The annual SeafoodFest is this weekend with 60,000 people expected to converge on downtown Ballard for salmon, arts & crafts and music.
The crowd during the 2009 SeafoodFest.
This year, the Chamber of Commerce is making a few changes. “We’ve heard that the festival goers would like more places to sit and eat—so we listened,” the SeafoodFest website states. Instead of having a stage at Bergen Place Park, there will be tables with umbrellas and chairs for people to sit and enjoy their food.
A new KidsZone will be set up on 22nd Ave NW in front of the Ballard Library. The KidsZone will have a number of carnival-like games including a rock wall, a Velcro wall, spinner art, a troll toss, a clown striker, a ring toss and popcorn. Tickets will be $1, although some of the activities will require more than one ticket. The Center for Wooden Boats will also be on hand with a booth for kids to build their own wooden boat. This activity is free, although donations to the Center will be accepted. Philadelphia Church will still provide the free inflatables on Market Street.
Stan Boreson entertains the crowd during the 2009 SeafoodFest.
Stan Boreson, the King of Scandihoovian humor, kicks off the musical entertainment on Saturday morning at 11 a.m. on the main stage, at the intersection of 22nd Ave NW and Ballard Ave. If you miss him on Saturday, he also plays on Sunday at the same time. The main stage lineup can be found here. Family stage entertainment can be found here.
The Lutefisk Eating Contest always draws a crowd. This year it will be held at Bergen Place Park at 1:15 on Saturday afternoon.
The line for salmon during the 2009 SeafoodFest.
You can’t have a SeafoodFest without the seafood. Trident Seafoods is once again donating 2,000 pounds of fresh salmon and Warren Aakervik, Doug Dixon and Cam Hardy will work the grill. For $9 you get alder-smoked salmon, cole slaw and garlic bread.
SeafoodFest runs from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday. This is the largest fundraiser of the year for the Ballard Chamber of Commerce.
(Disclosure: My Ballard is a member of the Ballard Chamber of Commerce)
A fundraiser for the Ballard Chamber? All so they can pay for a lawyers and try and stop the missing link. Boycott this event, I will.
Sailor, you keep on posting on a site that is a member of the Ballard Chamber.. thanks for the business!! LOL!
I’ll be skipping this too. I just don’t think I can have a good time knowing that the hosts are suing the city to stop the completion of the trail.
The Ballard Chamber of Commerce, what a looser organization. They need a fundraiser to sue Seattle, costing us taxpayers to defend this BS.
SPG- Selectively Boycotting. LOL! You guys have no measuring stick do ya. Ballard Chamber again would like to thank you for supporting a fellow member of ours MyBallard
TimV also… selectively boycotting. Thanks for your support.
All of you boycotters.. Where are your principals? How can you call for a boycott of Ballard Chamber businesses but at the same time can’t get enough of one… myballard. It’s just so ironic that you call for a boycott on a site that is a member, and by doing what your doing your helping a BCOC member.
The estimate of people has been lowered to 59,992 to reflect the effect of the “Great BCC Boycott of 2010”
Great job by the Chamber in hosting this event, attracting new business to the area, and continuing to acknowledge and honor Ballard’s heritage.
A protest would be many times more effective than a boycott. Who will ever know if you don’t show up? But if you show up and wave a sign, people will see that something’s up.
I won’t be doing either, myself. I hate what the CC is doing, but I’d rather see them make money off this event and use some of it on terrible lawsuits than see them go broke and Ballard go with them.
If I were less lazy, I’d organize a protest /and/ buy some fish.
As a kid who grew up with Star Wars, I just love the theme this year – “May the Norse Be with You!”
MyBallard is NOT a member of the Ballard Chamber of Commerce.
Can I bring my dog?
Boycotting SeaFoodFest is an easy and obvious choice for many of us.
But boycott the sponsors as well. Tell these businesses to stop destroying our neighborhood at the behest of oil and gravel lobbyists.
(partial list):
Ballard Market
Crown Hill Chiropractic
Habitude
Vote with your dollars. Send these companies a message. Support for the Chamber costs them support from neighborhood customers.
Everybody should be aware that the profits from this event are being used by the Chamber of Commerce on lawsuits to stop the bike trail in Ballard.
Do Not Spend Money At This Event.
“This is the largest fundraiser of the year for the Ballard Chamber of Commerce.”
‘Nuff said. I’ll pass, thank you very much.
Why not go and wait in line for salmon and then pepper Warren with questions about the appeal? It would be fun to hammer him with questions…he is a big player on this one.
Whaddya say? Anyone in?
If you say yes, I’ll leave my dog at home.
I’d love to see Cascade show up with some sort of attempt to shut it down. Not that I support the Ballard Chamber or Cascade, but think a Ragnarock end of days Lord of the Rings trilogy battle scene is just what Ballard needs this weekend. I’ll be Frodo, and hide under a bench when it gets too rough.
Not Going +1
I went last year and didn’t even like it. As far as street fairs go, they are all pretty much the same, but this was the worst. Everything was too expensive, not a single good activity for kids. I guess that extra money goes to the lawyers?
I support the bike trail. I encourage everyone who supports the trail to join our little boycott! It won’t make much difference but you’ll save some money and feel good about supporting Ballard.
