June 2012

In Alan Spicciati’s final board meeting as interim superintendent, the Highline School Board was presented with a $194 million operating budget for the 2012-2013 school year.

The board is scheduled to approve the budget on July 25. There were no citizen comments on the budget during a public hearing.

Susan Enfield will move south from Seattle to take over as Highline’s superintendent on Monday, July 9. Spicciati will return to his position as chief accountability officer.

Assistant Superintendent Susan Smith Leland said there will be no significant program or staff cuts for the coming year but also no restoration of $18 million in previous cuts.

New positions are still frozen in support services and 1.5 furlough days will still be taken by staff, according to Leland

Expenditures will increase for rising fixed costs such as unfunded salaries and benefits as well as a new teacher evaluation system.

Salaries for certificated staff account for 44 percent of the general fund budget. Combined certified and classified salaries along with benefits make up 83 percent.

Press release
The contractor working for the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) and King County Metro to prepare for the fall implementation of RapidRide transit service in West Seattle has begun making changes in the roadway lane configuration. To further support this upcoming transit service, SDOT has also begun to install new signage indicating where previously available on-street parking will no longer be permitted.

The RapidRide service includes the installation of Business Access and Transit (BAT) lanes on SW Alaska Street, which will help improve transit speed and reliability, and support more convenient service. Specifically, an eastbound BAT lane is being installed between 40th and 42nd avenues SW, while the westbound BAT lane will be installed between 35th and 42nd avenues SW. Both east- and westbound BAT lanes must be placed in the curb lane, where on-street parking has previously been permitted. Though it requires removing parking spaces on SW Alaska Street, using the public right of way in this fashion will allow the city to better serve transit riders.

A groundbreaking ceremony will be held Aug. 15 at 10:30 a.m. for a 36,000-square-foot building that will house medical, dental, behavioral health and pharmacy services as well as leased space for community mental health offices.

HealthPoint Midway will open in 2013 and is expected to serve 14,000 new patients, according to a company press release.

The building is located at 26401 Pacific Hwy. S.

There will be restrooms at the end of the (light-rail) line but new federal funding requirements could alter some of the planned off-site mitigations for the new South 200th Street station.

Despite the funding concerns, the SeaTac City Council approved unanimously on June 26 the development agreement between the city and Sound Transit for the new station set to open in September 2016.
Sound Transit will provide the land and build the restrooms as part of the parking and retail structure. However, the restrooms will be operated and maintained using funds from leases of retail space.

Sound Transit will design the restrooms so they can be used after the businesses close in the evening.

At their June 12 meeting, some SeaTac lawmakers voiced concerns about the restrooms being closed after hours, especially with people coming from longing distances to the southern most light-rail station. Other council members said unattended restrooms open at night might be magnets for crime.

Sound Transit project director Miles Haupt noted at the earlier meeting that his agency does not normally operate restrooms at their stations.

Often-contentious SeaTac council members have achieved unanimous consent on a subject that their counterparts in Burien have struggled over—animal control and care services.

Without discussion, the SeaTac City Council approved June 26, a three-year contract with Regional Animal Services of King County (RASKC.)

Tukwila also contracts with King County. Des Moines and Normandy Park share a full-time animal control officer, who is a Des Moines police officer.

SeaTac lawmakers were briefed by staff members and discussed the animal control contract at previous council meetings and study sessions.

SeaTac will pay a net $107,000 a year for three years. The city is receiving a $124,000 per year subsidy from RASKC as part of the contract.

RASKC divides King County into three districts with animal control officers available seven days a week. The Kent animal shelter is also open seven days a week.

Burien contracts with Burien CARES, a nonprofit group headed by The Mark Restaurant co-owner Debra George. The contract is for $120,000 per year.

The early design review on June 28 for a three-story, 30 unit apartment plan for 3829 California Ave S.W. was a case study in the issues and frustrations inherent in taller complexes moving into primarily residential neighborhoods.

It is a process that is bound to continue, especially along California.

The meeting was also a testament to the importance of attending an early design review meeting and voicing concerns, well, early. The architects were receptive and seemed willing to deviate from the infant design to help accommodate certain neighborhood worries.

Architects from Caron Architecture presented their “very early design” to the Southwest Design Review Board and eight citizens who live near the proposed project. The final plan, according to Caron, will reach up to around 34 feet and, due to zoning; they have to provide one parking stall for each of the 30 units. Twenty of those will be in an underground parking garage accessed by the alley, with ten parking spots behind the building (in the alley). There will be no retail space.

O’Connor Casting Company is holding an open casting call on Sunday, July 1, for single Norwegian-Americans interested in being on Season 2 of “Sons of Norway”, a reality TV dating series shooting in America and Norway.

Producers are looking for four single, adventurous and open-minded Norwegian-Americans who are seriously searching for true love.

The “twist” is that they will be taking a giant love leap across the pond.

“It’s a really cool concept. Four single Americans of Norwegian descent will fly to Norway to meet 32 single Norwegians. Each American will then choose four Norwegians who they’ll fly to America with and go on a series of dates," said casting producer Joan O’Connor in a press release. “Finally, each American picks one Norwegian with whom they have a connection, and they fly back to Norway where they’ll date while immersing themselves in their suitor’s country, culture and life. Hopefully romance will blossom.”

To be eligible, applicants must be of Norwegian descent, at least 20 years old, and single. Sexual-orientation doesn't matter. Applicants can be divorced, widowed, or have kids.

Loyal Heights Community Center celebrated the Fourth of July early this year with their annual bike parade on Thursday, June 28.

Organizers encouraged participants to meet at the Center at 6 p.m. with a bike, trike or wagon to decorate and to enjoy a picnic. The weather threatened to ruin the party as raindrops sprinkled on the riders but the weather was mostly dry for the 6:30 p.m. parade start when a few dozen kids lined up to parade around the center.

The parade was followed by lawn games, a children’s bounce house, and a treat.

Dear Ballard Community,

As some of you may have heard, I am leaving The Ballard News-Tribune. I have greatly enjoyed my time here at the paper and want to thank you all for welcoming me into the Ballard community and providing me with all your help and insights.

Being immersed in the community and telling Ballard's story has meant a great deal to me and I have tried my best to cover the many facets of this diverse community for past year and eight months.

I am moving on to be a staff writer at Cascade Bicycle Club (go figure!) but I will continue to lend my services as a freelancer from time-to-time. This means that I will still be around and look forward to continuing to see all your familiar faces.

While management continues to search for the right replacement, you can contact Ken Robinson at kenr@robinsonnews.com with any news tips.

Look for my writing at the Cascade Bicycle Club website and feel free to stay in contact with me via social media:

twitter.com/amrook

Support is growing in the seven-way primary race for the 36th district house seat vacated by State Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson, D-Seattle.

This week 36th District House seat candidate Brett Phillips (D-Seattle) received the sole endorsements of the Sierra Club and Cascade Bicycle Club, thus further expanding his broad base of support and growing list of endorsements. The outspoken environmental organization and cycling group joins a slew of business, labor, and environmentalists uniting behind Phillips’ campaign to replace retiring 36th district state representative Mary Lou Dickerson.

“As an avid cyclist and long-time environmentalist, I am honored by the endorsement of the Sierra Club and Cascade Bicycle Club,” says Phillips. “If elected, I will work hard to help preserve our natural spaces, invest in green jobs and technology, promote alternative transportation strategies and ensure that our air and water stay clean for future generations.”