June 2010

The buzz around the deep-bore tunnel project has not been, well, boring. Is the project, which would cost the city, county, state, port and, of course, taxpayers between $1.9 billion and $8 billion, a fait accompli?

"No!" said Ballard activist Ed Plute, with StopTheTunnel.com and Seattle Citizens Against the Tunnel or SCAT.

The groups' leaders meet in a conference room at the Ballard Neighborhood Service Center. Others include West Seattle retired general contractor Bud Shasteen, Port Townsend retired civil engineer Victor Gray and wife Paula, political activists Elizabeth Campbell from Magnolia and Dorli Rainey from Queen Anne, and retired Seattle civil engineer Christopher Brown.

SCAT comes up with the $8 billion figure by adding in bond issues' interest. With cost overruns, it's $10 billion. The $1.9 billion figure is the tunnel alone and not the cost of I-5 improvements, viaduct demolition, the seawall replacement, etc.

Urness House, Compass Housing Alliance's 80-unit Ballard development for formerly homeless men and women, appears ready to move forward after back-to-back, standing-room only State Environmental Protection Act and Design Review meetings June 14.

The seven-story Urness House, to be located at 1753 N.W. 56th St., will offer housing for chronically homeless individuals earning less than $8,000 per year. There will also be onsite services, such as mental health clinics, substance abuse clinics and triage services. Click here to learn more about Urness House policies.

Lisa Rutzick, Seattle Department of Planning and Development project manager for Urness House, said it is unusual to have a public State Environmental Protection Act meeting, but the amount of interest raised by the project warranted one.

Ballardite's voiced concerns about negative impacts by Urness House on parking, safety and property values.

Jason Bergerson and his wife Jodall got their pure bred Basset Hound "The Dude" from a breeder in Bonney Lake three years ago. How did he get that name? "We really like the movie 'The Big Lebowski' so we were watching it one day and it just clicked so we named him 'The Dude'," after the lead character in the film Bergerson explained.

Unlike the film character however, this 'Dude' actually sings. That might be a bit of a stretch but, "When my wife sings he'll howl along with her. It's pretty hilarious," Bergerson continued, "He sings along with the Star Spangled Banner." No, he doesn't sing along before every football game or other sporting events. He requires in person accompaniment. "He also likes Happy Birthday or really any high pitched song," said Bergerson." Bergerson described it this way, "You can tell when he's going to start doing it because he gets this look on his face and his lips kind of turn into a little 'O'." Which we take to mean 'Oh say can you see?" So he's good for the 4th of July, up until the fireworks start. He's frightened by them.

It's a bird

In the yard I snapped a picture and sent it to Cyndi Upthegrove, driving force of the Highline Historical Museum and asked her what it was.

She lives on Lake Burien and knows a lot of stuff and she e- mailed me back saying, "It looks like a bird."

I thanked her because I thought it might be a Tyrant flycatcher, until I noted he was eating worms and decided no Tyrant would eat a worm unless its mother, as punishment, forced it to. Some mothers can be tyrants when the kids don't behave.

Then I decided it possibly was a Sharp-shinned hawk but could not see his shins in the high grass.

Then I decided it was a Belted kingfisher. But it had two belts, neither of which was used to hold his pants up because it looked like he wasn't wearing any.

After all it is warm out now. Guess I better look it up in a book.

I know it is not an eagle because he is not bald.

In time for Strawberry Festival

First homegrown berry of the year. This from one of the upside down plants hanging around here.

All we need is a shortcake bush and some ice cream.

Eleven local organizations and businesses and countless volunteers have come together to offer the 2010 B-Town Bike Fair to be held on June 19th (10am-3pm) at Burien's Wild Strawberry and Arts Festival.

This event has developed from the Burien Bicycle Rodeos of 2006 and 2007, but has grown in size and scope to include the whole family - all ages are encouraged to ride their bikes to the fair to participate in the fun and find out more about how bike-able Burien really is (don't forget your helmet and lock.)

Activities include bicycle safety obstacle courses for elementary and preschool kids, helmet fittings, bike safety checks, adaptive cycles for all physical abilities, donation station for useable bikes, bike samples booth, bike art and a bicycle scavenger hunt! (Parent or guardian must accompany children under 18.)

