January 2012

Propane heater blamed in incident
Concerned family members made several attempts to contact a member of their family in SeaTac but were unsuccessful. The family members went to the home and found the victim unconscious and unresponsive. Aid was called and the victim was taken to a local hospital. The condition of the man was unknown at the time of this report. SeaTac Fire Department’s public-information officer, Randy Droppert, stated the victim had been using a propane heater in the home and appears to have been overcome by the noxious gases. A news release did not mention the age or gender of the victim.

Two men shot in Tukwila bar quarrel
On Dec. 27 shortly after 1 a.m. two females got into a fist fight in the parking lot outside Tukwila’s Annex Tavern on the 10300 block of E. Marginal Way. The melee soon escalated and an unidentified suspect pulled out a handgun and opened fire. One man was shot several times and taken to Harborview in serious condition and the other victim sustained a less-serious shot to the leg. As of Dec. 29 Tukwila police were still investigating and no arrests had been made.

Press release

An unexpected windstorm knocked over power poles and left customers without power along S.W. 152nd Street in Burien and in Tukwila on Christmas day.

Seattle City Light trimmed trees along 450 miles of power lines in 2011 to reduce the risk of storm-related outages, but falling branches and trees are always a concern in high winds.



City Light officials say one important step residents can take is to put together an emergency preparedness kit. A kit should include enough food and supplies to last a family for at least three days.

The kit should include hand-crank or battery-operated flashlight and radio, fresh batteries, a survival blanket, a first aid kit, pocket tissues and hand sanitizer wipes. For a checklist and other tips, go to www.takewinterbystorm.org.



City Light also reminds customers to be safe. Downed lines can be dangerous.

Here’s what customers can do if they experience a power outage:


Press release

iFLY Seattle, located in Tukwila, is kicking off the New Year by continuing its monthly charity partnership program in January with The Moyer Foundation.

The indoor skydiving facility will donate 10 percent of sales on Saturday, January 7 and Sunday, January 8 to the organization. The mission of The Moyer Foundation is to empower children in distress by providing education and support, helping them to live healthy and inspired lives.

Support this great cause by purchasing flights or gift cards online at www.iflyseattle.com or check out the action for yourself at 349 Tukwila Parkway in Tukwila near Southcenter Mall.

FLY Seattle
iFLY Seattle is an indoor skydiving center that offers the thrill of freefall in a safe, controlled environment. It’s safe for kids, challenging for adults, exciting for teens and realistic for skydiver.

Residents of Normandy Park and parts of southern Burien are now part of King County Council District 5, represented by Councilmember Julia Patterson.

The changes are a result of a shift in boundaries to the nine King County Council districts. By law, every ten years a committee must redraw King County Council districts to reflect changes in the population of the county.

A committee was appointed by the County Council to redraw the boundaries using updated 2010 US census data. The new Districts took effect Nov.15.

As part of the change in boundaries, all residents of Normandy Park are now in District 5, represented by Patterson.

District 5 also expands into the southern part of the city of Burien. This include those living south of SW 152nd St. going east to 10th Avenue S.W., and south to S.W. 160th St. to 1st Avenue S. and then going north on 1st Avenue to S. 156th St. to the border of the city of SeaTac.

“I’m looking forward to once again representing the residents of Normandy Park and Burien, many of whom were my constituents while serving in the state Senate,” said Patterson.

Press release
Sustainable Burien will hold its monthly gathering on Sunday, Jan. 8
at the Burien Library multi-purpose room, 400 S.W. 152nd St. The doors will open at 
1:30 p.m. with the gathering running from 2-4 p.m.


Elizabeth Weldin, of the Toxics Cleanup Program with the Washington State Department of Ecology, will be speaking about the “Tacoma plume,” from the ASARCO plant in Tacoma.

For almost 100 years, the Asarco Company operated a copper smelter in Tacoma. Air pollution from the smelter settled on the surface soil over more than 1,000 square miles of the Puget Sound basin. Arsenic, lead, and other heavy metals are still in the soil as a result of this pollution.

