Imagine every bone in your body from the waist down aching. You’re sitting on the couch and you can hardly get up. Once you do get up, you can barely move around. Everything just feels sore.

The day before you had just competed in Seattle’s Inaugural Rock and Roll Marathon. You remember running across that finish line in pain, but triumph. You had done it. You set out to do something and you did it. You almost gave up on mile 24, you started feeling the burn on mile 17, but you had pushed through and accomplished something. You had even finished in 4 hours and 49 minutes. 11 minutes faster than your goal.

Just remember back on mile 13 when you were still fresh and you had seen your family and you were still running strong. Just remember back to when the race started and you could hardly even jog, because there were so many people. That wasn’t even the start. Remember back to when you were training and you ran from Kent to Orting. That felt like an accomplishment too, but it wasn’t like what you were feeling now. Remember that night that you had said, “I’m going to run a marathon.” We thought you were crazy, but you printed out a training schedule and you put your mind too it and look where you are right now. Crossing that finish line. You want to fall to your knees, because of the ache.

My Dad, Nathan Hart, crossing the finish line at the Rock n'Roll Marathon!

You find your family waiting at the other side of the finish line. They are so proud. This wasn’t just about the accomplishment of a marathon. It was much more than that. It was the will power that you had to put your mind to something and 16 weeks later accomplish it. You give people the awareness that they really can do whatever they put their mind too. It would have been impossible 16 weeks prior for you to run that marathon, but you trained in the beating down sun, you trained in the rain, the cold, and the heat. You also trained on the beach, in the woods, at the track, in the valley. You never gave up. You gave inspiration to many people out there. Even though you didn’t finish with the best time, you still did it. You accomplished something very few people accomplish.

This is the story of my dad, Nathan Hart, competing in the Rock and Roll Marathon, which went from Tukwila to Seattle on June 27th.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Josh Hart is the B-Town Blog's first Intern! He's a 15-year old student at Highline's “Big Picture High School” in SeaTac who loves to write and play soccer.

You can read more of his writing here...]

by Josh Hart

The Boy’s 3A Seamount baseball season is over and it turned out to be an interesting year.

Both Mt. Rainier and Highline High School did very well, along with Kennedy.

Tyee and Evergreen didn’t do so great though and so Highline School District evened out pretty well.

Mt. Rainer High School finished at the top of the standings at 10-1 in conference and a combined win loss record of 11-3.

Kennedy finished second with 13 wins and four losses in league play and a combined record of 14-6.

The Highline Pirates finished third with a 12-4 league play record and went 14-4 in combined play.

Highline School District’s baseball teams are some of the top in the state and many of the players will likely play college ball.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Josh Hart is the B-Town Blog's first Intern! He's a 15-year old student at Highline's “Big Picture High School” in SeaTac who loves to write and play soccer.

You can read more of his writing here...]

If you haven’t yet subscribed to our Free Weekly Event Newsletter, sign up today, and you’ll receive a regular spam-free event listing every week via email that goes something like this:

FRIDAY, MAY 1st:

BILL & PEGGY HUNT PLAYWRIGHT FESTIVAL, BLT
8pm:Burien Little Theatre’s Bill & Peggy Hunt’s Playwright’s Festival premieres tonight! They’re also holding a food drive fundraiser for local food banks, so be sure to bring some non-perishable food with you!

Here are a few of the upcoming performances:

May 1 at 8:00 p.m. Friday – MAY DAY!
May 2 at 8:00 p.m. Saturday – Free play readings at 2 p.m. – “Penny Loves Butchie Hartog” and “Sinking Bass Turds”
May 3 at 2:00 p.m. Sunday Matinee
May 8 at 8:00 p.m. Friday
May 9 at 8:00 p.m. Saturday – Plus free play readings at 2 p.m. – “Penny Loves Butchie Hartog” and “Sinking Bass Turds”
May 10 at 2:00 p.m. Sunday Matinee
More info, including the full schedule, as well as listings of plays and readings, here.

DJ QUINN, BISON CREEK PIZZA & PUB, 630 SW 153rd Street
10pm-2am: DJ Quinn returns to the recently-remodeled Bison Creek Pizza & Pub. Tonight there’s NO COVER. More info here.

ELMER’S PUB, 15027 Ambaum Blvd SW, 439-1007
9:30pm+: Live Music! NO COVER! ROCK! BEER! FOOD! DANCING! DARTS! POOL! FUN!

MICK KELLY’S IRISH PUB, 435 SW 152nd, Burien, 246-2473
10pm+: Live DJ, 80s night, dancing, NO COVER! Irish accents + Guinness on tap! More info here: http://mickkellysirishpub.com/

SATURDAY, MAY 2nd:

PARKSIDE GARDEN CLUB PLANT SALE, ALBERTSON’S
9am-4pm: The Parkside Garden Club will be holding its annual plant sale to benefit local charities as well as scholarships at both the UW and WSU at the Albertson’s parking lot at First Avenue South and South 160th Street. More info here.

