August 2014

By Tim Clifford

UPDATE 10:40pm Aug. 8
In a hearing today in King County Superior Court forced by Triangle Properties filing of a Writ of Mandamus naming Mayor Ed Murray, and Police Chief Kathleen O'Toole, both sides had a chance to be heard regarding the dispute over the home between the Barton family and Triangle. The writ was filed to force the city to take action on the eviction of the Barton's from the house. Previously the family was evicted in a highly contested action that brought out demonstrators from SAFE (Seattleites Against Foreclosure and Eviction). That resulted in the halting of the eviction procedure and the subsequent re-occupation of the home by the Bartons. In a press release SAFE said, "Rather than support the Mayor's decision, Triangle Properties chose to jump the gun, using up valuable county resources by bringing Mayor Murray and Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole to court today, August 8th. Prior to the court hearing, SAFE held a press conference that included speakers Jean Barton and 43rd District candidate Jess Spear.

Come fly a kite at the Garden’s ridge-top site! Bring your own or buy one at the festival for a fun afternoon with family or friends. Activities for all ages include kite flying demonstrations, competitions, and kite painting. Put your own creative stamp on one you paint yourself — materials provided.

The festival also includes music and dance performances and a demonstration of eagle painting by artist George Yiqiao of Luoyang, China. Everyone will find something to enjoy at the festival, including refreshments such as Chinese bakery treats and tea.

Location: 6000 16th Avenue SW, North Entrance at South Seattle Community College (plentiful parking)
Cosponsors: Seattle Chinese Garden, Boeing Asian-American Employees Association, and Microsoft Chinese Employees Association.

Seattle Chinese Kite Festival
Saturday, August 9 — 2–6 pm / FREE Admission

www.seattlechinesegarden.org / info@seattlechinesegarden.org / 206-934-5219

information from SDOT

Paving crews from the Seattle Department of Transportation will work on Southwest Roxbury Street on Tuesday and Wednesday, Aug. 12 and 13 of next week. They will pave the stretch of Roxbury between 25th Avenue Southwest and 27th Avenue Southwest, working from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. One travel lane in each direction will remain open. A Police Officer will be stationed at each intersection to assist traffic. All sidewalks and crosswalks will remain open.

UPDATE Aug 13 11:30am

Work is now underway on Genesee Street SW just east of Avalon Way SW on a grade that is very steep. SDOT crews are making traction improvements to the road.

Original Post

SDOT will conduct what they call "shot blasting" on Aug 12 -13 to make traction improvements at two locations in West Seattle next week. Shot blasting will propel a high-speed stream of abrasive material at the street surface to roughen it and create a better grip for vehicles. Dates are subject to change.

Flaggers will be on site at road closures to provide local access and guidance. This work will be completed in a single weekday at each location and will take place between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. The following describes the scheduled roadway closures:

Aug. 12: SW Charlestown Street between 49th Avenue SW and California Avenue SW (local access only)
· Work zone is SW Charlestown Street between 47th Avenue SW and 45th Avenue SW

· Eastbound traffic detoured via 49th Avenue SW, SW Admiral Way, and California Avenue SW

· Westbound traffic detoured via California Avenue SW, SW Admiral Way, and 49th Avenue SW

By Ed Shepherd
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

The host, Gregory Seahurst, knew how to get a party started, with a mariachi band playing to the swimmers parading to the pool for All City.
Then the meet commenced, highlighted by the Normandy Park Swim Club's record-breaking 200-yard freestyle relay that altogether capped things most excellently in the Seattle Summer Swim League gala event Tuesday.
"We thought we would add our own flair to All City," said Mike Fosberg, Gregory Seahurst coach. "We chose a Mexican theme with a live mariachi band to parade the athletes in."

It was a unique opening and since teams only get to host All City once every 16 or so years, as every team in the SSSL gets an annual shot, taking turns, this was a nice all-out effort by Fosberg, whose team didn't do great place-wise of the 16 teams. But his team made their SSSL guests feel welcome and did have a nice spurt of individual wins during the meet.

