The president of the North Central Little League is retiring and the league is looking for someone to fill the position. NCLL covers parts of Ballard, Fremont, Phinney Ridge, Greenwood, Green Lake and Wallingford.

Tom D’Angelo has been a part of NCLL for more than a decade but now that his kids are older, he believes it is time for him to move on.

A week ago he sent this letter to families involved in NCLL:

Dear North Central Community,

Eleven years ago I began my North Central journey as a father, a coach, and a league “helper”. Over the course of those years I filled many positions and am finishing this chapter of my journey as President of this great organization. My kids and I have moved on to other pursuits (www.shrimpskateboarding.com) and I simply cannot be an effective leader for our league moving forward. I announced my “retirement” several months ago but to date, we do not have any candidates to fill the President position.

On September 13th we will be having our annual Membership Meeting at 7 p.m. at the Phinney Neighborhood Center. All league parents are invited to this meeting and we appreciate your attendance. There are three key components of this meeting: a “state of the league”, elections, and the start of our organization for the 2012 season. It is very important that we have at least one person willing to assume the role of President by this time.

North Central is a vibrant and healthy league that contributes positive energy into our community. It has been a big part of my family’s life and it has been rewarding and fun. In some ways I probably “over did it” and that may have some people a little concerned they cannot commit to the job of being President. I believe you can. The great Board of Directors, coaches, and volunteers have elevated North Central organizationally and are always there to help. I believe the key quality for the President is keeping an eye on “the whole” and keeping things in motion. Most of this is by e-mail and/or phone. I will help you.

As a league we have grown from about 350 kids just a few years ago to over 630 in 2011. We have held by our commitment to offer our kids a positive experience, invested in our coaches, umpires, and fields. The kids and the families are having fun and enjoying the game of baseball. It’s a good situation and it needs good leadership to continue our great tradition.

Please let us know about your interest in being President, serving on the Board of Directors, or in any other league-level role by e-mail at ncll.baseball@comcast.net.

I appreciate everything that all our great families have put into North Central. Thank you for helping us build and sustain a great Little League.

Sincerely,
Tom D’Angelo

© for My Green Lake | Seattle's Green Lake Blog, 2011.

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Post tags: ballard, baseball and softball, fremont, greenwood, kids, phinney, wallingford

Surveillance image of the suspect released by SPD. More surveillance images can be viewed here.

On Tuesday, June 21, 2011, a young woman was abducted while walking with a friend in the Greenwood neighborhood. She was assaulted, raped and then left by her abductors on a north Green Lake street.

Last night, (Tuesday, June 28, 2011) at approximately 10:15 p.m., officers from the Seattle Police Department’s North Precinct responded to a 911 call from an employee at a Ballard bar. That call resulted in the arrest of one suspect.

Information about the arrest is available on the SPD Blotter:

The caller stated that he believed one of the patrons inside the bar looked very similar to the suspect depicted in surveillance photos released to the media last week from the Greenwood abduction and rape incident.  Officers arrived and contacted the suspect.  The officers asked the suspect to step outside so they could talk.  One of the responding officers had responded to the original incident last week, so had detailed knowledge of the investigation.  The suspect professed to not knowing much English, so the officer pulled up a picture of the suspect from a media site on his cellphone and asked, “Is this you?” to which the suspect replied “yes.”  The officers quickly took the suspect into custody and during a patdown of the suspect recovered a loaded handgun  in the suspect’s waistband.

A second suspect was with the first suspect inside the bar, but it was determined that the individual did not match the description.  That second individual was interviewed and released from the North Precinct.  Officers located the suspect’s car nearby and it does match the description of the suspect vehicle used in the abduction/rape.  The car was impounded for processing.  Detectives from the Sexual Assault Unit responded and interviewed the suspect at the precinct.

The 24 year old suspect was later booked into the King County Jail for Investigation of Rape.  The second suspect in this case is still outstanding.

Anyone with information on that suspect is asked to contact the Seattle Police Department Sexual Assualt Unit at (206) 684-5575.

 

©Amy Duncan for My Green Lake | Seattle's Green Lake Blog, 2011.

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Post tags: ballard, crime, greenwood

This story comes to us via our news partner PhinneyWood.

Businesses and residents along 85th Street from Green Lake to Greenwood and Ballard will have some major disruptions to deal with beginning this fall, when the Seattle Department of Transportation begins a yearlong project to repave 85th Street all the way from Interstate 5 to 15th Avenue NW.

Traffic will be severely impacted along 85th Street during a yearlong paving project.

But, in the end, that street will not only be easier to drive on, there will be new curb ramps, bus stop improvements, repaired sidewalks, new underground drainage and environmentally friendly storm water facilities.

