Alaskan Way Viaduct closure could impact Eastside traffic
October 20, 2011
NEW — 11:45 a.m., Oct. 20, 2011
The impending Alaskan Way Viaduct shutdown could cause traffic congestion to ripple far from the Seattle waterfront, transportation officials said days before the aging structure closes.
The state Department of Transportation plans to close the viaduct from 7:30 p.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Oct. 31 as crews demolish viaduct sections, build a bypass at the southern end and construct a southbound off ramp.
The planned closure is the longest ever for a Seattle-area highway. The viaduct serves almost 110,000 motorists each day — and roads throughout the region could clog as commuters seek alternate routes. Read more
Civic theater performance to benefit Hazen pool upkeep
October 19, 2011
NEW — 2:45 p.m., Oct. 19, 2011
A special Renton Civic Theater preview performance of “The Mystery of Irma Vep – A Penny Dreadful” on Oct. 20 will benefit the “Save Renton Pools” fund.
The fund benefits the upkeep of Hazen High School’s pool, which escaped closure for the 2011-2012 school year.
The performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at the door.
The save the pools campaign came in the wake of school officials finding themselves without $60,000 needed to operate the pools at Hazen and Lindbergh high schools for the year.
Newcastle hosts candidates for governor, attorney general
October 18, 2011
NEW — 10:15 a.m., Oct. 18, 2011
The Eastside Candidate Forum will offer an opportunity for the community to meet the regional candidates for the Washington offices of governor and attorney general.
The free event will be from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Oct. 22 in the St. Andrew’s Ballroom at The Golf Club at Newcastle.
Rob McKenna and Jay Inslee, candidates for governor, along with Reagan Dunn and Bob Ferguson, candidates for attorney general, will all speak at the forum.
Eastside residents call for human services support at county budget hearing
October 17, 2011
NEW — 12:28 p.m., Oct. 17, 2011
As the King County Council begins to listen to hours of public testimony at a series of budget hearings, one overall theme became clear at its Oct. 13 session — support human services now, before it’s too late.
Derek Franklin, a Sammamish resident and representative of the Alliance of Eastside Agencies, said the county must begin to formulate a dedicated and stable long-term funding source for human services, such as those aimed at protecting residents from homelessness, domestic violence and inadequate legal counsel.
“Although sometimes obscured by the high socioeconomic status of the Eastside, human service needs here are quite high,” he said during a public hearing at Pacific Cascade Middle School near Issaquah. “We urge the budget committee to establish a long-term fix for the human services safety net. It’s been significantly dismantled over the years by budget cuts, and people … are beginning to fall through the cracks.”
