November 2010

Press Release:

Based on preliminary results released by King County Elections on November 2, Seattle’s voters are showing strong support for the three-year, $48.2 million operations levy.

“I want to extend my sincere thanks to Seattle voters on behalf of our students, who will directly benefit from this levy,” said Superintendent Maria L. Goodloe-Johnson, Ph.D. “We are especially grateful for this show of support during challenging economic times when many families are struggling to make ends meet. It is truly gratifying to know how much the community supports our schools.”

With 121,523 ballots counted, unofficial returns show the levy winning support from 64 percent of voters. “Our deep appreciation goes to Schools First and all of the volunteers – family members, PTSA groups, the Seattle Education Association and staff members -- who worked so hard to pass this levy on behalf of our students.”

The $48.2 million levy will reduce the impact of budget gaps and will also reduce the number and severity of cuts to instructional programs and services over the next several years.

With just under 40 percent of the votes counted,State Senator Joe McDermott is the apparent winner of the election for Metropolitan King County Council District No. 8. McDermott stationed himself on the corner of 35th Avenue and Fauntleroy today, Wednesday, holding a large "Thank You" sign waving at passing vehicles with a grin.

"The numbers that just came out are just as strong as yesterday," said McDermott. "I am feeling great about the race and spent the afternoon cleaning up, picking up my (campaign) yard signs all over the District to recycle."

A young passerby smiled and waved to McDermott and she said, "Congratulations Joe. Don't let us down."

He responded, "I won't. That's my job."

4:30 pm Nov. 3 Update:

Council District No. 8 unexpired 1-year term

Joe McDermott 24032 67.84%

Diana Toledo 11268 31.81%

Write-in 122 0.34%

"I am feeling really confident with the results tonight," said McDermott at Calamity Janes with the Election Night results projected on a screen behind him Tuesday evening.

Joe Fitzgibbon is the apparent winner over Michael Heavey for State Representative Position No. 2.

4:30 pm Nov. 3 update:

State Representative Position No. 2

Joe Fitzgibbon Prefers Democratic Party 13664 55.13%

Mike Heavey Prefers Democratic Party 10831 43.70%

Write-in 288 1.16%

Fitzgibbon said, "People in this district are very concerned about our transportation needs, they see us feeling more constricted. We're not getting improved mobility, our mobility is getting worse, (...) concerned about the environment, about our schools (...) They see the impacts of the budget cuts the state has made on education K-12 as well as higher ed. Those are the three things I heard the most about during the campaign."

Animal assistance organization Furry Faces Foundation (F3) is staging a Wine Fest and Art Auction at Ola Salon on Nov. 7 from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

"Spend your Sunday afternoon sipping a lovely glass of wine from Stomani Cellars and Falling Rain, while enjoying the warm, classy atmosphere of Ola Salon", says Tammy Lyle, F3 Vice President. She explained, "Art Work is being donated by local artists, and people who asked us to ‘re-home’ their art. Admire and bid on lovely pieces that suit a variety of tastes, beautifully valued at many different price points."

During the event, Ola Salon clinicians will be offering demonstrations of their many services such as massage, facials and more. While you relax, Tim Scallon, official Musical Artist of F3, will soothe and relax you with his classical guitar and vocals.

Purchase gorgeous, top-quality poinsettia plants for your holiday decorating and gifting, and help West Seattle High School seniors attend an organized, safe & substance-free Grad Night party.
 
Only $16 per plant, these vibrant, long-lasting poinsettias average 15” in height and come in a 6” pot in your choice of red, white or pink luscious blossoms. A fabulous hostess gift or splash of color for your Thanksgiving festivities and ongoing holiday adornment, when properly cared for these plants will last well into the New Year.
 
Your support could save a life. Graduation Night is the most dangerous night for substance-related driving accidents and deaths. Recent stats show that West Seattle High School has enjoyed the highest daily attendance rate in the city with a graduating class boasting 48% of students on the Honor Roll or above. 

