September 2012

By Cassandra Baker

4:29 p.m., September 25. NW Leary Way and 15th Ave NW

A man called police on the afternoon of September 25 after he was attacked at an intersection in Ballard. The victim said that he was riding his bike but had stopped, and a man walked up to him and hit him in the face with a stick. The victim suffered a laceration to his face, and one of his teeth was knocked out, causing heavy bleeding. The victim and witnesses followed the suspect until police arrived at the scene.

Police arrested the suspect and read him his rights, and he said that he wanted to tell his side of the story. He changed his account several times but did admit to the assault. The suspect said that he punched the victim in the face after the victim stole the food he had gotten from a food bank and tried to talk to the suspect’s girlfriend. The suspect told a different officer that he attacked the victim because he interrupted a birthday party.

The stick used in the attack was not located. The victim was taken to the hospital. The suspect was booked into King County Jail on assault charges.

2:27 a.m., September 23. 15th block of NW 63rd St

By Katy Wilkens, MS, RD

When I tell people to avoid high-calorie beverages, they think I mean sweetened sodas. I do. But I actually mean everything they drink, even fruit juice.

Many Americans consume more than 25 percent of their recommended daily calories in juice, soda pop, flavored coffees and energy drinks.

Liquids leave the stomach faster than solids do, and they don’t fill you up. So your body doesn’t think you’ve taken in calories and you end up eating the same amount of solid food you would have otherwise. Biologically speaking, humans were not designed to drink liquids that have calories in them. We’re designed to drink water, and maybe milk.

Juice is a prime example of the problem. One small apple has about 40 calories. It probably takes me about five minutes to eat it. An 8-ounce glass of apple juice has almost three times the calories – about 110. I like apples, but I am unlikely to sit still long enough to chew and swallow three of them, which is what I would have to do to get that many calories. Plus, I would get full after the second apple. But I can drink three apples’ worth of juice in under a minute and not feel full.

Around 120 people gathered at the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center on Sept. 27 to talk to the Seattle Police Department and each other about how to make the community safer. The meeting was called the SPD as part of their Safe Communities initiative. The crowd was a mixed one with a number of different cultures in attendance, and interpreters asking the speakers to slow down to get the translations done.

Safe Communities is a partnership between the Mayor's Office and the Seattle Police Department (SPD) to implement the community outreach component of subset of SPD's 20/20 initiative (#19). It's modeled on the Youth and Families Initiative, which brought together more than 3,000 people in over 130 community meetings in 2010 and led to the enhanced Families and Education Levy and a refocusing of the way we use City resources to support youth and families in Seattle.

Safe Communities will follow a similar path, bringing residents, police officers and City departments together for small-group conversations about what we need to do to improve safety. Those priorities will then guide the actions the City, SPD, and the neighborhoods will take together to protect public safety.

Southgate Roller Rink, 9646 17th Ave. SW, in White Center is celebrating the one-year anniversary of Pride Skate this coming Wednesday, Oct. 3. Skating is 9pm-11pm. $7.00 @ the door. Visit the WA United for Marriage Referendum 74 booth. You can then to attend the after party at Company Bar with Baby Ketten Karaoke, 9608 16th Ave SW.

Pride Skate Seattle is a monthly event at the Southgate Roller Rink for the GLBT community of Seattle.

This is an age 18 and older event.

With council members Pam Fernald and Dave Bush absent because of illness, the SeaTac Council held a short, non-contentious meeting on Sept. 25.

Lawmakers met with the Highline School District’s dynamic new superintendent, Susan Enfield.

Enfield noted the district had received a “nice bump” in the latest state test scores, particularly in math.

She said the district is forming a new strategic plan and described teachers, principals, family and community partners and central staff as essential elements in providing a good education to students.

Enfield agreed with Deputy Mayor Mia Gregerson that the district has issues with truancy and discipline. She noted that African American and Latino students have a suspension rate three times that of other groups. She vowed to work on the disparity.

