October 2009

The West Seattle Chamber of Commerce Bordeaux Bites & Bingo fundraiser proved to be a good evening of entertainment and a successful fundraiser for the chamber Friday Oct. 2.

The annual event, held at Herban Feast at Sodo Park on 1st Avenue, was attended by approximately 200 people this year. The event featured a wine auction, a buffet from Herban Feast, a "Dessert Dash," and a series of bingo games and a raffle.

Sponsors included PB&J Textiles, Wiseman's Appliance, Harbor Properties, Tom's Automotive, Potter Construction, Merrill Gardens, Salty's Restaurant, Forest Lawn, West Seattle Senior Center and JMH.

On Friday, Oct. 2 at about 9:40 a.m., officers were dispatched to the 700 block of North 90th Street after a witness saw a man break out the back window of his neighbor’s house and enter, according to Seattle police.

Upon arrival officers covered the front and back of the house.

The suspect looked out the window and realized he had nowhere to go. He was taken into custody without incident and booked into the Youth Service Center.

The home owner was notified and responded. The suspect was attempting to take computer and electronic equipment. Everything was returned.

The Calvary Task Force at its Oct. 1 meeting showed support for the continuation of the SHARE shelter located in the old Calvary Lutheran Church on the condition that changes are made to the screening process to keep sex offenders, such as the one recently removed from the shelter, out of the neighborhood.

The task force is comprised of neighbors, SHARE representatives and representatives of Our Redeemer's Lutheran Church, who operate the shelter.

Neighborhood members of the task force presented a survey they had taken of the neighborhood that showed some residents want SHARE to implement sex offender background checks when screening for new shelter residents, a practice they have previously refused to do.

According to notes from the meeting provided by Our Redeemer's, there was disagreement within the task force over whether or not the survey fairly represents the opinion of the neighborhood as a whole.

The task force's neighborhood members also dropped off copies of a petition before the meeting. The petition, signed by neighbors, states that SHARE and Our Redeemer's have a choice between conducting sex offender checks or shutting down the shelter.

“We keep the old gods alive!” shout the Cabiri Performance Troupe members of their October production, "The Ghost Game: Dead Gods,” a collection of theatrical and aerial dance vignettes depicting tales from folklore and mythology to be presented at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center on Oct. 16, 17, 23 and 24.

“Cabiri performers enrapture the audience and transport them to worlds our technology-focused society has lost sight of under modern-day stress,” according to the troupe’s press release. The troupe's name "Cabiri" comes from ancient Greek mythology.

Cabiri presents the event with the Anunnaki Project, a nonprofit arts organization based in Seattle. The organization, celebrating its 10-year anniversary in 2009, specializes in the depiction of myths from ancient cultures with physical theater, dance, and circus arts. The Anunnaki are deities found in Sumerian, Akkadian, and Babyolonian mythology.

“We’re pulling out all the stops,” enthused Charly McCreary, managing director of the Anunnaki Project Cabiri. “We’ve got darn near every piece of aerial equipment we own up in the air.”

Irish tenor and acclaimed speaker Ronan Tynan will be featured at Providence Mount Saint Vincent's annual Legacy Community Luncheon fundraiser to be held Wednesday, Oct. 7 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Westin Seattle, 1900 Fifth Ave., downtown.

Born in Dublin, Tynan has had a distinguished career as a member of the Irish Tenors, a Paralympics athlete and a physician.

Born with lower limb disabilities, Tynan elected to have both legs amputated at age 20 due to complications caused by a car accident. Within weeks of the accident, he was climbing stairs at his college dormitory on artificial legs.

Within a year, Tynan was winning international in track and field competitions. In 1993 he graduated from Trinity College in Dublin as a physician specializing in orthopedic sports injuries. He performed "Amazing Grace" and "Ave Maria" at the Washington National Cathedral for the late President Ronald Reagan's state funeral.

The 80 year-old South Park Bridge that reaches across the Duwamish River is quickly losing its grip as 20,000 cars and trucks pass over and press down on its frail arms each day, leaving politicians, community leaders and area business owners and citizens biting their nails.

