Seattle, WA

Weather and Closures Temper Excitement for Seattle’s Beach Season

Published

3 years ago

June 14, 2022

Weather and Closures Temper Excitement for Seattle’s Beach Season

Scorching off a depressing spring and midway by a dreaded Juneuary, the thirst for a raincoat-free day lake- or oceanside could be very actual.

However even as soon as sunny skies return, a few latest bulletins by Seattle Parks and Recreation are cramping desires of floatie swimming and firelight volleyball at a few of our metropolis seashores.

First got here the information that two sunset-watching magnets, Golden Gardens and Alki Seashore, will shut down at 10pm by September 4, a in the reduction of from the everyday 11:30pm closing time of years previous.

The truncated hours arrived in response to harmful and unlawful late-night actions on these seashores—incidents that cropped up final summer time as Covid vaccines grew to become broadly accessible and restrictions eased, encouraging extra Seattleites to enterprise outdoors their protected bubbles.

At Alki Seashore final 12 months over Memorial Day weekend, police made three arrests in response to a theft, a number of fights, and assaults. Officers additionally responded to a closely intoxicated teen (alcohol is banned on Seattle’s public seashores). In June 2021, two people were injured in a highway rage taking pictures simply south of Golden Gardens, whereas one individual was killed and three injured in an Alki Seashore taking pictures. A lot of the violence adopted giant gatherings marketed on TikTok and different social media, prompting extra police presence in areas anticipating unruly crowds.

Had been these throwdowns born from post-pandemic angst? In accordance with Seattle Parks and Recreation communications supervisor Rachel Schulkin, officers are “undecided if these events are a development that’s right here to remain or not. However violence at these parks was occurring previous to the pandemic, and these parks have been a number of the busiest parks within the metropolis through the summer time previous to the pandemic.”

Parks employees are hoping that the decreased hours this summer time will result in much less violence. Beginning at 9:30pm on weekend evenings, Seattle Parks employees and cops will patrol the shoreline, toting buckets of water to extinguish campfires and asking beachgoers to clear the sand by 10pm. When requested if officers plan to arrest these unwilling to depart, Schulkin stated through an electronic mail that the division is “aiming for voluntary compliance.”

Along with the 2 standard spots closing simply after Seattle’s late sunsets have sapped the final mild, three different native seashores are shuttered for the season as a consequence of—cease us if you happen to’ve heard this earlier than—a staffing scarcity. As a result of the division couldn’t rent sufficient skilled, skilled lifeguards, Matthews Seashore, Seward Park Seashore, and East Inexperienced Lake Seashore will stay closed all through the summer time, additional limiting outside recreation choices within the identify of security.

Whereas the lifeguard staffing scarcity will (hopefully) fade with the subsequent class of tan-seeking faculty youngsters, the 10pm seashore closures at Golden Gardens and Alki Seashore could change into everlasting. After the pilot interval is full in September, the division will overview information collected and host a public remark session at a Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioner assembly. Throughout the summer time pilot, the general public may also present suggestions right here on the possible modifications.

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Seattle, WA

State ferries: A better idea from Nordic countries

Published

7 hours ago

January 10, 2025

Press Room

State ferries: A better idea from Nordic countries

Re: “Diesel or hybrid ferries? How about simply reliable” (Jan. 7, Opinion): Gov. Jay Inslee, Gov.-elect Bob Ferguson and The Seattle Times editorial board are asking the wrong question: diesel or hybrid ferries? Inslee and the majority of Democrats support…

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Seattle, WA

Manhunt underway for Mason County shooting suspect

Published

16 hours ago

January 10, 2025

Press Room

Manhunt underway for Mason County shooting suspect

Manuhunt underway for Mason County assault suspect

Mason County deputies are looking for a man wanted in a shooting in Belfair on Monday.

MASON COUNTY, Wash. – The Mason County Sheriff’s Office is currently searching for a convicted felon wanted in a recent shooting.

The sheriff’s office says Michael Allen Beyer is wanted for first-degree assault and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.

Deputies believe Beyer was involved in a shooting that happened in Belfair on January 6.

Beyer is considered armed and dangerous. If you see him, do not approach him and call 911 immediately.

Anyone with information regarding Beyer’s whereabouts is asked to call Detective Helser at 360-427-9670 x657, or Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

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Seattle, WA

Two more Seattle restaurants close due to minimum wage hike

Published

24 hours ago

January 9, 2025

Press Room

Two more Seattle restaurants close due to minimum wage hike

Two more Seattle restaurants are calling it quits thanks to the untenable minimum wage hike.

