The B-Town Blog would like to proudly welcome back Advertiser Emerald Cove Catering Company!

Emerald Cove Catering Company has been creating memorable events using the finest, freshest ingredients in the Seattle area since 1999. They moved to their location in Normandy Park in the spring of 2007.

Emerald Cove offers Corporate, Wedding and other Special Event Catering.

Owner and Executive Chef Freddie Detore II says:

“Our service and food speaks for itself and I truly believe that people can see the love and passion we put into our work.”

Fred found his passion for cooking in the family kitchen, perfecting Italian and other cuisines. In his early teens, Fred began working in the restaurant industry and later graduated from the Western Culinary Institute at the top of his class.

He is complimented by an extensive team of catering professionals who are looking forward to taking care of your needs in any and all areas of party planning and execution.

No event is too big or too small for their culinary expertise!

Emerald Cove Catering Company
17825 First Avenue South
Normandy Park, WA 98148

Phone: 206-431-COVE (2683)
Fax: 206-246-5495

Email: info@emeraldcovecatering.com
Web: www.emeraldcovecatering.com

“The reports share a common description of thieves approaching a customer with a ruse that they are going to turn off their power or water and need to go inside the customer’s home,” according to their website.

“We have not heard of any thefts, but want to make our customers aware of these reports so they can protect themselves from such scams,” Customer Care Director Kelly Enright said.

Here’s more info:

• City Light and Seattle Public Utilities do not need to access customers’ homes for any tests.
• City Light and Seattle Public Utilities employees should have identification badges available in plain view for customers to see and review.
• If you are approached by anyone claiming to work for either utility:
• Ask to see the person’s identification.
• Do not allow any such person into your home without City of Seattle identification.
• If the person at your door does not have identification, close the door, secure your home and call police. Be ready to provide a description of the person, the vehicle he or she is driving, license plate number and the direction they were traveling.
• In our Powerful Neighborhoods program, which installs free compact fluorescent light bulbs for residents in targeted neighborhoods, Seattle City Light is working with Ecova, Cascadia Consulting, the Environmental Coalition of South Seattle (ECOSS), and Working Green to hire and train installers, schedule home visits, and deliver and install the products.
• All installers undergo background checks and drug-screening. Installers fluent in more than a dozen languages, including Spanish, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Amharic and Cantonese, are available to visit homes where English is not the primary language. All staff carry Seattle City Light identification. Short profiles and photos of all installers can be seen at http://www.seattle.gov/light/install/installers.asp.

The National Weather Service on Wednesday (Nov. 16) released a “Special Weather Statement” that mentions the “S” word – SNOW – as possibly happening this Friday.

They say that a cold front will be moving down over us late Thursday night through Friday, bringing the chance of the white stuff, even across the lowlands.

But don’t expect anything too snowmageddon-like, as things will warm up by Saturday.

Here’s the statement in its entirety, released at 4:04 a.m. Nov. 16, 2011:

…Snow showers possible later this week… A cold upper level low pressure system is forecast to move southeast out of the gulf of Alaska and over the Pacific Northwest late Thursday night through Friday. This system is expected to generate showers across the area and the associated air mass will be cold enough that some of the precipitation could be in the form of snow across parts of the lowlands. Therefore…the current forecast calls for a mix of rain and snow showers over the lowlands of western Washington on Friday. Only spotty snow accumulations are expected with the majority of lowland locations remaining free of any accumulations. Where snow accumulations do occur…sunshine between the showers and air temperatures well above freezing on Friday afternoon will melt much of what accumulates.

King County wants you to know that they’re ready…sort of…just in case. They sent out the following press release on Tuesday (Nov. 15):

Falling temperatures have King County road crews on weather watch; public may see changes in snow response
Working with reduced resources, road crews ready to help keep people moving this winter

A repeat of La Niña and snow in the forecast has the King County Road Services Division cautioning drivers to be prepared for winter driving.

Because winter can come early in the higher hills, County road crews have topped off stockpiles of salt and sand and are ready to respond when roads get icy and the first flakes fall. That could be any day now, according to the latest forecast.

This season, the Road Services Division will have 17,700 cubic yards of sand, 270 cubic yards of salt and 21,000 gallons of anti-icing material stockpiled at ten field offices throughout the county. It also has a variety of equipment ready to go to combat snow and ice. During significant snowstorms, crews will be placed on 12-hour shifts to provide around-the-clock response to roads in unincorporated areas.

And beginning this month, six maintenance workers will once again be assigned overnight shifts to respond to snow, ice and other road problems.