WEST SEATTLE MONTESSORI SCHOOL RUMMAGE SALE
9am-3pm: BTB Advertiser West Seattle Montessori School is having a Rummage Sale at the American Legion Hall in West Seattle, which is located at 3618 SW Alaska Street in West Seattle. More info here.

MOSHIER ART CENTER’S SPRING POTTERY SALE, MOSHIER ARTS CENTER
10am-3pm: Burien’s Moshier Community Art Center is holding its annual Spring Pottery Sale, and it’s a great opportunity to get some original pottery for Mother’s Day. More info here.

HIGHLINE BOTANICAL GARDENS ANNUAL PLANT SALE
10am-3pm: The Highline SeaTac Botanical Gardens will be holding their annual plant sale at their gardens, which are located at 3735 24th Ave South. More info here.

“HATS OFF FOR HIGHLINE” FUNDRAISER, EMERALD DOWNS
11:30am: BTB Advertiser Highline Medical Foundation is sponsoring Hats on for Highline to raise money for cancer care and other patient care programs at 11:30am at Emerald Downs in Auburn. More info here.

3 WISHES’ CLOTHING FUNDRAISER, 3 WISHES BOUTIQUE
10am-6pm: 3 Wishes Boutique, located at 929 SW 152nd in Olde Burien, is holding a fundraiser for the YWCA’s “Dress for Success” program, and is asking residents to bring in clothing they no longer wear to donate to disadvantaged women. Bring in & donate clothing you no longer wear and receive a certificate for 15% OFF your next purchase of regular price merchandise! More info here.

HIGHLINE VINTAGE JAZZ FESTIVAL, PERFORMING ARTS CTR.
2pm-5pm + 7pm-10pm: Burien Arts is holding its first annual Highline Vintage Jazz Festival at the Highline Performing Arts Center. Tickets are just $20 per show or $35 for a full-day (ie: 2-show) pass for this all-day music fest, which will feature two 3-hour performances with some of the region’s most well-known jazz musicians playing Dixieland, swing, solo stride piano, gypsy jazz and more!

NOTE: The B-Town Blog is proud to be a sponsor, and we’ll have a table in the lobby, so come on by and say “Hey Daddio” between sets and win a groovy prize!

More info here, including videos of some of the artists as well as ticket info.

BILL & PEGGY HUNT PLAYWRIGHT FESTIVAL, BLT
2pm: Burien Little Theatre’s Bill & Peggy Hunt’s Playwright’s Festival continues with free play readings at 2 p.m. of “Penny Loves Butchie Hartog” and “Sinking Bass Turds.” More info, including the full schedule, as well as listings of plays and readings, here.

HOLY FAMILY SCHOOL’S ANNUAL FIESTA AUCTION/DINNER
5pm: White Center’s Holy Family Elementary is holding its 21st annual R.E.A.C.H. (Reinforcing Education And Catholic Heritage) Fiesta Auction and Dinner. Silent Auction starts at 5pm; Dinner at 7:30pm and Live Auction at 7:45pm. More info here.

HIGHLINE VINTAGE JAZZ FESTIVAL, PERFORMING ARTS CTR.
7pm-10pm: 2nd, evening performance of the Highline Vintage Jazz Festival at the Highline Performing Arts Center. See listing above, or click here for more full details. More info here.

LIVE MUSIC, BISON CREEK PIZZA & PUB,
10pm-2am: Kimball Conant and the Fugitives (a great NW Blues/Jazz band), No Cover, 21+ please.

“COLORAMA” BOWLING, HI-LINE LANES, BURIEN
7-10pm: “Colorama” bowling, a fun, active and funky thang to do, and it beats Wii Bowling anyday! (206) 244-2272

LIVE MUSIC, 909 COFFEE & WINE, OLDE BURIEN
8pm: Live Music, NO COVER CHARGE! 909 is located at 909 SW 152nd Street in Olde Burien; Call for details: (206) 243-7909

MICK KELLY’S IRISH PUB, 435 SW 152nd, Burien, 246-2473
9pm+: Irish accents + Guinness on tap! More info here: http://mickkellysirishpub.com/

BARREL TAVERN, 11501 First Ave South, Burien, 244-7390
9pm+: Live Band! NO COVER! Read our review here.

ELMER’S PUB, 15027 Ambaum Blvd SW, 439-1007
9:30pm+: Live Music! NO COVER! ROCK! BEER! FOOD! DANCING! DARTS! POOL! FUN!

