Excuse Me, Were You Sleeping?

Where were you at 3 AM on Thursday, April 10th?  Sleeping, maybe? That is unless you were one of the chosen to receive a call from the City of SeaTac informing you of a regional outage of the 911 services!

Back in January of 2011, we published a posting in the Angle Lake Shore Club Blog informing our residents of an auto-dialer notification service that City of SeaTac Emergency Communications subscribed to called CodeRED.  As the article explained this service provides emergency officials the ability to broadcast a single message out to a very large number of affected residents within the City simultaneously. While the post encouraged our Angle Lake area residents to sign up for the service, I’m not sure how many actually were provoked in doing so at that time.

But for those who did sign up they experienced a real life example of the service in action on Tuesday, February 21st, 2012 when calls were targeted to residents and businesses in the Angle Lake area warning of a police canine assisted pursuit of a criminal on the loose in the area with a request that area residents remain within their homes until further notice. This too was posted in the blog and I can only assume that more people were motivated to sign up when they learned that they did not receive that same call!

Fast forward to Thursday, April 10th, 2014 and again the system was activated to outdial all SeaTac Residents who were signed up for CodeRED notification to receive a message alerting them that a region-wide outage of the Emergency 911 service was occurring and informed listeners of alternative methods to seek emergency assistance. Based on the number of comments received in our ALSC email inbox about this service it appears that we may have achieved some limited success encouraging people to sign up for the CodeRED service however, it was also apparent that several persons were not so thrilled to have received a call in the middle of the night (3 am actually)! 

It has also become apparent that the ALSC Blog was not the only one who received feedback from the community about this particular call as City Manager Todd Cutts wrote us with the following information to share:

Please see below for the article we posted in the City Manager’s Weekly Update.  Along with the Fire Chief, I was involved in making the call to put out the Code Red.  Given the 3am timing, it certainly wasn’t a decision we took lightly.  

Did you get our call? 

Early on a recent Thursday morning our regional 9-1-1 system experienced an interruption of service that impacted residents in both Washington and Oregon State. Because of the significant threat to public safety created by the interruption of this vital emergency communications link, a decision was made to notify our community of the outage immediately and provide them with another phone number for emergency services.

Some residents have expressed dissatisfaction with that decision.  While it was not an easy one to make (nobody likes to wake their neighbors from a sound sleep at 3AM), we believe it was the only responsible one. Heart attacks and house fires don’t always happen during the daytime hours. The obvious concern for City leaders was in considering the potential outcome had no information been shared and one of our residents experienced a life threatening medical or other emergency.

As a community we’ve become accustomed to ready access of Police and Fire resources in our moment of need. One can only imagine the panic experienced by a homeowner when unsuccessfully trying to reach police as another person was attempting to force entry into their home. Therefore, a failure to provide another phone number to our community when one was readily available seemed unconscionable.

The City of SeaTac intentionally chooses to use our emergency notification system sparingly. It’s our belief that in doing so, community members will recognize the importance of a message when sent out. While we acknowledge that any wakeup call at 3 AM is disturbing, we consider it our responsibility to take the necessary steps to protect you and your neighbors. We encourage all our residents to continue to sign up for CodeRED notifications and not define any barriers that may interfere in our getting that important message to you.

Todd Cutts

City Manager

Bunny Dock Hop Sunday, April 20th

On Easter Sunday, between 9:00 and 11:00 AM, the Easter Bunny will be circling the lake by way of the Celebrate America pontoon boat. Hopping from dock to dock with his basket full of eggs ready to hand out treats to any eagerly awaiting children and their families.

If you have small children at home and/or will have visiting grandchildren on Easter Sunday and would like to ensure a visit from the Easter Bunny, please contact the Rosalyn Rambauer via email no later than Friday, April 18th to request a stop. Send email to ros.rombauer@gmail.com providing your name, address and an indication of how many children are expected to be present.

Also Note:  If you have a gift basket that you wish to have personally presented to your child by the Easter Bunny, please have these baskets delivered to Ros before the deadline of Friday, April 18th as well.

Thank you to Rosalyn and her team for continuing to grow this memorable annual community offering at Angle Lake.

Happy Easter!

Help Design the Sound Transit Pictograms

No, the pictures above aren't Houses from Game of Thrones.

