November 2014

Mayor Ed Murray and Councilmembers Bruce Harrell and Mike O’Brien today announced a citywide privacy initiative, aimed at providing greater transparency into the City’s data collection and use practices.

“In the course of doing business with the public, the City is collecting and exchanging increasing amounts of data,” said Murray. “As we continue to make innovative technology investments, we need to implement practices that support public trust in the security and privacy of personal information.”

“This initiative is a chance to demonstrate to the people of Seattle that their local government is managing their personal information responsibly,” said O’Brien. “It is yet another chance for Seattle to lead the nation on an important issue in people’s daily lives—we are not aware of any other cities proactively working to protect people’s privacy like this initiative sets out to do.”

WHAT: Housing Affordability and Livability Advisory Committee co-chairs to hold press availability after their first meeting.

WHEN: Tuesday, Nov. 4, 1:45 p.m.

WHERE: Room 307, Seattle City Hall, third floor
600 Fourth Ave, Seattle

The eighth annual Seattle Turkey Trot, a 5 K fun-run or walk, will take place Thanksgiving morning, November 27, 2014, starting at 9:00 a.m. at 32nd Avenue NW and NW 85th Street, in the Sunset Hill neighborhood of Ballard, and ending in Golden Gardens park. Early Registration is $25; $15 for children (10 & under); the deadline is November 18th. All proceeds from this family-friendly event will benefit the Ballard Food Bank.

Last year, over 2,500 people participated and over $90,000 was donated to the Ballard Food Bank. Close to 3,000 participants are expected to turn out next month for the trot. Just like last year, local cross country team members from Ingraham High School, Patrick & Kirby McDermott, will lead the Trot dressed as turkeys, or tofurkeys for vegetarians in the crowd.

“The work we do at the Ballard Food Bank is a community effort. The Turkey Trot is a great way for all of us to come together as we run, walk or trot for hunger. It’s also a fun event to kick-off Thanksgiving with friends and family,” says Jen Muzia, Ballard Food Bank Executive Director.

For many decades, just past midnight on the third Thursday in each November, little villages all over the Beaujolais region in eastern France have come to life, hustling to get their many cases of Beaujolais Nouveau to Paris for the annual celebration of the young wine. Le Beaujolais nouveau est arrive! On Thursday, November 20, Bastille Café & Bar will be celebrating along with the rest of the world, toasting to the wonderful young wine!

Discovery Shop
4535 California Ave. SW
206.937.7169
We're clearing out the shop to set up our annual holiday event and everything is 40% off, including antiques, through Saturday, November 8. Then we'll be closed on Sunday to transform the store into your go-to holiday destination! In addition, all items with yellow tags are now half priced. Come early to check out the holiday decorated shop and remember: Early bird shoppers get double stamps on their customer appreciation cards every Monday until noon. We depend on your patronage, donations and volunteering to meet our goal of funding research to find a cure for cancer. The American Cancer Society shop is usually open Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and every other day from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Follow our blog at www.discoveryshopwestseattle.org.

“Rosencrantz & Guilenstern Are Dead” by WSHS Drama Club
West Seattle High School
3000 California Ave. SW

By Kyra-lin Hom

If you're not a female teen bopper (or closely tied to the spending habits of one), you've probably never heard of Brandy Melville. It's an Italian clothing and accessory brand that hopped the Atlantic in 2009. It has since skyrocketed to become one of the top teen clothing brands in the U.S. largely due to a brilliantly orchestrated marketing scheme. And whether you love it or hate it, you have to agree it has worked.

At its simplest, that scheme is one of exclusivity. Brandy Melville clothing is very affordable, but it only comes in one size. The labels read “one-size-fits-most,” and their website provides measurements for the clothing itself rather than offering multiple size options. And those measurements are tiny – very rarely anything above a modern size 2.

Their ad campaigns feature waif-like Caucasian teen girls with long blond hair and coquettish, girl-next-door charm. It's a carefully crafted brand image. Wear Brandy Melville and there's no question of how thin you are. Anyone who didn't think this was going to take high schools by storm doesn't know teen girls.

by Pat Cashman

A couple of weeks ago, the big company Toys r us made the momentous decision to pull a particular collection of toys off their shelves. They were six-inch figurines depicting characters from the TV show Breaking Bad---which is not a program about the Three Stooges stacking dishes in a china shop.

In short, Breaking Bad is a crime drama involving drugs, guns and murder---not the kind of thing likely to show up on Saturday morning TV in between Yogi Bear and Sponge Bob Square Pants.

The offending toys available at Toys r us included action figures of Bad’s main characters (drug makers and dealers) wearing yellow hazmat suits---and carrying little bags of cash and crack cocaine. Not exactly the same as Yogi and Boo-Boo carrying pic-a-nic baskets.

So after a Florida mom got together 9,000 protest signatures, Toys r us decided to yank the offending action figures. And now there are other groups of people not so crazy about the line of Kardashian figures also being sold---while other groups are decrying everything from Barbie dolls to violent games.

By Tim Clifford

Shoplifting escalates to threats and assault
Just before 6:30on Oct.28 police received calls of an assault on a security guard at a store in the Westwood Village Shopping Center on the 2600 block of S.W. Barton St. The suspect was easily spotted by security officers after leaving the dressing room wearing heavy layers of unpaid for merchandise, including underwear. With multiple tags clearly visible and dangling all over his body the suspect’s exit was blocked by the guards.

After being asked to return all of the merchandise the suspect threatened one of the security guards with “don’t make me kill you”. As soon as this threat was lobbed at the guard the suspect began pushing him, at one point pushing the guard into an exit door hard enough to open the door and cause a minor knee injury to the guard. After a short altercation the suspect managed to run away from the store.

by Ed Shepherd
Sports Correspondent

Sounds like, maybe, a late night affected Evergreen Wolverines' junior, Marques Chacon, who took first place at the 2A SPSL Sub-district meet last week, but, a week later, against the same runners who beat him in sub-districts, Chacon finished third, at the Westside Classic Cross-Country Championships district meet at the American Lake Golf Course Saturday.

"I felt really tired," said Chacon. "I was up until 2 a.m."

Doing what? X-Box, video games, fooling around on Youtube or Facebook?

"He was up doing homework," said Ernesto Chacon, 21, his big brother, standing nearby.
"Yeah," said Marques Chacon.

For Marques Chacon, studies are important, afterall, he is a 4.0 student at Evergreen High School.
But, doing homework, on a big race night? Is that logical?
"Because I want to get an 'A,' said Marques Chacon, whose twin brother, Matthew, finished 7th, 16:25.15 to Marques' 16:11.30 time.