The fire stations of South King Fire & Rescue have new signage on the front of each staffed station, which designate each as a “Safe Place for Newborns.”

Under the Safety of Newborn Children’s Law, a parent can leave a baby up to 72-hours old with a qualified person at a hospital emergency room or a fire station, including South King Fire & Rescue. It offers parents a safe place to leave a newborn infant, confidentially and without fear of punishment. The parent can remain anonymous and will not be prosecuted. The baby goes into foster care, with adoption as a goal. The mother and child will receive medical care if needed, provided with a list of resources, information on legal rights, a medical history form and a page for the parent to write a message to the baby.

In 2009 an amendment to the law was passed that helps to identify all facilities that are authorized to accept a relinquished baby. This legislation expanded locations to include rural health care facilities as legal drop off points and specified signage to be placed on all facilities accepting relinquished babies. In view of the fact that there were no funds for fire departments to pay for all the signage, the Washington State Fire Chiefs and Safe Place for Newborns were able to provide the funds to purchase the signs through a grant from the Muckleshoot Charitable Fund.

As of July 13th all South King Fire & Rescue fire stations which are staffed 24hrs a day 7-days a week with qualified personnel, have a “Safe Place for Newborns” sign posted in a visible area on the outside of the fire station.

“Our department is privileged to be able to provide caring and compassionate help to a mother and child should they feel the need to drop their baby off at one of our stations,” declared Deputy Chief Mike Knorr.

South King Fire & Rescue wants anyone who might even consider abandoning an infant, to know that their local Fire Department has a ‘Safe Place’ to ensure the infants’ health and safety.

South King Fire & Rescue alerts us to the fact that a smoke alarm may have saved a Federal Way resident from a fire that broke out around 4am Saturday (May 29) at 32344 10th Ave South.

According to an email:

Smoke is often times more deadly than fire itself. This would have been the case in an early morning fire in Federal Way had it not of been for working smoke alarms. Just before 4:00 am (Sat. May 29), firefighters responded to an automatic fire alarm at 32344 10th Ave South.

Earlier in the evening, the occupant put some food on the stove and then went to bed. The food caught fire and burned down to ashes inside the pan. The smoke filled the house and set off the smoke alarms. This awakened the occupant who removed the pan and met firefighters as they arrived on scene. Firefighters placed fans inside the house to remove the smoke and then tested the air quality to make sure it was safe for the occupant to stay at his house.

Cooking fires are the number one cause of fires in not just Federal Way, but across the country. South King Fire & Rescue wants to remind people of two things this holiday weekend – please don’t leave food cooking on the stove unattended and also please make sure your smoke alarms are working by testing them and keeping batteries inside them – they can’t do their job without them!

On Monday (May 24), the King County Council unanimously adopted fall transit service upgrades, including “Rapid Ride,” a new bus rapid transit service in an area from Tukwila to Federal Way, including Des Moines.

The implementation of “Rapid Ride” is one of the 2010-2011 service improvements approved by the Council.

“Establishing the first Rapid Ride line from SeaTac to Des Moines and Federal Way will give South King County riders quick, frequent, all-day bus service connecting with light rail at the airport,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “Enhanced transit service helps to take cars off the road and lets people get where they need to go quickly and reliably.”

Rapid Ride is part of the “Transit Now” initiative adopted by voters in 2006. The “A Line” is the first of six Rapid Ride routes to be launched over the next three years. Arriving every 10 minutes during the busiest morning and evening travel hours, the specially-designed buses will have low floors and three doors, so people can get on and off quickly. A new fare payment system will allow riders with passes to pay as they enter any door.

The new route will replace Metro’s Route 174 operating along Pacific Highway S/International Boulevard between the Federal Way Transit Center and Sound Transit’s light rail station in Tukwila.

Starting Oct. 2, A Line buses will run every 10 to 15 minutes most of the day and their three-door design will allow riders to get on and off more quickly.  The new buses will be easy to recognize because of their red and yellow color scheme and sleek European design.  The new articulated coaches will also be low-emission hybrid-powered, similar to the many other environmentally-friendly buses in Metro’s fleet.

