Burien Little Theatre’s current production, a 1950s musical comedy adaptation of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will end its run this weekend. Shows are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.

So who cares? Why support the arts in Burien anyway? Isn’t just a way for a few people to feel good about themselves? Why help? Why now?

Well as it turns out, arts are good for business! Arts are good for Burien! Attached is a copy of an article in the most recent edition (March 2010) of The Business Report, a newspaper serving business interests in South King County.

The article, “Arts Represents a Boon to the Local Economy,” describes some of the economic benefits arts organizations provide to South King County. Three arts organizations mentioned by name in the article are the Federal Way Symphony, Burien Little Theatre and the Seattle Opera Scenic Studios. The latter is located in Renton.

As the article notes, a 2005 study by Americans for the Arts showed that nonprofit arts and culture organizations generate $166.2 billion in economic activity in a year. The ArtsFund 2003 King County Economic Impact Study reported that county-wide arts and culture were responsible for $208 million in sales, $113.4 million in labor income and $8 million in tax revenues.

As also noted in the attached article, not only does Burien Little Theatre buy locally whenever possible, 77.6 percent of BLT’s patrons go out and eat or drink before or after seeing one of Burien Little Theatre’s performances. It is about an even split between those that eat or drink before the show compared to those who eat and drink after the performance. This is business for local restaurants and bars that would not occur without the performances at Burien Little Theatre. Additionally, for many years Burien Little Theatre has partnered with the Mark Restaurant and Bar in Burien for a dinner and a show package, where patrons can combine both dinner and a performance for a reduced rate. This has been very successful.

Not mentioned in the article is Burien Little Theatre’s recently joining with the local child care service The Jungle Gym to provide child care during one of the evening performances during a run, so parents can enjoy a night out and have their children entertained, too. Once again arts helping local business, while also helping harried parents catch a little time for themselves.

Unlike sports patrons who go to a game and eat at the event, patrons at Burien Little Theatre eat at local restaurants before or after the performance. Additionally, on any given evening after a production anywhere from 10 to 40 cast members, friends and well wishers descend upon a local bar, often the Mark, to talk about the show and the next project they have going. Speaking from personal experience, money is spent, food is eaten and liquids consumed at these spontaneous arts-related events.

Not only do Burien Little Theatre’s patrons help the local economy by eating and drinking before and after the performances, Burien Little Theatre itself spends money in the local economy. Live theater takes many things: first of all theater takes a lot of space that Burien Little Theatre rents from the City and a local School District. Theatre also needs countless items to present a live production: from paint to props, from shoes to sandpaper, and everything in between. Theater must create an entire world to tell its story. To do that, Burien Little Theatre spends tens of thousands of dollars every season. Whenever possible Burien Little Theatre spends that money locally. Whether it is Ace Hardware, Fred Meyer, McLendon in White Center or Value Village and Salvation Army, Burien Little Theatre looks first to the local community to buy everything it needs to mount a production and run a nonprofit business.

Burien Little Theatre is suffering from loss of space in the near term and the long term. Approaching is the loss of the green house, which is the office and costume storage space Burien Little Theatre has rented from Burien Parks and Recreation for years. Burien Little Theatre is also facing a much bigger jump in its rent than just to cover inflation. In the long term there have been, and continues to be, discussions of Burien Little Theatre losing its performance space so the City of Burien can replace its new Community Center (the old library space) with another new Community Center located where Burien Little Theatre has performed for the last 30 years.

In a City like Burien, with strong leadership, the arts, including Burien Little Theatre, can flourish and help lead the way out of tough economic times for all of the people in Burien. The attached article and the studies mentioned within it answer the question, “Why help the arts?” The arts are a proven economic engine, one that is much needed right now.

So what can you do to help? First, go see a performance. Decide for yourself whether the local arts are worth supporting. Burien Little Theatre is not your parents’ community theatre. It is part of the suburban fringe movement, bringing to Burien bold, fun, high-quality productions of works you cannot get on a DVD or anywhere else. Check it out, enjoy yourself and support the arts at the same time.

Throughout time immemorial the arts have had patrons. Those patrons were in a financial position to help the arts thrive and grow in a way that was bigger than just ticket sales. To paraphrase William Shakespeare, “There are more things in the cost of production, Horatio, than are covered by your ticket price.”

If you are blessed enough to be in a financial position where you can give some support to the local arts community, please be generous. Help the local arts grow. Because, as the local arts community grows, the local economy will grow even in these tough economic times.

Eric Dickman, Artistic Director
Maggie Larrick, Managing Director
Burien Little Theatre

Some updates on recent Burien business news:

We had a chance the other day – Opening Day, as a matter of fact – to visit new Burien neighbors Donatelli’s Market.

The Donatelli family has created Burien’s newest enterprise, where you’ll find a wide variety of terrific fresh fruits, vegetables and other food items.

They are located on the west side of Ambaum Boulevard SW at SW 135th Street, in the building formerly occupied by Ike’s Burgers & Teriyaki.

B-Town Blog staffer Mark Neuman was on his way to another event with camera in hand. By chance timing, Mark became Donatelli’s first customer ever, snaring two bananas plus two perfectly ripe avocados, leaving behind Donatelli Market’s “first dollar we ever earned” (see photo at right).

They’re open seven days a week from 10:30am to 7pm. Open hours will lengthen as summer approaches.

And soon, Donatelli’s will be offering catering … Italian style!

Don’t forget to check out the north side of the nicely renovated building – it’s drive-through Espresso starting at 6:30am every morning.

Also, we’ve seen evidence of construction work on the Red Fish Grill, to be located where the former Keg Restaurant was at 180 SW 148th, across from the Transit Center in the Safeway mall:

On Thursday (Mar. 4), Highline Community College’s Center of Excellence for International Trade, Transportation and Logistics (ITTL) announced that it had received $250,000 to provide additional job training opportunities for positions in the international trade sector.

“As our economy continues to change and adjust so too must our workforce,” said U.S. Congressman Adam Smith (D-WA). “This funding will help do just that by training Washington state workers for a career in a growing sector of our local economy – international trade.”

The project — part of the final version of the 2010 Consolidated Appropriations Act signed by President Obama on Dec. 16, 2009 — will lead to a 20 percent increase in the number of trained ITTL workers in Washington state.

U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Smith secured funding for the project that will also improve the image of international trade throughout Washington state and create awareness of career and training opportunities that lead to family wage jobs.

“In these tough economic times, it is more important than ever to ensure that our workers have the skills they need to compete in the 21st century economy,” Murray said.

Positions in the ITTL sector include managers, logisticians, cargo and freight agents, shipping and receiving clerks, locomotive engineers, drivers and warehouse workers. Washington state will need nearly 77,000 new employees in ITTL by 2018, according to estimates based on data from the state’s Employment Security Department.

For more information about the Center of Excellence for International Trade, Transportation and Logistics, visit www.ittlwa.com.

Located in Des Moines, Highline Community College was founded in 1961 as the first community college in King County. With approximately 18,300 students and 350,000 alumni, it is one of the state’s largest institutions of higher education. The college offers a wide range of academic transfer and professional-technical education programs, with day, evening and weekend classes. Alumni include:

• Former Seattle Mayor Norm Rice
• Entrepreneur Junki Yoshida
• Washington state poet laureate Sam Green
• And yes, even BTB Publisher/Editor Scott Schaefer

On Monday (March 1st) we received an email from Janel Stoneback, announcing that her Emerald City Smoothie store located at the Normandy Park Towne Center had shut its doors.

This store, located at 19803 First Ave South, may have been affected by a number of elements, including recent ongoing construction on First Ave South, the economic recession, as well as a relatively troubled location where other businesses have also faltered.

According to the Normandy Park city newsletter, this ECS location opened in August of 2008.

Far as we know, Janel’s two other ECS locations – near the Burien Safeway and at Westfield Southcenter, are still open for business.

While we don’t have the exact details yet (we’re hoping to get more info from Janel soon, which we’ll publish as soon as we receive it), according to Janel’s Facebook Page:

To all my Excellent very supportive customers, friends and business associates, it is with great disappointment we have had to make a decision to close Normandy Park Emerald City Smoothie.

Nearly 100 people showed up at Kent City Hall last Saturday (Feb. 20th) to attend a Community Jobs Forum sponsored by state legislators from the 33rd district.

The informational event was meant to highlight government resources that are available to job seekers and those needing job-related training.

Participating agencies included:

• WorkSource
• Port Jobs
• Veterans Conservation Corps
• Several south King County-area community and technical colleges
• U.S. Census Bureau

Senator Karen Keiser (D – Kent ) and Rep. Tina Orwall (D – Des Moines) each gave welcoming remarks that touched on some of the job creation efforts currently under consideration in the Legislature.

“Right now, the average unemployed worker has been jobless for at least seven months,” Keiser said. “That’s an eternity when you can’t pay the mortgage or utilities and benefits are close to running out. This jobs fair was a simple, yet effective way to help people in our district establish connections and crucial job leads. There should be more. The Legislature is looking at short- and long-term approaches to get people back to work, including maintaining our commitment to job retraining programs and helping businesses stay afloat with businesses assistance programs.”

Representatives from each of the agencies in attendance also gave brief presentations about the various resources they offer, most of which is free for job seekers. As budget cuts loom within state government, many of the presenters stressed that federal dollars for worker retraining are still available, and local community colleges are eager to help dislocated workers and those needing to update their skill sets.

“Our jobs forum was not only about linking people to programs and services, but also about helping them navigate these services,” Orwall said.  “This was a way to expand resources around some of the training programs to help people get back to work; overall I think this was a very big success.”

Also present at the forum were representatives from the U.S. Census Bureau, which is in the process of hiring thousands of workers for temporary positions in Washington state to help households accurately fill out their census forms.  These jobs are extremely important because the United States constitution requires a complete population tally every 10 years, and the results determine everything from congressional representation to the amount of federal dollars allocated for things like education and transportation.

Rep. Dave Upthegrove (D – Des Moines), who originally came up with the idea for the Jobs Forum, was unable to attend Saturday due to illness.

“The overriding theme in the Legislature this year is jobs, but I wanted it to be more than just a buzzword,” Upthegrove said.  “I wanted to connect people with the resources that already exist here in the community.”

The 33rd Legislative District includes SeaTac, Des Moines, the west part of Kent, and parts of Burien and Normandy Park.

If you’re looking for work in the general Burien/Highline area, check out our Jobs Page, which is continually updated with job listings 24/7.

(Photos courtesy the Washington State House Democratic Caucus).

