We'll skip over Native Americans harvesting clams at Three Tree Point, Mike Kelly trudging up from the Duwamish Valley to find a "sunny dale" or Gottlieb Von Boorian settling by his namesake lake.
We'll start our tale from when we got here. By we, I mean the Highline Times... and me.

Act I

Those really were the days, my friend.

We're talking about Burien back in the 1950s and '60s. Think "Happy Days." Think Beaver Cleaver meets Ozzie and Harriet.

The memories came flooding back for this old Burien boy with Times/News remembrances marking the passing of former Highline Times publisher Al Sneed. In addition, Sharon Hofstra Haugen, (Highline High, Class of 1960) wrote about her dad, Don Hofstra of the Hi-Line Police Patrol, who guarded the night streets of Burien with his faithful German Shepard, Cap.

Back then as I strolled by the old Highline Times office on 152nd, I never imagined that that one day I would be proofing Reid Hale's copy as the Times editor. Hale was the editor during my boyhood. He stayed for about 18 years. After 11 years, I'm in hot pursuit of Hale's longevity record.

Shortly after Mr. Sneed's death, Hale outlined in the Times/News how the town grew up during his publisher's tenure.

"...Burien shook off its stump farm roots and began its emergence as one of our post-war suburban miracles," Hale recalled.

In one year, Hale noted, grand openings were celebrated for 15 new retail stores. That wasn't counting new dentists, lawyers and accountants.

(What really got the tears flowing for this modern day editor is Hale's report that by the end of the 1960s his staff included three women's section writers, three other reporters and a photographer.)

Burien was the retail heart of Southwest King County with a department store, three shoe stores, two appliance stores, two hardware stores and two pharmacies-all locally owned.

School superintendent Carl Jensen, latter to be named Times/News "Citizen of the Century," was helping start Highline Community College, Camp Waskowitz and the Occupational Skills Center.

"In one 5 year period, (Highline School District) classrooms were being built at the rate of one every three and one-half days," Jensen reported in his own book.

A Miss Burien was chosen as Seafair Queen while another was picked as Miss Washington. We even had a "Miss Burien" hydroplane.

As a kid, I got my shoes from Joe Jaffee's, my clothes from Bell's of Burien or Dad & Lad, watched a TV from Perry West's and drank chocolate shakes from Lou's. All were bunched along 152nd.

It was quite a time.

Act II

"About 1973 the lights went out..." current publisher Jerry Robinson recalled in writing about the community during the later days of Sneed's stint as publisher.

The airport was buying up thousands of residential houses for a second runway. Our only consolation was their promise they wouldn't build a third.

My old Highline High principal, Robert Sealey, took over as superintendent from his mentor, Jensen. With the airport expansion and the building of state routes 518 and 509, school enrollment shrank by 16,000 kids.

A planned giant shopping mall near Bell's of Burien went to Tukwila instead.

"Even the ice rink, the movie house, the shoe stores, the ladies shops went belly up as Southcenter drew away shoppers," Robinson wrote.

Burien's heyday seemed to be behind it.

Act III

Well, actually, this act has not been written yet.

But from indications, I bet our story will have a happy ending.

A tremendous energy was generated during the recent Burien Mardi Gras and Cove to Clover events. That restaurant row of great eateries and drinking establishments is starting to pay off.

Now we need those Town Square condos on the market at realistic prices. That'll give those downtown Burien pub-crawlers somewhere to crawl home to safely.

The timing on the opening of the condos and square retail spaces couldn't have been worse. But the banks have been bailed out now so it's just a matter of shaking the money loose and moving forward.

I'm also encouraged by the city's "visioning" process. It sounds kind of airy-fairy-just something to keep consultants employed. However, the city staffers are making a sincere effort to talk to all segments of the population and come up with a positive direction for Burien.

And it's always a good sign to be recognized by those trendy downtown Seattle publications. "Seattle Met" magazine recently named Burien as one of the "best places to live now."

Mark Restaurant co-owner Debra George told the magazine, "We have great water views. We have parks. It's like this hidden little secret."

George, also Discover Burien's events planner, concluded, "The city has fallen back in love with itself."
The protagonist finds true love. That's the perfect ending.