Come October, customers will discover there’s more to RapidRide than coach design and frequent service. New stations and shelters will reflect the new RapidRide brand and some stations will have ORCA fare card readers to speed boarding. Stations will also have electronic signs displaying the actual number of minutes before the next bus will arrive.

“Rapid Ride will allow riders to throw away their bus schedules for fast, frequent service on key corridors, and increased bus service on SR 520 will offer commuters alternatives to congestion and tolls,” said Councilmember Larry Phillips, Chair of the Environment and Transportation Committee. “Bus riders will see these improvements to their service in the coming months thanks to voters’ approval of Transit Now and partnerships with the federal government and local communities. However, Metro’s budget shortfall continues to threaten the viability of our transit system, so we must remain focused on finding a long term solution.”

“These are exciting improvements,” said Council Vice Chair Jane Hague. “Today’s legislation provides significant increases in bus service to the eastside suburbs.  Bellevue and Kirkland commuters will now have more opportunities to avoid the 520 gridlock.”

“Rapid Ride is a solid transit investment that will serve some of the most densely populated, high ridership areas in our county, like the 15 mile stretch of roadway between Tukwila and Federal Way that will be connected by Line A this fall,” said Councilmember Julia Patterson, whose Council District includes part of the Rapid Ride corridor. “With Rapid Ride coming soon, we mark a time when we’ll be able to move more people more quickly than ever before, all while getting them out of their cars.”

Additionally, the adopted legislation implements a federal Urban Partnership Agreement on SR 520, making the region eligible for more than $100 million of grant funds to address congestion in the SR 520 corridor. As part of the partnership agreement, King County will add 28,000 hours of bus service to existing routes 255, 265, 271, and 311. The transit service improvements will add 38 peak period transit trips to help reduce congestion and improve mobility along this important corridor. Sound Transit will increase regional express bus service on SR 520.

Under the Urban Partnership Agreement-related service, in October 2010 and February 2011, there will be increased service between downtown Seattle and Kirkland’s Totem Lake Transit Center (Route 255), the Houghton Park and Ride (Route 265), and Woodinville (Route 311). There will also be more service from Eastgate and downtown Bellevue to the University District on the Route 271.

This legislation also initiates a number of bus service improvements jointly funded by King County and the cities of Kent and Auburn as well as an expansion of service in Issaquah where the county is partnering with the city, the Port Blakely Communities, Timber Ridge at Talus and the Talus Residential Association. Through Transit Now service partnerships King County has been able to leverage its investments with contributions from other public or private entities to continue expansion of the Metro system even with the current budget constraints.

Cleanup from last week’s diesel fuel spill at Dash Point State Park wrapped up Friday, and the day-use area – closed since April 30 – will re-open on Saturday, May 8th.

Fuel spilled in the early evening of April 29 from a 300-gallon tank owned by a contractor performing work for the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) on a the F.B. Hoit Bridge along State Route 509 through the park.

Crews removed 250 tons of potentially impacted soil, asphalt, curbs and rip rap, and replaced them with clean materials.  To access contaminated areas, a cleanup contractor cut through and repaired small areas of a parking lot and road.

The cleanup also involved the removal of trees and other vegetation along Thames Creek, which flows through the park. New native plants will be planted along the restored stream bank next week. Erosion-control mats and fences remain in place in the meantime.

Dash Point State Park is a day-use and camping park on Puget Sound. The day-use portion of the park was closed to the public during the cleanup.  Regular park hours – 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. – will resume tomorrow, May 8.

The Washington Department of Ecology supervised the cleanup.  The WSDOT contractor hired an environmental cleanup firm.  WSDOT provided additional technical support for the cleanup.

“Everyone involved cooperated in full, and we achieved a successful and prompt cleanup,” said Shannon Dickson of Ecology’s spills program, who oversaw the response effort.

Most of the spilled diesel fuel soaked into the soil, but some entered the creek and flowed into Puget Sound, creating sheen – a thin coat of fuel floating on the water – that at one point covered a half-mile by half-mile area offshore.  That sheen dissipated by late morning on April 30.