Okay, just clicked on the website and that poster is awesome. Will they be selling it? Pretty cool.
zipper, why even bother? His mind is made up. He does not give two sh*ts about Ballard, just his free parking and his profits. The rest of us are supposed to spend nine dollars on a small overcooked piece of salmon and shut the hell up while he and the lawyers laugh all the way to the bank. These people are suing to stop improvements to Ballard and peppering with questions is not going to change that it’ll just make him feel more important. He doesn’t even live in Ballard.
Boycott +1
I’m with Gurple!
Protest over Boycott!
For crying out loud, not everything is about a single issue. Frankly, I think a lot of people have absolutely no idea what the Chamber does or is doing in the community and are choosing instead to focus on this single issue. That’s too bad.
And, given the tons of businesses that sponsor the event, have ads in their festival guide and the huge number of volunteers that show up each year to make this FREE community event happen, they must be doing something right.
I, for one, plan to enjoy SeafoodFest and expect a whole lot of others will, too. The weather is forecast to be great, so I’m going to grab a dog or two (or three), enjoy the sunshine, eat seafood (or my favorite, alligator on a stick), have an ice cold beer, listen to great free music, do a little shopping, see friends, etc. We always have a great time. See (the rest of) you there!
wow! look at all these boycott+1’s!
Now all you need is to convince the other 59,989 people not to go.
good luck with that, smartypants.
If this is a fundraiser, does this mean that they are a not-for-profit and publish a report to contributors type thing? Anyone know where they spend their money? Is it made public?
I would be interested in knowing how they spend the $$$
msballard30 says,
“Frankly, I think a lot of people have absolutely no idea what the Chamber does or is doing in the community”
EXACTLY.
How many people at SeafoodFest would be spending money there if they understood it is being used to stop the bike trail?
Most residents in Ballard want the trail. It is the industrial businesses who do not.
Well I certainly will not be contributing to their fundraiser and I don’t think any resident of Ballard who supports the trail should do so either.
I won’t miss the hot crowds and long lines and overpriced truck food, not to mention all those “extra wide” neighbors who wouldn’t know a bike if it smacked them on the head.
Enjoy your legal fundraiser, msballard30.
Denny’s – the attendence was disappointing last year which is why they changed weekends.
And attendence won’t be good this year either, mostly because it will be TOO HOT. Hot is not good for being outside in big crowds. There is really nothing special about Seafoodfest anyways, it’s just a street fair with the same booths selling satellite tv and free checking accounts boring boring hot and boring.
Don’t go.
What a bunch of crybabies. Is everyone in Ballard such a crybaby? Just ride your little bicycles on the sidewalk or something, and quit complaining about the lack of a bike trail. You REI polar fleece wearing posers surely must have nice lives if this nonsense is of primary concern to you.
The Chamber is here to support and protect business along with supporting the community. That’s what it does. There isn’t any one person or business that makes a profit off of the Chamber proceeds, revenues, fundraisers.. every dime goes back into the Chamber.
It has two administrative people, 300 members and countless volunteers. It’s as vanilla as it gets as an organization.
Darrell McManus
SeafoodFest Chair.
The fest is lame, overpriced same old s you can find anywhere. A bunch of zombies wandering around overeating . The city should deny them a street use permit next year. I went several years back, what a waste. No way in hell will I go this year.
dmcmanus said
“every dime goes back into the Chamber”
and that is exactly why I am not going. He could have said every dime goes to ####### the taxpayer and the will of the people.
Trail Supporters- Drive your cars to the seafest area and take up as many parking spots as possible. Create as much slow traffic as you can. Then go have a great day at the locks or GG. Just take up parking spaces and don’t spend money at the fundraiser.
Business in ballard would not tank without the chamber. They are an organization benefiting a few while conning the many. I have no problem supporting other business organizations but will not support the chamber or members. Many of you are chumps being conned because you don’t have a clue as to what is really going on. Ignorance is bliss for you. Wait not really because you seem very bitter.
I won’t be there and when invited to join some people planning on going, I came up with other activities. But my car will be taking up space.
So as you are bitching about the bad parking, just remember that many of those parking spots are taken by trail supporters.
Dear Joe Schmoe,
Not sure bicyclists are the crybabies here… it’s the businesses that are crying about losing their free parking. It’s the businesses who must have pretty nice lives if they can take the profits from their fundraiser and spend local Ballardites money on frivolous lawsuits that help their interests only, and not the neighborhood at large.
The President of the Ballard Chamber is a fancy downtown lawyer who probably has a pretty nice life as well and probably buys her fleece from Patagonia not REI. :)
Enjoy the Fest.
The reason why we changed weekends was because we were competing with Torchlight (100K people), Capitol Hill Block Party (120K people expected for this now three day event) and Bellevue Arts Festival (250K people). Thats almost a 1/2 million people. We are budding up against other events this weekend but that’s unavoidable with whatever weekend you choose, but the festivals this weekend are nowhere near the size of the ones the last weekend in July.
We wanted to attract better music and KEXP which we did, and we wanted better arts and crafts. Many of our better arts and crafts booths were “graduating” from our event to the Bellevue’s Arts Festival which is one of the largest Arts festivals in the Country which we (or any other Arts focused festival) could compete with.
Darrell McManus
SeafoodFest Chair
Darrell McManus,
Where can we get a list of Chamber members?
They are not listed on the Chamber site.
Why do you keep your “300 members” of your “vanilla organization” such a secret?
My Ballard reported this IS a fundraiser.
