September 2011

The Strong Mayor form of government is a good kind. But the city council form is better for democracy because the council members all get an equal vote with the mayor there.

Proposition 1 is mainly for the rich people who want you to vote for their mayor over the city council members.

SeaTac has many diverse cultures and peoples and the city council government we have now is more friendly and favorable for our kind of city.

I don't think Proposition 1 is the best option for SeaTac.

Tom Layden
SeaTac

The West Seattle Community Orchestras (WSCO) launches their 2011-2012 season with changes in store for musicians and concert-goers.

Joining the conducting staff is Daniel Rossi, a music teacher at several West Seattle elementary schools. Rossi will lead the new WSCO Debut Orchestra.

This group, (formerly called the Beginning Strings) will expand this year to include woodwinds and brass, providing a full orchestra experience for those musicians new to playing.

In addition, members of this group will benefit from the coaching staff of Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra (SYSO) to enhance their playing capabilities. Leading the newly named WSCO Intermediate Orchestra (formerly the Symphonette) is WSCO’s founding conductor Toni Reineke Ph. D.

The Intermediate Orchestra provides musical opportunities for mid-range musicians whether students moving up in their skills, or adults who are coming back to music after time away; mentoring is a key aspect of this group along with additional learning opportunities from SYSO coaches. T

On August 30th, the headline in the Seattle Times was "GROWTH OF DOWNTOWN LURES MORE BIG RETAILERS."

What will the headline be in the Highline Times after the city council cherry picks all the data supporting annexation? "ANNEXATION OF WHITE CENTER CREATES A BETTER BURIEN"?

James Sharkey
Burien

I cannot support the annexation of White Center until there is certainty that the annexation will prove financially beneficial to Burien.

I have read and heard many views on why annexation does or does not make sense. Some people are sentimentally attached to White Center. Some people welcome the expanded diversity and others fear the possibility of added crime. But the determining factor in these troubled economic times should be financial feasibility.

It is not difficult to conclude that the annexation has the potential to damage Burien's financial future. Our council is divided on the financial impacts.

There are new candidates running for election who received support based upon their opposition to annexation. If the financial benefit was so clear, why is annexation such a central issue in the upcoming election? There must be a strong difference of opinion on whether there will be any benefit to Burien. Why does the BERK report contradict itself? The 2007 report said annexation could was not affordable. Now it is interpreted as saying it is affordable. If the conclusion is not clear, Burien should not speculate with its financial future.

I think a short synopsis of the history of Burien's cityhood can help annexation friends and foes. Burien's history of incorporation goes back several decades.

I worked on the past two cityhood campaigns. The second to last was a complete fiasco because the Boundary Review Board insisted the city had to have the boundaries of the Highline School District. That meant the new city would have been the third largest city in the state of Washington. I was elected as one of the Freeholders, but the voters said "No" to the city.

Incorporation finally happened when our committee concentrated on a nine square mile area with a smaller population. Within these limited boundaries, the most opposed were residents north of 128th SW to the Seattle City limits. These residents had their own quasi-government and were very happy with it and their services from King County.

That has all changed. King County is adamant that areas sandwiched between city boundaries must be annexed or incorporated. Since the area we are studying is too small to incorporate, it will be annexed to Seattle or Burien.

By Emily Newcomer
Waste Management, Public Education Manager

Eating fresh vegetables straight from the garden is one of my favorite things about summer. Beyond enjoying delicious food, I also "close the recycling loop." I compost my food scraps and food-soiled paper in my curbside yard waste cart.

By "closing the loop" I mean recycling and then using items made with recycled materials. For example, I compost my garden and yard debris, and vegetable and fruit trimmings like tomato stems, onion skins, and corn cobs in my backyard compost bin.

In the spring, I use the compost in my garden for healthy, vibrant vegetable plants. Then I compost the scraps from those vegetables and the cycle continues.

There is another way to help close the recycling loop without creating an entire composting system in your backyard. Simply put your food scraps and food-soiled paper in the yard waste cart and let Waste Management do the rest. We will haul it to a local composting facility, where it's turned into nutrient-rich compost. That's another great way to close the recycling loop.

Puget Sound is fish heaven this week as the salmon continue to migrate to area rivers. I've been fishing for close to 83 of my 91 years starting with scrap fish in Renne Lake near Portland, Oregon in 1928, so I've learned a few tricks in that time.

I should mention that fishing is as much luck as it is skill.

South of the outfall at Harbor Island in Elliot Bay the Duwamish River becomes the Green River about where the old drive-in theaters were located. One early morning in 1959, I hit the water bright-eyed and bushy tailed hoping to land an elusive Steelhead Trout I'd heard so much about.

Down below the Allentown Bridge the water runs slow and slightly murky. Dressed in my Warshal's knee-high waders I made my way over the slippery bank, through the blackberry vines to take my place alongside a rather taciturn gent who was already working the water.

Fishermen are a special breed. Finding a secret spot was important; being their first was paramount. He was not delighted to see me but said nothing. That was okay. Talking scares the fish.

The Burien/Normandy Park Fire Department hosted its annual open-house at the Burien Fire Station, 15100 8th Ave. S.W. on Sept. 10 and Highline Times photographer Kurt Howard captured the fun.

Please click the photo above for a slideshow.

The kids were able to practice escaping from a burning house, squirt a fire hose, learn about safety in many areas, and answer questions for prizes. Balloons, fire hats, and safety information was handed out as well.

Burien Little Theatre's "Frankenstein", an exclusive production, is a thrilling horror story of a young scientist's disastrous attempt at playing God.

It opens September 30th and runs through October 30th. Check Burien Little Theatre's website at www.burienlittletheatre.org for days and times.

Highline Times photographer Kurt Howard stopped by to capture a shot as director Steve Cooper rehearsed a scene from the new BLT-exclusive production of Frankenstein with actors Russ Kay, as the creature, and Adrian Cerrato, as Dr. Victor Frankenstein, before a live audience.

On Saturday September 24, people all around the world are joining together for 350.org's Moving Planet, a worldwide rally to demand solutions to the climate crisis.

In Seattle, 350 Washington State, Sierra Club, Cascade Bicycle Club, Climate Solutions, and many other community groups will gather at Lake Union Park for a rally, activities, and workshops to explore how to end our reliance on coal and oil while taking action on urgent campaigns in our region.

Without using fossil fuels, thousands will travel to South Lake Union by sailboat, bus, bike, foot, stilts, skateboard, kayak, unicycle, stand-up paddleboard, carpool, wheelchair, and eBike.

Moving Planet Seattle is featuring a series of 20 stories of the different ways people are getting to Moving Planet.

One of these people is Ballardite Lisa Quinn.

Quinn is the Executive Director of Feet First, an advocacy group promoting walkable communities for better health, transportation, environment, and pleasure.