Nearly two years ago, a sailboat named Orion began its journey north from San Diego to Seattle.  Only, it didn’t make it all the way.  Almost 200 miles into the trip, after poor weather revealed a leaky deck and eroded fuel tanks made it impossible to go on, Orion’s captain Kevin Campion loaded her onto a big rig, and Orion made the rest of the trip north on the back of a semi-truck up Interstate 5.

Photo by Kris Day

“She was over-height, over-weight, over-width, and over-length,” laughed Campion, remembering the nail-biting trip north from Ventura, California. Campion is founder of Deep Green Wilderness, a floating classroom aboard Orion.  ”It wasn’t quite the glorious return to the northwest we’d planned,” Campion said, smiling.

Orion’s Captain Kevin Campion

Boat designer Olin Stevens built Orion on City Island, New York in 1934.  The first owner was Rudolph Schaefer, of the F & M Schaefer Brewing Co. in New York.  Orion was named Edlu back then, and she won the famous Newport Bermuda Race the same year she was put in the water.  Her design shed a new light on boat construction.  Orion was built lighter than most yawls in the 1930s, and surprised the sailing community with the way she danced over high waves and raced through high winds.

Now, nearly 80 years since her first sail, Orion lives at Shilshole Marina in Ballard.  In the spring and fall, Campion offers chartered trips around Elliot Bay and up to the San Juan Islands.  During the summer, Orion can be found with groups of high school students on-board, learning how to sail and studying the ecology of the Salish Sea.  This year, Campion will take groups of high school students out for two weeks at a time, where they’ll learn about the ecology of the Canadian inland waters and new regulations concerning the endangered southern resident orcas in the San Juan Islands.

“I strongly believe in the power of a sailboat and the sailing experience to inspire people, whether it’s students or adults.  It’s a powerful thing to learn how to sail a boat like this,” said Campion.  “You go to sea on a boat, and you become part of a crew of people, and you learn about the boat and you learn about the ocean and you leave the boat a different person.”

Kris Day, First Mate on Orion

Campion wants his program to be more than just a summer camp.  Indeed, the research the students do on board will be presented to a policy-maker after the trip.  He said the end goal for the students is to create their own research project that they’ve designed with the staff’s help.  ”Whether that’s a research paper, or a photo-journal, or a radio story of what they did, they will present that data to the public and to policy-makers,” Campion explained.

“She is a working piece of history, and a tangible piece of history. It’s cool for a high school student to come on board, and be able to be a part of that,” Campion said.

Photo by Kris Day

For the next two months, Campion is offering Tuesday night sunset sails and ongoing charter sails.  Those interested in the sunset sails should contact Windworks, at 206-784-9386. 

Wallingford and all of North Seattle will now have a new Crime Prevention Coordinator (CPC), Terrie Johnston, who replaces Diane Horswill and Neil Hansen. This new appointment comes after Seattle Police Department secured grant funding for a total of four CPCs through the end of this year. There had been a total of six.

The coordinators work in the precincts to educate the public on ways to reduce their risk of becoming victims, and act as liaisons between the local community and the police.

You can get more information here about the CPCs. Our partners at the Common Language Project produced a story and video on the CPCs and their role in the neighborhoods last year.

It was all smiles and laughter this morning at the annual Spring Egg Hunt at the Ballard Community Center.

Promptly at 10 a.m. the kids made a mad dash for the eggs.




The Easter Bunny himself even showed up on the sunny Saturday! (Thanks Amy for all the photos!)

It’s all about Easter Eggs and music this weekend in Ballard.

Here’s a look at the weekend events:

For more live music, check out the calendars for Tractor Tavern, Sunset Tavern, Picolinos, Conor Byrne and Egan’s Ballard Jam House. As always, check out our events calendar.

Click here to add a Ballard community event to our events calendar.

After 35 years, the ACME Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co. is packing up their Ballard store this weekend.  They will reopen at 1620 NE 179^th Street in Shoreline.

Owner Chris Browne says he received notice his building had sold in January.  He’s been with the company since Steve Lally opened it in 1976.  Browne even lived at the back of the building for a short time in the 1980s.  Much of the equipment has been there for decades; Browne still uses a 60 year-old Ludlow Typograph for making stamps.  He says he’ll have to take it apart to get it out the door.