SUNDAY, MAY 3rd:

BILL & PEGGY HUNT PLAYWRIGHT FESTIVAL, BLT
2pm: Burien Little Theatre’s Bill & Peggy Hunt’s Playwright’s Festival continues with a matinee performance. They’re also holding a food drive fundraiser for local food banks, so be sure to bring some non-perishable food with you! More info, including the full schedule of plays and readings, here.

3 WISHES’ CLOTHING FUNDRAISER, 3 WISHES BOUTIQUE
Noon-5pm: 3 Wishes Boutique, located at 929 SW 152nd in Olde Burien, continues their clothing fundraiser for the YWCA’s “Dress for Success” program, and is asking residents to bring in clothing they no longer wear to donate to disadvantaged women. Bring in & donate clothing you no longer wear and receive a certificate for 15% OFF your next purchase of regular price merchandise! More info here.

COMING SOON:

WEDNESDAY, MAY 6th:
ROBERT DUGONI BOOK READING/SIGNING, THE TIN ROOM
6pm+: NY Times Best-selling author Robert Dugoni will be celebrating his creative ties to Burien with a reading and book-signing party at The Tin Room. More info here, including excerpts of Burien scenes from his latest novel “Wrongful Death” and a feature story with video here.

THURSDAY, MAY 7th:
7pm-9pm: Three FREE Natural Yard Design Workshops start Thurs. night May 7th, sponsored by the City of Burien and King County. More info here.

SATURDAY, MAY 9th:
ALL DAY: Tukwila’s annual Backyard Wildlife Festival is a free all-day event at the Tukwila Community Center, meant to educate and inspire people to welcome wildlife – such as birds, butterflies, and other wildlife – into their backyards, gardens and communities. More info here.

SATURDAY, MAY 9th:
DES MOINES YACHT CLUB SOUTH SOUND OPENING
2pm: The Des Moines Yacht Club is holding its annual “South Sound Opening” day of boating season on Saturday, May 9th with a flag ceremony, speeches, drinks, dinner and live music with “The Tropics.” More info here.

DES MOINES SPORTS NIGHT DINNER & AUCTION
5:30pm-9:30pm: Des Moines 7th annual Sports Night Dinner & Auction fundraiser will be at the historic Des Moines Field House. Host will be Bruce King, former KOMO Sportscaster, with a keynote by former UW quarterback Brock Huard. More info here.

FRIDAY, MAY 15th:
BIG PICTURE HIGH SCHOOL AUCTION
7pm+: Come support BTB Intern Josh Hart’s high school at this auction for Big Picture High School, which is located at 2450 South 142nd Street in SeaTac. More info here.

SATURDAY, MAY 16th:
8:30am-2pm: White Center’s 6th Annual Spring Clean Up is coming Saturday, May 16th, and volunteers are needed to help clean up. This annual clean-up event is intended to make White Center a better place to live, work, and play by promoting community building and neighborhood revitalization. More info, including how you can help, here.

BUY A LISTING ON THE BLOG & NEWSLETTER FOR JUST $25!
The B-Town Blog continues to grow in popularity, with April being our best month ever with over 18,000 Unique Visitors and 33,000 Page Views!

In other words, if you’re having an Event in the area and you want people to show up, you’d better get listed both on the Blog and in our Weekly Event Newsletter.

Email us for more information on getting your Event listed – free for fundraisers, non-profits or current Advertisers, and only $25 per week for others – a unique and very affordable way to get your event noticed by affluent, interested broadband-using local residents!

by Josh Hart

A few Big Picture High School students, which includes myself, are putting on an Auction. All proceeds will be donated to The First Place School, which is a school in Seattle that helps homeless and abused children get their education along with finding homes for them.

YOU are invited to attend the auction.

It is May 15th 29th starting at 6:30pm at Big Picture High School, which is located at 2450 South 142nd Street in SeaTac (map below).

It is open to the public and FREE to attend. There will be snacks available and it will be a fun night.

This is our second year running an auction and we have learned a lot from the last one, so this auction is going to be great!

Some of the items being auctioned are six hours of tutoring from Sylvan Learning Center, Photographs on canvas, and much much more. So come on out and enjoy yourselves, support your community, and you may walk out with a great item.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Josh Hart is the B-Town Blog's first Intern! He's a 15-year old student at Highline's “Big Picture High School” in SeaTac who loves to write and play soccer.

You can read more of his writing here...]

If you haven’t yet subscribed to our Free Weekly Event Newsletter, sign up today, and you’ll receive a regular spam-free event listing every Thursday via email that goes something like this:

FRIDAY, APRIL 24th:
EARTH DAY FAIR, SALTWATER STATE PARK, DES MOINES
10am-2pm: The King County Housing Authority and Federal Way Public Schools Americorps teams, in conjunction with Washington State Parks, are hosting an Earth Day Fair at Saltwater State Park in Des Moines. More info here.