If you’re looking for a job and you’ll be in/around Tukwila this Thursday (Feb. 25th), you should clean yourself up, polish up your resume and drop by the Best Western Rivers Edge from 1pm to 5pm for a Job Fair.

Sponsored by Nationwide Job Fairs, this event will feature companies with job openings in the fields of energy, technology, education, government, health care, entertainment, services, retail, nonprofit, manufacturing and others.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Job Fair in Tukwila

WHEN: Thursday, Feb. 25th from 1pm to 5pm

WHERE: Best Western Rivers Edge, located at 15901 W. Valley Hwy in Tukwila.

COST: It’s FREE!

Pre-register online here to forward your resume to all participating companies and schedule interviews in advance.

State Representatives Dave Upthegrove and Tina Orwall, both Democrats from Des Moines, along with Senator Karen Keiser (D-Kent), will host a Community Jobs Forum on Saturday, Feb. 20th from 10am to Noon at the Kent City Hall.

Stepping out of the traditional “town hall” format, the three lawmakers put together a Community Jobs Forum to give constituents an opportunity to connect with state and nonprofit agencies that do job placement, training, counseling, and similar services.

Legislators will speak briefly about state efforts to spur job creation and get the economy back on track. The rest of the event will be free time for attendees to visit tables from the participating agencies and speak one-on-one with the legislators.

Here are the details:

WHAT: 33rd District Community Jobs Forum

WHEN: Saturday, February 20, 2010 from 10:00 a.m. to Noon.

WHERE: Kent City Hall – Council Chambers, located at 220 Fourth Avenue South, Kent

WHO: 33rd District legislators: Rep. Dave Upthegrove, Rep. Tina Orwall and Sen. Karen Keiser.

Confirmed participating agencies include:

• WorkSource
• Port Jobs
  
• Highline CC
  
• Green River CC
  
• Renton Technical College
  
• The Veterans Conservation Corps
  
• US Census Bureau

This Community Jobs Forum is a free event, and all South King County job seekers are encouraged to attend.

The 33rd Legislative District includes SeaTac, Des Moines, Normandy Park, and parts of Kent and Tukwila.

For more information, please contact Jennifer Waldref at (360) 786-7201 or Waldref.Jennifer@leg.wa.gov.

A preliminary state audit questions the Port of Seattle’s contract with the nonprofit “Port Jobs” program, and Rep. Dave Upthegrove (D – Des Moines) is sponsoring a bill that will make sure the program continues.

Since 1993, the private, nonprofit “Port Jobs” program has successfully matched job seekers with employers, as well as provided continuing education and job training opportunities.

“In the past decade, over 14,000 job seekers in South King County have turned to the services of Port Jobs,” Upthegrove said. “And employers know that when a candidate is referred to them through Port Jobs, that person’s qualifications have been thoroughly vetted.”

Upthegrove is sponsoring House Bill 2651, which specifically authorizes ports to support job placement and training programs that are operated by nonprofit entities. State law already authorizes port districts to contract with nonprofits for economic development. At issue is whether economic development encompasses workforce development.

“Port Jobs has connected thousands of job seekers with employers at Sea-Tac Airport, and to apprenticeships in the skilled construction trades. In this economy, we are doing everything we can to get people to work, and to help them stay employed once they get there,” said Heather Worthley, Executive Director of Port Jobs. “Representative Upthegrove’s bill, if passed, will make it crystal clear that the Port of Seattle has the Legislature’s backing to continue to fund this important work.”

The bill passed out of committee in the House and is awaiting possible action on the House floor. Upthegrove is pushing to ensure that the measure passes the House before the February 16 cutoff deadline for House bills.

“Our focus this year in Olympia is to create jobs and improve our economy, and this bill is all about jobs,” Upthegrove said.

Under the proposed legislation, Port Jobs would be required to submit an annual report to the Port of Seattle detailing the number of successful job placements. In 2009, Port Jobs placed more than 500 people through its Airport Jobs office.

From the Port Jobs website:

Port Jobs is not-for-profit action tank that develops practical programs and supports public policies that increase access to living wage jobs, fostering a more vibrant and equitable economy for residents of and businesses in Seattle and King County. We make good jobs easier to get and good employees easier to find, primarily in the port-related economy.

A 501(c)(3) organization, Port Jobs: engages in innovative research to increase shared knowledge; creates powerful partnerships in key action areas; and develops practical programs that provide important services to jobseekers, employers and our local community.

Story by Rachel M. Lusby
Photos by Jim Branson

Longtime local business, Burien Books, is up for sale.

Burien Books was owned and operated by Virginia Pearce for 50 years. Pearce passed away recently at the age of 96 (read Jim Branson’s tribute to her here) and now the bookstore is being placed for sale by her nephew Joe Wisen.

“It’s a part of the estate,” Wisen said. “I cannot keep it running.” Wisen says he has other businesses of his own to run.

Burien Books is located at 643 SW 152nd St. and has been a staple in the community. One customer says she can find the books she needs for her book club, even when she cannot find them at bigger bookstore chains.

The last five or six years, Wisen says, Pearce was “getting tired.” He said she started to do things she enjoyed like working in her garden and bringing things into the store to decorate instead of dealing with the business aspect of things.

Marian Floyd has worked at Burien Books for 17 years and thinks the store may be the oldest one in the area to be owned by one person. “Even the feed store has changed owners,” she said.

Never having been modernized, the bookstore has used a wooden drawer that predates even the oldest of cash registers. It has sections for quarters, nickels, dimes and pennies and sections for paper money but no buttons.

Floyd said Virginia believed this had worked just fine for 50 years and there was no need for any “modern contraptions.” They do not even use a calculator. The store does take credit cards but uses a hand-operated card swiper with carbon paper.

Floyd says the bookstore has mostly repeat customers and a great reputation in the town.

“We brought our children here and now they’re bringing their children,” she said. “People don’t want to go to a bigger bookstore.”

Wisen says there have been some people to show interest in buying the store, but nobody who has been real enthusiastic. He has posted the sale on sites like craigslist.com, and has run ads in the Seattle Times and other local publications. He hopes the store will be sold and maintained.

“I would hope they would keep it open,” Wisen said. “It’s been there a long time.”

Wisen says the store has a large customer base but if it does not sell soon, he will have to close it down. “I think they [customers] will be disappointed.”

Floyd says there are many customers who come in “just to chat.”

“They like a place where they can come in and the employees know their names.”

If the store were to sell, Floyd strongly feels it would be updated.

“It will be modernized,” she said. “That is probably a good thing, actually.”

Floyd foresees there being computers involved and maybe some online sales and purchases from and by the store. She also hopes they would implement things such as “book readings, author signings, and childrens’ story times.”

If you’re interested in purchasing this page in Burien’s history, contact Joe Wisen at j.pacrim@yahoo.com or phone him at (206) 246-2725.

In a down economy, it’s always reassuring to hear of successful fundraising efforts, and the Greater Seattle YMCA has some great news – their recent $40 million capital campaign has not only hit its goal, but has exceeded it by over $800,000.

Here’s more info from their press release:

The YMCA’s historic $40 million capital campaign has successfully concluded with a total of $40.86 million in contributions. This includes prestigious challenge grants of $950,000 from The Kresge Foundation for facility construction and $1.25 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to grow the YMCA’s endowment for camp scholarships. The campaign’s success is a remarkable achievement in the current economic environment.

The campaign has enabled:

• Construction of three new YMCA facilities in some of the fastest-growing parts of King County
• Remodeling and expansion of the Central District’s Meredith Mathews East Madison YMCA
• Enhancements to the YMCA’s two overnight camps, Camp Orkila and Camp Colman
• Financial aid for 1,300 low-income youth annually to take part in overnight camping and outdoor environmental education programs

According to volunteer Campaign Chair Matt Griffin, “The impact of our investment in three new YMCAs, improvements to existing facilities, and an increased endowment will strengthen our entire community for generations to come.”

Already the three new YMCA facilities – Dale Turner Family YMCA in Shoreline, Matt Griffin YMCA in SeaTac, and Coal Creek Family YMCA in Newcastle – have attracted more than 18,000 new members, many of whom have not previously had access to the range of classes, programs and services the YMCA provides. These include youth enrichment and leadership programs, health and well-being activities, on-site child care, aquatics, gymnasiums, community kitchens, nutrition programs and public meeting spaces. In addition, the new facilities are creating programs specifically geared to the ethnic communities in their neighborhoods and hiring staff who speak the languages of those communities.

Approximately 150 volunteers and 900 contributors took part in the capital campaign. YMCA President and CEO Robert B. Gilbertson, Jr. credits them with its success.  “Our YMCA volunteer leaders and the hundreds of individuals and organizations they engaged as contributors are deeply committed to helping youth and families lead healthy, successful lives and building strong communities. That’s what this campaign was intended to do and the results have exceeded our expectations.”

About the YMCA of Greater Seattle:
The YMCA of Greater Seattle is a charitable, non-profit organization serving King and south Snohomish counties since 1876. Reaching more than 160,000 people annually through 12 branches, two overnight camps and more than 200 program sites, the YMCA provides a wide range of programs and services in child care, youth development, education, foster care, family support, wellness and outdoor experiences. More information may be found at seattleymca.org.

by Scott Schaefer

Scott Gifford was born and raised in Normandy Park, spent a lot of time in Burien, went to school and got his first job here and now works as an attorney in Seattle.

His passion now?

To “save the vampire bats!” (and other animals) which live in the Nocturnal House at Woodland Park Zoo.

Due to budget constraints, the Zoo is planning on shutting down this exhibit, which Gifford (and many others) consider to be its best. In fact, Gifford is so passionate about this cause that he’s spearheading a “Save the Nocturnal House” rally at the zoo this Sunday at 1pm (learn more about it at his Facebook page here, which has over 9,000 “Fans”).

“The Nocturnal House…is by far the best exhibit at the zoo and is pretty unique,” Gifford said. “While times are tough, we need to not lose the things that make the Zoo so great. For many this is their only chance to actually see the wonderful creatures that inhabit the nighttime world.”

The Nocturnal House contains many unique animals that are of course nocturnal, like bats, sloths, armadillos and others. If you’ve ever been through it, you know how unique it is – visitors must first stay in a darkened lobby to adjust their eyes, and are required to be very quiet as you meander through a winding hallway with glass enclosures on both sides. Once adjusted, you then enter a darkened, meandering hallway where you can watch bats hanging upside-down, sloths scampering around and much more on both sides. Its a favorite of children and adults, but was built in the 70s and is in a rundown building.

