We've created a Web page with detour maps you can use to find the best alternate route. This Web page also has a complete list of the ramps that will be closed.
To safely remove the tunnel, WSDOT crews need to close all lanes of southbound I-405 between SE 8th Street and I-90 in Bellevue for three weekends in August. The closures will take place from 11 p.m. on Friday to 5 a.m. on Monday on the following weekends:
Aug. 8 - Aug. 11
Aug. 15 - Aug. 18
Aug. 22 - Aug. 25
We are asking drivers to "Give 'em a Brake" in active work zones or when they see maintenance workers. Please observe the speed limit, leave plenty of room between you and the vehicle in front of you, and don't use your cell phone while driving.
Work progressing along a new section of southbound I-405 in Renton
Construction on I-405 between I-5 and SR 167 in Renton and Tukwila is about to reach a milestone. After the weekend of Aug. 8-10, drivers traveling southbound along I-405 will be using a new bridge over Oakesdale Avenue SW. Currently, crews are putting the finishing touches on the new portion of the bridge and paving the southbound lanes.
During the weekend of Aug. 8-10, drivers can expect up to two lanes of southbound I-405 to be closed between SR 169 and I-5 so crews can shift southbound I-405 traffic onto the new bridge. Crews will also need to close the ramp from southbound SR 167 to southbound I-405 to shift southbound traffic onto the new bridge.
Crews will continue constructing the northbound lanes of the new bridge over the next year. By summer 2010, the new bridge will hold four lanes of traffic in each direction.
We will close all lanes of I-90 between I-5 and Island Crest Way several times between Thursday, July 31 and Sunday, Aug. 3 to accommodate air show practices and performances for this year's Seafair festivities.
The Federal Aviation Administration requires us to close the I-90 bridge while the Blue Angels perform for the safety of both drivers and pilots. The SR 520 bridge will remain open. Get details about the closures.
Are we really driving less? Really?
Drivers appear to be succumbing to sticker shock at the pump. This month's update of statewide traffic volumes shows that traffic was down nearly five percent last month compared to the past three years.
Usually people drive more each year, not less. In the first five months of 2008, we saw roughly a two percent drop in volume. But in June, driving tanked. In a typical year we would expect a 3 percent increase.
Has driving become a luxury for you as the price of gas keeps going up? Are you planning to ditch your car for a bike or mass transit? Tell us what you think.
Names San Juan Islands in Top 5 Islands in the Continental U.S. and Canada
The San Juan Islands were ranked as #4 for the second consecutive year in its list of "Top 5 Islands in the Continental U.S. and Canada." The rankings are the outcome of Travel + Leisure's 13th annual survey of readers' favorites. Criteria for judging islands included natural attractions, activities/sights, restaurants/food, people and value. Travel + Leisure is the world's leading travel magazine and has current readership of nearly 4.5 million. Its mission is to inspire readers by identifying the newest and the best in world travel.
Come Enjoy An August Event Or Festival
San Juan Island
August 1-23
"The Tempest" Island Stage Left Shakespeare Under the Stars
Experience the magic of the islands without your car with an "Overnight San Juan Islands" special aboard the Victoria Clipper from Seattle! On your two-day vacation, you can experience fine dining and shopping in Friday Harbor or take one of their San Juan Islands sightseeing tours. And with your choice of great overnight accommodations and complimentary hotel pickup and drop-off, this all-inclusive overnight package gives you everything you need to create the perfect San Juan Islands getaway! Click here for more information. www.victoriaclipper.com
MORE AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER EVENTS
August 3 Pig War Connections, San Juan Island
August 16 Pickett's Irish, San Juan Island August 23 The Rock Rocks Blues Festival, Lopez Island
August 23,30 Land-based Wildlife Tours, San Juan Island
August 31 Steve Braun Memorial Triathlon, Orcas Island
Saturdays Farmers' Markets on Lopez, Orcas & San Juan Islands
September 2-3 Seventh Annual Wooden Boat Rendezvous, Orcas Island
September 14 Concours d'Elegance, San Juan Vineyards, San Juan Island
And...don't forget to plan a visit to the islands during October for
"Savor the San Juans - A Medley of Food, Art & Culture."
Enjoy 3-course dinners for $30, art gallery and museum exhibits, vineyard harvest festivals, theater performances, cooking classes, farmers market, historic walking tours, lodging specials, recreational activities and so much more!
