November 2009

At the Community Schools Collaboration's first breakfast fundraiser on Nov. 5, board chairwoman Margie Hunt outlined what a contribution would mean for local youth.

The nonprofit group provides services to students in SeaTac, Tukwila and White Center schools and their parents.

Hunt noted a $75 contribution would allow one girl to enroll for 16 weeks in the "Girls on the Run Empowerment Program."

The contribution could also provide three back-to-school physicals for children without healthcare, a dental exam for a child who would otherwise go without, transportation of 15 kids for free eye exams, toothbrushes and toothpaste for 75 kids, or picture dictionaries for 10 refugee youth or world maps for three elementary schools, according to Hunt.

For a $150 contribution, her group could provide financial literacy workbooks for 16 elementary students, college visits for 16 seniors or a stipend for two high school tutors or parent volunteers, Hunt added.

Executive Director Deborah Salas outlined the group's growth since it started in 1998 offering school-based services in Tukwila.

Encouraging lawmakers "not to give up on downtown, not to give up on Urban Partners and not to give up on Burien real estate," two Los Angeles developers have presented a proposal to build a 10-screen cineplex in Burien's Town Square.

At the Nov. 2 Burien City Council meeting, Paul Keller, managing principal of Urban Partners, and Frank Rimkus, president and CEO of Los Angeles-based Galaxy Theatres walked council members through a few of the site plans under consideration for the theatre.

Urban Partners has not decided on which parcel the theatre will be built and its orientation to adjacent properties.

But regardless of its location within Town Square, the theatre will include retail, on-site parking and open space. In addition, the theatre will provide a variety of different sized cinemas, all of which feature stadium-style seating.

The presentation emphasized Galaxy's business philosophy of social entrepreneurship and forming close bonds with the communities where its theatres are located.

White Water Aquatics, a swim team who swam out of Evergreen Pool in North Highline until the pool closed in September, hopes to reopen the pool by the first of the year with community donations.

King County has asked White Water Aquatics to raise $100,000 before they reopen the pool. White Water Aquatics created White Water Aquatics Management (WWAM) to take over management of the pool if it is reopened.

A loan for $30,000 has been secured by WWAM and another $8,000 has been raised in donations.

WWAM is a non-profit organization, so any donations are tax deductible. In the event WWAM is not able to reopen the pool all of the money will be returned to the donors.

"It is kind of a unique challenge because Mt. Rainier (Pool) had the backing of the three cities to bring in revenue," WWA Head Coach Joel Schweiger. "We don't have any of that."

In this years King County budget, $300,000 was reserved to renovate Evergreen. WWAM President Ed Marrs said in a statement that it is very important the county pass the budget as it is.

County council members have expressed their desire to use the money to repair the pool.

The Washington State Department of Ferries just announced a delay for the Vashon to Fauntleroy Ferry run this evening November 7th.
"Because of heavy vehicle traffic, the KLAHOWYA is operating 17 minutes behind schedule. This could delay the 730 PM departure from Vashon, the 800 PM departure from Fauntleroy and the 0830 PM departure from Vashon. Sorry for the inconvenience. "

Johann Choy, 8, of Cub Scouts Pack 799, Bear Den, launches a model rocket at Camp Long when the sun came out during a rain break. Only problem was, the rocket landed on top of an evergreen tree along side a few other previous launches. This den meets at Arbor Heights School on non-rocket days.

While new boundary maps for Seattle Public Schools were presented during the School Board workshop on their New Student Assignment Plan November 3rd, the parents of nearly 90 middle school and high school students from West Seattle pay little attention to the controversial migration of those boundary lines. That’s because these students commute by ferry to McMurray Middle School and Vashon High School on Vashon Island. Under the open enrollment law, students are allowed to attend any school where there is room and officially become “non-resident students.” Vashon’s Elementary School, Chautauqua, currently does not accept non-resident students.

Most of these students need to awake by 5:30 a.m. to catch the 6:45 am ferry from Fauntleroy. A school bus awaits them on the Vashon side to transport them to school. School buses return the students to the Vashon dock in time for the 3:25 p.m. ferry back to Fauntleroy.

