July 2010

The other day my daughter was talking about her college options, brainstorming about the future, making plans. I looked up at this young woman of almost 15 and realized something: she is gone in three years. When did that happen? Thinking about this, I found a column I wrote about my daughter eight years ago, when she was celebrating her seventh birthday. And in honor of her birthday on July 8th -- well, actually we share the birthday -- I wanted to share this with you again.

July, 2002 -

God, I loved birthdays when I was a kid.

Who didn't, right?

But you have to understand - mine were the stuff of childhood dreams.

My Dad was my softball coach. Every year, he somehow was able to make sure we had a game scheduled on my birthday. I was the pitcher, and it seemed I always pitched a good game.

And every year, we won. Then came the A & W for the team. And, finally, the grand finale - a slumber party in our backyard.

It never rained. We never lost the game. We all got along at the slumber party.

Well, at least that's the way I remember it.

King County began its new regional animal services program on July 1.

The program spreads the cost of animal control, sheltering and licensing between 27 suburban cities including SeaTac and Tukwila and King County's unincorporated communities, while providing for public safety and care of animals.

Burien, Des Moines and Normandy Park are not part of the regional program.

The County Council's adoption of the regional plan is the culmination of three years of work by the council and the County Executive to reform an animal services system that was scrutinized by numerous studies.

A joint cities-county work group formed in January by County Executive Dow Constantine developed the regional program that creates a partnership between the county and the suburban cities that contract with the county for animal services.

"The reality is that we do not have the animal sheltering capacity in the region without the county shelter in Kent, at least in the near-term.

Thanks to Puget Sound Skills Center instructor Dale Copeland and his welding program students, a beautiful new water sculpture entitled "Lighthouse" has been created and installed in the new Burien Community Center's outdoor atrium.

The artwork is immediately visible upon entry to the center. "Lighthouse" was created to represent a large shape of a coastal rock formation and made from steel sheet metal.

Each student created their own tree and signed them before placing upon the rock, which also includes a lighthouse as a focus point.
Copeland, an artist who teaches welding at PSSC, designed the sculpture.

PSSC students, who are also involved in the Plumber and Pipe Fitters Local 32 Welding Career Program, included Landon Abel, Bryan Asplund, Jonathon Garrision, Robert Griffith, Adam Hilmer, Nicholas Holme, Zackary Larson, Talus Moloney, Ezequiel Morales, Kevin Narverud, Ryan Northern, Alexander Nitchke, Robert Rose, Caleb Silver, Deven Smotherman, Salamina Tauanuu, and Penn Wright.

McKinstry Company of Seattle, who served as general contractors for the new community center building, donated materials.

According to Bill Opfermann, the organization that collaborated with the city of Burien to create Burien's first community garden is much like the garden itself: "very organic."

For approximately 2.5 years, Sustainable Burien has been encouraging grass roots, community-based efforts at sustainable living.

However, the community garden became a reality only recently, with construction of beds beginning three months ago.

In May, the garden was opened to local gardeners, who were given the opportunity to cultivate a 75-square foot plot of land near the old community center.

Conceived in 2008, Sustainable Burien was inspired by Sustainable Communities All Over Puget Sound (SCALLOPS.)

Rebecca Dare remembers asking, "Why not sustainable Burien?"

Since its start, the group has worked on numerous sustainability-related projects around Burien, such as planting an educational native plant garden in the current Burien Community Center, planting raised beds in the Burien Interim Arts Space, coordinating Styrofoam recycling, and distributing native strawberry plants.

"Our focus is women," said Sharon Mann, a long-time Soroptimist, of her organization.

An international service organization of professional women, Soroptimist is composed of 95,000 members in hundreds of chapters, including Soroptimist International of South Seattle, chartered in 1958, which encompasses Burien, SeaTac, Tukwila, Des Moines, Normandy Park, West Seattle and south Seattle.

The name Soroptimist comes from the Latin phrase meaning "best for women," and the South Seattle chapter raises funds for organizations ranging from the Ruth Dykeman Children's Center in Burien to the Malawi Milk Fund.

Additionally, the group awards scholarships to local women.

