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Broadview Thomson Teacher Named a ‘Symetra Hero in the Classroom’

Posted: November 20, 2010

BELLEVUE, Wash. — (Nov. 17, 2010) — Symetra Financial and the Seattle Seahawks honored Broadview Thomson K-8 teacher Carole Lynch as a “Symetra Hero in the Classroom” today during a special faculty meeting at the school, where she teaches fifth grade.

“Mrs. Lynch is my child’s hero as well as my hero,” said Teresa Caraveo, a Broadview Thomson student’s parent. “This very special teacher gives her heart and soul to all of her students, dedicating time above and beyond regular school hours to help them understand and even love math. She arms them with the tools they need not only to learn and grow, but also to be responsible for themselves. She is a gift to all of us.” Caraveo and a former student nominated Lynch for her Symetra Hero in the Classroom award.

Lynch is one of 24 K-12 teachers across the Puget Sound area that will be honored for educational excellence in the Symetra Heroes in the Classroom program during the 2010 NFL season. Teachers are recognized in front of their students and peers at surprise in-school presentations. In addition, they receive tickets to a Seahawks home game and are acknowledged during on-field presentations at Qwest Field. Lynch will be recognized at the Dec. 5 game when the Seahawks take on the Carolina Panthers.

Teachers may be nominated by their principal, district staff, student or student’s parent. The winners are selected based on their ability to balance the core curriculum with students’ individual needs; build trust among students, parents and the community; and invest in their students’ long-term success.

In addition to honoring exceptional teachers on and off the field, each of the schools represented by a 2010 teacher Hero will be eligible for an MVP Award, which provides funding to enhance learning in Seattle-area schools. Three $10,000 grants will be awarded at the end of the 2010 football season.

More information about Symetra Heroes in the Classroom is available at www.symetra.com/heroes.

About Symetra

Symetra Financial Corporation (NYSE: SYA) is a diversified financial services company based in Bellevue, Wash. In business since 1957, Symetra provides employee benefits, annuities and life insurance through a national network of benefit consultants, financial institutions, and independent agents and advisors. For more information, visit www.symetra.com.

Broadview SDOT Project Links

by Susan George

Posted: November 19, 2010

It was great to hear from Peter Hahn, Director of Seattle Department of Transportion at our Broadview Community Council on Tuesday November 16. Below are links to the projects that were discussed as well as links to some of SDOT programs.

Linden Avenue North Complete Streets Project

http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/linden.htm

Aurora Traffic Safety Project

http://www.seattle.gov/aurora

North 143^rd Street Safety Improvement Project

http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/btg_nsf_large_143.htm

Neighborhood Traffic Operations (Traffic Calming – speed bumps, traffic circles, radar speed signs, chicanes, etc). Also attached to this email message is a PDF detailing the painted intersection process that was briefly discussed at the meeting.

http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/neighborhoodtraffic.htm

Crosswalk Requests and Evaluation Criteria

http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/MarkedCrosswalks.htm

Sidewalk Development Program

http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/btg_newsidewalks.htm

Community grants available for transportation improvement projects including sidewalks

Neighborhood Projects Fund (projects up to $90k)

http://www.seattle.gov/neighborhoods/btgnsfcrf/

Large Neighborhood Street Fund (generally funds projects up to $500k)

http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/btg_nsf.htm

If you have any questions about the these projects or programs email Jim Curtin at jim.curtin@seattle.gov. Also keep in mind that Jim Curtin at SDOT is to connect residents and communities with the services offered by SDOT. He can assist in the development of proposals for pedestrian safety, traffic calming and other transportation-related improvements and help write proposals for community grants.

Carkeek Salmon Return and Other Events

by Dale Johnson

Posted: November 18, 2010

Bill Malatinsky at Carkeek Park has just published his newsletter about events at Carkeek, which you can view online here. Viewing the returning salmon is a great family event. And there are other events listed in the newsletter that might interest you.

Seattle Police North Precinct Holiday Sock Drive

by Will Murray

Posted: November 16, 2010

Dale Johnson Broadview Community Council President donates 100 pairs of socks to Community Police Team Officer David Gordon

Community Police Team Officers are once again sponsoring a Sock, Hat and Glove Drive to benefit Solid Ground family shelters. Last year over 2000 pairs of socks were donated and the goal this year has been raised to 6000 pairs! Over 200 pairs of socks were donated from the Broadview Community Council and Luther Memorial Church Teen group on November 16^th. New socks, warm hats and gloves can be donated until December 1^st at the North Precinct:

10049 College Way N.

Seattle WA 98133

206 684 0850

You can also contact Sgt. Diane Newsom at 684 0794 to donate socks, hats and gloves. The final sock tally will be held during the December 1^st North Precinct Advisory Council meeting 7 PM at North Seattle Community College.

