May 2013

All four of the Burien City Council seats on the ballot will be contested in the Aug. 6 primary election.

Three or more candidates filed for each position. Council members are currently split 4-3 on many issues.

Lauren Berkowitz and Kip Walton filed last week to take on Jack Block Jr., who also filed for re-election.

Berkowitz filed a complaint against Block for a post on his private Facebook page, which she found offensive. The council censured Block with four votes for censure and three abstentions.

The race for former mayor Joan McGilton’s seat features four candidates. Running against McGilton are frequent council critic Debi Wagner, arts commissioner Andrea H. Reay and Robert L. Richmond III.

Len Boscarine and Nancy Tosta will oppose former deputy mayor Rose Clark.

Mayor Brian Bennett announced shortly before the filing period that he would not stand for re-election. Bennett endorsed planning commissioner Joey Martinez. Council critic Chuck Rangel and long-time resident Steve Armstrong are also running.

The top two candidates in the primary for each position will go on to the Nov. 5 general election.

Due to a reporting error, the amount of money the Port of Seattle has pledged to Highline schools for noise mitigation was wrong in an article on the Port’s noise study that appears in the May 24 print issue.

The Port, operators of Sea-Tac Airport, has pledged $100 million for Highline schools.

That covers seven schools so far--Madrona Elementary, North Hill Elementary, Mount Rainier High, Cedarhurst Elementary, Sunnydale Elementary, Midway Elementary and Parkside Elementary.

Eight more schools are scheduled to get monies as levy upgrade projects are approved. For schools that close, that money goes to the new construction to increase capacity.

Of the dollars, $50 million comes from Federal Aviation Administration grants, while the remaining $50 million comes from the Port.

Also, the Port has provided $6 million to Highline Community College in Des Moines to assist in sound insulating of campus buildings. Twelve of the 22 buildings identified are complete.

The figure for Highline schools has been corrected in the online story below:

May 30 is the deadline for public comments on the Port of Seattle’s airport noise study.

Editor’s note: Harland Eastwood substitutes for Jerry Robinson this week.

By Harland Eastwood
SPECIAL TO THE HIGHLINE TIMES

During the afternoon of November 17, 1955, a heavy, wet snow started to fall all over the Seattle area. The snow continued throughout the evening and ended around 11 p.m. During that time perhaps 5 or 6 inches of snow had accumulated, making driving difficult.

I do not recall just when I became aware of the plane crash and resulting fire, but it was very shortly after the accident had occurred. I do remember hearing lots of sirens on police cars and ambulances that were going by our house shortly after midnight. My dad had heard them too, and was up and looking out our front room window.

By Shara Wallace and Steve Shay
HIGHLINE TIMES

Crash nears SR-509 causes injuries
Sgt. Cindi West, King CountySheriff spokeswoman, reported May 13, that the intersection of 8th Avenue South and South 128th Street near the I-509 onramp in Burien was blocked due to a serious, multi-vehicle accident that took place just after 7 p.m. that evening.
The accident involved a Honda, a Mercedes, and a tow truck that was hauling a Nissan and towing another car. The Honda was completely smashed. The Mercedes received major damage. The driver of the Honda, a 20 year-old woman, was rushed to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle in critical condition. Her three year-old child, also in the Honda, was brought to Harborview with a broken leg. The driver of the other car involved was also brought to a hospital. The driver of the tow truck escaped the accident without any injury.

Car break-ins, vandalism, prowlers and theft

From Animal Aid & Rescue Foundation, of "AARF":

Join us for our 5th Annual Whine and Cheese Live Auction at Vino Bello on Friday, June 7th from 6-9 pm. This is a fun and fabulous event you don’t want to miss!! We have lots of great items up for auction this year including an Amphicar ride. We are excited to once again have the clever and charismatic Mr. Charlie Beck, musician with Hondo II, back as our host/auctioneer for Whine and Cheese.

Your $25 donation will get you 2 drinks and a raffle ticket. We will also have an assortment of cheeses and some delicious raw desserts from Deceptive Delights.

