February 2009

The following statement was released by Seattle City Council members Nick Licata and Tom Rasmussen regarding the State Legislature's stimulus plan. Yesterday, both, along with council member Sally Clark, voted against releasing lifting the remaining spending restrictions on the Mercer Corridor and allowing construction to begin.

“Today we learned from the joint Transportation Committee press conference in Olympia that the mayor knew in advance that $50 million needed to fully fund the Mercer Project would not be included in the proposed federal stimulus package.

The council voted 6-3 yesterday to release the remainder of Mercer Project funds after the executive provided a full funding plan, thus
meeting the council’s requirement from last year’s budget process. It appears this vote was taken without council members knowing that the
state Transportation Chairs had already decided not to propose funding for this project from the Federal stimulus funds.

It raises the question whether the Council would have voted to proceed with this project if it had known that the city does not have the money to complete it.

REALLY? Is the world your own little holodeck? Did your meds wear off because you are wearing on me. A withered Ruth Buzzie sits down at the bar with a half drunk Rainier. Her face filtered through straw colored hair, the bags under her eyes packed for a long flight to nowhere.

There is nothing right about this woman, but I pass the chance at judgment and give my customer, service. I spread my lips cheek to cheek and ask what I can do for her. Her neck cocks back and forth like some bird in a mating ritual. I muster my best zookeepoer as I enter the cage.

“Can I get something for you?” I say.

She begins the head bob mumbling incoherently. After the third time I get, “A small Caesar salad.”

Professional that I am I place the order for this unfortunately Middle-Earth inclined individual. At this point a bearded and pony-tailed, middle-aged gentlemen sidles up next to this washed up Endora and orders a glass of wine. It’s mine choice, he says. As any good salesman I go with the $13 Pinot.

I’d like to talk about steak. Maybe it’s my love of metaphors or possibly because it’s nearly lunchtime, but I’ve got steak on the brain.

Now, here in West Seattle you can get a great steak at our local Jak’s restaurant (endorsement deal, guys?) and there are many other choices to get a steak as well. Anyone who’s eaten at Jak’s or read a review knows that the steaks are great, and you would expect to pay accordingly.

You could easily go down the road to another establishment and have a lower-priced meal, but there’s a trade-off. Quality, service, and ambience – all play a part in the final bill. Now I’m REALLY hungry, but there’s a point here that relates to auto repair (yes, I did remember that I’m writing an automotive column).

Auto repair is a lot like that steak. There are many choices in where to take your vehicles for service, and sometimes a wide range of prices for service. A shop that is properly equipped and employs well-trained and experienced technicians may seem more expensive at first, but before you choose the lower-priced options, examine what you get for your money.

Drivers may encounter traffic backups on arterial streets near entries to several waterfront terminals at the beginning of the work week, on March 2 and 3.

Seattle Department of Transportation traffic managers anticipate the terminal sites with the greatest potential for traffic impacts are:

● Terminal 5 (in West Seattle off of Southwest Spokane Street),
● Terminal 18 (Harbor Island off of Southwest Spokane Street), and
● Terminal 46 (off of Alaskan Way South at South Atlantic Street).

Starting Saturday, Feb. 28, the U. S. Coast Guard will begin enforcing federal requirements for new identification credentials for all truck drivers and other workers entering secured port areas. While the Transportation Worker Identification Credentials card requirement has
been widely publicized, it is difficult to estimate how many drivers might arrive on Monday without the card.

Agencies and terminal operators have been working together for several months to prepare for these new regulations, according to the city. Transportation commercial vehicle enforcement officers, Port of Seattle Police, and terminal managers will be partnering to minimize any traffic disruptions.

Mayor Greg Nickels released the following statement on the transportation project funding proposed by state legislative leaders today:

“From his first day in office, President Obama has been clear:
federal stimulus funds must create jobs, and build new projects that
benefit the economy.

Along with mayors across the country, I met with the president about his economic recovery plan, and it was with his guidance that we proposed including the Spokane Street Viaduct and fixing the Mercer Mess. These projects will directly create more than 1,300 jobs. On Jan. 13, I signed an agreement with Gov. Christine Gregoire and King County Executive Ron Sims to allocate federal money to the Spokane and Mercer Street projects.

