December 2012

At the public scoping meeting in Seattle for the proposed coal export terminal near Bellingham, there were few surprises.

Opposition to the terminal was overwhelming. In an ocean of red anti-coal shirts, only a few pro-terminal green shirts could be spotted. (This reporter lost the memo, apparently, but thankfully wore a neutral blue collared shirt.)

Also, true to the forecast, the numbers were huge. Almost every inch of space was needed in the two rooms at the Washington State Convention Center, where the meeting was rescheduled to after the previous venue was deemed too small. Over 2,000 people were in attendance; possibly over 3,000.

And before the meeting, there was a rally, and there were chants, and there were funny signs and people dressed up in funny ways. People held up their cameras and iPhones and even iPads to take pictures of all the people and the energy. Outside of the meeting rooms in a lobby area, a group of five staged a silent sitting protest with signs around their necks.

It was exactly what everyone expected. Which is to say, a very vocal group in Seattle and nearby places sent a very clear message: Seattle doesn't want coal.

By Cassandra Baker

12:36 a.m., December 10. 15th Ave NW and NW 85th St

Police responded to reports of a strong-arm robbery and arrived at the scene to find the victim and suspect gone. The victim called 911 again just before 1:00 a.m. and reported that she was now at 16th Ave NW and NW 85th St. She told police that she had gotten off the bus at 15th and 85th, at around 12:30 that night, and a man followed her and began talking to her. The victim said that she told him to leave her alone, at which point he told her to give him her backpack, phone, and money but also said that he “didn’t want to have to do this.” When the victim refused, the suspect punched her in the face and stomach and then stole her backpack and ran away.

The victim saw the suspect enter a nearby apartment complex, and then called police. She described the suspect as a Hispanic male about 25 years old and 5’10” with a heavy build. He was wearing a white hat, gray or white sweatshirt, and blue jeans. The suspect was not found in the area.

1:06 a.m., December 9. 14th block of NW 85th St

By Corbin Lewars

One of my favorite parts of working with other writers is the unfolding process that occurs when they begin to write their story. They start out with a clear intention, usually based in the intellectual more than the emotional, and then something seemingly unrelated gets written instead. They worry, try to change it back to the original plan or outline, and then fortunately call me before deleting it all and starting over.

A doctor I worked with wanted to write a book about the unfair treatment of gay doctors in the medical field. We met a few times to discuss hospital policies, laws, and numerous case studies involving homophobia. A month passed and he sent me several chapters describing his relationship with his partner, who recently died. It was beautiful, heartfelt, lyrical, and poignant. And it had absolutely nothing to do with laws or unfair hospital rules and regulations. After a few more weeks, he became nervous about not adhering to his original outline. “Don’t worry about it,” I said. “What you’re creating is amazing. I’m so excited to see what comes next.”

In the State House of Representatives, 36th District's Rep. Reuven Carlyle and Rep. Gael Tarleton have become part of particularly strong committees.

Notably, Carlyle is chair of the newly created House Finance Committee and as a member of the Appropriations Committee.

The former, all powerful Ways and Means Committee, which was in charge of both revenue and appropriations and where often many budget decisions lived or died, was split up into these two committees.

So, now as chair of the House Finance Committee, Carlyle will oversee all revenues and tax exemptions for the state. And he will also have an influence on the appropriations. As one headline punned, just "Call him Reuven-ue Carlyle."

He'll have to live up to his name, too, as he faces both a $900 million budget shortfall and a court decision declaring that Washington is breaking its constitutional duty by underfunding K-12 education -- meaning the Legislature will have to scrounge up an extra $1 billion.

Carlyle will also be a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Education and the Government Operations and Elections Committee.

State Rep. Dave Upthegrove (D-Des Moines) presented Jeb Binns’ Contemporary Problems class at Highline High School with a particularly thorny contemporary problem on Dec. 13:

How does the state Legislature come up an extra $1 billion to maintain the same level of state services while finding an additional $1 billion to adequately fund basic education as ordered by the courts?

