I have to be in Friday Harbor this weekend and couldn’t get a ferry reservation this morning. Slots got snatched up so fast! What are my options? Anyone have had any luck with waiting in the queue on the day of travel and getting a place?
I just received an email from PSE this morning saying I can now sign up for their Community Solar program (“PSE Community Solar Works”), and I am trying to understand if it actually makes financial sense.
From what I can tell, you pay about $20 per month to participate and get access to solar-generated electricity. What’s not clear to me is how (or if) this translates into actual savings on my electric bill. I couldn’t find anything that clearly explains whether you end up paying less overall, breaking even, or just paying extra for the sustainability aspect.
Is this program designed to reduce your bill, or is it more about supporting renewable energy and accepting a premium to do so? Trying to decide if this is worth it or just a feel-good “green” add-on with no real financial upside.
Thanks.
I never thought ants would become this annoying, but over the last few weeks it is turned into a constant problem. At first it was just a couple near the kitchen sink so I cleaned everything used spray and figured it would disappear.
Instead they kept showing up in different spots around the house. I tried bait traps vinega , sealing tiny openings and deep cleaning almost every night. It would seem better for a few days and then suddenly I’d notice another trail somewhere else.
The frustrating part is that it never feels completely solved, just temporarily quieter.
One of my neighbors mentioned they dealt with the exact same thing before eventually calling AMPM Exterminators because the issue apparently wasn’t just the ants you can see. They said the colony and entry points were deeper around the property than they realized.
Now I am honestly wondering if DIY solutions ever fully work once it gets to this point or if professional treatment is usually the only thing that actually fixes it long term.
For people who’ve dealt with recurring ant problems seriously, what finally worked for you?
What's your favorite spot where you're paying under $50 to feed two people?
Edit: I guess $60 is a little more reasonable these days lol
Husband and I are looking at homes in Sammamish and Issaquah. I've heard some passing commentary that homes that face South or Southwest may be hard to sell due to cultural preferences of some area demographics. Could any RE Agents (or people who work with RE Agents) weigh in?
Apps like Citizen and others are revealing something that too many families in this district do not realize. A significant number of registered sex offenders live throughout our communities many of them in close proximity to schools, parks, and places where children gather every day.
Parents deserve straightforward access to accurate information. They deserve public safety policies that genuinely reduce risk not policies designed around the comfort of offenders or the avoidance of difficult conversations. This page is about both. What the data shows, what Washington's law currently allows, how we compare to other states, and what needs to change.
Many states restrict high risk sex offenders from residing within a defined distance of schools, parks, daycare centers, playgrounds, bus stops, and other child-focused facilities. These buffer zones typically range from 500 to 2,500 feet depending on the state and the risk level of the offender.
Washington State largely lacks such statewide residency restrictions. While Washington does maintain a sex offender registry and requires offenders to register their address with law enforcement, state law does not prohibit high risk offenders from living near schools or other locations where children regularly gather. Some individual cities and counties have enacted local restrictions, but there is no uniform statewide standard meaning the level of protection a child receives depends entirely on which city or county they happen to live in.
In some neighborhoods across this district and across the state, this gap has resulted in Level 2 and Level 3 sex offenders those assessed as posing a moderate to high risk of reoffending living within blocks of elementary schools, middle schools, and public parks.
Even a single high risk offender living near a school is one too many. The question is not whether this is convenient to fix. The question is whether we are willing to protect children or not.
Washington is an outlier. The majority of U.S. states have enacted some form of residency restriction for sex offenders. Here is how several states approach this:
Florida
Prohibits certain sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of a school, daycare center, park, playground, or bus stop. Some counties extend this to 2,500 feet.
California
Restricts certain sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of a school or park where children regularly gather. Jessica's Law, passed by voters in 2006, established this standard for high risk offenders.
Texas
Prohibits certain sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of a school, daycare, or playground, and within 500 feet of a location where children commonly gather.
Georgia
Maintains a 1,000 foot buffer zone from schools, childcare facilities, churches, and other locations where children gather. Violations are a felony offense.
Washington State
No statewide residency restriction. Individual cities and counties may adopt local rules, but there is no uniform standard protecting children across the state. High risk offenders can legally reside near schools and parks.
This is not a red state versus blue state issue. States across the political spectrum Florida, California, Texas, Georgia have concluded that children deserve this protection. Washington has not followed their lead. That needs to change.
Washington uses a three tier risk classification system for registered sex offenders:
The problem is clear. Washington classifies offenders by risk level but does not restrict where Level 2 and Level 3 offenders can live. We know who poses the greatest threat to children. We simply do not stop them from living next to a school. That is a policy failure, not an oversight.
