This is a "big deal" at our house. My mother has been complaining for years that other cities can make a profit from their ports and our just keeps getting more money from the tax payers. The U.S. Justice Department has launched the criminal investigation because of what was found in a recent state audit.

State Auditor Brian Sonntag has said that "multiple federal agencies could be involved in the probe, including the U.S. Attorney's office, FBI and Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Transportation." This was stated in the front page article of The Seattle Times today in their article, "Possible fraud at Port focus of criminal probe, millions wasted, according to audit released last month" by Jim Brunner and Bob Young.

It is interesting that the performance audit was authorized by Initiative 900, which is the "Tim Eyman-sponsored measure approved by voters in 2005."

There is a port hearing today. "The public can comment on the audit during today's Port of Seattle Commission hearing, which starts at 1 p.m. at Port headquarters on Seattle's Pier 69 (on Alaskan Way between Clay and Vine streets)."

MSNBC also carried the story today: "Feds open criminal inquiry into port," by Kristen Millares Young, Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

UPDATE: There is a follow-up article in The Seattle Times this morning, "Port gets catcalls, support at hearing on harsh audit" by Bob Young.

Please visit my site for information and support. Seattle, Bellevue, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Green Lake, Fremont, Green Lake and Redmond, Washington Real Estate Property Listings. Just click on the blue "homes search" button and then click on the area you wish to view. You can also search by street address or the MLS number.

My oldest grandson (he will be 2 yrs. old in Feb.) got his first "official" haircut recently. His mom and dad took him to Lil Klippers in Wallingford (a community in North Seattle). It is a very popular place and you can see that they are quite good at distracting little kids. The pictures are in sequence of the event and then the final product.

My daughter said it took about 10 minutes of actual cutting and was quite impressed with them.

Please visit my site for information and support. Seattle, Bellevue, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Green Lake, Fremont and Redmond, Washington Real Estate Property Listings.

If you do not get The Seattle Times you missed the front page article “big land deal, big questions by Jim Bruinner and Lauren Vane.” It is about a land deal in Maple Valley (called the Donut Hole deal) that has been conducted by King County Executive Ron Sims and a single developer, YarrowBay Group of Kirkland, (without it being offered for bids). It was brokered by lobbyist Martin Durkan Jr.

“The deal would benefit two of Durkan's business partners. He represents YarrowBay, which would get the Donut Hole without competition. Another longtime client, Palmer Coking Coal, owns the Icy Creek forest land the county would buy.” The way the deal has been handled is being criticized and some Maple Valley leaders are not sure the deal is good for Maple Valley.

I find it interesting where the article said: “YarrowBay and its executives and contractors, including Durkan, have given more than $40,000 to the campaigns of Sims and King County Council members since 2002, according to the state Public Disclosure Commission. The largest share — $11,000 — has gone to Sims. YarrowBay also hosted a fundraiser at its Kirkland offices for Sims in late 2005, just a few months before launching the Donut Hole deal.”

The story is long and the picture gets murkier as it goes along. I was wondering if this lobbyist is also a real estate agent—if so, it sounds to me as if he has been highly unethical. I especially liked the following: “County officials have worked diligently with YarrowBay to carry out Sims' instructions. In July 2006, the county signed a letter of intent with YarrowBay, promising "good faith" negotiations. Company executives helped draft the arguments Sims' aides used to justify the no-bid deal to the County Council. YarrowBay has paid the county more than $270,000 for staff time spent on the project. The talks with YarrowBay kept going even after one of the original justifications for a no-bid deal collapsed.”

There is another related short story entitled "Maple Valley officials fear burst of growth" written by the same writers with contributions made from David Turim.

It just seems to me that there is something wrong with this picture!

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This is a picture of a sunset at Shilshole Bay Marina in the Ballard area of Seattle. We do love our boats here! If you want to see some "up close and personal" the Seattle Boat Show will be Thursday, January 24^th - Saturday, February 2^nd, 2008 "1,000 boats for every budget, designed to meet every recreational need are featured at Qwest Field Event Center, plus another 200 watercraft on the water at South Lake Union for the 2008 Seattle Boat Show. The show, the largest on the West Coast, features a free shuttle service between the two venues. For more information, visit http://www.seattleaboatshow.com/."

Ballard is a Scandinavian area on Northwest Seattle that is becoming extremely popular. People enjoy all the restaurants, shops and parks that are there. Many condominiums have been built in the last few years and the homes are often getting refurbished.

Please visit my site for information and support. Seattle, Bellevue, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Green Lake, Fremont and Ballard, Washington Real Estate Property Listings.