July 2008

With more people using Steve Cox Memorial Park-Mel Olson Stadium in White Center, a demand has been created for food and drinks to keep baseball fans happy.

The demand has spurred King County Parks to seek a local business to provide food and refreshment services.

The facility was recently renovated and dedicated to Deputy Sheriff Steve Cox, who was killed in the line of duty in 2006.

"It's a great opportunity to get a lot more people in the park and is a great place to watch baseball on a summer evening," said Jessie Israel, county parks business development m

I sit here this Saturday morning, once again kept awake until 2:30 in the morning by partying, loud shouting and music, alcohol and apparent drug abuse (not to mention those who use the bushes instead of the restroom) in Des Moines' Wooten Park in Redondo, the boat ramp parking across the street, and right smack in the middle of Redondo Way South between the two.

Week after week. Four nights a week.

Redondo changes at night. Sometimes there are fights.

So let me get this straight, you can buy fireworks in Burien but cannot use them without the prospect of getting a hefty fine.

Is that correct?

This appears to be sending mixed messages to everyone--what could be more Americana, more Norman Rockwellian--than lighting some fireworks with family and friends

This is a time of great historic American history and should be enjoyed by all.

I know it is yet another example of the nanny state trying to protect the masses from possible injury or fires.

But you know what it is going to happen.

Nearly 25 pirates walked the plank usually reserved for Elliott Bay Taxi passengers Saturday, July 5h. They leaped onto a World War II landing craft that transported them, and about a dozen soldiers and a few lucky kids to the taped-off landing area near the Alki Bath House, about two miles north. Also on board was Captain Sig Hansen of the Northwestern crew from the Deadliest Catch TV show. Sig was sharing fishing stories with "Bones," "Fingers," "Sparrow," "Barnacle," Ahab," and other passengers, including Jerry Leupold, the president of the Seafair Pirates. Mark Jensen, Seafair spokesman was organizing the landing from ashore.

The craft first headed across the bay toured downtown Seattle, cruised along side a huge luxury liner, and then headed to the beach, landing an hour later, at about noon. Like a magnet the boat attracted several stragglers, pleasure boaters whose crews waved to the colorfully dressed outlaws wearing nasty grimaces, scraggly beards, and pirate-aphernalia while screaming "AARRGG!"

Offering everything from free ice cream to $1000 discount on closing costs from a local realtor the White Center Business community has revised their 2 year old "Dining Card" and made it a "Shopping Card" that offers a wide range of discounts to shoppers.

Coordinated through the White Center Community Development Association the card is available at all the participating merchants, who total near 50, or is available on the organization's website www.wwcda.org as a downloadable file.

A variety of organizations and efforts have begun to aid the victims of the deadly apartment fire June 29th.

Here's the list so far.

Cash donations-Any Sterling Bank Branch-BURIEN FIRE FUND

NOTE: If someone wants to donate money to a specific family, they just need to let the teller know the name of the family.

Clothing & Small household Items: Collins Chiropractic 619 SW 152nd St 206-242-0998 Lindsay

Sterling Bank-Burien 224 SW 152nd St 206-243-6869 Lynda

Students at Whitman Middle School are quite concerned about the environment thanks to their classroom studies on global warming.

The students sent 120 letters to Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels inviting him to visit them.

Their letters discussed serious topics like habitat loss, nuclear weapons, poaching, alternative fuels, bio terrorism, endangered animals and other topics of concern.

The Ballard school teamed up with the Denver based engineering firm MWH which brought in guest speakers to discuss curriculum focused on climate change.

Teacher Mary Decoy

Steve Herndon got Sammy 5 years ago and he was the "Pick of the litter. His mom was an AKC Black Lab, and his dad was 1/2 Lab and 1/2 Rottweiler", Steve said.

Although labs have "tender stomachs" Sammy is a gluttonous eater Steve added, "He eats every morsel like it's the last one he'll ever have. He even eats things like dill pickles, though we never feed him table scraps." Although Sammy is not a pure Lab you can learn more about this breed at the Wikipedia link found here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labrador_Retriever

A forest steward is a person who cares for a piece of forest land. It can be the owner of the land or a volunteer helping our public agencies care for a piece of forest held in the public trust. When forest stewards do things today in the woods, they are always thinking about tomorrow. The future of their forest is important to them. They want to make sure their forest will always be there, healthy and growing well.

A forest steward employs the art and science of managing forests to provide the full range of services that society has come to expect from them.

"She's pretty small for her age," said Beth Schneider of her 6 month-old Cocker Spaniel, Leah Lou. "I think she was the runt of the litter. I grew up with a dog, but she's my first puppy.