At approximately 3:12 a.m. a uniformed patrol officer in a fully-marked Seattle Police car was driving northbound in the 6700 block of 3rd Avenue NW when the suspect driver suddenly cut across 3rd Avenue NW traveling westbound and collided with the police car. The female suspect/driver then fled the scene.

The suspect was located soon afterward at 15th Avenue NW and NW Market Street and taken into custody.

The suspect was processed for suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

Neither the officer nor the suspect were injured in the incident.

Among the winners for Awards of Excellence:

• Dramatic Narrative – Suspense: “Sundown” by Vann Fulfs, Bryan Quandt, Jacob Scott
• News Feature: “Viking Robotics” by Ben Fuesel, Bryan Quandt
• Public Service Announcement: “The Door” by Liam Moser, Cecilia Orozco-Chavez, Kimi Rutledge

Honorable mentions:

• Comedic Narrative: “An Appetite for Knowledge” by Gabe Fabens, Nick Hauger, Lorenzo Rossi. “Great Mimes Think Alike” by Will Slater, Michael Vitz-Wong, Kiana Wyld. “Hollyday” by Katie Brostrom, Kelsey Mendenhall, Sara Timmons.
• Commercial: “A Night to Remember” by Isaiah Hoban-Halvorsen, Ana Krafchick, Cooper Rickards
• Documentary: “Deep Down” by Isaiah Hoban-Halvorsen, Kaila Lafferty, Oona Lowe. “My Little Brony” by Vann Fulfs, Brian Quandt, Taylor Martin
• Dramatic Narrative: “Eye of the Beholder” by Walker Evans, Isaiah Hoban-Halvorsen, Brian VanWagenen
• News Feature: “Ballard Cooks” by Milo Adams, Coleman Anderson, Carlos Caceres Martinez, Leo Pfeifer. “It Takes Balls to Juggle” by Brian Cropp, Lily , Raven Two Feathers
• PSA/Anti-Ad: “Know Your Limit” by  Joseph Downey, Grace Turnell, Robyn Wrey. “Not Even Once” by Sam Baldwin, Paris Burhen, Brian Cropp, Gabe Tagulao. “Real Nordic Heritage” by Julian Amrine, Joshua Vredevoogd

One BHS senior was awarded the “J-Dogg” Scholarship, which is an award established in 2011 by the family of Justin Amorratanasuchad, a Ballard High School filmmaker whose career was tragically cut short by an accident during his second year of college. Vann Fulfs was the recipient of this year’s scholarship, which gives upwards of $5,000 each year toward the college education for a student interested in pursuing a degree in film and television production. Fulfs plans to study film production at Columbia College in Chicago this fall.

If you want to get a glimpse of the students’ films, there will be a screening at BHS on Thursday, May 23 at 7 p.m. Tickets for “The Showing” are $10 for adults and $8 for students (tickets for sale at the door). All ticket sales will go to support the BHS film program.

Congratulations to our rising stars at BHS!

Cathy Phillips from King Co. Public Health collecting water at Golden Gardens

Christopher Clinton, BEACH program manager, says they’re specifically testing for fecal bacteria, often a result of stormwater runoff from Ballard. “We’re looking for wildlife pollution or sewage,” Clinton explained. “During the wintertime when there’s excessive rain, we have spills from the sewage infrastructure. In this area, that’s our main concern.” He says heavy rains are usually the catalyst for higher levels of bacteria, but that considering the urban area of Ballard, the presence of bacteria is typically pretty low at Golden Gardens. If there are high levels of bacteria in the water, they will put up signs at the beaches to alert people of the dangers of swimming. Clinton says swimming in waters with fecal bacteria could lead to GI-tract problems or viruses.

Ballard resident Cathy Phillips from King County Public Health was out collecting the samples today, which she’ll do every week from now until Labor Day. She collects three samples from our beach each Monday; one from the area directly in front of the small creek that empties into the Puget Sound on the south end of the beach, one from near the bathhouse, and another from the north end of the beach. Phillips then collects samples from Alki and Carkeek Park, and all are tested for levels of bacteria. The findings are typically posted on Tuesdays on the BEACH program website.

The BEACH testing program is jointly coordinated by the Washington Department of Ecology and Health, and happens every year between May and September. BEACH tests 67 different beaches in Washington state every summer. To learn more about the program, click here.