According to a press release from the zoo:

“The Night Exhibit is very expensive to operate. It is an older building with very high operating costs and its energy use is one of the highest in the zoo and inconsistent with our sustainability goals. We knew we could place some of the animals elsewhere in the zoo, and move others to other zoos.

Over the next two to three years, we will re-examine the building to come up with a long-term, sustainable operation.

Closing it will save about $300,000 in operating costs annually.”

Gifford is asking folks who are interested in saving this exhibit to show up at the zoo this Sunday at 1pm for a rally in front of it. If you can’t attend, Gifford adds:

“You could also make a donation to the zoo and state that it is for saving the Nocturnal House. A monthly one even that you will stop if they do shut it down. Show them that we not only love the Nocturnal House, but are willing to step up and help with the cost of maintaining it.”

To donate to the Zoo online, click here.

“Save the vampire bats!!!” says Gifford.

And he’s not joking.

We love to post Job Offers (see our Jobs page for the latest listings), especially good ones from local organizations like New Futures, which is seeking an Executive Director.

The gig starts in April, and the pay is a $85,000-$92,000 salary.

The deadline to apply is Feb. 2nd, and you must pass a background check.

New Futures has four sites in the general area, including Arbor Heights in White Center, The Heights at Burien (formerly Vintage Park) in Burien, Windsor Heights in SeaTac, and Woodridge Park in Boulevard Park.

From their website:

New Futures’ mission is to partner with families to create communities where children thrive. Our integrated, culturally relevant programs build skills, foster connectedness, and promote strengths. We operate vibrant community learning centers at four low-income apartment complexes in South King County, providing on-site children and youth, family, and community-building programs for nearly 1,600 people, and positively impacting all of the approximately 4,000 people who live in these communities.

Our sites include: Arbor Heights in White Center, The Heights at Burien (formerly Vintage Park) in Burien, Windsor Heights in SeaTac, and Woodridge Park in Boulevard Park.

Here’s the actual job listing, and here’s a link to a PDF download:

NEW FUTURES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Job Announcement

New Futures seeks a well-qualified, experienced, committed, visionary leader to fill the position of Executive Director (ED). This position provides a unique opportunity to work in an environment dedicated to the values of cultural competency and strengths-based programming.

New Futures partners with families to create communities where children thrive. Our integrated, culturally relevant programs build skills, foster connectedness, and promote strengths. We operate vibrant community learning centers at four low-income apartment complexes in South King County, providing services and community building programs on-site to children, youth, and families.

THE ORGANIZATION:
New Futures was founded in 1993 by teachers in the Highline School District who realized that many of the children who were struggling most in their classrooms were living in the same low-income, high-crime apartment complex. They rented an apartment there and started an on-site after-school program. Recognizing that children need strong families and safe communities in addition to academic support in order to thrive, New Futures integrated family support and community- building activities into our children and youth development programs. In 2004, New Futures launched ReachOut, a social enterprise that engages individuals in transforming organizations, particularly schools, to effectively serve culturally diverse children and families. ReachOut uses the proven results of over a decade of New Futures’ work to share best-practices and concrete strategies in the area of cultural competency.

Overseen by a committed board of directors of15, and led by a talented and dedicated staff of 45 (26 full time equivalents), the organization intensively serves 1,475 individuals each year, and touches more than 4,000. New Futures has an annual operating budget of $1.5 million.

The residents we work with are racially and ethnically diverse:

• 93 percent of families in our programs are recent immigrants or refugees
• Nearly half of the people we serve speak a language other than English as their first language
• 69% of our families identify themselves as Latino; 10% as African or African American; 4% as Asian or Pacific Islander; 8% as multi-ethnic; 3% as Caucasian; 1% as Native American or Alaskan Native; and 5 % as “other”

We attribute our long-term success at partnering with these communities to three essential characteristics of our work:

1. Neighborhood-Based: New Futures operates year-round at the apartment complexes where the families we serve live, providing very easy access to our programs. Our staff members are able to develop trusting relationships with residents and are considered friends and neighbors. To be as accessible as possible, people do not have to make appointments to meet with staff.
2. Integrated: Helping children thrive is a complex undertaking. By partnering with families, local schools and teachers, King County Housing Authority, property management, and other community agencies, our programs help children and parents simultaneously address challenges at an individual, family, and neighborhood level.
3. Responsive: Since our inception, our programs have been created in response to families’ stated needs and interests, and have incorporated their values. The collaborative nature of our work helps to establish the trust necessary for success, and to ensure our programs are relevant. Our staff members receive extensive cultural competency training and reflect the communities they serve: more than half are bilingual, many of our staff members are immigrants, and several were formerly served by New Futures’ programs. Through our ReachOut training program, we train other organizations and schools in cultural competence, helping change systems to better meet the needs of diverse children and families.

New Futures has had an interim executive director since May 2009. We have used this time to review and strengthen internal systems. New Futures is in the process of developing a strategic plan to guide the organization for the next three years. The incoming executive will inherit an organization that is fiscally and programmatically sound, with strong programs, partnerships, and services in place.

THE POSITION:
The Executive Director reports to the Board of Directors and is responsible for the organization’s consistent achievement of its mission and financial objectives. The current director oversees a staff of 45 full and part-time employees. The position requires occasional evening and weekend work.

The Executive Director must be an engaging leader and experienced manager who excels at balancing internal management with external impact and visibility. S/he will ensure that the organization is fiscally and programmatically sound and strategically advancing its purpose and goals. The Executive Director directly supervises an experienced and committed senior staff team of four.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
Leadership:

• Advance, oversee implementation of and communicate the vision, mission, and values of New Futures
• Exhibit a passion for New Futures’ mission
• Act as a public spokesperson and advocate and represent New Futures at community activities
• Develop strong, positive relationships with board, staff, volunteers, donors, and other stakeholders
• Think strategically: assess options and actions based on New Futures’ strategic plan and on trends and conditions in the environment
• Provide leadership in moving New Futures toward increased cultural competency

Fundraising and Community Relations:

• Provide strategic leadership in major development efforts ranging from donor cultivation to solicitations and stewardship
• Communicate with stakeholders to keep them informed of New Futures’ work and identify changes in the community served by the organization
• Oversee fundraising and community-building events

Personnel Management:

• Maintain a climate that attracts and motivates a diverse staff of top-quality people and volunteers
• Hire, mentor, evaluate, motivate, and, as necessary, manage transition of staff
• Ensure that a sound organizational structure, including a leadership/management team and other staffing, is in place
• Ensure that New Futures is in compliance with all applicable laws

Operations and Fiscal Oversight:

• Develop an operational plan with goals and objectives that reflects New Futures’ strategic direction
• Work with the staff, finance committee, and the board in preparing a budget
• Ensure that the organization operates within budget guidelines
• Manage day-to-day operations efficiently and effectively
• Ensure that all reporting requirements are met
• Perform risk management
• Direct the maintenance of New Futures’ financial records

Program Planning:

• Oversee the planning, implementation and evaluation of programs and services
• Oversee and support New Futures’ social enterprise, ReachOut

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
The ideal candidate for this position will have a demonstrated commitment to New Futures’ mission. S/he will also bring a variety of experiences and attributes, including:

• Five or more years leading/managing a non-profit organization comparable in size and scope to New Futures or demonstrated combination of for-profit experience combined with board and volunteer experience
• Inspirational leadership with demonstrated experience advancing the mission and vision of an organization
• Ability to connect and develop relationships with diverse groups of people
• Development prowess, including raising funds and stewarding individuals, government, corporations, and foundations
• Overseeing a budget of at least $1 million and managing a large staff as well as having the ability to direct volunteers
• Demonstrated cultural competency and commitment to social, racial, and economic justice
• Knowledge of issues faced by low-income immigrant families
• Integrity and self awareness
• Knowledge of one or more of the following: education, poverty, and/or immigration issues
• Effective written and oral communication skills
• Working effectively with a board of directors
• Developing strategic collaboration and partnerships with individuals, staff, and organizations
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

The Executive Director is expected to be able to start work in April 2010. New Futures provides a competitive salary, flexible work environment, and health and retirement benefits. Salary range: $85,000-$92,000, depending on qualifications and experience.

TO APPLY:
Please submit a cover letter, resume, and three professional references on-line to gabrielas@newfutures.org by February 2, 2010. The successful Executive Director must pass a background check.

New Futures welcomes and respects diversity of background, experience, identity, and opinion in our participants, staff and volunteers. We embrace people of any race, color, national origin, ethnicity, socioeconomic class, family make-up, religion, age, ability, gender identity, and sexual orientation.

It’s always good news when a local company is hiring, therefore we happily tip our “Good News Hats” to Burien’s Prudential Northwest Realty, who asked us to post the following job offer:

Prudential Northwest Realty in Burien is now hiring full-time and part-time Real Estate Agents.

Will train, and schooling for new licensees is available.

Call Lori or Bradley at 206-243-8883.

At Prudential Northwest Realty Associates, we put our associates in position to succeed in their profession through training, technology, business planning, management and technical support, and lead generation.

Our associates have responded by having the highest percentage of listed property actually sell and close than the percentage of the entire real estate multiple listing service.

Our associates have sold their clients properties in a shorter market time and for a higher percentage of the list price than the total multiple listing service has done.

As a result of our company and associate teamwork our dollar volume and our number of sales have increased at a higher rate than our competitors and that of the top company in the U.S.

More info at their website here.

by Ralph Nichols

After more than two months of anticipation, of driving past Burien Nissan at Five Corners and looking for new cars on display there once again, the news this week is disappointing.

Burien Nissan will not reopen after all – at least not anytime soon. The return of the auto dealership with a new owner – Car Pros – had been expected earlier to take place in mid-September.

“We were excited” about reopening Burien Nissan, Ken Phillips, president of Car Pros, told The B-Town Blog recently. “We had everything in line. Our financing package was all done. But the sellers couldn’t provide quick title to the property and we couldn’t close in time.”

He said the problem involved only closing the proposed sale and “had absolutely nothing to do with the national economy.

“If circumstances change, we would be available to relook at the whole process,” Phillips added. “We lived for 30 years in Normandy Park. All our friends are right there. That’s our home. We know a lot of people there.”

The previous dealership owner, Rainier Automotive Group, saw the entire inventory reclaimed by Nissan in a 24-hour period in March after losing its financing. The business closed its doors less than two months later, reportedly when new financing couldn’t be arranged.

