Cameron October 31st, 2008
Still working on your plans for Halloween this weekend, or never had any in the first place? Probably. That’s what we’re here for. Check out the local Halloween haps:
Halloween Carnival at Loyal Heights Community Center
2101 NW 77th St
Seattle, WA 98117
(206) 684-4052
**Note that the bulletin in a certain Ballard newspaper, achem, promoting a Halloween Carnival at Ballard Community Center for this evening is incorrect– it was last weekend and this week’s is at LHCC.
HalloQueen and F**ck You We’re Leonard Skinnerd at The Tractor
$8 Tickets– Call (206) 789-3599 to Reserve your ticket
5213 Ballard Avenue NW (at 20th Avenue NW)
“Ghosts in the Garden” Pulp Inc. Launch Party with Sweet P from Project Runway (Saturday, November 1)
Ghosts in the Garden Launch Party
Saturday, Nov. 1, 7–9 pm
Havana Social, 1010 E. Pike St.
206.323.2822 or 206.706.7857
$15 entry to party
www.pulplab.com
Kendra October 28th, 2008
As someone with partial Scandinavian heritage, I felt a kinship with Ballard the first time I visited. Of course, back then there were more Scandinavian oriented gift shops and bakeries along NW Market and throughout the neighborhood than exist now.
However, while walking on 15th Ave. NW I was always curious about a house with the sign Galway Traders. I wondered about this for quite some time before I finally stepped inside one day and found myself in a store stocked full of the most Celtic items I have seen outside of Ireland and Scotland.
Intrigued by this Celtic oasis amid the strong Scandinavian heritage that Ballard is better know for, I interviewed the owner, Hugh Murray.
Question: With all the Scandinavians around Ballard, which Seattle neighborhood has/had a high concentration of Irish people? Scottish people?
I don’t know that one can answer that clearly, though we often find Ballard Scandinavians to have family connections with Irish people who, so to speak, “require their attendance” at the store, where they find that there are many very close ties between Scandinavian and Irish culture and language. There are small towns in Ireland named, on the standard bilingual road signs, Baile Ard/Ballard (Baile Ard means “High Town”, and we have at times stocked such road signs though not at present. And our store is in a 1912 home built by an Irish contractor, who carved shamrocks into the eaves, so we are much at home …
Cameron October 24th, 2008
The Seattle Police Department reports that it will now begin to ticket drivers violating the use of Business Access/Transit Lanes on 15th Avenue and Elliot Way.
The Transit lanes run each direction down 15th avenue to accommodate bicyclists and the increased number of buses during peak hours of traffic from 4-6pm. Other drivers can only use the curb lanes for making right hand turns during restricted hours, and during non-peak hours it is available for parking and/or cruising.
Insider tip: don’t try to continuously cruise with your right turn signal on… it doesn’t work.
Dan October 22nd, 2008
Here is young hero living right in your backyard! Little Benjamin Meyer of Ballard has been chosen by the Arthritis Foundation as this year’s official honoree for Seattle 24th Annual Jingle Bell Run & Walk. Last year, the Jingle Bell Run brought more than 12,000 people to Westlake Center decked in holiday gear and ready to raise money for Arthritis – the run has quickly become one of Seattle’s most cherished holiday events.
Benjamin was just three days shy of his first birthday when he started developing symptoms including fevers, rash and joint pain. Almost immediately he started using his joints less and after two weeks he could no longer walk. His parents, Paul and Merete took Benjamin to a local hospital where he was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Nearly 294,000 children under the age of 18 are affected by juvenile arthritis in the United States. Arthritis is no longer a disease limited to senior citizens and ageing baby boomers. This year, the Arthritis Foundation is putting special emphasis on research that will make new treatment options available for kids like Benjamin. The funding raised during this year’s Jingle Bell Run will be hugely important in those …
Kendra October 21st, 2008
When was the last time you visited the Nordic Heritage Museum? Was it during the summer fest to have some tasty Scandinavian baked goods or was it even longer ago – when you first moved to Ballard and decided to explore what it had to offer? While I am thrilled to have such a unique museum in my own backyard I haven’t taken full advantage of opportunities offered by the museum – such as lectures or classes. This week I plan to remedy that by attending an evening lecture, which is part 1 of a 3 part series. The other lectures in the series will take place in the spring and will feature Helle Soeholt of Gehl Architects and Eva Ora of Copenhagen X.
Thursday, October 23, 2008 from 7:00pm to 8:30pm
“Lessons from Copenhagen:
Planning for a Lively, Walkable Neighborhood.”
