All of Seattle. Ballard

Puget Sound Concert Opera event will feature Puccini on New Years Eve

patr — Tue, 27 Nov 2018 00:57:21 +0000

patr Mon, 11/26/2018 - 4:57pm

Karen Early Evans will perform during the Puget Sound Concert Opera event on Dec. 31.

Ring in the New Year with local opera singers! PSCO celebrates the 100th anniversary of the opera’s premiere with a special performance of Puccini’s Suor Angelica on New Year’s Eve. Performed in Italian with supertitles in Italian and English.

Featured Performers: Karen Early Evans, Gwen Trussler, Andrea Hansen, Barbara Smith-Jones, Ashley Marion Biehl, Eliza Woodyard, Elissa Cortright, Diann Spicer, Emily Riesser, and Amy Mustard.

For details http://www.pugetsoundconcertopera.org/.

Sunday, December 31, 2018
7:30pm
Music Center of the Northwest

901 North 96th Street

Seattle, WA 98103

$17 in advance with EventBrite.

$20 at the door (check or cash. no credit cards)

https://www.eventbrite.com/o/puget-sound-concert-opera-17719994719

concert

All of Seattle. Ballard

Ballard News Tribune

Robinson Papers

UPDATE: Night Out Neighborhood parties; potluck food and a chance to get acquainted

patr — Tue, 07 Aug 2018 18:51:05 +0000

patr Tue, 08/07/2018 - 11:51am

Mounted Patrol officer Amy Kagelmacher was atop 11 year old Blucher at the Night Out Block party on 41st SW just north of Frontenac Street SW. The mounted patrol was there by invitation.

Photo by Patrick Robinson

Night Out a national event promoted in Seattle by Seattle Police Department Crime Prevention is tonight, Aug. 7. It is designed to heighten crime prevention awareness, increase neighborhood support in anti-crime efforts, and unite our communities.

You can VIEW THE MAP FOR PARTIES NEAR YOU HERE.

There are more than fifty registered parties in West Seattle and thirty six in Ballard.

The event also offers people a chance in many cases to learn about emergency preparedness, certain special needs neighbors and resources in the local area. Most parties start at 6pm and end by 9pm but check your own area or the map for specifics.

Ballard has more than 36 parties taking place.

_______________________________________________________

Food was a big part of the parties. Caprese bruschetta. Photo by Patrick Robinson

Cherries and Pineapple and oranges? You bet. Photo by Patrick Robinson

Mothers and babies were in abundance. Photo by Patrick Robinson

The band played beautifully at 41st SW. Photo by Patrick Robinson

People checked the names of neighbors on a list. Photo by Patrick Robinson

The party at 41st SW near Frontenac was full of great people. Photo by Patrick Robinson

The party on 48th SW was a bit smaller but great as usual. Photo by Patrick Robinson

The classic gathering on Henderson Street SW near the ferry dock was beautiful. Photo by Patrick Robinson

The group at 39th and Elmgrove was as strong as usual. Photo by Patrick Robinson

BBQ's were busy! Photo by Patrick Robinson

L-R. Robert Kahrig (Highline District Safety and Security Officer), Jon Newton (neighborhood Block Watch captain), Ted Boe (Police Chief), Steve Roemer (Parks and Recreation Director), Mayor Jimmy Matta, and Skip Dreps (neighborhood Block Watch captain)

All of Seattle. Ballard

Comments

Just a handful of us from…

Just a handful of us from Spruce Apartments on 40th and Alaska didn't get to register in time but gathering in spirit for our society's great need to become the community we want to live in.

Your comment is what…

Your comment is what community MEANS. Thank you.

Actually Gregg, We are…

Actually Gregg, We are paying them to form a tighter bond with the community because it is literally impossible to catch criminals without the help of the public. Neighborhood watch groups, that know and trust their local police officers have been shown time and again to have reduced crime. The job of community outreach is incredibly important and if you sat down with Precinct Commander Pierre Davis and interviewed him as we have he would tell you that the link between the public and officers they can call with a question, concern or complaint is at the heart of community police work.