Additional taxes might be an answer, Upthegrove noted, but a voter-approved state initiative requires a two-thirds vote by legislators to raise taxes. Many lawmakers ran for office with the core pledge that they would not vote to raise taxes.

Services could be reduced but the Legislature has already cut $10 billion in services over the last four years, according to the Des Moines Democrat.

Upthegrove told students he favors ending tax breaks that have been approved by previous legislatures.

“There are billions of dollars of taxes we don’t collect,” Upthegrove declared. “The tax breaks might have been good at some time but not now.”

He admitted closing tax loopholes would be a tax increase, subject to the two-thirds rule.

The Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson may end up visiting either Chief Sealth International HIgh School or West Seattle High School (Roosevelt and Franklin might win too) as a reward for winning a contest sponsored by Verizon Wireless. The contest, Save It Seattle began November 12, and and ends Dec. 19.

Students from eligible Seattle Public Schools are required to complete an entry form (and consent form) and submit it via FAX that pledges they will not text and drive. Only one pledge per email address.

The school with the highest number of pledges will win.

When Rick Cook began his career in hair styling he had no idea what his future would hold. He was trained as a genuine stylist and early on he did it all, from colors to curls. Some 36 years later he has settled in as a men's only traditional barber but with a tongue in cheek and totally unique marketing identity.

Cook ran "The Classic Barbershop" at 4704 California Ave. SW in the junction for many years (through five locations and incarnations) finally electing to move south of the junction to 5251 1/2 California Ave. SW nearly 20 years ago where he shared half the building. First with a man who "basically ran a garage sale for a year" and later with others but his last building mate would set his fate, at least as far as his business name goes.

A man in his 60's has been injured at King County International AIrport, apparently by an aircraft propellor.
The call came in shortly after 2:30 pm from 8500 Permiter Road South which is the listed address of Helicopters Northwest. Scanner traffic indicated he was just north of that location.

He was quickly transported to Harborview Hospital in critical condition with a 4 to 5 inch head wound.

The King County Sheriff's office is investigating.

An ongoing worry for White Center residents, voiced at several community meetings in the recent past, is suspected mail and package thieves wandering the streets and stealing goods from others.

It appears two culprits may have been nabbed on Dec. 13.

According to King County Sheriff’s Office Storefront Deputy B.J. Myers, a male and female were arrested around 9 a.m. on the 10700 block of 26th Ave S.W. for suspicion of package theft.

A resident noticed the 31-year-old male and 26-year-old female looking into mailboxes and called 911 to report it. As deputies responded to the scene, the witness kept an eye on her suspects and watched them walk up to a neighbor’s porch, take packages, and begin walking away.

Just then a marked KCSO Deputy vehicle came around the corner and the suspects threw their packages over a fence in hopes of appearing saintly.

Thanks to the eagle eye of a watchful neighbor, their ruse was of no use and the two were arrested. The packages were recovered and brought back to the owner.

Furry Faces Foundation and Animal Aid and Rescue Foundation are back for the holidays to sponsor a series of 'Wrap It Up' events, a fundraiser that gets your gifts artfully wrapped and benefits the two organization's outreach and community efforts to aid animals. It’s up to you how much you would like to donate for the gift wrapping with 100% of the proceeds going directly to helping animals. The two organization are also partnering with Beveridge Place Pub, Beer Junction and Elliott Bay Brewhouse.

There are four scheduled dates in West Seattle:

1) Dec 16th, 1 -7 pm, at the Beveridge Place Pub, 6413 California Ave SW, West Seattle. (During the Specialty Bottle Sale and for a couple hours after).
2) Dec 20th, 6 – 9 pm, Beer Junction, 4511 Calif. Ave SW, West Seattle (During their weekly Beer Tasting)
3) Dec 22rd, 1 – 6 pm, at Elliott Bay Brewhouse & Pub; 255 SW 152nd St., Burien
4) Dec 23rd, 1 – 6 pm, Beer Junction, 4511 Calif. Ave SW, West Seattle
5) Dec 24th, 2 - 7 pm at the Beveridge Place Pub, 6413 California Ave SW, West Seattle