June 2012

Fans who attended the joyous Seattle SuperSonics rally in Pioneer Square June 15 to cheer for the return of their favorite team to the proposed sports arena in SoDo may have thought the deal was a slam-dunk, a win-win for the city. However, opposing forces may take this sports complex plan into overtime. Their complaint? Location, location, location. They fear an overlap of Port traffic and foot traffic will drive Port business away.

The proposed 7 acre-plus irregular rectangle sits within the boundaries of the Safeco Field Garage at S. Massachusetts St. to the north, S. 1st Avenue to the west, S. Holgate St. to the south, and train tracks just east of two warehouses. An additional finger of property extends north along 1st Av. as a corporation affiliated with investor Chris Hansen paid $9.45 million for two properties there.

Supporters of the site who join Hansen are Mayor Mike McGinn, King County Executive Dow Constantine, players, Detlef Schrempf, Slick Watts, Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, and local rock stars Duff McKagan and The Presidents of the United States.

Press release:

Madrona Elementary and Shorewood Elementary have achieved designation as Level Two Green Schools through the King County Green Schools program.

The program has three levels, which involve students and staff in learning about and practicing conservation of natural resources.

Level One requires expanding recycling practices and focusing on waste reduction strategies, such as decreasing paper use.

Schools achieve Level Two by engaging in energy conservation actions, such as turning off lights in unoccupied rooms.

Level Three schools learn about and engage in water conservation practices.

“Staff and students at these schools have embraced recycling, reducing waste and other conservation actions,” said Dale Alekel, Green Schools Program Manager. “Simple steps, such as turning off lights in unoccupied rooms and recycling paper, bottles and cans, add up to big benefits.”

Alekel said most participating schools report cuts in operating expenses after maintaining successful waste reduction and recycling programs and reducing energy and water use.

UPDATE June 30-
Despite some hurried work toward the deadline and some things that were a bit rough, Colman Pool opened on June 30 a month later than normal with swimmers lined up outside. Pool operators noted that some work was left undone or not quite complete but that didn't phase the 40 to 50 people who quickly got wet and started enjoying the renovated facility.
Normally heated to a temperature of 85 degrees the salt water pool was expected to be cooler than that for the opening weekend and it was since it takes time to heat the Olympic size pool.

Original Post

Colman Pool in Lincoln Park has been undergoing a series of improvements at a cost of $1,413,000 the last few months and is on track for its re-opening, though 30 days later than in past years, June 30. The 70 year old pool was in need of replacement of part of the pool deck, pool gutters, and the upper section of the pool shell.

Fans who attended the joyous Seattle SuperSonics rally in Pioneer Square June 15 to cheer for the return of their favorite team to the proposed sports arena in SoDo may have thought the deal was a slam-dunk, a win-win for the city. However, opposing forces may take this sports complex plan into overtime. Their complaint? Location, location, location. They fear an overlap of Port traffic and foot traffic will drive Port business away.

The proposed 7 acre-plus irregular rectangle sits within the boundaries of the Safeco Field Garage at S. Massachusetts St. to the north, S. 1st Avenue to the west, S. Holgate St. to the south, and train tracks just east of two warehouses. An additional finger of property extends north along 1st Av. as a corporation affiliated with investor Chris Hansen paid $9.45 million for two properties there.

Supporters of the site who join Hansen are Mayor Mike McGinn, King County Executive Dow Constantine, players, Detlef Schrempf, Slick Watts, Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, and local rock stars Duff McKagan and The Presidents of the United States.

By Cassandra Baker, Intern

3:44 a.m. on June 19th. N 85th St and Greenwood Ave N

A man called police after he thought he saw a man shoot a woman with a taser in a bus shelter. He said the woman, a local transient, was quiet after the incident, and the suspect had run into a nearby apartment building. When officers arrived, the witness told them that the suspect had been shooting the victim with a BB gun. The officers located the victim, but she was hostile and did not want assistance. She said she had seen the taser but hadn’t felt any electricity. The glass on the bus shelter was cracked from the BBs. The responding officers also located two suspicious persons in an alley, but they fled the scene, leaving behind a strong odor of marijuana.

