by Ralph Nichols

Sixty-four hundred miles – the distance from Sea-Tac International Airport to Santiago, Chile – is a long way. It’s a lot farther still if you’re here and have immediate family members in earthquake-ravaged Chile.

Patricio Mendoza, the owner of EC Computers in downtown Des Moines, knows this all too well.

For almost 48 hours after an 8.8 magnitude earthquake rocked Chile on Feb. 27, Mendoza could only wonder how his son Victor, his father Humbetor, his sister Cecilia, and his niece Erika Cecilia (who lives in the Seattle area, and whose initials give the computer shop its name) had survived.

Communications with the outside world are difficult with widespread power outages and many of the country’s cell phone towers knocked down. Mendoza has since been told the tremor “was so big,” and “lasted so long and was so strong.”

Despite his anxiety, he hoped and prayed for the best – and waited for their calls.

Then late Sunday and again on Monday he finally heard from his niece and his sister. Both were well – and they had word that Victor, who lives near Viña del Mar, a seaside community of almost 300,000 where Mendoza is from, was OK too.

But there was nothing like hearing his son confirm this himself when, at last, Victor called him Tuesday evening.

These reports brought welcome news because “at first I thought the worst,” Mendoza said. “This was one of the biggest earthquakes we have ever had. The destruction is total. It’s all around.”

Mendoza is still waiting for word about his 80-year-old father Humbetor, who he assumes is OK but who lives where power remains out.

In an irony of timing, Mendoza returned only a month ago from a six-week trip to his home town, which is not far from Santiago, the nation’s capital, and an extended visit with his relatives who live in that region.

He also accompanied his niece there. Cecilia, 19, had “worked for the last year to pay for her dream trip to Chile,” he told the B-Town Blog this week.

“She was supposed to get back to the states on March 1. Her flight was scheduled for Feb. 28.” But with canceled flights and possible damage to airport runways, “she’s still stuck down there.” If everything goes all right, he said, she now should return on March 9.

Cecilia sounded much calmer than she did in her first call just a couple of days after the quake, which continues to be followed by strong aftershocks, he added.

Mendoza’s first reaction after hearing about the earthquake was, “I want to get a ticket and go there. The first thing I wanted to do is help my family. But the airlines have raised the ticket price four times or more for this tragedy.

“I still plan to go when the price goes back down. I can’t afford it now. I want to see how my father is doing and how my son is doing. I want to see my father personally because he’s 80 years old and alone. I know he will say he’s OK, but I still want to know.

“It’s pretty bad to be this far away and not be able to go down and help,” he said.

And after helping his family, Mendoza also wants to do what he can – including taking clothing and other necessities – to help others there who are trying to rebuild their lives and property.

“People are hungry, people are upset. I’ve been in strong earthquakes where aftershocks continue for days. You feel so little after that. You cannot sleep in the day. You cannot sleep at night. You have no peace. It takes weeks to recover.”

Mendoza said that although he’s not there now, “at least I can bring some of the resources they need to them” if he can find a way to get there.

“A lot of people from Des Moines have called or stopped by the shop, concerned about my niece and my family,” he continued. “I thank all of you for your moral support. It has really helped.”

by Ralph Nichols

Burien’s “highest priority” in updating its Shoreline Master Program should be assessing “reaches of shoreline where there is no public access,” City Councilman Brian Bennett told The B-Town Blog in a recent interview.

But Bennett, who served on the Shoreline Advisory Committee before his election to the City Council last fall, stressed that this view is based solely on his work as a member of that committee.

He vowed as a councilman to listen fairly to the concerns of all shoreline property owners when the council reviews proposed revisions to the plan later this year. He added that private property rights should be protected in the final document.

“There are certain areas of shoreline in Burien without any public access,” Bennett noted. Yet “public policy at the state and federal levels [calls for] access to public waters.”

Burien has two reaches of shoreline along “public waters” as defined by state and federal laws – Puget Sound and Lake Burien. Seahurst Park affords access to Puget Sound, and there are also limited access points at Three Tree Point.

But there is no public access to Lake Burien, and “the lake is public property,” Bennett said. “It is owned by the city and the state.”

The question to him then becomes how to create public access to Lake Burien without impacting property owners around the lake.

“I would like the community to consider limited secure access, gated with secure buffers” to the lake, he continued. This access would not allow boats and would have only “limited parking to promote people walking.”

His preferred point of access would be on lakeside parcels adjacent to the Ruth Dykeman Center that center directors hope to sell. Bennett hopes the city will consider buying one or more of these last remaining lots on the lake.

