March 2009

(Editor's note: The following was an email sent to Seattle City Council members and copied to Robinson Newspapers.)

Dear Council members, 

Yesterday, the city's lobbyist forwarded (a) letter from (Mayor Greg Nickels) to many legislators calling for amendments to the Transit Oriented Development Bill now circulating in Olympia Second Sub. SB 5687 (House version Sub HB 1490).  The mayor's letter calls for changes that would essentially gut the provisions of the bill in Section 8 of Senate version designed to mitigate gentrification and impacts on existing low income and very low income housing.

We sincerely hope this is not the position of the (Seattle) City Council.  If I am correct, I don't believe you have even seen the letter let alone had a chance to discuss it in a briefing or council session.  Yet, the Mayor obviously is sending this letter and representing this as the City's position.  

Below are our comments and thoughts regarding the bill and the mayor's letter which we just forwarded to our legislators:

As part of its semi-annual viaduct inspection, Washington State Department of Transportation crews will be closing the Alaskan Way Viaduct this weekend, March 21 and 22.

The closure will allow the state to perform routine maintenance, such as repairing potholes, expansion joints and bridge rails, checking drainage system and traffic cameras.

Both directions of the Alaskan Way Viaduct from the Battery Street Tunnel to Spokane Street will be closed from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.

The Battery Street Tunnel will be closed from 11 p.m. on Friday, March 20 to 5 a.m. on Monday, March 23.

The crew visually inspects the viaduct every three months and conducts full inspections every six months to measure any new damage or movement.

A viaduct walking tour during the inspection closure will also be available to the public on Saturday, March 21 between 9:30 a.m. and noon. They will last approximately 45 minutes and will begin at the Columbia Street on-ramp before continuing to the viaduct’s lower deck.

The Port of Seattle Commission will hold a special business meeting today at the Nordic Heritage Museum to discuss Seattle's "working waterfront and viaduct replacement options."

The meeting will consist of two panel discussions, and include several industry leaders and professionals. The first panel will discuss issues at Fishermen's Terminal and the second panel will discuss Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement options.  

The format is meant to be a "give-and-take: conversation among panelists, according to Port spokesperson Peter McGraw.

The Nordic Heritage Museum is located at 3014 NW 67th St., and the meeting will take place at 1 p.m. in the auditorium.

On the agenda:

*       Staff overview of the Port's Working Waterfront Portfolio and Investments
*       Fishermen's Terminal Roundtable
*       Public testimony
*       Viaduct briefing
*       Viaduct Roundtable
*       Public testimony
*       Other Commission business
*       Adjourn

Fishermen's Terminal roundtable participants include:

* Bob Alverson, General Manager of the Fishing Vessel Owners'
Association and Fishermen's Terminal Advisory Committee (FTAC) Member.

“Why does it seem like every time I take my car in for an oil change I end up with a list of other items that my car needs?”

That is a great question. I realize that time and money both seem to be in short supply now-a-days and when you bring your car in for an oil change what you mostly want is to have the oil changed, be told to have a great day, and feel good that you're doing the right thing for your car.

Well, the good news is you are doing the right thing for your car. Having your oil changed regularly is probably the number one step to insuring a long and healthy life for your vehicle. But, oil alone will not keep your car humming along happily. So, why does an oil change often come with a list of other items? Let’s explore some of those reasons.

The first reason is that a quality repair facility will not just “spill and fill” your oil and send you on your way. Included with the oil change will be a no-charge inspection. As a general rule, all the fluids, drive belts, coolant hoses, exterior lights, exhaust and tires will be inspected.

Some things, like fine wines, get better with age. But a certificate of deposit (CD) is not one of them.

If you have a maturing CD, you need to decide what to do with it — and the earlier you make this decision, the better off you’ll be. So if you’ve got one or more CDs coming due in the next few months, start planning now.

