April 2011

The 2011 Bill and Peggy Hunt Playwrights Festival may be wrapping up this weekend, but Burien Little Theatre may be saving their best for last.
The final two weekends open with "Bold Grace: The Voyages of the Pirate O'Malley," a well crafted one-woman show starring Anna Richardson as Grace O'Malley, one of the most famous and dynamic seafaring adventurers in Irish folklore.

Richardson delivers a virtuoso performance as the feisty, intelligent and formidable Grace O'Malley, whose story spans nearly seven decades of her unforgettable life. Written by recent Seattle Pacific University graduate Ashley Schalow, Bold Grace tells of O'Malley's struggles and successes as a female pirate making her way in a male-dominated world.

But Grace lets nothing get in her way of seeking out a life at sea. We see her journey from being a tomboy desiring to travel with her pirate father to her unlikely meeting with Queen Elizabeth I.

Highline Times Associate Publisher Ken Robinson is having a one-man show of photographs at Vino Bello Wine Bar now through June. The photos are selected from his collection of lifetime work for both the Robinson Newspapers and his travels throughout the world.

"I grew up on a family of photographers. We all began shooting pictures at an early under the influence of our father, who owned newspapers. I love to take pictures of people. Some of the photos on display fit the category of photojournalism. Others are personal favorites that I wanted to share," Robinson said.

Vino Bello is located at 636 S.W. 152nd St. in Burien. Hours are Tues-Thurs 1-9 p.m., Fri-Sat -10 p.m.

Woman pulled from car dies
Rescuers pulled a woman from a car submerged in the Duwamish River on Thursday April 21, but she could not be saved. Just two blocks from a fire station in Tukwila, 11600 block of 42nd Ave. S. rescue workers were able to respond within minutes and locate the car in the water. The first divers on the scene were able pull the unconscious woman from her car. They began compressions immediately. Rescue crews tried to revive the woman for almost an hour, working feverishly inside an ambulance at the scene, but they were not successful. At this point, rescuers believe this was all just an accident and aren't saying what might have caused the woman to go into the water on the straight stretch of road. The investigation is ongoing.

Handguns stolen after truck smashes through window

Naked man running around Burien
Several 911 calls were received to report a white male running around naked in the roadway between South 140 Street and South 134 Street, on 1 Avenue South. The callers stated he was acting extremely intoxicated or high. A short time later, the owner of a business in that area called to report a naked man had entered the business and was sitting on the floor in the bathroom. When officers arrived, the man was found inside the bathroom, completely naked, sitting on the bathroom floor. Upon contact, the man admitted to taking an anti-depressant, but wouldn't say how much. He couldn't explain why he didn't have any clothing on, or what condition he might be suffering from. He appeared to be completely unaware of the situation. He didn't appear to be injured, although he indicated he felt pain in his private parts. Aid arrived to evaluate him on scene, and said he appeared to be suffering from the effects of some unknown mental condition. Emergency personnel transported him to Highline Hospital for treatment.

Road rage incident in possible stolen car

The Des Moines City Council is working on dramatic updates to the zoning codes in downtown Des Moines with the hopes of revitalizing the downtown.
The zoning changes are just one part of an ongoing process to revitalize Des Moines that has been going on for several years.

The Des Moines Marina recently finished undergoing the largest renovation in its history. And the city is currently working with Water District 54 to upgrade the water system downtown by putting a 12-inch water line down Marine View Drive to allow for new development.

There will be two open houses before the public hearing on May 12 to give citizens an opportunity to look at the proposed changes and give their input.

The first open house will be on Saturday April 30, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Des Moines Activity Center. The second open house will be on Wednesday May 4, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the activity center.

The public hearing on the zoning code changes will be on Thursday May 12 at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall.

Former Sylvester Middle and Highline High student Trevor Ras headed south to Huntington Beach, California to chase his dream-- a musical career.
That dream turned into a nightmare, but could have been worse. He dodged a bullet, well, his surfboard, on a tricky wave. Now he says his dreams are coming true back here in calmer West Seattle waters.

"I grew up in the Fauntleroy area and my parents still live by the ferry docks," Ras noted. "I went to Arbor Heights, and also bused to Van Asselt, then Sylvester Middle School and Highline High School."

His mother, Connie Rasmussen, is a retired health and PE teacher at Sylvester in Burien.

Ras recalls his accident.
"I was going surfing off Huntington Beach Pier with a couple of friends," said Ras, short for Rasmussen, who is 35 and moved back about four years ago. "I was messing around on this longboard I don't usually surf (on). A freak little wave came from behind and threw me off the board and I took a header right into the sand in shallow water.

At six years old, all she could do was drag an old trumpet around the house. Six years later, Natalie Dungey from Issaquah is a two-time champion of the National Trumpet Competition junior division.

Young Natalie has rocked the trumpet music world, in those six years.
She has been featured on television in Washington, D.C., and heard on National Public Radio's "From the Top" with Christopher O'Riley.

This spring, she will be a featured soloist with the Indiana Wind Symphony in Indianapolis and appear at the Great American Brass Band Festival in Danville, Ky.
Later this summer, she will be O'Riley's special guest at the Britt Festival in historic Jacksonville, Ore., and will be seen at Festival Amadeus in Whitefish, Mont.

Before all of that, though, local audiences will have an opportunity to hear Dungey perform with the Northwest Symphony Orchestra in Burien.

NWSO will present a special Celebrate America concert, Saturday, April 30 at 8 p.m. at the Highline Performing Arts Center, 401 S. 152nd St., featuring the enchanting musicianship of this twelve-year-old Seattle-area trumpet prodigy.

The West Seattle Rock & Gem Show returns to the West Seattle Alki Masonic Temple, 4736 40th Ave SW, this weekend, Sat., April 30 and Sun., 1, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission is free.

This year's theme is "Gold Rush". The club will offer authentic, modern-day gold prospecting equipment and demonstrations. You can pan for your own gold. There will again be many activities for the kids.

Check out: http://www.westseattlerockclub.org/goldshow1.htm

Glenda Dunmore, better known as Blackie Jo James, Seattle's long time Female blues vocalist passed away earlier this month.
On Sunday, the Salmon Bay Eagles will host a memorial wake for people to gather and celebrate the life and love that Blackie Jo had brought to the Seattle Blues scene.

Blues musicians of every stripe will be there and music will commence at 3 p.m, and will go until until everyone has had our their say about what Blackie Jo meant to Seattle over the past 30+ years.

Musicians interested in playing at the wake should contact Coleman Brown at (206) 390-0320 or at colemanbluesmanbrown@yahoo.com.

Salmon Bay Eagles is located at 5216 20th Ave NW

One year, instead of an Easter basket filled with chocolate, my husband gave me a bright pink straw basket filled with oranges, grapefruit, lemons and limes. It was one of the best gifts I have ever received! The next time you need to give a gift, consider giving a homemade gift basket, filled with gourmet goodies. Instead of filling a basket with candy, make a healthy basket yourself.

Making your own gift basket allows you to hand pick certain items you know the recipient likes and he or she will be touched you went to the extra effort.

Buy a basket at thrift store or craft store and fill it with some of the tasty, low-sodium items below. Have fun selecting your favorites, most of which you can get at your local grocery store. Choose from this list and you can be confident that all the items in your gift basket are low in sodium, a very important factor in keeping your kidneys healthy.

To add to the basket, visit HYPERLINK "http://www.nwkidney.org/recipes" www.nwkidney.org/recipes and print off some low-sodium recipes to include.

For the baker
Imported unsalted butter
Dried cranberries, cherries, blueberries