Seattle School Board President Michael DeBell will be holding an informal meeting this Saturday, October 24 from 9 to 11 a.m. at Caffè Appassionato, located at 4001 21st Avenue West (next to Fisherman’s Terminal) in Magnolia.

The meet-up will give parents an opportunity to discuss their concerns and questions about the new student assignment plan and boundary map, and the plans to re-open Old Hay in Queen Anne as K-5 Montessori “option school.”

At around 9:15 p.m. last night, Tuesday, October 20, police responded to a call involving a fight between residents of an apartment building in the 1000 block of W. Nickerson St.

According to the report, the suspect, who was intoxicated, punched the victim in the face. The victim then punched the suspect back, when the suspect pulled out a folding knife and proceeded to chase the victim with it, threatening to kill him and his family while they slept.

The victim eventually drew a hand gun, causing the suspect to stop chasing and threatening him with the knife. Officers then arrived and arrested the suspect, who spit at one officer’s face and kicked the other in the thigh while he was handcuffed and being escorted to the patrol car.

No one was injured. The suspect was booked into King County Jail and is currently under investigation of assault.

The Pasta & Co. on the top of the hill (at 1935 Queen Anne Ave N) is having a special wine and food pairing event this week. Guests are invited to enjoy a selection of wines from Knight Hill Winery, alongside gourmet eats by the Seattle-based specialty deli/bakery on Thursday evening.

This return event was a favorite of wine-lover and frequent customers, according to Pasta & Co. employee Alison Pirtle.

“We did this event in August and it was a huge success!” Pirtle said, adding that attendees will have the opportunity to talk with winemakers and blend their own wine varieties with the help of Knight Hill staff.

The event starts at 7 p.m. on Thursday, October 22. Cost is $20 a person, on RSVP only. For more information about the event, or to RSVP, contact the Queen Anne Pasta & Co. at 206.283.1182.

Seattle City Light has announced another planned power outage on Monday, October 26, so that they may make further repairs to the underground electrical distribution system. It is scheduled to begin sometime after midnight and continue until 7 a.m.

City Light is contacting those who will be affected directly. These are supposed to be the same group of businesses and residents who were affected by the planned power outage on Sunday, September 27. For more information, contact Mike Eagan at (206) 615-1691 or mike.eagan@seattle.gov.

After the problems that ensued over the last several Queen Anne power outages, what do you think about this planned outage? Email us at tips@queenanneview.com.

Seattle sure did have a lot of snow last year. In preparation for a similarly white winter season, the city introduced a new snow response plan, along with the announcement that they have hired a new street maintenance director, Monty Sedlak, who has more direct snow experience (he’s was formerly the Road and Bridge Division manager for Arapahoe County, Colo.) earlier this month.

To further prepare for quicker and more efficient snow response this year, the city and the Seattle Department of Transportation will be holding a series of open houses around the city so that community members can familiarize themselves with the new plan, ask question, and get tips on how to better prepare for the winter season. Our meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 27 at 7 p.m. at the Queen Anne Community Center. For a map and directions, click here (pdf).

• A new approach to snow that includes an expanded use of salt brine and salt, and limited use of sand;
• Significant improvements to facilities and fleet to include GPS technology and weather awareness;
• An improved organizational structure and significant training for winter storms;
• A commitment to better communicate with the people of Seattle and agency partners; and
• Performance measures to objectively evaluate accomplishments.

For a list of all the Winter Weather Open Houses in the area and further information on the new snow plan, click here. Download the Winter Weather snow map here (pdf).

The rain is beginning to set in, a sign that the winter season is just around the corner for Seattle. And cold temperatures mean it’s out with fans and in with household heaters. According to the Seattle Fire Department, “Heating equipment is a leading cause of home fires during the months of December, January and February.” So with winter on the horizon, the fire department has offered residents a few tips on how to heat your home safely. Here’s what they say:

• Keep items away from all heaters, including baseboard heaters
• All furniture, curtains, or any other items should be kept at least 12 inches away from baseboard heaters
• Never block the flow of heat
• Have your heating systems and chimneys inspected, cleaned and repaired prior to the heating season

The fire department also recommends you install smoke alarms on every level and outside every sleeping area in your apartment or home. They say you should test your smoke alarms monthly and change the batteries at least once a year.

