West Seattle, Washington
06 Sunday
If you’re still making up your mind in this year’s race for Seattle mayor – plenty of time, since the primary’s not until August – tomorrow’s your first chance to see all the candidates together. West Seattle’s 34th District Democrats say all Seattle mayoral candidates (listed on the right side of the city-elections page) are confirmed for the Super South Seattle Mayor’s Forum that they’re presenting Monday night with two other Democratic groups, first announced two months ago. Tomorrow night’s event is at the Georgetown campus (6737 Corson Ave. S.; here’s a map) of South Seattle Community College (WSB sponsor), starting with social time at 6 pm, and the forum at 6:30. (Want to send in a question in advance? You can do that here.)
(Photo courtesy ‘Keep King County Moving’ Coalition)
Following up on our Monday report about transportation-funding proposals approved by the House Transportation Committee, two notes:
First – as promised, the “Keep King County Moving” coalition of political and organizational leaders hit the road for Olympia this morning to urge approval of the package. Among them were two West Seattleites seen in the photo above – County Executive Dow Constantine and County Councilmember Joe McDermott.
Second – a little more information on part of the proposal that sparked some discussion among WSB commenters following our Monday story. It would include funding to “split” Metro RapidRide Lines C and D – which currently are really one line going between West Seattle and Ballard. We asked the King County Department of Transportation if any more details were available, and spokesperson Rochelle Ogershok replied today:
This is a proposal for capital improvements. It calls for $15 million to split the RapidRide C and D lines to improve reliability and provide additional direct service to growing job centers in the South Lake Union and SODO neighborhoods.
The approach under consideration would have the C Line running between West Seattle and South Lake Union. The D Line would operate between Ballard and SODO. There is no specific routing sketched out at this point – that is something we would want to work with businesses and the city on if this legislation passes. Also, this proposal does not include added service hours or bus terminal/transit center space in South Lake Union that would be required to support these changes so this concept would need to be part of a broader legislative package that includes sufficient operating revenues.
Again, the bills are HB 1954 and HB 1955. 34th District State Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon says the next move is up to the Rules Committee.
From Olympia: 34th District House Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon – who is on the House Transportation Committee – says the committee passed a package of transportation-funding bills today, and tells WSB he “was able to help amend the bill to add some projects of local significance.” Keep in mind, this isn’t anywhere near final approval, but right now, here’s some of what he says the bills now contain:
*$125,000 for safety improvements at the notorious 47th & Admiral intersection.
*$500,000 for safety improvements on the West Seattle Bridge bike trail
*$33 million for improvements to Metro Route 120
*$15 million to split RapidRide C and RapidRide D – this will significantly improve reliability on both routes and add a new bus connection between West Seattle and South Lake Union
*Authorization for King County to seek the full 1.5% motor vehicle excise tax for transit (60%) and local roads (40%), subject to voter approval. This will enable Metro to maintain current levels of service.
That last one is related to the dire dollar situation outlined by Metro Transit general manager Kevin Desmond at his media briefing three weeks ago (WSB coverage here). Regarding the biggest proposal on the list, Route 120 improvements, Rep. Fitzgibbon says the money is proposed to “leverage nearly completed speed and reliability enhancements supported by the State Regional Mobility Grant Program to serve a rapidly growing ridership base of over 8,000 daily riders. Implementing RapidRide in the corridor would provide additional enhancements such as real-time information and off-board fare payment. An investment of service hours would be required to get to frequency levels of 10 minutes or better in the high commute times and 15 minutes all day.” We’re still waiting for all the fine print on today’s action to appear online; the bills involved are HB 1954 and 1955, according to Rep. Fitzgibbon, who says their next stop is the Rules Committee.
ADDED 4:02 PM: A group of local politicians and advocates is planning to head to Olympia tomorrow morning to lobby for this to make it the rest of the way through the Legislature. They’re planning a 10:30 am media briefing; County Executive Dow Constantine and City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw are among them.
