Groundswell NW joined forces with the Sunset Hill Community Association on a Neighborhood Matching Fund project to study potential public uses for the Sunset Substation, 3209 NW 65th Street. The project gathered community input on how the site could be used and hired a team of experts to analyze potential uses, including a solar array mounted over a neighborhood gathering space.

A kick-off meeting was held on December 19, with over 50 neighbors attending to learn about the project, see examples of other pocket parks and solar installations and give their ideas on possible uses of the site. After hiring CAST architecture to lead a team to help develop plans, a second meeting on Feb. 23 engaged nearly 30 neighbors in exercises to develop a vision statement and site layouts, and a third Community Workshop on March 24 presented three alternate schemes. A fourth Community Workshop was held on April 20th to present a preferred scheme. The final design was presented at a Solstice Party on June 19 - see the article in the Ballard News Tribune and read the latest news on the Sunset Substation website.

The City of Seattle is facing a serious revenue shortfall.

According to the Mayor, Seattle is facing a $15 million shortfall for the 2nd half of this year, and a projected $60 million shortfall for 2011. Consequently, Seattle elected officials are figuring out which services to cut back.

Reports are that $10 million may be cut from the Seattle Parks & Recreation Department. A proposal to close some community centers, including one of the two Ballard centers, has been tabled for now, thanks in good part to a petition opposing closing either of the local community centers circulated by Save Our Community Centers. Some cuts have been made in hours for wading pools - see more here.

More potential cuts are looming for the 2011 budget. You can voice your concerns by sending an email to the Mayor and the entire City Council.

Thanks to all who attended our Annual Meeting on March 14, with special thanks to Mayor Michael McGinn for graciously fielding a number of questions about "green infrastructure" in Ballard and beyond. Our current slate of officers was elected for another year by acclamation, and two new Local Heroes were recognized.

Dawn Hemminger was lauded for her years of service on the Board of Directors, for the last few years in the most time-consuming job, Treasurer. She also has helped spearhead the 14th Ave NW Visioning Project, which was featured at the meeting in a presentation by her and Peter Locke. If that was not enough, she helped re-form the east ballard community association over the last couple of years, energizing her corner of the neighborhood. She has also been involved in the Ballard District Council and its efforts to prepare for a neighborhood plan update.

Michael Harthorne was recognized for his tireless reporting of Groundswell and other community events for the Ballard News Tribune. At a time when BNT has consolidated its operations and closed its Ballard office, Michael has kept their reporting of community events at a high level, showing up for evening meetings, daytime work parties and helping us spread the news through his articles and photographs. His report on our Annual Meeting, which modestly ignores his Local Hero honor, can be found here.

A large crowd gathered at Ballard Corners Park on October 10, 2009 to celebrate its (near) completion and Groundswell's 20 years of reating community parks and habitat. Kudos to Friends of Ballard Corners Park co-chairs David Folweiler and Rebecca Carr, the entire steering committee, and all the neighbors who have worked so hard to create this magical new park. See updates, details and photos at the Ballard Corners website.