From Andrea Faste, Board President

Groundswell NW Events

Thu, 02/18: east ballard community association Februrary Night Out

The ebca has been busy these past few months on 2 very big projects, both involving 14th Ave NW.

The first project is Planting Partnerships on 14th Ave NW which is bringing our community together to plant and take care of new planters that will be installed at the median ends along 14th Ave NW north of Market St in April. We will be reporting on the latest status and announcing volunteer opportunities for you to cash in your pledges toward the Dept of Neighborhoods Grant that his helping us fund this project.

The second project is to pursue Seattle Parks and Green Spaces Levy funds to transform 2 blocks of 14th Ave NW between NW 59th and NW 61st into an urban park boulevard as a first phase implementation of the 14th Ave NW Visioning Project Plan. This is a unique opportunity to create community open space in the east ballard neighborhood and this meeting is an opportunity for you to provide input and influence design! This is an opportunity you won't want to miss!

Find our more at http://www.eastballard.wordpress.com

Mon, 02/22: Troll's Knoll Community Meeting

To inform the community on the Parks levy Opportunity Fund application process and finalize the site development plan.  Please come and share your vision. Click here to see the flyer.

Tue, 02/23: Sunset Substation Public Meeting

PLEASE NOTE the CHANGE IN DATE! Community Meeting #2 to introduce our design consultants, headed by CAST architecture, and establish a vision statement for the project, flesh out ideas generated at our December kick-off meeting and develop concepts for community use of the surplus substation at 3209 NW 65th St. To date, the leading concept is a multi-use space with a solar array over a neighborhood gathering space, but other ideas and input are welcome. Read the latest news from the Sunset Substation website.

Thu, 03/11: east ballard community association Steering Committee Meeting

The east ballard community association steering committee is meeting on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month. This meeting is open to the public. Anyone interested in working on our current planting partnerships or 14th Ave Park Boulevard projects are encouraged to attend.

Sat, 03/13: Salmon Bay Work Party

Join us to keep this natural area a viable habitat for wildlife and beautiful resource for the community to enjoy. Help Salmon Bay Natural Area by volunteering on Saturday, March 13 from 9am to noon. Volunteering is a great opportunity to make new friends while beautifying the neighborhood. Come learn about our recent completed extension of the Salmon Bay Natural Area and innovative solutions to improve shoreline habitat.

We supply the gloves, tools, water, warm beverages, light refreshments, and safety for the area you are working in. We will have coffee! We suggest wearing your older clothes & comfortable shoes. Events take place rain or shine, so please come prepared for weather. The work parties are appropriate for all ages!

Saturday's project will focus on weeding, litter pickup, and planting at the Salmon Bay Natural Area to prepare the site for a sculpture Dedication Ceremony on May 1st from 10am to noon. Marvin Oliver, a renowned artist of Quinalt heritage, is creating a welcome figure for the Salmon Bay Natural Area to celebrate the transformative powers of the salmon life cycle and to remind all of us of the stories, history, and creativity inherent in local indigenous cultures. The sculpture will be installed in April and our planting party will add vegetation to the around the sculpture base.

We hope to see you Saturday!

Sun, 03/14: Groundswell NW Annual Mtg. & Dessert Potluck

Join us and welcome Mayor Mike McGinn to discuss his plans for green infrastructure in northwest Seattle and throughout the city. The meeting will be a dessert potluck, so bring something sweet if you can, but don't sweat it - there will be plenty for all! Groundswell will be electing officers for the coming year and naming Local Heroes.

Sat, 03/20: Ballard Corners Work Party

Come celebrate the official first day of spring with a work party at Ballard Corners Park on Saturday, March 20th from 9am-12pm (ending time is approximate).  We'll be weeding and cutting back ferns and perennials.  Please bring your own pruners, a weeding tool, and a small container (a 5-gallon bucket is ideal) for collecting debris.

Wed, 03/24: Sunset Substation Public Workshop #3

The next Sunset Substation meeting (#3) will be held at the SHCA clubhouse on March 24th, 6:30 - 8:30 pm. The architects will be presenting three variations of designs derived from our ideas from the February meeting. Our review and comments are an essential part of the design process. See our website for more info.

Thu, 03/25: east ballard community association Steering Committee Meeting

The east ballard community association steering committee meets on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month. This meeting is open to the public. Anyone interested in working on our current planting partnerships or 14th Ave Park Boulevard projects are encouraged to attend.

Other Events

Mon, 02/01: Sustainable Ballard Annual Gathering

Our first Gathering of 2010, (our Annual Gathering) will be held on:

February 1st, 2010, 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm, Sunset Hill Community Club, 3003 NW 66th St.

For Sustainable Ballard, the first Monthly Gathering of each year is our Annual Gathering - when we celebrate last year's green accomplishments and look ahead to the coming year. This is also the time when our guild leaders and officers make or renew their commitment for the coming year. If you've been thinking that you want to get to know us better (maybe even made a resolution to do it this year), this is a great opportunity. We hope you will come be a part of this growing circle of somebodys doing something sustainable together!

