The Kenney looks at the needs of seniors
By R. Kevin McFeely
Within the next five years, the oldest members of the Boom Generation will begin to retire, thus beginning an era where one in almost every four persons in our community will be over the age of 60.
Within the next 13 years, the number of persons with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia will double.
On Nov. 26, Kathi Cronin registered her son for a school that may not exist next fall.
Cronin's 8-year-old daughter currently attends Arbor Heights Elementary. While the parents have completed early registration to guarantee their second child a spot at the school, since the Seattle School District announced a recommendation to close the program, they are not sure where either of their children will attend school.
"I felt like I was put into a bind," said Cronin.
As the New Year rolls in so will the possibility of parking meters in the West Seattle Junction.
Beginning in 2009 the Seattle Department of Transportation's Parking Program will begin a study in hopes of improving parking management in the local business district.
A tunnel is the most expensive option for replacing the viaduct, taking the longest to build, is also the least disruptive to traffic.
A tunnel would take nine-and-a-half years to build and complete and is estimated to cost $3.5 billion before adding hundreds of millions in parallel improvements to streets, transit and the freeway.
But, during construction, the existing viaduct could remain in use.
The construction times for building a replacement for the viaduct were presented to the Alaskan Way Viaduct Stakeholders Advisory Committee on Nov.
Despite the national chaos over finances, the city was able to sucessfully raise $205 million through a public offering of water system bonds recently.
At a time of failing credit quality throughout financial markets, Standard and Poor's Ratings Service actually raised its rating of Seattle's Water System bonds, from AA to AA+ in the days immediately preceding the bond sale.
Since it was determined years ago that city owned property at 1799 Southwest Webster Street was expendable, Seattle's Fleets and Facilities Department has made an initial recommendation that the land be auctioned off, but local community members want the area remain an open green space.
The property, located off Dumar Way Southwest, has been undeveloped and, largely, unused for approximately 30 years. Now that the city has determined that they do not need the property there are several options of what to do with the land.
For a while, at least, residents have successfully blocked more cell phone antennas on top of an Admiral Way apartment house.
Residents living near the Soundcrest Apartments at 6609 SW Admiral Way opposed more Verizon Wireless antennas on the building after filing an appeal.
Last week, a hearing examiner reversed the conditional use decision made by Seattle's Department of Planning and Development because it had been made without requiring Verizon Wireless to consider other locations for the cell antennas.
Jim Borrow, a local resident who led his neighbors thro
The city paved 41 lane-miles, making $24.3 million in improvements to the Denny-Western-Elliott-15th Avenue corridor, Fifth Avenue through the heart of the business district, the Boren-Madison corridor and First Avenue South in south downtown.
Next year, Seattle residents will see work on First Avenue South, Second and Fourth Avenues through Belltown, Stewart Street and Fauntleroy Way in West Seattle.
The 2008 work by SDOT replaced asphalt surfaces and sections of failing roadway base.
Feeling the economic crunch? Worried about the rising costs of energy bills? Low-income families in Seattle may qualify to receive a 50 percent reduction on their utility bills through the Seattle Human Services Department's Utility Discount Program.
Because of the increasing costs of fuel, food and housing, many households on fixed incomes find it more difficult to make ends meet.
As the Seattle Department of Transportation determines whether the city's 2009 budget will allow for the repaving of Fauntleroy Way Southwest, the department is exploring the idea of restriping the road to better accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians.
Between Southwest Alaska Street and California Avenue Southwest, Fauntleroy Way would be restriped so that the existing two-way, four-lane street would have bicycle lanes on both sides with one car lane going in each direction and a two-way, left turn lane in the center.