Car Pros owns Kia and Suzuki dealerships in Tacoma and a Hyundai dealership in Seattle, and dealerships in Carson, Calif. Phillips said they had planned to sell Nissan models exclusively at Burien Nissan.

by Ralph Nichols

A proposed 8.8 percent rate increase by Seattle City Light, which would begin in January, “will affect most of our residents,” Burien City Manager Mike Martin said last week.

City Light provides electrical service to almost all of Burien and all of the North Highline area. The Seattle City Council will vote on whether to accept or amend the rate increase request later this month.

Included in City Light’s rate analysis supporting the proposed increase are additional increases of 5.4 percent in 2011 and 6.6 percent in 2012.

Because City Light is a publicly owned utility, it is not regulated by the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission. Oversight comes instead from the Seattle City Council.

Martin said Burien has asked City Light for clarification about the need for a rate hike at this time, “since it will affect so many of our residents,” but has not yet received a reply.

Outgoing Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels called for the increase when he submitted in September his proposed 2010 budget.

In a report to the Burien City Council, Martin noted that reasons given for a higher power rate when Nickels announced his budget proposal were the poor economy, a sharp decline in sales of surplus power and a larger-than-proposed rate decrease in 2007.

Surplus power sales have been driven down by low natural-gas prices, according to Seattle budget director Dwight Dively. While Seattle’s 2009 budget anticipated surplus power sales of $140 million, only about half that amount has been sold – leaving City Light with a $70 million shortfall.

Martin added that City Light also says the increase is needed to maintain its net operating income reserve, although “there is no legal reserve requirement” for that reserve as structured by the utility.

Citing City Light’s reference to cash flow, Martin replied, “The economy is also hurting our residents’ cash flow.”

In a statement to The B-Town Blog, he said, “At this time, it’s still not entirely clear what’s going on.” Burien staff will seek more information from City Light within the next couple of weeks.

by Ralph Nichols

Although vacant commercial properties in downtown Burien are beginning to fill up with new and returning businesses, as we reported last week, a couple of big pieces still are missing.

None of the street-level retail space in the Town Square condominium complex at SW 152nd St. and 6th Ave. S. is occupied five months after the development opened, with no indication that any businesses are likely to move in anytime soon.

And a twice-anticipated hotel, which just a few years ago was expected to have welcomed its first guests long before now, still is just a dream.

So, despite all the encouraging news, what’s going on with these stalled commercial ventures?

According to Dick Loman, the city’s economic development manager, a combination of factors beyond the control of the city, Town Square private developer Urban Partners and other investors are at play.

But Loman is optimistic that these pieces will fall into place “hopefully sooner rather than later.”

With a number of hotels clustered in SeaTac and more in Tukwila, Burien, which is less than four miles from the airport terminal, seems like an ideal place for the next hotel development in this area, he said.

But while being first in a new location is seen as a marketing advantage for lots of businesses, the hotel industry – in which several properties often are located close together – considers “a pioneering effort” as having “a higher degree of risk,” Loman explained.

So Burien continues to wait for a hotel to come here. Still, there have been promising signs of interest.

In December 2005, Loman recalled, a Tacoma group signed a development agreement with Burien to build a hotel on the vacant city property at SW 150th St. and 2nd Ave. SW. Less than two years later, however, they ran into serious problems with a hotel already under construction in Lakewood and had to withdraw. The city released them from the contract.

A few months later, another group signed a letter of intent with the city to build a hotel at the same site. “But during the course of that process the financial markets began to drift,” he said. “They couldn’t proceed. There was too much risk.”

Despite these setbacks, Loman is optimistic. “I’m very confident that we’ll get a hotel here as soon as the market changes,” he said, noting several hotel chains have expressed interest in building in Burien in the future. “The demand is here. (A hotel) is needed. It will be a wonderful piece of our redevelopment.”

The wait to fill Town Square retail space may not last as long, but in the short term it’s a more complicated process. The primary problem is that leasing retail space in the complex involves working through the same maze with the construction loan that Urban Partners must navigate before condo units can qualify for financing.

“Urban Partners needs to talk to the bank, but they don’t know who (in the banking group) to talk to” right now, Loman continued. In the meantime, the developer tells him “yes,” businesses are interested in leasing this space. “But potential tenants want to know who (will hold the lease) before making a commitment.”

Although he has “no idea” how long it will take for Urban Partners to work things out with the banking group that now holds its construction loan, “I can’t imagine it will last more than 90 to 120 days. It’s too important an asset just to sit there.”

Courtesy Whitewater Aquatics Board of Directors President Ed Marrs comes this update on the status of White Center’s Evergreen Pool, which closed Sept. 1st:

Negotiations between King County, Highline School District and Whitewater Aquatics Management, LLC (WWAM) continue regarding pending repairs and maintenance to the Evergreen pool, and takeover of the management of the pool by WWAM. King County has agreed to make renovations to the pool, but asked WWAM to have access to $100,000 in seed money to absorb the costs of re-opening the pool.

To date, WWAM has contributed $30,000 and last week they received contributions or pledges from WhiteWater families for another $8,000. Some families are pursuing corporate gifts or grants from their employers (they are a non-profit, so any contributions are tax-deductible).

Whitewater’s goal is to have the necessary funding in place so they can take over and re-open the pool on January 1st, 2010.

Aside from avoiding the problems of pool closures faced by other swim clubs (including Des Moines’ Mt. Rainier Pool), Whitewater has a unique opportunity to assume complete control of the operation, a position rarely afforded other clubs. As such, they’ll continue to offer the same family-friendly schedules and practice frequencies.

According to Marrs, Whitewater has two issues that they need help from the public with:

1. “The king county council has said that in the Executive budget to the rest of the council there is money for some capital improvement projects. It is imperative to us that this money is approved as is. In past pool transfers, capital improvement money has been passed along to the group that has taken over the pool. We need to get the public to e-mail the King County Council and let them know that this money in the budget needs to passed. Here’s a link to a page where people can give input to the council: http://www.kingcounty.gov/council/budget/Testify_Online.aspx
2. WhiteWater Aquatics is in a unique position. We are the first group to take over operation of a pool without the backing of a city. The county is asking us to have approximately $100,000 in reserve to re-open the pool. This money will be used for advertising, payroll, and supplies to get us going until we get money coming in from our programming. To this end we are going to need financial support directly from the community. We are asking citizens and businesses to donate to our management group. We are a 501(c)(3) so all donations are tax deductible. If for some reason we are unable to reopen the pool we will return all donations. I have attached a letter we are sending out to the public:

Dear Friends of Evergreen Pool,

As you know, the Evergreen pool was closed on August 31st. Due to budgetary shortfalls, King County has decided to mothball the pool. We are very fortunate to have a second pool in Tukwila for the community’s use; however, it too is slated for closure in December, 2010.

A team of dedicated Whitewater Aquatics members have been working hard evaluating all of the possible solutions for keeping the Evergreen pool open and available to the community. When comparing the Evergreen Pool to successful pool management plans, it became apparent that there was unrealized potential with the Evergreen Pool. Our plan would be to operate it as a community pool with a more efficient business plan by:

• Utilizing streamlined swim lessons
• Efficient group usage and special groups’ access that maximizes staff time.
• And most importantly, an ongoing advertising and marketing outreach

Together, these operating strategies would generate a profitable revenue stream that other successful pool management plans have achieved.

We have formed a non-profit company Whitewater Aquatics Management, LLC (hereafter known as WWAM) to try and save Evergreen! We presented a detailed business plan to King County and the Highline School district where WWAM would assume management of the Evergreen Pool no later than January 1, 2010. The King County council is requiring WWAM to have access to $100,000 in seed money to ensure the long term viability of the pool.

We have secured a $30,000 loan but we need to raise $70,000 more to meet our goal. We are currently exploring several fundraising options including community fundraisers and grants but these things take time and will be utilized for ongoing operational costs in the future. We are faced with a short time line to get the pool up and running for January 1, 2010 so we are asking our membership and the community for donations to help achieve this goal. We ask that you share this letter with any other potentially interested parties.

We would ask that you donate as generously as you can and have the following giving levels:

• $100-$250-Friends of Evergreen
• $250-$500 -Patrons of Evergreen
• $500-$1,000 -The Evergreen Circle
• $1,000 and above – The Evergreen Gold Club

By giving at these levels, you will be acknowledged by name on a giving wall that will be on display at Evergreen. In addition you will be invited to a reception and re-opening event.

Clearly we understand that these are difficult times, but our hope is to encourage everyone to give at whatever level they are able. No donation is too small; if everyone can give even a small amount we will be able to reopen this pool. This donation is tax deductible as Whitewater Aquatics is a non-profit organization. Each person is encouraged to review our business plan which is available upon request. In the event the Evergreen Pool management transition does not occur, the money will be returned to you promptly.

Please make all checks payable to WWAM and mail all donations to:

WWAM
PO Box 46517
Seattle, WA 98146

Please include your name, mailing address, phone number and an email address. If you would like your donation to remain anonymous please indicate that along with your donation.

You will promptly receive an email confirmation of your donation along with a receipt for tax purposes.

Any questions can be directed to Bryan Hastings at (206) 291-7141 or Head Coach Joel Schweiger at (951) 218-1790.

Sincerely,
WhiteWater Aquatics Management

by Ralph Nichols

With only five of the 124 condominiums at Town Square sold to date, more than five months after the grand opening of this complex in June, prospective buyers and those anticipating future downtown development in Burien wonder if condo prices might be lowered.

This question has been raised in the weeks since Chicago-based Corus Bank – the construction lender for Urban Partners, the private developer of the condo/retail complex in Town Square – was seized by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) on Sept. 11.

Corus Bank’s deposits were sold, then the FDIC conducted a private auction for the remaining assets. Now Starwood Capital Group, TPG Capital, Perry Capital and WLR LaFrak have acquired an equity interest in a limited liability corporation that will hold the construction loans and real estate-owned assets of Corus.

“The $4.5 billion portfolio consists of more than 100 loan and (real estate-owned) assets linked to high-quality condominiums, multi-family housing, office properties, and land representing nearly 23 million square feet,” according to a recent news release from this investment consortium.

Urban Partners, however, has yet to comment publicly on whether it might reduce the prices of its Town Square condos – phase one of the planned Town Square project. A primary reason for this is that it’s not a simple matter of lowering those prices, despite the fact that the investment consortium purchased the construction loans of Urban Partners and others well below their original value.

