April 2012

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.

Art Exhibits

Burien Community Center—Marquetry art by Dennis Harrison. Marquetry is an art form that uses only natural and dyed wood veneers in its presentation. It is a little-known art form in America, but it is hundreds of years old as practiced elsewhere. Through May 31. 14700 6th Ave. S.W. Mondays-Thursdays 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Fridays, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Classes

At the April 5 meeting of the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council (NHUAC), Mike Martin, Burien city manager, made a surprising announcement that he and the city of Burien would be glad to answer questions about annexation to anyone who asked.

This is astounding because Mr. Martin has been unwilling to answer questions which Burien citizens have asked for months now at City Council meetings, at the Boundary Review Board meetings and in letters and comments to the local media.

Some of the questions and requests for information from citizens and Burien Council members include:

1. Why the City of Burien only produced a Draft Report and not an updated report on annexation that included the new information on declining tax revenues for both Burien and Area Y-as this greatly affects the monies that will really be collected to fund Burien and Area Y/White Center?

Press release:

This summer, muralist Augustina Droze will be creating a large mural on the wall on 4th Avenue SW at 151st, across from the Burien Library/City Hall on the building housing the Dollar Tree.

Burien Artists are invited to create “patterns of identity” to be possible incorporated into the final artwork. Open to all ages…just need to be a Burien resident.

Augustina has created murals across the country and internationally, including Palm Beach, Chicago, Indianapolis, Baltimore, and Buffalo.

She recently worked with underprivileged artists in Nagpur, India to create the largest mural in the city.

Augustina states “I am a two dimensional artist who focuses primarily on mural painting. I find that the scale of a mural allows for increased expression and evokes a transitory response in viewers. Murals have the ability to relocate an onlooker and change one's perspective. I also feel that the accessibility of mural arts creates a large and robust viewing population which is often more diverse than that which frequents museums or galleries.

Burien and Normandy Park could see a new bus in town starting this fall.

Later this year Route 166, previously a Kent and Des Moines only route, may extend its service to Burien by way of 1st Ave. South if King County Metro’s changes are approved and finalized.

Changes to Route 166 will improve Metro’s efficiency by eliminating duplicate routes, with the onset of Route 156’s changes and also increase frequency for riders in the areas of Normandy Park and Des Moines, according to Metro officials. The proposed schedule for Route 166 will run at 30-minute intervals throughout the day, dropping to hourly at night and on Sundays.

The current bus for this area is Route 131. South of the Burien Transit Center it provides weekend and weekday service until around midnight at hourly intervals along 1st Ave. South.

With ridership falling and costs for Metro rising, the proposal was made last year to eliminate Route 131 south of the transit center. Route 121 would continue to serve 1st Ave. South, ending at Highline Community College. However it only runs during peak hours.

There is a new face in downtown Burien, and many people are wondering who HomeTask is and what they do? You may have walked by their new office at 611 SW 152nd, which previously housed Jorstad Jewelers for nearly 50 years.

HomeTask is a company started by Jerrod Sessler in 2002. According to Jerrod, “HomeTask is a web site that anyone can visit to arrange for service to be done on their home or business. HomeTask is also a multi-brand franchisor of several service concepts and has over 160 locations nationwide.”

HomeTask brands currently include Freggies (organic produce delivery), Lawn Army (lawn care service), Pet Butler (America’s pet waste cleanup) and Yellow Van Handyman (your pro handyman). HomeTask also provides a service network that connects with other businesses in your area. No matter what the job is, HomeTask wants to help you get it done and they have built a web system to make that happen, according to Jerrod. Visit HomeTask.com to learn more and sign up to enjoy their features.

Alestaire Echavia, left, and Discover Burien events manager Debra George are all set to give downtown Burien a facelift for summer during Saturday’s annual Clean Sweep. Volunmteers should gather at the Burien Fire Station, Eighth Ave. S.W. and Sw 151st St. at 8 a.m.

Following a continental breakfast, participants will fan out to clean the streets of Burien. A hot dog lunch is the reward back at the fire station at 1 p.m. More information at 206-433-2882 or www.discoverburien.com.

by Greg McCorkle

Eight teams of the Puget Sound Senior Baseball League held practice scrimmages at Mel Olsen Stadium in preparation for the 2012 season, and like any sport a certain amount of rust needs to be knocked down after the off season. But with the sunny weather bathing the field, attitudes and expectations ran high.

While preparing to enter the field friendly barbs were exchanged in the way that athletes do and conversations about who is new to a particular team, what their batting average is, fielding skills, and what the expectation’s for them are in the new season dominated the pre scrimmage banter.

No matter what their ages are these players have been in the game since they were young lads. Some have or will play college ball and a few have minor league experience. Many ballplayers in the older division have been playing the game in one fashion or another for more than twenty years.

The Highline Schools Foundation Gold Star Award winners were honored at a Sea-Tac Airport breakfast on Friday, April 20. The winners are Darcy Smith, left, outstanding teacher; interim superindendent Alan Spicciati, outstanding administrator; Barbara Rodgers, outstanding classified employee and Astha Tada, outstanding volunteer.

Businessman Dave Sabey was recognized as the outstanding alum.

The Genesee-Schmitz Neighborhood Council is urging people to voice their opinion about the coming changes to Metro bus service to the area. Next September, Metro will institute Rapid Ride Line C and a bevy of other changes, among them the elimination of routes 51 and 53.

In a release to neighbors and council members Kerrie Schurr wrote:

"If you have not yet had the chance to let Metro how you feel about their plan to eliminate the #51 and 53 buses that serve our area, you have one last chance to do so. You may give testimony in person this Wednesday, April 25, at a King County Council committee meeting, or you may submit written comments.

One GSNC resident who works for Metro says that they have been fairly responsive to other neighborhoods' requests to save their bus service, so if you'd like to see one or both of these routes saved, please let Metro know.

From the Metro website:

Suspect has been named in the shotgun beating of an 80-year-old Burien man
The suspect is Zachary Irish, also known as “Lil Zack.” Despite his nickname, Irish, 27, is described as 6 feet tall, weighing 165 pounds. Irish has a record of burglaries, robberies and domestic violence assaults. Police say Phil Isernio, 80, returned to his Burien home and surprised Irish and an accomplice. They say Irish hit Isernio in the face with the butt of a shotgun. The other suspect ran away during the incident but was caught later by deputies. Police said Irish escaped.

SeaTac man pimped disabled woman online