December 2009

Attending our local school board meetings and at the State Director’s meeting I keep running into the same plan for increasing student achievement.

This is the first priority of the School Director’s organization, presumably force fed to them by the educators as the School Director’s organization is much like the PTA whose connection to the teacher’s union is pretty well documented.

They are all talking about “Professional Learning Communities” as a way to increase “Student Achievement.” I believe that they believe that teachers, meeting with teachers, and discussing “What Works” will get out of the hole were are in when it comes to “Student Achievement.”

In these discussions we can talk about “Learning Styles” and other “Accommodations” teachers can make to increase “Student Achievement.” Much has been written, by educators, about the concept of “Learning Styles.”

However, in the real world there doesn’t seem to be any accommodation for learning styles. But then some have suggested that the “Real World” doesn’t have much relevance upon what happens in classrooms.

The Obama administration said last Monday that it would increase the pressure on banks to help troubled homeowners permanently lower mortgage payments. The government blames banks and mortgage companies for dragging their feet and, under the new guidelines, will fine them if they fail to increase the number of home owners given relief.

It also announced plans to publish a list of the worst banking offenders and to withhold cash incentives until loan modifications are made permanent. The Treasury Department also promises to assign more staff to monitor the process.

This push was the latest evidence that a $75 billion taxpayer-financed effort aimed at stemming foreclosures was struggling. Even as lenders have accelerated the pace at which they are reducing mortgage payments for borrowers, most loans modified remain in a trial stage lasting up to five months, and only a tiny fraction have been made permanent.

Don’t let the cold weather and holiday lights fool you, WSDOT crews are still hard at work in December. For the next two Saturday nights crews will close six miles of northbound Interstate 5 through south Seattle to install 15 overhead sign bridges.

The new sign bridges will hold overhead electronic signs alerting drivers to reduce their speed or change lanes when there are collisions or backups on the road. The new signs are the latest smarter highway technology aimed at increasing safety and reducing collisions. The $23.8 million project is funded by the Alaskan Way Viaduct program to help keep traffic moving during viaduct demolition and construction.

“Getting these sign bridges up is the first major milestone in making northbound I-5 a safer and smarter highway,” said Craig Stone, WSDOT Toll Division Director. “We’ll spend the rest of the winter and spring installing the high-tech signs before activating them next summer.”

Seattle Department of Transportation just released this traffic advisory:
Tomorrow, Friday, December 4, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Seattle Department of Transportation crews will close the left lane of Alaskan Way Viaduct northbound at Massachusetts Street. During the closure, the crew will install a temporary railing until a permanent repair can be made. The guard rail was damaged by a recent one-car accident. Motorists should expect slowing and use caution through the work zone.

Mayor Greg Nickels spoke to the West Seattle Herald about the neighborhood, and city, he loves, and about his past accomplishments and future plans, this on the day he submitted his four billion dollar budget, Dec. 1. He serves until Jan. 4, when Mike McGinn is sworn in.

“We are kicking more than a few bucks to the hood over there,” said Nickels off the cuff, referring to his budget and West Seattle.

Rumors are in the air that Mayor Nickels seeks a position with the Obama administration as a sort of “green czar.” Turns out they are true. Nickels said that President Obama has reached out to him on this possible appointment.

“If such a job existed I would like to be President Obama’s climate ambassador,” Nickels acknowledged. “I’ve got something of a national, and international, climate issue reputation. I’ve organized 1,000 mayors on following through on the Kyoto Treaty issue that our government didn’t ratify. This got covered all over the world.”

On Wednesday, December 9 from 5 to 7p.m. Merrill Gardens at Admiral Heights & West Seattle will host a Pasta Dinner with all the fixings to raise money for the families of the fallen police officers in Western Washington.The dinner will be available for a minimum $10 donation.
All money collected will be donated to the fund for the families.
Residents and team members at each of the 22 Washington State Merrill Gardens retirement communities will host this fundraiser that is open to family, friends and the general public. All food and beverages will be donated by Merrill Gardens.
Wednesday, December 9 from 5 to 7p.m. The Admiral Heights location is 2326 California Ave. SW, Seattle, WA 98116. Call (206) 938-3964 for any information.

Seattle Public Schools and the Seattle Center reached a proposed agreement on the future of Memorial Stadium, the Seattle Center venue that is the home field for Ballard High School football and soccer games, as well as other Seattle Public Schools events.

The agreement is part of the redevelopment of Memorial Stadium as called for in the Seattle Century 21 Master Plan, adopted by the Seattle City Council in 2008, and completes two years of negotiations.

The agreement, if accepted by the Seattle School Board and Seattle City Council, gives priority over a new athletic field to be constructed on the current stadium lot to Seattle Public Schools from just after Labor Day to just before Memorial Day and for June graduations.

The Seattle Center would get priority over the field for use as a concert venue the rest of the year.

The redevelopment of Memorial Stadium under the Seattle Center Century 21 Master Plan, an attempt to increase the openness of the Seattle Center and bring it inline with the environmental goals of the city, includes building the new athletic field to the east of the current stadium, where a parking lot is now.

The gymnastics team and the boys swim team kick off the 2009-2010 Ballard High School winter sports season today. Wrestling and boys and girls basketball get underway next week. No matter how the teams fared last year, they are all looking to compete this winter.

The boys basketball team is starting the season off with the highest expectations of any team, coming off its first-ever KingCo playoff trip last season.

"This is the first time we bring back a team with playoff experience," fifth-year coach Billy Rodgers said. "That's something that is important."

He said the playoff experience has given the team a winning attitude and experience in pressure situations.

One of the biggest concerns for the boys basketball team this year is replacing departed senior Eric Taylor, who was voted to the All-KingCo team last season.

Rodgers he is hoping contributions from three of his players will be able to fill the hole left by Taylor. Getting solid play from John Barnes, an All-KingCo honorable mention last season, will be key.

Seattle Public Schools and Seattle Center have completed a proposed Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on redevelopment of the Memorial Stadium site into a green, integrated, multi-functional space that provides for year-round community and school activities. The proposed MOA now moves to the Seattle City Council and the Seattle School Board for consideration and approval.

The proposed Agreement outlines the terms for the future of Memorial Stadium and allows the City of Seattle six years to determine public/private funding for site development. Under the MOA, the School District has priority use of the new stadium from after Labor Day to just before Memorial Day, and for graduations in June. The Seattle Center receives priority use for the remainder of the year, when the facility will be converted to a concert venue. This joint proposal also calls for preserving and moving the Memorial Wall to a respectful location on the Seattle Center grounds, in consultation with veterans groups.

Jack & the Beanstalk, a traditional British Panto, has arrived in Federal Way.

This Panto is filled with rollicking good humor, fabulous production numbers and glorious costumes. It tells the timeless tale of Jack Trott's battle with the Giant of Cloudland.

Jack & the Beanstalk is heartily recommended for kids ages 5 to 105.

Jack & the Beanstalk runs Friday -Sunday through December 20th. Matinees are the most popular so reserve your tickets now.

Come early to Jack & the Beanstalk on Dec.5th! At 6:30 you can enjoy a toasty glass of mulled wine or hot chocolate. Chat with artistic director Alan Bryce and learn about the history of the British Panto.

Call 253-661-1444 for reservations.