September 2011

White Center-raised Congressman Jay Inslee spoke at the rock n' roll-themed Feedback Lounge last night in the Morgan Junction of West Seattle during a fundraiser. he is running for governor against GOP candidate Rob McKenna, Washington’s Attorney General.

KC Council member Joe McDermott Intro

King County Council member and West Seattle resident Joe McDermott introduced Inslee to a crowd of about 30, also introducing Representatives Eileen Cody and Joe Fitzgibbon, (D) 34th District, Marcy Stone and Tim Nuse, 34th District Democrats. Also present were organizers LeeAnne Beres, Shannon Braddock, Les Treall and Bob Walsh.

McDermott added jocularly, "I want to welcome and acknowledge that while our county executive could not be with us, he sent even better people, his brother Blair, and parents John and Lois Constantine."

press release:
Incoming kindergarten students and others who will be new to Seattle Public Schools for the 2012-2013 school year can get a jump on the enrollment process starting this week. Early enrollment is offered through Jan. 31, 2012.

Beginning Monday, Oct. 3 through Oct. 25, SPS enrollment facilitators will be at several Seattle Public Library locations and neighborhood community centers. Parents can also enroll their kindergarten students during Seattle Public Schools’ Family and Community Symposium on Saturday, Oct. 15 at Garfield High School, where interpreters will be provided.

Early enrollment allows families to avoid long lines during the busy spring and summer enrollment periods. While early enrollment does not impact where a student is assigned to school – under the new student assignment plan, assignment is based on the student’s home address – it is offered as a convenience to families, enabling them to get the enrollment paperwork completed ahead of time.

By Ty Swenson

King County Prosecuting Attorney Angela Kaake makes her living going after criminals engaged in identity theft and financial fraud, and she shared her years of experience with the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council last week.

The big picture
Kaake started out with the big picture and some sobering statistics on identity theft gathered from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC):

-Identity theft is the number one reported crime in the United States. Kaake said this statistic is all the more profound because many people never report their identity theft to the FTC, let alone their local police force. She estimated 61 percent of identity theft victims never report it to police. The reason, she said, is victims are usually able to get their money back by working with the bank and consider the matter closed. She urged victims to file reports with both police and the FTC to help law enforcement identify patterns, leading to arrests.

-There are 10 million new identity theft victims each year.

-1 in 10 U.S. citizens have been a victim.

I had been summoned by a friend, but chanced upon the play. How could I not notice sheets strung as stage curtains across a back yard, people arriving with food, four girls sitting in a canoe and someone in a bicycle helmet about to make an entrance. “What’s going on up the street?” I demanded of Mary.

“Bard in the Yard,” she replied. “Stacy and Robin are staging a play at next door at Ed and Cori’s.” As if this was commonplace for her street.

We missed Act I which added yet another dimension to watching a group of adults and four children perform a backyard version of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The performance definitely had the quality of a dream in which so many things make no sense at all. Why the canoe? What to make of the soundtrack choices (“We Are the Champions”) or the mix of costumes that ranged from bathing suit to pantaloons, from the look of early Athens to REI mountain climber? Occasional bursts of monologue from one of Shakespeare’s dramas?

A funeral may not be the source of inspiration for most people but for Ballardite Mhairi Voelsgen, that's exactly where she got the idea to start her own company.

"I went to my uncle's funeral in Scotland in February of 2010. The Scottish have a tradition that when a family member dies, you buy a nice bottle of single malt whiskey and drink it over a year and remember that person whenever you have a drink," said Voelsgen, whose mother is Scottish.
"I bought a bottle of Glenrothes whisky, the same bottle I bought when my dad died eight years ago. That got me curious about the liquor industry. What makes a great liquor? Could I make a great liquor? Could I make something that I'd be proud to serve?"

Formerly a marketing director at KOMO TV and the Museum of Flight, Voelsgen knows a thing or two about selling a product.

"In the world of liquor a lot is about marketing," she said. "And I have been in marketing for over 15 years."

At 42, Voelsgen decided now was the time to decide what to do with the rest of her life: to work for herself and set her own hours so she can be home with her family.

As the 6th leading cause of death in the United States, Alzheimer’s is the only cause among the top 10 causes without a way to prevent, cure or even slow its progression.

