October 2011

Two SeaTac council members suggested Oct. 25 that the city should require nonprofit groups that receive money directly from the city to remain neutral in city elections.

The proposal from Deputy Mayor Gene Fisher and Councilman Rick Forschler stems from emails between Councilwoman Mia Gregerson and Human Services director Colleen Brandt-Schulter that were recently made public.

The emails indicate that Brandt-Schulter gave Gregerson contact information for nonprofits that receive human services funding. The information was reportedly used in a campaign against the elected mayor proposition in 2009. An anti-proposition meeting was held in 2009 at the Lutheran Services building along S. 188th Street.

The elected mayor proposition is back on the Nov. 4 ballot for a fourth time. The proposition failed by only 9 votes in 2009.

At the Oct. 25 council meeting, Human Services Advisory Board member Cheryl Forbes complained that a campaign flyer sent by a political action committee (PAC) on behalf of council candidates Michael Kovacs and Erin Sitterley claims that the city budgets only $2,500 for senior services.

The West Seattle Blockwatch Captains’ Network met on Oct. 25 to discuss the “soft roll-out” of the Block Watch Captain Finder Tool, an open-source project developed by Code for America alongside Karen Berge and Deborah Greer with WSBCN.

The online tool is designed to help answer the age-old question of “Is there a blockwatch in my area?” The traditional answer, Greer said, is, “Who knows?” It is designed to make neighborhood connections easier and get people involved in crime prevention, community building and emergency preparedness.

Greer said the tool is still in development (and really will always be in development since it is an open source project) but the Code for America fellowship with the City of Seattle is coming to an end early next month, so now is the time for West Seattle blockwatch captains and anyone interested in joining a blockwatch to peruse the website and provide last-minute feedback.

Blockwatch captains can enter contact information for their group and plot their coverage area on a map, and citizens seeking a blockwatch to join can search that data and get in touch with captains.

The Seattle Police Department is watching school zones, when children are present, and aggressively enforcing the 20 mph speed limit. If you are traveling more twice that fast you should understand the facts about avoiding an accident. Stopping distance at 40 mph can be as much as 120 feet (40 feet of "thinking distance" or your reaction time and 80 feet of actual distance with the brakes applied). Even at 30 mph the full stopping distance can be 75 feet. The distance will vary of course based on grade, weather, and the condition of your brakes and tires and weight of your vehicle but as a rule of thumb these distances apply.

Here's the latest on their enforcement effort:

From the Seattle Police Blotter - Posted by Detective Renee Witt

On October 25th and 26th the Aggressive Driver Response Team conducted traffic enforcement in the following locations.

10/25/11

School Zone Speed Enforcement – 20 mph zone

Arbor Heights Elementary

1 at 38 mph

1 at 33 mph

2 at 32 mph

1 No Proof of Insurance

Press release from Patrick Baer with the Delridge Community Forum on Oct. 25

Decisions from the City, County, and State regarding funding applications for the DESC project on Delridge will be made within the next week or so. This afternoon, Delridge Community Forum learned the following information regarding ways that neighbors can express support or concerns about the project to these decision makers and/or express requests regarding conditions that neighbors would like to see added to the funding contracts:

Public Meeting:
There is a King County meeting this Thursday morning where officials will be making funding recommendations for County funds. We are told there will be room for some public comment and neighbors should feel welcome attending to express their opinions and to follow this decision process.

When: Thursday, October 27 at 9:30 am
This is a two hour meeting. Funding is on the agenda from approx. 9:40 - 11:00 am

Where: Mercer Island Community and Event Center (a.k.a. Mercer View Community Center)
8236 SE 24th Street
Mercer Island, WA 98040
(206) 275-7609
Calkins Room #103
Directions: http://www.mercergov.org/Page.asp?NavID=2014

Bang Bar, the newest Thai restaurant and lounge in West Seattle at 4750 California Ave s.w. will host a Halloween event this Saturday starting at 10pm to help Thailand flood relief. Thailand is currently experiencing the worst floods in 50 years. Bang Bar owner Kay Fuengarom said, "Thailand really needs help. I have a lot of friends in Bangkok which is expected to see flooding in two days. I have other friends other friends outside in another province that's been flooded to the second floor. They say it's the worst flood in 50 years "

According to a Reuter's report, "massive water is coming" and goes on to say, "Thailand's worst flooding in half a century has killed at least 373 people since mid-July and disrupted the lives of nearly 2.5 million, with more than 113,000 in shelters and 720,000 people seeking medical attention."

