March 2011

By Mark L. Ufkes

In 1977, while I was student body president at Washington State University (W.S.U.), I befriended several foreign students from Libya. WSU was considering a trade and agricultural technology mission to that North African country, proposing to assist the Libyans in starting an agricultural university there. As student body president, I was included in the delegation to Libya that also included the President of the WSU Board of Regents, the Mayor of Spokane, and the deans of several WSU colleges and departments.

We spent 10 days in Libya as guests of the government, and traveled extensively throughout the country. During the last evening of our visit, we had an audience with Qadhafi, gathering in his palace for tea. This was the same palace that was bombed by our government two years later.

Qadhafi was in his mid 30s during our visit, and had been in power since leading the generally bloodless “September revolution” coup nine years before, at the age of 28. He was closer in age to me than to the vast majority of the 12-member delegation.

On Safari Foods, in West Seattle on 35th Ave. S.W. since 2002 has moved. Why?
it's for the best of reasons. It's so successful they simply needed more room.

Begun by owner Teresa Carew in 1992 out of her home the company is a highly successful catering business providing between 500 and 1000 meals daily, primarily to their largest client, Google. They run two cafes for them opening a new one last January. 350 people a day are served in the two on-site cafes.

Their former location at 9005 35th Avenue s.w. was 2200 square feet and they had been there since 2002. The new location is in the SODO neighborhood at 3317 3rd Ave. So. in a facility once occupied by Organic to go and another firm called Creative Kitchens. The 5000 square foot facility boasts six walk in refrigerators, lots of floor space and a "cooking line" where large quantities of food can be prepared.

This is no ordinary lunch fare.

By Brooks Stanfield
Special to the Times/News

(Editor's Note: The Cascade Bicycle Club Education Foundation in partnership with Burien Parks and Recreation is conducting a series of Monday bike classes.
The classes will be held at the Burien Community Center, 14700 6th Ave. S.W. For information, visit www.BurienParks.net or call 206-988-3700.
To encourage participation in the classes, Burien parks staffers asked Brooks Stanfield to write the following essay about the joys of bicycling
Stanfield is a co-organizer of the B-Town Bike Fair and winner of Burien's Environmentalist of the Year award. You can join the discussion about bicycling in Burien by visiting the B-Town Bike Fair blog or Facebook page.)

About seven years ago, while living in North Seattle, I started riding my bike to work.
I can't even remember what gave me the idea, but since that time cycling has turned into an obsession. My understanding of exactly why, however, has recently and unexpectedly changed.

The public is invited to attend a March 16 open house in Burien to learn about and comment on the preliminary design of the newest section of the Lake to Sound Trail in south King County.
The open house is set for 5-7 p.m. at the Burien Community Center, 14700 6th Ave. SW.
The specific topic of discussion during the open house will be the 1.45-mile-long stretch of the proposed trail along Des Moines Memorial Drive, from South 156th Street in SeaTac to South Normandy Road in Burien.
Open house participants will be able to learn about the project, review early design concepts and meet the project team.
The Lake to Sound Trail is a proposed 16-mile-long biking and walking trail that would link the shoreline of Lake Washington in Renton to the shoreline of Puget Sound in Des Moines, while passing through the cities of Tukwila, SeaTac and Burien.
The trail would also connect to four regional trails: The Des Moines Creek and Westside trails, plus King County's Green River and Cedar River regional trails.

The following information was shared by Seattle Police Southwest Precinct Operations Lt. Pierre Davis on March 2:

On Feb 13 2011 some of our well known car prowlers were arrested for theft of auto accessories. The victim in this case was a 78 year old resident of West Seattle who depends on her vehicle as she is still completely self-sufficient. However, the damage done to her vehicle disabled her sole mode of transportation. Our West Seattle Community Police Team officers located an automotive repair Shoppe (The Muffler Shoppe), located at 10009 16th Ave SW. that upon learning of the circumstances, volunteered to do the necessary repairs at cost. Obviously we were excited only because we knew that we could get our victim her vehicle back without her incurring significant costs. And then the scenario got better. Upon our West Seattle Citizens learning of this issue, volunteered to pay for the entire cost of repair to our victim’s vehicle and get her back on the road. Although your West Seattle officers apprehended our criminal, our WS citizens really put the icing on the cake!!

Way to go West Seattle!!!!

