July 2007

Are the residents of Burien going to be silent spectators while the annexation event slowly unfolds?

At one time the Burien City Council stated that they would no longer consider annexation as a viable option if the financial picture came up as a negative. The current Berk report shows that "no annexation" has the smallest deficit, but the council is still hotly in pursuit of the annexation route.

The council seems to have put a positive spin on the report to support their pro-annexation position.

It's good to see the public response and interest in art for the new Burien Town Square. However, I feel that the sculptor whose work was not approved by the city council was demeaned by the method of presentation to the public. The art should have had Council approval before the design and sculpture were made public. Input toward the selection is available through Commission process and prior to the process.

Phillip Levine

North Highline

West Seattle residents are fortunate to have right in our own neighborhood a theater arts program for youth that has the potential to change the lives of the young people performing in its shows as well as the people of all ages who come to see the shows.

This summer young people from ages 15 to 21 enrolled in ArtsWest's Musical Theater Performance Apprenticeship Program are performing Hair, which opened this past week. This production of Hair does justice not only to the award-winning Broadway musical, but also to the social and political context of the late 60s.

After 15 years the West Seattle Helpline moved its office out of the Junction. It's a good move. We've moved to the new Community Resource Center at the corner of 35th and Morgan. We'll be together with other social service agencies enabling us to better serve our community in need. Like I said, it's a good move.

But it's hard moving away from the West Seattle Junction business community.

Back in 1988 I wrote a paper for an urban studies class at the University of Washington entitled, "West Seattle - Backing into the Future." It was an unflattering piece, to say the least.

At the time, I had some gripes with West Seattle that I thought were serious: no decent restaurants or movie theaters or other urban cultural attractions; no decent pizza; a decidedly unhip and old fashioned shopping junction; in general, a "being left behind" quality to life and a deadness in the overall vibe. Life seemed to just be moping along. A bit opinionated, ya think?

The West Seattle Junction Association hosted its 25th annual Junction festival, now called SummerFest, last weekend and the place was packed for three days with warm summer weather.

Thirty bands performed on two stages. Close to 90 vendors filled booths that lined three frantic blocks of California Avenue. While the festival offered a variety of musical voices, crafts and foods, the message was the same: "Summer has finally arrived, so let's celebrate!"

Vendors and musicians seemed to appreciate the spirit of the festivities as much as their customers and fans.

The city wants to take the lead this time as it decides how West Seattle should update its neighborhood plans.

Mayor Greg Nickels released a proposal earlier this month that outlines a city-staffed structure to examine all 38 of Seattle's neighborhood plans by dividing the city into six sectors.

The city plans to remove a crosswalk on Southwest Avalon Way but some West Seattleites think the pedestrian crossing should be made safer rather than rubbed out.

The crosswalk is in front of the Javabean espresso bar. Nearby are the Luna Park Caf

Voters who cast their ballots by mail will be assured their vote will be preserved, under a new policy adopted by the King County Council.

"The Washington State Constitution guarantees all citizens the right to cast a secret ballot," said Councilmember Dow Constantine, prime sponsor of the motion.

A pair of rulings by the Central Puget Sound Growth Management Hearings Board last week rejected complaints filed by Seattle and Burien, each against the other, over potential annexation of the North Highline unincorporated area.

"This decision leaves us in limbo," said Scott Greenberg, Burien community development director.

After months of financial studies and community meetings, the Burien City Council last November adopted an ordinance designating North Highline as a "proposed annexation area."

The Burien council took that action after it, the city of Seatt