Ballard council wants to name 22nd Ave NW ‘Rob Mattson Way’

Meghan Walker Ballard

When he lived in Ballard, Rob Mattson was often referred to as the unofficial mayor of Ballard for his decades of service on the Ballard District Council. Mattson sadly passed away on September 5th, and members of the council want to memorialize him by naming 22nd Ave NW “Rob Mattson Way”.

Mattson was very active in local government for 40 years, until he retired and moved to Oak Harbor five years ago.

“His fingerprints are on virtually every civic project in the neighborhood,” an informational flyer designed by Thomas Whittemore on Facebook reads. “Rob’s friends in Ballard and in city government want to honor Rob and his service to the neighborhood and our city.”

To show support for the idea, Whittmore asks that residents write letters of support to the mayor and city council. Any questions about the campaign should be directed to Whittemore at 206-684-4096 or thomas.whittemore@seattle.gov.

Photo courtesy of the Ballard News-Tribune, Westside Seattle. Photo by Pulitzer Prize winner Jerry Gay

 

33 thoughts to “Ballard council wants to name 22nd Ave NW ‘Rob Mattson Way’”

  1. His name deserves a street not cluttered up with screaming junkies, criminal trash, and constant 911 sirens to Commons Park. Have some respect for yourself, Ballard.

    Clean up the human garbage; that would honor the man’s memory much more than some ceremony.

      1. Huh, that’s funny, because I work on Market and there’s sirens every 20 min- many of them headed up 22nd. It’s a running joke at break time for the employees on the block. I guess it must all be a group hallucination – like the junkies and car prowls and trash.

      2. Bull crap Mo! No, double bull crap! One of the most frequented medic/police/fire response 911 locations in the entire city – 2200 block NW 57th St. Usually involves sirens. Then there are all the police visits, and the 3X per day service by Parks and Rec crews for various things that don’t involve emergency response, but some sort of clean up or “maintenance.” How about we urge the City to put up some full time security cameras on poles and you can prove me wrong? I’m game.

        1. No, only Big Data 24 surveillance is acceptable. Actually using cameras to reduce crime is some kind of “civil rights blah blah gimme more taxes you bigots” nonsense.

          2. How about a junkie cam in the parks so we can catch dealers and round up the shitbags? You guys are all about policing social media “hey it’s just like a mall!” so why not police the DAMNED PARKS?

          3. “You guys”…what? What are you referring to that “us guys” said? Sounds like another of your loony tunes strawmen. I don’t know who that guy is who said whatever you’re so mad about, but go yell at him, not me.

            Answer the question: red light cameras? Automatic speeding ticket cameras? Yes or no?

        2. Ok. To be fair I can only attest to the hours I’m home and not at work. That being said I’ve been here 4 months and Ballard is beautiful compared to San Francisco. Ya’ll just like to complain.

          1. Actually, we would just like our neighborhood to be safe and quiet. Free from crime and outbursts of druggers, alcoholics and mentally ill (who should be in supervised environments). And, why would we want to compare ourselves to SF??? Not much to like there except the view. We would like to translate complaining into an action plan, but with piss poor elected officials like MOB that won’t happen.

          2. To be fair, our resident sockpuppet doesn’t live in Ballard and I highly doubt ever comes here. He likes to complain about how Ballard is some weird dystopian nightmare, but it’s easy to refute his sensationalist crap by simply walking outside.

            Ballard Commons may not be Sanssouci Park, but it’s still a decent park that gets a lot of legitimate use. Again, this can be proven by walking over to Ballard Commons, something the sockpuppet is trying to scare people against.

          3. Notices being posted for tent removal and clean-up being posted this morning at The Commons. Couple younger guys at the NE corner taking pulls off a vodka bottle at 8:30 this AM, with their St. Luke’s breakfast in hand. Looked to me like both were able bodied and should be working. Another guy with his backpack hanging from a sign, rolling a doobie. A bunch of breakfast garbage gathering on the sidewalk. Usual suspects in their various places. Yeah, this is a real community gathering place.

          4. Feel free to go back to SF!
            We enjoy Washington, not California. Comparing Seattle to those dumps just shows the our formerly high standards and quality of life are worth protecting and/or restoring.

  3. No, do not rename a numbered street. Rob was a great guy I was fortunate to be able to spend some time with him on a few occasions, yes he did much for Ballard.
    Renaming a street, especially a sequentially numbered street only leads to confusion and costs to the residents and businesses along the street. The streets were purposely laid out in a numbered pattern for everyone’s convenience.
    I am fine with honoring Rob, just do not change a street name.

      1. Have you done one single thing today except sit in front of your screen replying to every comment on this blog? And every single reply, all you have to say is “woe is me!”

        The reason you life is shit is not because of panhandlers or campers or because the god damn city council didn’t give you enough care and attention. It’s because you spend your days online feeling sorry for yourself.

        Carpe diem, loser. This is the only life you get and you’re pissing it away with your nonstop bellyaching.

        1. Askshually, my life is pretty sweet. Would be nice to not have to make excuses
          to visitors about why my VERY EXPENSIVE city and neighborhood often looks like they emptied the jails and dumped all the trash in the streets. I travel frequently, and this town is known far and wide as being a loony bin of backwards, corrupt politics and goober far left insanity. I would show you pics but I wouldn’t want to make you cry, Soyboy.

          1. The evidence of our own eyes says you go to work first thing in the morning, and you stay working until late at night. Your “work” consists of nothing but this right here. Bitching and complaining about Ballard.

            We’ve all known people whose lives are “pretty sweet”, and not one of them talks or acts like you in any way, shape or form. People who complain non-stop the way you do are invariably self-hating, depressed, low-energy losers. I don’t know a single happy, active, productive person who spends hours and hours a day posting on social media about the same exact shit over and over and over.

            That behavior is recognized as evidence of misery and self-loathing. Oh! But you’re the exception! Because you’re the special one.

            “I travel frequently”

            Sure you do. To visit your ‘girlfriend in Canada’ no doubt.

            Carpe diem, loser.

          2. Haha. Jezebel called. They said they want their warmed-over 2015 feminazi shaming tactics back or they’re gonna sue for copyright infringement.

            Pro Tip: I’d cease with the hobo activities. The locals are not having it.

    1. They don’t take away the number, they just add a brown street sign under the regular green one, like with “Edgar Martinez Way” down by the stadiums.

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