After more than three decades as the Fremont Public Association, the nonprofit organization now has a new name.On Jan. 1, it changed its name to Solid Ground to better embody its mission and services.Executive director Cheryl Cobbs said the name Solid Ground better represents the kind of work they do, which is to help people become more economically stable. Despite the new name, the agency's mission and services remain unchanged."We wanted to come up with a name that better represented the scope of work we do," Cobbs said.Widespread servicesThe Fremont Public Association was established in 1974, when Fremont was one of the most economically devastated areas of Seattle. The agency started with three services: an emergency food bank, a clothing bank and an employment program. These services reflected the desperate needs of the people and the determination of a community to help them. As homelessness and poverty increased, so did the agency's services. The agency provides people in need with basic social services and aid - such as food, shelter, counseling and transportation - through 28 different programs.
The rising price of gas over the last couple of years hasn't bothered 51-year-old Lyle Rudensey one bit.Rudensey - who taught a Biodiesel Home Brew workshop last Saturday, Jan. 27, at the Greenwood Senior Center, 525 N. 85th St. - is an expert at making his own biodiesel fuel in his detached garage.He uses the fuel to keep his Volkswagen Jetta wagon running. And Rudensey gets between 40 and 48 miles to the gallon. He estimates the cost of his fuel at 65 cents per gallon.That's right. In this day of $2.50 per gallon of gas, Rudensey makes his own for a quarter of the cost."I use used restaurant vegetable oil," Rudensey explained. He said his fuel comes primarily from Thai, Italian and Chinese restaurants. "My car smells like chop suey."A positive changeRudensey said he was inspired by Dan Freeman, who started selling biodiesel fuel about six years ago under the moniker of Dr. Dan's Alternative Fuel Works, in Ballard."Thousands of people are making their own fuel. We are all trying to learn to make it better. I talk to people doing this as far away as Australia," Rudensey said.
The city of Seattle is seeking proposals for the redevelopment of the former Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS) Federal Building at 815 Airport Way S. in the Chinatown International District. Responses to the request for proposals (RFP) are due by 5 p.m. on March 20. The complete RFP can be downloaded at www.seattle.gov/realestate/default.htm."We're looking for ideas that will help revitalize the neighborhood, while preserving the building's historic elements and celebrating the immigrant experience," said Nickels.The building has been vacant since the fall of 2004, though the federal government has allowed a homeless shelter organization to use basement space for temporary emergency shelter.
Recently a federal appeals panel rejected one of the convictions against Ahmed Ressam and instructed Judge Coughenour to reconsider Ressam's 22-year sentence. Ressam was convicted of a felony arising from his attempt to smuggle explosives into the United States from Port Angeles, presumably to blow up some public building and cause massive deaths. U.S. Attorney John McKay was against the original sentence, arguing that it was too short and should have been set at the highest allowed sentence of 65 years.McKay and I do not see eye to eye on most issues, especially since our presidential administration launched its post 9-11 persecution of Arabs and Muslims. However, on this issue, we completely agree.Every Muslim I know agrees that if a terrorist has been charged, tried and convicted of attempting to cause destruction in this country, he or she should be put away for life with no possibility of parole. After all, just what else are they going to be thinking of doing when they are finally released?As Muslims, we part ways with the Bush administration when we see that other Muslims are imprisoned for months - or years - without even being charged, let alone tried for any subversive activity. Almost invariably, Muslims are released after a long time, but to what? Their lives are destroyed; they have no credit, no job. Their business is in shambles and possibly their family is now broken.
Numerous tenants in the Bellagio Condominiums in Magnolia Village say they definitely are not looking forward to the Village Pub's plan to move into larger digs across the street from its present location."Basically, we understand about having a vibrant business community," said tenant Deanna Nollette. Although the local bar and restaurant doesn't compare to trouble spots such as Larry's in Pioneer Square, the Village Pub does create pressure in the neighborhood, especially when people who have been drinking hit the streets at closing time, she said.Fellow tenant Richard Bakken agrees. He said he called police one night, for example, to report a fight in the middle of West McGraw Street between people leaving the bar at closing. "They had four cruisers here in four minutes," Bakken said of police.It didn't help, though. The combatants all hopped in a cab and were gone before police arrived, Bakken groused. That's not the only problem associated with the Village Pub, he said. "We have called police for noise issues," Bakken explained."Plus, we've also called the pub itself (about loud music and noise)," added tenant Lyn Rockman. The volume goes down for a couple minutes and then gets loud again, she complained."Now, he's (Village Pub owner Matt Baker) talking about doubling, tripling the size and adding a (rooftop) deck, which is going to be a whole series of problems," Nollette said. "Do we want to be a destination place for drinking?" she asked, pointing out that parking in the Village is already in tight supply.
