September 2014

information from Seattle Parks

Effective immediately, the spa at Southwest Pool will be closed for several weeks for the repair of the spa’s drain assembly.

To remain in compliance with federal law and Washington state health regulations, a temporary repair is not possible. A permanent repair requires replacement of the drain sump, patched cement, plumbing, tile work and more.

The spa will remain closed until this extensive work can be completed.

Southwest Pool is located at 2801 SW Thistle St. in West Seattle.

An early morning single vehicle crash around 6 AM sent one person to the hospital at 42nd and Dakota.

The van was traveling westbound when for reasons not explained, it turned on its side trapping the male driver. He was extricated by Emergency people from SFD and was transported to the hospital with undisclosed injuries.

information from South Seattle College

Every year South Seattle College welcomes an ever-increasing group of recent high school graduates to campus before Fall Quarter begins, where they are given three days of training on how to become successful students in higher education. Known as 13th Year Scholars, they are on the verge of entering their first year of college … but with a catch.

That catch, you ask? They won’t have to pay a thing.

The South Seattle College Foundation’s 13th Year Promise Scholarship guarantees one year of free tuition for all high school graduates from Chief Sealth International, Cleveland and (most recently) Rainier Beach high schools, regardless of their grades or finances. This scholarship is made possible by the generous philanthropy of individuals, businesses and foundations who thrive on seeing the success and confidence that comes from getting that first year of college under one’s belt.

The other night as I met with the May’s to talk about plans for the upcoming new ALSC Christmas Tree Lighting Event, I asked Rodger why he had taken down his iconic ‘12th Man’ flag? His response was troubling. Rodger informed me that someone had stole it!

He went on to explain that due to the damage left behind he was led to believe that someone climbed onto his fence to take down and remove the 18’ x 25’ flag – Yes, that’s right - eighteen feet by twenty five feet! It is an exact copy of the flag that is on display at Century Link Field in Seattle.

It is perplexing to me to consider how someone, on a busy main thoroughfare like South 188th Street, could even have the ability to climb up, straddle a flag pole to take this gigantic flag down, fold it up and cart it off down the street without ever being seen? And that is where I’m hoping one or more of you may have witnessed some activity related to this crime!

Local health officials are working with Seattle Children’s Hospital to investigate a cluster of patients with severe respiratory illness who tested positive for a possible enterovirus infection. Additional testing is being done at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that can determine whether it is the enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) strain that has been seen recently in other U.S. states.

At this time there are no confirmed cases of EV-D68 in King County or Washington state. “Although we can’t currently say that these cases are definitely due to EV-D68, it would not be surprising if the virus is confirmed on further testing,” said Dr. Jeff Duchin, Chief of Communicable Disease and Epidemiology at Public Health - Seattle & King County.

If EV-D68 does appear locally, large numbers of children could develop respiratory infections in a short time period, as the virus spreads similarly to the common cold. With most enterovirus infections, the vast majority of children have a mild illness that does not require medical attention. However, parents of children with asthma should be aware that their children appear to be more susceptible to serious illness.

Online search giant Google made a local West Seattle teacher a very happy person this morning. They surprised her with all the classroom materials she has requested as part of program from DonorsChoos.org. Ms. Burke, a teacher at Highland Park Elementary was amazed by the donation.

"This is great and crazy at the same time", she said.

Google will fund over 340 classroom projects in these counties on the education crowdfunding site DonorsChoose.org.

The “flash funding” donation has an estimated value of approximately $315,000 in pencils, books, laptops, instruments, field trips and other supplies going to classrooms in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties.Among the projects funded this morning were laptops and a tablet for kindergarten students at Highland Park Elementary, a new set of ukuleles for Springbrook Elementary School in Kent and mapmaking materials for Lowell Elementary in Everett.

On hand for the surprise was Seattle Mayor Ed Murray, school administrators, students and members of the Google team.

A Land Use Application has been filed with the Seattle Department of Planning and Development to allow a 4-story structure containing eight residential units in an environmentally critical area. Those are defined as areas with a Steep Slope, Potential Slide, are Liquefaction Prone, or are in an Archaeological Buffer Area.

The applicant is Janice Wettstone of Seattle architectural firmWettstone Studio Architects.

Surface parking for six vehicles would be provided. An existing single family residence would be demolished under a separate permit.

The 6600 sq. foot parcel project is filed under application number 3014874 with the Seattle DPD.

The Department of Planning and Development has announced a Design Review Meeting for a Land Use Application that plans to construct a four-story structure with 61 residential units at 6301 15th Ave. N.W.

The meeting will be held:

Date: Monday, September 29, 2014
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Location: Ballard Community Center
6020 28th Ave NW
Sunset/Captain Ballard Room

All meeting facilities are ADA compliant. Translators or interpreters provided upon request. Please contact the Public Resource Center at prc@seattle.gov or (206) 684-8467 at least five business days prior to the meeting to request this service.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The proposal is for a 4-story structure containing 61 residential units, 2 live/work units and approximately 3,000 sq. ft. of commercial space. Existing structure to be demolished.

OPPORTUNITY FOR COMMENT

Information provided by The Alliance for Northwest Jobs and Exports http://createnwjobs.com/

Environmental activists across the Northwest have been working hard to prevent coal export facilities from being built and will seemingly do whatever it takes to advance their agenda. At the helm of this campaign is the Center for American Progress (CAP). Last month, CAP released yet another report on our country’s energy industry, criticizing coal exports from the Powder River Basin (PRB) for the second time. And in early September, the Sightline Institute issued a similar report suggesting that through energy exports including coal, the Northwest region is poised to become a larger global contributor to carbon emissions.

The CAP study supposedly exposes the full picture of what exporting coal will mean for our country and the world’s climate change goals. Not unsurprisingly, the report also finds that coal exports undermine domestic emissions goals and subsidize the burning of U.S. coal globally, specifically in Asia.

West Seattle's Chas Redmond, who has built a reputation for community involvement and engagement is running for Seattle City Council, District 1, the new position representing West Seattle and South Park. He has been quietly preparing for the campaign and is now making more public moves. The new district was made possible by election last year with Charter Amendment 19 that established the new city districts.

Redmond, who is the former chair of the City Neighborhood Council, will be available to meet and talk with neighbors in his West Seattle and South Park communities during a series of “Chat with Chas” coffee shop events scheduled throughout the month. Chas has filed his paperwork with the Public Disclosure Commission and the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission to run as a City Council candidate for District 1, to represent West Seattle and South Park.