For more fire safety tips, click here.

The Seattle City Council agreed today to move forward with the Alaskan Way Viaduct deep bored tunnel and Seawall Replacement by unanimous vote, agreeing to a Memorandum of Agreement with the Washington Department of Transportation.

According to the press release, “The agreement authorized today outlines the city and state’s funding and construction responsibilities and outlines Seattle’s $927 million obligation to the project set for completion in 2018.” The Council is expected to act next year on proposed funding options, which could include “an increase in the Commercial Parking tax and a new Transportation Benefit District to collect vehicle license fees.”

Shortly after the council vote was announced, Mayoral candidate Mike McGinn responded to the decision with the champagne-beer analogy.

“I disagree with the decision. I disagree with the timing. But the reality is Mayor Nickels and the Council have entered into an agreement, and the City is now committed to the tunnel plan. If I’m elected Mayor, although I disagree with this decision, it will be my job to uphold and execute this agreement. It is not the Mayor’s job to withhold the cooperation of city government in executing this agreement,” McGinn said, stating that although he disagrees, he will continue to “ask the though questions” about where the money is coming from and where the financial burden will fall.

“I’m worried the people that want the tunnel have a champagne appetite and the City has a beer budget. The question is who will end up paying the tab,” he said.

Councilmember Nick Licata also made a post-announcement statement, in which he explained that did not believe this vote to be contractual.

“This agreement is policy statement, not a contract. I do not agree with certain elements of it, such as the intent to spend $150 million on the Mercer Project. But what is most important to me is providing a clear record that the city is not consenting to the provision of state law requiring Seattle-area property owners to pay for cost overruns,” he said. “I do not believe that in passing this agreement, the city of Seattle is agreeing to pay any cost overruns on the deep bore tunnel.”

Seattle City Council opted to relocate Fire Station 20 to 15th Ave W and W Armour St. in a unanimous vote this afternoon, concluding a four-year dispute. As part of the decision, the Council authorized the purchase of two vacant lots and two small commercial properties along the east side of 15th Ave W.

“This new location is the best for our public safety needs. It maintains fire department response times and allows for the construction of a much larger station that will serve this area of the city for many, many years,” said Councilmember Tim Burgess.

Fire Station 20 is currently located at  3205 13th Avenue West, where it was built 60 years ago at. It is one of the smallest fire stations in the city, and is considered by Mayor Nickels to be in the worst shape. In its current condition it cannot adequately accommodate modern equipment nor the recommended staffing levels. The relocating and rebuilding of the station at its new location will be funded by the Fire Facilities and Emergency Response Levy, passed by voters in 2003, along with dedicated city resources.

Although many worry that this location will bring added noise to the residential area, at the new location the station would be close to its response area’s geographic mean (Upper Queen Anne and Uptown), and have convenient access to Magnolia, Interbay, Ballard, South Lake Union and parts of downtown. The new station would also be big enough to house a drive-through, and possibly third bay.

Over the last month there have been dozens of dental and medical offices targeted by burglars looking for medical drugs and dental gold, including that used for gold crowns, according to police. Last week our sister site, Phinneywood, reported on one of the more recent burglaries that happened at a medical clinic in the 400 block of North 85th Street.

According to the Seattle Police Department roughly 30-35 overnight burglaries have been reported since the start of September. Most have been north of downtown, but similar burglaries have happened in West Seattle and Bellevue that Seattle Police spokesman Mark Jamieson said could be connected.

One of two similar burglaries that happened early last week was on Queen Anne, in the 600 block of W McGraw St., according to a report by the Seattle PI. According to police, someone had pried open and unscrewed the circular key lock from a metal-framed glass door in the back of the dental office and made off with a metal cash box containing a copy of the owner’s business credit card information. And much like the other recent medical and dental office burglaries, things like computers, electronics, iPods and cameras were not taken.

