June 2010

With the 2010 Legislative Session now concluded, Rep. Dave Upthegrove (D - Des Moines) has returned home to Des Moines and has set aside specific dates and times to meet informally with Highline-area constituents.

On each fourth Tuesday during June, July, and August (June 22, July 27, and August 24), Upthegrove will be available at the newly-opened Infusion Tea & Coffee shop at 15607 1st Avenue South in Burien (corner of 156th and 1st Avenue South) from 1:30 to 2:30p.m. This will enable people to meet with him without having to schedule an appointment in advance.

Upthegrove notes that these "drop-in hours" are in addition to his standing offer to meet with constituents at a time and location of their convenience.

"I'm always happy to meet one-on-one with people, and they can call my legislative office to make an appointment. But in addition, I wanted to give constituents from the Highline area a chance to simply drop by and talk to me about legislative issues and concerns," Upthegrove said.

South King Fire & Rescue's mid-year forecast shows property tax revenues are projected to decline 5 percent ($1.2 million) for 2011. This decline is in addition to the nearly 15 percent ($3.7 million) reduction we experienced for 2010. The combined revenue losses for the 2-year period total $4.8 million.

The fire district receives more than 95 percent of its funding from property taxes to provide fire suppression and emergency medical services to residents and business owners in the communities of Federal Way, Des Moines, and unincorporated King County. As property values have dipped sharply in King County during the economic downturn, so have revenues received by the fire district.

"Our revenue continues to fall, and the cost to provide emergency services is growing," said Chief Financial Officer David Lawson.

Historically, increases are due to personnel costs and items such as fuel, equipment and supplies.

The Des Moines Dollars for Scholars Foundation (DMDSF) awarded scholarships totaling $10,000 to 18 local Des Moines area high school and community college students at the Des Moines Yacht Club, Wednesday, May 26, 2010.

The mission of DMDSF is to provide scholarship opportunities for students of all ages who live or attend school in the cities of Des Moines and Normandy Park.

Funds for the $500 to $1,000 scholarships were provided through contributions from the following local organizations and one state department: Des Moines Dollars for Scholars Community Scholarship Fund, Des Moines Chamber of Commerce Endowment Scholarship Fund, Des Moines Yacht Club First Mates, and the Steven J. Underwood Memorial Scholarship Fund. Additional support was provided by the Des Moines Rotary, Powell Homes, Des Moines Kiwanis, Southwest Seattle Business & Professional Women, and the Washington state Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Furry Faces Foundation is holding our 10th annual June plant sale--in West Seattle—rain or shine. 1,000+ healthy, nursery quality plants, reasonable prices, beautifully suited for Pacific NW grdns: Unusual Tomato Varieties & other organic vegies; Lychnis; Catmint; Phlox; Ornamental Grasses; Coleus varieties to brighten your garden; Geraniums; Sedums; Dianthus; Impatiens; Campanula; Calla Lily; Lavender; and more.

Have room in your heart and home for a furry face or two? Both Animals First Foundation and King County Animal Care and Control will be on site, on Sunday, with loving dogs and cats, looking to adoption a human. On Saturday, three, wonderful adult cats will be struttin’ on their cat walks, looking for some attention. The two boys, Frosty Mogul and Snowpack are a bonded pair, and Daphne is looking to be the only cat in her new home, plus would enjoy a dog companion or two.

All plant sale proceeds support our two programs--Oliver’s Fund and It’s Hip To Be Snipped, which assist animals whose humans are financially restricted or going through tough times. More info? Email furryfaces@hotmail.com or www.furryface.org or check out our facebook page.

Since May 17, Seattle Police Robbery detectives have been busy investigating a series of robberies in North Seattle in which elderly females were attacked, mostly when loading or unloading items from their vehicles.

The robbers were apparently armed with a stun gun. The suspects fled the scene of the crime in stolen vehicles.

Both vehicles used during the commission of the robberies have since been recovered and processed by detectives. Information developed during the course of the ongoing investigation led to the identity of the suspects.

During the afternoon hours of May 28, Robbery detectives arrested a 17-year-old female suspect and a 22-year-old male suspect in the 13400 block of Greenwood Avenue North.

On the morning of June 2, a third suspect, a 21-year-old female, was arrested in the 13700 block of 32nd Avenue Northeast. She is currently being questioned at police headquarters.

