November 2012

It will be the largest tunnel boring machine ever seen by mankind at 57.5 feet in diameter, 326 feet long and weighing in at 6700 TONS, and it will be put to work right here in Seattle by mid-2013.

In advance of the project to replace the Alaska Way Viaduct with the SR99 Tunnel beneath downtown Seattle, Washington’s Department of Transportation is putting the naming responsibilities in the hands of Puget Sound youth, from kindergarten to 12th grade.

The winner’s name will undoubtedly become part of Seattle’s history.

There are a few guidelines to follow in choosing a name (see below), and entries are due by Tuesday, Nov. 13.

Naming Contest Guidelines (from WSDOT)

Contest deadline: Entries are due by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 13. Your entry must include a TBM name and a 200-word-or-less description of why you chose it.

Three ways to enter:
• Online using the form found here.

"Aloud", a youth theatre residency performance will be presented in West Seattle at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center on November 17th at 4:00 and 7:00 pm. It is a free event but you are asked to RSVP via Brown Paper Tickets. More information can be found here: http://aloudresidency.brownpapertickets.com/

In an informational note the producers said:

I am writing in support of John Urquhart for King County Sheriff. He has spent the last 36 years of his life serving the public as a police officer and has worked in all levels of the Sheriff's Office. Prior to becoming a full-time police officer, he was a successful small business owner with over 60 employees. John's background makes him the best candidate to handle the $160 million budget of the Sheriff's Office.

John retired last year, but was urged to run for Sheriff by individuals up and down the ranks of the Sheriff's Office. Let's be blunt, the Sheriff's Office has received two devastating audits, lost over 100 citizen complaints (including many in our area), failed to properly review officer-involved shootings, and has a $9 million sexual harassment claim against it.

According to Det. Mark Jamieson with the Seattle Police Department, a 16-year-old male and two male cohorts were seen pushing a shopping cart full of flat-screen televisions shortly before midnight on Halloween in Highland Park.

The officer saw the suspects on the 1200 block of S.W. Holden St., and when they saw him they all split into separate directions (leaving the TVs behind). A home burglary had been recently reported on the 7000 block of 12th Ave S.W.

A K-9 unit was brought in to track the suspects, along with a birds-eye view from Guardian One, the King County Sheriff’s Office helicopter, Jamieson wrote.

Near the corner of 13th Ave S.W. and S.W. Webster the 16-year-old was found hiding under a bush, along with several smaller items he was suspected of stealing from the home.

It was determined the TVs all came from the home as well and the suspect was booking into the Youth Services Center for investigation of burglary. His accomplices are still on the loose.

By Brian LeBlanc

Congressman Jim McDermott will be participating in a debate tonight, November 1st, 7 p.m., at the University of Washington (UW), but it will not be with his general election opponent, Republican Ron Bemis.

The “Mind The Gap: 2012 Issues Debate” between conservative talk show host Michael Medved and McDermott is being hosted by the Student Freedom Project at UW. The event is described on their website as a “lively discussion about issues that will directly affect college students and recent graduates.” (http://www.myfreedomfoundation.com/index.php/student_freedom_project/vi…)

The Student Freedom Project is a student arm of the Freedom Foundation, a “non-profit educational research organization” based in Washington State. According to their website, the “Freedom Foundation’s mission is to advance individual liberty, free enterprise, and limited, accountable government.”