July 2013

Press release:

It’s summertime and the livin’ is easy with a free old-fashioned street party in Olde Burien Saturday, July 20.

From noon to 10:30 p.m., the Olde Burien Block Party is bursting at the seams with action: live music, a sausage-eating contest, kids activities, drawing for a $500 shopping spree, beer gardens and fashion show. The party is a thank you from Olde Burien merchants to customers and community for their support.

To enter the drawing to win a $500 Olde Burien shopping spree, just shop or dine on July 20 at participating businesses in Olde Burien. Each purchase provides participants tickets to enter the drawing. The shops will offer special deals, so it’s an ideal time to shop the unique wares of Olde Burien.

Enjoy live entertainment, from music to a fashion show, on an outdoor stage while savoring the food and drink of various Olde Burien eateries in their extended outdoor beer gardens. Take the stage as a competitor in the sausage-eating contest.

Information from Highline Community College

Community leader Sili Savusa has been appointed by Governor Jay Inslee to serve on the Highline Community College Board of Trustees.

Savusa is currently the executive director of the White Center Community Development Association, which promotes the development of White Center through authentic leadership opportunities and community-led, neighborhood initiatives. She also serves on the Governor’s Commission on Closing the Achievement Gap, the Washington State Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs committee and Community Center for Education Results steering committee.

“We are pleased to have Sili as our newest trustee,” said HCC President, Dr. Jack Bermingham. “Her dedication to serving diverse communities in our region and her leadership experience at the policy level will be a great asset to the College.”

The Westwood/Roxhill/Arbor Heights Community council tackled a series of issues at their most recent meeting on July 9 including potential cuts in bus service from King County Metro, adding a traffic circle at 41st SW and SW 104th Street, traffic calming on Roxbury Street and speed humps on 30th SW near Roxhill Elementary.

Here are their meeting minutes:

King County Metro cuts; writing a letter to the city advocating action:

We discussed the upcoming possibility of King County Metro cuts. The state legislature in Olympia failed to give the county the taxing authority it needed in the last special session. It’s entirely possible—maybe—that something could come up in September in Olympia. However the political climate and obstruction against King County and Seattle is evident at the moment, was the consensus.

The Live Painting Extravaganza!

This Thursday, July 11th from 6pm - 9pm the sidewalks of White Center will be jammed with artists as part of the White Center Artwalk...with its own unique identity. RatCity ArtCity will feature live painting, not just a static art show or gallery walk.

Here's their lineup:

• Aarons Bicycle Shop: Aaron Anches
• Big Al Brewing: Rich Werner www.richwerner.com
• Center Studio: Paul Sorey http://www.paulsorey.com/
• Company: Jeanette Jones http://www.jeanettejones.net/
• Full Tilt Ice Cream: Angelina Villalobos http://onesevennine.tumblr.com/
• Herban Legends: Robert Tibbets
• King County Sheriffs Office: Gaura Kish http://gaurakish.com/illustration.html
• Proletariat Pizza: Giovanni Gotelli http://giovannigotelli.com/
• Zippys Giant Burgers: Shannon Kringen http://www.shannonkringen.com/painting.htm

By Simone Alicea

Two of the three dogs involved in an attack on a White Center man early Wednesday morning are being held at the regional animal services shelter in Kent until the county decides whether they can be returned to their owners.

The 66-year-old man had just been dropped off by a friend who had taken him to the store, according to Sergeant Cindi West of the King County Sheriff’s Department. The Seattle P-I reports that the man was walking on 18th Avenue Southwest around 12:15 a.m. when the attack occurred.

Authorities have not yet spoken to the man, who is being treated at Harborview Medical Center for bite injuries all over his body, including a severe wound to the neck.

Neigbors in the area said the dogs were running loose before the attack, but nobody reported being threatened by the animals.

Editor's Note: This is part of a series of food posts by West Seattle's own Holly Brown whose food blog and WebTV show, The Brown Lounge has gained a national following.

By Holly Brown

For me, the most exciting part of planning a trip, is anticipating the cuisine of the region. Where we’ll eat, and what we’ll eat, are as important as where we’ll stay and what sites we’ll see. Getting to know the place, begins by getting to know its food. Naturally, I try to include cooking classes, and wine tasting excursions in my travel plans whenever possible. The Greek Isles are ripe with opportunities to taste wonderful food, and to take in the beauty of this Mediterranean treasure.

A proposed ordinance that would set a minimum wage of $15 per hour and other employment conditions for some airport transportation and hospitality workers will be on SeaTac’s Nov. 5 general election ballot.

SeaTac council members placed the ordinance on the ballot Tuesday, July 9 after declining to adopt it without a vote by residents. Because a petition with sufficient signatures was filed with King County Elections, SeaTac council members were required to either adopt the ordinance outright or send it on to the ballot.

City Attorney Mary Mirante Bartolo and Councilmember Dave Bush emphasized that city officials did not generate the proposed ordinance. The ordinance was proposed and signatures gathered by a group called SeaTac Committee for Good Jobs.

A special “town hall” meeting will be held July 16, 5:30 p.m., at SeaTac City Hall to hear public comments about the proposed ordinance.

By Simone Alicea

A new vision research laboratory is set to open in Florida in 2015 thanks to the charitable legacy of two deceased West Seattle residents, according to a press release Monday from Research to Prevent Blindness.

Mildred and Clifford Sanders worked for Boeing for many years and spent their retirement years in Alki. Their family announced that their estate would donate over $1 million to various causes, including RPB, last year to fulfill the couple’s last wishes.

RPB used that money to create a $600,000 grant for vision research, which was then awarded to the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Florida College of Medicine. The laboratory will be named the RPB Mildred Krahmer Sanders and William Clifford Sanders Laboratory for Vision Research.

News release:

The B-Town BEAT is Thursday, July 11 from 6 until 9 p.m. in downtown Burien.

Thirty-five venues, community art projects, the beginning work on the Art Alley, late night shopping.

Printable map at:

www.b-townbeat.com

Update, July 11

The Seattle Police Department has released more information, via their police blotter blog.

Tuesday afternoon, police received a report that a man matching the description of the suspect was at Ballard Commons Park. They took the man's name, ran it, and found it was clear. At the time, they were unable to verify if he was the same person from Salmon Bay Park.

But, Wednesday morning, police received a delay out-of-state response, indicating the man had been missing from Montana and had some mental health issues.

Officers once again found him in Ballard Commons Park. They took him into custody and brought him to the hospital for a mental health evaluation. They now believe he is the same man from Salmon Bay Park and are continuing to investigate the incident.

In addition, SPD relayed an apology for their delay on Monday. A number of factors contributed to this, they say.