July 2009

Camp Long will host free Shakespeare in the Park this summer. Performances are on the Parade Ground facing Schurman Rock, but parking is limited. Organizer's ask that people park responsibly in the neighborhood.

"The Life and Death of King John," Friday, July 24 at 7 p.m.

This historical piece dramatizes the reign of King John of England (ruled 1199-1216). He is the son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine and the father of Henry III.

The play opens with a plea from the French King Phillip for King John to abdicate in favor of his nephew and includes dizzying changes of alliances, a Papal excommunication and a subsequent reconciliation.

"The Comedy of Errors," Saturday, July 25 at 7 p.m.

This is light, frothy entertainment, driven by coincidence and slapstick humor all in a single day. The story centers around two sets of identical twins accidentally separated at birth.

At a hearing Tuesday, July 21, community members told the Seattle City Council that though they liked elements of the Draft Pedestrian Master Plan, it may be too idealistic.

After hearing about plan updates from the Seattle Department of Transportation, council member and co-chair of the Pedestrian Safety Committee, Jan Drago, council members Nick Licata, Tim Burgess and Sally Clark heard citizen comments, questions and ideas concerning the plan.

“It’s been a long process but it’s also been very engaging with citizens across the city, city departments and consultants since the draft summary came out in May 2009,” Licata said.

The recently released draft of the pedestrian plan states that its vision and goals were rooted from the Pedestrian Master Plan Advisory Group to make Seattle the most walkable city in the nation based on four goals: safety, equity, vibrancy and health.

Though it is supported by a number of residents and groups, some still felt the plan could use a little tweaking to prioritize pedestrian improvements.

Low-income senior apartments, Meridian Manor, hosted Mayor Greg Nickels as he announced funding that would preserve and rehabilitate 179 low-income senior housing and construction of 70 units of affordable housing for working individuals and families.

A total of $8.1 million would go to those projects, Nickels said Wednesday, July 22.

“We’re using the (housing) levy to leverage some additional dollars, federal stimulus and state dollars,” Nickels said. “We do that all the time, and typically through our levies we’ve been able to leverage three to four dollars for every dollar of housing levying we invest.”

The funds will help rehabilitate three separate apartment buildings for seniors with annual incomes of less than about $18,000 a year. It will also help with construction of a new apartment building in the Rainier Valley for individuals who make about $35,000 a year and families of three earning about $45,000 a year.

Bill Rumpf, deputy director of the Office of Housing, assisted Nickels in presenting the funding awards and said that they would be committing $3 million from the Seattle Housing Levy for the purchase of Meridian Manor.

“Hello, Two Green Thumbs, Janit speaking.”

“My name is Martha, I have to send you this picture, but it won’t go through!” was the very first thing I heard from her.

I quickly gave her another email address to use, and eventually got the whole story. Her excitement was contagious, it oozed through the phone, and I instantly wanted to hear more.

“I spent six or seven hours on my mini garden yesterday, taking plants from different places from my garden and I had a lot of miniature things around the house too. When I started to build it, I got all these ideas and spent the whole day making it.”

The thought went through my head, she really can’t tell me fast enough!

“So when I was done, I asked the fairies to come. I said, ‘Ok, this is your place! Come and stay!’”

I note, Martha is a fairy gardener, too ~ the story unravels.

“I photographed it and played around with it some more, but it was getting dark. I had an idea to make a fire pit, so I got a tea light and put it in the center of the garden and put tiny rocks around it.”

I was laughing at this point - I was laughing at me – I do that, too!

More than 80 people showed up for the West Seattle Viking Bank barbecue event today, July 22.

This is an annual event hosted by the local bank. It was held at 4022 S.W. Alaska St. from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Beginning on July 26 through Aug. 22, ArtsWest will feature an exhibition of talented and passionate art photography educators from Photographic Center Northwest in Inspired by Light.   

Brian Allen, Jahnavi Lisa Barnes, Janet Neuhauser, Rosanne Olson, Ron Reeder, Patricia Ridenour, Erin Shafkind, Seth Thompson and Mateo Zapata Zachai will exhibit selected art from their current bodies of work. 
 
