October 2012

King County Elections has mailed more than 1.16 million ballots to voters via the U.S. Postal Service on Wednesday, Oct. 17.

The statewide Voters Pamphlet has also been mailed out to voters.

A ballot box where voters can deposit their ballot without postage is available on Southwest 152nd Street in front of Burien City Hall/Burien Library, 400 S.W. 152nd St.

Here’s the press release from King County Elections:

Ballots will arrive soon in mailboxes throughout King County. The county already sent about 15,000 ballots to voters living overseas and those serving in the military to allow extra time for delivery.

This is the first presidential election since King County began voting by mail and since Washington became an all vote by mail state.

“Voters should watch for their ballots in the mail and contact us if they haven’t received it by Monday, Oct. 22,” said Sherril Huff, Elections Director. “We anticipate a high turnout, and we encourage all voters to get their ballots voted and returned no later than the Election Day deadline—the earlier, the better.”

Author, professor, and former K-12 classroom teacher Pedro Noguera will be in the Seattle area Thursday, October 18th to discuss poverty's pervasive influence on the achievement gap and what he believes to be an oversight by current education policy to address the issue.

As an urban sociologist and current New York university professor, Dr. Noguera looks at ways in which the academic performance of students in urban areas is linked to social and economic factors. He argues that American public schools are floundering, and our current policies are focusing on the symptoms and not the underlying cause—poverty. Dr. Noguera will discuss a new national reform agenda, the Broader, Bolder Approach to Education. This approach focuses on wrap-around services that address hunger and health, parental engagement, and supporting teachers through improved instruction.

Dr. Noguera is the author of books such as The Trouble with Black Boys…and Other Reflections on Race, Equity and the Future of Public Education and Unfinished Business: Closing the Achievement Gap in Our Nation’s Schools.

Event Details:

Press Release from Highline Community College:

Author, professor, and former K-12 classroom teacher Pedro Noguera will be in the Seattle area Thursday, October 18th to discuss poverty's pervasive influence on the achievement gap and what he believes to be an oversight by current education policy to address the issue.

As an urban sociologist and current New York university professor, Dr. Noguera looks at ways in which the academic performance of students in urban areas is linked to social and economic factors. He argues that American public schools are floundering, and our current policies are focusing on the symptoms and not the underlying cause—poverty. Dr. Noguera will discuss a new national reform agenda, the Broader, Bolder Approach to Education. This approach focuses on wrap-around services that address hunger and health, parental engagement, and supporting teachers through improved instruction.

Dr. Noguera is the author of books such as The Trouble with Black Boys…and Other Reflections on Race, Equity and the Future of Public Education and Unfinished Business: Closing the Achievement Gap in Our Nation’s Schools.

Press release:

Highline Medical Center recently received certification as a Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission.

The Joint Commission is an independent organization that accredits and certifies healthcare programs throughout the U.S. The certification program was developed in collaboration with the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to ensure best practices in stroke treatment. Certification is a symbol of quality based upon stringent performance standards.

795,000 Americans are affected by stroke every year and it is the number one preventable cause of disability. To be eligible for certification, a hospital must meet national standards including staffing by qualified medical professionals trained in stroke care and a comprehensive stroke-focused program that provides individualized care to meet stroke patients’ needs.

Had they been given boxing gloves, President Barack Obama and Republican Nominee Mitt Romney probably would've started throwing punches at last night's presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y.

The debate was town hall-styled, meaning that people representing ordinary Americans asked the candidates pre-selected questions. Topics included jobs for graduating college students, the economy, energy, immigration, women's rights, foreign policy and just about everything in between. One unique question asked Romney what separated him from his Republican predecessor, George W. Bush -- a subject that has been mostly taboo during the campaign.

The moderator was Candy Crowley from CNN, whose primary job during the debate was mainly to reign in the candidates from talking overtime, doing too much back-and-forth and going way off topic.

