Just saw this one on Twitter a few minutes ago. Really makes the point to be safe out there.
Hope everyone turns out ok in this.
Category: Seattle and Beyond
A Week, Or So, Of Seattle Weather Joys
It’s been a drippy series of days, hasn’t it? Which looks to be continuing strongly.
Therefore, I dedicate this gem from the 80’s to my Seattle area neighbors. Stay dry, my friends.
Oh, the glories of Traffic!
Traffic, traffic, traffic…it’s been a heck of a week traffic-wise in our region. Been quite grateful for the reverse commute, let me tell you. Anyway, here’s some good info to make your travelling less woeful.
Snohomish County  Highway and construction Updates
Rain fouls up roadwork
Not only has the rain made commute times awful this past week, it’s also making it extremely difficult to complete a lot of the roadwork we had hoped to do. That includes reopening the ramp from eastbound SR 522 to eastbound US 2 in Monroe. Contractor crews closed the ramp in early September so they could finish work on the 179th Avenue Bridge. That work included everything from waterproofing the bridge deck to finishing the paving on and around it. We were prepared to wrap up the paving over the past week and a half. And then the skies opened up. And it rained, and rained and rained some more.
We don’t have a date for reopening the ramp at this point. We apologize for this delay and know it’s inconvenient, but drivers can still access US 2 by simply continuing straight on SR 522. Thank you again for your patience.
Video explains efforts to restore I-5 Skagit River Bridge
How did the I-5 Skagit River Bridge get repaired and traffic get restored so quickly? Hardworking crews put together temporary, then permanent spans in a matter of a few months. Supporting their efforts took a lot of cooperation from local, state and federal officials. The Federal Highway Administration put together an interesting video that talks about the response and what went into restoring I-5.
Major I-5 Seattle closure Friday night
If your plans Friday night include a trip into south Seattle, head’s up: A Seattle City Light project will close both directions of I-5 near Boeing Field, with lanes starting to close at 9 p.m. All lanes will reopen by 6 a.m. Saturday. Expect congestion as people move through the detours.
Speaking of Seattle, you’ll want to prepare for heavy traffic Saturday as a huge crowd will watch the Sounders claim the Supporter’s Shield with a win over the Los Angeles Galaxy at noon at CenturyLink Field. Also, the Husky football team will scorch Arizona State at 7:45 p.m. Saturday at Husky Stadium, so expect significant congestion in the Montlake area.
Light reading for transportation wonks
If you’ve been looking for some light reading to pass the time on these wet and windy fall nights, you’re in luck. We recently published our annual Corridor Capacity Report. I don’t want to give away too much of the story (especially the surprise ending!), but it’s full of traffic trends, stats and figures. Some pretty interesting stuff in there.
Winter is coming
Winter isn’t just coming to Westeros, it’s also coming to our beautiful part of the country. Are you ready? It’s never too early to start preparing so read up on our tips for getting you and your car in shape so you aren’t caught out in the cold.
Star Wars Stylized As Northwest Coastal Art
I stumbled upon this via Geekologie, and nearly swooned. Crafted by artist Scott Erickson, the Alliance is Rebellion show delights me.
Open House at the Everett Herald – TONIGHT!
Sadly, I won’t be able to make it. But should be very interesting and insightful.
The Daily Herald – Open House
Tuesday, September 23rd, 2014Â –Â 4:00 – 7:00 p.m.
1800 41st Street, Ste 300, Everett
Contact: The Daily Herald jcampbell@heraldnet.com  Phone: 425-339-3000
In partnership with Economic Alliance Snohomish County
Our new offices are starting to feel like home. We’re ready to invite our friends to visit. If you haven’t had the chance to visit the Daily Herald since we made the move, we’d like to give you a chance to join us at an open house on Tuesday, September 23, 2014 from 4p.m. until 7p.m. Light hors d’oeuvres and drinks will be served.
There will be a silent auction containing memorable pieces of our history available for you to take home. All of the proceeds raised will go towards The Herald Editorial Scholarship Fund through the Greater Everett Community Foundation. The fund provides annual scholarships to Snohomish County college students who have shown a dedication to community journalism.
Comcast Arena is now XFINITY Arena
I had noticed the signs on I-5 had changed. To be expect, with Comcast’s increased branding of XFINITY and all.
Comcast Arena is now XFINITY Arena at Everett
Naming Rights Partnership Extends Consumer Brand to Fans
September 10, 2014
Naming Rights Partnership Extends Consumer Brand to Fans
September 10, 2014
The Everett Public Facilities District and Global Spectrum announced today the rebranding of Comcast Arena to XFINITY Arena at Everett and Comcast Community Ice Rink to XFINITY Community Ice Rink. Comcast acquired the naming rights to the Community Ice Rink in 2003 when the venue opened, and added the Arena in 2007.
The re-branding will be completed during the month of September at no cost to the Everett Public Facilities District. The naming-rights agreement allows the phone, cable and internet provider to extend its high speed internet consumer brand XFINITY to audiences in Washington.
“The XFINITY brand is about continuous innovation and offering our customers more speed, more choice and more control,” said Dave Shirley, VP of Sales and Marketing for Comcast‘s Washington Region. “We believe associating the XFINITY brand with a venue that is an innovator in its own right and such a source of community pride makes for a perfect fit.”
“We look forward to working closely with Comcast in rebranding the XFINITY Arena and showcasing the many wonderful products on the XFINITY platform,” said Global Spectrum President John Page. “Being a subsidiary of Comcast, there are many tremendous synergistic opportunities for us in Everett and the many other venues in which we are engaged.”
