January 2011

The first In Person Registration for West Seattle Little League that was scheduled for tonight, Tuesday January 11th at the West Seattle High School Library has been cancelled due to the school activities cancellation caused by weather concerns.

But there's a second chance and make-up date will be announced later according to League President Mark Terao.

Second In-Person Registration
When: Tuesday January 18, 2011.
Where: West Seattle High School Library
Time: 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm

Please remember to bring a copy of your child's birth certificate along with copy of birth certificate and three proofs of residence.

Drivers License
Insurance Card
Voters Registration Card
Utility Bills (Only one counts towards the 3)
Cell Phone Bill
Property Taxes
Rent Receipt
Financial/Bank Statements

2011 Fees:
T-Ball & Coach Pitch: $120 per player
Minors – Big League: $140 per player
A $30.00 volunteer fee is included in the cost of registration. This $30.00 fee is refundable at the end of the season, upon your verification of at least 5 hours of volunteer work for the league. Scholarships are available.

Press Release:

King County Metro Transit now has performance data online that provides up-to-date information about bus ridership, vehicle breakdowns, accident rates, and even how often buses show up on time.

“As a public agency, Metro Transit is accountable to the people we serve,” said Metro General Manager Kevin Desmond. “We want to make it easy for our customers and others to find information about our performance, and see how we are measuring up to our targeted goals.”

The new “Monthly Performance Measures” website currently features graphs and data about ridership trends, service quality measures, safety and security data, and some financial information. Navigation through the website should make Metro data and reports more accessible. Desmond said this is just a beginning, and he hopes the website will evolve over time with more data and other information the public will find interesting or helpful.

Woodinville came out strong and took a six point lead over Ballard in the first quarter. This became a nine point lead by half time. But the Beavers came back strong the second half. Led by Junior Brad Baker, Ballard outscored Woodinville 24 to 10 in the third quarter. Ballard held on and won by two points with a final score of 60 to 62.

This win keeps Ballard in second place in the Crown division of KingCo.

Tonight Ballard hosts Newport, the number one team from the Crest division of KingCo.

Weather forecasters may not agree on how much snow will fall or where it will stick, but most are pretty certain about the when: just in time for the Tuesday evening commute.

Drivers across the state can plan for weather and road conditions on their route home Tuesday by keeping “plugged in” to Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Web and mobile tools and local media reports.

WSDOT crews are out treating roads for a blast of cold weather and possible snow, rain and wind, WSDOT stockpiles are full and crews are coordinating with local agencies to clear snow, ice and disabled vehicles.

Crews will apply anti-icer, salt and sand in the locations where it’s needed. Part of the WSDOT arsenal are eight mini sander that can maneuver in smaller spaces. They can reach problems spots quickly to put down sand to provide traction and get traffic flowing again.

Seattle City Light conducted extensive testing on metal streetlights and associated facilities during the weekend and identified 16 more locations with contact voltage of at least 30 volts. In each case, City Light crews immediately cut off power and started repairs. No people or pets were injured in any of the incidents.

Inspection teams made great progress toward completing tests on all metal streetlight poles and associated facilities. The final count of streetlights and associated groundcover facilities could reach about 34,000 pieces of equipment. A final count will be available once all testing of our service territory is complete.

An estimate of about 6,000 pieces of equipment remain to be tested. City Light expects those tests will be finished within a week, depending on the weather conditions.

The inspections are part of City Light’s ongoing safety testing efforts. City Light initiated testing after the death of a dog that stepped on an energized groundcover plate in Queen Anne in November and two other unrelated reports of energized metal streetlight equipment. Two contractors – Davey Resources Group and Power Survey Co. – are conducting the testing.

(Editor's Note: This letter was originally sent to Discover Burien executive director Steve Gilbert, who forwarded it to the Times/News.)

My name is Kari O'Brien and I am currently working with AmeriCorps: Solid Ground, in the Highline School District, as a sustainability coordinator.

Within the elementary schools, it is my goal to create an environment in which the community and school can join together to support one another. It is my hope to begin a program in which students are allowed to share their culture, knowledge, and language through literacy, along side fellow peers and mentors.

Currently I am working with McMicken Heights, Southern Heights, and Hilltop Elementary Schools on creating after school programs that cater to each school.

I am looking for volunteers who would be interested in volunteering their time and energy to assist students with homework and reading activities. Currently, Hilltop Elementary and McMicken Heights Elementary both have an after school program, which provides a safe and encouraging environment for students to focus on their homework and reading. The program runs from 3:15 to 4:15 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.