September 2009

Octoberfest is back in Burien after a brief hiatus and jam-packed with fun for all ages.

This year's festival from Sept. 24 through Sept. 27 features an overflowing entertainment lineup, ranging from award-winning blues to a dominatrix yodeler from "America's Got Talent," and deals on all-day passes to Burien's only full carnival.

Also on tap are beer and wine gardens, a benefit walk to aid homeless women, and 50-plus booths offering food, arts and crafts.

Davis Shows' mix of rides and games kicks off the festival Sept. 24 and offers thrills and chills through Sept. 27. New this year, take advantage of deep discounts by prebuying a special $16 pass good for unlimited rides all day.

Passes may be purchased at Sterling Savings Bank, 224 S.W. 152nd St., Elliott Bay Brewhouse & Pub, 255 S.W. 152nd St., and Goodie Gumdrops, 816 S.W. 152nd St.

The festival goes into full swing Saturday, Sept. 26 with the addition of an entertainment onstage at Fifth Place Southwest and Southwest 152nd Street, beer and wine gardens, and vendor booths.

The Octoberfest stage lineup includes:
Saturday, Sept. 26

noon - Greg Parke (acoustic & electric guitar)

The former Rascals Casino at 9635 Des Moines Memorial Drive will reopen to the public on Sept. 24th at 10 am. as a Hooters restaurant and casino.

The casino will feature 15 table games, in varying combinations of Texas Hold'em, Blackjack, Spanish 21, Pai Gow, Mini Baccarat and 4-Card Poker across a 6,000 square-foot casino floor.

The facility will also feature a 2,000 square-foot adjoined dueling piano bar convertible for special promotions and events.

The lounge-area will boast a 40-foot bar, and a 15-foot HD video wall which will broadcast Seattle Seahawk games and other pay-per-view sporting events.

The South Park facility will also feature a walk-up express service window convenient for the many Boeing shift-employees in the area.
Hooters officials noted that as part of its grand opening celebrations, the restaurant/casino will be donating a portion of its profits to Sea Mar Community Health Center Health Centers, a community-based organization that provides low-cost health and human services to diverse communities.

Hooters plans to open more stores in Western Washington, including a Renton facility set to open next month.

Fifty to sixty people lined up early Thursday morning, Sept. 17 for the grand opening of the new Des Moines Goodwill store at 23313 Pacific Highway S.

Des Moines Mayor Bob Sheckler along with Goodwill Board of Directors president Bob Bruback and CEO Terry A. Hayes were on hand to cut the ribbon, ceremonially opening the store.

The site in the LaPlaza shopping center used to house a QFC supermarket. The shopping center is on the southwest corner of the Des Moines-Kent Road and Pacific Highway South.

Goodwill spokesman Matthew Erlich reported that 800 transactions were made at the store's cash registers in the first hour.

Erlich noted that 91 percent of Goodwill's proceeds go back into funding the organization's programs.

The new Goodwill features inexpensive merchandise, a drop-off for tax-deductible, gently used clothes and household goods, and provides support for Goodwill's job-training and placement programs.

"Our new Des Moines Goodwill Store provides tremendous benefits to the community," said Bruback. "A Goodwill store not only means a place where families can stretch the value of their dollars, but jobs and even tax revenue for the community."

King County Executive candidate and current chair of the King County Council Dow Constantine today issued a four-point plan intended to keep parks across King County open as the county moves to close its current budget gap.

Last month, current King County Executive Kurt Triplett called on the county to begin closing 39 parks by Dec. 1 in order to help close the budget deficit.

“I do not believe that closing parks is the right approach for dealing with the county’s budget problems, nor is it necessary,” Constantine said in a news release today. “If we use our existing resources more wisely, we can keep our neighborhood parks open and available for use by the people of King County.”

Two of the parks on the list include the 5.6- acre White Center Heights Park (Southwest 102nd and 7th Avenue Southwest) and the 9.4- acre White Center Pond Natural Area (102nd Southwest and 12th Avenue Southwest).

Thirteen jobs would be lost by closing the parks, and it's expected to save the county $4.6 million, said Triplett last month.

Participants of the West Seattle/Fauntleroy YMCA adult boot camp class were bending, stretching and skipping at Rotary Viewpoint Park on 35th Avenue Southwest the morning of Thursday, Sept. 17.

Instructor Buntly Willard said this is a year round class and that they walk down from the YMCA and work out under the 18-foot totem.

Legislation that would allow backyard cottages in Seattle could be voted on as early as Sept. 23.

During a public hearing on backyard cottages Sept. 15, council member Sally Clark said the legislation would come before the Planning, Land Use and Neighborhoods Committee and be eligible for a vote Sept. 23.

But, she said she had a feeling the committee would not be ready to vote on it that early. In which case, it would most likely be voted on Oct. 8, she said.

If passed by the committee, the legislation would go to a full council discussion and vote.

Mayor Greg Nickels has proposed legislation that would allow more homeowners the option to build backyard cottages, or "mother-in-law" units.

The city describes a backyard cottage as a small dwelling unit that is on the same lot as, but physically separate from, a single-family house.

Under the proposal, homeowners would be allowed to build backyard cottages under certain conditions. The owner must live on the premises and there would be an annual limit of 50 new such developments.

Dookie X mounted his high rider bicycle in South Park. After two attempts, he was up and away.

Juneau Market on California Avenue Southwest and Southwest Juneau Street is getting a makeover due to damage caused by the Sept. 5 fire in an apartment above the shop.

ServiceMaster of Seattle, a disaster restoration business, is emptying equipment, including refrigerators and shelving, and removing walls and the ceiling from Juneau Market before reconstruction.

According to the owner of the market, it may reopen in two to three months, but that is a tentative timeline.

The adjacent Ho-Win Restaurant to the south of the market was spared a lot of the damage and opened three days after the fire. Their entry is receiving minor repairs.

With school back in session the need to raise extra money will start to boggle the minds of many parents. Wrapping paper, candy bars, cookies and magazine subscriptions are just a few of the many items kids take home to sell to neighbors and friends to support their schools.

A few year ago, owner of Ballard's Market Street Traders Tammy James teamed up with Annie Adams of Globaledventures, a non-profit organization formed to provide education to work toward alleviating world poverty, to create the Fair Trade Fundraiser program.

“People buy stuff in this store (Market Street Traders), so why not give to the schools through fair trade fundraising?” Adams said. “Why not empower and educate kids through fundraising?"

James and Adams realized that many schools go through large corporations when choosing fundraising items. But, Adams said that most of the money earned just feeds back into the corporations that are already making loads of money.

“So, why not do something that actually has meaning behind it?” Adams said. “Kids are able to see that they’re making a difference in somebody’s life and money isn’t just going back to big businesses.”

In an article here last week, it was reported that one of the sites in Ballard brought forth as a suggestion for a possible new pocket park is the post office on 17th Avenue Northwest and Northwest 57th Street. While it was purely an informal suggestion, I believe the idea of replacing the post office with a pocket park is ill conceived and the people of Ballard should not stand for it.

The post office on 17th seems to be one of the busier ones in the city. Every time I go in there is a line, and to their credit, the post office staff deals with everyone quickly and efficiently.

When there is a huge line, they have someone come out and try to help people with simple transactions. It is a well-designed, well-staffed and well-placed post office.

The only bad thing that I can think of to say is that there is no parking lot, but then again, I never driven there. That's one of the great things about the location - it's a location that the neighborhood can walk to.