Another Bold Move by Amazon.com

Amazon.com, Inc. has recently made bold moves into new lines of business that include entry into the healthcare industry as well as into the brick and mortar grocery space through the purchase of the Whole Foods chain of retail stores. However, another recent move, one that has gone relatively unnoticed, will have Amazon join the ranks of the Banson Airport, LLC as the only other commercial corporation to operate a major airfield in the United States. According to unnamed inside sources, Amazon is about to announce a 99 year lease on the Seattle – Tacoma International Airport located with the City of SeaTac. 

Amazon is realizing incredible efficiencies in operating their own fleet of cargo planes while also eliminating dependency on other commercial package distributors such as FedEx and UPS. The online retail giant's reach into airfield operations will allow Amazon to control another critical component in the end to end supply and distribution chain. Operating a major airfield will allow prioritization of cargo transport over commercial flights to ensure even faster delivery of goods to the end consumer. This move will enable Amazon to leapfrog Walmart as the largest distributor in the US and advance them well beyond the in their pursuit as the number one global distributor of consumer goods.

"What Amazon is doing, they are positioning themselves as the dominant leader in the supply chain market," said Joe King, CEO of The Sloof Lirpa Consulting Group. "They are disrupting consumer commodity distribution at all levels. They're trying to out compete Walmart, Fedex and even the United States Postal Service. Amazon has the scale, and is the master of maximizing efficiencies and taking out cost in the supply chain.”

How the deal was formed

The Sea-Tac Airport is unique in that it lies wholly within the borders of the City of SeaTac, however is not owned and operated by this local city municipality. Since inception, the airfield and facilities has been owned by a separate governmental entity, the Port of Seattle, operators of major maritime and aviation centers within the region. The relationship between the surrounding airport communities and the Port of Seattle has been adversarial at best.

Official representatives from Amazon approached the City of SeaTac with the idea of taking over the airport through a declaration of eminent domain. The deal states that when the City settles the purchase of the airport for $1 and transfer of ownership from the Port to the City is complete; SeaTac would in turn provide Amazon with a 99 year lease on all airport property and transfer responsibility of airport operations to the Amazon Corporation. 

In addition to acquisition of the airport operations, the agreement includes a stipulation that Amazon will entirely finance the completion of the State Route 509 project which will extend the highway from South 188th Street in SeaTac through to the connection at Interstate 5 in Kent. This will allow free movement of freight between the airfield distribution and the ginormous fulfillment warehouse located in the Kent Valley.

Once the transaction details are complete, Amazon will acquire naming rights of the airport. Inside sources claim a change in name to Amazonia International Airport is planned and the City of SeaTac officials have agreed to rebrand the city to Amazonia. No word yet if Angle Lake will adopt this moniker and necessitate a change in name to Amazonia Lake Shore Club. 

The deal is expected to be announced on or around April 1st, 2018.


(Postscript:  This is an April Fools Joke)

Easter Bunny Visit on Angle Lake!

This coming April 1st, between the hours of 12 noon and 2:00 PM, the famous Easter Bunny will circle Angle Lake by way of pontoon boat. The Bunny will be hopping on and off the boat and onto select docks located along the shoreline carrying with him a basket filled with gift bags containing sweet treats and special prizes to present to any eagerly awaiting children and their families along his way.

If you have small children at home and/or will have visiting grandchildren on Easter Sunday and would like to ensure a visit from the Easter Bunny, please contact the Karen Keller via email no later than Friday, March 30th to request a stop. Send email to Karen.keller@me.com providing her with your name, address and an indication of how many children are expected to be present at your dock.

Also Note:  If you have a gift basket that you wish to have personally presented to your child by the Easter Bunny, please have these baskets delivered to Karen before the deadline of Friday, March 30th as well.

Thank you to Karen and her team for continuing to coordinate this memorable annual community event on Angle Lake.

Happy Easter!

PS. Rumor has it there may be some eggs hidden around the lake - Keep your eyes open!

No Foolin, Easter Sunday is April 1st!

The Easter Bunny might need a few tricks up his sleeve this year to go along with the sweets, since Easter Sunday falls on April Fools' Day for the first time in more than 60 years.