Oil train derails in Interbay, no leaks

shaneh — Thu, 24 Jul 2014 16:21:47 +0000

shaneh Thu, 07/24/2014 - 9:21am

Crude contained by new enhanced train cars.

Photo by Shane Harms

Around 2 a.m. this morning a train with 102 cars pulling 100 loads of crude oil derailed under the Magnolia Bridge in southern Interbay.

The train was moving at 5 miles per hour as it pulled out of a BNSF rail yard when the wheels of the second locomotive derailed. The third car, loaded with sand, went off the rails disrupting the next three cars that carried crude.

Because the cars were the new fortified safety models no crude spilled. No one was injured.

Seattle emergency responders and Transportation Security Administration officers arrived shortly after.

The incident caused minor traffic disruption in the line where the derailment happened and no disruption to the rail next to it. BNSF reported that it would take five to eight hours to get the cars back on track.

The 100 cars were loaded with Bakken (North Dakota) crude and were headed to an Anacortes refinery.

Oil spill Interbay

All of Seattle. Ballard

Ballard News Tribune

BENT: Ballard Entertainment Guide

shaneh — Fri, 27 Jun 2014 19:09:46 +0000

shaneh Fri, 06/27/2014 - 12:09pm

Entertainment and Venue listings

Conor Byrne Pub
5140 Ballard Ave. N.W.

ROYAL WOLFE, DEBBIE MILLER, BEASLEY
Thursday, September 4, 20149:00pm – 11:59pm

STAR ANNA, ZACH BROOCKE, JASON DODSON (MALDIVES), MARLAINA YOUCH
Friday, September 5, 20149:00pm – 11:59pm

WET CITY ROCKERS
Saturday, September 6, 20149:00pm – 11:59pm

High Dive
513 N 36th
Seattle, WA 98103
206.632.0212

9/4
High Dive Presents: Funk/Soul/Groove
MARMALADE
Charge: $6
Time: 9pm

9/5
High Dive Presents: Hip-Hop/Folk
Metal Chocolates
Dearly Departed
OC Notes on the 1s & 2s

9/6
Big Splash Champion
Awfully Sudden
The Western Red Penguins

9/7
Hella Fresh Rap Contest
Hosted by Bob Ross, and music by DJ Peg

Fremont Brewery
1050 N. 34th St.

NOW THROUGH SEPTEMBER 21ST
Fremont CANpaign. Instagram, Now through September 21st
It's time, folks...time for the Fremont Brewing CANpaign. Yep, that's right. We're challenging you, you craft-beer-in-a-can drinker you, to capture our beer cans in scenic, outdoor settings. Next time you go hiking, biking, mountaintop zumba-ing, kayaking, etc., snag some of our cans, snap an awe-inspiring photo, and post it on Instagram with the hashtag #FremontCANpaign.

Each week, from now through September 21st, we'll select a winning photograph and award the owner of that photo with a $10 gift card. The twelve winning photographs (one selected each week) will then go head-to-head in an online vote. The grand prize will be a four-person VIP Tour of the brewery and a $50 gift card. Did we mention that we'll be chauffeuring you and your friends in our Beer Patrol car?

Three Key Requirements: 1) Follow us on Instagram at @FremontBrewing, 2) Include one of our beer cans in your photo, 3) Use the hashtag #FremontCANpaign

Nectar Lounge
412 N. 36th St.

9/4
AKOUO
Arkomo
Triceracorn
WD4D

9/5
LAS CAFETERAS
The Cumbieros
Cordaviva
DJ Gnotes

9/6
FIVE ALARM FUNK
Cascadia '10
Tubaluba

9/7
UKE HEAVEN
James Hill
Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer
Aaron & Nicole Keim (The Quiet American)
Kate Power & Steve Einhorn
The Hula Honeys
Nova Devonie & Matt Weiner
Tickets available at Dusty Strings and Nectar Lounge

Tractor Tavern
5213 Ballard Ave NW
Seattle WA 98107

9/4

KBCS Presents! Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen, - American Roots Blueg
Details: Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen, The Boston Boys
09:00 PM

9/5
Seattle Rock N Roll..fox and Law Album Release Party
09:00 PM

9/6

Super Jam Plays Elvis Costello + Squeeze
4.0 out of 5 stars(32)
Details: Super Jam
09:00 PM

9/7
Eric McFadden, Screens, Thaddilac - Rock/Alternative/Desert-Rock/Dirty
Details: Eric McFadden Trio
08:00 PM

Please let us know if your Ballard establishment has live music or entertainment, or if you have corrections or additions to these listings.

