June 2009

The additional funding needed to construct a skatepark at Delridge Playfield is expected to be available so that the project might move forward.

The Parks Levy Oversight Committee unanimously voted on May 26 to reallocate $250,000 from the 2008 Parks and Green Spaces levy to help fund the Delridge project. Those funds were originally planned for a Myrtle skatespot until that community made it clear that they did not desire a skatepark in their neighborhood.

To finalize the transfer of funds, an ordinance must be drafted and approved by the city council. But with support from both the Levy Oversight Committee and the Skatepark Advisory Council, the Parks Department says it is very likely that money will be used to fund a Delridge Skatepark.

Further funding, $500,000 in surplus levy funds, is also expected to be used towards the skatepark. Dewey Potter, Public Information Manager for Seattle Parks and Recreation, says this money will likely be transferred administratively.

Since new funding was made available, the size of the Delridge Skatepark design has been increased from 10,000 square feet to 12,000 square feet in response to community request.

The public is invited to celebrate afternoon festivities as Carkeek Park blow’s out it’s candles to celebrate it’s 80th birthday, Saturday, June 27 at the Carkeek Park Environmental Learning Center from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Located at 950 N.W. Carkeek Park Rd., Deputy Mayor Tim Ceis, Seattle City Council member Sally Clark and Deputy Parks and Recreation Superintendent Christopher Williams will be a few of a number of attendees at the gala celebration.

Local historians and park naturalists will share stories captured in the waters, trees and soil of the park, which was most recently named number three among the 10 urban parks in the U.S, in Sunset Magazine.

A welcoming flag ceremony by Troop #123, Chief Seattle Council of the Boy Scouts of American will begin at 1 p.m. followed by a cake cutting hosted by the Carkeek Watershed Community Action Project and the Holman Road Northwest QFC.

Activities will include family-friendly activities, history walks, stories of Carkeek past and Backyard Habitat and demonstration garden dedication.

Eigth grade students from Denny Middle School placed first overall in Seattle Public Schools Math Olympiad at the University of Washington yesterday, June 3, beating out dozens of area middle schools.

The winning students, selected from grades six through eight, were taught by Gary Lai.

For the past eight weeks, the students met after school at the C&P Coffee to study quadratic equations, calculate slopes, reduce
radicals and enjoy root beer.

"The kids have been working well together, it's a lot of team work," said Lai. "It’s a good group of kids with good work ethic."

Lai said that in the past he has struggled to get students excited about math, and hopes this competition will motivate them.

"I’m hoping that it will boost the moral around math in the school,” said Lai.

Parents are encouraged to email pictures of the competition to tips@robinsonnews.com.

After being knocked out early before advancing to the Western Conference Finals last season, the Seattle Storm is coming back to the 2009 season, which opens June 7, with a team ready to go all the way.

Finishing the 2008 season with a record of 22-12, the Storm had a few setbacks toward the end of the season. Most vital was the loss of 2007 MVP Lauren Jackson who had to sit out after she had injured herself with an impingement of her right ankle, a bone spur break off which lodged into her ankle during training for the Olympics with her Australian National Team last July.

However, after undergoing ankle surgery following the Olympics, Jackson returned from her home country of Australia earlier this week and has joined the team in preparing for its upcoming season.

“It’s been a good couple days practice, it’s great getting back with the girls and I’m a little bit tired but that was to be expected with the flight,” Jackson said. “But it’s great being back and everyone is as positive as ever.”

Jackson’s focus this season is to get back to her best, she said.

Waiting longer to buy a home is not likely to pay off, according to Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS ) director Kathy Estey after reviewing reports summarizing May activity.

Estey pointed to shrinking inventory (about 20 percent fewer listings than a year ago), double-digit increases in the number of pending sales (up 17.7 percent from a year ago), solid open house activity, and signs of stabilizing prices (eight of the 19 counties in the report show price gains since January) as indicators of an improving market. 

Northwest MLS brokers notched 7,160 pending sales during May. That total out-gained the year-ago tally by 1,075 transactions (up 17.7 percent) and improved on April’s total by 242 sales for a 3.5 percent increase.  For the four-county Puget Sound area, pending sales jumped 21.5 percent from a year ago, rising from 4,526 to 5,498 transactions. 

