This afternoon at 2 pm, the City Council’s Public Safety, Civil Rights, and Technology Committee, chaired by Councilmember Bruce Harrell, looks at a high-tech solution to a recurring problem: How to tell when reports of gunshots are really gunshots – and how to find out about gunfire if no one reports it. The committee will see a presentation for a system called ShotSpotter, which involves acoustic sensors – a media advisory for today’s meeting summarizes it this way:
How will the Automated Gunfire Locating System work? When gunfire occurs outdoors, acoustic sensors will activate instantly and software will triangulate and identify the exact location of the gunfire. A gunfire and acoustic expert analyzes and validates the audio data and routes the alert to the police dispatch center. Within minutes, the police will receive critical information and arrive at the exact location of the gunfire knowing how many shots were fired, the original shooter’s position, speed and direction of travel (if shooter moved) and exact time of gunfire.
The company’s PowerPoint is online as part of the committee agenda, so we took a look, and noticed the map above – labeling part of West Seattle as an area recommended for the sensors, because it’s one of three areas in the city that together represent 55 percent of the shots/shootings/weapons calls (the West Seattle area mentioned is described as representing 8 percent of the calls), while only comprising 18 percent of the city’s acreage. Today’s meeting is a briefing – no specific proposal is up for a vote; too soon for that, and note that the slide deck says the cost of this is $40,000-$60,000/square mile annually – but if you’re interested in watching, Seattle Channel will have it live, on cable 21 and online at seattlechannel.org.
(PHOTO UPDATE: Dr. Biden with SSCC president Gary Oertli; photo by Nick Adams for WSB) FIRST REPORT, 4:01 PM: As noted here this morning, Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden are in Seattle this afternoon/evening for events – he’s headlining a fundraiser downtown for U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell; she’s participating in an education roundtable hosted by South Seattle Community College at their Boeing Field aviation facility. That’s why you’re seeing helicopter(s) over eastern West Seattle (thanks for the texts). And the motorcade is temporarily closing I-5 – you can expect that in the other direction around 7 pm, according to SPD.
4:28 PM UPDATE: The event with Dr. Biden is under way; we’ve substituted a new photo atop this update. More coverage to come!
6:59 PM UPDATE: One more round of eastbound bridge backup as the vice president heads back to the airport (thanks to Neil for the photo). We’ll have a separate story with more on the SSCC-hosted event in a bit.
You might remember that video from 2009 – WSDOT’s version of how a big quake could bring down the Alaskan Way Viaduct and the downtown Seattle seawall. The Viaduct’s fate has since been settled, but the seawall’s has not …till now. Months after that video went public, not long after taking office in early 2010, Mayor McGinn proposed a $241 million property-tax levy to pay most of the cost of replacing the Elliott Bay seawall (we covered the announcement downtown). That proposal died. Now a new one is expected to go to Seattle voters in November – a $290 million bond measure that got preliminary City Council approval today (here’s the news release), with final approval expected next week. That’s not the full cost – the news release says the city’s already set aside $30 million, and the county would chip in $30 million more. One more number: If your house is worth $360,000, the city says the new seawall will cost you $59 a year. If the current schedule proceeds, it would be done by 2016 – when the tunnel’s supposed to be done, too.
The August 7th election is five weeks from tomorrow – including not only the primary, but also two local levies (Seattle libraries and the King County youth justice/family law center) and we have just learned that, for those who would rather not put their ballots in the mail, there WILL be some ballot-dropoff service in West Seattle for the first time since 2009.
We checked with King County Elections after hearing that Burien had received a new dropbox and wondering if West Seattle and/or White Center would get one too. Kim Van Ekstrom‘s reply: No, BUT: “A new temporary service for returning your ballot will be added for the 2012 fall elections. We will employ 3 vans that will park in temporary locations. The vans will be parked and staffed by people accepting ballots at the following locations, on the following dates and times: Friday, Saturday, and Monday prior to Election Day 10 am – 5 pm, and on Election Day, 7 am – 8 pm.” West Seattle Stadium is one of the three dropoff-van locations.
If you’re interested in where else you will find either accessible-voting service or ballot dropoffs around King County, here’s an advance look at all of that information, which Van Ekstrom says will be updated soon on the Elections website:Read More
You’ve probably heard already that the U.S. Supreme Court upheld most of of President Obama’s health-care law (here’s what it means for our state). The first West Seattle politician to comment is King County Executive Dow Constantine – his statement, ahead (10:25 AM UPDATE – we also have heard from West Seattle’s State Rep. Eileen Cody and County Councilmember Joe McDermott, and are adding their statements after Constantine’s):Read More
This Thursday, Seattle City Council President Sally Clark is the guest speaker at the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce‘s monthly lunch – and you don’t have to be a member to attend, Chamber president Dave Montoure reminds us. So he’s issuing an invitation to anybody interested – not just to come listen, but to ask questions during the Q/A section of lunch. Want to ask about development? Job creation? Transportation? Or? Be at The Kenney (WSB sponsor; 7125 Fauntleroy Way SW), 11:30 am-1 pm this Thursday. If you’re a Chamber member, the cost for lunch is $25; if not, $35, and everyone has to RSVP – you can do it online or call the Chamber office at 206-932-5685.