“They seem to be medical or dental offices. Other than that, there’s no pattern. Once the suspects break into the place, they will take whatever. Sometimes it’s drugs, sometimes it’s gold,” Jamieson said. “They are breaking into places that are alarmed and that doesn’t seem to be a deterrent.”

According to police, one burglary netted $10,000 in scrap gold.

Extra officers have been assigned to emphasis patrols and stakeouts of likely targets, Jamieson said. There is no proof that this recent spell of burglaries are connected, but currently the North Precinct and South Precinct officers are working together to see if these incidences may be related.

According to the West Seattle blog there have been three similar incidents in West Seattle recently, and last Wednesday three people were detained by police after they were seen behaving suspiciously outside a dental office. One was interviewed on the scene and released, the other two were arrested. They have now been identified as “persons of interest.”

For more information on the string of burglaries, read the story at Phinneywood. For more information on the Queen Anne incident, see the Seattle PI.

This week construction crews are installing traffic cameras at the intersection of 15th Ave. and Emerson, one of many new cameras planned the 15th Ave corridor. Although the city has more than 50 traffic cameras (not red light cameras) working right now, these are the first to be in in the northwest Seattle area. Peg Neilsen with the Seattle Department of Transportation tells us that traffic cameras are will soon be installed at these nearby intersections:

-Elliott Ave W & W Mercer St
-15th W & W Dravus
-15th Ave NW & NW Leary Way

There are also several more cameras going in farther north on 15th. According to Neilsen, the system is scheduled to go online in March 2010. Get the full story at our sister site, My Ballard.

According to a report by the Seattle Police Department, at approximately 7:45 a.m. this morning a witness saw a suspect break into a business on the 100 block of Roy St. using the store’s front door. The suspect then stole 17 pairs of glasses and some cash from the register. The suspect then left the store, and was followed to the Seattle Center grounds by the witness, who was on a bike. Police set up containment, and officers and Seattle Center security located and arrested the suspect on the fourth floor. The witness positively identified the suspect, and all stolen items were recovered and returned to the store. The suspect was then booked into King County Jail on investigation of burglary.

The Seattle Department of Transportation will  be doing tree maintenance on the west side of Aurora Ave N tomorrow, Tuesday, October 20 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., closing down the far right curb lane from Thomas and John streets. There will be no through-traffic on Thomas between 6th Ave N and Aurora Ave N. There will be a detour for motorists traveling east on Thomas Street to access southbound Aurora, one block north on Harrison St. Only local access will be allowed on Thomas St.

One of our readers has found a full set of car and house keys on the corner of 2nd Ave W and W Boston. If these are your keys, you must be missing them! Call (303) 601-1151 to claim.

Rain or shine, there’s plenty to do in Queen Anne this weekend, and even a few fun activities off the hill!

Queen Anne:

• Check out the Connecting for Compassionate Action Festival on Saturday, October 17 at Seattle Center’s Fisher Pavilion from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and answer the question “How shall we inspire and support compassionate action in ourselves, our communities, and our world?”
• Swing by the Remodeled Homes Tour on Saturday to see how Queen Anne does green building. 10 a.m to 5 p.m, sites vary. Click here for more information.
• Check out the 14th Annual Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival at SIFF Cinema, until next Sunday, October 25. There are numerous showings all weekend long.
• Also at SIFF this weekend, the Festival of New Spanish Cinema continues, wrapping up its finally showings on Wednesday, October 21.

Near By Neighbors:

• Fremont has jazz music, a chocolate factory-turned experimental restaurant, park cleanup, inaugural Homebrew Competition and much more. Check our or sister site, Fremont Universe, for details.
• Ballard has a Norwegian Genealogy Workshop, Burke Gilman Trail Work Party, Boys & Girls Club auction, the Rat City Rollers, and much more. Check our sister site, My Ballard, for details.

