A few times a year, Catharine Blaine PTA organizes a grounds cleanup in the front of the school and the courtyard just inside the entrance. The area is overgrown and weed infested and unfortunately Seattle Public Schools does not do any grounds work for those parts of the school.

Please mark your calendars now – Summer “Grounds Cleanup” for Sunday, July 15 between 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM.

They’re asking for your help (kids are welcome), for an hour, 2, 3, or whatever you can donate of your time to help clean up Blaine’s front school-yard and grounds. This consists of weeding, edging, mulching, and general sprucing up.

What do you need to bring? Just yourself, your child if you can drag them along, and maybe even a friend. SPS will actually provide us many of the supplies, but always a good idea to bring an extra set of gloves with you. Additionally, if you have a favorite gardening tool (pruner, sheers, rake, shovel, etc.) please bring it along as well.

They’ll have water, snacks, sandwiches for lunch, and maybe even ice cream from a certain “Squirrel.” Lastly, remember to bring sunscreen and to dress accordingly as you’ll be outside doing landscaping.

Blaine PTA has also coordinated this event with the help of Dwelling Place Church who has offered their generous assistance as well.

If you are planning on making part of the grounds cleanup please email facilities@blainepta.com.

Do you want to see more classes, programs and special events offered at Magnolia Community Center? Do you want to be involved in decisions about how our community center is funded, maintained, managed, and expanded? Then we need YOU! The center is seeking volunteers to serve on the Magnolia Community Center Advisory Council. We only need one hour of your time, once a month.

To learn more, call the center at (206)386-4235, and ask for Katie.

Based in Alaska for the 2018 season, the 212-passenger Star Legend will visit Seattle, Windstar’s headquarters, for the first time on June 27, 2018 and make a historic sail through the Chittenden Locks in Ballard and on to Lake Union.

On June 27, Star Legend will become the largest-known cruise ship ever to transit the Ballard Locks and the century-old Lake Washington Ship Canal through Ballard and Fremont, to sail on to Lake Union as part a celebration of Pacific Northwest cruising. Star Legend is owned by Seattle-based Windstar Cruises, a small ship cruise line with a fleet of six ships, and is sailing her inaugural season in Alaska from May to Sept., offering boutique, expedition cruising in luxurious, all-suite accommodations.

Star Legend carries 212 guests and 153 crew and is 440 feet in length (134 m.) with a beam (widest point) of 63 feet (19 m.), the ship will have about 7.5 feet to spare on each side as it enters the Ballard Locks. Weighing in at 9,975 gross registered tons (grt) with six passenger decks, 106 suites and 153 international crew,

The public are invited to view the event from shore, time line below.

WHEN: Wednesday, June 27, 2018

WHERE: Bell Street Pier 66, Ballard Locks, Ballard/Fremont Ship Canal and Lake Union.

PLACES TO VIEW THE SHIP FROM SHORE:

• Pier 66 / Elliott Bay – 7 AM to 12:30 PM
• Ballard Locks – 1 PM & 7 PM
• Ballard Bridge – Approx. 2 PM & 6:30 PM
• Ballard Bridge, Ship Canal (Ballard/Fremont), Fremont Bridge – Approx. 2-3 PM & 6-7 PM
• Shilshole Marina/Golden Gardens in Ballard – 8 PM

WHY: Star Legend is calling on Seattle as a special detour from its summer series of inaugural Alaska cruises, running from May through September. The ship’s visit gives the company a chance to connect with its home town and 150 Seattle-based staff. This will be the first time Star Legend will visit Seattle, and the first time a Windstar ship has been in Seattle in 20 years when sister ship, the 148-passenger masted sailing yacht (MSY) Wind Spirit visited. The public is encouraged to view and welcome the ship to Seattle from various points ashore.

Click here for more information on the cruise line and ship.

A sponsored post from our friends at New Seasons Market

Looking to patronize businesses that put their values into action: like using sustainable and responsible environmental practices, caring for employees, and building community? There’s a brand-new option in Ballard.

New Seasons Market gives 10 percent of its after-tax profits to local nonprofits, with a focus on three areas: fighting hunger, supporting schools and environmental stewardship. Additionally, the company gives each employee up to eight hours of paid time off each year to participate in local community service projects.

New Seasons Market is committed to supporting the local economy where its stores operate. They offer goods from local makers, farmers, ranchers and fishermen, including community-grown organic produce, sustainable meat produced by the region’s ranchers and wild-caught seafood sourced directly off the Washington coast.

The Local Finds program screens suppliers and assists them in the process of getting their product in front of shoppers.

“While we are thrilled to have so many local products on our shelves, the Local Finds program is about more than that. It’s designed to work with vendors so that they get the right help at the right time so that they can grow sustainably. It’s about helping local entrepreneurs — whether they are growing pears or making cookies — succeed at a pace that’s right for them,” said Chris Tjersland, New Seasons Market’s partner brand development manager.

In an additional effort to minimize its environmental footprint, New Seasons Market announced that the company is eliminating all plastic straws from store locations in Oregon and Washington. The plastic straws will be replaced with paper alternatives to help reduce litter and ocean plastic.

There’s a lot of power in where and how you choose to spend your dollars, and the grocery store is one way conscientious consumers can put their money where their heart is.

A pedestrian was struck and killed by a driver in Interbay this morning.  Northbound and Southbound lanes were closed at 15th Ave W at W Armory Way, according to SPD. Our sincere condolences are with the family and friends of all involved.