Mayor Mike McGinn, as part of the Engage Seattle initiative will hold another West Seattle Town Hall (the last one was March 13 at the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center) to listen to the public's concerns.
This one will be at the West Seattle Senior Center at 4217 s.w. Oregon Street and is scheduled for only an hour from 5:00 to 6:00pm.
You can park on the street or in the Junction lots.
press release
The Seattle School Board Wednesday night officially offered Anaheim City Schools Superintendent José Banda the position of Superintendent of Seattle Public Schools.
The next step – approved by a 6-0 Board vote Wednesday (Director Kay Smith-Blum was absent) – is for the Board President to negotiate a contract with Banda. Once negotiations are completed, the Board is scheduled to vote on Banda’s contract during its May 16 meeting.
If approved, he will start after July 1.
With more than 30 years of experience in the field of education, Banda was among three finalists chosen during a national search to find the next leader for Seattle Public Schools. Banda served as Anaheim City Schools Superintendent for the past four years, during which time his District saw increased student achievement for all students, including English Language Learners. In addition, the District narrowed the achievement gap and 19 of 24 schools met their school-wide Academic Performance Index (API).
Board Director Marty McLaren noted that Banda’s “pragmatic, straightforward outlook and his calm confidence in his ability to lead our district” impressed Board members.
press release
Did you know that 1,300 volunteers will donate over 4,500 hours of service on May 19 for Seattle Works Day, organized by the local nonprofit Seattle Works? Over 34 different service projects will be happening simultaneously throughout Seattle from noon to 3:30pm.
West Seattle will be hosting one such service project with King Conservation District at the Brandon Street Natural Area. Volunteers will be working to spread mulch to help increase soil moisture and repress weeds from growing. Volunteers will also help to maintain previously planted areas by removing any invasive species that have started to grow back.
Volunteers can participate in a number of ways, including putting together their own teams of friends and colleagues. Teams are also sponsored through local companies such as Accenture, Boeing, FedEx and Microsoft. Individuals can also sign up to join a public team and volunteer alongside likeminded individuals. Team sizes range anywhere from 5 to 250+ members.
The seniors of the Chief Sealth International High School boys varsity soccer team are a smart bunch.
With a 1-0 victory over division rival Nathan Hale on May 2, the Seahawks capped their regular season with another win and became Metro Sound Division champs, fulfilling a Nostradamus-esque prophecy by the seniors four years ago.
“Amazing season,” Sealth coach Ron Johnson said after the game. “I’ve been here fifteen years and we started out with nothing, and in the last four years (that has changed). The seniors here were the kids that came out … and told me they were going to be champions in four years and I said, ‘OK, I’ve heard it before.’”
Please click the image above for more
Smart bunch, and only fitting their prediction would come to fruition on Senior Night.
The Seahawks sewed up the season with a perfect division record of 12-0. Overall, they finished 13-1-1.
The hard fought battle against Nathan Hale was a story of rock solid Seahawk defense (including another shutout for goalkeeper Kristian Nilssen) to keep the ball out of their net, and good pressure on the opposite end with some bad luck keeping the scoreline limited to one.
Jim Mondry with his dogs Red and Pinky come down to the beach at Seahurst Park frequently. "As soon as they smell the salt water," Mondry said," they take off running."
Press release:
Students in Highline will have better opportunities to be prepared for careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), thanks to an initiative announced today.
The non-profit Washington STEM has announced a grant of $270,000 to launch the South King County STEM Network. This newly formed network of school districts, businesses, higher education, workforce development, research institutes, and public/private organizations will work collaboratively to improve STEM education for students in the region.
The South King County STEM Network includes seven districts in the region: Auburn, Federal Way, Highline, Kent, Renton, South Seattle and Tukwila.
Washington STEM is investing in three STEM Networks across Washington, which will support communities to revitalize STEM education and drive local economic development.
The South King County STEM Network’s lead agency is Puget Sound Educational Service District (PSESD).
The protests in downtown Seattle May 1 were marked by violence and destruction, much of it accomplished by self described anarchists, who, dressed in black carried tire irons and hammers and smashed out windows on buildings and cars in the core downtown area. Reporter/Photographers Greg McCorkle and Chris Menges were there for all of it and found people from our area involved in the more peaceful aspects of the protest.
by Greg McCorkle
What started out as a festive display of the right to voice displeasure as guaranteed by the first amendment, quickly turned violent as the first march of the day reached 5th Avenue.
It was then that the peaceful atmosphere was rocked by a small group of people bent on destruction of property. Many businesses and privately owned vehicles were targeted. Including the Federal Courthouse where the front doors were damaged.
Unfortunately the acts of a very small minority overshadowed the messages that law abiding protesters wanted heard.
Press release:
Tickets for the 2012 Highline Garden Tour are now on sale. This much-anticipated annual event, which takes place Saturday, June 9, allows participants to visit beautiful gardens in Burien, Normandy Park, and SeaTac.
A special feature of the tour this year will be the chance to talk in-depth with the Seahurst neighbors who recently joined forces to install a cluster of rain gardens up and down their street. They did this under the auspices of 12,000 Rain Gardens, a region-wide campaign that is working to reduce polluted stormwater run-off into Puget Sound and other local waterways. Spearheaded by Washington State University Extension and the non-profit conservation organization Stewardship Partners, the campaign hopes to install 12,000 rain gardens throughout the Puget Sound region by 2016.
Ticket holders on the self-guided Highline Garden Tour also will encounter plein air artists at work in many of the gardens, as well as the opportunity to enjoy the private garden of popular local ceramic artist Dana Lasswell and to purchase her works.
Press release:
Highline Community College is collaborating with The Bainbridge Graduate Institute (BGI), a pioneer in offering Sustainable MBA and certificate programs, to expand its StartZone program outside the South King County area.
StartZone is a microenterprise development program providing economically disadvantaged residents of South King County with no-cost training, technical assistance and other resources to improve financial self-sufficiency through self-employment and small business ownership.
Established in 2008 through the support of Sen. Maria Cantwell, the program has served over 1,000 emerging entrepreneurs, and its nearly 500 members have accessed over $500,000 in financing (startup or expansion), launched 65 new businesses and created over 100 new jobs.
BGI Dean, John Gardner, Ph.D. stated, “We are excited to have this opportunity to work with Highline, the home for StartZone and the institution who has seen it through the proof of concept stage, to explore StartZone’s expansion.
UPDATE: On Wednesday night, The Seattle School Board Wednesday officially offered Anaheim City Schools Superintendent José Banda the position of Superintendent of Seattle Public Schools.
With a 6-0 vote in favor of Banda, the Board President Michael DeBell will now negotiate a contract with Banda, and the Board is scheduled to vote on Banda’s contract during its May 16 meeting.
If approved, he will start after July 1.
With more than 30 years of experience in the field of education, Banda was among three finalists chosen during a national search to find the next leader for Seattle Public Schools.
Board Director Marty McLaren noted that Banda’s “pragmatic, straightforward outlook and his calm confidence in his ability to lead our district” impressed Board members.
"We have a chance for a fresh start," said Board President DeBell in a statement, and thanked Dr. Susan Enfield, Interim Superintendent, for her work in building a strong foundation.
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Seattle School Board expected to name José Banda as new Superintendent today
2012-04-02
By Anne-Marije Rook