The bridge’s pilings for its two support piers were not driven down to glacial till when built, but rather on silty clay sediment. Over the course of the years, and with prodding by the Nisqually Earthquake, one pier moves up river, the other down river as a result of the mud.

The metal teeth where the two halves of the bridge meet are binding against each other and there are places where teeth are a mere paper’s width apart, instead of the proper three inches. Both towers are also tipping forward, moving toward each other.

Construction will no longer engage in costly, temporary repairs and the bridge may come down next year. King County Executive Kurt Triplett said the county will no longer fund maintenance.

Seattle Weekly's Fifth Annual REVERB Festival is set to take over every corner of downtown Ballard this Saturday with more music than the average resident could shake a stick at.

Ten stages will host 64 local bands for 10 hours starting at 3 p.m. on Oct. 3. There will also be a debate between mayoral candidates Joe Mallahan and Mike McGinn hosted by John Roderick, a member of the Long Winters.

The festival will obviously feature bands performing the Sunset Tavern, the Tractor Tavern and Conor Byrne. But, it will also feature music in some less typical locations, such as the New York Fashion Academy and Volterra.

Check back at www.ballardnewstribune.com on Sunday for photos and coverage from the festival.

Two West Seattle businesses have been named Mayor Greg Nickels Small Business Award winners.

The winners include Alki Kayak Tours and Cupcake Royale /Verite Coffee (also the Ballard location).

The business owners, along with representatives from eight other winners from around the city, will accept the award at a ceremony at Town Hall on Tuesday, Oct. 13.

“Small businesses are the economic engines that employ local people and provide innovative products and services throughout our city – small business owners are my heroes,” said Mayor Nickels in a statement. “They add character to our neighborhoods and create gathering places that make Seattle so wonderful.”

Every year, 10 small businesses in Seattle receive special recognition for their accomplishments through the Mayor’s Small Business Awards presented by Wells Fargo. This is the 25th year of the program.

Alki Kayak Tours
Greg & Kara Whittaker - (206) 953-0237

1660 Harbor Ave. S.W.

Three Ballard businesses and one Interbay company have been named Mayor Greg Nickels Small Business Award winners.

The winners include the Ballard and Greenwood Sip and Ship, Cupcake Royale and Verite Coffee (also the West Seattle location), Annie's Nannies and Gravity Payments in Interbay.

The business owners, along with representatives from six other winners from around the city, will accept the award at a ceremony at Town Hall on Tuesday, Oct. 13.

“Small businesses are the economic engines that employ local people and provide innovative products and services throughout our city – small business owners are my heroes,” said Mayor Nickels in a statement. “They add character to our neighborhoods and create gathering places that make Seattle so wonderful.”

Every year, 10 small businesses in Seattle receive special recognition for their accomplishments through the Mayor’s Small Business Awards presented by Wells Fargo. This is the 25th year of the program.

Annie’s Nannies
Annie Davis & Suzanne Royer McCone - (206) 784-8462

2236 N.W. 58th St., Suite 101

Two Rescued From Sinking Boat

Two people were rescued from a sinking boat in Des Moines. A representative for the Des Moines Police Department stated two people and their dog were rescued from the boat that was about 150 yards off the Redondo Pier.

A South King County Fire representative said a swimmer made it out to the father and son with flotation devices. A marine unit was then able to pluck the two out of the water and bring them safely to shore.

After being examined by aid units and warmed up, both individuals went home without injuries. The dog appeared to be ok, too.

Girlfriend Shoots Boyfriend, Standoff follows

A 41 year-old woman shot her 55 year-old boyfriend at least twice with a handgun, October 1st.

He was taken to Harborview Hospital with non life- threatening injuries. The incident occurred about 10:30 PM in the 800 block of SW 117th in unincorporated King County, just to the north of Burien.

The pair live with the man’s brother and the woman’s 15 year-old son, both of whom were home at the time of the shooting.