Lt. Pierre Davis
SW Precinct

The King County Road Services Division is scheduled to begin its roadside weed control program in Burien and unincorporated areas of the county, beginning April 4.
As part of the program, certified technicians will perform controlled herbicide spraying along some road shoulders through the summer to reduce safety hazards for pedestrians, motorists and bicyclists. The spraying will also control noxious weeds that are toxic to some animals and pose environmental risks to native vegetation.
As in past years, residents who do not want crews to spray county right-of-way that abuts their property may post "owner will maintain" signs. Those residents, however, must sign an agreement with the county to maintain the right-of-way themselves.
Maintenance agreements must be completed and returned to the Roads Services Division before the "owner will maintain" signs can be issued. The Road Services Division should receive maintenance agreements by March 28.

Highline Community College, in partnership with Green River Community College and Central Washington University, is hosting a panel discussion from 6:30-8 p.m. March 10 for community members to learn more about the proposed budgets cuts to higher education in Washington state.
Federal Way Mayor Skip Priest and Federal Way Chamber of Commerce CEO Tom Pierson will participate in the panel discussion and Dr. T.M. Sell will moderate. Audience members will also be able to comment and ask questions.
The panel discussion will be held in the Great Room at Todd Beamer High School, 35999 16th Ave. S. in Federal Way.
This College Promise Community Conversation is one of many happening throughout the region. For more information, visit www.collegepromisewa.com.

On March 21, five Seattleites and another from Snohomish will grab their tools and start in on a week-long mission to help build a four-room secondary school for Mulundi Village in Kenya, over 9000 miles away.

The school is named Mulundi-Kwa Muema, which translates to “place of” (kwa) “good” muema. Muema is also the last name of the man who donated his land for the school to be built. Mulundi villagers have started the construction and school, with one room complete and four teachers teaching, but there is much more to be done.

The group of six is made up of five members of St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church on California Ave: Janet and Mike Johnson (Janet is from Mulundi), Nina Boe, Kate McCormick and her son James Saadeh. Joining them is Amber Strehle from Snohomish.

To understand Mulundi’s great need for the school is to understand the conditions in Kenya. According to Janet, who grew up in Mulundi and who’s parents still live in the village, going to a secondary school (synonymous with high school) in most areas of Kenya is a rarity.

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
731 AM PST WED MAR 2 2011

...STRONG WINDS ARE EXPECTED ON THE WASHINGTON COAST TODAY...

A FRONT IS BRINGING STRONG AND POTENTIALLY DAMAGING WINDS TO THE COAST TODAY.

...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SEATTLE HAS ISSUED A WIND ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON.

A STRONG FRONT IS MOVING THROUGH WESTERN WASHINGTON THIS MORNING. SOUTHERLY WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH ARRIVES AT CHEHALIS AT 7 AM...AND WILL SPREAD NORTH THROUGH WESTERN WASHINGTON THIS MORNING. AT 7 AM GUSTS TO 54 MPH OCCURRED AT LAKE LAWRENCE IN EASTERN THURSTON
COUNTY.

SOUTHERLY WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH...WITH LOCAL GUSTS TO AROUND 50 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF WESTERN WASHINGTON THIS MORNING AS SOUTHERLY PRESSURE GRADIENTS RAPIDLY INCREASE BEHIND THE FRONT THIS MORNING.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WIND ADVISORY IS ISSUED WHEN SUSTAINED WINDS OF 30 TO 39 MPH OR GUSTS OF 45 TO 57 MPH ARE LIKELY. WINDS THIS STRONG CAN SNAP SMALL TREE BRANCHES...TOPPLE SMALL OR SHALLOW-ROOTED TREES...AND CAUSE LOCAL POWER OUTAGES.

_____________________

A community celebration is now set for Monday March 7 called simply "Thank You, South Park Community!" by King County as way of expressing gratitude for getting the funds necessary for the replacement of the South Park Bridge. The event will feature music from the Northwest Junior Pipe Band, performances by The Devils Dance Parade, other local entertainment and food. Interpreters will be on hand as well.

The invitation reads:

"With your help, we were able to secure vital funding for the replacement of the South Park Bridge. Please join us for a community celebration!

Monday, March 7, 2011, from 6-8 p.m. at the Aerospace Machinists 751 Union Hall (9135 15th Place S, Seattle, 98108).

Local food and entertainment will be featured, including music and dance from:

The Northwest Junior Pipe Band

The "Devil's Dance Parade" by The AFrican ConeXion Project ("Uniting Latino, African American and African communities through theater, dance and music.").

Pasacalle "El Son De Los Diablos" por el Proyecto La ConeXion AFricana ("Uniendo comunidades Latinas, Afro-Americanas y Africanas a traves del teatro, musica y danza.")