Around Town:

• Take the kids and check out one of the many Week Without Violence festivities around the city, brought to you by Seattle Parks and Recreation.
• Spend an evening with Kevin Smith, writer of “Clerks” and “Mallrats” at Benaroya Hall on Saturday at 7 p.m.
• Jam for a good cause on Sunday from 2 p.m. to 1 a.m. when local hip-hop group The Blue Scholars and break dance crew Massive Monkees perform to raise money for Philippine flood victims. Click here for more information.

If you’d rather sit back and watch a game or two, check out the schedule at The Spectator. For karaoke or piano duels, check the weekend schedules at Ozzie’s and Chopstix.

And remember, two lanes will be closed on Aurora all day Saturday, so watch out for added traffic.

Have you seen a silver/grey kitty with yellow green eyes wandering around the neighborhood lately? His name is Franklin, and he’s been missing for over two weeks now.

Franklin was last seen by his owner, Karena, at 2nd Avenue W and W Olympic Pl., on Tuesday, September 29. Because he lives just on the cusp of Uptown and Upper Queen Anne, there’s no telling which direction he may have gone. However, Karena received a call earlier today from a woman who spotted Franklin at Seattle Center. According to Karena, Franklin is usually not scared of people.

“He’s never been outside, and at this point he’s been outside for two weeks, so I have no idea what his behavior would be,” Karena said. “The woman who saw him at Seattle Center said he was friendly and outgoing.”

Karena is particularly concerned because Franklin is normally an indoor cat and is not wearing a collar. The only distinguishing mark he has is on his left ear, which is slightly tipped, with a small portion missing. If you’ve seen Franklin, please call Karena at (360) 739-1975 or email us at tips@queenanneview.com.

There will be free activities around town this week for youth ages 13 to 19 as part of Seattle Parks and Recreation‘s celebration of the Week Without Violence, an annual event that gives kids a forum to express their feelings about violence in their communities in a fun and safe environment.

“Week Without Violence takes on a new importance and gravity this year,” said Parks Superintendent Tim Gallagher in a press release this week. “We’ve started work in partnership with other agencies to implement Mayor Nickels’ Youth Violence Prevention Initiative,” and it’s critical that we get the word out to our youth about what they can learn during this week.”

The program, which will run from Saturday, October 17 to Friday, October 23, kicks off tonight with a special event from 6 to 11 p.m. at the Southwest Community Center, located at 2801 SW Thistle St. There will be a 5-5 basketball tournament, a breakdance competition, video tournaments, a resource fair, music and free food. (The first 400 participants get a free t-shirt).

On Thursday, October 22 the celebration comes to Queen Anne, with a ping pong tournament at the Queen Anne Community Center, located at 1901 First Ave. W at 5 p.m. Call (206) 386-4240 for more information. On Friday, October 23 there will be a $2 teen swim (School ID required) from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Ballard Pool, located at 1471 NW 67th St. Call (206) 684-4094 for more information.

This year the event will emphasize the Seattle Youth Violence Prevention Initiative, through which the City and partners will seek 800 youth at highest risk of either perpetuating violence or becoming victims of it. By identifying youth who are vulnerable to violence, the initiative will work to help them stay in school, prevent the perpetuation of the cycle of violence and help youth who have spent time in state detention programs re-enter society.

For a full list of the week’s activities, read below.

Friday, October 16

Ladies’ Night Out: 7 p.m.-Midnight at the South Park Community Center (8319 Eighth Ave. S). Info: 206-684-7451

Hoop Without Violence (Kickoff Event): Free 5-on-5 team basketball competition – call ahead to sign up. 8 p.m.-Midnight at the Southwest Community Center (2801 SW Thistle St.). Info:  206-684-7438

Break from Violence B-Boy Battle (Kick-Off Event): A breakdance competition, come watch or participate! 6-11 p.m. at the Southwest Community Center (2801 SW Thistle St.). Info: 206-684-7438

Saturday, October 17

Self-Defense Class: Learn martial arts for the purpose of self-defense. Meet at the ID/CCC; we’ll provide transportation to the Garfield Teen Life Center. 7-9 p.m. at the International District Chinatown Community Center (719 8th Ave. S). Info: 206-233-0042