Bumbershoot Presents Apocalypse in Coney Island: A Bumberlesque Cabaret, Late Night Sunday 8/31
Hey BumberFan—
Read on for the latest news including:
Apocalypse in Coney Island: A Bumberlesque Cabaret at the Teatro ZinZanni spiegeltent
Tick-tock! Deadlines for some of Bumbershoot's super-cool contests are coming up quick!
Attention mix-masters. Share your Bumbershoot mix (and create cover art!) to win big.
Craft new CD curtains with the help of ReadyMade.
We offer up another hint from Grist.org's "How Green is Your Music Habit" quiz.
Bumbershoot Late Night!
Just announced! Bumbershoot Presents Apocalypse in Coney Island: A Bumberlesque Cabaret at the Teatro ZinZanni spiegeltent!
Extend your Bumbershoot experience at the beautiful Teatro ZinZanni spiegeltent (222 Mercer Street) with this 21+ after-hours performance. Be enraptured by some of New York's wildest burlesque performers including Julie Atlas Muz (performance arts superstar), Dirty Martini (reigning queen of striptease and classic burlesque), Tigger! (the first ever Mr. Exotic World), and the trapeze-swinging Wau Wau Sisters. London's Mat Fraser (Thalidomide!! A Musical!) will host.
Doors for this separately ticketed event will open at 11pm on Sunday, August 31, with the performance beginning at midnight. A full menu of beer, wine and spirits will be offered, as well as limited late night food options. Tickets are $20 and on sale NOW exclusively at bumbershoot.org/tickets. Please note: Bumbershoot Festival tickets will not grant admission to this special performance. For more details, visit bumbershoot.org.
Fresh Contests
Bumbershoot has a slew of awesome contests happening right now, with the champions of each earning their way into the Festival.
Bumbershoot's Ultimate CD Design Challenge If you spend countless hours compiling iTunes playlists to correspond with every possible mood, this contest is for you! To enter, all you have to do is put together your Ultimate Bumbershoot playlist (featuring Bumbershoot artists past or present), create a Bumbershoot CD cover, and upload your art and song selections at bumbershoot.org. From there, fellow fans will vote, bestowing one lucky mix-master with the Ultimate Bumbershoot Weekend, courtesy of Bumbershoot, The Seattle Times and the Seattle P-I! Entries are due August 3, so start making your mix and creating cover art today!
LAST CHANCE to join SPIN's video crew at Bumbershoot! Want to interview bands backstage at Bumbershoot? Yeah, we know… dumb question. Here's how! Make a two minute "video blog" about a band in your hometown. Show off your mad skills, because you'll be judged on the quality of your cam work, the integrity of your interview, your creativity, sense of humor, and ability to keep your internal groupie in check. If SPIN thinks you got what it takes, you'll be part of their crew for the 3-day weekend! Contest ends THIS SUNDAY, July 27. Get all the details at bumbershoot.org.
How Green is Your Music Habit?—Video PSA There are countless ways to make your music habit a more sustainable one. Do you carpool to concerts? Volunteer at Vera Project? Solar power your iPod? Demand only organic shirts from your favorite band? Pick one, and turn it into a :30 second video PSA. Deadline to enter is this Sunday, July 27, so enter today!
Your Weekly Green
There's a myriad of ways to green your Bumbershoot experience. As you soak up the sun and music this Labor Day weekend, be water-wise and bring your own personal, non-disposable water bottle. You can fill up for free around the grounds, including Hydration Stations at the Samsung Mobile Mainstage! Did you know bottled water, which costs about $8 a gallon, is about 2,400 times as expensive as tap water? In 2006 Americans bought a total of 31.2 billion liters of bottled water, requiring nearly 900,000 tons of plastic produced from fossil fuels and more than 17 million barrels of oil, not including the energy for transportation. That adds up to more than 2.5 million tons of greenhouse gases!
Eco Art Project CDs? Say what? You've gone all-digital and need a way to reinvent and reuse your CD collection? This week's ReadyMade MacGyver Challenge will help you create some stylin’ new curtains with those scratched CDs of yore.
Grist.org Asks: How Green Is Your Music Habit? Not sure? Answer a question from our friends at Grist.org to see!
Trash talkin': How many tons of electronic waste ended up in U.S. landfills in 2005?
Take the entire quiz at Grist.org and you could win two Gold Passes to this year's Bumbershoot!
Ticket Information
You can buy tickets NOW at bumbershoot.org, Ticketmaster outlets, or by calling 206.628.0888. Single day-specific tickets are $35 through August 15, and $40 thereafter. Three-day passes are $80 through August 15, and $100 thereafter. For more ticket information, visit bumbershoot.org/tickets.htm.
