June 2009

The public is invited to a free public guided hike in the West Duwamish Greenbelt, Seattle’s largest remaining forest.

The Nature Consortium will lead participants through the hidden treasures of this amazing natural wonder, and discuss the history and the future of the forest.

The hike will not be very difficult, said organizers. Inexperienced hikers, seniors, and babies in backpacks are welcome. Parents of toddlers and preschoolers should be warned that this hike can be challenging for you if you are with a preschooler or two who walk down the hills but want to be carried up.

Participants should bring their own water bottle. Granola bars will be provided. Participants should also wear appropriate footwear as some parts of the trail are muddy.

The event will be canceled if there is extreme rain.

People wishing to join are asked to meet on June 19 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the trailhead at 14th Avenue Southwest and Southwest Holly Street.

Call (206) 923-0853 or email lisa@naturec.org to reserve a spot on the hike.

Directed by Burr Steers
Rated PG-13
(Two Stars)

Seventeen-year-old Mike O’Donnell (played by High School Musical’s heartthrob, Zac Efron) has a choice to make. Before the big basketball game, with college recruiters watching from the bleachers, he finds out that his girlfriend is pregnant.

Mike does the standup thing, marries his girl and let’s his college dreams slip away. Just to prove that no good deed goes unpunished he is transformed, in the very next scene, into a middle-aged Matthew Perry.

Now, Matthew Perry is an excellent comic actor, but in terms of optics it’s kind of like a Ken Doll morphing into the Pillsbury Doughboy. On that count alone Mike has reason to grumble.

But Mike has other complaints. Years have passed and he’s come to doubt his decision. He hates his job, his kids can’t stand him and his wife, Scarlett (Leslie Mann), is fed up with his whining about what could have been.

King County voters will continue to have the option of going to their computer or their television to learn more about candidates for countywide offices, following the unanimous authorization June 15 for a countywide 2009 Video Voters Guide by the King County Council.

“Ensuring voters are aware of the candidates and their positions is critical to effective elections,” said Council Vice Chair Jane Hague, sponsor of the ordinance and former Manager of King County Records and Elections. “The Video Voters Guide brings candidates directly to the voters through their TV’s or with just a few clicks of the mouse.”

“Any effort that increases the information available to voters should be encouraged,” said council member Larry Gossett, co-sponsor of the ordinance. “The Video Voters Guide allows you to find out about a candidate at your leisure—and at your convenience.”  

The ordinance requires the county’s director of elections to partner with Seattle on production of the popular program for the primary and general election this year. 

King County and Seattle have partnered on the Video Voters Guide (VVG) in odd-numbered years since 1993.

Traffic lanes have been reopened after being closed on 15th Avenue Northwest from 87th to Northwest Market Street.

A traffic accident around noon today resulted in a hydraulic fluid spill in Ballard. 15th Avenue Northwest is closed from Northwest 87th to Northwest 85th, and one southbound lane is closed from Northwest 85th to Market Street.

Seattle Department of Transportation crews are working to clean up the material and reopen the street.

More than three dozen people turned out June 13 for the East Ballard Community Association's East Ballard Walking Tour.

The gaggle of residents followed tour leaders Dawn Hemminger and Shannon Dunn to various sites of historical and current interest while meeting neighbors and making small talk.

Hemminger said the two-hour tour, which started at Cafe Bambino on Northwest 65th Street, was a chance for neighbors to meet each other and become inspired to do some exploring of their own.

The tour made stops where trolley lines ran and old grocery stores used to operate. It also brought attention to some east Ballard residents doing unique things with their homes.

The Herndon's home at Northwest 64th Street and Eighth Avenue Northwest makes use of a rainwater catchment system to conserve water and solar panels on the roof for added electricity.

Erin Jenkins has created large gardens in her sidewalk planting strips. The Seattle Department of Transportation repealed the fee for hardscape improvements in planting strips this month.

"One of the things that is coolest about Ballard is that every house is different," Dunn said. "It's very special for that reason."