Thanks to 34th District Democrats webmaster Bill Schrier for the photo from Wednesday night’s meeting, during a presentation on the proposal for electing some Seattle City Councilmembers by district. At left is James Bush, a supporter; next to him, former Councilmember Jim Street, an opponent; at right, 34th member Susan Harmon asking a question. The group did not take a position on the proposal – its endorsement meeting is coming up in June. Schrier’s full recap of the meeting, including resolutions that were approved, is on the 34th DDs’ home page. His live Twitter stream, with quick updates as the meeting unfolded, can be seen here. Next month, on May 8th, the group plans a candidates’ forum for everything on the primary ballot except Seattle mayor, since the 34th is co-sponsoring an April 29th forum in Georgetown.
West Seattle resident Kendall Jones sends word from Olympia that he is reporting live today for his site Washington Beer Blog, as the Legislature looks at Gov. Inslee‘s proposal to raise education money by extending a tax on brewers, and applying it to small breweries as well as large ones. He says there are two West Seattle angles to this – one, tax opponents are asking 34th District Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon for help; two, one of the small breweries leading the fight in Olympia today is West Seattleite-owned Schooner Exact. You can read Kendall’s ongoing report here.
That projection of a future bioswale/raingarden-added Westwood/Sunrise Heights block comes from a slide deck that will be shown to the Seattle City Council‘s Transportation Committee next Tuesday morning (April 9). This “green stormwater infrastructure” plan to reduce combined-sewer overflows at the Barton Pump Station is a county project, but it’s happening in city-owned right-of-way, such as the planting strip in the rendering, so the committee will be asked to give “conceptual approval” to the project. Public comment is on the agenda before the meeting’s business/action items including this one; the meeting is at 9:30 am Tuesday (April 9) in City Council chambers at City Hall downtown.
P.S. The latest project update on the county website identifies 15 blocks for construction of 93 bioswales and 15 underground drains, with four more to be monitored for possible later addition. Most are in the north part of the project area:
Construction is scheduled to start next year.
As the question of what will happen to the encampment that calls itself “Nickelsville,” its residents, and the government-owned site it’s on comes to a head, the nonprofit that wants to build a new facility on the site is asking for public support. Food Lifeline has been waiting to hear from city leaders whether they will help facilitate the purchase and ensuing project, or not; Mayor McGinn‘s office told WSB last week that they expected a report from the city’s finance office by mid-April. Food Lifeline spokesperson Amy Lee Derenthal says this is the “call to action” they are circulating among those interested in supporting their proposal:
Help Food Lifeline secure their chosen piece of land for the Hunger Relief Center.
Your voice in support of Food Lifeline being able to secure its parcel of land is critical to expediting the procedure. Reach out to the Seattle City Council today and let them know that you want them to declare the 10-acre site on West Marginal Way in Seattle surplus, and sell the land to Food Lifeline. The City’s plan for the property is a future storage site. Please call or email the Seattle City Council in support of Food Lifeline today.
Here is sample language for you to use when you call or e-mail the Seattle City Council:
“Food Lifeline distributes millions of pounds of food each year to help end hunger in Western Washington. Help Food Lifeline secure their piece of land to build the Hunger Relief Center by expediting the procedure for land purchase. As my representative on the Seattle City Council, I urge you to declare the 10-acre site on West Marginal Way in Seattle surplus, and sell the land to Food Lifeline NOW.
Thank you for your support of Food Lifeline.
Your Name Here”
Contact information for the council, whether collectively or individually, for this issue or any other, is on this page.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Three years ago, Highland Park Action Committee marked the end of a two-year fight against a proposal to build, in their neighborhood, a city jail that ultimately turned out to be – as they had pointed out all along – unnecessary.
In the fight’s first year, 2008, the proposed jail site on city- and state-owned property at West Marginal Way and Highland Park Way was briefly occupied by a homeless encampment calling itself Nickelsville, until then-Mayor Greg Nickels ordered it evicted.
In May 2011, Nickelsville returned, and Nickels’ successor, Mayor Mike McGinn, said it could stay.
For months, the encampment was not an issue for the Highland Park community. But now, after Nickelsville declared itself to be in dangerous straits, as reported here Sunday, they’re on the brink of marshaling for another intensive fight.
