Owner Michele Smith says:

“Spring has finally sprung and we are celebrating by bringing back Happy Hour all-day, every Tuesday in May.

What’s so special you say?

Well, that’s $1 off full glasses of wine and $2 off fresh appetizer plates!

Vino Bello Hours of Happiness:

• Tues: 11am – 9pm
• Wed – Fri: 4pm – 6pm
• Sat: 8pm – Close 1/2 price appetizers only – while they last

May 11th is Mother’s Day! Don’t forget Vino Bello has wonderful gift ideas for the special lady in your life.”

Check out what the Seattle Times is saying about Vino Bello.

The Burien Farmer’s Market starts next Thursday (May 8th) and continues until Oct. 9th, operating every Thursday from 11am – 6pm rain or shine, practically smack dab in front of the B-Town Blog’s new offices on 10th Ave SW and SW 152nd in Olde Burien.

This is a new location for the weekly event, and it appears that this year they’ll be taking over the entire block, which of course will make it easy for us to attend since it’ll be just outside our door!

The Burien Farmer’s Market is for farmers, growers or producers from Western Washington who sell their own produce in person, direct to the public. All products sold are grown, reared, caught, brewed, pickled, baked, smoked or processed by the vendor. Choices will range from the freshest locally-grown organic produce to foods cooked right on the premises, arts and crafts, music and much more (potentially including B-Town Blog-related stuff…stay tuned for details…).

We’ll see you there!

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In the summer of 2000, Keli Sim-DeRitis, a freelance graphic designer, went on an extended family vacation to Italy to visit her husband’s relatives. While there she fell in love with the vibrant colors and unique designs of the Italian pottery as well as the Italian culture.

After returning home she found a local Italian food importer and worked on developing a business idea, identity and packaging for a corporate gift line of artisan olive oil and hand-painted ceramic dipping bowls. The name “Poggi Bonsi” came from the Tuscan town of “Poggibonsi”…while on vacation Keli and her family got lost every day and kept running into signs directing them to “Poggibonsi,”  they had so much fun learning how to pronounce the name and repeating it again and again, that it stuck.

Keli recruited her friend and fellow entrepreneur, Michelle Codd—a floral and container garden designer–whom she had met through their children’s preschool to become a partner.

In August of 2003 a friend approached them with an offer of a small retail space in the Olde Burien Shopping District. Using Michelle’s strong background in floral design and visual merchandising and Keli’s background in graphic design along with a common work ethic and drive, they created a tiny gem of a store in only one-month’s time. This first store, at 929 SW 152nd St. opened in September of 2003 selling Italian ceramics, linens, olive wood and specialty foods.

The retail store soon gained a following and in September of 2004 they launched their online store www.poggibonsigifts.com and a larger retail outlet at 901 SW 152nd Street. In March 2006 they again expanded with Cucina, their kitchen store, located just down the block at 907 SW 152nd st.

Today Poggi Bonsi has 9 employees, imports products from Italy, France, Spain and Portugal and ships them from their Burien location to customers across the United States. The first time they shipped an order from Olde Burien to New York City was quite an event. Since then they’ve gained many loyal customers from Burien and beyond. Some special orders have been: a wedding present to Glenn Close—a Christmas gift to Mario Batali—and selling home décor items to Kelsey Grammer’s interior designer.

They are now in the midst of redesigning their online store and adding a blog with stories from their travels abroad.

We welcome Poggi Bonsi to the B-Town Blog family, thank them for not removing our little yard sign in front of their store, and ask all readers to please support them by clicking on their ad on the right sidebar and checking them out!

Please support our latest sponsor by clicking on her bright shiny new ad on the right and checking out her special offer!

But did you know that PC (and TV) monitors and other elements of those old “megahertz” dinosaurs have dangerous toxins lurking inside them?

To wit:

• Monitors with Cathode Ray Tubes contain 4 to 8 pounds of lead in the radiation shielding of the glass and in lead solder on wires and connections. Barium is also used in the glass shielding. There is phosphorus in the inside coating of the faceplate. Hexavalent chromium is applied on galvanized steel parts for corrosion protection.
• PC chassis contain hexavalent chromium, which is used on steel plates to prevent corrosion.
• Polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDE) are used as flame retardant in computer plastics. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) components, when burned, give off dioxin fumes.
• Most manufacturers use lead solder to connect semiconductors and other components and wires to motherboards and integrated chip sets. Beryllium is commonly found on boards and connectors. Printing wiring boards contain mercury. Cadmium can be found in semiconductors and resistors.

Well fear no more, as the Alaska Air Group will hold an “E-cycle” event where local residents and workers will be able to responsibly dispose of computers and other electronics they no longer need for free or a nominal charge.

Residents will also have the opportunity to donate their useable computer equipment to a local charity.

The event is scheduled for Earth Day, April 22, 7:30am to 6pm, at the Gold Coast Center parking lot, 20833 International Blvd. in Seatac (see map below).

All computers (any age or type) will be accepted for free. All computer monitors will be accepted for a $10 fee.  Many other computer peripheral parts, cell phones, CDs, diskettes and other items will also be accepted for free. For more information, call (206) 392-5439.

Computers and peripheral equipment that still work will find a new home after they are refurbished by InterConnection (http://www.interconnection.org/), a Seattle-based non-profit that fixes up computers and donates them to underserved people and communities located both locally and abroad.

More details available by calling (206) 392-5439

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Susan sells real estate in the Burien and Seahurst areas. Her ad is on the upper right Sidebar, so please support her efforts.

She can be reached at (206) 650-9626, by email at susanplecko@johnlscott.com or via her website: www.susanplecko.com

According to Susan:

I moved to Burien from Chicago in 1968 to work for the airlines.  I worked for Northwest, United and Thai Airways until Thai moved its North American headquarters to LA. Houses are my passion so I became a Real Estate appraiser. While I enjoyed appraising, I didn’t get in to see enough houses and I missed working with people.  I joined John L. Scott 5 years ago.  I have earned the Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) and Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES) designations. I love my job and love being sure that people have the best representation when selling or buying their homes.   After living in other areas of the metropolitan Seattle area, my husband, Andy Vagi (Barrier Volvo Southcenter) and I moved to Seahurst 15 years ago. I am a Highline Historical Society volunteer as well as a sponsor of the 2008 Highline Garden Tour (June 14th), VP of the Seahurst Community Club, and I was honored to have named Eagle Landing Park.

People outside our area are recognizing what we’ve known all along – Burien is a wonderful place to live and to invest in.  When it comes to real estate, we have it all…from the starter home to the view or waterfront dream home…including everything in between. Our new Town Square and the proposed Community Recreation Center will just add to the livability of our city.

Susan’s website is here, and we’re proud to have her join us as an Advertiser on the B-Town Blog!