The participation and input of individuals living with the disease, their families, community leaders, health care providers and the research community will be central to creating an effective, results-driven federally coordinated strategy.

Building on the Alzheimer’s Association’s commitment to provide platforms of engagement for those directly affected by Alzheimer’s disease, the Association’s WESTERN and CENTRAL WASHINGTON STATE CHAPTER will hold a public input session here in West Seattle Oct. 4 to listen to views and perspectives of stakeholders in the Alzheimer’s community about what a National Alzheimer’s Plan (NAPA) should include: www.alz.org/napa

The National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA) Town Hall will be held at Providence Mount St. Vincent Chapel next Tuesday, October 4, from 2 – 3:30PM.

They are holding this public input session to listen to views and perspectives of stakeholders in the Alzheimer’s community about what a National Alzheimer’s Plan should include.

From the Seattle Police Blotter

Posted by Detective Mark Jamieson

On September 27th, at approximately 6:53 am, a 1998 BMW driven by a 47 year old female was travelling eastbound on the West Seattle Bridge in the far left lane, on the downhill grade approaching the northbound SR-99 exit. The BMW was attempting to change lanes when the BMW nearly collided with a 2007 Yamaha motorcycle that was also travelling eastbound in the “Bus Only” lane.

The 53 year old male motorcycle rider took evasive action by applying heavy rear-braking which caused the rear wheel of the motorcycle to lock. The motorcycle continued skidding its rear wheel for a considerable distance until it lost control.

The motorcyclist suffered head and facial injuries and was transported to Harborview Medical Center in serious condition.

A local family is celebrating a reunion, thanks to Regional Animal Services of King County, after their long-lost cat was found in SeaTac.

Sherrie Fox and her family lost their cat, Oscar, about three years ago when he ran away from their home in Auburn. For months, Fox visited the King County Pet Adoption Center in Kent almost daily looking for her feline friend, with no luck.

That all changed on Thursday when King County Animal Services Officer Pam McLaren discovered Oscar in SeaTac. After finding a loose cat, Officer McLaren scanned him to see if he had a microchip. He did, and Officer McLaren was able to obtain the owners' contact information. Officer McLaren was surprised to discover that the cat was one that had been reported missing back in 2008.

"I was absolutely astonished to find Oscar," said Officer McLaren. "We knew Sherrie well because she came into the Pet Adoption Center dozens of times looking for her cat. We even called her when we found similar cats in the past, but none of them were Oscar.

Lulu is a mixed breed dog who lives with Bryce Robertson and her partner Jesse Taylor and a number of other dogs. She came to live with the family four years ago. Robertson guesses that she is a mixture of Papillion and Pug. Some friends of theirs knew of some dogs that needed help, and while they had gone to shelters in the past 25 years and brought home dogs, but this one had issues with other dogs. After a big black lab they had that passed away, Lulu came to live with them.

She enjoys a natural dry food diet.

Being a small dog, she has a lot of nervous energy and "prefers to run when we go for walks, which I have a problem with," said Robertson.

Zooey, Maya and Arizona (the other dogs in the house) get along with each other but Lulu is better off when she gets to walk on her own at least at first, "just to get some energy out, then she's fine with them."

Robertson explained that Lulu has a need to protect everyone so, "if something startles her she will run around barking at everyone."

She enjoys playing ball but not with an actual ball. Instead she plays with pinecones. "She will do that for a half an hour."

By Gwen Davis

Thousands of abandoned and forgotten cats in Burien finally have a reason to purr.

The Community Animal Resource and Education Society (CARES) of Burien, has undertaken the ambitious task of providing homes and services for over 60 fluffy felines.

Ever since Burien opted out of King County's animal control services, CARES - a nonprofit 501(c)(3) kicked off in June - has the mission of encouraging responsible pet ownership and enforcing animal laws to protect the health, safety and welfare of people and animals in Burien.

"People come to CARES to adopt a cat or a kitten that has been surrendered somewhere," said Debra George, head of CARES. "We are getting more and more people to take a cat into their home."

Recently, CARES has committed to a particularly in-depth challenge: finding new homes for over 60 cats currently living with an individual in Burien. CARES has eagerly jumped into the project and is now aggressively recruiting adopters for all the kitty-cats, as they are slowly removed from the owner over a period of several weeks.

George declined to provide details about the individual.