August 2012

With beaming smiles, charisma and matching pink dresses, the three cheerful women of Shonen Knife threw up the Sign of the Horns at The Tractor Tavern on Wednesday night. Shortly after, they would be thanking the audience and head-banging again.

“When I listen to the music, I get power!” the three sang during their song “Pop Tune.”

Shonen Knife, a punk band from Osaka, Japan, has had a cult following since their American breakthrough Let’s Knife was released on Olympia’s K Records in 1992. It also didn’t hurt that Nirvana front man Kurt Cobain near-evangelized the group to friends and reporters. (In a 1993 interview with MTV, Cobain reminisced about touring with them, saying, “I was an emotional sap the whole time; I cried every night.”)

Today was the last day on Earth for JoJo, Woodland Park Zoo's last Sumatran tiger, who was euthanized at 20 years old, according to a press release.

JoJo came in 2001 from the Memphis Zoo and was a breeding companion for the zoo's only male tiger of the time, Rakata. They lived with each other for 11 years and produced five cubs. Rakata died earlier this year in February, at the age of 19.

“It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to JoJo and the last tiger in our animal collection. She regaled us with her majestic beauty and was a superb mother to her cubs,” said Martin Ramirez in the press release, mammal curator at Woodland Park Zoo.

JoJo's health had been declining for the last several months and has been suffering from a kidney disease since 2007. According to the zoo, veterinary staff and zookeepers made sure that JoJo was made comfortable in her final days.

The Sumatran tiger is on the endangered species list and is now a very rare breed, with only 400 believed to exist in the wild. Illegal poaching, human overpopulation and habitat destruction are all causes for the tiger species' waning population.

The ongoing issues that the vessels serving as the West Seattle Water Taxis face were highlighted again Aug. 10 with the failure of an alternator aboard the Rachel Marie. That made the mention of efforts to replace both boats (the other is called the Melissa Ann) by King County Executive Dow Constantine and Ferry District Chair Joe McDermott all the more welcome. In an announcement they shared that they had already secured federal grants to fund 80 percent of the cost of replacement vessels and said they could be operational by 2014.

The Ferry District currently leases the two 20-year old vessels that have seen repeated failures. The Marine Division of the King County Department of Transportation expects to issue a request for proposals for design and construction of two new vessels in 2013 and have them operational by 2014.

Each of the new vessels will cost 5- to 6.5-million dollars and would carry more passengers.

As Burien’s proposed annexation area line moves east from 31st Avenue Southwest it passes through White Center’s business district, the Greenbridge development and the residential neighborhoods of Top Hat, Beverly Park and Glenacres. Just as the line is about to reach the potentially tax-rich industrial land along the Duwamish River, it abruptly stops at State Route 99.

The main argument of annexation opponents is that Burien just can’t afford to take on White Center’s business district and North Highline’s neighborhoods. Even if the city receives a maximum $5 million per year of state sales tax credit, taxes generated from the mostly residential area would not offset the added infrastructure and social services costs, critics argue.

Those business parks along the river could look very inviting to a growing city.

However, those industrial areas have been off-limits to Burien since the mid 1990s. That’s when the city of Tukwila, at the request of King County, added them to its Potential Annexation Area (PPA.)

Starting Tuesday, August 14), Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will be fixing most of the cracks you see in a number of arterial asphalt streets. This process will reduce the amount of water that seeps under the pavement during the year causing potholes and other roadway damage. During the winter, water seepage can create even more damage with freezing conditions breaking and buckling the roadway.

Crews will start in the northern part of the city and work towards the south, although the schedule and order may change SDOT said depending on the weather and other unforeseen factors.

No street closures will be required, but there will be lane closures of up to four hours and on-street parking will be restricted on the affected roads. “No-parking” signs will be posted 48 hours in advance. SDOT crews will work to minimize any delays and will provide assistance as needed. Traffic flaggers will be present during maintenance work. Sidewalks will remain open at all times.

The crack-filling work will be done at the following locations in West Seattle:

• SW Barton Street, between California Avenue SW and 35th Avenue SW

It was Arbor Heights' show as the West Seattle-based club hosted the annual All-Cities meet of the Seattle Summer Swim League, and the team also had some standout finishes in the water.

Lucas Richardson posted a win in this past Tuesday's action, taking the boys age 8 & under 25-yard butterfly in a time of 16.12 seconds.

