The Highline Schools Foundation is now accepting nominations for this year’s Gold Star Awards, which will honor outstanding teachers, staff, administrators and volunteers in the Highline Public Schools.

All members of the school community are invited to nominate their peers, and the deadline for nominations is April 1st.

Winners will receive a cash award and will be honored at the Foundation’s Gold Star Luncheon on May 21st.

Nomination forms will be available through school administrators and on the Foundation’s website: www.highlineschoolsfoundation.org, or you can download the form directly here.

The Gold Star Teacher of the Year will also be eligible to represent the District in the region’s Teacher of the Year contest.

Here’s more info on the May 21st awards luncheon:

Simply titled “ten”, this year’s luncheon is May 21, 2010 at the Double Tree Guest Suites Hotel and will feature programs of HSFFE over the past ten years and the impact we’ve had on the district.  The emcee this year is none other than Highline High Schools famous alumnus Peter Fewing.

Each year, four Gold Star Awards are presented to an outstanding teacher, administrator, classified employee or support staff and volunteer of Highline Public Schools. All members of the district and community are invited to nominate an outstanding individual. Winners receive a cash award and will be honored at the luncheon. The Gold Star Outstanding Teacher will also be eligible to represent the District in the region’s Teacher of the Year contest.  The deadline for nominations is April 1, 2010.

The proceeds from this luncheon support one of our major programs, classroom grants, which enrich the education experience for our students.  We look forward to partnering with you this year and hope to see you at the 10th Annual Gold Star Luncheon!

Please see the links below for more information on becoming a sponsor at this years Gold Star or to download the Nomination form.  For tickets, contact the Foundation Office at (206) 248-5196 or holly@highlineschoolsfoundation.org.

The Highline Schools Foundation for Excellence was established in 1999 with the purpose of providing community resources to help Highline Public Schools succeed. We believe that by helping to enrich the classroom and school experience, we can engage students to reach a higher level of learning, and the entire community will benefit. The Foundation is governed by a dedicated group of volunteer Trustees and is the only 501(c)(3) organization supporting all Highline Public Schools. The Foundation strives to be the single point of contact for community members, local and national business, service organizations and other foundations to connect their philanthropic efforts with a single school or the entire district.

If you’re not familiar with the Highline Schools Foundation, here’s a video:

by Scott Schaefer

Keegan Reilly, 29, finished ahead of 319 other racers in last Sunday’s Cove to Clover 5k in Burien.

No big deal really, in a 5k race of 650 finishers…right?

WRONG.

Reilly also happens to be a paraplegic, and he used a rented “arm cycle” to pedal his way to a 37:19 finish time in Sunday’s 5k, successfully making the steep climb up Snake Hill like he has so many other obstacles in his life.

If you ran or walked the course, you know how tough it was to make it up and over the hill affectionately called “The Snake.”

Now imagine using just your arms to pedal up that hill.

Reilly lost the use of his lower body after receiving a major spinal cord injury in a car crash, but he hasn’t let that stop him. According to his uncle, who also happens to be Race Organizer John Nelson, Keegan made the very first arm-powered ascent of Colorado’s Mt. Elbert, which also happens to be the highest peak in the Rocky Mountains, at 14,443 feet (32 feet higher than our own Mt. Rainier).

In addition, Reilly has also climbed Japan’s Mt. Fuji (12,388 ft.) as well as Mt. Shasta in California (14,179 ft.) using arm-climbing devices that were consulted and commissioned by his uncle, who says he did “a redesign” of one of One-Off Titanium’s unique arm powered off-road 3-wheelers.

“The result was a 4-wheeled hand-cycle designed specifically for ascending steep and rough terrain,” Nelson said.

The BBC did a story on Keegan’s ascent of Fuji (read it here), which received international attention because the police tried to stop the expedition at base camp. Nelson adds:

“We waited them out until the press arrive,” Nelson said. “After a couple days camping outside their door, they relented and grudgingly allowed the expedition to continue. Having a person be the final obstacle to overcoming Fuji just seemed downright silly.”

Reilly’s Shasta climb was with three other disabled climbers, including Pete Reike, who made the first arm-powered ascent of Mt. Rainier (read that story here).

“Each new person pushing the limits of the last,” Nelson said. “It’s like mountaineering being invented all over again.”

Most recently, Chris Waddell successfully summitted Kilimanjaro using a model of the 4-wheeler he based on Keegan’s machine (link here).

Nelson says that Reilly came all the way from Colorado just to take part in Sunday’s race.

Here are some pics of this brave and amazingly strong man (both physically and mentally) in action:

Just down the hill from B-Town, the Tukwila Rotary Club is holding “Strike Out Hunger,” a bowling party fundraiser for the Tukwila Food Pantry on Saturday, March 27th from 9am – Noon at ACME Bowl.

Who doesn’t love a bowling party, especially when it’s for a great cause?

Here are the details:

WHAT: Tukwila Rotary’s “Strike Out Hunger” bowling fundraiser for the Tukwila Food Pantry

WHEN: Saturday, March 27th from 9am – Noon

WHERE: ACME Bowl, located at

INFO: From a poster:

Join us at ACME Bowl in Tukwila for a great event that supports the Tukwila Food Pantry!

Saturday, March 27th from 9:00 am — 12 noon.

Bowler check-in at 8:45am.

Entry fee: Minimum of $200 per team (4 bowlers) Entry deadline: March 22nd or until full. Don’t wait…register today!

For event information, bowler registration and sponsorship opportunities visit our website www.TukwilaRotary.org.

If you have questions, or need further assistance, please contact the Tukwila Rotary at 206-674-4673 or send an e-mail to StrikeOutHunger@TukwilaRotary.org.

Sunday’s second annual Cove to Clover 5k fundraiser race for the Highline Area Food Bank and Highline Schools Foundation for Excellence raised “around $35,000,” according to race organizer John Nelson.

To put this in perspective, last year’s inaugural race brought in $12,000, which, at the time, was a “huge surprise,” according to Mike Werle, Executive Director of the food bank.

Some interesting anecdotes about the race itself:

• The first Unicyclist to ever complete the course was Kevin Williams.
  

  Unicyclist Kevin Williams rolls up Snake Hill.

• The oldest runner was Clyde Sparks, 74, of Normandy Park.
• Four 69-year olds also finished:
  • Robb Shirley, Seattle
  • Jack Freeman, Seattle
  • Penney Hall, Normandy Park
  • Jan Drago, Seattle – King County Councilmember who fired the starting gun in Normandy Park!
• There was a four-way tie for youngest, registered at Age “0″ (we’re pretty sure these kids were all in strollers, so thanks Moms!):
  • Phyllis Ahlerdice, of Seattle
  • Anuraag Sanga, of Burien
  • Yvetti Garcia, of Burien
  • Karen Hartrig, of Seahurst

Over 1,000 runners were registered for the race, and here’s a link to the results, which are searchable:

OnlineRaceResults.com

During Sunday’s Cove to Clover 5k fundraiser race, we had two Photographers shooting throughout the entire race, with Publisher/Editor Scott Schaefer manning the starting line, Snake Hill and St. Francis, and Michael Brunk stationed at the finish line.

Overall, we shot 2,461 photos (but who’s counting?) many of which included some of the more than 1,000 runners who ran the race.

In a perfect world of internet goodness, we’d be able to email your pic to you instantly and automatically based on your registration number. This online utopia would instantly send a high-res image of YOU taken during the race, or perhaps even print it and have it waiting in a nice frame on your porch as you returned home.

But, alas, we do not yet live in this perfect online utopia now do we? So, get your worn-out feet back to the real world, and wake up to the best we can do right now – as of 9:30pm Sunday night (Mar. 14), we are currently still uploading images to this “2010 Cove to Clover 5k Run” Group Pool on Flickr (it only lets us upload 500 at a time):

http://www.flickr.com/groups/2010covetoclover5krun/pool/

Now if you’ve never used Flickr before, it’s pretty easy – click on the link above and you’ll go the the Group Pool’s page. Once there, you’ll see a bunch of images. Hundreds, if not 2,461 of ‘em, but who’s counting?

Here’s what to do:

• In the upper right of the page, you’ll see a “Slideshow” icon.
• If you click on that it’ll start a slideshow of the pics.
• You can move through the show faster using your > key.
• Go through the pics until you see yours.
• Click on your pic. The slideshow should stop.
• Now, in the upper right corner you’ll see the file name of the image. Click on that.
• Now you should be on a page that shows just that image.
• Click on “All Sizes” which is located above the pic, kind of in the middle.
• Then click on “Original Size,” and right-click on Download the Original size and “Save As” the pic to your computer.
• The “original size” image can be printed, emailed, etc.

