November 2011

press release:
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) will be working this weekend on the West Seattle Bridge.

On Saturday, November 19, WSDOT will close single lanes on the West Seattle Bridge to inspect the SR 99 overpass. The crews will close one lane at a time, westbound and eastbound, from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. The eastbound off-ramp to northbound SR99 will remain open to traffic.

SDOT will be on the West Seattle Bridge on Sunday, November 20 performing maintenance work. The crews will close up to two eastbound lanes between 5 a.m. and 11 a.m. Westbound lanes will remain open.

It was hard to tell if the level of excitement in the Ballard High School classroom was out of the ordinary for the daily meeting of the school’s Talisman newspaper staff. Two young women, both blond, one named Kate, the other Katie, were standing to the front of the room playing a clip by Phyllis Fletcher from KUOW radio. Then they burst into frenzied overlapping speech like cans of soda that had been shaken vigorously and opened simultaneously.

By coincidence I had asked to sit in on a meeting of Talisman staff for that day. One day earlier the editors had received a tip from Washington Journalism Education Association that Seattle Public Schools were considering a policy change that would allow every high school principle the right to review and possibly censor the content of all publications.

The Nordic Heritage Museum today announced the winners of the North by Northwest fashion competition held during the 2011 Nordic Fashion Biennale.

The winner of the juried competition is Sarah Borruso of San Francisco, Ca and the winner of the “People’s Choice Award” sponsored by Volvo is Meg Lord of Portland, Ore.

The runner-ups in the juried competition are Yeon Jang of British Columbia and Tanya Min Jee Ellis of Seattle, WA, and the runner-up in the People’s Choice category is Natalya Robinson of San Francisco, Ca.

The panel of fashion experts who chose the judge’s award winner included Yvan Mispelaere, Creative Director at Diane Von Furstenberg; Danish skin care guru Ole Henriksen; Icelandic designer Steinunn Sigurðardóttir; and New York-based Icelandic artist Hrafnhildur Arnardottir, the guest curator for the Nordic Fashion Biennale.

On Saturday, Nov. 19, Burien Arts will hold its fourth annual 20/20 Vision art party and sale at the Burien Community Center from 7–10 p.m.

20/20 Vision features the work of twenty artists who each created twenty works of original art in a variety of styles and media. All 400 pieces will be sold for $40 and proceeds from the event will benefit Burien Arts.

In addition to the art sale, this year’s event will showcase larger works by the same artists in a silent art auction. 20/20 Vision offers a festive and fun atmosphere with music, food, wine and community.

20/20 Vision 2011 will highlight the work of two stellar “featured artists,” Margaret Davidson and Walker Hall, along with a bevy of talented emerging artists from the Burien and greater Puget Sound region.

This year’s roster of featured artists include Kelda Martensen, Garreth Schuh, Jesse Link, Theresa Neinas, John Unbehend, Kim Bly, Eric Edward, Pamela Durga Robinson, Lory Newsome, Jack Strubbe, Alida Schuh, Tamara Stephas, Aron Hart, Jerome Damey, Mari Jalbing, Mica Still, Jo Moinz, Jason Greene, Courtney Estevenin, Amanda Knoop, Teneya Sims and members of the Georgetown Atelier, and more.

Ballard's Jeopardy! star, Tom Nissley, won $100,000 as the second place winner in the 2011 “Jeopardy!” Tournament of Champions. Nissley earned a spot in the finals after competing in a series of impressive games against some of the show’s recent top players.

“I really didn't expect to do so well. Getting into the finals was all I really hoped for… That and making a respectable showing – if only to prove that my original run wasn’t just a fluke!” he added jokingly.

Nissley spent weeks studying for the competition and reviewing various statistics and facts. However, there was one subject Nissley wished he would have studied more. “I actually groaned as soon as I saw the category about Bond girls. I thought about reviewing their names before the competition, but decided it wasn't worth it. Then there it was – right in one of my games,” he said.

By Gwen Davis

Des Moines voters soundly rejected Proposition 1 in the Nov. 8 general election.

Prop. 1 would have increased a utility and occupation tax in order to provide revenue for the restoration of several Des Moines Beach Park facilities and for the repair of city streets.

