February 2008

Around 3 a.m., near 39th and Lander, two citizens were awakened by an odd, high pitched sound. They found two men under their pickup truck (which was parked on the street). While the wife called 911, the husband chased the two suspects. Officers set up containment in the area, and a K9 unit found a man hiding in a back yard in the 2700 block of 37th SW. He was positively identified and booked into King County Jail for investigation of attempted theft and on two misdemeanor warrants from Tukwila.

Two bills important for funding the Crown Hill project, as well as for capital projects in school districts state wide, are being reviewed in Olympia.

House Bill 3291 and Senate Bill 6872, "The Community Schools Act of 2008," would make available through a competitive grant process, funds for the development of community schools and to convert empty school buildings into community facilities, such as the Crown Hill Activities Center.

The local group Crown Hill Neighbors is actively pursuing the purchase of the surplus Seattle School District property at 9250 14th Ave.

When I received an electronic press kit for Northwest Flower & Garden Show I thought it was a mistake until I read the words, "Ballard-based Salmon Bay Events has grown the show from a small local event to North America's third-largest flower and garden show." The more I learned, the more my interest grew.

Kiss Caf/ is a friendly new place

Kiss Cafe

2817 N.W. Market St.

789.5477

Weekdays 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Weekends 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Every day there seems to be a new woe for the Washington State Ferry system, a service that carries 24 million passengers and 11 million vehicles a year on 10 cross-Puget Sound runs. Bulletins are issued often, sometimes hourly of late, telling of a new series of cancellations of service, late sailings, substitutions of service, closed kitchens and sick passengers needing ambulance service.

Those notices have always happened, as they do with any major transportation system, but they were of a more routine nature.

Yes, legislation is moving through the Legislature to enhance protections for tenants whose rental apartments are either threatened to or are being converted into condominiums ("Condo bill moving in Legislature," News-Tribune, Feb. 6). House Bill 2014, sponsored by Rep. Maralyn Chase (D-Shoreline), and my bill, Senate Bill 6411, received a public hearing on Feb. 5 in the Senate Consumer Protection and Housing Committee along with SB 5031, sponsored by Sen.

Thank you for expressing your views about the proposal to partially split Metro Route 17 in order to serve residents on both Seaview Avenue Northwest and 32nd Avenue Northwest. Your input is appreciated and valued, and will help us to make an informed decision.

As you know, Metro is currently soliciting feedback on the proposal from riders and the community; so it is important that you have shared your views as the public comment period will end on February 8. Over 200 community members attended the Jan. 31 public meeting on the proposal.

As life-long cyclist myself enjoyed your Feb. 6 column in the Ballard News-Tribune. With your stated "primary goal is simply to write about the bicycle in the modern world" you may also be interested to learn that we just moved to Ballard.

Eric Sundin

Electric Bikes Northwest

Folding Bikes West

Ballard

I could see how the "longhouse" is an architecturally interesting feature, and a traditional gateway to Ballard. The case for preserving the three much lower arched areas seems much weaker to me, and those lower areas take more than half of the building's footprint.

It would really be a shame to have a boarded-up building be the gateway to a rapidly-growing neighborhood. When it was built, the building made sense in its local context.

Editor's Note: This letter was sent to City Councilman Nick Licata with a copy to this newspaper.

Hello Mr. Licata.

I just read the recent article in the Ballard News Tribune (Jan. 30) about a proposed street car line in Ballard. I am not able to attend ameeting due to childcare issues. But I would like to voice my opinion if I may.

I voted for the monorail every single time. I moved here to Seattle in 1988, I grew up in the Bay Area and used BART very regularly as a way to get around the entire Bay Area.