DISCLAIMER: Hopefully we took a pic of you and posted it. If not, we apologize – it’s quite a challenge! This is our first time shooting so many people at one event, and surely we can do better. Also, note that not all images have been uploaded yet, so be sure to check back Monday, as our magic photo elves are working as fast as they can.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Unfortunately, we do not have the full race results ready to post yet – please check back for that Monday as well!

And now, here’s round #1 of our choice pics from the day:

On a day when even a 6′4″ “Snake” couldn’t stop them, over 1,000 runners ran the second annual Cove to Clover 5k fundraiser race for the Highline Area Food Bank on Sunday afternoon, March 14.

The race started at the Normandy Park Community Club at 1pm sharp when King County Councilmember Jan Drago fired a starting pistol. Soon, the front-runners encountered Snake Hill, which separated the wheat from the chaff.

It was on Snake Hill when John Timeus, 25, of Kent, the overall winner, took control and never looked back. He crossed the finish line at Burien Town Square in an impressive 18 minutes and 55 seconds.

Second place went to 50-year Normandy Park runner Ray Prentice, who clocked in at 20:38. Not bad for a 50-year old.

The top female runner was Elsa Natal, 31, of Seattle with a 22:58 time.

Here are the overall winners as posted at the finish line:

1. John Timeus, Kent, 25/M 18:55
2. Ray Preintice, Normandy Park, 50/M 20:38
3. Paul Huynh Normandy Park, 18/M 20:49
   
4. Matt Parker, Burien 30/M 21:17
5. Nicholas Deisler, Seattle 26/M 21:56
6. Garrick Hughes Normandy Park, 26/M 22:02
   
7. Jason Ireland, Langley, 36/M 22:18
8. A.Z. Satterfield Normandy Park, 17/M 22:23
9. Mike Fosberg, Burien, 45/M 22:31
10. Joe Baisch, Seattle, 27/M 22:39

WOMEN:

1. Elsa Natal, Seattle, 31/F 22:58
2. Carmen Storer, Des Moines, 25/F 23:27
3. Cassie Marino, Des Moines , 25/F 24:44
4. Natalie D’Amico, Burien, 23/F 25:15
5. Cindy Sagmoen, Burien, 42/F 26:00
6. Dini Peneda, Seattle, 31/F 26:05
7. Robin Donocan, Seattle, 28/F 26:10
8. Donna Sullivan-Dyrdal, Burien, 54/F 26:21
9. Gina Mutter, Normandy Park, 43/F 26:34
10. Sandi Rowden, Burien, 45/F 26:34

Here’s our first batch of pics, shot by Michael Brunk at the finish line:

We’ll be posting more photos, results and stories throughout the day (and most likely over the next few days), so be sure to check back often.

Within a few days we’ll also post a link to a photo “pool” with every single pic we shot at the race – there’s a good chance you’re in there if you ran the race, and you’ll be able to download high-res, printable pics for no charge, as a gift from The B-Town Blog!

“The Snake” will be out in full force in the area Sunday (Mar. 14), as the 2010 “Cove to Clover” 5k fundraiser race for the Highline Food Bank will kick off at 1pm sharp from the Normandy Park Community Club, then wind its way through Burien and end in front of Mick Kelly’s Irish Pub.

Because of the race, which is expected to have over 1,000 runners, there will be many road closures going on, beginning at 12:50pm and in some spots continuing until 5pm.

Also, if you plan on running, you should seriously consider parking near Mick Kelly’s Irish Pub in downtown Burien, then taking one of the shuttles to the starting line – more details on the Cove to Clover website.

Don’t forget also to “spring ahead” at 2am Sunday morning, as Daylight Savings Time officially begins.

Weather-wise, we’re expecting a mostly cloudy day with highs in the mid-50s and a 10% chance of rain.

Here’s are details on the street closures, as well as a street map:

• The entire 5K race route will be closed to traffic.
• Closures will begin at 12:50pm and reopen as the bulk of the runners clear.
• A course crew vehicle will follow the runners reopening the streets.
• Six police officers will direct traffic at 5 key locations:
  • Sylvester & SW 120th
  • 16th SW and SW 160th
  • Before the s-curve on 21st SW near SW 159th.
  • SW 152nd and 20th SW
  • Ambaum & SW 151st
• Officers will move from location to location as streets reopen.
• Signage will inform traffic of current closures.

Here are more race day details from the Cove to Clover website:

5K START LINE PARTY with LIVE ROCK BAND starts at 10:45 am: “The Throbs” will be cranking out old school rock and roll at the start line until race time.  Warm your bones rocking out to covers of Nirvana, AC/DC, Scorpions and other eye-popping ROCK!!!  Come early and avoid the last minute shuttle rush.

Coffee provided by Burien Press.  After you wake, come meet the snake.

5K Race (race starts @ 1 pm sharp)

Start Line @ Normandy Park CC “The Cove”

Registration/Packet Pickup from 10:45 am – 12:30 pm @ The Cove

Family Race (race starts @ 1:40 pm sharp) Start Line @ St. Francis Church

Registration/Packet Pickup from 11 am – 1:15 pm @ St. Francis Church

1 mile-ish.  This can be walked or run and will include people of all generations.  Hopefully we’ll have Irish Step Dance lessons prior to the start. – Pick up bib

* New * “While You Race” Childcare (11:00 am – 1:35 pm) at St. Francis Church

If you want to run the 5K but your kids aren’t ready for that level of suffering, consider checking your kids into “While You Race” Childcare at the family race start line. You can then run the first 2 miles of the 5K to the Family Race Start, grab your kids and run then run the Family Race together.  Child care provided by St. Francis Parish, extra fee may be involved.

YOU MUST CHECK OUT YOUR CHILD BEFORE FINISHING THE 5K.  It is not intended that runners finish the run and then return to claim their children.  Due to the tight schedule, this service is for families with children who plan to run the Family Race.

If you do the math, you’ll need to be able to run the first 2 miles in 30 minutes to pickup your child in time for the Family Race.  Shuttle from the finish line, will stop drop you at St. Francis to check in your kids.  Then you can re-board the shuttle to be taken to the 5K start line (the Cove).

Finish Line Irish Festival (1:00 – 5 pm) at Burien Town Square

You can enjoy the whole show from the beer garden (or free root beer garden for the kiddies).   Mick Kelly’s will be serving up traditional Irish grub outside in the square (as well as inside the pub).

Mick Kelly’s Beer Garden 1-5 pm

Goodie Gumdrops Rootbeer Garden 1-5 pm

Mick Kelly’s Irish Comfort Food 1-5 pm outside, late as you like inside the pub.

The Haggis Brothers 2-5 pm

A very lively Irish band will be bringing you the old favorite but keeping you hopping.

Momentum Irish Dancers 3-3:40 pm
Demonstration of traditional step dancing from Burien’s own Irish Dance academy.  After performing a few numbers, join the pros for a free lesson (all welcome, young and old alike).

We’ll have Photographers stationed at the starting line, as well as on Snake Hill and at the finish line, attempting to take pics of as many runners as we can (be sure to grimace dramatically for us!), and we’ll also be posting race results as soon as we know them from our “live blogging” table in Mick Kelly’s.

In addition, as a gift to everyone participating in this worthy fundraiser, we’ll be posting all pics shot online in high-res for FREE access, so be sure to check The B-Town Blog Sunday evening for the link!

The organizers of Sunday’s Cove to Clover 5K fundraiser race for the Highline Area Food Bank want our Readers to know that there’s a “Last Gasp” registration and packet pickup this Saturday, March 13th from 5pm – 8pm at Mick Kelly’s Irish Pub in Burien.

This “last gasp” is intended for already-registered runners to get their shiny new race numbers, timing chop and t-shirt (if you registered early enough that is…), as well as for new runners to register and save the $5 race day fee increase.

That’s right – if you haven’t registered, don’t worry – you can do so at this event, and according to their website:

Don’t expect to get a shirt until after our post-race t-shirt order goes in but you can still avoid the $5 race day fee increase.

We don’t order gobs of extra shirts to insure we give every dollar we can to the food bank at the end of the day.

You will walk out with a race # and a timing chip.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Cove to Clover “Last Gasp” Registration & Packet Pickup

WHEN: Saturday, March 13th from 5pm – 8pm

WHERE: Mick Kelly’s Irish Pub, located at 435 SW 152nd Street • Burien • 206.246.2473.

