May 2008

Il Giardino impresses

Il Giardino Ristorante Italiano

716 NW 65th Street

(206) 420-8457

Tuesday-Saturday: 5 p.m.-10 p.m.,

Sunday: 5 p.m.-9 p.m.,

The caller was a bit miffed when we said there was nothing to be done about coyotes in her backyard and mildly outraged when told she should make certain Fido and Muffy where inside at night and not to leave their food on the patio.

"This is Seattle, we shouldn't have to have them around," she said rather stridently.

I'm writing to express my strong support for the current Seattle Streetcar proposal.

As an active volunteer within the Design Review Program, I work firsthand to understand and enhance our evolving public realm. While there are several valid arguments against streetcars, the primary reasons that I see which make streetcars an attractive option for our city are summarized below:

- Many more people will ride rail than buses.

- Rail, including streetcars, don't need the fuel or spew the greenhouse gas that diesel buses do.

coming next week

Thank you, Historian Kay, for the nice write-up (News-Tribune, April 23). You clearly spent some time with the Polk directories. I really appreciate the way you made the history seem familiar and approachable.

West Seattle residents had their opportunity to voice our comments on the importance of the Alaskan Way Viaduct.

Why did state reject aid?

By Don C. Brunell

In the wake of an earlier column about our state rejecting a $13.2 million education grant, people are asking, "What is going wrong in Washington?"

Why was Washington the only state of seven to reject funding to improve math and science learning for public school students in advanced placement programs?

Our state's teachers union, the Washington Education Association, killed the grant because it included merit pay for teachers.

Thousands of people lined the streets of Ballard last Saturday to enjoy the Syttende Mai parade.

"I love the people, the pageantry and the camaraderie and the flags," said Erlene Steveson from the Edmonds Lodge No.

130 Sons of Norway.

The parade was delayed one hour due to a permit problem but people did not seem to mind, since this is the Scandinavian community's biggest celebration of the year and the parade is the largest of its kind in the United States.

For many people who dressed in traditional outfits it's one big reunion.

"Many lod

Improper use of North Beach Park has the city and some neighbors upset as they complain about illegal trails put in by homeowners and other abuses to the natural area.

City officials say neighbors have been tossing yard waste, dumping storm drain water, encroaching on the park's boundaries with their private structures, walking dogs off leash and unauthorized trails have been cut into the steep hillsides.

"Increasingly this piece of property is not being used properly," said Royal Alley-Barnes, the manager for the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation's north region

A citizens' advisory committee is hurriedly gathering public input on a possible new $140 million parks and open spaces levy that could be on the ballot this fall.

City Council member Tom Rasmussen, chair of the committee that established the volunteer citizen's group, attended one of three community meetings last week.

"Our goal is to hear from the community ...

Though thousands of Seattle renters have been displaced by apartment-to-condominium conversions, a chunk of money the city set aside to help them with cost of relocation has barely been touched.

At the time this paper went to press, just one person was about to be confirmed eligible for $500 from a $25,000 fund the Seattle City Council made available since early March.

Mike Buckman, a spokesperson for Solid Ground, a Fremont-based human services agency handling assistance applications, said there are still an unknown number of people that have gone without the e