August 2011

Joanne Harman, a volunteer at Highline Medical Center, frequents the hospital halls with her 150 lb. Newfoundland dog, Baffin.

Both she and Baffin are part of the pet therapy program that visits patients in order to lift their spirits. Most days, Harman and Baffin tour the halls, looking for patients who would like some company. Two hours is about Baffin's limit before he begins to get too tired.

Harman says that she first heard about the pet therapy program while she was taking classes for nursing school.

"I thought Baffin, my boyfriend's dog, would be perfect," she said, describing how he always drew people's attention. "He just brings a smile to people's faces."

That is when Harman found Delta Society, an organization based in Bellevue that helps organize pet therapy efforts.

"They were one of the first groups to establish the health benefits of pets, such as lower blood pressure and as a means to combat depression," Harman declared.

Every time I drive by the newly built Burien Town Square, I check to see if there are any new occupants, either residential or commercial.

The answer is usually negative, which begs the question: how long is this going to continue? Having all this building space standing vacant cannot be healthy on so many levels.

First and foremost, financially it has got to be incredibly expensive from the costs of lost revenue, maintenance, property taxes and other related expenses.

I have read about the refinancing issues with the bank and its subsequent loan, but I truly believe it would be in everyone's interest for the city of Burien to help expedite this issue so we all can see some long anticipated progress.

There are both commercial and residential prospects that have waited anxiously ad nauseam, and may eventually go elsewhere if this continues.

It is ironic that the two entities (Bartells and Mealmakers) that were forced to move by the use of eminent domain could have remained since now it is only a vacant lot, and the one building that was left remaining was the city hall building.

Did you ever pick a fresh tomato from the vine for immediate in-the-tummy deposit as kids, or pull a carrot from Mom's garden for instant chomping, or watch corn stalks loaded with yellow beauties while counting the days before harvest?

Oh yes, and that fresh, sweet taste of bountiful beauties memories linger even now.

Des Moines launched their Waterfront Farmer's Market at the marina's south end (227th St.) 6 years ago, with volunteers and major cooperation between local farmers, city officials, businesses and community organizations.

Market manager Rikki Marohl, was, and is, the tremendous helper who directs operations and encourages participation. Rikki has done her job so well, that on Saturday, Aug. 20th, this remarkable lady will be recognized with an award from Washington State Farmers Market Association for being Washington's "Best Farmer's Market Manager!" The event will be between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. More information is at www.DMFM.org.

In the aftermath of the early morning Aug. 16 shooting that left a 23-year-old woman dead in White Center, the King County Sheriff's Office has released crime stats comparing January through July of 2010 and 2011.

Here is the information provided by KCSO Deputy Travis DeFries:

Comparing January-July 2010 with January-July 2011, overall dispatched calls for service are up by nearly 24 percent. The most frequent calls include public drunkenness, area checks, trespass, disturbances (including noise and fights), family disturbances and suspicious circumstances. The category that increased noticeably- is drunkenness – up to 142 in 2011 from 85 in 2010.

Violent crimes, including robberies and aggravated assaults are up slightly this year compared to last year. There was one homicide last year, in May 2010, and now one this year. Ironically, it was at the same intersection. There is no connection between the two homicides and the intersection or area itself.

I don't know what can be done to make White Center more valuable.

The City of Seattle does not want her. Burien does and this makes me question the motivation of the alliance.

The roads are okay; they have libraries, a swim pool and plenty of low-income housing? I have owned the (White Center News) newspaper since 1952. In 1962 we got the county to build garden beds full of flowers that looked great but became traffic hazards and are now long gone.

I asked former King County Commissioner Ed Munro what he thought back then. He said, "Rezone much of the residential area within half a mile of Roxbury Street and build apartment houses."

The idea was to bring density to the area. The business people were thriving and ignored him. They did not see the future coming in the form of a newly developed Burien and the eventual shopping center in Tukwila by 1967.

In 1954, the area had blossomed. We had five chain groceries, three dress shops, several shoe stores, a couple of drug stores, a paint store, three or four restaurants, and three hardware stores. We had three banks and two television stores.