The event is co-sponsored by the Secret Garden Bookshop who will be on hand to sell books signed by the authors. It starts at 6:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public. For more on upcoming library events, here’s a link to the SPL online events calendar.

Ballard High School will have eight student-athletes competing 7 events at the Washington state track and field competition this weekend:

• Senior Dominique Smith qualified for state in both the long jump and 100m dash. Smith won Kingco and Bi-Districts in the long jump and finished 4th in the 100m. Prelims in the 100m dash are Friday morning at 11:00 am with finals Saturday at 11:10 am. The long jump competition is Saturday at 1:50 pm.
• Senior Stu Thomas qualified for state in both the 300m low hurdles and 110m high hurdles taking second in both events.  Thomas set the school record on Friday in the 300m low hurdles.  Thomas has prelims in the 110m hurdles Thursday evening at 5:40 pm with finals on Friday evening at 5:30 pm.  Prelims in the 300m hurdles are Friday afternoon at 1:00 pm with finals 10:35 am Saturday morning.

• Senior Mia Wrey qualified in the 800m winning the Bi-district event with a time of 2:13.4.  Wrey has the 4^th fastest time in the state this season.  Prelims are at 12:25 pm Friday afternoon with finals at 10:10 am Saturday morning.
• Junior Carolyn Birkenfeld qualified in the 200m dash getting 5^th at the Bi-District event.  Prelims are Friday evening at 6:30 pm with finals 2:55 pm Saturday afternoon.
• The girls 4×400m team is the fastest in the whole state!  They have knocked 7 seconds off their time in the last two weeks alone and also own the school record.  The team consists of freshman Nicole Godbout, Senior Mia Wrey, Senior Emma Onstad-Hawes, Senior Cat Banobi, freshman Jamie Smith, and Junior Carolyn Birkenfeld.  Prelims are Thursday night at 6:30 pm with the finals on Saturday at 4:30 pm.

The state track and field event is held at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma (4634 S 74th St Tacoma, WA 98409), More details on the state meet can be found here.

Pictured above: Dominique Smith and Mia Wrey. Photos courtesy of Ed Tanaka and Ballard Athletics

Hipp, hipp, hurra for the Syttende Mai (17th of May) parade in Ballard! The celebration gathered thousands to celebrate Norway’s Constitution day and a communal Norwegian pride last night on the streets of Ballard.

The festivity marked the 124th celebration of Syttende Mai in Seattle. When it began in 1889, before Washington even became a state, it was a smaller banquet and community hall commemoration. Over the years it developed, and eventually grew into a Ballard community parade in 1974. Today it is one of the largest Syttende Mai celebrations outside of Norway.

Photo credit Joel Conrad

Though the holiday was established in recognition of writing Norway’s Constitution in 1814, people today recognize it as a celebration of Norwegian heritage. Peder Digre, the president of the University of Washington’s Norwegian Club said: “I think the main idea behind the celebration is to really celebrate ‘Norwegian-ness’ for one day all around the world…I really like that the Syttende Mai parade in Ballard brings Norwegians together and provides a time to celebrate our common heritage. This is an especially rare opportunity for descendants of immigrated who most likely became Americans over 100 years ago!” Digre said. “It’s one of those shared experiences that bring people emotionally together and makes you feel like you ‘belong.’”

Photo credit Joel Conrad

Syttende Mai in Ballard unites people throughout the greater Seattle area. Of the parade participants many Norwegian organizations are represented including the six Sons of Norway lodges, Daughters of Norway, Norse Home, Norwegian Male Chorus, Norwegian Ladies Chorus and others. The parade also gathers many non-Norwegian groups throughout the community such as school marching bands and cheerleaders, unicyclists, clowns, Seafair pirates etc.

Christine Anderson, of the Sons of Norway Leif Erikson Lodge 2-001, enjoys watching the variety of entries the parade includes. “I’m always amazed how creative some of the groups get.” Anderson said. “The children’s groups from the schools are fun to watch. Seeing so many Norwegian flags flying is an incredible sight too! The Norwegian community is an active vibrant community often thought of by the press as being totally defunct except of trolls and lutefisk. The community is so much more than that.”