INFO: From their website:

Registered?
Come on in and get your shiny new race number, timing chip and shirt (if you registered early enough).

You’ll be stylin in the morning when you board the shuttle at Mick’s in the morning already sporting your number and cool snake shirt

Not Registered?
Don’t expect to get a shirt until after our post-race t-shirt order goes in but you can still avoid the $5 race day fee increase.  We don’t order gobs of extra shirts to insure we give every dollar we can to the food bank at the end of the day.  You will walk out with a race # and a timing chip.

Avoid the race day rush!

Last Friday night (Mar. 5), the Cove to Clover race organizers held a “Student Limerick Throwdown” contest for area students at Mick Kelly’s Irish Pub. Each school in the Highline School District was eligible to submit one entry, with the winner earning $500.

If you haven’t seen the snake posters around yet, the Cove to Clover is a 5k fundraiser run for the Highline Area Food Bank, and it takes place this Sunday, March 14th beginning at Noon at the Normandy Park Community Club (full details here, including how to register).

The winning entry was selected by an “Official Limerick Selection Panel” composed of three non-partisan judges – Normandy Park Councilman Shawn McEvoy, Normandy Park Mayor George Hadley and “A Place for Pets” Owner Kevin Foxen. The winner of the competition was Marvista Elementary 4th 5th Grader Molly Marquis, whose entry we publish below:

The snake is back and we all cheer.
Cove to Clover is finally here
Tiny leprechauns dance
in their jiggly pants.
The race ends with lots of rootbeer!

Marvista decided to give the $500 winnings directly to Molly’s classroom to spend any way they want (with help from their teacher, Mrs. Brossard).

Other schools representing in the throwdown included Bow Lake, Gregory Heights and St. Francis.

Molly’s winning entry will also be read aloud to inspire runners immediately prior to the 5k race start, which is this Sunday, March 14th at Noon – full race details are available here.

The Clarion Hotel in SeaTac will be holding a special St. Patrick’s Day Spaghetti Feed & Auction fundraiser for the Des Moines Area Food Bank next Wednesday, March 17th from 5pm – 8pm at their location at 3000 South 176th Street in SeaTac.

Cost is $10 in advance for adults ($13 at door); Students & Seniors $7; or $25 for a Family Pack.

All proceeds go to the Des Moines Area Food Bank, so come on down, have some good spaghetti and help your hungry neighbors.

Here are the details:

WHAT: St. Patrick’s Day Spaghetti Feed and Auction fundraiser for the Des Moines Area Food Bank.

WHEN: Wednesday, March 17th, 5:00PM-8:00PM.

WHERE: Clarion Hotel, located at 3000 S. 176th St. in SeaTac.

COST: Adults $10 in advance, $13 at door; Students & Seniors $7; Family pack $25.

INFO: Proceeds go to the Des Moines Area Food Bank.

RSVP: Please call 206-676-3742 to RSVP, or click here for more information.

Our fave namesake women’s sports team, The Rat City Rollergirls (RCRG), kicked off their 2010 season opener recently to raise money for various charities, including;

• Old Dog Haven, a small nonprofit group using a network of foster parents to provide a loving safe home for abandoned senior dogs.
• The Pin Up Angels, who send care packages to our deployed servicemen and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan with the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard.
• The Lambert House, a center for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning youth that encourages empowerment through the development of leadership, social and life skills.
• Fisher House, who supports military and their families while recovering from illness or injury.

The first bout of the season Jan. 31st was an exhibition bout, which was set up like a mini-tournament. Our own Bart Bryan and Mark Neuman braved the dangerous sidelines of the bout to shoot this video, which was edited by Gina Bourdage:

This was a bout RCRG played for charities, and will not count toward their regular season team standings; however, at the end of the night the standings were

1. Sockit Wenches
2. Grave Danger
3. Throttle Rockets
4. Derby Liberation Front

Here are the points:

• Period 1, 1st Players: TR 62, SW 97
• Period 1, 2nd Players: GD 88, DLF 51
• Period 2, Grudge Match: TR 97, DLF 43
• Period 2, Champs: GD 66, SW 70

On March 6th, the RCRG set new records with attendance reaching 5,158 fans, the top attendance for a modern roller derby bout, packed KeyArena to watch the first regular home bout of season 6.

The Throttle Rockets smashed the skates of Derby Liberation Front, while Grave Danger drew first blood against the Sockit Wenches. Word on the street (direct from KeyArena folks), is that Rat City Rollergirl fans drink more beer than ANY sporting event at KeyArena! For more information and tickets visit www.ratcityrollergirls.com.

Ever wonder what it takes to be a Rat City Roller Girl? It’s more than a pair of skates and some lip gloss. To even be considered you need to commit to three 2-hours practices a week, work six committee hours a month and “Have a ton of chutzpah, sweat, determination, and a nice smile” just to name a few.

Beyond the eye-catching outfits these girls take some serious hits. Don’t believe us? Just check out the Hall Of Pain section of their website (there is a reason a disclaimer is posted to this page, this is no joke).

RCRG’s next bout is Saturday, April 10th, with Derby Liberation Front vs. Grave Danger, and Sockit Wenches vs. Throttle Rockets.

REMINDER: The 6th Annual Poverty Bay Wine Festival kicks off tonight (Friday, March 5th) with a black-tie “A Night in the Vineyard” gala party starting at 7:30pmat the Landmark Event Center in Des Moines.

Gala tickets are $75 in advance or $85 at the door, and include a buffet catered by Anthony’s HomePort, unlimited wine tasting, and live music by the Steve Ryals Trio and Ed Taylor & TaylorMade, plus free admission to the wine tasting event on Saturday or Sunday. Several premium wines and other exclusive items will be offered at a silent auction.

Sponsored by the Des Moines Rotary Club, this annual wine festival will run through Sunday March 7th at the historic and grand Landmark Event Center (formerly Landmark on the Sound) in Des Moines. Guests will enjoy live jazz and great food while tasting wines from 25 Northwest wineries.

“The wine festival gala is the hottest ticket in town,” says Des Moines Rotary President Lisa Meineke. “Everybody has a great time! People come back year after year. And this year we have new wineries and more wineries than ever before.”

The fun continues on Saturday and Sunday, with more wine tasting, food, and live music. Saturday’s music line-up includes Darren Motamedy and 4th Degree. On Sunday, it’s Rouge and Billet-Deux. Local restaurants and gourmet food vendors will sample breads, cheeses, smoked salmon, chocolates and other fine fare.

Tickets for Saturday and Sunday are just $20 in advance or $25 at the door. Gala tickets are $75 in advance or $85 at the door. Tickets can be purchased at Corky Cellars in Des Moines (206-824-9462) or at www.dmrotary.org.

Through the Poverty Bay Wine Festival, the Rotary Club of Des Moines has raised over $150,000 in its five-year history. All proceeds fund a wide variety of charitable projects, including college scholarships, grants to local schools, safety and recreation programs for children, yard projects for elderly residents, support for the local food bank and the homeless, and projects to assist needy people as far away as South Africa and Pakistan.

“People can come to the wine festival to have fun and discover some great wines and feel really good about what they are contributing to the community at the same time,” says wine festival chair Brian Snure. “There are so many needs in our community and in our world right now. What better way to give?”

HOURS:

• Saturday, March 6:  12:00 PM – 7:00 PM
• Sunday March 7: 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM

WINERIES:

• Canyon’s Edge
• Chandler Reach
• Covington Cellars – NEW
• Coyote Canyon Winery – NEW
• Burien’s own E.B. Foote Winery (BTB Advertiser)
• Eaton Hill
• Erin Glenn
• Fall Line
• Five Star Cellars
• Fort Walla Walla Cellars – NEW
• Kestrel – NEW
• Knipprath – NEW
• Masset Winery
• Otis Kenyon
• Page Cellars
• Pondera – NEW
• Sleeping Dog
• Sodo Vino – NEW
• Stina’s Cellar
• Two Vintners – NEW
• Vashon Winery
• Vin du Lac – NEW
• Waving Tree
• Willis Hall
• Windy Point

MUSIC:

• Friday, March 5 (Gala):
  • Steve Ryals Trio , Ed Taylor and TaylorMade
• Saturday, March 6:
  • 12:30-3:00:  Darren Motamedy Duo
  • 3:30-6:30: 4th Degree
• Sunday, March 7:
  • 12:30-2:30: Rouge
  • 3:00-5:00: Billet-Deux

For more information, please visit www.dmrotary.org. We’ll see you there tonight!

