’.

But beef, ‘cowcos’ don’t sound that good. Still with me?

We get home and I begin the preparations, cooking the ground turkey in the skillet with the seasoning mix, chopping the red peppers and tomato, the red onions, and as I work, I sing a little song.

‘Turkos, Turkos, sure is fine, I’d eat Turkos anytime.’

The dogs eye me, then look at each other, as if to acknowledge my ongoing weirdness, but they still hang out in case a chunk of cheese hits the floor.

The crooning voice of entertainer Kyle Clay will be on tap this Saturday, October 24, at an open fundraiser to benefit Projecto Honduras, a local nonprofit organization that provides aid, healthcare and education to the poorest regions of the Central American country.

The event, Romancing the Stone, hopes to raise enough money to send two 40 foot containers and purchase medical supplies and medicine to Honduras.

Projecto Honduras President and Federal Way businesswoman Evelyn Castellar hopes the event, held from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at 1925 South 341st Street (the Intellipass Building) will raise awareness about her organization's work and bring the Hispanic community closer together with members of the Federal Way community.

A full dinner will be served including a hosted bar.

No reservations are required, and guests may pay at the door. The price for a fine evening of food and entertainment is $50 per couple, $30 per person.

Kyle Clay, a local Federal Way entertainer, will perform from 6 p.m to 7 p.m.

A big election is just around the corner on Nov. 3, and a symphony of signs show names of candidates vying for Seattle mayor, city council and King County Executive along the West Seattle Bridge exit before you veer around the corner.

Don’t let out-of-date fixtures and unappealing decor cost you a sale. While some buyers may actually appreciate “vintage” features, home and design experts say these five features almost always serve as a turnoff.

1. Outdated Paint: Dated and excessively bold or dark paint and tile colors, such as “Pepto Bismol” pink, avocado green, deep plum, or jet black. Lacquered or high-gloss painted walls that are expensive to repaint and show all defects. Likewise, faux- and sponge-painted walls can be so passe. Painted trim that’s very dark-and costly to remove. Homes sell faster that have been freshly painted in neutral colors.

2. Wallpaper, which is a lot of work (and potentially expensive) to remove. Most disliked: Dated flowered or striped patterns. Again, think neutral.

3. Outdated Kitchens: Outdated, small-scale, and dirty kitchen appliances that look like they won’t perform are a deal breaker. Worn, cracked laminate countertops, and backsplashes or plastic cultured marble won’t help sell your house. And, a cluttered and dirty kitchen is always a turn off.

On Halloween, Saturday, Oct. 31, more than 100 Fremont retailers and restaurants, with the support of the Fremont Chamber of Commerce, will hand out treats to children (dressed in costume) for Fremont Trick-or-Treat 2009.

The event is free but children must be accompanied by an adult.

Participating businesses will hang an orange flyer in their window and distribute treats from 2 to 6 p.m. on Halloween day.

Maps of participating businesses will be available at the following locations:

Portage Bay Goods - 206-547-5221, 706 N. 34th St.

Daly's Inc - 206-633-4200, 3525 Stone Way N.

Mishu - 206-802-8022, 465 N. 36th St.

Eyes On Fremont - 206-643-3375, 4254 Fremont Ave. N.

A map can also be downloaded here.

More information is available at 206-632-3170, instigator@fremocentrist.com or www.fremocentrist.com.

Providence Mount St. Vincent, a non-profit assisted living and skilled nursing home in West Seattle, on Oct. 16 received the 2009 Washington State Psychologically Health Workplace award presented by the Washington State Psychological Association.

The award is given to employers that practice exemplary practices to create a psychologically healthy workplace to benefit the employer and the employees, said Anne Purcell, Ph.D., of the Washington State Psychological Association. Through a questionnaire and site visit, the association assesses employee safety and health, employee training and development, employee involvement in a business’s practices, and whether and how businesses solicit employee feedback.

Purcell said the awards committee was “very positively impressed by Providence Mount St. Vincent and the philosophy underlying patient care/well-being by promoting a sense of community via `neighborhoods’ within the long-term care facility.”

The Ballard High School volleyball team, continuing its late-season rally, won its third match in a row, defeating Redmond three games to one on Oct. 19.

The Beavers' three wins come after a five-match skid and have pushed the team to sixth place in KingCo.

Ballard took the first game against Redmond 25-17, but Redmond answered with a 25-21 win. The Beavers handily won the third game 25-15 and put Redmond away with a 25-20 victory in the fourth game.

Senior Lisa Day had 23 kills and five aces, and sophomore Monique Marques dished out 31 assists.

The win was important for keeping the Beavers' playoff hopes alive.

"Last night was a huge win," coach Tami Reese said. "We needed to win that one."

Ballard will be guaranteed a spot in the playoffs if it wins one of its remaining two matches or if Inglemoor loses both of its remaining matches.

While the team's recent win streak has been impressive, it has come against three opponents who have only four conference wins between them.

The competition for the Beavers (4-5 conference, 6-5 overall) will get tougher in the final two matches.

The Ballard High School girls swim team swam laps around its KingCo 4A competition this season, going 5-0 in conference meets.

The perfect conference record in regular-season meets was cemented when the Beavers swept three KingCo opponents – Woodinville, Bothell and Inglemoor – Oct. 17 at the Mercer Island Pool.

Ballard beat Bothell 100-86, Inglemoor 95-91 and Woodinville 110-75.

The Beavers' Annemarie Thayer set state qualifying times in the 100 meter backstroke and the 100 meter freestyle with times of 1:00.61 and 55.28 respectively.

Katie Jo Burkland set another state qualifying time for Ballard, finishing the 500 meter freestyle in 5:15.23.

In addition to Woodinville, Bothell and Inglemoor, the Beavers beat Lake Washington and Roosevelt earlier this season.

Ballard (5-3 overall) will put its dominance of KingCo teams to the test at the KinCo Championships Oct. 30 through Nov. 1 at the Mercer Island Pool.

The Seattle Parks and Recreation Department is hosting several Halloween events for the family in Northwest Seattle.

Middle School Halloween Scavenger Hunt
Ballard Community Center
6020 28th Ave. N.W.
Saturday, Oct. 31, noon to 2 p.m. Rumor has it that Archie McPhee has been searching Ballard, and needs your help to save the famous rubber chicken. Bring your friends, put on your walking shoes and Sherlock Holmes hat, and help solve the biggest mystery in Ballard. Meet at Ballard CC to start your hike through Ballard village to find clues and win a prize. Please dress for the weather! Cost: Free.

Halloween Carnival
Ballard Community Center
6020 28th Ave. N.W.
and
Loyal Heights Community Center
2101 N.W. 77th St.