March 2008

Police officers will trade in their handcuffs for aprons at Red Robin Restaurants on Saturday, April 12, from 12 to 8 p.m. to raise tips for the annual "Tip-A-Cop" event benefiting Special Olympics Washington athletes.

Red Robin Restaurants locally are in Des Moines, Tukwila and Federal Way. All 32 restaurants in the chain in Washington will participate.

Tips earned by officers are tax deductible and 100 percent of the proceeds will benefit the athletes.

Virtually everything went right for the Todd Beamer track and field teams in their Wednesday, March 19 meet against the Bethel Braves.

They swept the boys and the girls competitions, and even the weather turned out right.

Clouds, sunbreaks and occasional showers blew over Federal Way Memorial during the meet, but the most ominous storm bringing the most miserable rain did not strike until right at the end of the final event.

Athletes, coaches and fans all cleared out quickly to avoid the downpour, some to stadium offices, some to under the stadium ceilings and

The major upgrade of First Avenue South and Town Square construction along Fourth Avenue Southwest have created some frustrating traffic backups in Burien.

But, Burien Public Works Director Stephen Clark said recently, those problems should diminish in the next few months.

Much of the work on First Avenue South should be done by May, according to Clark.

Democratic hopefuls stepped forward last week to replace state Rep.

Meet Pat O'Brien and Jerry Wilson

Pat O'Brien lived in West Seattle near the ferry landing for 13 years, graduated from O'Dea High School and was former Sen. Bob Grieve's administrative assistant.

He made his living selling insurance. He now lives across the street from Jerry Wilson in Des Moines. It was his idea to feed the neighborhood every St Patrick's Day, and got his friend Jerry to cook the corned beef and cabbage while he barbecued the salmon.

The two them painted the green stripe down the middle of the street.

Burien will kick off its 15-year birthday celebration Friday, March 28, with a 14-foot high traveling birthday "cake" parked at the intersection of Southwest 152nd Street and Ambaum Boulevard.

City Arts Commissioners Dane Johnson and Kathy Justin brought the cake -a decorated retired Metro bus that was created during the Burning Man Festival in Nevada last year - to Burien.

The birthday celebration will continue Friday evening when city residents join community leaders and celebrate Burien's 15th birthday at the city's and Discover Burien Association's annual dinner, auct

Burien is pressing for mediation over North Highline annexation following the state Senate's recent refusal to give Seattle a special tax credit if it annexes the unincorporated area.

City Manager Mike Martin sent a letter last week to King County Executive Ron Sims, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, SeaTac Mayor Ralph Shape and Tukwila Mayor Jim Haggerton in which the Burien council reaffirmed its willingness to enter into mediation regarding competing potential annexation area claims.

Burien and Seattle have claimed all of North Highline as a potential annexation area.

Long-time Highline community activist Rita Creighton died suddenly and unexpectedly March 16 at her Normandy Park home.

Mrs. Creighton was appointed by Gov. Chris Gregoire to the Highline Community College Board of Trustees on March 9, 2005, and served as board vice chairwoman in 2006-07.

Gov. Gary Locke had earlier named her to the A+ Commission-Successful Schools education and reform subcommittee

She helped form Aviation High School and served on the SeaTac Occupational Skills Center Advisory Board.

Active in PTA, Mrs.

Long-time Burien community activist Jeanne Pfeifer died at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Seattle following an illness on March 17.

Mrs. Pfeifer, who moved to Burien in 1991, was a local political activist, a member of the Vestry at St. Elizabeth's Episcopal Church on several occasions, and was a founder of the Burien Heritage Society - now the Highline Historical Society.

She was also a member of the Burien Economic Development Partnership and helped start the Burien Community Computer Center.

Mrs.

Passports are now available Monday through Friday at the two Neighborhood Service Centers in West Seattle.

The Delridge Neighborhood Center at 5405 Delridge Way S.W. is open for passport servicing from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The West Seattle Service Center at 4205 S.W. Alaska St. and is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Passports usually take 10 to12 weeks and are mailed directly to you. Expedited service is available - if you have at least 14 days prior to travel - for an additional $60.