April 2009

King County Water Taxi boat and shuttle schedules will be extended on Tuesday, April 14 to serve Mariners fans after the home opening day game.

“This will give baseball fans another commuting option for getting home from opening day,” said county council chair Dow Constantine. “The Water Taxi will also offer its usual extra runs after all home games this year.”

The Water Taxi will provide additional trips as needed on April 14 from Pier 55 downtown to Seacrest Park in West Seattle. Neighborhood shuttle routes 773 and 775 will also have extended schedules to meet boat passengers arriving at Seacrest.

The one-way fare for the King County Water Taxi is $3 for anyone over the age of 5. Passengers with a valid Metro transfer pay just $1. All valid Metro passes are accepted for full fare.

For more information on the King County Water Taxi, call (206) 553-3000 (TTY 206-684-1739) or go to www.kingcounty.gov/metro. Once service begins, riders can check on the current operating status of the Water Taxi by calling (206) 205-3866.

In the month since Mayor Greg Nickels announced changes to the city’s low-income utility rate assistance program, nearly 3,500 people have applied. New income eligibility requirements allow more people to participate in the program that cuts their electric, water, sewer and garbage bills in half for up to 18 months.

“This simple change is helping thousands of people with their utility bills during these difficult times,” said Nickels.

Seattle City Light and Seattle Public Utilities now base eligibility on a single standard - 70 percent of the state median income. For a family of four this translates to an annual income of $53,124 or less.

Previously there were different standards for low income residents, senior citizens and the disabled.

So far in 2009, about 7,000 people have applied for the assistance program. That compares to a total of 14,654 applicants in 2008 and 12,072 in 2007. The Mayor’s Office for Senior Citizens, which administers the rate-reduction program, is now receiving an average of 175 utility assistance requests a day - more than twice the number of calls fielded before the change.

Wednesday night, at 92nd and 3rd Northwest, officers were waiting at a red light. A car approached from another direction, and when the passenger spotted officers, she leaped from the car and walked off. The excitable driver peeled off in such a hurry that he almost hit the squad car. He kept making furtive movements, as if trying to hide something, as officers approached. The driver had no license or ID, and officers found a tin of crack cocaine in the car. They finally ID'd the man and discovered he was wanted on a King County felony warrant. He was booked into King County Jail on the warrant and for investigation of drug charges. Officers decided to give him a pass on the traffic violations.

The Senior Center of West Seattle was burglarized at 10:45 p.m. Sunday following an accordion club that rented out the space. An investigation is ongoing.

The center, located at 4217 S.W. Oregon St., had a heavy 1950's-era safe in a first floor office that was pried into with a crowbar. Taken was $2,500 of Safeway gift cards, $400 in postage stamps, $700 cash, plus the center's daily take, adding up to more than $5,000, according to director Karen Sisson.

“I feel violated,” said Sisson Monday morning. “It's pretty low. They kicked two holes in our walls for no reason, one by the safe in our office, (where the items were contained) and another upstairs by the entrance.”

Sisson pointed out that the center is not insulated to regular senior visitors, but is very public. The West Seattle Chamber meets there, as well as the Lions Club, the Junction Association, and the space hosts events and wedding anniversaries.

Local nursing home Ballard Care and Rehabilitation will hold a press conference tomorrow, April 14 at 10 a.m., about proposed budget cuts in Olympia, that, if enacted, they say will create a crisis for thousands of nursing home patients across the state.

Joined by advocates for the elderly, nursing home administrators and staff will speak out publicly about the impact these cuts will have on the seniors in their care.

The press event will be held at Ballard Care and Rehabilitation Nursing Home, 820 N.W. 95th St.

Concerned staff and Executive Director of the Western Washington chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association Nancy Dapper will be there. According to the local nursing home, it's facing the prospect of $800,000 in cuts – the equivalent of 25 full-time certified nurse assistants, the direct care workers who work with residents every day.

More than 60 percent of nursing home patients rely on Medicaid to pay for their care. Some state lawmakers have proposed more than $90 million in Medicaid nursing home cuts over already reduced reimbursement levels.

Dear Editor,

Here are a few things we should remember:

Domestic Partnerships are an important, immediate, step to protect Washington's families.