Our friends at White Center for the Arts are holding a very unique “Python-A-Thon” fundraiser this Sunday, March 7th, from Noon – 8pm at Big Al Brewing (in White Center), where episodes of the classic “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” TV show will be shown non-stop.

Participants are encouraged to bring potluck food items, dress in costume (lumberjack anyone?), bring penguins to put on the telly, and walk like you’re in the Ministry of Silly Walks, all while donating to a worthy local arts association.

Here are the details:

WHAT: “Python-A-Thon” viewing party of classic Monty Python TV episodes to help raise funds for White Center for the Arts.

WHEN: Sunday, March 7th from Noon – 8pm.

WHERE: Big Al Brewing, located at 9832 14th Ave SW; (206) 453-4487 (website here)

INFO: From a poster:

Big Al Brewing Presents Monty Python Video Festival

“Continuing Education”

Earn your letters in Pythonology

Finding it hard to get promoted even though you have a MM- Master of Monty?

Get your Doctor of Pythonology (DP), and silly walk your way to the top!

DP courses in:

• The Arts
  • -Why lumberjacks sing
• Optical Sciences
  • -How not to be seen
• Aeronautics
  • -What makes sheep fly
• Military History
  • -German humor and the demise of the Wehrmacht
• Veterinary Sciences
  • – Learn to determine the difference between “Dead” and “Resting”

And much much more!

If you’re silly enough, you too could become a fully accredited Doctor of Pythonology, capable of answering such puzzling questions as…

• “Why is there a penguin on the telly”?
• “If she’s a go’er why is she with him”?
• And, “Did the Vikings invent spam”?

Classes begin on Sunday, March 7th

First class of the day starts at 12 noon

Location: Go to www.bigalbrewing.com for directions

Extra credit will be given for bringing pot luck and coming to class as your favorite Monty Python character.

To get you in the mood, here’s the classic “Ministry of Silly Walks” sketch:

The second annual “Cove To Clover” fundraiser 5K race will be Sunday, March 14th, winding its way from the Normandy Park Community Club up the dreaded “snake hill” to the finish line in front of Mick Kelly’s Irish Pub.

What better way to prepare for the March 14th “Cove to Clover” 5k fundraiser run than by crawling in the fundraiser Pub Crawl on Friday, March 12th, where participants can feel good about going from pub to pub to help benefit the Highline Area Food Bank?

That’s right – there just isn’t a better way, so be sure to mark your calendars for 6pm+ Friday March 12th for what is sure to make a “great excuse for your poor upcoming performance on Snake Hill, with only one day to recover.”

For a $10 donation, you’ll get a commemorative keepsake bib qualifying you for “crawl” specials (our fave is the $1 bag of chips at the Hobnobber!), along with a passport and a map. Your goal will be to collect visitation stamps on your passport from at least five of the 13 official crawl stops (see the list below, which includes specials at each). Your stamped passport will serve as your entry to the door prize drawing @ 11 pm at Mick Kelly’s Irish Pub.

And if this Pub Crawl is anything like the now-legendary Brat Trot one from last October, be prepared for one of the best nights in Burien you’ve ever had; just be sure to have a designated driver or a safe way to get home if you plan to imbibe.

Keep in mind also that you need not drink alcohol at every pub – you can just ask to get your passport stamped!

Here are the details:

WHAT: The 2010 Cove to Clover Pub Crawl fundraiser benefiting the Highline Area Food Bank.

WHEN: Friday, March 12th beginning at 6pm.

WHERE: Starts at Mick Kelly’s Irish Pub at 6pm, with an 11pm return time for prize drawings.

COST: $10 donation gets you a commemorative, keepsake bib, which you’ll wear proudly as you “crawl” from pub to pub.

INFO: From the C2C website:

PLEASE DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE!! PRE-PLAN YOUR RIDE HOME OR HAVE A DESIGNATED DRIVER

Enjoy “crawl specials” offered at each official stop.

You can also expect special entertainment on the route.

Collect at least 5 official crawl stamps and you’ll qualify for the door prize drawing at Mick Kelly’s Irish Pub @ 11pm. (must be present to win).

All proceeds will benefit the Highline Area Food Bank.

Best Leprechaun Contest: Gift certificates to Mick Kelly’s for 1st ($100), 2nd ($75) and 3rd ($50).

For you Normandy Parkers: Consider riding the free shuttle from Normandy Park’s Archery Bistro. Check in with them (website here) for the schedule and shuttle stops. While they are not an official crawl stop, we understand they will be offering a specials during and prior to the first run into Burien. You can park you car there and let them do the driving. You’ll also be able to purchase an official crawl number at Archery Bistro, in case you decide to make this your launching point.

Here are the 13 designated pub crawl stops – remember, you only have to get stamped at five of ‘em:

Specials:

• $3 Draft beer
• $4.50 House Wine
• Food Special

Specials:

• $2 PBR Tall Boys $2 Bacardi Silver Bottles
• $3 Giant Pizza by the Slice

Entertainment:

• Three Tree Point Blues Band 9P

Specials:

• Free Espresso Shot

Specials:

• Free Wine Taste
• Free Menu Taste

Specials:

• $3 House Beer
• $3 Apps off Happy Hour Menu

FILIBERTO’S

Specials:

• $2 Draft Beer
• 1/2 price Calamari and pizza

Entertainment:

• RLS Band

Specials:

• $2 Budweiser
• $1 Bag of Chips!

Specials:

• $5 House Margarita
• $5 Tacos (3 Beef or Chicken Tacos)

Entertainment:

• Live Mariachi Band at 6:30

Specials:

• $2 beer
• $4 sangiovese
• $1 Pizza slices

Specials:

• Sour Apple Jello Shots $2
• Irish Potato and Banger Stew $3

Entertainment:

• Cornerstone

Specials:

• $3 Alaskan Amber Pints

Specials:

• $2 Irish Nut Brown Ales
• Corned beef sliders

Specials:

• $6 Wine by the Glass

More info available at the Cove Clover Pub Crawl website.

And if you haven’t yet registered for the 5k run, click here.

Two costumed “Leprechauns,” along with two Cove to Clover organizers, “crashed” Monday night’s Burien City Council meeting to chide councilmembers to register for the March 14th 5k fundraiser race for the Highline Area Food Bank.

So far though, only one city employee has registered – councilmember Lucy Krakowiak, who was rewarded with a commemorative snake last night.

As we reported Feb. 25th, this friendly registration “challenge” is being thrown down to the City of Burien in an attempt to offset city fees that are being charged to stage the charitable, non-profit, local fundraising event that’s being organized by a 100% volunteer committee.

And now, some eight days after the challenge was first issued, there’s still only one city employee/councilmember registered.

Here are some pics taken at last night’s leprechaun crashing:

For more information on the March 14th Cove to Clover 5k fundraiser race, including how you can register, click here to visit its website.

A very unique 9-liter bottle of Five Star Cellars 2006 Cabernet Savignon will be raffled off at the Poverty Bay Wine Festival next weekend (Saturday, March 6th & Sunday, March 7th) at the historic Landmark Event Center in Des Moines.

This one-of-a-kind, big, beautiful bottle contains nine liters – equal to a full case of wine (!) – and is engraved with the Poverty Bay Wine Festival emblem on one side, and the Five Star label on the other.

This 2006 Cab was rated 91 points by Wine Spectator and 94 points by the Beverage Tasting Institute – that means it’s an excellent case of wine in one big bottle!

No purchase is necessary– this is a drawing for anyone who wants to enter – but you will have to show up at the festival, which is just $20 per person; for that amount, you’ll also receive a souvenir wine glass and 10 tokens, a sampling of delicious foods, and live music both days.

Also, for all you non-wine drinkers out there, Pike’s Brewing will also have a booth.

The value of the wine plus the engraving is $1,000!

The opening night Gala will be this Friday, March 5th at 7:30pm at the Landmark Event Center. The theme is A Night in the Vineyard. A lavish buffet will be provided by Anthony’s HomePort. Tickets for the gala are $75 in advance, $85 at the door. The ticket price includes food, entertainment, and wine.

Wine Fesival tickets are priced at $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Tickets for the Wine Festival and Gala are available at Corky Cellars, located at 22511 Marine View Drive in Des Moines (206-824-9462); or online at www.dmrotary.org.

Poverty Bay Wine Festival is the major annual fundraiser for the Rotary Club of Des Moines.

For full details on the festival, check out our previous coverage here.