UPDATE:We earlier reported, incorrectly, that the service and reception would be open to the public. However, this will be limited to family and friends.

Debbie Dawn (Willard) Numoto passed away Saturday morning after a recent struggle with cancer. She was beloved dearly by her family, friends, and co-workers and customers at Northwest Art & Frame in the Alaska Junction, and many graduates from West Seattle High School, as she was class of 1980.

She was the manager of the front of the store, and was gift buyer.

"Less than a year ago she had bladder cancer," said Jennifer Schwanitz, the frame shop manager for 20 years. "In June she wasn't feeling well, and was achy all the time. It was very rapid. Customers are just starting to ask about her. We have her picture at the front counter. Our employees are having a hard time with that right now," added Schwanitz. But we're dealing with it."

Robbery detectives are investigating an armed robbery of the S.W. Admiral Way Baskin-Robbins in West Seattle. The robbery occurred around 10 pm on Aug. 15. The official word from Seattle Police follows.

Press release from Det. Mark Jamieson:
On August 15th, just before 10:00 PM, Southwest Precinct officers responded to a report of an armed robbery that had just occured in the 4100 Block of Southwest Admiral Way. An employee was in the store by herself when 3 suspects, described as black males in their late teens, wearing hooded sweatshirts and bandanas over their faces, entered the store. One of the suspects was armed with a handgun and demanded cash from the employee. The suspects took cash from the register and then fled the store in an unknown direction. The employee was not injured. She was able to call 911 after the suspects left. A number of officers, including a K9 team, responded to the scene, but did not locate any suspects. Robbery detectives will now handle the follow up investigation.

By Patrick Robinson and Ty Swenson

Update 5 for 4 p.m. on Aug. 19: Anthony H. Smith, 25, was charged on Aug. 19 with second degree murder in the shooting death of 23-year-old Maria “Sweetheart” Failautusi on Aug. 16 in White Center, according to the King County Prosecutor's Office.

If convicted, the sentencing range is 16 to 24 1/2 years in prison.

Smith will be arraigned on Sept. 1 at the King County Courthouse and remains jailed on a $1 million bond, according to Dan Donohoe with the prosecutor's office.

Update 4 for 11:30pm, Aug 18: A 25-year-old man was arrested at 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 17 at his home in West Seattle, “not far from the shooting scene” in White Center, according to King County Sheriff’s spokesman Deputy Travis DeFries.

The suspect was booked in jail for investigation of homicide later that evening and, according to King County’s jail registry, his bail has been denied.

The King County Wastewater Treatment Division announced that construction for the installation of a new 84-inch siphon pipe under Salmon Bay will start this month. The new pipe will run between Seattle’s Ballard and Interbay areas to reduce the potential for sewer overflows into the Ship Canal and to meet north Seattle’s wastewater conveyance needs into the next century.

The new siphon will lie 120 feet underground and connect the Ballard Regulator Station to the North Interceptor in Interbay (see map). Wastewater from north Seattle will be conveyed through the new pipe to King County’s West Point wastewater treatment plant in Magnolia.

King County contractors have been preparing the Shilshole Avenue Northwest and West Commodore Way work sites for construction since July, and will begin mobilizing equipment and personnel at both sites this month.

press release:

The Washington State Liquor Control Board this week adopted an interim policy allowing Seattle restaurants to establish sidewalk cafés in more locations. Existing rules limit sidewalk café alcohol service to areas immediately adjacent to a building. In many cases, sidewalks in these areas are not wide enough to allow for both pedestrian travel and a café. The new rules give restaurants more flexibility, including an option for curbside sidewalk cafés.

“This rule change is a big win for our local businesses and neighborhoods,” said Mayor Mike McGinn. “We worked closely with the Seattle Department of Transportation, the Department of Planning and Development, and the Liquor Control Board to get this done. Allowing more sidewalk cafés will help improve urban vitality and give restaurants and patrons more choices.”