Work is scheduled to begin in October and last about one year. The $12.5 million project is being paid for with funds from the 2006 Bridging the Gap Levy.

Another $2 million repaving project, along Greenwood Avenue North from North 85th Street to North 73rd Street, will happen at about the same time, in conjunction with the first two of the 85th Street project’s five phases.

“It’s the single largest paving project in the nine-year history of Bridging the Gap,” SDOT Project Manager Jessica Murphy explained to the Greenwood-Phinney Chamber of Commerce on Friday afternoon.

On 85th Street, SDOT will pour new concrete pavement in the curb lanes, where heavier traffic such as buses and trucks usually travel. The inside lanes in each direction will mostly be resurfaced with asphalt, with a few exceptions.

Three intersections along 85th Street will be completely rebuilt with all concrete because of heavy use: 8th Avenue NW, Greenwood Avenue North and Aurora Avenue North.

Murphy called the Greenwood Avenue resurfacing a “preservation project,” explaining that it’s much easier and cheaper to fix pavement now before it needs a complete re-do, like on 85th Street. However, the entire intersection at Greenwood Avenue North and North 80th Street will be rebuilt with concrete.

SDOT will upgrade curb ramps at all corners for ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance. Storm water retention pipes will be installed on 85th Street to reduce peak flows, as well as storm water filtering devices to remove most of the sediment before it reaches the creeks.

Most areas will get repaired and improvement sidewalks, but SDOT will completely replace the sidewalks on 85th Street between Wallingford and Aurora avenues.

85th Street will be narrowed to one lane in each direction sometimes, and complete detours will be in place at other times.

“The construction impacts are going to be significant on 85th. Obviously every business that has a driveway on 85th will be impacted at some point several times,” Murphy said, adding that driveway closures would be limited to a few days here and there for each business.

SDOT has been conducting surveys of businesses along 85th.

“We try to support the businesses by trying to work within what their operational needs are,” she said.

SDOT is still finishing design work and figuring out all the details. A likely candidate for detours would be 80th Street. Murphy said the agency will conduct a full traffic signal analysis of detour routes so they can retime traffic lights for maximum efficiency.

While the project starts in October, SDOT will not put in place any detours until January, after the holiday shopping season.

Work on 85th Street will happen in five phases, starting at 15th Avenue NW and moving east.

• Phase 1 – 15th Avenue NW to 8th Avenue NW
• Phase 2 – 8th Avenue NW to Greenwood Avenue North
• Phase 3 – Greenwood Avenue North to Aurora Avenue North
• Phase 4 – Aurora Avenue North to Wallingford Avenue North
• Phase 5 – Wallingford Avenue North to I-5.

SDOT hopes to finish the first two phases by spring of 2012. Work will primarily happen during the day, except work on the major intersections will happen at night on a 24-hour schedule.

“We’re really going to need the community’s help and support to get through it,” Murphy said. “It’s going to be a challenge for everyone.”

©PhinneyWood for My Green Lake | Seattle's Green Lake Blog, 2011.

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Post tags: ballard, construction, greenwood, phinney, traffic

Photo courtesy Mike Arcuri

Green Lake resident Mike Arcuri has just launched a new gourmet chocolate business, Vibrant Chocolate.

The chocolates, which are made in Ballard, are enriched with vitamins and nutrients.  Although the business is headquartered in Green Lake, they are available for delivery across King County.

Vibrant Chocolate’s Spring Menu includes “Peanut Butter Sunshine,” “Mint Meltaway,” “Caramel Snap Delight,” “Long-life Cocktail Bar” and “Espresso Bon.”

“As someone who’s trying hard to adopt healthier habits while working and raising kids, I really felt like a needed a better option to get my own calcium, omega-3, and other vitamins,” Mike tells us. “Pills just aren’t pleasant and it’s so easy to make excuses and skip them. Now I really look forward to my nutrition each day: it’s both an indulgence and a healthy routine.”

More information and a full chocolate menu can be found on the Vibrant Chocolate web site, testimonials are available via Facebook, and orders can be placed on Bonanza.

Congrats, Mike!

©Amy Duncan for My Green Lake | Seattle's Green Lake Blog, 2011.

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Post tags: ballard, food, local businesses

The early childhood music classes are the most popular offering at the Green Lake Community Center (7201 E Green Lake Dr N), according to Jeff Skinner, the facility’s former Coordinator.

Green Lake classes include Infant Music Development, Toddler Music Development, Preschool Music Development, World Music Appreciation for Kids, Spanish Music with ASL, and Musical Sign in ASL. The program’s second winter session begins this week. Class information and registration details can be found on Katy’s website.