Of moving to the new location, Browne says, “It’s a wait-and-see thing.”  He hopes his loyal customer base will follow him after he leaves the neighborhood. (Thanks Aaron for the tip!)

Three teens have been arrested after what police are calling a “melee” at Golden Gardens just before 10 p.m. Thursday. According to the police blotter, about a dozen juveniles were hanging out at the park when three 18-year-old suspects began walking “suspiciously” around the group. The three began an unprovoked attack on the group, according to police, after they were confronted by several of the teens. During the fight, both males and females were attacked by the suspects. One of the suspects grabbed a purse and fled, the other two followed. The three climbed into a Dodge Caravan and attempted to get away, but a police officer arrived in time to block the 18-year-old suspects from leaving. The three were arrested for Investigation of Robbery. None of the victims had serious injuries. The purse was returned to the owner. (Thanks everyone for the emails!)

Students at Matheia School (2205 NW 67th St) invite the public to help them raise money for the Red Cross Japan and Tsunami Relief Fund.

This afternoon at 3:30 p.m., they will be selling popcorn for $1 a bag. This is their third popcorn sale fundraiser and so far they’ve raised $280, Matheia dad Doug Durbin tells us.

The idea was launched by a group of students who are part of the Matheia Peer Advocates Program, Durbin tells us. “The Peer Advocates Program empowers students to take on projects that serve the greater community,” Durbin says. “In this case, the students saw the hardships the Japanese people were enduring and wanted to do help out. So, they took the initiative to organize the popcorn sales to raise money for this great cause.

The Red Cross was selected as the charity to benefit from the popcorn says because the organization already has a presence in Japan, which was important to the students. “Additionally, the Red Cross has proven to be adept at efficiently using contributions to help those in need,” Durbin says.

Today is Earth Day, a day focused on being a little “greener.” Washington Energy Services is a Magnolia-based family-owned company that sells energy efficient home improvement products and services. They sent us a list of the top five energy projects for your home:

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Energy Star Program

1. Seal the leaks around windows and exterior doors. This is easy to do and will help your home keep the heat in. Use caulk, weather stripping or spray foam and it will have an impact on improving your comfort and reducing utility bills. You can also contact a handyman, or a reputable window, insulation or painting company to provide this service.

2. Stop electrical outlets and wall switches from letting cold air in. Outlets and wall switches leak air and create heat loss. Caulking and sealing air leaks isn’t just for windows and doors, you should do it wherever plumbing or electrical wiring penetrates through walls, floors or ceilings, and in recessed light fixtures. Most homes will see 2%-4% air leakage this way, and it’s easy to fix. Caulking is one option or use foam gaskets behind outlets and switch plates on the walls. If you want to see this for yourself, hold incense or a smoke source up to an outlet. If the smoke flows horizontally, you have air leaks.

3. The number one way to improve home energy efficiency is insulation. Most homes, even newer ones lack good insulation or enough of it. According to the Department of Energy, “Inadequate insulation and air leakage are leading causes of energy waste in most American homes. Energy use and bills can be reduced significantly by adding insulation.” While traditional rolls of fiberglass are still around, new types of foam insulation offer higher quality and greater flexibility in tight spaces. Talk to a professional about local code requirements and recommendations for your area.

4. Clean and seal heating ducts. Almost 20% of the air that moves through your duct system is lost due to leaks and poorly sealed connections. Over time, ducts can sag or collapse. Vermin and other Seattle animals can chew holes in crawl space ductwork. Ducts can also come apart at the seams. When this happens, air that should be going to the rooms in your home is instead being wasted by ending up in your attic, your walls, or under your house. If duct tape was used on your ductwork originally, it’s best to have it replaced with aluminum or foil tape. Traditional duct tape deteriorates quickly. Metal seams should be cleaned and then sealed with duct mastic, which doesn’t crack and creates a permanent seal.

5. Let your equipment breathe. Your heating and cooling systems depend on a flow of air to maximize their efficiency. Homeowners can easily change the furnace filter, and check for leaves/debris around an outside heat pump or air conditioner. A clogged air intake outside or dirty indoor furnace filter limits air flow to the equipment and causes it to function inefficiently. It can eventually lead to costly breakdowns and repairs. This is similar to changing the air filter in your car. Electronic filters typically need cleaning at least twice per year and paper filters need replacing. Check your product warranty for your manufacturer’s specific instructions.