Of course, if you had a specific goal for a maturing CD — such as a college tuition payment — your decision has already been made. But if you’ve purchased a CD for another reason, you’ll have to choose whether to renew it or invest the proceeds elsewhere.

If you bought the CD for the income it provides, you may want to renew it. If prevailing interest rates are the same, or higher, than the rate on your maturing CD, you can purchase a new CD without worrying about reducing your income stream. But if rates have fallen, you may have a dilemma: How can you reproduce the income you received from your now-matured CD?

Here are a few alternatives to consider:

Ballard High School senior Eric Taylor was named to the All-KingCo basketball team for his outstanding season in leading the Beavers to their first-ever KingCo 4A playoff appearance.

Taylor was the team's leading scorer, averaging 14.9 points per game. He finished seventh in the league in scoring average, second in free throw percentage (85.7) and sixth in assists (3.4 per game).

Taylor said being named to the team was a great honor and it will definitely help him with his plans for playing college ball next year.

He worked on his whole game all year, practicing four hours every day, in order to improve, he said. He said his mentality is where he stepped up most this season by looking to be more aggressive on the offensive end.

Ballard senior Berhanu Mekonnen and junior John Barnes were All-KingCo honorable mentions.

Mekonnen averaged 5.7 points per game, fourth on the team. His 48.9 field goal percentage was third best for the Beavers and he was tied for fourth most points (108) on the team.

Mekonnen also gave the Beavers a chance to win a KingCo playoff game when his shot against Bothell sent the game into overtime.

Overview

The West Seattle High School Parent Teacher Student Association is proud to present the West Seattle 5K Run/Walk. This family-friendly event on May 31 showcases the West Seattle community and raises awareness of and funds for West Seattle public school PTA/PTSA's.
 
We are holding the event in conjunction with the city of Seattle and Celebrate Seattle Summer Streets (formerly known as “car-free day”) on Alki. The city is closing down the street to traffic for the entire day and is making the West Seattle 5K Run/Walk in the morning a cornerstone of their plans for the day.

The city is featuring our event prominently in all of their press releases and other marketing materials. In addition, we are promoting the event through advertising in NW Runner magazine and in giveaway bags at other area running events, such as the Mercer Island Half Marathon, Active.com, and other event listings.
 

The Admiral Theater has found a couple to participate in its “Mamma Mia!” themed wedding, and their story is particularly appropriate for the event.

Melodie Anderson, 64, and John Babcock, 60, have been dating, on and off, for the past 18 years. The couple met at a holistic health practitioner school while they were living in San Diego.

Initially, they were just friends. But through intensely personal classes they learned the most intimate details of each other’s lives.

“He was just a really good friend in the beginning,” says Melodie. “But he would bring me picnic lunches at work, it was kind of sweet.”

For the most part, their romance was sporadic and without any firm commitment. They spent years dating other people, but always seemed to come back to each other.

“We were committed on a spiritual level,” she explains.

When she opened her own business, Melodie says John was always there to help out, even at times when they were romantically involved.
Melodie says that he’s always been very stable while she’s more of a risk taker. Together, they balance each other out.

The Phinney Neighborhood Association can now say they are the proud owners of the former John B. Allen School, after they received a check of $650,000 from the state.

The two buildings that make up the school were deemed surplus last year by former owner the Seattle School District. Phinney has been leasing the old school for the past 27 years.

The state check was part of a $4.3 million dollar appropriation in 2008 to help with the purchase and improvement of community schools.

“We closed the final closing on the purchase of the school on Feb. 27 but the check was moved into escrow on the 25th of February,” executive director of the Phinney Association Ed Medeiros said.

Speaker of the house, Frank Chop and Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson handed over the check to the Phinney Association during a small ceremony.

“We’re excited to know that we finally have closed” Medeiros said. “And of course we also got the balance amount from the city of Seattle and we own the building free and clear.”

The full council unanimously approved $2.5 million to go toward helping Phinney purchase and renovate the two buildings last October.