3 WISHES’ CLOTHING FUNDRAISER, 3 WISHES BOUTIQUE
10am-6pm: 3 Wishes Boutique, located at 929 SW 152nd in Olde Burien, is holding a fundraiser for the YWCA’s “Dress for Success” program, and is asking residents to bring in clothing they no longer wear to donate to disadvantaged women. Bring in & donate clothing you no longer wear and receive a certificate for 15% OFF your next purchase of regular price merchandise! More info here.

JOHN F. KENNEDY HIGH SCHOOL’S “KATCH” AUCTION
John F. Kennedy High School, which has made Burien its home for over 42 years, will be holding its annual KATCH Auction over two nights starting Friday night, with a casual, family event. It’s in the gym, there’s no admission charge tonight and no reservations are required. More info here.

GLENDALE LUTHERAN PIGS ON PARADE, 8 BURIEN SHOPS
Glendale Lutheran School has planted numerous hand-painted pigs in eight different store windows in Burien. Students from preschool to sixth grade designed, painted and named all of the sassy swine. Maps with the home of each hog can be picked up at participating local businesses with a competition to match the location and the name of the pig which can be returned to the school office to receive a prize. More info here.

DJ QUINN, BISON CREEK PIZZA & PUB, 630 SW 153rd St.
10pm-2am: Burien’s Bison Creek Pizza & Pub have done a major remodel, extended their hours, and are now offering live music and DJs. Tonight there’s NO COVER, and DJ Quinn is spinning pizza, er, we mean tunes. More info here.

ELMER’S PUB, 15027 Ambaum Blvd SW, 439-1007
9:30pm+: Live Music! NO COVER! ROCK! BEER! FOOD! DANCING! DARTS! POOL! FUN!

MICK KELLY’S IRISH PUB, 435 SW 152nd, Burien, 246-2473
10pm+: Live DJ, 80s night, dancing, NO COVER! Irish accents + Guinness on tap! More info here: http://mickkellysirishpub.com/

SATURDAY, APRIL 25th:
BURIEN’S ANNUAL “CLEAN SWEEP,” FIRE STATION ON 8TH SW
8am+: “Clean Sweep,” Burien’s annual spring cleaning starts at 8am at the fire station located at 15100 8th Ave SW. Citizens are encouraged to join in and improve the appearance of the downtown area and neighborhoods by picking up trash and other debris along streets, sidewalks and parks. Volunteers are asked to report to the Burien Fire Station at 8am, where they can enjoy a free continental breakfast and then head out to the community to clean, pick up trash, remove graffiti and more. More info here.

HIGHLINE PUBLIC SCHOOLS BUDGET CUT MEETING
9am-11am: Highline Public Schools, which faces an estimated $8 million in budget cuts for next year due to reductions in state funding, is holding a public meeting to discuss with the public. This is the second meeting to discuss these cuts, so if you’re a concerned parent you should try to attend. More info here, including details as well as other meeting times and locations.

GIRLFRIEND’S CLAY DAY, MOSHIER ARTS CENTER
10am-1pm: “Girlfriend’s Clay Day,” a workshop where you can learn how to make a beautiful vase out of clay will be happening at Moshier Community Arts Center. Great way to make a gift for Mother’s Day! More info here.

CAR WASH FUNDRAISER FOR “RELAY FOR LIFE,” VISION COLLISION AUTO BODY REPAIR
10am-3pm: BTB Advertiser Vision Collision is holding a car wash for the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life fundraiser at their shop, which is located at 803 SW 154th Street in Burien. More info here.

THIRD RUNWAY POTTERS SPRING SALE, MOSHIER ART CTR
11am-5pm: The “Third Runway Potters” (they have no affiliation with airports or lawsuits) will be holding their Spring Garden Art Sale at Moshier Arts Center, located at 430 South 156th. More info here.

3 WISHES’ CLOTHING FUNDRAISER, 3 WISHES BOUTIQUE
10am-6pm: 3 Wishes Boutique, located at 929 SW 152nd in Olde Burien, is holding a fundraiser for the YWCA’s “Dress for Success” program, and is asking residents to bring in clothing they no longer wear to donate to disadvantaged women. Bring in & donate clothing you no longer wear and receive a certificate for 15% OFF your next purchase of regular price merchandise! More info here.

JERRY MILLER PLAYS @ THE REUBEN, DES MOINES
Noon-2pm: Jerry Miller, one of “The 100 Best Rock Guitarists”(according to Rolling Stone Magazine) will play for NO COVER CHARGE at The Reuben. More info here, including a review of his last gig there.

