January 2010

Highline Community College's StartZone is offering free tax preparation workshops and filing assistance to self-employed individuals in King County with total household income of less than $50,000.

Eligible individuals will receive assistance from a trained and professionally supervised volunteer who will help complete and file 1040, Schedule C, applications for the Making Work Pay and Earned Income tax credits, and other forms.

For more information about eligibility requirements, individuals are encouraged to attend a tax preparation workshop.
Workshops will be offered:

6-9 p.m. Feb. 10
6-9 p.m. March 10
9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. March 13
9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. March 27

To register, call 206- 878-3710, ext. 3388, or e-mail startzone@highline.edu.

StartZone's Business Tax Center is funded by the CFED in partnership with the United Way of King County.

StartZone is a program that helps women, people of color, immigrants and persons with a disability start or grow small businesses in Southwest King County. For information, visit http://startzone.highline.edu.

The SeaTac City Council is to be congratulated for reconsidering plans to condemn private property at 174th and International Boulevard, land adjacent to the new bridge to Sound Transit's light rail station and Sea-Tac Airport.

Now the city, citizens and commercial property owners can put this behind them and move forward to collaboratively and creatively plan for SeaTac's future.

The city's recent purchase of four acres at 152nd and International Boulevard, across from Sound Transit's Tukwila Station, adds new possibilities for creating a city "front door" and a focal point with a variety of residential and retail uses.

The city council also created a zoning update Ad Hoc Committee to review proposed changes to the city zoning code - with special attention to the Sea-Tac/Airport Station Area and the City Center Plan.

The city wisely placed a moratorium on development projects in the Airport Station area to give the Ad Hoc Committee time to do its work.

I hope the Ad Hoc committee will take a fresh look at the City Center Plan, particularly at ideas for building a structured parking garage across from the light rail station.

Meet Hap Walker

He is Highline Medical Center's facilities medical supplies distribution and sterilization manager. What that means is he is responsible for seeing that the various nursing floors and departments have the supplies they need to treat their patients and in addition to this he oversees the sterilization of all surgical instrumentation-- the whole magilla.

We were both in the hospital's Midway therapy unit and I urged him to sit down and talk. I found out he has worked for Highline for 32+ years, was born on a ten-acre farm on the Cowlitz River, loves fly fishing, and has a small collection of rifles and shotguns but, has not been hunting since he was five years old.

His dad gave him a BB gun one day just to plink at tin cans and taught him how to use it.

He was out in the family's barn looking for targets and spotted a sparrow on a high wire. He hit it miraculously and knocked it down.

He instantly began bawling from guilt, dropped the BB gun and ran into the house.

His Dad said, "Well, son, if you only wounded it, you need to kill it."

During the month of Febraury all students get reduced ticket prices for Burien Little Theatre's production of Arne Zaslove's 1950's Rock 'n' Roll version of "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

Recently, Burien's arts commission awarded BLT a grant from the Arts and Culture Fund.

The theatre is using the grant to reduce student ticket prices during the first three weeks of the musical comedy.

Students pay $10 per ticket on the weekends of Feb. 12-14, Feb.19- 21 and Feb. 26-28. In March, student ticket prices go back up to $17 at the door.

Last fall, the City of Burien welcomed applications for the 2010 Arts & Culture grant funding. Total funding available was an estimated $20,000.

The play is set in a gymnasium at Athens High School on graduation day 1957, and in a neighboring forest. A group of magical fairies intervene and meddle with the lives of two young couples for whom "the course of true love never did run smooth."

Botched love spells, hilarious characters and 1950s rock 'n' roll make this show a treat for young and old, those in love and those between love.

"Midsummer" runs through March 21. Shows are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2 p.m.

I watched the entire 1/12/2010 SeaTac City Council meeting on TV. It was a very long 5-hour meeting due to all the business to cover in January.

I did not see former Mayor Shape "blow a gasket" or "display immaturity" while expressing his feelings over the condemnation problems and the full page Times ads, especially with his home phone number printed on one. He has worked very hard to improve our city and deserves credit for it.

Two other council members expressed their feelings about how the King County Elections Department handled the votes for mayor.

Mr. Fisher expressed his strong feelings about current actions of King County that impact our city.

