Bekki wrote and asked us to share her request for drivers who travel on West Viewmont Way.

I would like to request a blog entry of a suggestion for drivers to consider obeying the speed limit in this area.  The area that we live in, the 3000 block, experiences a number of drivers, on any given day, who drive with what seems to be without regard for the speed limit.  We see individuals speed up and down this road, racing at times, and even clipping parked cars as they make the curve up toward Discovery Park. It’s dangerous and just plain rude.

Please drive as though your children play in this area; as though your loved ones are making their way across the street, etc. The speeds with which many of the drivers zoom up and down this road are becoming ridiculous; and nearly every weekend we witness what appears to be street racing.  We are working to get speed bumps installed, but in the mean time, could drivers please show some compassion.

This is a busy week for the Magnolia Manor Park project.  There are two opportunities for the community to have a say in what is included at the park site. 

The first meeting is scheduled for Wednesday (2/2), from 6:30pm – 8:30pm at the Magnolia Presbyterian Church at 3500 28th Ave. West. This community meeting will give participants the chance to learn about the background of the park and brainstorm ideas.

On Saturday (3/5) the public is invited for an informal walk in the park from 10a.m. – 12p.m. at 3500 28th Ave. West.  The Landscape Architect for the project, and members of the project steering committee will walk the site and answer questions.

The plan will incorporate a dog off leash area which has been in the works since a decision in 2006 by the Parks Board of Trustees and Parks Superintendent.  Depending on community input, other elements that will be considered for the park include community gardens, a children’s play area and picnic areas.

Sustainable Magnolia has received funding from the Department of Neighborhoods through its Small and Simple matching grant program to fund a project entitled ”Envisioning a Vibrant Community Gathering Place for Manor Park.” The amount awarded is $20,000, and is expected to be matched in the form of volunteer hours and resources.

There is a design workshop on April 9 at 10a.m. to present the three plans generated at this week’s meetings and the preferred design will be available in June.  We will keep you posted as the dates get closer.

Beginning Monday, (2/28) Seattle Parks and Recreation will ask customers at all city community centers, including Magnolia, to sign in indicating their age group and time of arrival.

The pilot project, which will last two weeks, will help Parks staff respond to a City Council directive to reconsider how community centers are operated. After two weeks they will evaluate the information and decide whether to extend it for 10 more weeks.

This is a result of the budget problems facing the community centers.   The cost to run the centers far exceeds revenue brought in from center programs.  The city is exploring a variety of alternatives and that’s why they want to learn the average age groups, frequency of visits, and numbers of people visiting community centers each day. 

Each month we ask Magnolia Voice real estate expert Whitney Mason from Coldwell Banker Bain Associates to bring us the latest on the real estate market  in our area.  Here is Mason’s assessment from   statistics compiled from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NMLS). 

Looking back at the first month of 2011 and the last month of 2010, and then looking at how 2010 compared to 2009, market improvement in Magnolia appears to be occurring, with an increased number of sales and overall inventory down.   

Since January 1 through the first 2 weeks in February, there have been 21 closed sales (combining single family residences (SFRs & condos) ranging in sales prices of $155,000 to $1,400,000, and 27 new pending sales.  

As of Feb. 14, there were a total of 80 SFRs and 19 condos available for sale in Magnolia as listed in the NWMLS, ranging in price from $107,500 to $6,970,000, with 14 of these properties with asking prices of more than $1 million.

Looking at closed sales for Magnolia in 2010 as compared to 2009 as compiled by Rainier Title, there was a 22% increase in the number of sales of SFRs, with the median sales price up by 10% from $537,000 in 2009 to $590,500. Looking at condo sales, there was a 9% increase in the number of sales, with the median sales price up 12% from $320,000 to $357,475.

During 2010, a total of 33 sales in the $1-million-plus market occurred, with the most expensive sale being $3,275,000.

Magnolia appears to have fared fairly well in 2010 as compared to other Seattle neighborhoods. When looking at the number of closed sales and median sales prices for SFRs in 2010 as compared to 2009 for the 29 different Seattle neighborhoods by zip code, the total percentage of change for closed sales was a decrease of 1%, and the total percentage of change for median sales price was an increase of 1%.

Looking at Queen Anne SFRs by zip code, 98109 saw an 18% increase in the number of closed sales and a 12% increase in median sales price, while 98119 saw a 1% decrease in the number of closed sales and a 4% increase in median sales price. To offer some additional context using this same statistical report, the 98148 area in Burien saw a 67% decrease in the number of closed sales and a 24% decrease in median sales price, while the 98155 area in Shoreline saw 75% decrease in the number of closed sales, but a 56% increase in median sales price.

With different statistics for each neighborhood, it’s important to look at each specific area, and easy to understand why "bigger picture" analyses don’t necessarily apply in their totality to the individual neighborhoods in Seattle/King County. With the number of variables that come into play in analyzing the real estate market and making forecasts, it’s important to drill down to specifics when analyzing the market for individual purposes.

  With forecasters still calling for snow later, Metro Transit is gearing up by chaining up buses and planning to move from regular routes to snow routes.

