December 2012

Press release:

A Burien woman was sentenced Thursday, Dec. 6 in U.S. District Court in Seattle, to five years in prison and five years of supervised release for four felony counts connected to the laundering of illegal proceeds from the drug distribution conspiracy she participated in with her husband, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.

SVETLANA ANGEL YIM, 30, was convicted in April 2012, following a five-week jury trial. The jury found her responsible for being part of a conspiracy that trafficked cocaine and methamphetamine, as well as laundered millions of dollars in drug proceeds.

YIM’s husband, Drew Yim, 38, was sentenced to 15 years in prison in May 2012 for leading the drug conspiracy that distributed a variety of illegal drugs from Mexico to Canada and east across the United States. SVETLANA YIM handled money laundering in the conspiracy, purchasing property and cars in the names of other people, as well as expensive jewelry and other luxuries. Chief U.S. District Judge Marsha J. Pechman imposed the sentence.

Take a look around the neighborhood and if the sidewalks, roads or other traffic infrastructure are in dire need of repair, there may be a solution in the form of an application to the city due on Dec. 17.

As part of the Bridging the Gap transportation levy passed by Seattle voters in 2006, the city has $4.5 million to spend on neighborhood street projects until 2015.

As Seattle’s Department of Transportation describes is, “The Neighborhood Street Fund Program pays for neighborhood transportation projects which are identified and prioritized by the community itself … projects will be considered if they are large, but not too large ($100,000 - $750,000), related to transportation, entirely on existing public right-of-way and have the support of their local neighborhood District Council.”

To give you an idea on the odds, 17 of the 152 proposed projects in 2007 were funded and built, according to SDOT.

Seattle Public Schools meeting announcement:

The public is invited to learn about Seattle Public Schools’ latest options for short term capacity management during a community meeting from 7-8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 11, at the John Stanford Center auditorium.

Enrollment is growing at Seattle Public Schools, with almost 50,000 students this year. Projections show continued year-to-year increases in enrollment for the next five years, with an enrollment of more than 57,000 students by the 2021-22 school year, if current trends continue.

The District is developing a Short Term Capacity Management Plan, which will outline options to ensure the District has enough seats to meet enrollment next fall. This plan will likely include some minor renovations and could add portable classrooms for next year.

During the Dec.11 meeting, attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions. Information will also be presented about the New Student Assignment Plan (NSAP) Transition Plan for the 2013-14 school year.

King County has posted a video of the historic same sex marriage license signing event that took place just after midnight on Dec. 6. The fifteen minute video shows those who were the first to get a license.

The West Seattle Herald's complete coverage of the event is here.

The first couple to get a license were Jane Abbott Lighty and Pete-e Petersen of West Seattle. The couple will be married on Sunday, Dec. 9.

Constantine signed the first licenses with one of the pens used by Governor Gregoire to sign the marriage equality bill into law on Feb. 13, soon after it had been approved by the Washington State Legislature. Opponents gathered petition signatures to block implementation of the law, but voters on Nov. 6 approved Referendum 74 to enact it.

If Ballard has it's say, a new crosswalk could appear at the intersection of 14th Ave NW and NW 62nd St. But, first, Ballard has to say something.

On it's website, the East Ballard Community Association has posted a letter writing campaign in support of the crosswalk through an application for the Seattle Neighborhood Street Funds, via the Bridging the Gap Levy. According to the Association, the crosswalk would improve safety for all modes of transportation crossing the north end of the median divided intersection.

In the proposal, there will be curb bulbs (which helps make the distance pedestrians have to walk much shorter) with rain gardens on the east and west sides and a marked crosswalk with a pedestrian refuge in the center.

The proposed design will be similar to the crosswalk at NW 58th St and 14th Ave NW, EBCA writes, and the existing median would not be affected.

EBCA will submit the letters along with responses in their application to the City of Seattle on Dec 17, 2012.

Follow Ballard News-Tribune on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ballardnewstrib

B&O Espresso, a popular, long-time dessert place on Capitol Hill is packing it's bags and moving to Ballard, according to owner Jane Lukatah.

The new location will be on Leary Ave in the Ship Canal building (5404 Leary Avenue NW), according to the Stranger. It will be smaller and cozier than it's old place, so it won't have quite the same feel, but they will be offering the same delicious desserts.