Washington Energy Services recommends to consider a home energy audit if you’re interested in saving energy. The home energy audit is a three-hour analysis that measures about two-dozen elements in the home. The non-profit association, Home Performance Washington, can help you find a local company that provides energy audit services.

A bill to clarify the rules surrounding medical marijuana is being forwarded to Governor Gregoire. 36th District Senator Jeanne Kohl-Welles (D) introduced Senate Bill 5073 with Sen. Jerome Delvin (R-Richland). “This is huge step forward in ensuring that qualifying patients have safe, consistent and reliable access to their medicine,” Kohl-Welles said. “Currently, unless patients grow for themselves or obtain medical marijuana from a designated provider, the law doesn’t offer a legal pathway for patients to access their medicine. This bill creates a much needed regulatory framework so both patients and law enforcement have a bright line in knowing what is legal and what isn’t.”

The measure would establish a regulatory system for the growing, sale and purchase of medical marijuana. Authorized patients with qualifying medical conditions would be able to purchase medical marijuana products from dispensaries licensed through the state Department of Health (DOH) or by taking part in a patient collective consisting of no more than ten authorized patients.. The state Department of Agriculture would create a licensing system for the growing of medical marijuana and DOH would do the same for dispensaries. The bill would:

Establish a regulatory system for producing, processing, and dispensing cannabis intended for medical use.

Establish protection from criminal liability, including arrest protection, for certain qualifying patients, designated providers, health care professionals, licensed producers, licensed processors, and licensed dispensers.

Establish a voluntary registry in which qualifying patients and designated providers may enroll and receive protection from arrest and prosecution.

The bill now moves to the governor for her consideration.

It’s now easier to apply for a Neighborhood Matching Fund (NMF.) The Seattle Department of Neighborhoods recently launched a web-based management system to allow community members to apply for funds and manage awards online.

The next round of applications for the Small and Simple Projects Fund is May 9th and applications can be found here. Those awarded funds will now be able to electronically submit invoices and reports and make changes to documents. “Over time, its online features will provide much more efficiency for NMF staff to review, administer, monitor, and communicate with awardees and other stakeholders,” the release states.

Through 2011, applicants can still apply the traditional way by contacting the NMF Program at 206-233-0093 or email NMFund@seattle.gov.

Earlier this month we reported that the Carnegie Library building is up for sale, now another old building in Ballard has been listed.

This 1908 at 5410 Ballard Ave NW that sits on a 4,900 square-foot lot is listed at $3.3 million. The restaurant tenant in the building is the popular Thai restaurant, Thaiku.

From the listing:

This prominent building is situated in a prime location on beautiful and vibrant, historic Ballard Avenue. The building has a large, desirable restaurant/bar space that occupies the main and partial lower level. The upper level was thoroughly remodeled and includes high-quality, light filled artist and gallery spaces. A two bed and one bath residence with large windows overlooking the avenue complete the upper level. Concrete construction, tremendous electrical power & recent structural upgrade.

Additional photos can be found here. (Photo courtesy the listing agent, Dane Murphy. Thanks Ben for the tip!)

Students from Ingraham High School want to give your computer a tune-up and check it for viruses as part of the Gumball Challenge.

Photo courtesy the IHS Gumball Challenge Team

Justin Ith, a representative from the IHS Gumball Challenge Team sent us this note:

The Gumball Challenge is a non-profit organization based in Stanford that works to alleviate poverty around the world through the use of micro lending and youth entrepreneurship. We form teams around the nation of high school and college students so are challenged to create an innovative one-week business venture. Each team receives only $27 as capital. All of the money raised by the teams are given back to the Gumball Capital where they distribute the money to micro-lending organizations such as Kiva, The Grameen Foundation, and more.

The team has a two-phase project to make their goal of $500. In the first phase, the students are offering computer tune-ups and virus scans for a donation of $10, they also offer additional services if your computer needs more work. Wednesday and Thursday from 1 p.m. until 6 p.m., the students have set up shop at 1718 NW 56th St. “Using some of the money from our computer service, we plan to buy in bulk drinks to sell at Alki beach on Friday,” Justin tells us.

You can read more about the Gumball Capital here. For more information on the students’ work, check out their Facebook page, which includes contact information if you have questions.