Why isn’t the list of Ballard Chamber members public?
Imagine that – a chamber of commerce that keeps it’s membership secret? That does not sound “vanilla” to me.
This issue serves as a great way to show exactly what kind of self-important, pretentious, spoiled crybabies have come to Ballard.
Stamp your feet and cry LOUDER if you don’t get your way.
By the way, the weather should be PERFECT over the weekend – the heat wave ends Friday, it’ll be sunny and in the 70s.
Enjoy your little “boycott”, whiners. I’ll go and make a donation to the Chamber in your name.
Darrell McManus thank you for joining the discussion.
Can you assure the people of Ballard that NONE of the money they spend at Seafoodfest will be spent on lawsuits against the city (which we, as taxpayers, will need to pay to defend).
As I understand your comments, none of the Seafoodfest money will be allocated to the bike trail issue. Is that correct?
Thank you.
@ Darrell McManus
You choose to support the private use of public land by a couple businesses against other members wishes. If parking was really an issue you would have pressed for parking facilities when the high density urban hub plan was initiated. Instead you let your membership down dismally and flout the cause to your own end. The chumps that believe you can’t see you using your failings as a positive. Rubes. You can fool a great many citizens with your crap but there are many of us that have researched the shenanigans.
I ask that the members that do not support the greedy obstructionist behavior of the chamber’s myopic support of their ‘good ol’ boys’ quit the chamber and join business organizations that have the community’s overall business interests in mind rather than just a couple. Rethink your membership.
Biker-
Its on the front page of the chamber website. Just look down the right side of the page and click the business directory. Inside the directory it mentions just about every business and BCOC member.
The Friday Night Kickoff event is a fundraiser for Seattle Fishermen’s Memorial and The Ballard Chamber that are split amongst the two organizations with more going to the SFM. The proceeds the Chamber retains goes to keep SeafoodFest free to the public. It’s an expensive event to put on to the public.
It’s not a secret. You just have to look at the front page of the website. It’s been there forever.
Darrell McManus
SeafoodFest Chair.
+1 motorrad
I’m sure people excited about going to this fundraiser won’t mind walking a few extra blocks for their anti-bike-trail cause!!
Motorrad-
This is a platform for SeafoodFest. I’m certainly not a lawyer and I am not going to discuss an issue where frankly everyone has already made their mind up one way or another.
If you want to come support the business’s and non-profits in the community this weekend come on down., if you don’t want to come no big deal -all the power to you. We are expecting record crowds either way.
Darrell McManus
SeafoodFest Chair
Darrell McManus,
You avoided my question.
Do you promise that none of the Chamber’s proceeds will be used to pay for the lawsuit against the bike trail?
Yes or No.
Thank you.
It was reported a few weeks back that the Chamber had listed many, MANY businesses that were not members. When this came out the page was removed. Why would they include non members on a page made to look like members. If I have to explain it…
So it appears that a true members list is not necessarily believable.
Darrell McManus, you sound like an arrogant S.O.B. So it’s pretty much “take it or leave it,” if you don’t want to come, no big deal?
You should not assume you have the business community’s support. That is the problem with the Chamber and it’s nice to see you living up to their reputation. When I see how you converse with members here it makes me glad I refuse to join the Chamber.
It takes a special kind of community leader to be against bike trails and to work so hard to see them stopped. You, sir, do not speak for small business in Ballard and neither does the Chamber of Commerce. I know I am not the only business owner who feels this way.
I downloaded the guide and was very disappointed to see that MyBallard is listed as a Chamber of Commerce member.
How can they report on the lawsuit or Seafoodfest objectively, when they are a member of one of the parties to the lawsuit?
Why doesn’t MyBallard add a disclaimer on their news stories about the Missing Link?
They are a member of one of the plaintiff’s groups!!
Small Business Owner.
I said “if you want to come fine, if you don’t no big deal- all the power to you”. I don’t know how you can take that as being a S.O.B. because that wasn’t the point. My point was to each their own. If you want to come great, if not great…
The point that we are expecting record crowds is because we are expecting recond crowds. That’s why we added the kids zone.
Motorrad- I Chair Seafoodfest and do not know the ins and outs of every member of the Chamber. I’m not on the membership committee. You asked where the guide was, I pointed it out to you.
Long Time Ballardite.
The business of the Chamber is to promote and protect business in the community. I don’t know where you came up with me promising that money goes or doesn’t go to the lawsuit because I never said anything remotely close to that. My point was no one or business profits from the Chamber. No one recieves a dividend check.
Its going to be a great event! Lot’s of people will come and enjoy celebrating Ballard, its people,and its heritage.
The more you comment on myballard the more revenue you generate from traffic that ends up at the Chamber.. keep chatting away!!! LOL!!
No business profits from the Chamber?
HA HA HA HA HA HA HAHHHHAAA HA HA!!!!
What a bunch of fools you take us for.
I think getting the Chamber to pay for lawsuits that protect narrow business interests is a very clever scheme. No dividend check required, the money gets funneled to the lawyers directly.
No business profits from the Chamber!
OK, everybody, now go spend all your money at Mr. McManus’ event this weekend! There’s even a kid zone!
Spend twice!!
Spend once at the fest, buying overpriced crap from food trucks and warm $8 beers.
Spend again at the tax office, defending the city from the lawsuits the Chamber of Commerce used your money on!