Crews placed diesel-absorbent materials along the creek and adjacent beaches and tidal areas and removed leaves, twigs and other natural debris contaminated by the fuel.  By mid-week the creek and beaches showed no remaining signs of the spill.  There were no reports of harm to fish or wildlife.

Ecology has launched an investigation to determine what caused the incident and how to better prevent similar spills in the future.

Prevention, preparedness and response to fuel and other oil spills are parts of Ecology’s commitment to protect against toxic threats to people and the environment and to meet the state’s goal of protecting and restoring Puget Sound by 2020.

Local, state and federal agencies and a private cleanup contractor are continuing their efforts to contain and clean up a diesel fuel spill that happened at Dash Point State Park in Federal Way Thursday night (April 29).

The 300-gallon, privately-owned tank is used to fill construction and other work equipment. A worker with Long Painting noticed nothing unusual when he went into a trailer at the equipment site about 7:45 p.m. Thursday. When he left the trailer about 8:35 p.m., diesel fuel was flowing across a parking lot, into a grassy area, soaking into the ground and going into a creek about 700 feet from where it enters Puget Sound.

The spill was reported to Ecology about 10 p.m. The cause and volume of the spill are under investigation, but initial reports indicate an equipment failure on the tank. It had been filled recently, and the spill emptied the tank.

Cleanup contractor NRC Environmental Services was hired to help contain and clean up the fuel. The company launched a boat to deploy boom in Puget Sound, but the fuel was too thin to recover from the surface of the water.

Oil absorbent boom and pads are in the creek to soak up any additional fuel that seeps from the creek bank into the water.

The King County Sheriff’s Office flew a helicopter over the area and used infrared imaging to get a picture of the spill.

The area of the park where the spill occurred will be closed.

Ecology will continue its investigation and will work with fish and wildlife officials to determine what environmental damage resulted from the spill. Cultural resource and archeological officials also will consult local tribes to ensure cleanup efforts do not cause further damage.

Oil was visible in the surrounding water. Oil spilled in water typically forms oily patches that spread out quickly. These oil slicks can cover many acres of water.

All oil spills cause environmental damage, regardless of size. Oil is toxic to the environment and the damage starts as soon as the oil hits water. A single quart of oil has the potential to foul more than 100,000 gallons of water.

The Kent Police Department has created a website showcasing photos of 160 recovered stolen items including electronics, wallets, purses, backpacks, stereos, baby clothes and even a wedding dress; some of which may have been originally swiped in the Des Moines/South King County area.

According to police, a man and woman who are suspected of breaking into more than 100 cars have been busted. Now, they want to return the stolen items to their rightful owners.

The suspects were apparently caught when they used stolen credit cards at local businesses. Police then followed their trail and recovered the stolen stuff in a storage locker as well as at local pawn shops.

According to the website:

Suspects Mode of Operation:

Type of crime: Vehicle prowls (car break ins)

Method of entry: Break window or force door lock

Types of vehicles: Different types and styles but they favored FORD F-series trucks

Property targeted: luggage, purses, laptop computers, GPS units, assorted tools, backpacks, cameras, MP3 players, I-Pods, cell phones, CD players, car stereos, jewelry, anything of value.

Estimated time range of criminal activity: Past 3-4 months

Focus area of vehicle prowl activity: Kent, Tukwila, Renton, SeaTac, Burien, South Seattle, Unincorporated areas of South King County. Collateral areas that may have been impacted as well are: Des Moines, Federal Way, Auburn, Bellevue.

If you were the victim of a car break-in between Oct. 1, 2009 and Feb. 4, 2010, your stolen items may be in police custody – check this website now and see if you recognize anything; if you do, contact Officer Bateman at (253) 856-5894 or via email: kbateman@ci.kent.wa.us.

The recovered stolen property includes (click on links below to see individual pics):

• Laptops
• Cell phones
• MP3 players
• Car Stereos
• Unusual, miscellaneous stuff like:
  • Baby clothes
  • Wedding dress
  • Ford Truck Manuals
    
  • “Pirate Stuff“
  • Swords
  • “Aiming for Barcelona” Belt Buckle

Some items have been claimed and returned, but most are still in evidence and awaiting rightful return to their owners – so check out the website here.

