November 2012

In the last North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meeting on Nov. 1 before final ballots are cast to approve or decline annexation to Burien, City Manager Mike Martin thanked the NHUAC for their support of annexation and responded to claims being made by those against the measure.

“I wanted to acknowledge all the work that has gone into this campaign and as you know, I wouldn’t be standing here unless our council supported this, and I really applaud you for fighting the good fight,” Martin said to the NHUAC board.

“I really applaud you folks for staying to the high ground and this is a very important policy decision and as a public servant I very much regret some of the information that is out there that some people are using to make their decision.”

Before going into anti-annexation claims, Martin said the city is internally preparing for annexation in the event that it passes, including an “extensive task list” of transition talks with King County. He said Burien hopes to move quickly with a yes vote, and annexation could be implemented by April of 2013.

In the last North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meeting on Nov. 1 before final ballots are cast to approve or decline annexation to Burien, City Manager Mike Martin thanked the NHUAC for their support of annexation and responded to claims being made by those against the measure.

“I wanted to acknowledge all the work that has gone into this campaign and as you know, I wouldn’t be standing here unless our council supported this, and I really applaud you for fighting the good fight,” Martin said to the NHUAC board.

“I really applaud you folks for staying to the high ground and this is a very important policy decision and as a public servant I very much regret some of the information that is out there that some people are using to make their decision.”

Before going into anti-annexation claims, Martin said the city is internally preparing for annexation in the event that it passes, including an “extensive task list” of transition talks with King County. He said Burien hopes to move quickly with a yes vote, and annexation could be implemented by April of 2013.

While Stuffed Cakes, the specialty baking company, has been around the community for more than a year, it was just 12 months ago that they moved into a retail space at 9003 35th Ave SW (near 35th and Henderson) and began offering their products for retail sales.

As the West Seattle Herald reported back then, It was an evolutionary step for Donna Lawson and company who have slowly grown the business from custom cakes, to an online presence at www.stuffedcakes.com to the now successful retail outlet.

They celebrated their one year anniversary in retail and their 2nd birthday on Saturday, November 3rd.

Lawson said that surprisingly up to half of their business is now from walk in trade. She also noted that while the business has a large West Seattle following, many of her customers are coming from Bellevue, Issaquah and other neighboring communities. She's typically booked out three to four weeks in advance with custom orders.

An 18-year-old Federal Way teenager, Marshall Herrick, who police say tossed an envelope full of racing fuel onto a bonfire at Alki Beach in June has been charged with three counts of assault. Two other males and one female were injured in the incident and taken to the hospital.

As the West Seattle Herald reported on June 11, students from Federal Way's Thomas Jefferson High School came to Alki Beach to perform a kind of ritual burning of their former homework in a bonfire.

Some witnesses told police that Herrick may have been intoxicated when he sparked the explosion.

Charging documents in the case allege Herrick came to the homework burning party equipped with an apple juice container full of gasoline, a gallon size container of racing fuel, and a small metal can of brake fluid.

When Tom Salle throws a party he does it right. The man behind the soon to open Meat the Live Butcher gathered all his friends and neighbors and brought them to the White Center Eagles Aerie celebrate his imminent opening and benefit the White Center Food Bank Friday Nov. 2.

Salle, who has been facing permitting delays said, "We're shooting for the week of Thanksgiving. I think it will be after the holiday. The Health Department takes two weeks and if we open before I won't have turkeys so I'd be shooting myself in the foot but right after everybody is full of turkey. So, if I open before December I'm good." The store is located at 9432 16th SW.

SLIDESHOW: CLICK THE IMAGE ABOVE OR SEE THE GALLERY BELOW THE STORY

The people from Praise A Lujah Discipleship in Des Moines were there to help serve the food Salle provided including some amazing sausage, stuffing, vegetables, water chestnuts wrapped in bacon, fruit and cheese and others were there handing out unique party treats- chocolate covered bacon.

According to the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration), the Greener Skies proposal passed its Environmental Assessment on Nov.1.

Greener Skies, part of NextGen flight procedures, promises cuts in CO2 emissions, less fuel use and less flights per day by altering flight patterns (including ascents and descents) and using new computer and satellite communications to more efficiently move planes through airspace in and out of SeaTac Airport and Boeing Field.

During the public outreach phase of the environmental assessment residents of certain Seattle neighborhoods, including those along Alki and near the Duwamish Head, worried new flight patterns might mean more airplane noise overhead. The FAA responded that any increase in noise would be “imperceptible.”

To read more on the proposal, visit the NextGen website.

Here is the full FAA announcement:

Update for Nov. 9
King County's Department of Transportation is holding a community meeting on Nov. 15 for more information on the South Park Bridge construction delay. Here are the details:

Please join King County Roads Staff next Thursday, Nov. 15, from 7-8 pm at the South Park Neighborhood Center (8201 10th Ave S) to hear more about the need to shift the South Park Bridge construction schedule to early 2014. At the meeting, we’ll provide an overview of the challenges faced in sinking Pier 3—complete with pictures and a diagram—and set aside time for questions and answers.

Original report on Nov. 2
As first mentioned by Jay Osborne, King County Road Services Manager, at a North Highline community meeting on Nov. 1, completion of the South Park Bridge is being pushed back into "early" 2014 instead of the original September 2013 date.

The delay, according to Osborne, is a result of a construction snag.

Speeding along Fauntleroy Ave. S.W. near Gatewood Elementary School in West Seattle is under the watchful eye of automated school zone cameras as of Nov. 1, according to Seattle Police.

Gatewood is located at 4320 S.W. Myrtle St., and made the short list of four Seattle schools (from an original list of 50) with chronic speeding problems during school hours.

According to Det. Jeff Kappel with SPD, “Last summer, the list of schools was presented to Mayor McGinn. SDOT (Seattle’s Department of Transportation) and ATS (the city contracted vendor) then performed feasibility studies at the locations and determined they were all good candidates for cameras. Each of the school principals were notified of the plans for automated speed enforcement and were all supportive of the cameras.”

SPD is implementing a warning period from Nov. 1 until Nov. 26, where those caught by the camera will be sent a warning in the mail. From Nov. 27 on (the day kids get back from Thanksgiving break), real citations will be sent out at a fixed $189.00, according to Kappel.

By Cassandra Baker

6:46 a.m., October 29. 83rd block of 15th Ave NW

Police responded to reports of a theft of alcohol from a grocery store on the morning of October 29. The responding officer spoke with a loss prevention officer, who stated that he saw the suspect attempt to conceal several bottles of alcohol in the waistband of his pants. The complainant recovered one, but then the suspect moved toward the exit, telling the complainant to come out to his car. The complainant said that the suspect also claimed that he had a gun and threatened to kill him. He did not see a gun on the suspect. The suspect left the scene and was not located in the area. No video surveillance footage of the incident was available.

6:59 p.m., October 27. 73rd block of 14th Ave NW

You might start seeing White Center Food Bank “Milk Money” containers around the community as of late, and the WCFB is hoping people will fill them up with change (or bills if you are so inclined) to help provide fresh milk to their clients.

If you would like to pick up a carton to bring to your work, church or family home, contact Ann Kendall at ann[at]whitecenterfoodbank.org.

According to WCFB, “All funds collected in the milk banks will be used to keep fresh milk available for our clients; milk is not an item that is donated so we must purchase it. (We) are committed to providing healthy, fresh foods to our clients and Milk Money will help us a great deal.”

Once the containers are full, you can either drop them off at the food bank (10829 8th Ave S.W. on weekdays from 9 to 5) or call 206-762-2848 to arrange a pick-up.