It’s fun for the whole family.
I’m very disappointed that My Ballard supports the Chamber of Commerce and by extension the lawsuit to stop the Missing Link.
It’s true what Fred says. We are being taken for fools here.
The GeekySwedes actually give money to the group that filed the lawsuit. And they don’t even mention that in any of their “reporting” about the issue.
The purpose of the Ballard Chamber of Commerce or any Chamber of Commerce is to promote and protect business in the community. If we have done our job then I hope that businesses profit from our efforts. Thats the point of our or any Chamber of Commerce’s existance.
Again my point (which your attempting to try to take out of context) is no one business or entity recieves a check in the form of a dividend or profit from the Chamber
Fred- You are really going to hate ballard in 5 years. Bitter chumps are funny.
The chamber just writes checks to the lawyers.
The Chamber is here to promote and protect business. If the Chamber helps business’s make a profit then they have done their job.
I hope not. Ballard is my home and I grew up here. It’s grown quite a bit the last 10 years.
Uhh…
Did “Darrell McManus” just accidentally post as “Fred” ?
I don’t remember Fred making any points about dividend checks. Darrell was making those points.
Looks like Darrell forgot to change identities.
Not to cut anyone off but I have to run home. If you can make it down this weekend I hope you do.. if not The Ballard Chamber will be here like it has been for 70+ years doing what we have been doing that entire time, serving the needs and interests of business.
SeafoodFest is one great event and eventually this “Missing Link” will be decided and life will go on. I hope those that are planning on boycotting/protesting that you enjoy yourselves this weekend also. Ballards obviously a great place and all of us seem to be passionate about it. Lets not lose our passion.
You just got caught trolling the message board!
Nope-
Ooops!!!!
Hysterical. Two identities, 2 faces.
Motorrad, now that speaks well of the Chamber doesn’t it!
Of course only the GeekySwedes will know for sure. But they are Chamber members too! So how can they be trusted?
I am not sure which is the bigger story:
– The GeekySwedes are members of the Chamber, one of the Missing Link plaintiff groups, but did not disclose that in any of their reporting.
or,
– The Chairman of SeafoodFest was apparently posting trollish message board comments insulting people with a different alias.
Darrell/Fred meant to say
“serving the needs and interests of A COUPLE businesses.”
Trail supporters: Park your cars in the area then head off to the other events. Have a great week end.
Well, well.
The Chamber supports ALL Ballard business and in that respect is no different from any other Chamber of Commerce. That there is a lawsuit going on is merely representative of the fact that an aggrieved party has the right to bring suit. Read the Washington State and US Constitutions.
The Seafood Fest is fun, it is tradition, it is a rite of summer and a community celebration.
I would much rather go eat a couple of crab cakes in Ballrd (my neighborhood) than deal with a lot of spandex-clad bikers sporting the logos of Italian companies and other European bicycle racers, as they merrily ride 3 abreast and run red lights on their $3,000 bikes.
The rules of this forum prevent me from giving the written middle finger salute and associated rude comments to all of the narrow minded bike fanatics who are muddying the waters concerning a Sea Fair event that has happened in Ballrd for many, many years.
Well, well.
The Chamber supports ALL Ballard business and in that respect is no different from any other Chamber of Commerce. That there is a lawsuit going on is merely representative of the fact that an aggrieved party has the right to bring suit. Read the Washington State and US Constitutions.
The Seafood Fest is fun, it is tradition, it is a rite of summer and a community celebration.
I would much rather go eat a couple of crab cakes in Ballard (my neighborhood) than deal with a lot of spandex-clad bikers sporting the logos of Italian companies and other European bicycle racers, as they merrily ride 3 abreast and run red lights on their $3,000 bikes.
The rules of this forum prevent me from giving the written middle finger salute and associated rude comments to all of the narrow minded bike fanatics who are muddying the waters concerning a Sea Fair event that has happened in Ballard for many, many years.
Did the Ballard Chamber hire a Ballard lawyer to appeal after loosing in court the first time around?
Nope.
Hypocrisy.
Hi everyone, yes, we’re members, and we joined before the Missing Link lawsuit was filed. We’re also members of the In Ballard Merchants Association and the Crown Hill Business Association.
We joined all of these because we have been outspoken proponents of “shopping local” in Ballard. You may still see a “Buy in Ballard” sign here and there throughout the neighborhood, which we distributed and promoted before the In Ballard Merchants Association became more active.
We also have a business to run, and we joined the chamber in part to meet other members as potential advertisers. But turns out, we’ve been exceedingly busy, and we have not attended a single chamber meeting. We also have not participated in any votes or any policy discussions, and the dues we’ve sent have been strictly for the minimum amount.
The backlash against the chamber’s members has come as a bit of a surprise to us; there was no intent to hide anything — it didn’t dawn on us that disclosure was necessary. Every news organization in town is a member of a wide array of chamber/business/merchant associations, but it’s rarely disclosed in coverage. That’s because the relationships are strictly for advertiser relationship-building — made by the business teams — and have nothing to do with influencing policy or coverage. We’re a Ballard startup company that believes that doing business in Ballard is important, so we joined the chamber.
However, we agree that transparency is always the best policy. So we’ve added a disclosure to this story and will be adding disclosures on all subsequent stories, not only about the chamber, but the merchant associations as well.
