September 2010

On Oct. 2, a new generation of Metro Transit bus service debuts in South King County. For local bus riders, the launch of the RapidRide "A Line" on Pacific Highway South/International Boulevard will mean more frequent and convenient bus service.

For King County as a whole, the arrival of the A Line will mark the completion of a successful partnership that will serve as a model for future RapidRide lines all across the county.

Bus riders in Federal Way, Des Moines, Kent, SeaTac, and Tukwila have a lot to look forward to. The A Line will be easy to use and offer 10 to 15-minute service much of the day. That amounts to twice as much service as the current Route 174 and more than 34,000 hours of new service each year.

And the A Line will provide faster trips. Travel times, especially during morning and afternoon commutes, will be shorter than current conventional bus trips. By consolidating stops, expediting fare collection, improving roads, and giving buses priority at intersections, RapidRide travel times are expected to be as much as 30 percent faster than current trips.

King County Executive Dow Constantine today called for a reset of King County finances that recognizes changed circumstances and new economic realities, through establishment of a base of significant reductions in service and a program of continuous improvement that creates 3 percent in efficiencies every year.

“The people of King County need a government that is restored to sound financial footing, not one lurching from crisis to crisis,” said Executive Constantine in an address to the Metropolitan King County Council. “This is a budget that calls not merely for muddling through another year of cuts, but for efficiencies that can be sustained over time so we can stabilize county finances and provide the services the people of King County need.”

Mayor Mike McGinn's proposed 2011-2012 budget, released Sept. 27, will negatively affect the Ballard Community Center, Ballard and Greenwood wading pools, and the Northwest Neighborhood Service Center in Greenwood.

If the mayor's biennial budget is accepted by the Seattle City Council, the Ballard Community Center, along with five other community centers, will have it's hours reduced from 53 per week during the school year and 46 per week during the summer to 15 to 20 hours per week year round.

According to the budget proposal, the Soundview Playfield wading pool will be open three days per week during the summer, while the wading pools at Gilman Playground and Sandel Playground will be closed in 2011.

Mayor Mike McGinn presented his budget and it has impacts for West Seattle in the form of the closure of the West Seattle Payment and information center at 4205 SW Alaska Street (selected because the lease expires at the end of 2010), and reduced hours for the Alki Community Center at 5817 s.w. Stevens St from 53 hours per week during the school year and 46 hours per week in the summer to 15-20 hours per week year round.

The Lincoln Park wading pool will remain open seven days a week during the summer months while the Delridge wading pool next to the Delridge Community Center at 4458 Delridge Way s.w. will be open three days a week.

Here's the official press release:

Mayor Mike McGinn today presented his 2011-2012 Proposed Budget for the City of Seattle at the Rainier Beach Community Center and in City Council Chambers. In his first budget address, McGinn outlined an $888 million General Fund budget for 2011, which is $13.7 million smaller than the 2010 adopted budget. The total proposed budget for 2011 is $3.9 billion.

The hugely popular annual Rummage Sale at Tibbetts United Methodist Church 3940 41st Ave s.w. , now in its 50th year is gathering steam and boatload of goods set to be available Oct. 8 and 9.

Church members are busy sorting, boxing, and organizing all the things that will be in the sale right now including one member who joined the church in 1933. Mary Margaret Kolze was actually born in West Seattle.
Her birth was at home, which was located where the Metropolitan Market is today.

Howard Bogie said, "Before we open the doors there's a line that goes down the block every year because they know it's good stuff at a fair price."

The sale features clothing, toys, books, and many other gently used but still useful items. You can still donate items if you have something (other than appliances or small electronics) but please contact the church first at (206) 932-7777 and arrange to drop them off.

Vi Dennison, who said she is "Head of the boxes and gettin 'em set up" was in charge of the crew and said, "We'll have coffee and other refreshments for the sale."

The hours are Friday Oct. 8 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. and Saturday Oct. 9 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Officers responded to a home burglary in progress on the 6300 block of 37th Ave s.w. earlier in the week. The owner of the house had cracked his kitchen window to let in some fresh air and was in his bedroom when he heard some commotion from the kitchen, initially assuming it was the cats messing around (cat burglar pun intentionally omitted). The sound continued and sounded less cat-like, so the owner investigated and found the red-hooded sweatshirt wearing burglar about halfway through the window. The suspect saw the man and put it in reverse, sliding back out the way he came. The owner chased him towards the alley and as the suspect jumped a wooden fence he dropped his copper-colored Motorola phone in the alley. The suspect turned back, hoping to recover the phone, but the owner stood over it and yelled, “I saw you!” The call of “Male trying to climb through window / two minutes ago / ran northbound in alley on west side on foot,” came over the radio and a SPD officer responded. When the officers arrived they were shown the cell phone and given a description of the suspect.

The Seattle Parks Department is repeating its popular “Try It for $2″promotion through October 9th. All Community Center and Pool sites are offering selected classes at a reduced promotional rate. The first
class of a course for a trial $2.00 fee. If you enjoy your first visit, you are invited to sign up for the remainder of the session.

At Southwest Pool, You can try a Fitness Classes at the $2.00 promo rate for your first visit. This includes Water Aerobics (both deep and shallow water) and Masters Workouts.
It is a great way to get out of the house, have some fun, and do something good for your body.

Regular attendees can get an even better deal. If you have taken Water Aerobics classes or Masters Workouts and would like to get back into it, your visit will be free if you bring in a brand-new participant to try a class.

The eligible classes are listed below.

All of these programs are drop-in and require no pre-registration.

Make sure to check with your physician before starting a new workout regimen. Regular prices are $5 for adults and $3 for seniors 65+ per visit. Discount cards are available for frequent users.

West Seattle's Prudential Northwest is collecting food through October 2nd for Global Volunteer Day.

They will be at Met Market, PCC, Jefferson Square, Safeway, Morgan Street Thriftway and Alberstons in White Center on Saturday Oct. 2nd from 10 AM to 2PM. The food and cash collections benefit West Seattle Food Bank and the White Center Food Bank.

They are also collecting diapers for Westside Baby. If you would like to donate they will accept donations in their office during the week or at the stores on Saturday. If you contact them they can come to collect items if needed. Contact for more details?

4700 42nd Ave s.w. Suite 600 in the Jefferson Square building.

sharikruse@pnwrealty.com or 206-650-0871.

I was in the jams and jellies section of the Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Fair when my cell phone rang. My mother had a third prize ribbon for her beach plum jelly, although a judge had mysteriously written, “Excellent grape!” on it.

“Can you talk?” Martin asked, calling from the house phone in Ballard.

I stepped outside the barn, waving to my mother as she set off for fried food.

“I have very bad news,” Martin said.

My heart skipped a little beat, thinking to the neighbors awaiting the birth of twin grandbabies, the cats…even the safety of Ballard itself. Had Ray’s Boathouse gone up in flames, again?

“My wedding ring is missing,” Martin said.

It was twilight at the fairgrounds. The Ferris Wheel was starting to twinkle against the sky as it rounded down toward the gymnastics exhibition and then back up again, high as the weather vane.

“Where and how did you lose it?” I asked, which was pretty much what we’d asked a man about his pit bull earlier in the day.

KIRO 7 is reporting that at approximately 2:15 a.m. 911 calls were placed by people who were on the pier stating that a car went off the pier at Redondo. Rescuers were on the scene within a half an hour and found a debris field and then the car with a man inside it. They pulled him out to attempt to save him but it was too late. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Workers are attempting to recover the vehicle by towing it out.

Redondo Beach Drive is closed.