October 2009

While scanning the divorce section at the library, a punch in the gut memory comes to me.

I’ve just gotten home from the very same library, only this time I’m carrying my infant son and several parenting books. I only need to glance at a few of the back covers, where I see a male author grinning at me, to automatically hurl those books across the room.

A quick peruse of a couple more that state my baby should be sleeping through the night by now, get those books chucked as well. I make a vow right there and then to never trust a smiley-faced “expert” over myself when it comes to my life.

From the quick scan through a couple of divorce books I see that I am supposed to pass through three stages: denial, adjustment, and acceptance. My children may become ill-adjusted adults who are unable to form healthy relationships.

Once again, I have to trust myself over the “experts.”

Since my separation in January, my son and daughter have not acted out nor disengaged with me, their father, their friends or any other people in their life. As for me, I’ve passed through many stages, none of them being the prescribed three. Here are a few of them.

King County Sheriff Sue Rahr told King County Council members on Sept. 30 that a proposed budget would leave only one deputy per shift to cover all of Boulevard Park and White Center.

Another deputy could patrol Skyway but there would be no deputies at storefront offices or on Vashon Island, according to Rahr.

The proposed budget was offered by interim county Executive Kurt Triplett.

Rahr said a $3.5 million cut was made because Burien police will take over coverage of the newly annexed southern portion of North Highline. Burien contracts with King County for police services but the city is able to negotiate its level of service.

"The appropriate reduction due to workload for the annexed area is only seven deputies," Rahr said. "However this budget proposes cutting an additional 27 deputies due to the annexation.

"After the seven deputies are cut from the new annexation area, there will only be 38 left to serve all of White Center, Skyway, South Park, Boulevard Park and Vashon Island.

"From that small pool I should cut 27 deputies, a 75 percent cut in police protection to the highest crime neighborhoods in King County?"

One of the joys of miniature gardening is that you really don’t have to know a lot to start. And, this can work the other way around, it is a great way to begin learning about gardening.

Baby steps, as they say.

Here is a brief primer on the difference between indoor and outdoor plants. This is a popular question that every beginner eventually asks.

Indoor plants are, for the most part, tropical plants that want to stay 60 degree F or above all year round.

In general, if you bring an outdoor plant inside, it will think it is the summer growing season all the time, and grow itself to death. The dry air from our forced, indoor heating, plus the 16 odd hours of supposed “daylight” from the indoors, will put unwanted stress on the outdoor plant that would normally prefer a cool, humid, winter-like environment.

When a plant doesn’t get the rest it needs (like going dormant in winter) it will get stressed out - just like us. When the plant’s defense system is compromised and weakened, it leaves the plant open to pest and diseases.

Community members met with representatives from the Seattle Parks and Recreation Department to discuss community needs at the High Point Community Center Oct. 1, where about 50 people showed up to voice concerns about youth, seniors and budgetary issues.

Timothy Gallagher, the parks superintendent, reminded the community members that it takes outreach for a neighborhood to meet its goals.

Gosay Mohammed, 14, raised his hand at last night’s meeting to ask city officials more than twice his age about why the High Point Community Center can’t have more hours during the weekends.

“That’s the amount of hours we have to work with,” said Gallagher. “We’ve never really been fully funded for the hours that are necessary for community centers.”

Mohammed and several other teens attended the meeting along with about 45 other community members, in part to congratulate Gallagher for the work he has already done; work that helped the teens go to Wild Waves and a Sounders FC game during the summer.

The teens also received Subway sandwiches for participating in their local government.

A fundraising event, coined "The Battle for Seattle," was held Wednesday night, Sept. 30, at the Crocodile Lounge in Belltown for Mike McGinn, who is running for Seattle mayor, Dow Constantine, who is vying for the King County executive spot, and Pete Holmes who is seeking the city attorney position.

The event followed a VIP reception at Via Tribunali on Capitol Hill. The VIP reception and Battle raised nearly $15,000 for the three candidates.

McGinn will run against business executive Joe Mallahan, Constantine against Susan Hutchinson, and Holmes against Tom Carr in the Nov. 3 general election.