Two or three or even more banks usually are involved in large construction and real estate loans, notes Burien Economic Development Manager Dick Loman. This, in turn, creates a slow and involved process for a developer to obtain permission from lenders before it can make a corresponding reduction in its housing prices.

In the meantime, Loman says, Urban Partners is “hanging in there. They’re not leaving town. They’re trying to do the right thing. I know that Urban Partners wants to meet the market, but they can’t act until they receive a green light for moving forward. This means that (Town Square condo) prices aren’t going to go down without permission from the bank.”

Burien City Manager Mike Martin emphasizes that “no public money is involved” in the Town Square condo-retail complex. “There is no financial to the taxpayers” because the Urban Partners’ development is privately financed.

But, he adds, “We do want to see them fill up sooner than later.”

by Scott Schaefer

Burien’s four red light cameras have been up and running for about four months, and according to the city’s Oct. 22nd e-newsletter, they are averaging “around 540 infractions per month.”

This puts the program on track to gross over $654,000 in its first year of operation.

As we’ve previously reported, the city initially projected that the first year would bring in around $200,000, with $250,000 for the second year and subsequent totals dropping after 2011 as drivers became more aware of them.

So we did some simple math, and discovered some rather surprising totals:

• Each red light ticket = $101 fine
• 540 tickets per month x 101 = $54,540 per month
• 12 x $54,540 = $654,480 annual gross revenue
• The monthly fee to camera provider RedFlex Systems appears to cap out at $6,870 ($82,440 annually)
• If the 540 per month average continues, the city will take in over $572,000 in revenue during the first year of this program ($654,480 – $82,440 = $572,040)
• That total is nearly three times the initial projected first-year total of $200,000

The camera earning the most money currently is the westbound one at SW 148th Street and First Ave South (Go 148th!), which is generating about 35% of the total infractions, or 189 per month (just over 6 per day), which equals a monthly sum of $19,089 – or more than $229,000 annually, which on its own surpasses the original $200k projection.

These four revenue-generating red-light cameras are located at three intersections, so next time you pass one, listen for the familiar “ka-ching” cash register sound:

• SW 148th & First Ave South – westbound and eastbound
• SW 152nd & First Ave South – westbound
• SW 160th & First Ave South – eastbound

Story by Ralph Nichols
Photos by Scott Schaefer

Police chiefs from King and Snohomish counties voiced their concerns at a press conference in Burien Wednesday morning (Oct. 21) about potential impacts of Initiative 1033 on public safety – especially in smaller cities.

But they stopped short of opposing the revenue-limiting ballot measure. Public officials are prohibited by state law from campaigning for or against ballot proposals as well as candidates.

Instead, said Scott Kimerer, Burien police chief and chairman of the King County Police Chiefs Association, “People have a right to make their own decisions on how to vote. But they need to be informed….

“We are encouraging citizens to ask their city governments what effect I-1033 would have on their ability to provide services if it is successful.”

Kimerer and Des Moines Police Chief Roger Baker represented Highline cities at the press conference.

I-1033 would limit future growth in the revenue cities, counties and the state could take in, based on annual growth in inflation and population. Revenues above the limit would be used to reduce property taxes.

“Already reeling from tough economic times that have seen 15 to 20 percent reductions in revenues, the financial analysis indicates that police services, many of which have already experienced budget cuts this year, could be further restricted to the point of struggling to meet the needs of their citizens’ public safety concerns,” Kimerer said.

“Police budgets generally represent half or more of cities’ general fund expenditures,” he added. And there has been “a 30 percent drop in cities’ anticipated enrollment of new hires in the (state) police academy” in Burien.

The impact of I-1033, if approved in the November election, Kimerer said in response to a question, also could delay North Highline annexation by Burien, which now is expected to take place in late March. Residents of the southern part of the unincorporated area voted 56 percent to 44 percent in August to become part of the city.

Burien City Manager Mike Martin, who attended the press conference, concurred with Kimerer’s assessment.

“If people want less government, they will get less government,” Martin said. “There will be fewer departments and less people (police officers) on the street.”

Kimmerer said “the easily discernable impacts of I-1033 can be found by examining the general funds and budgets of the 82 percent of suburban cities in King County having a population of fewer than 50,000. These cities function with a small margin to provide all the needed services and are very transparent in their budget process and revenues.”

Statewide, 94 percent of all cities have populations less than 50,000.

Marysville Police Chief Rick Smith, chairman of the Snohomish County Police Chiefs and Sheriffs Association, said his department experienced sharp cuts due to the recession this year. Further cuts, should I-1033 pass, “could impair our ability to provide services to our city….

“The whole criminal justice system (including prosecutors, courts and jails) would be impacted, maybe significantly,” Smith said. “We just don’t know. The bottom line is for citizens to ask officials what impact 1033 would have on their city.”

Any cuts in the budgets of local law enforcement agencies “minimizes our response,” he added.

One problem with I-1033, said one police chief who spoke on condition of anonymity, is that it “targets state government, large counties and large cities” without taking into account the different circumstances of smaller cities and counties.

RELATED STORY:

• LETTER TO THE EDITOR: King County Police Chief’s Association On I-1033

UPDATE 10/21/09: We have added one new business (Bratz, a German cafe) and one re-opening (Skippers) to this story, which we hope will continue to develop…

by Ralph Nichols

It may not be a boom. But even as the recession continues to buffet Highline communities, businesses are discovering – and returning to – Burien.

“We have a trickle of new businesses coming in here,” Burien Economic Development Manager Dick Loman told The B-Town Blog recently. “We’re gradually filling up our vacant (commercial) spaces, and it’s happening in the worst economic climate in decades.

“You’d think it would be very quiet, but it’s not,” he said. “It’s very amazing and we’re very fortunate to have this happening.”

NEW BUSINESSES:

• Grand Central Bakery, with popular stores in Pioneer Square and on Eastlake Avenue in Seattle, has announced plans to expand its business by moving into the vacant retail space at 626 SW 152nd St., next to Sylvan Learning Center.
  

  Bratz, a German food store, should open on 6th SW before the end of November.

• And Redfish Grill, already doing a successful business in Tacoma, is going to open a second dining spot in the building recently occupied by The Keg on SW 148th St. at the entrance to the Safeway shopping center.
• Bratz, a German-style fast food cafe, has its signage in place in a spot on 6th SW, just across the street from Sal’s Deli. We spoke with co-owner Robert Lang, who says that the store should open in “two to four weeks” and foodwise to expect “German beer, the world’s best sausages, schnitzels, red cabbage, pretzels, potato salad and more.” Robert and his brother John are both from Germany, and they have one other location in Seattle’s U-District.

BUSINESS RE-OPENINGS:

• Remaining in Burien, after closing its doors when displaced by the third-runway flight path north of Sea-Tac International Airport, is Filiberto’s Cucina Italiana. This popular Italian restaurant, long a local favorite, is moving downtown and will reopen at 653 SW. 152nd St (next to Key Bank).
• Already back in business with new owners is Wizards Casino at 15739 Ambaum Blvd. SW, next to the Hi-Line Lanes bowling alley. The return of Wizards was especially good news for the city – it’s one of Burien’s 10 largest employers.
• Skipper’s Seafood & Chowder, located at the corner of Ambaum Blvd. and SW 148th, has also re-opened.
• In the meantime, Car Pros of Tacoma continues to indicate it will reopen Burien Nissan at Five Corners as soon as their business plan is finalized and approved.

Why this interest? “It starts with the availability of property … on a reasonable-cost basis,” according to Loman, together with marketing studies that indicate these businesses will do well.

Burien has “a reputation of being friendly and a cool place to be … these are destination-type businesses that draw from a much larger area than just Burien. It’s location, location, location.”

As these businesses locate or relocate in Burien, another is expressing interest in coming here – and being the anchor of the phase two development in Town Square.

• Loman identified the company that wants to develop a 10-screen cinema complex in Town Square as Galaxy Theaters, headquartered in Los Angeles.
• Galaxy Theatres runs 10 different “first-run” movie complexes in four states, including three in Washington – Monroe, Tacoma and Gig Harbor.
• Here’s a blurb from their website:

Galaxy Theatres, LLC is a fully integrated movie theatre company.

Privately owned, it is ranked by size in the top 10% of its industry, according to the National Theatre Association and currently has theatres in California, Nevada, Texas and Washington.

Formed in 1998, its focus is to develop and operate a portfolio of high impact, state-of-the-art movie entertainment theatres in selected markets of the western United States.

Galaxy Theatres’ award winning business philosophy of “More than just a Theatre” incorporates the best in movie entertainment with the Company’s philosophy of active community service.

“Being socially entrepreneurial builds strong bonds and goodwill in the communities we serve”, according to Frank Rimkus, the Company’s CEO.

• Representatives of both Galaxy and Urban Partners, the private developer of Town Square, will appear before the Burien City Council at the Nov. 2 meeting to discuss their proposal.

Here at The B-Town Blog, our mission is not only to serve our community with the most up-to-date, relevant local news, events and more – it’s also to serve our Readers with resources that they might find useful.

To wit: today (Tuesday, Oct. 13th) we launched our new Jobs Page, where you’ll find continually-updated listings of the latest Burien-area jobs, as well as relevant stories, resources and more items as we find them.

As of launch, we have 14 different job “feeds” from various sources like Craigslist, Monster, HotJobs and other “big ones” as well as some more obscure ones like DevBistro.com and JuJu.com. Our goal is to list as many local/area job listings as possible, so if you know of one that we’re missing, please email us (just keep in mind that it must have an RSS/XML feed for us to use it).

To access this new feature, either click on “Jobs” in the top menu, or click here!

Thanks, and good luck in your search!

by Ralph Nichols

Burien City Council members are expected to declare tonight (Oct. 5) their opposition to Initiative 1033 – Tim Eyman’s latest attempt to reign in government spending revenue.

At last Monday’s (Sept. 28) council meeting, the lawmakers agreed to place the ordinance against I-1033 on tonight’s agenda. Only Councilman Gordon Shaw demurred.

If approved by voters statewide, the proposition, which will appear on November’s general election ballot, would require state, county and city governments to limit their general fund revenues to the amount resulting from inflation, based on a federal economic indicator, and population growth. Any revenue exceeding that formula would have to be used to reduce property taxes.

City Finance Director Tabatha Miller has told council members that restrictions imposed by I-1033 would be “problematic for Burien” because “it does not take into account commercial growth like that envisioned in the Northeast Development Area…. In essence, any commercial growth in the NERA or elsewhere which increased the City’s revenues could not be used to provide the supporting city services, but instead would decrease the next year’s property taxes.”

