Seattle Schools Community Forum

I just got back from the memorial walk for the victims of the Eckstein drunk driving incident.  There were about 75 people (hard to tell with so many babes-in-arms) including Mayor McGinn and mayoral candidate, Peter Steinbrueck.  The memorial site is quite moving with many flowers, two crosses and signs asking drivers to not drink and drive.  The neighbor with the baby goat who had been talking with the family just moments before the accident was also there.  It was nice of her to come and revisit what must have been a horrifying sight. I was chatting with a few neighbors who feel strongly about crossing guards (I told them about the whole money issue at SPS or lack thereof).  One gentleman said that if the district told voters that the money we voted in was specifically going to support traffic safety, the voters would give it to the district.  Several of them also commented that there needs to be a flashing light each way to alert drivers that they a...

From the Times: Starting Monday, Nov. 26, $189 tickets will be automatically mailed to registered owners of vehicles caught speeding past cameras installed in four Seattle school zones. Those zones are near Broadview-Thomson K-8 School, Thurgood Marshall Elementary, Olympic View Elementary and Gatewood Elementary. Before setting up the new speed cameras, the department coordinated with the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) last year to analyze which school zones could benefit most, Doss said. Despite the installation of more than 50 sets of flashing yellow beacons in school zones across the city, speeding was a persistent problem around several schools. Eventually four areas were chosen for the speed cameras. School principals were contacted about the pilot program and supportive of it, according to police spokesman Jeff Kappel.