If an ad that just appeared on Craigslist in Seattle is for real, someone appears to be planning a political protest of sorts during this year’s Seafair Pirates Landing, coming up July 7th on Alki. Thanks to Diane for spotting the ad; it offers T-shirts (“sure to be a collectors item”) and $20 to each of up to 125 people who will be hired for: “Holding a sign and/or passing out info sheets requesting that the laws of the state of Washington and the City of Seattle should apply to all.” The ad also says organizers are “expecting national TV coverage.” We’ve sent a note to the blind-box address in the ad, which also includes an ad for a mail drop in Lake City. While we continue poking around for clues and awaiting a possible reply, thought we would throw it out to you – know what this is about? If you don’t want to leave a comment, you’re also welcome to e-mail editor@westseattleblog.com.
(Photo by WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand)
34th District State Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon had ample reason to smile tonight. Not only did other local political leaders including King County Executive Dow Constantine turn out for his re-election campaign kickoff at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center tonight, Rep. Fitzgibbon, a Burien Democrat, is running unopposed, since no one else filed for the position. (Our area’s senior State Rep. Eileen Cody does have an opponent this time around, Vashon Democrat William Giammarese; the primary this year is August 7th, and the general election is November 6th.)
The U.S. Supreme Court will uphold President Obama’s health-care plan, 6-3. That prediction today from U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott during a “Coffee with Your Congressman” Q/A session attended by more than 50 people at Dubsea Coffee in White Center’s Greenbridge neighborhood. Rep. McDermott wore a White Center Spring Clean T-shirt in honor of the big event that’s keeping hundreds of volunteers busy in WC right now, including some at Greenbridge Plaza right outside Dubsea. Other topics included the foreclosure crisis, the upcoming presidential election – the president “should be stronger,” Rep. McDermott said, while adding that he has in many aspects been “a very good president.” The congressmember is up for re-election this fall too. We’ll add more toplines plus video of the entire hourlong event later; he had a similar event at West Seattle’s C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor) a year ago.
3:25 PM: Video added. Audio quality fluctuates since this event was in a busy working coffeehouse and Rep. McDermott roved a bit.
A high-ranking guest helped wrap up South Seattle Community College‘s Civics Week today, a week focused on both student-government elections and participation in the larger political/civic scene. U.S. Senator Patty Murray came to the West Seattle campus this morning – her second appearance there in 7 months (here’s our report from last October) – for a rally about the fight in D.C. over raising interest on student loans. In our 14-minute video of today’s speeches, you hear from SSCC president Gary Oertli, former SSCC president and current system chancellor Jill Wakefield, United Student Association president Dante Obcena, USA VP & legislative liaison Tysen Hillquist, before a few minutes by the senator:
Sen. Murray has long been active on veterans’ issues as well, as college president Oertli noted in his introduction. After the speech, Sen. Murray talked with local activist and U.S. Army veteran Dorsol Plants:
As you heard the senator say if you viewed the video, the bill to keep student-loan rates from rising sharply is currently tied up in a Republicans vs. Democrats fight, with the former trying to keep it from coming up for a vote.
Much of the time, you don’t find out much about an initiative till signature gatherers show up on corners and outside businesses, asking you to take a look and consider signing. The group behind proposed Seattle Initiative 103 – meant as a counter to the so-called “corporate personhood” ruling – is organizing meetups in neighborhoods around the city, and sent word of one set for May 21st in West Seattle – read on:Read More
Though we’re still three months away from the primary election, six months away from the general, it was endorsement time tonight at the monthly meeting of the 34th District Democrats, our area’s biggest political group. We recorded the meeting on video and will add that here later, for those interested; if you just want to cut to the chase, read on for the list of who won what, including the group’s vote not to endorse the only West Seattleite running for statewide office:Read More
Mayor McGinn has just wrapped up a two-hour visit to West Seattle, starting with a walking tour that began at Mountain to Sound Outfitters in The Triangle…
… and then moving on to an hour-long Town Hall Q/A session at the Senior Center of West Seattle. We’ll be adding more photos, but first, here’s our as-it-happened highlights from the Q and A:
QUESTION: Dick Hurley said he’s lived in West Seattle more than 30 years and sees lots of transportation expenditures “while my alley has fallen apart – it’s so bad that cars will bottom out, just in my alley.” He wondered why Local Improvement Districts to fix things like that are no longer available.