Congress has taken meaningful steps on sex offender policy, but significant gaps remain.
The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 established the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), creating a national framework for sex offender registration and requiring states to maintain registries. SORNA also created the National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW), which allows the public to search registries across all 50 states.
However, SORNA does not establish federal residency restrictions. It leaves that decision entirely to states and states like Washington have chosen not to act. Federal law also does not currently require states to adopt residency buffers as a condition of receiving federal funding, which means there is no financial incentive for reluctant states to reform their laws.
That is one area where Congress can and should do more.
Protecting women and children from sex offenders is not a talking point for this campaign. It is a genuine priority one that connects directly to the broader Women's Safety and Fairness Agenda that defines this campaign's approach to public safety.
Sex offender residency reform is primarily a state policy issue. Washington's legislature has the authority to act and has not done so with the urgency this issue demands. As a member of Congress, I cannot directly mandate state law but I can use the tools available at the federal level to push for change and raise the cost of inaction.
If elected to Congress, I will pursue the following:
Support legislation that ties federal public safety grant funding to the adoption of minimum residency restriction standards for Level 2 and Level 3 sex offenders particularly restrictions near schools, daycare centers, parks, and playgrounds. States that fail to act should not continue receiving full federal public safety funding without accountability.
Push for stronger enforcement of existing SORNA requirements and close loopholes that allow high risk offenders to move between jurisdictions without timely notification to local law enforcement. Currently, offenders who move across state lines can fall through the cracks between registry systems.
Use the platform of a congressional seat to bring direct public and legislative pressure on Washington State to adopt statewide residency restrictions. Elected officials who have the power to protect children and choose not to use it should be held publicly accountable for that choice.
Support improvements to the National Sex Offender Public Website to make registry information more accessible, more accurate, and easier for parents to use including better integration with local mapping tools so families can understand the real situation in their neighborhoods.
Support evidence based treatment programs and GPS monitoring for high risk offenders on supervised release. Residency restrictions alone are not sufficient they must be paired with meaningful supervision and treatment to reduce the likelihood of reoffense. Protecting children requires both keeping dangerous offenders away from them and addressing the conditions that drive recidivism.
While we work to change the law, parents in Washington's 1st District can take these steps today:
Washington State knows which sex offenders pose the greatest risk to children. It classifies them. It notifies communities about them. And then it allows them to live wherever they choose including next door to a school.
That is not a policy. That is a failure dressed up in bureaucratic language.
Protecting children from high risk sex offenders is not a politically complicated idea. It is not an ideological question. It is a basic obligation of government one that Washington State has not met, and one that far too few elected officials are willing to say plainly.
Protecting women and children will always be a top priority of this campaign. If the people of Washington's 1st District send me to Congress, I will use every tool available to do so.
Very nice day after a bit. Been a cool last 4 days but we so needed some rain.
My brother is moving from NYC to the eastside for work and he wants some advice on which schools may best suit his 2 kids. He's targeting schools that have strong infrastructure to support and grow his kids' interests.
The older kid loves CS and math. He's highly involved in competitive math like AMC/AIME and spends much of his free time coding his own games. He hopes to study engineering in college. Socially, he's on the quiet side and surrounds himself with somewhat "nerdy" friends who he plays online games and board games with.
The younger kid hasn't yet figured out what she wants to do in college yet. Her grades are good (mostly A's, few B's student) but doesn't have a strong interest in any specific academic topic. She plays a lot of badminton and is also involved in her school's orchestra where she plays the cello. She's more social than her brother and attends many after-school activities and clubs.
Hi everyone, I’m reaching out as a concerned parent and would really appreciate any recommendations. My toddler, who is 19 month old, recently started daycare about 6 months and has been going through what feels like continuous cycles of cold and cough. This has led to a couple of ear infections, and my primary care dr advised visiting an ENT to evaluate potential complications, since this was his 2nd infection in 3 months. Could anyone recommend a great pediatric ENT specialist who has experience with infants and toddlers under 2?
Any help, personal experiences, or recommendations would be so appreciated. Thank you in advance!
Hi - I have a really random request but does anyone know where I can go to chop some wood, or is anyone willing to let me come chop wood for them?
