October 2012

Two men arrested for forcing teen to engage in prostitution
Two men accused of forcing a teenage girl to work as a prostitute and raping a woman who refused to work for them pleaded not guilty Monday, Oct. 8 in Pierce County Superior Court in Tacoma. Lakewood police arrested the men after an investigation and the FBI's Innocence Lost Task Force received a tip Oct. 2 that a 16-year-old was being advertised as an escort. Undercover officers met her at a SeaTac motel and took her into custody. The second woman claims she was beaten and assaulted because she refusd to work as a prostitute. Eugene Andre Young, 28, and Claude Anthony Hutchinson, 25, pleaded not guilty to charges of rape and promoting commercial sexual abuse of a minor.

SeaTac car crash leads to fatality

Press release:

New Futures, the King County Housing Authority, and many partners including Woodridge Park residents, Congressman Jim McDermott, Burien Mayor Brian Bennett, and Highline School District Superintendent Dr. Susan Enfield, will celebrate the grand opening of the new Woodridge Park/New Futures community center on Tuesday, Oct. 16 at 5:30 p.m.

Please join us! Community members and New Futures' Board of Directors, staff, participants, and supporters are invited to attend. The facility is located at Woodridge Park Apartments, 12424 28th Ave. South, in Burien.

West Seattle resident and KMTT 103.7 FM radio personality Marty Riemer was named to be a judge on a panel who will judge a room design makeover challenge sponsored by Puget Sound Energy. The competition is to combine design with energy efficiency and could net the winner $5000 or a number of energy efficient products. The company press release follows:

Press release:
Puget Sound Energy has announced that local society and events photographer Duell Fisher, 425 and South Sound Magazine editor Lisa Patterson and radio personality Marty Riemer will be joining PSE’s Re-Energized by Design campaign as judges. The campaign, the first of its kind in the region, promises to be full of surprises, drama and excitement as six residential PSE customers compete to win energy efficient products and $5,000 in a fast-paced, high-energy series of room-by-room energy-efficient makeover challenges. The trio of Re-Energized by Design judges bring a mix of aesthetic expertise and sharp opinions to evaluate the competitors’ room makeovers for how well they combine beautiful design with energy-efficiency.

Press release:

The City of Burien will hold a public hearing on Monday, October 22, 2012, for the purpose of:
Receiving comments on the 2013-2014 Biennial Budget prior to its adoption.

Citizens and community organizations are encouraged to participate by providing the Council with their priorities for future infrastructure projects, public safety enhancements, human services programs, cultural and recreational opportunities, and other public services.

The hearing will be in the Council Chambers at Burien City Hall, 400 SW 152nd Street, at approximately 7:00 p.m.

Mayor Mike McGinn, and Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Jose Banda, along with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the YMCA and community leaders will visit Roxhill Elementary School Oct. 16 for the launch of the 2012-2013 Be Here. Get There. Attendance Campaign.

A press release provides the details:

Every day in school matters. School attendance—even at a young age—can be a key predictor of whether a student succeeds and graduates ready for college and a career. While good attendance is critical to academic success, chronic absenteeism (missing 18 or more days) puts students at risk of academic failure and eventually dropping out.

Be Here. Get There. is a joint initiative of the City of Seattle, Seattle Public Schools, the YMCA, Youth Ambassadors, Alliance for Education, local businesses and additional partners to raise awareness of the importance of going to school using community-wide education and incentives.

WHEN: 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, October 16, 2011
WHERE: Roxhill Elementary School, 9430 30th Ave SW, Seattle WA

Press release:

A group of Central Washington University faculty and staff leaders will visit Des Moines on Thursday, October 18.

Called the “Wildcat Caravan,” the purpose of the visit is to meet with community college and and area business leaders to find out what they consider to be the most pressing education needs in Des Moines.

“We want them to share ideas with us so that we can be even more effective partners through CWU-Des Moines and increase educational opportunities in the community,” said Margaret Badgley, CWU assistant vice president for University Centers, who is heading up the caravan.

CWU-Des Moines is among the eight university centers CWU operates across Washington. Those centers offer upper division courses in selected degree areas and are designed for place-bound and time-bound students who have completed their associate degrees.

“Our campuses are co-located with community colleges in order to make the transition from two- to four-year degree programs easy,” Badgley pointed out.

Press release:

Since 2008, volunteers in Walker Preserve have removed large amounts of invasive plants and planted many native trees and shrubs. You can help – no experience is required! This weekend we will be planting about 90 native plants in places where dense ivy was removed.
When: Saturday, October 20, 2012, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m

Where: Walker Preserve park, SW. 168th St. and 2nd Ave. SW. in Normandy Park, up the road from Normandy Park City Hall. If driving, your parking options include:
Three spaces in the small lot at SW 171st St. and Second Ave. S.W.
On the street along SW. 168th St

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please plan ahead - this park does not have a restroom.

From the gate behind the Walker Preserve sign, walk down the trail towards the creek.

Activities:

by Georgie Bright Kunkel

I used to dream about my first home that I was born in. Then I left this place for college and finally established a home with my husband right here in West Seattle. Not many West Seattleites remember the Little City Farms development. Those who wanted to rough it, so to speak, bought these four lot parcels and considered themselves living out in the country. Well, we bought the only remaining Little City Farm that was reduced to two lots. We inherited a garden already planted in peas and beans and a rabbit hutch where we actually raised rabbits for a time. They were for eating so we discouraged our children from making pets of them.

By Kyra-lin Hom

While last week I briefly mentioned Zombies and our rising obsession with all things undead, I never really got around to discussing Zombies themselves. I know, I know. I said I was going to review some of my favorite Zombie films this go around. I still am just with a little twist. See, the internet has a staggering number of lists just like what I was planning. And these are all far more comprehensive than anything I could manage without a solid week (okay, let's be honest, two weeks) and an industrial-sized case of Red Bull. If you still want a Top Zombie Films of all time countdown, please visit the all knowing Google and scour the interwebs to your heart's content. In the meantime, for the next 700 or so words, please stick with me.

Information from the Seattle Fire Department

Date: Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Time: 1:30 p.m.

Location: High Point Branch 3411 S.W. Raymond St.

The Seattle Fire Department is partnering with the Seattle Public Library for a reading program aimed at increasing literacy, and raising awareness of home fire safety. The October 16, 2012 event at the High Point Branch of the Seattle Public Library is part of October’s Fire Prevention Month. Seattle Fire Chief Gregory Dean will read No Dragons for Tea to dozens of preschool children at the High Point Branch of the Seattle Public Library. Important safety messages include “Firefighters are your friend”, “Crawl low under smoke” and “Get out and stay out”.