I believe expressing opinions is their right and they should, since that is part of the process of governing.

As a 53-year resident of then King County and now City of SeaTac, THANK YOU council members for all your do for our community.
This is a city "in progress" and I hope business people get on board and help us become even more interesting and fulfill our potential.

Virginia Olsen
SeaTac

Bring it on!

Bring on double teams to stop this guy, or, at times, bring on the dreaded "triple," and, still Todd Beamer's 6-8 senior post, Kevin Davis, is going to get things done as he still tied for game-high scorer (with Napa Mefi) for 16 points, passed out a game-high six assists and hauled down 18 boards, in a 71-57 Titans beating of road foe Rogers on Thursday.

The Titans' record is something to quack about, 9-3 in the South Puget Sound League South Division, 11-5 overall. That, by the way, is just ahead of rival Decatur, whom the Titans match up with one more time this season in what could decide second place in the league. Should be a gym-burner as the Titans go to Gator country after having won the first season meeting at their Titans house, 70-63, back on Jan. 12.

But there's a game before that, critically important for the Titans, too.

The public workshop for Sea-Tac Airport's Part 150 Noise Study is scheduled for Feb. 24 at Mount Rainier High School, 22450 19th Ave. S.in Des Moines.

The workshop will begin at 5 p.m

The Part 150 Study looks at ways to reduce aircraft noise impacts on communities. Throughout the study, the public is invited to participate in the solution and recommendation process through active engagement in a series of topical workshops.

A dedicated Part 150 Study Web site has been established as the single location for all documentation connected to the study.

Kids bouncing off the walls? Time for a change of scenery? How about a night off for you?

Try our Kid Escape events. Every second Friday of the month, the Federal Way Community Center offers a totally fun Kid Escape theme night.

Best of all? No parents allowed.

On Feb. 12, kids can experience Shrek’s Valentines. Watch the movie “Shrek,” make valentines for sweethearts and eat swamp pudding.

What:
Kid Escape for February: Shrek’s Valentines

Where:
Federal Way Community Center
876 S 333rd Street

When:
February 12
5:30 to 10 p.m.

Price:
$15 per kid (pass-holder)
$20 per kid (non-pass-holder)

Space is limited. Pre-registration is required. For more information or to register, call 253.835.6900, or visit: www.ItAllHappensHere.org.

Dance the night away on Feb. 13 at the City of Federal Way’s 5th Annual Daughter’s Night Out dance and dessert extravaganza.

It’s everyone’s chance to dress for a special occasion and treat their daughters to a memorable night, where all attention is devoted to the girls.

Music will be provided by Melody Music of Federal Way, and dessert will be served.

Photography by Jamie Mitchell and flowers for “dates” will be available for purchase.

This is going to be one dazzling night that daughters and their caregivers will not want to miss!

Where:
Federal Way Community Center
876 S 333rd Street

When:
February 13
6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Price:
$20 per couple
$5 per additional person

Space is limited. Pre-registration is required. For more information or to register, call 253.835.6900, or visit: www.cityoffederalway.com. The annual Daughter’s Night Out is hosted by the Federal Way Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department.

It wasn't all bad.

It wasn't for the Thomas Jefferson Raiders, who fell behind their No. 1-ranked rivals from Federal Way by a 16-3 score with 3:20 to play in the first quarter Thursday to tie the Eagles at 25-25 with 1:21 to go in the second quarter.

And it certainly wasn't for the Federal Way boys basketball players, who fought back furiously for a 30-25 halftime lead and widened it to 50-36 by the end of the third quarter and to a 72-45 victory in the end.

"This game is a game of spurts," said Eagles head coach Jerome Collins. "We know we can put points on the board if anything is there."
In this game Federal Way put things in tune enough to widen their overall season record to 15-1, with the only loss to Jefferson of Portland, Ore.

Thomas Jefferson of Federal Way hoped to be the second team to beat the Eagles, but it didn't work out. It didn't take long for Federal Way to take control -- albeit temporarily.

Cole Dickerson opened the scoring for the Eagles with 7:43 to play in the first quarter and teammate Jerry Duckworth iced a three-point goal at 7:06 to go in the period to make it 5-0.