July 2011

press release:
South Seattle Community College’s TRiO-Talent Search (TS) grant has been renewed by the US Department of Education for the period 2011-2016. This is good news for more than 600 Highline and Seattle Public School students served each year under the grant, which provides a comprehensive array of intensive college access services to low-income students who would be the first in their family to attend college.

Chief Sealth International High School graduate Yesenia Barajas is among the more than 8,400 students who have benefitted from TRiO-TS in the 14 years that South has been funded. Yesenia, who will be attending Gonzaga University this fall, is the second oldest of 8 siblings; her father migrated to the United States from Mexico. Her parents impressed the importance of a college education on her, yet they were unable to guide her through the college process. She will be the first in her family to leave home and go away to college.

“I knew I wanted to go to college, I was clueless on just how to go college,” she explained

UPDATE: People attending tonight's hearing are asked NOT to park in the City Hall/Library parking lot. The lot next to the formal parking and underground parking are available for those attending the meeting.

Press release from King County:

The third and final King County Council hearing on potential Metro Transit service cuts and the proposed congestion reduction charge to maintain service will be held in Burien on Thursday, July 21, 6 p.m., at the Burien City Council Chambers, 400 SW 152nd St.

Thanks to all Metro customers who attended the first two hearings. Metro appreciates your commitment and thoughtful comments.

Background

Not guilty plea in burglary of dead man's home
Four suspects face multiple charges in the burglary of Leonard Werner, 69. Not guilty pleas were entered Thursday, July 14 at King County Superior Court in Kent. Prosecutors allege 2 men and 1 woman broke into Werner's home and stole his belongings and cars while he lay on the floor dead. A third man is accused of helping the others drain Werner's bank accounts. David Moore is charged with residential burglary, first-degree theft, possession of a stolen firearm and theft of a motor vehicle. He remains in jail and his lawyer is not seeking bail at this time. Justin Moore is charged with residential burglary. He remains in jail and there was no discussion of bail on Thursday. Kasey Guthrie is charged with residential burglary and possession of stolen firearm. The judge agreed to release her from jail. Dylan Lorang is charged with first-degree theft and possession of a stolen vehicle. His lawyer is not seeking bail at this time. See more information of the crime in the July 15th edition of the Highline Times.

Sentence in Burien business owner insurance fraud case

Santtu Winter, a local young entrepreneur, has launched a small business to build and sell an outdoor tossing game called Palikka.

Based on several Scandinavian lawn games like Kubb and Molkky, Palikka is an outdoor tossing game perfect for barbecues, picnics or a day at Golden Gardens.

"I'm a civil engineer by day, a game creator by night," Winter joked.

Winter said the idea to create his small business was born after he was introduced to a similar game called "Molkky" by his Finnish parents. He came up with his own rules and twists to the game and the game quickly became popular among his friends and co-workers.

Winter said people frequently ask about the game whenever he plays it with his friends and he just sold his 50th and 51st Palikka set last weekend.

A Palikka set consists of thirteen wooden pins and a tossing log. Twelve of the pins are numbered one through twelve and the thirteenth pin - the wild pin - is blank.

"A Palikka set is like a deck of cards, you can play many different games with it," Winter explained.

Palikka Classic goes as follows:

The pins are placed all in a random order in a tight group, with all numbers facing forward.

I lost my beloved Elsbeth on July 2.
She was a remarkable and loving woman.
She was not only a wonderful wife and mother but also of tremendous assistance in the family business.

This is a very difficult period for me but life must go on.

Here's some thoughts I've been having about Burien's possible annexation of White Center:

I don't think Seattle ever wanted to annex White Center but was playing a poker game with Burien. King County officials tried for years to get Seattle or Burien to annex the territory from Roxbury Street, Seattle's city limits.

It was no secret. County officials led by the Executive Ron Sims felt it was a servicing cost that it wanted to push on to Burien or Seattle. Seattle is still playing games pretending like it wants to annex out to the Burien city limits.

