February 2011

Kayreen Lum, program manager from King County’s Enhanced 911 Program Office covered the basics of 911, from how and when to call 911 to what happens when they pick up on the other end at the SPD Southwest Precinct on Feb. 23.

Regarding when to call 911, Lum said it is imperative to make sure you are calling about an emergency or crime either in progress or impending. Examples of when not to call 911 included discovering a crime in the aftermath (noticing your car was prowled the night before or seeing new graffiti on a wall), power outages, traffic conditions and reporting stray animals to name a few.

Lum suggested visiting Links by Zip, entering your zip code and a list of non-emergency phone numbers for your area will populate the screen. It includes numbers for utility companies, non-emergency police and fire, road and traffic, health and human services and others. Lum suggested printing out the list so the numbers are available in case of a power outage.

With forecasts calling for snow and even colder temperatures moving through Washington, drivers should prepare for snow and ice on the road tonight and into Thursday.

Reports indicate the heaviest accumulations should be from the South Puget Sound area down to Vancouver.

Drivers should expect driving conditions similar to a mountain pass across much of Washington overnight and Thursday morning. WSDOT crews will work through the night and into the morning to keep roads open and traffic moving. Unprepared drivers who and end up blocking traffic could make their goal much more difficult.

Factors that go into the decision to stay off the roads in severe weather are different for every person and family, but when ice and snow are in the forecast, everyone should pay attention to media reports and advice from officials. When choosing to drive in these conditions, motorists should:

· drive for conditions – reduced speeds, slower acceleration, careful steering and slower braking

· slow down approaching intersections, off-ramps, bridges, or shady spots

· allow extra time to get there

· use headlights regardless of the time of day

In 1928, six years after the first West Seattle Herald came off the presses, 13-year old Elwin Bostrom landed a job distributing the papers west from California Ave SW down Brandon and over to Juneau street. Nearly 60 homes on his route, all delivered on foot from a make-shift sack; and he could not miss a house. 

  Publisher Rupert Hamilton insisted his charges get that paper inside the door handle or the screen to keep it out of the weather. Bostrom was true to the task, never intentionally missing a door. He knew the consequences. Hamilton gave each carrier a Saturday pass to the Granada Theater for a perfect delivery record. That meant no complaints from customers. Although the paper was freely distributed in those days, West Seattle residents depended on the weekly musings and news much like they do today.
 
   Bostrom earned fifty cents a week and was happy to get it. For three years he delivered the paper, befriending local community leader Normie Beers in the process. Normie got lots of kids involved in the YMCA in the late 20's and early 30's. Elwin was one of those kids, spending countless hours there. It left a lasting impression on him.

The official snow and ice plan for the City of Seattle has been activated though the threat of snow in West Seattle itself is coming later than expected, by at least a few hours.

SDOT has been pre-treating roads with an anti-icing solution. As soon as they are needed 18 or more snow plows will be in service clearing roads to prepare for the morning commute.

30 plows are available to clear streets and SDOT said crews will be on 24-hour shifts. These are trucks to be used as snow plows, but they are not dedicated plows. When snow is forecast plows are mounted.

The public is reminded by SDOT that "Residents and businesses are responsible for clearing sidewalks of snow and ice to allow people to walk to buses and to get around. We keep the snow routes driveable for emergency vehicles and buses and will push snow to the side of the road, so you might need to dig your car out if you park on the street of a snow route and to clear the end of your driveway."

Southwest Suburban Sewer District commissioners have appointed Susan Genzale to fill the seat left vacant with the death of her husband, Tony Genzale.
A total of nine applications were received for the opening, and commissioners Bill Tracy and Scott Hilsen selected six applicants to interview. The commissioners, along with General Manager Ron Hall, conducted interviews and reached the unanimous decision to offer the seat to Susan Genzale.
"All of the applicants were excellent, and each one brought a unique combination of skills and knowledge to the table" said General Manager Ron Hall. "Suzy stood out because of her strong desire to continue the seat's legacy of being an advocate for the ratepayers, along with the great amount of preparation she did upon submitting her application."
According to Commissioner Scott Hilsen, "Suzy asked for tours of our facilities, and read through all of the minutes posted on our site. She really came to the interview with a lot of knowledge about the district and its ongoing business and issues."