In addition to Green Lake classes, you can find the program at the Phinney Neighborhood Center (6532 Phinney Ave N), the Ballard Community Center (6020 28th Ave NW), and the Northgate Community Center (10510 5th Ave NE).

Green Lake mom and marketing professional Cat Burns is a fan of Katy’s Musikal Magik.  She shared the following video with us, as well as a short interview she did with teacher Katy Webber.

*What started your career teaching children?

In my senior year at Cornish College of the Arts I answered an ad posted on the job board at school for a music club teacher at First Place School in the Central District. My contact was Gretta Harley, now a friend of mine, and she walked me through my first experiences of putting a music class together. She also introduced me to Dalcroze Eurhythmics, a type of early childhood music education, and I ended up interning for a couple of workshops. It was amazing watching the teachers work with toddlers teaching them the fundamentals of music through dance and song using classical music! I had to have more!

Immediately after graduation I began teaching toddler music class at the North Kirkland Community Center and became a visitor service coordinator at the Seattle Symphony’s, Soundbridge, Music Discovery Center. The first day I was there I had a crash course in Musical Storytelling where I learned about 3 or 4 never heard before songs in 5 minutes. Taking me on this adventure was Bryan Stratton, the lead music teacher there at the time, my mentor, and one of the best early childhood music teachers I know. He encouraged me to pick up my guitar after not playing for 10 years and I haven’t put it down since. Now all of my classes have live guitar and piano!

*What do you love most about your classes?

The people! Everyone is there for one purpose, to enhance their child’s musical experience. Since I’m there to do the same thing we have a wonderfully instant connection.

*What makes your classes stand out from other children music classes?

Live instruments and a professional musician. It’s rare, but not impossible, to find a music class that doesn’t relay heaviliy on recorded music and a person who is not only a early childhood music teacher but a working artist with a degree in Jazz Performance.

Also, the Spanish Music classes are not only rich in vocabulary but include ASL so one is really learning two new languages for the price of one. :) These classes are taught by myself along with Betsy Dischel, a fluent Spanish speaker and ASL interpreter who formally worked with children with special needs in Southern California.

*How many years have been teaching/working with children?

I’m going on my 8th year.

*Whats your favorite musical instrument?

The human voice.

For more information, contact Katy Webber at katywebber [at] gmail.com or (206) 729-3412.

Thank you, Cat and Katy!

©Amy Duncan for My Green Lake | Seattle's Green Lake Blog, 2011.

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Post tags: ballard, kids, music, northgate, parks and rec, phinney

Gillam invited all baby boomers, as well as other “younger-thinking older adults” who live in Northwest Seattle, to Aging Your Way, an upcoming event at the Nordic Heritage Museum (3014 NW 67th St).

“We would like to ask,” Gillam said, “what would your community have to look like in order to support you as your age?”

Food and beverages will be served at the event, which will be Thursday, Feb. 3, 2011, 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.  Register at seniorservices.org by Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2011.

Contact Dori Gillman at (206) 268-6737 or dorig [at] seniorservices.org for more information.

©Amy Duncan for My Green Lake | Seattle's Green Lake Blog, 2011.

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Post tags: ballard, building community, older adults

The shelter will house twenty homeless men who are participants in SHARE (Seattle Housing and Resource Effort).  The church and SHARE will be working together for a one-month trial period beginning tomorrow (Thursday).

Today, we learned that a similar SHARE shelter was located at a Ballard church last year.  The shelter was eventually shut down due to SHARE’s highly controversial screening procedures.

Our news partner My Ballard closely followed the story as it developed:

February 2009 – Emotions run high at homeless shelter meeting

April 2009 – SHARE: Sex offender screening ‘un-American’

May 2009 – Church votes on shelter, results on Sunday

May 2009 – Homeless shelter to move into Ballard church

September 2009 – SHARE: Sex offender removed from shelter

September 2009 – Our Redeemers: ‘More than deeply saddened’

October 2009 – Neighbors: Make changes at homeless shelter

November 2009 – Controversial Ballard homeless shelter to close

We will be keep you up-to-date on this story as it develops in Green Lake, beginning with tonight’s meeting at Bethany Lutheran Church.

©Amy Duncan for My Green Lake | Seattle's Green Lake Blog, 2010.

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Post tags: ballard, homeless

Have you seen any ducklings recently at Green Lake?

Recently crows have been stalking the baby ducks and picking them off one by one!

And, this report from Kim:

I came home today (59th and Corliss) after being away for two days and got dive-bombed multiple times by crows.  When I ran back to my car, my boyfriend noticed they were swooping the car.  I drove off and didnt come back until dark.  I guess there is a nest in front of my house.

