Five Ballard projects awarded city funds

Five Ballard groups are winners of the 2010 Neighborhood Matching Fund Small and Simple Awards. Under the program, which first started in 1988, award recipients will receive up to $20,000 for their projects. Each award is matched by the communities’ volunteer labor, donated materials, donated professional services or cash. To be eligible, an entrant must prove that their project will improve their neighborhood and community.

The city announced the following Ballard recipients:

  • Greg’s Garden P-Patch Upgrade will receive $3,000. Greg’s Garden P-Patch (shown above) is located at 14th Ave NW & NW 54th St. “The gardeners of Greg’s Garden P-Patch will build upon momentum to strengthen our garden community and physically improve the garden for all to use. We will build new compost bins, replant perimeter gardens and establish an herb garden and donation garden.”
  • Friends of Labateyah will receive $10,000 for the Labateyah Master Site Planning Project. “Create a Labateyah Master Site Plan through a community-based process with outreach and education, utilizing contracted and volunteer professionals to provide expertise on the potential additional uses and enhancement of the site and identifying funds for implementation.”
  • The Crown Hill Neighborhood Associatioin will receive $4,895 for the Crown Hill Tree Walk and Survey. “This project aims to catalogue Crown Hill’s environmentally and culturally valuable trees and create an unofficial list of “significant trees.” This project will include a walking tour, a scavenger hunt, and other events.”
  • City Fruit will receive $14,655 for harvest expansion and Urban Orban Orchard development. “The project will have three components. They will expand the harvest into three neighborhoods, develop a City Fruit Urban Orchard concept that will include distributing Urban Orchard membership yard signs, and build a harvest management system.”
  • The Playground Project Committee has been awarded $17,000 for the Playground at Crown Hill Upgrade Project. “The playground used by the Crown Hill Center (formerly Crown Hill Elementary School) neighborhood is in dire need of upgrades that will promote a safe, welcoming environment connecting families with play space opportunities.”
  • Geeky Swedes

    The founders of My Ballard

    13 thoughts to “Five Ballard projects awarded city funds”

    1. What the hell are “Friends of Labateyah” and why do they deserve ten thousand dollars???

      Also, if City Fruit will receive $14,655 (I've never heard of City Fruit either) who gets the fruit? Because I want in on that action.

    2. “Labateyah Youth Home – offers a safe and nurturing transitional living environment for homeless youth, combining Native American wisdom and ceremony with modern educational, medical and social services.”

      —————
      “City-grown fruit is a resource for the entire community. Because most residential tree owners can’t—or don’t—use all the fruit produced on their properties, much of it falls to the ground and rots.In addition, much of the fruit grown in urban landscapes is infested with preventable pests.

      City Fruit works neighborhood by neighborhood to help residential tree owners grow healthy fruit, to harvest and use what they can, and to share what they don’t need. City Fruit collaborates with others involved in local food production, climate protection, horticulture, food security and community-building to protect and optimize urban fruit trees.”

      Contact info AT cityfruit DOT org to get involved.

    3. I'd rather have one cop on foot in Ballard.

      But that's right, Mayor McGenius has just canceled any new cops and has given a green light for bums to harass people who work for a living. I wonder how Native American wisdom can help us out of this pickle?

    4. I like these projects because the money is multiplied. Each dollar of city money is matched by community volunteer hours and donations. A real multiplier effect.

      Native American wisdom might work on the at risk of becoming criminals problem. Teach a kid life skills. Prevent a career of crime. Sounds like a good deal to me. I live near the Labateyah Youth Home at 13th NW and 90th, and I would sure like to see some community involvement in that building.

    5. Interesting statement. I admit I have no knowledge of Labateyah, and I'm all in favor of giving youth a path that leads them away from crime. But I'm curious about your statement that you “would sure like to see some community involvement in that building.”

      What is your sense of the program there now? Does it seem to be effective (and worthy of ten grand of additional public funding at a time when money is incredibly scarce), or does it appear to be a problem spot in the neighborhood? If it's a success, then lets have more of that. If it's a problem – would more money help?

    6. This is the “Pee and Poo Patch” across from Safeway – right? The one that's used as a bathroom and drinking lounge by the bums, right?

      Maybe when the nice new planters are all done on 14th they expect the bums will vacate the Pee & Poo Patch to move to nicer digs?

    7. “I like these projects because the money is multiplied”

      In the case of this pee-patch, the only thing that's multiplying there are the bums.

    8. Greg's Garden is a total shithole, thanks to the RV-dwellers. They drink and urinate in there. I wouldn't be surprised to find used needles, either.

      Thanks for ruining everything, worthless bums.

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