JOHN F. KENNEDY HIGH SCHOOL’S “KATCH” AUCTION
Tonight is the big “Evening With the Stars” Live Auction/Dinner Night with a Hollywood style semi-formal, including a delicious sit-down dinner and a full live auction. More info here.

GLENDALE LUTHERAN SCHOOL LIVE AUCTION/DINNER
6pm+: Tonight is Glendale Lutheran School’s Live Auction and Dinner. Doors will open at 6pm, with dinner to follow at 6:45pm. For ticket information contact the school office at (206) 244-6085. Please note that Saturday is an adult only event. More info here.

BIG BURIEN BUNCO BLOWOUT, EL DORADO WEST
6:30pm+: The Big Burien Bunco Blowout is a fundraiser event for the American Cancer Society and Relay For Life, and is coming to BTB Advertiser El Dorado West, located at 1010 SW 134th Street (SW 134th at Ambaum Blvd.). More info here.

SEASON FINALE, NORTHWEST SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, PAC
8pm: Burien-based Northwest Symphony Orchestra will present its season finale “Reflections of the Northwest” concert featuring acclaimed cello soloist Joshua Roman at the Highline Performing Arts Center. Joshua is a rock star of the cello world and this should be quite a show. More info here, including video of him leading an orchestral version of Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven.“

LIVE MUSIC, BISON CREEK PIZZA & PUB,
10pm-2am: The recently-remodeled Bison Creek Pizza & Pub hosts live music from “The American Night,” A Doors Tribute Band, with a $5 Cover, 21+ only; More info here, including an MP3 sample of them doing “Break On Through.”

VINO BELLO WINE TASTING, $10
Noon-8pm: Oregon’s Pinot & More, $10
5pm: Live Music w/Kristin Connell; more info here: http://www.vinobello.com

“COLORAMA” BOWLING, HI-LINE LANES, BURIEN
7-10pm: “Colorama” bowling, a fun, active and funky thang to do, and it beats Wii Bowling anyday! (206) 244-2272

LIVE MUSIC W/STAY TUNED, 909 COFFEE & WINE, OLDE BURIEN
8pm: Live Music with Stay Tuned. Original, acoustic roots music.
Bluegrass, country, folk, western swing. NO COVER CHARGE! 909 is located at 909 SW 152nd Street in Olde Burien; (206) 243-7909

MICK KELLY’S IRISH PUB, 435 SW 152nd, Burien, 246-2473
9pm+: Irish accents + Guinness on tap! More info here:
http://mickkellysirishpub.com/

BARREL TAVERN, 11501 First Ave South, Burien, 244-7390
9pm+: Live Band! NO COVER! Read our review here.

ELMER’S PUB, 15027 Ambaum Blvd SW, 439-1007
9:30pm+: Live Music! NO COVER! ROCK! BEER! FOOD! DANCING! DARTS! POOL! FUN!

SUNDAY, APRIL 26th:
STEVE BELL, LAKE BURIEN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
9:30am + 7pm:Internationally-renowned Christian musician Steve Bell will be a featured guest artist at both the 9:30am worship as well as a 7pm concert at Lake Burien Presbyterian Church. More info here, including some videos of him performing.

3 WISHES’ CLOTHING FUNDRAISER, 3 WISHES BOUTIQUE
Noon-5pm: 3 Wishes Boutique, located at 929 SW 152nd in Olde Burien, continues their clothing fundraiser for the YWCA’s “Dress for Success” program, and is asking residents to bring in clothing they no longer wear to donate to disadvantaged women. Bring in & donate clothing you no longer wear and receive a certificate for 15% OFF your next purchase of regular price merchandise! More info here.

THIRD RUNWAY POTTERS SPRING SALE, MOSHIER ART CTR
11am-5pm: The “Third Runway Potters” (they have no affiliation with airports or lawsuits) continue their Spring Garden Art Sale at Moshier Arts Center, located at 430 South 156th. More info here.

COMING UP:

MONDAY, APRIL 27th:
FALL PREVENTION SEMINAR, EL DORADO WEST
10am: BTB Advertiser El Dorado West’s next “Golden Years Seminar” will be on “Fall Prevention” on Monday, April 27th at 10am. More info here.

HIGHLINE SCHOOLS BUDGET CUT MEETING
6pm-8pm: Highline Public Schools is holding atheir third and final public meeting at the Evergren High School campus to discuss upcoming budget cuts. More info here, including details on the cuts.

BISTRO BAFFI/VINO BELLO ITALIAN WINE DINNER
6:30pm-9:30pm: BTB Advertiser Bistro Baffi, along with Vino Bello, is hosting a special Italian Wine Dinner at Baffi with special guest, Italian Wine Importer Gianpietro Ottolini. An amazing evening of great food and free-flowing Italian wine. Reservations required. $100 per person, includes tax and 4-course dinner with free flowing wine. Space is limited, please call (206) 244-0737 to make your reservation today. More info here, including the full menu!

