September 2008

The closure of Spokane Street has been postponed one week.

The crew with the Seattle Department of Transportation needs a few extra days to finish repaving a nearby section of First Avenue South. Meanwhile, Spokane Street must stay open, part of the detour route around the repaving.

South Spokane Street, the lower roadway, will be closed on Tuesday, Sept. 16 (previously scheduled for Sept. 8th). It won't open again until mid-2010.

Eastbound lanes, between Second Avenue South and Fourth, will be closed to all traffic.

Find out more about the closure of Spokane Street, the widening of the Spokane Street Viaduct, a new Fourth Avenue exit, the replacement of the south end of the Alaskan Way Viaduct, improved Metro bus service to West Seattle during construction, the year-round service of the Elliott Bay Water Taxi, what will replace the central waterfront portion of the Viaduct....

All at a transportation open house next week.

The forum, sponsored by the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce, will be 6:00 to 8:00, Tuesday evening, Sept. 9 at West Seattle High School.

Staff ?

One hundred and two years after President Grover Cleveland unveiled the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor, our own Ms. Liberty will be unveiled Saturday, September 6, at 1:30 pm, recast and on its new pedestal.

Two days earlier, she was lifted from her crude confinement in a pickup truck bed, hoisted into the sky, and set down, with dignity, onto four bolts that fastened her to the new pedestal. Seattle Parks and Recreation project manager Patrick Donohue, along with colleagues Rod Hammerbeck and Mark Bentley did the heavy lifting.

Mayor Greg Nickels has proposed $8.6 million to fund the completion of the controversial and long awaited "Missing Link" portion of the Burke Gilman Trail over the next two years.

The last remaining segment of the popular multi-purpose trail would be paid for with 2009-2010 proposed budget funds

"Bicyclists, walkers, runners and skaters will enjoy one complete trail all the way from Puget Sound to the top of Lake Washington and beyond,? the mayor said. "It is time for us to complete the ?missing link?

The function of any advisory council is to give advice. What differentiates advisory councils from boards is that councils do not make final decisions. An advisory council is a representative group of community members who define common goals, make recommendations, and identify community needs. Camp Long?s advisory council is working for you to help provide an Environmental Learning Center that is a resource for the community.

PUBLISHER

After a three-day delay due to rain, paving on First Avenue South began at 160th Street on Friday, Aug. 21. The paving-part of a major improvement project of First Avenue South from 160th Street to 146th Street-signals the beginning of the end of construction.

All of the paving was done at night between 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. During the work, traffic slowed to a crawl along First Avenue South, with flaggers and police out directing traffic.

PUBLISHER

(Editor's Note: This week Jerry explores the Dust Bowl, model living and soaring prices at the pump.)

Meet Eugene Tabaka

Born a farm boy in North Dakota 81 years ago, Eugene Tabaka grew up helping his dad bust 360 acres of buffalo grass sod to raise corn, wheat, flax and potatoes until prairie wind turned the state into a dust bowl. As early as age 5, Tabaka loved to ride between his dad's knees on a huge John Deere tractor.

It was a hard life living where the winter months were often 30 below.

SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

I

t’s a story for everyone, about a little 11-year-old girl, Autumn Fairall, who plays soccer on the Highline Eagles Red ‘96 girls soccer team.

Fairall has played soccer since an early age - four -- her mom said, with the last year making the top-tier Highline Eagles P-1 team.

Used to play.

Fairall was diagnosed with Leukemia on March 2.

SPECIAL TO THE TIMES/NEWS

Engaging the foremost theater flying company on the planet, The Hi-Liners are mounting an intense effort to enchant audiences with the Burien-based organization's ambitious production of fantasy adventure "Peter Pan."

A cast of 50 youngsters from Seattle and South King County under the direction of Hi-Liners resident artistic dirctor Kathleen Edwards will perform this timeless tale of the boy who would not grow up , opening Friday, Sept.

SPECIAL TO THE TIMES/NEWS

Does anything we do make a difference? Did that smile, kind word, donation at church mean anything? One good answer to such fundamental questions is the Brent Rice Memorial Swim of the Sound, which took swimmers from Des Moines Beach Park to Point Robinson on Maury Island on Saturday, Aug. 23.

The 2.3-mile swim was founded in 2006 by then 17-year-old Justin Moser to honor Brent Rice, a Des Moines man who helped and inspired Moser in his quest to become a swimmer.