I would also like to get my hands on a copy of "Where Yesterday Began". I keep meaning to ask about it at the Ballard library but I haven't yet.

I would like to know if a copy of her manuscript "Where Yesterday Began" is available for purchase or download. If anyone knows where I might obtain a copy I would be very grateful!

We’re really happy to see developers and investors are wiling to take a risk to improve the community. These new businesses create jobs and bring new life to a neighborhood that died a long time ago. All the unhappy people making negative comments need to face reality.

Sorry, Jomondana, I don't mean road improvements like that. I mean improvements that increase capacity.

The developers paid to have Mikes Chili parking and sidewalk installed.

I know Edith's is not landmarked - but what about Mike's Chili? That building is beautiful - and it looks even better now with a new sidewalk and slick backdrop of the new building.

Edith did what she wanted, and died how she wanted. Her will is being carried out, and he can do whatever he wants with the money...I am sure he book is not listed in Amazon, it was self published and probably did not sell any copies or is listed in the library of congress. Perhaps someone could re-publish it, and sell it and donate the proceeds to the historical society in Edith's name or some other cause that would honor her. Maybe even for cancer research.

We shouldn't get too carried away being anti-development. The LA fitness and the new office building going up next to it is "good" development. That area was a mess before the development started, an abandonned lot and an empty (falling apart) warehouse. More office space in Ballard is a good thing. Hopefully it will reduce the amount of commuting done by people since some ballard residents won't have to go downtown anymore.

The only negative is that it doesn't appear that the developers had to pay for any road improvement in the area, traffic around there is going to be worse.

Why don't we ever improve our roads in Ballard? It's really going to bite us soon.

My only hope is that the daughter takes the money for college and does something useful with it- instead of blowing all the money on alcohol and "partying"- sigh.

Shows how much I pay attention, didn't notice the link in Geeky Swedes original post. :) Too much egg nog perhaps?

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/28/us/28edith.ht...

FYI, her book is called Where Yesterday Began.

I toured the new building and got some pics looking down on her house. It would have been very intimidating for me to see that building rise up around my house. In honor of Edith I hope Barry holds out for the big bucks!

I'm curious as to the title of her book, since it does not appear in the Library of Congress (or Amazon.com) under either name.

This space is a great opportunity to create an outdoor art space for multiple local artists. It doesn't have to compete with Fremont by any means but after visiting the site it seems like the perfect spot to add some art to the area and memorialize Edith.

And FYI, I imagined that she went through hell before and during this whole process, but a friend of mine had first hand knowledge of the situation and has told me that she was quite happy visiting with the construction crew every day. The house was sentimental to her and she just didn't want to move because of her advanced years. She just wanted to pass on in that home.

As sad as some people are to lose some of old Ballard, at the end of the day, we're not Fremont. We still have historically landmarked Ballard Avenue... we still have a downtown core. Our outskirts might keep changing, but we still have an identity.

I agree it would be great if Edith's turned into a coffee house or cafe, but in reality, that part of town is somewhere a lot of us just drove by on our way to somewhere else in Ballard. It sounds like Edith would be okay with change, and I am too.

You would think the condo complex would just buy the lot and maybe turn it into a nice garden

Change is a bitter pill for many. I've lived near by for over 20 years and quite frankly, I think the new development is for the better. This was not a neighborhood of low income family homes and no one was displaced, unless you count the folks who lived in their vans or campers. It was next to an empty cement lot with a chain link fence and there were/are warehouses across the street. There was garbage and debris everywhere. I used to walk the area and knew without a doubt that it was only a matter of time before something drastic would happen. No one forced Edith out.. that would have been an outrage.

Most houses in Ballard sit of SF5000 sized lots - that's "single family" lots. Those are completely safe from being surrounded by bigger buildings (other than their neighbors adding on).

Steve - my guess is that Edith's house may be a single family house, but it sits on land that is zoned for much larger construction - like NC or C (commercial) zoning. The zoning maps were laid out quite a long time ago and in some areas we're just now seeing them built out to their full potential.

Aren't the zoning laws supposed to prevent something like this? What sense does it make for the city to allow a single-family house to be surrounded on three sides by 50' concrete walls, etc? Is there anyone out there who understands Seattle zoning who can explain this? Was this a 'normal' situation, or an edge case?

Thanks

jm--

there's a disney trailer that smacks of it. i think it's called "up."

Fantastic idea, Brian! You are brilliant! I'd be interested in doing some brainstorming!

I think a group should get together and buy the house and turn it into a "freedom" coffeehouse or something of a commemorative place.

I think it is amazing that she stood up to the developers, and I think it is more amazing that the developers (e.g. Barry Martin) accommodated her and that they didn't try to get the local government didn't "take" the property like happens sometimes during redevelopment.

Anyone want to try and buy the property and run something there with me?

Why don't they just stick the new homeless apartments there, so all the droids shuffling in and out at La Fitness can watch them? Oh, of course - can't have that class of condo-dwellers mixing in with the riffraff. Better to hide the homeless on a residential street where it will only effect the hated Old Ballard people who live nearby.

I can't seem to find Edith's book on the Powell's used book web site.

I think its bad form of Mr. Martin to keep the money,even if it is for his daughter. I think he should donate all of it to a local Seattle charity.

I'm curious if the developers are going to try to buy it if it goes on the market, since I remember hearing that they had built their structure in such a way that the property Edith's house was on could later be added to the development. It seems unlikely anyone would want to buy that house as a house, especially in the current market.

Many people believe the developers are improving that neighborhood. It's always been a polluted mess near Salmon Bay and now it will be cleaned up a little bit.
There was a rumor of a documentary film being made about the situation. Has that surfaced yet?

I agree with you, Mickey.

I think by holding out, she took her stand and spent her last year(s) in a comfortable, familiar(yet I'm sure VERY loud at times during construction) setting. Who wouldn't want that?
The willing of her house to Mr. Martin seems like her way of saying "Thank you, this is what I have to re-pay your kindness or well, I don't need it anymore, do whatever. . . "

The property belongs to him and he has every right to do whatever he wants with it. Yes, it is sad that this piece of Old Ballard will inevitably become absorbed by the structure, but instead of attacking (like I've read in so many other posts) let's just learn to live with it.
I am NOT pleased with how this neighborhood has been taken over by developers, but, I've learned that if I want to stay in the community that I enjoy, I have to learn to live with it and I have found that the positive far outweighs the negative.

feeely = freely.

I just read the article and the new "tidbits" are, indeed, very interesting.

I'm not sure what people "expect" Barry Martin to do with his inheritance, but when one makes changes to her/his will, an estate attorney must sign off on the client being of sound mind and under no duress or external pressure in making those changes. So, Edith Macefield, feeely, and with mental faculties in place, made a decision that suited her. The naysayers (people who think Martin should not benefit) either don't understand estate law or simply wish to attribute aspects to Macefield's last wishes that did not exist. No one can know precisely what she would have wished Martin to do with the inheritance, but it is a moot point.

Even Mike, the owner of Mike's Chili, said that Macefield "didn't give a damn about preserving Old Ballard". Her rejection of the buyout was about self-preservation. And that's fine. She wanted to die in her own home.

It would seem that Macefield's political acts were long over, but documented in her book -- a book which I would be inclined to read.