MAYOR: “It’s news to me … I’ve always thought we should make it easier to form those, because if people want to tax themselves, we should make it easier to form one.” He talked about his history in the Greenwood neighborhood and getting sidewalks put in to alleviate pedestrian challenges. He went on to acknowledge that the city has been neglecting road problems, though he is “blowing away pothole records set by previous administrations” – though he would just as soon not have the potholes there in need of filling. And he wishes he could find more funding for street and right-of-way improvements/repairs: “That’s what makes this special down here, how it feels on the street.”
QUESTION: From Sam with Standup America: “I spoke to you at another town hall last week about the salary gap” – he meant the mayor’s salary: “You’re talking about money you can’t get for roadways, but you’re giving yourself an annual increase … Why do you think it’s right that your income continually grows while (others’ income doesn’t)?” An audience member asks where Sam lives; “Capitol Hill” he replies.
Much more ahead, including news of a major paving project for Delridge Way:Read More
We KNOW you have something to say about how the city should spend its money. So even though none of these meetings is in West Seattle, we’re sharing the heads-up about a three-meeting invite from the City Council for the first round of community conversation in the process of hashing out the next budget:
Join the Seattle City Council for one of three conversations in May about the City budget and community priorities. Participants will engage City Councilmembers and neighbors in conversation centered on five thought-provoking questions about the future of our City.
North Seattle
Monday, May 7, 2012, 6 – 7:30 p.m.
North Seattle Community College, 9600 College Way North, College Center, Room 1161
Central Seattle
Monday, May 14, 2012, 6 – 7:30 p.m.
Seattle Central Community College, 1701 Broadway, Broadway Edison Building, Room BE1110
South Seattle
Monday, May 21, 2012, 6 – 7:30 p.m.
New Holly Gathering Hall, 7054 32nd Ave South
He was here last month for a Town Hall at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (WSB coverage here), and now Mayor McGinn is returning to West Seattle for another one in two weeks, according to an e-mail announcement this afternoon. It invites anyone interested in Q/A with the mayor to come to the Senior Center of West Seattle, 5-6 pm Thursday, May 3rd.
Of all the volunteers who helped make this afternoon’s Democratic precinct caucuses happen around West Seattle and beyond, they might have had the best job – hanging out in the sunshine to help people find their way into the Chief Sealth International High School Galleria. Inside, it was a little lonely – one woman asked the check-in-table volunteers, “Am I the only one?” She wasn’t the only one there – we counted more than 30 before the caucusing officially began at 1:30 pm – but she might have been the only one from her precinct. Each precinct had a table, and some tables were empty. But that made it a convivial gathering – Chris Porter rallied everyone around as he read the introduction and rules:
As is usual for caucuses, this was the first step in a process that could lead a determined delegate all the way to the Democratic National Convention in September in Charlottesville. Unlike 2008, when the caucuses were packed because the party hadn’t settled on its nominee yet – today was more about trying to rally the party to look ahead to November, including a pitch for support, monetary and volunteer. “What a difference four years makes,” someone observed, looking around. The bright side of low turnout: High odds of getting elected as a delegate; Porter extolled the virtues of moving on to higher-level caucuses and making an impact on the party platform.
Most balloon-festooned tables had lively conversations going on – the official business part of the caucus was scheduled to “start no sooner than 1:30, and end no sooner than 2:00,” per the rules. 34th District Democrats chair Tim Nuse was circulating; former State House candidate Mike Heavey told us he had counted about 100 people on hand, and our informal count tended to agree. And while at Sealth, we’d seen just one candidate sign – for President Obama – as well as an advocacy table (for marriage equality), WSHS had campaign signs galore, not just Obama/Biden, but also for governor candidate Jay Inslee and U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott. WSHS also is where West Seattle Republicans caucused on a gray day six weeks ago (WSB coverage here), with a packed house, but that was their sole spot for the entire peninsula (today the D’s also caucused at Madison Middle School, West Seattle Elementary, and Highland Park Elementary). Next step for the Dems: The district caucuses on April 28th.
“If someone [still] doesn’t know the caucuses are happening, we can’t help them at this point,” said 34th District Democrats chair Tim Nuse at Wednesday night’s monthly meeting, mentioning an awareness-raising campaign that he said has included 7,000 door-knocks, thousands of phone calls (including 10,000 robocalls Wednesday with a message from King County Executive Dow Constantine), and paid ads (including one here on WSB).
