Oct 11 2009
Burl Garnett Jr. vs. SDOT: A Happy Outcome
For fifteen years Burl Garnett, Jr. reluctantly put up with a 4-way “right turn only” traffic star in his neighborhood. Well, Burl decided he was not going to put up with it anymore! You see, the star intersection at 44th Avenue South and South Holly (the only one of its kind in the city) caused Burl, his neighbors and visitors to drive blocks out of their way because of the “right turn only” situation. Disobedience would often times result in a traffic citation. It suffices to say that Burl and his neighbors decided to take this matter into their own hands and correct the situation.
In January of 2009 Burl successfully gathered enough signatures for a petition to have the traffic star changed to a traffic circle that would allow turns in all directions. However, he encountered bureaucratic roadblocks at the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) which made it difficult for the neighborhood’s request to have the star removed become a reality. Burl placed a call to my office for help. My staff assisted Burl along with SDOT’s Tracy Burrows and Luke Korpi in making the star become a circle. But the real hero in this is Burl Garnett, Jr. I commend him for his tenacity to get this job done. Great job Burl!
I am excited to share with you the exciting news of Joanne Harrell’s appointment to the UW Board of Regents. I am honored that she is being recognized for her commitment to the University of Washington and this region. Thank you Governor Chris Gregoire for this fantastic appointment. 
I must share with you a huge honor for our family. My wife Joanne Harrell is being recognized for her career and public service as one of six inductees to the 2009 University of Washington Department of Communication “Hall of Fame.” The community celebration will take place on October 29, 2009, at the University of Washington Club, starting at 5:00 pm. 
Jim Vatn was this year’s honoree at the Ninth Annual Ballard High School’s Golf Classic. In recognition of his work, I asked the Seattle City Council to sign a proclamation recognizing Jim for his hard work and dedication, perseverance and commitment to build Ballard High School’s sports and music programs into the strong departments they are today, and contributions to Seattle’s diverse cultural population.
We lost one of my heroes on July 19, 2009. Bob Markholt passed away from complications of lymphoma at age 72. Bob was a tenured faculty member at the Seattle Vocational Institute (SVI) and head of the Pre-Apprenticeship Construction Training Program (PACT). The success of the program Bob built made it a model for similar programs nationwide. Bob was a true advocate for people and social justice. Many young people enter PACT either having been in prison or on the path to it. Through PACT, Bob empowered young people by providing them the training and self-esteem to land jobs as carpenters, electricians, brick layers, laborers, painters, sheet metal workers, cement masons, plumbers and roofers.
“Reinvesting in Youth” as an organization headed by former elected official Jim Street, has mobilized communities for the purpose of addressing our schools’ dropout issue. Its work has been informative and groundbreaking. Educators and administrators alike agree that schools need the support from the larger community in meeting the challenges faced by struggling students. 