Email shaneh@robinsonnews.com.

Ballard entertainment

All of Seattle. Ballard

Ballard News Tribune

At Large in Ballard: Twenty-Nine Feet of Independence

shaneh — Wed, 04 Jun 2014 20:28:35 +0000

shaneh Wed, 06/04/2014 - 1:28pm

Rampathon recipients Chris & Thomas Hamilton with Dan Bower, Lead Carpenter of Jackson Remodeling.

Photo by Peggy Sturdivant.

By Peggy Sturdivant

“I’m not going to lose any sleep over it,” 2014 Rampathon recipient Thomas Hamilton told Dan Bower, crew chief of Jackson Remodeling at the end of an eleven-and-a-half hour day of volunteer labor. He was referring to one post supporting the new 29’ foot ramp built for his home as part of the Master Builders Care Foundation 21st year of Rampathon on May 17. The Hamiltons had applied and been selected as one of 18 recipients this year in which ramps are built at no cost to the homeowner, with all materials and labor donated by local companies.

Leif and Eric Jackson are the brother owners of Jackson Remodeling in Ballard. Their company had done Rampathon in the past; they and their employees wanted to do it again. This year the annual event was on the same day their mother Mari-Ann Kind Jackson was an Honorary Grand Marshal of the Syttende Mai Parade, all of their children were in the parade and their company was a sponsor of an after-parade dinner at Anthony’s at Shilshole.

So it was a busy day all around as the crew of seven, plus talented offspring arrived at the Hamilton house in Greenwood at 7 a.m. and worked till almost 7 p.m. that night. Even before the construction day Leif Jackson had visited with the Hamiltons to assess the layout and do some measuring. Then Dan Bower had designed the ramp that would allow Mr. Hamilton to leave his home more safely. “I put in about seven hours before I picked up a real tool,” Brewer said. “Unless you count pencil and paper as tools, which you should.”

All the materials were donated by Dunn Lumber and Plywood Supply; wood posts and railings and a no-slip plywood for the walkway. Jackson Remodeling was the lead on this project with Carlisle Classic Homes providing support. Bower estimated the materials alone would have cost about $3,000. “Including the labor this would probably have cost about $8000.”

Chris Hamilton looked at the long ramp that now goes from their back door to where the car is parked on the alley driveway across from a Seattle City Light substation. “The ramp has been a godsend. It gives him so much more independence.”

Hamilton has multiple system atrophy, a degenerative disorder that is similar to Parkinson’s Disease but will in time affect all of Hamilton’s body, including his brain. His wife Chris Hamilton had retired early as dental claims adjuster to help her sister with caregiving for their mother. One month after her mother’s death her husband Tom collapsed. That was the beginning of a yearlong roller coaster ride of 9-1-1 calls, seemingly unrelated symptoms and finally a diagnosis. At its worst stage Hamilton needed to be in a nursing facility until it was clear that his brain was still capable of giving directions to his legs.

To see the Hamiltons in May 2014 is to be amazed that he was so incapacitated before doctors were able to start connecting and treating his disorders. In the week following the Rampathon, Hamilton, a decorated US Air Force veteran, had been distributing poppies in front of Safeway for Memorial Day. The Hamiltons had hosted a dinner at their American Legion Post and were preparing to go camping near the Hood Canal, partly in honor of Tom’s 75th birthday.

Christ Hamilton had gotten a ramp estimate after Tom’s diagnosis that almost put her into shock. She learned about Rampathon from a physical therapist and applied this year. Once accepted, the Hamiltons had a visit from Leif Jackson. Companies do not come any more committed than Jackson Remodeling to supporting their community. They participate in the Phinney Neighborhood Association Home Fair and the Sustainable Ballard Festival. They contribute to the fundraising efforts of all the local schools, as well the BHS Maritime Academy and they sponsor Little League teams in Ballard, Magnolia and Queen Anne! Jackson Remodeling has done Rampathon in what capacity or another since 2005.