That was the upshot of last night’s HPAC meeting – from which we reported live via Twitter – and of a letter that HPAC has sent to city leadership. And there is another letter involved – this morning, we received one from Nickelsville’s “Central Committee,” with its side of an incident we reported in last Sunday’s story, as well as their declaration that things are improving.
More on the major new developments, ahead:
(With the mayor at 47th/Admiral, Alki Mail’s Don Wahl at left, Karl de Jong at center)
From transportation to development to education, Mayor McGinn‘s one-hour-plus visit to Admiral today, organized by the Admiral Neighborhood Association, touched on most of the hottest topics in town. No big promises, but during the finale of the visit, a sitdown conversation with attendees who had followed him to Alki Mail and Dispatch, he promised to take another look at the status of the longstanding request for a signal light right outside, at the 47th/Admiral intersection where Tatsuo Nakata was killed more than six years ago. Jerry Whiting from Jet City Orange video’d the group crossing the road:
The tour started on the California SW side of Admiral Safeway, with initial remarks by both the mayor and ANA president David Whiting as well as development discussions – including concerns about the proposed 400-foot-long apartment building at 3210 California SW, which goes to Design Review next month:
Next stop, the Lafayette Elementary playground, where Sean Reynolds explained the proposal for Phase 3 of playground (and vicinity) improvements that have been years in the making:
As you can hear Reynolds explaining to the mayor, the project has not made the draft cut for the Parks and Green Spaces Levy Opportunity Fund; the mayor suggested the next Parks Levy (being readied for 2014, according to what City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw told the Delridge District Council this week) might be worth aiming for.
The tour proceeded westbound through residential neighborhoods and made two stops – first, to talk about bikeability in the area, with ANA president Whiting yielding the floor to Don Brubeck of West Seattle Bike Connections formed after, as ANA’s Whiting prefaced, it was noted that West Seattleites hadn’t been providing much input for the revision of the city’s Bicycle Master Plan:
Not too far west of there, the group paused for another development topic – the changing face of neighborhoods, with old houses coming down, and big ones, sometimes more than one per lot, going up:
And then it was on to the 47th/Admiral intersection, where ANA has been trying to get a stoplight, but has been told both that it’s very low on the SDOT priority list – and that it should try for an SDOT grant. Toward the end of the subsequent roundtable discussion inside Alki Mail’s coffee-shop area, ANA past president Katy Walum (who helped lead a demonstration/tribute at the site in November 2011) eloquently made the case. You can hear her at 11:41 into this next clip, after other issues – starting with the recent cuts in bus service, and continuing with a question about West Seattle and light rail:
The conversation continued past the scheduled 2 pm cutoff, and as the mayor acknowledged, it could easily have run much longer, but he was past due at his second West Seattle stop of the afternoon, Southwest Pool (WSB coverage here).
Meantime, as the mayor (a former neighborhood-council leader) said more than once during the tour, getting involved with your neighborhood council is the best way to have a say in what’s happening and what’s being planned; if you live or work in the Admiral area, ANA meets the second Tuesday of each month, usually at 7 pm in the lower-level meeting room of Admiral Congregational Church (California/Hill).
At the Admiral Neighborhood Association‘s past few meetings, they’ve talked about plans to get Mayor McGinn to The Admiral District for a walking tour – and it’s finally set. This Saturday afternoon, a delegation including ANA president David Whiting plans to take him from Admiral Safeway to Alki Mail and Dispatch in the span of an hour or so, starting at 1 pm, with issues to be discussed including development and safety.
In recent months, City Council President Sally Clark and Councilmember Nick Licata have made the rounds of neighborhood meetings to talk about the proposed city zoning restrictions for marijuana growing/selling/etc. (Here’s our video of Clark’s briefing at the Southwest District Council last November.) Today, the city has announced 2 pm April 24 as a City Council committee’s public-hearing date for its proposals – here’s the notice that just arrived with the biweekly Land Use Information Bulletin. You can read the newest revision of the proposed ordinance (dated two days ago) by going here, and/or reading the summary here; one topline for potential West Seattle effects – it would limit marijuana business/growing activity in single-family and multi-family residential zones, and in Neighborhood Commercial 1 zones. The city also created an “informal” map earlier this year with an overlay of proposed city and state rules. Today’s hearing notice also explains how to comment in writing if you can’t be there in person.
