West Seattle Herald / White Center News - Neighborhood Groups

Community effort in Des Moines to raise funds for swim lessons for children

ericm — Wed, 22 May 2013 20:22:16 +0000

Press Release:

May 20 was kick-off day for a four-week campaign to raise funds for the Faith Callahan Memorial Swim Lesson Scholarship Fund.

The fund pays for swimming lessons for children who live in low-income households in the Des Moines community.

The Des Moines Legacy Foundation, the Des Moines Pool Metropolitan Park District and the Mount Rainier Pool have joined together to raise funds for the summer swim lesson program. These groups share a core value of sustaining a water-safe environment for all citizens.

Nine Americans drown every day and three of them are children. Most never learned how to swim. One of the goals of the Des Moines Pool Metropolitan Park District is to assure that no child in the district ever be one of those statistics because they didn’t have an opportunity to learn to swim.

The swim scholarship program was named in honor of Faith Callahan. She had been a life-long supporter of the Mount Rainier Pool and in her 106 years recognized the importance of water safety, exercise and swimming, in particular.

Between May 20 and June 14, 2013, the goal is to raise $2,500 from community individuals and businesses.
Donations can be made by dropping by Mount Rainier Pool at 22722 19th Ave. S. in Des Moines or by mailing a donation to:
Faith Callahan Memorial Swim Scholarship Program
c/o Des Moines Legacy Foundation
P.O. Box 13582
Des Moines WA 98198

Checks should be made payable to DMLF-Faith.
DMLF is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Contributions are tax deductible subject to IRS rules.

The greater Des Moines community is blessed to live, work and shop on the shores of Puget Sound. We are reminded daily of the beauty of Puget Sound and the recreational opportunities it affords us. For the benefit the children of our community, we look forward to community support for this very important program.
To find out more about the Des Moines Legacy Foundation, the Des Moines Pool Metropolitan Park District and the Mount Rainier Pool, please visit us at www.DesMoinesLegacyFoundation.org, www.desmoinespool.com or www.mtrainierpool.com Should you have questions or comments, we are available at 206.406.3225.

Signed/Board of Commissioners, Des Moines Pool Metropolitan Park District

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ericm

05/22/2013

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Wednesday is the day to Give Big to your favorite Highline nonprofits

ericm — Mon, 13 May 2013 23:34:19 +0000

Highline nonprofits are anxiously waiting for the big day on Wednesday, May 15.

That is when the Seattle Foundation is holding its Give Big Day. Donations to your favorite Highline nonprofit may reap more big money from the foundation. Various Highline nonprofits are holding events to promote the day of giving.

Information on Give Big in general can be found here:
http://www.seattlefoundation.org/givingcenter/GiveBIG/Pages/default.aspx

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ericm

05/14/2013

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New church to clean SeaTac streets Sunday

ericm — Wed, 01 May 2013 21:14:13 +0000

Members of a new church in SeaTac are holding a street cleanup in their new city this Sunday.

The World Mission Society Church of God, located at 18435 42nd Ave. S. is sponsoring the cleanup. They will begin at noon along South 188th Street, go north on International Boulevard to South 176th Street and back to 42nd Avenue South. The event goes until 4 p.m.

The members are inviting other volunteers to join them.

“Living in a clean environment contributes much to a person’s well being and allows a much more pleasant life,” the church said in a press release.

For more information, contact Amanda Tello at 520-256-3142 or Deborah Kwon at 206-465-0255.

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ericm

05/01/2013

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Update: Members of controversial SeaTac committee named

cmenges — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 23:24:38 +0000

Advisory committee sparks diverse views from SeaTac lawmakers

Press release:

The SeaTac City Council voted at its last meeting to appoint seven members and two alternates to serve on the newly formed Community Building Committee. The committee will serve in an advisory capacity to the SeaTac City Council, and is charged with:

· Researching best practices of other jurisdictions and vetting those ideas within the community.
· Fostering communication and building trust with all City departments and within the community.
· Acting as a sounding board for projects and programs under development by the City.
· Seeking innovative, community-based ideas through sustainable, two-way communication within the community.
· Participating in existing city, school and community meetings and events to bridge communication gaps and promote active participation and community engagement.

“The establishment of the Community Building Committee represents another step toward more open dialogue between the City and its many stakeholders including residents, schools, community groups and businesses, said Mayor Tony Anderson. “With this committee in place we will be in an even stronger position to address the opportunities and issues that are identified in a more direct and timely manner, as we share our work back with the community.”

