August 2013

Teachers will be picketing at 15th Ave NW and NW Market St as part of a citywide to protest the Seattle School Board's "unfair" contract settlement.

It will be one of four highly visible locations that they will be picketing at. The other three are Rainier Ave and MLK, the west end of the West Seattle Bridge and outside Northgate Mall.

In an update email sent out by Seattle Public Schools, they explained where they were at in the negotiations.

The email reads, "We have been negotiating since spring and are committed to continuing discussions with SEA. We are hopeful that a fair agreement will be reached that focuses on the best interests of our students. We have been working to reach an agreement that supports increased achievement for all of our students and our collective commitment to close the achievement gap."

Among the highlights, they say, are:

• Compensation: they are increasing salaries by four percent over the next two years and are fully restoring a 1.3 percent salary reduction that was mandated by the state legislature
• No class size increase

A special, invitation only event was held at West Seattle based Pacific Institute on Aug. 28 to get the fundraising and auction items going for the SW Historical Society's upcoming gala in November.

"Tripping the Lighthouse Fantastic" is set for Nov. 9 at Salty's on Alki.

That event will feature a program including a dessert dash, silent auction, and an inspirational presentation.

At the fundraising kickoff event Wednesday evening, Executive Director Clay Eals introduced the attendees who included former Port Commissioner Jack Block, his wife Vicki Schmitz, David Terry Jones and Maryanne Tagney Jones owners of the Colman Estate, Sharon Huling, Jennifer Peterson, Joan Stover, Ann Anderson, Alki Arts Diane Venti, Patrick and Ruta Jablonski of Nucor Steel, Marcy Johnsen, Earl and Adah Cruzen, Al Bentley, Juda Youngstrom, Joey Richesson Cheryl Brones, representing Diane Tice and The Pacific Institute
Christine Clark, Tia Hallberg, and others.

It appears I-502 will come to fruition. Washington voters passed the law legalizing recreational marijuana use for adults and allowing for the creation of a manufacture, distribution and retail sale system of the drug.

The Associated Press is reporting the federal government will not sue Washington or Colorado for their recreational initiatives.

You can read the AP report here.

Retail shops are expected to open sometime early to mid 2014, per the Washington State Liquor Control Board who is implementing I-502.

Seattle's mayor and chief of police responded to the news in a prepared statement:

Three young men, ages 19 to 21, are each facing two counts of first degree robbery and one count of first degree attempted robbery for their alleged actions on the night of Aug. 21.

According to King County Prosecutor’s Office charging documents, Hassan Ibrahim Abdirizak, Najib Ali Aden and Abdulkadir A Ahmed were the men allegedly behind a robbery spree that lasted 90 minutes, striking first in South Seattle before heading to West Seattle’s Fauntleroy and Arbor Heights neighborhoods for two more stickups involving a pellet gun that mimicked a real handgun.

There may be more. Court documents state, after their arrests, the defendants “also admitted to being involved in a number of other robberies that are still under investigation. Additional charges are likely.”

Today's fast food strike, which has spread all across the country, just hit Ballard at 10 a.m. with a rally at the Ballard Burger King where about 20 people participated.

Jason Harvey, 42, said he has been working at the Ballard Burger King for eight-and-one-half years and still gets paid just $9.19 an hour. He said his hours have been reduced and that he doesn't receive any benefits.

To make it by each day, he has to rely on some kind of charity. He goes to the food bank, has food stamps, has subsidized housing through the Seattle Housing Authority, he goes to the VA for healthcare -- everything he does, he says, is subsidized.

"If you're actually going to work and work hard, you should have enough money to pay (bills)," he said. "To have to jump through the hoops and rely on other peoples' charity just isn't right."

In the Puget Sound region, many Burger Kings have been cutting peoples' hours down to below 28 hours so they don't have to give health benefits through the Affordable Care Act. (Harvey notes that his hours have not been cut as bad as other people's.)

When Ballard Wendy's worker Ryan Parker, age 21, decided to go on strike with over 80 others this morning, he did so at the risk of losing his only job.

