by Jack Mayne

A cab driver for the Seattle-Tacoma International Taxi Association (STITA), Jaskaran Singh, is credited with finding and returning an envelope of cash to a family that flew into Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and took a cab to a downtown hotel. The name of the family is not being used to protect their privacy.

“We arrived very late at night after a long flight from New York,” the traveler wrote to the city taxi authority and to the cab company. “Exhausted from our travels we took a STITA taxi driven by Mr. Jaskaran Singh from the Seattle airport to our hotel.

“My wife was holding a very large amount of cash in an envelope,” the traveler wrote. “This represented all the cash we had in our possession. In the hustle of getting out of the taxi with two small children and handling six pieces of luggage my wife unknowingly lost the envelope containing all our money.

“Upon arriving at our hotel room we soon discovered all our money was missing. We frantically searched the hotel lobby and outside street with no luck. My wife was crying hysterically and our trip was ruined. The children asked how we would survive with no money.

“One of my children thought he remembered the cab number but we were unsure of the taxi company name. From our hotel manager we obtained a phone number for STITA taxi company and called the dispatcher on the unlikely chance he could track down our driver. At this point we were unsure where we lost our money.”

The New Yorker said he told the dispatcher “our sad story and he instantly responded to the gravity of our situation.”

“Despite the large number of taxis at the Seattle airport that evening the dispatcher called me right back to say he was somehow able to locate our particular taxi.

“Moments later I received another call from my driver, Mr. Jaskaran Singh. The first words out of his mouth were ‘there’s a lot of money here.’ Mr. Singh appeared soon afterward and dropped off all our lost money.

“We will always remember Mr. Singh’s honesty and integrity,” the traveler said. “I share this experience in recognition of Mr. Jaskaran Singh efforts and the fine folks who work at the STITA taxi company who responded to our crisis. Mr. Singh’s actions were truly commendable and turned our worst nightmare into an example of humanity at its finest.”

The Port of Seattle announced Monday (July 12) that, due to requests received at the last workshop, they’re holding a technical session on the “Part 150″ airport noise study on Thursday, July 29th from 12:30pm – 1:30pm at Sea-Tac Airport.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Port of Seattle “Part 150″ Technical Session.

WHEN: Thursday, July 29th from 12:30pm – 1:30pm.

WHERE: Sea-Tac Airport’s Office Building’s Beijing Conference Room on the mezzanine level.

INFO: To download the session agenda, click here (PDF file).

From a press release:

In response to requests at the last Part 150 Noise Compatibility Public Workshop, a technical session regarding detailed noise modeling and input data topics will be held on July 29 from 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM at Sea-Tac Airport. Led by Vince Mestre, the Part 150′s noise analyst task leader, the meeting will be held in the Airport Office Building’s Beijing Conference Room on the mezzanine level.

Participants at the session will have the opportunity to discuss the mathematics and detailed data used to measure as well as model aircraft noise levels in the vicinity of Sea-Tac Airport. Participants will also discuss sound propagation effects associated with different types of meteorology. The discussions will be informal and focus on questions raised by the participants.

The comprehensive report from the June 9th public workshop is now available at Sea-Tac Airport’s Part 150 Web site.

Our friends at our latest Advertiser – Matt Griffin YMCA – are excited to announce that their upcoming Open House is coming this Saturday, Jan. 16th from 10am to 1pm, with lots of games, demos, tours and specials.

If you haven’t had a chance to see their brand new facility – this is your chance!

There will be games, cooking and Zumba demonstrations, tours, and fun activities for the whole family.

Have you made a commitment to yourself to get in shape in the new year? Join Matt Griffin YMCA before January 31st and save up to $125 in join fees! There is no better time to start taking better care of yourself!

Here are the details:

WHAT: Matt Griffin YMCA Open House

WHEN: Saturday, January 16th from 10am – 1pm

WHERE: Matt Griffin YMCA, 3595 South 188th in SeaTac

INFO: Everyone is Welcome!

More info on the Matt Griffin YMCA is available at their website.

[Would you like to have a “Blogvertorial” story, event listing and/or Ad like this on a popular, fast-growing website with thousands of interested Local Readers every month? Email us for more info, or check out our Advertise page!]

Wednesday morning (Nov. 4th), the Port of Seattle and Alaska Airlines conducted a full-scale snow removal and anti-icing exercise to prepare for the upcoming winter season.

Photographer Michael Brunk risked his life on Sea-Tac Airport’s tarmac to get these photos:

Click to View Michael Brunk’s Photo Slideshow

During the 2008-2009 season, SeaTac Airport experienced just over 23 inches of snow, compared to an average of 12 inches. While airport operations continued during the higher than normal snowfall, some improvements are being made for the 2009-2010 season.

