Copyright 2002 Seattle Sun newspaper. Please feel free to use the article and photos below in your research. Be sure to quote the Seattle Sun as your source.

Law enforcement class offered

Are you concerned about public safety? Are you interested in learning more about law enforcement? If so, the Community Police Academy may be for you. This 13-week class meets once a week, from 6:30-9:30 p.m.

The Academy is designed to provide interested Seattle residents an opportunity to learn first-hand about how the Seattle Police Department works. The instruction provided at the Community Police Academy includes, but is not limited to patrol procedures, crime prevention, narcotics, use of force, youth crimes, domestic violence, and ride-a-longs with patrol officers.

The next Academy begins on Monday, Jan. 28. For more information, contact Ginny Heller at 615-0062.

Green Lake Park Alliance folds

In a December letter to its supporters, the Green Lake Park Alliance (GLPA) announced that it would become dormant due to lack of interest from the organization's membership. According to the letter, when no candidates stepped forward to fill positions on the GLPA board last October, the three departing board members who were present at the elections, Kristin Knopf, Ana Woehr and Martin Muller, decided to suspend the organization's activities. Members who recently paid their dues will receive their checks back, and no historical calender will be available for 2002. The GLPA's bird walks will continue as planned through late March.

Muller, the group's current fiscal agent, will continue to fulfill legal and administrative requirements of government agencies such as the State of Washington and the Internal Revenue Service.

"If ever the need for an advocacy group arises, GLPA will be available as an established 501(C)(3) organization," the letter said.

The GLPA hot line number is 985-9235.

Windows conform to code

Recently, some Northgate-area residents have become concerned over the lack of transparent windows at The Men's Wearhouse store located at 500 NE Northgate Way. Many of the building's windows are display windows, not visual portals that would reveal activities inside the building to passers-by and street activities to customers and employees indoors. In addition, two windows on the 5th Avenue NE side of the building are darkened.

According to Michael Kimelberg, urban designer with the City's Department of Design, Construction and Land Use (DCLU), buildings in the Northgate overlay district are required to have facades on pedestrian streets that are 60 percent transparent. However, he said, "(the code) also has a stipulation that transparency can be accomplished with display windows."

That holds true even if those display windows show pedestrians nothing but a new suit.

"There isn't any sort of maximum amount of transparency that can be accomplished with display windows," Kimelberg said. He added that in the future there should be a clarification of transparency and how display windows can be used.

Kimelberg also said that the two opaque windows do not seem to seem to conform to the code and that issue has been referred to a DCLU zoning compliance officer.

For more information, contact Michael Kimelberg of DCLU at 684-4625.

Diers, department heads let go

On Dec. 13, several City department heads learned they would not be returning to their posts in 2002. Jim Diers, director of the Department of Neighborhoods, Rick Krochalis, director of the Department of Design, Development, Construction and Land Use, Cliff Traisman, head of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, and Denna Cline, director of the Strategic Planning Office, will all be replaced with candidates selected by Mayor-elect Greg Nickels.

As the head of the Department of Neighborhoods since its inception in 1988, Diers had many fans in the communities his agency served. "I'm actually kind of appalled," said Jo Dawson, president of the Haller Lake Community Club. "When someone has done an excellent job as (Diers) has done, I feel they don't deserve that. They need to be commended, not dismissed."

"(Diers has) done a great job," said Marianne Bichsel, communications director for Nickel's transition team, "(but) Mayor Nickels felt a fresh perspective would be useful there. The neighborhoods department is a key priority for Greg."

Greenwood Community Council president Michael McGinn, a member of Nickel's transition team, said the Department of Neighborhoods had been viewed by community activists as more responsive than other departments.

Vote postponed on Northgate GDP amendment

A scheduled Dec. 17 City Council vote on an amendment to the Northgate Area Comprehensive Plan has been postponed until 2002, according to Jan Brucker, chair of Citizens for a Liveable Northgate (CFLN).

The amendment, proposed by City Council members Richard Conlin and Nick Licata, would have affirmed that large-scale residential developments (on site of six or more acres) would not be exempt from the general development process.

Brucker said some residential developers have been lobbying the Council to exempt such projects from the planning process which requires conceptual plans that address issues such as pedestrian movement and access to transit.

"(Exempting large residential projects from the GDP) takes away the opportunity for public scrutiny," Brucker said.

For details, contact CFLN at 526-5342 or the City Council at 684-8888.

U-District street project update

Street work for the "University Controllers" project, also known as the NE 50th Street Project, moved to NE 47th Street at 11th Avenue NE on Dec. 10 for concrete paving work. The Seattle Transportation Department recently announced that, at the request of local businesses, construction work on the project will be temporarily halted, from Dec. 24-Jan. 1, for the holidays. Crews will return to complete work on Roosevelt Way NE after the holidays, the department said. The project is scheduled to be completed this coming spring. A joint effort of Seattle Transportation and Seattle City Light, the project's purpose is to increase safety, better manage traffic during peak periods and special events and to improve electrical utilities.

Steinbrueck named council president

Seattle City Councilman Peter Steinbrueck, a Pinehurst resident, has been unanimously chosen by his fellow legislators as the new City Council President. The council will officially vote on this decision on Jan. 7. Steinbrueck replaces Margaret Pageler in the post.

The role of Council president (an office with two-year term) includes presiding over full council meetings, generally overseeing council business, and promoting efficient operation of the council and the City's legislative department. Also in the absence from the City or incapacitation of the Mayor, the Council president serves as acting Mayor.

For more information of the City Council, call 684-8888.

Lake City business sponsored Linda Bro wins first-runner up in pagaent

Linda Bro, a senior at Nathan Hale High School, was named first-runner up (just losing by a single point) in this year's Miss Washington Teen USA Pageant, which was held in late November at the SeaTac Hilton. She received a trophy as well as the following prizes: a $1,000 photo session (for her portfolio) from ABC Model, free Salsa dance lessons, a $350 gift certificate from a pageant dressmaker and a six-month gift certificate from 24-Hour Fitness. Bro is already taking classes at Shoreline Community College through Hale's "Running Start" program. In addition to holding a part-time job at Zeeks Pizza in Green Lake, she volunteers at the Lake City Chamber of Commerce. "You get out of life what you put into it," says Bro. "I put a lot of effort into (competing in the pageant) and did well." She also thanked the several Lake City-area businesses for sponsoring her.