I received this email today from a Beach Drive neighbor, Tonya, who also sent this to others in media and local news organizations.  She asked that I post this to share with fellow neighbors who are also upset about the potential loss of our only bus service on Beach Drive.

Hello –
I am extremely disturbed by the idea of cutting Route 37. Do you understand the amount of taxes we pay just for living on that street? It’s bad enough it’s the most anemic route in Seattle and there is NO weekend service but now you want to cut it altogether?

There is also a sizable elderly community that rely on that bus for their sole transportation. Is it fair they would have to walk ½ mile perhaps in the snow to get to the nearest bus?

I take that bus every day to work and back. 

And so do the majority of my neighbors – who also vote and pay taxes. Please take the time and explain to me why you find this decision beneficial to the taxpayers of Beach Drive.

We are encouraged to live “green” and this proposal flies in the face of what Seattle is supposed to stand for.

I look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you, 

– – –
Tonya C. Osborne

Tonight from 7:00 – 9:00 pm there is a meeting at the South Seattle Community College, 6000 – 16th Ave SW, President's Board Room to address Metro's changes to our transit system.

After tonight, the next public meeting for West Seattle with King County Metro is on November 17, 2011 from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm at Madison Middle School.

I counted at least six boats making sets for the chum salmon run yesterday. It's pretty interesting seeing how these boats operate the nets. The following shots were taken as the sun was just coming over the hill…

The days and times for this type of fishing is a moving target set by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife . Purse seiners had the green light for areas 10 and 11 (Seattle/Tacoma) between 7:00AM to 6:00PM.

How many movies can you count where an "incurable disease" threatens the worlds population? No worries if you can't think of any off-hand… they're still making them! 

Unfortunately, this old plot is a bit too close to home for our local Puget Sound salmon runs. Recent news has reported a sample of wild Sockeye in British Columbia have contracted a European strain of Salmon Anemia. Which of course, is non-curable.This fish flu has historically only affected (devastated) the Atlantic Salmon farms in Norway, Scotland, Chile, and Eastern Canada but has never shown up on the Pacific side of the world… until now. 

Like me, you may be asking what Atlantic Salmon are doing in the Pacific mixing with our own superior wild salmon species? Well, our northerly neighbors in British Columbia have been farming the Atlantic species for years now, buying the eggs from Norway (just like Chile did). Then it dawned on me that we have some aquatic salmon pens about 5 miles west of Beach Drive just inside the southern tip of Bainbridge Island inside Rich Passage.

I've motored over to the pens a few times each summer showing guests salmon splashing around and the seals begging a few get loose.  A little research revealed: "Oly Yump'n yalmon!" those are Atlantic Salmon being farmed by American Gold Seafood for buyers such as Whole Foods who sells the fish outside our local market area (it's a "socially sensitive subject" in these parts). American Gold Seafood owns and operates over 120 salmon pens in Washington waters with this villian fish yet claim superior farming methods as compared to other competing sites. They have not detected the virus.  

We've recently noticed the UW research vessel Thomas G Thompson snooping around between Beach Drive and Blake Island wondering if they're probing some of our friendly salmon or herring in their floating laboratory (place dramatic sci-fi music here).

 Scupper, reporting for Beach Drive Blog

Two women on a walk by Beach Drive and Lowman Park around 8:45am this morning were followed by a man with intent of them seeing him behaving lewd.  The Caucasian male was driving a white Mazda pick-up truck has been reported to the police… you can read the details on West Seattle Blog.

The driver is described as being in his 40's with "average/heavy build, thinning brown hair, wearing a white shirt and khaki work pants".

Please contact the police if you have information about this or a had a similar experience with this person.

Apparently this creature has blue wings and landed on my husband by Jacobsen… any idea what type of insect this is?

This otter didn’t notice us watching as he dined on this fish.

I tend to shy away from writing about my "day job" on Beach Drive Blog…however it occurred to me that there are some significant changes that may impact many in the Alki area who have higher valued homes that may require larger loan amounts with their mortgages.  I'd be remiss not to give my neighbors a heads up on something that may have dramatic impact on their finances.

Unless Congress passes an extension of the current loan limits, they will be lowered on October 1, 2011 and possibly again on January 1, 2012.  The current conforming "high balance" loan limit for a single family dwelling in the Seattle area is $567,500, any loan amount over that is considered a "jumbo" (or non-conforming) and often has a higher interest rate and tougher qualifying guidelines.  Our current conforming loan limits are technically "temporary" and are set to roll back to $506,000 on October 1, 2011. Fannie Mae has hinted that we may see loan amounts reduced further effective 2012 as conforming loan limits are based on median home values.  We probably won't have more information about the loan limits for next year until November. 

Reducing the loan limits from $567,500 to $506,000 means that potential home buyers will need to come up with $61,500 more for a down payment if they want to have a conforming mortgage, for a home priced around $710,000.  If you are selling a home in this price range, you may want to consider that there may be fewer buyers available should your home require a larger down payment or jumbo financing.  For those considering refinancing a conforming mortgage, if their loan amount is over $506,000, they should act soon.  Often times, lenders will implement guidelines well in advance to what Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA or VA will do in order to not get caught holding a mortgage with "yesterday's" higher loan amount.

Loan amounts are being reduced across Washington State, I'm addressing the limits that will be impacting our West Seattle neighborhood.   FHA "high balance" loan limits are set to be reduced on October 1, 2011 as well.

Mortgage rates are still very low and the difference between a jumbo and conforming interest rate is about 0.5% in rate for a 30 year fixed rate mortgage. If I can be of any assistance, please contact me.  I'm always happy to help a neighbhor.

And now…back to our regular programming.

No parking zones will be enforced tomorrow starting a 7:00 am and ending on Thursday, July 14th at 7:00 pm for several blocks of Beach Drive.  This is for repaving of the 4500 – 4600 blocks (additional blocks are closed).

Bus stops have been temporarily moved too.  This one has been moved about a block south of it's normal location to the 4700 block with will be a tow zone tomorrow morning too.

Today's low tide of -2.5 happened at 10:38 this morning.  Check out the tides for the rest of the week with a full moon this Thursday:

Monday, May 16:

• 11.42 at 5:48 pm
• 6.06 at 11:04 pm

Tuesday, May 17:

• 11.75 at 4:18 am
• -3.17 at 11:22 am
• 11.9 at 6:41 pm
• 6.47 at 11:59 pm

Wednesday, May 18:

• 11.44 at 5:01 am
• -3.37 at 12:05 pm
• 12.13 at 7:31 pm

Thursday, May 19:

• 6.68 at 12:54 am
• 10.95 at 5:47 am
• -3.13 at 12:50 pm
• 12.13 at 8:20 pm

Friday, May 20:

• 6.71 at 1:50 am
• 10.31 at 6:36 am
• -2.51 at 1:36 pm
• 11.98 at 9:07 pm

Saturday, May 21:

• 6.57 at 2:50 am
• 9.55 at 7:29 am
• -1.6 at 2:22 pm
• 11.74 at 9:54 pm