Metro buses will move to snow routing as travel conditions change. When buses move to snow routes, it will be announced through Transit Alerts and on the Metro Online website. Check the status for your route before you travel.

Metro is using an online color-coded map to keep riders informed of the status of its bus service. All bus routes are assigned into one or more of seven geographic areas within King County. When there is snow or ice on the roads, the service status of each area will be color coded and displayed on the online map. Green indicates buses are operating on normal routes; yellow that some – but not all – routes in the area are on snow routes (primarily in higher elevation areas); and red tells you that all bus routes in the entire geographic area are on snow routing.

People without online access can call the Customer Information Office at (206) 553-3000. General information about service will also be sent out via the kcmetrobus Twitter account.

Expect buses to be crowded and significantly delayed when on snow routes and travel is difficult. Also, many people may leave work early today, so take that into consideration in deciding when to travel. Metro encourages people to limit travel if possible if roads become snowy and icy

Magnolia’s Elizabeth Swanberg, the 14-year-old eighth-grader who pledged to go bald for pediatric cancer, had her head shaved last week at Catherine Blaine.

Elizabeth, surrounded by friends and family, cut off 22 inches of her beautiful hair. 

She plans to donate her hair to Wigs for Kids, to benefit children who have lost hair during cancer treatments.

We first told you about Elizabeth’s fundraising earlier this month.  The Blaine 8th grader shaved her head as part of her fundraising efforts for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation.  She has already raised over $4,000 for the foundation that provides grants for researchers working to find a cure for childhood cancer. 

Here she is before she shaved her head.

And here she is after.

The idea is for each participant to  shave their head to raise awareness about childhood cancer since many children who have cancer lose their hair after treatment. 

Elizabeth writes that she has never had any connection to cancer, or been heavily impacted by it but that is why she is participating.  

Performing the honors for Elizabeth’s shave was Louisa, a young cancer survivor whose doctor has received funding for pediatric cancer research from St. Baldricks.

A big crowd gathered at the school to watch Elizabeth go bald.  She is still raising funds and you can donate here. 

A tree that was knocked down during the heavy winds that blew through Magnolia did some serious damage.  These photos show what happened on 36th Ave West  between Ruffner and Emerson.

This car sustained heavy damage when the tree landed on its hood.

This power pole was toppled as well.

Thanks to Vicky and Lucas for these great photos.

If anyone else has photos of damage from the wind, send them to us at tips@magnoliavoice.com.

Magnolia’s Chef Ludger Szmania got the chance to show viewers in Western Washington how to make Arugula Spatzle and Buttermilk Chicken on KING TV’s New Day Northwest Show with host Margaret Larson today.  You can watch the video here.

If you would like to learn more from Chef Ludger, he has a cooking class coming up called “Rolling in the Dough" on Feb. 26 from 12-2p.m.  You will learn techniques for baking Ciabatta, semolina Focaccia and homemade pretzels, along with fresh steamed mussels and Boeuf Bourguignon.  Space is limited to 12 per class.  Cost is $55 per person.  Call 206-284-7305 for more information.

Szmania’s opened in Magnolia 20 years ago, featuring a menu inspired by owner Ludger’s German roots.

The Port of Seattle and the City of Seattle are discussing a possible land exchange and creation of a new waterfront park in the Smith Cove area. Those discussions could result in a relocated city park and
playfield with expanded shoreline access.

This is needed due to King County’s efforts to find a home for a 1.8 million-gallon combined sewer overflow tank.

The county is currently looking to identify potential locations for the tank and one potential location is in Smith Cove, just south of the Magnolia Bridge. The Port of Seattle owns the parcel of land across from the cruise ship terminals currently being used for tenant storage. To the west of that parcel is land owned by the city that is used for the Smith Cove play field.

King County proposes to design and build an underground diversion structure and tank to store peak flows during large storm events. A diversion structure at 32nd Avenue West will transfer flows through a gravity sewer line in the right-of-way to an underground storage tank located in the Smith Cove Park/Port of Seattle West Yard area. After storms have passed, in-tank pumps and force main will send flows back to West Point Treatment Plant in Discovery Park. No treatment facilities will be built at the project site.

The public is invited to provide input in a meeting on March 3 from  6:30-8:30 pm at the Magnolia Community Center at the Catherine Blaine Cafeteria (2550 34th Ave West).

The work that was cancelled a few weeks ago is rescheduled due to weather is set for tomorrow (2/19).  The contractor working for the Seattle Department of Transportation will close one northbound lane on the Ballard Bridge on Saturday if weather is favorable. The contractor expects to have the lane closed for approximately six hours sometime between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. Ramps and walkways to the bridge will remain open. The contractor will paint the railing on the east side of the bridge.

If you have questions or concerns for Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn, you will have the chance to meet with him at a town hall style meeting on Tuesday, March 1 from 5:30-8:00p.m. at Catharine Blaine School (2550 34^th Ave West).  Representatives from the city and community groups will also be on hand to hear what’s on your mind and answer questions.  