Learn how this affects you. How safe are we? Who is at risk? How does this impact the sustainability of Burien? Can I grow my own food? Can my kids play outside in the dirt? What businesses might be impacted? Land value? What steps can we make to mitigate the presence of arsenic and create a healthy and resilient community?

More information is available at www.sustainableburien.org.

Press release
With weather forecasts predicting another “La Nina” winter, Sound Transit riders are urged to prepare for winter commutes by taking proactive steps to increase their “snow-how” for riding Link light rail, Sounder commuter rail, and ST Express regional buses.

The best way for Sound Transit riders to plan ahead for snow is by signing up to receive rider alert e-mails and/or text messages. Rider alerts offer a great way to stay informed since weather impacts vary by transit service and riders have the option of choosing what updates they want to receive, including alerts for specific bus routes, Sounder north line, Sounder south line, or Link light rail. Sound Transit posts updates as information becomes available. To sign up, visit www.soundtransit.org, mouse over “Schedules,” and select “Alerts.”

During snow events, Sound Transit will post current rider alerts at www.soundtransit.org/schedules. Other information about commuting during winter months is available under the “Rider Guide” tab. Riders without internet access can get up-to-date information by calling 1.888.889.6368.

Old boyfriend shoots new boyfriend in the foot
It was closing time at a club in South Park (300 block of 2nd Ave S.) on Dec. 24 when things turned ugly. A woman was out partying with her new boyfriend and a friend when her ex-boyfriend showed up at the club and forced an argument. They decided to leave the club and the ex-boyfriend followed. He pulled out a black pistol and pointed it at the new boyfriend’s chest, threatening, “Do you want to die? Do you want to die?” The new one pleaded for the old one “not to do anything crazy,” so the old one lowered his gun and shot the new one in the left foot before running away. The slug went cleanly through his foot and mushroomed as it hit the concrete. Paramedics could see a clear hole through the victim’s foot and he was taken to Harborview for treatment. Police gathered the suspect’s information and put out a warrant for his arrest.

Burglar busted on Fauntleroy

Dear Readers,

Today we launched a new Ballard News-Tribune medium, The Ballard News-Tribune BLOG.

The Ballard News-Tribune already has a presence online, in print, and on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, as well as mobile platforms. This latest addition is just another way for us to bring Ballard news to you.

Located at Blog.BallardNewsTribune.com, the BLOG serves as an addition to our current online and print news content and will be a place where those who eat, drink, shop, and play in Ballard can share and read about the latest in the Ballard entertainment and living.

Today is only the soft-launch of the blog but more is to come soon with competitions and prizes, new community voices, advertising possibilities, reviews, Q & A's, and more.

This blog is for the community.

Ballard artist Jonathan Wakuda Fischer has been selected by a jury of international art experts to participate in the 2012 Art Revolution Taipei (A.R.T.) Exhibition in Taipei, Taiwan.

Fischer’s work will be shown with 32 other artists chosen from a highly competitive lineup of more than 2,500 entries from 48 countries around the world.

Inspired by graffiti and traditional Japanese art, Fischer uses spraypaint and stencils to create work in the style of traditional “ukiyo-e” woodblock prints. And as a self-taught, biracial artist, Fischer’s global identity fuels this exploration of his heritage.

“It’s always good to know that your work is connecting with people,” said Fischer in a press release. “I’m honored to participate in such an international affair. Asia is a driving force in 21st century culture and that’s where I want to be.”

Hundreds of Seattleites dove towards a refreshing start to the new year on January 1, including two dozen plungers at the Ballard Elks club.

While New Year's Day dives took place at various locations in the city, at the Ballard Elks Club, members were plunging for pledges.

Following the success of last year's fundraiser, the Ballard Elks hosted its second annual Pledge or Plunge to raise money for Elk Charities.

The number of participants doubled from last year, with around 20 plungers. The Elks Charities to benefit from the fundraiser include:

- The Washington State Thereapy Program

Washington Elks Therapy Program for Children provides occupational and physical therapy services to children with developmental delays or physical disabilities. These services are provided under the direction of a physician and at no cost to the families. Priority is given to infants and young children who would otherwise go without services due to lack of resources, transportation, and health status. Services are provided in the home with the parent/guardian present

- Childrens Hospital

- Veterans