Seattle Sun Newspaper - Vol. 7, Issue 1, January 2003
Copyright 2002 Seattle Sun. Please feel free to use the article and photos below in your research. Be sure to quote the Seattle Sun as your source.
The clash over taste continues...
Cranium's is community asset
In response to F. Bullock's rather nasty letter, "More eyesores in Lake City" (published in last month's Sun), we have three words: WE LOVE CRANIUM'S!
As a Lake City resident of nearly 20 years, I can attest to the fact that until Cranium's opened up there was no social hub in our community. How lucky we are to now have such a great place where we can meet for business lunches, have coffee with friends, or play a game of Scrabble or Yahtzee with our kids, in a clean, comfy, and smoke-free environment.
The food is delicious, the coffee fantastic, and one could not hope for more gracious hosts than owners Nancee and Leon. Lake City needs the liveliness, the fun, and the community spirit that Cranium's' purple-and-lime green exterior represents.
F. Bullock says, Tijuana? We say, Gracias!
---- ANNE AND ALAN PAISLEY, Lake City
Citizens polled: Spuds with butter knives (or, salmon swimming upstream) to stay put
Thank you to all who participated in our survey at the Lake City Chamber of Commerce-sponsored pancake breakfast, Nov. 10. The results were surprising and we would like to share them with you.
Over 200 people came down to the Lake City Community Center to view displays about activities in the community and to eat pancakes and ham. Of those, 63 felt strongly enough about the art work to "cast their vote" one way or another.
To the first question, "Are you fond of the Gateway Art Installation in the medians on Lake City Way?", 35 said yes, they love it, and 28 said they hate it almost a split in half.
When asked if they thought it should be relocated, 26 said yes, they would like it moved somewhere else, and 33 said no, they wanted it to stay in the medians just as the artist, Michael Sweeney, and the City installed it again, the opinion was almost split in half.
Some suggestions given for relocation included the following: Lake City Playground just south of Northeast 125th; lawn area in front of Lake City Little City Hall; Incorporate a space for it into the new Lake City Library expansion; the new greenbelt along the street in front of the auto dealerships; beside the SR-520 bridge.
While doing the survey, some other interesting ideas were voiced that Lake City Chamber and the Stewardship Committee might want to consider. Seven people suggested having a rotating outdoor art installation that changed three or four times a year, if it is not too costly. One individual thought, since so many people refer to the Gateway art as the "forks and potatoes" art, Lake City should hold an annual Lake City Potato Festival.
If you are wondering now what will be the outcome of our survey, it looks like the Gateway Art Installation will stay as long as the materials they are made of hold up to the elements. That is, unless our grandchildren no longer find they do just what art is supposed to do best be controversial.
If you have suggestions for future surveys, or are interested in the North District Neighborhoods Stewardship Committee, call me at 367-4635.
---- CHERYL KLINKER, Lake City
Shilshole route makes sense
Thank you for your recent coverage of efforts to complete the Burke-Gilman Trail. However, I believe your article missed a key point: If a route is chosen for the Burke-Gilman Trail other than Shilshole Avenue, bicyclists will bike along Shilshole Avenue anyway, just as they do now, but with safety and traffic flow problems that could be resolved by choosing what common sense dictates.
Shilshole Avenue is the most direct route for all vehicles. Shilshole Avenue is a major arterial into and out of Ballard. It is already a route that bikes use for the same reason cars do it is the quickest way to get you where you want to go.
Over 300 people attended the Seattle Department of Transportation's Open House on Nov. 19 to review Burke-Gilman Trail route alternatives between 11th Avenue Northwest and the Hiram Chittenden Locks. Most attendees were from Ballard and surrounding neighborhoods, and 95 percent or more noted their preference for completing the trail along Shilshole Avenue.
Shilshole Avenue is not just an industrial arterial. The most frequent users of Shilshole Avenue are not industrial trucks they are residential cars and bicycles going to work, going to school, and going to use the services of those businesses along the route.
With the creation of the Ballard Terminal Railroad, heavy truck traffic has decreased along Shilshole as products can be hauled by rail. Industrial use is primarily weekdays. In contrast, residential traffic is 24 hours, seven days a week.
A Burke-Gilman Trail along Shilshole Avenue will increase rather than decrease safety. Take away the shrill talk and look to what works. When the Burke-Gilman Trail was extended from Fremont to 8th Avenue Northwest, it was designed to provide safe and well-defined pedestrian and bike access while passing by an asphalt plant, marine businesses, a concrete truck yard, and Fred Meyer. Bikes, pedestrians, heavy trucks, and cars all travel this area without mishap.
With improvements to Shilshole Avenue, this increased safety can be extended.
A bike route doesn't have to look like a park. Opponents of the Shilshole Avenue route argue that a bike trail along Shilshole Avenue would put a park through the industrial core and be out of character. However, the Burke-Gilman Trail along Shilshole can be designed so that it is part of the arterial street and in character with the industrial setting.
---- FRANK HARRIS, Ballard
Welcome back, James!
It pleases me to see that James Bush has returned to Seattle as a journalist. During his tenure at the Seattle Weekly, I always felt he had the best recognition/comprehension of the political world of all the newspaper writers in town.
His December (Nov. 20-Dec. 17) article in the Seattle Sun ("State voters still talking") was well written. As an ex-service station operator (1955-1958), I did not think the 9-cent gas tax was much as gas today costs $1 or more today than 44 years ago. I voted against R-51 mostly as why penalize car buyers with an extra sales tax?
The passing of the monorail from Crown Hill to West Seattle rather boggles me. The Ballard canal to going up Mercer Street route via 15th Avenue and Elliott Avenue is along an industrial area west of this route, thus no residential hinterland in that area, it providing little ridership. The Magnolia residents probably won't ride it much. I was surprised to see it pass as I thought no car owner would vote for the 1.4 percent tax on car market value. Non-car owners probably voted heavily for it as they would not be paying for it.
---- MELVILLE FORDE, Wallingford
Publisher's response:
We are blessed to have James as interim reporter for a short time and hope he can continue to write his column for us in the future. His many year's of experience and infinite knowledge of local politics is an asset to any Seattle newspaper, large or small.