Rather, they are the fun, sometimes confusing pictograms that Sound Transit chose to represent the neighborhoods it serves. That dragon? The International District. The anvil? The industrious SoDo area. The one for SeaTac is strangely a magic carpet. As Sound Transit's astrologically inclined “Stellar guide to the the pictograms explains: "Nothing evokes the magic, mystery and delight of flight quite like a magic carpet. SeaTac is the “Hospitality City” and has rolled out the carpet in welcome.”

Sound Transit uses "pictograms" to identify transit stations for people who don't read languages that use the Roman alphabet. They're also easier to recall even if you do read printed station names, according to the agency. Oh, and state law requires them.

Sound Transit plans to start service in 2016 to Capitol Hill and the University of Washington, in Seattle, and Angle Lake Station, in Sea-Tac; and in 2021 to the U District, Roosevelt and Northgate. So now, apparently, is the time to start figuring out pictograms for these stations, and the agency wants your help.

From now until April 14, people can fill out an online questionnaire, listing up to three adjectives to describe each station area, up to three landmarks that represent the areas and, cutting to the chase, describing what image would make a good pictogram for the stations and why.

"Public input and comments will be collected and will be used to help guide the development and creation of the new pictograms," the agency said. "Once developed, pictograms will be available for public viewing and comment."

For some additional background regarding the history behind the existing pictograms in operation today, refer to the Stellar Connections Flyer for complete details.

Next Generation P Patch

Not your grandparent's P-Patch but is still a collective cooperative approach to local farming.

A P-Patch is a parcel of property used for gardening allotments. The term is specific to Seattle, where the Picardo family ran a truck farm in the earlier part of the 1900s in the Wedgwood neighborhood. The farm was acquired by the City of Seattle and became part of the original P-Patch program initiated in 1973. The 'P' was taken to commemorate the Picardo family. Through the decades folk etymology attributes it to be "pea patch" and soon the ‘P’ is expected to stand for “pot” within the city of SeaTac!

State law regarding medical cannabis (RCW: 69.51A) already contain provisions for P-Patch-type gardens for up to 15 marijuana plants per patient, where sick people may grow affordable, high-quality cannabis, free from black market and legal hazards (RCW: 69.51A.085). With the passage of I-502 in November 2012 and the legalization of recreational marijuana use in Washington State, SeaTac residents Bud Green and Mary Jayne have taken the position that the provisions of RCW 69.51A.085 now apply to all citizen’s age 21 and older. Both Green and Jayne have been lobbying the SeaTac City Council for an approval to begin operating a ‘P-Patch’ garden at the vacant Hughes Property located on the southwestern shores of Angle Lake. Backers of this initiative insist that this underutilized public property is a perfect choice for the garden due to abundant availability to water that can be drawn from the lake and naturally heightened security due to visibility from the heavy volume of traffic that travels International Boulevard (State Route 99).

After a year long debate, the City Council had finally reached a determination that supporting this ‘grass’ roots initiative is the right thing to do and have since authorized that a portion of the Hughes Property be allocated for such use.  A plan to prepare the land through a partnership program agreement between the WA State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the City of SeaTac was made through a Press Release announcement on March 21st. The $19,000 project will fund work to rid the property of the invasive English ivy and Himalayan blackberry bushes that occupy much of the space.  A crew for the Puget SoundCorps will work from 7:00am to 5:00pm, Monday through Thursday.  The work will start Monday, April 7th and will finish by Thursday, May 1st in time for local and state officials to gather for formal presentation of the ‘keys’ of the garden to Herb Cheeba, President of Peacebloom, the registered organization representing the collective gardener association.

“What a perfect world it will be when our citizens can simply cultivate this fertile land and ask Mother Nature to bestow her favor upon them in the bold sunlight of a more progressive era!” envisions Mary Jayne. 

In anticipation of this ceremonious event, a request by the Peacebloom organization to the Washington State Department of Transportation has been submitted asking that the 5 block span of International Blvd between South 200th Street and the entrance of Angle Lake Park at So 195th Street be recognized and relabeled as “Highway 420” in commemorative recognition of the nation’s first marijuana co-operative ‘P-Patch’.

The deadline for public comment is Sunday, April 20th and may be submitted here.

Neighborhood Grants Available

The City of SeaTac 2014 “Pilot to Try It” Neighborhood Grant Program deadline has been extended.  Applications will be accepted through March 31.