9600 College Way North
Seattle, Washington 98103
(206) 527-3600

The guest speaker will be Gregory M. Dean, Chief Seattle Fire Dept. refreshments will be served and the event is open to the public and held near the cafeteria on campus.

We hope to see you there with a few pairs of socks and or warm hats and gloves.

Greenwood Food Bank seeking Thanksgiving Donations

by Will Murray

Posted: November 14, 2010

The Greenwood Food Bank located at 94th and Greenwood is hoping for some holiday food donations so families can have a Thanksgiving meal. The wish list is:

Canned Ham/gift card for a turkey
Canned Fruit (mandarin oranges, fruit cocktail, cranberries)
Jello
Sugar
Flour
Canned Pumpkin for Pie
Pie Filling
Stuffing
Vegetable Oil
Canned Vegetables (Corn, Green Beans, Black Olives)
Beverages

They annnounced tonight that they are 70 crates behind in food available than they should be for this time of year, with 1000 more people coming for donations last month. The regular attendance is 3000. They had 4000. Please pick up something extra and bring it by. Let’s fill those shelves for our neighbors. You can bring food or cash donations to the Broadview Community Council meeting Tuesday November 16th or donate directly to the Food Bank.

Volunteers of America Greenwood Food Bank
9041 Greenwood Avenue N, Seattle 98103
206-782-6731
Donations are accepted T, W, TH and Friday from 9am to 4pm
(every 2nd Friday of the month, donations are accepted until 8pm)

Winter Weather Are We Ready?

by Will Murray

Updated: November 12, 2010

Greenwood and Aurora marked in yellow will be cleared of snow

In Broadview elevations approach 500’ (50’ higher then Queen Anne) and winter can bring heavy rains, snow and ice. The City of Seattle has released their plan for winter weather and pledges to keep major roadways clear in the event of snow and ice.

From the SDOT website:

We commit to using all the tools at our disposal to make sure that the people of Seattle as well as our interagency partners are fully informed and involved in our snow response. SDOT and Metro have worked together to ensure that bus routes will be clear. People will be able to get around the city by bus, making it easier to leave their cars at home. Drivers have some special responsibilities. If driving is unavoidable, drivers are responsible for outfitting their cars for winter weather, including chains or traction tires. We will plow to the right to support buses and the melting of snow and ice. Cars on snow routes may be plowed in. Property owners, both in residential and business areas, are responsible for shoveling their sidewalks and steps.

http://www.seattle.gov/Transportation/winterweather.htm

If you are traveling via public transportation know before you go by checking the transit alert web site:

Metro Transit Alerts Snow Ice and Floods Map

Winter Weather Brochures are available at the library and SDOT’s emergency dispatch number is 206 386 1218

Turkey Day

by Susan George

Posted: November 10, 2010

It’s that time of year again….Turkey Day. My family is a large one so eight years can pass without having to cook a turkey. In previous years I’ve had smoked dry turkey, organic free range turkey, Whole Foods precooked turkey, Martha Stewart turkey 101….on and on. The list is a long one.

Now, this year it’s my turn to ‘do the bird.’ What to do? I must confess that I’m a perfectionist and I still haven’t located the perfect turkey recipe. I went through all my cook books but nothing appeals to me. Out of desperation I called a friend who lives in Ca. Nellie is one of the best cooks I know and usually has 40+ people over every Thanksgiving. In human terms that’s two turkeys plus a ham and she also prepares most of the side dishes. After a friendly chat she emailed me this recipe.

So for all you out there stuck with turkey duty here’s her favorite recipe.* Turkey Recipe The only thing I will add is sage leaves under the skin to make this recipe my own. Thank you Nellie

If you have a family turkey recipe that is moist and flavorful send it by Nov 19th, I’ll post it with your name.