Mural Painting Workshop: Participate in a mural painting workshop with local artists.  Free pizza! 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center (6535 Ravenna Ave. NE). Info: 206-684-7534

Monday, October 19

Peace Mural: Stamp out the violence by using your creativity and artistic talents. 3-6 p.m. at the Jefferson Community Center (3801 Beacon Ave. S). Info: 206-684-7481

Hip Hop Hoop: Fusion of hip hop and basketball; food and give-aways! 3-6 p.m. at the Rainier Beach Community Center (8825 Rainier Ave. S). Info: 206-386-1925

Discussion on Non-Violent Dating: 5-7 p.m. at the Van Asselt Community Center (2820 S Myrtle St.). Info: 206-386-1921

Tuesday, October 20

Breaking the Cycle Art Project & Video: Enjoy refreshments while contributing to a mural titled “Breaking the Cycle,” which will be displayed in the community center’s teen room. 4-6 p.m. at the Northgate Community Center (10510 5th Ave. NE). Info: 206-386-4283

Free Teen Swim: 7-8 p.m. at the Green Lake Community Center and (Evans) Pool (7201 E Green Lake Dr. N). Info:  206-684-0780

Police vs. Community Center Dodgeball Game: Join teens at the ID/CCC and challenge the Seattle Police Department to a friendly game of dodgeball! 4:30-5 p.m. at the International District Chinatown Community Center (719 8th Ave. S). Info: 206-233-0042

Indoor Soccer Tournament: Soccer and pizza!  Please call ahead to register! 5-8 p.m. at the High Point Community Center (6920 34th Ave. SW). Info: 206-684-7422

Wednesday, October 21

“Lost Ones” Candle Light Memorial: Bring a candle and photo of a loved one. Local teens will talk about how their lives have changed since they’ve lost a loved one to violence. Van leaves at 6 p.m. from the Garfield Teen Life Center (428 23rd Ave.). Info: 206-684-4550

Non-Violence Movie with Discussion: 6-8 p.m. at the Van Asselt Community Center (2820 S Myrtle St.). Info: 206-386-1921

Thursday, October 22

Pumpkin Carve: Free pumpkin carving, hot apple cider, and pumpkin pie! 5 p.m. at the Hiawatha Community Center (2700 California Ave. SW). Info: 206-684-7441

Ping Pong Tournament: 5 p.m. start at the Queen Anne Community Center (1901 First Ave. W) Info: 206-386-4240

Art Pictures on Non-Violence: 5-7 p.m. at the Van Asselt Community Center (2820 S Myrtle St.) Info: 206-386-1921

Friday, October 23

$2 Teen Swim: School I.D. Required. 7-8 p.m. at the Ballard Pool (1471 NW 67th St.). Info: 206-684-4094

Skate Without Hate: Free skating, live D.J., hot dogs, punch, and ice cream! 9 p.m.-Midnight at the Bitter Lake Community Center ANNEX – 13040 Greenwood Ave. N (at Broadview Thomson Elementary). Info: 206-684-7524

Family Harvest Festival: Hot apple cider, snacks, and chalk art competition. Bring a non-perishable food item and receive a free pumpkin to paint!  Free fingerprinting will be available. 4-6 p.m. at the International District Chinatown Community Center – 700 S Lane St, (International Children’s Park). Info: 206-233-0042

Karaoke & Open Mic Jam: Free food, music, games, and entertainment in the auditorium! 9-11 p.m. at the Magnuson Community Center (7110 62nd Ave. NE). Info: 206-684-7026

Pledge to Non-Violence Dinner: A home-cooked meal and glow in the dark tournament! 8 p.m. start at the Meadowbrook Teen Life Center – 10517 35th Ave. NE (at Nathan Hale High School). Info: 206-684-7523

The new school attendance boundary maps released by the School District last week have sparked a lot of questions from the community, especially for Queen Anne, a neighborhood without enough schools to house all of its students. One major controversy has been the zoning of Queen Anne and Magnolia students to Ballard High School, while many Ballard students are slated to go to Ingraham. The new boundary maps also necessitate the reopening of several Seattle schools, including Old Hay at 411 Boston Street, which for ten years was the location of the Secondary Bilingual Orientation Center (SBOC) until it was moved to Capitol Hill in September.

