Seattle City Buzz

Starbucks is hosting a “coffee break” with free brewed coffee on Thursday, March 15th from 10:00 AM to Noon.

“This week, Starbucks (Nasdaq: SBUX) will raise its coffee cup in honor of the daily grind by offering customers a break, a coffee break. On Thursday, March 15, 2007, from 10 a.m. to noon, complimentary, tall (12-ounce) cups of brewed coffee will be served in participating Starbucks stores across the U.S. and Canada.

“The Starbucks Coffee Break is about more than just enjoying a great cup of coffee,” said Brady Brewer, director of Marketing, Starbucks Coffee Company. “In today’s hectic, overscheduled world, it’s a reminder to take a break from your day to catch up with a friend or colleague. People connect with each other every day at our coffee houses and our Coffee Break is just one more opportunity for them and others to do so.”

Starbucks press release.

I came across this site as I was looking for Viaduct election results. King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties created the Regional Public Information Network (RPIN.org) to provide breaking news and alerts. From their website, RPIN:

…is your one-stop resource for news alerts from more than 75 government, transportation, utility, health and emergency response agencies serving citizens in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties.

RPIN keeps the public informed about street and highway closures, weather, major transit disruptions, and provides updates on what agencies are doing to respond to emergencies and incidents. The public also can sign up to receive e-mail alerts and pager headlines from RPIN partners and get helpful tips to prepare for emergencies.

Currently, most of the news/alerts are related to road closures, flooding and transit issues. The site also provides links and information on traffic cams, ferries, airports, public health, public safety and more. It’s a great resource for anyone who lives and works in the Tri-county area.

The King County Council is expected to pass the logo change from a crown to an image of Martin Luther King, Jr. It seems appropriate since King officially became the county’s namesake in 2005 (unofficially since 1986). Both the seals of Seattle and Washington State are images of their namesakes.

Proposed King County Logo:

Seattle’s Official Seal:

Seal of Washington State:

Daylight Savings Time is coming early this year thanks to the Energy Policy Act of 2005. In the past, we observed DST in April, but starting this year, it’ll now begin the second Sunday in March. That’s this Sunday…March 11th. So, remember to set your clocks forward an hour.

Fabulous Feline a monthly cat adoption event sponsored by the Seattle Animal Shelter. Many of the cats up for adoption are currently being cared for in foster homes. One of the greatest advantage of adopting a foster cat is that these cats have been socialized and the foster parents are able to provide background information about them.

Adoption prices range from $82 to $87 and include:

• Initial vaccinations
• Deworming
• Feline Leukemia testing
• Certificate for free health exam at local veterinarians
• Spay or neuter
• Microchip (About the size of a grain of rice, the microchip is injected under the cat’s skin, providing an identification number associated with that animal. Animal shelters can then scan a lost animal and retrieve its records from the microchip.)
• Seattle Pet License (if applicable)

Where & When:

Saturday March 10, 2007 from Noon to 3:00 PM
Alki Community Center
5817 SW Stevens St.,
Seattle WA 98136
DIRECTIONS:
http://www.seattle.gov/parks/centers/Alki/directions.htm

Saturday, February 17th, Seattle celebrates Chinese New Year. This is the Year of the Pig. The International District will feature a myriad of entertainment from various Asian ethnic groups including the traditional Chinese Dragon dance, Korean dances, Japanese Taiko drums and arts and crafts.

The events take place at Union Station from Noon to 7 PM.

Address: 401 S. Jackson St. (map)

Sound Transit reports they expect the downtown bus tunnel to re-open this September for buses and the new light-rail route to Tukwila.  In 2009, light-rail service will be offered from downtown to Seatac Airport.

Have you found your furry, four-legged soul mate? Was it love at first sight? Or, do you simply love dogs? CityDog Magazine, the magazine about life and living with dog in the West, invites you to join us for a cocktail paw-tay to celebrate what else, but the love of dog!

When: Tuesday, February 13, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Where: Visions Room at the top of the Renaissance Hotel, 515 Madison Street, Seattle
Valet and parking garage available at the hotel (enter garage on Madison St).

• No-host bar and light hors d’oeuvres.
• Gift bags filled with goodies for you and your furry friend.
• Gourmet treats for the pooches.
• Mingling and more
• Enjoy incredible views from the Renaissance Hotel’s Visions Room, while sipping Dunham Cellars’s delicious Three Legged Red and Four Legged White wines.

CityDog Magazine welcomes ALL dog lovers with and without dogs. This is not a singles event, but a fun way to enjoy a night out on the town with your two- and/or four-legged friends, mix and mingle with fellow dog lovers and enjoy tasty treats and fine wines (however, if you ARE single, who knows with all that puppy love in the air)!

The event is FREE, but please RSVP by February 9th with your name and
number of people and/or dogs in your paw-tay to rsvp (at) citydogmagazine.com.

Any questions? Email us or call 206.762.0643.

The largest event at the Washington State Convention Center is coming up this week. Last year the NW Flower & Garden Show attracted 60,000 attendees.

This year’s event will be held from February 14th thru 18th at the Washington State Convention Center at 7th Ave & Pike Street (map).

The special election for the Alaskan Way Viaduct issue is March 13, 2007 and will be conducted solely by mail.

In order for the mail casted vote to be counted, the signature on the ballot envelope must match the voter’s signature on file. Recently, King County Elections mailed out signature update requests to registered voters to ensure they have voters signatures on file. They said they’re doing this as handwriting style changes. From personal experience, my signature has changed several times. The updated signature forms are due by February 16, 2007. If you received one, please be sure to mail it in.