Did anyone else who signed opt-out forms get the new DexPlus catalogs today?

This afternoon a white van with three males (one adult driver and two teen delivery boys, all Hispanic) drove through my neighborhood near Pratt Park, depositing white plastic bags carrying several pounds of DexPlus yellow page catalogs at front doors. I watched them fling the bags at my townhouse and the nine other houses around my unit and, as far as I know, at every house around here. When I went out and gave the bag back to the boy, he said “Sorry.” But the bag was at my doorstep later.  

I have filled out every fricking opt-out form, online and in print, asking to be removed from these yellow pages rosters. Hilariously, the new phone books themselves display on their covers this message: “To stop delivery of this or any other directory within the City of Seattle, go to seattle.gov/stopphonebooks.”

The people who drive the vans and who deliver these packages of useless garbage do not know or care about these forms. It makes me feel stupid for thinking the city could do anything about this.

The city’s developing Transit Master Plan (TMP) calls for several priority corridor improvements, including a rapid electric bus line on Madison from Colman Dock downtown to 23rd Ave, according to a presentation to the City Council. A proposed increase in the city’s vehicle license fee (VLF) could provide some funding of the TMP while also funding street repairs and the pedestrian, bicycle and (future) freight master plans.

However, the size of that increase is up in the air. The Transportation Benefits District Board (comprised of all the City Council members) is set to send a proposal to voters today, but it is unclear whether the the Council will request the full $80 allowed (which I argued for over at Seattle Bike Blog) or a lower amount, likely $60. The Board has already instituted a $20 fee, which was the highest they could without voter approval. Any proposed increase in the fee would go to voters in November.

From an SDOT presentation to the City Council

The Transit Master Plan is still being developed, but updates to the City Council show that the plan will call for many city-wide transit improvements, including an electric Bus Rapid Transit line on Madison from Colman Dock downtown to 23rd Ave. In a July update to the City Council, SDOT presented concepts from the Transit Master Plan for several high-priority corridors, including a Streetcar route from downtown to Ballard via Fremont, a streetcar from downtown to the University District and the Madison bus improvements.

A streetcar was deemed unfeasible on Madison, according to the presentation. With the planned corridor improvements in place, the plan anticipates over 6,000 new riders on the corridor.

Some of the funds from the VLF — if the Council proposes it and voters approve it in November — would likely go to extending the First Hill Streetcar beyond it’s planned terminus at the under-construction Capitol Hill light rail station, according to Seattle Transit Blog’s Martin Duke, who is also on the Transit Master Plan Advisory Committee. Construction on the First Hill Streetcar is set to start in January, but there has been a push to extend the line to north Broadway, perhaps to Aloha.

The funds could also be used to build a connector streetcar extension through downtown to connect the South Lake Union and First Hill Streetcars. However, Seattle Transit Blog notes that there would not be enough money to build either project outright with the current planned funding breakdown and a more politically-friendly $60 fee. The funds could help with design and help find the projects matching grants while adding some of that match.

Meanwhile, the King County Council passed the $20 county-wide vehicle license fee Monday evening to prevent large cuts to Metro service. It was not a smooth process, though, with the council going into several extended recesses before the final vote. The fee passed 7-2 and will not need to go to the ballot for a public vote.

Seattle Police busted a burglar August 12 after he allegedly robbed a home near 11th and Terrace, according to the SPD Blotter:

On 8/12/11, at approximately 2:00 p.m., officers responded to the 1100 block of E. Terrace St., to a victim reporting that a suspect had just attempted to break into his home.  The suspect took off running when he saw the victim inside the house.  An officer spotted a subject matching the suspect’s description in the nearby area. When the officer attempted contact with the suspect, the suspect fled on foot. The officer gave chase as additional units responded to assist. 

The suspect was then spotted a few times running thru and in-between yards.  Bike patrol officers located the suspect hiding underneath a small vehicle. He was taken into custody without incident. The victim positively identified the suspect. The suspect was in possession of a backpack which revealed evidence of another earlier unreported burglary (stolen lap top and other items). This victim was contacted and a report taken. (His door had been kicked in).

The suspect was later booked into King County Jail for Investigation of Burglary and Possession of Stolen Property.

Also on the Blotter, SPD caught a man who apparently stole $4 hair clippers from the Grocery Outlet on MLK:

On August 11th, an East Precinct officer was dispatched to a grocery store in the 1100 Block of Martin Luther King Jr. Way  for  a shoplifting complaint.  The victim grocer stated that the store had video surveillance of a suspect entering the store empty handed and wandering the store.  The suspect then left camera view briefly and returned with something in his hands that he put into a pocket.  The grocer confronted the suspect at the door, but the suspect denied stealing anything and left.  The grocer stated that this suspect is a chronic shoplifter.  The officer reviewed the video and then wrote a report.