Photographer Kurt Howard may have been the only survivor of ZomBcon 2011, held at the SeaTac Hilton from Oct. 21 to 23.

Please click the image above for 29 more photos from the event.

The conference included visiting actors of the horror genre (including cast members of AMC’s Walking Dead), drinks, stiff dancing, nearly-unintelligible mutterings for brains and some truly amazing costume work.

Please enjoy Kurt’s timely slideshow for this Halloween season and be warned: fake blood and guts abound!

Two men, ages 64 and 65, were arrested on Oct. 26 for investigation of their connection with five bank robberies since July 5 – three in Shoreline, one in Ballard and most recently on Oct. 20, the robbery of Washington Federal Bank at California Ave and Morgan St., according to police.

The men were arrested in Snohomish County and booked into King County Jail for investigation of robbery late Tuesday afternoon.

The suspects were armed with a shotgun and handgun and wore Halloween masks depicting past U.S. presidents, including Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. Their typical style was to force bank employees and customers to the ground and then threaten to shoot them while either forcing a victim to gather money from teller drawers or gathering it themselves, according to Seattle and King County police.

Sgt. John Urquhart with KCSO said during the Shoreline robbery of a Wells Fargo on Sept. 12 one of the suspects set his handgun down on a counter as he collected cash from the drawers. As he came back around the counter his partner-in-crime had to remind him to retrieve his gun.

The men reportedly both wore George W. Bush masks in the West Seattle robbery.

Referring to the Seattle Times and the big drug bust (in White Center.)

Many arrests, many guns, much dope. The citizens had to wait a long time for the law to act.

Was the "bust " a drop in the bucket? Can one assume more gangs will take the place of those arrested?

Is this what Burien wants?

Perhaps the Burien City Fathers need to have another think about Annexation!!

Walter McGowan.
Burien

As relatively new residents of Des Moines (2004), my wife, Kathy, and I have become totally committed to the continuous improvement of this great little city.

As a result we are surprised and disappointed by the flurry of unsubstantiated charges against the city leadership and the twisted or speculative statements by some Proposition 1 opponents.

Actions from the Approved Proposition 1 will accelerate emerging economic development efforts on the edge of success.

Though development seemed indeterminate for a while, today, with the Marina leading the way (summer weekends fully booked, record service and fuel sales in July, record broken again in August) positive things are emerging!

On the Pacific Highway (a new hotel, restaurants, jobs and tax revenues), the 89 acre Des Moines Creek Business Park off 216th (more businesses that pay taxes, more jobs), and the Marina District (expansion of limited water capacity) to make way for more building and business activity (more jobs) all build a larger tax base for the future.

It takes a while, but it is clearly beginning to happen! Announcements on specifics are imminent according to those involved.

Press release:
By now, Des Moines residents with solid waste collection services should have received new CleanScapes garbage, recycling, and compost containers. If you have not received your new containers, please contact CleanScapes at 206-762-4900.

Allied Waste will continue to collect all their single-family residential carts during the first week of November. Please remember to leave all your Allied containers at the curb for pick-up. They will not be removing any customer-owned containers.

Under the new contract, CleanScapes will use hybrid compressed natural gas trucks, making Des Moines the first community in King County to use this type of green fleet.

No cost recycling service is now included with your garbage subscription. If you do not have a recycle container, please call CleanScapes to set up service. CleanScapes is also expanding the range of recyclables collected including plastics, motor oil, bottled kitchen fat/oil/grease, scrap metal, household batteries, and fluorescent tubes and bulbs.