July 2008

We have heard all the negative comments (about) condos, Denny's and the Sunset Bowl.

Well here is something positive for a change. I live across from the Ballard High School playfield and have watched since the end of March the work that has been (underway) to transform that messy wet play field to a very nice new turf grounds. It has been a work in progress all these weeks from trucks removing tons of dirt, laying miles of drain pipes, to delivering tons of gravel, smoothing all that out, then laying the turf down.

I would like to respond to the editorial about Metro Transit ("Metro Transit needs overhaul") published the week of July 7, 2008.

There are almost 400,000 people - Metro's daily ridership - who would disagree with the statement in the editorial that most buses do not "go the way people need to go." In recent years, Metro Transit has not had problems attracting new riders. Last year we carried a record 110 million riders, and so far this year Metro ridership is already up 6 percent over last year for January through May.

How about some basics to this story? Like, where did they come from since the reporter made it so obvious that they aren't originally from the States and what's going to happen to the spot where Gordo's is located?

Nice beginning to a story, but obvious omissions.

Greg Starosky

Seattle

I am e-mailing you as a resident or business owner in Ballard, Crown Hill, and nearby areas regarding the potential for a streetcar network in Seattle, how that might be funded, and how it might affect bus service in your neighborhood on routes 17, 18 and 28.

The Seattle Department of Transportation is proposing a potential Fremont-Ballard Streetcar line that would run along from downtown on Westlake to the Fremont Bridge, then over the bridge to 36th, then head westbound on 36th and Leary Way Northwest, then turn onto Northwest 46th, on to either Leary Way or Ballard Avenue, with a

Cameron likes a tunnel would be around three miles long with nearly one mile of 5 percent grades which are needed to go under the existing railroad tunnel. This tunnel will be a death trap. The grades will cause trucks to slow down and cause twice the amount of air pollution as the existing viaduct.

The cost of the Tunnel will cost two to three time what a retrofit or new viaduct would cost and remember the citizens of Seattle voted 70 percent against a tunnel just last year.

Listen to the people and rebuild the viaduct.

Gene Hoglund

Ballard

Groundswell pushes park levy

By Dave Boyd

I recently completed two months of intense work on a proposal to renew a parks levy on this fall's ballot.

A preliminary plan for a streetcar connecting Ballard, Fremont and downtown was met with both excitement and skepticism at a forum last week.

Chair of the City Council Transportation Committee Jan Drago hosted the event at the Nordic Heritage Museum, but wasn't prepared for many of the questions posed by residents about the benefits of streetcars compared to increasing bus service.

"Each mode of transportation has its strengths and its weaknesses but different modes serve different people," said Drago last week to a crowd of about 80 people.

Seattle mayor Greg Nickels' proposal on sidewalk cafe permits may be just what Ballard restaurant owners need to cash in on the growing sidewalk cafe trend.

The plan proposes simplifying the sidewalk cafe permit process to a streamlined 10-day period, and reducing the permit price by about $1,700.

Under the current system, a 10-day turnaround is unheard of.

Two 2008 graduates from Ballard High School have won scholarships to Western Washington University for the next academic year.

Keith Daniel, son of Jon Daniel and Diane Roubal of Seattle, received a $2,000 Leona Hickman Educational Scholarship.

The Leona Hickman Educational Scholarship is awarded to students from King County who are pursuing programs in education and who are likely to achieve academic success.

Daniel, an incoming freshman, earned a 3.69 GPA at Ballard High School, and is interested in majoring in art.

Ballard Beavers from the Class of 1933 held their 75th class reunion recently and each shared stories about their lives since graduating from high school.

Gerald L. Cameron became a captain and commanding officer in the Military Sea and Transportation Service. He was stationed in Seattle in 1966 aboard the Cavalier.

Haakon Lindjord was an aide to President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th president of the United States and was stationed in England during World War II.

At the age of 94, Doeorhy Vanderlip-Kennish is still an avid hiker.