September 2007

I was surprised to see the hostility expressed towards expanding children's health insurance coverage in last week's editorial (Op-Ed, High cost to expand state children's insurance program, Sept. 19).

The legislation passed by Congress is a well considered piece of work supported by both parties and both chambers. Children's medical insurance has been a tremendous success in Washington, and it has proven to be cost effective to link children up with family doctors rather than driving low income families to seek emergency care for their ailments.

In regards to the Sept.12 article (Housing authority could buy Lock Vista), I am opposed to the Seattle Housing Authority buying the building.

First, according to their web site, Seattle Housing Authority's mission is to enhance the Seattle community by creating and sustaining decent, safe and affordable living environments that foster stability and self-sufficiency for people with low incomes. If you can afford to pay $700-800 rent, you don't need their help.

The city of Seattle's Department of Planning and Development recently told a group of Crown Hill community members they would not recommend that 15th Avenue Northwest be designated as a Pedestrian Zone.

A city-wide process, The Neighborhood Main Street Mapping Project, is evaluating streets in commercial areas that can be changed to Pedestrian Zones.

While longtime area residents may murmur in dissatisfaction at the latest project rising up in condo-crazed Ballard, the offering at 2034 Northwest 56th Street may cause a louder response than usual.

That's because the six-story, 166-unit condominium development will be built against the rear wall of the Ballard Public Library. Its parking garage will share a one-story zero lot line with the east wall of the library. Above the first floor will be a 10-foot setback.

This design scheme was the central topic at the second, and final, hearing on the project took place Sept.

As new residential development around Ballard and the rest of the Puget Sound region is completed, rents will likely start to level out by 2010, according to Mike Scott of Dupre and Scott Apartment Advisors.

But it's not all good news for Seattle's rental market.

Vacancy rates in the north end and downtown are about 2.75 percent, down a full percentage point from last year. Scott expects it will continue to decline to around 2.5 to 2.25 percent.

Seattle's vacancy rate and rental behavior is similar to that in the late 1990s when the economy was strong.

Ballard's first "cottage housing," a cluster of individual homes that share some open space, will be developed on two lots at 2203 and 2213 Northwest 60th Street.

A vacant one-story commercial building and a single family house west of it will be demolished to build nine homes, each no larger than 1,300 square feet, said Brittani Ard, a consultant for the developers of the project, Soleil Development LLC, a Queen Anne-based company.

After undergoing six months of refurbishing, the historic Leif Erikson statue is back at the Shilshole Bay Marina where it belongs.

An unveiling is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 7 at 3 p.m., followed by a reception at 4 p.m.

Crews installed the statue earlier this week in a new plaza, 200 feet north of its old location where it had stood since 1962.

Artist Jay Haavik and a crew from the art preservation group Arttech also put in a series of 13 basalt stones with Viking designed by Haavik.

Over one hundred passengers embarked on the Argosy's 77-foot Champagne Lady at Fishermen's Terminal September 18th to toast the second annual Port 101's Ship Canal tour.

It was one of four Port 101 tours. The others include Terminal 91, Harbor Island, and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

While most guests arrived early, the sun showed up just in time for the two-hour afternoon cruise, which culminated with a buffet reception on the pier. Last year's tour was by bus.

Starbucks Coffee stores in Seattle have stopped using milk products from cows exposed to a bovine growth hormone and all stores nationwide will comply with the ban by the end of this year.

Some companies, to increase the animal's milk production, inject recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone, known as rBGH, into dairy cows. According to the Washington D. C. based group Food and Water Watch, there is a potential link between the hormone and a higher risk of breast, prostate and colon cancer in humans.

Volunteers are needed to help install playground equipment at the new Salmon Bay School playground during a three-day period from Oct. 12 to 14.

A professional play structure installation company will send workers to the site to guide volunteers.