June 2012

To all members of Burien’s governing body:

I wanted to speak to the cancellation or indefinite postponement of the Kids and Cops initiative.

I think this is an opportunity for the council to demonstrate that they are listening to the residents of Burien who have made it pretty clear, that we want more police presence on the streets and a more comprehensive, professional animal control service for our city.

I suggest REPLACING "Kids and Cops" with "PETS AND COPS."

I am ready to pony up and pay a little extra for more police on the streets and a clear conscience the animals in our city that need caring for are getting that care.

Also, having real professional animal control officers on the streets, makes it an even more attractive proposal, to have RAS-KC service our town, rather than unsuccessfully trying to do it on the cheap, although I appreciate the budgetary prudence.

We can also put to bed any acrimony over jurisdictional conflicts with the mandate of the Highline School administration.

Highline will explode with Independence Day events on Wednesday, July 4.
So take a mid-week work break and enjoy parades, fireworks and more with your family.
Fuel for the old gas-guzzler is expensive so celebrate the national holiday, locally.

Burien

Organizers say the Burien Independence Day Parade has gained a reputation as one of the most enjoyable and spirited community parades in this region.

Community pride will shine with marching bands, energetic dance teams, elaborate floats and vintage autos.

Local community members will recognize familiar faces among the many organizations and elected officials that participate.

The parade is set against the charming backdrop of Downtown Burien, which features a mixture of business, retail and restaurants, along with the central landmarks of Burien Town Square and City Hall.

This year, the Grand Marshall of the parade is John Feeney, recipient of the Burien Citizen of the Year award. He is a mentor in Highline’s New Start program, as well as a volunteer at several elementary school reading programs. Feeney will be joined by several of his reading students in the parade.

Personal fireworks are banned in all areas of Highline, except the city of Normandy Park and unincorporated North Highline.

Unless part of a licensed public display, fireworks are outlawed in the cities of Burien, Des Moines, SeaTac and Tukwila.

However, licensed fireworks displays are set for the evening of July 4th at the Des Moines Marina, Angle Lake in SeaTac, Fort Dent Park in Tukwila and Burien’s Three Tree Point.

Even in areas where personal fireworks are allowed, restrictions are stringent.

In Normandy Park, the first day the discharge of personal fireworks is allowed is June 28th from noon-11 p.m.
From June 29-July 3, fireworks are allowed from 9 a.m.-11 p.m.
On Independence Day, July 4, use is permitted from 9 a.m.-midnight.
On the final day, July 5, fireworks are allowed from 9 a.m.-11 p.m.

In White Center and the rest of unincorporated King County, fireworks may be discharged only on July 4 from 9 a.m.-midnight.
Fireworks sales are legal beginning at noon on June 28 until 11 p.m. and then daily between the hours of 9 a.m. and 11 p.m. through July 4. No sales can occur after July 4.

Judith Thielen marked the first official day of summer last week by fishing in SeaTac’s Angle Lake.

She’s hooking up her ‘big one’—a red float bobber. She just recently moved to Des Moines from Des Moines, Iowa to be near her grandkids.

Hurley Ring was chasing moles at the old Earlington Golf Course near Tukwila when I met him in the spring of 1950.

His job was to rid the course of pesky varmints. I had five little varmints of my own and so I was hoping he would trap them so I could get in a round of golf.

Hurley had a special knack for killing moles. He would drive in a circle with his three-gang mower, watching for fresh dirt being poked up. He would leap off the mower with his shovel, sneak up like a ninja to scoop the little rascals out of the hill where he could swat them with the shovel. He averaged several a day at the course.

While Hurley was busy whacking moles, his partner George Puetz, ran the golf shop.

Hurley tired of poking holes in the ground looking for rodents. He ended up in White Center, like me, but he was selling novelty gags and mixers next to the liquor store on 16th S.W. at the Party House.

My oldest varmints liked to go into his store because Hurley carried an assortment of crude but humorous items like hand buzzers, phony rubber doggie poop and, as bad as it sounds, some fake vomit. They were all hot items for the younger set.

Press release:

Madrona Elementary and Shorewood Elementary have achieved designation as Level Two Green Schools through the King County Green Schools program.

The program has three levels, which involve students and staff in learning about and practicing conservation of natural resources.

Level One requires expanding recycling practices and focusing on waste reduction strategies, such as decreasing paper use.

Schools achieve Level Two by engaging in energy conservation actions, such as turning off lights in unoccupied rooms.

Level Three schools learn about and engage in water conservation practices.

“Staff and students at these schools have embraced recycling, reducing waste and other conservation actions,” said Dale Alekel, Green Schools Program Manager. “Simple steps, such as turning off lights in unoccupied rooms and recycling paper, bottles and cans, add up to big benefits.”

Alekel said most participating schools report cuts in operating expenses after maintaining successful waste reduction and recycling programs and reducing energy and water use.

Press release:

Highline Public Schools Nutrition Services Director Chris Neal has been named Director of the Year by the Washington School Nutrition Association (WSNA). She will represent Washington state as the nominee for regional and national Director of the Year.

Neal will be recognized at the June 27 Highline school board meeting and at the WSNA annual state conference later this summer in Spokane.

“We are very proud of Chris, not only for her contributions to the success of your program but also for her tireless dedication of time and effort to the success of our association,” said Lisa H. Chatterton, WSNA President.

The Director of the Year award recognizes the outstanding contributions of school foodservice and nutrition directors who manage effective programs providing healthy meals to students.

The award is granted to the nominee who performs best in the areas of program enhancement, staff development, school involvement, association involvement/promotion, and community involvement.

NORMANDY PARK - It was a confrontation that was befitting of champions.

In a battle that lasted nearly three hours, ending in the twilight's last gleaming, the Renton Storm stranded the Pac West White Sox in second place by escaping with a 15-11 six inning District 7 Little League Baseball Minors Tournament of Champions victory on Monday, June 18 at the City Hall Fields.

"Our goals were to improve, have fun and get to the Tournament of Champions," a very pleased Pac West manager Jerha Hendrickson told his team after wards before shaking each player's hand.

Pac West fought to the end, but a shortage of starting pitchers finally factored into the result.

"We had to start our third regular pitcher and just did not have enough pitching at the end," Hendrickson explained. "We started out the season with individual players, and they became a team that did things together as a team. Everyone improved and everyone contributed."

Trailing 15-7 in the bottom of the sixth, Pac West staged a last ditch rally.

An assault with weapons at 4803 18th Av Sw took place just before 3:30pm today prompting a police and emergency response. Citing H.I.P.P.A laws the SPD officer on the scene said there was no threat to the public but could not provide any further information.

The Seattle Fire Department did take someone to the hospital but no other information was immediately available.

This story will be updated.

Press release:

The YMCA of Greater Seattle received a $65,000 grant Monday, June 25 from the Community Transformation Grants Program (CTGs) to lead efforts in South King County to ensure more healthy opportunities are available to all residents, with a specific focus on increased access to African Americans and Hispanics.

The grants are part of the Community Transformation Grants program (CTGs) – a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) initiative to support public health efforts to reduce chronic diseases, promote healthier lifestyles, reduce health disparities and lower health care costs.

YMCA of the USA (Y-USA), the national resource office for the nation’s 2,700 YMCAs and one of seven national organizations to receive funding through CTGs, is re-granting the funds to 10 local Ys to deepen their efforts to implement programs and strategies that support the health and well-being of individuals in their communities.