Story and Photos by Michael Brunk

Something a little different happened this past Friday (Feb. 26th) at John F. Kennedy Catholic High School in Burien. As the end of the school day approached, students and faculty gathered in the gymnasium.

That part isn’t so unusual for a high school.

It’s not often though, that they assemble to see a teacher get tattooed. At school. During the assembly!

The event was an outgrowth of the school’s recent “Every Lancer Against Cancer” awareness week. Part of the activities included raising money for several cancer-related funds. To spur the students on, American Government teacher Walt Kostecka issued a challenge (as we first reported here):

Raise $10,000 and he’d get inked.

The students threw themselves into the fundraising effort and Walt put himself in the hands of tattoo artist Bryan Kachel from Emerald City Tattoo & Supply – here’s a Photo Slideshow I shot at the event:

Click to View Michael Brunk’s Photo Slideshow

That the students met their goal shouldn’t surprise anyone. As Principal Michael Prato noted, it’s difficult to find a family that hasn’t been touched by cancer in one way or another. Their enthusiasm for learning about cancer and its affects, and collecting donations, carried over into the assembly. As Walt sat onstage with Bryan and his buzzing tattoo needle, the students conducted a pep rally around him. Complete with the school’s band, shouting cheerleaders and plenty of spirited applause.

Asked afterward how it felt getting his first tattoo, Walt replied:

“It felt like being stuck in a blackberry bush… for an hour!”

Walt shared that the real experience was watching his students get involved and raise the $10,000. He’s already thinking about next year and kicking around the idea of sky diving. Based on the response of his family members in attendance, Walt may have a challenge himself meeting that goal!

The organizers of Cove to Clover, the 5k fundraiser race for the Highline Area Food Bank coming March 14th, are issuing a “friendly challenge” to the City of Burien, including councilmembers and city employees, to sign-up to offset city fees that are being charged to stage the event.

Fees that are not being charged by the other city involved in the race, Normandy Park.

Did we mention that this event is a fundraiser, and last year raised $12,000 for the Highline Area Food Bank?

And that John Nelson, the main organizer, is one of four recipients for the City of Burien’s 2010 Citizen Community Leader awards being presented March 6th?

And did we mention that the City of Normandy Park is NOT charging any city fees for the event, which starts at their Community Club, so they have not been challenged?

Oh yeah, I guess we did.

Here’s the “friendly challenge” language from the Cove to Clover website:

Burien City Council: You just got served!

Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Council members,

Thanks for listening to my request last night to waive some fees for the race. I now understand that the fees can’t be waived and have been given some sage advice about how to offset these fees in future year.

However, for this year I have a proposal.

I happened to be at the NP Council Meeting when Rose Clark issued a friendly challenge to the Normandy Park Council to enter a team for the very worthy Relay for Life.

Since I’m new to this game, I’m stealing a play from your own playbook. From Normandy Park, I’m issuing my own friendly challenge to the Burien City Council and City Staff.

I’m challenging every member of the council to secure at least 2 registrations for the 2010 Cove to Clover. I especially encourage you to personally walk or run the race yourselves and to bring a new friend. It will be a lot of fun and I’d love to see our leaders all out there partaking in the goodness.

When you find a victim that is willing to register, make sure they enter “BTOWN” in the “Reg Code” field of the online or paper entry form to get official challenge credit. You can make an extra donation to the cause while registering which will also go to the challenge. You can pick up a paper form at Mick Kelly’s or register at www.covetoclover.com.

For your convenience, I setup a webpage to track the progress of the challenge (www.covetoclover.com/btown). It will be updated daily.

I know your team can do this and will have fun in the process.

Thanks for your consideration,
John Nelson

PS: Next year, we can get NP and Burien into a head-to-head competition but I’ve learned to take baby steps first.

Click here to see how much the City has raised so far (updated nightly).

[EDITOR'S NOTE: as of 6pm Thurs. Feb. 25th, the total amount raised by the City of Burien = $0.00].

To register and for all the race info, visit www.covetoclover.com.

It’ll be interesting to see if, and how, the City of Burien will respond…

• Will they suddenly find a way to waive the fees?
• Will city employees suddenly sign-up en masse?
• Will we see Mayor McGilton and Mike Martin running down SW 152nd?

We’ll keep ya posted…

BTB Advertiser E. B. Foote Winery will be holding a special “Step into Spring and Stamp Out Alzheimer’s Disease” event the weekend of March 18 – 21st.

Ten percent of all sales donated to the Alzheimer’s Association in memory of Rich Higginbotham, co-owner/winemaker who died of the disease in 2008 (read our coverage here).

Envelopes will also be available so visitors can make a donation directly to the Alzheimer’s Association.

To further honor Rich, his wife Sherrill Miller has made a special wine called “Remembrance” and she donates 50% of the purchase price to the Alzheimer’s Association for a particular research project being headed by Dr. Brian Kraemer. Remembrance is a 2007 vintage blend of 60% Cabernet, 30% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, with grapes from three different Columbia Valley vineyards, including Milbrandt, Graves and Arianses. When all of this wine is sold, more than $100,000 will be raised for research on Alzheimer’s Disease.

Alzheimer’s Disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, and a new case of Alzheimer’s is diagnosed every 70 seconds. More than 5.3 million people have Alzheimer’s and that number continues to grow.

Step into Spring and Stamp Out Alzheimer’s Disease, featuring wine tasting of six current releases including Remembrance along with snacks, will be held on:

• Thursday, March 18: 5-8 p.m.
• Friday, March 19: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
• Saturday, March 20: 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• Sunday, March 21: Noon – 6 p.m.

The event has a $5 tasting fee, which is applied toward a purchase of a bottle of wine. Sherrill reminds customers to dress warmly, as E.B. Foote is a working (and cool…literally) winery.

E.B. Foote Winery is located at 127-B SW 153rd St. in Burien, and is open for tasting Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5-8 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

For more information, contact Sherrill Miller at E.B. Foote Winery:

• Phone: 206-242-3852
• Email: winemaker@ebfootewinery.com
• Website: www.ebfootewinery.com
  

A stair-climbing fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital will be taking place this Saturday, Feb. 27th at Eagle Landing Park, located at 14641 25th Ave in Burien.

Eagle Landing Park is known for its 257 stairs, so this should be a good workout for a good cause.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while located in Memphis, TN, is known worldwide as a renowned pediatric treatment and research facility.

According to their website:

St. Jude researchers are published and cited more often in high impact publications than any other private pediatric oncology research institution in America. St. Jude is a place where many doctors send some of their sickest patients and toughest cases. A place where cutting-edge research and revolutionary discoveries happen every day. We’ve built America’s second-largest health-care charity so the science never stops.

Discoveries made here have completely changed how the world treats children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. With research and patient care under one roof, St. Jude is where some of today’s most gifted researchers are able to do science more quickly.

Here are the event details:

WHAT: Fundraiser Stair Climb for St. Jude Children’s Hospital Research

WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 27th at Noon (park & meet at Noon at south end of Lake Burien Park, 149th & 18th SW)

WHERE: Eagle Landing Park, (map here) which is located at the west end of SW 149th Street where it turns into 25th Avenue SW. Parking is limited, so you may need to park on the street or near Lake Burien School Park nearby. Please note that the nearest public restrooms are at Lake Burien School Park, at 149th and 18th.

From Drew deVry of Burien’s Freedom Fitness Gym:

Join us as we climb the stairs at scenic Eagle Landing Park in Burien for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital!

Participation in the Stair Climb helps raise funds to support St. Jude patients with life-threatening diseases.

No child is ever denied treatment because of a family’s inability to pay.

Bring your friends! It’s only 290 257 stairs, and it’ll be a fun event for a great cause!

INFO: How you can participate:

• Do the stair climb and get sponsors (example: someone would donate $10 each time you climb the stairs)
• Do the stair climb and donate (we ask for minimum donation of $10 – bring on the day of the event)
• Become a sponsor for the climbers

Email drew@freedomfitnessgym.com if you would like to participate.

More info at: www.freedomfitnessgym.com/community.

(Photo credit: Paul Conrath)

Burien’s Hospitality House will be holding its Spring Fling Dinner and Boats for Beds Fundraiser on Saturday, March 6th at the Cove in Normandy Park beginning at 6pm.

Located in Burien, Hospitality House is a shelter and place of transition for homeless women in south King County. The Women of Hospitality House are supported by more than 12 local churches and organizations as well as by our local communities. Home-cooked meals are provided 365 days per year by volunteers. With the staff case workers, over 70 women each year develop and work their individual plans to find home, health and hope (see hospitalityhousesouthking.org to learn more).

