April 2014

As the Low Income Housing Institute's (LIHI) Cheryl Chow Court (2014 N.W. 57th St.) is being constructed, some neighborhood residents are trying to stave off establishing an Urban Rest Stop (HRS) planned to occupy the lower level.

The Ballard location would be the third URS managed by LIHI in Seattle. The other two are Downtown and in the University District.

The building will provide 52 units for low income seniors. Eligible seniors need to be age 62 plus, with annual earnings 50 percent or below the area’s median income ($78,500). 10 percent of the housing will be reserved for homeless seniors. The 1,948 square foot URS is planned to serve as a hygiene center for homeless and
low income individuals. The plans show four private hygiene stations, public restrooms and a laundry facility.

As the Low Income Housing Institute's (LIHI) Cheryl Chow Court (2014 N.W. 57th St.) is being constructed, some neighborhood residents are trying to stave off establishing an Urban Rest Stop (HRS) planned to occupy the lower level.

The Ballard location would be the third URS managed by LIHI in Seattle. The other two are Downtown and in the University District.

The building will provide 52 units for low income seniors. Eligible seniors need to be age 62 plus, with annual earnings 50 percent or below the area’s median income ($78,500). 10 percent of the housing will be reserved for homeless seniors. The 1,948 square foot URS is planned to serve as a hygiene center for homeless and
low income individuals. The plans show four private hygiene stations, public restrooms and a laundry facility.

by Hannah Danforth
The Seattle Chinese Garden is unmistakable. With it’s remarkable courtyard, meandering paths and small pavilion, it is bounded by a sea of over 400 blooming peonies from Luoyang China’s peony capital making it home to the largest peony garden on the West Coast.
The courtyard, fondly called, Knowing the Spring Courtyard (Zhi Chun Yuan) due to it’s mostly spring blooming plants and dramatic decorative rock instillation from China, is the official entry to the garden. Built in collaboration with architects and artisans from Seattle’s sister city, Chongqing, it is the first Sichuanstyle garden in the United States.
As is tradition in China, the entrance (Ru Kou) is a modest gate, to show humility to the public.
Inside the Knowing Spring Courtyard is the Main Gate (Zheng Men) and entrance to the garden.
This beautifully crafted and ornamental gate leads a guest to open grass with an incredible view of Downtown Seattle, Elliott Bay and the Cascade Mountains. The West Seattle site was chosen by a fengshui master for it’s well balanced natural features and view of the city.

information from Westside School

Westside School will be holding its first high school fair on Tuesday May 20 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. The fair will host approximately 15 Admission Directors from the Seattle area, along with two boarding schools. We would like to invite students and parents to the
fair, with the purpose of providing an opportunity to learn more about these great schools.

We appreciate this is an exciting and uncertain time for many
middle school families and it brings with it a range of emotions,
questions and concerns, therefore, we are inviting a selection of current eighth
grade parents to share their recent experiences and pass along some
handy nuggets of advice.

If you have any questions regarding the fair on May 20, please 
contact Glyn Jenkins

- HSHelp@westsideschool.org

Schools attending the high school fair will be:
Bishop Blanchet, Seattle Prep, Kennedy, Eastside Catholic, Seattle Lutheran, SAAS, The Northwest School, Lakeside, University Prep, The Bush School, Annie Wright Schools, St. Michaels University School (BC), Aviation School, and Holy Names Academy

The new peony garden at the Seattle Chinese Garden will make its debut on May 3-4 with more than 400 tree peonies of more than two dozen varieties — all from Luoyang, China’s peony capital. It is the largest public peony garden on the West Coast and perhaps in the nation. The festival is family friendly with entertainment for all ages.

Festival Features
• Lion Dance by Northwest Wushu and Martial Arts, May 3 at 10:15
• Peony art display and painting demonstration by Yiqiao (George) Jiang of Luoyang
• Entertainment in Knowing the Spring Courtyard — martial arts, dance and music
Wudang Martial Arts – Saturday at 1:30
Seattle Wushu Center – Sunday at Noon
• Sale of peony plants and peony-themed arts and items from Luoyang
• Talks on caring for peony plants and on peonies in Chinese culture
• Kite flying in the big field – bring your own or buy one on site
• Chinese Food Booth

Saturday-Sunday, May 3–4, 2014
10 am to 4 pm
Admission is free; donations welcome.

Visit the Garden website on May 1 for a full program schedule. www.seattlechinesearden.org

LOCATION:

Sustainable West Seattle’s first Volunteer Orientation and Appreciation Party is set for May 3. If you live in West Seattle and are interested in making West Seattle a more sustainable community, consider joining SWS at the Admiral Cross Fit Gym on Saturday, May 3 from 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm.

