Book Talk at Ballard Locks: “Seattle’s Locks and Ship Canal”

Join local historians David B. Williams and Jennifer Ott for a conversation about their newly released book, Seattle’s Locks and Ship Canal: A History and Guide, copublished by HistoryLink and the University of Washington Press. Through an engaging discussion and visually rich presentation, you’ll learn how this engineering marvel fits into the natural and cultural …

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Large lock at Ballard Locks closed until late November

Annual maintenance is underway at the Ballard Locks, with the large lock closing today until Nov. 21. Crews from the US Army Corps of Engineers will be performing the annual maintenance, which is about a week longer than usual because they’ll also be repairing and replacing the center gate gudgeon pins. The small lock will …

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Ballard Locks awarded $10.5m to replace 100-year-old large lock gates

The Ballard Locks are about to get a major upgrade. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have awarded $10.5 million to the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks to replace the original large lock chamber’s 100-year-old gates. The massive project will replace the original valves — known as the Stoney Gate Valves — which were the latest …

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Cruise ship heads through the Locks

Updated: The Star Legend made history today by becoming the largest cruise ship to ever navigate the Ballard Locks and the Ship Canal. A crowd gathered to watch the big event, along with media helicopters and a KING 5 drone: Here’s the perspective from on the ship: Then it headed to the Ballard Bridge, where …

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Giant cow goes through the Locks

You don’t see this every day. It pains us to post this because it’s a publicity stunt, but it was a particularly effective one, to say the least. Bessie the giant inflatable Holstein cow cruised through the Locks and the Ship Canal, generating lots of “earned media” for the Dairy Farmers of Washington. After all, …

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Schedule is out for Summer Concerts at Locks

The initial schedule has been released for the free summer concert series at the Carl S. English Garden at the Ballard Locks, beginning the weekend of June 2nd. The lineup shows a diverse list of local musicians with an emphasis on big band and jazz. While there is no charge for the concerts — and …

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Park at the Ballard Locks will close due to government shutdown

Tuesday update: This morning the Army Corps said the park is open. Update: Trump has signed a bill to reopen the government, so the shutdown is over. Earlier: While the Ballard Locks continue to operate, the Army Corps of Engineers says the park grounds will be closed beginning tomorrow — until funding is restored. That …

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Briefs: Locks, Salmon, Sushi, Elks, Lagunitas

We have a few news tidbits to share, beginning with the Ballard Locks. (Tilt-shift photo above is from the US Army Corps of Engineers on Facebook). – BALLARD LOCKS: The Seattle Times has put together a good in-depth look at why the Locks needs $30 million to $60 million in major repairs and upgrades. (Here’s …

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Should the Ballard Locks charge a toll?

Last week our state’s top lawmakers asked the Trump Administration for funding for “urgent” repairs to the Ballard Locks. The Seattle Times editorial board followed up with an opinion piece that “the federal government needs to find funding to maintain and upgrade the Ballard Locks and ensure passage to the Lake Washington Ship Canal remains …

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