April 2015

The Seattle Department of Transportation and its contractor will replace the city’s older pay stations with new, improved pay stations starting Monday, April 13. Reporters and photographers are invited to observe the installation and to interview SDOT and contractor representatives at the work site.

WHAT: Install of the first new “smart” pay station

WHEN: Monday, April 13, 1 p.m.,

WHERE: East side of Occidental Avenue South, just north of Railroad Way South, adjacent
to Century Link Field

The City of Seattle selected the IPS Group to replace or retrofit all 2,200 of the City’s on-street parking pay stations, currently scheduled for completion by the end of 2016. The IPS Group has a long-term commitment to technological innovation and improving the customer experience.

The new “MSI” pay stations will provide a higher level of customer service and communications reliability. Credit card transactions will be faster. New credit card readers allow the user to maintain control of their card, so they will no longer get stuck in pay stations.

Attend Daystar’s Health Fair
Daystar Retirement Village
2615 SW Barton St.
206.937.6122 / www.DaystarSeattle.com
Sat., April 18, 9-3 p.m.. Attend seminars on Acupuncture, Aging and Disability Services, Reducing Fall Risks, Naturopathic Medicine and More!

Exploring Strange New Worlds: A Space Exploration Update
Explorer West Middle School
10015 28th Ave. SW
206.935.0495
Wed., April 22, 6:30-8 p.m. Free. The community is welcome to attend this special Earth Day presentation by speaker Dr. Ron Hobbs, NASA solar system ambassador. Come be enlightened! This talk is aimed to inspire upper elementary and middle school students and their families. Free admission, but please RSVP at: events@explorer-west.org

47th West Seattle Rock Club “Rock & Gem Show-Earth’s Treasures”
Alki Masonic Temple
4736 40th Ave. S.W.
http://www.westseattlerockclub.org/wsrcgemshow.htm

The National YoungArts Foundation has awarded Coleman Andersen an Honorable Mention in Cinematic Arts in recognition of the “exceptional artistic achievement” evident in his work.

The YoungArts program identifies and supports young talent in the areas of music, theater, visual arts, photography, writing, and cinematic arts (motion picture). Coleman’s production was selected for honors from more than 11,000 submissions nationwide through a blind adjudication process by a nationally and internationally renowned panel of judges, master teachers, and artists.

On Tuesday, April 7th at approximately 5:30pm, my husband David, my 4-year old grandson Aaron and I were riding bikes along the 1300 block of Alki Avenue. We were in the bike lane, with Aaron following David, and I was bringing up the rear so I could keep a watchful eye on Aaron. Part way through the ride Aaron apparently decided he wanted to ride along the path on the other side of the sidewalk and veered off in that direction. Despite my calls for him to stop Aaron continued on towards the path and the unprotected bulkhead. He managed to stop his bike before it went over the edge, but he went flying over the handlebars and over the edge of the bulkhead, landing face first on the boulders 6-8 feet below street level.

By Pat Cashman

A friend and his wife loaded their stuff into a big U-Haul some days ago---and I was their somewhat willing accomplice.
They were moving to southern California. Some people think a move from this part of the world to that part is sort of like trading a gentle scalp massage for a whack on the head with a garden rake. That seems unfair. A small shovel should do the job.
The good news is that the loading of the furniture, appliances, clothing etc. went really well . Nothing got broken, scuffed, soiled, defaced, warped, squashed or wrinkled. Nobody either.

Sure, a world of horrors could await when that couple finally rolls that U-Haul door open again a thousand miles from now. But by then, I am not responsible. Like they say in the TV transmission business: “Everything looked fine when it left this end.”

They also say that in the meat grinding business.

By Tim Clifford

Shotgun robbery
An especially frightening burglary took place at a home on the 8100 block of 24 Ave. S.W. when a man climbed through a window armed with a shotgun on April 7.

The suspect climbed came in through a bedroom window and woke two of the victims at gunpoint. Taking them out into the hallway the suspect then found the third victim asleep in another room and ordered them out as well. After rounding up the victims he led them to a bathroom and forced them to lay face-down on the floor. The suspect then began bagging up all of their belongings.

While the suspect was busying himself with the burglary two of the victims climbed out the bathroom window and ran to a neighbor’s house to call 911. Several units were dispatched to the scene but the suspect had already fled by the time they arrived. The third victim was found unharmed still lying on the bathroom floor.

By Marjorie Young

A recent extraordinary incident captured world-wide attention. A car went over a bridge near a small town in Utah. The accident wasn’t discovered until twelve hours had passed. Rescue workers belatedly arrived to find the car upside-down and half-submerged in freezing water. Then, an astonishing thing happened. All four men clearly heard a voice calling ‘Save me! Save us!’…coming from within the vehicle.

Galvanized into action, they plunged into the frigid river and managed to turn the car on its side. They then spotted the driver; a young woman who had obviously perished. But there was a second passenger…a baby strapped to her car seat, hanging upside down, the top of her head inches from the icy waters.

Finding her unconscious and barely breathing, one rescuer cut her loose, handing her to a second man who raced her to the ambulance. The child was completely unresponsive, but much later, in the hospital, she was revived. Within a few days, the eighteen-month-old, having made a complete recovery, returned home with her very grateful father.

Pedestrian in critical condition after being struck by suspected drunk driver
A pedestrian in North Highline was rushed to the hospital after being struck by a driver while crossing a busy road. The incident took place on afternoon of April 2nd near the intersection of Southwest 102nd Street and 16th Avenue South in the unincorporated King County neighborhood of White Center. According to the King County Sheriff’s Department, a 50-year-old woman who was a resident in the area was struck when crossing the busy road on a crosswalk. Emergency responders transported the victim to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. The driver of the vehicle, a 55-year-old woman, was arrested on charges of vehicular assault and was suspected of driving under the influence. Despite initial reports that the victim had died at the hospital, the woman was stabilized and remained there in critical condition.

Crimes reported between 3/22/15 and 4/1/15

Home and Business Break-in/Burglary:

By Kyra-lin Hom

Dogs are amazing creatures. They are the only species that instinctively scan human faces for emotions, using the same left-bias eye movement that we do. They intuitively understanding pointing, something that not even chimps grasp without training. Evidence suggests that their wide range of vocalizations evolved to communicate with humans. And even as newborn pups, they look to us for guidance and protection, behavior distinct from any other animal.

But dogs aren't the only loving pets out there. I may be a dog person, but I've met some wonderful cats, snakes with favorite people, remarkable horses, and even had the horrifying experience of encountering a 'domesticated' tarantula that preferred to spend the day perched on its owner's shoulder. And of course there are also birds, frogs, turtles, guinea pigs, lizards – the array of pets we tend is astonishing.