See ya at the 'Shoot, BumberFan!
Bumbershoot: Seattle's Music & Arts Festival, Presented by Samsung Mobile runs Labor Day Weekend, Saturday 8/30–Monday 9/1 at Seattle Center.
Bumbershoot is produced by One Reel, in collaboration with Seattle Center and AEG Live. One Reel is the independent, not for profit producer of the Northwest's premier arts events, also including WaMu Family 4th at Lake Union, Summer Nights Concert Series and Teatro ZinZanni.
You are receiving this email because you signed up to be a BumberFan at bumbershoot.org. We want to be a welcome guest in your inbox. To unsubscribe from this newsletter and receive no further communication from Bumbershoot, send an e-mail to bumbershoot-unsubscribe@lists.onereel.org.
One Reel | 100 South King Street, Suite 100, Seattle WA 98104 | Privacy Policy
5:30-7:30 pm- The Finerie @ 1215 First AveClass up your closet, enjoy a cocktail and support Gay City! 20% discount on all purchases and 15% of the proceeds go to Gay City.
Queen City Cruise Tickets On Sale Now:
Coming Soon: Thursday August 14th Eden
Eden: A Garden Party
6pm in Seattle's Blue Ridge Neighborhood
Indulge in some original sin with Adam & Steve in our very own Garden of Eden! Take in amazing views of Puget Sound as we enjoy hors d'ouevres and cocktails. A request for your generous contribution will be made. RSVP is required. Please email peter@gaycity.org if you would like to attend. More information here.
Gay City Health Project is a multicultural gay men's health organization and the premiere provider of HIV and STD testing in King County. Our mission is to promote gay and bisexual men's health and prevent HIV transmission by building community, fostering communication and nurturing self-esteem.
As gas and food prices continue to rise, many households are feeling the pinch. Here at the Mission, we've experienced a dramatic drop in giving at a time when more and more people are coming to us for help. Higher costs and growing needs have left us with a $373,539 budget shortfall.
That's one of the biggest deficits in our 76-year history!
We must make up this shortfall, or be forced to cut back on critical services. We can't let more hurting people go without the help they desperately need.
Your gift today will truly bring a ray of hope to a homeless man, woman or child in our community.
Last call for two contests! Enter today… fame and Bumbershoot passes await you
Bumbershoot Late Night Cabaret—tickets going fast!
Dan Deacon, William Gibson and other Festival favorites in SOUND Magazine's Bumbershoot issue
Celebrate SeaFair with Bumbershoot's Street Team for pre-Fest fun and music
The Bumbershoot Music Lounge
The Bumbershoot Music Lounge returns with a series of intimate performances by some of the Festival's brightest stars, all of which will be broadcast live on 90.3 KEXP/KEXP.org during Bumbershoot weekend. The only way to get access to this secret venue is to reserve your spot at kexp.org, or be a BumberFan and enter to win passes at bumbershoot.org!
This year's Bumbershoot Music Lounge lineup includes: Asylum Street Spankers / Thao with the Get Down Stay Down / Nada Surf / Forro in the Dark / Orgone / The Whigs / Sons and Daughters / Joshua Morrison / Langhorne Slim & The War Eagles / Two Gallants / John Vanderslice / Old 97's / Black Eyes and Neckties... and more still to be announced!
Last Call for Bumbershoot Contests!
Bumbershoot's Ultimate CD Design Challenge If you spend countless hours compiling iTunes playlists to correspond with every special occasion, this contest is for you! To enter, all you have to do is put together your Ultimate Bumbershoot playlist (featuring Bumbershoot artists past or present), create a Bumbershoot CD cover, and upload your art and song selections at bumbershoot.org. From there, fellow fans will vote, bestowing one lucky mix-master with the Ultimate Bumbershoot Weekend, courtesy of Bumbershoot, The Seattle Times and the Seattle P-I! Entries are due August 3, so start making your mix and creating cover art today!
Teen Angst Contest In the spirit of Sara Bynoe's F**k Off & Die: Tales in Teen Angst Poetry, we turn to our adult BumberFans for their most heartfelt teenaged writings. Sara will judge the submissions and deem one winner a pair of Gold Passes (and the glory of having their submission read to a live audience as part of this Festival program). Get all the deets at bumbershoot.org. Contents ends Sunday, August 3!
Bumbershoot Late Night!