In the first half of the evening, we'll look at 2009 and celebrate our sustainable success stories. Did you install a low-flush toilet? Yay!! Did you dig out a patch of grass and plant some vegetables? Double yay!! Did you finally map out a bike route to work and dust off the old 10 speed? Triple yay!! Also - what stands out for you from Sustainable Ballard's work in the past year?

In the second half we'll be looking ahead, meeting in guilds focused around different themes - home energy, food, transportation, and community. How can Sustainable Ballard make our neighborhood a better place this year? What would we like to accomplish in 2010? And what would you like to learn or share or contribute? Please join us!

Jenny Heins, Sustainable Ballard President

Tue, 02/02: Meeting on Future Uses of Memorial Stadium

Seattle Center and Seattle Public Schools will host a joint public meeting on the proposed Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on future shared use of the Memorial Stadium site and Seattle Public Schools surface parking lot at 5th Avenue and Harrison Street.

The meeting will be held in the Fidalgo Room, Northwest Rooms, located at the northwest corner of Seattle Center campus (south of Republican St), Tuesday, February 2, at 6:30 p.m.

Under the MOA, the Memorial Stadium site will become public space, housing an athletic facility and multipurpose event venue, with an underground transportation hub below. The Memorial Wall will be restored and moved to a more prominent place on the site.

The City will have until the end of 2015 to exercise its option to proceed with the purchase and lease of the site. At closing the City will transfer one-half of the Mercer Garage to Seattle Public Schools as a partial payment of the purchase price. The City will then lease the new stadium property for 60 years, with an additional 39-year option. Seattle Public Schools will continue to hold athletic events and graduation ceremonies in the new stadium, and will receive substantial annual rental payments. The Agreement also allows Seattle Center to demolish the upper part of the south stadium stands at City's cost for 50th Anniversary of Seattle World's Fair.

The Agreement requires City Council and School Board approval, and will be considered by the two bodies most likely in the first quarter of 2010.

Please join Seattle Center and Seattle Public Schools to learn more about the project and share your thoughts on the proposed redevelopment. For more information, visit www.seattleschools.org/area/m_news/index.dxml or contact Deborah Daoust, Seattle Center, 206 386-1974 or Patti Spencer, Seattle Public Schools, 206 252-0204.

Wed, 02/03: Parks Resources Conference

"Honor the Past - Protect the Future"

"Honor the Past" with Roger Fernandes. Pay honor to the First Peoples who have lived for thousands of years on much of the land we now call parks.

"Protect the Future" with Rita Schenck. Envision how our daily actions, as citizens and employees, will affect the landscape for centuries to come.

We are excited for you to attend the Seattle Parks and Recreation Parks Resources Conference 2010. This day of training occurs every other year and used to be called the Learning Fair.

All Seattle Parks and Recreation district grounds staff, community center staff, custodial staff, and the city wide horticultural staff attend. Grounds crews from other local municipalities are also invited.

Sat, 02/20: A Chemical Reaction - Movie Screening

We are the Coalition of Organic Landscapers (COOL), a professional organization dedicated to promoting organic landscaping.

COOL has been able to arrange a special, local showing of the Chemical Reaction Movie. The movie will be showing on the February, 20, 2010 from 2-6 PM and will include a discussion with film producer and activist Paul Tukey. It will be presented at the Lake Washington Technical College's Auditorium. Tickets are $10.00 and the proceeds will benefit SafeLawns.org. More information on Paul Tukey and the film here: http://www.paultukey.com/. View the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTcvO-o8NTA.

Mon, 03/01: Bergen Place Work Party

Sun, 03/07: Loyal Heights Pancake Breakfast

It is time again for our wonderful annual pancake breakfast event .This year our pancake breakfast will be held on March 7th from 8am - Noon. If you are interested in volunteering this year it would be much appreciated. Here is what we need...and thanks!

Saturday, March 6
9 a.m.-2 p.m. Set-up (tables, grills, making pancake batter, decorations, stations)

Sunday March 7
7:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Serving and cooking (making pancakes, sausage, eggs, serving beverages, on the line, etc.)
11 a.m.-3 p.m. Clean-up (emptying trash, cleaning grills, takedown tables, chairs, washing pots/pans, etc.)

Sun, 03/14: Spring Fruit & Grafting Show

Seattle Tree Fruit Society is presenting their Spring Fruit & Grafting Show on March 14 at the Center of Urban Horticulture in Seattle. Please see the attached flyer for more details.

Tue, 03/30: Raingarden Workshop

Join Stewardship Partners to learn how to build your own Rain Garden at a FREE workshop!

One of the biggest threats to Puget Sound health is stormwater --polluted runoff from streets, roofs, and other impervious surfaces from precipitation events. Fortunately, individuals can make a difference to help solve our regional stormwater issues. We encourage you to take a step back and consider your home as a part of a watershed. Our daily actions impact our home, community, and ultimately the health of our waterways. Pre-registration required through Stewardship Partners.

Wed, 03/31: Edible Gardens

This is a gardening program co-sponsored with Sustainable Ballard. Ingela Wanerstrand of Green Darner Garden Design will discuss many topics to get you started gardening--tools, soils, garden books and other resources; and especially edibles. We will also have a few vendors, offering starts, fertilizer info, seeds, and other gardening goodies.