Photo credit Joel Conrad

Øystein Kjørsvik, a recent graduate from the UW, grew up in Bergan, Norway. Coming to the US in 2008, Kjørsvik has celebrated the Syttende Mai in Ballard four times. He said that the celebration is naturally larger in Norway; however, Ballard’s enthusiasm is one to compete with. He said: “It’s really fun to see the level of interaction here which in many ways can rival Norway…It seems like people get really into it here and everyone in the area is there to truly celebrate and enjoy a great Norwegian holiday. One can’t really help but admire the passion of some of the Norwegian old-timers around here.”

Photo credit Joel Conrad

The weekend is here and brings with it the festivities of Syttende-Mai! Check out the events happening in and around Ballard in our weekly weekend roundup.

Friday May 17:

• Syttende-Mai Parade from 6 p.m. The parade will be go down 24th Avenue NW to NW Market St and down Ballard Ave. Click here for more details.

Saturday May 18:

• Carkeek Park STARS Volunteer Work Party at Carkeek Park (950 NW Carkeek Park Rd) from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Join other enthusiastic volunteers for a fun morning of forest restoration and trails maintenance. Gloves and water are provided and wear sturdy shoes. Suitable for teens and older. Follow the STARS signs to the meeting place. For more information contact Dale Johnson at dalerayjohnson@comcast.net or call (206) 362-2980.

• Friends of Kirke Park Garage Sale (7028 9th Ave NW) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Funds will go towards the trellis. This is held in conjunction with the Phinney Neighborhood Association Garage Sale Day. Email Alyssa Smith for more details at alyssabsmith@gmail.com

• Seattle Works Restoration Work Party at Carkeek Park (950 NW Carkeek Park Rd) from 12 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Click here for more details and to sign up.

• NW 49th Street Open House and BBQ from 4 p.m. – 9 p.m. Food will be available courtesdy of Apex Automotive, Cultivar Landscape and Design, Firefly Kitchens and JonBoy Caramels. Domanico Cellars and Populuxe Brewing will be open for purchase of wine and beer. Guests will also enjoy live music from  Codgill Connecticut, Hill Neighbor, Higgsfield and Shelley Casey. Dance, eat, drink and  get to know your neighbors! Click here for more details.

• Healing the Children Celtic Music Concert with “BOWI” at Sunset Hill Community Association (3003 NW 66th St) at 7 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m. with music from 8 p.m. – 9:45 p.m. $30 donation per ticket for general admission. $60 donation per ticket for VIP reserved front row seat with complimentary beverage. All proceeds will benefit Healing the Children, Oregon and Western Washington Chapter, an organization whose mission is to restore health to impoverished children of the world through donated medical services. Click here to buy tickets.

• The Market Street Singers present Sounds Like Music at Ballard First Lutheran Church (NW 65th & 20th NW) from 7:30 p.m. This is a free event. Contributions gratefully accepted. Click here for more details.

Sunday May 19:

• Food Truck Round Up at the Phinney Neighborhood Center (6532 Phinney Ave N) from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. The $25 ticket includes bites from local food trucks as well as wine, beer and spirits, and live music. The event is being held as a campaign for a new food bank in the U-District. Click here for more details and to buy tickets.

• The Market Street Singers present Sounds Like Music at Ballard First Lutheran Church (NW 65th & 20th NW) from 7:30 p.m. This is a free event. Contributions gratefully accepted. Click here for more details.

Photo credit Ventana Construction

Ventana Construction told us about the find, which happened when they were tearing down the walls in a kitchen in a house near NW 65th St. and 24th Ave NW. The house was built in 1900, and the newspapers were dated all the way back to 1901.

On their blog, Ventana Construction says that most of the papers they found were from about 50 years ago. “The majority of papers were from 1961, and even leafing through those is amazing– the pages in those sections reveal the politics and social mores of the time, along with some eye-opening prices for just about everything,” Ventana Builds writes on their blog. Among the papers found were the Ballard Star, Seattle P-I, Seattle Star and The Seattle Times.

Photo credit Ventana Construction

Thanks, Ventana Construction, for sharing!

If you want to get rid of some old clothes, household items or general knick-knacks and be on the map, email your home address to Whittier Heights Community Councilmember Brad Wakeman at Brad@LakeRE.com. We’ll post again in a couple weeks with a map of this year’s participating garage sale sites.