Just how does this happen? And who picks the date for Easter Sunday each year? Or Palm Sunday? Or Ash Wednesday, a Christian day of fasting and repentance, which happened to fall on Valentine's Day this year?

Well, it's all about the moon. On the Gregorian calendar (the one that we use), Easter, the day when Christians around the world celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, is celebrated on the first Sunday after the Paschal full moon, which is the first full moon on or after March 21, according to Catholic.com.

Easter, thus, always falls between March 22 and April 25. In addition to the religious significance to Christians, Easter is also a time for family festivities, community parties, egg hunts and the traditional visit of the Easter Bunny, bringing candy and other treats to children's Easter baskets to celebrate spring.

Since 1900, Easter Sunday has only fallen on April Fools' Day four times - 1923, 1934, 1945 and 1956 - and it won't happen again until 2029.

Now, to find Palm Sunday, the sixth Sunday of the Christian Lenten season, you start with the date of Easter and back up one week: It is the Sunday before Easter, which is Sunday, March 25, this year.

To find Ash Wednesday, you start with the date of Easter Sunday, back up six weeks (that gives you the first Sunday of Lent), and then back up four more days: Ash Wednesday is the Wednesday before the first Sunday of Lent.

The Easter season coincides with Passover, one of the most important festivals on the Jewish calendar. In 2018, Passover begins on Friday, March 30, and ends in the evening of Saturday, April 7. Passover commemorates the liberation of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt.

Next weekend, the Shore Club will post the annual 'Easter Bunny Dock Hop' scheduled stops.

2018 Angle Lake Shore Club Events

A season does not go by at Angle Lake without one community event or another to look forward to. The Angle Lake Shore Club sponsors and hosts the following events annually. Most activities are free for community members to participate except where noted below.

Pictures from prior year events can be viewed HERE.

SPRING

• Sunday, April 1st. The Easter Bunny will be dock hopping around the lake on Easter Sunday carrying a basket full of eggs to hand out to all the local ALSC children! Free for all residents and their extended families around the lake.
• Sunday, April 22nd. Angle Lake Fishing Derby. Derby open to all members and non-members who purchase Derby raffle tickets. A raffle ticket includes continental breakfast, entrance in the fishing competition, barbecue lunch and a chance to win raffle prizes. Fishing competition prizes will be awarded based upon predefined categories; Raffle prizes will be awarded via random selection.

SUMMER

• Fridays, June through September its "Heads and Tails on the 'El". Each Friday evening (weather permitting) community members will gather at the lake 'elbow' from 6:00 until 8:00 pm to share a frothy mug (heads) and other adult beverages (tails), snacks and conversations. All are welcome.
• Monday / Tuesday July 2nd and 3rd. The US Special Olympics has selected Angle Lake as the preferred location to host the Stand Up Paddle Board Competition! This is not an ALSC Event, however members and residents are encourage to support this competition as an event volunteer or an active spectator cheering the Athletes.
• Wednesday, July 4th. Independence Day Activities. Morning activities begin with a fun neighborhood street parade followed by the run around the lake competition. The afternoon will include swimming and boating races and of course will include our dock / beach decoration contest. Join the Parade of Decorated Boats for a sunset cruise in advance of the fireworks show! All activities are open to members and non-members alike. NOTE: The fireworks display will relocate back to the center of Angle Lake this year! 
• Saturday, July 21st. Lake Bottom Clean Sweep. Community Volunteer Event focused on clearing debris from the shoreline and bottom of Angle Lake. Opportunity for all skills in all conditions: walking along the shoreline; snorkeling just below the surface; and even scuba diving in the deeper parts. Volunteer appreciation lunch will be provided and raffle prizes awarded by the ALSC. Open to all.
• Saturday, August 11th. Tasty Tapas. Come aboard or better yet, captain your own vessel, joining with your lakeside neighbors enjoying great conversation, tasty appetizers and a satisfying beverage or two. An additional fee is required to participate. This is a members and guest only event.