Tonight, the first big Election 2013 event in West Seattle – King County Executive Dow Constantine‘s re-election campaign kickoff filled The Hall at Fauntleroy, where he kicked off his State House campaign 17 years ago. He was introduced by County Councilmembers Larry Gossett and Joe McDermott (Constantine starts speaking about 7 minutes into the video):
We’ll add a few more photos later. This year’s primary is August 6th, and the general election is November 5th.
ADDED: Some other sightings from the event – and what public records show about who’s running:
Just announced by the 34th District Democrats: They’re co-sponsoring the “Super South Seattle Mayor’s Forum” with their counterparts in the 11th and 37th Legislative Districts – a chance to hear from candidates in the Seattle mayor’s race, which has eight candidates at last count (all listed and linked on the right side of the city-elections page). Details to come, they promise, but for now, mark your calendar – and/or RSVP via the Facebook event page – for 6 pm Monday, April 29th, at the Georgetown campus of South Seattle Community College (WSB sponsor).
This summer, you might be asked to vote for a new King County Parks levy, if the County Council agrees with a recommendation from the County Executive. Here are details on the levy that the county says would cost you $64/year if you have a home worth $340,000:
Acting upon recommendations from a citizen task force, King County Executive Dow Constantine today sent the King County Council a proposed a six-year, $360 million Parks Levy for the August primary that would enable voters to replace two parks levies that will expire at the end of this year.
“This measure is essential to taking care of the extraordinary network of parks and trails our parents and grandparents have left us, and keeping them clean, safe and open,” said Executive Constantine.
“Preserving our last, best places has been a priority for this region for several decades,” he added. “This measure would help us protect areas nearly the size of Discovery Park every year for the next six years.”
If approved by voters, the measure would fund maintenance and operation of King County’s 200 parks, 175 miles of regional trails, and 26,000 acres of open space. It would also:
Four years ago, our area’s State Sen. Sharon Nelson (D-Maury Island) was hailed for successfully pushing payday-lending reform. Today, she issued a statement warning that a new bill, SB 5312, passed by the Senate, could bring back that type of high-interest loan:
The new payday-lending scheme that passed off the Senate floor today will ensure that middle class families and military personnel can once again be trapped in a spiral of debt.
In 2009, we passed payday lending reform. It put safeguards on a predatory lending product, allowing borrowers to make reasonable payments and not end up buried in high-interest loans.
But the payday industry is back, marketing this new consumer installment loan as having a ‘36 percent interest rate.’ In reality, these loans include massive fees and penalties that take the rate as high as 220 percent. As a former banker, I’m confident that if a money lender can’t make a profit at 45 percent interest, as allowed in existing law, they have a failed business model.
As a legislator, I am shocked that a majority of my colleagues in the Senate voted to sidestep effective protections for Washington families and instead put high-interest lenders back in charge of people’s lives.
The bill, which you can read in its entirety here, passed the State Senate 30-18 today. Its companion House Bill 1657 is still in committee.
(TOPLINE: Public discussion promised – starting with Alki Community Council board meeting Thursday night; scroll to end of story)
2:05 PM: We’re at City Hall for the City Council’s Public Safety, Civil Rights, and Technology Committee briefing/discussion on the Seattle Police surveillance-camera/”wireless mesh” network first brought to light here three weeks ago (archived coverage here). In advance of the meeting, which is about to begin, two documents were added to the agenda today, one including more background detail on the federal-grant-funded $5 million project. Here’s here’s the background document; here’s the PowerPoint intended to illustrate a few of its points. The meeting is just getting under way. You can watch live here – or here:
(Editor’s note: The archived video from the meeting is now embedded above)
First – public comment. First up: A woman who says she wants to share “lessons we have learned” using security cameras in the International District. She says that the cameras installed there (part of a private network) have helped bolster safety and security in the area and provided evidence that will stand up in court. She says they only show the street in front of whatever building they’re installed at. The second speaker says she is a former Alki resident now living on Magnolia, and she is concerned about terrorist attacks via water. She is in favor of 24/7 surveillance and thinks “it’s a miracle” there hasn’t been a terrorist attack yet.
