October 2008

Symbolism blended with the Duwamish River's both gritty and pristine backdrops when the Port of Seattle, South Park Neighborhood Association, and other organizations dedicated the opening of what is officially named the "South Park/Eighth Avenue Public Shoreline Access Site."

The 17,000 square foot site contains 345 linear feet of waterfront, three enormous decorative gears, and a cherry tree donated by Kobe, Japan, for 50 years Seattle's sister city.

The Southwest Design Review Board has approved Lowe Enterprises' broad design for a mixed-use project at 3420 Southwest Graham Street in the High Point neighborhood.

The site will include 1,300 square feet of retail and 240 residential units. Parking for 275 to 295 cars will also be included. The design includes a half-acre park in the center of the site and a pedestrian walkway running east and west through the center of the city block.

The Seattle City Council is scheduled to vote by the end of the year on a proposal that would allow developers to build taller in the Ballard neighborhood commercial district in exchange for providing some residential units below market rate or other types of public benefits like open space.

Late last year, the council received Mayor Greg Nickels' plan to expand the downtown Seattle incentive zoning program citywide.

Camp Long's advisory council is working to help provide an Environmental Learning Center that is a resource for the community.

Camp Long aspires to be the place where our neighbors go for information and to discuss issues of the day; to socialize with each other, have fun, and build a strong community; and to get outdoors, learn about our natural world, and share ecological knowledge so we can implement positive change in our neighborhoods.

The function of any advisory council is to give advice.

With a less than a month left in the 2008 sailing season the Elliott Bay Water Taxi continues to attract new passengers and break records.

The 2008 Water Taxi season runs through Friday, Oct. 31.

A total of 167,748 riders used the West Seattle-to-downtown foot ferry through the end of September, exceeding last year's record of 161,331 riders. September ridership was up 9.7 percent over last September's totals.

"The Water Taxi has routinely exceeded its 2007 ridership totals all summer," said King County Councilmember Dow Constantine.

While the battle between bicycle and automobile for a safe lane on Seattle's crowded streets seems ongoing, some skateboarders appear to want a piece of the action too, like the girl in the photo above zipping down Admiral Way toward Alki.

With the growing popularity of skateboarding, not just as a hobby along the beach's sidewalk or at a skate park, but also as a mode of transportation, a new generation of daredevils may develop.

"Legalities aside, skateboarding down busy roads puts drivers in a position to possibly hit the skate boarder, or hit another car while avoidin

There is a new green buzz in town and it is coming from a local coffee shop that has made numerous improvements to become more sustainable, encouraging customers to think about even the small decisions they make throughout the day.

Eric Thomas and his wife Tricia DiBernardo purchased Red Cup Espresso, located on California Avenue Southwest, in May. They immediately started making changes that would make their business greener.

More doses than ever of influenza vaccine will be available this fall. Some vaccine has already arrived in Washington and shipments will continue in the coming weeks. The challenge is to use it all, and everyone can do their part by getting vaccinated.

Flu immunization rates are very low for young children aged 6-23 months (about 16 percent). Adults get vaccinated at a higher rate - 74 percent for adults in Washington over age 65, slightly above the national average.

The Alaskan Way Viaduct will be closed this weekend for semiannual inspection and repairs, and open Saturday morning for public walking tours.

State Route 99 between the Battery Street Tunnel and Spokane Street will be closed to traffic from 6 a.m. Saturday through 6 p.m. Sunday.

Walking tours of the upper deck are scheduled between 9:30 a.m. and noon on Saturday, starting at the Seneca off-ramp.

Late Friday, in the 4800 block of Delridge, a woman grabbedher son and jumped out a window after a masked man entered her home andstruggled with her. She ran onto the street, flagging down passing motoristsfor assistance. The suspect remains at large. He is a white male, aged 22-29,and wore a dark blue Russell-brand sweater and a dark ski mask.