Ballard

Work is again underway on the Burke-Gilman Trail extension from Northwest 60th Street to Golden Gardens, following a three-week pause to finalize permitting requirements.

The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) was needed from the Federal Environmental Protection Agency. The permit is required for construction activities that disturb five or more acres of land to regulate the amount of pollutants discharged into waters.

Throughout this month, community initiated projects that would add sidewalks and make other improvements to many Ballard streets are vying for a piece of the city's neighborhood street fund from the "Bridging the Gap" levy.

The projects are being presented at a series of community open houses, where members of the public have the opportunity to cast their vote on which projects should be prioritized by the city.

The project rankings will be considered along with a series of criteria by a Seattle Department of Transportation team and narrowed down to the top 50 projects, s

Mayor Greg Nickels wants to keep commercial and retail development off industrial land.

Nickels has announced an initiative to strengthen zoning protection for industry and manufacturing in Seattle. The purpose, Nickels said during a press conference, is to protect existing industrial jobs and encourage new ones.

Over 120,000 jobs in Seattle are in industry and manufacturing, according to the Employment Security Department.

Spurred in part by the potential conversion the Lock Vista Apartments to condominiums, Ballard residents expressed anger and frustration last week over the depleting pool of affordable housing here.

Seattle's director of housing joined City Council members Sally Clark and Tom Rasmussen at last week's Ballard District Council meeting to discuss Mayor Greg Nickels proposal to expand a tax break for developers, which aims to encourage the construction of more units affordable to moderate wage workers.

To some people Ron Robinson was just a regular guy that was down on his luck and deserved a helping hand. He loved puppies, children, knew how to fix cars and always had a smile on his face.

Others saw a homeless person who smelled like urine and they avoided him when walking the same Ballard streets.

Ronald Jay Robinson died recently in his sleep, while resting on a red sleeping bag. He was in a makeshift home, in a wooden shed behind a boat yard. He died sometime between August 20 and Sept.

Last week's lead story, "More family business leaves area," prompted several comments on our Web site, emails and few calls to our office. Some of those comments came from a few new, family owned Ballard businesses.

They called or wrote to say that we had forgotten an important point to the story. While some family businesses are leaving, new ones are taking their place in some instances.

Skarbos, a family-owned furniture store that's been in the Seattle area more than 45 years, is one example. Ron Skarbo, owner, called us personally.

Motorcyclist and young sidecar passenger enjoy a hot summer Saturday cruise south on 15th Avenue Northwest through Ballard.

On Labor Day, we proudly reflected on the value that working men and women bring to our country, our society and our way of life. We hold it as a civil right that one is entitled to work.

Unfortunately, many Americans are deprived of that right to work, simply by virtue of the gender of whom they love, or their gender identity. In most states it is legal to fire someone simply because they are gay or transgendered.

We Washingtonians are fortunate.

Concerns that skateboarders will vandalize and trash our community are unwarranted and immature.

We've seen how a skate park can compliment a neighborhood, such as the one in Ballard, and even build a sense of community among those of all ages and interests. Isn't it discrimination to outcast a group merely because they enjoy a certain activity?

It's disappointing to see comments like the following that was posted on the Herald's Web site under last week's story on the effort to get skate parks built here under the citywide skate park plan.

A citizen wrote...

More people are moving to, and moving through, Ballard to catch a buzz. They are saying "yes" to mopeds, those noisy, 50cc motor scooters with pedals that hit nearly 38 miles per hour.

Don't laugh.

They're cheap, fun to ride and get 100 miles per gallon. Over 40 area enthusiasts belong to the Mosquito Fleet, a moped gang who display a curious combination of machismo and modesty on their tough little toys.

Many live in Ballard, while others are searching for a place here.