June 2011

The owner (REA Real Estate LLC) of a lot at 15865 Ambaum Blvs S.W. in Burien is proposing the excavation of 2,500 cubic yards of contaminated soil, according to a City of Burien Notice of Application. The lot is located on the corner where S.W. 160th St and Ambaum Blvd S.W. converge.

The proposal states excavated soil from the former gasoline station site “will be removed and disposed off site” and “contaminated ground water will be treated on-site prior to discharge to the city sanitary sewer system.” The contamination is a result of discharges from the gas station.

Art Pederson with Burien’s Department of Community Development said the contaminated soil is shipped to a Department of Ecology approved site where it is likely incinerated.

Pederson said the site will likely remain a parking lot after the excavation, but taking care of the contaminated soil now frees the site for further development in the future.

According to Pederson there should not be any negative impacts to traffic as the excavation will only take place in a third of the lot (closest to the “five corners” intersection), so equipment should be able to operate within the lot boundaries.

On June 15 the non-profit group Community Animal Resource Education Society, or CARES, will begin providing animal care and control services for Burien. The services they will provide include:
* Enforcement of Burien Municipal Code Title 6 -Animals
* Dog Bites/Dangerous Dog Reports
* Impoundment of stray animals
* Educational information about pets and pet ownership
* Rescue of sick or injured animals
* Referral to other animal service agencies

CARES is also available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, on an emergency response basis. Dispatch centers for both Burien Police and Burien/Normandy Park Fire will have an emergency number to call for response to life safety issues involving animals.

The CARES main facility is located at 145 SW 153rd Street in Burien. The phone number is 206- 81-CARES or 206-812-2737. The office hours are 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Tuesday -Saturday. For more information on animal control services in Burien go to www.burienwa.gov/animalcontrol.

13-year- old driver stopped in SeaTac
Erratic braking and an equipment violation lead a trooper to stop a vehicle driven by a 13 year old SeaTac boy. A silver Lincoln traveled east on S. 166th Street in SeaTac in an erratic fashion. The trooper observed the vehicle had a broken windshield and the driver was very youthful in appearance. As the vehicle traveled the driver was "violently stomping the brakes" and not using his lane properly. The trooper contacted the vehicle and it quickly became apparent that the passenger, a 40 year old SeaTac man, was the intoxicated father of the 13 year old driver. The passenger was booked in King County jail for investigation of Reckless Endangerment and Allowing an Unauthorized Person to Drive. The driver faces no charges and was released to his mother.

Woman running in and out of traffic

Press release:
What do thousands of athletes in such notable 2011 events as the ING New York City Marathon, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, and the Dodge Rock 'N' Roll Seattle Marathon & Half Marathon have in common? The opportunity to raise awareness and millions of dollars to fight cancer through their participation in DetermiNationTM, the American Cancer Society's new endurance event training program. Now, through a nationwide expansion of the charitable initiative, Seattle-area athletes of all abilities, across a wide spectrum of events such as marathons, half-marathons, triathlons and cycling races, will be able to dedicate their training and race experiences to the Society's mission of fighting cancer and saving lives.

The 2011 DetermiNation event is just weeks away, taking place on June 25th on a spectacular and scenic course from Tukwila to Qwest Field.

"DetermiNation represents the hard work, strength and commitment needed to compete in an endurance race, and these are the same qualities the American Cancer Society calls on every day in the race to save lives," said Erin O'Dell, volunteer chair for Seattle's DetermiNation team.

Winners of the annual Highline High School Alumni Association scholarships gathered at Sal's Deli in Burien recently. They are, back row, from left, Patrick Ufkes, Walter Guity, Jon Koch, Sam Viklund. Middle row, Alex Lopez-Wilson, Audrey Arbow, Melvin Hortman, Lan Anh Nguyen, Victor Madura. Front row, Maria Gonzalez, Martha Molina, Tangi Brantley, Jaimee Wood, Zamzam Abdulgani. Not pictured, Karla Belmont.

At the age of 70, after a full 47 years of teaching at Highline High School, David Craig is retiring this summer.

Over the years, Craig has acted as a business teacher, information technology teacher, Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) student club advisor and the head of countless committees at the local high school.