Patti Gifford, president of the local chapter, has worked with the organization for four years. One of her real estate colleagues invited her to a meeting, and "I just thought it was a great organization," she said. "The members are awesome."

Most of the funds for donations and scholarships are raised at two annual events, Cards for a Cause, a casino night, and a fall luncheon and fashion show. Last year the club raised $18,000.

Tukwila's Museum of Flight is seeking one of three retiring shuttles that staffers want to be permanently house at the museum.

"Our region has a rich history of aviation going back to the vision of Bill Boeing," said King County Councilman Pete von Reichbauer, "The
Museum of Flight is a fitting retirement place for one of this nation's pioneering space shuttles."

"Bringing the space shuttle to our region as a permanent exhibit will be a compelling chapter in our nearly century old commitment to aerospace," said Larry Phillips, also a county councilman. "The Museum of Flight has demonstrated it has the vision, programs, and facilities necessary to showcase this part of our nation's scientific history."

The two sponsored a successful council motion that calls on President Barack Obama, NASA, and Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum to award the Tukwila museum one of the three space shuttles scheduled for retirement in late 2010 or early 2011.

Twenty-one facilities across the country responded to a NASA request for information for potential host sites. The Museum of Flight is believed to be among the last six finalists.

It started out "Independence Day," then became "July Fourth" and now it's just called "The 4th". It's not a wonder that many have lost touch with what the day really stands for.

But did we ever? Do any of us really understand the value of something, until we pay the price? Not one of us climbed onto small wooden ships to escape the tyranny of a king, nor cried out, "No king, but King Jesus" as we left England to birth 'The Land of the Free.'

Our forefather's spirit of freedom created and sustained the most powerful and desirable government in the world, which was based on biblical principles, united by a constitution and protected by the sacrificing of their very lives.

The real soul of an American is that we've never been satisfied with just enjoying the benefits of freedom for ourselves. We have sent our valiant soldiers out into the world to fight for the freedom of the oppressed in other countries, as well. There truly has been a "love thy neighbor" mentality.

However, the closest most of us have come to the terror of war is when we're wakened by a sound, in the middle of the night, and wonder if someone has broken into our home.

Second SeaTac mistrial

Another mistrial was declared July 1 in the second trial of former King County sheriff's deputy Paul Schene. He was charged with criminally assaulting a teenage girl in a holding cell at the SeaTac police precinct behind City Hall.
The jury split 11 to 1 in favor of acquittal. The jury in the first case voted 11 to 1 to convict Schene. He was fired by the sheriif's office following the SeaTac incident.

Garbage found on office deck

An employee at a dental office in the 200 block of S.W. 155th St. reported that they found several pieces of garbage on the office deck when they arrived at work. The items included consumed beverage bottles, a blanket, and two soiled feminine hygiene products. The fencing at the back of the business had been breeched.

Candy, cash stolen

A suspect threw a readily available stone through the front window of a store in the 13000 block of 1st Ave. S. to gain access to the business. Inside, the suspect grabbed available cash from the cash drawer and candy from a vending machine before fleeing.

Troubled man disturbs drivers

Publisher Jerry Robinson captured this photos of Americana in action near his home on Three Tree Point.

The Beer Junction, a specialty beer store, opened for business at 11 AM on July 2. Located at 4707 42nd S.W. the Beer Junction is the brain child of Morgan Herzog. See our previous coverage here.

The soft open will feature 640 beers, 55 wines, 2 authentic champagnes, 30 ciders, 5 meads, 2 sake, 20 different sodas from Crater Lake Root beer to Seattle's own Dry Soda, 50 different types of glassware, gift boxes, 45 countries. Herzog said "We have the fish tank set up with a fish called Pliny the Oscar (named after Pliny the Elder) ready to greet our customers."

While they won't have any products on special sale during the soft opening period they are "Looking at some fun ideas for down the road and for the Grand Opening later in July," Herzog said. Customers can place special orders for the following weekend (too late for the 4th of July) for kegs, or full case orders (subject to distributor availability).

Of the 640 they sell, 500 of them are sold chilled, kept at the ideal temperature in17 doors of refrigeration.