October 2012

What’s the greatest show in town?

There’s a new contender in Burien—the City Council public comment session, 7 p.m. the first and third Mondays of the month. It’s Live! at City Hall or on government access Channel 21.

During the last episode on Oct. 1, dog owners brought their pets to the public comment session to ask lawmakers to support adding an off-leash dog park to the park board’s master plan. The owners’ comments were intermixed with occasional barks and heavy panting (from their canines.)

The upcoming show on Oct. 15 promises a choreographed dance to a re-imagined “Imagine” by John Lennon.

Perceptive audience members will correctly interpret the dance as a warning that Burien shouldn’t settle for apartments-only development in the remaining Town Square condos.

More detailed interpretation will reveal the dance calls for “a mix of retail and restaurants, maybe a boutique hotel, maybe a larger art-house movie theatre, or other regional large-draw attractions, including other arts and cultural amenities. And definitely more green space!!”

Dakota Place Park, which for the past six years, has been an idea to transform a former power substation into a community gathering place and park will finally be completely realized Oct. 20. The building and grounds at 4304 SW Dakota Street have been transformed and will be celebrated with an Open House and community gathering from 2pm to 5pm. Food and beverages will be served.

The newly renovated space will serve as a satellite facility for Hiawatha Community Center and while work on the exterior was done in 2009 and a dedication held, the interior work was not completed until recently.

The building features 2 multi-purpose rooms, 2 ADA compatible restrooms, small food prep area, storage space, sound system and fold out mirrors for dance classes.

The Friends of Dakota Place Park was the driving force in this development which had a budget from the Pro Parks Levy Reserve Fund including a $500,000 contribution and an Associated Recreation Council $180,000 contribution for a total of $680,000.

WEST SEATTLE CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL Community Safety Meeting,
TUESDAY, OCT 16, 2012
@ Southwest Police Precinct,
2300 SW Webster, 7 – 8:30pm

Our program will be presented by Ian Goodhew, Depty Chief of Staff in the Office of the King County Prosecuting Attorney. This office provides legal services to Seattle in cases of felonies as well as other joint issues. If you have questions about specific issues please send the information to us at westseattlecpc@gmail.com.

Remember that time is limited at our meetings, but we hope to have time for all questions and discussions. We will have our regular police reports and updates regarding legal issues discussed prior meetings. .

THE MEETING IS OPEN TO EVERYONE.
For more information contact WSCPC at westseattleCPC@gmail.com

NEXT MEETING NOV 20, 2012

Press release

Fabulous Felines Available for Adoption at Alki Center
Seattle Animal Shelter showcases foster cats October 13, 2012

As part of its ongoing outreach efforts to find suitable permanent homes for foster animals, the Seattle Animal Shelter hosts a cat adoptathon on Saturday, October 13, 2012, at the Alki Community Center, 5817 S.W. Stevens St. The event runs from noon to 3 p.m. and features numerous cats of different breeds.

“With our monthly neighborhood adoptathons, we hope to continue to spread the word about the joys and value of adopting shelter pets and saving lives. If you have room in your home and your heart for an orphaned animal, this is a great opportunity to come and see some of the wonderful pets available from our foster-care parents,” says Don Jordan, Seattle Animal Shelter director.

Adoption prices range from $45 to $135 (plus applicable license fees) and include:
• Initial vaccinations
• Deworming
• Feline Leukemia testing
• Certificate for free health exam at local veterinarians
• Spay or neuter

West Seattle residents have grown familiar with the massive T logo for Tully's Coffee that is a landmark for the West Seattle bridge exit off I-5. That signage took on more significance today as the company filed for a Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

The Puget Sound Business Journal reported today that the coffee company, which began in 1992, will close stores in Wallingford, Madison Park, Columbia Tower, Fourth and Union and stores in Redmond and Kirkland this coming Sunday.

The Alki Beach store was not mentioned as one set for closure so far.

The company press release is here.

The full story is found here: http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/blog/2012/10/tullys-coffee-files-for…

(Editor’s Note: King County Executive Dow Constantine has issued this open letter to residents of the North Highline Unincorporated Area.)

The city of Burien proposal to annex the North Highline PAA will appear on your Nov. 6, 2012 general election ballot. I have served portions of both the city of Burien and the North Highline Unincorporated Area as a state legislator, county councilmember, and now as county executive, so the common welfare of this area and its people is important to me.

I support the Burien proposal and I urge you to vote in favor of annexation on Nov. 6.

I would like to share some information with you to assist you in making your decision about this potential governance transfer.

Does Des Moines have too many or too few parking spaces downtown? Can customers occasionally walk a couple of blocks to get to a business or is that asking too much? Should businesses provide for their customer parking or should the taxpayers?

The Des Moines City Council last Thursday considered a Consent Calendar item, which states that there is insufficient parking downtown for business customers and orders that the city lease land and make improvements for a municipal parking lot.

Less than a year ago, the city stated that there was excess parking downtown and extended an ordinance that exempts new businesses from having to provide parking spots for their own customers.

Now that it is determined there is insufficient parking available, will the ordinance exempting parking requirements be repealed so that those commercial properties downtown will again be required to provide customer parking?

Public sector unions have been in the forefront of news lately, whether in Wisconsin, Chicago or here in Seattle.

Unions have been with us for a long time, and historically they have served a vital purpose in correcting abuses and representing employees’ rights.

Their prominence may be waning now, especially in these challenging economic times. It is hard to be sympathetic to a group that can vote for their own pay and benefit increases. Without concerns to abiding to a budget, union members just assume that their requests will be met.

Now salaries and benefits are often noticeably higher than the private sector, in the past jobs in the public sector were usually less, but had inherently more security and there was an implicit agreement to not go on strike, technically it is illegal….well I guess things have changed.

It does require some nerve to demand higher wages and benefits in times of high unemployment. These brazen demands are obviously creating heightened animus between private and public sectors.

SPS press release;
Families, students, staff and community members of Seattle Public Schools are invited to participate in the annual Family Symposium scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 20 at Chief Sealth International High School.

The goal of the symposium is to support families as fundamental partners in their student’s academic success. SPS will offer workshops and other resources for families and community partners to help support student academic achievement at home and in the community.

The symposium, which runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., includes a resource fair with community booths and activities for children ages 4 and up. Families will learn how to support their children in the areas of early learning, math, reading and writing, college and career readiness, special education, essay writing for college entrance, graduation requirements and four-year planning, and financial planning. A light continental breakfast and lunch will also be provided.

In addition, SPS enrollment specialists will be available to help parents complete early enrollment paperwork for the 2013-14 school year, and interpreters will be provided.

Easy Street Records, the record store, cafe, and frequent performance space in the West Seattle Junction (another location is on Mercer in Queen Anne) was awarded the title of Small Business of the Year by King County Executive Dow Constantine at a breakfast ceremony conducted at Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue.

Constantine (who lives in West Seattle and is often seen at Easy Street) – in partnership with award sponsors KeyBank, Microsoft Corporation, the Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County, enterpriseSeattle, and the Small Business Partners for Prosperity – named 21 finalists in seven categories for the second annual King County Executive’s Small Business Awards.

"It's humbling," said Easy Street owner Matt Vaughn, "You'd think Dow had rigged this thing but apparently he wasn't able to vote on it." Vaughn holds that small business is fundmentally important. "If you want to know how important it is to the local economy just look no further than West Seattle. The other junction merchants and customers give me inspiration on a daily basis. Without the support of the community my heart and soul wouldn't be into it."