The kids at Lafayette Elementary in West Seattle will have to wait until school ends on Halloween to make their transformations into Superman, SpongeBob and other manifestations of the holiday’s costume tradition.

The decision made by Lafayette staff has caused uproar for some parents, while others support it.

According to Teresa Wippel with Seattle Public Schools, the decision is up to individual schools, and Lafayette staff made the decision at a staff meeting during the week of Oct. 8.

“Staff suggested that since Halloween falls this year on a half day of school, the school not allow costumes,” Wippel wrote in an email. “It takes students a while to change into their costumes, and students are distracted, taking away from an already limited instructional time.”

Wippel said while the decision was based on the constrictions of a half day, cultural issues surrounding Halloween were also discussed and will be discussed further to determine a policy for the holiday moving forward.

For almost as long as I have lived in Ballard there’s been reference to “the missing link.” This refers to the gap in the Burke-Gilman Trail that completes a dedicated path from Redmond’s Marymoor Park to Ballard’s Golden Gardens. But I’m not talking about that missing link.

My own gap runs parallel to the controversial stretch of roadway through the heart of Ballard’s marine industrial corridor. It is the waterway itself, the Ship Canal. I have crossed the Ballard Bridge by car, bus, bicycle, and by foot but until last week I had never passed underneath it by boat. Ballard’s oldest and truest corridor was known to me only by sounds, smells and glimpses from above.

In hindsight, I think anyone who wants to become part of the community, or attempt to speak for it, should be obligated to arrive by water. It seems criminal I had never seen from the water a corridor that is as lively and commercial as Ballard Avenue during the Farmer’s Market, and even more symbiotic.

Jeremy Favors and Scott Morrison own their dog Bono (which while spelled like the name of the lead singer of U2 and his namesake , they say is pronounced "Bone-O" because it's easier) and he is a Jack Russell Terrier. He has a long haired "broken coat" and he's distinctive to in his height. "He has shorter legs too," said Favors," so they call him a 'puddin'," which denotes a more diminutive version of the breed.

Favors got Bono from a breeder in Yakima, Washington, almost 13 years ago. "I just looked at an ad in the paper and found him," Favors said, "It was him and his brother and one sat by me and the other walked away so I picked him."

They feed him a raw food diet they get at Pet Elements in West Seattle. It's a frozen food and explained Favors, "He had Pancreatitis once and got very sick so we put him on raw food and he's been great ever since."

Bono gets Dukes Fillet for treats also from Pet Elements.

Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn and Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Jose Banda chose Roxhill Elementary in West Seattle as the launch point for their incentive-driven attendance program “Be Here Get There” on Oct. 16.

"Research has shown that students with more than 20 absences per year have less than a one in five chance of graduating from high school," McGinn said in a statement. "We need to all work together to get our kids in school.”

“When we look at research, it shows there is a direct correlation between students coming to school every day and their rate of success and achievement,” Banda said at the assembly. “So students, we encourage you to come to school every single day … because instruction is key and we don’t want you to miss out on opportunities.”

Banda and McGinn were joined by several Roxhill students, Roxhill’s new principal Sahnica Washington, and a slew of business representatives who have chipped in on incentives for kids who make it to school.

The Barton Street P-Patch, under development since March of last year took delivery on Oct. 16 of it's signature piece, a custom built steel arbor that bears the P-Patch logo and serves as the gateway to the space, located at 34th SW and SW Barton Streets.

Built near Elbe, Washington by Dan Klennert a metal sculptor the 9 foot by 7.5 foot by 4 foot arbor was brought by truck and with a small crane lifted into place.

The sculpture was paid for from the original grant money for the garden project and, "by scrimping and saving we were able to afford it," said Kate Farley one of the primary P-Patch organizers.

Klennert said he,"almost wished they didn't buy it," because he loves his own creations like children.

The unveiling will take place at 1:00pm Sunday Oct. 21 at a special ceremony and celebration of the the garden. It's potluck event if you'd like to attend.

Also being installed on the northwest side of the garden is a large sign that will face the street and identify the garden from the road.