Alaska Airlines has added eight new de-icing trucks to their fleet and three “nurse trucks” that will shuttle fluid from storage tanks to the new de-icing trucks. The new de-icing trucks feature an enclosed operator cockpit that allows them to operate safely around aircraft while the aircraft engines are still running. This feature coupled with new procedures will allow Alaska Airlines to de-ice an aircraft much more quickly and efficiently using central de-icing pads that will use a “car wash” model.

The Port of Seattle — which is responsible for clearing snow and ice from runways, taxiways and the ramp areas — has also taken delivery of several new vehicles that were already on order prior to last year’s unusual snow event. Using several snow plows followed by snow brush trucks one runway can be plowed and cleared in 30-45 minutes.

Sea-Tac Airport is re-opening a new, larger Cell Phone Waiting Lot at 9am on Monday, July 27th, just north of the old lot on Air Cargo Road

This new lot includes nearly 100 spaces for vehicles, doubling the size of the old one.

The Cell Phone Waiting Lot is a free service courtesy The Port of Seattle that allows drivers to wait up to 30 minutes until arriving passengers have deplaned, collected luggage and called to be picked up outside of Baggage Claim. Drivers must stay with their vehicles.

The Port cautions however:

“Please be aware there is no parking or waiting allowed on the airport roadway shoulders at any time.”

The previous lot was closed for six weeks in order to facilitate a new air cargo operation in the cargo terminal building next to the lot. The building now houses a number of air cargo airline operations that ship freight of all kinds, including exports of Washington state’s bumper cherry crop. The Port of Seattle estimates lease and cargo related earnings of $40,000 per week from that facility during the closure period, or over $240,000 in total. The new lot was not available to open until Monday.

Driving Directions To the Cell Phone Lot:

• From the Southbound Airport Expressway: Take the Air Cargo Rd./Cell Phone Lot exit, turn right onto 170th, turn right onto Air Cargo Road and follow that road until you see the Cell Phone Waiting Lot on your left.
• From Southbound International Blvd: Turn right onto 170th, turn right onto Air Cargo Road and follow that road until you see the Cell Phone Waiting Lot on your left.

From the Cell Phone Lot to Baggage Claim (Arrivals Drive):
Take a right out of the Cell Phone Lot and make left on Air Cargo Road (sign reads to terminal). Follow signs to Arrivals.

For more information on Sea-Tac Airport’s parking options, visit their website: http://www.portseattle.org/seatac/ground/

Monday afternoon (June 15th) a class-action lawsuit was filed on behalf of area residents who are upset with Sea-Tac Airport’s third runway against the Port of Seattle, claiming that noise and vibrations from aircraft are over and above what the Port has promised.

The class action lawsuit claims that as the runway was being developed and built, planning documents stated that it was to “only be used as an alternate runway to reduce delays in bad weather.”

Lawyers from the firm Pfau Cochrain Vertetis Kosnoff, PLLC contend that the port mislead residents to believe that the statement in the documents would be followed. However, since the runway’s opening, the plaintiffs claim that the port is now using the third runway for both departures and arrivals, bad weather or not, and at all hours of the day.

The third runway is currently being used more due to the re-construction of the first runway, which is supposed to last through the summer. Lawyers say that a statement on the Port of Seattle’s website claims that the FAA, which maintains control over all runways, will not restrict the use of the third runway.

The lawsuit is seeking damages for lowered property values and also to prohibit airplanes from using the third runway on weekends and between 10pm and 9am on weeknights.

The suit also intends to restrict planes from flying lower than 1,500 feet above the plaintiffs’ homes and only allow no more than one plane to fly over their neighborhoods per hour.

On Tuesday, June 9th, Sea-Tac Airport will close its Cell Phone Waiting Lot for about a month in order to replace it with a location nearly double in size.

The new location, just north on Air Cargo Road, will create nearly 100 spaces for vehicles, doubling the size of the current lot. It is expected to open in early July.

The closure will allow the modification of the new lot with barriers, striping and signage.

The Cell Phone Waiting Lot is a free service from The Port of Seattle that allows drivers to wait up to 30 minutes in the lot until arriving passengers have deplaned, collected luggage and called to be picked up outside of Baggage Claim. Drivers must stay with their vehicles.

Please be aware there is no parking or waiting allowed on the airport roadway shoulders at any time.

The alternative for drivers who normally use the Cell Phone Lot is to use the Hourly Parking at the Terminal Main Garage, which charges $2 for 30 minutes.