Several hours later, while patrolling his beat, the same officer noticed a subject of similar description and contacted him.  The officer was able to engage the suspect in conversation and the suspect admitted to being in the store, but initally denied stealing anything.  The officer discovered a local warrant in the system for the suspect, so placed him under arrest for that.  During a search incident to arrest, the officer discovered a trace amount of drugs on the suspect.  After advising the suspect of his Miranda warnings, the suspect eventually admitted that he stole a hair clipper, worth about $4.00.  The 48 year old suspect was later booked into the King County Jail.

The following day, at the start of his shift, the officer returned to the store to inform the grocer of the arrest and initiate the trespass admonishment for the suspect.  The grocer stated that they have video of the suspect shoplifting from the store on numerous occasions.  This information may assist precinct detectives solve several of their open theft cases as a result of this incident.  While not a substantial arrest in terms of offense classification or dollar amount, it did go a long way to resolve a local community problem.  The officer’s supervisor spoke to the complainant, who summed it up  when she said  ”You guys rock!”

The Northwest African American Museum is hosting an exhibit from the Smithsonian Institute called IndiVisible: African-Native American Lives in the Americas. The exhibit, which opens August 20 at the 23rd and Massachusetts museum, looks at the often overlapping and shared histories of people with both African and Native American ancestry.

From NAAM:

From the Smithsonian comes an important and enlightening exhibition about the intersection of American Indian and African American people and cultures. IndiVisible: African-Native American Lives in the Americas explores historical and contemporary stories of peoples and communities whose shared histories are woven into the fabric of American identity, but whose presence has long been invisible to many in the U.S.

The Meredith Mathews East Madison YMCA is celebrating 75 years in the community and were having a block Party on Saturday August 20th from 11:00AM-2:00PM at its facility located at 1700 23rd Ave Seattle , WA 98122 and Homer Harris Park . The public is welcome so come join the fun! There will be fun and activities for all ages starting with a barbecue (first come first serve), carnival games, rock climbing wall, bouncy house, face painting, cotton candy, popcorn, Zumba and CPR demonstrations, art’s and craft’s, swimming, and much more… Do not miss out on this free family event!

The county is no longer considering Beacon Hill’s PacMed building as a suitable location for the Youth Services Center currently housed on 12th Ave. The PacMed move was the top proposal in a recent effort to find a replacement option for the juvenile detention facility that would have zero cost to taxpayers.

From the Seattle Times:

None of the six proposals the county received met its requirement that they have minimal or no cost to taxpayers. None met the county’s “affordability criteria,” said County Administrative Officer Caroline Whalen.

“This is not the end of our efforts,” said Whalen in a statement. She said the county is considering its next steps.

So it’s back to the drawing board for efforts to move or redevelop all or part of the nine-acre facility at 12th and Alder. After voters rejected a measure to fund a replacement of the facility, the County launched an effort to make it happen without extra taxes.

One of the six proposals recently rejected involved selling part of the land for mixed-use development. From the Times:

For almost a decade, a neighborhood group has urged county officials to allow mixed-use development, including housing and retail, on the parcel’s large parking lot.

The 12th Avenue Stewardship Committee hopes the county will use the property creatively, according to committee member Bill Zosel.

One proposal among the six received by the county called for selling a part of the 9 acres for mixed use and using the proceeds to redevelop the shopworn juvenile facilities.

Two nights ago, a friendly stray cat came around our house and hasn’t left. He’s small and looks like he’s been out for a very long time – covered in fleas, dirty, very skinny. He’s incredibly trusting and friendly with people, though, so I think he must have at one point been someone’s pet and is not feral.

We’re taking him to the animal shelter today to get cleaned up and may take him back to foster him until someone claims him or wants to adopt him. I just wanted to be sure he’s not someone’s missing, loved pet first.

We’re near the corner of 19th and Jefferson. If you live nearby and have lost your cat, please call and give us a description.206-356-8547

Kari

Update: Councilmembers Hague and Lambert joined the five members of the County Council who already agreed to adopt the congestion relief charge providing  enough   to save metro for two years!   The organizers who came out to advocate for this funding invite all to join together  to see this exciting deal through!  Attend the Monday’s hearing.The hearing is on Monday August 15th from 1:30-3:00pm at the King County Courthouse, 516 Third Ave.

From Metro:

Council supermajority agrees to vote for $20 charge to avert Metro service cuts

King County Executive Dow Constantine announced this morning that a supermajority of seven County Council members have agreed to support the proposed $20 congestion reduction charge to help fund Metro for two years.

They are supporting the charge in combination with additional actions to increase the transit system’s efficiency.

Approval of their agreed-upon legislative package would avert a 17 percent cut of Metro bus service. The Council is scheduled to take action next Monday, Aug. 15.

Read the County Executive’s news release»

The agreement announced today would do the following:

• Develop a new transit incentive program that will offer bus tickets to people when they renew their car tabs.
  People can either use the tickets to try transit or donate the ticket value to a pool that human service agencies will use to provide mobility for people in need.