6:07 p.m. on June 17th. 36th block of 3rd Ave NW

By Dusty Henry, entertainment blogger

On June 19, the remaining members of God’s Favorite Beefcake took the stage at Ballard's Conor Byrne Pub to pay tribute to their deceased band mates who were among the victims of the Café Racer shooting last month.

“Ladies and gentlemen we’re Mom’s Favorite Sextape and we’re totally f***ed,” said accordionist and vocalist Snuffaluffagus, announcing the band's new monniker.

The six band members whooped, yelled, and danced with every song in their set. The eerie swoon of Katie Mae Glutz singing saw and the clanking of spoons played by Dumbelina, the Queen of the Bimbos, fit the abstract concept of the band which sought to celebrate rather than to mourn.

Two of the band’s members, Drew “Shmootzi The Clod” Keriakedes and Joseph "Mashuguna Joe" Albanese, were shot and killed randomly by gunman Ian Stawicki at Café Racer in the University District on May 30.

Even with all the foot stomping sing-a-long melodies there was still a sense sorrow in the lyrics, especially in the first song of the set, “River of Booze”, which was the last song Keriakedes wrote before he was killed.

The locally famous Helmstetler Family Christmas Spectacular light show staged every year on November 24, has a very special guest according to a Facebook post by the home's owner, 2012 Grammy Nominee Judy Pancoast will be on hand to help kick off the show to a festive start and also perform a live concert. The show features highly synchronized lighting arrays set to a musical theme. Last year's kick off featured players from the Seattle Sounders. You can read about this event from our coverage last year here

Transportation Choices Coalition and King County Metro, along with partners Richard Hugo House, King County Library System, and Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association, today launched Books on the Bus, a community-wide book club for bus riders.

The brainchild of public transportation activist Carla Saulter, Books on the Bus will highlight a new book each quarter for participants to read on their bus rides.

“Books on the Bus is a wonderful opportunity,” said Saulter, membership manager at Transportation Choices and author of the blog Bus Chick. “One of the many advantages of riding public transit is that it enables you to do something else while you travel...Reading and riding together fosters community, makes transit more fun, and helps support local authors and bookstores.”

Port Commission President and Ballardite Gael Tarleton received the Maritime Industry Public Official of the Year Award at the annual Seattle Maritime Festival Luncheon this week.

“Gael digs into the issue, demands facts, becomes fully informed and then takes a position. And, importantly she then follows up with advocacy, leadership and action,” said Mike Moore, President of the Seattle chapter of the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association when announcing the award. “This kind of leadership is essential to the maritime sector.”

Other award categories included the Marine Environmental Business of the Year, and the Puget Sound Maritime Achievement Award.

Port of Seattle’s Marine Maintenance won the the environmental initiatives award for finding alternative methods for cleaning docks without disturbing water or marine life on port property, in efforts at cleaning and capturing water and sediment.

Captain Chris Woodley of the U.S. Coast Guard won the Puget Sound Maritime Achievement Award for his years of service at Sector Puget Sound, where he was instrumental in creating new standards of vessel safety for fishing boats working the Alaska market.

Summarizing a June 18 report to the Burien City Council on the city’s controversial CARES animal control program, City Manager Mike Martin said Burien is saving $100,000-$300,000 a year with CARES.

“Never in my career, have I seen something going so right characterized as going so wrong,” Martin declared.

He said being part of King County’s regional service would cost Burien over $340,000 a year. Burien collects $60,000-$70,000 a year in pet license fees and adds about $50,000 from the general fund for the CARES service, according to Martin.

Martin dubbed the CARES program as a grass roots “Burienesque operation.” He noted the city transferred animal control from a public agency—King County, to a private group.

CARES is a group of volunteers led by The Mark Restaurant co-owner Debra George that was awarded Burien’s contract to handle animal control services.

After a speaker said CARES does not have nonprofit status with the Internal Revenue Service, George said the group’s tax-exempt status is pending.