February 2007

Twenty to thirty years ago high school sweethearts were more than just adorable and old-fashioned rarities. Back then students would fall in love and get married right after high school graduation. College wasn't the norm.

Now, in the face of college, high school relationships seem almost pointless. Casual relationships (the kind that "unhealthily" permeate modern society) become practically desirable: no heartbreak attached. There is no point in building strong emotional ties with a significant other when those ties will have to be severed at a designated time.

Is walking in hard-soled shoes for 30 minutes as good as walking in tennis shoes? You can walk faster in tennis shoes, can't you?

Well, yes. But you have to learn to seize the opportunity when it occurs, especially if you are not in a regular habit of exercising. If you find yourself parked on the street and it's a beautiful day and your choices of how to get to your next destination are: 1) a 10-minute drive or 2) a 15 minute walk, get walking.

Depressing thoughts were clouding my day: thoughts of a murdered monorail, thoughts of spending billions for another monstrous viaduct, thoughts of spending even more billions for a tunnel. And all these billions spent so I can have the continued pleasure of sitting in gridlock. Seattle is a great city, and Washington a great state, but we will probably never be world class. Our leaders have no vision. That's what was depressing me.

These thoughts were eating me up one day as I drove home to West Seattle at 5 p.m. on a typical workday.

Mayorie, mayorie quite contrary,

How will your condo wall grow?

To one-sixty feet at its peak

Such is now what we know.

Mayorie, mayorie quite contrary,

What would you post "SOLD!"

Freedom of assembly? our scenic commute?

Bartered for condo tax gold!

Mayorie, mayorie quite contrary,

Upon our eyes Elliot's glories show.

The campaign to convert the Seattle's waterfront into a park and boulevard is getting set to swing into high gear. The choice is no longer between a tunnel or a viaduct but rather is Alaskan Way to serve the 120,000 cars that use it every day or to become a row of million dollar condominiums facing a park.

Over 50 years ago the people realized that highway 99, the main highway through Seattle, could not continue to carry more and more cars through the city on Fourth Avenue.

with waterfront

The March 13 Advisory Ballot is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to tear down a 50-year-old wall, reconnect downtown with its waterfront, and show the next generation that we had the courage and foresight to make smart decisions about Seattle's future.

In order to that, our votes must be clear and united: NO on a louder, uglier and noisier elevated viaduct.

According to the Washington State Department of Transportation, the proposed elevated viaduct will be taller, up to 50 percent wider, have greater environmental impact, and worst of all, will

Last Saturday I learned a lesson about telephoning teenagers before noon - they're already busy. The teens were at basketball, soccer, volleyball, dance class, work. I wanted to check in with Ballard High School students currently in Genetics about their preparation for the Seventh Annual Student Biotech Expo, in which they will be 55 students out of 300, just one school out of 11.

Great award for Great Harvest Bread

Ballard's Great Harvest Bread Co. received a "Phenomenal Bread Award" during the company's recent annual convention in Cancun, Mexico. The bakery was one of five Great Harvest bakeries nationwide to win this prestigious recognition.

"Bob and Crystal Carlson were up against some of the finest bread artisans in the country," said Mike Ferretti, president of Great Harvest Franchising, Inc. "It felt great to recognize the Ballard bakery.

Copper Gate comes reborn with Scandinavian fare

6301 24th Ave NW

706-3292

Hours: 5 p.m. to12 a.m. daily

By Patricia Devine and Jim Anderson

Transformed from a down and dirty beer joint to a stylish cocktail and small plate bar, the Copper Gate's reincarnation may actually be one of the most significant bellwether events in Ballard's rich history.

Stella Chao loves walking around Sunset Hill, where she sees other homeowners working in their yards and interactions with her neighbors are a welcome thing.

Now that Chao has been hired as the new director of the City of Seattle's Department of Neighborhoods, she is busy establishing relationships with all the different communities of the Emerald City.

She takes over a department with a staff of 90 people.

The programs include the Neighborhood Matching Fund, Mayor's Citizen Service Bureau, Office for Education, Historic Preservation, Neighborhood Planning, the