February 2007

Thank you for this opportunity to respond to the letters from Mark Ufkes and James Sharkey of Burien Residents Against Annexation (Feb. 7 Highline Times) re legislation that would assist Burien on the annexation controversy.

The legislation proposed by the 34th District legislators would grant Seattle $7 million annually for 10 years if Seattle annexes North Highline. Last year a bill was passed providing Burien $1.2 million annually for 10 years.

Mr.

The flu bug has hit three Highline-area schools hard in recent weeks.

At St. Francis of Assisi School in Burien, 150 students out of a total enrollment of 465 missed school on Feb. 6.

Farther south, 90 out of 384 Des Moines Elementary students were ill and missed school on Jan. 26.

Three days later, 84 students were out sick at the 448-student Midway Elementary in Des Moines.

The day before 150 students missed school at St.

Discover Burien was expected to begin an internal investigation this week into a possible conflict of interest involving its executive director, Debra George.

Burien City Manager Mike Martin requested the investigation after council members voted unanimously on Feb.

White Center's eight-decade run of summer festivals will be broken this year due to volunteer burnout.

A group of five stalwarts, who've been instrumental in keeping July Jubilee Days going for the past 20 years, reluctantly voted to cancel the 2007 festival.

After two decades of planning, organizing and pulling off the event, their reserves are tapped.

Unfortunately a new team has not stepped forward to learn the ropes of how to get permits from King County, deal with vendors, seek street closures, obtain security, reserve portable toilets and the hundreds of

White Center has had various summer festivals over the years that offered a numbing array of events and competitions.

The first was a one-time event called the Great Fair held in early August 1923. It featured a carnival, a side show, a contest to determine the biggest baby, and a sermon against capital punishment. The beauty pageant back then was called a "popular lady contest."

During the rest of the 1920s, White Center residents were invited to West Seattle's annual picnic in Lincoln Park.

The discharging of personal fireworks in SeaTac will remain illegal after voters on Feb. 6 overwhelmingly rejected a new fireworks ordinance.

In unofficial results released Feb.

Who says bad guys can't be funny? bring a smile to our faces."

But, in case you're not the type to enjoy the "bad guys", the Burien Little Theatre would like to make you an offer you can't refuse.

Organized crime has never been so entertaining as when BLT presents the world premiere of Thugs: A Musical Mafiasco.

Burien Little Theatre continues its 2006-07 season Friday, Feb. 16, with the opening of an original musical comedy from the inventive pens of local composer Kim Douglass and playwright Dave Tucker.

The Times/News presents a weekly summary of actions on bills by Highline-area legislators.

For complete information, go to www.WashingtonVotes.org-a free, non-partisan Website with plain-English explanations of bills and a record of each legislator's votes-which is the source for this report.

Highline is represented by:

District 11-Sen. Margarita Prentice; Rep Zack Hudgins, Rep. Bob Hasagawa.

District 33-Sen. Karen Keiser; Rep. Shay Schual-Berke, Rep. Dave Upthegrove.

District 34-Sen. Erik Poulsen; Rep. Eileen Cody; Rep. Joe McDermott.

along I-5 during rush hour

A Washington State Patrol trooper assisted in delivering a baby during the Jan. 30 morning rush hour on the Interstate 5 exit to Airport Way near Boeing Field.

The mother, Wendy Neba, and the father, Magin Rodriguez, both of Burien, named their baby girl Alexa.

At 8:39 a.m., the trooper working patrol on I-5 exited to Airport Way and pulled onto the right shoulder to complete some paperwork.

He then observed a 2000 Toyota 4Runner pull to the left shoulder of the exit.

Jeremy Strong, you can wake up now, the game is over.

It might have seemed like a dream because Strong was indeed unconscious when the Evergreen Lutheran Eagles played host to Mount Rainer Lutheran last Thursday.

It was however a dream game. Strong shot 11-14 from the field and 8-11 from three point range.