The win came in event 56 of the 72-event meet, while Arbor Heights started off by taking second in event six. Jack Velling, Will McGlothlin, Richardson and Ian Vanderhoef came in with a time of 1:18.56.

Arbor Heights then finished fourth in the girls 11-12 200-yard medley relay (event nine), with Hannah Tittel, Gracey Sarver, Sophia Minor and Naomi Williams finishing in 2:09.91. Ty Lindblom, Brandan Stoll, Benjamin Kinerk and Anthony Giomi then took fifth in the next event -- the boys 11-12 200 medley relay -- in 2:15.88.

Two events later, David Danilchik, Jeff Kasahara, Dylan Jergens and Griffin Voth took third in the boys 13-14 200 medley relay in 1:52.97.

Other high finishes followed, with Arbor Heights' McGlothlin, Vanderhoef, Velling and Richardson coming in third in the boys 8 and under 100 freestyle relay in 1:09.67.

press release:
Donna Miller-Parker has been selected as Vice President of Instruction at South Seattle Community College.

Donna's background at South is extensive, and includes leadership positions as interim Vice President of Instruction and Dean for Basic & Transitional Studies. Before coming to South in 2007, Donna Served as the Director of Essential Skills Programs at Shoreline Community College; Director, Northwest Regional Literacy Resource Center; Program Administrator, Office of Adult Literacy, State Board for Community and Technical Colleges; GED Essay Administrator and Chief Reader for Washington State.

Donna has taught at Seattle University, Seattle Central Community College and Renton Technical College. Her thirty years' experience in adult basic skills education encompasses instruction, curriculum and professional development, program creation and implementation, and policy setting at the regional, state, and local levels.

Donna holds a Master of Arts in Adult Education from Seattle University and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Idaho State University.

UPDATE : 5:20 pm
The vessel Rachel Marie, which had lost its port side altenator during the 7:15 am sailing this morning from Seacrest Dock, has been repaired and cleared to resume its normally scheduled service to West Seattle. Its first departure was the 4:15 pm sailing from downtown Seattle at Pier 50. The Melissa Ann, which has been covering the West Seattle Route since the 11:30 am sailing from Pier 50, completed its 4:00 pm departure from West Seattle and then resumed its regularly scheduled Vashon Island service which departed at 4:30 pm from Pier 50.

UPDATE:11:45
The West Seattle Water Taxi will resume its normally scheduled service with the vessel Melissa Ann at 11:30 am from Pier 50 in downtown Seattle. The Rachel Marie is headed in for repairs and it is anticipated it will be available for tonight's evening commute service without further interruption.

UPDATE 11:20 am

The King County Department of Transportation released the following statement about the fire aboard the West Seattle Water Taxi this morning.

After securing it's last chunk of funding, students will finally see a newly renovated park this coming year at Salmon Bay School. Construction started on July 30 and the grand opening is expected to happen in late September.

At the last minute, the Salmon Bay playground committee reached out to ING Direct, a global financial institution, who donated $65,000 to the cause, according to an email sent out by the committee. The company is also donating an iPad cart, which will be equipped with one laptop, 16 iPads and wi-fi.

More importantly, however, on Aug. 30, they are sending 150 volunteers to help with installation of the play equipment and maintenance of gardens. In honor of ING Direct's generosity, and to show apprecation for the volunteers, the Salmon Bay playground committee wants to know if you can help with the following:

· Can you bring a potluck dish to share with them for lunch?
· Can you bake a pie? Make some cookies? Bring a fruit plate?
· Would you be willing to pick-up coffee for the morning? Or donuts? Bagels and cream cheese?
· And can you help out at the work party with the installation and gardens?

The Haggis Brothers are the second act in the summer concert series at Providence Mt. St. Vincent playing Aug. 10 at 6:00pm. at 4831 35th Ave. s.w.

The band's Facebook page includes this description:

"The Haggis Brothers are a foot stompin', fiddle driven string band that play regularly around the Seattle area; from Irish bars to weddings and everything in between; farmer's markets, festivals and private parties.

"A family of knee slapping, foot stomping, fire fiddling, bass plucking, guitar strumming, knuckle dragging hillbillies." -Kyle Snodgrass, editor of URgoodtimeguide.com

"You're gonna like what you hear, I guarantee it." -Merle Haggis, father of the Haggis Brothers (they all have different mothers)"

Coming up in the next two weeks are:

August 17: The 85th Street Big Band (Classic Car Show this night, too!)

August 24: Rainbow of Hawaii