Enfield told Councilmember Barry Ladenburg that the district is seeking to graduate all students prepared to enter a four-year college. College should be a viable option but students should choose what path they want to take, she noted. She added that students haven’t been exposed enough to vocational options.

West Seattle won 4-0 in an injury shortened soccer match Sept. 27 at Genesee Park near Lake Washington.
A Franklin player was injured due to a collision with another player and had to be taken to the hospital.

Franklin is coached by Norm Smith West Seattle class of 74, who is the Franklin Asst. coach.

Randy Engstrom, the founding director of the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center in Delridge, was named the interim director of Seattle's Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs by Mayor Mike McGinn on Sept. 27.

Here is the full announcement from the office:

We are thrilled to report that Mayor Mike McGinn has announced Randy Engstrom as the interim director of Seattle's Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs. Engstrom is founder and president of Reflex Strategies, a cultural and community based consulting services business, and is known for his work as the founding director of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. He will begin as interim director on October 3.

"I am extremely humbled and honored to have this opportunity. I look forward to an exciting year of building off of the work of an engaged and talented staff, a deeply connected arts commission, and a committed and supportive arts community in order to best leverage the important work of the office," said Engstrom. "I am grateful to the Mayor for giving me this opportunity"

The city of Burien would balance its 2013-2014 budget by taking $1.4 million from its fund balance, according to the preliminary budget submitted Sept. 24 to council members.

The amount of the fund balance would still remain above the council’s policy of having 10 percent in contingency reserves. However, City Manager Mike Martin warned that the contingency fund could run out by 2016 if the city does not fix its structural deficit. City staff is recommending that the council increase Burien’s general fund reserve to 20 percent by 2022.

The proposed budget totals $72.2 million in all funds with $44 million for the general operating fund.

Martin told lawmakers that two main factors are preventing the city from matching outgoing expenditures with incoming revenues without dipping into reserves.

The ongoing recession has “decimated” property tax revenues because of declining home values, Martin said. The city expects to lose $1.7 million in property tax revenues during the two years of the upcoming budget cycle. City officials estimate Burien lost an additional $467,000 in property taxes this year.

“Welcome to Burien Little Theatre. Please take the opportunity now to silence your cell phone before the start of the show. There will be plenty of cell phone ringing on stage as it is...Thank you.”

Okay, so this really wasn’t the pre-show speech as the curtain rose on Burien Little Theatre’s season opener, “Dead Man’s Cell Phone.” But, it might as well have been. You will hear the ringing of a cell phone on stage almost immediately. Then, you hear it some more. As you might guess from the title of the play, you will hear a cell phone ringing throughout most of the show.

But, that’s not all you will see and hear. A wonderful, quirky comic story will also emerge from the repeated ring tones...a story that will have you drawn in easily and willingly as we follow the journey of a lonely woman, Jean.

We first see Jean (Sascha Streckel) seated at a cafe, enjoying some lobster bisque and a cup of coffee, attempting to get some paperwork done during her lunch hour.

Press release:

Please join The City of SeaTac in the grand-reopening South 154th Road Improvement Ribbon Cutting Ceremony.
WHO: The City of SeaTac
WHEN: Wednesday, October 3, 2012, 11 a.m.
WHERE: Crystal Manor Apartments, 3020 South 154th Street
Ceremony in Parking Lot

DETAILS: This event is free and open to the public. Improvements include 3,400 lineal feet of new sidewalk, bicycle lanes, street lighting, a continuous two way left-turn lane, street lighting, lighted pedestrian crossing, retaining walls and street trees. Additionally, overhead utilities were relocated underground, and storm water facilities were improved. Total length of the project is 2,800 linear feet.

The project, which began in March of last year, was aimed at increasing pedestrian safety and traffic conditions for all commuters on the road. Contributions were made from the Federal Highway Administration, Transportation Improvement Board and Sound Transit. For more information visit www.ci.seatac.wa.us.