Richard LeMieux, the author of “Breakfast at Sally’s,” will be the featured speaker, and according to a press release:

”Richard has lived in Washington State since 1981. He ran his own publishing company, producing medical directories and university student directories for 14 years. When his business failed, he lost his livelihood, his home, his possessions, and his wife of 17 years.

Richard was homeless in Bremerton, WA, with his dog, Willow, for a year and a half. He lived in his minivan while writing Breakfast at Sally’s with a second-hand manual typewriter at picnic tables in parks around the city.

While he was homeless, Richard and the other homeless people he portrays in his book regularly visited Sally’s, the soup kitchen at The Salvation Army in Bremerton.”

Today Richard has committed himself to sharing the story of homelessness with people of all backgrounds and of all ages across the country.

A short film about Hospitality House will be premiered at this dinner and a former resident will also be sharing her story.

Three Tree Point Yacht Club will be partnering with Hospitality House to raise funds with Boats for Beds. Guests will have the opportunity to purchase “the boat” or individual seats aboard one of several sailboats. It will be a fun afternoon of racing Saturday, June 26 out of the Des Moines Marina. What better way to celebrate a graduation, Father’s Day, girls’ day out, engagement or anniversary, than as crew, passenger or ballast aboard one of these special sailboats and with this fun-loving community of people? The boats are each photographed and featured on the Hospitalityhousesouthking.org website.

Tickets are available for purchase online at this website.

Burien’s Glendale Lutheran School is holding a book sale fundraiser on Saturday, Feb. 27th from 9am to 2pm at their gymnasium at 13455 Second Ave SW.

All books will be priced at just 50¢ or less, with special deals during the final hour.

Proceeds from the book sale will benefit school operations and help maintain affordable tuition rates at Glendale Lutheran School.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Glendale Lutheran School Book Sale Fundraiser

WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 27th from 9am to 2pm

WHERE: Glendale Lutheran School Gymnasium, located at 13455 2nd Ave SW • Burien • (206) 244-6085

INFO: “All books 50¢ or less!! Come early for best selection. Special deals during the last hour!”

The Animals First Foundation is holding another Charity Wine Tasting Event at Burien’s Vino Bello this Friday, Feb. 19th from 6:30pm to 9:30pm to help raise money to care for rescued animals.

For a $20 donation, you’ll receive two drinks and snacks, along with live music and a silent auction on one-of-a-kind paintings.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Charity Wine Tasting Event for Animals First Foundation

WHEN: Friday, Feb. 19th, from 630pm—9:30pm

WHERE: Vino Bello, located at 636 SW 152nd Street in downtown Burien

INFO: From their poster:

Something For All Your Senses

Join Animals First Foundation at Vino Bello in Burien: Friday, Feb. 19th from 6:30pm – 9:30pm.

• Touch – An Animal’s Life
• Smell – Partylite Candles
• Hear – Woodrush
• See – Original Artwork
• Taste – Divine Wine

Your $20 donation includes two drinks, snacks and live music. From 6:30-9:30pm bid on one of a kind paintings.

Come by and check out some of the items from PartyLite Gifts Fundraising Program; AFF will receive 50% of the profits (items will be shipped to AFF).

Enjoy the fabulous music of Woodrish from 8pm-9:30pm.

All proceeds will go to Animals First Foundation to help with the cost of giving a rescued animal the best of care and preparation on its road to a better life.

Want to buy your ticket early and guarantee a space? Call 206-331-7440 or visit our website at www.animalsfirstfoundation.org and click the donate button to make your $20 donation!

Must be 21.

Animals First Foundation is a non-profit organization based in Seattle dedicated to supporting and promoting the preservation and well being of animals, both domestic and wild.

Discover Burien’s Annual Silent Auction and the City of Burien Citizen Awards Recognition Dinner will be Friday, March 5th, from 6 to 10 pm at Karuna Yoga Studio in Olde Burien.

At this event, awards will be given out to the recipients of the city’s four awards for Outstanding Citizens and/or Businesspeople for 2009, which include (read our previous coverage here):

• John Nelson
• Luke Cruise
• Jean Spohn
• Jerry Robinson

And if you’re a local businessperson who’d like to donate an item to the auction, please click here for a Procurement Form (PDF file). This is Discover Burien’s big annual fundraiser event, and each item donated will be seen by a captive, interested, local and relevant audience (in other words, it’s a great way to market your stuff!). Contact Debra George if you have a donation: debrageorgemi@aol.com or via phone at (206) 941-7199.

Here are the event details:

WHAT: Discover Burien Annual Silent Auction and the City of Burien Citizen Awards Recognition Dinner

WHEN: Friday, March 5th from 6pm to 10pm

WHERE: Karuna Yoga Studio, located at 819 SW 152nd Street (at the corner of SW 152nd and Ambaum Blvd. in Olde Burien).

INFO: This will be a fun social event, with Dinner, Awards, Silent Auction and a No Host Bar. More information available at the Discover Burien website.

COST: Tickets are $25 each, or a Table with 8 tickets is $200.

Call (206) 433-2882 or e-mail debrageorgemi@aol.com or pick up tickets at the Discover Burien office or City Hall.

Ric Jacobson is the Des Moines Rotarian in charge of lining up the largest line-up of wineries – 25 – in the six year history of the Poverty Bay Wine Festival, which is coming to the Landmark Event Center in Des Moines on March 6th and 7th.

Ric reports that the following Northwest wineries will be at the festival on Saturday and Sunday to serve the guests. If you taste a wine you want to take home, bottles will be for sale at the event. All proceeds of the sale of wine will go directly to the Rotary Club of Des Moines, who use the funds for the many great things they do for the community.

The following wineries will be in attendance for the event:

• Canyon’s Edge
• Chandler Reach
• Covington Cellars – NEW
• Coyote Canyon Winery – NEW
• Burien’s own E.B. Foote Winery (WLB Advertiser)
• Eaton Hill
• Erin Glenn
• Fall Line
• Five Star Cellars
• Fort Walla Walla Cellars – NEW
• Kestrel – NEW
• Knipprath – NEW
• Masset Winery
• Otis Kenyon
• Page Cellars
• Pondera – NEW
• Sleeping Dog
• Sodo Vino – NEW
• Stina’s Cellar
• Two Vintners – NEW
• Vashon Winery
• Vin du Lac – NEW
• Waving Tree
• Willis Hall
• Windy Point

Des Moines Rotarian, Dave Loft, in charge of food and goodies at the Poverty Bay Wine Festival has lined up the “best of the best” for food and snacks for wine-fest guests:

• Des Moines’ Anthony’s HomePort
• Des Moines’ Salty’s at Redondo
• Charley’s on Central Avenue in Kent
• Cafe Pacific Catering
• Forte Chocolates
• Kauzlarich Smoked Products
• Panera Bread
• Poverty Bay Coffee
• Waters to go
• Redondo Fred Meyer
• Archery Bistro
• Elliot Bay Brewery

The sixth annual Poverty Bay Wine Festival is surely the hottest ticket in town – well lots of towns, surrounding Des Moines. Your ticket includes fun, music, wine, food and even beer, all presented in the historic and magnificent Landmark Event Center (aka Landmark on the Sound), which is located at 23660 Marine View Drive South in Des Moines.

Tickets for the event are just $20 in advance from CorkyCellars (206-824-9462), Des Moines Drug or your local Des Moines Rotarian.

Parking and free shuttles will be available in the South Marina Parking lot.

All attendees must be 21 years of age and photo ID is required.

Click here for more information.

Story & Photos by Gina Bourdage

Community members and local business owners stepped up to raise $1,675 for the completion of Highline Medical Center’s new ER at the “Red Wine & Decadent Dessert” event Wednesday night, Feb. 10th.

This event was the brainchild of local business owners from Mark Restaurant, BTB Advertiser E.B Foote Winery and OptiMark Eye Care. This event allowed attendees to sample some of the great things our community has to offer as well as enjoy an evening among friends.

“We are glad to see such a great turn out, especially in this economy.” said Renee Klein, Executive Director, Highline Medical Center Foundation. “There is really something to be said about the energy in this room and seeing people enjoying themselves. This event speaks to the character and uniqueness of our community to see people come together, showing that this community is truly unlike any other.”

