NEDC Announcements

December 4,2003

1. Staffing for Major Institutions: Councilmember Conlin introduced a budget amendment to restore some of the funding for Major Institutions staffing. This amendment failed to garner sufficient support from other councilmembers. Conlin was successful in getting support of a Statement of Legislative Intent directing the Executive to develop a way to assess the costs of this staffing to the institutions so that there would be a consistent and linked source of funds for this in the future. Thank you, Councilmember Conlin!

2. Changes to Council Rules and Procedures: On November 10, the Council voted to accept Council President Steinbrueck’s amendments to the Council’s rules that would require a public comment period at full council and all standing committee meetings. The city clerk and staff have up to 90 days to come up with policies governing how to implement the changes. Thank you, Council President Steinbrueck!

3. South Lake Union: Mayor Nickels released a draft report he commissioned on the potential economic impacts of development of South Lake Union and on Tuesday, December 2. Despite the fact that the report is only a draft, the Council is scheduled to vote on the proposed rezones on Monday, December 8. To obtain copies of the Mayor’s studies related to South Lake Union go to his website at www.ci.seattle.wa.us/mayor/. A citywide ad hoc coalition of neighborhood, church, labor, and community leaders encourages community groups and individuals to contact councilmembers and urge them to delay the vote until there is a comprehensive EIS, an assessment of the costs, and until cost sharing mechanisms are built into the process to ensure that developers share in the staggering costs accompanying the Mayor's plans. For further information, contact John Fox from the Seattle Displacement Coalition at jvf4119@zipcon.net.

4. Regrets: Andrew Schmid from King County Council Chair Cynthia Sullivan’s office sends his regrets for missing the December—his last—NEDC meeting. He’s in Costa Rica!

5. Volunteers sought to help with library opening events in 2004: The Seattle Public Library is seeking volunteers to assist with library opening events in 2004. Nine renovated or new branches and the new Central Library, are slated to open next year. For further information, contact Anne Vedella, volunteer services coordinator for the Library, at 206-386-4614, or anne.vedella@spl.org. To learn more about Libraries for All, visit www.spl.org and select "Building Program Web Site."

6. Municipal League Report Available: The Municipal League of King County has recently released a report that concludes that King County’s fiscal crisis cannot be addressed adequately without a major change in the County’s responsibilities and focus. The report, called "Shortchanged: King County’s Fiscal Crisis," notes that in spite of deep budget cuts in recent years, there are insufficient revenues available to fund King County’s General Fund. The report is available at www.munileague.org/.

7. City Hall Address Change: Starting December 1, all offices in City Hall have a new mailing address. The change includes the Mayor’s office, City Council, and Citizen’s Service Bureau. The address includes the street address AND a PO Box, which is necessary to route the mail to the correct collection site. The new address is: 600 4th Avenue, P.O. Box 94726, Seattle, WA 98124-4726.

8. Comcast Consumer Alert: Comcast Internet users should be alerted to a nationwide scam involving your Internet service. An email from an official looking – but bogus – address service@comcast.com is pretending to be Comcast in order to get your credit card information. Do NOT give any account information to anyone at this address, or any other address for that matter. If you have a question about any email you believe to be from Comcast, call Comcast first at 1-877-824-2288. For further information, please go to http://www.kingcountyjournal.com/sited/story/html/146632.

9. You Can Continue to Subscribe to the National Do-Not-Call List: Although conflicting court rulings have left the Do-Not-Call list in legal limbo, it does appear that the largest national telemarketing organization is honoring the list. You may still get on the list that will prevent telemarketers from calling you either by calling 1-888-382-1222 or on line at www.donotcall.gov. If you call, you must call from the number you want removed. The registration is good for five years, and is renewable after that. The new regulations do permit a few categories of callers. Charities, polls, and political calls will be permitted. In addition, you may still be called by a company with which you have conducted business in the past 18 months, although you can opt out of those calls, too, by requesting to be removed when they call you.