Standing together at the top of the long ramp that has eliminated one of the trickiest things for Hamilton, descending steep steps with unreliable legs, Chris Hamilton looks just plain happy. Since her husband’s illness Chris Hamilton has had to shoulder many things, but her husband on the back steps will no longer be one of them.

Dan Bower of Jackson Remodeling/Seismic Sound took a look at that one post not sunk into the ground and decided he would return on his own time another day to set it right. “The big things work themselves out,” he said. “It’s the little things that stick out. Fixing them makes a huge difference.”

So Bower wasn’t insulted by Hamilton’s comment about the bracket in one post. Instead it was a measure of mutual respect. Hamilton was a veteran, airplane mechanic, longtime Metro driver and a former builder himself. Just because Hamilton could no longer do the carpentry was no reason that the 29’ ramp shouldn’t be built as well as he would have done it himself. Clearly Hamilton and Bower both highly value doing things the way they should be done. The 2014 Rampathon was over but Bower was still going to finish the job.

Contact Peggy atlargeinballard@peggysturdivant.com.

Seattle City Light

Peggy Studivant

2014 Rampathon recipient Thomas Hamilton

All of Seattle. Ballard

Ballard News Tribune

Harold Alden Champeness: 'The Champ' and NW Jazz legend

shaneh — Thu, 22 May 2014 19:37:06 +0000

shaneh Thu, 05/22/2014 - 12:37pm

Memorial celebration held Saturday May 24

Hal Champeness in his original class sweater at 2009 all-class Bainbridge HS Reunion.

Photo by Joel Sackett

By Gerald Elfendahl

Harold Alden Champeness, 90, beloved Pacific NW upright jazz bassist, singer and humorist – including 45 years with Stan Boreson Band - died April 10 in Poulsbo. He lived his life in Seabold on Bainbridge Island, Ballard, Poulsbo and Bergen, Norway.

Hal was born August 9, 1923, and raised with his sister, Solveig, in Seabold, children of Esther and Bernard Champeness - Norwegian immigrants Esther Kalsett and Bernt Kjaempenes.

Hal went to first grade in 1929 at Olympic School in Manzanita on the Island Manzanita. When Island school districts consolidated, he bused to Winslow’s Lincoln School. In the Great Depression, Hal, 10, joined mother and sister to live with a grandmother in Norway. He learned Norwegian.

Hal loved music, played violin in Bainbridge HS’s orchestra and sang in glee club. He was chosen for senior boys’ quartet with Silven Moench, Jim Johansson, and Carl Ness. They sang class reunions and throughout the years. Hal was also vocal on yell squad, student council, barking signals and calling plays as a shifty, 5’-3” short, 140 lb. quarterback - 1940 football squad’s Inspirational Award recipient!

“In 1940, an Island band needed a bass player,” Hal recalled. “ I found one and joined them.” The bass was over a foot taller than Hal. He played the upright bass for the next 71 years!

Hal’s BHS 1941 class experienced “one of the worst days of our lives” when classmates, friends and neighbors on the close knit Island were uprooted by WW II. Hal served as US Navy radio operator in the Pacific. Some of his Japanese classmates helped there, too, as interpreters and in military intelligence.

Hal acquired another bass from a sailor who was shipping out. It was in pieces when Hal mustered out in July 1945. A Seattle craftsman put it back together. In1946, Hal joined the Musician’s Association and was a member for the rest of his life.

After the war, Hal toured the “Deep South.” He returned to Seattle, married Ruth Ekanger, had a son, lived in Ballard and worked days at J.K. Gills-Lowman & Hanford. Nights and weekends were for family and performing with upbeat regional bands. His musicianship, spirit and Scandinavian roots soon led him to play with Stan Boreson’s Band. Barbara Boreson echoes, “Hal was about as sweet a guy as ever there was. Hal sings “Oh, Danny Boy” on one of our CDs – my favorite.”

Through the union hall, Hal played with touring jazz greats and became one himself. His Seabold birthdays was popular with musicians and classmates.

