October 2008

In two weeks Seattle voters will have the opportunity to address the city's transportation crisis when they chose to approve or reject on Proposition 1.

The measure would authorize a new sales tax of 0.5 percent, costing the average household $125 each year.

The resulting funds would provide $17.8 billion to invest in short and long term mass transit resources in response to anticipated population growth. In the first year the program would expand express bus and commuter rail service.

Whole Foods project on schedule

Although construction on the incoming Whole Foods at Interbay has been halted, West Seattle's future store at Fauntleroy Place is right on schedule.

The upscale grocery store specializing in natural and organic foods will be the center of BlueStar Management's $65 million mixed-use project on Fauntleroy Avenue. It is expected to cover approximately 45,000 square feet and should be completed in February 2010.

Construction for the West Seattle project broke ground in August.

A man called 911 because he wanted to turn himself in on some outstanding warrants (one, a no-bail escape warrant and a second $10,000 warrant for DUI). But while he waited for officers to arrive, the intoxicated suspect entered a nearby store and tried to steal beer. When confronted, he dropped the beer but stole an ice cream bar on his way out the door.

Late Monday, a citizen called 911 to report suspicious activity in a car near 50th and Hinds. The vehicle turned out to be stolen, and officers arrested the four occupants for investigation of vehicle theft.

Boys try for champion berth

By John Leonard

Coach Christopher Silvernale's West Seattle High School boys' cross country team is ready to make its run for a district-qualifying finish in Thursday's Metro League Championship, 3 p.m. at Lower Woodland.

His team confirmed its credentials in last Thursday's final regular-season meet at the same venue.

Todd Beamer, Curtis and Decatur got together for some running fun, and, in his sixth year of coaching Titans cross-country, Scott Haines' team beat those two teams to earn a share of the South Puget Sound League South crown in 3.1 mile course action at Celebration Park in Federal Way Wednesday.

The Titans boys team's top five runners got in accumulatively under Curtis to win, 26-31 and slammed Decatur, 44-17.

Besides the President and Governor's election, there is another very important position on the ballot, Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Since Education is the largest share of your state taxes, it might be well to take a very careful look at this race.

There are two candidates, current Superintendent of Public Instruction, Terry Bergeson, and challenger, Randy Dorn.

Mr.

Prudential's Lisa Cooke-Tinsley, left, and her team of volunteers pose for a photo at the 320th Street Safeway during the Prudential food drive October 4. Cook-Tinsley's team, along with other teams stationed at Costco and Metropolitan Market collected more than 8,000 pounds of food during their annual food drive.

Federal Way's newest and now largest furniture store celebrated its grand opening last Friday, October 17.

Proprietor Moe Samieian and his family extended an invitation to the community to come check out the new Moe's Home Collection store located in the Crossings shopping center.

Although new to Federal Way, Moe's has been around a while.

On September 27, a record number of vehicles, 1,282 to be exact, attended the City's semiannual recycling event. Vehicles loaded with recyclable items lined up at the Twin Lakes Park and Ride to drop off over 85 tons of recyclable materials.

A variety of recyclable items were brought to the event; appliances, scrap metal, clean wood, bulky yard debris, electronics, fluorescent tubes, tires, oil, gas, batteries, reusable household goods, rigid plastic, holiday lights and packing materials.

New this event were rigid plastic and packing peanuts.

When Federal Way Mayor Jack Dovey took this year's Mayor's Day of Concern and turned it into a month-long call for community food donations, he never could have imagined the literally tons of food that would be donated and the outpouring of community support.

Through food donations at local grocery stores, food drives at local organizations and a city-wide curbside pick-up, thanks to Waste Management, Federal Way residents donated 3,701 bags of food, totaling 74,020 pounds and valued at $111,030.