10. A Home 4 The Holidays: The Seattle Animal Shelter hopes to place all orphaned animals in homes this holiday season. This event in cooperation with other pet adoption centers hopes to link more than 200,000 dogs, cats, puppies and kittens with loving, adoptive families. Adopting an animal from the Seattle Animal Shelter saves that animal’s life and reduces unnecessary euthanasia of healthy, adoptable animals. Adoption packages range from $72 to $115 and include:

· Initial vaccinations

· Deworming

· Free health exam at a local veterinarian’s office

· Spay or neuter

· Microchip

· Seattle Pet License (if applicable)

To purchase a gift certificate, make a donation, talk with an adoption counselor or preview animals for adoption, please visit the Animal Shelter at 2061 - 15th Avenue W., approximately one mile south of the Ballard Bridge. The shelter is open Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 6 p.m., and Sundays noon to 4 p.m. For further information, please call 206-386-PETS. Information and photos of animals currently available for adoption are posted on the shelter’s web site at www.seattleanimalshelter.org.

11. Contribute to the U District Food Bank: The University District Food Bank is a community supported private non-profit providing supplemental food, infant care items and referral information to low-income Northeast Seattle residents. Every week about 800 families receive groceries from the Food Bank, a 15% increase from last year. Many are "working poor": people employed full- or part-time and yet still in need of supplemental food. The Food Bank also serves people between jobs, those on fixed incomes, seniors, students, people with disabilities, the mentally ill and homeless clients. Approximately 2% are infants, 23% are children, 65% are adults, and 10% are senior citizens. In 2002, the Food Bank provided supplemental groceries to 37,794 household, distributing a total of 565 tons of food.

The Food Bank is located in the basement of the University Christian Church, 1413 NE 50th (on NE 50th Street down from the corner of 15th Avenue NE). Drop off donations at this location in the alley behind the church or at donation barrels at: QFC University Village, QFC Lake City, QFC Roosevelt, QFC Wedgwood or Safeway Wedgwood. For further information, contact the Food Bank at 206-523-7060 or udfb@udistrictfoodbank.org.

12. County Council Move: Due to the Courthouse Seismic Retrofit Project underway, County Councilmembers and staff must temporarily relocate to the Bank of America Tower, 701 Fifth Avenue, 43rd floor, starting Friday, December 5. Phones will be shut off Thursday night at midnight, and restored before business on Monday morning December 8. Once the move is completed, the same phone numbers, mail, fax and e-mail addresses will work. The relocation is scheduled to last from three to six months.

13. Work Parties at Ravenna Park: Friends of Ravenna Park invite you to volunteer on December 5 and 19 from 10 a.m. to noon to remove invasive plant species and to plant and maintain restoration sites. For further information, contact Alice Cummings at 206-527-2109.

14. Work Parties at Magnuson Community Garden: Volunteer on December 6 and 20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to plant in the native gardens and work on garden construction. Meet in the Community Gardens, east of the old brig, Building 406, next to the Off Leash Dog Area at Magnuson Park. For further information, contact Vajra Allan at 206-615-0510.

15. Peter and the Wolf: The Roosevelt High School Orchestra will feature the Fourth Annual Presentation of Peter and the Wolf on Saturday, December 6 at 4 p.m. in the Roosevelt High School Auditorium. Tickets are $3.00 per person or $10.00 per family and tickets are available at the door. All proceeds support the Roosevelt High School Orchestra. Families of young children are welcome to bring pillows, blankets, and a favorite stuffed animal. For further information, contact Anna Edwards at 206-252-4948 or Andrea Wilson at rhsorchestra@msn.com.

16. Caroling in the U-District: The U District Chamber will host a holiday caroling event on Saturday, December 6 from 2-5 p.m. in the U District. Residents are invited to come and sing along. Hot chocolate and cider will be provided for those participating. Barrels will be on hand to contribute food items and cash for the Food Bank. There will be caroling stations in front of Tower Records in the 4500 block and in front of the University Bookstore in the 4300 block of the Ave. For further information, please contact Marney Ayers at 206-547-4417 or events@udistrictchamber.org.

17. The Sand Point Market: December 7 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Magnuson Park. Come find antiques, vintage textiles, architectural pieces for the garden, wooden carvings, handmade baskets, fresh produce and beautiful flowers. Cost: Admission: $10 for early buying, $6 general opening. For further information, contact the Northwest Antique Market Company at 1-800-809-4063 or info@nwantiquemarket.com or go to http://www.nwantiquemarket.com/.

