President Obama came to the Seattle area Tuesday to do some fundraising, which of course meant that Air Force One was here to transport him.

Which, as we all know by now, meant restricted air space…and the now-historic resulting double sonic booms (read our coverage here) because of a float plane pilot’s lack of judgment.

Not-so-ironically, the Air Force One that landed at Boeing Field is a Boeing 747-200B, with the tail code 29000. According to The White House website:

Technically, Air Force One is the call sign of any Air Force aircraft carrying the President. In practice, however, Air Force One is used to refer to one of two highly customized Boeing 747-200B series aircraft, which carry the tail codes 28000 and 29000. The Air Force designation for the aircraft is VC-25A.

Air Force One is one of the most recognizable symbols of the presidency, spawning countless references not just in American culture but across the world. Emblazoned with the word “United States of America,” the American flag, and the Seal of the President of the United States, it is an undeniable presence wherever it flies.

Capable of refueling midair, Air Force One has unlimited range and can carry the President wherever he needs to travel. The onboard electronics are hardened to protect against an electromagnetic pulse, and Air Force One is equipped with advanced secure communications equipment, allowing the aircraft to function as a mobile command center in the event of an attack on the United States.

Inside, the President and his travel companions enjoy 4,000 square feet of floor space on three levels, including an extensive suite for the President that features a large office, lavatory, and conference room. Air Force One includes a medical suite that can function as an operating room, and a doctor is permanently on board. The plane’s two food preparation galleys can feed 100 people at a time.

Photographer Francis Zera, himself somewhat of an aviation nut, found a good lookout and shot the following Sound Slideshow of Air Force One (be sure your speakers are turned on):

Click to Play Francis Zera’s Sound Slideshow

On Thursday (Mar. 4), Highline Community College’s Center of Excellence for International Trade, Transportation and Logistics (ITTL) announced that it had received $250,000 to provide additional job training opportunities for positions in the international trade sector.

“As our economy continues to change and adjust so too must our workforce,” said U.S. Congressman Adam Smith (D-WA). “This funding will help do just that by training Washington state workers for a career in a growing sector of our local economy – international trade.”

The project — part of the final version of the 2010 Consolidated Appropriations Act signed by President Obama on Dec. 16, 2009 — will lead to a 20 percent increase in the number of trained ITTL workers in Washington state.

U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Smith secured funding for the project that will also improve the image of international trade throughout Washington state and create awareness of career and training opportunities that lead to family wage jobs.

“In these tough economic times, it is more important than ever to ensure that our workers have the skills they need to compete in the 21st century economy,” Murray said.

Positions in the ITTL sector include managers, logisticians, cargo and freight agents, shipping and receiving clerks, locomotive engineers, drivers and warehouse workers. Washington state will need nearly 77,000 new employees in ITTL by 2018, according to estimates based on data from the state’s Employment Security Department.

For more information about the Center of Excellence for International Trade, Transportation and Logistics, visit www.ittlwa.com.

Located in Des Moines, Highline Community College was founded in 1961 as the first community college in King County. With approximately 18,300 students and 350,000 alumni, it is one of the state’s largest institutions of higher education. The college offers a wide range of academic transfer and professional-technical education programs, with day, evening and weekend classes. Alumni include:

• Former Seattle Mayor Norm Rice
• Entrepreneur Junki Yoshida
• Washington state poet laureate Sam Green
• And yes, even BTB Publisher/Editor Scott Schaefer

An informational meeting regarding Health Care Reform Options is coming Sunday, Sept. 20th, from 2pm – 4pm at the Burien Library.

Sponsored by Heath Care For All -WA, South King County Action Team, it will include:

• Video Presentations
• Commentary
• Q & A’s

The Puget Sound Business Journal reports that the area will be on the receiving end of $40.4 million in funding from the recent federal stimulus package, with $3.8 million going towards “Phase IIA” improvements on First Avenue between Southwest 192nd Street and Southwest 200th Street.

According to the PSBJ, the Puget Sound Regional Council decided on Thursday how to dole out $78 million in federal stimulus dollars.

The agency’s Executive Board voted to approve a list of projects in King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties.

Read the full story here.

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Dow Constantine

by Mark Neuman

Metropolitan King County Council member Dow Constantine has made it official.

“I’m running for King County Executive,” he said Monday (Feb. 16th) in an interview with The B-Town Blog.

“It’s a real big step, and I’m hitting the ground running.”

Dow has been on the Council since 2002. Just five weeks ago, he was unanimously elected by his colleagues as Council Chair.

Assuming current Executive Ron Sims’ nomination to serve in the Obama administration is confirmed by the US Senate, the council will select a replacement “quickly, soon after a vacancy in the office becomes official,” Dow said.