FRIDAY, MAY 1st:
HUSKY HIKE, GREGORY HEIGHTS SCHOOL
ALL-DAY: Gregory Heights Elementary School’s annual “Husky Hike” fundraising walk-a-thon is will be all day, and here’s a chance to force a child to walk for cash! Sponsored by the Gregory Heights PTSA. More info here.

BILL & PEGGY HUNT PLAYWRIGHT FESTIVAL STARTS, BURIEN LITTLE THEATRE
Starting Friday, May 1st is Burien Little Theatre’s Bill & Peggy Hunt’s Playwright’s Festival, which goes all month with great new plays and FREE readings.

They’re also holding a food drive fundraiser for local food banks, so be sure to bring some non-perishable food with you!

Here are a few of the upcoming performances:

• May 1 at 8:00 p.m. Friday – MAY DAY!
• May 2 at 8:00 p.m. Saturday – Plus free play readings at 2 p.m. – “Penny Loves Butchie Hartog” and “Sinking Bass Turds“
• May 3 at 2:00 p.m. Sunday Matinee
• May 8 at 8:00 p.m. Friday
• May 9 at 8:00 p.m. Saturday – Plus free play readings at 2 p.m. – “Penny Loves Butchie Hartog” and “Sinking Bass Turds“
• May 10 at 2:00 p.m. Sunday Matinee

More info, including full schedule, as well as listings of plays and readings, here.

SATURDAY, MAY 2nd:
HIGHLINE VINTAGE JAZZ FESTIVAL, PAC
2pm-5pm + 7pm-10pm: Burien Arts is holding its first annual Highline Vintage Jazz Festival at the Highline Performing Arts Center.

Tickets are just $20 per show or $35 for a full-day (ie: 2-show) pass for this all-day music fest, which will feature two 3-hour performances with some of the region’s most well-known jazz musicians playing Dixieland, swing, solo stride piano, gypsy jazz and more!

Area restaurants will be having food specials all day, so this should be a heckuva time!

More info here, including videos of some of the artists as well as ticket info.

NOTE: The B-Town Blog is proud to be a sponsor, and we’ll have a table in the lobby, so come on by and say “Hey Daddio” between sets and win a groovy prize!

“HATS ON FOR HIGHLINE,” EMERALD DOWNS
11:30am: Hats on for Highline is a fundraiser to raise money for the Highline Medical Foundation, for cancer care and other patient care programs. This will be an afternoon of fun and fashion, complete with regional delicacies, Mint Juleps and the traditional festive Derby Day hats at Emerald Downs in Auburn. More info here.

BUY A LISTING ON THE BLOG & NEWSLETTER!

As The B-Town Blog has grown in popularity (we’re now receiving around 600 Unique Visitors per day!), so has the plethora of submissions for Events for us to list. So much so that it’s tough to keep up, and our Publisher/Editor is going crazy. Really.

Starting with this issue, unless your Event is a non-profit one, or is a fundraiser, or if you’re already an Advertiser, we’ll have to charge a measley $25 per listing fee to list your event, which goes into both the Blog’s Event Calendar as well as our Weekly Event Newsletter!

Keep in mind that this Newsletter is the ONLY one of its kind that we know of in the northwest, and we currently have 357 opt-in Subscribers who read it every single week! And growing!

Email us for more information – this is a unique and very affordable way to get your event noticed by affluent, broadband-using local residents!

by Josh Hart

Thursday morning (March 26th), a press conference was held at Aviation High School’s temporary campus in Des Moines, where a major announcement was made:

The school received a $4 million grant from James Raisbeck, and it will be re-named Raisbeck Aviation High School, and will move to the Museum of Flight in Seattle!

The press conference was exciting – everyone mingled, whilst awaiting the start of the speech.

The principal of Aviation High School, Reba Gilman, started off by talking about Aviation’s mission and some of the work they have done. Everyone seemed anxious to hear who the donor was, but they wouldn’t disclose it yet.

Donnie Dunbar, CEO of the Museum of Flight, spoke after Reba. She spoke about how the museum and AHS are integrated and how they were working together to achieve their mission.

There was still no mentioning of who the big donor was.

Randy Dorn, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, spoke about how excited he was about Aviation High School and that AHS wasn’t just about aviation. It included animation, robotics, and science, among others. He said that he looks for three things in school: Efficiency, Quality, and Innovation.

“You can have quality and efficiency, but innovation is what makes the community great,” Dorn said.