“Comcast has been a remarkable marketing partner since the opening of the venue in 2003,” said Global Spectrum‘s Rick Comeau, General Manager of the XFINITY Arena at Everett. “The advertising support Comcast provides the Arena generates ticket sales, bringing more people to the city of Everett, generating significant economic impact throughout the Snohomish County region.”
XFINITY Arena at Everett is home to the WHL Everett Silvertips and the Tilted Thunder Rail Birds banked-track roller derby and hosts a multitude of community events like graduations. Other upcoming events include Everett Fall Home & Garden Show and Holiday Gift Show September 26-28, Demi Lovato October 2, EnduroCross October 18, and Phillip Phillips October 21.
HUD contracts from the REO Guy
Yesterday I was expounding on earnest money issues with HUD contracts. Later in the day, I had one more thought on the subject: sending the check. HUDs are weird, in that you send the check to the listing broker. BLB, the company that manages HUD sales in Washington, is in California. The closing company is here in Washington. Hence this logic.
Critically, though, you’re given two business days to get that to me. TWO! With that, I highly caution against dropping these checks in the regular mail. HIGHLY!!! First, the likelihood of it getting to me in time is dismally small. Secondly, and more scarily, you have no way of tracking down that check if it fails to arrive. None. Lost, stolen, shredded by angry postal trolls (with their razor sharp pointy teeth), I’ve seen all of these. I’ve seen them show up two weeks late, had people from the building next door bring them by a month later; on and on I can go. The point? Send it via a service with a tracking number. Not just FedEx, but also UPS and the USPS (Priority & Express). None of us ever want to say to a client “sorry, just lost a grand if your money. Oppsie!”
Just a few pro tips to make your life easier.
The City of Everett To Dedicate Historic City Hall
On Sept. 13, 2014 – 10 AM the public is invited to join Mayor Ray Stephanson, the Everett City Council, community members and the family of former Mayor William E. Moore at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, as the historic City Hall building is formally renamed in honor of Moore, Everett’s 30th mayor. (The Historic City Hall is located at 3002 Wetmore Avenue). Moore’s efforts to promote the city of Everett are some of the most crucial.
“I am honored to help commemorate the legacy of Mayor Moore by dedicating one of our best-known landmarks in his name,” said Mayor Ray Stephanson. “Bill was always focused on the future of Everett and much of the infrastructure and amenities that we enjoy today were established during his leadership.” The former city hall, which now houses the police department’s north precinct and the City Council chambers, was designed by Seattle architect A.H. Albertson and built in 1929. It has long been recognized as an excellent example of the art deco style. “Historic City Hall links the Roaring ’20s and the Great Depression with the present day,” said David Dilgard, Everett Public Library historian. “It was the product of the politics and economics of an American industrial port at a historic turning point.”
The building underwent a significant renovation in 1978-79 at Moore’s direction, with the intent of retaining and restoring the original character and integrity of the building. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989 and remains a noteworthy fixture in Everett’s central business district.
More about Mayor William E. Moore:
Moore was first elected mayor in 1977 and served through 1990. He is perhaps best known as a champion for Naval Station Everett, but he also made developing the city’s infrastructure a priority throughout his career, particularly in what is now the advanced manufacturing jobs center in southwest Everett.
The renaming effort was spearheaded by a group of Everett citizens, who noted in their nomination that “Mayor Bill Moore understood that even during difficult times, a great City could develop on the strength of having infrastructure in place to provide the foundation for a strong economy, new employment and job retention. In some measure, we owe the quality of life we enjoy today to sound initiatives begun by Mayor Moore.”
Among Moore’s achievements are expansions of Langus Riverfront and Kasch parks, annexations of Silver Lake and Smith Island, building Fire Station 6, the expansion of the downtown library, and improvements to several major streets and utility facilities. Moore also helped bring the AquaSox baseball team to Everett.
Weekend Thoughts: Good Ol’ Bellingham
What a lovely weekend. Saturday was spent with friends, pretty low key. Went to the Edmonds Farmers Market, then ordered dinner from Lynnwood’s Asian Wok. Several friends recommended Asian Wok to me, so I’m glad we made the time finally. One note: specifically order rice. Nothing dramatic, but then we move to Sunday.
Sunday we went to Bellingham, one of my favorite cities. Attended service at St. Paul’s, getting me my Episcopalian fix. More importantly, I got to spend time with dear friends, one who is now clergy on staff there. Afterward, we all went to Cornwall park. Just another reminder of Bellingham’s great park system. Seeing all the cyclists drove home how much more bike friendly Bellingham is. Sadly, I didn’t make it to my favorite coffee shop, Tony’s. Just another reason to go back up.
Gloriously low on traffic, great water and mountain access, a vibrant restaurant scene, Western Washington University, Fairhaven (oh, Fairhaven!) along with everything above add up to one of my favorite places. Period.
Neighborhood Youth Alliance : Success This Weekend
My wife has been heavily involved with Lynnwood’s Neighborhood Youth Alliance for years.This Saturday was supposed to be the culmination of a backpack & school-supplies drive. It wasn’t, exactly, though. Due to a few communication snafus, there was a fair amount of last-minute scrambling. However, there were adequate supplies to hand out to our kids in need so they would be prepared for school this Wednesday. Though there were a few gaps in supplies, they will be filled next week. And, also also, this delay allowed us to think and we were able to get donations of graphing calculators for some of our STEM students. Our community came together fast, and went beyond the obvious need. Makes me happy and proud to call this place home.
Below is a shot of the SECOND wave of donations, with the ask put forth barely a day before.
We learned a great deal, and next year will be even more effective. I love this place.