As for whether we should or shouldn’t be a member of the chamber, well, that’s something we’ll discuss here at My Ballard HQ.
Thank you again for your feedback, and as always, we listen very carefully.
But, but….I DEMAND A PONY!!!!
So much fun watching the Green Left fight with the Working Class left….
I can only laugh at Seattle’s urbanist, ‘progressive’ yuppies when they’re shocked by working class Americans voting Republican and giving people like me a tax break.
Pish Posh.
It will be a good weekend for lots of fun. Watch out for the Troll Toss.
The “cyclist” obsessing about one issue and deciding to boycott local businesses is extremely odd. If it comes down to chosing between an “official” trail and supporting our local businesses, businesses win in a landslide.
Note to cyclist: its not all about you.
Note to GO BCC! –
Actually, to them, it is.
Thanks Geeky Swedes for the full disclosure. Straightforward and honest is the best policy and that is appreciated. I do understand where you are coming from. I understand that belonging to a group is important for a media organization. I look forward to future discussions regarding this matter and your association with the BCC. We all need to talk with members (and non members) of the BCC and let our feeling be known, and you know the feelings of the posters here.
I love Ballard. I live here and support as many local businesses and events as possible. Although I would like to see the missing link finished I am not so personally invested in it and bitter that I would go out of my way to try to hurt Ballard. That sucks …
What would you do without MyBallard to enable your anonymous whining and complaining?
As I recall the successful tuesday night shopping promotion was a rival business association. Maybe the Ballard Merchant Association. I have no problem frequenting local businesses that belong to OTHER associations. BCC certainly didn’t do anything to get parking structures included in the cities development plans for high density in Ballard. Seems the biggest and most successful thing they do is put ballardites on the street in harms way so public land can be used by a couple private businesses. How is it a bad thing to get bikes and joggers off of shilshole. Certainly makes driving easier and faster. But the negative mentality will cut their nose off to spite their face. They only win if no one else is happy. No compromise. I would rather get the bikes and joggers OFF the road. Industry has managed to thrive in other segments of the trail and similar trails in other cities. But leave it to the ‘special’ people in Ballard to shine the light on their silliness. So BCC, what have you really done for your general membership lately. Maybe members should start looking at where their dues are really going. Thanks for participating Mr. McManus/Fred
I think msballard30 describes what the Chamber does better then anyone I have read-
“I recognize that you disagree with the Chamber regarding the bike trail and that’s perfectly fine. But your comments suggest that you may not be aware of what else the Chamber does in the community to support members as well as those businesses that are not members.
– The Chamber produces the Ballard Business Directory that includes both members and non-members and promotes shopping and doing business locally.
– The Chamber applied for and received numerous grants for sidewalk repairs, one of which resulted in the replacement of the entire sidewalk along stretches of Ballard Ave.
– The Chamber has fought tirelessly with the City over the issue of parking to preserve the 140+ spaces on Shilshole and vehemently fought against pay stations on Ballard Avenue.
– The Chamber continually lobbies the City for more police presence, for help with public inebriation, to obtain Park Rangers in Ballard, for funds for park activities, etc.
– The Chamber is actively involved in numerous transit issues, including efforts to get bus service to Seaview Ave. and Golden Garden, sits on the advisory panel re the Route 44 bus and is currently fighting the bus stop removals in Ballard and the addition of curb bulbs, which in turn will require the removal of much-needed parking.
– The Chamber lobbied and is now working with Seattle’s Office of Economic Development along with other neighborhood business districts to have community information about Ballard and Ballard’s Landmark District included on the Seatle Visitors Bureau website as well as widely distributed brochures.
– The Chamber collaborated with City officials to bring the Farmer’s Market to Ballard. That event continues every Sunday as a major draw to the community.
– The Chamber receives NO money from the City, State or Seafair to produce the Ballard SeafoodFest, a FREE event that brings tens of thousands of attendees to Ballard and Ballard businesses.
– The Chamber hosted and producted a new Ballard Urban Picnic this year with NO financial support from the City or State, relying instead on sponsorships and its relationship with local entities.
– The Chamber operates the Annual Sidewalk Sale and has been collaborating with local merchants to help promote the event and boost business activity in the community.
– The Chamber has been running the Second Saturday Art Walk for more than 10 years, and was the force behind the creation of the Ballard Jazz Festival and Jazz Walk.
With all that it does, I find it interesting that the Chamber is so villified for its position on a single issue”.
I think msballard30 describes what the Chamber does better then anyone I have read-
“I recognize that you disagree with the Chamber regarding the bike trail and that’s perfectly fine. But your comments suggest that you may not be aware of what else the Chamber does in the community to support members as well as those businesses that are not members.
– The Chamber produces the Ballard Business Directory that includes both members and non-members and promotes shopping and doing business locally.
– The Chamber applied for and received numerous grants for sidewalk repairs, one of which resulted in the replacement of the entire sidewalk along stretches of Ballard Ave.
– The Chamber has fought tirelessly with the City over the issue of parking to preserve the 140+ spaces on Shilshole and vehemently fought against pay stations on Ballard Avenue.
– The Chamber continually lobbies the City for more police presence, for help with public inebriation, to obtain Park Rangers in Ballard, for funds for park activities, etc.
– The Chamber is actively involved in numerous transit issues, including efforts to get bus service to Seaview Ave. and Golden Garden, sits on the advisory panel re the Route 44 bus and is currently fighting the bus stop removals in Ballard and the addition of curb bulbs, which in turn will require the removal of much-needed parking.