“The Senate vote is not expected to occur before the first week of March,” Dow said.

Dow favors selecting an interim executive “without political ambitions, but who has demonstrated managerial, budgetary and political skill.”

“We will strive to make the selection process open and transparent,” he said.

No matter who is selected to replace Sims on an interim basis, “the most important issue ahead of us on the council is the passage this fall of the toughest budget ever,” Dow said. “All of us on the council are keenly aware of the impact the current economic realities will no doubt have on the next budget.”

Dow, who in the State House and Senate represented Burien and surrounding areas before joining the council, is proud of Burien’s recent growth and development.

“It is a joy to watch Burien grow as a city,” Dow said. “I am proud to have included a provision for funding the Burien Transit Center on the recent Sound Transit ballot measure,” which passed last fall.

The Burien “Town Center and Transit Center are great models for other cities in the region to follow,” he said. “White Center and Burien are positioned as priorities for future light rail expansion.”

Dow promises more time for an in-depth interview with The B-Town Blog as the campaign progresses.

The only other announced candidate in the race for Executive is fellow Council member Larry Phillips.

For more information, here’s Dow’s campaign website: www.dowconstantine.org.

You can also view his video announcement on YouTube here.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Bob is an Englishman who lives in Burien who traveled to Washington, D.C. last week to attend the Inauguration of President Barack Obama. This is his final report.]

WED. 1/21/08 – THE DAY AFTER
I had one more full day in Washington, DC and had a mission to make full use of it doing something a little less strenuous. The first order of business was to buy the souvenir newspapers. Hudson’s News at Union Station was the ideal place with hundreds of each still available. The high demand meant a long line for the cash register but that only meant more time to meet new people and chat about our experiences and hopes.

Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels ended up watching the Inauguration on TV in his hotel room.

My next port of call was Senator Patty Murray’s coffee gathering in the Dirksen Senate Office Building where I soon met the Senator herself. There were many other distinguished attendees including the Mayor of Tacoma, Bill Baarsma, the travel writer, Rick Steves, and the Mayor of Seattle, Greg Nickels.

Mayor Nickels was among the thousands of ticket holders who were unable to get into the Purple section (near the Capitol behind the seated areas) due to some sort of security problems. Despite traveling from Seattle and waiting for hours in the freezing cold only to have to watch the swearing-in ceremony in his hotel room, he maintained a positive attitude and was content to have shared the experience with many ordinary citizens. He never felt that he should receive special treatment just because he was the mayor of a major U.S. city and for that I think he deserves a lot of respect.

My plan for the day was solidified thanks to Jimmy, a staffer in Senator Murray’s office who told me that I could obtain a pass to the Senate Visitors Gallery from their office. Before I could use it though I had to stop by the Rayburn Office Building to thank the staff at Congressman Adam Smith’s office for having given me the Inauguration tickets and making my experience so memorable.

I spent almost 2.5 hours in the Senate Visitors Gallery watching the Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing for Senator Hillary Clinton for the post of Secretary of State. Initially it seemed strange that there were very few senators present. John Kerry, the committee chairman, spoke in support of Senator Clinton and introduced a number of other senators including Arlen Specter (Pennsylvania) and Patrick Leahy (Vermont). During a quiet period when a senator failed to appear, Senator Kerry used the opportunity to spend about 20 minutes talking about the national security implications of global warming and the melting of the ice mass in Greenland. The visitors loved it and applauded rapturously. Then came the vote. Those of us who hadn’t observed such an event before were wondering how they could hold a vote with only a few senators present, but the question was soon answered with almost all senators in the 110th Congress arriving quickly to cast their vote. We didn’t see Senator Clinton, but we recognized many faces, including Joe Lieberman, John McCain, and President Obama’s controversially selected successor, Roland Burris, from Chicago. The party atmosphere as they all chatted with one another lasted about 30 minutes and then it went quiet again. The deed was done though. Hillary Clinton was confirmed as Secretary of State by a vote of 94 to 2 and the visitors showed their hearty appreciation.

Outside, at the back of the Capitol I stood in the place from which George W. Bush left by helicopter only a day ago. I spent a few minutes looking at the surrounding buildings, which were now glowing in the evening sun. The Supreme Court stands to the east; the Senate office buildings stand to the north, and the House office buildings stand to the south.

Another text message arrived from the President:

“Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off,
and begin the work of remaking America.”

How can you argue with that?

I called home and then moved over to the south end of the Capitol Building to watch the sunset over the Mall as the monuments started to glow and lights came on all over the city. It was hard to leave but I had to go. Descending into Capitol South Metro station, I left the stunning sight behind.