That would be the Democratic precinct caucuses – happening this Sunday at 1 pm at locations all around the district (if you’re a Democrat, find your location here). Even though the presidential candidate is not up for debate, the 34th DDs say there is much to talk about and many reasons to attend yours. But after that pep talk, last night’s meeting at The Hall at Fauntleroy moved on to many ways of looking ahead to August and November, including a surprise speech by our area’s Congressmmember, and three mini-campaign-forums – we’ve got them all on video, ahead:Read More
If you missed the mentions before – yes, Democrats are caucusing in our state, even though, as the 34th District Democrats‘ website puts it, “there is no mystery as to who our candidate will be.” The 34th DDs’ website explains why. Next Sunday (April 15th) is the day, 1 pm the time, multiple gathering places; if you are a Democrat, you can find yours by using this lookup. (Here’s our coverage of the local Republican caucuses last month.)
This wasn’t in our morning roundup but in case it’s a subject about which you’re passionate – a reminder that the Seattle City Council‘s public hearing on the proposed Seattle Public Library levy is tonight, City Hall downtown, 5:30 pm (they’re taking signups starting at 5). Lots more info here. If finalized, the levy to raise $17 million a year would go to voters this August. If you can’t make it to the hearing, you’ll be able to watch it live via Seattle Channel, cable 21 or online.
At right with Democratic governor candidate Rep. Jay Inslee are, left, Farhiya Mohamed, and at right, Shukri Olow, High Point community builder – Shukri put together tonight’s forum at High Point Community Center, during which he spoke to and with an audience of more than 50 people. Their questions touched on topics from health care to jobs and beyond; we recorded the forum on video and will add it to this story once it’s ready here it is. (added 12:39 am)
The sponsoring High Point Neighborhood Association invited Republican candidate Attorney General Rob McKenna as well, but says he told them he could not attend. (He sent a representative.)
ORIGINAL 6:28 PM REPORT:Mayor McGinn has arrived, community organizations and city departments have been tabling for almost an hour, and the Town Hall is about to begin at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, with a performance by the Vicious Puppies Crew breakdancers. Seattle Channel is here to webcast the event, so we’ll put up their code in a minute so you can watch even if you’re not near a Channel 21-equipped TV. More shortly.
6:33 PM UPDATE: Here’s the code:
(this is where the live video was, during the event)
6:46 PM UPDATE: The mayor has started speaking – so the feed should be live – click the “play” button to watch.
(Substituted early Wednesday: Here’s our video, from the mayor’s first word to his last:)
8:18 PM UPDATE: The town hall is over. Topics ranged from arts funding to traffic/transportation challenges to the DESC Delridge project, and more.
ADDED 9:23 PM: Video clip above – that’s the VPC performance in its entirety. Text toplines to come.
ADDED WEDNESDAY MORNING: The aforementioned toplines:Read More
By our count, there are about two dozen people participating in the Occupy West Seattle rally in The Junction. Police are there too – including Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Steve Paulsen. Our crew at the scene says it’s gone as the group had said it would – they walked from KeyBank to Chase, and are now on the California/Oregon corner.
The announced 4 pm start time of the rally coincided with a blast of snow and hail.
ADDED: Our video from the event, and a few more photos:Read More
Local filmmakers made that video clip (featuring actors from the West Seattleites-featuring “The Collectibles“) to educate you, entertain you, and inspire you to give them a hand. Not the applause kind – the making-a-call or writing-e-mail kind. ASAP. They’re trying to save their industry from an unhappy ending.
As West Seattleite Todd Downing explains, SB 5539 – regarding incentives for the film industry in our state – is hung up in the State Legislature. The State Senate has passed it (including a “yes” vote from our area’s Sen. Sharon Nelson) but it hasn’t come to a vote in the State House, and it might fade to black if that doesn’t happen by Thursday. A phone call or note from you might help it get there. Todd elaborates:
Just about every state in the US has a film industry tax incentive program to entice productions to the state, and local areas within the state. Washington’s program is about mid-range in comparison to other states. What it does is refund a certain percentage of a production’s expenditures based on budget level and local talent/crew hired.
As we are sandwiched between Oregon and BC, both of which having superior incentive programs, much of our talent and skilled crew end up leaving the WA film community for jobs in Portland or Vancouver. Our existing incentive program is the baseline that we must build on to create more jobs for skilled crew and support personnel, as well as keeping performance talent in the state … Anyway, the numbers are pretty overwhelmingly in favor of continuing the current incentives by a huge margin of return per dollars spent.
Want to give SB 5539 a boost? We noticed on the Legislature’s website that it’s scheduled for a public hearing in Olympia at 10 this morning, before the House Ways and Means Committee (whose members include West Seattle State House Rep. Eileen Cody). You might not be able to get there, but you can call the legislative hotline at 1-800-562-6000, and e-mail/call Rep. Cody to urge that she support getting the bill to a vote.
The August 7th election is five weeks from tomorrow – including not only the primary, but also two local levies (
This Thursday, 
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