The City Council selected the following individuals to serve on the inaugural Community Building Committee:

· Jean Blackburn (two-year term)
· Abdirahman Hashi (one-year term)
· Abdiwali Mohamed (one-year term)
· Virginia Olsen (two-year term)
· Pat Patterson (two-year term)
· Keith Siebler (one-year term)
· Matthew York (two-year term)
· Nibret Aga (alternate)
· Kenneth Taylor (alternate)

Twenty-five individuals applied to serve on the committee. Terms are staggered with four members serving two-year terms and three members serving one-year terms as noted above.

Those interested in committee agendas can sign up for e-notifications by visiting the City’s website, www.CityofSeaTac.com. Under the “I Want To…” pull down menu, click “Sign up for…” and click on “eNotifications”. A box will appear. Enter your email address and click on Community Building Committee under the Event Calendar section and click the “Subscribe” button. You will receive a confirmation email from “administrator” asking you to confirm your subscription. Be sure to respond to the email to activate your e-notification subscription. You may visit the same page to change your subscription preference.

Here is Highline Times' previous coverage:

By Gwen Davis

The April 23 SeaTac City Council meeting began on a pleasant note when Mayor Tony Anderson presented the key to the city to retiring police chief James Graddon.

However, the following part of the meeting was far from congenial.

The council was to affirm the appointments of seven members and two alternate members to the new Community-Building Committee. The candidates for this committee – who will work with the diverse population of the city – were already chosen.

But, Councilmember Pam Fernald complained that the committee members were not all residents of SeaTac. She said that not all of the people who initially applied for these positions were even contacted.

“I’m not going to vote to select people who do not live in SeaTac to serve on a SeaTac committee,” she said.

“More than four citizens who I personally know of who applied for this committee were not even called or interviewed.”

“It sounds like this was because they were not people of color… To me this is reverse discrimination.”

But Councilmember Barry Ladenburg did not agree.

“I am shocked to hear the committee has failed even before it had its first meeting,” he said. “I didn’t know it was required that people live in the city – but it’s what they bring to the city as far as the committee goes. There are certainly a lot of people working for the city, especially in the school district who know the city very well but do not live exactly in the city.

“This committee is advisory only. They don’t spend taxpayer money. The things they do will have to go through this council.”

“We were looking at a lot of diversity in the community, whether they live here, working in the community; are they a young group, older group, an ethnic group. Our community is made up of all kinds of diversity and that’s how we wanted this committee to look. I thought we came up with that.”

Councilmember Rick Forschler said this very debate about citizenship and interviews was “awkward” since it suggested non-transparency though an effort that was meant to be transparent.

The council ended up affirming the appointments.

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cmenges

04/30/2013

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http://www.westseattleherald.com/sites/robinsonpapers.com/files/images/wwwhighlinetimescom/2013/04/news02_1.jpg

Primary Image, Cropped:

http://www.westseattleherald.com/sites/robinsonpapers.com/files/imagecache/thumb/images/wwwhighlinetimescom/2013/04/news02crop_0.jpg

Photo credit:

Photo by Gwen Davis

SeaTac Mayor Tony Anderson and Councilwoman Terry Anderson present the key to the city to retiring SeaTac Police Chief James Graddon. In the background are council members Barry Ladenburg, left, Rick Forschler and Pam Fernald.

Shop abundance of fresh produce, handicrafts at Burien Farmers Market

ericm — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 01:01:29 +0000

Press release:

Stock up on just-picked produce, locally crafted food items and one-of-kind handicrafts at the Burien Farmers Market, which opens Thursday, May 2.

Market hours are every Thursday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. through October 31 in Burien Town Square in downtown Burien.

A major benefit of shopping at the market is better prices for fresher food, according to Debra George, event manager for the Discover Burien Association, which operates the market. The fresh-from-the-fields fruit and vegetables are from Washington State farmers, mostly local, who sell directly to market customers.

Don’t miss new market eatables that include locally concocted Full Tilt ice cream and chocolate biscotti. Among the many returning food vendors, expect to see organic berries and other organic produce, freshly baked goods, shaved ice and hand-made dried pasta.

New this year, handcrafted wood furniture will join the line-up of unique handicrafts. Greenery will feature freshly cut flowers of all sorts and such plantable vegetation as rhododendrons and rose bushes.

Buy lunch from the market’s hotdog cart and other market vendors for a great price to eat al fresco at one of the market’s patio tables. Enjoy live music by Eric “Two Scoops” Moore from noon to 3 p.m.

Buskers are sought to perform live music from 3 to 6 p.m. for tips, and they may also sell their CDS. Check-in at the yellow Discover Burien tent is required before busking.

The Seattle Humane Society MaxMobile will park at the market on the second Thursday of each month for on-the-spot adoption of loving pets.