Generations of Grizzlies who went to Queen Anne High School, including many Magnolia residents, might have a hard time recognizing the old place these days. After a decade of being luxury apartments, the historic building is being converted to condominiums.There will be 137 condos ranging from studios to one- and two-bedrooms, and they are selling from just under $300,000 for a studio to $1.2 million for a penthouse with an expansive view of downtown and the Space Needle, according to sales manager Katie Citron.The project features 45 different floor plans, said John Hatton, vice president of Legacy Partners, the California development company that spent $25,250,000 to buy the property from Lorig & Associates. "In actuality, I've never seen two units the same," Hatton added.Renovation costs will range from approximately $8.2 million to $9.6 million, he said. "We went down to the walls," Hatton explained. But not completely in some cases. "We retained the blackboards in some of the units," he said.Hatton concedes that old school blackboards are an unusual touch for a condominium. But some tenants are using them to leave messages for family members, and some are using them for artwork, he said.
Oslo's - A Men's Store, a recent addition to the final, spiffed-up block of Queen Anne Avenue North before one tumbles down the Counterbalance, will hold an open-to-the-public "Trunk Show" this Friday, Oct. 13. The show will feature design mavericks Morgan Molthrop and Stewart Grays of the Los Angeles-based Morgan Grays Handsome Style men's leather and accessories line, which not coincidentally will be making its Seattle debut.Oslo's - which was named for owner John McDowell's Golden Retriever, himself a fixture on the Ave - was the 2006 "People's Pick" for Favorite Men's Clothing Store, according to a poll by NW Source.com and The Seattle Times.
Generations of Grizzlies who went to Queen Anne High School might have a hard time recognizing the old place these days. After a decade as luxury apartments, the historic building is being converted to condominiums.There will be 137 condos ranging from studios to one- and two-bedrooms, and they are selling from just under $300,000 for a studio to $1.2 million for a penthouse with an expansive view of downtown and the Space Needle, according to sales manager Katie Citron.The project features 45 different floor plans, said John Hatton, vice president of Legacy Partners, the California development company that spent $25,250,000 to buy the property from Lorig & Associates. "In actuality, I've never seen two units the same," Hatton added.Renovation costs will range from approximately $8.2 million to $9.6 million, he said. "We went down to the walls," Hatton explained. But not completely in some cases. "We retained the blackboards in some of the units," he said.Hatton concedes that old school blackboards are an unusual touch for a condominium. But some tenants are using them to leave messages for family members, and some are using them for artwork, he said.
Owner Kyriakos Kyrkos is making an attempt to get his liquor license renewed so he can reopen the Mr. Lucky bar across the street from KeyArena on First Avenue North, according to Steve Robertson, an aide to Kyrkos' lawyer.A deal was in the works to sell the bar to new owners from Belltown, and extensive remodeling work was done inside the business, according to one neighborhood source.But the deal fell through, said Roberston, who called the Magnolia News to see if this reporter would be willing to testify on Kyrkos' behalf at an Oct. 16 hearing before an administrative law judge. That's not going to happen, and Kyrkos is also facing opposition from the office of Mayor Greg Nickels and from State Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles.Kyrkos has sounded out the neighborhood about the plan, according to Margaret Irvine from the Greater Queen Anne Chamber of Commerce. Representative from the Chamber and the Uptown Alliance met with him on Friday morning, she said. "We listened to him about an hour."Kyrkos, who has declined to comment to the Magnolia News, wants to open a sports bar if he can get his liquor license renewed, but his real goal is to sell the club, Irvine said.
When I was an arrogant pup writing short stories almost daily and awash in the feeling of discovery, I also wrote a weekly book review for a local Cincinnati newspaper.I was very full of myself and praised some things lavishly way back there in the dim past that was 1980 or so.I also was very hard on some folks who had had the good fortune to get a novel published by a major publisher.My ego didn't shrink when a now well-known New York City writer, then a first novelist, went to the trouble of calling Ohio to thank me for "one of the most perceptive reviews" his first novel received.Since his work had been reviewed in Time and Newsweek, I was feeling kinda big for my britches.But hot on the heels of writer number one's high praise, I received a longer, much more painful letter from an aging, once well-known Midwestern writer condemning me for my attack on a friend of his and her book, also a first novel.He talked about the cheap shots in my review - written, he'd guessed, in an hour - and contrasted my glib meanness with his friend's three-year struggle to complete her novel.