Louise Grassov will briefly talk about Gehl Architects and their involvement with the City of Seattle. She will then use the example of Holmbladsgade in Copenhagen to show how Gehl Architects addresses walking and biking issues. Holmbladsgade is a neighborhood that has been redesigned paying attention to the public realm and is considered a successful neighborhood revitalization project. This project will be tied into similar projects in Seattle.
There will be a wine and cheese reception after the talk sponsored by the Northwest Danish Foundation.
This event is …
Cameron October 19th, 2008
A few weeks ago we heard the unfortunate news that Archie McPhee, our beloved novelty store, was bailing out of Ballard because their 10 year lease expired, to leave the shop homeless on Dec. 31 of 2008. With the landlords unclear on their next move, Archie McPhee decided to get proactive and start looking for a new home–in Wallingford.
We’ll still get to enjoy Archie McPhee through the holiday (Halloween, of course) since they’re not scheduled to move in to their new space until mid 2009. Their new home will be in a much smaller building on the northwest corner of 45th and Stone Way.
When we visited the shop last week to say “hi” and buy a blue beehive wig for our Marge Simpson Halloween costume, our check-out clerk seemed generally pleased with their to-be neighborhood in Wallingford. “It’s the next best fit for us, and we used to be back in Wallingford before we moved out to Ballard.” Twenty five years ago, Archie McPhee started out in Fremont, and has had two different storefronts on Stone Way before residing in Ballard. Hopefully, the third time is the charm.
Good luck, Archie, We’ll miss you.
Kendra October 13th, 2008
Have the events of the past week in the stock market and econcomy caused you stress? One great stress reliever is massage.
Ballard Massage, a business on 15th Ave. NW opened its doors in November 2003. Currently 13 therapists work there. Eric, the owner, took the time to answer my questions about not only his business, but about massage in general.
Question: What kinds of massage do you offer? Is there anything your center specializes in?
Answer: We are primarily a Deep Tissue clinic, though we do have some therapists who lean more towards the Swedish, relaxation type of massage. Nowadays most people are looking for Deep Tissue. The deeper the better. That’s actually a popular misperception, based on the concept of “getting the best bang for the buck.” As therapists, we often see clients are asking for more pressure than they really need. After a certain point the muscles revolt; they tighten to protect themselves. But the client doesn’t realize what’s happening because they believe that massage should be painful. Less is often better, really.
Question: How often should the average person get massages?
Answer: Wouldn’t every day be nice? Even I don’t do that, but once a month is good for maintenance. The key is to disrupt the pattern of tension in the body. Most …
Kendra October 7th, 2008
Many people are watching the Presidential debate tonight as I type this. That’s good, people should exercise their right to vote and most importantly make their vote an informed one. I have to admit that I haven’t been following national politics as much as I once did. I admit that I grew frustrated with politics at the national level a while back, it was sometimes hard to feel that I, as one person, could truly make a difference. So I turned my attention and energy to politics and issues at the local level. The Ballard District Council meeting tomorrow night gives you a taste of politics both on the national and local level as the agenda includes a speaker from the Seattle League of Women voters as well as a local vote for officers for the Executive Committee of the Ballard District Council.
BALLARD DISTRICT COUNCIL
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Ballard Library – 5614 22nd NW
(Free parking below building – accessed from NW 56th)
7:00 – 8:30 PM
Chairperson: Andy MacDonald (VP)
AGENDA
7 PM Short Announcements by Member Organization Representatives
Please hold announcements to not more than one minute.
7:15 Your Ballard Branch Library – How are we doing serving the
community and how should we plan for future enhancements to library
services?, Barbara Knight, Friends of the Seattle Public Library
7:30 Understanding What’s at Stake on the November 4th Ballot, Betty
Sullivan, Seattle League of Women’s Voters
Betty will provide a briefing on the November 4 general election
ballot, upcoming changes to the voting process, and informational
resources to the …
Dan October 4th, 2008
Take a Sunday morning dance class with the best drummers and teacher in town at the old Crown Hill Elementary School. The old school lunchroom has been revitalized and is now a spacious and light filled room for activities such as dance. Class movement is deceptively simple and a pleasurable way to get a great workout in a community of other adults seriously intent on having a good time in a non-verbal venue. Leading the group is the amazing Lara McIntosh who is a knowledgeable and intuitive teacher with an accessible teaching style. After class you’ll feel better, stronger, and happier.
Class is Sunday mornings 10 to 11:30
at the old Crown Hill Elementary School
9250 14th Ave NW
Check out Lara’s website for more details
http://www.wassadance.com/
