November 2012

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King County Executive and West Seattle resident Dow Constantine celebrated his 39th birthday, for the thirteenth time, at Kells Irish Pub downtown for his first re-election campaign fundraiser Thursday night, Nov. 15. He runs in 2013.

While many think he is as youthful as ever, this "39 years of age" business is a running gag, and at his 39th birthday party last year in the Paramount Theater lobby he acknowledge hitting the half-century mark.

Dow Constantine

"I really appreciate everyone coming out for my birthday," Constantine told the West Seattle Herald. "You know, when you're in politics and you're an elected official there is really no life event that doesn't turn into a fundraising opportunity (...) I like coming here to Kells because back in 1984 or '85 I tended bar right behind the bar over there, saving money for law school. It's nice they welcomed me back. I always offer to jump in and hone my bar tending skills just in case I need that as a back-up after my next election."

Highline Medical Center will have a busy weekend as they perform the final move to their new Urgent Care and Family Medicine facility in West Seattle’s Triangle, with plans to start seeing patients there on Monday, Nov. 19.

But before the big move takes place, Highline took a moment on Thursday afternoon, Nov. 15, to dedicate the new 12,900 sq. foot building with a ribbon cutting ceremony, live jazz, appetizers and tours for guests and those integral to the project.

“This is an amazing transformation,” Highline Medical Center Board of Trustees Chair Larry Bjork said at the event, thanking HSD Construction and Burgess Architects for their help. “Congratulations to you all. This is a wonderful facility and we are proud to be here and we are proud to be able to serve this community for many, many, many years.”

Same sex couples who have dreamt of the day when they could legally be married in Washington State will see that dream become reality when just after midnight on Thursday Dec. 6 at precisely 12:01 am (the moment the November election is certified) King County Executive Dow Constantine will open the County Recorder's Office to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. He will sign the first ones.

In a press release the County Executive's office sent today details of the changes were explained.

"I don't want couples to wait a minute longer than legally necessary to get the rights that voters have recognized," said Executive Constantine, who will personally sign the first marriage licenses at 12:01 a.m.

The move will make King County the first jurisdiction in the nation to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples based on voter approval. Voters in Washington, Maryland, and Maine all approved marriage equality initiatives on Election Day last week, but the laws in Maryland and Maine will not take effect until January. Under state law couples must wait three days before the actual marriage ceremony may be performed.

A meeting to plan a dedication and memorial planting to honor the life of Margaret Ryan is set for Monday, November 19, 2012.

Ryan, who died as a result of stab wounds allegedly by her 42 year old son on Tuesday evening, will be honored by community members. The meeting is to plan what form a dedication ceremony should take.

It will begin at Mago Signs at 10032 16th SW in White Center at 6:30pm and last until 8:00pm.

They are seeking ideas, suggestions or contributions to honor Ryan. The event is a Potluck dinner.

You can respond on Facebook at the event page.

SDOT and Mayor Mike McGinn wiill be on hand this Friday, November 16, to celebrate the completion of the Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project. Funding partners will join community and freight industry representatives in the celebration.

The SDOT project doubled the width of the viaduct with a new structure adjacent to the old structure, seismically reinforced the span; replaced the First Avenue S on/off ramp; added the eastbound off-ramp at Fourth Avenue S; fully rebuilt lower Spokane Street including a new sidewalk and multi-use trail; and enlivened the area below the viaduct with artwork recollecting the site’s natural and cultural history. The $164 million project was funded with federal, state, city and local dollars.

Date: Friday, November 16
Time: 9:00 a.m.to 10:00 a.m.
Place: S Spokane Street under the viaduct just east of First Avenue S

After a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony, refreshments will be served.

Burien Little Theatre wants to borrow a chair like the one pictured for its holdiay production of “A Tuna Christmas.” The play begins Nov. 23.

A match would be “special” and one that went with it would be grand. You can see the table in the picture.

