February 2012

The Norwegian Ladies Chorus of Seattle is holding their annual Fishcake & Meatball Dinner this Sunday, March 4, at the Leif Erikson Lodge.

This annual fundraiser benefits the Norwegian Ladies Chorus' Music Scholarship Fund, which over the years, has awarded thousands of dollars in scholarships and awards to local students and area high school music programs.

One of the highlights of the auction is an original August Werner painting that will be auctioned off by John and Bunny Sandvig.

Originally from Bergen, Norway, Werner founded the Norwegian Ladies Chorus in 1936 while he was a professor of music at the University of Washington.

In addition to being a successful baritone soloist singer, instructor, and choir director, Werner was also an artist. He painted landscapes of Norway and scenes from Norway's history. Two of his most recognized sculptures are a bust of Beethoven at the University of Washington and the 12-foot high statue of the Norse explorer, Leif Erikson, which overlooks Shilshole Bay Marina in the Ballard.

Ballard High School student-athletes Emma Suchland and Sam Zisette are being honored as Student of the Month in March.

Emma Suchland is an incredible Ballard senior with an outstanding 4.0 GPA. Emma has participated in Ballard’s Biotech Academy, has taken numerous honors and AP classes every year, and is currently in AP Chemistry, AP Language Arts, and AP Calculus. She has over 300 volunteer servicer hours, volunteers at Seattle Children's Hospital twice a week and has gone on mission trips with her youth group every summer. She is in Ballard’s National Honor Society and is a freshman welcoming committee Link Crew Leader. Emma has played basketball all four years of high school and has run track since sophomore year. Last year Emma made it to state in the 100 meter dash and plans to continue running in college. In college she plans to major in pre-med and then go to medical school and pursue a career in pediatrics. Emma has applied to Brown University, University of Washington, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, and Cornell University. Her top college choice is Brown.

UPDATE Feb. 29 9:30 am
SDOT announced this morning that this work has been cancelled. No further clarification or rescheduling was made public.

press release:

The contractor working for the Seattle Department of Transportation on the Spokane Street Viaduct Widening project will be closing the intersection of First Avenue S at S Spokane Street this coming weekend in order to repave the southern half of the intersection.

The intersection will be closed to all traffic beginning Friday, March 2 at 8 p.m. and will reopen on Monday, March 5, at 5 a.m. The eastbound First Avenue off-ramp from the West Seattle Freeway will also be closed. Motorists wishing to exit to SODO can still use the Fourth Avenue off-ramp, which provides motorists the option of then driving either north or south on Fourth Avenue S.

Southbound traffic on First Avenue S will be detoured west at S Hanford Street. Northbound traffic on First Avenue S will be detoured east at S Dawson Street, and then north on Fourth Avenue S.

Additional project details can be found at www.seattle.gov/spokane.

Press release from Highline Schools

Burien, WA – The Highline School Board has offered the superintendent position to Dr. Susan Enfield, pending successful contract negotiations and a background check. The board is expected to vote at its meeting Wednesday evening to formally approve Enfield for the job. She would start in Highline on July 1.

Dr. Enfield is currently the Interim Superintendent for Seattle Public Schools. She came to Seattle as Chief Academic Officer from Evergreen Public Schools in Vancouver, WA where she served as the Deputy Superintendent from 2006 to 2009.

Before moving to Washington, she was the Director of Teaching and Learning for Portland Public Schools where she oversaw curriculum, instruction, federal programs and professional development district-wide.

Prior to coming to Portland, Dr. Enfield served as the Bureau Director for Teaching and Learning Support for the Pennsylvania Department of Education. In this role she worked with legislators, state department and district leaders to develop education policy and implement standards-based curriculum and professional development for over 500 school districts.

Press Release

The Highline School Board has offered the superintendent position to Dr. Susan Enfield, pending successful contract negotiations and a background check. The board is expected to vote at its meeting Wednesday evening to formally approve Enfield for the job. She would start in Highline on July 1.
 
Dr. Enfield is currently the Interim Superintendent for Seattle Public Schools. She came to Seattle as Chief Academic Officer from Evergreen Public Schools in Vancouver, WA where she served as the Deputy Superintendent from 2006 to 2009.
 
Before moving to Washington, she was the Director of Teaching and Learning for Portland Public Schools where she oversaw curriculum, instruction, federal programs and professional development district-wide.
 
Prior to coming to Portland, Dr. Enfield served as the Bureau Director for Teaching and Learning Support for the Pennsylvania Department of Education. In this role she worked with legislators, state department and district leaders to develop education policy and implement standards-based curriculum and professional development for over 500 school districts.
 