I’ll never forget the events of the week of January 18-21, 2009. How incredibly uplifting it was to see so many people concerned about the good of this country and the wider world, the wider world that looks to the United States for responsible and decent leadership. Many of the people I met agreed that change had come not just because of Barack Obama and his incredible accomplishment, but because of a collective realization that what was happening in the country just didn’t make sense. There had to be a better way forward and Barack Obama seemed to be just the person to help find that way.

Remember though, it’s not about him, it’s about us and what we are prepared to do.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Bob is an Englishman who lives in Burien who traveled to Washington, D.C. last week to attend the Inauguration of President Barack Obama. This is his second of three reports.]

TUES. 1/20/09 – INAUGURATION DAY
Inauguration Day had come. At 4:30am we walked out of the apartment and down to the bike path that runs along the Potomac River. It was quiet and, apart from a few police officers, we saw very few other people. The view across the frozen river to the Mall was spectacular with the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, and US Capitol perfectly lit. The Arlington Memorial Bridge was empty and the police didn’t mind us standing in the middle of the road to take photographs. At the end of the Mall, it was still very quiet except for the activity of the security services and the vendors setting up their stalls. At the Washington Monument a large crowd had assembled to take advantage of the elevated position. Then things changed. The closer we got to the Capitol the more chaotic it became.

At 5:40 am we joined the long line at the Silver section entrance and met some great people from all over the country. One girl asked us if we’d like to swap one of our Silver tickets for an even better Blue one, but we’d come together and declined her offer. It was incredibly cold as we were waiting and removing my gloves to take a photograph turned out to be a bad idea. The crowds quickly grew. Flashing lights and police officers were everywhere, many having come from as far away as Philadelphia and, most likely, places beyond.

When the Silver section gate opened at 8 am, the movement of the massive crowd was generally civilized but definitely not something for the claustrophobic. With our new-found friends we were elated just to get into the first part of the Silver section, but it was on the wrong side of Third Street for us. We quickly found a narrow fenced passageway across Third Street and shuffled into the other smaller part of the Silver section behind the Reflecting Pool and nearer the Capitol. The hope of getting our preferred spot by the second speaker stand had long since evaporated but it didn’t matter. We were in and we had plenty of space to adjust our positions. The chaos that we witnessed was prevalent up and down the Mall. It wasn’t long before a barrier fell and people rushed forward. That was fine with us because it left us with lots of open space and a clear view of the Capitol from which we enjoyed the early part of the Inaugural Ceremony. We then decided to move over to the area near the jumbotron on the north east corner of the Reflecting Pool where we stayed for the remainder of the swearing-in ceremony. The line of sight was spectacular with a direct view the podium and the seating areas above and to the sides. Unfortunately, the sound was not very good, but we were there and that’s what counted.

The crowd reaction to some of the official attendees was amusing. George W. Bush’s arrival generated a not-unexpected response. The discontent with Joe Lieberman was clearly heard and there didn’t seem to be much sympathy for Dick Cheney, who arrived in a wheelchair. The official line is that he hurt his back while packing boxes.

We weren’t aware of the mistake with Obama’s taking of the oath until much later in the day and we had to wait until we got home to hear his speech in full. We did hear enough though to appreciate the significance of what he was saying and the historic nature of the occasion. The crowd reacted accordingly and it was amazing.

Many people started to leave not long after President Obama’s speech, but we were keen to stay and former President Bush leave:

His helicopter rose quickly and spectacularly from behind the Capitol, flying almost directly over us and heading westwards. The cheering of the masses below was no match for the sound of such a large aircraft, but the occupants had to be aware of what was going on below them. A few minutes later they came back for another circuit of the Mall before heading off to Andrews Air Force Base and then on to Midland, Texas. That was it. For many, the world was now a much better place. A few minutes later I received a text message saying:

“Barack Obama is now the 44th President of the United States. Please stay and watch the parade on the jumbotrons.”

These guys really know what they’re doing.

After lunch at the National Museum of the Native American, we headed west along the now mostly empty, but trash-covered, Mall and soon came upon the MSNBC facility where presenters including Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow were conducting their live broadcast against a glass backdrop with an enthusiastic crowd doing their best to be seen on television. It was at this moment that the new president and first lady got out of their enormous car and walked along the parade route, driving the crowd into a frenzy. Moving from jumbotron to jumbotron we worked our way west along the mall, stopping at each one to catch more of the unbelievable spectacle that was unfolding only a few blocks to the north.

It was soon time to head home. As expected, the Metro was not an option due to the high demand. Foggy Bottom station was closed so we had no choice but to keep on walking to Roslyn where my friend’s wife met us. Dinner at a great restaurant called Artie’s in Fairfax was the perfect end to an unforgettable historic day.

