August 2011

SLIDESHOW: Jerry Robinson took many photos illustrating his point. Click the above image to see them.

When a Burien City councilman suggested that White Center is thriving and that Burien should be supportive of annexation, he failed to mention the empty storefronts on main street (16th Avenue.)

Marv's Broiler, Napa Auto Parts, South End Florist and even the little Thai place up at 112th are all shuttered.

If you talk with Donnie Malo and his general manager Brad Truesdell over at Malo's Auto Body on 17th you'll get their story. Malo has been through it all for the last 40 years and can speak about urban renewal and decline.

While he feels things might be on an upswing in some areas he definitely expressed his desire for Seattle to take up the annexation banner rather than Burien.

"I love Burien and they have a lot going on there," Malo said.

He added that Seattle is better equipped financially to support White Center and one particular issue is the boundary at Roxbury Street.

In today's blog post, Mayor Mike McGinn challenged the Seattle City Council to "be bold" and finance rail projects.

Looking at Portland's rail systems as an example, McGinn calls on the Seattle City Council to acknowledge rail opportunities in Seattle as the Council deliberates on a new transportation measure.

SDOT released the Transit Master Plan last month, recognizing that connecting neighborhoods to each other is Seattle's greatest weakness.

The plan called for two new rail or rapid streetcar lines that would connect Ballard, Fremont, the University District, Queen Anne, South Lake Union, and Eastlake to downtown by 2030.

"To some degree, we’ve all known this, but the rigorous approach of the Transit Master Plan clearly identifies the best corridors, and points to the better ways to serve each corridor," McGinn states in his blog post.

Press release:
SDOT paving Crews will repair the roadway in the 4300 block of SW Edmunds Street between California Avenue SW and 44th Avenue SW on Thursday and Friday, August 11 and 12. Edmunds will be closed to both eastbound and westbound traffic on Thursday at 8 a.m. until Friday at 8 a.m., and closed to westbound traffic only on Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The bus stop for westbound buses will reopen Saturday morning once the new pavement has cured.

Approximately one half block of pavement will be excavated and repaved.

For information on Metro Transit, please see Metro online, www.kingcounty.gov/metro or call (206) 553-3000.

Think of an Hispanic Hulk Hogan wearing a glittery mask and you've got "Lucha Libre". The "sport", well, cultural phenomena, that dominates Mexico and other Latin American countries comes to South Park Aug. 20 thanks to ECOSS, the Environmental Coalition of South Seattle. Details are on the above poster.

Wed., AUG. 10 UPDATE:

Dawn Leverett, is a real estate agent at Windermere-West Seattle in the Alaska Junction and former Board President for the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce. She is serving her second term as Secretary of the Board of Trusties for ArtsWest where she has been a board member since 2007. She spoke to the West Seattle Herald today about Alan Harrison's departure.

"We appreciate Alan and all he has done in his five and a half years to promote ArtsWest and its mission, and while ArtsWest has grown under his leadership, our priorities have shifted and we need a different approach with fundraising, especially in this current economic cycle. We are taking this opportunity to evaluate the entire structure of the organization, and are launching a new search for a new director.

"But, as far as the public is concerned, we are looking forward to a vibrant, upcoming season. We have absolutely no plans to change our programing. We're very happy with the direction of our programing and the work that Christopher Zinovitch has done. We're working toward a smooth transition."

Dear Anne-Marije,

Ballots are in the mail for this year’s primary election. Cascade Bicycle Club encourages you to reject Seattle Referendum 1 because we have serious concerns about the deep-bore tunnel.

If you read the tunnel campaign’s misleading ballot statement or see their bike and bus logo you should be skeptical – it falsely says that “bicycle interests” among other groups recommended the tunnel.

I want you to have some background on why I and Cascade Bicycle Club believe this is a bad project for bicyclists. In 2008, I served on the Alaskan Way Viaduct Stakeholder Advisory Committee that looked at a number of possibilities for replacing the aging viaduct.

The Washington State Department of Transportation released the draft 2011 Initial Financial Plan for the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Project today, which is under review by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

The plan is a comprehensive report detailing the viaduct replacement project’s cost estimate and revenue structure. It shows sufficient financial resources are available to implement and complete the project as planned. FHWA requires financial plans for projects over $500 million and for those utilizing federal funds.

“This is a unique situation,” said Ron Paananen, Alaskan Way Viaduct program administrator. “We usually release a plan like this after it has been approved by the Federal Highway Administration so as to not cause public confusion. In this specific instance it appears to be in the public interest to release the draft while it is still undergoing review.”

The plan is required by FHWA as part of the mega-project requirements under federal law. The FHWA approves the plan after the record of decision; however, because of public interest, WSDOT has chosen to release the plan now.

Summer isn't over yet and neither are the camps. There are a few more summer camps for young athletes coming up in Ballard this month:

August 16-19
9 a.m. - 3 p.m. at Ballard HS
Basketball camp for 2nd-9th grade boys and girls
Coached by Michael Johnson at other Hoopaholics coaches.
$180
For more information, visit www.hoopaholics.com.

August 15-18
9 a.m.-12 p.m. at the Ballard Boys & Girls Club
Soccer camps for boys and girls, K-2nd grade
$100/week
Register at www.ballard.positiveplace.org

August 22-26
9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. at the Ballard Boys & Girls Club
Girls basketball camp, 8-12 year olds

August 29-Sept. 1
9 a.m. -12 p.m. at the Ballard Boys & Girls Club
Mini hoops, K-2nd grade
$145/session
Register at www.ballard.positiveplace.org

UPDATE:

Campus security now say shots were heard just north of campus and poice are at the scene.
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According to South Seattle Community College security, shot were just fired north of campus in or near the arboretum. Police are on their way.

Two suspects robbed a bank on the 9700 Block of Holman Road NW on the morning of August 8th.
Police is looking for the two suspects described as:

One white male between the age of 20-30, thin, wearing an “Idaho Vandals” hooded sweatshirt, and a black bandana over the face.

And one older white male between the age of 40 and 50, who was wearing a dark blue and green flannel over shirt with a black t-shirt beneath, which he used to cover his face.

Anyone with information regarding this robbery or the identification of the masked suspects, please contact the FBI-Safe Streets Task Force at (206) 622-0460