For more information on Sea-Tac Airport’s parking options, visit their website here.

by Josh Hart

A few Big Picture High School students, which includes myself, are putting on an Auction. All proceeds will be donated to The First Place School, which is a school in Seattle that helps homeless and abused children get their education along with finding homes for them.

YOU are invited to attend the auction.

It is Friday night, May 15th starting at 7pm at Big Picture High School, which is located at 2450 South 142nd Street in SeaTac (map below).

It is open to the public and FREE to attend. There will be snacks available and it will be a fun night.

This is our second year running an auction and we have learned a lot from the last one, so this auction is going to be great!

Some of the items being auctioned are six hours of tutoring from Sylvan Learning Center, Photographs on canvas, and much much more. So come on out and enjoy yourselves, support your community, and you may walk out with a great item.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Josh Hart is The Waterland Blog's first Intern! He's a 15-year old student at Highline's “Big Picture High School” who lives in Des Moines and loves to write and play soccer.

You can read more of his writing here...]

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Together with the King County Sheriff’s Office, Burien and SeaTac Police have designed a twice-yearly program to increase the understanding between citizens and their police departments through education – the Citizen’s Police Academy, the next session of which begins Wednesday, March 25th.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Citizen’s Police Academy

WHEN: Starts Wed., March 25th (and goes 13 weeks from 6-9pm Wed. nights)

WHERE: Washington State Criminal Justice Training Center, located at 19010 1st Avenue South in Burien (see map below)

COST: FREE!

INFO: Graduates of the Citizen’s Police Academy will have a better understanding of the law enforcement role in the criminal justice system and an appreciation for the many challanges facing law enforcement in today’s complex society. They will also be better able to assist offices in improving their neighborhoods and communities.

Students will attend Wednesday night classes from 6pm to 9pm for 13 weeks, plus a graduation ceremony including a certificate of completion and pictures with police staff. A light meal will be provided for students. There are presentations by many of the Sheriff’s Office units and several opportunities for hands-on experiences, plus a field trip to the King County Communications Center.

Some of the presenting units will include:

• Community Service Officers
• Field Training Officer Program
• Green River Task Force
• Emergency Vehicle Operatiions
• Firearms Automated Traning System (FATS)
• Major Accident Respose & Reconstruction Unit (MARR Unit)
• Patrol Procedures
• K-9 Unit
• Street Crimes Unit
• Bomb Disposal
• TAC 30 Unit (SWAT)
• Air Support (Guardian One)
• Major Crimes Investigation
• Special Investigations (Fraud)
• Criminal Profiteering
• Firearms Traning
• Automated Fingerprint Identification System
• Special Enforcement Unit

Graduates will also be eligible for the Ride-Along Program where you can spend up to an entire shift riding with an officer.

This course is an unforgettable experience and it’s completely FREE for anyone who lives or works in the cities of SeaTac or Burien.

There are two sessions each year and they fill up fast, so register early – Fill out an application (PDF) and send it to:

CSO Nicki Maraulja
14905 6th Ave. SW
Burien, WA 98166

For more information, please call (206) 296-3333.

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“To Your Health,” Highline Medical Center Foundation’s Annual Gala and Auction is Saturday evening, March 7th at the SeaTac Hilton Ballroom.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Highline Medical Center Foundation’s Annual Gala and Auction; Black Tie Optional

WHEN: Saturday, March 7th:

• 5:30pm: Doors open for Silent Auction and Champagne Reception
• 7pm: Dinner and Live Auction

COST: $150 Patron Tickets, $250 VIP Tickets; more info here:

INFO: RSVP by Monday, Feb. 23rd to (206) 901-8501 or email MClingman@highlinemedical.org; more info at the event website.

Save the date of Saturday, March 7, 2009 for the Highline Medical Center Foundation’s “To Your Health” Annual Gala & Auction at the Hilton Seattle Airport.

The auction will feature the following live items. Be sure to check back as the event gest closer as the list will be updated each week.

• Two weeks in Mazatlan
• Private suite for 16 at Safeco Field for a Mariners game
• Trip to LA and tickets to Dr. Phil and The Doctros shows
• Fishing trip to Argentina
• Gourmet dinner for eight
• Fall trip to Vermont
• Fighter pilot for the day
• Puget Sound sailing excursion
• One week in Maui
• Husky vs. Cougar package including football game tickets
• One week in guest house in South Africa
• A year in bloom: 12 months of flowers

For ticket, sponsor or donation information, please contact us at (206) 901-8501 or email MClingman@highlinemedical.org.