18. Montlake Giving Tree: Now through Wednesday, December 10 at the Montlake Community Center, with Childhaven. This is an annual tradition of partnership between the Montlake community and Childhaven’s Eastlake facility. Help Montlake Community Center provide the children of Childhaven with a happy holiday season. Choose an ornament from the tree in the lobby, buy the item mentioned on the ornament, and bring the item to the office at Montlake Community Center, 1618 E Calhoun Street by December 10.

19. Neighborhood Matching Fund Meeting: Interested persons and community groups are invited to attend an information session from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, December 11 at the Phinney Neighborhood Center, Room 3, 6532 Phinney Avenue N to learn more about the Neighborhood Matching Fund, to discuss project ideas and network with others, and to get advice on how to prepare an application. Light refreshments will be served. For further information, contact the Department of Neighborhoods at 206-684-0464.

20. Messiah at St. Stephen’s! The Northwest Chorale, under the direction of Lynn Hall, will present Handel¹s Messiah on Friday, December 12 at 7 p.m. at St. Stephen¹s Episcopal Church. Soloists are Ann Paris, soprano; Paul Karaitis, tenor; Laird Thornton, bass, and Diane Radabaugh, alto. The performance is free. A goodwill offering will be taken for the sole purpose of feeding the poor—100% of the proceeds will be donated to local food banks. The offering will benefit Northwest Harvest. For further information, contact Kay Kessel-Hanna at kay@ststephens-seattle.org.

21. Seattle Neighborhood Coalition Meeting: Join the Seattle Neighborhood Coalition breakfast meeting on Saturday, December 13 at 9 a.m. at the Greenhouse Café, 2205 7th Avenue. Bring a friend! The meeting will feature Phil Talmadge, former State Supreme Court Justice and legislator and gubernatorial candidate. Mr. Talmadge has been asked to address the Public Disclosure Act and the documented actions by public officials to avoid disclosure which have led to the Hangartner and Yousoufian cases, now before the Supreme Court. Should we expect a higher ethical standard of our elected leaders, or just what the law requires?

22. Promontory Point Habitat Enhancement Work Parties: Work parties that will involve planting native plants for habitat enhancement at Magnuson Park’s Promontory Point are scheduled on December 7, 14 and 18 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m and December 12 from 9 a.m.-noon. Meet at the Education Pavilion. Enter at NE 65th Street and drive east to the boat launch parking lot. Look for the yellow “VOLUNTEER” banner. For further information or to volunteer, contact Bonnie Miller, the volunteer site manager at 206-524-8713 or bmiller@serv.net.

23. Farewell Cynthia! King County Council Chair Cynthia Sullivan’s final council meeting will be December 15th. There will likely be a tribute to her legacy. Community council folks and business leaders would especially be welcomed to join in recognizing Cynthia’s years of service and accomplishments. The meeting is Monday, December 15 at 1:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers on the 10th floor of the King County Courthouse, 516 Third Avenue between James and Jefferson.

24. Neighbor Appreciation Day Art Contest: The Department of Neighborhoods (DON) and Safeco will again sponsor a K-12 art contest for the February 7th Neighbor Appreciation Day. The artwork selected will be featured on free greeting cards distributed to residents, schools and community organizations. Pictures should show caring neighbors or otherwise reflect the theme of Neighbor Appreciation Day. Pictures must be colorful, on 8 X 11-inch paper and submitted by 5 p.m. on Monday, December 15 to DON, 700 3rd Avenue, Suite 400, Seattle, WA 98104-1848 or to your local neighborhood service center. For further information, contact Natasha Jones at 206-615-0950 or natasha.jones@seattle.gov.

25. Public Hearing on Downtown Building Heights: Seattle’s Department of Planning and Development (DPD) is hosting a hearing on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Downtown Height and Density Changes to the Land Use Code. The hearing is on Monday, December 15 at 7 p.m. at Plymouth Congregational Church, 1217 Sixth Avenue. For further information, contact Gordon Clowers and the Department of Planning and Development at 206-684-8375 or Gordon.clowwers@seattle.gov. An electronic copy of the DEIS and its appendix are available on DPD’s website at www.seattle.gov/dclu/news/20031107b.asp. Printed copies of the DEIS and appendix are available for $10 each from the DPD Public Resource Center, located on the 20th floor of Key Tower at 700 Fifth Avenue, 206-684-8467.