Third speaker from Stand Up America says that he is concerned about terrorists – “the terrorists sitting at (the council) table.” He accuses the government of terrorism and “ridiculous behavior.” He adds, basically shouting, “You guys are eroding our civil rights … don’t stand against the people, stand up for the people.” Councilmember Harrell has accused him of a “showboating tactic” after the speaker called him “a criminal.” Fourth speaker also has a red “Stand Up America” sign and identifies himself as an immigrant from the former Soviet Union who also is concerned about government oppression.
Fifth speaker – Jennifer Shaw, deputy director of the ACLU, which has already asked the city to reconsider these cameras, and makes it clear their concern is government surveillance – “government keeping track of the movements of individuals throughout our city.” She says the recent drone controversy was evidence that people in Seattle are not happy about having surveillance “thrust on them.” She refers to the fact that a city official (as noted in our early coverage) has been quoted as saying this is a potential step toward a citywide camera network, not just focused on waterways. Sixth speaker is Will Washington, who identifies himself as a Beach Drive resident. “This is a big issue for us,” he says, referring to conversations with neighbors in the Constellation Park area, where one of the cameras is installed. He says everyone is bothered by “the fact this was never brought to our attention … we never had a discussion about this.” He says the sentiment is that it’s a symptom of a growing “police state.” Seventh speaker says she is concerned about “be(ing) fearful of who I’m being watched by” as she is out walking her dog on Alki. She says she speaks for a friend who couldn’t be here but isn’t happy about being watched either. She says that if the cameras “were only meant for port security, they would only be facing the port.” She doesn’t want to feel like she’s being watched by somebody “for some reason or another … every time I walk out of my house.”
Eighth speaker is another Alki beachfront resident who says he lives just down the street from some of the cameras. He wants to talk about history. “Coming from a law enforcement family, I’m disappointed that a choice was made to purchase this technology that breeds complacency on the job.” He says this is the first time he’s spoken at a Council meeting. Ninth speaker is John Loftis, a former vice chair of the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission, and 20-year Alki resident. “It is not a high-crime area … One of the main reasons for this is that Alki is flanked by a high-density residential neighborhood. Most of us seldom close our blinds … and represent hundreds of sets of eyes at any one time.” He says that’s a very effective type of surveillance and “don’t need this type of camera to monitor the beach.” He thinks someone should be embarrassed that one of the cameras is across the street from a popular volleyball and sunbathing spot, and calls it Bikini Cam. “One of these women might have a bomb in her bikini top, I guess.” He says he just hopes his wife does not become “Miss Torso” to someone who can point and zoom the camera.
Tenth speaker is a woman who says she doesn’t want to be seen on camera because she doesn’t want the government “all in my business. … I’m calling you out because you’re wrong.” She says “I came down here to say you’re out of control.”
At 2:32 pm, the briefing begins as SPD and others introduce themselves. Councilmembers sit at a smaller table during committee meetings. Harrell and O’Brien still are the only members here. Councilmember Licata has not arrived (he is due at an unrelated West Seattle meeting tonight, though).
**EDITOR’S NOTE, POST MEETING – IF YOU ARE READING THIS FROM THE HOME PAGE TO GET THE REST OF OUR AS-IT-HAPPENED COVERAGE AT THIS LINK: Read More
(Video from today’s council discussion)
Bottom line to today’s Seattle City Council briefing on possible annexations: While they’re planning to continue to pursue annexing two areas around South Park, now collectively known as “Sliver-Q,” council staffers suggest that even talking about the status of North Highline “Area Y” – including White Center – be put on hold till all that is settled, no sooner than late 2013. Just because Area Y said no to Burien doesn’t mean an automatic “yes” for Seattle, the councilmembers were reminded. Details are on our partner site White Center Now.