According to The Seattle Times, a Des Moines Police Officer shot and killed a man around 3pm Saturday afternoon (Dec. 19th) in the 27200 block of Pacific Highway South.

The incident happened during an apparent domestic violence call just inside city limits. According to reports, the officer fired an unknown number of shots during a pursuit, striking the victim on the Federal Way side of 272nd.

Despite attempts at CPR, the man died on the scene.

Since the shooting occurred on the Federal Way side, Federal Way Police will be handling the investigation.

The officer, who has not been identified, was uninjured.

According to the South Correctional Entity Multijurisdictional Misdemeanant (SCORE) website, Lydig Construction is the low bidder for construction of the new jail, which will be built in Des Moines beginning this month.

According to the press release, the new jail will “…bring a cost-effective misdemeanor corrections facility to partnering cities of Auburn, Burien, Des Moines, Federal Way, Renton, SeaTac and Tukwila.”

Lydig’s bid was for a construction cost of $62,000 per bed, which apparently is half the cost of other jails planned in the Northwest. Further savings in operation costs are expected through design solutions, enabling a six-to-one staffing ratio using a combination of direct and indirect supervision methods.

According to their website, Lydig Construction was founded and incorporated in 1956, and has grown from a 4-person organization into a multi-million dollar construction service provider. They have offices in Bellevue and Spokane, and Lydig has built eight different justice-related projects, including:

• Northwest Detention Center
• Green Hill School
• Coyote Ridge Corrections Center
• Franklin County Courthouse
• Wenatchee Police Station
• Washington State Patrol Crime Lab
• Washington State Penitentiary Warehouse
• National Guard Readiness Center

King County Public Health announced Friday (Nov. 6th) that it is now offering a limited supply (15,000 for now) of H1N1 vaccines to qualified people at area pharmacies, including one in Des Moines, one in Kent and another in Federal Way (see interactive map below).

To get vaccinated, you have to make an appointment by telephone, and meet the criteria listed below:

• Pregnant women
• People who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age
• People between the ages of 6 months and 24 years old
• People between 25 through 64 years of age with chronic health conditions or weakened immune systems
• Healthcare and emergency workers with direct patient contact

The only Des Moines pharmacy with the new batch is:

• Bartell Drugs
  27055 Pacific Hwy S
  Des Moines, WA 98198-9250
  (253) 839-1693

Here are two others nearby:

• Fred Meyer Pharmacy
  25250 Pacific Hwy S
  Kent, WA 98032-6539
  (253) 946-7433
• Albertsons-Sav-on – 312th & Pacific
  31009 Pacific Hwy South
  Federal Way, WA 98003
  (253) 946-4002

Many of the 44 participating pharmacies are taking appointments by phone starting today (Fri. Nov. 6th); some will be holding walk-up clinics without appointment starting next week. The full list of participating pharmacies, including hours, types of vaccine available, vaccination age ranges and administrative fee, is posted at www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/preparedness/pandemicflu/swineflu/locations.aspx. This site will be updated Monday through Friday by noon; people should contact pharmacies directly for the most up-to-date information.

With limited national vaccine supplies, Public Health – Seattle & King County has had to delay its plan to make vaccine widely available through community venues. As more vaccine becomes available, there will be additional sites for getting vaccinated, including community clinics.

“Making vaccine available through pharmacies is an important next step in protecting our community, but supplies at both pharmacies and health care providers will continue to be limited for at least several weeks,” said Dr. David Fleming, Director and Health Officer for Public Health – Seattle & King County. “Eventually there will be enough vaccine for everyone who wants to get vaccinated, but we are still dealing with limited vaccine supplies.”

With the latest deliveries this week, King County has received approximately 142,000 doses of vaccine. A new allocation of approximately 71,000 doses is being ordered for delivery to the county. Most of the vaccine is being made available through health care providers.

