October 2016

The controversy over the construction of a house in the side yard of a home in the Belvidere/Admiral neighborhood caused an appeal of a judgement that permitted the project to go ahead, to be filed last week.

See our coverage here: http://tinyurl.com/hnekxmr

Now Seattle City Councilmember Herbold has weighed in on the matter and offered her thoughts and information on it in her email to constituents.

Herbold writers:

The Ponderosa Pine

"Over the last few months, many community members have asked me to help save the Ponderosa Pine at 3036 39th Ave SW in the Belvidere/Admiral neighborhood from being removed as a result of a proposed development on a small lot that required approval of Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI). In response, I met with concerned neighbors and wrote to and met with SDCI Director Nathan Torgelson to seek: (1) clarity about the process SDCI uses to approve development on these small lots under 3,200 sq. feet; (2) information about the cost of a code interpretation letter; and (3) support for better land use policies that protect exceptional trees.

by Brian DeRoy

A potentially new generation of Port of Seattle Police and Fire Department members got to learn up close what it takes to be part of the Port’s first-responder team.
The Port welcomed around 100 students from several Highline School District high schools for the “Careers in Public Safety” day. The program’s goal is to help stimulate learning by having students speaking directly with industry professionals about the rewards of a career in public safety.
“The Port of Seattle is its own city and we are responsible for two major assets: Sea-Tac Airport and the seaport in downtown Seattle,” said Randy Hansen, Port of Seattle’s senior manager for Emergency Preparedness. “Our crews handle anything and everything; it’s not much of a stretch to say they put their lives on the line daily. It is a tough job but a great one; we truly are blessed to have such great teams here at The Port.”

information from South Seattle College

It was democracy in action at a Seattle City Council public hearing at city hall on Oct. 25 as South Seattle College students, faculty and leadership spoke to the council about the impact of our college's 13th Year Promise Scholarship, and encouraged passage of a proposal to expand the program to three more high schools.
Seattle City Councilmember Bruce Harrell has submitted a budget proposal that would expand the 13th Year Promise Scholarship to Cadditional high schools over 2017 and 2018 with city support.

Currently offered to all Rainier Beach, Chief Sealth and Cleveland high school graduating seniors, the 13th Year Promise Scholarship provides one year of tuition-free college at South along with support services. It has increased access to higher education for area youth, particularly those from underrepresented groups including first-generation college students, low-income students and students of color. The program began in 2008, and to this point has been funded by donations to the college’s foundation.

By Lindsay Peyton

A group of students and their families from Highline Public Schools stood on a street corner in Burien on Monday, Oct. 24 waiving signs that read “Vote Yes!”

Yet their support of the school’s proposed budget has not come without challenges.

Among those supporters of the upcoming bond, which is up for a vote on Election Day, was 17-year old Benji Box, a senior at Highline High.

Even though Box is graduating next year, he wants the next group of students to enjoy the benefits of the improvements that would take place if the bond is approved.

“I think we need a better school for future students, so they can be ready to go to the next level and be prepared to do whatever they want after they graduate,” he said.

Box does not believe that the existing campus will stand the test of time. “It’s just an old building and it doesn’t have the infrastructure it needs,” he said.

The $299 million bond would address a number of similar needs throughout the district,
Highline spokeswoman Catharine Carbone Rogers said.

Seven genres. Seven minutes. Seven raffle baskets.

Prose. Poetry. Memoir. Horror. Short story. Essay. Epistolary.

Friday, November 4, 2016
7 p.m.
Sunset Hill Community Clubhouse
3003 NW 66th
Free admission

Karen Anderson , Michele Bacon, Alma Garcia de Lilla, Carol Levin, Mary Jean Lord, Jennifer D. Munro, Meg Pasquini and Lauren Ziemski.

Doors open at 6:30. Come meet seven years of Ballard Writers.