Market customers may make their purchases with Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, debit cards, WIC or EBT cards. Some vendors accept credit cards directly. Otherwise, shoppers can use debit, credit or EBT cards by purchasing market tokens at the Discover Burien Association booth. Debit and credit tokens can be spent like cash with the majority of the market’s 40-plus vendors. The nonprofit Discover Burien will not charge a fee for debit card use.

Discover Burien is a nonprofit organization that works on Burien’s economic development, promotion and education.

Sponsored primarily by Prudential Northwest Realty Associates, LLC, the market will be situated on Fifth Place Southwest off Southwest 152nd Street in Burien Town Square. For more information, call 206-433-2882 or go online to www.discoverburien.com.

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ericm

04/25/2013

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Brand new works by Washington state playwrights in festival at Burien Little Theatre

ericm — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 20:29:02 +0000

Press release:

For the price of a movie theater ticket, you can see two—count ‘em, two—live, brand-new, award-winning plays by Washington State playwrights in the 2013 Bill & Peggy Hunt Playwrights Festival.

From May 3 through May 26, Burien Little Theatre’s (BLT) Festival offers 4 weekends of new shows. Pay just $10 to see a performance of two plays -- a one-act followed by a full-length.

The one-act Bottom Line is paired with the full-length Undiscovered Places May 3-12. The one-act 17B is paired with the full-length Parsing Race May 17-26.

After each play is performed, audience members are invited to give their opinions and ask questions of the director and playwright.

These talk-backs provide playwrights with fresh ideas, valuable comments, and honest audience response.

Festival sponsors include the new film The Maury Island Incident, Mark Restaurant & Bar, 4Culture King County Lodging Tax and City of Burien.

Staged performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are just $10 and include 2 shows.
Shows are recommended for ages 13 and older due to occasional language or mature subject matter. The Festival is sponsored by the City of Burien and Mark Restaurant & Bar.

For tickets and information, go to www.burienlittletheatre.org or call 206-242-5180.
MAY 3 – 12
Bottom Line, one-act written play by Judith Jacobs
AND Undiscovered Places, full-length play written by D. Richard Tucker
In the comedy-drama Bottom Line, a lottery ticket is the answer to a young couple’s financial problems, or is it? Directed by Robert Harkins and featuring the acting talents of Natalie Schmidt (Crystal) and Riley Donohue (Jack).
A man meets his adult daughter for the first time in the drama Undiscovered Places, just as his wife is grieving the loss of her son by a prior relationship. Directed by John Ruppeck and featuring the acting talents of Kevin Finney (Dan), Eloisa Cardona (Greta), Patty Bonnell (Candice), Kiki Abba (Julie) and Eli Tock (Scottie).

MAY 17 - 26
17B, one-act written play by Stephan Feldman
AND Parsing Race, full-length play written by Dave Miller
A woman buys two seats on an airplane for her own comfort in the comedy 17B, and arguments ensue about airline policy and common sense. Directed by Russ Kay and featuring the acting talents of Geni Hawkins (Doris), Tim Takechi (William), Shanda Russell (Pam), Dennis Moore (Captain Scully) and John Flynn (The Passenger).

The drama Parsing Race explores what happens when two mixed race couples and a troubled young man deal with the different ideas of race relations held by three generations of friends and family. Directed by Rochelle Flynn and featuring the acting talents of Maria Knox (Yolanda), Adam Hegg (John), Malcolm J. West (Walter), Melissa Malloy (Maddy), Charles Reccardo (Franklin), Patrick Tolden (Saleem) and Vera Werre (Lydia).

ABOUT THE BILL AND PEGGY HUNT PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL
The mission of the Bill and Peggy Hunt Playwrights Festival is twofold: to encourage Washington State playwrights to pursue their craft and to showcase previously unproduced plays written by Washington State residents. Playwrights are invited to submit their scripts, which are evaluated by a panel of judges who select the winners. BLT produces the winning plays in the festival. Top winners in the one-act and full-length script categories are produced as fully staged performances on BLT’s main stage.
The Festival was named to honor Bill and Peggy Hunt’s dedicated service to theater and their devotion to and involvement with BLT. Peggy Hunt joined Burien’s theater scene in 1960 with a leading role in the play Harvey. Over the next 35 years both Bill and Peggy appeared in and directed plays, designed and built sets, served on the Board of Directors, and were involved in some aspect of every theater project.
BLT officially launched the Bill and Peggy Hunt Playwrights Festival in 1999. This year, BLT chose four playwrights to be honored with awards.