I've never done it before but I have some energy I need to get out and thought it'd be a good activity for that. If you have the supplies for it, I'll happily do it for free! Thanks :)
My parents are visiting Seattle and my father has a particular affinity for breakfast buffet & omelette stations. My mom is vegetarian. So looking for a buffet option preferably with some veg options as well. We stay in the east side so would prefer closer to Kirkland Redmond Bellevue
I do most of my running on the Sammamish River Trail which is pancake flat, and I'm looking for good places to run that get ~150-200 ft of elevation gain per mile, ideally over a 16+ mile stretch (or 8+ miles as out and back)
I've gone on a lot of hikes in the area but either the footing is not really fit for running, or the popularity of the route is such that there are people all over the trail.
I'm curious if there are any road or trail stretches people would recommend for fairly high elevation gains for long stretches. Willing to drive a bit (up to an hour from Redmond) to check places out!
Thanks for any tips ahead of time 😁
Hey everyone, we just had a terrible experience with movers who were reckless and arrogant. They also gave up on getting our sofa into our new apartment and left it in the garage.
It’s a sofa bed, so the main body can’t be disassembled. The bottleneck isn't a door - it’s a narrow passage/hallway that requires some manoeuvring and lifting. The movers only hastily tried for a few minutes and didn't put in much effort, they didn't even remove the legs (which would save 4–5 inches). We’re convinced it can fit with the right angles and enough muscle, but we’ve already spent a lot on the move and need a budget-friendly solution to get the last piece in.
Who is the best "cheap(er) but capable" hire for this? Not sure if I should look for a handyman or a specific type of mover.
If you know anyone in the Redmond/Eastside area who is a pro at "furniture Tetris" and won't break the bank, please let us know. We’re desperate to get our living room back!
Spring weather is keeping construction crews on their toes yet again.
Rather than canceling this weekend’s planned I-90/SR 18 work because of the rainy forecast, crews are shifting work to a different ramp with a shifted closure time.
THE NEW PLAN
From noon Saturday, May 16 until 5 a.m. Tuesday, May 19:
During this closure, crews will grind pavement, do electrical work, pave all lanes of the ramp, and install guardrail and curbing and adjust stormwater drainage.
Crews plan to begin paving late Saturday or early Sunday after the rain clears, then continue through Sunday and Monday. If work finishes early, the ramp will reopen early.
DETOUR DETAILS
Because exit 22 (Preston/Fall City) tends to back up heavily during these closures, drivers should follow the signed detour:
WB I-90 → Exit 20 (High Point Way) → loop back to EB I-90
Residents on SE 104th St will still have access from all directions, but should expect construction vehicles moving through the area and possible delays near the ramp intersection.
LOOKING AHEAD
A few more major closures are still coming as the I-90/SR 18 diverging diamond project wraps up:
Planned closures may be postponed and rescheduled with short notice if rain is in the forecast.
During the upcoming soccer tournament, no major closures will be allowed mid-June through mid-July.
We know these last few months of closures have been a bit of a grind. Crews are working to get the paving done while squeezing around those spring weather windows. This work is weather-dependent and may be rescheduled. Schedule updates will be available on the project webpage, WSDOT’s Travel Center map and the WSDOT mobile app.
Hi — working mom with a toddler, thinking about moving to the Bellevue/Spring District area. Currently have a long commute and it's wearing us down.
Honestly, I'm a little nervous about apartment life with a young kid. Where we live now we don't even see our friends that often, but there's comfort in knowing they're close by. I think what I'm really asking is — if we move, will it feel like starting from zero?
For anyone who's done this with little ones — did you find your people? How long did it take to feel settled? Do your kids actually build real friendships with other kids in the building — like, the kind where they grow up together — or is it more of a rotating door with families moving in and out every couple of years?
Any honest experiences welcome. Thank you ❤️
Researchers at UW are conducting a population study on cardiovascular risk factors. As part of this, free cardiovascular health screenings are being offered at Happy Valley Grange from May 11-13. The screening takes about 10 minutes, you don’t need to fast, and you’ll receive a $45 VISA gift card for participating that can be used anywhere.
This isn’t just a basic cholesterol check. You’ll get valuable insights most doctors don’t routinely test for. Here’s what’s included:
This info can help prevent heart attacks, strokes, kidney damage, vision loss, and more. Plus, by participating, you’re contributing to important medical research that could help millions of people.
Message me if you’d like to sign up.
In case anyone is wondering why I didn't report, we paid the same tip so it didn't matter, and didn't want to get the server in trouble. The food was excellent as always. Wondering if there's some kind of wage or tip theft happening.
Looking for someone who can cater a small/medium birthday party. Have had food trucks in the past but looking to see if anyone has had good experiences with a ‘taquero’. TIA