People were getting antsy. The donor’s name would soon be disclosed, but there was one more speaker: John Welch, the Superintendent of Highline School District, had to thank everyone who contributed.

"It will happen!" proclaimed donor James Raisbeck about Aviation High's move to the Museum of Flight.

Than Reba Gilman got up on stage again and announced the big news – Raisbeck Engineering (James and Sherry Raisbeck), and their foundation had pledged $4 million dollars to the construction of the new site of AHS.

“It will happen!” James stated.

He spoke about the crew that was working on it and keep reiterating that it WILL HAPPEN! He plans for the building, located near the Museum of Flight, to be done within three years. The projected finish date is January of 2012.

Since he was the leading donor, the school will now be called Raisbeck Aviation High School. The cost of the project in total is $43.5 million. The cost was estimated in August of last year by Basetti and Highline School District.

They expect to have half the private funds identified by June, and 95 percent of the private funds identified by March of next year. Construction will begin in March of 2010.

They are planning on getting $15 million dollars from Washington State, 15 million from private and non-profit donors, $12 million from the Port of Seattle and Highline School District, and $1.5 million from federal tax dollars.

About James Raisbeck:
Mr. Raisbeck has received many prestigious awards and honors in the field of aviation and engineering, including the Lifetime Aviation Entrepreneur Living Legends of Aviation award in January 2008. James and his wife Sherry started the James and Sherry Raisbeck Foundation to support education, the arts, and the bio-medical field. In 2007, James and Sherry won the annual Seattle/King County First Citizen Award recognizing extraordinary philanthropy and commitment to local communities, both in human services and the arts.

About The Museum of Flight
The Museum of Flight exists to acquire, preserve, and exhibit historically significant air and space artifacts, which provide a foundation for scholarly research, and lifelong learning programs that inspire an interest in and understanding of science, technology, and the humanities. The Museum of Flight’s expansion plan includes a space gallery and a commercial aviation gallery. Currently, The Museum’s programs serve more than 120,000 K-12 students each year. More information at www.museumofflight.org.

[EDITOR’S NOTE: Josh Hart is The B-Town Blog’s first Intern!

He’s also a 15-year old student at Highline’s “Big Picture High School” in SeaTac.

by Josh Hart

Both the State Cup and Challenge Cups finished last Sunday, and here are the champions of each age bracket:

• BU-15 State Cup Champion: Washington Premier FC- For the second year in a row WPFC won at this age level defeating ECFC 1-0.
• BU-15 Challenge Cup Champion: Eastside FC- EFC won in overtime defeating FWU Storm 1-0.
• BU-16 State Cup Champion: Crossfire Premier- Crossfire defeated NWN 2-0 in the final game.
• BU-16 Challenge Cup Champion: Eastside FC- EFC defeated ECFC 2-1 in both teams biggest game of the season.
• BU-17 State Cup Champion: Eastside FC- Once again EFC wins, this time defeating WFC Rangers 4-1.
• BU-17 Challenge Cup Champion: Greater Renton FC- GRFC defeated Snohomish United 2-0 in the grueling game.
• BU-18 State Cup Champion: Eastside FC- EFC managed to win one of the tourneys at each age level. The U-18’s defeated ECFC 2-1.
• BU-18 Challenge Cup Champion: SSC Firebirds- SSC defeated Sparta 1-0 in the very close game.

The fight for the top club in the state completes after the girls and the younger boys play, and here’s a preview of what the standings look like now (KEY: 2 points for a championship, 1 for runner up):

• Eastside FC- 8



• Emerald City FC- 3
• Washington Premier- 2
• Crossfire Premier- 2
• Greater Renton FC- 2
• SSC Firebirds- 2
• Northwest Nationals- 1
• Federal Way Storm- 1
• Snohomish United- 1
• Whatcom FC Rangers- 1
• Sparta- 1

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Josh Hart is the B-Town Blog's first Intern! He's also a 15-year old student at Highline's “Big Picture High School” in SeaTac. He also plays soccer.

You can read more of his writing here...]

All the Highline Premier Football Club (HPFC) teams BU-15 to BU-18 were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the State and Challenge cups.

Here is the quick breakdown of who eliminated them and what the score was.

• BU-15 Blue defeated by Columbia Timbers 0-1
• BU-15 Red defeated by Federal Way Storm 0-6
• BU-16 Blue didn’t make it past preliminaries
• BU-17 Blue defeated by Whatcom FC Rangers 0-1
• BU-17 Red didn’t make it past preliminaries
• BU-18 Blue defeated by Eastside FC 2-3
• BU-18 Red didn’t make it past preliminaries

So with all the boys teams out we have to wait a couple more weeks for the younger boys and the girls’ teams to stand up for our club.

