December 2011

The Seattle City Council encourages Seattleites and library patrons to attend one of the Seattle Public Library’s upcoming community meetings. Three meetings will be held in January to provide an overview of library use and discussion on options for improving customer service in the four essential service areas: collections, library hours, computer access, and building.

Saturday, January 7, 10 a.m. – noon
Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave., Auditorium (Contact phone: 206-386-4636)

Saturday, January 14, noon – 2 p.m.
Beacon Hill Branch, 2821 Beacon Ave. S. (Contact phone: 206-684-4711)

Wednesday, January 18, 6 – 8 p.m.
Ballard Branch, 5614 22nd Ave. N.W. (Contact phone: 206-684-4089)

For more information on the community meetings, visit www.spl.org and select "Libraries for All: A Plan for the Present, A Foundation for the Future," or call 206-386-4636.

Seattle City Council meetings are cablecast and Webcast live on Seattle Channel 21 and on the City Council's website. Copies of legislation, Council meeting calendar, and archives of news releases can be found on the City Council website. Follow the Council on Twitter and on Facebook.

Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will begin a significant road repair project on N/NW 85th Street between 15th Avenue NW and I-5 today. Commuters and neighbors should try to avoid major traffic impacts during construction, anticipated to last approximately 10 months.

The two-mile stretch of roadway will be largely rebuilt, including adding curb ramps at street corners, improving sidewalks and upgrading the drainage systems. The project is broken down into five phases moving from west to east.

“The project makes much needed repairs to N/NW 85th Street, a critical but deteriorating arterial used by over 30,000 vehicles each day,” said SDOT Director Peter Hahn in a press release. “This two-mile long effort will be the single largest paving project included in the Bridging the Gap levy passed by voters in 2006.”

January traffic changes:

Phase 1 – 15th Avenue NW to 8th Avenue NW

· Major construction starts January 3, 2012, continuing through early spring 2012.

· As early as January 4, NW 85th Street will be closed to eastbound traffic and all vehicles, including Metro buses, will be detoured via NW 80th Street.

press release:
The contractor working for the Seattle Department of Transportation on the Spokane Street Viaduct Widening project will close the westbound lanes of the Spokane Street Viaduct tonight and tomorrow night, December 21 and 22 as scheduled. The Fauntleroy Expressway will also be closed tonight as previously announced. However, the nighttime surface street closure for South Spokane Street and First Avenue South for tonight and tomorrow night is canceled.

Wednesday, December 21
Spokane Street Viaduct—westbound travel lanes closed 9 p.m. Dec 21 to 5 a.m. Dec 22
Fauntleroy Expressway—closed 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Thursday, December 22
Spokane Street Viaduct—westbound travel lanes closed 10 p.m. Dec 22 to 5 a.m. Dec 23
Fauntleroy Expressway—open

December 23-26
No closures during the holiday weekend.

A white Christmas? Could be – at least in the mountains. Forecasts call for a snowstorm to hit the mountain passes just in time for Christmas holiday travel, and travelers should plan to pack tire chains and a winter kit alongside presents before hitting the road.

Weather forecasts show a storm system moving into the mountains late Saturday, Dec. 24, into Sunday, Dec. 25. Heavy snow could hit areas above 2,500 feet, which includes all Washington’s mountains pass highways.

Travelers can prevent additional delays by driving for conditions. Collisions caused by drivers who are unprepared for winter weather cause delays for everyone. Just one traffic collision or disabled vehicle can back up traffic for miles during already-congested holiday weekends.

Washington State Department of Transportation crews and equipment are ready. Drivers should be prepared, check travel and roadway conditions on the WSDOT website and pack their winter weather supplies, including tire chains.

Updated description of the suspect for 12/23
The suspect is described as a black male in his mid to late 20's, around 6 ft. tall, "chubby," with a diamond stud earring in his left ear and a natural split in his lower lip (not a split lip from injury).

Original post
An  unknown male entered an apartment on the 13700 block of 12th Ave S.W. in Burien around 7 p.m. on Dec. 19 posing as a maintenance man and, once inside, he attempted to rape a 13-year-old girl, according to the King County Sheriff’s Office.

King County Sheriffs are now asking the public for help in tracking the suspect down.