– The Chamber lobbied and is now working with Seattle’s Office of Economic Development along with other neighborhood business districts to have community information about Ballard and Ballard’s Landmark District included on the Seatle Visitors Bureau website as well as widely distributed brochures.
– The Chamber collaborated with City officials to bring the Farmer’s Market to Ballard. That event continues every Sunday as a major draw to the community.
– The Chamber receives NO money from the City, State or Seafair to produce the Ballard SeafoodFest, a FREE event that brings tens of thousands of attendees to Ballard and Ballard businesses.
– The Chamber hosted and producted a new Ballard Urban Picnic this year with NO financial support from the City or State, relying instead on sponsorships and its relationship with local entities.
– The Chamber operates the Annual Sidewalk Sale and has been collaborating with local merchants to help promote the event and boost business activity in the community.
– The Chamber has been running the Second Saturday Art Walk for more than 10 years, and was the force behind the creation of the Ballard Jazz Festival and Jazz Walk.
With all that it does, I find it interesting that the Chamber is so villified for its position on a single issue”.
I think Ballard would not be such a great place if the Chamber didn’t do all of that stuff.
“With all that it does, I find it interesting that the Chamber is so villified for its position on a single issue”.
Because people are getting seriously hurt and it is a miracle no one has died yet. That. is. why.
GO BCC! said…
“Note to cyclist: its not all about you.”
Yes, GO BCC you are correct it is more than just cyclists, we are talking about a multipurpose trail here, used by joggers, walkers, kids in strollers, wheelchairs, skateboarders, rollerbladers, tricycles as well as cyclists. Also, if we had a safe multipurpose trail we would have better traffic flow for cars especially along Shilshole Avenue and NW 46th if cyclists had a safe alternative. So a safe trail would benefit automobile traffic flow as well. No, it is not just about cyclists is about the community as a whole.
I want, I want I want!!!! I misrepresent the the truth (that is the PC way of saying I lie). The Chamber and businesses are trying to prevent the completion of the trail as currently proposed. Big difference. Spoiled children not getting their way need to scream and stomp their feet.
Share the road is a common slogan that I read. I abide by it. However, it really is build me a special trail where I WANT IT or else I will scream because the roads are too bumpy for me……………..Grow up.
The BCC is about the entire community as a whole as well. Out of dozen’s of issues and priorities they have, this missing link situation brings out the true identity in some people.
If you threaten to harm businesses and jobs because you want a trail in that exact location,then don’t be surprised when people turn against you.
No one is out to “get bikers” like some of you act like. Its about protecting everyone’s interest, which shocking to some includes the actual businesses that occupy that stretch of land.
GO BCC! said…
“which shocking to some includes the actual businesses that occupy that stretch of land.”
The proposed trail would be entirely on existing public land. The taking of private land is not part of the existing approved proposal.
You are entitled to your opinion but please keep the facts straight.
As a cyclist who would love to see the missing link completed but isn’t too worked up about it, the resolution of this mess seems pretty predictable. BCC and the businesses along that stretch will continue to obstruct the completion of the trail. In the meantime, a cyclist will inevitably get hit by one of the vehicles belonging to one of said businesses. A civil suit will be brought by the victim against the business, the BCC, and the city. The obstructionists will capitulate to the completion of the trail as part of a settlement and the city will end up paying millions. Viola!
A side note to the Swedes: I appreciate your transparency about membership in the BCC. I would argue that given the controversy surrounding the trail issue your membership does you more harm than good, particularly since you haven’t really been engaged with the organization, but obviously that’s your call.
I am a biker and strongly support the missing link trail. I am also a member of the BCC. I very much disagree with the BCC on the trail, but support many of the other things they do.
Back when I was actively involved with the Chamber, they supported the lawsuits by signing on, but were not financially supporting them or hiring any lawyers. They just added their signatures. I have to assume that has not changed. Therefore there would not be any SeafoodFest money going to pay for the trail lawsuits.
“They just added their signatures.” Yes , well the atty for the business coalition is using their names to float the wild idea of a Dutch Style Cycle track right through the heart of Market!
Lie Down with Dogs Get Up With FLEAS!
Oh I agree the BCC should not be lending their names to the lawsuits. Just correcting the impression they are also funding them.
Thanks for the info about the member list, Doug.
It’s too bad that the information is in a PDF document, since it makes it much harder to learn which business are chamber members using Google or other internet search tools.
Maybe the Chamber should provide a list on a webpage, so that we could easily see which businesses are members and direct our spending accordingly.
Actually, the list is pretty easy to navigate using either the category list at the front of the directory or the index by business name at the back. And if you’re just scrolling through, the big blue Chamber logos next to businesses names are pretty much a dead-giveaway.
Personally, I think it’s pretty cool that the Chamber lists and promotes so many area businesses that are not members – they certainly don’t have to (the same is true if you call them looking for a particular type of business). Many Chambers of Commerce refuse to share any information or promote any local businesses if they haven’t paid dues. This Chamber doesn’t do that to their tremendous credit.
There’s been more feces flying around here than a monkey cage. Let’s cut through it for a second and look at who stands to gain or lose what.