Map of last year’s participating homes

While its service is mostly centered in downtown Seattle, the “Gem” has been seen cruising out to the Locks in Ballard. They’ll be exploring plenty of other neighborhoods in the trolley as well, boosting tourism outside of the downtown core. Emerald City Trolley CEO and founder Howard Wright says the hop-on, hop-off feature will allow tourists to check out the city in new ways, as they have the zoo, Fremont Troll and Ballard Locks on their list of stops. The line that serves our area is the North Blue Route, which will visit the EMP at the Seattle Center, the zoo, Fremont, Ballard and the Locks.

The tickets are only available in two- or three-day passes (with additional days available for purchase) that will allow access to all three of the tour lines. A two-day pass costs $45 and three-day passes are $60 (additional days are $15). There are family passes available for two adults and up to three youths at $110. Tickets can be bought on the trolley at any stop, and at their retail location at 2nd and Pike in downtown Seattle or online.

The trolley starts rolling today, and will be in service until Sept. 29.

Photo courtesy Emerald City Trolley

Ifyou’ve ever been to a Syttende Mai parade in Ballard, you know just how hectic it gets; about 5,000 spectators are expected, which means driving could be a nightmare tonight. Various streets around Ballard will be closed today, including the streets surrounding Adams Elementary (26th Ave NW and NW 62nd St.) from 4:30 to 6 p.m. during the parade staging. 22nd Ave NW will be closed until 8 p.m. tonight.

The parade starts at 6 p.m., and the route goes south on 24th Ave NW from NW 62nd St. to NW Market St, east on Market to 22nd Avenue NW, and then turns right to go south on 22nd to Ballard Avenue NW. The parade disperses north and south on Ballard Avenue NW.

Here is the event schedule for today’s celebrations:

10 a.m. – 2 p.m.: Kids games at Nordic Heritage Museum (3014 NW 68th St). Free admission to the NHM all day; Nordic Cafe will be selling Scandinavian treats, and fjord horses will be on site.

Noon – 2 p.m.: Luncheon at Leif Erikson Hall (2245 NW 57th St.) Tickets $30, call (206) 783-1274

2 – 5 p.m.: On-going live, free entertainment at Bergen Place Park:

• 2:00—Adams Elementary School Choir
• 2:30—Klem og Kram, featuring accordion and vocal works
• 3:00—Matt Jorgensen of Ballard Jazz Festival, featuring jazz
• 3:30—Norwegian Male Chorus, with piano or a capella
• 4:00—Leikarringen of Leif Erikson Lodge #1, featuring song, music and dance
• 4:30—Bonnie Birch, featuring accordion

3 – 5 p.m.: Open House and Cafe at Leif Erickson Hall. Food, beverages, wine and beer available for purchase. Local Scandinavian organizations will have promotional material about their groups.

6 – 8 p.m: Parade – starts at NW 62nd and 24th Ave NW, goes south to Market Street, east to Bergen Place Park, turns down 22nd Ave NW and continues south on Ballard Ave NW to Dock Street. This year’s emcees are local radio personalities Tim Hunter and MJ McDermott.

Map courtesy 17th of May website. Click map to go to parade website

Beach naturalists Cari Garand and David Hagert at Golden Gardens

They say Barnacle will be opening in late summer, and will have plenty of wines by the glass, house-made charcuterie, “interesting seafood offerings,” and “delicious tartines.” It sounds like Barnacle, which will seat 25 at a long bar, will be a convenient place for overflow from The Walrus and the Carpenter’s cozy and small dining room. They plan to be open daily from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.

We have a call out to owner Renee Erickson to get more details about Barnacle. We’ll update with any new information we get about the space and their opening date.

One of the commuter stations is on the northwest side of the Fremont Bridge, where they’ll have maps, snacks, commuting information and more. Cascade Bicycle Club expects more than 20,000 bike commuters tomorrow, so make sure you watch out for extra bike traffic before and after work.

Starbucks is offering free coffee to bike commuters; if you show up at the Ballard store in your biking gear and helmet, you’ll get a free tall coffee of your choosing. (Click here for all participating stores)

The Bike to Work Day after party is being held at Via6 at 6th Ave and Blanchard in downtown Seattle. For a full list of commuter stations, click here.

