January 2012

At the first Hi-Yu general meeting of the year, held at the High Point branch of Seattle Public Library on Jan. 9 the group came together to review their current status and take a look at the year ahead. Like many community organizations, Hi-Yu runs on a very low budget with under $25 in their checking account and just over $600 in savings at the moment.

Facing Hi-Yu is the need to pay for the parade float that every year travels to 13 different parades. The float itself also needs to be worked on to reflect the theme, and stored in a safe and dry place year round. Right now, that's in Everett and soon they will not have a place for that storage. With just over a month left to decide if, for the first time, Hi-Yu will not even have a float it's looking decidedly uncertain, according to the Hi-Yu officers. "If we can't find a place to store it and work on it, sad to say but we won't have a float this year," said Hi-Yu President James Cline. It requires a space roughly 30 foot by 10 foot space to store it with a 12 foot door. To work on it, means a little more space. To transport it means renting a large truck which is another expense.

Anyone with windows overlooking the streetcar tracks knew why so many men and a few women were boarding Ballard’s Streetcar No. 28 early in the afternoon of New Year’s Day 1931. It was a big day for the small community – a Ballard boy was on the verge of glory and nobody wanted to miss the spectacle.

I’ve never been one to make New Year’s resolutions. The skeptical side in me always viewed it as a conspiracy of all of the gyms in the world trying to fill their year’s quota in one day. Not being a gym member, it was easy to rebuff this tradition with disdain.
I thank my agnostic upbringing for sparing me the urge to claim I’m going to lose ten pounds, stop eating Kettle potato chips, or take the bus more. I know the mere suggestion that I won’t eat potato chips will cause me to drive (not take the bus nor walk) to the store and buy five bags of them. I also know I could spend my life feeling guilty, so why search for more ways to do so? Motherhood provides me with my more than an ample amount of ways to guilt trip myself, there’s no room for food guilt. As for ruining the environment by driving, I tell myself by owning a Prius and never leaving Ballard, I’m polluting the world less than most folks. And for now, that’s all I can do.

Chief Sealth International High School is holding a "Prospective Student Open House" Thursday, Feb 9, from 5:45 to 8:00 p.m.

Attendees will hear from administration, teachers, parents and students about the school and what it has to offer.

Activities will include:
• Entertainment by the CSIHS Marching Band
• An information session on the International Baccalaureate program
• Building tours
• Desserts and beverages provided by the PTSA and YMCA
• Surprise student performances

In addition, interested families can participate in a series of upcoming school-day tours:

In addition, interested families will have the opportunity participate in a series of school-day tours.
• NEW DATE! Tuesday, February 14 - 10:00-11:30am (Madison & Pathfinder students)
• Tuesday, February 7 - 10:00-11:30am (Private schools and other middle schools)
• TBD - Denny Middle School Tours
• “Shadow Day” - current 8th graders can shadow a 9th grade student for the first 3 classes of the day: Monday, February 13, 8:15-11:30am. Parents of interested students should email Laura Robb at lkrobb@seattleschools.org.

Update for Jan. 12
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 can 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.

Day 2, Jan. 10 - Decision on Burien's annexation of North Highline delayed until Jan. 23

Update for Jan. 12
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 can 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.

Day 2, Jan. 10 - Two days, but no decision: Verdict on Burien's annexation delayed until Jan. 23

At age 12, I, like my four brothers, became an indentured servant at the weekly newspaper published by our father.

Dad told us we needed to learn the meaning of work. We dutifully headed to the office on our bikes after school. There, in the back shop of the newspaper, in the shadow of grizzled printers, we became Printer's Devils.

We would drag a heavy five-gallon can filled with short strips of lettered, lead type, called 'slugs,' to the small back room where there was a gas-fired 'pot' into which we would load the inky slugs for reuse (early recycling).

The pot was about three feet tall and two feet around. It was the color of dried oatmeal and always gave off an aroma of natural gas. The slugs would slowly melt in the bowl at the top of the pot and after awhile, there was a luminescent silver soup of molten lead.

Our job was to take a large ladle and scoop out enough molten lead to fill a 'pig.' The pig was a cast iron, rectangular trough two feet long and four inches wide. It was blunted like a used pencil on one end and had a handle on the other end.

The recently formed business association now formally called The Admiral District got its organizational matters under better control at its meeting at the Benbow Room on Jan. 9.

While committees were formed in the organization's previous meetings, new members joined those for events, marketing, and others.

At the upcoming Feb 13 meeting, officers will be elected by those in attendance. This meeting had approximately 30 people.

Yet to be worked out are organization bylaws How dues will be charged and paid.

Coming out an assignment from the last meeting Dave Whiting of the Admiral Neighborhood Association met with the people at the Columbia City Business Improvement Association (BIA).

He met with representatives from the group who shared what they knew about forming an organization like this. Whiting learned their budget is approximately $50,000 annually with much of it spent on two primary areas: Promoting it as a safe place to shop and dine and on the physical clean up of public spaces. The Columbia City merchant group has been around for 14 years but the BIA is only two years old. To fund that organization assessments are made on property owners.

Apartment vandalism
An apartment manager called to report vandalism to one of the units following an eviction. Over the last couple months she had been trying to collect rent from a tenant but was unsuccessful. The tenant was asked to leave. He did but not before writing on the walls and cabinets with black permanent marker. That wasn’t enough so he threw bleach throughout the interior carpet of the apartment.

Driver asleep in roadway
Police responded to a sleepy driver report in the 12400 block of 5th Ave. S. A car was stopped in the roadway and the driver had fallen asleep. When officers arrived, they determined the driver had passed out due to intoxication. He was arrested for DUI.

Burglary through the roof
A retail store in the 200 block of S.W. 152nd St. was burglarized. The suspect cut a hole in the roof of the building to gain entry. Then turned the surveillance camera sideways to avoid being seen. The manager reported that $4,000 was stolen.

Car break-ins, vandalism, prowlers and theft

Press release
The city of SeaTac announces the publication of the City of SeaTac Walking Map. Created for anyone who resides, works or visits the city to get them to connect to the community, live a healthy lifestyle and enjoy local businesses, parks and amenities.

“We are committed to making it easier to walk and explore,” said Todd Cutts, city manager. “SeaTac’s Neighborhood Sidewalk Program is building a network of sidewalks and paths creating access to schools, transit and trails. This new map helps discover access to healthy living whether you are walking to a local park or to the corner store.”

The SeaTac Walking Map is available online at www.ci.seatac.wa.us and they are available at City Hall, the Community Center and the Seattle Southside Visitors Center. The map was made possible by a grant from Public Health – Seattle & King County’s Communities Putting Prevention to Work program.