While some unincorporated neighborhoods have been annexed by cities, the actual number of snow routes maintained by King County has changed very little in recent years. The County is still responsible for about 1300 miles of snow routes connecting cities, suburban and rural areas. Yet the Road Services Division will have fewer resources to respond due to funding and staff reductions.

These reductions mean some roads will be plowed and sanded less often depending on weather conditions. Priorities for snow and ice removal include arterials and heavily traveled roadways and routes used by Metro Transit buses. In general, snow response on roadways will occur in the following order of priority:

• Major roads such as key arterials and main thoroughfares connecting densely populated areas.
• Smaller roadways that carry traffic from local streets to arterial roadways connecting towns and cities.
• Secondary commuter routes that are considered important connectors to the County’s larger network of roads.

During minor localized snow events, the division will shift crews from non-affected areas of the county to help keep roads clear. But during a significant regional snowstorm, the shifting of County forces may not be possible.

Given this potential for reduced road clearing, residents should familiarize themselves with King County’s snow plan and develop backup plans if heavy snow prevents travel. Those plans might include working a flexible schedule, telecommuting or postponing your trip, if possible.

“When a snowstorm strikes, the best way to avoid the dangers of driving is to stay home,” Road Services Division Manager Paulette Norman said. “If you must drive, stick to major arterials and make sure your vehicle has good winter tires and a full tank of gas before heading out.”

King County Executive Dow Constantine has pledged to work on finding a permanent and sustainable solution for local roads funding, and will work with the Governor’s Connecting Washington Task Force, which is crafting a statewide transportation package for consideration by the legislature.

Here’s the forecast for the area from the Weather Peeps:

Thursday: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 45. South southwest wind around 21 mph.

Thursday Night: Showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 37. South wind between 11 and 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Friday: Showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 42. South southwest wind between 3 and 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Friday Night: A chance of rain showers before 10pm, then a chance of rain and snow showers. Snow level 1100 feet lowering to 500 feet. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 32. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Saturday: A chance of rain and snow showers before 10am, then a chance of rain showers. Snow level 500 feet. Partly sunny, with a high near 42. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 34.

Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 44.

In any event, budget crunches are a reality in the City and the County. And you’ve no doubt heard of “austerity measures” in Greece and Italy. So we should expect belt-tightening to extend to snow removal services, too, as things are rough all over. Be patient with the City, County, and State through this winter season, and adjust your travel plans accordingly!

First Ave South after a 2008 snow.

by Jack Mayne

Residents of the Burien area who work in Seattle must remember the snowstorm of 2008, when even some arterials were clogged with snow on which Seattle city crews dumped dirt and basically tied up the city for several days.

Some believe the storm and the traffic mess it created ended the career of then-Mayor Greg Nickels.

The current Seattle mayor has had a rocky first year in office, but he has definitely not forgotten the lesson Nickels learned too late: Keep the streets clear so businesses can operate and citizens can get to work.

It looks like another La Niña year, when colder than usual temperatures are expected, so Mayor Mike McGinn has announced Seattle is prepared for another season and winter storm plans are readied, salt stockpiled and equipment prepped.

“If tested by colder temperatures and more precipitation, we are ready to respond and keep arterial streets clear,” said McGinn. “Across city departments and in coordination with other agencies, we have completed our winter response preparations and stand ready to act.”

McGinn said the city has a new Winter Weather Response webpage, which allows residents to track where plows have been and check current street conditions. The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will activate the website during snowstorms. It will include a map of winter weather routes; provide plow data for the previous one-, three- and 12-hour periods; and display nearby traffic cameras. Residents will be able to access the website via SDOT’s homepage: www.seattle.gov/transportation/.

McGinn said the aim is to keep major roads open, buses moving and critical emergency services accessible during snow and ice storms. In line with industry best practices, SDOT will stay ahead of storms by pre-treating streets with salt brine before snow falls to reduce snow’s ability to stick to streets and using salt during storms to melt snow more quickly. The plan, which has been used with success over the past two winter seasons, was designed in consultation with emergency services, transit providers and key partners such as area hospitals.

The city has 26 plows and four anti-icing/de-icing trucks ready to respond. The department has stockpiled 2,200 tons of salt and 46,500 gallons of salt brine and has already conducted a full exercise with its plow fleet.

Other storm season enhancements include implementing Snow Watch, a new weather tool that tracks and forecasts snowfall at the neighborhood level, converting to a more effective salt brine solution (magnesium chloride) for anti-icing and de-icing work, and completing internal agreements to provide SDOT’s snow fleet with additional drivers from other departments if needed.

