February 2009

At the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting on Feb. 17 Greg Schmidt, director of the Seattle Police Department’s 911 Communication Department, spoke with community about when it’s appropriate to call 911 and how to respond to poor service from operators.

The strongest message of the night emphasized that when in doubt, residents should never hesitate to call the emergency line or check back if their emergency has not been addressed.

Schmidt noted that even for callers who do not speak English, translators in various languages are often connected very quickly.

Schmidt also explained that sometimes if operators seem unappreciative of the information provided by callers it could be because many callers are contacting the center with similar reports.

He added that, whenever possible, 911 operators will phone callers back if their needs are not met right away.

If a caller believes that an operator responded poorly to them then Schmidt said complaints should be directed to the mayor’s office or the City Service Bureau.

As they begin a new 2009 mainstage season, Taproot Theatre Company in Greenwood, welcomes two new team members who will fill in as development and marketing directors.

Darrrell Johnson a previous assistant to the executive director at the Tacoma Symphony Orchestra will be their first development director in four years.

Since 2005, the theatre fundraising responsibilities had fallen to the producing artistic director, Scott Nolte, and a development associate. While the theatre found this to be successful in substantially increasing their donated income, it was only temporary as they were looking to fill the director of development position permanently.

Now, Nolte is able to focus on his main theatre responsibilities while Johnson can focus on this primary area of development.

“I consider it a true blessing to be hired by Taproot especially in the times where the arts, most theaters and arts organizations are cutting back in both their development and marketing areas,” said Johnson. “It’s a real progressive time for Taproot and rather than looking at it as a time of economic hardships and difficult times in fundraising I look at it as a time for opportunity.”

The Ballard Sound is a weekly slideshow showcasing an evening of local music.

The Growers, From the Wombs of Warriors and Flashes of Quincey played at The Tractor Tavern Tuesday, Feb. 17.

Your car could break down. You might need a new furnace. You have to pay for one last term of college for your child. Whatever the reason, you may someday need a large sum of money in a hurry. And as you look around for a source of funds, your eyes might come to rest on your 401(k) plan. It’s there, it’s yours — why not tap into it?

Actually, there are some pretty good reasons for not dipping into your 401(k). But before we get to those, let’s see how you might access the money in your plan.

Some employers allow 401(k) loans only in cases of financial hardship, although the definition of “hardship” can be flexible. But many employers allow these loans for just about any purpose. To learn the borrowing requirements for your particular plan, you’ll need to contact your plan administrator.

Generally, you can borrow up to $50,000, or one-half of your vested plan benefits, whichever is less. You’ve got up to five years to repay your loan, although the repayment period can be longer if you use the funds to buy a primary residence.

According to the Seattle Police Department, a woman driver involved in a collision on the Fremont Bridge Feb. 18 has died from her injuries.

The police report states that the female driver, driving northbound on the Fremont bridge crossed the double yellow lines into on coming traffic.

Her vehicle clipped a mini-van and then crashed head on into a cargo van. All three drivers were treated at the scene. The woman was transported to Harborview Medical Center where she died as a result of her injuries.

The other two drivers were treated at the scene and transported to the local hospitals.

The accident occurred at about 10:54 a.m Feb. 18, and re-opened at around 3 p.m.

The Seattle Police Department Traffic Collision Investigation Squad Detectives investigated the accident, according to a release from the city.

Seattle Department of Transportation crews plan to repair pavement at the southeastern corner of 15th Avenue Northwest and Northwest Market Street on Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 23 and 24.

The northbound curb lane of 15th Avenue Northwest from Northwest 54th Street to Market will be closed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and also the eastbound curb lane on Market from 16 Avenue Northwest to 14th Avenue Northwest.

The Seattle School District is inviting students, staff, families, and community members to review and comment on Grades 9 through 11 core and advanced math materials being considered for use in classrooms next school year.

The set of materials will be available for review through Feb. 27 at the John Stanford Center library. In-class student focus groups will also be held at several high schools.

The district aims to have an “aligned curriculum,” which means that students in any one grade are held to the same expectations so learning builds as students advance from one grade level to the next, according to the district.

In 2006, Seattle Public Schools adopted the CMPII math curriculum for all middle schools and Everyday Math, augmented with Singapore Practice, in 2007 for elementary schools.

The adoption committees have been meeting since December 2008 to screen math materials. Committees are composed primarily of high school math teachers, representatives from English Language Learning, Special Education and Advanced Learning, a high school administrator, a college math professor and three family/community representatives.


The next Alki Community Council meeting will be Thursday, Feb. 19 at the Alki Community Center, located at 5817 S.W. Stevens St., from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
The meeting repeats every third Thursday of the month.

Emma and Natalie Brown (daughters of Lisa and David Brown) dearly love their one year old cat Rusty but say, “He can be a pain in the leg because he jumps up on the buffet, the counters and us”. David adds, “Rusty is a great addition to our family and puts up with my daughter’s constant hugs, kisses, and carrying through the house he is very affectionate and is always purring.” Emma, who is 8 years old said, “Once I was knitting on the couch. My ball of yarn rolled off the couch and under the table. Rusty pounced on the ball of yarn.”

How to nominate your pet:

Want to nominate your pet for Pet of the Week? Stop by the VCA West Seattle Veterinary Hospital at 5261 California Ave SW and just ask for a form. A nomination is not a guarantee of appearance and your name and photo may appear in our newspaper and online. Photos may or may not be used and our "Pet Reporter" may be in touch with you to arrange to take a photo. Pets nominated will be chosen on the basis of uniqueness of the pet and the quality of the story and information submitted.

Emma Merz and her dog Baggen and Chloe Eustaquio are neighbors and friends. The girls hang out together and the dogs like to play together. Emma is 11 and her dog Baggen is almost 3.

Chloe is 9 and her dog Daisy is just 7 months old. Chloe went with Emma when she got Baggen and Emma did the same when Chloe got Daisy. The girls love their dogs and often swap "dog stories." Baggen reminds the Merz family of the dog "Clifford". Baggen is very good with Daisy and plays with her nicely despite the size difference between the two dogs.

Emma and Chloe gave the dogs early Christmas presents, new matching collars. Chloe considers Emma to be Daisy's 'Godmother' and Emma feels the same, with Chloe now Baggen's godmother. Daisy sleeps in Chloe's room and Baggen sleeps in Emma's room. They are a happy quartet.

How to nominate your pet: