CRIME : WHO GOT ROBBED THIS WEEK?

This is pretty funny. A woman entered the Texaco on Denny Way and told the cashier to give her all the money in the register. When the cashier said no, she said she would go get a gun out of her car if he didn't. [Wow, armed robbery without the armed part, who knew?] The cashier tried to call police but the woman apparently was TOO BURLY FOR HIM [hello, wimp cashier alert] and took the phone away and THREATENED HIM WITH A STAPLER! [Don't laugh, you could put someone's eye out with that you know.]

Police who had been watching from across the street the whole time [which makes you wonder why the cashier did not just walk out the door and wave for help] we guess decided that stapler situation looked dangerous enough to investigate. At which point they discovered the woman's [gunless, now there is a surprise] car was stolen. Wow. Wonder what she used to steal the car? We are thinking around here maybe rubber bands?

PILFERRED NEWS : MONORAIL FOLLIES

Monorail plans are unhinged and we do not mind saying so. According to Belltown Community Council January 2002 Minutes, The Elevated Transportaion Company [ETC] has decided, in spite of everyone in the community being opposed, 2nd Avenue is just the best Avenue to rip up and install a mass transit monorail on. Forget the fact 5th Avenue already has a monorail so would be less effected. Forget the fact all businesses on 2nd Avenue will lose massive business during any [long term] construction. Forget the fact property values on 2nd Avenue will plummet because, well, when most people say "view" in real estate, they do not mean they are the view. Forget the fact people who live on 2nd Avenue maybe do not want a monorail zipping past the bedroom window. The ETC sure has. Why shouldn't you?

Questions and rude suggestions about monorail plans in Belltown should be directed to becky@balloug.com. You can also visit the [confusing and not informative] ETC homepage at http://www.elevated.org if you are feeling brave but take a compass. Personally, we think it's time to gather villagers and torches.

URBAN UPDATES: NEW COMMUNITY CENTER?

According to Joelle Ligon, Seattle Parks and Recreation will be building a community center in Belltown in the near future and in the nearer future will be holding a community meeting to discuss the center plans with interested community members. Details as they unfold. . . .

PILFERRED NEWS : VIADUCT UPDATE OR, MORE BAD TRANSIT IDEAS

According to Belltown Paper Carol Hunter and Kristen Nielson from SeaTran presented three options for replacing the Alaska Way Viaduct to the Belltown Community Council recently. Those three options were "Arial like the existing viaduct, Boring like the Chunnel, and Cut and Cover like the Bus Tunnel." Also according to Belltown Paper, the most likely choice is "Cut and Cover" because that would replace the in-big-trouble-failing sea wall.

Is it just us, or is a "just kidding because we didn't want to buy a sea wall " tunnel a really bad idea?

PILFERRED NEWS : BYE BYE BIA?

According to SeattleIndex.com news, The BIA [Business Improvement Area] is about to lose its socks.The "No BIA!" Coalition handed the city petitions showing 71 percent support for disestablishment of the BIA. Reasons cited were, in a nutshell, it costs hundreds of thousands of dollars and doesn't do anything. Um. Ooops. Read The Article