Despite the fact that our mayor forgot to check the appropriate box, city officials are upholding his Noise Ordinance veto. According to Mayor Sherlock's spokesperson Vivian Phillips, the law department says the veto will stand because the city clerk, not the mayor, was the one responsible for failing to check the elusive box. Tina Podlodowski's office, however, says the veto will stand because the council took pity on the mayor and decided not to challenge it. The city council plans to craft a new noise ordinance in response to the half-baked veto. ALEXANDRA HOLLY-GOTTLIEB

Show and Tell

Washington State Convention & Trade Center workers were asked to fill out a form last week -- Social Security number, date of birth, address, etc. -- that would be turned over to the Seattle Police Department. Seattle's finest will be doing background checks to "determine [a worker's] eligibility" to work during the World Trade Organization conference. Convention Center employees, some of whom have worked there as long as nine years, were offended by the form, which released WSCTC from "any liability or damage which may result from... any background check." NANCY DREW

Lost in Translation

Public transportation jargon is evidently not a universal language. For example, in an effort to translate city light rail plans for different ethnic communities, including Ethiopians, Sound Transit wrote (in Amharic) that light rail would run through a "cave." NANCY DREW

Campaign Trail Curiosities

City council candidate Curt Firestone was seen at Fauntleroy and 35th in West Seattle last week, knocking down a Cheryl Chow sign. Never mind that Stranger Death Squad member Dan Savage already has that job covered -- Firestone should note that his opponent is Margaret Pageler. The eyewitness honked and waved. Firestone smiled and waved back.

* * *

Coordinating election day volunteers? Making last minute "get out the vote" phone calls? Nah. Charlie Chong's longhaired campaign manager, Matt Fox, spent Monday night winning over the teen (and middle-aged) metal constituency. Fox's band, Dinsdale, opened for local headbanger legends Queensrÿche at the Paramount.