November 2010

Press Release:
The longest remaining piece of undeveloped Puget Sound shoreline in King County would be permanently protected under an historic agreement signed by King County Executive Dow Constantine and the CalPortland Company – and facilitated by Cascade Land Conservancy – for public purchase of the Maury Island gravel site.

“The chance to permanently protect such a long stretch of undeveloped Puget Sound shoreline and uplands is the kind of opportunity that comes along once in a lifetime,” said Executive Constantine. “After more than a decade of advocating for this habitat I could not be more pleased at this breakthrough. I thank the state, our citizens, the sellers, and Cascade Land Conservancy for helping make this happen.”

Jim Vatn, a lifetime Ballardite who had a hand in seemingly every feature that makes Ballard the neighborhood it is, passed away in his sleep Nov. 7 at the age of 66 after a battle with cancer.

After graduating from Ballard High School in 1962, Vatn was a ceaseless presence and do-gooder in Ballard and the larger Norwegian-American community in Seattle.

During his life, Vatn was a member of the Ballard Rotary Club, Sons of Norway, Seafair president, member of the Swedish Medical Center Board of Governors, member of the Sytennde Mai Committee and chair of the parade for 30 years, member of the University of Washington Department of Scandinavian Studies, member of the Nordic Heritage Museum, member of the Norwegian Chamber of Commerce, chair of the Ballard High School Athletic Committee, member of the Ballard High School Foundation, and the announcer for both the Ballard High School basketball and football games, for a start.

Vatn said he stayed in Ballard and kept so involved because he enjoyed its residents so much.

"Ballard and our community just has such great people," he told the Ballard News-Tribune in June 2009. "There is such a great community spirit."

While King County and neighboring cities are struggling to balance their budgets, Burien’s staff is telling the City Council they do not need an additional one percent from property taxes next year.
Burien is expecting to end the year with a fund balance of $2.5 million. The fund balance at the end of 2011 is expected to be $500,000 higher, at $3 million. Even with additional services and expenses associated with annexation of the north Burien area, the city’s revenues next year are estimated to be $1 million more than their expenditures.
Burien expects to bring in $41 million in revenues next year. The majority of those revenues come from property and sales tax.
Burien is expected to see a $1.5 million increase in property tax, $4.3 million in 2010 to $5.8 million in 2011, due to the annexation. The majority of the property in the North Highline area is residential.
Sales tax revenues in Burien are expected to dip slightly next year, from $5.1 million in 2010 to $4.9 million in 2011.
Sales and property tax together make up nearly 60 percent of revenues for the general fund.

At 25, Morey Skaret had already "rode the rods" to Wyoming and back. It was depression era travel at its cheapest. Riding under the boxcar on two-inch thick rods was considered the most dangerous aspect of hobo life but this young man from the prairies of Alberta, Canada was born with an indomitable spirit. 

By 1938 Morey's first real job was with the Seattle Police department. His first assignment; standing in the middle of 3rd and Union, directing traffic. Waving arms and standing as he did for a few hours, Morey felt the need to use a nearby restroom in the alley near the old Embassy Theatre. "I finished my business and headed back to my intersection," Morey explained. At this point he could not help but notice a fidgety man at the ticket window of the theatre. The perpetrator's hands and arms were in the pass through. 

Muscab Ismail attends 5th grade at Concord International Elementary School in South Park, and lives in the community, too. While the West Seattle Herald was covering the recent "Let's Move!" rally to fight childhood obesity recently at Concord, Ismail approached and requested an exclusive interview. We were grateful for his time, although he was a bit late for his next class.

"I am African," he began. "I was born in Somalia. Well, my parents were born in Somalia. I think maybe my mother was pregnant with me when they came here. I don't remember. My dad is Muslim. My mom is Muslim, too.

"My parents are lovable and always care about me. My dad is a taxi driver. My mom works in the airport and is a supervisor.

"I want to become a famous doctor. I'm thinking about curing cancer. I like math, writing, and reading. I like school. It's really important for life.

Denny International Middle School is booked solid with its 2010 PTSA Read-a-thon Fund-raiser as students are plowing through pages throughout November to raise money to support Denny’s literacy and science programs, including the purchase of new books. It's goal is to raise $21,000.

Teachers recommend books appropriate for the student’s reading level and interest. Students talk with family, friends and neighbors requesting donations. Supporters can pledge an amount of money per book or per page. They can simply donate $10, $20, $50 or any amount by writing a check to “Denny PTSA” as suggested in its press release. A donation to Denny PTSA may double through your employer’s matching gift program.

"You get to plan your goal, either how many books or pages you read, or how many minutes you spend reading in November," said Denny 6th-grader Michelle Steele, a Fauntleroy resident whose mother Kathleen is a Read-A-Thon organizer with the PTSA.

Photographer Kurt Howard captured these images of Kennedy's 6-41 loss to Liberty on November 5. SLIDESHOW: CLICK ON THE PHOTOS TO PLAY SLIDESHOW.

I wanted to take a moment to respond directly to the ad placed by the King County Jail Guards Union that appears in the Nov. 12 Times/News.

This ad asks readers to contact my office and urge the Council's Budget Committee to keep the Maleng Regional Justice Center (MRJC) in Kent open for inmate bookings, a service that was cut in the Executive's proposed budget for 2011. The elimination of booking services at the MRJC would save the County $2 million in a year where we are facing a $60 million budget shortfall in our general fund.

As Budget Chair and as a Councilmember representing South King County, this issue is important to me and it is one that I have been following closely. The Council has been in budget deliberations since September 27 and, to date, I have not received any phone calls, emails or letters from cities in the greater Highline area expressing their concern over the proposal to close the MRJC to bookings.

Vincent Thompson has been spoiling for a fight.

The Federal Way heavyweight boxer was supposed to have fought last month at the Silver Reef Casino in Ferndale, but prospective opponents shied away.

"This fighter is in this thing to fight," said Thompson Sunday. "I'm willing to take on anyone. This dude is not playing."

Thompson, unbeaten in five fights, has got his wish.

He will take on a fighter who might prove to be his toughest opponent yet, Charles Ellis, also undefeated, winning five of his six fights by knockout.

Thompson will match up with Ellis, of Vancouver, Wash., on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Emerald Queen I-5 Casino in Tacoma. It is on the undercard of a five-fight Battle of the Boat 79 event.

"Both of these guys are going to show up to fight," said Joseph Sayatovich, Ellis' manager, on Monday. "This is going to be a lot better fight than they show on TV."

Sayatovich, who managed four-time junior middleweight champion Terry Norris, said it's unusual to have two up-and-coming fighters square off so early in their careers.

VANCOUVER -- Todd Beamer High has been through its share of adversity this season.

Turnovers plagued them early on. The Titans corrected that.

Hard-luck losses happened, too, but Todd Beamer perservered, enough to make it to the Class 4A preliminary round of the football playoffs for the first time in its existence.

But losing one key offensive player to illness and another to a broken-collarbone injury didn't help the Titans chances much against the Associated Press' No. 10 team in the state, Skyview.

That is, unless, your quarterback is T.J. Esekielu.

Esekielu, not one to shy away from a challenge, took the Titans on his back and rushed 43 times for 216 yards and almost willed his team to an improbable victory over the Storm, the No.1-seeded team and champions of the Greater St.Helens League in Southwest Washington.

Skyview, however, prevailed 42-33 Saturday in steady rain at Kiggins Bowl, but not without a fierce fight from the Titans (4-6).

"It was definitely a fun game to be part of," said Todd Beamer coach David Sundheim. "We proved we belonged in the playoffs."