B&O Espresso has been on Capitol Hill since 1976 and claims to be the first espresso coffeehouse and dessert cafe to open up on the hill. But with new development coming to the property, B&O Espresso has to move.

However, the Ballard location may only be a temporary affair, as the dessert place may be going back to it's old place after construction is done, Lukatah said in a Facebook post.

Though the old location is currently offering a bevy of winter warmers -- such as Kickin' Cocoa and Sneaky Cider -- the shop doesn't appear to have applied for a liquor license yet for the new place.

By Katy Wilkens, MS, RD

When you follow a low-sodium diet for good health, often you’re told to stay away from salty sauces. But protecting your kidneys and heart doesn’t mean you have to give up the creamy goodness of a white sauce on macaroni and cheese, the savory flavor of gravy on mashed potatoes or the buttery smoothness of hollandaise sauce on veggies.

Most sauces are salty because they use high-salt broths. But you can use broth with less salt and still have a sauce with great flavor.

Meals you can make with sauces:

Macaroni and cheese

Shepherd’s pie

Mashed potatoes and gravy

Green bean casserole

Homemade chicken, mushroom or celery soup

Poached eggs and asparagus with hollandaise sauce

Smothered pork chops

Fettuccine Alfredo

To cut salt easily in your favorite recipes, replace regular broth with Swanson Natural Goodness Chicken Broth (33 percent less sodium); homemade chicken, beef, turkey or veggie stock; milk, or half-and-half.

Making your own broth is easy. Having it on hand will give you more flexibility with many recipes.

Homemade broth

UPDATE Dec. 11
Seattle Public Schools announced a public tribute today for Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson.

"We are writing to let you know that a public tribute for Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, December 14 at Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church, 7396 Rivers Avenue North in Charleston, South Carolina. Private services for the family will be held on Saturday."

Dr. Goodloe-Johnson, who served as Seattle’s Superintendent from 2007-2010, passed away on Dec. 5 after a long battle with cancer. Our deepest sympathies go to her husband Bruce, their daughter Maya, and her step-daughter Brittany.

We understand a fund is being planned for Maya, and we will let you know as soon as we have that information.

If you have a memory you would like to share with Maria’s family, we are compiling a book of photos and memories for the family. Please email your story or photo to publicaffairs@seattleschools.org by Dec. 28th and we will include it in the book.

UPDATE Dec. 6

The tradition of the Argosy Cruises Christmas Ship returns to West Seattle Dec. 7 and 8 with stops at local beaches.

On Friday, December 7 the boat will be offshore at the Don Armeni Boat Ramp near Seacrest Park from 9:15-9:35 The choir on board singing to those on shore will be the Dickens Carolers.

On Saturday, December 8, the Christmas Ship will be earlier coming at 4:35 till 4:44 at Lowman Beach Park
and from 5:25-5:45 Alki Beach Park, near the Alki Bathhouse.

Temperatures are forecast to be in the 30's so if you are planning on being part of the event(s) bundle up.

You can see last year's visit as captured on video.

From the Argosy Cruises website:

The Argosy Christmas Ship™ festival is a holiday celebration that has been a Northwest tradition since 1949. Its main purpose is to bring communities together to celebrate the holiday season. From our flotilla of ships to the crowds of people who gather onshore, this celebration is one of the gems of the holiday season.

2012 was the year of reinvention for many White Center walls, and the White Center Chamber of Commerce took a slice of Dec. 4 to honor the artists who took boring spaces, often times marred with unsightly graffiti, and turned them into works of art.

The artists – from professional adults to aspiring teens - “went beyond the norm to make White Center a better place,” said Mark Ufkes, chamber president, during the 3rd annual Chamber Hero Award banquet held at the White Center Salvation Army. The work was commissioned through the chamber and White Center Community Development Association (the CDA has been working with mural artists for years as part of the yearly Spring Clean event).

Xavier Lopez Jr. , a professional artist and arts and culture blogger, was given a hero award for his work after being given the greenlight to transform a south-facing wall at the northwest corner of S.W. Roxbury St. and 17th Ave S.W., right next door to Walt’s Auto Care Center.

The wall is dedicated to West Seattle Lions Club and shows lions, lionesses and cubs perched upon rocks in a mountainous environment.