Facebook/ballardwriters
Ballardwriters.org
https://www.facebook.com/events/1595427277143224/

By Peggy Sturdivant

I was upset when I thought it was just happening in Ballard. When I learned it was citywide I was incensed. Who was placing letters addressed to the “American Neo-Nazi Party” throughout Seattle neighborhoods?

I learned about these “found letters” when my letter carrier was visibly upset after finding a letter addressed to the “American Neo-Nazi Party” c/o a P.O. Box seemingly left for her to find on her route. A day earlier her substitute had found one and without looking at the address stuck it in a friend’s outgoing mail because he wasn’t going back to the station. That didn’t end well.

The letter carriers in Ballard felt targeted. It was the week that bombs had exploded in New York and New Jersey. The envelopes were found near mailboxes, propped against a rock or a fence and were addressed and had a stamp. My letter carrier described them as “creepy.”

In an email newsletter to the community Crime Prevention Coordinator for the Seattle Police South and Southwest Precincts, Mark Solomon wrote about Mail Theft and package delivery security, which take on heightened importance as we head into the holiday season.

Mail Theft
I’ve seen recent emails from neighbors relaying that they’ve had mail stolen, including from locking mail boxes. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the thefts people are reporting to each other are not being reported to police. I review incident reports and calls for police service on a daily basis, and I haven’t seen police reports of the crimes neighbors are relaying to each other. Please, if you are the victim of mail theft or tampering/vandalism of your locking mail box, do report that to 911; also report it to the US Postal Inspection Service.
In light of these thefts and mail box tampering, we offer the following information from the United States Postal Inspection Service on what you can do to protect yourself from mail theft:

 Don’t send cash in the mail.

The name New Luck Toy for many long time West Seattle people conjures up chinese take-out, amazing drinks, a neighborhood hang out and karaoke. But the original, a fixture in the West Seattle Junction has been closed for more than a decade. Now thanks to Mark Fuller, the chef at Ma’ono Fried Chicken and Whisky and Patrick Gabre-Kidan it's back and features "the greatest hits" of what made the original such a favorite.

Located at 5905 California Ave SW in the former Chopstix location the completely remodeled space features booths, a pagoda style roof in the bar and chinese lanterns throughout. But Fuller said he wanted it to be "less formal" hence the presence of both a pinball and skee ball machine.

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

High schools

Football
West Seattle takes on Ingraham in a Metro League crossover match for playoff seeding purposes at Seattle Memorial Thursday and Highline travels to Renton at 7 p.m. that day.
Kennedy Catholic entertains Hazen at 5 p.m. Friday at Highline Memorial Stadium ahead of an 8 p.m. game between Evergreen and White River.
Chief Sealth will host Franklin at 7 p.m. Friday at the Southwest Athletic Complex and Foster goes to Fife at the same time.
Seattle Lutheran waits until 1 p.m. Saturday to host Quilcene at West Seattle Stadium.

Girls soccer
Mount Rainier gets a visit from Kent-Meridian at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Highline Memorial as Kennedy goes on the road to Kentlake, then Tuesday Kennedy is at home at Starfire against Tahoma at 6 p.m. and Mount Rainier visits Kentwood at 7:30 p.m.
Chief Sealth is home at the SWAC playing Franklin at 4 p.m. Thursday as the Metro League season concludes and West Seattle travels to Blanchet at 6 p.m.

To the editor:

Donald Trump simply refuses to hold himself accountable for anything, instead spinning the situation into something else entirely, even blaming some one else. ‘Just words’; ‘boys will be boys’; ‘locker room banter’. Well, I have a great word: crass (tasteless; insensitive; coarse). Melania even claims that Billy Bush egged Trump on, drew him into using that vulgar language. Being a male, I admit that boys/men tend to be quite graphic with the slang terms and obsessed with the female body. It is, however, the intent behind the words, the prevailing attitude, that is key here! The rich/powerful/famous somehow believe that they can do whatever they want, to whomever they want. And far too many men have the same attitude.