December 2009

If you want to get your arts fix on, then ChoralSounds Northwest may have what you're looking for.

ChoralSounds Northwest is a community-based chorus that is comprised of 70 people. Most of them hail from the South King County area. Ages of members range from 17 to 82. Many are working professionals, unemployed or students who have a passion for music.

Now in its 26th season, the choral group will be putting on "A Merry Olde Christmas" at the Highline Performing Arts Center in Burien on the weekend of December 12 and 13 at 8 p.m. and 2 p.m., respectively.

The show will be comprised of classical renditions of songs such as "Ding Dong Merrily on High" and "Gesu Bambino." In addition, there will be covers of contemporary music, including a performance of Mariah Carey's classic holiday pop song, "All I Want for Christmas is You."

However, David Spring, who is now in his third year of conducting the chorus, said the highlight of this year's show will be a performance of "What the Dickens!" also known as "A Partridge in a Parody," a spoof of the beloved story, "A Christmas Carol," by Charles Dickens.

The Times/News is looking for a freelancer to cover the Burien City Council on Monday nights, beginning in January.

We figure with so many journalists out of work, some experienced person might want to keep their hand in the business on a part-time basis.

As you already know, you won't get rich. We pay a modest stipend.

So contact me at hteditor@robinsonnews.com or 206-708-1378, x-1855 if you are interested and we'll talk about it.

Eric Mathison

Elizabeth Desimone, RN and nurse practitioner, will read from and sign copies of her book, "Guatemala in my Blood--How Nursing in Remote Jungle Villages Revolutionized my Life," at Burien Books, 643 S.W. 152nd St., on Saturday, Dec.19, 2009 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Desimone just published the memoir about her adventures in the Guatemalan jungle. In 1977, wanting to make a difference in the world and add more meaning to her life, Desimone left her comfortable home in Seattle and ventured into the jungles of Guatemala.

At the age of 35, with other sturdy Maryknoll Missioners, she spent several years there bringing much needed medical care to a remote area that had never had any at all.

Lavishly illustrated with photos, this book will introduce you to many dedicated professionals who served during a time of political upheaval in Guatemala.

Before he became a sergeant for the Lakewood Police Department, Mark Renninger, was a Tukwila police officer.

On Sunday, Nov. 29 Sgt. Renninger, along with three officers, was gunned down by a man police suspect was Maurice Clemmons at a coffee shop in Lakewood.

The suspect entered the café and opened fired on the four, killing them all before he took off, not to be caught until Tuesday, Nov. 1 by a Seattle patrol officer, who ended up shooting and killing the man.

A father of three and a husband, Renninger was 39 years old and had spent 13 years in law enforcement.

In Tukwila from 1996 up until five years ago, Renninger was a patrol officer, a member of a SWAT team, and was president of the Tukwila Police Officers' Guild, for a time.

"I was his field training officer," said Officer Ted Rutt, a Tukwila cop since 1989. "He was really dedicated."

"He was always proactive," Rutt said. "He wanted to learn everything right away."

Rutt said he had to tell Renninger that they would "get to that" in due time, because Renninger wanted to learn everything at once.

Following the new winter weather response plan, SDOT crews have proactively applied salt brine solution to roads and bridges to address icing concerns and be ready for any possible snow.
In addition to applying the brine solution, which remains effective for several days unless it rains, crews have also been responding to reports of localized ice on side streets formed by groundwater seeping onto roadways.

With possible snow flurries forecast for tonight and early tomorrow, SDOT trucks are being fitted with plows and spreaders, and will be ready if needed. Crews will be on call throughout the weekend. Residents and businesses are reminded, if a storm does occur, of their responsibility to keep adjacent sidewalks clear of snow and ice.

To keep informed of SDOT’s work, the public can follow the effort on Twitter or join our SDOT Winter Weather Facebook page. Links to these can be found on SDOT’s Web site at http://www.seattle.gov/transportation. More information about the city’s winter weather response plan is posted at http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/winterweather.htm.