So scary! Just wondering if anyone else has reported this lately or knows of anything to do/ways to protect yourself.

Green Lake is not the only neighborhood suffering from aggressive crows.  A May 27, 2010 My Ballard post on the topic generated more than 50 comments, including helpful advice about crow attacks.

On May 31, 2010, The Seattle Times picked up the story and warned Seattlites to be wary of crows from late May to mid-June:

This is fledge season, when crows help their babies learn to fly. As the little ones stumble from the nest to branches and the ground below, their avian parents can get incredibly protective. If they believe a threat is near, they may attack — passers-by, dogs and anything that normally wouldn’t make them flinch could become potential targets.

Be careful out there, Green Lake!

Update, Tuesday June 8: Many thanks to My Green Lake tipsters Jo and Kate for drawing our attention to a very helpful “crow aggression primer,” available at thetanglednest.com.  The primer is authored by West Seattle resident Lyanda Lynn Haupt, former raptor rehabilitator, seabird researcher, and author of Crow Planet: Essential Wisdom from the Urban Wilderness.

photo credit: sєαttlєчє

©Amy Duncan for My Green Lake | Seattle's Green Lake Blog, 2010.

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Post tags: animals, ballard, safety

All three robberies took place on Wednesday, May 5, 2010 and follow a similar pattern: an armed man, face covered, told clerks to count to 100 on the ground.

A commenter on the seattlepi.com story has suggested the man be called the “Count to 100 Bandit,” a handle which has also been picked up by My Ballard.

More details from Casey McNerthney and our news partners at seattlepi.com:

The first case happened at the 7-Eleven in the 3900 block of Stone Way North. The robber entered with a black semi-automatic pistol in his right hand and aimed it at the clerk. He wanted both cash registers opened.

The robber jammed money inside the pockets of his hooded sweatshirt and yelled “Where are the big bills?”

As soon as both registers were opened, the suspect ordered the clerk on the ground and told him to count to 100 before getting up, or else he’d be shot.

The man fled on foot, but the clerk didn’t know which way he went or if the robber used a vehicle.

The robber in that case was described by the clerk as a mixed-race man, 6-foot-2 with a black hooded sweatshirt, a baseball cap and a bandana over his face. He wore black gloves on both hands, dark jeans and black boots. The suspect spoke English without an accent and appeared right-handed, according to police.

Police learned from video surveillance that the robbery lasted than 75 seconds, and the man stole about $350.

The second case happened about 1:30 p.m. May 5 at the Blockbuster in the 5900 block of 15th Avenue Northwest.

The suspect in that case, described by one witness as a white man in his mid 20s, entered pointing a black handgun and demanded the registers be opened. He had a black hooded sweatshirt, a dark mask over his face, black winter gloves and dark pants.

A woman who was threatened at gunpoint told police she didn’t think the man acted like a drug addict because “he was not ‘twitchy,’” according to a police report. The man told her and another person to lay on the floor and count to 100, during which time he fled.

Police also have video surveillance footage from that robbery, but a still picture or video have not been released publicly.

The third case happened at the Green Lake Ben & Jerry’s.

At 1:59 p.m. Wednesday, a white man pulled a handgun from his waistband and told a clerk to “open the register right now,” while pointing the pistol at him.

The clerk handed the man some money. The suspect then placed the gun in his front waistband and reached across and grabbed money in the register. He told the clerk to get on the ground, count to 100 and walked away westbound.

Police did an extensive area search, as they did in the earlier two cases, but were unsuccessful.

The man in that case wore a neoprene snowmobile-type facemask with dark gloves and blue jeans. He also had a white down jacket going past his waist with a hood covering his head. The gun had a dull black finish.

People with information about the robberies are asked to call 911 or (206) 684-0850.

©Amy Duncan for My Green Lake | Seattle's Green Lake Blog, 2010.

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Post tags: ballard, crime, local businesses, wallingford

My Ballard reports that Ms. Bowers will begin her tenure as Green Lake Elementary principal on July 1, 2010.

Ms. Bowers has extensive administrative experience at Seattle Public Schools.  In addition to her time as principal at North Beach, she has held the position at Coho Alternative Elementary School, Orca Alternative Elementary School, and Viewlands Elementary School (sources: Seattle Times and seattlepi.com).

It was announced in January that current Green Lake Elementary principal Cheryl Grinager will be transferring to McDonald Elementary School.

©Amy Duncan for My Green Lake | Seattle's Green Lake Blog, 2010.

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Post tags: ballard, green lake elementary, schools