Bumbershoot Presents Apocalypse in Coney Island: A Bumberlesque Cabaret at the Teatro ZinZanni spiegeltent! Extend your Bumbershoot experience at the beautiful Teatro ZinZanni spiegeltent (222 Mercer Street) with this 21+ after-hours performance. Be enraptured by some of New York's wildest burlesque performers including Julie Atlas Muz (performance arts superstar), Dirty Martini (reigning queen of striptease and classic burlesque), Tigger! (the first ever Mr. Exotic World), and the trapeze-swinging Wau Wau Sisters. London's Mat Fraser (Thalidomide!! A Musical!) will host.
Doors for this separately ticketed event will open at 11pm on Sunday, August 31, with the performance beginning at midnight. A full menu of beer, wine and spirits will be offered, as well as limited late night food options. Tickets are $20 and on sale NOW (and going QUICKLY) exclusively at bumbershoot.org/tickets. Please note: Bumbershoot Festival tickets will not grant admission to this special performance. For more details, visit bumbershoot.org.
Hot Off the Press
The sweet new August issue of SOUND Magazine is out on newsstands this week and profiles a bevy of Bumbershoot artists including interviews with William Gibson, Dan Deacon, Dale Watson and Final Fantasy, plus staff picks, a Festival schedule, map and more! Don't live in the area? Starting tomorrow you can read the mag cover to cover online.
Celebrate Bumbershoot at SeaFair
Seattle celebrates SeaFair this weekend and Bumbershoot is joining in on the fun. Things at SeaFair that are known to go fast, create excitement and make lotsa noise: hydroplanes, the Blue Angels, and the Bumbershoot prize wheel! Find the Bumberbooth at Genessee Park all weekend long… we'll be near the stage enjoying some pre-Fest performances from Vince Mira (Friday), Mark Pickerel & His Praying Hands (Saturday) School or Rock: Northwest All-Stars and Star Anna (Sunday).
ROCKSTAR Energy Drink Vert Ramp
Have you started customizing your Festival weekend schedule yet? Don't forget to add an exhibition or two at the ROCKSTAR Energy Drink Vert Ramp, where you can check out skate and BMX pros catch vertical lift a few times each day—plus meet the star athletes including Bucky Lasek, Rune Glifberg, Rob Lorifice, Dave Duncan, Chris Gentry, Anthony Furlong, Sergie Ventura and BMX pros Koji Craft and Zach Warden! rockstar69.com.
Your Weekly Green
Sustainability is more than just recycling—it's also about supporting your community. There are a ton of ways to get involved in the community including volunteering at a local organization or supporting local business. Each year Bumbershoot supports the best in local talent, while collaborating with some of Seattle's amazing arts organizations to create the Festival's immense schedule. How can you help Bumbershoot and the Seattle community be more sustainable? Send a Kid! Your contribution of just $10, will send an under-served youth from our community, and an accompanying adult, to the Festival to learn, explore and imagine. It's green for the common good!
Eco Art Project So you've had the dream of touring the world. Making music with friends until all hours... You're a dreamer, so why not dream big? Roll out that big jug in the corner you were thinking about storing pennies in and let ReadyMade help you make your own jug band. (Hey, everyone's gotta start somewhere!)
Grist.org Asks: How Green Is Your Music Habit? Not sure? Answer a question from our friends at Grist.org to see!
Eat it, just eat it: How many miles does food typically travel in the U.S., from farm to mouth?
Take the entire quiz at Grist.org and you could win two Gold Passes to this year's Bumbershoot!
Have You Made Your Plans Yet?
Don't forget! Summer is in full swing, which means Bumbershoot is approaching quickly… only 30 more days! You can buy tickets NOW at bumbershoot.org, Ticketmaster outlets, or by calling 206.628.0888. Single day-specific tickets are $35 through August 15, and $40 thereafter. Three-day passes are $80 through August 15, and $100 thereafter. For more ticket information, bumbershoot.org/tickets.htm.
Bumbershoot: Seattle's Music & Arts Festival, Presented by Samsung Mobile runs Labor Day Weekend, Saturday 8/30–Monday 9/1 at Seattle Center.
Bumbershoot is produced by One Reel, in collaboration with Seattle Center and AEG Live. One Reel is the independent, not for profit producer of the Northwest's premier arts events, also including WaMu Family 4th at Lake Union, Summer Nights Concert Series and Teatro ZinZanni.
You are receiving this email because you signed up to be a BumberFan at bumbershoot.org. We want to be a welcome guest in your inbox. To unsubscribe from this newsletter and receive no further communication from Bumbershoot, send an e-mail to bumbershoot-unsubscribe@lists.onereel.org.