With an emphasis on emergency response during winter storms, the Seattle Police Department and the Seattle Fire Department have snow chains ready and alternate response routes planned so personnel can effectively respond to emergency and general calls during adverse weather.

Businesses and residents are reminded of their responsibility to shovel sidewalks adjacent to their properties. Clear walkways are important for safe pedestrian travel across neighborhoods during and after storms. Residents should prepare before the winter season by purchasing a snow shovel and salt to keep their sidewalks clear.

If you don’t recall what the Seattle area turns into (and drivers go through) during a snowstorm, here are some video reminders:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

King County Council Candidate Diana Toledo is asking our Readers for help – her West Seattle home was broken into Sunday morning (Nov. 6) sometime between 11 a.m. – Noon, with the only thing taken being a 7-week old puppy.

The puppy is a small, 7-week old brown pit bull that answers to the name “Jewel.”

“Someone kicked in the front door of the house and rifled through some things but only took the puppy,” Toledo said. “They left behind a laptop, digital camera and other small electronics that could have turned a quick buck, so they obviously came for the dog.”

Toledo adds that the Seattle Police Department was able to take fingerprints, and is doing a full investigation.

“The family is very concerned with the puppy’s health as no dog food was taken from the home,” Toledo said. “The Toledo children are distraught and we are asking for any help you can give. My 15-year old niece named her ‘Jewel,’ and the only thing on her Christmas list was to be able to keep Jewel.”

If you have any information about this case, please contact the Seattle Police Department’s Southwest Precinct at (206) 733-9800, email votetoledo@live.com or call their voicemail line at (206) 312-2228.

Composer Marvin Hamlisch and Gerard Schwarz, Conductor Laureate of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, have agreed to serve as Honorary Co-Chairs of the Music4Life Peace Initiative. The initiative is an annual Seattle-based program to foster international peace through youth music activities.

“We’re absolutely thrilled about Marvin and Jerry’s commitments to the program,” said David Endicott, who chairs the initiative’s advisory board. “Everyone understands that there is disharmony among cultures throughout the world. These are two prominent people who agree that something must – and can – be done about it.

The Music4Life Peace Initiative is a Rotary-inspired annual event that brings three or four young musicians from each of two traditionally antogonistic cultures to Seattle. The youngsters participate in a summer music camp program, learn that they can work together cooperatively through the inter-national language of music and then take those lessons home with them.

Others currently serving on the Music4Life Peace Initiative’s Advisory Board include Colleen Armstrong, retired Chief of staff of Seattle Opera; Narayan Baltzo, a life-affirming songwriter and musician; Admiral Bill Center, USN retired and a past president of the Seattle Downtown Rotary club; Endicott; Dr. Charles Evans, Captain US Public Health Service (retired) and a retired Seattle physician; Lisa Fox, an employment program manager and past president of University District Rotary; Yeva Ghazaryan, a music educator; and Spencer Lehmann, a retired long-term care insurance executive.

The Music4Life Peace Initiative is working with the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra to place the student-musicians at SYSO’s summertime Marrowstone youth music camp. Marrowstone is comprised of an intensive two-week program for older musicians at Western Washington University, as well as a less intense half-day program for younger musicians located in Seattle.  “Our intention is to work with young musicians whose attitudes and prejudices are not yet fully ingrained in them,” Endicott added.

The initiative is one activity of Music4Life, a four-year-old program to acquire musical instruments for low income young musicians in public schools.  The program began working with Seattle Public Schools and has recently been expanded to serve young musicians in the Highline School System. Music4Life will receive the “Friend of Music” award by the Washington Music Educators Association next February at its biennial statewide conference in Yakima.

Although Music4Life is a Rotary-inspired program, Endicott is quick to point out that it is not necessary to be a member of a Rotary club to support it.

“All that is necessary is that a person understands the unique value that participation in instrumental music has in a young person’s total education.”

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is completing demolition of the southern mile of the viaduct and will open the new construction bypass midday on Saturday. Metro viaduct service will operate on the reroutes that have been used during the closure for the entire day on Saturday, then move to the new bypass on Sunday morning.

The Metro routes that will use the bypass are: 21 Express, 37 southbound, 54, 54 Express, 55, 56 Express, 113, 120, 121, 122, and 125. Bus riders should note that due to narrower lanes and lower speed limits on the bypass, bus travel times on these routes may be longer than before the viaduct was demolished.