“Champ” was among founding stalwarts of the Island’s Intensely Vigorous, Revolutionary, Volunteer Dixieland Jazz Band. They set the tone for Grand Old Fourth Parades. In 1989, they were featured on National Public Radio’s “Washington State Centennial Music Fest” broadcast from Island Center Hall.

Hal married three times. His wives all died of cancer. His second wife (1972-1984) was Leila “Lee” Bailey and in 1985 he married Ruby Wells. After Ruby’s passing, he moved to Poulsbo, enjoyed fellowship at The Sons of Norway and weekly reunions with BHS 1941 classmates – Moench, Johansson, Jerry Nakata, Earl Hansen, and others at Poulsbo’s Central Market.

Hal was a spokesman in Sakai School programs and efforts that created the “Nidoto Nai Yoni – Never Let It Happen Again” Memorial, part of the National Park Service’s Minidoka Historical Site to the WW II Exclusion of Americans of Japanese ancestry.

Music – hauling that bass around – helped keep Hal young. He played throughout the region after 2003 with No Inhibitions Jazz Band and in Kitsap County with masterful “Don Alverson & Friends”. Hal’s 88th birthday celebration at Keyport’s Whiskey Creek Steak House was standing room only. He set down his bass in 2011, and continued music as a vocalist. Hal recorded “The Champ”, a CD of love songs and ballads with No Inhibitions Jazz Band. In the song, “Always”, a careful ear finds Hal recalling his BHS friends as he begins: “I’ll be loving you in the hallways...”

The weekend before Hal died, he attended a concert at Island Center Hall with legendary international W. C. Handy Award recipient blues and jazz guitarist, T. J. Wheeler. They thrilled audiences a decade before when the two musical giants shared that stage. He attended the Sons of Norway pancake breakfast the next day and then joined hundreds of old friends at the celebration of the life of Dr. Frank Kitamoto, president of the B. Is. Japanese American Community.

On April 10, a house fire that took “Champ’s” breath away. Don Alverson & Friends dedicated their next evening of music to Hal. There was silence as 92-year-old jazz trumpeter Yvonne McAllister played “Taps.”
Family and friends celebrated Hal’s life at The Old Town Bistro in Silverdale and on May 24 . . .and “Always”!

***
A memorial celebration of Hal's Champeness's life will be held Saturday, May 24, from 1 to 4 p.m. at The Old Town Bistro *(see below for directions).Musicians may bring musical instruments. Singers may bring voices. Bakers may bring cookies. Everyone may bring favorite Hal stories. Remember the man, the myth, the legend.

Location:
3388 NW Byron St., Suite 100
Silverdale, WA 98383

DIRECTIONS:
From Seattle - Bainbridge Island ferry :
Recommend 11:25 AM ferry. Follow Hwy. 305 to Poulsbo and merge onto Hwy 3 south to Exit 45 toward Silverdale / E. Bremerton. Follow signs to Silverdale and turn right onto Silverdale Way NW and go south 0.8 mile to NW Byron St. Turn left to 3388 NW Byron. There is lots of parking!

From Tacoma - Bremerton ferry:
(Alternate 11:10 AM Seattle-Bremerton ferry.) Follow Hwy. 16 to Bremerton and Hwy. 3 north to Newberry Hill Road Exit. Turn right and go to Silverdale Way NW. Turn left and go north to NW Byron St. Turn right to 3388 NW Byron.

Harold Alden Champeness: 'The Champ' and NW Jazz legend

All of Seattle. Ballard

Ballard News Tribune

26 Whitman Middle School students awarded camp scholarships from the Assistance League of Seattle

shaneh — Thu, 22 May 2014 19:12:41 +0000

shaneh Thu, 05/22/2014 - 12:12pm

26 Whitman Middle School students are going to camp this summer.

Photo by Shane Harms

Tuesday May 13, the Assistance League of Seattle presented 26 Whitman Middle students with summer camp scholarships in the library of the school.

In total the ALS awarded 52 applicants in grades six to 11 in the district and 40 students came from the Ballard community from Salmon Bay Elementary, Whitman Middle School, Ballard High School and Ingraham High School.

Since Whitman showed such an overwhelming response to the scholarship program the ALS had a congratulatory party for them and celebrated the students’ efforts to achieve scholarships to camp with food and treats.