One Reel | 100 South King Street, Suite 100, Seattle WA 98104 | Privacy Policy
Attention CenterFlash Member: Don't Miss Jazz in the City September 12
The Jackson Street Music Program proudly presents and KWJZ 98.9 welcomes the Jazz In The City Concert Series' "Smooth Summer Finale", Friday, September 12, 2008, 7:30 p.m. at the luxurious Marion Oliver McCaw Hall at Seattle Center.
Jazz In The City stars Grammy Award winner: keyboardist/vocalist George Duke and premiering in the Northwest for the first time Platinum selling, BET award winning vocalist Anthony Hamilton coming off his outstanding film and soundtrack performance in the movie "American Gangster".
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The U.S. Men's Sr. National Team's debut in China was a soaring success. LeBron James led an exciting and dominant USA offense with 20 points on near perfect 8-for-9 shooting performance. The team was unstoppable as they shot an impressive 71 percent. Tune in to ESPN 2 tommorrow as the U.S. Men's Sr. National Team faces Lithuania at 8:00 a.m.
Friday on ESPN 2:
USA vs Lithuania, 8 a.m. ET
Breaking Out on a Global Level
Chicago Sky's rookie Sylvia Fowles has shown a lot of promise in the WNBA and on the global stage, she's becoming a star for U.S. Women's Sr. National Team. In the Beijing Good Luck Tournament held earlier this year, Fowles averaged 18 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.7 blocks while shooting 66 percent from the field.
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SACRAMENTO -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed an executive order that eliminates thousands of state positions and cuts the pay of government employees to minimum wage.
LOS ANGELES -- A 21-year-old man who allegedly had a sexual relationship with his 12-year-old cousin was at large today, and police are concerned he may try to kidnap the girl and take her to Mexico.
BOSTON -- Manny Ramirez is headed to Hollywood. The Red Sox finally parted ways with their disgruntled slugger, sending him to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a startling, three-team trade Thursday that brought Jason Bay to Boston.
LOS ANGELES -- Elizabeth Taylor was hospitalized for an undisclosed reason but was expected to return home soon, representatives for the Oscar-winning actress said Thursday.
PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE, Canada -- Passengers watched in horror as a man on a Greyhound bus decapitated his seatmate in what witnesses say was a completely unprovoked attack.
FULLERTON -- An Anaheim Hills couple accused of torturing their 11-year-old son and 15-year-old daughter for at least 3 years could spend the rest of their lives in prison, prosecutors said.
LOS ANGELES -- A Ventura woman whose body was found in a jetliner restroom just before the plane landed on a flight from Los Angeles to Atlanta died of a pre-existing heart condition, according to an autopsy performed today.
BLACKWOOD, N.J. -- An animal shelter official says a porky white cat found lumbering around New Jersey on Saturday had been abandoned by a woman who says her home was foreclosed.
LONG BEACH -- An armed, off-duty LAPD officer may have been drunk when he was shot and wounded by a Long Beach Police officer, according to investigators.
HOUSTON -- Exxon Mobil Corp. reported second-quarter earnings of $11.68 billion Thursday, the biggest profit from operations ever by any U.S. corporation, but the results were well short of Wall Street expectations and its shares fell.
LOS ANGELES -- A couple, whose son was killed in Afghanistan, is fighting another kind of battle here at home -- a war against a Southern California bank.
CHICAGO -- Barack Obama's presidential campaign said that a new rhyme by rapper Ludacris is "outrageously offensive" to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Sen. John McCain and President Bush.
MOBILE, Ala. -- A judge denied bond Thursday for a part-time evangelist charged with murder in the death of his wife, a mother of eight whose body was kept in a freezer for at least three years.
OWATONNA, Minn. -- A small jet crashed in strong thunderstorms Thursday while preparing to land at a regional airport in Minnesota, killing at least eight people, including several casino and construction executives.
LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton says the city has had fewer problems with paparazzi since Britney Spears "started wearing clothes" and other celebrities changed their partying ways.
YORBA LINDA -- A magnitude-3.0 aftershock that struck two miles north-northeast of Yorba Linda was minor but still caught the attention of scores of people across the Southland..
CENTURY CITY -- Police are searching for a murder suspect after a bloody, unconscious woman was found with multiple stab wounds in a parking structure in Century City.
WASHINGTON -- The salmonella strain linked to a nationwide outbreak has been found in irrigation water and a serrano pepper at a Mexican farm, federal health officials said Wednesday.
Not the Best SeaFair Weekend, But Certainly Not the Worst
Forecast posted on Friday, August 1, 2008.
