May 2010

Dear Editor,
Martha Keoster (see her email and link to the State Bank article below) is another progressive friend of mine who keeps up on important political issues. She’s worked tirelessly for single payer health care. Another issue we’ve been talking about lately is this State Bank idea now being tossed about in the WA state legislature (among others). I first heard of it when I heard Bill Bradley, running for Governor of Oregon, discuss the idea with Thom Hartman on the radio several weeks ago.

A friend of mine was leaving town to go back to Finland recently and gave me his bicycle. His generous gift has made me rethink my commute and see the Burke-Gilman Trail and its importance to Ballard through new eyes.

It also makes me even more upset that the politicians who represent us are not providing some leadership to resolve the Missing Link stalemate.

I have written about the Missing Link controversy before, but now that I have become a regular user of the Burke-Gilman Trail, I see the need to resolve this is more important than ever.

The issue is also in the news once again now that Seattle has decided not to appeal the decision by the Superior Court to do an environmental review of the Missing Link proposal and to conduct one instead.

To the editor:

This is an open letter to Mr. Rob McKenna.

I am a small business owner in West Seattle. Recently, our elected Attorney General, Rob McKenna, has subjected Washington State to the lawsuit involving universal health care. I am at a loss as to why he would waste taxpayers dollars on such a law suit. I understand that he believes the Federal Government doesn't have the right to require companies and individuals to purchase this coverage.

Now, I ask in this open letter as to why I have to purchase Workers' Compensation Insurance Coverage from Labor & Industry and am not allowed to purchase this coverage in the private market where there is competition. I have worked in other states and have found that competition protects the consumer. Here in Washington State, all employers, except the very largest who can manage a self insured retention, have no choice but to buy from the state monopoly.

The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory for the Seattle/Bremerton Area from 11 PM this evening to tomorrow evening. If your power is interrupted and you can still call or have battery power Seattle City asks that you NOT email them but rather call Customer Service at 206.684.3000. Or, call the Outage Hotline (recorded message) at 206.684.7400.
We ask that you DO email us at the Herald so we can let people know. Newstips@westseattleherald.com .

... Wind Advisory remains in effect from 11 PM this evening to
7 PM PDT Monday...

A Wind Advisory remains in effect from 11 PM this evening to 7 PM
PDT Monday.

* South winds will increase to 20 to 30 mph with gusts as high as
50 mph later tonight. Expect the winds to become a bit westerly
on Monday in the wake of a strong cold front... with speeds
remaining in the 20 to 30 mph range with gusts locally to 50 mph.

* The strong winds will subside Monday evening.

Precautionary/preparedness actions...

A Wind Advisory is issued when sustained winds of 30 to 39 mph or
gusts of 45 to 57 mph are likely. Winds this strong can snap

The new West Seattle Produce company at 4755 Fauntleroy Way S.W. opened officially on Saturday May 1 but for the next few days, will sell off its current produce inventory, because the coolers they had expected to arrive have not yet been delivered.

Mike Cairns said, "We're already selling five pounds of strawberries for $5 but you can expect some amazing buys this week as we sell off what we have."

The company has plenty of produce on hand at the moment, and other merchandise in stock

Next Friday, May 7, they will be "fully open" Cairns said.

Drivers will encounter an estimated 20 minute wait departing the Fauntleroy terminal due to heavier than normal vehicle traffic boarding the vessel.
This alert was sent on 5/2/2010 at 12:37PM to subscribers of the Fauntleroy (West Seattle) / Vashon / Southworth route.

Their Web Site is at http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries

The official "1st Ride" for West Seattle Spokespeople wasn't a group of public speakers. This was an eclectic assembly of people brought together by Sustainable West Seattle co-founder Bill Reiswig and Alki Bike and Board owner Stu Hennesey to learn more about bicycle transportation. Both Reiswig and Hennessey are long time bicycle commuters.

A small but hardy group of 8 people gathered at Alki Bike and Board at 2606 California Ave. S.W. on Sunday May 2 at 10:00 AM to ride six miles, largely parallel to California Avenue but along back streets, down to the the Morgan Junction with a stop at the West Seattle Farmer's Market in the Alaska Junction.

"There's actually a growing group of rides like this," said Hennessey, "and the whole idea of the ride is that it doesn't require super athletic status and racing type mentalities. It's to show people who are a little timid about using a bike in the car world, how to use a bike, how to choose a route, how to recognize obstacles, how to get around without having the conflicts that sometimes occur with the big metal machines."

Shortly after Evergreen Pool (now Evergreen Aquatics Center) was shut down in August White Water Aquatics Swim Team, who swam out of Evergreen Pool, began looking for a way to reopen the pool. Nine months later, after raising public contributions and negotiating with the County and the School District White Water Aquatics realized their dream of reopening the pool.

At Evergreen Pool for the ribbon cutting ceremony was King County Executive Dow Constantine, Burien Mayor Joan McGilton, Deputy Mayor Rose Clark, Evergreen Pool General Manager Joel Scweiger, Greg Duff- former president of the North Highline Unincorporated Area and State Representative's Sharon Nelson and Eileen Cody.

After the ribbon cutting the pool was open to the public for a free swim. There will be another free swim on May 15, after the White Center Spring Cleanup.

Evergreen is reopening without the benefit of taxes from a parks district, like Mount Rainier Pool in Des Moines. The pool is looking for continued community support and donations to remain open.

Overcast skies and a slight drizzle May 1 didn't keep Ballardites from flocking to the first-ever Ballard Urban Picnic, or BURP, where lines for some of the premiere street food vendors in the city were occasionally 40 people deep.

The Ballard Chamber of Commerce created BURP, which featured mobile food vendors, a beer garden, live music, inflatable bouncers, community booths and more, as a way to bring more community activity to Ballard Commons Park.

"We all thought we had this great park and it doesn't get as much use as it could," said Beth Miller, Ballard Chamber of Commerce executive director.

Miller said she thought this would be a small event that would be easier to organize than the multiple-day Seafood Fest.

While it was still easier than Seafood Fest, it was not easy, she said. They started out with an idea to have food vendors in the park for a day, then decided they needed entertainment, then something for children and all of a sudden there was a lot of organizing to do, she said.

Miller said the turnout at the event was great, especially because weather on May 1 is always a toss up.

Boats were filling the waters off Harbor Avenue in Elliott Bay for the first day of the recreational shrimp harvest, May 1. From 7:00 AM to 3 PM shrimpers were allowed to go into the bay (Marine Area 10) to catch their limit of 80 shrimp. The next open harvest day for Elliott Bay is May 5.
Spot, Coonstripe, and Pink shrimp are all allowed.
Since May 1 is also opening day of boating season, it made for some crowded waters as shrimpers, recreational boaters, fishers, kayakers, and paddle boarders all got out to enjoy the water.

According to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife rules:

Each harvester must have a separate container for their catch, either in their possession or identified with their name.
No minimum carapace size.
Maximum of two shrimp pots per person and no more than four shrimp pots per boat.

Prior to harvesting, check the Shellfish Rule Change free Hotline (866) 880-5431 or http://wdfw.wa.gov for season closures and restrictions.