BLT is looking for something 1950’s with chrome. These chairs came in red, green, white and off white. Maybe a few other colors too. BLT needs the chair through December 16, 2012.

BLT is also looking for a couple of dressers, people backstage to help the actors make quick changes. There is also a few stagehandish things to do, lower a ramp, spin some Christmas trees and run a fog machine. All great stuff and more than enough to keep people busy.

BLT only needs people for tech week (November 18 through 22, and for the last two weekends of the show, December 7 through 16.) This is a great way to experience better live theater.

Press release:

An Evening of Jazz and Friends, a fund-raising event benefiting the Global Connections High School Wind Ensemble, was a sell-out success! Generous individuals, businesses, and community organizations contributed more than $27,000 to send the Wind Ensemble to Washington, D.C., to play at the Presidential Inauguration Music Festival. The school, where nearly 80 percent of the student body qualifies for free- or reduced-price lunch, needs $60,000 to pay for travel and accommodation for the band members.

The success of this event was made possible by many community members and organizations. “Our community extended its generosity to these students in a way that I have seldom witnessed,” said Superintendent Susan Enfield. “I thank each and every individual, business and organization for their tremendous support. They demonstrated how very deeply our community cares about its students, as well as the power of community collaboration.”

*Updated information in bold type:

“Awesome.”

That was the one-word reaction from Liz Giba, a leader in the fight to keep the White Center Library, following a King County Library System (KCLS) planning committee meeting in Burien on Thursday, Nov. 15.

With the overwhelming defeat of Burien’s bid to annex North Highline, Giba and other area library supporters who packed the small Burien Library conference room feared KCLS director Bill Ptacek would recommend the library board resume plans to close the White Center and Boulevard Park libraries and build a larger library in north Burien.
Instead, Ptacek suggested KCLS build a 10,000 square-foot library north of the current White Center Library at 11220 16th Ave. S.W. The current library is 6,000 square feet.

Ironically, one of the reasons Ptacek had earlier given for closing the White Center site was that it was too close to Seattle’s city limits. He argued Seattle residents were coming over the border and using the library without paying for its services.

In a later interview with the Highline Times, Ptacek said there will be no changes to the Boulevard Park Library.

WEST SEATTLE CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL Community Safety Meeting

TUESDAY, NOV 20, 2012
@ Southwest Police Precinct,
2300 SW Webster, 7 – 8:30pm

All neighborhood groups, block watch captains and concerned citizens are encouraged to attend this meeting.

The meeting will focus on how the recent Metro Transit route changes and the creation of a Transit Center in the Westwood Neighborhood have impacted West Seattle. Our guests will include Dale Cummings, Senior Transit Planner-Metro Transit, Mike Bergman, Service Planning Manager, Operations Division-Sound Transit, and Christine Alar, Transit Planning and Policy-SDOT.

We will have our regular police reports regarding current trends and hot spots in the SW Police Precinct.

THE MEETING IS OPEN TO EVERYONE.
For more information contact WSCPC at westseattleCPC@gmail.com

NEXT MEETING JAN 15, 2013

WEST SEATTLE CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL Community Safety Meeting

TUESDAY, NOV 20, 2012
@ Southwest Police Precinct,
2300 SW Webster, 7 – 8:30pm

All neighborhood groups, block watch captains and concerned citizens are encouraged to attend this meeting.

The meeting will focus on how the recent Metro Transit route changes and the creation of a Transit Center in the Westwood Neighborhood have impacted West Seattle. Our guests will include Dale Cummings, Senior Transit Planner-Metro Transit, Mike Bergman, Service Planning Manager, Operations Division-Sound Transit, and Christine Alar, Transit Planning and Policy-SDOT.

We will have our regular police reports regarding current trends and hot spots in the SW Police Precinct.

THE MEETING IS OPEN TO EVERYONE.
For more information contact WSCPC at westseattleCPC@gmail.com

NEXT MEETING JAN 15, 2013