Also if you want to watch some great soccer this weekend, go down to Starfire Sports Complex and watch the semis and the finals on Saturday and Sunday for the Boys U-15 to U-18’s. The level of play is outstanding and there is a lot on the line for the teams. It is going on all day down there on Saturday and Sunday so go out and see some great soccer.

The following teams are competing in the Challenge Cup:

BU-15:

• 2/28- 9:00 AM- South Hill Revolution vs. Eastside FC
• 2/28- 1:45 PM- Westsound FC vs. Federal Way Storm
• 3/1- 9:00 AM- Championship

BU-16:

• 2/28- 9:00 AM- MRFC vs. Eastside FC
• 2/28- 1:45 PM- Norpoint FC vs. Emerald City FC
• 3/1- 1:45 PM- Championship

BU-17:

• 3/1- 4:00 PM- Snohomish United vs. GRFC

BU-18:

• 2/28- 11:15 AM- SSC Firebirds vs. MRFC
• 2/28- 4:00 PM- Sparta vs. Harbor FC
• 3/1- 11:15 AM- Championship

The following teams are competing in the State Cup:

BU-15:

• 2/28- 9:00 AM- Crossfire Premier vs. Washington Premier
• 2/28- 12:00 PM- Columbia Timbers vs. Emerald City FC
• 3/1- 9:00 AM- Championship

BU-16:

• 2/28- 9:00 AM- Northwest Nationals vs. Crossfire Premier
• 2/28- 1:45 PM- Crossfire Premier vs. Columbia Timbers
• 3/1- 1:45 PM- Championship

BU-17:

• 2/28- 3:00 PM- Northwest Nationals vs. Whatcom FC Rangers
• 2/28- 3:00 PM- Snohomish United vs. Eastside FC
• 3/1- 4:00 PM- Championship

BU-18:

• 2/28- 11:15 AM- Columbia Timbers vs. Emerald City FC
• 2/28- 4:00 PM- Eastside FC vs. Crossfire Premier
• 3/1- 11:15 AM- Championship

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Josh Hart is the B-Town Blog's first Intern! He's also a 15-year old student at Highline's “Big Picture High School” in SeaTac. He also plays soccer.

You can read more of his writing here...]

This month at Big Picture High School, a fellow student named Tylor Curry was chosen as “Intern of the Month.”

Tylor, a very prolific (and busy) sophomore, won for the following reasons:

1. Tylor has two internships:
   • The first is at The Nature Consortium where he is working with other students to help restore the Green Belt. They work out by the Duwamish River and they try to rid the area of invasive plants. They also try to protect from the invasive plants coming back. They want to have only native plants in that area. This is helping the community as a whole, because the work he is doing out there is making things like our air quality better and making the area a prettier place.
   • His other internship is with The Tobacco Prevention Program. He goes around and tries to buy cigarettes from stores. If they sell to him, King County Public Health comes in and talks to them about selling cigarettes to underage buyers. So he is preventing teens from getting into bad habits and also serving under law enforcement.
2. Both nature and law enforcement are Tylor’s passions and he is following his passions and working at his goals to make the world a better place.
3. Also, in January, Tylor was awarded a $500 grant from the Washington Foundation for the Environment to implement an internship project involving teaching elementary students about forest restoration.

Let’s give a big hand to Tylor and join him in making the community cleaner and safer for all of us.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Josh Hart is the B-Town Blog's first Intern! He's also a 15-year old student at Highline's “Big Picture High School” in SeaTac.

You can read more of his writing here...]

Car companies and auto dealers have never been known as the most environmentally-conscious businesses around, but times are changing. Many car dealerships and auto body shops are now using waterborne paint.

With everything and everyone “going green,” auto dealers are starting to become that way too – including BTB Advertiser Burien Honda, the first Burien-area car dealer to convert to this new ecologically-safe product.

Waterborne paint is much more environmentally-friendly than previously-used solvent based. The paint can be used in any color and be made to match older car colors that are unique to individual models. According to manufacturers, waterborne paint has these advantages:

• They contains and emit less organic solvent into the atmosphere
• They provide certain refinishing benefits and offer lower toxicity
• They may lower insurance costs (since water is the major solvent, the product is less flammable)
  

With times changing, Burien Honda is definitely one that is changing with the times, so let’s give them a round of applause for helping save our environment. It needed to happen soon and it looks like it has.

We can all join Burien Honda in saving the world by just doing small things, such as riding your bike or the bus to work instead of alone in a car will help, along with turning off lights and conserving electricity.

Some things that we take for granted can really affect the environment.

What are you doing that is “green”?

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Josh Hart is the B-Town Blog's first Intern! He's also a 15-year old student at Highline's “Big Picture High School” in SeaTac.

You can read more of his writing here...]