“If they are built on, there will be no opportunity again in our lifetime to gain access to the lake. It’s important for us to consider this…”

“There are kids just a couple blocks away wondering, ‘Why don’t we get to play on the lake?’” Bennett said. “It concerns me that this is a debate about us against them. It’s important that as a community we all be together helping each other out.”

He recalled that Lake Burien is considered the birthplace of Burien, and is just a block from SW 152nd Street – the city’s “main street” – making it a natural link to the downtown business district.

Bennett also said he has “heard from a lot of people” about this issue and understands their concerns. Any access to Lake Burien would have to protect the shoreline environment as well as the privacy and property of lakeside residents, he declared.

(Photo of Brian Bennett by Joe Mabel)

[EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the final segment of our interview with Inga Isakson (read Part 1 here), one of two people seriously injured in a beating and animal attack last summer in the Sea-Tac neighborhood. Snaps, the Pit Bull that had been abused by four juveniles before biting Inga and another woman in the attack, is being cared for at Olympic Animal Sanctuary in Forks. Following the attack, Inga and many others lobbied to save Snaps from being euthanized. A 16-year old girl was sentenced this past fall to 14 months in a juvenile detention center, having pleaded guilty to single counts of second-degree assault, third-degree assault and being a minor in possession of alcohol.]

by Mark Neuman

Inga Isakson told The B-Town Blog previously how she attempted to free Snaps, a Pit Bull, from the beating four young people were putting him through one sunny Sunday evening this past June north of SeaTac airport.

The oldest of the children, a girl who was 15-years old at the time, turned on Inga, hitting her repeatedly, then siccing the Pit Bull on her, as well as on another woman who came to Inga’s aid.

Inga attended the girl’s sentencing hearing this past October and addressed the court, speaking directly to the girl, who had subsequently reached her sixteenth birthday.

“At the sentencing I just stood and spoke from my heart,” Inga told us. “I told (the girl) I was beaten horribly as a child.

“When the girl was beating me it reminded me of  my childhood. It all came back to me.

“I told her in court that I come from a broken home. I had terrible stepdads, six of them. It (the girl’s actions) brought it all back to me. All that horror of being beaten.

“And (the girl) just fell apart in court. She just started sobbing and sobbing. She couldn’t stop crying. It was real, true crying.

“‘I think that your parents should be going to jail for this,’ I told her. I said ‘I wish they could go to jail for you. But you need to learn that what you did was wrong.’

“I said to her ‘I think there is a beautiful person in you. You just snapped that day. I’d like to be an advocate for you.’

“And then they had her talk. And she was crying so hard.”

Inga told us that the girl said in court that every night she would pray that Inga would forgive her, and that she knew what she did was terrible.

“She has been a kid raising herself. She was lost,” Inga said

The girl wrote a letter to Inga a few weeks after sentencing.

“I wrote her back and told her she is going to run into every kind of person (at the juvenile center) and to try to find her passion, and find people who could help her find the beautiful person that is inside her,” Inga said.

In her letter Inga told the girl “she’s going to be challenged every day and to try to hold up under it. I tried to give her advice and be friendly.

“I told her ‘to do what you’re supposed to do.’”

The girl, in her letter to Inga, said she was embarrassed about what had happened and that she has been praying that she would be forgiven and that she still can’t believe that Inga was willing to forgive her.

“She wrote it with a pencil, a full page letter. I really liked her thinking. She obviously is a smart girl.”

The girl’s father spoke at the hearing.

Inga quoted him as saying: “I am (the girl’s) real father. I lost contact with her when she was six months old. I take as much responsibility as anybody in this courtroom as to why she is the way she is because I have been a completely absent father.

“I want to try to be with my daughter. I know it’s really late, but I want to see what I can do.”

“I hope that her dad does what he says he’s going to do,” Inga said. “Maybe he can go to her. I can’t imagine her going back to (her original) school after being in juvenile detention for a year. She’d just get taunted and torn apart.

“I want to know how the story goes for her.

“People have got to step up,” Inga Isakson told us. “Our communities are going downhill. But I believe if we all take a step to make our communities better, that’s all it takes. It’s just one step at a time.

And I’ll do it.”

Story and Photos by Mark Neuman

I sat down recently for an exclusive interview with one of the survivors of a beating and animal attack last summer in the SeaTac neighborhood.

The attack has made famous a Pit Bull named Snaps (read our previous coverage here), and resulted in a teenage girl being sentenced to over a year in jail.

To begin to understand what happened that June 21, a sunny Sunday evening, one must realize that Inga Isakson has been, informally, a rescuer of abused dogs for some time.

“In the past, I have offered to BUY dogs from people when it’s obvious they’ve been mistreating them,” Inga said over coffee in a Burien restaurant.

“I have rescued dogs for about ten years all by myself. I have taken many of the dogs to a halfway house in north Seattle where a kind and wonderful elderly gentleman takes care of them.

“June 21st was Father’s Day. It also happened to be the longest day of the year,” Inga said. “It was really hot and really light out. I was going to run my (two) dogs at around 6pm or so. I was in my car driving” southbound through the Sea-Tac area, north of the airport.

“I noticed movement to my right. All I could see were silhouettes behind a tree covered with ivy.”

The silhouettes, as it turned out, were those of a then 15-year old girl and three younger boys. The were kicking and beating a Pit Bull, about a year old.

“So I understood these kids were hiding. If I were an artist I would draw the silhouettes because the image is stuck in my mind,” Inga recollected. “These four silhouettes images were bent over. Eight fists and eight feet pounding and pummeling some living thing on the ground.

“And so I slowed down to get to the other side of the tree to see what was going on. I did not know if they were beating up a child or what.”

Inga pulled her car closer to the four young people.

“I realized it was a dog and I realized I needed to think fast. I did not want to seem to be challenging them. I knew they were doing something wrong.

“I rolled down the passenger side window about ten inches. The door was locked.

“I needed the dog to not be with them. I also knew there were four of them and one of me.

“I called out: ‘Are you kids okay?’ Really, I wanted to say something else. I did not want them to feel they were in a fight with me,” Inga told us. “The oldest, who was a young woman (fifteen years of age), came so close to my car window, she was in my space, that close.

“And it bothered me. I felt challenged, which I tried to avoid. I was trying to be nice.

“Her face was right in my window. She said ‘What do you want, bitch? This is none of your business. I can kill my dog if I want to.’

“She was screaming at me: ‘What are you, the cops?’

“‘I could be,’ I responded. ‘Would you like me to call them?’

“She reached in through my passenger window and unlocked my door. Oh boy!

“She just jumped in my car and grabbed me by my hair. Started ripping my hair out and screaming at me: ‘You bitch! You bitch! I wish you were dead!’

“I had my cell phone in my left hand. I extended my left arm away from her and tried to dial 9-1-1 with my left hand.

“She was yanking at me. My seat belt, which was still fastened, was kind of hanging me.

“But she saw the cell phone in my hand so she let go of my hair and grabbed the cell phone out of my hand.

“She had ripped a lot of the hair out of the right side of my head. She started hitting me on the right side of my head with my cell phone, while pulling my hair with her free hand.

“The attack  seemed to last two minutes. I was able to unfasten my seat belt and was able to elbow her with my right arm.”

Inga ran from her car and managed to get to middle of Des Moines Memorial Drive screaming “call 9-1-1! Call 9-1-1!” over and over.

“I thought it (the attack) was over. Then she (the girl) ran around the back of my car and attacked me again.

“The girl kneed me. I put my hands up to cover my head.

“Meanwhile, my brain said there are cars stopped. Someone has GOT to help me!” Inga said.

“There were about seven cars, three or four stopped” in both the northbound and southbound lanes.

She estimated the attack in the street lasted seven minutes.

The people in the seven cars watched, apparently doing nothing to help her. This was in a residential area with houses set back from the road.

“I’ll never forget this one woman in a grey sedan, just her, no passengers in her car,” Inga recalled. “She was about in her mid-50’s with blondish or grey curly hair. She just sat there and watched and did nothing.

“She seemed embarrassed! Like a wimp! She could have honked her horn or driven slowly into the gang. She just sat there.

“I had my arms over my head to protect myself while the girl was hitting me on my head and I looked down to my left. And there was the dog, just looking up at me with his tongue hanging out, panting the way a dog does. It was like he had a smile on his face and he just wanted to play.

“The girl was yelling at me: ‘I wish you were dead!’

“The dog had a clear shot at my face. I thought ‘this dog could bite my face off.’

“Then one kid kicked the dog three times really hard until the dog bit me in the leg.

“I think the dog was just confused. He was just happy not to have all four beating on him.”

A red pick up truck appeared, driving along the shoulder. The driver got out.

“A guy in his forties started yelling ‘The cops are here! The cops are here!’ He meant the cops were on their way, but that was enough to get the four kids running off along with the dog into a park.

“Then this wonderful lady drove up in a van, right at the time the kids ran away with the dog into the park,” Inga said.

“This lady (in the van) had such a look of conviction on her face. I saw that she was not going to let this happen. She was not going to let these kids get away.

“She took her van and drove it right across the park and into the woods. I didn’t see it, but she confronted the kids.

“She was not going to let them out of her sight. I was told later that this woman got out of her van. She said to the kids: ‘I won’t approach you, and don’t approach me. You’re not getting away with this.’”

