January 2013

The Herald got a flurry of reports from readers about a "Dead Orca" spotted off of Beach Drive SW near 64th SW. We dispatched a reporter to confirm the sighting and contacted Seal Sitters, the marine mammal organization who watch over that population here locally.

At first it seemed the report was accurate but then Robin Lindsey of Seal Sitters arrive and confirmed that it was in fact a Calfornia Sea Lion. "This is pretty much normal behavior for them. They put a fin up to regulate their temperature."

The all-volunteer King County Suicide Prevention Coalition (KCSPC) hosted a suicide assessment/intervention training seminar for primary care providers Thursday, Jan. 31, at Navos Mental Health and Wellness Center, 1210 SW 136th St.,  Burien. About 60 attended, including professionals from Highline Medical Center, including its Roxbury, White Center clinic, Sea Mar Community Health Services, also in White Center, and Swedish Medical Center in West Seattle. Most attendees were nurses.

Speakers were Peggy West, PhD, M.S.W., Senior Advisor Suicide Prevention Resource Center, Wayne Webster, M.D., M.P.H., with Navos, Sue Eastgard, MSW, Founder, Youth Suicide Prevention Program of Washington State, Elaine Walsh, PhD, Associate Professor UW School of Nursing, Co-Director of the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program, and Katie Stevens, MA., Service Manager, Crisis Clinic, Seattle.

Topics included Relevance of Training to Primary Care, Warning Signs, and others. Risk from access to handguns was emphasized, topical in the wake of the recent murder/suicide school shootings. Since December’s Newtown tragedy, mental health has taken center stage in national dialogue.

UPDATE MAY 16:

Longtime hair stylist Jennifer Reynolds became the owner of Burien Salon January 29, and just told the Highline Times she is trying to locate a new talented stylist to lease a chair in her place ASAP.

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Jennifer Reynolds just signed a lease Tuesday, January 29, and becomes the new owner of the Burien Salon, 919 SW 152nd Street. A familiar face with salon regulars, Reynolds, a Highline High School graduate and Riverton Heights resident, has worked in the salon, a family business, for three and a half years.

"The salon has been family-own through the years," said Reynolds, who has been styling hair for 25 years. Her husband's aunts had owned the salon. Her husband, Ben, works in construction in downtown Seattle.

"My father-in-law, Myron Reynolds, was the first owner of Myron's Fountain Lunch, in the '40's, before it was the Mark (Restaurant & Bar). He also used to answer the phone calls for the original fire station that was over here," she said. The Burien Salon is right across the street from the Mark.

Seattle Police are hunting for an armed robber in the Admiral District. Containment was set up around the area of 38th SW and SW Hinds and canine units have been brought in. The man was described as a white male in his 20′s, 5’10, husky, and wearing black clothing. Streets in the area were closed. The robbery took place during an estate sale.

There were early reports of gunfire during the robbery, but those reports appear to have changed and officers did not find any evidence confirming shots were fired.

The suspect fled through the neighborhood.

Officers stopped a car near California Avenue SW and SW Hanford Street—within a mile of the robbery, and took a possible suspect into custody, but later released him.

Cash and Jewelry were taken in the robbery.

The suspect is still at large but the investigation is continuing.

On Jan. 26, the Seattle Police Department set up shop underneath I-5 between Cherry and James Street where they handed out gift cards in exchange for firearms. The event was supposed to run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., but so many people showed up they ran out of gift cards and had to shut it down after four hours, with the promise of another event in the future.

712 guns were recovered (364 rifles, 348 pistols) and, the most unique item of the day, a Stinger missile launcher tube. While a few (those considered inoperable) will be given to local artists to incorporate into their work, the rest will meet their doom by being melted down at the Nucor steel plant in West Seattle and turned into rebar. $68,000 in gift cards were handed out in return.

The event was sponsored by Seattle and King County leadership and several businesses and private citizens chipped in, including $30,000 in gift cards from Amazon.

The city of Des Moines will ask its residents to raise their utility tax by 2 percent for 20 years to pay for preserving and maintaining the pavement on city streets.