The league is a national non-profit organization devoted to providing children without means financial assistance for education and experiences like summer camps that they might not experience. The ALS has been helping children in Seattle for over 50 years and has over 100 volunteer members. The Seattle chapter reaches out to students in the Seattle School District.

Mickey Sweeney, second year Chairwoman of the Enrichment Scholarship Program at the Assistance League of Seattle, was at Whitman Middle School to award the students. She said students were chosen based on an application process where they wrote an essay that explained why they should go to the camp.

“It really is amazing what these kids want to do with themselves and with a little support they try to get it. Some of them say ‘I just don’t want to sit home this summer. I just want to have some fun,’ and it's so heart rendering," said Sweeney.

Whitman Middle School Family Support Worker, Sue Clauson, said, “It’s very rewarding to read the applications. To let you know how heart felt, and passionate these kids are and how they express it is something I care about.”

Clauson and other counselors hold after school classes to talk to students about scholarship opportunities and to coach them on how to write a compelling essay.

“We hold a session after school to find out where they want to go to camp and why, and also how to say that in another way for the applications,” said Clauson.

In addition, students were asked to provide a reference from a teacher or another unrelated person much like what they would do for a college application or a job.

“Going out and making things happen for you is a part of life rather than just being handed everything. To follow through on all of that is kind of a big deal for a lot of kids," said Sweeney.

"We give them their money to go to camp with no strings attached no matter how much the program costs or how much their family might have. The cap is $500 and for some camps they are going to cost more than that but it’s a big help,” said Sweeney.

The group awards students $500 allotments to go toward the camps of their choice. This is the second year in a row that Whitman students were awarded the most scholarships. Last year they also had more than half. Sweeney said it all comes down to how the counselors are spreading the word.

“The way we get the word out is through the Seattle School District. We send out the message to a liaison of the SSD and they send it out to all the counselors and then we just wait for the applications to come in. It’s up to the counselors to let their kids know about it, and Whitman is the number one responder in the whole school district. Their counselors, their principal and students are so behind this program,” said Sweeney.

“It’s a way for kids to get to summer camp. Typically it’s not part of the family budget,” said Clauson.

Sweeney said the camp choices were across the board including culinary, dance, equestrian and YMCA camps like Camp Okrila (Orcas Island), Silverwood (Idaho) and Coleman (South Sound-Case Inlet).

YMCA camp program directors, Liane Ha’i and David Affolter, congratulated students and clued them in to the fun activities they have planned for them later this summer.

“We worked out kind of partnership with Cornish and YMCA. For the YMCA camps, if they know a student is coming to camp with the help of ALS, they will pay half and we will pay half. They’re really behind us,” said Sweeney.

Kim Caroll, lives in Ballard and this July her son Tate is going to Camp Okrila, a week long YMCA camp on Orcas Island.

“The application process was fairly easy, but it was challenging for Tate to find a teacher that knew him well enough to give him a good recommendation, and so it challenged him to be involved in the process. It wasn’t just a parent filling out the application, which was great,” said Caroll.

So where does the money come from that help students pay for camp?

The ALS funding comes from donations, an annual fundraiser, and funds from the Assisted League Thrift Shop (415 N 45th St.) in Wallingford.

Sweeney said they keep their prices very low to keep people coming back. For instance, a male’s full suit is $10. “It’s really decent stuff, and it’s so cheap,” said Sweeney. Moreover, adding to funds generated by the thrift store, this year their annual fundraiser raised $67 thousand.

“It’s a total ouroboros loop, what goes around comes around. People donate to us; we make money for students: we get things, and then we give it away. It’s a very neat community process,” said Sweeney.

On top of helping kids go to summer camp, the ALS has two other philanthropic programs. One programs provides elementary students with free clothing and full tuition and book expenses coverage for Seattle vocational college students.

“It really makes me happy I can be a part of changing the lives of so many people,” said Sweeney.