Nearly 200 supporters, campaign staff and volunteers at the lounge heard speeches by all three candidates and live music by The Maldives, a rock, country, folk band, and The Presidents of the United States, the popular alternative rock band. Political activist and former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic sat in with The Presidents, who played two sets.

Georgie Bright Kunkel, columnist for the West Seattle Herald, will be featured on King 5's long-running television show "Evening Magazine."

The episode airs Monday, Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. on channel 5.

Kunkel, a writer, activist and stand-up comedian, will be performing Tuesday, Oct. 20 (8:30 p.m.) at Comedy Undergound as part of a benefit for the non-profit the Sightline Institute, an environmental research group.

Kunkel's husband, Norman, volunteered 1,400 hours for the organization before his death in April of this year.

Washington Federal Savings has filed an application with the Seattle Department of Planning and Development to create a new two-story, 8,400 square foot building at 2020 N.W. Market St., the bank's current Ballard location.

The application states the project includes the demolition of the existing building.

Scott Ringgold, the Department of Planning and Development planner for the project, said the application calls for the new building to house the Ballard branch of Washington Federal Savings.

The parking lot on the north side of the building, at 2021 N.W. 56th St., will be reconfigured under the plan, Ringgold said.

Washington Federal Savings is based in Seattle and has locations in seven states. It started in 1917 as Ballard Savings and Loan Association.

According to the Seattle Department of Nieghborhoods, the Washington Federal Savings building was built in 1941 and remodeled in 1955 and 1962. It is on a Department of Neighborhoods' list of historical sites.

There is an early design meeting for the project scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 12 in the Ballard High School Library.

Sophomore Alex Bowns led all runners and set the pace for a Ballard High School boys cross country victory against Interlake and Mercer Island Sept. 30 at Marymoor Park.

The Beaver boys had a final score of 32 on the 3.1-mile course, beating Mercer Island's 36 and Interlake's 58.

Bowns finished first overall with a time of 16:31. Ballard senior Aaron Hamilton placed second overall also with a time of 16:31. Senior Jesse Bengtsson finished fourth in 16:45.

Bowns has led the Ballard boys team in every meet this season.

Ballard senior Erin Philbeck placed second overall in the girls race with a time of 19:50, but the Beavers finished last with a score of 52 to Mercer Island's 26 and Interlake's 48.

Ballard junior Natalie White came in fifth overall with a time of 20:47.

The Ballard cross country teams head to Island Crest Park on Oct. 7 for a 4 p.m. meet against Garfield, Inglemoor, Interlake and Mercer Island.

Join ArtsWest Gallery Director Nichole DeMent and ArtsWest Gallery artists Cory W. Peeke, Grego Rachko and Arun Sharma in a lively discussion about controversial issues surrounding constructions of the identity of men at on stage Thursday, Oct. 8 at 7:30 p.m.

Free and open to the public, ArtsWest’s On Stage Series was created to connect the world of art to the world around us, by discussing everything from themes and cultural context to programming choices and design concepts.

In (de)constructing men, three male artists create work about contemporary manhood. The exhibit was curated specifically to complement the concurrent stage production at ArtsWest, "Measure for Pleasure" (Oct. 21 through Nov. 14).

“The play is very much about identity; fabricated identity versus the self within,” said Gallery Director Nichole DeMent. “These three artists are looking at what it means to be a man in a mix of modern and historical contexts. They explore their experiences of being men with an intensely compelling sincerity.”

The Ballard High School boys tennis team suffered its worst defeat of the season Sept. 30 when they lost to Roosevelt 6-1.

The match started on Sept. 29 but was delayed and completed Sept. 30 due to weather.

Neal Berg continued to be a bright spot for the Beavers this season. He gave the team their lone point of the match by beating Roosevelt's Riley Pichon 2-1 by scores of 6-2, 5-7 and 6-3.

Berg has now won his singles match in all five Ballard contests this year.

The 1-4 Beavers take on Bellevue at 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 1 at Bellevue High School.