A fourth suspect, a 25-year-old female, was arrested later on June 2 in Burien.

The robberies occurred as follows:

• May 17 at 1:45 p.m. in the 4200 block of Phinney Avenue North.
• May 19 at 12:54 p.m. in the 9300 block of 22nd Avenue Northwest.

Avalon Glassworks is supporting Northwest Hope & Healing by creating 12 giant blown art glass floats to be auctioned at the July 8, 2010 West Seattle Art Walk. TILA Real Estate in the West Seattle Junction will host the silent auction 6pm to 9pm. These exquisite, 10-inch-diameter art pieces have been specially created and donated to raise awareness for local non-profit Northwest Hope & Healing, which supports women diagnosed with cancer.

Not only beautiful, floats represent buoyancy. Just as the Northwest Hope & Healing mission is to assist women in the healing process through non-medical support services, floats are literally and symbolically uplifting.

Originally utilitarian objects, blown glass fishing floats were used a century ago by fishermen from the far East to float their nets. Sometimes, they broke away from the nets and continued their own unintended journeys. Lucky finders recognized beauty in these battered floats with mysterious origins. But old floats are rare finds today. So, in the spirit of unintended journeys, Avalon Glassworks creates them new to lift spirits, raise awareness, and elevate the humble float to a higher art.

The Fremont Fair released the music and entertainment lineup for the June 19 and June 20 festival. According to the June 2 announcement, the fair will include nearly 30 local bands as well as dance performances, street activities and artsy spectacles.

Featured bands on the fair's two stages include School of Rock, To the Sea, The Phenomenants, Eldridge Gravy & The Court Supreme, Panda Conspiracy, Winston Wolf, The Starlings, Marmalade, Olympic Sound Collective and many more.

The Fremont Fair will also include, for the 22nd time, the ever-popular Fremont Solstice Parade, which starts at noon on June 19 at North 36th Street and Leary Way and ends at Gasworks Park.

Other fair attractions include the Seattle Art Car Blowout, more than 75 decorated cars on display; the Cabiri Performance Troupe putting on a show on an aerial dance stage; selected scenes from some of Shakespeare's most famous plays performed on the Fremont Troll; and an all-ages art experience at the Fremont Abbey.

The Fremont Fair runs from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on June 19 and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on June 20. Admission is free.

Complete music schedule

June 19, Redhook Stage:

Seattle Parks and Recreation removed the parcourse from the southwest corner of Salmon Bay Park because both the posts and boards of the exercise stations were rotting.

Parks spokesperson Dewey Potter said a Parks crew deemed the parcourse a safety issue.

She said the exercise course will be replaced but was unable to give a timeline.

Hosted by Luna Moms Club and Stroller Strides, LUNAFEST, a traveling short film festival by for and about women, screens at the Admiral Theater on Thursday, June 3, 2010. The Festival will benefit The Salvation Army Domestic Violence Programs and Breast Cancer. The mission of the Luna Fest is to celebrate and inspire women through the art of film and community fund-raising. All proceeds from LUNAFEST are donated to charity. 85% of profits are donated to local nonprofit organizations the remaining 15% goes to LUNA'S primary cause partner, the Breast Cancer Fund.

LUNAFEST films have won industry awards and audience accolades, and the films selected for 2009-10 LUNAFEST season share this brilliance. From quirky animation to touching documentaries, the 10 selected films are incredibly diverse in both style and subject matter, united by a common thread of exceptional storytelling by and about women.

The Seattle 2010 LUNAFEST begins at 6:30 PM with a reception and silent auction at the Historic Admiral Theater in West Seattle followed by the selection of films at 7:30PM. The evening will feature light appetizers, a cash bar as well as gifts from area sponsors.

To the editor:

We are two moms in tennis shoes beating the pavement to reduce our community’s carbon footprint with a fierce determination to leave a healthier planet for our children. Whether it be working to encourage other moms to find less energy intensive ways to cart kids around, run a household or pass polices aimed at curbing global warming, we’re on it day in and day out.

With oil gushing into the Gulf, our determination has only gotten fiercer. We cannot allow this to happen again. It’s not fair to our children.  Rather than drilling into oil reserves off our coasts, we need to transition to a clean energy economy – now. Policies at the local, state, and federal level are essential to a quick transition. A federal bill that puts a cap on carbon requiring a steady reduction of global warming pollution going into our air is essential.