• Phase out the downtown Seattle Ride Free Area (RFA) in October 2012.
  The City of Seattle pays Metro $400,000 a year to support the RFA, but that covers only about 18 percent of Metro’s $2.2 million annual cost to operate the RFA. Phasing out the RFA will increase fare revenue for Metro. Other advantages:- The transit system will be simpler—riders will always pay when they board.- Passengers heading away from downtown will get off the bus at any door, making deboarding easier and faster.- Metro expects a decrease in the number of people who board downtown and don’t pay when they reach their destination.

• Increase the pool of funds that provides discounted bus tickets to human service and homeless programs.
  Metro sells human service agencies deeply discounted tickets worth nearly $2 million annually. Metro will either increase the current ticket allocation or further reduce the discount, while giving the public the option of donating their transit incentive tickets. Metro will seek the advice of human service agencies on how to best help those in need. This enhanced program will assist those who have relied on free service downtown–and give them the ability to travel outside of downtown with the tickets.

• Move ahead with “right-sizing” transit service, consistent with the aim of Metro’s strategic plan to build a more productive, cost-effective transit system. In communities where Metro’s fixed-route buses serve few riders, Metro will deploy lower-cost, more efficient Dial-a-Ride Transit (DART), community access transportation services, and vanpools. Metro will reach out to community organizations and local residents to help shape “right-size” transportation strategies.

• Consider routes that carry more riders due to the effects of highway tolling as candidates for added services.
  This is consistent with principles to enhance Metro’s productivity developed by the Regional Transit Task Force and adopted in Metro’s strategic plan.

While the temporary congestion reduction charge is in effect, the County would continue working with state and regional leaders on a long-term funding solution for transit. 

For updates and background information, visit www.kingcounty.gov/metro/future

The second annual 12th Avenue Neighborhood Festival is Sunday, August 14 between Madison and Pike. Sponsored in part by Central District News and our sister site Capitol Hill Seattle, the festival closes one block of 12th Ave to motor vehicles and features area businesses.

Restaurants will offer small plates for $5 or less and retailers will be out showing what they do. The festival runs from noon to 6 p.m. More information:

Bring the family and experience Pike/Pine’s 12th Avenue in its second annual neighborhood street festival.  Taste small plates from Seattle’s most eclectic mix of local restaurants – priced at $5 and under!  Building on last year’s successful debut, the 12th Avenue Neighborhood Festival returns on Sunday, August 14th.  Closing 12th Avenue to vehicles between E. Pike and E. Madison Streets, the pedestrian-friendly celebration showcases the best of the neighborhood.

Stroll down restaurant row and discover favorite dishes from 12th Avenue and nearby eateries such as Café Presse, Osteria La Spiga, Caffe Vita, Barrio, Zobel Ethiopian Restaurant, High 5 Pie, Caffe Pettirosso, Bluebird Microcreamery, Poquitos, Ambassel Ethiopian Restaurant, and many more.

Shop local by visiting neighborhood retailers and info booths at the festival such as Sweatbox Yoga, Retail Therapy,Porchlight Records, Health First Chiropractic, Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce, Capitol Hill Community Council, Swedish Medical Center, Sound Mental Health, 14th Avenue Hair, Washington Bus, GLSEN Washington State, Seattle Out and Proud, Lifelong AIDS Alliance, and Capitol Hill Housing. 

“In the spirit of the Italian holiday Ferragosto, 12th Avenue restaurants and retailers will showcase their goods and services in a celebration of community, friendship and entertainment,” stated Sabrina Tinsley, co-owner of Osteria La Spiga.  

The festival is the signature event of the 12th Avenue Initiative, a neighborhood plan working with businesses, residents and local institutions to strengthen the 12th Avenue Community. 

For more information, or to get involved with the festival, contact Alex Brennan at (206) 204-3832 or [email protected].  The 12th Avenue Neighborhood Festival is produced by the Capitol Hill Housing Foundation.  

12th Avenue Neighborhood Festival Sponsors:  Seattle University, Swedish Medical Center, Capitol Hill Housing Foundation, Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce, DEI Creative, Cleanscapes, Dunn & Hobbes, The Douglas Building at Seattle University, Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences, CapitolHillSeattle.com, Central DistrictNews.com and  Seattle Gay News.

WHEN:            August 14, 2011 from Noon – 6:00 p.m. 

WHERE:           12th Avenue, between E. Madison and E. Pike on Seattle’s Capitol Hill

COST:              Free.  All food priced at $5.00 or less 

Our beloved homebody cat has been missing since the night of August 9th. We’re on 25th between Olive and Howell and we think he may have gotten trapped in a garage or basement. If you are in the area we would really appreciate it if you could keep an eye out for him and let us know if you have any information, day or night.

He’s a large orange tabby, usually wearing a purple collar, but sometimes he loses it. He’s shy but nice.

EDITED to add: Our cat was spotted at the corner of 22nd and E. Marion last night (8/13). We are so relieved that he’s alive and not trapped somewhere. He is wearing his purple collar. Please contact us ANYTIME if you see our kitty.

Another EDIT: The cat just walked in the door, slim, but fine. Thanks to all who helped us look for our cat.

Thanks.

Sara & Joel

[email protected]

(206)390-8713 or (206)601-3506