November 2007

One thing that was not mentioned in your article about the Fauntleroy Church rejecting tent city (Nov. 21) is that there is a preschool - "Little Pilgrims" in the church building. The preschoolers go for nature walks in the adjacent preserve, and have a playground in the back of the building. They also utilize the upper parking lot for outdoor playtime as well.

A church that hosts such a preschool cannot responsibly, in my opinion, host homeless people on its grounds, no matter how noble the cause.

Students at Arbor Heights Elementary School can feel safer walking to and from school next year after the Seattle Department of Transportation completes construction of more than two blocks of sidewalks along Southwest 104th Street.

Crews will begin work by mid-December near the elementary school and hope to complete the initial work by the end of the year, depending on weather interruption, said Marybeth Turner, a spokeswoman for the transportation department.

Chris Jackins is a regular at most Seattle School Board meetings, easily spotted scribbling down notes on a yellow legal pad in his plaid, flannel shirt among district officials in ties and parents in business suits just off from work.

With no children of his own in the public schools, it hasn't stopped Jackins from dedicating much of his own time to scrutinizing district policy.

A dog barks, piercing the air. It's 9 a.m., and things are quiet at 6205 S.W. Admiral Way. Elaborately spray-painted BMW car hoods are displayed in the yard. A two-dimensional bear stands by the walkway, holding a "will maul for Casual" sign.

Thirty minutes later, a battered VW Beetle screeches to a halt outside the house and Dan Reid jumps out, coffee in hand. He pounds on the bedroom door of his brother, Brendan Reid. "Wake up!" he yells. A UPS truck pulls into the driveway with a delivery of large cardboard boxes.

The Metropolitan King County Council has passed an ordinance allowing the creation of a new Professional Standards Division in the King County Sheriff's Office.

This new division would consolidate and manage all departmental functions related to the hiring, training, discipline, and development of department personnel.

"(The) action is a great step toward better oversight and accountability in the Sheriff's Office," said Councilmember Larry Phillips, co-sponsor of the ordinance.

King County Metro Transit's VanPool and VanShare commuting programs now have more than 1,000 vans in operation, supporting a record ridership of 1.9 million passenger trips during the first nine months of 2007.

"This is an encouraging trend as we give people a menu of options that fit a variety of commuter needs," said King County Executive Ron Sims. "People who participate in these programs are responsible for taking thousands of cars off the road each workday. That means more congestion relief, better air to breathe, and less global-warming emissions.

A potential merger between the Burien/Normandy Park and North Highline fire departments remains in limbo as the North Highline unincorporated area awaits the outcome of the ongoing annexation process.

North Highline eventually could be annexed by either Burien or Seattle.

King County Elections will operate as a separate division within county government with the sole responsibility of conducting fair and accurate elections under legislation adopted by the King County Council.

"We are making Elections its own division to allow management to focus exclusively on ensuring accurate, fair elections where every vote is counted, and every voter's privacy protected," said Councilman Dow Constantine, co-sponsor of the legislation.

"Elections are too important to be buried in bureaucracy," said Councilmember Larry Phillips.

'Tis the season for consumer reporters to release their "dangerous toy" lists. Perhaps this year they should consider the case of South Park couple who had a disagreement over the man's fidelity. The lovebirds started out spitting at each other. In the end, the woman took out her frustration by beating the man in the head and face with a Whack-a-Mole hammer. Officers relieved her of the weapon and booked her into King County Jail for investigation of domestic violence assault.

'Near 31st and Raymond, a domestic violence incident ended with an assault on a medic who arrived to help.

The West Seattle Under 17 boys soccer team won the District 3 title to advance to the Washington State Youth Soccer Association President's Cup Tournament which includes the champions from the seven districts in Washington State, plus one at-large berth.

West Seattle Eagles advanced on penalty kicks after the match ended 1-1 after regulation and two overtime periods. Jon Mora scored the lone goal for West Seattle during regulation. Daniel Anway, Eddie Baker, Sean McMonigle, and Jon Mora scored penalty kicks to win the match.