26. Holiday Party: The Seattle Community Council Federation invites you to a holiday party on December 18 at 7 p.m. at the home of Vivian McClean, 3814-20th Avenue SW. For further information, contact Jorgen Bader at 206-525-9070.

27. Christmas Ship at Magnuson Park—Volunteer and Contribute $50: Volunteers will start decorating the park at 3:30 on December 18. Join in a Seattle tradition and see the Civic Christmas Ship as it docks offshore from Magnuson Beach and provides holiday music from the Dickens Carolers and festive lights. The Ship will dock from 6:50-7:20 p.m. Come earlier to view the luminaries, warm yourself by the bonfire and enjoy hot chocolate and cider. Those interested in volunteering should contact Lynn Ferguson at 206-523-0391 or lynnferguson@stanfordalumni.org. Volunteers are needed! Community groups are asked to again contribute $50 for the luminaries and refreshments. Checks should be sent to: Sand Point Traditions, 7400 Sand Point Way NE, Suite 101-South, Seattle, WA. 98115. For further information, call 206-684-7534 or go to www.argosycruises.com/specialevents/xmasSchedule.cfm.

28. Christmas Ship at Matthews Beach: Saturday, December 20 at Matthews Beach, 9300 51st Avenue NE. Join neighbors from 5:10 to 5:40 p.m. for hot apple cider or coffee by the bonfire. See the beautiful parade of lighted boats following the ship at this traditional holiday event.

29. North Link Draft SEIS Open House/Public Hearings: Thursday, January 8, 2004 from 5 to 8 p.m. with a public hearing at 6 p.m. at Kane Hall, University of Washington. There is also a session on Wednesday, January 7 at Union Station, 401 S. Jackson St. Same time. For further information call Liz Ellis at 206-398-5283 or ellisl@soundtransit.org. The draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS), now available, contains information on alternative routes and station locations from downtown Seattle to Northgate. A 70-day comment period has been set, from November 21 through January 30, 2004. Copies of the draft SEIS are available at most Seattle public libraries, community centers, neighborhood service centers, Sound Transit's offices and on Sound Transit's web site, www.soundtransit.org. To request a free copy of the Executive Summary or a CD-ROM of the draft SEIS (or a hard copy for a small cost), contact Lauren Swift at 206-398-5445 or swiftl@soundtransit.org. Written comments on the draft SEIS should be sent to James Irish, Link Environmental Manager, Sound Transit, Union Station, 401 S Jackson Street, Seattle, WA 98104-2826 or e-mail comments to LinkSEIS@soundtransit.org.

30. Pedestrian Crossing Flags Available: Feet First is offering free pedestrian crossing flags—a simple device to assist folks walking the streets in our neighborhoods. The law requires vehicles to stop when a walker shows the intent to cross the street and this flag helps alert drivers to that intent. The bright orange flag is compact when folded and easily fits into a shirt pocket or purse. Feet First is offering these "Pocket Ped Flags" free of charge at Seattle's various Neighborhood Service Centers. The supply is limited, so be an early bird. For further information, contact Feet First at 206-783-3066 or feet1st@scn.org or go to www.scn.org/feetfirst.

31. Rain Barrels Available! Water your plants the natural way! Reduce runoff! Help support the Seattle Audubon’s Birdwatch Program! Seattle Audubon's Rain Barrels are made from recycled, food-grade barrels. They feature a faucet with hose-connecter, an overflow spout (that can be used to attach multiple barrels in a series), and a mosquito-proof intake. Barrels available at the Nature Shop. $44.99 + tax for Seattle Audubon members, $59.99 + tax for non-members. Quantities limited. Call 206-523-4483 or stop by the Nature Shop to order. The Seattle Audubon Nature Shop is on 35th Avenue NE at 82nd Street in the Wedgwood neighborhood.