Property owners of 5214 Delridge Way S.W. appear to be responding to community complaints about the Delridge Vacuum and TV Center operating out of their building.

Owners Joe Megale and Arturo Debonar informed neighbors this week that their lease with tenant Stoyan Tanev had been terminated and that he would have 60 days to vacate the property—with all of his goods.

According to one neighbor, Tanev has been told not to accumulate any more goods and that whatever he does not sell at the end of 60 days will be disposed of.

Meanwhile, owner Megale is reportedly working on building a coffee shop on the south end of his property.

“I think it will make (the neighborhood) way better,” said one neighbor. “People trying to sell houses will be able to and the appearance (of the neighborhood) will be a lot better—it won’t be as scary. “

The schedules of West Seattle-area schools will change by five to 55 minutes starting in September.

The Seattle School Board voted 6-1 June 3 to approve a motion to shift start and end times for most Seattle schools in order to accommodate new bus system standards approved in March.

Board member Michael DeBell said this is the third version of these changes the board has worked on, and there was very little public reaction over them.

"It was pretty quiet, to tell you the truth," DeBell said. "I think people are pretty happy with this final version."

Board member Steve Sundquist said people were caught off guard at first, but are now accepting of the changes.

"The public has frankly gotten quite comfortable with them," he said.

Under the new schedule, most West Seattle schools will start 20 to 25 minutes later. But, West Seattle High School will start 10 minutes earlier. And, in the biggest change, Pathfinder K-8 will start 55 minutes earlier and dismiss 45 minutes earlier.

The schedules of Ballard-area schools will change by 10 to 40 minutes starting in September.

The Seattle School Board voted 6-1 June 3 to approve a motion to shift start and end times for most Seattle schools in order to accommodate new bus system standards approved in March.

Board member Michael DeBell said this is the third version of these changes the board has worked on, and there was very little public reaction over them.

"It was pretty quiet, to tell you the truth," DeBell said. "I think people are pretty happy with this final version."

Under the new schedule, most Ballard schools will start 20 minutes later. But, Ballard High School will start 20 minutes earlier. And, in the biggest change, Broadview-Thomson will start 40 minutes earlier and dismiss 35 minutes earlier.

According to Seattle Public Schools, the schedule changes come after input from families, principals and staff and will allow students to be picked up and dropped off while there is still adequate daylight.

The new transportation standards will save $2.2. million and allow the Seattle School District to transport the same number of students using 49 fewer buses, according to the district.

Hello again readers. This week I'd like to talk about something you may have been thinking about recently while looking for lost sunglasses and checking the SPF of the sunblock. Just kidding, but with the unusually nice weather we've been having the last two weeks, some of you may have realized your car's air conditioning system my not be up to snuff.

Many times I have a customer come in to the shop and say they need the A/C system filled up. The air conditioning system, though, if it is working correctly does not require regular filling up. I would like to try and help you have a little better understanding of what it does and does not do, and some of the things we do when we service your vehicle.

In a perfect world, the A/C would just blow cold air when you wanted it to, and you would never have to think about it. Unfortunately, the world is not perfect and things happen to affect the performance of the system.

Holy Rosary School has been for their participation in a pilot project testing the new Washington Green Schools program.

This statewide program is designed to reduce the environmental and carbon footprint of K-12 school campuses while strengthening student environmental leadership and stewardship.

Based online, Washington Green Schools provides a structure, tools, and resources for students and staff to assess and take action in energy efficiency, recycling and waste reduction, toxics reduction and indoor air quality, transportation and outdoor air quality, water quality and conservation on campus.

Out of 14 pilot schools, Holy Rosary received certification in the energy category. The Washington Green Schools program has five levels; schools begin the program and work to become certified at each level, accomplishing each level requirements from 1 to 5, the highest level of certification.

Holy Rosary has:

· Established school-wide strategies for turning off all lights when adequate sunlight was available or when rooms were not in use.