Vino Bello Wine Bar & Shop
636 SW 152nd ST, Burien

You can purchase tickets in advance here.

Update May 25
Massage Envy opened on Saturday with a ribbon cutting and complimentary chair massages for the first visitors.

Original Post
The first West Seattle location of Massage Envy, a chain of massage providers will open on Saturday, May 25 in Westwood Village. It is next to the Staples in the Westwood Village Shopping Center.

The West Seattle Chamber of Commerce will conduct an official ribbon cutting ceremony at 11 a.m. Following the ribbon cutting, the clinic will kick off celebratory activities by offering complimentary chair massages, healthy treats and a water bar until 1 p.m.

The clinic will offer more than 13 licensed massage therapists.

Update for June 28
A message from relay organizer Kate Flanagan:

Relay for Life is here! Saturday (June 29) 2pm at West Seattle Stadium.

Here are some of the main events;
4 – 5pm – Long hair? Cut off 8 inches and donate it to Pantene Beautiful Lengths! They will then make wigs for local cancer patients!

5 – 6pm – Bubbleman!!

6:30 – 7:30pm Recess Monkey! Free kids concert

10pm – Luminaria ceremony – Come celebrate survivors, those fighting, and those we have lost to cancer in this powerful ceremony. Please bring canned goods for donation! Cans only please!

Contigo taco truck will be there for dinner from 5 – 8pm

Survivors are always welcome and honored!!

Come see what all the hype is about!

Original post
Get those walking shoes ready for a relay marathon to raise money for cancer research and get out the purple for an upcoming celebration.

Here are the details from Kate Flanagan with West Seattle Relay:

Paint The Town Purple:
The American Cancer Society’s 100th Birthday is this Wednesday (5/22/2013).

A FREE Family Health & Fitness Night hosted by The Hope Heart Institute and Molina Healthcare is happening at West Seattle Elementary School on May 21 from 5:30pm-8:00pm. The school is located at 6760 34th Ave SW.

The goal of the event is to teach over 150 students and their families about healthy eating, active living and heart health. The evening will include dinner, games, prizes, and health tips. Families can blend a smoothie by pedal power, take a swing at golf, and dance their way to fitness along with a local Zumba instructor at this interactive event.

Community organizations participating include:

· Double Dutch Club performance

· Highpoint Community Center

· Camp Long

· Apple Corps

· Cascade Bicycle Club

· First Tee Golf

· West Seattle YMCA

· Neighborhood House

· Farmer’s Market Alliance

· Southwest Pool

· Washington Dairy Council

· Neighborcare Health

About The Hope Heart Institute

Press release:

On September 29th, of last year, a suspect accosted and attempted to abduct a 10-year-old child at the Albertson’s at South 128th Street and 1st Avenue South in Burien.

Albertson’s employees, becoming aware of a commotion, intervened and successfully rescued the child and after a struggle, detained the suspect pending the arrival of the police.

On May 20, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. Burien Police Chief Scott Kimerer will honor the employee’s with the King County Sheriff’s Office Meritorious Service Award. The Meritorious Service Award is the Sheriff’s Office 7th highest award conferred on an individual or group who demonstrate extremely meritorious dedication.

Please join Chief Kimerer and the Burien City Council when they acknowledge these very deserving citizens.

Burien City Hall 400 SW 152nd Street
Multipurpose Room

Do you have a middle school student who will be coming to Chief Sealth International High School next year?

Coming up Tuesday May 28 the Incoming Student Sealth Athletics Open House will be held from 6-7:30pm in the Chief Sealth Galleria on campus.

All incoming 9th graders and their parents are invited to come visit with representatives from each of the school's sports and athletic activities in a comfortable and casual setting.

Sealth Athletic Director Sam Reed explained that, The purpose of the event is to:

• Introduce you to our outstanding coaching staff,
• Connect you with programs they may be interested in,
• Invite you to participate in voluntary summer workouts,
• Walk you through the sports packet and what is required to play high school sports,
• Show you what health and safety resources are available for student athletes,
• Much more!

Refreshments will be served.
Please e-mail Sam Reed with any advance questions.

See the flyer for the event at the link above.