[TOMORROW: It's Bob's last day in DC, and it's jam packed - he goes to Hillary's confirmation hearing and meets a fellow northwest visitor who failed to even get in to the inauguration - Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels.]

Satellite photo by Geo-Eye-One.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Bob is an Englishman who lives in Burien who traveled to Washington, D.C. last week to attend the Inauguration of President Barack Obama. Previously, he filed this report, as well as an eyewitness account of election night. This is the first of three reports we'll be posting, so be sure to check back tomorrow for his entry for Day #2.]

It may have been cold, but the friendly people in line at the Rayburn Building were warm.

MONDAY 1/19/08 – TICKET COLLECTION:
It was time to pick up my Inauguration tickets. With thousands of other lucky recipients arriving to collect them too, the House and Senate office buildings at either side of the Capitol were surrounded by long lines of people waiting to pass through security at the entrances and head up to a Congressman or Senator’s office where the tickets were waiting for them. I joined a line at the Rayburn office building and really didn’t mind that it took a while to get in. The positive atmosphere was highly infectious as people talked to strangers and told each other their stories about what this inauguration meant to them, where they were from, how they came to have tickets, and what they hoped the new president could achieve. Alongside me were a lady from Chicago, a lady from St. Louis, Missouri, a gentleman from Phoenix, Arizona, and a member of the Army on active duty who was so bitter about what had happened in recent years that we all had to do our best to convince him that things looked likely to improve. He didn’t seem too willing to believe us but no one can say we didn’t try to change his mind.

The staff of Congressman Adam Smith’s office were professional and friendly. As I expected, my tickets were for the Silver section, just behind the Capitol Reflecting Pool. After taking in the view of the city and the Mall from outside the Rayburn office building I went on a reconnaissance mission to find the best place for a good view of the main event. Facing the Capitol, the second speaker stand from the left along the Reflecting Pool seemed like a perfect spot with a clear view of the podium and surrounding seated areas and a jumbotron just across the frozen pool to the left. With that taken care of, I wandered over to the area just behind the seated sections immediately below the Capitol for a spectacular close-up view and stayed there for a while to appreciate the scene and take photographs for myself and other people.

A fellow Brit found a way to get to the Inauguration.

Next I headed down Pennsylvania Avenue and over to the official Inauguration Collectibles store on E Street, watching the people and the preparations along the way. “Brits for Obama,” read one man’s badge, so I just had to stop and ask about it. He’d made it himself and wished he’d brought a big bag full of them for all those who wanted one, including me. He was from a part of Yorkshire in the north of England very close to where my family comes from and had extended his contract in Florida so he could stay long enough to see the inauguration. As we were talking, we watched as semi-truck after semi-truck came to deliver crowd barriers and forklift trucks unloaded them.

The scale of the preparation for the event was enormous.

As usual, the Canadian signage was in French as well as English.

Along Pennsylvania Avenue we walked past the Canadian Embassy and saw a huge banner which read “Canada Salutes Obama”. At the Newseum we read the front pages of newspapers from around the world, all of them positive about the change that had come.

The collectibles store was busy and I picked up a few items. It was then time to start heading back to my friends’ place for the evening. On the way to the Foggy Bottom Metro station I saw bright lights over to my left and realized I was very close to the White House. The lights marked the end of the parade route and the position of the spectacular viewing stand. Less than 24 hours later, the President, his wife, and the Vice President and his wife would walk along this route and the crowd would be wild with excitement. People everywhere were taking photographs, including two who asked me to take one of them. One of them, it turned out, was from Bellevue, and the other was from Seattle. Just to prove how small the world is, the one from Seattle knew a friend of mine in West Seattle.

Sometimes the most interesting things are signs you find at your feet.

I could have spent a lot longer watching all the activity in the city but had to get back to prepare for an extremely early start the next day. My friend and I packed our things and headed over to a place in Roslyn, only five miles from my preferred spot by the Reflecting Pool. The plan was to stay there and then walk to the inauguration. The Metro is best avoided when hundreds of thousands of other people want to travel too.

[TOMORROW: Inauguration Day arrives. Bob gets up at 4am and walks five miles to join 1.8 million other people in the freezing cold to witness the most historic inauguration of our lifetimes.]

This is the view Bob had from the Silver Ticket section as Obama was about to be sworn in by the bumbling Supreme Court Justice Roberts.

Look for Bob’s full report soon…

Pam Patty, a happy customer, and Mark Minium (of BTB Advertiser Burien Honda) take a break at Tuesday night’s Inauguration Party at The Mark Restaurant. The joint was so busy that Mark ended up volunteering some precious “day of service” time bussing tables to help out.