The City of SeaTac has created a program that it hopes to promote resident involvement and encourage the formation of neighborhood groups that work together to enhance their individual neighborhood identity through collaborative projects. The goal of the Neighborhood Grant Program is to build viable partnerships between the City and its residents. 

The total funds available for the 2014 Neighborhood Grant Program are $5,000. Only qualified applications will be considered. Amount of award for each project will be determined by the amount of qualified applications the City receives and is limited to how many projects can be accommodated within the $5,000 program budget. 

Examples of qualifying projects include: installing secure mailboxes, street lights (non-arterial), neighborhood identity (signage, kiosks), community gardens, play areas, neighborhood events (Block Watch, Map Your Neighborhood), public amenity (bench, sculpture), neighborhood clean-up, youth projects, artwork/neighborhood beautification, or other similar improvements. 

For information and application please contact the City of SeaTac Resource Conservation/Neighborhood Programs Coordinator Trudy Olson at 973.4763. Neighborhood Grant Applications are also available on the City’s website. 

Local Girl Makes Good

Angle Lake Neighbor and Shore Club Member Julia Patterson, former Metropolitan King County Councilmember, will be honored in April as the 2014 Public Official of the Year by the Municipal League of King County.

Julia Patterson originally became involved in local politics when she felt that the County was ignoring the needs of her community. Together with other citizens, Julia led the city of SeaTac incorporation effort. In 1989, she was elected as a founding member of the new City Council. Patterson went on to serve in the state House and Senate, and served for 12 years on the King County Council.

During her career, Patterson served in leadership positions on a number of boards in the region including Chair of the King County Board of Health, Chair of the King County Council and Vice Chair of the Sound Transit Board of Directors. She is a current board member on the Valley Medical Board of Trustees and the Matt Griffin YMCA Board of Directors. Patterson also served as a member of the Health Steering Committee and as a representative on the Large Urban Counties Caucus for the National Association of Counties (NACo).

Patterson will officially receive the 2014 Public Official of the Year award during the Municipal League’s April 3 Civics Awards dinner. For more information about the Civics award recipients please visit Municipal League Foundation Civic Awards Page.

Congratulations Julia on receiving this esteemed award in recognition of your career achievements.

Strike Against Hunger

Can you SPARE some time to FRAME up a team to STRIKE against hunger? 

The Tukwila Rotary Club is looking for bowlers and event sponsors for its annual fundraiser supporting the Tukwila Pantry. 

The "Let's Strike Out Hunger" bowlathon is March 29th at ACME Bowl at Southcenter raising funds to help cover the annual operating costs of the Tukwila Pantry, a food bank that provides food and other essentials to several thousand individuals in need in the Tukwila/SeaTac area. Entry fee minimum for teams is $200 (4 bowlers). All bowlers names will be entered into a raffle drawing for fabulous door prizes!  Entry deadline is March 15th or until full. Event information, bowler registration for teams or individuals and sponsorship forms can be found on the Tukwila Rotary Website.

• What: “Strike against Hunger” Bowlathon
• Where: ACME Bowl, Southcenter
• Date: Saturday, March 29th
• Time: 10:00 AM – Noon

Those unable to participate as sponsors or bowlers can support the event by making an online donation directly to the Tukwila Pantry Website. Donations by check can be sent to P.O. Box 3118 S. 140th St., Tukwila 98168. Checks should be made payable to Tukwila Pantry.

Angle Lake Station Garage Contractor Selected

A $29.9 million contract was awarded Thursday to Harbor Pacific/Graham, a joint venture, to design and construct a 1,050-stall parking garage and plaza next to the future Angle Lake light rail station. The contract includes a connecting plaza, a drop-off area for light rail users, a retail space with dedicated parking, and 35,000 square feet to be held for future transit-oriented development.  

"With ample space for people to live, work, and shop, the new Angle Lake station will serve as a true transit-oriented development south of the airport," said Sound Transit Board Chair and King County Executive Dow Constantine. "And anyone who's searched for a spot at area park-and-ride lots will appreciate the 1,000 stalls in this garage."

