February 2012

It must have 30 coats of paint.

It has changed doors and windows too many times to count. It was the former Game Collective, a medical marijuana outlet until November of last year.

In looking back, it was also a Chinese late night eatery, a video store and heaven knows what before that.

I recall it as the former Epicure Restaurant in White Center. It was once the second office for me in the ‘50s and ‘60s. It had everything but the keyboard of Vi Childs whose music must echo still from the dim little lounge in the rear. The air yet heavy from those years of cocktails and cigarettes.
This ageless building with several faces sits on the corner of 16th S.W. and S.W. 98th St. in the heart of the town. A town now in the throes of a battle being waged for annexation to Burien.


My office was one block west of the Epicure, on 17th, making for an easy stride to coffee. I had a very small gathering area inside the newspaper building, certainly not adequate for staff to meet. It made sense to use the restaurant.

Besides, my secretary could not make coffee like the beautiful German waitress I eventually married. Elsbeth Warsow was my bride for 43 years. 


A Seal pup was observed, just adjacent to Point Williams near Colman Pool this afternoon, Feb. 22 and it attracted the attention of the curious, even though it was hard to see, the view obscured by some driftwood

SealSitters.org took action and the area was taped off to warn people to stay well away. The pup, estimated to be six or seven months old was observed around 3:30 pm by West Seattle Photo Journalist Steve Shelton who used a long telephoto lens to get the photo.

Robin Lindsey of Seal Sitters was on hand to warn people away and noted that the pup may have been suffering some respiratory distress.

To report a marine mammal on the beach in West Seattle or beaches north to Kayak Point (in Snohomish County) call the Seal Sitters Hotline 206-905-7325 (SEAL). If a marine mammal is being harassed or harmed it is a violation of federal law and you are asked to call NOAA Enforcement at 1-800-853-1964 or in the case of imminent danger please call 911.

By Shane Harms

Tuesday night’s visiting lecture series, featuring renowned polar explorer Liv Arnesen and acclaimed educator and researcher Willy Østreng, opened with disheartening commentary about the ways the shipping industry can and are capitalizing on the sea routes opening in the Artic Ocean as the polar ice caps melt.

The most unsettling part of the talk was the Willy Østreng's seemingly genuine indifference to environmental ramifications that shipping traffic through the Arctic Ocean would cause and how he emphasized the reasons why Americans, and especially Seattleites should seize the moment this potential ecological catastrophe provides.

Østreng is a renowned researcher who has published more than 250 scientific works, including 25 books on international security, polar affairs, ocean resource management, preconditions of interdisciplinary research, and polar and ocean policy.

Friends of Hicklin Lake (of Lakewood Park in White Center) are angling towards a grant from the Puget Soundkeepers Alliance to help cleanup the body of water beset with pollution. For background, check out the Herald article, "Hello Hicklin Lake: Hicks Lake in White Center gets its old name back"

Friends of Hicklin Lake
February 28, 2012
7-8:30 PM
North Highline Fire District
1243 SW 112th Street
Seattle WA 98146

Press release:

The Friends of Hicklin Lake invites you to a discussion on a potential grant opportunity from Puget Soundkeepers Alliance. We hope you can attend or send a representative. This grant, if awarded, may help us in our efforts to clean up Hicklin Lake's water condition. Also attached is a short 10-question survey that will be discussed at the meeting. Please fill out the questionnaire by Thursday, February 23. Click on the link http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/5PWRKZB. We value the community input on Hicklin Lake.

By Gordon Weeks

Highline Medical Center in Burien, one of the few remaining independent hospitals in the state, is sizing up potential partners after suffering $16 million in losses in 2011.

The 50-year-old medical center's Board of Trustees in December set a June deadline to determine whether to form a strategic partnership with a larger medical organization, or remain independent, said Geri Fain, past chairwoman of the board.

It's a common practice for smaller hospitals to team with larger medical organizations, said Highline Medical Center CEO Mark Benedum.

Among Washington's 88 hospitals, only five remain independent: Highline, Harrison Memorial Hospital in Bremerton, Overlake Hospital Medical Center in Bellevue, Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital, and Kadlec Medical Center in the Tri-Cities, Benedum said.