Miller added that this would force “state and local governments to provide a benefit only to property owners rather than spending general fund revenues on services to benefit the entire community. Services such as education, economic development, transportation, parks, and public safety that have been adversely affected in recent revenue shortfalls are at risk of never recovering under I-1033.

Councilwoman Rose Clark suggested the proposition would but the city “in permanent recession mode,” while Councilwoman Kathy Keene said, “This is absolutely draconian. It’s just awful.”

Shaw countered that I-1033 “would make government take a good, hard look at what it is doing. If I-1033 had been on the books, then I think we would have looked at some of the things we’ve done recently differently.”

But Mayor Joan McGilton voiced concern that its effect “could mean further decreases in police and court services. This is very concerning to me.”

Council members also unanimously adopted a final statement of the city’s key legislative policies for 2010.

These include encouraging economic development, especially in the Northeast area; seeking funding assistance for transportation improvements and other infrastructure needs; opposition to unfunded legislative mandates on local government; seeking funding for local salmon habitat; strengthening local public safety, including emergency preparedness; monitoring legislation relating to annexation of North Highline; and seeking assistance to maintain the city’s parks and recreation system.

In other action, lawmakers unanimously adopted an ordinance amending the fee schedule for filling public records requests and adding a five-day response to these requests.

Sgt. John Urquhart of the King County Sheriff’s Department sent us the following article Friday afternoon (Oct. 2nd), where he attempts to clarify budget cuts that will affect police officers, as proposed on Monday (Sept. 28th) by current King County Executive Kurt Triplett.

Here’s Sgt. Urquhart’s rebuttal to Triplett’s announcement:

The King County budget is incredibly complicated…some might even say convoluted!   Attached is my effort to clarify one aspect:  the cuts contemplated by the Exec’s Office to the Sheriff’s Office as a result of the North Highline annexation to Burien.

John

Budget 101: The Cuts to Cops on the Streets

There has been some confusion over budget numbers released by the Sheriff’s Office Wednesday (Sept. 30th), and statements made by the Executive’s Budget Office.  This should clear up at least some of the confusion.

Burien residents voted on August 25th 18th to annex a relatively small area into their city.  It’s officially called “North Highline”.  The annexation officially occurs about March 1, 2010.

Here’s a map of the area:

It is 1,700 acres (about 2.6 square miles) and includes 14,100 people.

The Sheriff’s Office already provides police service to the area since it is in unincorporated King County.  For 24/7 365 day coverage, it takes seven officers, as well as a part-time detective for investigations and a part-time sergeant for supervision.  Call it eight police officers.

With the area soon to be part of Burien, the eight officers are no longer needed so their costs for King County go away because the city will take over police duties in North Highline in March.

The average cost for a Sheriff’s Office employee is $100,000 a year, including salary, benefits, and equipment.  Remember, that’s an average……some are higher and some are lower.

Therefore the “avoided cost” to King County due to the North Highline annexation, if annualized, is about $800,000 (eight deputies X $100,000 each).  However the since the annexation doesn’t take place until March 1st, the 2010 avoided cost is $666,666 (10 months of $800,000).   Pretty simple.

It would be entirely appropriate to take that amount out of the Sheriff’s Office budget for 2010, since that is the savings when deputies won’t be providing police service in the area.

However, rather than $666,666, the Executive’s Office is removing nearly $3.5 million from the Sheriff’s Office budget in 2010.  The amount is specifically labeled as a result of the “North Highline Annexation” in several budget documents.  (Those documents are available for review in the Sheriff’s Office, or are certainly available from the Executive’s Budget Office.)

So that forces a reduction in Sheriff’s Office staff of 35 positions specifically because of the North Highline Annexation ($100,000 X 35 = $3.5 million).

However it is likely that eight of those positions will be hired by the city of Burien, (one of our contract cities) for police duties in North Highline beginning March 1st.

That means the number of lost positions (35) can be reduced by eight, leaving a net loss to unincorporated King County of 27 deputies.

Note that 27 deputies is exactly the number listed in Communications Director Carolyn Duncan’s press release on Monday, Sept. 28th (link here).

However the lost positions are not listed anywhere in budget documents.  This masks the cuts to cops on the street.

So the obvious question:  If the cost savings to King County is $666,666 due to the North Highline annexation, why cut the Sheriff’s Office by $3.5 million…more than five times higher than it should be?

Good question.  We’ve asked.  So far, the Sheriff’s Office has not been provided the documentation behind the cuts.

4Culture, the cultural development agency serving King County, recently announced federal stimulus funding awards totaling $250,000 to preserve jobs at 40 arts and cultural organizations throughout the region, including both a $7,500 grant to Burien’s Hi-Liners and $2,500 to the city.

The federal funds will help organizations extend or restore threatened salaried and contract jobs, ranging from executive directors and curators, to marketing managers, to actors and artists.

“The recession has deeply impacted non-profit cultural organizations of all sizes and disciplines,” said Jim Kelly, Executive Director of 4Culture, “However, the applications we reviewed demonstrate that arts managers are resilient, creative, and determined to continue programs in the service of their missions.” 4Culture will distribute the federal funds throughout the County to a diverse range of organizations and communities including:

Auburn Symphony Orchestra	Auburn	$10,000
City of Auburn Arts Commission	Auburn	$5,000
Bellevue Arts Museum	Bellevue	$10,000
City of Bellevue Parks & Community Services	Bellevue	$3,000
Music Works Northwest	Bellevue	$4,000
Attic Theatre, The	Bothell	$5,000
Northshore Performing Arts Center	Bothell	$5,000
City of Burien	Burien	$2,500
Hi-Liners, The	Burien	$7,500
City of Des Moines Arts Commission	Des Moines	$7,500
Duvall Cultural Commission	Duvall	$6,500
Fall City Arts	Fall City	$5,000
Centerstage Theatre	Federal Way	$7,500
Federal Way Symphony	Federal Way	$6,500
City of Kent	Kent	$6,500
City of Kirkland Cultural Council	Kirkland	$6,500
Kirkland Arts Center	Kirkland	$7,500
Kirkland Performance Center	Kirkland	$5,000
Studio East	Kirkland	$8,500
SecondStory Repertory	Redmond	$7,500
Evergreen City Ballet	Renton	$5,000
Arcade (NW Architectural League)	Seattle	$7,500
Arts and Visually Impaired Audiences	Seattle	$3,500
Degenerate Art Ensemble	Seattle	$3,000
Early Music Guild	Seattle	$7,500
Giant Magnet (formerly Seattle Int. Children’s Festival)	Seattle	$7,500
Langston Hughes PAC	Seattle	$5,000
Northwest Film Forum	Seattle	$7,500
Seattle International Film Festival	Seattle	$5,000
Seattle Music Partners	Seattle	$5,000
Seattle Public Theatre	Seattle	$7,500
Seattle Scenic Studios	Seattle	$7,500
Suyama Space (Space.City)	Seattle	$3,000
Theatre Puget Sound	Seattle	$7,500
Town Hall	Seattle	$7,500
Washington Lawyers for the Arts	Seattle	$7,500
Choir of the Sound	Shoreline	$5,000
Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council	Shoreline	$6,500
Vashon Allied Arts	Vashon	$7,500
ArtsWest	West Seattle	$7,500

Earlier this year, 4Culture applied for and received the maximum award of $250,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to re-grant to King County arts and cultural organizations to support art jobs. The NEA had $50 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to distribute nationwide.

Cumulatively, over $1.2 Million dollars will help preserve jobs at nearly 100 organizations statewide through the NEA appropriations. The Washington State Arts Commission received ARRA funds to distribute state-wide, and over the summer announced awards totaling $285,000 to 24 arts organizations, including six in Seattle. In early September, the Seattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs (SOACA) announced another $250,000 in ARRA funds to 22 Seattle-based arts organizations. SOACA and 4Culture were two of only sixteen local arts agencies nation-wide that received ARRA funds to sub-grant to constituents. The NEA also awarded grants totaling $450,000 directly to 12 Seattle arts organizations.

An arts organization can only receive ARRA-appropriated NEA jobs funding from one source. With all three regional public funding entities receiving ARRA dollars, WSAC, 4Culture and SOACA devised an application process that would ensure that arts organizations wouldn’t have to submit multiple applications if they were eligible to apply to more than one agency. 4Culture was the final agency to undergo a panel process, and received 99 applications from organizations throughout King County. Proposals were evaluated on the significance of the position(s) to the mission and core services of the organization, the potential of the position(s) to have an immediate impact, and the organization’s ability to manage the funds.

According to their website:

4Culture is a unique integration of the arts, heritage, preservation and public art; committed to advancing community through culture. Public exhibitions and performances, public art, preservation of significant sites and interpretation of local history deepen our connections to the places in which we live and work. 4Culture stimulates cultural activity and enhances the assets that distinguish a community as vibrant, unique and authentic.

BTB Advertiser BECU is holding a free seminar called “Surviving in Today’s Economy” on Thursday, Sept. 24th from 5pm to 6:30pm at the Woodmont Library in Des Moines.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Free “Surviving in Today’s Economy” seminar

WHEN: Thursday, Sept. 24th from 5pm to 6:30pm

WHERE: Woodmont Library, 26809 Pacific Highway S., Des Moines, WA

COST: NO COST. NO OBLIGATION. REGISTER TODAY.

INFO: Space is limited – call 206-439-5910, visit www.becu.org or stop by any BECU Neighborhood Financial Center to register.

Sponsored by BECU Neighborhood Financial Center, whose free seminars are led by experienced financial educators.

A new burger joint may be opening soon in Olde Burien – “B-Town Burgers & Shakes” is apparently taking over the space at 822 SW 152nd Street, next to Goodie Gumdrops, on the corner of Ambaum and SW 152nd where “Flat Majic Books & Gifts” was previously located:

According to their website, they’re slated to open in mid-November:

B-Town Burgers & Shakes
www.btownburgers.com

At B-Town Burgers, we believe fast food should be made from scratch. We start with 100% beef which is never frozen. Every burger is made to order. At B-Town Burgers there are no heat lamps or microwaves. Your french fries are cooked from fresh potatoes and are peeled and diced in the store. At B-Town Burgers we only use the highest quality, freshest ingredients to make the world’s most delicious burgers and fries. B-Town Burger — always fresh, always delicious.

“Delighting Customers with Burgers, Fries and Shakes”

Opening in November 2009

No word yet on whether you’ll be able to get free Tarot Card readings when you order a “Happy Psychic Meal,” but we wonder:

• Could this be another good sign for Burien’s economy?
• Could it also be a good sign for use of the nickname “B-Town”?
• Would you like fries with that?