That’s one of two maps accompanying the last item on tomorrow morning’s Seattle City Council briefing agenda (9 am, City Hall downtown) – an update on possible annexations, as first reported on partner site White Center Now last week. Seattle leaders have a lot to talk about, since White Center and vicinity (“Area Y” on the map above) voters said no to Burien last November, and the Boundary Review Board rejected a bid for the Duwamish Triangle to be annexed by Tukwila. While it’s expected our city will pursue the Duwamish Triangle and the South Park “sliver by the river,” White Center and vicinity remains a wild card – the city has long had dibs on it but elected officials have repeatedly declared annexation unaffordable, and allowed Burien to pursue it first. There’s still an enticement dangling, but not for long – sales-tax credit to offset the cost of annexation, if it’s in the works by the start of 2015. Will the city pursue big, or small, or not at all? If you can’t be there tomorrow (note that it’s not a vote, just a briefing), you can watch live at 9 am via Seattle Channel (on-air or online).
(AMA photo from last night: Rep. Cody with (at left) Terry Moran of ABC News and AMA Board Chair Steven J. Stack, M.D.)
Congratulations to longtime State Rep. Eileen Cody of West Seattle, who chairs the State House committee overseeing health-care issues and is a nurse by profession – she just received a major award. Here’s the announcement:
The American Medical Association (AMA) honored Washington state Rep. Eileen Cody with the Dr. Nathan Davis Award for Outstanding Government Service, its top award for government service in health care. Rep. Cody was honored with the award last night at the AMA’s National Advocacy Conference in Washington, D.C.
“Rep. Cody has led efforts toward improving health care access for low income individuals and transforming mental health services in Washington state,” said AMA Board Chair Steven J. Stack, M.D. “Her dedication to public health has also earned the state national recognition for its long term health care services and support system.”
5:53 PM: West Seattle/White Center/Vashon (and vicinity) County Councilmember Joe McDermott mentioned on Facebook that he was in Washington, D.C., for the State of the Union; we asked for a photo but didn’t expect to get one, since he also mentioned everyone had to turn in their electronic devices upon entrance. But he managed to e-mail this just before going into the House gallery – a photo with North Sound U.S. House Rep. Rick Larsen and County Executive Dow Constantine, taken by Larsen staffer Bryan Thomas. The president’s speech is set to begin at 6 pm, televised/streamed/broadcast in a multitude of places.
P.S. Speaking of politics, one more reminder – Election Day for the Seattle school levies; the ballot-dropoff van is at West Seattle Stadium, along the driveway between the parking lot and 35th SW, till 8 pm, and we’re expecting the first results (only announcement of the night) around 8:15.
ADDED 10:24 PM: We invited Councilmember McDermott to share thoughts/observations after the State of the Union address:
I flew to Washington DC this afternoon to lobby our federal leaders over the next two days on behalf of King County. As I was in the air Congressman Jim McDermott’s office confirmed that I could attend the State of the Union as his guest.
As political theater it is an inspiring event to witness the President comply with Article II Section 3 of the United States Constitution, but it was personal specifics that spoke to me in the House Chamber tonight.
When President Obama announced the Fix it First program to repair 70,000 structurally deficient bridges across the country, I stood and applauded. Not many in the Gallery jump up — even if members of one or both parties on the floor do. Few others in the Gallery stood for this. But not everyone in the Gallery has had a major bridge in their district close due to safety concerns from age and deterioration. Thankfully the South Park Bridge will open in just about a year but the fact that it closed harming the South Park community and broader economy is a failure. I welcome cooperation with the federal government to prevent that happening to other communities.
The President addressed sequestration and how it will harm people and our economy. This underlines the message I will take to Capitol Hill tomorrow. For instance, I am concerned about the effects of an 8.2% cut to the Women Infants and Children Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (WIC SNAP) in the Farm Bill sequestration. Those cuts alone would affect 3,100 clients in King County.
Having worked on voting and election issues as a state legislator and now supporting the work of King County’s elections Director Sherril Huff, the call to action on voting rights struck a chord with me. That a guest who was in the First Lady’s box this evening waited six hours to vote — regardless of her age — demands to be addressed nationally and in every local community. Our vote by mail program doesn’t mean there aren’t other improvements possible locally.