At the same time that the Seattle minimum wage rose from $19.97 an hour to $20.76 an hour, the city ended the tip credit of $2.72. Under the previous rules, restaurants were able to pay $17.25 hourly wage if their staff earned at least $2.72 in tips per hour. But as cost of business continues to skyrocket in Seattle, a minimum wage hike without a tip credit is simply untenable for many small businesses.

Jackson’s Catfish Corner in Seattle’s Central District closed its doors in this new year. In an interview with Converge Media, owner Terrell Jackson argued Seattle is too expensive to operate in.

“I know that the minimum wages went up to 20 bucks an hour … I know that’s hard for my business as a small Black business,” Jackson said. “I’m not Amazon or Walgreens or Walmart who can pay their employees that much.”

Jackson isn’t alone in his complaints.

More from Jason Rantz: Panic as Seattle restaurants may not survive massive minimum wage shift

A second West Seattle eatery closes, citing the minimum wage hike

Bel Gatto, a bakery and café, became the second West Seattle eatery to close its doors over the Seattle minimum wage hike. The owner posted a sign to the front door to thank supporters but said she can’t afford to stay open anymore.

“Our revenues, unfortunately, are not able to cover the close to 20% increase in mandated wages, salaries and payroll taxes put into effect by the Seattle City Council effective 1/1/25. This ruling has made the continuation of our bakery operations untenable,” the sign read.

The owner, Peter Levy, explained to the West Seattle Blog that, “we were approaching close to a break even status in the last quarter of 2024, but the requirement to absorb another $4,000 per month in payroll expenses with the new mandate by the city put a break even further from our grasp which is what led to the closure.”

Last week, a video by Corina Luckenbach, owner of Bebop Waffle Shop in West Seattle, went viral as she said the minimum wage hike was forcing her to close after 11 years. She said she didn’t have an extra $32,000 a year to pay her staff what the city mandates.

More from Jason Rantz: Democrats blame Los Angeles fires on climate change to deflect from their own complicity

Will more restaurants close?

Ahead of the minimum wage hike, restauranteurs offered many warnings over what’s to come.

Ethan Stowell operates a number of Seattle’s top restaurants, including How to Cook a Wolf, Staple and Fancy, and Tavolata. He warned this change would be exceptionally costly for businesses in an industry notorious for razor-thin margins. And restaurants can’t merely raise menu prices again.

“I know everybody wants to say, ‘Just raise things (on the menu) a dollar or two,’ and that’s what it’ll be. That’s very simplified math. I wish it was that easy, but it’s not. This is a large increase that’s probably large enough to be equal to or close to what most restaurants in Seattle profit,” Stowell told “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH.

Portage Bay Cafe co-owner Amy Fair Gunnar noted the minimum wage change will cost her about $45,000 more a month. She said restaurants will have to “seriously change what they’re doing or they’re going to close their doors.”

More from Jason Rantz: Here’s why Seattle residents vow to stop tipping in new year

Ignoring the warnings, mocking the business people

The warnings from restaurant owners were mostly ignored or mocked.

Efforts by the Seattle City Council to address the forthcoming crisis fell apart after activists said they didn’t want restaurants to get an exception. Council president Sara Nelson told “The Jason Rantz Show” they will take up the issue again this year but there’s no specific idea yet to forward for legislation. The Mayor of Seattle, Bruce Harrell, has been almost completely absent from the issue.

Left-wing voices, meanwhile, claim to not care. That if businesses “can’t afford to pay a living wage,” then they shouldn’t be in business.

One reporter with The Stranger mocked one of the closures, quipping on X, “Has anyone ever eaten at bebop waffle lol.” Left-wing Seattleites condemned the business for “creating a right wing media darling to complain about paying people a living wage.”

KING 5 reporter Maddie White helped elevate this talking point by citing the National Low Income Housing Coalition, claiming “the average renter needs to make upwards of $40 an hour to afford rent.” But she’s quoting a stat for two-bedrooms. Minimum wage jobs aren’t meant to cover the cost of a single person renting a two-bedroom home or apartment.

Ironically, as activists dismiss the concerns of small business owners, they fail to acknowledge the inevitable consequence: when those businesses shut down, people lose jobs. A $20.76 hourly minimum wage — even with a $2.72 tip credit — means nothing if you’re unemployed.

Listen to The Jason Rantz Show on weekday afternoons from 3-7 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the podcast here. Follow Jason Rantz on X, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook.

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