Can Burien offer advantages to the citizens of the territory? It would mean being responsible for fire stations, police, roads and parks and playfields and permitting for businesses. Water and sewer service would remain under existing control.

What advantage is it to Burien? Does size make it better for the average citizen? Show me.

The In Ballard Merchants Association is hosting a “Ballard Gives Back” day today, as part of the Tuesdays in Ballard 2011 campaign.

This is an organized effort on behalf of the merchants in the Ballard business district to give back to the community.

The Ballard Food Bank will participate with a staged collection area at Bergan Place on Market & 22nd Streets from 10:00am to 4:00pm.

During this time volunteers will collect donations on behalf of the Food Bank. The In Ballard Merchants Association encourages everyone to come to the neighborhood to shop, drink, eat, pay, and donate for those in need.

For more information about the In Ballard Merchants Association visit www.inballard.com.

At Wednesday's General Membership meeting, the 36th District Democrats will host a panel discussion on the Burke-Gilman Trail “Missing Link”, asking the question, 'when and where will it be built?'.

Starting at 8 p.m., the meeting will start with a brief history of the Missing Link and the audience will be asked to write questions for the panelists on cards.

The panelists are Eugene Wasserman, president of the North Seattle Industrial Association; Josh Brower, Attorney for Ballard Business Community; and Kevin Carradine and Davidya Kasperzyk from Friends of the Burke-Gilman Trail.

Each panelists gets two minutes to state their position before the moderator will pose the questions.

The meeting takes place Wednesday, July 20 at 8 p.m. at the Phinney Neighborhood Association
Community Hall on 6532 Phinney Ave N.

For more information, contact Toby Thaler at fremont@louploup.net or 206 783-6443.

UPDATE July 21:
The economic justice petition begun by Vera Johnson, and aimed at Bank of America has gained more than 3000 signatures and continues to grow as the story of her imminent foreclosure spreads. But Johnson is hoping to make progress on an alternative plan. She has scheduled a meeting with SCORE (a division of the Small Business Administration) to gather the facts and data about potentially transforming her garden and nursery into a wedding facility, her long held dream. The meeting with Bank of America was postponed earlier this week and as yet has not been re-scheduled. Johnson is hoping to have at least the basic facts about changing her loan to move in that new direction before the meeting.

But she's also anxious. She noted that recent publicity about a soldier returning from Aghanistan, whose own petition against Bank of America halted foreclosure proceedings only had a temporary effect. "So, we shall see what happens," she said.

Clarification: In speaking with sources familiar with the ever-changing medical marijuana landscape in Washington, it appears "dispensaries" is no longer an accurate term for operations in Seattle that act as a source for patients to purchase their cannabis. In accordance with state law it seems dispensaries are out, replaced by distribution points for collective gardens. The July 18 section of this story makes reference to the City Council's ordinance legitimizing dispensaries, a term that is no longer accurate.

Update for July 28, 9:50 a.m.: On July 22, Seattle Police Chief John Diaz issued an update on law enforcement's approach to marijuana to his employees, asking them to "approach (each) investigation with care."

Highline Times, April 8th, "N. Highline annexation opens up for Burien as Seattle delays;" June 17th, "Council starts study of annexation on Monday;" July 1, "If conditions right, Burien lawmakers go for annexation".

Like the traveling sideshow, Circus Annexus has once again set up its tent in the Burien City Council chambers.

The city council is in the process of lining up all its ducks. Berk and Associates has once again been hired to support the council's decision to annex. The city manager stated that the state sales tax credit has substantially contributed to the rosy financial situation. All naysayers on city staff have been dismissed.
Council members are concentrating on what negative conditions may happen if Burien does not annex.

Council members state that annexation would be for our own protection from Seattle. Seattle says that it cannot afford to annex. But the Burien city council knows better.

For some unknown reason, the city council continues to maintain its death grip on annexation. Why?

James Sharkey
Burien