There’s a new city-wide “buy local” push for Ballard thanks to a grant from the Seattle Office of Economic Development. Earlier this year the Ballard Chamber of Commerce was selected as one of five neighborhood business groups to be featured in the “Only in Seattle” promotion. West Seattle, Columbia City, Rainier Valley and Georgetown were also selected.
Only In Seattle from Only In Seattle on Vimeo.
Beth Williamson Miller, Executive Director of the Chamber says the campaign includes “seven pages of advertising in the December 2010 issue of Seattle Magazine transit advertising and a website, celebrates the “gems” of our city and invites the public to come discover what each of these special neighborhoods offers.”
Four Ballard businesses were selected to represent the neighborhood on the Ballard-specific site: Bastille Cafe & Bar, Blackbird, Bop Street Records and The Quilting Loft. The businesses were selected because of their location, they’re locally owned, draw from outside the neighborhood and have unique offerings.
Long-term, Miller says, the Office of Economic Development is hoping to expand the program within the original districts and to new neighborhoods. “I will be applying for additional grant funds in the near future to hopefully add more special Ballard businesses to the program,” she says. “And of course, with the upcoming holidays, remember to support our local business owners and to make your gift selections from the unique offerings here in Ballard.” (Disclosure: MyBallard is a member of the Ballard Chamber of Commerce.)
Beth Williamson Miller knows exactly where she can shove her seven pages of advertising.
This woman is a true enemy of families in Ballard.
My Ballard should be ashamed of it’s association with the Ballard Chamber of Commerce.
Businesses that just lost all their support from bike commuters and Ballard families:
– Bastille (craptastic anyway)
– Blackbird (shame on them – they had distanced themselves from the Chamber until now)
– Bop Street Records (who cares)
– The Quilting Loft (what?)
Businesses who actually care about Ballard would not align themselves with a business organization that’s suing to stop bike trails in Ballard.
Join the boycott against all of these businesses!
Tell them to stop using our tax dollars on lawsuits at the behest of Ballard Oil.
Tell them we demand our small businesses support finishing the Missing Link.
Oh, so now the Ballard Chamber of Commerce wants to tell us how to spend our money.
Except the Ballard Chamber of Commerce has no problem wasting our tax dollars by forcing the city to defend itself from all of their lawsuits and appeals.
Beth Miller, STFU!
Beth Miller wants everyone to buy their Christmas presents at Ballard Oil and Salmon Bay Sand and Gravel.
Just don’t do any of your Christmas shopping by bike. She’s not going to feel sorry for you if you get run down by a cement truck!
Oh well, I was never too crazy about Bastille anyway. Service is always hit or miss, but the food is consistently mediocre.
This makes it easy. I will never go there again.
Hey Bastille, the French are supposed to like bikes.. not sue cities to stop them.
If they must do a 7-page ad buy, it’s a shame it couldn’t be in Seattle Metropolitan instead of Seattle, as IMHO Seattle Metropolitan is far more reflective of the local spirit (not to mention just a better magazine).
Wow so all of the comments critical of the Ballard Chamber were removed by the GeekySwedes?
Disgusting!! So much for “community” on My Ballard if you disagree with their business associations.
I will not patronize any business associated with the Ballard Chamber of Commerce. Period.
Anybody who thinks Ballard families are more important than Ballard Oil Companies should boycott each of these businesses.
We don’t need Beth Miller telling us where to spend our money.
We need a Chamber of Commerce that does not sue to stop bike trails.
How much tax money are these endless appeals costing the city, Beth?
I’ll never go to Bastille again!
So now the GeekySwedes are actually censoring comments critical of the Chamber?
That’s pathetic.
Only in Ballard… we have the Ballard Chamber of Commerce actively working against the best interests of the community and the city as a whole by suing to stop a much needed bike path. The Chamber can run as many ads as they want but my boycott of spending money at any business that is a member will continue.
Beth Williamson Miller quote;
“And of course, with the upcoming holidays, remember to support our local business owners and to make your gift selections from the unique offerings here in Ballard.”
Fortunately Beth, most Ballard businesses are not members of the Ballard Chamber of Commerce. Therefore, with a little selective shopping I can support local businesses without supporting an organization that is working against a much needed bike path that would benefit the community.
I’m not sure what is worse…
A Chamber of Commerce that sues Seattle to stop bike trails, then has the audacity to lecture families where to spend their money…
or
A “community blog” that removes comments critical of the Chamber of Commerce, presumably because they are a member of the Chamber.
If you reload this page with Flash disabled you can see all the deleted comments that the GeekySwedes hid to protect their business associate Beth.
It’s disgusting.
Nobody should patronize any of the businesses participating in this promotion.
And Beth – go away, please. Just go away. Ballard is better off without your Chamber lawsuits costing our tax dollars.
You know who else likes it? Dead kids on bikes who get run over by trucks.
They nicely represent the community too.
I know what THIS Chamber does.
They sue Seattle to stop bike trails.
Make all the excuses you want. That is fact. They SUE SEATTLE TO STOP BIKE TRAILS. End of story.
We deleted a series of comments from a single user — posted minutes apart — who was changing his/her name with each additional comment, which is a violation of our comment rules (misrepresentation and “do not hijack a comment thread.”)
https://www.myballard.com/comment-rules/
This has happened several times in the past with the same user, who is also using advanced techniques to rotate IP addresses, etc., to avoid detection.