The project is expected to be completed by May 24.

Ballard Health Club (2208 NW Market St) are celebrating their 15th Anniversary this month. The club opened on May 1st, 1998 and is still a strong part of Ballard’s fitness community.

Ballard Health Club is proud to be celebrating this important anniversary and want to thank the local community for their support over the years. “From the very beginning we made the conscious decision not to follow the standard gym model of using gimmicks and deals and over-the-top advertising to get customers, but instead to live and die by word of mouth – to deliver real value, and to trust that if we do right by our members, they will naturally tell their friends and families about us,” says General Manager Justin McGowan.

To celebrate the milestone the club are offering special clinics and the opportunity for locals to participate in the Ballad Health Club’s section of the 17th of May Parade. Click here to check out more about special events.

To find out more about the club click here to check out their Facebook page.

Ballard Labs, a new local co-working space, was launched in the Ballard Blocks (1416 NW 46th St) early this month. The co-working community was formed with the vision of creating a shared space for like minded entrepreneurs, developers, start-ups, and local business leaders.

Ballard Labs was founded by Ballard small business Payment Gear after a tragic fire in their brand new offices. “Instead of moving, we reinvested and increased the space to create Ballard Labs,” says Payment Gear owner Nathan Vorwerk.

Ballard Labs aims to serve the community through assisting promising start-ups to bring their vision to fruition. The environment that has been created is fast paced and hard working, while at the same time fosters and nurtures creativity. Ballard Labs’ vision is also set to put our neighborhood on the map. “My hope and vision is to turn Ballard into Seattle’s hub for technology and design, as well as support and invest in new businesses,” says Vorwerk.

The co-working community is now filling up with experts in banking, finance, marketing, law, design, and development. John Drifmier of Brevica Online Marketing emailed to inform us that his team moved into Ballard Labs last week. My Ballard reader Joel Cummings also emailed to inform us of the charity poker night hosted by Ballard Labs during their first week of opening. “The night was great, getting to know people in the community and seeing $600 raised for charity,” writes Cummings. “Nathan from The Ballard Labs was a wonderful host and I really look forward to both the business and community they are going to be able to build here in Seattle,” he continues.

Monthly rental rates range from $250 for part time rental of designated open space to $800 per month for a private office with a view. All rental plans include the use of the following:

• Large Conference Room
• Free Garage Parking
• Full Kitchen + Coffee Service
• 24/7 Surveillance & Security
• Office Supplies

Ballard Labs are currently accepting applications for local start-ups to join their co-working community. Click here to register your interest.

BHS Athletics are excited to announce that Michelle Beattie has been named the new Ballard Girls’ Head Soccer Coach. Beattie has played soccer since the tender age of five and has competed for Emerald City FC, Blanchet High School and Central Washington University.

The BHS girl’s soccer captains were reportedly so excited to inform Beattie of the news, that they asked to put her on speaker phone and called her immediately after the interview committee had made their decision.

Beattie has had ample experience both on the field and coaching from the sidelines. While a collegiate student-athlete at Central Washington she was named captain, was awarded All-Conference (GNAC) honors, and earned a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education and Health. After she graduated, Beattie pursued her love of coaching soccer at Emerald City, Eckstein Middle School, Roosevelt High School, Peter Fewing Soccer Camps and Ballard High School.

Last June, Beattie was awarded a Masters in Education in Intercollegiate Athletic Leadership from the University of Washington while serving the Seattle University Athletic Department as an Academic/Student-Athlete Support Intern.

She is currently the Director Operations for the Seattle University Men’s Team and coaching with Emerald City FC youth and Emerald City WPSL team and has been an assistant on the Beaver staff for two seasons.

“This is truly an amazing opportunity and I am excited to put my best foot forward every day for these young ladies,” says Beattie. “My goal is to mentor these young ladies, develop character and create a winning program,” she continues.

BHS Athletic Director, Carrie Burr, is equally excited to have Beattie come on board as head coach. “Michelle understands what the girls need, how to motivate them, and sees the bigger picture of athletics and coaching. She has a true passion for the game and will do a fantastic job building on our already successful program,” says Burr.

