Adding his name to the list of high-profile folks like Jared Smith (Mayor Paul Schell's transportation point man who jumped ship this summer), Dick Lilly--the mayor's press secretary--announced last week that he too is leaving the mayor's office. Lilly wants to run for the Seattle School Board seat being vacated by Don Nielsen, the school board's Queen Anne/Magnolia rep.

Lilly will be facing off against Pat Griffith and Larry Soriano. JOSH FEIT

Bite Fight

The July 20 Bite of Seattle left a bad taste with Seattle resident Ben Schroeter. After witnessing the eviction of two street musicians and learning that the staff also tossed a balloon artist, Schroeter filed a complaint with the festival's director.

"My friend's five-year-old daughter was having a balloon animal made," Schroeter wrote. "Bite staff accosted them and demanded that the artist cease and depart. It left my friend's daughter in tears."

The Bite's e-mail response to Schroeter: "It is never our intent to cause any child to cry at our festival." AMY JENNIGES

Bed Heads

I-71, the initiative that directs the city to add 400 shelter beds to the current 2,000-plus supply and add $2.8 million to homeless services (a 20 percent increase over the current city budget), turned in the required 19,000 signatures this week. However, the group behind the initiative--Citizens for Shelter with Dignity--will be collecting more signatures through the first week of August to ensure that they've got enough valid names. Call 206-755-4850 if you want to add your name, or help collect signatures so I-71 will really appear on the ballot. JOSH FEIT

Train in Vain

The Elevated Transportation Company, the organization set up by voters to build the monorail, was on hand at West Seattle's Seafair parade on July 21, toting a giant, inflatable black-and-lavender float of the monorail. Sound Transit representatives also marched in the parade with their own version of a transit float, a motorized mini-train. In a possible sign of things to come, Sound Transit's mini-train experienced mechanical difficulties during the parade while the monorail soared overhead. AMY JENNIGES

Nothing Rhymes With Summary Judgment

The lawsuit filed against John Curley by former Evening Magazine producer Lowell Deo goes to U.S. District Court on Friday, July 27. Both KING TV and Curley's lawyers are trying to get the case thrown out on summary judgment and avoid a trial. PAT KEARNEY