Feel that cold wind? Halloween is just around the corner, blowing in fun, and, if one isn't careful, also extra expenses for the holiday. Halloween, you probably have noticed, is the second-most marketed holiday-decorating season in the United States. I purchase some items from the store, but I don't want everything to be commercially made. So in looking around this year for ideas, I came up with a project that is fun and inexpensive - two of my favorite words. Halloween curtains! You will find this is so easy and the look is great!Making the curtainsFirst, watch the paper for a discount coupon at your favorite fabric store. Measure the length of your curtains, as well as the width. Get a piece of paper, and write down your curtain size numbers. Add 12 inches to the length, and double the width. Now head off for the store with your measurement sheet.Purchase enough cheesecloth to match your measurement, and head home to make some tea - the cheapest Halloween dye around.
Fall is here, and with the change in leaves and temperature, it's time to get out the woolies and the overcoats and pack away the T-shirts and sun dresses. In other words, it's time to organize your closets! Here are some simple strategies for organizing your wardrobe and storing off-season clothes.Getting readyAs with all organizing projects, dedicate at least four hours of uninterrupted time. Turn off the phone, avoid other distractions and be sure you have the supplies you need before you get started. For closets, I recommend a purchasing an inexpensive clothes rack; boxes to help you sort (banker boxes are my favorite); a flat, clean surface for sorting (a.k.a. the bed); and bags for donations. You also will want to label each box with the general contents, such as "winter sports" or "summer shorts, tops." I also recommend purchasing two under-bed storage containers - ideally plastic with small rollers on one end and flip-tops on either end. Shop for other containers after you have sorted and tossed.
They will miss a week of school.They will miss a couple of midterms. They will miss Halloween. But one thing University of Washington juniors Philip Herron and Andy Marshall won't miss on their 10-day trip to Uganda is their construction work. Because their boss is going, too, and he's even footing the bill.Ryan Anderson, owner R.W. Anderson Construction, will take seven of his employees to Uganda at the end of this month. The team, which builds million-dollar homes in the Seattle area, will spend six days adding a room to a boarding school for young girls.A 'jolting' experienceHerron, who has worked for Anderson for only a few months, was not surprised by the company trip. "I knew my boss well personally before I heard about the trip, and he's a great Christian guy. I wasn't surprised he wanted to take advantage of opportunities to help people," Herron said.Marshall appreciates Anderson, as well, and hopes to own a company similar to his some day, he said: "Ryan is incredible. He pushes me to be the best."This trip could be viewed as just another push, according to Anderson. "I don't know what God will do, but I know it will be amazing. I hope that we will see and experience things that will jolt us from our day-to-day lives," he said. A tangible giftThough R.W. Anderson has done charitable work before, even earning a few minutes of fame when helping with an "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" episode, this is the first trip the company has taken. Anderson tried to plan a summer charitable trip to Lebanon, and both he and his team were disappointed when it fell through.Marshall, a native of South Africa, was particularly excited about the change in locations.
(In this second part, Daybreak Star's Phil Lane outlines how a new world path can be achieved through "The Fourth Way" - empowerment.)The term "fourth way" refers to Lane's ideas about the several ways that indigenous peoples respond to the overwhelming influence of a dominant culture.Lane said that in his talks with indigenous leaders, he identified four ways of responding to the breakdown of traditional indigenous culture: assimilation, or to give up one's traditions to blend into mainstream culture; resignation, or to give up and fall into despair; resistance, or to organize against the dominant culture with anything from nonviolent protest to armed conflict; and, finally, what Lane calls empowerment and constructive development - "the fourth way."According to Lane, such a movement would be nonviolent, broadly democratic and founded in diplomacy, with a long view to cultural and environmental sustainability. It is a response to the historic degradation of indigenous populations in North and South America - the poverty, cycles of violence and addiction, loss of land and ways of being - and so seeks to re-empower those populations by improving the fundamentals of a "healthy" life through better education, health care, economic development and participation in social and political structures.
The lofty meeting room inside Hale's Ales Brewery and Pub hardly seems like the place to find a gathering of evangelical Christians. Sitting above the bar that looks out across Leary Way's trees, the room is best suited for a small party or banquet. After walking past massive fermentors and through the intoxicating smell of hops, one would most likely see a birthday cake here - not evangelical Christians. Every Monday at 7 p.m., however, Dick Staub hosts "The Kind-ling's Muse" here and spurs "spiritual, intellectual and creative" discussion in the pub's comfortable setting. Available as a podcast at thekindlings.com and iTunes, Staub's show happens every week.Amid the clanking of beer glasses and the audience's subtle chatter, Staub is the facilitator between panelists and the show's audience. The topic changes weekly, as do the guests, but with previous subjects being "The Theology of Paul Simon" and "Retailing God," the discussions usually pertain to spiritual matters.