Beattie comes in at a successful time in the history of girls’ soccer at BHS. The Lady Beavers have reached the first round of playoffs the last 2/3 years.

Click here to check out more about the BHS soccer program.

Photo courtesy of BHS.

Do you want to give to local organizations who play a fundamental role in the Ballard community? Well, today is the perfect day to get involved in The Seattle Foundation’s third annual GiveBIG event. The event is a one-day, online charitable giving campaign that benefits non-profits in both our neighborhood and all over the city.

All day today you can donate online via credit card to any of the 1400+ non-profits that are profiled on The Seattle Foundation’s website, some of which operate in Ballard. The non-profits will receive a prorated portion of the matching funds “stretch” pool. The total amount of the stretch pool depends on the size of the stretch pool and the total that is raised today during the GiveBIG campaign.

Check out the list of participating non-profits that support the Ballard area:

• Ballard Food Bank
• Ballard High School Foundation
• Ghost Light Theatricals
• The Market Street Singers
• Groundswell NW
• ARC Dance
• Nordic Heritage Museum
• Steamer Virginia V Foundation
• Justin Amorratanasuchad Scholarship Fund
• Low Income Housing Institute
• Compass Housing Alliance

Reach deep into your pockets and GiveBIG today!  Do your part to help out the local non-profits that give so much to the Ballard community.

There are no signs that the current trends of low inventory, rising prices, short sales times and multiple offers will be abating anytime soon.

For NW Seattle, (including Ballard, Fremont, Green Lake, Phinney and Wallingford) there continues to be only about a 1 month supply of single-family home inventory. This tight inventory can be attributed to continued low interest rates, robust Puget Sound area hiring and a generally improved economy including significant gains in the stock market. Whether the market will become more “balanced” (defined as a 3-6 month supply of homes) will hinge on many more listings hitting the market over the coming months.

Of NW Seattle homes closed in April the average sale price was almost 103% of the most recent list price.  This indicates continued multiple offer situations.

Prospective buyers also should think in terms of at least a minimum of 3-5+ year home ownership horizon and preferably maintain the option to hold onto their home through future downturns in the market. Home seller costs (excise tax, title/escrow fees, sale commissions) of approximately 9% of the sales price should also be factored into any decision to purchase.

More stats on other Seattle neighborhoods can be found here.

John Madrid is a Managing Broker with John L. Scott Real Estate – University Village and is a 2005-2012 Seattle Magazine “Five Star” Agent. His clients include both home buyers and sellers. He can be reached at 206-498-1880, john@live206.com or at his website.

Statistics are deemed reliable but are not guaranteed.  All information should be verified to the users own satisfaction.

According to Heather Pederson with Chow Foods, the restaurant will be donating 25 percent of food sales on Wednesday to help the school buy books and science supplies.

If you have any information about the statue’s whereabouts, contact the pediatric clinic at 206-783-3524 or call Seattle Police.

Seattle Parks will store the wood chips temporarily in the middle parking lot at Golden Gardens, which Hammerstad says will take up about 15 parking spots. They expect to dispose of the wood chips by Friday, May 24.

Several Seattle neighborhoods, including our local community of Loyal Heights, took part in an earthquake preparedness drill on Saturday morning. The drill was put in place to test Seattle’s emergency radio communication skills in a scenario based on the impact of the 2011 6.3 magnitude earthquake that hit Christchurch in New Zealand.

In addition to this drill, the Seattle Office of Emergency Management (SOEM), in collaboration with other local agencies, have launched an initiative to inform residents of how to prepare and respond to a catastrophic emergency in our region. The initiative titled “What to do to make it through” provides locals with information and guidance on making individualized, family plans for what to do in the case of major catastrophes including flooding, earthquakes and tsunamis.

The new initiative focuses on the personal impact that catastrophic emergencies can have on people and their families. Queen Anne resident Susan McLaughlin is able to reflect on the personal impact of a major emergency from her experiences of the devestating Christchurch earthquakes of 2010 and 2011. “When the first earthquake struck, it disrupted so many things we depend on in daily life,” says Susan. “We had no power, no TV, and cell phone lines were jammed so we walked the streets at 5:00 a.m. on the morning of the quake to get news from neighbors, find a radio and to learn what to do.”

