October 2007

After reading Mary Mulcahy's letter to the editor, I'd like Ballard News-Tribune readers to hear another view of Referendum 67.

I am voting to reject Referendum 67. This is a law that was written by trial lawyers to benefit trial lawyers. It testimony before the (State House of Representatives), the prime sponsor of the bill could cite no crisis in Washington requiring the law and admitted he had simply worked with the Washington Trial Lawyers Association to write and pass the bill.

I am an insurance professional.

football players

I just about jumped out of my chair when I read that letter from the lady in the paper who was yelling at the Loyal Heights people because all they want is a little peace and quiet. She turned up her nose at them something fierce, and proclaimed on and on about how the quiet and kind little soccer players up there just don't even bother anyone. Now that's a good one.

I've been around a long time, and certainly long enough to have seen and heard plenty of loud-mouthed soccer and football players.

Residents of Shilshole Marina's 225 liveaboard boats have been jockeying dock to dock for three years to accommodate the $80 million reconstruction project.

Unsettling, considering their occupants' slips are their home addresses. This February the dust will settle as the dock phase of construction concludes, and an agreement just reached with the Port of Seattle will allow the boats to anchor to their assigned slips for another 10 years.

As the general election nears candidates for Seattle City Council positions are campaigning heavily around hot button issues in Ballard like affordable housing.

Voters will decide four races for City Council, including three incumbents, on Nov. 6.

The candidates appeared in dyads last week at a forum co-hosted by the Sunset Hill Association and League of Women voters. Each pair had 20 minutes to take turns answering questions posed by moderator Robert Drucker, a member of the community group hosting the event.

Jean Godden vs.

After nearly six months without an executive director, the Ballard Food Bank has hired local resident Nancy McKinnon to lead the agency.

McKinnon brings experience in non-profit agency accounting and most recently was the interim accountant at the Pike Place Market Senior Center and food bank.

"I have a lot of non-profit skills to offer. I will use all the stuff I've learned to lead the agency.

A gala is slated for Nov. 10 to support the Ballard Boys and Girls Club.

Lombardi's Neighborhood Italian restaurant is celebrating 20 years at their Ballard location with the Garlic Festival 20th Anniversary Gala to benefit the club.

"It's quite an honor. This is a big event.

Loyal Heights Elementary School students and staff participate in the school's annual "Jogathon" fundraiser. The event coincided with "Crazy-Hair Day," which may explain the interesting hairdos. The school recently received a prestigious award for the state for academic improvements over the last several years.

Seattle City Council candidate Venus Velazquez was arrested last Wednesday night in Ballard for drunken driving after leaving a restaurant where she had dinner and drinks.

She had participated in a candidate's forum at the Sunset Hill Community Club earlier that night.

Velazquez was pulled over in Ballard around 11:30 p.m. Oct. 17 for speeding and failing to stay within a traffic lane.

Mayor Greg Nickel's has included a $4 million challenge grant for the purchase four surplussed schools and another $1 million in an offer to buy Webster Park.

This money is to entice those organizations now leasing the closed schools to buy them from the Seattle School District.

The Northwest Film Center in Portland, Ore., has selected two shorts by Ballard High School video production students for Teen Screen, a showcase of outstanding films by youth. "Tile 'M' for M-U-R-D-E-R" by Kyle Seago, Sami Kubo and Michael Gore, and "Nice Touch? by Kevin Vitz-Wong, Ben Steiner and Alec MacLurg, will be screened at the Whitsell Auditorium in Portland on Thursday, Oct. 25 at 6:30 pm. Admission is free!