The School District plans to renovate and reopen Old Hay as an “option school” to help ease overcrowding and meet enrollment projections for the Queen Anne and Magnolia neighborhoods. For the 2010-2011 school year, students in the program will be bused to Lincoln High School, and Old Hay would reopen on Queen Anne as a K-5 Montessori school in fall 2011.

Successful Schools in Action, an educational non-profit organization on Queen Anne that encompasses six schools on the hill and in Magnolia, will be hosting two collaborative community meetings to discuss program options for Old Hay’s new K-5 programs, and a new name for the school. The two meetings will be held on:

Wednesday, October 21 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at Coe Elementary Cafeteria, located at 2424 7th Ave. W. and Thursday, October 29 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at Catharine Blaine Elementary Library, located at 2550 34th Ave. W.

SSIA, which provides resources, tutoring and math programs for diverse groups of students citywide, received a $5,000 grant from Bank of America this summer for their work. According to the organization, Old Hay as an option school will “offer unique programs that are all-city draws, with attendance preference given to a small, local geographic area.”

“The District has proposed this school become a Montessori K-5 school, but they are asking for our feedback,” they wrote in an invitation to the community. “This is our opportunity to work together and provide input to the district on our newest neighborhood school.”

Around 40 community members attended the Port of Seattle candidate forum tonight, put on by the Magnolia Community Club, the Municipal League Foundation, the Queen Anne Community Council and the Magnolia Chamber of Commerce.

Four candidates running for two non-partisan Port Commissioner seats – Rob Holland and David Doud for Position 3, and Tom Albro and Max Vekich (who was unable to attend due to an out of town engagement, and was represented by campaign member Kenyon Foxworthy) for Position 4 – spoke about issues of critical interest to the Queen Anne and Magnolia communities. John Creighton, who is running unopposed for Position 1, was invited to the forum but was unable to attend.

The candidates were each given an opportunity to respond to questions compiled by the sponsoring organizations. There was no time allotted for open Q & A from the floor, however audience members were encouraged to jot down follow-up questions on cards that were taken time permitting.

Much of the conversation centered around issues of particular concern to the Queen Anne and Magnolia neighborhoods, including problems with airplane traffic noise, the growing cruise ship presence at Pier 91, and the deep bore tunnel, an estimated $300 million project (though some say the cost would be more) proposed as a replacement for the Alaskan Way Viaduct.

When asked their thoughts on expanding or contracting the number of cruise ships that would go in and out of Pier 91, the candidates all shared a sense of the economic benefits the industry has brought to the city, but were divided on how to handle many of the associated problems.

Doud said that the cruise ship industry was a “success story for Seattle,” that brings in over $2 million per ship. He acknowledged that the heightened traffic congestion along 15th Ave was an issue that required future attention, but urged the audience to “focus on the positive” economic gains. Albro spoke about the affect the Port has on communities all around King County, while Holland said he was “a community guy,” and spoke about the need to fully represent surrounding neighborhoods. Foxworthy, speaking for Vekich, brought up another issue. “There are environmental concerns as well,” he said, speaking about the toxic emissions cruise ships give off, and proposing an investment in new technology for cruise and container ships that would “scrub carbon in the exhaust,” “eliminating 96 percent of emissions,” an idea that all of the candidates agreed was worth further investigation (Currently this technology is being tested at the Port of Los Angeles).

(Left to right: Kenyon Foxworthy in for Max Vekich, David Doud, Tom Albro and Rob Holland).

The next issue was brought up by an audience member, a Magnolia man, who was asked to address the candidates directly due to the complex nature of the topic. “Over flights are increasing,” he began, explaining that the noise is loud and disruptive over the neighborhood. He went on to explain that in many cities all over the country – New York, Washington D.C., Minneapolis – airlines go out of their way not to disturb the neighborhoods they fly over, asking the candidates why the passenger airlines, and mainly freight flights, could not utilize Puget Sound as a north-south passageway and fly over the water, leaving the neighborhoods in peace. “You can’t hear yourself think,” he said. “Unless you live here, you don’t understand the noise. And it’s increasing!”

