Screenwriter Derek Connolly took home the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award for the screenplay, the plot of which is based on a classified ad placed in an obscure magazine in 1997:

A trio of magazine employees are sent to a small coastal town to investigate a classified ad seeking a partner for time travel. Darius, a young, cynical intern, poses as a candidate to accompany Kenneth, a paranoid but compelling loner, on his journey. But her motivations become confused when she develops feelings for him…and begins to wonder whether he actually does have a time machine.

The film was Directed by Colin Trevorrow, and was filmed in Washington State, including lil’ ol’ B-Town.

“Safety Not Guaranteed” stars Aubrey Plaza from the NBC sitcom “Parks and Recreation” as well as Mark Duplass, Jake Johnson, and Kristen Bell.

Reviews we’ve read seem highly favorable, so we tip our creative hats to the makers of this film. Perhaps some B-Town luck rubbed off on them?

Look for a major theatrical release this summer!

Here’s a video that tries to explain the time-traveling, mullet-laden premise:

Click here to view the embedded video.

This isn’t the first film shot in the Burien area – check out our coverage of some others:

• Local Filmmaker Holding Fundraiser Party For Indie Film On Nov. 20th
• SLIDESHOW: “Grassroots” Movie Conducts A Drive-By Filming In Burien
• UPDATE: ‘The Day My Parents Became Cool’ LA Screening
• VIDEO: ‘The Day My Parents Became Cool’ Trailer + News
• ‘The Day My Parents Became Cool’ Sneak Peeks
• ‘The Day My Parents Became Cool’ Production Update
• Report & Photos From Highline High Movie Set
• Your Chance To Be In A Movie This Saturday

The Sylvester PTSA has joined up with Highline Booster Club and PTSA for their annual auction benefiting Highline High School athletics and activities to be held at South Seattle Community College on Saturday, Feb. 25th.

10% of funds raised will go to Sylvester Middle School.

Additionally 10% of the “fund an item” activity at the auction will go to improve technology at Sylvester.

Tickets are $40 and registration closes February 21. To register, log on to www.piratesauction.com. Sylvester PTSA will be supplying desserts for the dessert dash. If you are interested in donating a dessert to feed 10, please contact Kelly Hovland at jkhovland@msn.com.

Auction Timeline:

• 5:00 – Social and Silent Auction, Raffle, Wine Wall, HHS Jazz Band
• 6:15 – Closing of Silent Auction
• 6:30 – Dinner, Live Auction, Technology-Fund a Need
• 8:30-10:00 – Dancing

If you have questions about the auction, please contact Lori Box at loribox@comcast.net or Val Allen at Highlineptsa@gmail.com or 206-963-6921.

Currently, the field is covered with water for several months in the fall and spring. The grant will fund regrading of the field and installation of a drainage system that will make it playable all year.

The project was initiated by Highline School District Director of Athletics Terri McMahan, modeled after similar partnerships she brokered as Director of Athletics in Edmonds School District.

“When I realized the level of district use on Moshier’s practice field, specifically Highline High School’s football and soccer programs, coupled with the fact that the field was down for many months of the year and unavailable for community use, this project became my immediate mission,” McMahan said.

The improvements will turn what is now open space at Moshier Park into an ongoing practice field for school and community teams, as well as a competition field for younger athletes. The work will begin in late May 2012 and will take several weeks to complete.

McMahan plans to look for other opportunities for joint projects in the community.

“It is my hope that the partners can use this success as a springboard for larger projects in the years to come.”

Here’s some history of the park from the city’s website:

King County Parks Department superintendent George Wyse at Moshier Park dedication, circa 1955. Photo courtesy King County Archives.

The “Highline Project” at Highline High School was promoted by Associated Clubs of South King County. Bill Moshier of Shorewood was active in this group and influential in developing the plan for the extensive array of ball fields. When Bill died suddenly, Moshier Field was named in his memory. Moshier served as a King County Commissioner in 1958, and was one of the initial members of Metro’s 15-member governing Council.

In 1962 King County established the first county arts center and year-round arts program at William Moshier Memorial Park. Between 1962 and 1972 the Center was redesigned to accommodate pottery and jewelry programs.

In 1968 King County voters approved Proposition 6, a Forward Thrust Parks and Recreation bond, which included $39,400 for facilities improvements at Moshier Park. The Moshier complex included three lighted softball/baseball fields, one lighted 90-foot softball/baseball field, two lighted football/soccer fields and public restroom.

