February 2012

Seattle Parks and Recreation will unveil the finalized plans for converting the wading pool at 1100 S.W. Cloverdale St. into a spraypark at the Highland Park Action Committee meeting on Feb 29 from 7 to 8 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Highland Park Improvement Club (116 S.W. Holden St).

The spraypark will use a water re-circulation system to bring water to life, and officials finalized their design after gathering feedback from two prior meetings with the community.

According to Seattle Parks and Recreation, $635,000 from the Parks and Green Spaces Levy will and has paid for planning, design and construction. Project manager Kelly Goold said construction should begin in April with an estimated completion date of late summer 2012… hopefully while the temperatures still justify a good spraying.

Design PDFs are attached at the top of the story for those interested in a closer look before the meeting.

press release:
Eastbound traffic on the Spokane Street Viaduct (connecting the West Seattle Bridge to I-5) will be down to one lane between the SR99 off-ramp and Fourth Avenue South from 9 p.m. every night this week, February 15 -17, opening at 5 a.m. the following mornings. The First Avenue off-ramp will be closed. The Fourth Avenue South loop ramp will remain open, providing access to north- or southbound travel on Fourth Avenue South.

Eastbound lower South Spokane Street will be closed between East Marginal Way South and Fourth Avenue South each night from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. the next morning.

First Avenue South at the intersection with South Spokane Street will also be closed each night from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. the following morning. Southbound traffic will be detoured at South Hanford Street, while northbound traffic will be detoured east on South Dawson Street to Fourth Avenue South.

By Kyra-lin Hom

Despite the Obama administration's announcement that it is no longer requiring religiously based employers to provide no-cost birth control to all female employees and is instead giving that responsibility to the insurance companies, anti-abortion campaigners are still up in arms. At this point, I feel like it's just stubborn momentum carrying them forward. Either that or a complete misunderstanding of the issues at stake. Maybe I'm shooting from the hip, but hear me out.

Several major players against this push for free birth control including Republican hopeful Rick Santorum and the anti-abortion group Concerned Women for America have repeatedly and inaccurately equated contraception with abortion. Specifically they keep referring to 'abortion-inducing drugs.' This is misleading.

Thank you, Kyra-Lin Hom,

for a reasoned, well thought out, and well-constructed article about the new birth control initiative. People who oppose contraception are, de facto, supporting an increase in the number of abortions.

While I have no problem with abortion, I also think that those who claim to oppose it need to be proactive about supporting ways to avoid it.

Opposition to contraception is a way of saying “women do not have the right to enjoy responsible sex.”

How good it will be when this issue is no longer debated in our society, but simply accepted as a simple fact of life in a mature and enlightened society.

Good article!

Rev. Dr. Donald Schmidt
Admiral Congregational United Church of Christ

Friday, Feb, 17th, two Chief Sealth International High School Swimmers swimmers and a pair of our wrestlers will be competing in their respective State tournaments.

Sophomores Michael Stewart and Carlos Morgan Montemayor will be representing the Seahawks at the 3A State Swim and Dive championships taking place at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way. Stewart earned a berth in the 200M freestyle, while Montemayor will be swimming the 100M fly. Competition is set to begin at 9:45am Friday morning. The finals will be held on Saturday, February 18th. Stewart and Montemayor are led by Maari Olsen who is in her second year as head coach.

The wrestlers going state are Jordan Armstrong and Christopher Rios and they will be competing in Mat Classis XXIV, held at the Tacoma Dome.

(Editor’s note: the following is a preview for Greg McCorkle’s photography show that will be on display at Proletariat Pizza in White Center as part of White Center’s Art Walk. McCorkle is a freelance photographer who has covered many events – from house fires to snow storms - for the West Seattle Herald/White Center News and Highline Times over the years. Please click the image above for a slideshow preview of his show.)

The specifics
What: WE ARE: Images of the Occupation. Images from Occupy Seattle and Occupy Olympia by Greg McCorkle

When: February 18th to March 16th, 2012 at Proletariat Pizza, 9622-A 16th Ave S.W., White Center. The show officially opens at 6 p.m. on Feb. 18 (along with many more shows that open at White Center businesses on the third Saturday of each month).

A reminder for passengers that in observance of President's Day this Monday, February 20, the King County Water Taxi will not be operating the West Seattle and Vashon Island routes.

For more information on fares, schedules, terminals, the vessels and more visit the King County Water Taxi page here.

A new P-Patch community garden is coming to Westcrest Park, 9000 8th Ave. SW, Seattle, 98106. In partnership with community volunteers, Seattle Department of Neighborhoods is inviting the public and neighbors to help create the garden.

You can share your thoughts and hopes and, learn what, when, where and how the garden will be built. You are asked to bring snacks/drinks to share. Interpretation available upon request.

When: Tuesday, Feb 21, 2012 6:30pm-8:30pm

Where: Highland Park Improvement Club

1116 SW Holden St., Seattle, WA 98106

Contact: Phi Huynh 206-684-4531 or phi.huynh@seattle.gov

From the Seattle Police Department:

On February 14th shortly after 12:00 Noon, Seattle Police Department (SPD) Gang Unit detectives arrested a 27-year-old male suspect believed to be responsible for the double shooting that occurred on January 26th in the 9100 block of Rainier Avenue South.

On January 26th at approximately 5:03 p.m. officers responded to calls of shots fired in the 9100 block of Rainier Avenue South. Officers arrived on scene and located a 15-year-old male victim with a gunshot wound to the torso in the parking lot of a gas station in the 9200 block of Rainier Avenue South.

SFD medics responded to the scene and transported the victim to Harborview Medical Center (HMC) with life-threatening injuries. Sometime later a second victim, a 29-year-old male, showed up at HMC with gunshot wounds to the back.

After digesting the last round of public comment in November of 2011, Metro Transit officials are holding two West Seattle meetings this week to illustrate further tweeks to the system in making room for RapidRide C and D lines beginning service on Sept. 29, 2012.

Feb. 15 meeting: 6 to 8 p.m. at Madison Middle School

Feb. 16 meeting: 6 to 8 p.m. at Chief Sealth International High School

Here is a preview of what Metro has been up to since the last round of meetings from King County’s Metro Matters blog:

Metro Transit’s latest set of service change proposals for September reflect feedback we heard last fall. We’re now seeking a second round of input to shape the final September plan that will be submitted to the King County Council later this spring.

Here’s a rundown of some of the revised service change proposals you’ll see for Seattle’s West Seattle neighborhoods: