September 2008

Community members of the north Admiral neighborhood have come together to create a new play area for kids and a gathering place for families. While not everyone is supportive of the project, they are moving forward in the design process.

After talking with her neighbors about the need for places where children could play in her neighborhood, Manuela Slye and other Admiral residents began planning the project in June.

"I think the children and families deserve a community gathering place," Slye said.

At Chief Sealth High School students have returned with a new sense of pride after learning that the previous sophomore class showed the most growth, statewide, in all subjects on the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL).

Tenth graders tested at Chief Sealth High School scored 11 percent higher in reading and 16 percent higher in writing than the previous year. The students also showed a 13 percent increase in math scores and a 20 percent increase in science.

"I was so excited," said John Boyd, principal of Chief Sealth High School.

The Seattle Department of Transportation is conducting a review of the Residential Parking Zone (RPZ) program in Seattle. The RPZ program is designed to help residents who live in congested areas by discouraging long-term parking of non-residents on residential streets.

Staff is looking at all aspects of the program, including program goals, permit issuance; zone creation, and enforcement practices.

During construction of the new south end of the Alaskan Way Viaduct, the state will pay the county to get people out of their cars and into buses to help curb congestion.

The Washington State Department of Transportation will give $32 million to King County Metro, to increase bus service on Aurora Avenue, from Ballard, and from West Seattle - the corridors most affected by the construction.

"We're not leaving travel to chance," said King County Executive Ron Sims, at a press conference, Sept.

Troubles with two magazines sales people last week: A 20-year-old from Philadelphia was arrested after he broke into a Beach-Drive area home on Saturday afternoon. He fled down the street after the homeowner caught him in the act, but officers were able to catch him?even after he broke away, ran to the beach, and tried to hide under driftwood and rocks. He was booked into King County Jail for investigation of burglary.

The City of Seattle is proposing a 20-cent charge to customers using paper or plastic bags supplied by the merchant. Since the city is not providing the bags for sale to the customer by the merchant what is the purpose of the 20-cent charge? I feel that it is a tax on the use of the bag.

Some argue that it is not a tax since you have the choice of providing a bag to carry your purchase. With this type of reasoning if you prefer not to drive there is no gas tax.

retirement home

It was one of the stupidest ideas I've seen to date to put a retirement home on Ballard Ave. in the first place.

"I'm hoping they aren't the golf-course retirees," she said. "I'm hoping they're more the Manhattan martini-type people" (Sept. 3 issue).

WHAT?!?! You think the majority of tenants who are over 65 are going to be up and partying at 2 a.m.?

Frankly, if the Ballard zoning committee had any influence regarding this project they should have told the place to relocate.

Bruce Harrell has been off my radar, I sure hope he is sincere in wanting citizen input ("Councilman frustrated over limited feedback," Sept 3). My experience with (council members) (Richard) Conlin, (Nick) Licata, and (Jan) Drago is that they are very good at blowing me off via email.

Kevin Johnson

Ballard

Why, oh why, must you devote a page each week to Peggy Sturdivant's reminiscing about THE EAST COAST? This is the BALLARD News-Tribune, not the Nantucket News, last time I checked. There are literally hundreds, if not thousands of people in Ballard who grew up here, went to school here, and still live here who are actually out and about the streets of Ballard, who might have something interesting to report. If we want to read about the East Coast, we'll buy THEIR newspapers.

Objecting to a scenic photo in this newspaper (August 27) of a man walking on the train tracks near Carkeek Park toting his kayak, a Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway engineer contacted the News-Tribune to complain.

"I liked the picture, but people are going to look at that and think it's OK to walk across those tracks," said the engineer who has been with Burlington Northern for eight years, and asked to remain anonymous.

He pointed out that there have been many fatalities on the two rows of track between Carkeek and Golden Gardens parks as people find short cuts to access those beaches.

"The guy in the picture was holding a kayak which blocked his view, and the tracks curve there," he said. "From the pedestrian overpass where the photo was taken you can see how far south?