Moshier Park was one of nine King County Parks in Burien that was transferred to the City in 1994.

To see some great historic photos of Moshier Field in action, click here.

The book is based on a certification program that Mr. Cole participated in that taught students about computer networking.

Cole, a Burien resident, spent over 30 years in the computing field, with experience on mainframe computers as well as PCs and servers. “Flashmath for Windows 95″ is a flash card program that Cole wrote many years ago which is still in use today.

The idea for “Colt O’brien Sees the Light” came from personal experience working with high school students over a two-year period.

Here’s the publisher description of the novel:

Colt O’brien sees himself as the most savvy computer technician at Highline High. The energetic senior, with his bright, colorful attire and cocky attitude, knows that he is the best. Colt is cruising through senior year, but his life is about to be turned upside down. A new computer program will challenge his credibility and his psychic powers will emerge when he least expects. Hang on Colt!

Cole lives in Burien with his wife and dog, and this is his first novel.

To download your FREE Ebook, available in 10 different formats, click here.

After teaching business at Burien’s Highline High School for 47 years, Dave Craig will finally be putting down his chalk, and will be the recipient of a Retirement Celebration this Thursday night, June 23 at 7:00 p.m. in the Highline High cafeteria.

Craig, 70, was just 23 when he started teaching at Highline in 1964, a time of Ed Sullivan on black and white television, some nutty new long-haired rock band called “The Beatles,” and the year that the precursor to the internet, ARPA, was being developed.

Everyone here at The B-Town Blog tips our tassels toward Mr. Craig, and we wish him a very happy retirement!

Here are the details:

WHAT: Highline High Business Teacher Dave Craig’s Retirement Party.

WHEN: Thursday, June 23rd starting at 7 p.m.

WHERE: Highline High School Cafeteria (225 S. 152nd Street, Burien 98148).

Photo courtesy Highline School District.

Here’s a video our friends at KING-TV produced about Craig:

Over 250 seniors, comprising the 86th graduating class of Burien’s Highline High School, received their diplomas on a sunny first day of summer (June 21) at Highline Memorial Stadium.

Friends and family members overflowed the stadium’s north stands to standing room only status as senior Katie Gehring addressed her classmates.

“Anything is achievable and it’s ours for the taking,” Katie said. “The world is in our hands.”

Senior Tangi Brantley read a letter to the graduates.

“If you should fall down,” Tangi said, “leap to your feet and dance like no one is watching!”

About one-fifth of the seniors graduated with grade point averages of 3.50 or higher.

On a gorgeous, clear and sunny first day of Summer 2011, seniors graduated at Highline High's Memorial Stadium.

Seniors enter during the formal Processional as a local symphonic band played "Pomp and Circumstance" under the direction of James Curnow.

Highline's graduating class motto is "Arise, go forth and conquer, for today is the first day of the rest of your life."

B-Town Blog staffer Mark Neuman's neice, Taryn Snow, receives her diploma.

Richard Wines is Highline High School's tallest graduate this year. At just a few fractions of a grade point under seven feet, Richard graduated 'Magna Cum Tall' and plans to earn his ASE certification as an automotive technician. Here he towers over fellow graduate Taryn Snow.

The Seattle P-I is reporting that a Highline High School student has been accused of attempted rape for attacking a teen girl at the Burien Transit Center with a brick.

The King County Prosecutors Office says that the 17-year old male student attacked the 16-year-old girl as she was walking to the transit center at 1 p.m. on April 27th.

The P-I says:

Writing to the court, King County sheriff’s Detective Michael Gordon said the girl was near the 200 block of Southwest 154the Street in Burien when Lito grabbed her and pulled her into a short stairway.

Lito began beating the 16-year-old as she tried to defend herself, then began choking her while trying to force her pants down, Gordon told the court. The girl recalled losing her vision as he continued to choke her.

The girl continued to scream, apparently prompting Lito to drop the brick and leave the area before help could arrive, according to court documents. By then a resident hearing the struggle had already called the police.

Read the full story here.

They’re trying to raise money to attend the World Championships in St. Louis at the end of April, so be sure to come help the High Tekerz out!

Here are the details:

WHAT: Highline High Tekerz Robotics Team Fundraiser Garage Sale.

WHEN: Friday, April 8th and Saturday, April 9th, from 9am – 4pm.

WHERE: 15819 12th Place SW in Burien.

Support your local Robotics Champs and help them go to the World Championships!

