A Forum intended to provide information on new rights around Home Foreclosures will be held on Thursday, July 21st from 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., and will feature Rep. Tina Orwall of the 33rd Legislative District, who was the prime sponsor of the ‘Foreclosure Fairness Act’ in the House.

This forum will provide key mediation information and how the new law, which takes effect on July 22, will impact homeowners and service providers.

“Did you know about 32,000 foreclosures were filed in Washington State last year? Somewhere between 30,000 and 50,000 are anticipated to occur in 2011,” reads a press release.

According to Realty Trac, in May 2011 alone, King County had 831 foreclosure properties filed.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Foreclosure forum provides key mediation information and how the new law, that takes effect on July 22, impacts homeowners and service providers.

WHEN: Thursday, July 21 from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: Kent Lutheran Church, located at 336 2nd Ave South in Kent, WA 98032.

Rep. Tina Orwall

INFO: Both homeowners and foreclosure counselors will benefit learning about the new law.

1. What are homeowners’ new rights?
2. What is foreclosure mediation?
3. How does a homeowner request mediation?

Program will include a Q&A session, as well as speakers:

• Rep. Tina Orwall, 33rd Legislative District and prime sponsor of the Foreclosure Fairness Act in the House.
• Bruce Neas, one of the chief negotiators of the Foreclosure Fairness Act and Legal Services Attorney, Columbia Legal Services.

For more information, click here.

Starting this Thursday (June 10), police agencies around the state will begin enforcing Washington’s newly-revised law restricting vehicle drivers from talking or texting while driving.

The revised law, with the catchy slogan “Text. Talk. Ticket.” (I bet the same person who came up with “Clickit or Ticket” wrote this one) makes texting or improper cell phone use primary offenses, meaning that drivers can be pulled over for those violations alone. It also prohibits the use of electronic devices by younger drivers with an Intermediate Driver’s License or Learner’s Permit, with or without a hands-free device.

Normandy Park Police Chief Rick Kieffer said “Distracted driving is a serous threat to everyone on the road. Normandy Park Police will follow the Washington State Patrols policy of strict enforcement.”

Tickets are $124 and could be more if your distracted driving causes a collision.

Here’s more info from the Washington State Patrol:

How will WSP enforce the changes?

“If you’re holding the phone to your ear, you’re likely to be stopped,” said Captain Chris Gundermann of the state patrol’s field operations bureau. “We will be flexible with virtually any type of headset or speakerphone device, but holding the phone itself to your ear will get our attention.”

Since 2008 the law has prohibited drivers from texting while driving, and required those talking on cell phones to use hands free devices. However, the earlier version of the law was “secondary” meaning that officers had to see a different violation in order to make the traffic stop.

Gundermann noted that those with hearing aids are exempt, as are those reporting an emergency to 9-1-1. Troopers will inquire about exemptions once the person has been pulled over.”

“No ticket is automatic. If the person has a hearing aid or is calling 9-1-1, we’ll get them quickly on their way,” he said

Texting can be harder for troopers to spot, because the unit is normally held lower than when talking on a cell phone. Gundermann says studies show that those reading or sending a text message take their eyes off the road for up to five seconds.

“We’ll be looking for people who clearly aren’t watching the road. We’ve had a couple years to practice spotting this behavior and can usually tell when someone is texting. Sooner or later the phone comes up high enough that we can see it and make the stop.”

At the Department of Licensing, Director Liz Luce is urging parents to help with enforcement of the complete ban on electronic devices for those with intermediate licenses.

“Responsibility starts at home, so I ask parents to have a conversation with their teen drivers, because the consequences of distracted driving can be deadly,” Luce said.

Statistics have long shown that younger drivers make up a disproportionate number of those injured or killed on the highway.

“A cell phone in the car is one of the most dangerous things a teen driver can have. Come June 10, teen drivers with intermediate licenses aren’t permitted to use their cell phones at all, with or without a hands-free device, unless they’re reporting an emergency.”

Multiple traffic violations on an intermediate driver license can lead to suspension and even an extension of the intermediate license restrictions until the driver turns 21.

Safety experts recommend people not talk on the phone at all while driving, pointing out that the conversation itself is a distraction.

“Ideally, we would like to see all drivers save their phone conversations for later and concentrate on the road. Study after study has demonstrated that talking on the phone while driving seriously impairs your awareness and ability to react,” said Lowell Porter, executive director of the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.

The Commission also has announced its new slogan to help people stay safe: Text, Talk, Ticket.

In the February 12 issue of the Highline Times, on the front page, was an article by Keith Daigle reporting that the Burien City Council unanimously approved the new zoning code which restricts adult entertainment to between Southwest 112th Street and Southwest 116th Street along either side of 16thAvenue Southwest. The zoning code will become effective April 1 when Burien annexes the southern portion of North Highline.