The orientation for prospective volunteers includes descriptions of what SWS volunteers do and the many opportunities offered. Volunteers work at the Tool Library, Community Orchard, Tox-Ick wastewater awareness program, multiple bicycle activities including Spokespeople, West Seattle Bike Connections and our newest project DIY Bikes.

Volunteers help with ALL projects:
--West SeattleTool Library
--Community Orchard of West Seattle
--Tox-Ick stormwater awareness program
--Multiple bicycle activities including Spokespeople, West Seattle Bike Connections and our newest project - DIY Bikes
--And new programs collaborating with SWS - Puget Creek Watershed Alliance and West Seattle Meaningful Movies.

Friday, April 25
Baseball

West Seattle 8, Franklin 4
Alex Coates threw a three-hitter for the Wildcats in Friday's Metro League win, striking out seven and walking only one.
Graham French and Cameron Slader, meanwhile, both hit 2-for-3. French had a double and four RBI and Slader hit a double with three runs scored and one RBI.
Ben Wexler hit 2-for-4 on two doubles and scored one run and drove in two more.
West Seattle visits Chief Sealth for a 4 p.m. game at the Southwest Athletic Complex this Wednesday before hosting the Seahawks at 3:30 p.m. Friday at Hiawatha.
The two softball teams play at the same times and days, with both at the SWAC.

Chief Sealth 11, Rainier Beach 1
Chief Sealth's Seahawks cruised to victory Friday, beating Rainier Beach by an 11-1 score.

Boys soccer
Evergreen 2, Renton 1
The Wolverines were winners over the Indians in a 2-1 Seamount League match Friday.

Tennis
Hazen 6, Evergreen 1
Hazen hit the Wolverines with a 6-1 loss on Friday.

By Anna Erickson

When the housing market started to decline in 2008, Irene and Dan Hopkins sold their house and saw another kind of lifestyle on the horizon.

At first, Irene Hopkins was opposed to her husband’s idea to settle aboard their 42-foot Discovery sailboat. But it wasn’t long before she found that their move was both a good financial solution and life improvement decision.

With 40 percent of Ballard’s population paying more than 30 percent of their income on rent, the 2014 Ballard Existing Conditions Report, a document produced by the City of Seattle, doesn’t consider the neighborhood as affordable as it was before 2009.

For a 50-foot slip in Shilshole Bay Marina, the monthly moorage is $680. Of course, there are other costs: electricity, sewage pump, “liveaboard” membership fees, and the mortgage for the actual boat if that hasn’t already been paid off.

But compared to the $1,750 median rental rate that Zillow reports for a two-bedroom home in Ballard, moving to the marina can be attractive.

Back door man pilfers passport and credit card
April 18 -- Officers responded to a burglary at the 9700 block of 12th Avenue Northwest. The complainant told officers that when he returned home around 10:30 p.m., he noticed the back door of his home had been kicked in. A burglar broke in and went through dresser drawers and a desk, and took a passport and a credit card. No fingerprints were recovered.

Bus bandits make off with cell phone
April 17 – Officers responded to a robbery at the 1200 block of 9th Avenue Northwest. The resident told officers that while on the bus he noticed three males sitting behind him. When he exited the bus at the intersection of Northwest 125th Street and Third Avenue Northwest, he noticed the males following him. The suspects ran up behind him and demanded his cell phone. One of the suspects grabbed the phone out of his hand and the three fled southbound on Third Avenue Northwest.

Real estate office rifled

Ten students and three alumni from the Ballard High School Digital Filmmaking Program featured four films in the eighth annual National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY).

Lucy Harstrick, Isaiah Hoban-Halvorsen, Josh Vredevoogd and Kiana Wyld showed a music video called “Song for Anna.” Marlene Anderson, Khasbold Bataa, Gabe Fabens, Zach Green and Lorenzo Rossi also showed a music video called, “Stop Pretending.” Enjuli Chhaniara (’13), Dayan Flynn-Walsh (’13), Ana Krafchick (’13) showed their film, “Then & Now .” Leo Pfeifer independently produced a film called, “A Sleeping Giant.”

“Stop Pretending,” is a music video based on an original song Rossi wrote for his band. “We’re kind of a pop-punk-ska mixture with a lot of teenaged angst,” joked Rossi.

“I’ve been to NFFTY a couple times before. I’ve been an actor in a couple of films, and I’ve just always seen it as this really cool festival, and now I get to experience it on the inside. To have my film premier here is pretty awesome,” said Rossi.