After I stuff myself with turkey, mashed potatoes and various pies on Thanksgiving I’ll go for a much needed walk in Broadview with the thought of “Thank god I don’t have to make turkey for another eight years.”

email me at: sgeorge@broadviewseattle.org

* Janet fietcher Bon Appetit Nov. 1999

City Council May Restore Neighborhood Coordinators

by Dale Johnson

Updated: November 5, 2010

At the City Council Budget Committee meeting on November 4th an amendment to the proposed budget was discussed. It proposes to restore 5 neighborhood district coordinator positions, at 80% of full time. Some of the funding would come from having all 12 of the coordinators at 80% of full time. Another amendment would reduce the funding for administrative costs at the Department of Neighborhoods. One of the 5 positions proposed to be restored would be our neighborhood coordinator at the Greenwood Service Center, Beth Pflug.

Here is a link to the amendment restoring 5 positions. Here is the amendment reducing administrative costs. The discussion at the Budget Committee meeting is in this video, from about minute 14 to minute 23.

Final decisions on amendments to the proposed budget will be made at Budget Committee meetings next week. Nothing is final until those decisions are made, but typically once amendments have been discussed at the Budget Committee discussion of options meetings they pass in the final round of decisons.

A Word on Property Taxes

by Susan George

Posted: November 3, 2010

Written by Barbara Alsheikh, who works for King County Tax Advisor Office.

Ah, November! My favorite month of the year! While most of you are busy planning a holiday-themed get together with friends and family, I am relishing the slowing pace at King County’s Tax Advisor Office. All of the assessment notices have been mailed and now it’s past the deadline to start an appeal; the October frenzy caused by lost property tax billings has ended. Any comp time I might have accrued all summer preparing comparable sales reports for home owners should be taken now, before late bills (including the 8% non-refundable penalty) are mailed December 1^st to all of the home owners who refinanced this year but decided to pay taxes themselves and then forgot to contact the county for a new property tax bill. Phone calls will pick up then!

For home owners who did pay the tax bill on time, the next frenzied round of calls will begin when the annual property tax statement is mailed in February, 2011. Thousands of homeowners who watched values decline in 2009 and 2010 will howl if they see that the tax bill has increased for 2011. “How in the world can that happen?” they will scream into the phones. “Doesn’t anyone down there know what is going on in the real estate market?”

Of course, we do. The real answer is that our property taxes aren’t based on some set percentage of our assessment like most other states. In Washington State, our property tax system is budget-based.

Property taxes fund public services. The cost of providing public services isn’t related to the ups and downs of the real estate market. Our public services budgets include labor and benefit costs, energy and facilities costs, materials and transportation just like any other business. These costs increase over time but each total levy budget is limited to a maximum of 1% increase each year. Voter-approved increases are additional in the first year (about half of your property tax bill is voter-approved levies).

Although you can’t appeal your tax bill, you can appeal your assessment, which is mailed to every property owner each summer on an Official Value Notice, a large postcard that shows your property’s old value and new value, and value after exemption, if any. Don’t worry about how the land and building values are allocated, the important one is the total value.

Your total value is hypothetical market value based on actual sales that closed during the previous two years. The value date is always January 1^st, about six months before you get the Notice. So the assessment value isn’t what your property would sell for today, it is what you might have sold it for a year ago (two years ago by the time you pay the tax bill!).

Should you disagree with the Assessor’s opinion of value for your property you can file a petition to appeal the value. It is important to remember that you can only do this if you file within 60 days of the mailing date on the card. Like other legal challenges, there are firm deadlines you must observe.

Our office, the King County Tax Advisor Office, works under the direction of the Metropolitan King County Council’s Office of Citizen Complaints-Ombudsman. So we are completely separate from the Assessor’s Office. You can call us for general questions about your property taxes, and if you plan to appeal next summer, you can call us for help finding comparable sales and other evidence for your board hearing (but wait until after you get your Official Value Notice).

If you want to complain about your tax bill when you get it in February, please read this article again!

Seattle Police Reports Online

by Dale Johnson

Posted: November 1, 2010

Did you know that you can view incident reports from the Seattle Police Department online? SPD started making its reports available online earlier this year. Go to http://www.seattle.gov/police/records/online.htm and create a login, then browse the reports. This could be a useful tool for block watch groups.

You can also access the reports by starting from the City’s neighborhood map portal http://web5.seattle.gov/mnm/policereports.aspx This view gives you a picture of activity in a geographic area. (It takes a while to load the data as graphics on the map, so be patient.)