The proposition was rejected by 63 percent of the vote, while approved by 37 percent at the Times/News print deadline.

The utility and occupation tax increase from 6 percent to 9 percent would have raised an estimated $1.6 million for the parks and roads. If approved, the additional 3 percent would have cost a typical family $15 per month, according to the city.

Des Moines voters apparently rejected Prop. 1 because while road improvement projects may have been worthy of an increase in taxes, voters reasoned, the parks projects were not. Des Moines residents noted that they were struggling financially, with many people out of work and the last thing they wanted was to put their money into park buildings that they did not care about and from which they would have derived little benefit, according to opponents.

by Gwen Davis

Long-time Des Moines Mayor Bob Sheckler is in the fight of his political life as last week’s returns from the Nov. 8 election showing him dead even with his opponent, Rebecca King. Both candidates were polling 50 percent of the votes.

Sentiment against Sheckler appeared to weigh on voters’ consciousness as critic Jeanette Burrage won the race with 62 percent of the vote over challenger Carri Litowitz who carried 37 percent.

In Council Position No. 4, Dan Caldwell claimed victory with 56 percent of the vote, over Dave Markwell’s 44 percent.

King formerly wrote policy for the airline industry, and was a former PTA president, Highline Council PTSA president, Des Moines Park and Recreation Coach and volunteer for a number of organizations, including March of Dimes.

King said in previous statements that she had concerns with how the city managed the budget. Issues surrounding business closure and reduction in police forces needed particular scrutiny, according to her.

King opposed Proposition 1, a measure that would have increased a utility tax in order to provide revenue to city parks and road projects.

What's better than a friendly bike race with fellow pedaling enthusiasts? A friendly bike race with fellow pedaling enthusiasts to help a great cause!

My friend Tom Fucoloro over at SeattleBikeBlog.com is organizing a great event for this coming weekend to benefit the Rainier Valley Food Bank.

Seattle's second annual Cranksgiving invites bike commuters, messengers and families to come out to Cal Anderson Park on Saturday, Nov 19, to ride bikes, have fun, and collect food for the homeless and low-income families in our city.

Similar to an alleycat race, each rider is given a map at the start with certain stops along the way and the location of the finish line.

The goal is to buy at least one grocery item at each marked location and be the first to the finish line somewhere near Columbia City.

The first person to cross the line with all the grocery items and receipts from each store will win a prize. There will also be prizes for the person who hauls in the most food, best costume and families, and more.

Saturday night, November 05, a candlelight vigil in remembrance of Jayme Thomas, the 19-year old woman killed early Saturday morning, was held at the Compass Rose in the Des Moines Marina.

Maybe 100 or so people gathered. At one point a policeman came and joined the group, staying only a few minutes and left.

As the group slowly moved away, some of the candles continued to burn through the night until only two remained burning in the early morning.

Sunday morning at 4:15 a.m. a policeman came, parked near the Compass Rose, got out of his vehicle, walked onto the Compass Rose and paused near one of the still burning candles. After a few moments he walked over to the fence overlooking the water and then back to the other still burning candle. He paused again.

Watching this from my window and observing the respect shown by these policemen brought tears to my eyes.

As the tears rolled down my cheeks the policeman went back to his car and slowly drove away.

This is a caring community.

Arlene Knight
Des Moines

Gordon Shaw got exactly what he deserved last week as the City Council election results rolled in showing Gordon soundly defeated by a 60 percent-40 percent vote margin.

This defeat for Shaw was clearly a referendum on the proposed annexation of White Center, which Shaw has backed from the get go for the last five years.

Shaw, along with Joan McGilton and Rose Clark and Jerry Robison, has steadfastly refused over the years to hold a citizen advisory vote.

Well, you have your advisory vote now. If you still don't believe me, run your own survey and ask the next ten citizens you meet in Burien their view of annexation...you will find that 6-8 of them will respond against further annexation, as it makes no sense at any level: financial, business or otherwise.

There is still hope to keep our nice little city by the bay, well, nice! We can still avoid the financial apocalypse that annexation represents. Annexation is on life support now, given that the odds are very good the sales tax credit subsidies will be eliminated at the state level.