But the big local winners of the meet was NP's 13-14 year old boys 200 free relay team was going after a record from way long ago.

The Department of Planning and Development released a housing development update for Ballard.

There is one subdivision application in the works. The applications ask to subdivide a lot into four units.

In addition, permission for two subdivisions has been granted by the DPD.

Furthermore, two design review meetings have been scheduled: one for a four-story structure with 40 residential units and no parking; and another for a six-story building with 126 residential units, 12 live/work units on the ground floor and 100 parking units below ground.

1756 N.W. 61st St:

Land Use Application to subdivide one development site into four unit lots. The construction of residential units has been approved under Project #6404600. This subdivision of property is only for the purpose of allowing sale or lease of the unit lots. Development standards will be applied to the original parcel and not to each of the new unit lots.

Zone: LANDMARK, LOWRISE 1, AIRPORT HEIGHT DISTRICT, URBAN VILLAGE OVERLAY

The following approvals are required:

Unit Lot Subdivision to create four unit lots.

The Seattle Police Blotter posted the following regarding a man who was arrested today for a series of crimes that began in West Seattle.

by Detective Drew Fowler

Officers arrested a 36-year-old man after her went on a tear involving hit and run collisions in multiple precincts and an attempted armed car-jacking.

The incident appears to begin in West Seattle. For unknown reasons a man entered a nursing home, knocked everything off a counter, pushed a walker at an employee and then proceeded to drive away recklessly. According to the 911 caller, the man was driving on the sidewalk and was involved in a hit and run collision.
Next, the suspect was involved in at least one hit and run collision near Mercer Street and Dexter Ave North. The suspect was then spotted on Capitol Hill and was involved in at least one hit and run collision there as well as another in the International District.

Seattle is building a network of neighborhood greenways. Neighborhood greenways are safer, calmer residential streets for you, your family, neighbors and customers. On streets with low car volumes and speeds a greenway can:

Improve safety
Help people cross busy streets
Discourage cut-thru traffic
Protect the residential character of our neighborhoods
Keep speeds low
Get people to where they want to go like parks, schools, shops and restaurants
Neighborhood greenways are not car free zones, do not add bike lanes and there are minimal if any on-street parking impacts.

Open House
Thursday, August 7
6 to 7:30 PM
Presentation at 6:30 PM
Ballard High School
Commons Room
1418 NW 65th Street

Led by Band of Brothers NW In Coordination with Successful Restaurants Matador, Ballard Annex Oyster House and Kickin’ Boot Whiskey Kitchen to Provide 100-percent of August 7th Sales to Families Affected by Massive Eastern Washington Wildfires

To aid those stricken by the massive fires in Eastern Washington, local non-profit Band of Brothers NW is banding together with successful restaurants Matador, Ballard Annex Oyster House, and Kickin’ Boot Whiskey Kitchen along with the Northwest community to provide aid to the hundreds of families in need, and they’re asking the public for help. There are four ways the public can help in this effort:

By Peggy Sturdivant

At our last holiday dinner before my mother-in-law’s death two years ago she surprised us by saying she might like to twit.

“You mean ‘tweet’?” her youngest son asked.

“Yes,” she replied, “If I was a tweeter…”

We don’t recall what she would have tweeted because we all started laughing and deciding what her Twitter handle should be. How did she even know about Twitter? She had 1000’s of undeleted messages in her email account and couldn’t change her password. It wasn’t until I saw a TV screen at the health club that I realized there are now almost continuous Twitter feeds during programs. So perhaps I was the one out of step with the information age.

Still that lovely phrase stayed with me, “If I was a tweeter.” I came across it in one of my notebooks the other day. I’d written it down soon after that Christmas dinner, not realizing I wouldn’t be able to forget it.