February 2008

It was standing room only last week when more than 100 people crammed into the Ballard Senior Center to tell county transit officials they don't like the idea of splitting bus Route 17 to serve both 32nd and Seaview avenues.

The change would divide the midday and evening service at Market and 54th Street and reduce service on 32nd.

Instead of all trips traveling on 32nd every 30 minutes, every other Route 17 trip would be on Seaview and serve each street every hour between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Residents of Lock Vista Apartments can rest easy, at least for a while.

The manager of the apartment complex across Market Street from the Ballard Locks said last week the potential buyer could not come up with the money to buy the property and turn the united into condominiums.

"There will be no condominium conversion of the property and no 90 day notices to move will be issued," the manager said.

At the same time, residents were told to take $300 off their March 1 rent because of the trauma the potential sale caused.

The threat of a condo conv

The old Manning's/Denny's building could potentially sit as it is, boarded up and empty, for an indefinite amount of time if it's designated a landmark by the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board.

Sarah Sodt, a coordinator for the city board, said property owners are under no obligation to restore a building once it's selected, nor does the city have any funding mechanism to do so.

"We can't force someone to do anything to their property," said Sodt.

Benaroya Properties, the owners of the building at the corner of 15th and Market Street, intend to sell the site

The passage of a bill that would boost aid for renters being displaced by condominium conversions is looking promising as it makes its way through the State Legislature this session, but an amendment that would have given Seattle the power to limit conversions failed to garner enough support.

During the last several years, Ballard has lost hundreds of its lower-income rentals to conversions.

Granting the insurance commissioner the authority to review individual health benefit plan rates._The Senate passed ESB 5261 by a vote of 31 to 18, requiring that rates or modification of rates for individual health plans not be implemented until 60 days after the changes are filed with the State Insurance Commissioner. This act also establishes an actual declination rate schedule for the establishment of loss ratio, incurred claims expense as a percentage of earned premiums, which is to be reported annually to the State Insurance Commissioner.

United Angelical Free Church just had an organ operation and the church celebrated by holding a concert on their now rich-sounding 1980 Allen electronic organ.

Unlike a pipe organ, an electronic organ is prone to internal problems involving deteriorating wiring and speakers. McIntyre Organ Repair did the repairs for about $2,800.

Freelance organist and Ballard resident, David Lepse, who has attended the church since a baby, said he noticed the organ was "off" while playing it last fall.

"It sounded weak and unbalanced," he said.

Karly Orr, representing Ballard's New York Fashion Academy won first place in the Project Red Dress competition.

Fashion Group International presented the sold-out gala event in cooperation with Seattle Metropolitan magazine and Macy's to benefit the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women Movement.

The competition was modeled after Bravo TVs hit show Project Runway.

Students and staff at Adams Elementary school will be folding 1,000 paper cranes in honor of teacher Joseph Skillings, who is recovering from injuries suffered after coming to the aid of a complete stranger last month.

Skillings, 52, was at a Capitol Hill bus stop on Jan. 13 when a male suspect began harassing a woman. Skillings called 911 and the suspect, who is still at large, punched Skillings in the head, causing him to fall and hit his head on the curb.

Skillings is in the Harborview Medical Center's Intensive Care Unit.

King County Councilmember Larry Phillips presented the Maria Montessori Language and Cultural Center with a $3,000 donation from the council recently.

The center, located on the Ballard High campus, partners with the school's Department of Family and Consumer Services and the Seattle Public Schools' Community Alignment Initiative.

Peoples Bank has given over $6,000 worth of prizes to celebrate its grand opening at the Ballard Financial Center.

"So you think you know Ballard?" was a contest for Ballard residents, who were asked to name twenty Ballard icons that were featured in a series of photographs, provided by the Bank and mailed out to over 7,500 homes.