Photographic Center Northwest, PCNW, is an accredited institution in Seattle.  Their reputation for excellence extends across the nation and the world. Treat yourself and join all the artists at their wine and cheese reception during the West Seattle 2nd Thursday Art Walk on Aug. 13 from 6 to 9 p.m. 
 

Candidates for Seattle City Council came together on July 21 to discuss issues specifically affecting West Seattle.

Candidates in attendance included:

Position 2: Richard Conlin, David Ginsburg.
Position 4: Tosh Tobin, Sally Bagshaw, David Bloom, Dorsol Plants.
Position 6: Marty Kaplan, Nick Licata.
Position 8: Bobby Forch, Jordan Royer, Mike O’Brien, David Miller, Rusty Williams, Robert Rosencrantz.

The forum started with a series of “lightning round” questions to which the candidates responded in support of or against specific issues. Their responses were as follows:

Candidates who support annexation of White Center and North Highline: Conlin, Bloom, O’Brien.
Candidates who oppose: Ginsburg, Tobin, Bagshaw, Plants, Kaplan, Forch, Royer, Miller, Williams, Rosencrantz.

Candidates who support parking meters in West Seattle: Obrien
All other candidates oppose.

Candidates who support expansion of the red light camera program: Conlin, Ginsburg, Kaplan, Royer, O’Brien, Miller, Williams, Rosencrantz.
Candidates who oppose: Tobin, Bagshaw, Bloom, Plants, Forch.

Take out that magnifying glass, get your notepad ready and hone in on your sleuthing skills for the fourth annual Gumshoe 5k Walk to support the Greenwood Senior Center.

Not your average three mile walk, the Gumshoe 5k requires walkers to solve simple clues as they make their way through the Phinney and Greenwood neighborhoods.

This year gumshoes can participate in the walk from August 6 to 17.

Started by Mike Veitenhans four years ago, it was an idea of his to help raise money for the senior center.

“The first year we had about 75 walkers and last year there was about 250 walkers,” said Judy Mirante, Greenwood Senior Center board member.

This year the focus is on getting Phinney/Greenwood businesses involved.

“One of the things that is different about this walk is that it involves a lot of the businesses in the community,” Mirante said. “This year for the MiniGumshoe contest, stores have agreed to place a Gumshoe sticker around the store and contestants are to identify the words associated with each sticker.”

In doing so contestants are entered to win a number of prizes and certificates from participating local businesses.

Earlier this month I arranged for the city council to hear the results of a study (watch the video here) we requested to get a better handle on the condition of industrial and marine-related jobs in Seattle.

At the end of 2007 we approved changes to industrial zoning. In the name of preserving industries that produce family-wage, blue-collar jobs, we put strict limits on the amount of new office and retail development that can happen in SODO and in the Ballard-Interbay Manufacturing and Industrial Center.

The limits proved controversial and the debate was heated (opponents called it a massive down-zone while proponents said it was the key to saving jobs). One thing we all agreed on was that we needed better data on which to make these long-term land use decisions.

Mayor Greg Nickels has announced the city of Seattle will receive federal stimulus funding to help provide more nutritious meals to low-income seniors at senior centers and community sites, and to deliver meals to home-bound elderly persons.

Seattle will also receive funds for job training for older workers.

“This funding provides more meals for low-income seniors at a critical time,” said Nickels in a statement. “The recession has created a greater need for food assistance and other basic services and the stimulus funds will help us meet that demand.”

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 provides grants for meals for low-income older Americans in need. Seattle funds nutrition services countywide and will receive $457,583 in ARRA funds. This represents a 14 percent increase over the $3.2 million already allocated in 2009 for senior nutrition programs.

This new funding will provide approximately 52,500 more congregate meals to more than 2,600 people; it will also provide home-delivered food, including 28,053 meals for 150 seniors, and 3,744 bags of produce for nearly 900 home-bound seniors.