In the most emotional moment of the evening, President Obama addressed gun safety in the wake of the Newtown shooting. The Chamber fell silent. The President demanded a vote. People rose and applauded the demand. Members chanted “Vote!” The King County Board of Health, which I chair, joined this call last month when we passed a resolution calling for state and federal action and committing to do what little state and federal laws allow local jurisdictions to adopt. Reasonable measures must be taken before even more are lost to gun violence — a public health crisis we can and must address.
Throughout the speech I reflected on how legislators and elected officials — Representatives and Senators in this case, but on any level — need to recommit to achieving the common good for our jurisdictions. In campaigns we can fight, but in governing we must put the fight aside, certainly there will be debate, and then act in the common good. I recommit to this imperative myself.
Within all of this policy and politics, the speech touched me most personally when in the beginning President Obama referred to ensuring equal opportunity for all. In doing so he spoke to who needs to be included and specifically called out that equal opportunity must be available to people regardless of who they love. To hear the President speak to inclusion of my lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community inspires me in how far we have come in equal opportunity. I am renewed in working for equal opportunity for all and encouraged by the state of our union.
If you haven’t mailed or dropped off your ballot for tomorrow’s vote on two Seattle Public Schools levies – time’s running out, since tomorrow night’s the deadline, and the first ballot count will be out in about 23 hours. #1 is the operations levy, which provides what SPS says is about a fourth of its budget. #2 is the fourth edition of the BEX – for Building Excellence – levy, and its proceeds are earmarked for projects including three big ones in West Seattle: Adding onto and reopening Fairmount Park Elementary in fall 2014, building a new elementary school to open on the site of shuttered Genesee Hill in fall 2015, and rebuilding Arbor Heights Elementary – currently scheduled for fall 2018, but as we first reported last month, with the district trying to get a bridge loan to move that up as much as two years. (This Crosscut story is the latest to take a look at Arbor Heights’ state of disrepair and lack of tech, particularly following the recent burglaries.)
There are also district-wide earthquake-safety projects, and technology items such as wireless Internet access. Get your ballot in the mail – remember to use a stamp – or drop it off at the ballot-dropoff van that’ll be at West Seattle Stadium (turn east off 35th SW just south of SW Avalon) 10 am-8 pm tomorrow.
(White House photo added, 5:40 pm)
FIRST REPORT, 12:34 PM: President Obama‘s nomination today of REI president/CEO Sally Jewell to be the next Secretary of the Interior has a double West Seattle link – she has a residence here (thanks to all the WSB’ers who e-mailed to point that out), and REI was founded here. Here are details on the nomination from our partners at The Seattle Times; if confirmed, Jewell – who also has worked in banking and the oil industry – would succeed Ken Salazar, who had announced he would leave Interior next month. Another prominent West Seattleite, King County Executive Dow Constantine, has issued a congratulatory statement:
President Obama has made a wise decision in looking to our deep pool of talent in the Pacific Northwest, and nominating Sally Jewell as our next Secretary of the Interior.
As the leader of an iconic outdoor recreation business, Sally has worked to preserve our natural lands as a board member for the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust and the National Parks Conservation Association.
Her proven business success, and respect for the natural world, give her the background to successfully meet the many challenges of managing our public lands. My congratulations to Sally.
REI has issued a statement, too.
ADDED 9:12 PM: The White House’s video of today’s announcement is now available:
The first person who e-mailed us about the announcement suggested we should pursue an interview; we put in a request with REI, which told us it’s referring all requests to the White House.
In his State of the County address today, King County Executive Dow Constantine included a call for “strategies” to prevent gun violence, pointing out that gun-related deaths outnumber motor-vehicle deaths in the county. Here’s the official news release:
King County Executive Dow Constantine today signed an executive order directing Public Health – Seattle & King County to develop innovative, data-driven local strategies for preventing gun violence in King County.
“Gun violence is a public safety crisis. It is also a public health crisis. Locally, we can approach gun violence as a preventable public health problem,” said Executive Constantine, as part of his 2013 State of the County address. “State and federal law pre-empt our ability to regulate firearms, but that should not stop us from thinking innovatively about what we can do within our own authority.”
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