Competing from the Highline School District were Skunkworks Robotics from Aviation High School, the HIGH-Tekerz from Highline High School, and TEC Robotics from TEC High School.

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is an organization founded 20 years ago by Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway. The goal of FIRST is to help inspire students to get excited about science and technology.

The competition joins students with adult mentors in a challenging program that has them designing and building a robot to compete in a game that changes each year. They start with a common kit of parts and a set of rules and have just six weeks to complete their robot.

This year’s challenge, called Logo Motion, is played by two alliances of three robots each. Each team scores points by hanging inflated tubes shaped like the components of the FIRST logo on a scoring grid of pegs at each end of the playing field.

Each match is 135 seconds long. For the first 15 seconds, teams win bonus points by having their robot hang a gold “ubertube” without any human intervention. They can win additional bonus points in the last 10 seconds of the match by having their robot deploy a “minibot” that climbs a tower on the playing field and trips a sensor at the top. The remainder of the time the robot is controlled by human drivers.

This video explains how the game works in more detail:

Click here to view the embedded video.

This year’s Seattle Regional wound up being the largest FIRST regional event ever held. So many teams attended that the event was split and two complete sets of competitions were held, doubling the number of teams earning their way to the National event.

Two of our own local teams qualified for the Nationals.

In their first year competing, Highline High School’s HIGH-Tekerz were the top seeded rookie team. Winning the Rookie All-Star Award qualified them for the Nationals.

Skunkworks Robotics from Aviation High School made it into the semi-finals with their alliance before being eliminated. They earned their trip to the Nationals by winning the Engineering Inspiration Award.

Photographer Michael Brunk attended the competition and shot these photos. You can click individual photos to view them larger.

The HIGH-Tekerz driving team celebrates as their robot (#3574) places an “ubertube” in autonomous mode

The HIGH-Tekerz team showing their spirit in the stands

The HIGH-Tekerz prep their robot before a match

The Skunkworks Robotic robot (#1983) places an “ubertube” in autonomous mode

A member of the Skunkworks Robotics team works on their robot between matches in the pits

The Skunkworks Robotics driving team (in black and white shirts) caps off a gold “ubertube” to complete a top-scoring logo

Members of the HIGH-Tekerz team receive their Rookie All-Stars Award from the judging panel

Members of the Skunkworks Robotics team receive their Engineering Inspiration Award from the judging panel

There will be a memorial for Highline High School graduate (1984) Mike Starr, the original bassist for the seminal grunge band ‘Alice In Chains,’ this Sunday, March 20th, from 4pm – 7pm at “The Fountain” at Seattle Center.

This will be a free public gathering in a nice central location, known for previous memorials (John Lennon, Kurt Cobain, etc.). We’re not sure who will be attending, but we imagine that family, friends and perhaps Mike’s co-Chains members will be there.

“Mike Starr’s family requests that all donations made in his memory be directed to MusiCares,” reads a statement on a Facebook Page. “MusiCares provides a safety net of critical assistance (medical, drug/alcohol treatment, dental, financial) for music people in times of need.”

Donations can be made online or by check to the address below:

www.grammy.org/musicares/donate

Musicares Foundation
3030 Olympic Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90404

As we reported on March 9th:

On Tuesday (March 8), former ‘Alice In Chains’ bass player Mike Starr, 44, was found dead in his Salt Lake City home. Starr, who graduated from Burien’s Highline High School in 1984, was the band’s original bassist from the group’s formation in 1987 to 1993.

He had been battling a drug problem for a number of years, and in January 2010 was featured as a patient on the third season of “Celebrity Rehab,” a VH1 reality show, where he appeared to be unable to overcome his addiction.

WHAT: Public Memorial for ‘Alice In Chains’ bassist Mike Starr.

WHEN: Sunday, March 20 · 4:00pm – 11:30pm

WHERE: “The Fountain” (Seattle Center) at the Seattle Center (305 Harrison Street, Seattle, WA 98109) www.seattlecenter.com.

INFO: From a Facebook Event Page:

The official public gathering for Mike Starr’s memorial will be:

• Sunday, March 20, 2011
• “The Fountain” (Seattle Center)
• 4pm -7pm

Please come and celebrate Mike’s life.

Mike Starr’s family requests that all donations made in his memory be directed to MusiCares. MusiCares provides a safety net of critical assistance (medical, drug/alcohol treatment, dental, financial) for music people in times of need.