Amongst the warm candlelit setting of the Mark Restaurant, the evening highlighted a raffle drawing for a table full of generous community items including everything from baskets of gardening supplies, a romantic valentine inspired package and art work and more. Guests also were treated to a number of wines from the E.B. Foote Winery and a plate of indulgent sweet treats brought by Mark Restaurant and OptiMark Eye Care.

Originally built to serve 12,000 patients per year, Highline’s Main Campus ER now serves nearly 47,000 –– making it one of the busiest in the state. According to their website:

When a health emergency strikes, you need advanced care. And you need it fast, which is why a new ER is so critical. While we have made significant investments in expert staff and advanced technology over the years, there are simply too few treatment rooms for the number of patients. Ambulances are sometimes diverted to other hospitals farther away, because we simply don’t have enough capacity, according to www. lifedependsonit.org.

“…Highline Medical Center receives no tax support, i.e., we are not publicly funded. Yet, we are a not-for-profit hospital. The new Emergency Room and Patient Care Unit is a $60 million project, most of which is funded through bonds and reserves. But a $10 million capital campaign is needed to help complete the funding. The community has responded, and to date we have raised $5.4 million. But we still need more to reach our goal, and are so thankful for those individuals and businesses who have stepped up!” – Renee Klein

“We are truly grateful for the Mark Restaurant, OptiMark and EB Foote Winery. This was truly all their idea,” added Klein.

In addition to the three businesses that planned the event, many others donated time, products and/or gift certificates, and those businesses include:

• Market Place Salon (BTB Advertiser)
• Levich Agency
• Archery Bistro
• Bison Creek Pizza (BTB Advertiser)
• La Costa
• Purple Café’ & Wine Bar
• Artist Warren Knapp

Here are some photos shot at the event by Gina:

Click to View Gina Bourdage’s Photo Slideshow

Highline School District students (and others) can earn money for area schools by participating in the 2010 Cove to Clover 5K race, which is coming to the Burien area Sunday, March 14th (read our previous coverage here).

The Grand Prize will be $1,500, donated to the winning school. The winning school will be determined by which one has the highest percentage of registrants compared to the school’s total enrollment – $5 will be donated to each school whose name is entered into the “Registration Code” for online registrants (and every registrant must enter a code).

Entries must be received by 11:59pm Monday, March 1st (two weeks before race day, which is March 14th) to be counted toward a school’s total.

Here are the details of how you can help area schools:

School Registration Contest: $1,500 Grand Prize (donated to winning school)

Here’s the Daily Scoreboard, which is updated daily with the most current standings:

Current School Registration Status (updated nightly)

The Seafair Pirates have commandeered a highly-collectible, $150,000 handcrafted 2009 Aston Martin V8 Vantage, and will be auctioning a special Valentine’s Day ride this Saturday to raise money for “Heroes For Heroes,” a fund established for the children of Deputy Kent Mundell, who was killed in December.

This Saturday, Feb. 13th, from 6pm – 11pm, Emerald Downs will be hosting a dinner and benefit auction for this cause. Tickets are only $20.00 for a wonderful dinner and plenty of Piratical Company.

2009 was one of the most devastating years for law enforcement officers in the entire country, especially in the northwest. On Dec. 21st, Deputy Mundell was gunned down, and his partner Nick Hausner was possibly saved by the gunmen’s 16-year old daughter, Bryona Crable.

“Heroes for Heroes” is a nonprofit 501© 3 that has been formed to provide college tuition for all of the children touched by this tragedy – both the police officer’s and the gunman’s.

According to a tribute page website for Mundell:

Deputy Kent Mundell was killed while responding to a domestic violence call in Eatonville.

Deputy Kent Mundell

Mundell and his sergeant had responded to a house where a man was fighting with his daughter and brother. The deputies had convinced the intoxicated man to leave the house when he produced a previously concealed gun and fired ten rounds at the officers.

Despite being wounded, Deputy Mundell returned fire and killed the subject. The suspect’s brother and daughter put themselves at risk to pull the wounded sergeant out of the line of fire by pulling him into another room. Deputy Mundell was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he remained on life support in the intensive care unit until succumbing to his wounds seven days later.

Deputy Mundell had served with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department for ten years. He is survived by his wife, 16-year-old daughter, and 10-year-old son.

Why the Seafair Pirates? According to a press release:

“Besides being Goodwill Ambassadors for the Pacific Northwest for the last 61 years, several Pirates have been Police Officers.

There have been many memorials and now with the outpouring for Haiti, the Seafair Pirates have joined with Heros for Heros to see that these heroes do not become forgotten.

The Seafair Pirates are out to prove once again, that it really is all about the Kids.

Individually we all can make a difference. Together we can make an impact.”

Emerald Downs is located at 2300 Emerald Downs Drive in Auburn; more info at their website here.

For ticket information or to donate for the auction click here: http://herosforheros.bbnow.org/ or call Sallie Stewart at (253) 468-1101.

More info on the Seafair Pirates is available at their website here.

The City of Burien announced the recipients of its four awards for Outstanding Citizens and/or Businesspeople for 2009 at its council meeting Monday night (Feb. 8th), and here are the winners:

John Nelson was named the recipient of Burien’s 2010 Citizen Community Leader award by the city council at their Feb. 8th meeting.

Nelson is cited in the council’s award designation as “the inspiration and engine for bringing two new charity running races to our City” – the Cove to Clover and the Brat Trot runs. “Each surpassed all expectations of what new events can be in terms of scale, polish, turnout and funds raised” – $37,000 between the two.

Luke Cruise was named Educator Leader of the Year. Cruise has worked for Highline High School as a para-educator for a number of years, and has volunteered as Flag Team advisor, Pacific Islanders Club advisor and Dance Team advisor.

Jean Spohn, described as “a stalwart member” of the Shorewood-on-the-Sound Community Club for many years, was named Environmental Leader of the Year. A Beach Naturalist, she has also led efforts to rid Shorewood Park of invasive plants that threaten native vegetation in the park.

Jerry Robinson, owner of Robinson Communications and publisher of the company’s weekly newspapers, including the Highline Times, was named Business Leader of the Year.

All four awards, which will be presented at the Annual Discover Burien Dinner on Friday, March 5th, were made by a unanimous council vote.

The catered dinner and silent auction will be at Karuna Yoga Studio, 819 SW 152nd Street, with a social hour beginning at 6 p.m. Dinner will be at 7, with the presentation of the Burien Leadership Awards at 8:15.

Tickets are $25 each, and are available at the Discover Burien office, which is located at 620 SW 150th Street, as well as Burien City Hall, online at www.discoverburien.com, or by calling 206.433.2882.

Enjoy an early Valentine’s Day by drinking red wine and eating decadent desserts at Mark Restaurant this Wednesday, Feb. 10th from 7pm to 9pm, and all for a good cause – to raise money for Highline Medical Center’s new E.R..

BTB Advertiser E.B. Foote Winery, along with Mark Restaurant and Optimark have partnered to bring this first-time event to the area to help raise money for the new medical facility, which is set to open in April.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Red Wine & Decadent Desserts fundraiser for Highline Medical Center’s new ER.

WHEN: Wednesday, Feb. 10th from 7pm to 9pm.

WHERE: Mark Restaurant, located at 918 SW 152nd Street in Olde Burien.

COST: Donations for the evening are $30 per person, $50 for couple for advance sales and $35/$60 at the door.

CONTACT: Call 206-242-3852 for reservations or more information.

100% of the proceeds will go to fund Highline’s New Emergency Room.

Boy Scout Troop #375 will be holding their annual Fish Dinner on Friday Feb. 19th, from 5pm – 7pm at St Francis of Assisi in Burien.

The troop will be barbecuing Sockeye Salmon and serving fresh Dutch Oven desserts – all for just $10!

Here are the details:

WHAT: Boy Scout Troop #375’s annual Fish Dinner

WHEN: Friday, Feb. 19th from 5pm – 7pm

WHERE: St. Francis of Assisi Hall, located at 15226 21st Avenue SW in Burien.

COST: Just $10!

INFO: For more information, contact kgd2418@yahoo.com, or visit the Troop’s website here.

Troop #375 serves boys in areas including Des Moines, Normandy Park, Burien, White Center and West Seattle. For more information, check out their website here.

by Ralph Nichols

Local groups and projects that receive financial support from the Exchange Club of Highline can look forward to a good year despite the lingering recession.

The Exchange Club’s annual spaghetti dinner and auction at St. Bernadette’s School on Jan. 30 “was a huge success!” member Sherrill Miller of BTB Advertiser E.B. Foote Winery told The B-Town Blog.

