July 2010

The former Pegasus Pizza at 2758 Alki Avenue S.W. is set to be torn down in the next 7 to 10 days to be replaced by a new single story brick building, similar in character to the building adjacent, now occupied by Starbucks. The project will start in the middle of August and be finished within 75 days.

Owner Tom Karvouniaris said he will be seeking restaurants or other suitable tenants. Why single story when the area is zoned for a higher structure? "I can't afford it," he said laughing.

The new building will be just over 3600 square feet, room enough for two to three tenants. Karvouniaris said he will refinish the parking area
behind the building and will have room for 11 vehicles.

CBI Contractors, who have done other structures in West Seattle is handling the work.

Highline Community College in Des Moines is one of the nation's best colleges to work for, according to a new survey by The Chronicle of Higher Education, a top news source about colleges and universities.

Highline is also one of the 39 institutions selected for The Chronicle's Honor Roll, an honor that recognizes the top colleges and universities in their size categories - small, medium and large. Highline won in the medium-sized category.

The results, released in The Chronicle's third annual report on "The Academic Workplace," are based on a survey of more than 42,000 employees at 277 colleges and universities.

Only 97 of 277 institutions received "Great Colleges to Work For" status.

Highline is recognized in five categories, including:

Professional/Career-Development Programs: Employees are given the opportunity to develop skills and understand requirements to advance in their careers.

Teaching Environment: Faculty members say the institution recognizes innovative and high-quality teaching.

Job Satisfaction and Support: Provides insight into the satisfaction with job fit, autonomy and resources.

Seattle City Council said Monday July 26 they will withhold final action endorsing agreements with the state on construction terms for the deep bore tunnel but that it will pass a resolution in support of the project.

In discussions with the City Council today City Attorney Peter Holmes said city and state negotiators agreed to this approach after analysis showed near impossibility of enforcing the current wording in state tunnel legislation regarding potential additional costs. This has been central to the Mayor's argument that the city should not be held responsible for cost overruns.

That endorsement resolution will come next Monday August 2, and will state their intention to pass ordinances later, on three important agreements with WSDOT.

The approval would come only after bids on the tunnel boring are received and are approved by WSDOT.

Mayor McGinn has threatened to veto the agreements unless they contained language that relieved the city of responsibility for any cost overruns. The agreements are with Seattle Department of Transportation, Seattle Public Utilities and Seattle City Light.

Go Twin Lakes!
Go Marine Hills!

Quite a lot of fun times going on in (and out of) the water for this annual rivalry clash of two, having-fun Seattle Summer Swim League teams in a dual meet, won this time, 433-286, by The Fish And The Tree Marine Hills team over the visiting Penguins at their pool Tuesday.

It is all about the fun for these kids totalling together, 200-plus kids, for each SSSL team. Winning is fun, but that is secondary to the...

"Ballet, I love ballet," screamed little Violet Tucker, one of the youngest ones out swimming the water at all of four years old. She swam the entire distance of 25 yards for the freestyle and backstroke races for Twin Lakes.

Ballet?

Well, trying to get this littlest of swimmers out there to talk about the swimming was not so easy, even Tucker went through the water just fine in her two races.

A teenage friend and Penguins' teammate, Kimmie Brotherton, was holding Tucker in her arms after the race and Jaycee Fraser, who won the 50 yard freestyle and 50 breaststroke, and also on the winning 100 medley relay team, came over and congratulated her and also gave Tucker a big high five, or two, or three, or...

August 4

Business After Hours--Southwest King County Chamber of Commerce and Discover Burien. 5-7 p.m. at Evergreen Eye Center, 14031 Ambaum Blvd S.W. RSVP swkingcowa.usachamber.com/custom2.asp?pagename=calendar&a=view&eid=55790 or 206-575-1633. Free admission.
Business After Hours: Poolside Luau and BBQ--Southwest King County Chamber of Commerce. 5-7 p.m. Towne & Country Suites, 14800 Interurban Ave S. Free admission. RSVP required swkingcowa.usachamber.com/custom2.asp?pagename=calendar&a=view&eid=55786 or 206-575-1633

August 6

Book Signing--"Three Tree Point" by Pam and Guy Harper, 4-6 p.m. Grand re-opening Party, Burien Books, 824 S.W. 152nd St. For info 206-244-1422.

August 11

Afternoon Dance--Burien Elk's Lodge, 14006 1st Ave S. 1-3:30 p.m. Evan and Charlie Brown will be providing the music. For info contact Darlene Lang 206-243-7044.

