June 2015

Renton, WA-King Conservation District will make available $650,000 of regional food systems grants in support of King County agriculture through a grant process that was just announced on their website (www.kingcd.org). Grants will be awarded to fund food system related projects with demonstrated public benefit and a link to improving working farm lands in King County.

To learn more, a Launch Event will be held on Wednesday, June 10, at the TAF/Bethaday Learning Center (605 SW 108th Street, Seattle, WA 98146) at 10 am and is open to the public.

A police chase in SeaTac Thursday night resulted in a teen in the hospital after being shot in the head by police. The incident occurred just before 8:30 p.m. on May 28th after deputies from the King County Sheriff’s Department spotted a stolen car on Highway 99 in SeaTac. The suspect refused to stop after several attempts by police to pull the vehicle over. Deputies were eventually able to box in the vehicle on the 20800 block of 32nd Avenue South near Legacy Place Apartments. Both officers exited their vehicles and called for the suspect to turn off his engine and get out of the stolen vehicle. The suspect then attempted to ram his way free by putting the car in reverse and repeatedly slamming it into the vehicle behind him. The impact from the stolen car ramming into the police vehicle pinned one of the officers to his patrol car. According to the King County Sheriff’s Department, this is when the second deputy on the scene decided to fire on the vehicle. “Fearing his partner’s life,” the deputy fired twice into the car with one bullet striking the suspect in the head.

Emily Cain, a fourth-grader at Cedarhurst Elementary School in Burien, won this year’s Voters’ Pamphlet Kids Art Contest that is hosted by the office of the Washington Secretary of State , Secretary of State Kim Wyman visitedmEmily’s classroom (Mr. Kevin Plough is teacher) to join Emily’s teacher and parents in surprising her with the big news.

   Winner: Emily Cain, age 10 – 4th grader at Cedarhurst Elementary, Burien. Thet theme this year was “Every Vote is Equal!” celebrating 50 years of the Voting Rights Act, a landmark piece of legislation that prohibits racial discrimination in voting. Civil rights activists Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks were on hand to watch President Lyndon B. Johnson sign the bill into law on Aug. 6, 1965. 

·         Nearly 300 talented 4th and 5th grade students statewide submitted their artwork in 2015.
·         Emily’s drawing will feature in 3.2 million copies of the statewide Voters’ Pamphlet this November.
·         Emily’s winning artwork and other runners-up will be displayed this fall in the state Capitol Building in the Lt. Governor’s office.

Burien, WA– Pacific Middle School is being recognized for its innovative work to provide alternatives to suspension that keep students in school and learning.
 
Uniting for Youth named Pacific Academy, Pacific’s in-school suspension (ISS) program, the winner of the 2015 Uniting for Youth Innovations in Alternatives to Suspensions Award. The award was developed to recognize creative partnerships that aim to eliminate discipline practices that rob students of class time, causing them to fall behind.
 
“Pacific Academy stands out based on outcomes, innovations in providing wrap-around and follow-up services, and the strong letters of support,” said Marcus Stubblefield, Uniting for Youth coordinator. “It is programs such as these that will help strengthen the school-to-career pipeline.”
 
In the graduating class of 2014, Highline students with zero out-of-school suspensions had a graduation rate of 71 percent, while students with just one out-of-school suspension had a graduation rate of only 46 percent.
 
One of Highline's strategic goals is to eliminate out-of-school suspensions, except when critical for student and staff safety.
 

Highline Public Schools is seeking feedback from families of Highline students through an online Parent and Family Climate Survey. All families are encouraged to participate in the survey which asks questions on topics ranging from academic preparation to student support to safety and behavior.
 
District and school leaders want to know how parents and families view Highline schools, programs, and services. This will help Highline make changes to improve schools and better support students.
 
“We want to work together with you to build an excellent education system where every student is known by name, strength, and need,” said Superintendent Susan Enfield. “Every family's voice is important. These conversations will help us learn how to make our schools better.” 
 
The online survey is easy to access and provides a convenient way to share input and ideas. Parents and families who have provided their student's school with an email address will receive an email invitation to participate. The survey is also posted on the YourVoice section of the district’s website.
 

n days of open slavery, people worked under the lash. They feared if they slacked they would be beaten. But after the so-called age of enlightenment people lived a less stressful life and there was time and inclination to appreciate the finer things of life. Fortunately we live in a society that has time to smell the flowers, as they say. All this was brought to my attention when I attended a lunch dance and someone who attends as frequently as I do called to me and handed me something. It was a one of my columns which she had put into a lovely frame. She said she loves reading my columns each week and this one was of particular interest. It was the one I wrote about Letting Go. As I always say, if no one appreciated my columns I would not keep on writing them. Guess I have many more columns to share since the fountain is not dry yet, as they say.

By Andrea Reay, Executive Director, Discover Burien


It takes a lot to open your own business, and even more to keep it open. Just ask long time business owners Darla Green and Lindsay White. Both women are celebrating their ten year anniversaries this year at their respective businesses. Passion inspired them to start their businesses but hard work, dedication and diligence has been instrumental to their success

Ms Green opened Skinperfect a beauty bar boutique in February of 2005 and Ms White opened Osteria da Primo, a colorful Italian Eatery, with her husband Carlo in May of 2005. Osteria da Primo specializes in fresh pasta, wood fired pizza and an exceptional wine list. They were recently included in an article by Seattle Met Magazine as one of the top Italian restaurants in the Seattle area http://www.seattlemet.com/eat-and-drink/nosh-pit/articles/35-great-seat….

This summer, the City of Burien will initiate a Slurry Seal Program to lengthen the life of its roads at a fraction of the cost of complete repaving.  The project area will include portions of streets in Northeast Burien between Glendale Ave S and S 128th St, east of SR 509.  A map can be found at http://bit.ly/1HSP4MS. 
 
“We look forward to putting this state-of-the-art maintenance method to work on our streets,” said Maiya Andrews, Public Works Director for the City of Burien.  “As we all know, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and that’s especially true when it comes to caring for our infrastructure.”
 
Slurry seal is a mixture of fine aggregate and emulsified asphalt applied to residential roads.  Considered to be preventive maintenance, slurry seal extends the life of existing asphalt by sealing it from the harmful effects of water penetration and sun.  Slurry seal is a cost-effective treatment that provides a new wearing surface to last an additional three to seven years.
 

To the editor:

My name is Breck Ivy, I am a teacher at Sylvester Middle School (and HHS alum c/o ’95) and was also a student at Sylvester in the late 80’s/early 90’s. My colleague, Stan Thesenvitz (also SMS and HHS alum, c/o ’95), and I brought twenty 7th and 8th grade students to WE Day last month, and we were inspired to start fundraising for causes we believe can create big change for families overseas, as well as help our students realize that they can create big change in the lives of others.

The goat fundraiser is in full gear at Sylvester, and we have raised $550 towards our goal of $1400 (28 goats), which means we can purchase 10 goats for women farmers in Africa.

Here's the story...

To the editor:

Thanks to all of you, Burien Actors Theatre’s 35th Season drew to a close with the end of the Bill and Peggy Playwrights Festival on May 24. BAT is gearing up to do it all over again! Our main stage season opens in the fall with the musical “The Addams Family.”

This summer look for BAT in the 4th of July Parade, and at the Strawberry Festival, where in prior years BAT has been selected as the “best booth” by the crowds.

This summer BAT will also be presenting “Electic Man,” a superhero comedy by Turbo Turkey, dance and the Seattle Playwright Studio’s Showcase. BAT’s BALL (Burien Actors Lending Library), located at Bumbershoot Books, will also begin to be filled with books.