Real changes, negatives for business:
Businesses that currently use public land for their own purposes like SBSG who don’t actually pay a penny for all that space between their building and the street on the west side of Shilshole will lose about 10 feet of it and have a more organized street edge with curbs and exits instead of the gravel strewn free for all they’re currently using. They’ll lose the use of some land, but it wasn’t theirs to begin with and they will be just fine without it.
Some parking spaces will go away. Not as many as you might think, as the scary 140 number is for the entire length from Fred Meyer to the Locks, and much of it wasn’t supposed to be parking anyway, but you know how creative people can get with parking.
Real changes, positives for everyone:
Safer cycling, jogging, walking.
Fewer pedestrians and cyclists on the street will improve traffic flow for vehicles.
Improved aesthetic for Shilshole with road improvements. That side of Ballard will look much nicer and more inviting.
Easier access for the retail core of Ballard for cyclists from the rest of Seattle.
Imagined grievances for business:
Real estate value/gentrification. The industrial businesses are afraid that a bike trail will make their part of Ballard too nice and drive up their rent. Unless there is a strong push to change the zoning, I don’t think that this can happen. The industrial businesses however have done themselves a real disservice by alienating a large group of people who are generally pretty active in defending these types of interests. I won’t lift a finger to help them if a zoning change comes up now, but I sure would have before.
Safety. This has been proven to be a smokescreen as the very company that cries about it’s cement trucks having to cross a bike path has been doing it safely for years just down the BG trail in Fremont where they park their trucks.
Alternative routes/cycletracks/raised viaducts. Nothing but distraction since the route has been studied and considered to provide the most benefit at the least cost. None of these counterproposals are even close to feasible and I’m surprised they can even be mentioned with a straight face. If the cyclists proposed elevating SBSG a mile into the sky it would be laughed at and rightly so.
Summary
Some impact on parking will happen for industrial businesses in exchange for the benefit of improved safety and access for the majority of Ballard’s residents with an improvement in vehicle traffic by separating cyclists from the road.
The parking issue can be mitigated by use of underutilized property such as the Yankee Diner site and having SDOT include some parking in their final design for Shilshole. Where the BCoC should have found their voice was in working with SDOT at the design and planning stage to lessen the impact on parking instead of obstructing in the 11th hour. The industrialists are looking out for their own profit at the expense of the residents, so it’s not surprising they’re against it. It is surprising how effective they’ve been in spreading misinformation and anger.
So the Swedes didn’t think they had to disclose the fact that they belong to a group that’s one of the plaintiff in the lawsuit to stop the trail.
Unbelievable. Why do they win journalism awards and grants, again?
Most of the time those associations don’t matter because most of the time Chambers of Commerce don’t sue the cities in which they operate to stop something as popular as bike trails.
Who knew?! The GeekySwedes have been contributing to the anti-bike trail effort all along!!!
SPG-
You have summed it up nicely. Do you have any thoughts on how interested parties can turn this thing around? City Council? Mayor?
You brought up the Yankee Diner site. I thought devvelopers bought that to put up a hotel. Do youknow if that’s changed?
I’m asking you before I do my own research because you strike me as someone who has also looked into the history of this missing link debacle.
As young urbanites with a blog and a kid I just assumed the GeekySwedes would be pro bike trail.
I can’t believe they give financial support to one of the groups suing to stop it.
Maybe it’s time for a new neighborhood blog that cares more about the people who live here instead of the lawyers and oil companies fighting to stop bike trails?
And now we see the Chamber guy using the Swedes as part of his pro-Chamber propaganda.
And the Swedes, you know, just had “no idea” that giving financial support to the anti-trail group was necessary to disclose. LMAO.
“Maybe it’s time for a new neighborhood blog that cares more about the people who live here instead of the lawyers and oil companies fighting to stop bike trails?”
Well it sure does generate a lot of comments traffic.
I will go to Seafood Fest and enjoy it as I always do. What a bunch of spoiled little children on this board. I will spend a lot more money than I usually do this weekend to make up for the boycott A-holes.
zipper, Unfortunately the opportunity to get the best possible outcome has passed. Now that the industrial businesses and the chamber have sued, and appealed, there isn’t much that can be done. The plaintiffs are hoping for a long shot, but in reality they win every day that the trail is delayed and that seems to be enough for them.
As I mentioned above, the time for the chamber to get involved was when this was in the planning stages. They were in a position to be a credible negotiator and push for their members interests which would ultimately be a trail that brings more shoppers and makes the downtown nicer while preserving as much car parking as possible. That’s what a chamber should do…look out for the best interests of all it’s members and the community, not just the narrow interest of personal friends of the board members as it appears here.
We’ll have a trail. It will be finished later than it should and cost the taxpayers more because of the lawsuits. It will also be whatever SDOT wants it to be at this point because they can’t or won’t go in and negotiate or redesign it after it is litigated. In the meantime cyclists will continue to get hurt, Ballard’s reputation as a crusty closed community will continue, car traffic will be slowed by mixing with cyclists and pedestrians all so that a few business owners can satisfy their fantasies of being the last defenders against gentrification.
