September 2011

Mayor Mike McGinn and City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw have released a proposal for community center operations in 2012 that keeps them open and professionally staffed.

"This is a tough time for budgets at all levels of government. The City is no exception. But negative circumstances sometimes force us to rethink how we do business and come to a better solution. That’s why we’re announcing today that we are changing how we do business in our community centers to be more flexible and responsive to community needs, to preserve direct services and reduce operating costs," announced Mayor McGinn on his blog.

A group of concerned community members will be hosting an informal discussion about gangs, youth crime, and violence on Ballard streets on Thursday.

Held at Restaurant Michoacan, local will meet with City and King County representatives as well as North Precinct police members to discuss the issues and share ideas and resources.

"This issue is starting to really affect our neighborhood," said Roberto Lopez, who's organizing this meeting. "After this meeting we'd like to take the ideas and resources and take them to the community to inform them about the issues and the available resources."

Lopez mentioned that youth crime is a hot topic as many of the youth criminals are repeat offenders.

"Youth get reprimanded but they go right back to doing it again. Their minor status protects them and we want to talk about how to deal with that," he said.

The meeting will take place at 5 p.m. on Thursday, September 15, at Restaurant Michoacan, 8311 NW 15th Avenue.

Steep declines in the revenues supporting the King County Road Fund – accompanied by ongoing deterioration of aging road surfaces – will require implementation of a tiered system of prioritizing road maintenance, storm response and snow removal, under the 2012 County budget to be proposed Sept. 26 by King County Executive Dow Constantine.

“The ambitious reforms we’ve brought to King County government are helping us sustain public services in the General Fund. However, the County Road Fund hasn’t been revisited in 25 years, and is no longer equitable or adequate,” said Executive Constantine in a statement. “With fewer revenues, we must manage the most pressing problems that affect the most people with the resources we have. It is, in essence, triage.”

The community centers in West Seattle, Southwest, Alki, Delridge, High Point and Hiawatha will all be affected by the recommended changes announced to day by City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw and Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn.

A variety of service levels are included in the recommendations.

As you may know, I don’t have a great track record with my vacations. The last time I went to Hawaii it poured down rain for our entire ten day stay causing roads and bridges to be washed out. I rented a cabin in the Wenatchee forest with some friends and was evacuated due to a fire. Throw in a few tropical storms in Mexico and you get the idea.
My parents have a similar fate, yet they continue to travel to North Carolina every summer during hurricane season. For twenty-five years they have remained in their house while news reports show houses a mere block away washing out to sea. Police walking up and down the street with bullhorns announcing everyone must evacuate the island go completely ignored as well as the blaring alarms announcing a natural disaster. Five years ago, I finally came to my senses and stopped making the sixteen-hour trek back east in order to be trapped in a house while storms brewed inside and out.

The Seattle City Council on Monday approved Council Bill 117216 with a vote of 8-1 (Council President Conlin voting no), requiring businesses in Seattle to provide paid leave to employees when they or their family members fall ill or victim to domestic violence.

The adopted legislation establishes minimum standards for paid sick and safe time based on company size. Workers in companies with 5 to 249 employees will accrue a minimum of one hour of paid sick and safe time for every 40 hours worked. Workers in companies with 250 or more employees will accrue a minimum of one hour for every 30 hours worked.

So much happened in Des Moines on Saturday, Sept. 10 that it was hard to keep track of it all.

Please click the photo above for a slideshow.

The 2011 Poverty Bay Arts Festival highlighted the talents of local visual and performance artists particularly from Des Moines, Highline Community College and surrounding Southwest King County at multiple Des Moines locations. The Des Moines Arts Commission, the Associated Students of Highline Community College, and 4 Culture sponsored the event.

The exhibition ran throughout the downtown Des Moines Marina District. Artists displayed their works at various local businesses so festival-goers had the opportunity to enjoy great art while checking out the offerings of local businesses.

The Des Moines Waterfront Farmers Market camped in its usual spot in the south Marina parking lot.

The second annual Poverty Bay Blues and Brews Festival, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Des Moines, took up the north end of the marina at Beach Park. Proceeds went to provide musical instruments to Highline schools for low-income students.

Posted by Detective Renee Witt: From the Seattle Police Blotter

On 9/12/11, officers from the Aggressive Drivers Response Team issued the following citations.

West Seattle Bridge – 45 mph zone

1 at 66 mph

1 at 63 mph

1 at 60 mph

HWY 99 – 50 mph zone

1 at 69 mph

1 at 66 mph

1 Bus Lane violation

1 No Proof of Insurance

Aurora Ave N – 40 mph zone

1 at 56 mph

2 at 55 mph

2 No Proof of Insurance

Roxhill Elementary School – 20 mph zone

1 at 42 mph

1 at 41 mph

1 at 34 mph

1 at 33 mph

1 No Proof of insurance

1 Cell Phone

Holy Family Elementary School – 20 mph zone

1 at 34 mph

2 at 33 mph

1 at 31 mph

1 at 30 mph

2 No Proof of Insurance

8100 block 1st Ave South – 30 mph zone (Community Traffic Complaint)

1 at 52 mph

2 at 45 mph

2 at 44 mph

2 at 42 mph

1 No Proof of Insurance

press release:

The Seattle City Council today approved Council Bill 117216 with a vote of 8-1 (Council President Conlin voting no), requiring businesses in Seattle to provide paid leave to employees when they or their family members fall ill or victim to domestic violence.

The adopted legislation establishes minimum standards for paid sick and safe time based on company size. Workers in companies with 5 to 249 employees will accrue a minimum of one hour of paid sick and safe time for every 40 hours worked. Workers in companies with 250 or more employees will accrue a minimum of one hour for every 30 hours worked.

“Today Seattle has shown itself as a leader. As a City, we recognize that a productive workforce is a healthy one and that a great city is one that cares for the welfare of all who work within its jurisdiction,” said bill sponsor Councilmember Nick Licata, Chair of the Housing, Human Services, Health and Culture Committee. “Our Paid Sick Leave legislation accomplishes that objective.”

Sept. 2
Football
Nathan Hale 28, Highline 21
The Pirates were narrowly sunk by Nathan Hale in a non-league opening game Friday, Sept. 2.
Bremerton 6, Foster 0
Foster fell to the Knights by six in a Friday, Sept. 2 opener.
Kentwood 47, Mt. Rainier 0
Mount Rainier was conquered by Kentwood, 47-0, in South Puget Sound League North Division opening action Friday, Sept. 2.
Port Angeles 48, Sealth 0
Chief Sealth had only a lopsided loss to show for its Friday, Sept. 2 non-league trip to the Port Angeles Roughriders.
SCS/Life Chr. 48, Sea. Luth. 26
The combined Life Christian and Seattle Christian team rallied for a season-opening win over Seattle Lutheran of West Seattle Friday, Sept. 2.
Ev. Luth. 78, Lake Quinault 34
Evergreen Lutheran outgunned Lake Quinault, 78-34, in a lopsided game played Frday, Sept. 2 in Quinault.

Saturday, Sept. 3
Football
Ingraham 7, Evergreen 0
Evergreen went down to defeat in a game of the low-scoring variety played Saturday, Sept. 3.
Tuesday, Sept. 6
Volleyball