Whitman Middle School

Assistance League Seattle

All of Seattle. Ballard

Ballard News Tribune

Liveaboards staying afloat Ballard’s rise in rent rates

shaneh — Mon, 28 Apr 2014 22:17:02 +0000

shaneh Mon, 04/28/2014 - 3:17pm

Like many who have been drawn to the water, Irene and Dan Hopkins have made their 42-foot Discovery sailboat in Shilshole Bay Marina their full-time home for seven years.

Photo by Anna Erickson

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.

More than financial motivations, the Hopkins family found that the community on their dock in Shilshole Bay Marina made living aboard one of the greatest incentives.

“Just the fact that we’ve all chosen to live like this gives us this commonality I think that underscores the sense of community that we all feel down here,” said Irene Hopkins.

Living on the water does come with its trials, though. Space is tight and there’s not a lot of extra room to store anything nonessential. Being flexible and accepting that things may not always work is something Hopkins says are qualities needed to succeed in living aboard.

Maintenance of a boat is a routine chore, and if needed often, can become an expensive side of the living situation.

Dan Hopkins loves the diversity of personalities in the marina community, and has met many interesting people he wouldn’t have encountered living in the city.

John Weller, a classical violinist and Assistant Concertmaster in the Seattle Symphony, is one of the many unlikely members of this alternative culture. The pressures of his profession might seem at odds with life on a sailboat, but he feels that life aboard has been a haven from his work.

“Everything that I like in life seems to come together on a boat: the food tastes better, the friends down the dock are wonderful and that view is more than I can afford anywhere else,” said Weller as he pointed to the mountains.

The support in the liveaboard community is also unique in the way that neighbors care for each other’s homes like they would for their own. Dan Hopkins recalls times when their neighbors’ boats have had lines break away from docks and members rushing over to fix it before the owner even came home.

All of the liveaboards appreciate the peace and quiet that the marina community fosters and how respectful people are of each other’s space.

A common joke in the community, says Dan Hopkins, is that if you don’t like your neighbors, you can always move away at any moment.

Ballard rent rates. Boat living.

All of Seattle. Ballard

Ballard News Tribune

Ingraham senior featured in Ballard Artwalk

shaneh — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 18:55:55 +0000

shaneh Mon, 03/10/2014 - 11:55am

Madeline Owen at the showing her work at the Ballard Artwalk.

Photo by Allyce Andrew

Mar. 8 marked yet another Ballard Artwalk where a flurry of artistic expression by local artists was displayed at Ballard shops and cafes.

The March feature artist was Ingraham High School senior and Ballardite, Madeline Owen, and she displayed her work at Miro Tea (5404 Ballard Ave. N.W.).

Her exhibit, named “Curious Poses,” featured conté charcoal depictions of animals living in the Pacific Northwest.

Her artist statement put her charcoal sketches into words:

“Each animal moves in a unique way - the bears lumber, the elk walk gracefully and majestically, the wolves have a spring in their step. I want to explore this energy and movement in my art,” wrote Owen.

The collection is named after a Prince song lyric found in “When Doves Cry,” though Owen said the work in not specifically inspired by the song.

“I actually just came up with the title a couple of weeks before the showing. I’ve been drawing animals since August and have been exploring their movements, and so the lyric seemed to be a good fit.”

Owen said the pieces need to speak for themselves and that the title is not as important.

“I don’t spend a lot of time on the titles. I usually go from the gut reaction and don’t ponder it too long because it would seemed forced. ... I try to keep the artist statement short too so that the viewer can make their own interpretation, making it more universal."

Owen started the collection with a series of large drawings of horses and from there she moved on to rabbits and coyotes.

“By doing a series there is not as much pressure on just one piece; and so when I sketch an animal I like to do it many times, exploring their movements. I try to capture the essence or energy of the creature in its various forms. It’s hard to describe in words because it’s very intuitive."

“I sketched a lot of horses over the summer and then branched off to more woodland creatures and animals of the Pacific Northwest because I felt like I related to them more. “

Owen’s work ranged in size with some pieces as large as a few feet in height and others much smaller. Moreover, she said that she uses lots of different mediums in her work but for this collection she stuck with only the conté charcoal to maintain a unified atmosphere throughout.

“I like it (charcoal) because when you get it warm it gets soft and so you can smudge it, and it still maintains the dark color. ... The color creates different moods and a cool atmosphere.”