Prior to the viaduct closure, Metro increased bus service on the SR 99 corridor. That service will remain in effect to help with anticipated construction disruptions over the next several years.

For the five weekdays during the viaduct closure, additional sailings were added to the King County Ferry District’s West Seattle Water Taxi route. Those sailings will not continue, because the water taxi is moving to its winter schedule on Monday, Oct. 31. That schedule can be found at: http://www.kingcounty.gov/watertaxi.

To stay up to date with any changes to Metro service, please sign up for Transit Alerts at http://www.kingcounty.gov/metro/alerts.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is warning that the Alaskan Way Viaduct closure, which begins this Friday (Oct. 21) is expected to affect traffic throughout the Seattle area.

In addition to traffic congestion on the West Seattle Bridge, Aurora Avenue, and in SODO, you can also expect delays on SR-509, SR-99, I-5, the floating bridges, and local streets.

“If you can travel by bus, bike, water taxi, carpool or vanpool, or telecommute, it takes vehicles off the roadways and helps everyone travel more quickly and smoothly,” said Metro Transit General Manager Kevin Desmond. “Still, it will be very important that you allow for extra travel time no matter how you are getting around, and consider traveling outside of the peak commute times.”

Please be aware that bus tracking programs lose accuracy when buses are rerouted or significantly delayed, so your favorite smartphone apps may not be reliable during this time. More information about the closure and the affect on bus travel is available online.

Short-term reroutes for Metro’s 21 Express, 37 southbound, 54, 54 Express, 55, 56 Express, 113, 120, 121, 122, and 125.

During the closure of the Alaskan Way Viaduct that starts at 7:30 p.m., this Friday, Oct. 21., 11 Metro bus routes that currently travel on the viaduct will be rerouted via Fourth Avenue South in the SODO area and Third Avenue in downtown Seattle. These short-term reroutes affect Metro’s 21 Express, 37 southbound, 54, 54 Express, 55, 56 Express, 113, 120, 121, 122, and 125.

Bus stops on Columbia and Seneca streets at Second Avenue will be temporarily closed during this time. When the viaduct reopens, those 11 routes will begin using the new viaduct bypass currently under construction.

Traffic congestion on the north end of the viaduct is also likely to cause delays for Metro routes: 5, 15, 16, 18, 26 Express, 28 Express, and 358.

For more information, visit http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/viaduct.

This could be your playground (or film set, marriage proposal location, etc.) on Oct. 22nd!

What would you do if you had exclusive access to the Alaskan Way Viaduct for 30 minutes, free of cars and people? Maybe celebrate a birthday, propose to your significant other or play flag football?

That’s what the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) wants to know.

WSDOT is sponsoring a contest where one lucky person and 24 of their friends will win access to the viaduct’s downtown section for 30 minutes on Oct. 22. Starting Oct. 21, the viaduct will be closed for nine-days in order to demolish the southern mile and transfer traffic onto the new southbound bridge that is nearly complete.

To enter, answer the question:

“What would I do with 30 minutes on the Alaskan Way Viaduct?”

…in 100 words or less and send it to viaduct@wsdot.wa.gov by Sunday, Oct. 16. Entries should be original, creative and fun! The winner will be escorted to a private section of the viaduct at a predetermined time to follow through with their plan. Check the WSDOT website for contest details, rules and restrictions.

For those who don’t win the contest, and anyone else interested in spending a little time on the viaduct before it’s demolished, there’ll be a commemorative walk on Saturday, Oct. 22. This is a perfect opportunity to get a firsthand perspective as this historic event unfolds.

A portion of the viaduct’s top deck near the stadiums will be open to watch as crews demolish large sections of the roadway. You’ll also be able to enjoy great views of the city from the structure that helped shape Seattle’s waterfront. Attendees can take home a commemorative piece of the viaduct.

Here are more details:

• WHEN: 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (celebration continues until 2 p.m.) Saturday, Oct. 22
• WHERE: Construction area north of 1051 First Ave. South
• Elected officials make formal remarks and celebrate this major milestone at 1 p.m.
• No RSVPs are required, but some restrictions apply:
• Please wear sturdy shoes and be prepared for late October weather.
• No pets or bicycles are allowed on the structure.
• Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
• The event will be ADA accessible.
• Parking is available for cars and bicycles in the fenced construction site just south of Railroad Way South and on adjacent city streets and in nearby pay lots.
• WSDOT encourages attendees to take light rail, bus or the water taxi. The closest light rail stop is Stadium Station.