On Wednesday, Sept. 9th our sister site The White Center Blog first reported how Burien-based community-service group ACORN is trying to help save resident Maria Morales’ home from foreclosure by staging a phone call bank today (Fri. Sept. 11th) starting at 3pm at their headquarters at 134 SW 153rd St. Suite D.

According to ACORN Head Organizer/Director Alex King, if you’d like to help, you can either just show up at their offices at 3pm, or you can help try and save Maria’s house from the comfort of your own office or home – RIGHT NOW (until 4pm):

1. Call Sen. Margarita Prentice at (360) 786-7616, and ask her to pass mandatory mortgage mediation and to help save Maria’s home.

2. Call Litton at (713) 218-4592 and when asked provide the following information:

Loan #: 0014555239

Name: Maria Morales

“My name is _______and I am calling in support of ACORN member Maria Morales asking you to NOT sell her house and to modify her mortgage NOW.”

[Wait for their response]

“We will continue to call and do actions until Maria’s loan is modified and you start modifying all the other modifications you have. Thank you.”

3. Show up at ACORN’s offices (134 SW 153rd St. Suite D) at 3pm today and volunteer to make some calls right then and there.

We’ll be at the ACORN offices later today, and will post photos and an update later, so stay tuned and let’s see if we can garner up some serious people power to help our neighbor!

by Ralph Nichols

Borrowing a phrase from Mark Twain, reports of the demise of Burien’s Town Square condominiums, which opened for occupancy in June, are vastly exaggerated.

So declares Dan Rosenfeld, principal of Urban Partners, developer of the privately owned condo and retail complex in Town Square at the corner of SW 152nd Street and Sixth Ave SW.

“We are holding on,” Rosenfeld said this week, responding to a rumor that Urban Partners is barely hanging on. “We are very proud of the quality of our project and the effect that it’s having on the revitalization of downtown Burien.”

Together with the public part of the Town Square project, he added, which includes the new King County Library/City Hall building and a downtown park.

“We couldn’t have built a better project,” Rosenfeld continued. “We did this in a very challenging market. We are working buyer by buyer on closing sales. We are making progress. In the long run, I think we will be very successful.”

The Town Square complex includes a mix of one- and two-bedroom condos, two-story Homes on the Park, and live/work lofts. There is 20,000 square feet of ground-level retail space in addition to 122 condos.

None of the retail space has been leased to date. And, said Burien economic development manager Dick Loman, five of the condos have been sold and closed to date, according to the most recent number provided him.

“They’re selling slow for reasons we all understand,” Loman said. “No development company is making money today but they have the resources to hang on.”

Rosenfeld underscored Loman’s assessment, stating that Urban Partners plans “to stay the course … literally 20 potential buyers are having trouble selling their (existing) homes. Everything’s difficult. That is not a reflection on what we have (at Town Square). Quite the contrary. We’ve received many compliments on the project.”

Underwriting standards have been tightened as lending markets adjust to new criteria, he noted. Urban Partners is “fine tuning our lending program and our marketing activities in response to changing circumstances in the capital markets. We are constantly trying to find ways to do it better.”

Burien City Councilman Gordon Shaw quashed another rumor, which suggested Urban Partners was considering renting some of the condos as apartments. The developer is prevented from doing that in their agreement with the city, which states they must be “for sale” units, he said.

But, Shaw said, “It’s concerning to me that more of the residences have not been sold and closed. I’m also distressed about no retail leases … I just don’t know how (Urban Partners) can weather this storm.”

As a councilman, he continued, “I’m just sitting here holding my breath. Urban Partners is telling us nothing about their financial condition.”

For his part, Rosenfeld says they still hope to build the other two condo/retail complexes long-planned for Town Square, “but we have to sell the first phase first. The mortgage markets are challenging, the appraisal markets are challenging. The good news is, there are real signs that a turnaround in housing markets is beginning to appear. Things are edging upwards.”

So…what do YOU think will happen to Burien’s shiny new Town Square? Please take our poll, or leave a Comment below…

It’s good to know that even in tough economic times, money has been set aside to fund arts in our community. Burien of course, being the arts-centric “new Brooklyn” has around $20,000 earmarked for arts and culture in 2010, and has opened the application process to apply for a grant, with a deadline of 5pm Wednesday, Sept. 30th.

There will also be a “Question & Answer” session for applicants with members of the Arts Commission’s Arts & Culture Fund review committee on Thursday, Oct. 22nd.

Here’s the exact verbiage from the cityfolk:

CITY OF BURIEN PUBLIC NOTICE: 2010 ARTS AND CULTURE FUNDING APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE

The City of Burien is holding an application cycle for its year 2010 Arts & Culture grant funding.  Total funding available is estimated at $20,000.

Arts & Culture grant funding is available to groups or organizations that provide arts and cultural enrichment to Burien and its residents.

Applications for 2010 Arts & Culture funding are due by 5:00 pm, Wednesday, September 30 to Burien Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts, 425 SW 144th Street.  Applications are available on the City website at www.burienwa.gov or by contacting Debbie Zemke at 206/988–3704.

From the city’s website:

The purpose of the City’s Arts and Culture Fund is to support both arts and heritage organizations as well as artists who will enhance cultural opportunities for City residents while also attracting regional artists and audiences that can contribute to Burien’s identity as an arts and culture-oriented City.

Funding Priorities Applications that provide one or more of the following services will be prioritized for funding:

• Programs developed for or presented in the Burien community
• Innovative and/or mixed-genre projects that bring new cultural experiences to Burien
• Cultural education experiences for underserved and/or low-income youth

Eligibility

• Applicants may be individuals or non-profit organizations. Evidence of non-profit status for organizations will be required.
• The proposed program and/or event must be held in Burien or serve a majority of Burien residents.
• Only one application per individual/organization will be accepted per year.

Review Criteria

• There is no priority between each of the elements listed below nor is there a requirement to meet all criteria:
• Artistic and heritage merit and excellence
• Collaborative programs or initiatives with other cultural organizations
• Administrative capability and fiscal stability of the applicant’s organization
• Recruitment of underserved populations through special outreach and/or specialized promotional strategies
• Participation in the City’s cultural programs and/or eventS
• Documented evaluation and measurement of previous year’s program grant objectives
• Diversity of applicant’s additional funding sources
• Burien-based artists, heritage professionals, and cultural organizations
• Prior grant recipients.

How To Apply:
The City holds an annual application cycle for Arts and Culture funding in the fall prior to the year of funding. Thus, an organization requesting funding for the year 2010 would need to apply in the fall of 2009.    The applicant will need to complete the attached application and return the original and ten (10) three-holed-punched copies to: City of Burien Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Services, 425 SW 144th, Burien, Washington, Attn: Debbie Zemke, Recreation Manager by the specified due date.

The City’s Arts Commission will review applications and make recommendations to the full City Council for final approval.

You can download a grant application here (PDF file).

For questions, please contact Debbie Zemke, Recreation Manager at 206 988 3704 or via e-mail: debbiez@burienwa.gov.

For more information, click here: www.burienwa.gov/index.aspx?NID=825

We got an email tip from BTB Reader Jennifer about a Job Ad posted Monday (Aug. 31st) on Craigslist that implies that the closed/empty Burien Nissan may be re-opening in mid-September under new management from CarPros, which appears to own several dealerships in Tacoma, Seattle and Carson, CA.

Here’s the Ad:

Re-Opening Auburn & Burien Nissan (Auburn & Burien)

---

Date: 2009-08-31, 3:07PM PDT
Reply to: jobs@carpros.com

---

Automotive Parts or Service experience? Opportunity knocks!!!Nissan Dealerships are gearing up for mid September opening, we are seeking qualified applicants for all Dealership positions.

Bring your Parts or Service experience and join an award winning Puget Sound Automotive Dealer Group.
We set the standard for professionally managed Parts & Service, our environment encourages personal and professional growth and includes rewarding pay plans with superior benefits.

E mail jobs@carpros.com
Fax (563) 405-8144, experienced professionals feel free to direct dial Bradley Wolf @ (253) 222-4836

Applicants must be 18 years of age, possess a valid drivers license and be drug free. Car Pros is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Burien Nissan (their former website is still down and no new one could be found), located in a shiny lot at 16042 First Ave South, closed for business in May under ownership of the Rainier Automotive Group, which lost “flooring” (aka financing) and had their entire inventory reclaimed by Nissan in a 24-hour period in March.

Since then, the lot has stood empty, like a recently-remodeled $5 million, modern ghost town car lot in Burien.

We’re investigating this developing story further, and will have more in-depth coverage soon, so be sure to check back often, or subscribe to our free RSS Feed or receive updates via email.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

• BREAKING NEWS: Burien Nissan Is Now Officially Closed
• Burien Nissan Expecting New Financing In “A Few Weeks”
• UPDATE: More Information On Burien Nissan’s Inventory
• Burien Nissan Loses Entire Stock, Now An Empty Lot

There will be a “Save The Pool” rally tonight (Monday, Aug. 31st) from 5pm to 7pm at the Evergreen Pool, which is located at 606 SW 116th St in White Center.

Dow Constantine, King County Councilmember and candidate for the executive position, says that the pool will close Tuesday, Sept. 1st, and stay closed until a new management deal is completed.

Evergreen Pool’s budget was cut by the county, and its future appears to be sinking fast, unless something is done soon…so be there to show your support!

According to both KIRO-TV and Northwest Cable News, dozens of job-seekers camped overnight Tuesday night outside the Burien/Normandy Park Fire Department building on 8th Ave SW in hopes of being one of 250 applicants for a full-time job.

According to BFD’s website:

Applications are now available for download from the Burien Fire web site. Applications will be accepted at Headquarters Station beginning August 19, 2009 at 9:00 AM PST until 3:00 PM PST, Monday through Friday until the first 250 have been received or September 3, 2009 at 3:00 PM PST whichever comes first.

A full list of requirements, minimum qualifications, application procedures, and an information sheet on the written test, physical test, and oral boards is provided to you via the link below. Please read this document in its entirety. You must have Adobe Acrobat to view the document.

2009 Application Information Sheet

2009 Application for Employment

The link below is the 2009 application for employment. It is a PDF document and Adobe Acrobat will be needed to view the file. Please read the Application Information Sheet prior to turning the application in.

2009 Job Application

Questions about the application and employment process, exams, test dates, or other related information should be directed to the receptionist at (206) 242-2040 during normal business hours only.