“Curious Poses” is Owen’s first showing and she said she heard about being a feature artist from a barista at Miro Tea.

“They said there was an opening for the feature artist, and so I left my card in the jar and later I got a call. It has been really exciting considering it’s my first showing.”

As a senior, Owen has aspirations for a career in the arts. She has been accepted for an apprenticeship at Gage Academy of Art on Capital Hill, and she has also applied to Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.

Owen’s collection will be on display for the rest of month at Miro Tea.

Ballard ArtWalk

All of Seattle. Ballard

Ballard News Tribune

Barreling toward a burrito

shaneh — Wed, 15 Jan 2014 01:42:28 +0000

shaneh Tue, 01/14/2014 - 5:42pm

Driver of Taco Time crash arrested for DUI

Taco Time remains open via drive thru while repairs are made

Photo by Shane Harms

An intersection in Ballard is back in the headlines after a man drove his car into Taco Time (2853 NW Market Street) on Market Street the morning of Jan. 12.

At approximately 2:07 a.m. Seattle Police Department and the Seattle Fire Department responded to a reported collision and found a vehicle lodged in the front end of Taco Time.

The vehicle had gone through a plate glass window and much of a wall into the seating area of the restaurant. The driver of the vehicle was standing near the car and admitted to officers he had been driving when the accident occurred. There were no passengers, and the man was not injured.

Image taken from KIRO TV

Officers reported that there was no obvious sign the man had been drinking, though he refused a sobriety test and medical treatment from SFD.

The man was processed for Driving Under the Influence and booked at the North Precinct for DUI and negligent driving.

The intersection has been problematic for the last few years. At the 28th block, Market Street splices, with one route continuing as Market Street westbound, and another route veering southwest, turning into Northwest 54th Street. Taco Time rests at the crux of this intersection.

The Ballard News Tribune has reported two major accidents at the intersection. Both 2013 and 2010 saw major accidents, where one car careened into the Taco Time parking lot and another where three BHS students were killed after hitting the Taco Time sign (2010).

The restaurant drive thru remains open as clean up and construction teams work on the seating area.

The BNT will be looking into this matter deeper. Look in the print edition for a deeper analysis of the issue.

Update:

The Ballard News Tribune reported that on Jan. 14, 2014 that officers had found no indication of the driver being intoxicated at the scene. However, SPD confirmed the driver did show signs of impairment, and therefore was processes for DUI.

Stay on top of the latest stories by liking the BNT on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ballardnewstrib) and follow us on Twitter.

Taco Time crash. NW Market Street and 28th Avenue NW

All of Seattle. Ballard

Ballard News Tribune

All of Seattle. Ballard

Puget Sound Concert Opera event will feature Puccini on New Years Eve

Puget Sound Concert Opera event will feature Puccini on New Years Eve

Sunday, December 31, 20187:30pm Music Center of the Northwest

901 North 96th Street

Seattle, WA 98103

UPDATE: Night Out Neighborhood parties; potluck food and a chance to get acquainted

UPDATE: Night Out Neighborhood parties; potluck food and a chance to get acquainted

Comments

Just a handful of us from…

Your comment is what…

Actually Gregg, We are…

Oil train derails in Interbay, no leaks

Oil train derails in Interbay, no leaks

BENT: Ballard Entertainment Guide

BENT: Ballard Entertainment Guide

At Large in Ballard: Twenty-Nine Feet of Independence

At Large in Ballard: Twenty-Nine Feet of Independence

Harold Alden Champeness: 'The Champ' and NW Jazz legend

Harold Alden Champeness: 'The Champ' and NW Jazz legend

26 Whitman Middle School students awarded camp scholarships from the Assistance League of Seattle

26 Whitman Middle School students awarded camp scholarships from the Assistance League of Seattle

Liveaboards staying afloat Ballard’s rise in rent rates

Liveaboards staying afloat Ballard’s rise in rent rates

Ingraham senior featured in Ballard Artwalk

Ingraham senior featured in Ballard Artwalk

Barreling toward a burrito

Barreling toward a burrito

Sunday, December 31, 2018
7:30pm
Music Center of the Northwest