February 2017

What began in 1998 with just 500 volunteers has grown into an annual event spanning hundreds of thousands of people and more than 100 countries around the world. It’s the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), organized initially by the National Audubon Society and Cornell Lab of Ornithology. In 2016 the participants to this event submitted 162,052 bird observation checklists. You can easily be one of those citizen scientists who helps with the count in 2017.

The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is now a partnership between the National Audubon Society, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology (database center for bird research in the world), and Bird Studies Canada as the official Canadian partner. It is an annual four-day event that engages people of all ages across North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Africa, India and Australia in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are. Anyone can participate, from beginners to experts. You can count for as little as 15 minutes on a single day, or for as long as you like each day of the event. It’s free, fun, and easy – and it helps to protect the birds.

Village Concepts, a third generation family-owned business helping seniors thrive in retirement and assisted living communities throughout Washington state, is excited to announce a pancake breakfast with The Adriana co-owner Brian Scalabrine, a former NBA Boston Celtics player, Highline College student and elder care advocate
 
                                For Scalabrine, the desire to support senior housing efforts stems from childhood, when he would visit his grandparents in their mobile home park. Puzzled by the complacency surrounding the inexcusable treatment of the elderly, Scalabrine has been searching for a better solution for senior housing ever since. Investing $23 million into The Adriana is his way of giving back and honoring the countless contributions wiser generations have made.
 

By Lindsay Peyton

All the seats were full at a meeting discussing “Camp Second Chance,” the new homeless encampment at Myers Way.

The line-up of speakers at the Joint Training Facility, 9401 Myers Way South, on Wednesday night, Feb. 1, included Captain Pierre Davis representing the Southwest Precinct of the Seattle Police Department who addressed safety concerns and Mike Ashbrook, director of facility operations, who explained plans to protect wetlands and prevent contamination on the property.

Rodney Maxie with the Seattle Department of Transportation, discussed infrastructure improvements planned for the area.

George Scarola, the city’s director of homelessness, explained that this was the second community conversation about the plan. The first was held in December.

“We listened carefully to the questions raised at that meeting,” he said. “This meeting is about trying to answer as many of those questions raised at that initial meeting as we possibly can.”

Northwest Symphony Orchestra is excited to announce their “Valentines Concert” on Friday, February 10, 2017 at 7:30pm at the Highline Performing Arts Center in Burien. This concert is part of the NWSO’s 30th Anniversary Season and features Anniversary Overture by Northwest composer Roger Treece, Tchaikovsky’s popular Piano Concerto #1 with internationally known soloist Sown Le Choi, and Symphony #4 by Ludwig van Beethoven.

Since their inception, the orchestra has received local, regional, and national acclaim, having been featured several times on National Public Radio and once on NBC’s Today Show.  Under the leadership of Music Director Dr. Anthony Spain the mission of the NWSO is to be the premier orchestra in performing and promoting the music of contemporary Northwest composers while also performing, and educating the public in the full spectrum of classical music.

“The Northwest Symphony Orchestra is proud to of their 30th Anniversary Season.  In this season we reach the unique milestone of performing 150 works by northwest composers in our history.  This year, we include a variety of exciting traditional pieces, as well as several well known soloists.

Discover Burien is proud to announce new member Medzo Gelato Bar and Travel Café! We would like to personally invite you in helping us host the Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on Friday, February 10th at 12 pm. Join us for Gelato and Italian Hot Chocolate samples, door prizes and a look into their new location in Olde Burien.

Medzo Gelato Bar and Travel Café offers artisan Italian gelato and sorbets made with organic dairy and natural ingredients. Formerly 5-star rated Gelarto on Alki Beach, Medzo (short for Mediterranean Zone) will offer the same world-class products in a family-friendly environment…but with a twist. In this unique travel café, their 21 and over guests can enjoy dessert wines, sangria or liqueur drizzles in the comfort of a warm and cozy environment, which also offers light food and small bites for those craving a savory experience.

Passion, ambition and the Internet become inextricably entangled in the thoughtful comedy Sex with Strangers at Burien Actors Theatre. Performances of this Washington State premiere, written by Laure Eason, run Feb. 10 through March 5. The Burien Actors Theatre production features specialty drinks themed to the show and plenty of free on-site parking, plus an opening night party.

“SEX WITH STRANGERS”
Olivia, an attractive and talented but underappreciated mid-career writer, isunexpectedly trapped in a secluded, snowed-in B&B with Ethan, an equally attractive and wildly successful young blogger. Her latest novel is an unsung masterpiece; his blog of his “sexcapades” is being made into a movie. She prefers books; he prefers eBooks. She is anonymous; he has half a million Twitter followers. Opposites soon attract – passionately – as each realizes they want more of what the other has. But the closer they get, the more they must confront the murky side of ambition, success and the digital era...

Dear Airport Neighbors:
We are contacting you because you’ve expressed an interest in the Port of Seattle’s Flight Corridor Safety Program and Replanting Plan, a program that replaces over-height trees with native, low-growing trees and shrubs in Sea-Tac Airport’s flight corridor.

On February 1, the Port hosted an open house on the program at the SeaTac Community Center, which about 85 members of the community attended.

If you were able to attend, thank you for participating. And if you weren’t, the Port has launched an online open house that includes the same materials that were shared with the public on February 1.

Visit: http://seasafecorridor.infocommunity.org/ and provide your input.

Identical to the February 1 open house, the online version seeks public input specifically on:
•Removal and replanting approaches for Port properties near South 200thStreet
•The Port’s Airport Communities Ecology Fund to invest in environmental projects and programs in SeaTac, Burien and Des Moines

Manuel L. Rodriguez passed away on January 24, 2017 in San Diego, CA. He was born in Cocula, Mexico.  He came to United States at the age of 18 to seek a better future and met his wife of 62 years, Sally Rodriguez. They went back to Mexico to get his paperwork in order. While in Mexicali they had 3 children, Steve, Lupita and Margie. 
 
After leaving Mexico, they came to Seattle and made it their home. They added 4 more children to their family: John, Mary, Virgie and David. Manuel lived for his family and made sure they had what they needed. You would never find him in the house. He would be in his yard working on lawn mowers or tending his flower and vegetable gardens. 
 
He worked for Union Pacific Railroad for over 30 years and retired from there. After retirement, He went back to Mexico to visit his family. He purchased a property next to his sister to rekindle their relationship. He built a beautiful property with lots of fruits and vegetables and guest rooms. He had hopes and dreams for his children and grandchildren to come there and love it as much as he did. He enjoyed being able to live in both places 6 months out of the year. 
 

West Seattle Helpline announced this week that they are moving to a new location at 4401 42nd Ave SW, offering more room and thus enabling more services.

Executive Director Chris Lengler said, "Through a partnership with the West Seattle Christian Church, we will be moving into the first floor of what has been known as the "Ginomai Building" in the West Seattle Junction. The space is four times the size of our current location and will allow us to dramatically expand our services. It is also more accessible via public transit, has dedicated parking, and will result in an open, welcoming store environment for our clients and volunteers."

Just four weeks after the retirement of Executive Director Rick Jump, the White Center Food Bank has announced that their Operations Manager Audrey Zemke is leaving. They shared the news in a press release:

"After over 9 years of rewarding work with the White Center Food Bank, Operations Manager Audrey Zemke will be leaving. Her last day is February 17. Moving from Volunteer Coordinator to Operations Manager, Audrey has had the job of working with volunteers and many organizations to make sure hungry families received emergency food assistance. A West Seattle resident, Audrey has taken pride in facilitating getting food to hungry people while treating the clients with dignity.