The Seattle City Council passed a series of updates today, June 15, to the city's ethics code, following the first comprehensive review of the rules in more than 20 years.  

In an effort to create a stronger ethics code and bring Seattle’s ethics rules to be consistent with some of the
best practices in the nation, the Council adopted changes including provisions that will.

● Expand the list of financial interests that require city employees to disqualify themselves from participating in city
decision-making

● Require that appearances of conflicts be disclosed

● Extend the Commission’s jurisdiction to reach certain city contractors

● Extend the bar on former city employees assisting others with matters in which they participated as employees

● Limit the bar on former city employees dealing with their former department to cover only communications with the department

● Provide a mechanism to waive the bar on individuals dealing with their former employer

The King County Water Taxi carried 31,557 riders last month, setting a record for May ridership on the West Seattle-to-downtown passenger ferry.

It represents a 20 percent increase over last May’s ridership of 26,137 passengers, according to the county. Ridership in May 2007 was 22,259 passengers.

“The King County Water Taxi has continued its strong trend of increased ridership as we approach the transition to year-round service next year,” said King County Council Chair Dow Constantine, who also serves as chair of the King County Ferry District Board.

“The Water Taxi is a great transportation choice for commuters that takes cars off the road and gets riders out of traffic," he said. "Our continuing increases in ridership on the West Seattle route are a good indicator for future success as the King County Ferry District establishes its next demonstration routes.”

The Water Taxi also saw a 46-percent increase in cash fare revenue during May, collecting $44,518 during the month, as compared to $30,285 last year—an increase of 47 percent.

The King County Council adopted a sewer rate for 2010 that maintains the current 2009 rate of $31.90 per month.

“In today’s tough economic times, it’s commendable that the Wastewater Treatment Division has managed to keep its operating costs virtually the same as last year and is on target with its long-range capital spending projections,” said council member Larry Gossett, chair of the council’s budget and fiscal management committee. “This translates into stable fees for county ratepayers.”

“Holding down costs and keeping sewer rates at last year’s levels helps King County residents struggling to pay their bills during this deep recession,” said council member Larry Phillips, chair of the council’s regional water quality committee. “It’s more critical than ever to control costs and operate efficiently so we can pass those savings on to ratepayers.”

The county was able to hold the line on sewer rates thanks to a concerted effort to keep operational costs down while prioritizing capital projects.

Mayor Greg Nickels announced today that Seattle will use federal stimulus funds to begin replacing all 40,000 residential streetlights in Seattle with energy- and cost-efficient LED (light-emitting diode) technology.

Seattle is the first Washington city to finalize its stimulus plan for the new Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program, paving the way for $6.1 million in funding for a variety of energy conservation programs.

“From replacing streetlights to helping our residents cut their energy bills, we will use these funds to make a difference in people’s lives," said Nickels in a statement. "The reason I advocated so hard for this federal program is that it will help our residents save energy and money, while creating jobs in Seattle."

Apollo and Atlas are both pure bred Shiba Inu, one of the six original breeds of dog from Japan.

Apollo is a male that just turned three and Atlas is slightly larger and also three. Both dogs are from the same father with different mothers. They are owned by Shannon and Jason Mullett-Bowlsby.

Shannon and Jason are edible garden consultants that work in other peoples gardens, as well as their own, usually keeping the dogs with them. They explained that the original Shiba was bred to hunt bears, so they have to keep an eye on Atlas that has retained the instinct to chase anything that moves especially cats.

The men work with a breeder that loans them dogs to socialize them before being adopted out. They say the Shiba is an excellent family pet and a good guard dog that is alert to changes without barking too much.

How to nominate your pet for Pet of the Week:

Want to nominate your pet for Pet of the Week? Stop by the VCA West Seattle Veterinary Hospital at 5261 California Ave. S.W. and just ask for a form. A nomination is not a guarantee of appearance and your name and photo may appear in our newspaper and online.