Starting at 5:30 there will be a meet and greet opportunity where city departments and local volunteer organizations will have information tables, answer questions and offer volunteer opportunities.  There will be a performance by youth groups at 6:30p.m. and the open question and answer session with the Mayor and city staff will begin around 6:40p.m.

If you need more information you can contact Liz Birkholz (206) 233-5107 or liz.birkholz@seattle.gov.

We brought you an update on the Discovery Park cougar last fall.  Now we get even more details about the fate of the cougar who spent some time in the Magnolia area in the fall of 2009 from the Discovery Park newsletter.

A little over a year has passed since people living in Magnolia, especially in the area near Discovery Park, reported numerous sightings of a cougar on the loose. You may remember that after the closure of Discovery Park, the cougar was eventually treed in a big leaf maple near the Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center.

Wildlife officials shot the cougar with a tranquilizer dart and transported it back to the wild near Skykomish in eastern Snohomish County. Brian Kertson, a wildlife biologist fitted the cougar with a collar that had a Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking device so he could monitor its movements.

The cougar turned out to be a 2½ -year-old male that weighed about 140 pounds.  Biologists thought that this cougar was the perfect candidate for relocation because while he was in the Seattle area, he never became aggressive or stalked people. 

Kertson, who now works in Idaho, reports the Discovery Park cougar was still alive as of November 2010, when the last transmissions were received. Kertson says that as best he can tell, the collar’s battery went dead sometime in late November or early December. “This was to be expected,” Kertson said via e-mail. “I put a spacer in the collar that is designed to rot away, allowing the collar to fall off so he doesn’t have to wear it the rest of his life.”

Transmission from the collar was hit-and-miss over the summer and fall. This was likely because the cougar roamed areas without cell coverage. Despite the poor transmission, Kertson was pleased with the information he received from the Discovery Park cougar. “The collar yielded great data, really cool stuff because we could see his exact movement path following the relocation. He appeared to have set up a territory with consistent use, movements, and predation events throughout the year. This is a great sign for his long-term prospects, both from biological and sociological standpoints.   The whole effort was a great success, a win-win for all involved,” according to Kertson.

“Hands down, the most incredible, unusual, and remarkable wildlife situation I have ever been part of. A cougar in Discovery Park, and the second one at that, really amazing.”

The other cougar was captured in Discovery Park in 1981. That one, a 110-pound 2-year-old, was relocated to outside of Enumclaw in eastern King County. Electronic tracking systems did not exist then, so it was not possible to follow its movements

In light of an estimated $35 million budget gap for next year, Seattle Public Schools is conducting a survey about funding for full-day kindergarten. Answers to the short survey that are received by 3 p.m. tomorrow (2/16) will be provided to the School Board during its budget work session that evening. SPS will continue to accept survey responses through Friday.

The state of Washington funds only half-day kindergarten (there are a few exceptions to this for high poverty schools). For many years our district has added funding for a further half day to ensure there would be one full day kindergarten available in every school. Over the years schools added “pay for K” programs as more and more families wanted full day K for their children. For the 2010-11 school year, we implemented a standard $207 per month Pay for K program across the district. Students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch receive tuition waivers.

With the severe budget crisis, we are considering various options to balance the budget and one is related to Kindergarten services. We want your feedback about these options. Thank you.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HYTDGHZ

Terrie Johnston from the Seattle Police Department sent us this follow up to the news of a car prowl ring at work in the Magnolia area.

“My inbox has been filled with your responses to the Car Prowler alert I sent out on Wednesday afternoon.  Many of you had suggestions for how we can catch the “bad guys”, some of you wanted more information on the vehicles mentioned in the bulletin, and some just wanted to know if the thieves were caught.  So let me try and fill you in on the back story.  The car seen leaving the parking lot at Discovery Park was a 1993 blue VW Jetta with primer paint.   (Officers tell me that it is common for criminals to spray paint their cars, so look for an amateurish paint job.)

Last week our Community Police Team Officers first noticed a spike in car prowls occurring in Discovery Park during the daytime hours (many at lunch time).  So last Thursday these officers put out an internal bulletin about the incidents.  Later that day, they heard the  car prowl call to the Discovery Park parking lot and heard the responding officers describe the VW Jetta.  The officers followed the Jetta; the driver of the VW failed to pull over, and was able to get away and onto 15^th Ave. West. 

Our policy is not to engage in high-speed pursuits of suspects of property crimes, so the patrol officers returned to their Magnolia beat.  This is when the Community Police Team and Burglary/Theft detectives began compiling information on the suspects and their associated vehicles.  Within a few days, they put out another bulletin with the names & photos of seven suspects who make up this Car Prowl/Burglary ring.  We have the descriptions of the cars associated with these individuals, which I shared with you on Wednesday.  It is believed this same group is active in other Seattle neighborhoods as well as other nearby police jurisdictions. 

Some of you had suggestions for improving Discovery Park (lighting, cameras, gates, etc.) and I hope you will follow up with the  Parks Dept. on your suggestions.  I really appreciate your concern and continued energy in keeping your neighborhood safe.”   

We will let you know if we get any additional information or if arrests are made in this case.