March 2013

By Gwen Davis

Parents and community members gathered at a Community Conversation on Thursday evening the 14th to discuss the proposed site for a new elementary school on Genesee Hill.

“Schmitz Park Elementary was one of the schools to get a new building at Genesee Hill, since a school levy passed a couple of years ago,” said Kerrie Schurr, communications chair of the Genesee-Schmitz Neighborhood Council (GSNC). “The design process started in November, and it’s continuing on from there.”

The meeting focused on how the new facility would physically look. Architects of the company to construct the building, BLRB, presented a PowerPoint showcasing diagrams of the proposed plan. The diagrams were crude rough-drafts of the final version, they said, analogous to “crayon” sketches.

The building will not near actual construction until spring 2014. The new school is scheduled to open its doors in September 2015.

The school district has been renovating school buildings for the past several years. It first began with the high schools, then the middle schools and now finally the elementary schools are getting a makeover.

King County Executive and West Seattle resident Dow Constantine kicked off his 2013 re-election campaign Thursday night, March 14, at the Hall of Fauntleroy in West Seattle.

Introducing him were King County Councilmembers Larry Gossett, & Joe McDermott, who lives in West Seattle. Supporters present included Dow's father and mother, John and Lois, and Dow's brother Blair, all of West Seattle.

Other politicians present were State Senator and Senator Majority Leader Ed Murray, new Port Commissioner Courtney Gregoire, the former governor's daughter, King County Sheriff John Urquhart, King County Assessor Lloyd Hara.

Also there, Tim Nuse, 34th District Democrats Executive Board Member of the Year, Pete Spaulding, active member of the West Seattle Food Bank board, Southwest Precinct Advisory Council, the Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council and other community groups, and other politicos.

"I support Dow," said King County Sheriff Urquhart told the West Seattle Herald. "I think he's been a great county executive, and he has been especially supportive to law enforcement and that's what matters to me."

By Patrick Robinson and David Rosen

As the final days for the Alki Tavern wind down, the call went out to Harley riders. This would be the last time you'd see more than two dozen motorcycles lined up along Harbor Ave. SW out in front of the tavern. This was the final Taco Thursday. The Alki Tavern closes for good Sunday, March, 17.

In keeping with tradition, this wasn't ever gourmet food. But at a buck a taco you expected it to be filling not fancy. Owner Gill McLynne posted the notice on the Downtown Harley Davidson event board. The faithful responded and they began assembling early. The sign read "Bikes, Trikes or Dikes Parking only" and an assortment of high powered Harleys showed up. Well more than 30 were lined up with more in the parking lot across the street to give their gratitude to the bar where they were always welcome.

By Eric Mathison

Highline schools superintendent Susan Enfield reported March 13 that the district will present its recommendations on school security changes next month to the community for public comment.
She said the district would hold public meetings on the plan.

Enfield has met with former Des Moines police chief Roger Baker, who is reviewing a whole series of issues around school security. The superintendent said the breadth of Baker’s study impresses her. Enfield has also met with the police chiefs within the Highline district.

A district steering committee studied Highline’s security department and presented a report at a Dec. 12 board study session. That was two days before a gunman killed 20 students at a Connecticut elementary school. The timing fueled public alarm over possible changes.

At the March 13 board meeting, Enfield said the district wants to develop a security model that other districts will adopt.

Highline schools superintendent Susan Enfield reported March 13 that the district will present its recommendations on school security changes next month to the community for public comment.

She said the district would hold public meetings on the plan.

Enfield has met with former Des Moines police chief Roger Baker, who is reviewing a whole series of issues around school security. The superintendent said the breadth of Baker’s study impresses her. Enfield has also met with the police chiefs within the Highline district.

A district steering committee studied Highline’s security department and presented a report at a Dec. 12 board study session. That was two days before a gunman killed 20 students at a Connecticut elementary school. The timing fueled public alarm over possible changes.

At the March 13 board meeting, Enfield said the district wants to develop a security model that other districts will adopt.

By Holly Brown

Saint Patrick’s Day is a day of celebration and feast, named for the most commonly recognized patron Saints of Ireland. For Christians, the day commemorates the arrival of Christianity to Ireland, but St. Paddy’s Day has become a celebration of Irish culture. Marked by festivals, parades, green attire, church services, and lifting of lent related restrictions, it’s a wonderful day to enjoy the classic dishes of Ireland.

Contrary to popular belief, Corned Beef and Cabbage isn't traditional Irish cuisine. It was however popularized by Irish Americans, and has become a central part of St. Patrick's Day celebrations in the U.S. The introduction of the potato in the 16th century heavily influenced Irish cuisine. Today, few meals are considered complete without the addition of potatoes.

SDOT press release
Next Tuesday and Wednesday, March 19 and 20, the Seattle Department of Transportation will close the curb lanes on the West Seattle High-Rise to accommodate Seattle Public Utilities crews while they clean the roadway drains. Tuesday, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., the drains on the east bound lanes will be cleaned starting with the right lane from Fauntleroy to First Avenue.

When the right lane work is completed, that lane will reopen and the left lane will be closed for the drainage work in the same stretch between Fauntleroy and First Avenue. On Wednesday, again from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the same work pattern will be carried out in the westbound lanes of the high-rise beginning with the right lane and then moving to the left lane between First Avenue and Fauntleroy.

The work will take place only on the high-rise structure; no off-ramp work will be involved. Drivers should expect to slow down and use extra caution as they pass through the work zone.

The debate of protection vs. privacy between police and citizens over surveillance cameras perched along Seattle’s waterfront, including several in West Seattle, continued at the Alki Bathhouse on March 12 as the Seattle Police Department held their first in a series of public meetings on the divisive topic.

Many citizens have expressed worry the cameras, with their ability to swivel and look at land as well as the Sound, are an invasion of privacy while Seattle Police have spent the past month attempting to calm those concerns and ensure they will implement the proper safeguards to limit abuse of the system.

While SPD is taking the project lead, once implemented (Mayor McGinn said they won’t be turned on until all community questions are answered) a wireless mesh network affiliated with the cameras will allow several agencies – from the Coast Guard and Seattle Fire to King County Metro and the Port of Seattle – access to the system.

Press release:

Twenty-nine year-old North Highline resident Lauren Berkowitz announced March 14 that she has filed with the State Public Disclosure Commission to run for Burien City Council against long-serving incumbent Jack Block Jr.

Berkowitz has worked for the last five years as a labor organizer for the Washington Federation of State Employees and for the United Food and Commercial Workers. Berkowitz has lived in Burien for three years and is a 2007 graduate of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.

She is presently a student at the University of Washington School of Law. At UW, Berkowitz has been appointed to the Dean’s Committee on Diversity and elected to the boards of both the Students for Labor and Employment Justice and the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund.

Berkowitz works as a volunteer with the Unemployment Law Project, and in her free time enjoys hiking with her two dogs in Burien parks, growing and harvesting organic produce, and speed skating.

Press release:

Great Clips Salon Unveils New Look



Burien, WA. Great Clips is pleased to unveil a brand new look for its Burien Plaza salon next to Safeway. Over the last 10 days in February, the salon has undergone a full-scale remodel. Customers will find updated flooring, paint colors, signage and more. The lobby has a 32” flat panel TV and customers will also notice a wait list display.

“Our new design is aimed at providing a warm, comfortable and inviting place for our customers,” remarked Jessica Gardner, Franchisee. “This updated design includes modernized versions of familiar elements, like our signature sails, as well as added new elements that contribute to a fresh look.”

Updated wood flooring, paint colors and sails contribute to the salon’s relaxed atmosphere.