"What was that?" Don't worry if you thought the last couple of days seemed more appropriate to the end of September than July; you weren't alone. It's been coming, though. This trough has been sitting offshore for close to two weeks, and anytime you have a zone of low pressure in the neighborhood, you're living on borrowed time. This week we had to pay back the loan. Fortunately, as we head into SeaFair weekend, some improvement is likely. Just keep in mind the word some
THE BIG PICTURE: Although the cold front that set off all that rain on Thursday has moved through, the trough of low pressure in the upper atmosphere will be very slow to clear the state. A series of disturbances flowing through that trough will keep temperatures a bit on the cool side, and maintain the threat of precipitation into Saturday, at least over the mountains. Sunday, a ridge of high pressure will begin to build, which should be the beginning of a warming trend. At least the potential for rainfall will taper off in most, if not all places as the weekend wears on.
BOATING Coast: Saturday looks cloudy to mostly cloudy in the morning, with a chance of some drizzle or spotty light rain, but partial clearing is likely in the afternoon. Look for northwest winds of perhaps 10 to 15 mph, and swell out of the west at 5 feet. On Sunday, I'd definitely expect partial afternoon clearing (with morning clouds to begin the day), but winds should rise a bit to perhaps 15 or 20 mph. They'll still be northwesterlies. Swell should ease a bit to perhaps 4 feet.
Strait:Winds will begin the day fairly light on Saturday; out of the west at 10 or perhaps 15 mph. However velocities should rise during the afternoon, reaching 20 or even 25 mph. Expect low clouds in the morning with possible drizzle, then partial clearing in the afternoon. Sunday should offer more afternoon sun, but winds shouldn't build as much in the afternoon. Based on my reading of the weather maps and the likelihood of a ridge of high pressure building (with north to northwest winds aloft), surface winds through the strait should max out at perhaps 15 or at most 20 mph
San Juans and Bellingham Bay Area:Expect low morning clouds Saturday; however I would expect at least some sunbreaks and possibly partly sunny skies in the afternoon. Winds should be out of the southwest at 5 to 15 mph. Sunday will begin gray, but should end partly to possibly even mostly sunny. Winds are likely to remain southwesterly at 5 to 15 mph.
Puget Sound and Inland Lakes: Saturday looks cloudy to mostly cloudy in the morning, with a chance of some drizzle or light rain, especially in the central part of Puget Sound. Sunbreaks are possible in the afternoon. Winds should be variable to 10 mph, perhaps becoming northwest or even northerly in the afternoon. Sunday is likely to see low morning clouds, but then becoming partly sunny in the afternoon. The potential for showers Sunday is extremely low. Expect light and variable winds in the morning, rising to perhaps ten mph in the afternoon out of the north.
Special Boating Weather Remarks: The stiffest winds will be in the Strait of Juan de Fuca Saturday afternoon. If you're planning a crossing, plan it for the morning. With winds Sunday not looking as bad, the afternoon should offer less excitement...though if your crew isn't well-seasoned, you may want to head back before the winds rise. Do expect some sun and do use sunscreen. Fleece will come in handy, especially if you're planning on spending the day on deck watching the hydros and Blue Angels. Definitely bring some rain gear Saturday..."just in case".
MOUNTAINS The presence of a trough in the upper atmosphere will make rain showers possible over both the Cascades and Olympics Saturday morning; they should taper off in the afternoon, though a few isolated showers remain possible then. A weak disturbance rippling through the slowly departing trough could set off a few showers Sunday afternoon, though it doesn't appear that they'd be of much consequence. There's no question that temperatures will be cool; unseasonably cool. At least the winds don't appear likely to be an issue.
Saturday Mostly cloudy in the morning with scattered showers over both the Olympics and west slopes of the Cascades, decreasing in the afternoon. Partly sunny over and along the east slopes.. Snow Level: 10,000 to 10,500 feet Pass Highs/6000 foot Highs/10,000 foot Highs 60 to 64 degrees/56 to 62 degrees/34 to 37 degrees Pass Winds/6,000' Winds/10,000' Winds West-Northwest 5 to 10 mph/West-Northwest 5-10 mph/West 10 to 15 mph
Sunday Low morning clouds over the Olympics and west slopes of the Cascades, becoming partly sunny, except mostly sunny over the east slopes. A slight chance of showers developing in the mid to late afternoon over the Cascades. Freezing Level: 10,000 to 11,000 feet Pass Highs/6000 foot Highs/10,000 foot Highs 60 to 67 degrees/58 to 63 degrees/37 to 40 degrees Pass Winds/6,000' Winds/10,000' Winds Northwest 5 to 10 mph/ Northwest 5-10 mph/Westerly 0-10 mph
Special Mountain Notes Although shower activity will diminish later Saturday, by all means take your rain gear. Temperatures will run a bit on the cool side of what we typically see this time of the year, so take a good insulating layer as well; fleece, wool, your choice. Some sun is also likely, especially later Saturday and off and on Sunday afternoon, so do remember to pack and use sunscreen. If you have the early to middle of next week, make certain to take sunscreen. It looks beautiful!