A proposition to increase the city’s utility tax from 6 percent to 8 percent will be on the Aug. 6 primary ballot. The extra 2 percent will be earmarked for the paving projects.

Interim Public Works director Dan Brewer proposed to lawmakers that the increase be for 10 years.

But Councilmember Jeanette Burrage said ten years is too short a time. Burrage added that the city could repeal the tax increase before the 20-year deadline if it was not needed. She noted the utility tax increase rejected by voters last year would have been permanent.

Burrage said she couldn’t see another source of funding available for maintaining the street pavement.

Brewer noted that preventative maintenance costs a lot less than replacement of roads.

“You get more bang for your buck,” he noted.

The goal would be to maintain 4 to 5 miles of pavement each year, he said. Brewer reported the city has 215 lane miles of city roadway.

By Brian LeBlanc

Just over three months after the 2012 General Election, Seattle voters are being asked to consider two levies to fund education. I am urging you to vote No on both of these levies. I don’t think it is fair to try and pass two huge tax measures at a time of year when people are not paying close attention to politics.

The two proposed levies on the Feb. 12 ballot are intended to fund operating costs and capital projects for Seattle Public Schools. Even though the levy proponents emphasize that these are renewals of existing levies, they are, in fact, net property tax increases. According to a story by KUOW (http://kuow.org/post/seattle-voters-consider-125-billion-schools-levies), these two levies would raise $1.25 billion and “would cost the average taxpayer another $152 a year for a home assessed at $400,000.”

Press release:
Feeling cooped up during winter’s dark, gray days of rainfall? Get out for a walk! Have a nice chat with other local folks. Get some fresh air and chase the doldrums away. (And if you have your pedometer, come see how many steps you can log toward your daily goal of 10,000.)
The forecast is for cloudy but DRY SKIES on Sunday, Feb. 3, (but raingear may be wise nonetheless). This is a FREE event and is enjoyable for all ages (including little ones in strollers).

Date: Sunday, February 3, 2013 (Rain or shine).
Time: Meet-up at 2:00. Walking starts at about 2:15.
Who: Walkers of every level and ability 
(dogs are welcome)
Place: Meet on the grassy knoll at Burien’s Town Square Park.

Route: This will be a shortened Gregory Heights Route. West on SW 152nd,
then south on Ambaum toward Gregory Heights, then looping back around to Town Square.
Distance: About 2.22 miles round trip, partly flat/partly sloping, with some sidewalks

If its one thing everyone should love, it's the Ballard Food Bank and the buskers who play their butts off outside at the Farmers Market (especially during these cold months!).

Well, those two things will be coming together on Saturday, Feb. 9, 7 p.m., at the Ballard Odd Fellows Hall (1706 Market St).

From the Fremont Sunday Farmers Market will be buskers Pickled Okra (Old-school, porch-settin’-sing-into-a-can bluegrass with a twist), Julie Baldridge (Traditional Irish dance music with fiddle
& electric guitar), and Carly Calbero and Nika Wascher (Folk/rock duo
featuring dynamic vocals and a strong beat).

In addition, there will be a live auction of local "creations" and a silent auction of local foods and crafts.

Info

Place: Ballard Odd Fellows Hall, 1706 NW Market St, Seattle, WA
Time: Saturday, Feb. 9, 7 p.m.
Price: $10 minimum contribution + canned food donation. Tickets at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/315281

Department of Planning and Development just put up a notice on their Land Use Bulletin about the construction of two side-by-side three-story townhouses. Parking will be made available on the bottom floor.

Looking at Google's street view, the townhouses will be built in the place of what looks to be a small single-family home at 1427 NW 60th St. On either side are two more three-story townhouses, so there is no danger of shadowing the adjacent lots. We'll try and get a picture up in the near future.

The director is preparing design guidance regarding the development and public comment will be accepted through Feb. 13. DPD says the public is "invited to offer comments regarding important site planning and design issues, which (the public believes) should be addressed in developing a design for this project." This will be the only opportunity to comment on the design.

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