Benedum said possible strategic partners for Highline include Swedish Medical Center in Seattle; Seattle-based Virginia Mason Medical Center; the University of Washington; Tacoma-based Multi-Care; and the Franciscans hospital network.

press release:
The contractor working for the Seattle Department of Transportation on the Fauntleroy Expressway, the raised roadway at the west end of the West Seattle Bridge, completed nighttime work on Tuesday, February 22. No further closures of the raised roadway are expected for this project.

The contractor has been strengthening the structure to make it more likely to withstand the force of a major earthquake. Upgrades to the structure have included strengthening the columns with steel jackets, strengthening the pile caps, adding additional longitudinal restrainers and replacing the bearing pads. The latter work item is what required the nighttime closures.

The work remaining consists primarily of the installation, grouting and painting of the steel jackets around the columns. Short-term lane restrictions will continue for both east and westbound traffic on surface Southwest Spokane Street for this work. The project is expected to be completed by this spring.

Press release:

Seattle Christian Schools will hold an Open House for future families, Kindergarten through 12th grade, on Thursday, February 23, at 7 p.m.

The school wide meeting will take place for students enrolling for the 2012-2013 school year. The format will include opportunities to meet faculty, staff and Superintendent, Gloria Hunter. Seattle Christian offers top-rated academics, a strong Biblical worldview, excellent athletics, fine and performing arts and co-curricular programs.

Before and after school care is available.

The school has approximately 600 students on a beautiful 13.5- acre campus, just off Interstate-5 in SeaTac. For more information, contact Fran Hubeek, Admissions Coordinator, at 206.246.8241 or visit www.seattlechristian.org

Press release:

The Rotary Club of Des Moines is pleased to have acclaimed jazz singer, Stephanie Porter, perform at the 8th Annual Poverty Bay Wine Festival.

Porter, a Seattle native, is a naturally-gifted vocalist, who has had a passion for music her whole life.

“It’s in my inner fabric,” said Porter. “Most of my childhood memories are associated with music in some way.”

When she was a baby, Porter’s father made her a reel-to-reel tape of “The Wizard of Oz,” which she listened to almost every night for years. Her mother, who has always loved Ella Fitzgerald, would pick Porter up and dance with her on her hip to Ella records.

“I think listening to the freedom of Ella’s voice soaring over melodies inspired me and helped open my mind at a young age,” said Porter. “We had stacks of records too. I would listen to album after album and heard so many renditions of songs. I didn’t have a favorite. I loved hearing all the expressions each artist had. I listened to them all.”

Porter was brought up in a house rich with music. Her family is filled with musicians – from vocalists to pianists to horn players.

The South King Fire & Rescue Board of Fire Commissioners is informing their citizens of an important ballot measure that will be occurring on April 17th, 2012.

South King Fire & Rescue, the fire district serving the nearly 150,000 citizens throughout the Greater Federal Way and Des Moines areas, will be placing an excess levy ballot measure before our citizens at a special election on that date.

This ballot measure, referred to as Proposition One from the fire district, would authorize the fire district to collect $3.5 million annually at an approximate rate of $0.29 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. This increase in our revenue would occur for a four year period covering 2013 through 2016.

The proposition is presented to allow our citizens the opportunity to maintain current fire department services and personnel. In addition, it will allow the district to re-staff an aid car for emergency responses, which has been closed due to decreased revenues the past few years.

TACOMA - For gymnast Baylee Hamilton of Mount Rainier, smiling through pain during competition has long been a part of her sports life. Exclusively competing in Level 10 club gymnastics until nagging lower-back pain forced her out last summer, the senior Ram added gold to her Friday all-around championship during the Saturday, Feb. 18, individual event competition.

Limping noticeably after each of her three events on Saturday, February 18, at the Tacoma Dome Exhibition Hall, the gritty athlete had much to grin about after recording a 9.625 bars first place and missed joining a tie for first on the floor by 0.025 of a point, finishing with the bronze medal at 9.625. She was also fourth on the beam (9.1).

It was an admirable way to bid farewell to her first and only season as a high school gymnast, even if she had to shuffle a bit while executing her way to and through events.

"I was a little bit sore, but I felt good about today," she said. "I've had back injuries for a long time, and usually after meets my back is pretty dead and worn out, so having another meet in less than 12 hours really killed me."