All of the candidates responded that they would, if elected, work to alleviate this problem. Albro spoke of implementing next generation air traffic control technology that would spread flight routes out over the city and eliminate noise concentration. Holland said that he would work with leadership on a federal level and the FAA on noise control. “The problem is that when the airport is controlled by a Port Authority, there’s very little control there,” he said. “We need to work on having a better relationship with the FAA.” Foxworthy talked about Vekich’s opposition to the third runway at Sea-Tac due to noise concerns, and said it was one of the top issues he was working on. Doud said that he would work with Sea-Tac’s biggest airline, Alaska, a supporter of his, to better noise issues, but did not acknowledge the many freight flights coming out of Boeing that contribute to the problem. This raised the complicated question of whether or not the Port should extend its reach to Boeing field.

In regards to the deep bore tunnel project as a proposed replacement to the Viaduct, all candidates were in support of the project, but with various stipulations. Albro talked about the need for a two-way corridor downtown, but said he wished he’d been involved in the original talks. Holland said he was a supporter, but only “up to $300 million.” He also emphasized that his position would represent the community, regardless of his personal stance. Foxworthy talked about Vekich’s longtime support of the project, but “There’s still a lot of work to be done before something is started with the Viaduct,” he said. “The Port needs to continue to have the bargaining power.”

Other topics discussed at the forum included the Eastside rail corridor, Fisherman’s Terminal, the deadheading of cabs from the airport to Pier 91, the expansion of a streetcar line down the waterfront to Port 99, the Port of Tacoma, the North Bay property and the Tax Levy.

Nearly 200 people packed Ballard High School’s library Wednesday night to participate in a community meeting about the controversial proposal to create Seattle school boundaries. “I thought it was going to be packed,” Ballard High Principal Phil Brockman told us as the crowd gathered. “But not this packed.” One of the main concerns of many Ballard families north of the 85th St. boundary was whether or not students from Queen Anne and Magnolia, who would be in Ballard High School’s attendance area based on the new boundary map, should be allowed to attend BHS while their kids are sent to Ingraham.

Tracy Libros, who heads up enrollment for the school district, ran through a Powerpoint of the proposed student assignment boundaries, which were released October 6th. Libros said that the district is looking “at all the boundaries” to make possible changes. “We do believe that the initial proposal did not balance out the enrollment in the north end high schools, so we’re looking at that,” she said, explaining the new maps will be released on November 3rd. A school official told us the possible changes aren’t due to bad or incomplete data, but part of “continued refinement.”

Parents split into groups to discuss their concerns and questions, which were later read to the room. “The North Ballard community is very, very concerned about being cut off,” said one parent, referring to the dividing line at 85th St. that splits Ballard High to the south with Ingraham High (on 135th St. NW) to the north. Many other parents agreed. “I’d like to go to the defense of the families of the neighborhood of North Beach, Olympic Manor, the Blue Ridge area and Green Arbor (near Carkeek Park),” another parent said. “Any of our kids can get on a bus in those neighborhoods and be to Ballard in 15 minutes. And any kids that takes a bus from those neighborhoods in Ingraham takes an hour to an hour and a half.” One group even walked to Ballard High from 85th for the meeting, explaining that it took just 25 minutes.

While North Ballard residents felt cut off, some didn’t mince words about the fact Queen Anne and Magnolia kids will be attending Ballard High under the new boundary maps. “Obviously Queen Anne and Magnolia have a right to come to Ballard, but why aren’t they fighting the fact they sold Queen Anne High School several years ago? They should go to Ingraham,” one man said to a thundering applause. “Have them build their own (high school),” exclaimed another. Another parent brought up the new boundary that divides Whittier and West Woodland Elementary schools. “It will fragment the Whittier Heights neighborhood,” she said.

Read the full story at our sister site, My Ballard.