Anyone who has read My Ballard knows that we don’t systematically censor anything, and in contrast, the vast majority of feedback we receive is to be more strict about comments that push the edge of our civility rules.
Thank you for your understanding, and if you ever have questions/concerns, please email us at tips@myballard.com.
i have just donated $100 to the BCOC in your name.
Sounded like the usual axe-grinder…
So basically, you are proud to be members of the Ballard Chamber of Commerce.
Thanks, GeekySwedes, for belonging to one of the groups suing to stop the bike trail. Beth Miller appreciates your support.
The rest of us are appalled by your choices. It’s impossible to respect this blog once you’ve shown your true colors.
Oil companies have your support.
Kids and families and bike commuters do not. Got it.
“Advanced techniques” to rotate IP addresses? Is that way posting from half of Ballard’s cafes is now blocked?
How about quitting the Chamber instead of blaming users who protest your absurd anti-family associations?
gooner said
“i have just donated $100 to the BCOC in your name.”
Perhaps you should also donate a few thousand to the city who has to defend this stupid lawsuit brought about by the chamber. Perhaps you should also donate several thousand more to the local hospital for all the medical cost associated with accidents that happen along the missing link.
It’s pretty funny that when hiring lawyers to sue the city, the Ballard Chamber of Commerce did not “shop local.” They went with a big downtown firm.
My Ballard is a BCoC member, so their dues must help pay for it.
It’s pretty funny that when hiring lawyers to sue the city, the Ballard Chamber of Commerce did not “shop local.” They went with a big downtown firm.
My Ballard is a BCoC member, so their dues must help pay for it.
Get over the bikes people. Kids on bikes belong in the cul de sac. They are YOUR kids. This has NOTHING to do with the business community or the Ballard Chamber.
No, you are pathetic. Posting under multiple names, emptying your cache to ‘like’ yourself over and over again.
Seriously, pull that spandex out of your crack and enjoy life a little.
For the handful of posters (I suspect two at most) who insist on hijacking threads and keep repeating the same thing over and over (even using the same lines while posing as different posters) … YOU DON’T REPRESENT THE REST OF US.
There are plenty of us with families and kids who don’t support your antics and strongly support the great things the Chamber does for – and on behalf of – our community. So speak for yourself, but not for me.
And as for this new promotional campaign, I say keep up the good work! We need it.
Trollin’…
Trollin’…
Trollin on MyBallard…
Thank you, Swedes. Pleased to see the enforcement of the rules.
Does anyone have anything nice to say about Beth Miller?
This is wonderful news for Ballard and local businesses. We’re so fortunate to have been chosen by the city to be spotlighted. Thanks for all your great work.
LOL.
No.
IT’s not a BIKE TRAIL!!!
You are correct Y-T it is not just a bike trail it is much more than that, it is a multi-use path, it is the completion of the missing link on the Burke Gillman trail. The trail will be use by walkers, joggers, shoppers, parents with strollers, wheelchairs, dog walkers, skateboards, etc as well as the bicyclists. The multi-use path is designed entirely on city owned property, no private property will be taken. Not only will the path benefit the above users it will also benefit drivers by reducing the number of bicyclists that now travel along Shilshole avenue that slow down auto traffic. Expect this separation to decrease auto travel times through this corridor.
The funding was set aside for this project before the legal delays. Some much needed construction jobs are not there due to the delays. Too bad since competitive bid construction project are coming in cheap due to the current state of the economy, if the delays continue the cost of construction will be higher as the economy rebounds.
In short this project creates jobs and benefits the entire community, not just bicyclists . Why the BCC is against the project is beyond comprehension.
Since the BCC has sued to try and stop or delay the project I will spend no money at a business that is a BCC member, and I urge others to do the same.
The chamber certainly didn’t lobby successfully for adequate parking structures for the growing community did they? That should have been a priority for them given the city’s high density urban hub development plan. But I guess they were preoccupied with joining their cronies in a lawsuit that many members are opposed to. So they failed the community by not lobbying for adequate parking for the area and then by filing the lawsuit.
Money spent to promote THE popular area of the moment is stupidly wasted. It may do well for getting more people into Bastille but the area is obviously doing fine with outside visitors without the ads. The word of mouth popularity of the community is driving the people to come here, not advertising. I am sure the chamber will take credit and crow loudly about how they were responsible for ballard being THE HOT place to go. Bull CRAP. Upper Queen anne had it’s time. Then lower QA. THen Fremont. Now Ballard. Save the Advertising dollars for when the next hot locale takes away the consumers. When ballard becomes the lates has been. That is when the ads will be needed. Let’s see how the chamber does on the downside of the curve.
What did do or who do you know to get all this free advertising and marketing?
No bikes on Shilshole. It’s an industrial area stupid.
Multi use path?what a pant load this is a bike trail advocated by a bike club. This was shoved down our throats by politicians repaying the support they received from the CBC. This is worse than earmarks, Ballards bridge to nowhere. No Ballard jobs will be had from this with the exception, SBG will probably get the cement bid, how ironic. No one cares if you don’t spend your money with pro Ballard business.
Actually I am responsible for a number of off topic comments such as yours being removed.