As a resident of the Shorewood community, I strongly object to having an “Adult Entertainment” zone bordering our Shorewood neighborhood, including two public schools (Cascade and Evergreen) and a private Montessori school, as well as the White Center King County Library. I have contacted Joan McGilton, mayor of Burien, for an explanation, but she did not seem to be clear on the designation and suggested I contact Mike Martin for clarification.

If the Highline Times story is accurate, then I want to know why this particular area was selected and why we need an Adult Entertainment zone in Burien in the first place. Is there any other area in Burien that is currently zoned Adult Entertainment? Does this mean that topless barista coffee stands and “deju vu nightclubs” will be allowed to operate in this two block area? I sincerely hope this is not the case and would appreciate clarification on this zoning change as soon as possible.

Sincerely,
Bonnie Moormeier

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Have something you'd like to say? Then email us your "Letter to the Editor" by clicking here. Be sure to include your real name and a way to contact you, and, pending our review, we'll most likely post it. Otherwise, feel free to leave a Comment below...]

“I support the City’s efforts to clean up graffiti, and the revised graffiti ordinance could be a useful tool.

The City of Burien could show leadership in this effort by cleaning up City properties.

The City has spent millions of dollars to improve our quality of life and also the perception of Burien in the minds of others living around the Puget Sound region.

Graffiti covering our public parks, the public face of the City most often seen by citizens and visitors, undermines all our efforts to improve our city.

This video inventory of graffiti in Burien Parks gives City managers and their contractors a place to start.

Some of it has remained for many years.

I look forward to revisiting these locations 10 days from now and finding all this graffiti removed.

When City leaders ensure that the City follows its own laws, they set an example for the citizens and speed the attainment of our collective goals.”

[WARNING: SOME NON-FAMILY FRIENDLY LANGUAGE WITHIN THIS VIDEO:]

Click here to view the embedded video.

It’ll be interesting to see what happens next – will the City respond?

Or will we see another video record and rant soon?

Hey Cityfolk…you still reading this here Blog?

The department plans to reassign a patrol supervisor with broad investigative experience to the 12-member detective unit. To fill that vacancy, Public Information Officer Mike Murphy will be reassigned from administrative duties to a squad car, Murphy said Wednesday.

Three people have been killed and two others wounded in the past three months in a city that generally sees one a homicide a year. The latest happened Sunday when two men were gunned down outside restaurant overlooking a city-owned golf course.

“We’re taking everything we can and throwing it at the problem,” Murphy said.

The sudden spike of violence couldn’t have happened at a worse time. This year, Tukwila has been celebrating its centennial anniversary with events promoting the city as a vibrant community with parks, urban trails, and regional venues beyond the Westfield Mall at Southcenter.

It has been frustrating for city leaders who invested about $500,000 in a yearlong calendar of promotions and public events, including community festivals, a soccer tournament, a culinary fair and a jazz concert by musician and former Tukwila resident Walt Wagner.

“We’re promoting all the positives of Tukwila and all the good things we have to offer and sometimes it seems like you’re treading up a waterfall,” said Mayor Jim Haggerton, who took office this year.

“But we’re not going to let them affect the positive things going on. We’re going full-steam ahead with our centennial plans,” he said.

Some neighborhood block watch groups have been concerned and Haggerton has assured them that recent incidents aren’t happening citywide.

Tukwila, referred to as the “crossroads” between Seattle, Sea-Tac Airport and South King County, boasts a population of about 18,000 that quadruples during the day. It is known for its regional shopping mall at Southcenter, which sits at the convergence of Interstates 5 and 405 just south of Seattle.

Police don’t see a pattern in the shootings, other than they’ve happened in public areas. The department might consider extra patrols or an emphasis detail if officers can isolate a factor in the violence. It’s not surprising that given Tukwila’s geography, rival groups from different areas might wind up confronting each other in the city, Murphy said.

“We’ve just been having chance meeting between rivals who have some sort of beef and it escalates to violence,” Murphy said. “There is no increase in the overall crime, just the severity of the crime that’s occurring.”

The recent cases under investigation include

• Devon Tramaine Guidry, 24, was killed Sunday outside Gordon’s on the Green, a restaurant overlooking Foster Golf Links. Guidry was one of two men shot during an argument after a jazz-style party attended by celebrities that included Gary Payton and Bruce Williams, who co-wrote a book on hip-hop artist and producer Dr. Dre.
• Rogers Jovan Ward, 24, was shot and killed March 15 during an argument in the 5700 block of South 152nd Street. Police have identified the suspect as Carlos W. Ellison III.
• A 21-year-old man was wounded March 12 in gunfire between several people outside the Southcenter mall. Police arrested two suspects who were later released.
• Allen Winston-Stewart, 24, was fatally shot in a car on Feb. 20 at South 116th Street near Tukwila International Boulevard.The recent cases represent the most violent cycle of city crime since Tukwila first annexed areas around the Pacific Highway in the 1990s and inherited the drug dealing and prostitution problems that came with the area, Murphy said.

SOURCE:

• Seattle P-I