The Hall Monitor Has a Gun!

Bainbridge High School students want to keep guns off their campus. But it isn't trigger-happy juvenile delinquents they're worried about. It's cops. "We, the undersigned, object strongly to having an armed police officer on the Bainbridge High School campus," declares a petition signed in May by more than a fourth of the 1,200 students who attend Bainbridge, one of the island's two high schools. The petition comes in response to a pending school board vote on the cops' proposal to have an officer in the school three days a week to teach an anti-drug class, patrol the halls, and in the Bainbridge Island Police Department's words, "bridge the gap between police officers and young people, and increase positive attitudes toward law enforcement." ALLIE HOLLY-GOTTLIEB


Candidate Values

Candidate John Carlson's home page makes a big deal over Gov. Gary Locke's wimpy stance regarding the Microsoft antitrust trial. "Compare John Carlson's strong stand in favor of Microsoft to Gary Locke's lukewarm support," Carlson's campaign site boasts. Indeed, Carlson is more defiant, accusing the Feds of "bullying" the Redmond high-tech giant while Locke "politely offers: "We hope [Federal Judge Jackson] will consider how much benefit consumers have realized from Microsoft's products." However, both men should just recuse themselves on the issue. Locke has Microsoft stock worth between $15,000 and $30,000. Carlson has Microsoft stock worth between $30,000 and $75,000. JOSH FEIT


True or False?

Mark Sidran is a paying subscriber to homeless news rag Real Change.

Answer: True.


Transit Workers Fight Back

Part-time and temporary transit employees of King County Metro who feel like they've been denied their rightful benefits are taking their employer to court.

The employees are angry that they were mysteriously cut out of a $24 million out-of-court settlement that the county made in 1997. The settlement covered part-time and temporary employees--in all other county agencies--for lost vacation pay, health care, sick leave, and other benefits. PHIL CAMPBELL