September 2012

From Animal Aid & Rescue Foundation, or AARF:

Join AARF for our 4th Annual Whine and Cheese Live Auction at Vino Bello Wine Bar & Shop, 636 SW 152nd St. - F, in Burien. Your $25 donation will get you 2 drinks and 1 raffle ticket. We have lots of great items up for auction and raffle this year. Some of the amazing items we have included are a behind the scenes tour of the Seattle Aquarium, tickets to any Showbox show, designer sunglasses, restaurant certificates, wonderful stuff for your animals, group bowling and much more! We also have a bunch of fantastic raffle prizes. Once again we are super duper excited to have Charlie Beck & Tony Leamer back as our MC's; it's sure to be a memorable night!

tickets can be purchased in advance here.

By Isabella Fuentes

...And we're off!

Commencing at 5 p.m. on Tuesday Sept. 3rd, the 2012 Democratic National Convention has officially begun, touting lofty goals, kept promises and the appreciation of opportunity and unity. The mood was incredible and set the tone for what looks to be a very exciting week.

In the daytime preceding the beginning of the convention, however, it wasn't all fun and politics. Since CarolinaFest was a one-day festival, today was a time for all of the politicos to talk and network before proceedings got underway -- sightings for today included former Secretary of State Madeline Albright and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois.

My daughter used to babysit for a family with a son, twin daughters and a dog. The girls were still babies and I loved hearing about this family because they I secretly wanted to belong. As they grew and if older brother was at a camp the girls would sometimes visit with my daughter and treat me to a dance performance. When the girls started kindergarten I got to see them go by on their school bus, always on the front seat, right behind the bus driver.

Over the years I learned that all of the children had taken up musical instruments, and that a bunny had joined the family. When in town my daughter would occasionally “babysit,” but the children are all so competent that they increasingly seemed to be hosting her instead, making her their “cheesy diner” specials. When I heard that Katherine’s cello ensemble would be playing at the Farmer’s Market I made sure to get there. Every child plays an instrument in this family.

By Jerry Robinson, Publisher

I was sitting on my enclosed patio last week, the warm sun teasing my aging body when it occurred to me that I’ve been very lucky. Lucky to be alive at 92 with no pain.

I use a walker to negotiate my way to the dinner table and a bathroom break or two but otherwise I have little to trouble me.

Except my hands...
I sometimes wonder if Harry “Kid” Matthews snuck into my room while I was asleep and laced up some 16 oz. gloves on me. My fingers feel like cold potato steak fries when I sit down to the computer. I try to type aNd iT cmes out lke ths. Sie wht Imean?
It’s not easy being 92 and trying to run the newspapers.
Don’t feel sorry for me. I have help but it does remind me of what I can’t do. I can’t drive any longer so I write my column from home most weeks. I can’t sell ads on the street due to my wobbly legs. I can’t run the presses because the foreman does not talk loud enough for me to hear the instructions. I stopped delivering the paper when someone stole my bike seat.

If I sound negative, I am. I resent not being able to do all the things I used to do.

When the World Martial Arts and Health Center on Market St closed about two months ago, almost no one had any clue what happened. It seemed as if one day that the building was full of kids learning Master Yun’s special brand of martial arts, and the next that it was deserted.

To this day, the building remains the same as the day it shut its doors. The sign “Master Yun’s Tae Kwan Do and Martial Arts” remains hanging over the street, and a scrap of paper with the words “School Close” written on it hangs in the window. The windows have collected a thick layer of dust, with passersby drawing words and pictures in it. A peek inside reveals an abandoned room and a scattered mess of items.

So, for those who are wondering, the owner of the school, Master Solomon Yun, is indeed alive.

The Ballard News-Tribune recently sat down for lunch with Master Yun, two of his senior students -- John Kahler and Alan Lindwall -- and his friend David Ro at the Siam Thai Restaurant to discuss his life and what had happened.

Parents and Students are Invited to the Back To School BBQ hosted by The WSHS Cheerleaders on Friday September 7.

The BBQ will run from 5pm - 6:30 pm at the SWAC - Southwest Athletics Complex at 2600 SW Thistle St. and will cost $3.00. The cost includes a hotdog, bag of chips and a soda.

The West Seattle Wildcats will face the Seattle Prep Panthers that evening at 7pm.

Hotwire On-line Coffeehouse at 4410 California Ave. s.w. operates in a space many might find too small for a closet and yet, through drive, determination, intelligence and innovation, Lora Swift has made it an unqualified success. This week the business celebrates its tenth year.

Being located next to the West Seattle Post Office has given it a great visibility but Swift has demonstrated her acumen by reaching out to the community in many ways to give back and deepen her roots here.

Hotwire is a primary sponsor and host for the annual West Seattle Outdoor Movies that happen in the courtyard of Dr. Wolff next door for a few warm nights every summer. Furry Faces Foundation holds a plant sale there frequently. The West Seattle Artwalk includes Hotwire as a main location every month and Swift herself is one of the founders and motivators in the alternative arts organization, The West.

Seattle Public Schools new Superintendent Jose Banda, who will visit K-5 STEM at Boren on the first day of school, presented his plan for success in our school district. Here are the details from the SPS:

SPS press release

New Seattle Schools Superintendent to champion ‘equity, access and opportunities’ for all students
Banda calls for ‘going-to-college’ culture, data-informed decisions

Just prior to cutting the ribbon for a renovated elementary school Tuesday (Sept. 4), new Seattle Public Schools Superintendent José Banda announced his own plan for building student success across the school district: fostering a going-to-college culture, analyzing classroom data to close the achievement gap, seeking innovative learning approaches, and creating a compassionate, service-oriented culture.

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-- Portland Artist John Sinclair is showing works at the Burien Community Center lobby, 147006 6th Ave. S.W. The beautifully crafted pencil drawings will be on display until Sept. 28th. Hours are Mon.-Thurs. 8:30 a.m.-8 p.m., Fri 8:30 a.m.- 5 p.m.

Auditions
ChoralSounds Northwest-- -- Auditions for Fall 2012 Concert. Adults 17+. Auditions are by appointment through Sept. 30. Persons interested in auditioning may contact 206.246.6040 or e-mail info@nwassociatedarts.org.

Events

The city of Seattle’s 2011 annexation analysis (based on a King County engineering report) identified an estimated $77 million in deferred maintenance in the North Highline annexation area. These street improvements include resurfacing arterials and non-arterials. —Berk Report 2011, Pg. 27.

At the last annexation informational meeting held at the White Center Food Bank, Burien City Manager Mike Martin was asked when the city was going to do the infrastructure studies for the proposed annexation Area Y/White Center/North Highline that were recommended in two reports the city has generated—the Berk Report and the Drainage Master Plan Report.

Area Y has a $77 million debt that Burien will inherit, if it takes this area on due to the infrastructure problems.

The city manager began an argument with the citizen that voiced the question about the needed reports, stating that no one had ever said there was a $77 million problem with the area. The 2011 Berk Report discussed this in two parts of its report. King County Engineering knows the area well and is a reliable source on data on road costs for the county.