There is some friction caused by the non-resident student policy. Although the school receives $5,000 per student through the state general education fund, this does not cover the entire cost of the student. This creates property tax levies.

On Nov. 24 a West Seattle hometown boy becomes King County’s new Executive, with a cabinet of 22, plus 13,000 full time employees under him, and nearly two million King County residents to serve.

Of course we are talking about King County Councilmember Dow Constantine.

“I have less than three weeks, and there’s no time for relaxing or missteps,” said Constantine in an exclusive interview with the West Seattle Herald. “We’re going to hit the ground running.”

Hey, how about that lead?

“I had nine months of long, hard campaigning and 15 minutes of suspense,” he said, referring to the lopsided election night results when he lead opponent Susan Hutchison by 14- percent. “This was way beyond our estimate and I am very grateful to King County.

“Even with all the campaign advertising, the dynamic changed in both the primary and general election once people studied their voter’s pamphlet and learned who endorsed me and what my policies actually were,” he said, dismissing Hutchison’s high polling numbers which he believed were due to her name recognition and not her qualifications.

To liven up the flavor of your food, just add salt. Sounds like good advice, right? Wrong.

Historically, salt has been added to food for two reasons: it’s a flavor enhancer that makes food taste better, and it is used to preserve food.

In the past 25 years, America’s consumption of salt has almost doubled. This is partly due to consumers’ desire to have foods without preservatives.

Now our store-bought breads are “preservative”-free. Unfortuately, they have twice the amount of salt in them.

Salt is found in almost all processed foods—anything that comes in a box or a can. Even organic foods pack too much salt when we buy them canned.

Take a look at labels to help determine how much salt you are feeding yourself and your family.

And, follow the refrigerator rule: If you can keep a food longer than a week in your refrigerator, it could be high in salt.

Instead, buy fresh foods, and develop the flavor with fresh herbs and spices rather than salt.

The recommended level of sodium in your diet for most people is between 1,500 and 2,400 milligrams per day.

You can avoid salt in foods by following some simple guidelines:

After the final ballot counts of election week on the evening of Nov. 6, mayoral candidate and Greenwood resident Mike McGinn has increased his lead over opponent Joe Mallahan to the point where a recount would not be legally required.

New tallies from the Nov. 3 general election show McGinn with 50.31 percent of the vote to Mallahan's 48.91 percent – a lead of 2,384 votes and 1.41 percent.

In order for a recount to be legally required, the difference between the candidates has to be less than 2,000 votes and less than 0.5 percent.

Approve Referendum 71 is leading 52.56 percent to 47.36 percent and seems certain to pass.

Ballard resident Jessie Israel has conceded the Seattle City Council Position 6 race to incumbent Nick Licata.

Dow Constantine declared himself the winner in the King Count Executive race after the Nov. 3 returns. His lead has increased since then.

Incumbent City Attorney Tom Carr conceded victory to opponent Pete Holmes after the initial results.

Tim Eyman's Initiative 1033, which would limit state spending has been defeated.

According to reports published on the Seattle Times website detectives found weapons and bomb-making materials in the apartment of Christopher J. Monfort . Monfort is a suspect in the slaying of Seattle Police Officer Timothy Brenton. Seattle police shot Monfort late Friday afternoon after confronting him and having a handgun aimed at them by the suspect.

The apartment complex is located in the 13700 block of 56th Avenue South.

The 41-year-old man was transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with serious injuries. His condition has been upgraded from critical to serious.

Tukwila and Seattle police had been watching the residence on Friday.

They found a Datsun 210 coupe under a car cover. The car matches the description of a vehicle sought in the killing of Officer Brenton.

When the suspect left his Tukwila apartment, officers confronted him. The man ran up a stairway and tried to fire a gun at police. The gun failed to fire.

The man was shot several times by pursuing officers.

The shooting occurred as a memorial service for Officer Brenton was wrapping up at Seattle's KeyArena.