The four nominees recommended by the Council-appointed Advisory Committee to fill the Metropolitan King County Council seat vacated by Dow Constantine will meet with the Council Monday. The candidate interviews will be conducted during a meeting of the Council’s Committee of the Whole:
Monday, December 7
Starting at 9:30 a.m.
Council chambers
10th floor, King County Courthouse
Third and James Streets

The final candidates who will meet with the Committee of the Whole are:

· Rep. Zack Hudgins—State Representative from the 11th District
· Sen. Joe McDermott—State Senator from the 34th District
· Jan Drago—A member of the Seattle City Council who is leaving the Council this year
· Rep. Sharon Nelson—State Representative from the 34th District

Hudgins and McDermott intend to run for the seat in the November 2010 general election. Drago and Nelson have said they would serve in a caretaker capacity until the general election in November 2010.

The Junction will give away more than $6500 in prizes to 50 lucky people during this holiday season. Three shoppers will win grand prizes of $500 in Junction gift certificates, No purchase is necessary to win.

Enter to win at the following locations:
8 Limbs Yoga, 
ArtsWest, 
Bakery Nouveau, 
Brunette Mix, 
Capers
, Carmilias
, Clementine, 
Coffee to a Tea, 
Cupcake Royale, 
Curious Kidstuff, 
Dream Dinners, 
Easy Street, 
Elliott Bay Brewery, 
Fitness Together, 
Fresh Bistro, 
Friends and Company, 
Funky Janes
, Great Harvest, 
Hotwire Online Coffeehouse, 
Husky Deli, 
JF Henry
, Junction True Value, 
Liberty Bell Printing, 
Menashe & Sons, 
NW Art and Frame, 
Pegasus Books, 
Shadowland
, Snap Fitness, 
Sound Advice
, Spring Hill, 
Square One Books, 
Stop n Shop, 
The Forsythe Studio, 
Wallflower Custom Framing
, West 5
, West Seattle Farmers Market, and 
Zamboanga.

Prize drawings to be held Dec. 13th and 20th.

Mule Carriage rides were taking shoppers around the Junction on Sunday down California Avenue. Pulled by beautiful Belgium Draft Mules rides like these are part of the Junction's Hometown Holidays promotion. This is a treat to enjoy with the whole family and friends. Carriages depart on California in front of Key Bank. The rides are offered each Sunday in December between 12pm and 4pm.

Simple, stress-free holidays. Is it possible? There is so much food to buy, so many people to feed, so much time to take. How do you fix a healthy, tasty meal for your family and friends and still meet all the other demands in your life?

The answer comes in one word: Simple.

Think of the holidays as just what it they are, a time to be thankful for the abundance we enjoy.

Serve foods without all the “extras” that take time. Chances are, they obscure the real flavors you are aiming for while adding extra fat and salt, two ingredients most of us don’t need.

Try a simple way to fix a bird (see our last recipe column).

Here’s my husband’s recipe for a simple rice stuffing you can make the day before; its mellow flavor actually is enhanced by sitting overnight.

Simplify your potatoes or sweet potatoes by baking them in the oven along with the turkey, rather than mashing or making a casserole. Serve with a little butter, sour cream or homemade gravy, luxuries our Pilgrim forefathers did without.

The 6th Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Event was held in the parking lot just west of the West Seattle Junction on Saturday Dec. 5th.

Hundreds of people showed up to brave the cool temperatures, warmed by hot chocolate and the sounds of christmas music provided by the Endolyne Children's choir. Numerous West Seattle volunteer awards were announced and prizes awarded in a variety of raffles.
The Sugar Rush Baking Company also known as Coffee to a Tea with Sugar supplied coffee, hot chocolate, cider and cookies .

Host Marty Riemer chose a youngster from the crowd, Jordan Brownfield, 7, of Gatewood School, to flip the switch illuminating the 50 foot tall western red cedar tree and Christmas in the junction was off to a great start.

Click the image to see more photos from the event

Check out our new Flickr gallery of archived images from past stories.
Herald Flickr Gallery.