The Burien Wild Strawberry Festival is this weekend and the SeaTac International Festival is next weekend.In the first photo, Lance Haslund, from Burien Arts, demonstrates the self-powered ice shaver that will allow Strawberry Festival partcipants to make their own snow cones.

The Burien event moves to Town Square Park this year and features an eclectic lineup of musicians and performance troupe, bike fair, skate competition, and more. For more information, visit www.burienstrawberryfestival.org.

In the second photo, a Native American dancer performs at last year's SeaTac International Festival. The June 25-27 festival at Angle Lake Park, 19408 International Blvd. S., includes ethnic and cultural music and entertainment as well as a parade and more. Contact 206-973-4680 or www.ci.seatac.wa.us for more information.

In front of a packed house Burien held the first of two public forums last night, June 14, discussing the Shoreline Master Program.

The discussion of this public forum focused on the science. Panelists from the State Department of Ecology, Grette Associates- who contracted on the drafting of the Shoreline Master Plan, and a consultant from Cedarock Consultants, Inc, hired by the Burien Marine Homeowners Association gave presentations and took questions from the Burien City Council and the audience.

The main discussion quickly turned to buffers. Dr. Kathy Taylor from the State Department of Ecology said an effective buffer is generally between 21-95 meters. A larger buffer is required land with a slope. But she also said buffers are something which need to be determined on a case by case basis.

Carl Hadley, a fisheries biologist with Cedarock Consultants said large buffers are not necessarily the way to go. “They do almost nothing to preserve the (ecological) functions here,” Hadley said.

The large buffers are effective in an old growth forest area, Hadley said, not in a highly developed area like Burien’s shoreline.

When Federal Way National upset favored Chinook 1-0 in the District Little League Majors Softball Tournament of Champions championship match up at the Federal Way National Complex on Friday, June 11, it was more than a one-season achievement. It was the topping on the birth of Federal Way National's first year of fielding a Little League Majors softball team following a four-year building effort.

After steady progress of setting a new foundation each year, including last year's Triple-A franchise, the National Charter was poised to make the step up to Majors and took advantage of its opportunity against an undefeated regular season opponent who had not been scored upon during the regular season.

The Nationals actually posted only one hit during the entire ball game, but capitalized on that hit to score the eventual winning run in the first inning.

Alex Haven drew a walk and subsequently stole second base. With the runner in scoring position, Aleah Adams hit a dribbling grounder down the first base line. Fielding the ball cleanly, the first baseman dropped the ball while making the tag.

Dead, dead, dropping, dying, and, then flying on the wings of love.

The Boys & Girls Club's signature event, The 34th Annual Celebrity Golf Classic, was in jeopardy of not being an event this year but Bill Pooley felt a fatherly pull to continue it on at the Twin Lakes Golf and Country Club on June 10.

"The son of the tournament founder said the show must go on," said Suzy Petrich, who is president of the B&GC board. "He said we can't let it die."

The event has been good to kids everywhere in Federal Way for a long, long time now.

At the first moneymaker event this past year in February, benefitting the B&GC, was a breakfast event held at Emerald Downs. And the numbers were down attendance-wise. Although money-wise, more money was raised than ever before for this February B&GC fundraiser, according to Petrich.

Although a good amount of cash came in, it came from a smaller number, which, in short, meant less money came in than ever before from the Emerald Downs event. Weighing the good of money capita up versus the bad of numbers down at that event allowed an the overall consensus from the board that as one of...

"Concern," said Petrich.

On June 20, WhiteWater Aquatics will host a 5K race around Lake Burien in addition to a family 1K race.
According to the aquatic association, the event will be suitable for all levels of runners. The race begins and ends at Town Square Park, Southwest 150th Street & 4th Avenue Southwest. Registration starts at 7:30 a.m., with the 5 K starting at 9 a.m. and the 1 K starting at 9:45 a.m. An awards ceremony will take place at the finish line at 10:15 a.m.

Track teams, running clubs, and students from kindergarden to 12th grade will be able to register for a reduced rate of $15. The team with the best overall time will receive a $125 pizza party from Bison Creek Pizza.

In honor of Father's Day, the event will include a "Daddy & Me" run, allowing fathers to race with their children at a rate of two runners for $25. The registration fee is $30 for the 5K, and $20 for the 1K.

All proceeds will benefit Burien's Ruth Dykeman Children's Center and the WhiteWater Aquatics scholarship fund.