“Attendance was up over last year,” Miller said, with about 280 people attended the evening event. “Preliminary numbers indicate we made over $30,000” from the dinner with wine, a dessert auction, a raffle, and both silent and live auctions, which also “is more than last year!”

Miller added, “With our annual spaghetti dinner and auction, the funds generated are used to meet the ongoing needs of various community organizations.”

All money raised goes right back into the community, and “will be used to support more than 30 community organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club, area food banks, WestSide Baby, Ruth Dykeman Center, local schools, backpacks and school supplies for kids, Crisis Clinic, and many more.”

At their regular meeting on Feb. 3, Exchange Club members said they were pleased with the “festive appearance” of the dining hall, adding that “the food was fantastic” and everyone “had all they wanted to eat.” They reserved special praise for the students who waited on tables.

“Donations (for the auctions) in this down economy were up,” it was reported, and “people already are talking about donating” for next year’s event. The Exchange Club got 285 items for the silent auction and anothe4 38 for the live auction.

The Exchange Club is a national service organization. The Exchange Club of Highline was established in 1961 with the goal of bringing business and community leaders together to support the needs of the Highline community.

Members also volunteer their time to community projects such as working at the White Center Food Bank one Saturday each month.

More information on The Exchange Club of Highline is available at its website here.

The 2nd annual Cove to Clover 5k fundraiser race is coming Sunday, March 14th, and to help stir up excitement and let people know you’re a supporter, race organizers are offering up a limited number of cool car window decals for a $2 donation at Mick Kelly’s Irish Pub.

To get yours, just drop into Mick Kelly’s (located at 435 SW 152nd Street in Burien; 206.246.2473) and ask the bartender or server for one. They’re also available now at The Tin Room, Goodie Gumdrops and Emerald City Smoothie (both the Burien and Normandy Park locations).

But act fast, as they’re going quickly.

Your $2 donation will go towards the Highline Area Food Bank, as well as to local area schools. Last year over $12,000 was raised, and this year’s total fundraising goal is $20,000!

We’ve got one on the back of The B-Town Blogmobile™, and we think it looks pretty dang groovy.

If you’re interested in registering to run the Cove to Clover, please click here.

Here’s what to expect this year:

• The race begins at 1pm on Sunday, March 14th at Normandy Park Community Club. The course winds up “snake hill” all the way to the Gregory Heights neighborhood, past St. Francis of Assisi, crosses 152nd street with the finish line in Burien Town Square, where there will be a traditional Irish Festival.
• This challenging course takes its toll on even the most seasoned runners! Two water stops are provided, and racers will be rewarded with music from an Irish Piper when the reach the top of the ominous “snake” hill.
• Again there is a 1-mile Family Race which begins at St. Francis and follows the last of the 5K course.
• NEW: “While You Run” childcare, check your kids in at the Family Race start. Run the first 2 miles of the 5K, check your kids back out to run the Family Race together. Your 5K time will suffer of course.
• NEW: Pub Crawl – Friday March 12th!
• NEW: School Registration Contest! $5 from each registration fee can be donated to the local school of your choice! Just—type in your school’s name at registration–the school with the most registrations will be awarded an additional $1,500! Registrations can track their school’s progress at www.covetoclover.com/schools.
• NEW: School Limerick Contest — A $500 prize will be awarded to the school (or non-profit for non- student entries) who present the winning Limerick! Limerick contest details at www.covetoclover.com/limerick. BTW, we’re working on our own Limerick that starts “There once was a man from B-Town…”
• NEW: Start Line Party – Live Band inside the Normandy Park Cove Building prior to the race so you can warm up dancing to old school rock and roll.
• NEW: Expanded Pre-Race shuttle service from the finish line to the start line.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER:

5k at 1:00pm:

• $30.00 early registration (before Mar. 2nd; $35 after)

Family Race (1 mile) at 1:30 PM:

• $25.00 early registration (before Mar. 2nd; $30 after)

Some other highlights include:

• On-course Irish Pipes
• Irish Entertainment
• 2 Live Bands
• Bigger Beer Garden
• 1-mile Family Race
• Free Hot Dogs for Kids
• Free Root Beer Garden
• Irish Grub

Not a runner? Get involved as a race day volunteer! Please contact John Nelson at jonelson@adobe.com.

As the official web Sponsor of the Cove To Clover race, we’ll be posting more updates soon (including details on the Pub Crawl March 12th!), so be sure to check back often.

More information available at the official Cove to Clover website here.

Highline High School’s Jazz Band will be holding a fundraiser dinner and silent auction from 7pm to 10pm on Saturday, Feb. 20th at the Highline High cafeteria.

Tickets are just $7 and will be available at the door or can be purchased from a band student.

The band will be playing old jazz and swing favorites such as “Chattanooga Choo Choo,” “String of Pearls” and many others.

There is plenty of space to dance and the silent auction will be going on while the band plays.

Desserts will be available also.

Money raised will go towards helping fund a trip to Vancouver, B.C. for band members (jazz and symphonic), with 100% of the proceeds going to the band.

More information on the band and its activities is available at this website.

The Des Moines Area Food Bank is holding a fundraiser Italian Dinner this Saturday, Feb. 13th, beginning at 6:30 pm at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, which is located at 15226 21st Ave SW in Burien.

The Des Moines Area Food Bank serves the city of Des Moines, most of the city of SeaTac and parts of Normandy Park and the West Hill of Kent.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Des Moines Food Bank Italian Dinner

WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 13th beginning at 6:30pm

WHERE: St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, which is located at 15226 21st Ave SW in Burien

COST: $25 per ticket; call for reservations: (206) 878-2660.

INFO: Here’s what to expect on the menu:

• Antipasto
• Salad
• Penne pasta with red sauce & meatballs
• Coffee
• Tea
• Dessert
• No host bar (beer and wine)

For more information, visit the Des Moines Area Food Bank website: www.myfoodbank.org.

Burien’s annual “Empty Bowls” fundraiser for the Highline Area Food Bank was a smash hit Friday (Jan. 29th), setting records in both attendance (964 diners) and total amount of money raised (over $13,000).

“We had 477 people attend during lunch and 487 who came out for dinner,” said Mike Werle, Highline Food Bank Executive Director. “The amount of money raised was a little over $13,000.”

Werle added, “There must have been over 40 people who volunteered at the event, many of who were probably not counted because they didn’t come through the front door. Therefore I think we had over 1,000 people who contributed to the dollar total.”

“Do me a favor and put a big plug in for all the work that Gina Kallman and Debra George put in to make this event happen.  They are awesome!”

Here’s a Photo Slideshow shot during the dinner serving by Scott Schaefer:

Click to View Scott Schaefer’s Photo Slideshow

Also, as previously reported, BTB Photographer Michael Brunk took these shots during the lunch hour:

Click to View Michael Brunk’s Photo Slideshow

Youth Leaders at John Knox Presbyterian Church will be hosting a Spaghetti for Haiti fundraiser dinner on Wednesday, Feb. 10th starting at 6pm.

Cost is $15 per ticket, which can be purchased from the church office (phone: 206.241.1606) or at the door the night of the event.

The dinner will consist of:

• Spaghetti
• Garlic bread
• Salad
• Dessert
• Beverage

Here are the details:

WHAT: Spaghetti for Haiti fundraiser dinner

WHEN: Wednesday, February 10th beginning at 6:00pm

WHERE: John Knox Presbyterian Church, 109 SW Normandy Road in Normandy Park.

COST: $15 per ticket, which can be purchased from the church office (phone: 206.241.1606) or at the door the night of the event. The dinner will consist of spaghetti, garlic bread, salad, dessert and beverage.

WHY: To raise money for Haitian earthquake relief.

INFO: More info available at the church website here.

On Friday afternoon (Jan. 29th), the first of two rounds of Burien’s annual “Empty Bowls” fundraiser for the Highline Area Food Bank was served.

For just $10, visitors received a full meal of soup made by various local restaurants and served in one-of-a-kind bowls handcrafted by area Potters, along with bread, cookies and a drink. There was also a dinner served between 4pm and 8pm.

When we visited for dinner, Highline Food Bank Executive Director Mike Werle told us that the lunch crowd was “a record,” in the neighborhood of 470 or so guests. As the dinner crowds wandered in, Werle assured us that the evening group would be another record.

BTB Photographer Michael Brunk dropped by for lunch and captured these photos:

Click to View Michael Brunk’s Photo Slideshow

We’ll be posting the total numbers from this fundraiser, along with more photos soon, so stay tuned to The B-Town Blog!