The devastating earthquake destroyed over half of the central city’s buildings and forced residents to live with no running water and electricity for an extended period of time. People of all ages had to live with no functioning sewer systems and McLaughlin recounts that “for a while, ‘dig a hole in your backyard,’ was the best that the Mayor could offer many people.”

Now living in the Puget Sound region, McLaughlin still thinks about disaster preparedness and encourages others to do the same. “Having a child and feeling unprepared is an awful place to be,” she remembers.

The new Puget Sound initiative offers residents like McLaughlin a plan to follow to prepare for an emergency situation and what to do if one occurs. “What to do to make it through” encourages locals to take three simple steps to plan for a catastrophic event: make a plan, build a kit and help each other. The initiative encourages locals to make an emergency plan that caters for both people and pets and to practice it regularly. “Doing simple things – like making a kit for my husband, son and me – makes me feel much more prepared for an earthquake or other disaster now,” says McLaughlin.

In terms of the time frame of what to plan for, SOEM Public Education Coordinator JoAnn Jordan states that “it’s really important to plan for seven to 10 days.” “Given the magnitude of earthquake that’s likely to occur in the Pacific Northwest, experience has shown it could take from several days to more than a week before essential services are restored, such as running water, electricity and phones,” she continues.

Jordan recommends families to build a kit with enough of these items to last for seven to 10 days:

• Storage container: a plastic bin, or even an old suitcase or backpacks, which you’ll store near an exit
• Water: one gallon of water per person per day, for drinking and sanitation
• Food: seven to 10 days of non-perishable foods per person and pet
• Cash: small bills are best (ATMs won’t work without electricity)
• Battery-powered radio and extra batteries
• Flashlight and extra batteries (no candles!)
• First aid kit
• Whistle to signal for help
• Filter mask or cotton t-shirt to help filter the air
• Moist towelettes for sanitation
• Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities, if needed
• Manual can opener for food
• Shelter items like tents, tarps and rope
• Garbage bags and plastic ties for sanitation
• Unique family needs: supplies for infants, pets and elderly; prescriptions; important family documents

All locals are encouraged to check out the initiative’s website to find more pointers on what to do to make it through. As McLaughlin says, “we can’t stop the next disaster from coming, but we can help our families and neighbors make it through. Plan to be a survivor!”

To find out more about the disaster preparedness initiative click here to check out the official Facebook page.

Squeeze, local juice ingredient start-up, launched last month in Ballard and is starting to take the Seattle juicing market by storm. The start-up was created with the vision of cultivating a community of juicers who are passionate about “squeezing” the best out of life’s produce while, at the same time, saving money on organic, local ingredients.

Squeeze aims to remove the inconveniences of juicing such as the high cost of good produce, the significant planning and preparation time and the issue for most inexperienced juicers, of just not knowing where to start. “Juicing is a lifestyle and Squeeze wants to hold your hand while you get your feet wet long enough to discover all the amazing benefits to juicing,” says founder Jonna Hood.

Founders Hood and Jamie Baird, both live in Ballard and are focused on sourcing as much produce as possible from local farms. They both come from backgrounds that have uniquely equipped them to run a business like Squeeze. Baird owns a farm and runs a CSA in Eastern Washington and Hood is a local yoga instructor who has seen the benefits of juicing through her work.

How does the program work you may ask? Once a week, the Squeeze team delivers customers a variety box of fruits and veggies, enough for a week of quality home juicing. In addition to produce, Squeeze also regularly provides customers with samples of juicing accessories, recipes and nutrition information to help them on their juicing journey.

The juice-box starts at the cost of $40 per week and is delivered to the customer’s door every Monday night. The juice box is followed by a weekly mailing of what is in the box, how to use it and recipe ideas.

“In a time where people (particularly in the Northwest) are growing more and more interested in learning about healthy living, we decided we wanted to help make juicing more accessible to the average consumer and more convenient for the already hardcore juicer.” says Hood.

To find out more information about Squeeze check out their website here.

The festivities start in the morning at the Nordic Heritage Museum with free museum admission all day, plenty of kid’s activities (including the opportunity to pet the fjord horses), a special lunch at the Leif Erikson Lodge, music at Bergen Place Park, and (of course) the parade straight through our ‘hood.

