January 2012

Washington state is on its way to becoming the seventh state in the nation to allow gay and lesbians to get married.

The State Senate held its first public hearing on the legalization of same-sex marriage today and after Senator Mary Margaret Haughen, D - Camoano Island, announced her support for the measure,the senate reached a majority in favor of marriage equality.

“My congratulations to all 25 State Senators who have shown the courage and leadership to pledge their support of marriage equality," said King County Executive Dow Constantine in a statement, and urged the remaining senators to "step up to this historic moment, and cast their vote for this landmark civil rights legislation."

“Lawmakers in both houses should move swiftly to put this bill on the Governor’s desk," he said. "I look forward to the day I can sign marriage certificates for any adult couple in King County.”
 
Councilmember Joe McDermott, who sponsored the amendment to add marriage equality to the County’s legislative agenda, also praised the legislators’ support:
 

On Jan. 23 the Washington State Boundary Review Board unanimously voted in favor of a motion to accept Burien’s plan to annex the remainder of unincorporated North Highline, including White Center.

The preliminary vote will be drafted into a formal report for a final vote on Feb. 16. If accepted at that time (which is likely), there will be a 30-day appeal period where challenges can be brought to the King County Superior Court.

While the boundary review decision is a required step in Burien’s path towards annexation, both the state legislature’s threat to axe their $5 million a year sales tax credit (for annexing the area) and, ultimately, the people of North Highline’s vote are future hurdles.

The board discussed Burien’s proposal for about an hour before the vote in front of a significantly smaller crowd compared to the public testimony meetings on Jan. 9 and 10 – understandable in that public testimony was not allowed at the meeting.

On Jan. 23 the Washington State Boundary Review Board unanimously voted in favor of a motion to accept Burien’s plan to annex the remainder of unincorporated North Highline, including White Center.

The preliminary vote will be drafted into a formal report for a final vote on Feb. 16. If accepted at that time (which is likely), there will be a 30-day appeal period where challenges can be brought to the King County Superior Court.

While the boundary review decision is a required step in Burien’s path towards annexation, both the state legislature’s threat to axe their $5 million a year sales tax credit (for annexing the area) and, ultimately, the people of North Highline’s vote are future hurdles.

The board discussed Burien’s proposal for about an hour before the vote in front of a significantly smaller crowd compared to the public testimony meetings on Jan. 9 and 10 – understandable in that public testimony was not allowed at the meeting.

The Washington State Boundary Review Board will meet back at Cascade Middle School (11212 10th Ave S.W.) at 7 p.m. on Jan. 23 for deliberations on Burien's proposed annexation of unincorporated North Highline.

The board will likely come to a preliminary decision that evening, which would become official at their meeting in February.

The meeting is open to the public; however public testimony is no longer being accepted. It will be a chance to listen in on the board's decision-making process.

Anyone with questions can contact Lenora Blauman, Executive Secretary of the Review Board, at 206-296-6800.

If the board accepts Burien's application the city can move forward in putting annexation to a vote for the people of North Highline either in August or November.

If passed by the citizens, Burien has said annexation would occur in 2013.

Press release:
For the second year in a row, flight tracking company FlightStats has honored Seattle-Tacoma International Airport as the winner of its 2011 On-time Performance Award in the category of major international airports.

Sea-Tac also finished as a finalist in the category for major North American airports. FlightStats documents the on-time performance of airlines at airport worldwide, and annually honors the outstanding achievers. Airports are recognized for delivering the highest percentage of departures from the gate less than 15 minutes after the published scheduled departure time.

“The investments we've made improving our facilities and operations continue to pay off," said Mark Reis, Managing Director of Sea-Tac Airport. "Credit goes to the efficiencies built into the airfield, terminal and runway operations as well as the terrific work from the entire team of port employees and our operational partners."


The big tease finally delivered the goods.

Maybe not the HISTORIC! foot or two hyped but a respectable 4-8 inches of snow finally came to Highline early Wednesday morning last week.
Can you imagine Eastern Washington residents turning a half-foot of white stuff into Snowmageddon?