Bundle up and take shelter at Taproot Theatre with a Snow Special for tonight’s performance of The Odyssey.
Take advantage of the Taproot Snow Special and get $20 tickets for the February 23, 7:30 p.m., performance. Tickets are available in person at the box office at 204 North 85th St.

In The Odyssey, adapted by Mary Zimmerman, is the first show of Taproot Theatre’s 35th Anniversary Season, and takes audiences across land and sea, through the underworld to the top of Mt. Olympus. Muses and monsters introduce this epic myth of the brave and courageous Odysseus as he valiantly seeks his homeland and the arms of his wife and child. Audiences are sure to recognize themselves in this sometimes comic, sometimes harrowing but always thrilling adventure.

Tonight’s Snow Special is not valid for previously purchased tickets or with any other offer, is based on availability, and is valid for the February 23, 2011, show only.

Read BNT's review of the play, here.

Investments in clean-water projects to support economic growth, protect Puget Sound and sustain the region’s enviable quality of life will be a top priority in 2011 for King County Executive Dow Constantine.

“Clean water and adequate wastewater treatment capacity are crucial for economic growth and job creation,” said Executive Constantine.

“Our wastewater treatment system keeps tons of pollutants out of our regional waterways each year and protects the natural resources that make our area such an attractive place to live, work and play.”

Over the coming year, King County’s Wastewater Treatment Division will invest $232 million in dozens of sewer improvement projects to upgrade aging facilities, build new capacity to accommodate population growth, and improve water quality by reducing combined sewer overflows near some of Seattle’s most popular recreation areas. Other projects include addressing historically contaminated sediments in the Lower Duwamish Waterway and Elliott Bay.

Run by the most personable and charming pair of brothers you'll ever meet, the success of Mr. Gyros is the direct result of simple good ol' fashioned honest hard work, customer service, and a quality product at a reasonable price. The fact that Mr. Gyros has opened a second restaurant at a time when most businesses have been forced to cut back, should be an inspiration to us all.

Congratulations Mr. Gyros!

It's nice to see success come to those who truly deserve it.

Eric Bruckbauer
Phinney Ridge

The small lock at the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks will close its gates to marine traffic and be drained for 12 days starting at 11 a.m. March 7 through 5 p.m. March 18. The closure will allow crews to conduct annual maintenance.

The large lock will continue to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Lock wall staff will get the commercial traffic through as quickly as possible.

All pleasure boats will be using the large lock during this time. Mariners may experience some delay, depending upon how heavy the demand for passage becomes. Boaters should be prepared to use the large lock with appropriate equipment and crew. Requirements in the large lock include long lines and fenders on board the boats.

The small lock is capable of handling vessels up to 25 feet wide and 100 feet long while the large lock can be configured to handle vessels as large as 760 feet by 80 feet.

Most of the equipment at the locks is 95 years old. The maintenance program gives staff the chance to dry out the chambers for a thorough inspection, make any necessary repairs and paint the walls. This annual routine maintenance ensures the chambers will continue to safely operate.

Meter Television , one of Sweden's leading production companies, is searching for Americans with Swedish ancestry for a new reality TV-show to be filmed in Sweden.

The Producers of the Swedish version of “ American Idol” and “ Minute To Win It” are coming to the U.S. to find "fun and outgoing Americans with Swedish ancestry" to participate in their new television series titled “The Great Swedish Adventure.”

“It’s sort of like ‘The Amazing Race’ with a ‘fish out of water’ hook,” said Christer Åkerlund, producer of the project.

Chosen participants will travel to Sweden and compete in extreme cultural challenges to discover their rich and fascinating roots while trying to win the grand prize: meeting their Swedish relatives.

People can apply on the web at www.greatswedishadventure.com.