FALL

• Saturday / Sunday, September 8th and 9th. The Seattle Outboard Association will host the third running of the Frank Hansen Memorial Race Regatta to Angle Lake! This event is not an ALSC Event, however the club will participate by anchoring a string of barges on the eastern end of the race course for residents to gather for the closest viewing opportunity of the race action. 
• Saturday, September 15th. The Blue Water Aquatics Organization will hold the annual “Last Gasp of Summer” Swim Competition on the lake. The event consists of one and two mile course open water competitive swims. This is a non ALSC sponsored event however spectator support is always appreciated.
• Sunday, October 28th. Join us for the ALSC Boo Cruise Spooktacular! The BooBoat will sail between 3:30 - 5PM, circling Angle Lake handing out spooky treats to those children/families/adults who are dressed in costume! We will have a photographer ready to take family photos of you and our Spooky Boo Cruisers! You’ll never know who may be onboard the Boo Cruise greet you, so this is one you will not want to miss! Free for all residents and their extended families around the lake.

WINTER

• Saturday, December 1st. ALSC Member Christmas Party. A Year End party hosted by a member at their house. This is a members only event and requires a ticket purchase to participate.
• Saturday, December 15th. Santa Cruise and Christmas Boats. A flotilla of holiday decorated boats will ferry Santa and his hapless holiday helpers to predetermined stops around the lake spreading seasonal cheer and sharing special surprises. Everyone is encouraged to participate by decorating your boat and joining the parade or watch lakeside with a roaring beach bonfire.
• Tuesday, January 1st. New Years Day. Join us at the Manor Club Private Beach for the annual Polar Bear Plunge! We'll be joining hands at High Noon and then High Tail It through the water to the swim platform and back for small prizes and bragging rights! Not enough incentive for you to enter the frigid waters - well no reason why not to stand safely on the shores gawking and ridiculing those in the water! All are welcome. 

Details of each event will be announced through our Blog Site; Facebook Page; and Quarterly Newsletters as the individual dates draw nearer.

Release from Liability: Recognizing that the ALSC, a non-profit neighborhood based organization run solely on a volunteer basis, will do its best to ensure a safe experience, it is important to understand that participation by any member(s) or non-member(s) in any activities sponsored by the ALSC is done so at the participants own risk.

Keep Usable Items Out Of Our Landfill

Habitat for the Humanities is seeking strong and able bodied volunteers to help clear the Sandstone Inn of reusable furniture and furnishings. Help to keep these valuable items out of our landfill by helping to redirect them to the second hand use “Habitat Restore”.

  

Volunteers Needed:

Strong and able bodied individuals are encouraged to participate

Up to 20 volunteers working four independent shifts 

Volunteers will be moving furniture and furnishings out of the buildings.

Participating volunteers must bring with them the completed waiver (link)

Habitat for Humanity Materials Reclamation Project

The Sandstone Inn

19225 International Blvd, SeaTac

Friday, March 9th and Saturday, March 10th

Two Shifts Each Day: 8:45-12 and 12:45-4

Volunteer Lunch Provided 12-1

Why Bother Reclaiming Used Materials?

Ongoing rapid development means that many historic buildings are being demolished to make way for new affordable housing and commercial space. Redirecting building materials from the waste stream of this process, and reusing them for other nearby projects is a critical component of sustainable development. There is a huge amount of construction waste, and the potential to reuse will reduce demand on landfill and new materials. When reclaimed materials are secured from an existing building site, the environmental impact is significantly lessened. Reclaimed materials are still the most environmentally friendly option for supplying materials to the home renovation and building industry.

What is Habitat for Humanity ReStore?

Habitat ReStores are nonprofit home improvement stores and donation centers. The items they sell are available to the public and similar to what you may see in other home good stores, such as a brand new box of tile you might be needing for your bathroom project or a vintage treasure you won’t find anywhere else. However, Habitat ReStores are more than just resell stores. The purpose of Habitat ReStores is to contribute to the work of Habitat for Humanity. When you support your local ReStore by shopping, donating or volunteering, you are not only supporting your local community, you're also helping the mission to provide decent shelter to everyone around the world.