The domestic partnership registry system provides gay and lesbian couples all the rights and responsibilities of marriage under state law, but none of the federal protections of marriage like social security survivor's benefits, Veterans' benefits, equal treatment under the IRS tax code and immigration rights.

Gay and lesbian people pay the same taxes; their families should be entitled to the same legal protections, rights and responsibilities as any other taxpayer.

Marriage equality is an affirmation of the values of love commitment and mutual concern. If we wish to strengthen the institution of marriage then we should allow committed gay and lesbian couples to protect their relationship through marriage.

Legal marriage should encourage stability in gay and lesbian couples just as it is intended to promote stability in straight couples.

Think about it.

Mr Saul
Delridge

The field for prospective appointment as King County Executive was narrowed to four as members of the Metropolitan King County Council April 13 submitted four names for evaluation by a Blue-Ribbon Committee.

“We’ve generated a strong field of candidates for interim executive from across the county, each with significant support from individual council members,” said council chair Dow Constantine. “The Blue-Ribbon Committee will provide an expedited but thorough review of these candidates to aid the council in making its final choice.”

“I think our nominating process is a strong indication of our outreach to qualified candidates in King County,” said council vice chair Jane Hague.

Under legislation adopted April 6, each candidate for executive must be nominated by at least three council members in order to be forwarded to the Blue-Ribbon Committee. Final authority to make the appointment rests with the County Council. The nominees are, in alphabetical order: 

- Former county council member Steve Hammond 

- Former county council member Louise Miller 

- Former Seattle Mayor Charles Royer 

- King County Executive Chief of Staff Kurt Triplett

When a woman decided to terminate a friendship, the former friend tried to kick in her door, punctured the tires on her car, and—most recently—called repeatedly to say, “I'm going to kill you.”

When an 83-year-old woman came across a man threatening and berating an injured woman in the elevator of a local apartment building, she intervened, invited the victim inside a nearby apartment, and called 911. The suspect was gone when officers arrived. The victim was taken to the hospital for treatment and assistance with social services.

Around 9 p.m. Wednesday, a 25-year-old was walking near Alki Avenue and 58th Southwest when he was assaulted by three Asian males in their teens, all about 5'5'," who demanded his wallet.

As the school year draws to a close and people make summer vacation plans, join Taproot Theatre Company at the Greenwood Library for some inspiration for summer reading.

On May 9, there will be a behind-the-scenes look at Taproot's upcoming play "Around the World in 80 Days," and check out the novel that inspired it while you’re there. The event takes place at the Greenwood Library on May 9 from 5 to 5:45 p.m.

At the event, director Scott Nolte and Taproot staff will talk about the many adaptations this Jules Verne novel has seen throughout the decades—more than a century—what makes this version by Mark Brown special, and more. Actors will also give the audience a sample of what they’ll see and experience during the mainstage production.

The free program begins at 5 p.m. at the Greenwood Library, located at 8016 Greenwood Ave. N. in Seattle’s Greenwood neighborhood.

"Around the World in 80 Days" runs from May 22 through June 20 at Taproot Theatre with low-price previews on May 20 and 21, plus a pay-what-you-can performance on May 27. For tickets, call Taproot Theatre’s box office at (206) 781-9707 or Ticketmaster at (206) 292-ARTS.

This July 4, Alki Beach will lose one of it's most popular fireworks show. After 44 years, Ivar’s Seafood Restaurants has opted to discontinue its “4th of Jul-Ivar’s” community fireworks show so that it might donate more to Northwest Harvest, Washington's own statewide hunger relief agency.

Ivar's president Bob Donegan has said fireworks fans will still have many other shows to watch, but for those who celebrate the 4th of July from Alki Beach, the Ivar's show has always been the most visible.

The following was included in a press release from Ivar's:

“With so many fireworks displays in the Puget Sound, it made more sense for us to put our resources into other areas that really need help: Feeding the hungry,” Ivar’s President Bob Donegan said.

Through its partnership with Northwest Harvest, a statewide hunger relief agency since 1967, Ivar’s will focus more of its efforts on feeding families in the communities it serves.