From KCSO:
A suspect claiming to be an apartment manager entered an apartment in the 13700 block of 12 Ave SW about 7pm on Monday evening and attempted to sexually assault a 13 year old girl.

The victim had taken out the trash and was approached by a black male as she walked back to her apartment. The suspect told her he was the apartment manager and needed to check the hot water tank.

An unknown male entered an apartment on the 13700 block of 12th Ave S.W. (The Heights) in Burien around 7 p.m. on Dec. 19 posing as a maintenance man, and once inside he attempted to rape a 13-year-old girl, according to the King County Sheriff’s Office.

Suspect Update
The suspect is described as a black male in his mid to late 20's, around 6 ft. tall, "chubby," with a diamond stud earring in his left ear and a natural split in his lower lip (not a split lip from injury).

From KCSO:
A suspect claiming to be an apartment manager entered an apartment in the 13700 block of 12 Ave SW about 7pm on Monday evening and attempted to sexually assault a 13 year old girl.

The victim had taken out the trash and was approached by a black male as she walked back to her apartment. The suspect told her he was the apartment manager and needed to check the hot water tank.

The victim let the suspect into the apartment where he attempted to sexually assault her. During the incident the victim yelled for her 9 year old brother to call the police and the suspect fled on foot.

On Jan. 11, King County detectives arrested a man suspected of stealing two bottles of liquor and striking a fearless clerk in the head with one of those bottles in the robbery of a White Center liquor store on Dec. 20, according to the King County Sheriff's Office.

White Center Storefront Deputy BJ Myers said detectives had quality video surveillance footage which helped identify the suspect.

According to the original report, the suspect (along with two accomplices) entered the 15th Ave S.W. liquor store in the early evening, grabbed two bottles and fled. The clerk ran after the men and caught up to them when a fight broke out. The clerk was struck in the head with a bottle and the men were able to get away.

Original post on Dec. 21
Three males entered the state liquor store on 15th Ave S.W. in White Center around 6:30 on Tuesday night, Dec. 20 and one of the men grabbed two bottles of liquor before the men fled, according to Sgt. Cindi West with the King County Sheriff’s Office.

The appeal made by the owners of Alki Crab and Fish to be the vendors at Seacrest Park was rejected today by the Seattle Parks Department. As we reported on Dec. 5, the lease was opened for bid and Marination Mobile won that bid.

Eric Fiedli who is the Deputy Superintendent for Parks stated today:

"We have completed the appeal process for the operation of the Seacrest Boathouse Facility. The original decision to award the operation to Marination has been affirmed following the appeal for reconsideration filed by Alki Crab & Fish Company (ACF).

With 2011 coming to a close, here's a look back at some of the most popular stories of the year. Big topics over the past year included the viaduct, the Occupy Movement, the homeless, new and closing businesses, and development.

Click the image above for a slideshow of the year in photos.

January:

Totem House closes due to bad economy
By Anne-Marije Rook
2011-01-01 (see May for a follow-up story)

After 62 years Totem House has to close its doors. The touristy eatery across the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks on 3058 N.W. 54th St. had been serving seafood and chowder since 1948 but in can no longer sustain itself in this economy.
A sign in the front door announces the closures and reads, "Goodbye Friends. The economy has overtaken us. We will miss you greatly."

A miracle on Leary Avenue
81-year-old with Parkinson's Disease learns to walk again at Ballard Landmark
By Anne-Marije Rook

By Kyle Howard

The Chief Sealth Seahawks hosted the Evergreen Wolverines Tuesday night for a non-league game at Chief Sealth high school. There wasn’t much of a crowd, with Winter break just starting the gym was less full than usual. Chief Sealth has been having a great season so far, having won their last 3 games prior to the Evergreen match up outscoring their opponents 166-86. They are in first place in the Metro League Sound Division with a 3-1 conference record and 5-2 overall. Evergreen has been struggling this season with a 1-7 overall record, their only victory this season is their first of the past several seasons, coming against winless Rainier Beach. “We’re seeing improvement every game, as long as we keep improving and playing as a team I’m satisfied with that”, said Evergreen head coach Tasha Hicks. “They always fight till the end and don’t give up; they have a lot of heart”.