I believe that the hotel planned for the Yankee Diner site is on hold like most major building projects that didn’t break ground before the CRE market seized up.
laughing hysterically at all the posts about boycotting BCoC members businesses
guess what? if you want to do that, you won’t find many places in ballard to give your money.
and if you get hurt on your bicycle and need an ambulance, you’ll need to request that it take you to one of the hospitals in first hill. because Swedish Hospital is a member of the BCoC!
some of the members include places that i’m certain every one of you “boycotters” have patronized in the past, and will continue to in the future:
Trader Joe’s
Fred Meyer
Swanson’s
Swedish Medical Center
Cupcake Royale
LA Fitness
Olympic Athletic Club
Hattie’s Hat
Carter Subaru/VW
Dante’s Inferno
BECU
Ballard Market
The Hi-Life
Snoose Junction
Sonic Boom
Ray’s Boathouse
US Bank
Verite Coffee
Secret Garden Bookshop
Kavu
etc. etc. etc.
Laughing hysterically? Try getting out more.
There are more Ballard businesses in the directory that are NOT members than businesses that are.
Not every business owner likes to spend their money defeating bike trails. A majority of business owners have learned to say NO to the Ballard Chamber and their pressure tactics.
And thanks for posting this list… a few more will drop off the longer the obstructionists continue.
I appreciate the disclosure and it is with deep regret but necessity that I will also be adding MyBallard’s advertisers to my boycott list (and explaining my reasons to those business when informing them of why I will not be using their services).
Yeah, keep laughing hysterically, gogbibglue…. Ballard is not so big that those services and goods are not available elsewhere.
Yeah, Yeah, I know posting a lot. There’s been like four astroturfers working the MyBallard site recently, all pumping the BCC. Page for the BP playbook?
Coyote, if you could quickly implement your personal boycott of myballard, I for one would appreciate it.
It pains me to tell so many of you bike trail proponents some cold hard truths:
Ask a random number of Ballard residents about the “missing link” and unless they are bikers or work along Seaview Ave they’ll say “Hmm Anthro 101, didn’t take it” in other words, big deal to y’all not so much to everyone else.
I know it’s a SUPER BIG DEAL to you, but to the majority of people in Ballard it’s kind of like rallying for Star Trek to be put back into prime time you get a lot of “Ohhh umm haven’t heard about that”
As for who you will be hurting by boycotting the Seafood Fest? Small Businesses. Do you think people are going to wak up tomorrow in Crown Hill and say “Hay Sven lets go buy some sand and gravel them 100 gallons of oil”?
No those so called “bad guys” who own theose compnaies are spending all weekend working at the Seafood Fest when the people who benefit are the small retailers ointhe neighborhood.
I wonder how many of you “let’s put on a protest” people have ever volunteered for anything?
Did some work on your off time for others that had no direct benefit to you?
There’s room enough inthe neighborhood for everyone. It might be nice to be flexible.
People who know me know that I volunteer to help them and strangers pretty much at the drop of a hat, and occasionally to my own detriment. I do it because I can and because it makes me feel good about the community we live in, and often because I know that if I don’t volunteer and do it it won’t get done.
Volunteering to cook the fish is nice and all, but it’s not exactly the same as volunteering at the food bank every day so let’s not pretend these guys are martyrs for it. They have their reward in doing this work and I can respect that.
As far as a boycott, I’m hesitant to call it that with the exception of SBSG which I have been boycotting since they started this whole lawsuit thing. There are other vendors for the same material that aren’t actively campaigning against the community as a whole and they provide the materials better than SBSG did anyway.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t feel good spending money where I know the profits are going against my interests or those of the community. If you were a Gulf Coast shrimper and you had the choice of where to fill up right now, would you happily roll in to the BP station?
What a great day to NOT go to the seafood fest. Do not support an organization that is working against the best interests of our community.
A much better option is next weekend, go to the Bite of Seattle, better food, better entertainment, and free admission.
Quiet Mondoman? If you can ignore the behavior of the BBC, you can just as easily ignore my comments. See, closing your ears and mind is easy! I’m sure it will protect you from all sorts of unsettling news in the big bad, real world.
Help, my shorts are on so tight they’re squeezing my brain!
Off to the SeafoodFest for fun and frolic! Maybe even buy something at the sidewalk sale, too.
May the Norse be with you.
CJ – not sure what the BBC has to do with this. I AM a fan of Top Gear, but I wasn’t expecting to see Jeremy Clarkson at the Fest.
Have a great weekend!
Why is the concept of cars and bikes sharing the road so unacceptable? It seems to me that we have lowered our standards of what constitutes safe driving/riding practice. Rather than turning off the damn phone/iPod/PDA/whatever and just paying attention, we prefer to change our infrastructure so we can be further lulled into complacency. Bike trails are wonderful, but they can’t be EVERYWHERE. And yes, I both drive and ride Shilshole regularly, and it doesn’t have to be dangerous. Just pay attention and show some consideration for your fellow humans.
Then again, reading the comments here, perhaps consideration is too much to ask of some people.
The Burke-Gilman trail is not a bike trail. It is a multi-purpose trail. I don’t think we want cars sharing the road with joggers and baby strollers.
Wow, it was so packed at the fest yesterday the only boycott I saw was in my shorts.
Dweezil,
Isn’t that what sidewalks are for? There’s a perfectly functional one on the east side of Shilshole Avenue.
Well, I was willing to give MyBallard the benefit of the doubt at least having a sliver of journalistic integrity and impartiality, but looky, looky, comments against BCC and advocating boycotting have mysteriously disappeared. You got me this time, but I’m screen-shotting and using Google cache now.
Joe, what are you talking about? I’ve been following this thread for a while and nothing’s disappeared that I can detect.