Jeff Renner is the Chief Meteorologist for KING 5 News, and the author of Mountain Weather and Lightning Strikes on thunderstorm safety, all published by Mountaineers Books, aimed at making sure you don't find yourself staying at home, wishing you were enjoying a beautiful day in the mountains or on the Sound, or hunkered down in a storm desperately wishing you were at home.
A proposed toxic toy bill targets the Consumer Product Safety Commission, as well as the people who make the toys, and a small business in Bellevue is doing its part to turn up the heat.
In 2007, Weaver was entering his third season as an overlooked, undrafted free agent out of Division II Carson-Newman, a Southern Baptist college in Jefferson City, Tenn. Now, he's the starter.
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As economy slides and housing woes deepen, they can't pay bills
The Associated Press
updated 3:48 p.m. PT,Thurs., July. 31, 2008
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is laying off as many as 22,000 state employees. New York's governor is raising the possibility of selling — or more accurately, leasing — the Brooklyn Bridge. Nevada is burning through its rainy-day fund like a gambler on a losing streak. And Maryland is pinning its hopes on slot machines.
With the economy in a slide and the housing market in crisis, states are collectively rolling up tens of billions of dollars in budget deficits in one of the worst financial crunches in the U.S. since the 1970s.
The startlingly rapid drop-off in tax revenue is forcing many states to make some hard decisions: Raise taxes? Cut programs and jobs? Dip into reserves? Borrow money? Lease or sell state assets?
"They're all terrible choices," Nevada Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley said of the cuts her state made in a special session last month. "I believe we should never have to make these kinds of choices ever again."
Red ink to get deeper Worse, economists say the red ink is only going to get deeper later in the fiscal year when 2008 tax returns start coming in.
"The big question is when will states hit the bottom? We don't know," said Arturo Perez, a fiscal analyst with the National Conference of State Legislatures in Colorado.
As of June, more than 30 states faced deficits totaling a projected $40 billion, or more than triple the gap of the previous year, according to the NCSL.
California, which still does not have a budget for the fiscal year that began July 1, is looking at a $15.2 billion deficit, an amount that dwarfs that of all other states. The next highest at the start of the fiscal year was New York's, at $5.2 billion.
California lawmakers are at odds over how to deal with the problem. The Democrats are proposing a combination of spending cuts and $8.2 billion in higher taxes. The Republicans oppose any new taxes but haven't come up with the spending cuts to close the gap.
In addition to eliminating up to 22,000 part-time and temporary jobs Thursday, Schwarzenegger imposed a hiring freeze and ordered that as many as 200,000 state workers receive the federal minimum wage of $6.55 an hour until a budget is passed — a move that is certain to be challenged in court, even though the employees will get their back pay eventually.
"I will not be able to pay my rent, buy food or put gas in my car to transport my children," said Roz Myers, a receptionist for a state agency who protested in front of the Capitol this week over the plan.
Among those facing the loss of their jobs are retired state employees who work under contract, temporary and part-time workers such as those who fill in at the Department of Motor Vehicles, seasonal employees and student assistants.
"Today I am exercising my executive authority to avoid a full-blown crisis and keep our state moving forward," Schwarzenegger said. "This is not an action I take lightly."
States using cost-saving strategies Most states so far have avoided the kind of tax increases California is considering. Instead, they have opted to cut state spending, tap their rainy-day funds or launch big — and risky — borrowing programs.
Among the hardest hit are states coping with the fallout from the mortgage crisis: Nevada faced a deficit that was 21 percent of its overall budget, with Arizona at 19 percent and California at 15 percent. Alabama, Maryland and Rhode Island were close behind, with deficits ranging from 12 percent to 14 percent of their overall spending plans.
New York Gov. David Paterson is summoning lawmakers into an emergency session in mid-August to deal with a "mammoth collapse in revenue," including a 97 percent drop in banking taxes from a year ago. He ordered a hiring freeze and called for a $1.23 billion cut in state spending that could affect such things as colleges and hospitals. He has also proposed leasing state roads, bridges and tunnels as well as the lottery to outside companies.
Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons has refused to raise taxes and instead signed a budget that withdrew $267 million from the state's rainy-day fund, or most of the reserve. He also slashed agency budgets and delayed construction projects to help cover a $1.2 billion shortfall in the $6.8 billion budget.
Minnesota used nearly half its rainy-day fund this year, or $500 million, and Massachusetts tapped its fund for $310 million.
Arizona legislators narrowly agreed to a spending plan in time to avoid a partial shutdown of state government. The plan closes a $2 billion gap through a combination of spending cuts, borrowing, the taking of money from special-purpose funds, and the deferral of some spending until the next fiscal year.
Voters to weigh in on slot machines Maryland voters will be asked in November to legalize slot machines to help generate hundreds of millions of dollars in the next few years. That would be on top of a 1 percent increase in the sales tax, a restructuring of the income tax system and $500 million in cuts.
Similarly, Schwarzenegger has proposed that the state borrow against the next three years of lottery earnings, while several states want to turn some of the installment payments they will receive under the settlement with Big Tobacco into a lump sum they can use now.
Nine states have imposed hiring freezes, according to the NCSL.
Legislators in Tennessee are hoping as many as 2,200 state employees accept voluntary buyout offers by next week, or the state will face layoffs. About 1,600 have accepted the buyout so far, Gov. Phil Bredesen said this week. The state also made cuts to higher education, pre-kindergarten and environmental programs.
A few states have been spared the tough choices this year, mostly those that rely on natural resources for much of their revenue. Rising prices for oil and gas in places like North Dakota and Alaska and booming demand for corn in the Midwest have led to surpluses in some states.
Economists are warning of further revenue losses in the months ahead that could force lawmakers in many states to reopen their budgets and make midyear cuts.
Don Boyd, a public policy researcher with the Rockefeller Institute of Government in New York, said states will face the second wave of lost revenue next year when residents and businesses file tax returns reflecting their heavy losses on the stock market.
"You should expect significant proposals from governors, certainly for spending cuts, probably for more tax increases and certainly for more gimmicks," he said. "And I'm sure you'll see hiring freezes and layoffs."
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3. adidas i-design Competition Imagine the top WNBA Stars wearing a shooting shirt designed by YOU! Design and submit a unique WNBA Shooting Shirt for a chance to have it produced by adidas and worn on court by a WNBA team.
4. Hanns-G Fan Challenge Get those cameras out and express the passion you have for the WNBA! Submit your best WNBA fan photo and you could win a trip for two to attend a 2008 WNBA Finals game. » Hanns-G Rookie Report » Rookie blog
5. Fast Break to Reading The WNBA and Pitney Bowes have teamed up to support literacy and education in our local communities. The Chicago Sky, Connecticut Sun, Los Angeles Sparks, New York Liberty, Seattle Storm and Washington Mystics are participating in the season-long initiative to raise funds for local, community-based literacy programs.
6. Who Said It? "Winning the gold is first and foremost right now. It would mean a bunch because it's my last Olympics. To have a combo in one year - a gold medal and a WNBA title - would be great."
This week in WNBA History July 29, 1999: Sacramento and Minnesota let the threes rain down as the two teams combine for a WNBA-record 21 three-pointers (10 by Sacramento, 11 by Minnesota) in the Monarchs' 86-72 victory.
Exclusive Discover® Cardmember Offer Show your team spirit and receive $10 off a purchase of $50 or more at WNBAStore.com. To get your discount, use promotion code WNBADISC10 at checkout along with your Discover® Card for payment.
Offer expires 7/31/08. Order value must total $50 or more before taxes, shipping and handling. Discount will be taken at checkout. Valid online at WNBAStore.com, by phone or mail. Does not apply to prior purchases or open orders and cannot be combined with any other offer. May not be used toward the purchase of gift cards. Promotion may be modified or terminated at any time. Certain restrictions may apply.
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WNBA President Donna Orender and PGA of America CEO Joe Steranka have teamed up to offer "Game Day Experiences," which will include PGA and LPGA players actively participating in events that help share and teach the game of golf during WNBA games. Also, WNBA athletes will attend golf outings in order to promote and introduce the WNBA to a new audience.
Buh-RACK Obama or BAH-Rack Obama? So what's in a name?
The would-be President of the United States has been getting rather sensitive lately about the way his name is pronounced. Emphasise the first syllable and call him BAH-rack on air,...
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