Concept Design - Garage and Plaza in the upper left of this picture

The garage and plaza are part of the 1.6-mile South 200th Link Extension that Sound Transit broke ground on last year and is working to open in September 2016. Sound Transit has been working closely with the Port of Seattle and City of SeaTac on the project. When complete, service to Angle Lake Station will connect 5,400 average weekday riders to the system and provide congestion-free 40-minute rides to downtown Seattle and the University of Washington area.

"The South 200th Link Extension and Angle Lake Station area are important investments for the region," said Sound Transit Boardmember and King County Council Vice Chair Joe McDermott. "Not only will more people be able to ride light rail, but the station will also serve as the southern terminus for the system until service to the Kent/Des Moines area begins in 2023."

With light rail ridership continuing to grow, parking spots fill up quickly at the Tukwila International Boulevard light rail station. Once completed, the new garage at South 200th Street will increase parking capacity for riders seeking to use light rail.

"The City of SeaTac has worked closely with Sound Transit in the development of Angle Lake Station and we are committed to growing transit use," said SeaTac City Manager Todd Cutts. "Angle Lake Station can do that and more. We look forward to the station area becoming a centerpiece of the SeaTac community and spurring future economic development."

The first initial pre-cast sections of the elevated rail guideway are now beginning to be installed with the construction on the garage and plaza is scheduled to begin this fall.  Sound Transit maintains a 24 hour construction hotline which can be reached by telephone at 888-298-2395. 

Popularity Growing with Nextdoor.com

Humans are pack animals. Our ancestors hunted and gathered as a collective, depending upon one another for protection, sustenance and companionship. Our success as a species and as individuals depends upon our ability to effectively communicate, both verbally and non-verbally. Fast forward to modern times and you’ll find that effective communication and common interest are the foundations of great communities!

The mission objectives of the Angle Lake Shore Club is provide unique events (common interest) year round for the residents living on and around the shores of Angle Lake in effort to build a stronger community. Included in the ALSC goals are objectives that include implementing tools that allow neighbors to communicate effectively among one another.

The ALSC employs the following tools to assist in reaching our effective communication goals:

• Periodical Newsletters: Recap of past events; announcement of upcoming events; and related lake life human interest stories. 
• ALSC Blog: Weekly updates regarding subject areas that impact quality of life and community in and around Angle Lake.
• Facebook Page: A dynamic interface that enables unassisted communication between Lakeside residents and beyond.
• Twitter: Short message system that allows for near real time communication and announcements with subscribers (followers).  Highly effective for instantaneous communication of event status’ and/or delivering emergency messages.
• Nextdoor.com. Similar in function to Facebook however authorized access is securely limited to only authenticated neighbors within a designated ‘neighborhood’.

We announced the inclusion of Nextdoor.com in a blog post dated February 28th, 2013. We are pleased to report that within just one year, 72 neighbors in the Angle Lake Neighborhood have signed up for and are using this service today.  Additionally we are now actively communicating at will with 5 other SeaTac Area Neighborhoods who have also created their own secure sites! 

Recent communication threads have included brainstorming ideas and offering suggestions to help combat rampant mail theft that is common in all six neighborhoods and users have also shared and promoted local entertainment and event information as recommendations for things to do on the upcoming weekend, one individual even offered a free weekend Condo in Leavenworth due to scheduling conflicts and not being able to use the facility as originally planned! (As if that isn’t incentive enough to join the neighborhood conversation!!!)  

Effective communication isn’t simply delivering a message to a receiver – effective communication should include sharing dialog between two or more persons in active conversation. It is our hope that you take advantage of these tools to be an active part of these community conversations.

Traffic Advisory: Saturday, February 22nd

Temporary Closure of South 200th Street in SeaTac

Between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 22, all lanes will be closed on South 200th Street at the intersection of "little 28th Avenue South" to enable the safe movement of large construction equipment across the roadway.

Recommended detour:

Eastbound on S. 200th St.:
Detour left onto 26th /28th Ave. S.
Right on either S. 192nd St. or S. 188th St.
Right on International Blvd.
Left to return to S. 200th St.

Westbound on S. 200th St.:
Detour right onto International Blvd.
Left on either S. 192nd Street or S. 188th St.
Left on 28th Ave. S.
Right to return to S. 200th St.

Detour signs will be posted to get motorists and pedestrians safely around the construction work zone. Uniformed police officers will help direct traffic for local business access.

Project website: soundtransit.org/S200thstreet
24-Hour Construction Hotline:  1-888-298-2395