Aug 14 2009
Ballard Volunteer is recognized by the Seattle City Council
The official honoree for this year’s Ninth Annual Ballard High School Golf Classic is Jim Vatn. He was recognized for his ceaseless involvement in the Ballard community, as well as the city of Seattle.
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.
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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. 