Deadline for receiving items for Community Calendar is 5 p.m. Wednesday for the following week’s Times/News. Events are published based on timeliness and space availability. Email submissions to: hteditor@robinsonnews.com Items can be accepted from nonprofit groups and government agencies only. Others may call Dona Ozier at 206-708-1378 for inclusion in our “Out & About” advertising section.

Music
Highline Classic Jazz Festival—March 10. 3- 10 p.m. Landmark Events Center, 23660 Marine View Dr. S. Featuring 11 top area bands. Sponsored by Burien Arts. Tickets, $35 for adults, $30 for seniors and military, free for youth 18 and underTickets available at www.brownpapertickets.com/event 218004 or 206-244-7808.

Theatre
Burien Little Theatre—The Who’s “Tommy,” rock opera. Feb. 17-March 25. Fridays and Saturdays, 8 p.m. Sundays, 2 p.m. Burien Community Center Annex, 425 S.W. 144th St. Tickets at www.burinelittletheatre.org.

March 2

“When geese fly in a “V” formation the flap of each bird’s wings create uplift for the bird immediately following. Traveling as a flock adds at least 71 percent greater flying range than if each bird flew on it’s own.

When a goose falls out of formation it quickly feels the drag and resistance of going it alone. Geese honk to encourage those up front to keep up the speed. And finally, when one goose is sick or wounded two others fall out of formation and follow that bird until the crisis is resolved.”
The author of these tidbits of bird truths is unknown, yet it seems significant to note a basic interpretative footnote.

“People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.”
Once again humans can learn from animals and nature.

Pioneers in the Highline communities have known that for years. North Hill Community Club’s 1934 meeting minutes reveal residents addressed common issues such as road construction, water supply, transportation, schools and social opportunities.

For more years than I can remember, Rudy Bundas was a friend of mine.

Rudy was a talker, possibly the longest talker I knew. He often would visit Elsbeth and me at our place.
Once, while out shopping, I waited with Rudy in the car while she went in for some things. I listened and listened to Rudy. The car was parked in a shadowy area near some trees. It was dark when Beth emerged from the store. I'd fallen asleep as Rudy went on...and on. Beth was furious at me for not being at the storefront to pick her up. I had to say Rudy made me do it, but I sure loved that guy. 

Many may know that Rudy was a first-rate water color artist. Many also knew him as a competitive cribbage player and ardent golfer. I knew him as a close friend who shared his story of the loss of an eye as a child and his abandonment by his own mother in Salank, Hungary.

She left for the U.S. when he was three. It was 1914. The Great War was taking its toll early.
How did a kid with one eye and a bunch of bad luck end up in Seattle where he brought his unbelievable artistic talent?

I should imagine that the 3rd -grader gun incident in Bremerton will create a whole new surge of interest in banning guns. However, guns are innocent tools, no different than a hammer or knife. They have no feelings of malice or desire to be violent. I was raised around guns –- they were everywhere.

Both my dad and brother were hunters, so there were at least eight rifles and two handguns around the house. None of them were locked up and many were loaded. The guns were regularly brought up onto the kitchen table for disassembly, cleaning and oiling (to my mother’s chagrin).
However, I never once handled any of them, without permission. I was taught to respect property that was not mine and to ask, if I wanted to look at something.

Although this incident in Bellingham was an accident, why did this child take something that was not his and put it in his backpack?

When I was twelve or so, my dad taught me gun safety and how to shoot a rifle. I was a bit of an Annie Oakley, which gave him hopes that I’d join him and my brother on hunting trips –- not a chance, I love animals.

I am deeply disappointed in the Highline Times.  The Feb. 17, 2012, edition carried a story with the caption, “Son swindles elderly couple out of their home” as the second item in the Police Blotter section.

Background:  Elmer and Jo Hautala owned a house in Shorewood.  As part of their estate planning I helped them put the house into a trust in the late ‘90s.  

Under the terms of the trust, they would live in the house as long as they wanted, and when they no longer needed the house their son, Ray would get it, on the condition that he pay a specified amount to his brother and sister.

A few years later, Elmer and Jo were finding it increasingly difficult to keep up the house and Elmer came up with the idea of building a second house (ADU) behind the main house, where Elmer and Jo lived, while Ray moved into the main house.

Elmer and Ray got the ADU built.  Elmer and Jo moved into the ADU.  Ray and his family moved into the main house.

At the same time, Elmer wanted to take the house out of the trust so it could conveyed to Ray in order to make it easier to finance construction of the ADU.