November 2010

Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and the City of Seattle invites the Ballard community to speak up about the proposed SR 99 bored tunnel. Together they’re hosting public hearings regarding the recently released Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement.

The report analyzes the bored tunnel alternative for replacing the Alaskan Way Viaduct and describes its potential effects on transportation, nearby neighborhoods and the environment.

These hearings provide an opportunity to learn more about the project, ask questions, provide written comments and speak directly with a court reporter.

The hearing takes place at Ballard High School on Wednesday, Nov. 17 at 6 p.m.

The 45-day public comment period ends on Dec. 13, 2010 so now is your time to speak. The project team will respond to all comments in the Final Environmental Impact Statement, expected to be released in summer 2011.



To review the environmental document

- View documents online: www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/Viaduct/library-environmental.htm.
- Visit local libraries in the greater Seattle area.

Last Sunday, police responded to a burglary call on Harbor Island just after noon. When they arrived at the retired, vacant flour mill the caller told them several motion detector trips revealed a burglar’s path from one building over a skywalk into another, and they believed he was still there. The week before the same building had been burglarized twice and an estimated $100,000 in brass and copper was taken. Four officers entered the abandoned building and began searching rooms and floors throughout. Two officers entered a room described as a lounge area and found a white male, who they arrested without incident. In the lounge they found several pieces of fresh cut copper piping and a backpack containing tools for removal, belonging to the suspect. Back at the Southwest Precinct, the suspect admitted that he had robbed the building five to six times and would often go there on the weekends. Police also recovered a Sony digital camera which the suspect said he used for, “urban exploring.” As officers looked through the photos, most of them were of the interior of the flour mill.

Most newspaper clipping services have become electronic but my mother still renders old-fashioned service with scissors at hand. She is unable to recycle any of her two daily and four weekly newspapers before reading them thoroughly and physically cutting out stories that she thinks might be of interest to a myriad of friends and relatives. Giant pumpkins for one, dumpster diving for another, police reports involving people from my high school class…The problem is the lag time between the delivery, the read date and mailing an envelope (with proper postage). Some articles are up to a year old. Newlyweds could be expecting their second child by the time my mother mails me the wedding announcement.

Continuing Education Classes
South Seattle Community College
6000 16th Ave. SW, Seattle 98106
Register now: 206-764-5339 or www.LearnAtSouth.org

How Do I Take Better Indoor and Night Photos
Monday, Nov. 29 to Wednesday, Dec. 1 (2 sessions), 6-9 p.m. This hands-on class demonstrates ways to instantly improve your indoor and night photographs by introducing you to topics related to lighting and exposure. Class includes time for photographing around campus and time in the computer lab to view your work. Cost: $125.
Delightfully Decorated Cookies
Thursday, Dec. 2, 6-8:30 p.m. Create sensational cookies in this hands-on workshop on decorating using the technique of flooding or running sugar. Learn how to create a smooth sheen of icing for our cookies and then decorate with royal icing. Leave with a collection of cookies sure to impress your guests. Cost: $35 + $10 materials fee.
Holiday Food & Wine Pairing

Starting on Tuesday, Nov. 23, expect SeaTac City Council members to debate and decide on many staff information requests, Councilman Rick Forschler has warned his colleagues.

Forschler's statement came Nov. 9 after lawmakers passed a resolution requiring council approval for any information request from a city lawmaker that takes over two hours of staff time.

The next council meeting is set for Nov. 23.

"I don't have many (information requests) over eight hours but I have lots over two hours," Forschler declared.

Previous council procedures set eight hours as the cutoff point before council approval was needed.
Councilman Ralph Shape proposed the time be cut to one hour.

"Eight hours strikes me as onerous," Shape said.

He said staff members have recently received an increased amount of requests from council members that are costing the city a lot of staff time and money.

"This is getting out of hand," Shape declared. "We've got to get some cost controls."

A gravel site that was once proposed to provide fill for the third runway at Sea-Tac International Airport will revert to public ownership.

Under the proposal, the fill would have been transported by barge from the site on Maury Island and be transported from the Des Moines Marina to the airport on a conveyor belt.

Strong community opposition helped kill the idea.