BFD started accepting job applications at 9am Wednesday morning, and will continue to accept them Mon.-Fri. from 9am to 3pm until 250 have been received or until Sept. 3rd, whichever comes first.

Potential firefighters will have to pass a written test, physical test and an oral board to get hired.

For more information, visit the department’s website or call (206) 242-2040.

Household finances got you down?

Feeling the pinch during this economy?

Well, the good folks at Lake Burien Presbyterian Church are holding a Free Resource Fair and Block Party, where they will be giving out advice, resources and more to parents, along with FREE Backpacks (with school supplies) to the first 300 kids this Saturday, Aug. 15th from 12 to 3pm at 15003 14th SW.

This is their second annual event, and is in conjunction with the Church Council of Greater Seattle.

Here are the details:

The Port of Seattle Monday announced that an estimated 3,000 jobs will be restored when the airport “Consolidated Rental Car Facility” parking garage construction begins again.

The Port of Seattle, the City of SeaTac, Turner Construction and representatives from the Washington State Building & Construction Trades Council and King County Labor Council will officially re-start the construction at a press conference on Wednesday, July 22nd at 10:30am.

Construction on the $419 million, 23-acre site will restore more than 3,000 local, family-wage jobs that were lost when the project was shelved last December.  This project is also projected to generate nearly $2 million in tax revenue for the City of SeaTac. At least 1,000 jobs are expected to be created by the end of 2009, and the facility is scheduled to open in spring of 2012.

The Sea-Tac Airport Consolidated Rental Car Facility will support all airport-related rental car operations at one convenient location. It is designed to meet the current and future demands of the traveling public. The facility will be a five-story structure that will greatly improve the size, space, and efficiency of rental car operations that are currently spread out from the main terminal garage and multiple off-site locations. In addition, the facility will open up two floors of public parking, more than 3,200 spaces, in the main terminal garage.

The Port of Seattle Commission approved the successful sale of $317 million in revenue bonds in late June in order to re-start the project.

Here’s a full rendering of the garage:

by Ralph Nichols

Federal and state funding from earmarks and other targeted appropriations is critical for continued economic growth in Southwest King County, officials from three Highline cities said Friday (July 10th).

Burien Councilwoman Sally Nelson, representing Mayor Joan McGilton, along with SeaTac Mayor Ralph Shape and Tukwila Mayor Jim Haggerton delivered annual reports on the economic state of their cities at the Southwest King County Chamber of Commerce monthly membership luncheon at the Red Lion Hotel in SeaTac.

“Earmarks have gotten a bad rap but the needs of local government depend on federal and state funding,” said Nelson. Yet, she recalled, Congressman Jim McDermott, D-Seattle, said at last month’s dedication of the King County Regional Library/Burien City Hall that the new building “is an example of earmarks at work.”

“We can’t do this alone,” agreed Shape. Local governments depend on funding by the federal government, he added. Haggerton noted that state law limits cities and counties to property tax revenue increases of 1 percent per year except on new development, and that much of this money goes for fire and police services and health care.

Focusing on current economic development in Burien, Nelson said the city’s Town Square “never would have happened without a changed (SW) 152nd Street – the redesign and rebuilding of Burien’s “main street” that preceded construction of new condominiums and street-level retail space in addition to the library/city hall through a public-private partnership.

For sustained economic recovery and development to happen, strong partnerships are needed, Nelson continued. Local economic development depends on “strong transportation systems, strong water and wastewater systems … managed and paid for by local government, but this will not happen without strong support by state and federal government.”

Planning and opportunity are meeting in SeaTac, which Shape described as “a transportation-centric city.” New development is taking place on the west side of Tukwila International Boulevard across from the light rail station, and will include both commercial space and multi-family housing. Planned at South 176th Street across International Boulevard from the light rail airport station is “a vibrant mix of restaurants, shops, entertainment and residential” developments, which will be easily accessible to light rail and air passengers as well as city residents.

Shape said updated zoning laws that encourage higher population densities in these areas along with easier permitting are encouraging these developments as well as other businesses to relocate to SeaTac. In addition, good fiscal management is helping SeaTac weather the current economic storm, he added. These projects have been in the planning stage for years, and “now is the time to implement them.”

Haggerton observed that while Tukwila is a small city with a population of only 18,000, it provides 42,000 jobs. And Westfield Southcenter Mall, which generates many of these jobs, is planning to develop the north side of the mall – with improved pedestrian access – in the wake of the recent expansion on the mall’s south side.

After five years, the Tukwila South project – a new non-central business district development on the current Segale property south of South 180th Street – is moving forward, he said. And a developer has been selected for the Tukwila Village project along Tukwila International Boulevard, which is expected to revitalize that area with new retail and housing.

Reminding chamber members that light rail service between Tukwila International Boulevard at Southcenter Boulevard and downtown Seattle begins this coming Saturday, July 18th, King County Councilwoman Julia Patterson (SeaTac) said this will usher in “extraordinary opportunities for economic development in South King County.”

In addition, it “will provide the opportunity for us to get out of our cars and go into Seattle (by light rail) to work, to go to a play, to go to a Mariners’ game. This is an exciting, exciting event … and the biggest investment in infrastructure, except for what the Port has done at the airport, in South King County.

Patterson, who also serves on the Sound Transit board, added that the grand opening for light rail service from Tukwila on to Sea-Tac International Airport will take place in December.

Burien’s Boehm’s Chocolates is for sale for $35,000, according to this Craigslist Ad, posted Thursday, June 18th at 11:54am:

Boehm’s Chocolates of Burien – $35000 (Burien)

---

Reply to: sale-sqs6w-1228079749@craigslist.org
Date: 2009-06-18, 11:54AM PDTExceptional Opportunity!!! Established local company since 1981. Up to 150 products available. Over $101K FF&E; 1400 Sq Ft in shopping plaza. Lots of parking. Contact Conrad Topacio, 205.669.0576; info@vantageseattle.com; Vantage Commercial Partners 206.402.5567.

• Location: Burien
• it’s NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

Boehm’s Chocolates, located at 148 SW 148th (near Safeway) has been in business since 1981. According to their website, the Burien location appears to be the only one other than the original, which is located in Issaquah:

We are Boehm’s Chocolates Burien of Seattle. We feature Boehm’s products which are manufactured or distributed by Boehm’s Candies Inc. in Issaquah, WA.

Julius Boehm (1897-1981), the original founder of Boehm’s Candy Kitchen in Issaquah, WA, was of Swiss-Austrian decent. After immigrating to the United States in 1940, he and partner George Tedlock opened the first Candy Kitchen in the Greenlake area of Seattle.

In 1956 the company moved to Issaquah where he built the Edelweiss Chalet and a beautiful Alpine Chapel in the shadow of the Issaquah Alps. To this day the Issaquah Boehm’s Candies plant manufacturers over 150 different confections.

Our location, Boehm’s Chocolate Burien is proud to carry many of these delightful confections.

Whether you browse through our online products or take a trip to visit the Boehm’s candy factory in Issaquah, you will find a variety of products and candies and also Boehm’s products that are clearly identified. You can be assured that Boehm’s gourmet confections are produced to the high standards Mr. Boehm set for candymaking over 60 years ago. Boehm’s is proud of their consistent quality and we are often told there is none better.

So…anyone know if chocolate sells more during a recession?

Any wanna-be Willy Wonkas out there in B-Town?

Story and Photo by Janet Grella

A reader tipped The B-Town Blog this morning that Wizards Casino in Burien was closing today. After an investigation, we found out that is indeed true – the doors are closed, and Wizards employed 130 people.

“The city’s (Burien) been great to work with,” said General Manager Pat Hosier.

The decline of Wizards “started with the smoking ban in 2005, where the Casino lost 17% of their customers, and didn’t make them up, and then the economy finished us off,” explained Pat.

We hope to sit down with Pat in the near future to discuss the decisions that went into closing a business that’s been in Burien since 1998.

Wizards was located at 15749 Ambaum Blvd. SW, next to Hi-Line Lanes.

The Wizards website mentions nothing about the closure.

For further information on this closure, check in The B-Town Blog, your most up-to-date local news source right here (you can get our RSS Feed here).

UPDATE 9/1/09: An email tip leads us to believe that Burien Nissan will be re-opening in mid-September – read the latest here.

Story by Janet Grella
Photos by Michael Brunk

UPDATE 8pm 5/12/09: According to the Puget Sound Business Journal, a company called MD Johnson is advising Burien Nissan’s owner, Rainier Automotive, on the sale of this as well as the Auburn Nissan dealership.

PREVIOUSLY: It’s official – Burien Nissan is now closed.

When we attempted to reach John Antonelli, Sales Manager, he actually hung up on us!

That’s right – rather than talk with us about what’s going on, he hung up the phone. The last time we spoke with Mr. Antonelli (March 30th), he claimed “It’s still business as usual. Should have some good news on financing in a few weeks…”

We then called the dealership’s number and received the following recorded message – listen closely as the woman’s voice cracks on the last sentence (“…and wish you all well.”):

[display_podcast]

“Thank you for calling Burien Nissan. At this time our dealership is closed. We have enjoyed being a part of your lives and a part of the Burien community. We appreciate your business over the years and wish you all well.”

According to manta.com, Burien Nissan employed 40 people and had estimated sales of $14.3 million in 2008.

Burien Nissan was part of the Rainier Automotive Group that included Auburn Nissan, along with Eastide Subaru and Eastside Hyandai, both in Kirkland.

At Auburn Nissan the phone rang so long it went to busy (they are closed for business also). At Eastside Subaru we were told that “parts and service are still open and we’re going through a change of ownership and should be open for sales in the next couple of weeks.”

At Eastside Hyandai we got only a voicemail box.

Here’s a photo slideshow of what Burien Nissan looks like now, shot Tuesday afternoon by Photographer Michael Brunk, who says that while he was there, a locksmith was changing the locks on the doors:

Click to View Slideshow

All the associated websites are still functioning, with no mention of any closings, as if it’s “business as usual,” when in reality, it’s not.

Previously, we broke the news that Burien Nissan lost its entire inventory when their “flooring” fell through and the financing company basically repossessed their entire car lot over a 24-hour period around March 13th.

No word yet on what will become of this business, nor of the large lot it sits on.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

• Burien Nissan Expecting New Financing In “A Few Weeks”
• UPDATE: More Information On Burien Nissan’s Inventory
• Burien Nissan Loses Entire Stock, Now An Empty Lot