But after countless times of extending his career "just one more year," Craig has made the decision to join his wife, Paula, in retirement.

His story began in the Tri-Cities, which subsequently took him to Washington State University. It was here that he met his wife and discovered his passion for teaching. Coming to the Highline School District was by chance, and happened quite suddenly, Craig recalls. Both he and his wife received letters to interview with the district and were both accepted shortly thereafter.

Craig remembers being impressed with the students and staff of Highline High and soon won their respect through his method of teaching. As long as he has taught, he has believed in valuing each student and making a personal connection with each that will last a lifetime.

The city of SeaTac will host the 16th Annual International Festival Saturday, June 25 and Sunday, June 26 at Angle Lake Park.

Other event sponsors include the Rotary Club of SeaTac, Southwest King County Chamber of Commerce and the Matt Griffin YMCA.

The festival features a new Cultural Village, live entertainment, craft and food vendors, a play area for children, a volkswalk (an organized "people's walk") and more.

"With more than 83 languages spoken throughout the city, SeaTac is a growing, vibrant and diverse community," said Kit Ledbetter, SeaTac Parks and Recreation director. "The International Festival is an annual tradition that officially kicks off the summer and celebrates our diversity as a community."

The SeaTac Rotary is creating the all new Cultural Village that will highlight entertainment and booths that present and share special traditions from each country, religion or culture.

There will be no parade along South 188th Street this year.
Festival Hours are Saturday, June 25, 10 a.m.- 8 p.m. and Sunday, June 26, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Craft and food vendors will be open throughout the festival.

(Editor's Note: The following letter was sent to the Board of Trustees of the King County Library System with a copy to the Times/News.)

As legislators representing the White Center and Boulevard Park neighborhoods, we write to urge you not to consolidate the White Center and Boulevard Park libraries into a single branch.

Upgrades to these facilities were promised in the 2004 KCLS bond measure. The prospect of eliminating one library branch in the North Highline area would be a tremendous disappointment to the community and to all of us.

The prospect of Seattle annexing the remaining unincorporated area in North Highline presently appears dim, and to consolidate these library branches based on such a distant possibility would be a disservice to the North Highline communities that overwhelmingly backed the 2004 bond measure.

Joe Fitzgibbon
Sharon Nelson
Eileen Cody
Margarita Prentice
Bob Hasegawa

(Editor's Note: When we heard Normandy Park resident Don Crawley had co-written a book about how compassionate geeks can deal better with others at work, we wanted to know more.)

During my work as a customer service speaker and trainer working with customers as diverse as Facebook, state government, healthcare, universities, and financial services, I observed that within every organization, there are some individuals who simply "get it."

Given a choice, customers and end-users always go back to them, not only with problems, but also for every type of interaction with the organization. Watching those individuals, I began to see common traits emerge.

It seems that there are really four intrinsic qualities common to great service providers.

The first of those traits is empathy, the ability to connect with another individual emotionally, to feel what they're feeling. It's often known as "putting yourself in someone else's shoes." In my customer service workshops, I recommend the use of empathetic phrases such as "I'd feel that way, too, if it happened to me" or "I can see how frustrated you are and I don't blame you."

A King County Sheriff deputy fractured his wrist after falling in an attempt to apprehend a drunk driving suspect on foot in White Center on June 15, according to a press release from KCSO Sgt. John Urquhart.

The 52-year-old deputy and three year KCSO veteran was treated at Valley Medical Center and is recovering at home.

The incident began around 12:30 a.m. in White Center when the deputy tried to pull over the driver of a 1993 Cadillac DeVille for suspicion of drunk driving. There were three passengers inside the vehicle.

The suspect driver refused to stop with lights and sirens from the deputy's car and a chase ensued. A few minutes later the driver pulled over and the suspect took off running. The deputy pursued the suspect on foot, grabbed a hold of his jacket and the suspect spun around causing the deputy to fall and fracture his wrist, according to the press release.

The suspect escaped and the three vehicle occupants were questioned and released.

Suspect is described as a black male in his 30's, 5'10" tall and 130 lbs. Anyone with information should call the King County Sheriff's Office at (206)296-3311 or call 911.