March 2013

Press release:

The Gold Star Award WINNERS will be announced live Thursday, March 21 at the second annual Gold Star Awards BASH. Created in 2012, this red-carpet style event (21 and over) features a night of music, drinks, appetizers, dancing, and a LIVE announcement of the Gold Star Award winners. 

This year’s list of impressive and well-deserving nominees includes highly qualified staff, volunteers, and administrators.

Please come help us celebrate the outstanding Teachers, Volunteers, Alumni, Staff and Administrators of Highline Public Schools at our district’s version of the Academy Awards!

Event Details: Gold Star Awards BASH
Thursday, March 21, 2013
6:30 - 8:30 pm
The Production Shop, 14624 – 9th Avenue SW, Burien

Tickets are $15 and include appetizers, drinks, music, and celebration at this fun event unveiling the winners of the 2013 Gold Star Awards! (21 and over only)

2013 GOLD STAR AWARD NOMINEES

Outstanding Administrator Nominees
Mark Demick, Principal, Chinook Middle School
Diana Garcia, Principal, Cascade Middle School
Deborah Holcomb, Principal, Southern Heights Elementary School

Speaking to the White Center Chamber of Commerce on March 12, King County Councilmember Joe McDermott said the community’s storefront deputy position, currently held by Deputy BJ Myers, is only funded through the end of 2013.

To ensure its future funding, he recommended lobbying King County Sheriff John Urquhart directly.

McDermott explained when the storefront position reopened in 2011 it was through funds set aside by the King County Council for “gang activities” and that “we funded it through the rest of last year and the end of this calendar year.”

Myers came on board in late 2011, and the funding was largely a reaction to a cohesive North Highline community push for the position that is as much community outreach as it is law enforcement. Residents have fond memories of past storefront deputies Steve Cox and Jeff Hancock, both who became integral parts of the cultural fabric as Myers has today.

First there was a room without a real purpose; someone proposed they build a bookcase and have books for borrowing. Then shelves overflowed and they wanted more bookcases, and so it became a bookstore. It’s a bookstore open to the public that too few people know exists, run by a dedicated group I like to call the women of the book at the Ballard Senior Center.

Librarian for life Mary Ellen Zippel has reinstituted a card catalog and uses the bottom shelf of the coffee table as storage for the reference books she uses to respond to questions. Meanwhile semi-retired forensic scientist Kathryn Quackenbush sets up mobile sales outside Chase Bank and is establishing honor system outposts at additional locations. Wendy McCallen, former tavern owner and rummage sale savior is willing to do whatever is needed - and knows the bosom makes a good short-term place to stash the cash. (I wasn’t supposed to call it her titty bank). Patricia Hayes helps keep the books in order and additional volunteers collect and deliver books.

Press release from Parks Department

Seattle Parks and Recreation will close all recreational facilities tomorrow, March 13, from 12:30 to 2:30 so that Parks employees can meet with their leaders and talk to Parks management about the shooting that took place at Parks’ Densmore Ave. N facility on Friday, March 8.

This meeting will give the recreation staff time with their management team and with counselors. Affected facilities are community centers, pools, environmental learning centers and the Amy Yee Tennis Center.

Parks works in partnership with the Associated Recreation Council (ARC) to bring high-quality, accessible and affordable recreation opportunities to the people of Seattle. For more information on ARC, please see http://www.arcseattle.org/.

In Ballard, the promise of effective, efficient transit has been dangled over residents' heads since the monorail-craze.

Then there was RapidRide.

And now, a new transit study which would analyze the best way to bring high capacity transit -- e.g., light rail or streetcar -- is underway, to be completed in mid-2014.

"We know folks in Ballard have taken the merry-go-round once before," Mayor Mike McGinn said with a knowing smile. "But we are asking you again to hop right back on it."

Mayor Mike McGinn, who took the RapidRide to Ballard, talked about what the city was doing with the study and possible avenues to fund a transit line to Ballard.

At the open house for the transit study on Tuesday night, March 12, inside the Ballard High School commons area, a lively group of Ballardites learned about and gave their opinion on how better transit should come to Ballard.

In open house style, attendees made their way around a large circle of informative boards manned by professionals from Sound Transit.

By Zachariah Bryan

What could make the West Seattle Farmers Market even better? If it was able to showcase some of our neighborhood breweries.

If Jeanne Kohl-Welles (D-Belltown) has anything to say about it, that could be a possibility in the near future.

Under Senate Bill 5674, which passed the State Senate today, three wineries and/or breweries per day would be able to offer samples at farmers markets across the state.

“This gives Washington’s small wineries and breweries a low-cost means of marketing their products,” Kohl-Welles said. “This gives our residents more local choices and is good for local businesses and farmers markets across our state.”

Of course, there are limits to the boozing. In addition to a limited number of showcased companies, microbeweries and wineries could serve no more than two ounces per customer per day. Servers must also possess a Class 12 or 13 server permit and food must be made available to those being served.

In response to the shooting that took place at the Seattle Parks Densmore Ave. North facility on March 8, Seattle Parks and Recreation will close all recreational facilities tomorrow, March 13, from 12:30 to 2:30 for a meeting between Parks management and staff.
 
This meeting will give the recreation staff time with their management team and with counselors. Affected facilities are community centers, pools, environmental learning centers and the Amy Yee Tennis Center.
 
 

The King County Ferry District has installed a new maintenance and moorage barge that King County Councilmember (and KCFD Chair) said,"It has a bit more work to do and the utilities to hook up. It will give us a place to have offices and tie up three separate boats. We're about to receive the "Spirit of Kingston" from the federal government, a free gift actually. The barge will be a place where we can moor our third boat.

From Community Animal Resource & Education Society:

We have found this dog running loose in south Burien. If it is yours or you know the owner, please contact Burien CARES at 206-812-2737 buriencares@gmail.com

--
Robert Cooper
Office Administrator
C.A.R.E.S.
Community Animal Resource
& Education Society
(206) 812-2737

Aileen Sison was revealed as the White Center Chamber of Commerce's new president at their luncheon on March 12, replacing Mark Ufkes after three years at the helm.

Sison is also a real estate agent and King County District 8 Civil Rights Commissioner.

Sison "is a great community leader who is involved in the business community ... and also lives here," Ufkes said. "She is a natural for taking the leadership role."

Ufkes also named Mac McElroy, owner of Mac's Triangle Pub, as vice president for a third term, Dr. Chris Hill as secretary, Ray Zombro as treasurer (a position he held for 10 years in the past), and introduced two new board members: Eduardo Brambila, owner of Mago Signs, and Chris Cody, owner of Herban Legends, a medical cannabis dispensary.

"He has been a positive force in White Center for two years now ...," Ufkes said of Cody. "The stereotypes associated with his business are generally unfair, and if people came and talked to him they’d realize that.”

The March luncheon also brought in two high-profile guests: King County Councilmember Joe McDermott and Highline Schools Superintendent Susan Enfield.