September 2007

At Large in Ballard by Peggy Sturdivant

There's more than one reason my photo is not next to this column, and the unsightly furrow between my eyebrows is only one. Since this print column appeared last January my relationship with Ballard has been changing as Ballard learns that I am watching. The relationship would change even more dramatically if I were more recognizable.

I've walked, bicycled and driven these same streets for nearly 20 years taking mental and physical notes, sometimes working them into written pieces, sometimes just smiling to myself.

Find a hidden treat

at Swanson's Cafe

Festivities Garden Caf/

Swanson's Nursery

9701 15th Ave. N.W.

789-1163

Seattle Fire Department Station 18 celebrated its 100th anniversary on Sept. 19 with an open house and the Ballard community came to meet their fire fighters and equipment up close.

Fire Fighter James Rowe helped greet parents who brought their children to the event.

"It's great," Rowe said. "It is what we are here for. We don't get to do it very often.

The Phinney Ridge Neighborhood Association raised more than $4,000 for programs and activities at its 6th annual garden tour on Sunday, Sept. 9, when 10 homes were featured, all on 4th and 6th avenues northwest.

Host gardeners and their pampered plants got some nice direct sunlight on the hot day.

Photographer Michael Wang has an exhibit of his work at ArtXchange in Pioneer Square. Wang has been traveling Bolivia and Kenya as part of a PATH research team, a Ballard based non-profit creating sustainable, culturally relevant solutions to break cycles of poor health. ArtXchange is located at 512 First Avenue. The show runs through Oct. 27.

City crews were hard at work on the "road diet" project on 24th Avenue Northwest between Northwest 56th and 65th streets last week. Lanes of traffic will be reduced from four to three with a center turn lane, as well as bike lanes on both sides of the arterial. Restriping began last Wednesday and will likely last until the end of this week, according to a city transportation spokesman. Crews are working during non-peak hours, from 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Motorcyclist and young sidecar passenger enjoy a hot summer Saturday cruise south on 15th Avenue Northwest through Ballard.

Last week's lead story, "More family business leaves area," prompted several comments on our Web site, emails and few calls to our office. Some of those comments came from a few new, family owned Ballard businesses.

They called or wrote to say that we had forgotten an important point to the story. While some family businesses are leaving, new ones are taking their place in some instances.

Skarbos, a family-owned furniture store that's been in the Seattle area more than 45 years, is one example. Ron Skarbo, owner, called us personally.

Don't expand state children's insurance program

By Paul Guppy

Congress is currently debating re-authorization of the 10-year-old State Children's Health Insurance Program. A straight re-authorization for a further five years would cost the treasury $25 billion, but some advocates in Congress want to expand the program's expense to $50 billion, and one proposal is as high as $70 billion.

Crowding out private coverage

Most Americans support a safety net program to help needy kids.

To some people Ron Robinson was just a regular guy that was down on his luck and deserved a helping hand. He loved puppies, children, knew how to fix cars and always had a smile on his face.

Others saw a homeless person who smelled like urine and they avoided him when walking the same Ballard streets.

Ronald Jay Robinson died recently in his sleep, while resting on a red sleeping bag. He was in a makeshift home, in a wooden shed behind a boat yard. He died sometime between August 20 and Sept.