The site is the longest remaining piece of undeveloped Puget Sound shoreline in King County. It will be permanently protected under an agreement signed by King County Executive Dow Constantine and the CalPortland Company - and facilitated by Cascade Land Conservancy - for public purchase.

"The chance to permanently protect such a long stretch of undeveloped Puget Sound shoreline and uplands is the kind of opportunity that comes along once in a lifetime," said Executive Constantine in announcing the agreement last week in West Seattle. "After more than a decade of advocating for this habitat I could not be more pleased at this breakthrough. I thank the state, our citizens, the sellers, and Cascade Land Conservancy for helping make this happen."

Three Tree Point and Lake Burien residents testified in great numbers at Burien City Council meetings after becoming concerned about possible changes to the city's Shoreline Management Plan.

Similarly, several Angle Lake and Military Road residents expressed their vocal opposition Nov. 9 to a proposed rezone to industrial use for a parcel along Military Road.

SeaTac City Council members are expected to decide Tuesday, Nov. 23, on the controversial rezone.

Speakers told lawmakers the industrial rezone would be out of character in a residential neighborhood.
Mayor Terry Anderson reported, "My phone rang all weekend" with complaints about the proposed rezoning.

Military Road resident Eddie Richards said he looked around extensively for a place to live before deciding on his home.

"The (parcel) owner made a speculative purchase," Richards said. "Of course, I made a speculative purchase, too, but not in my wildest imagination did I expect a rezoning across the road with an access road to an industrial complex."

An apartment building stands on part of the parcel but the owner wants to use the rest of the land for a light industrial use.

Thank you for publishing the news of poor Rosie's death.

As a avid Newfoundland owner, I can tell you that my 3 Newfies are quite often mistaken for mean dogs.......but only because of their size. Picture a 160 pound dog running at you.

Without knowing the breed, you would probably think, OMG....I'm going to be eaten. When in fact, the dog would be running at you for pets and belly rubs.

I have never owned such a gentle creature as the Newfoundland, and I will never own a different breed.
Picture if you will, a scared, lost child looking for someone to help her. A policeman, someone you can trust, points a taser at you and fires.....in your own front yard. So you run away and hide. Doesn't sound like a vicious dog to me, but a very confused and scared dog.

There is a reason why Europe uses Newfoundlands for rescue work. Simply put, it is because of their gentle temperament and ability to do water rescue. There was no excuse for executing poor Rosie........NONE!

Thank you for taking the time to read my letter, and for continuing to report on the events surrounding Rosie's death and her memorial.

Teri Ratzlaff
Northwest Machining & mfg.

We are living through an exceptionally challenging year for non-profits, who are necessarily in a constant quest for funding to support their work.

Their work often benefits the entire community, whether this is recognized or not-- with reduced crime, prevention of substance abuse, gang involvement and domestic violence, improved high school graduation rates, employment and a myriad of other benefits.

It's an exceptionally challenging time for funders as well-- with tough choices to be made about the best use of limited and declining resources.

I felt that the Burien City Council made an informed decision (Burien approves funding, Highline Times, November 5, 2010) with their allocation of a significant grant through their Human Services Budget to New Futures.

I have supported New Futures for years because of their proven track record, which I believe is due in large part to their unique model of providing services on site where the families who use their services live.

On Sunday Woodland Park was transformed into a long, muddy and windy course for the final MFG cyclocross event of the season.

The Woodland Park Grand Prix race is the biggest event of the MFG series with 777 registered racers and around 1,000 spectators.

Originated in Belgium, Cyclocross is a form of bicycle racing which takes place on wooded trails and muddy passes with steep hills, sharp corners and lots of muck. Often the racer is required to dismount from their bike and run across obstacles while carrying the bike. The races are between 30 to 60 minutes in lengths and take place in fall and early winter. Given its origin in Belgium, beer plays a big role after (and sometimes during) the events. Often beer is given out as a price to those who win in the various categories.

The Woodland Park GP was no exception. Twenty lucky pre-registered racers were awarded 6-packs of Deschutes Black Butte Porter or Inversion IPA.

Nonetheless, the event was a family affair with the junior category featuring 12-year-old racers and a fun Under 10 race which brought out 40 future racers.