August 14

Stewards of the Cove--9-11:30 a.m. Various activities to care for the area along Miller/Walker Creeks where they meet the Sound in Normandy Park. Sign up at gary.l.gaebler@boeing.com or 253-657-2186.

August 18

Meet Gil Loring

He stepped out of the White Center Jubilee Day's booth during the annual celebration and was vehement in his enthusiasm for having his hometown annexed by Burien and not by Seattle.

Why?

'The county doesn't want it, Seattle doesn't either. Burien does and we think we will be better off with a smaller government. The state has promised to give us the money from the local sales taxes and we don't have to pay it back. We have no faith in the Seattle City Council providing fire and police protection better than we have."

State legislators did pass a law that promises to give sales tax collected in White Center back to any city that annexes the territory without having to pay it back. Ever.

I don't know how the state legislature or the governor can do this when the state is running on fumes now and so are the city and the county.

Our former county executive blatantly tried for years to get Seattle or Burien to annex all the territory south of the Seattle city limits because it was too expensive to govern. Now he is back in Washington D.C. and he is free of that problem.

One of the things guys talk about when we swap stories is the great deals we wrangled on our car purchases. Extra admiration is awarded if the deal involved getting the best of a car salesman.

My dad was an easy-going, low-key Boeing engineer. But when shopping for a car, he was a changed man.

My brother Stephen enlisted Dad's expertise when looking for his first car. When they got to the lot, Stephen spotted a good candidate and headed for it.

"No, no," Dad whispered to him. "Don't go to the car you want first. Just wander around for a while, look at other cars until you end up where you want to be. Don't let the salesman know you're interested."

One incident really cemented Dad's reputation in my young eyes.

A car salesman rang our doorbell while we were eating dinner. Earlier, at the dealership the guy told Dad he couldn't accept his offered price and Dad walked out. The salesman's boss made him drive up to our house to apologize and beg Dad to accept the refused offer. I don't remember if Dad accepted but I'm sure he made the salesman wait until he finished dinner.

It seems the country's economic slump hits home in many ways, even our local fire district, South King Fire & Rescue (covering Des Moines and Federal Way.)

As your fire district revenues are based totally on property tax dollars, the downturn affects property values, thus decreasing the amount of revenues generated for the district's operating budget.

We were fortunate that the district commissioners decided two years ago to establish a "rainy day" fund for just such a scenario.

Unfortunately, the economic picture is not going to get better anytime soon and the rainy day fund will not be able to support the level of services beyond 2011 that we have come to expect from our district.

In trying to maintain (one of the best in the state) this high level of service, the district has made a decision to try to stabilize its revenues by changing the way property taxes are levied in the fire district. Thus, the measure Prop One is on the ballot for the August 17th Primary Election.

By Bethany Overland

Miranda, Bridget, Jen, Kendra and Chelsea-it almost sounds like a new era dawning of "Sex & the City." But the five ladies of Sweet Cheeks Espresso want the public to know they're peddling more than just sexiness in this city, despite community complaints about racy advertising and too-skimpy attire.

The controversial espresso stand, located on Pacific Highway South and 262nd Street in Des Moines, says it is no "Cowgirls" or "Bikini Baristas," simply there for the ogling.

"Of course our feminine appeal alone can only keep you around for a while," croons the Sweet Cheeks website. "That's why we are trained to understand coffee as a culinary art and are considered the 'tops of our field' (with the bottom to go along with it.)"

With a "Corsets are not a crime" tagline, the girls wear burlesque-type outfits, a throwback to sassy Mae West or sensual Betty Page, they say. Though there's definitely some cleavage, some leg, and a bit of tummy, you won't find any see-through clothing in this stand. It's their means of advertising that seems to be causing the majority of the bitter coffee complaints.

Like Burien's Town Square, Tukwila's planned mixed-use neighborhood center has fallen victim to the current economic downtown.

The Tukwila Village project is on hold.

The project was approved by the City Council in 2008, and the developer, Tarragon, was chosen.

"The timeline for the original vision in which library, retail, plaza and residential were all built at the same time anticipated completing our legal agreements with Tarragon in 2010," said Derek Speck, Tukwila's economic development administrator.

Up until the May update, Tarragon still expressed great interest in the project, however they then decided to delay the design until the bond market and the economy improved.

"It was my prediction," wrote Speck in an email, "that Tarragon would complete design in 2012 and the first phase of construction in 2015."

Since May, Speck said, Tukwila staffers have met with Tarragon to see what the next steps in development would be, and all possible options were considered, including simply building the library alone.

After much consideration, however, Tarragon decided this was not the deal they wanted to be involved in.