"If I show my face there (protesting at Wendy's), I was pretty much told I would get fired on the spot," he said. Update: Parker did show up to the noon protest rally at the Ballard Wendy's, but no word if managers stuck to their word. At the least, The Ballard News-Tribune didn't note anyone come out to say anything to him.

Parker still had a cough when he was talking, having just gotten over a bout of pneumonia. He had just one day of sick leave built up -- one hour for every forty hours he works -- and he found that he was quickly losing money. Lucky for him, he had friends who could pitch in with money and food.

But others haven't been so lucky, Parker said. While he has been one of the few to get full time at his work, others haven't been able to. Instead, they have to work two or three jobs just to maintain a household, making barely enough money to feed their baby.

Nickelsville, facing a Sept. 1 eviction date from their current location on Marginal Way in Highland Park, announced via their Facebook page on Aug. 28 they have secured three new tent city locations (enough to move everyone out) and plan to make the move this Sunday.

Here is the announcement:

"Great news! Nickelsville has secured two more sites and will be moving this Sunday. We're notifying the neighbors before announcing the two additional sites on Friday afternoon. There are many ways you can help with the move, either by helping us pack up the trucks, donating money to pay for our bills at this site, or donating materials such as 33 gallon trash bags, duct tape, basic tools such as hammers, or bringing food and water on moving day."

Prior to the news, Nickelsville's central committee had stated the homeless camp would not budge without enough space to move everyone out at once. With sites secured, a showdown with the city should be avoided.

For a dog to be named Buoy, you'd think you'd have a dog who loved the water, or enjoyed sailing but Conrad Nark's dog prefers to stay on dry land. "We named him that because it was the week we put the buoy in the water at our cabin. So the story is that I was off at summer camp for a week and my parents came to pick me up and they had a dog with them. I asked them whose dog it was and they said 'It's ours!' I'd always wanted a dog so it was amazing."

Buoy is a pure bred King Charles Spaniel and he's 8 years old. Suprisingly though, while he can swim if necessary, he's not a water dog at all.

They feed him dog food from Next to Nature in the West Seattle junction and while he likes treats, they had to cut back on them. "He started to put on too much weight. But he likes the occasional 'greenies'... they look like little toothbrushes," Nark explained.

Buoy hasn't had any formal training though,"He used to know how to sit and lie down but as he's gotten older he's gotten a little lazy."

Cooper a yellow lab is Buoy's friend, who lives up on Magnolia Hill.

Called together quickly a special fundraising benefit reception aimed at highlighting fair elections, and public campaign financing is being held by the 34th District Democrats on Aug. 29.

The event will see some well known names in attendance.

Seattle City Councilmembers Richard Conlin, Nick Licata, and Tom Rasmussen; Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon, King County Councilmember Joe McDermott, Ted Barker, Kim Becklund, Brian Earl, Ann Martin, Marcee Stone-Vekich & Max Vekich are co-sponsoring the fundraising reception to benefit Fair Elections Seattle which appears on the November ballot.

Feedback Lounge
6451 California Ave SW Seattle, WA 98136
Thursday, August 29th
5:30pm – 7:30pm

Suggested donation $50 - $100 - $200

Please RSVP on Facebook or to McKenna@McKennaHartman.com

For more information about the campaign, on Public Financing, or to make a contribution, please visit www.FairElectionsSeattle.com

UPDATE 9/6/13
After a few permits caused a delay, Second Gear Sports held a soft open on Friday Sept. 6. They will be open 10am to 6pm daily and are looking for gear to take on consignment and already have some new and used items for sale. Skates, running apparel, soccer cleats, golf clubs, outerwear, and Revolushon brand socks (the only Seattle retailer) and will be the first to carry Russell Wilson socks next week.

Original Post
Mark and Ellen Bremen are into recycling. But not just for the stuff they use at home. They're launching Second Gear Sports, at 6529 California Ave. SW in one half of the former Aaron's Cycle shop. The other half will be occupied by Jackson-Hewitt tax preparers, moving from 35th and Roxbury. They hope open on Saturday pending permits but in any case it will be soon.

For the Bremen's this is a chance to put their beliefs into action and serve the community too.