The amount of H1N1 vaccine at pharmacies will be limited, with each pharmacy receiving a few hundred doses each. Vaccine will be re-supplied to pharmacies as more becomes available over the coming weeks, so people should regularly check Public Health’s website for updates.

Many pharmacies are unable to vaccinate babies and young children because their staff is not licensed and/or trained for these age groups. Residents trying to vaccinate children should check with pharmacies directly and with their health care providers since vaccine is continuing to arrive.

Pharmacies may charge a fee for administering the vaccine, typically between $12 and $22 (not to exceed $22). This fee is covered by most health insurance. People should bring their health insurance information to the pharmacy, and they may need to submit a receipt to their insurance company for reimbursement.

Visit the Public Health H1N1 influenza website at www.kingcounty.gov/health/H1N1 for updates on vaccine availability in the community or call the Flu Hotline at 1-877-903-KING (5464), which is staffed with operators from 9am to 5pm weekdays to answer questions from residents about H1N1 influenza. There is also a special 24-hour nurse line service extended over this weekend for people with flu seeking medical care advice. Recorded information will be available 24 hours a day.

View King County pharmacies with H1N1 vaccine in a larger map

King County Councilmember Julia Patterson (5th District) was presented with the 2009 Local Hero Arts Award by the Washington State Arts Alliance (WSAA). Patterson, chosen from a slate of nominees from around the state, was honored for her strong support of cultural groups not only in her own district, but throughout South King County.

In 2004, Patterson hosted a community luncheon attended by scores of individuals involved in arts and heritage efforts, to discuss the cultural vitality of South King County. Out of that session, the South King County Cultural Coalition (better known as SoCoCulture) was formed.

Linda Petersen, chair of SoCoCulture, was among those who nominated Patterson for this year’s WSAA award.

“Julia Patterson’s vision has materialized into an active organization of almost 70 arts and heritage groups that share resources, ideas and marketing through a terrific website and bi-monthly meetings,” Petersen said. She also noted that in 2007, when the organization had grown too large to be run solely by volunteers, Patterson provided SoCoCulture with funding for a part-time administrator.

Today the web site, www.sococulture.org ,includes an online calendar featuring all members’ events, a page that posts auditions and calls for artists, and other pages listing current local exhibits, arts classes, and other cultural opportunities. The arts commissions of Des Moines, Tukwila, Renton, Kent and many other South King County cities are members, as are local historical societies, theater groups, orchestras, dance companies, and more.

“Julia’s continued support and enthusiasm have been visionary. We commend her leadership and passion for arts and heritage,” Petersen said.

Patterson represents King County’s 5th District, which includes:

• Des Moines
• Federal Way
• Kent
• Renton
• SeaTac
• Tukwila

The WSAA presented the Local Hero Award to Patterson at a ceremony in Olympia on Sept. 22nd.

The King County Housing Authority and Federal Way Public Schools Americorps teams, in conjunction with Washington State Parks, are hosting an Earth Day Fair at Saltwater State Park in Des Moines (map below) this Friday, April 24th from 10am to 2pm.

“Be Water Wise” is the theme, and elementary and middle school students will have the opportunity to do interactive activities and visit information booths.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Earth Day “Be Water Wise” event at Saltwater State Park

WHEN: Friday, April 24th from 10am to 2pm

WHERE: Saltwater State Park, located at 25205 8th Pl South in Des Moines (map below)

INFO: This event will allow students to examine the water around them and the life impacted by it. They will learn to play safely in water and participate in fun arts and crafts. Representatives will also be there from a variety of water-related fields planting seeds for future career ideas for students.

So far the tentative schedule and events includes:

• 11am/12:45pm: Beach/forest walks
• 11:45am-12:45pm: Entertainment
• Activity and information booths will be open the entire time
• Explore Careers in Marine Science, National and Community Service, Education and Environmental Science
• Meet Divers, Park Rangers and Marine Biologists

NOTE: They will be able to accommodate a limited number of students for this event. To reserve a spot for you class contact: Malia Delacruz, KCHA AmeriCorps at 206.870.4294 or saltwaterearthday@gmail.com

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