Schedule of Events

10 a.m. – 2 p.m.: Kids games at Nordic Heritage Museum (3014 NW 68th St). Free admission to the NHM all day; Nordic Cafe will be selling Scandinavian treats, and fjord horses will be on site.

Noon – 2 p.m.: Luncheon at Leif Erikson Hall (2245 NW 57th St.) Tickets $30, call (206) 783-1274

2 – 5 p.m.: On-going live, free entertainment at Bergen Place Park:

• 2:00—Adams Elementary School Choir
• 2:30—Klem og Kram, featuring accordion and vocal works
• 3:00—Matt Jorgensen of Ballard Jazz Festival, featuring jazz
• 3:30—Norwegian Male Chorus, with piano or a capella
• 4:00—Leikarringen of Leif Erikson Lodge #1, featuring song, music and dance
• 4:30—Bonnie Birch, featuring accordion

3 – 5 p.m.: Open House and Cafe at Leif Erickson Hall. Food, beverages, wine and beer available for purchase. Local Scandinavian organizations will have promotional material about their groups.

6 – 8 p.m: Parade – starts at NW 62nd and 24th Ave NW, goes south to Market Street, east to Bergen Place Park, turns down 22nd Ave NW and continues south on Ballard Ave NW to Dock Street. This year’s emcees are local radio personalities Tim Hunter and MJ McDermott.

The dates and times of the sale are as follows:

• May 13^th from 2:30-5:00 PM
• May 14^th from 2:30-5:00 PM
• May 15^th from 12:45- 4:30 pm
• May 16^th from 12:45- 4:30 pm

Thanks Cory, for the tip!

Ballard High School sent 16 student-athletes to the Kingco Conference Championship track and field meet this past week at Redmond High School.

BHS Senior Stu Thomas (Photo by Ed Tanaka)

Those competing included:

• Tai Huff – junior in shot put
• Bryan Quandt – senior in 3200 meter (m)
• Silvano Ross – senior in high jump and triple jump
• Dominique Smith – senior in 100m, 200m, 400m and long jump
• Stu Thomas – senior in 110m and 300m hurdles
• Cat Banobi – senior in 4×100m, 200m, 400m, and 4×400mr
• Carolyn Birkenfeld – junior in 100m, 200m, 400m, and 4×400m
• Jordan Eng – freshman in discus
• Nicole Godbout – freshman in 200m, 400m, 4×100m, and 4×400m
• Chase Hagar – sophomore in 4×100m and high jump
• Madison Hanson – freshman in 4×100m, 400m and long jump
• Joy Jaeger – junior in shot put and discus
• Nancy MacGeorge – junior in 4×100m
• Emma Onstad-Hawes – senior in 800m and 4×400m
• Jamie Smith – freshman in 3200m and 4×400m
• Mia Wrey – senior in 800m, 1600m, and 4×400m

Ballard student-athletes captured four Kingco titles with Thomas winning the 300m low hurdles, Wrey winning the 800m, Eng winning the girls discus, and Dominique Smith winning the long jump. In addition, the girl’s 4×400m team broke the school record. The girls’ team placed fifth and the boys placed 9th in the Kingco championship meet!

Senior Dominique Smith (Photo by Ed Tanaka)

Senior Mia Wrey (Photo by Ed Tanaka)

Ballard will be sending 14 student-athletes to the Bi-District in 11 events. The Bi-District is this Wednesday and Friday at Lake Stevens High School. The top 8 finishers from each event will advance to the state tournament the following weekend. The Ballard student-athletes advancing include:

• Stu Thomas – 110m and 300m hurdles
• Dominique Smith – 100m and long jump
• Carolyn Birkenfeld – 100 m, 4×100m, 200m, 4×400m
• Mia Wrey – 800m, 1600m, 4×400m
• Cat Banobi – 4×100m, 400m, 4×400m
• Nicole Godbout – 4×100m, 4×400m
• Chase Hagar – 4×100m
• Madison Hanson – 4×100m
• Nancy MacGeorge – 4×100m
• Emma Onstad-Hawes – 800m, 4×400m
• Jamie Smith – 4×400m
• Joy Jaeger – shot put, discus
• Jordan Eng – discus

Good luck this week! Follow their progress on Twitter @BallardHSSports