ABOUT BURIEN LITTLE THEATRE
Exciting live theater has been a tradition in Burien since 1955. Incorporated in 1980, Burien Little Theatre (BLT) has been a leading producer of quality live theater serving residents of the Seattle and south Puget Sound areas.
BLT is committed to being an entertainment leader by producing intriguing professional-quality shows. The company’s mission is to treat audiences to productions of the highest artistic integrity that excite, engage and involve both the local and expanding theatrical communities in the Puget Sound region.
A nonprofit 501(c)(3) entity, BLT operates on revenue from ticket sales, donations, grants, sponsorships and volunteers.

THEATER LOCATION
Burien Little Theatre
14501 Fourth Ave. S.W.
Burien, WA 98166
(Intersection of Fourth Avenue Southwest and Southwest 146th St., parking lot entrance on Fourth)
Directions available under “Find Us” at www.burienlittletheatre.org).
(206) 242-5180

TICKET PRICES AND PACKAGES
Staged Performances (Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m.): All tickets just $10 for performance of 2 plays.
Dinner and a Show Package: This package includes a two-course meal at Mark Restaurant & Bar plus a ticket to the show; cost is $25 per person. Contact the Mark at 206-241-6275.

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ericm

04/25/2013

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Environmental Science Center announces free healthy soil workshop on May 19

ericm — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 22:40:27 +0000

Press release:

The Environmental Science Center (ESC), Cascadia Consulting Group, Master Gardeners, and Sustainable Burien with support from the city of Burien, King County, and The Russell Family Foundation are sponsoring a FREE workshop for the public.

Please join us in the Multipurpose Room at the Burien Library (400 SW 152nd Street, Burien) on Sunday, May 19th, 2013 from 2:00pm – 4:00pm.

A beautiful garden or yard depends on healthy soil. Learn how to achieve this while also keeping the Puget Sound and our community vital. Master Gardener, Mary Machala, will show you examples and tools to use to build soil health inexpensively.

Gretchen Muller, Senior Associate at Cascadia Consulting Group, will also speak on low-impact development practices and protecting our watershed.

Practicing sustainable yard care can be beneficial not only to the environment, but also to your pocketbook. Simple practices such as using natural pesticides and organic fertilizer from yard waste help protect waterways from being polluted with toxic chemicals. Keeping our watershed healthy ensures the longevity of resources such as salmon and drinking water. Correctly managing stormwater runoff on your property prevents unwanted elements from polluting Puget Sound. Also, by using native plants in landscaping, you ensure that wildlife such as butterflies and birds have the natural habitat on which they depend.

Please REGISTER:
Email outreach@envsciencenter.org or call 206.248.4266 to reserve your spot. Light refreshments will be served.

For more information visit www.EnvScienceCenter.org

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ericm

04/24/2013

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Update: Discover Burien announces board candidates, explains voting procedure

ericm — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 00:16:04 +0000

Discover Burien release:

We're very excited to announce the nominations for the 2013 Board of Directors as selected by the nomination committee from interested applicants:

Lori Alden
Ali Levich
Lance McIntosh
John White
Brent Volle

Additionally, we have three applicants running by petition:
Virginia Wright
Suzanne Greive
Patricia Eslava Vessey

We are very grateful for the very qualified and enthusiastic leaders in our community that each, in their own way aid in the progress of Discover Burien's efforts in making our community a wonderful place to live, work and play.

Discover Burien’s Annual Membership and Board Elections meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 23, 2013, 5:30 PM at Southgate Masonic Hall, 1004 SW 152nd Street Burien, WA 98166.

At this annual meeting, we will conduct the election for Board positions.

Discover Burien is updating and clarifying the voting rules for the upcoming election. To be in line with the spirit of "one person, one vote" each person will have to be present at the election, a member in good standing, show id, and sign the registration sheet to receive their voters ballot.

For individuals that are involved with Discover Burien through multiple memberships due to having their business (es), not-for-profit (s), and an individual membership, they must cast their individual ballot and designate one person to represent each additional membership.

Each designated person must be present at the election, show id, and sign the registration sheet to receive and cast the ballot.

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ericm

04/19/2013

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School retirees meeting scheduled for April 23

ericm — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 22:01:24 +0000

Press release:

A meeting of the SW King School Retirees Association will be held on Tuesday, April 23, 2013, at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 8th and So. 192nd St., Des Moines, at 11:30 a.m.

A donation ($6) lunch will be served and the program, to follow, features Mr. Richard Anderson, President of WSSRA.

He will bring us up-to-date on the happenings in Lacey, and the benefits that AMBA has for us.

(We are also still collecting food and money for the local Food Banks; this month the Feinstein Foundation will double our contributions.) Please join us. If you have any questions regarding this meeting, please call Eileen at 206 878 3294.

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ericm

04/15/2013

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