Grad Night attracts a growing majority of seniors in a last high school-related activity to create life-time memories and genuine (drug and alcohol-free) fun. From the students’ perspective, it’s a FUN and last great chance to bond with their classmates!
 

Update 3 on Feb. 3:
Juanita L. Wright, 43, plead guilty on Feb. 1 to three charges of Vehicular Assault and one count of reckless driving for driving her truck into a group of five pedestrians in the SODO neighborhood on Oct. 28, according to King County prosecutors. The sentencing range is 22 to 29 months and Wright will appear in court on Feb. 18 for sentencing.

From the King County prosecuting attorney's website on Nov.16:

"Defendant Juanita Wright was arraigned Monday on four counts of Vehicular Assault for an incident that occurred on October 28th in the SODO neighborhood of Seattle. Wright appeared in Courtroom 1201 of the King County Courthouse at 9:00am on Monday November 15th. Wright is accused of driving her car into four pedestrians while having a blood alcohol level of .29. She entered a plea of not guilty. Bail remained at $250,000. Her next court date is a case setting set for December 13th at 1:00pm."

Original story:

Press Release:
South Seattle Community College’s Automotive Collision Repair program has been awarded EnviroStars™ certification from the King County Department of Natural Resources & Parks, Local Hazardous Waste Management Program.

The program received five out of five stars for properly managing and reducing hazardous materials, waste and emissions. This award acknowledges the program has demonstrated a strong commitement to enviornmentally responsible practices.

In other Automotive program news, over 300 students and staff visited the Automotive Technology program’s 9th annual Automotive Tool Fair, where they had an opportunity to learn about and compare a wide variety of tools and equipment. Among the more than a dozen participating vendors was a 1977 Automotive program graduate, Glen Elder, now an account manager for Snap-on Industrial.

Normandy Park is in the very early stages of coming up with design guidelines for a subarea in Normandy Park designated the Manhattan Village Redevelopment Area (MVRA).
Council Member John Rankin said this is probably the single most important thing any of them will do as council members.
The MVRA goes from 178 street to 186 Street along the west side of 1st Ave. South back to 2nd Ave. South and a small portion goes back to 4th Avenue South.
There are vacant and underutilized lots in the MVRA, and the city wants to prepare guidelines on how they would like to see it redeveloped.
“Change is coming, change is coming our way,” said Councilmember Shawn McEvoy. He said they want to drive that change.
The MVRA plan will include some rezoning of land. The city says it would only be residential to commercial, which is considered an upzoning. Property that is zoned commercial is worth more than residential.

Fifteen public schools from Seattle have been recognized for outstanding academic improvements in math and reading that put them in the top 5 percent of the highest-improving schools in the state. These Schools of Distinction were announced by the Center for Educational Effectiveness and Phi Delta Kappa – Washington State Chapter. All 15 schools will receive their awards during a regional ceremony Dec. 2 at the John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence.

The SPS schools were among 93 statewide that met the Schools of Distinction performance criteria for the 2009-10 school year. Of those, 37 are repeat winners, with 12 of those three-time winners. To be a candidate for the award, schools must be performing at least at the state average performance in fourth, seventh and tenth grade reading and math assessments, as measured on the Spring 2010 Measures of Student Progress and High School Proficiency Exam. Schools meeting this requirement were then evaluated on combined reading and math improvement according to state assessments from 2005-2010.

Cormac Meagher got his dog Tex at Blue Dog Rescue outside of Austin, Texas where he was living at the time. Meagher grew up here but moved there for work and brought Tex back when he and his wife Megan returned to Seattle.

Tex is a blend of Black Labrador Retriever and "Maybe Border Collie, we're not too sure," said Meagher. Tex is all black except for some white fur on his chest. They had to pass through an approval process for him, let him spend the night to get acclimated and were finally approved. Now Tex loves it here.

"He loves the neighbor dog. They love running the fence line," Meagher said," and he loves digging up moles. He doesn't hurt them, he just likes to play with them, but I've had to re-seed the lawn numerous times."

They enjoy running through Lincoln Park or up to the Myrtle Street water tower, "He's a great companion to have out on a run," Meagher explained.