August 2008

As condominium and apartment projects continue their upward sweep from West Seattle's commercial corridors, business owners along California Avenue already weathered in change are making the best of a situation some think might eventually hurt their bottom line.

Thousands of potential new residents - along with their cars - and a years-long construction boom could mean parking chaos for business owners in the West Seattle Junction, but some are already looking forward to the influx of expected retail spending.

"Any business owner would welcome the opportunity to sell merc

The city plans to begin implementing Surveyor, a power management software, for about 10,000 of its laptop and desktop computers.

Once installed, the software will monitor personal computer use patterns and turn off machines when they are not needed. By creating efficiencies without impacting productivity, the city estimates it could save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to more than 200 passenger vehicles or 100 homes a year.

"Computer technology helps government operate more efficiently and better serve the people of Seattle.

Seattle is making it easier for people to garden the natural way by offering discounts on compost bins.

Residents can save more than $100 on high quality compost bins while building healthy soils and helping their plants to thrive.

Carl Woestwin, landscape conservation manager at Seattle Public Utilities, said that by composting at home consumers could have beautiful gardens without resorting to chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

"Composting at home is easy to do and you get a great natural soil builder to use in your garden," said Woestwin.

To help promote food and fitness the King County Food and Fitness Initiative was formed in 2006 after Seattle was chosen as one of nine communities participating in a $3 million, 10-year initiative financed by the W.K.

South Seattle Community College has selected Wallingford resident Jean Hernandez as vice president for instruction.

Hernandez, who assumed the post July 1, will provide leadership and direction for all instructional programs, including academic, professional/technical, distance learning, ABE/ESL, continuing education, Worker Retraining, NewHolly Learning Center, and the college's Georgetown Campus.

She will also provide leadership for implementing new programs responsive to community needs while ensuring that a continuous improvement process is conducted for current progr

The Washington State Department of Revenue has made it easier for taxpayers without computers to access resources online following the department's installation of self-service computer workstations in each of its 12 field offices.

"Now, taxpayers who don't have a computer or Internet access can come to one of our offices and conduct their business with the department online," she said.

Four West Seattle citizens are working to corral nearly 220 professional goats and 220 volunteer humans for a weed, blackberry and trash clean-up along the west side of the Fauntleroy exit ramp of the West Seattle Bridge between those "Walking on Logs" statues and 35th Avenue Southwest.

Nancy Driver, Dixie Dokken, Sharonn Meeks, and Catherine Barker are fundraising and coordinating the nuts and bolts of the Saturday, Sept.

Have an ill-fitting garment your not ready to throw away? Looking to find a new tote bag that fits your style?

You can find the solution to these problems and more at the new Make It Workshop on Gatewood Hill.

Fifteen years ago Marty Mjelleli took his first job, delivering issues of the West Seattle Herald onto doorsteps around the Alki neighborhood.

This summer, Mjelleli took a new job, delivering pucks into nets as a professional hockey player.

Mjelleli, who grew up in West Seattle and was a paperboy for the West Seattle Herald from 1993 to 1997, signed a contract to play for the Gwinnett Gladiators in Duluth, Georgia, an affiliate of the Atlanta Thrashers.

"It just hit me recently that I'm a professional hockey player," he said.

Officials from cities in north and east King County, including Seattle, are recommending to their councils building a single 640 bed municipal jail facility to serve their collective needs.

Preliminary results of a feasibility study show the cities north and east of Seattle would cut their per-inmate costs by half, and Seattle's costs are also reduced, if these cities jointly build a misdemeanant jail.