10:50 PM PDT on Thursday, August 12, 2004

KING5.com

KING Kenmore Air seaplanes fly out of Lake Union in downtown Seattle and on the north shore of Lake Washington.

A day before President Bush arrives in the Northwest, supporters and protestors are gearing and at least one local business is being forced to shut down for the day.

Kenmore Air's sea ports on Lake Union and Lake Washington are just inside the restricted air space zone in effect for the president's fund raising visit. That means Kenmore will be forced to shut down for 18 hours from 2 p.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Saturday.

Many people won't be able to fly and hundreds who had already planned flights will have their flight times moved around.

It is the most serious shutdown since Sept. 11, according to Kenmore officials.

"It has a substantial impact. I can't think of any event in our history other than 9-11 that had such an impact as this," said Kenmore Air Director of Flight Operations Tim Brooks.

The company will lose around $75,000 in the shutdown. But Brooks said the real concern is for people passengers who will be left stranded when their floatplane doesn't show up.

"We have passengers that are in vessels … up in Canada that we can't contact to let them know," Brooks said. "This is really an exceedingly disruptive situation for them."

Kenmore will not receive any compensation for its losses.

A spokesman for the Republican National Committee, which is organizing the fundraiser said the air space restrictions are being driven by the Secret Service.

In Medina, protesters are complaining that they are being moved too far away from the location of the president's visit to the home of former Simpson Timber executive Gary Reed.

The protesters have since been told by the Secret Service that the planned gathering point, Medina Elementary School, which is just across the street from the Reed mansion, is just too close.

One group filed for an injunction, however, arguing that thier right to free speech is being interfered with if they have to gather several blocks away.

"I'm being told that if we're good little boys and girls, we might even get to walk on the sidewalk. This is just unacceptable and so we felt the need for legal recourse," said Anthony Vicari, a protest organizer with stopbushseattle.com.

Vicari said he expected about 1,000 protesters to show up. A ruling on the requst for an injunction is expected Friday.

One woman who will be able to get close to the president, however, is Yarrow Point resident Jeanne Robertson, who was selected to meet the president for her 12 years spent mentoring children through the Lake Washington School District's Lunch Buddy program.

"It'll be emotional, I know. It's an honor that I was picked. It's just hard to believe." Robertson said.

The president's day in the Northwest begins Friday morning where he is expected to speak at the Port of Portland before flying to Seattle for the fundraiser in Medina.