Let’s face it; Western Washington and snow go together like Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries. The buildup to the actual snowstorm seemed longer than the 72 day-marriage of Kardashian and her basketball-playing husband.

The reasons for this snow craziness are well documented—we don’t know how to drive, our vehicles are not properly equipped, our municipalities are not prepared, hills are everywhere.

The TV teases us with shots of snow misery surrounding us but we look outside and see bare and dry. Our area doesn’t have microclimates; it has block-by-block climates--inland/waterland, uphill/downhill, sunny side/shady side, rain shadow/Puget Sound Twilight Zone.

Puget Sound Blood Center has issued an urgent appeal for blood and platelet donors after Western Washington’s blood supply dropped sharply as a result of severe winter weather.

Snow and icy road conditions last week have caused the cancellation of almost all blood drives and a drastic reduction in donor visits to regional blood centers. Total loss of donations has reached over 2200 units. Blood and platelet donations are needed urgently: donors are encouraged to give throughout the next week in order to rebuild supplies to stable levels.

“It takes about 900 donors per day to maintain a sufficient blood supply, but on Wednesday and Thursday fewer than 150 donors were able to give each day,” said Dr. James P. AuBuchon, president and chief executive officer of Puget Sound Blood Center. “This is the biggest weather-related emergency experienced by the Blood Center in decades.”

By Michael Stein-Ross and students

Following the November elections a number of Mr. Michael Stein-Ross’s sixth grade students wrote to two of the Burien City Council members, Bob Edgar and Lucy Krakowiak, congratulating them on their wins in the election and related their concerns about how Burien deals with the homeless and poor in the city of Burien.

So on Jan. 13, Mr. Edgar and Ms. Krakowiak visited with Mr. Stein-Ross’s sixth grade students at St. Francis of Assisi school to discuss these topics.

Students wanted to know why Burien does not have more homeless shelters, why some of Burien’s vacant store fronts were not being used to shelter people when the weather got really bad and why there were not more community garden spaces to grow food for the poor.

Another issue for the students was the availability of medical service to the homeless and poor in Burien.

The class session with the council members involved a discussion on awareness of who was really homeless, what were some of the reasons for why people become homeless and how each individual student could help the homeless.

Press release
Museum of Flight president Doug King was officially given the 'keys' to the space shuttle Full Fuselage Trainer during a ceremony last week at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston.

JSC Director Michael L. Coats, Mission Operations Director Paul Hill and Seattle shuttle astronaut Greg C. Johnson were speakers at the event, with the FFT towering behind them.

Following remarks, Hill and King signed the Space Act Agreement that will transfer ownership of the trainer, which was used to familiarize all astronauts with the shuttle cockpit controls and emergency exit procedures.

The ceremony ended with Hill handing King the large ratchet used to open the trainer's crew hatch. 

Addressing an audience of JSC space flight specialists, managers and former astronauts, King said the Tukwila museum’s FFT exhibit is "going to tell the story of what all of you did to get us off of the planet...a story for Seattle and the rest of the world." 


The FFT is so large though, it will still be needed to be shipped in segments.

The Tukwila museum's FFT exhibit will be open to the public in 
mid-June.

When most of us think of someone living to be 100, we might imagine a pale figure staring at the ceiling, waiting for the Lord to finally come.

This does not describe Ed Witzke. In fact, he’s in such good health, they just did hip surgery on him and he’s already up and walking! He also has fewer wrinkles than most 70 year olds. If his genes are ever up for auction, I’m first in line!

I would never have known about Ed, except for the love and dedication of his good friend, Sue Love, who comes and plays cribbage with him, most every day. Her husband was his paperboy, years ago, so they just kind of became family.

About their cribbage games, Ed grinned and said, “I usually win. She’s an unlucky girl”, but he also mentioned that she claims that he cheats.
Edward Julius Witzke was born on Jan. 21, 1912 near the little German town of Bashaw in Alberta, Canada.

He lived on a farm and was the youngest of six kids, so he led a pretty charmed life –- especially as the baby of the family. However, that changed at the age of three, when he and his slightly older brother were out walking near the slough.