What’s more, we have lined up $45 million in unprecedented private support for Mercer Street. This is exactly the kind of partnership that will put people to work and grow our economy. It is mystifying that the state Legislature would seek to
eliminate Spokane Street and Mercer Street from its list of stimulus projects.

Third graders at Westside Elementary School have been carving this totem since September.

Celina DeJong (pictured above), and her classmates have been studying Native American culture with Teacher Joe Tutch, and the totem was designed to reflect the traditional Northwest Native American story “Raven Steals the Sun.” The artwork will be sold at Westside’s Annual auction on March 7 to benefit the school.

Saturday nights this March will be a little less dreary thanks to the new winter series of Movies on the Wall.

“It had become so popular in the summer that we thought we would just give it a try and see how the community responds,” said Lora Lewis, owner of Hotwire Coffee.

Three films were selected by a small committee based on popularity and also with a goal of diversity. While “The Mummy” is an action film, “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” is more nostalgic and “Napoleon Dynamite” is a bit of a “campy” film.

Each movie will be shown at the West Seattle Community Center on March 7, 14 and 21. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and films start at 7 p.m. As always, the films will be previewed by thematic festivities including charity raffles, cupcakes and plenty of concessions.

Lewis says she hopes these free events will benefit local families.

“In this kind of economy what family has $50 to $100 to bring their family to the movies?” she asked.

Movies on the Wall is a free, community event. All are invited to attend and encouraged to bring blankets and chairs.

(Editor's note: This story was changed from its original publication. A business was incorrectly named. It should have been Rooster's Breakfast Club.)

Nearly 50 people packed into the Ballard High School library at a Feb. 23 design review meeting to voice their opposition to a planned development at 6010 Phinney Ave. N.

During the course of the design meeting, the second for the project, residents brought up concerns over the size and design of the proposed building, demanded that the building not be allowed to move forward, and even questioned the legitimacy of the design review board.

At the end of the meeting, which ran two hours over schedule, the board unanimously called for a third recommendation meeting to be held after Kilburn Architects have a chance to consider concerns raised by the board and the public.

The proposed building is a four-story, mixed-use development that includes two retail spaces on the ground level, 19 residential units and underground parking for 23 vehicles.

We just got word that the State Legislature may have chosen NOT to include - in the first round of projects - federal stimulus funds for the Mayor's pet giveaway - the 200 million dollar-plus Mercer Corridor Project. This comes only a day after the City Council on a 6-3 vote dutifully gave authorization for the project to proceed knowing full well that full funding for the project was not in hand and in doubt. (Even with the stimulus funding, they'd have been short of the dollars but our compliant council said start digging).

By now, you all know what a boondoggle this project is. In eastbound direction it will actually make traffic worse. What a waste of these stimulus dollars - exactly what Obama told the Mayors (and our Mayor) not to do with these dollars and here it is our Mayor's first priority.

At 1:30 today the House Transportation Committee will be discussing the stimulus package. Go to this site and call them/email em ASAP and tell them you support their decision to deny stimulus funds for the Mercer project.

With mixed feelings from Ballard residents about the plans to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct with a bored tunnel, an open house last night showed alternatives to those worried about the closure of the Western Avenue exit off the viaduct toward Northwest Seattle once the tunnel is built.

By replacing the Alaskan Way Viaduct, Washington and Seattle department of transportations, King County and the city of Seattle have created new ways to travel through northwest Seattle with the SR 99 Bored Tunnel and new Alaskan Way Boulevard.

“For me it’s all about access and there’s a lot of discussion about that here tonight,” said a Ballard resident. “The alternatives don’t seem to be fantastic but on the whole I think the bored tunnel is a good option because it keeps things open. It’s a series of tradeoffs.”

Access to the tunnel will be from Aurora Avenue North, which will transition from a surface highway to the bored tunnel between Mercer Street and Denny Way, replacing the current route via the Battery Street Tunnel and the Alaskan Way Viaduct. At the Mercer Corridor, access to Aurora Avenue North and the bored tunnel will be provided in all directions.