June 2006

Tom and Averill Reno have lived happily in Burien since 1956 and, like many retirees who have settled down, they do not think highly of change.

"What I want is for somebody to start a 'save Burien' campaign and forget this whole thing - we don't need any of it," said Tom during Burien's first "community conversation" on North Highline annexation May 31.

His wife, Averill, said she is worried about the crime in White Center as well.

"I like Burien.

White Center Heights resident Jerry Foley still prefers that North Highline remain unincorporated but he grudgingly accepts the inevitability of having to join either Seattle or Burien, and he's leaning toward Burien.

Foley was among the people who attended an annexation open house May 17 sponsored by King County at White Center Heights Elementary School. There were many handout materials comparing services, tax rates, governmental representation and other pertinent issues in Seattle and Burien.

One reason Foley thinks Burien would be a better choice is road maintenance.

Passing motorists have been watching construction of the new First Mutual Bank north of the Junction for many months and it's almost time to cut the ribbon.

The new First Mutual Bank opens Thursday, June 8 and the festivities begin at 10 a.m. It's located at 4102 California Ave. S.W.

The bank had been operating from a storefront in the Junction.

Thursday night, around 7, a man was assaulted and carjacked in the 8500 block of 14th S. Three masked men forced the victim into the back of his own van as they drove around. Then the men exited the vehicle and two females climbed in and took over the wheel. Eventually, the victim was dumped off at Des Moines Memorial Drive and S. 116th .

A Parks Department employee called police on Saturday when she found an ATM machine dumped in the north end of the Georgetown Playfield. Someone had cut it open.

Be cautious on bikes

By Annette Herrick

Thank you, David Goldberg, for bringing the readers' attention to the fact that drivers and bicyclists alike are entitled by law to share the road. It is obvious you are passionate about this subject.

Believe it or not, I am glad your letter to the editor was published on May 17. I felt a sense of satisfaction upon learning of this. The more people speak out, the more people will hear.

Let me preface this commentary by saying that Chief Sealth High School is a great school with great teachers and a great principal. I just happened to have graduated from another great high school-West Seattle-and so the following is based on my experience there as a student, alumnus, and volunteer...

In early May I joined some 150 students, teachers, and supporters of West Seattle High School for their Foundation dinner and student theater night, with this year's proceeds benefiting the school band.

It can be upsetting to have a carefully nurtured educational program transferred from a school building in one neighborhood to another school in a different neighborhood.

Much can go wrong during a move. The little things that make a classroom buzz with the excitement of learning can figuratively fall off the truck when trying to transplant them.

Lori Hinton's article about Coyotes Mexican Grill would have been better titled, "Alcoholics and drunkards encouraged to make Alki their home." Gee, what happened to Hinton's earlier focus in "101 Things to do in West Seattle" that didn't involve going out to dinner or getting sloshed? Her story about Coyote mentions alcohol eight different times.

Is there nothing else to do at Coyote except drink? Oh, yes. One can drink to excess with the "giant, 46 ounce, fish bowl-size Coyotes ultimate margarita." That would be 14 ounces more than a quart.

Last week, my third-grade son and I attended an all-school show put on by the students at Schmitz Park Elementary School. "Honk!" played to a soldout crowd for two nights in West Seattle High School's beautiful theater.

The students were wonderful; they put a lot of work into this extravaganza and the work of the director, other staff members and parent volunteers paid off.

When I heard Lettie Gavin Gudmestad had hit her final typewriter key, I knew we had to have some special recognition for the work she did for the Highline Times as editor of the Women's section. This was back in the days when weekly papers had dedicated sections.

I knew Lettie well. She was crusty, outspoken and cantankerous and very talented. But her editor was the highly esteemed Reid Hale.

Reid is retired and living in Bothell so I called him and asked for some thoughts regarding the news of Lettie's demise.