Meanwhile the paramedics had arrived and were treating Inga. “I was kind of ‘shocky.’ My left arm was bleeding from the girl scratching me,” Inga said.

“I looked over, and here comes the woman (who had driven up in the van) walking towards us through the woods. She just kind of ‘appeared,’ and she was covered with blood.

Moments earlier, in the park, with the woman’s teenage daughter watching from inside the van, she, too, was attacked by the girl and the dog.

“I saw her and I said to the paramedics ‘Leave me! Go help her! I’m okay!

“That woman was my hero. That wonderful woman made the mistake of getting out of her van.

“She did the mother thing in the woods. She said ‘You kids stay right there.’ The girl jumped up and head butted her and broke her nose.

“The kids all kicked and beat her and kicked the dog until he finally bit the woman’s arm bad, clear through to the bone.

“I called her later,” Inga said. “She has lots of family and support and wants to keep to herself. Her daughter was in the van and saw her mom beaten and attacked.

“I step up always,” Inga said. “I would do the same thing again. That group of kids could have killed somebody another time.”

Next: Inga speaks at the sentencing hearing and, later, corresponds with the girl.

Read Part 2 of our exclusive interview with Inga here.

Story by Janet Grella
Photos by Scott Schaefer

What do you get when you cross a fireball with a firecracker?

You get Discover Burien’s new Executive Director, Steve Gilbert.

What a rare and unique find for the city of Burien.

BTB sat down with Steve for breakfast last week at one of Burien’s busiest breakfast eateries, 909 Coffee & Wine. At warp speed, we covered everything from his family, past positions and his vision for Burien and Discover Burien.

“Burien is an absolutely spectacular community,” Steve said. “It’s like one of those small town mid-American communities where everyone knows each other and everyone has got your back. It’s really really neat to see the energy in Burien.”

He continued his rah-rah head cheerleader role, continuing: “…with a strong business base, access to parks, the water and the airport – Burien’s got it all!”

With pieces already in place from a business and community standpoint, Steve sees “Burien full-out sprinting” from the recession.

With Steve at the helm, I have no doubt.

In his opinion “Burien is primed to do something great, yet we cannot lose track of where we’ve been.”

Looking forward, Steve sees the very board who hired him as a group of “very enthusiastic individuals who listen to ideas and are all going in a common direction, with a shared vision. When everyone has a single goal, they become an unstoppable force.”

That unifying vision of direction will be flushed out at the Discover Burien Board retreat on January 13.

I asked him in a nutshell how he would explain to our readers what the Discover Burien Association is; his response:

“Discover Burien is a gathering place for business and community leaders to get together to positively affect change in their own community.”

“Discover Burien presents a real opportunity to people to make a difference to make a difference in the community they live, work and play in,” he concluded. “Participating in Discover Burien is the best investment a business can make.”

Membership to Discover Burien starts at just $25 per year. If you are interested in joining, you can check their website for a membership application, or call the office at 206-433-2882.

What’s next for Steve and Discover Burien?

He plans to bring back the education series held on the fourth Wednesday of the month. The first seminar will be conducted by Devon Rich of the Small Business Development Center on Business Financial Loans on Feb. 24th.  He will also be introducing an Educational Series with a Retail focus.

And really good news – the monthly Discover Burien After Hours for business networking will resume again in January.

When Steve isn’t cheerleading for Burien, he’s living with his family in Issaquah that includes daughter Madison, 11, son Cooper, 8, and his wife Becky, “the love of my life”.

The commute?

“It isn’t bad. I leave the house at 6:20 in the morning and arrive in Burien at 7 am, ready to hit the ground running.”

We don’t doubt that at all.

The B-Town Blog’s “B-Town Breakdown With Amy Bouska” video this week features a rather unique interview with Burien’s own Manuela Horn, known to many as the 6′2″ “Yodeling Dominatrix” who got das boot from NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” last summer.

Manuela’s also a professional actress and multi-talented performer who has done gigs not only for local events like Burien’s own Oktoberfest, Brat Trot, but Seattle’s Teatro Zinzanni, Yahoo in New York City and many others.

She’s also a Mom (!) and lives in Burien (!!), and here’s the interview:

From her website:

The Yodeling Dominatrix’ name is “Hildegard van Schlag.” She stands 6 foot 10 inches tall and dominates her subjects with yodeling. Unfortunately her dungeon is completely full and has no availability for new subjects (so sorry). “Hildegard van Schlag”, is available to reign over special events as imported royalty or MC and loves subduing audiences with a 15-minute set of earbending yodels. Her list of requirements is extensively extreme. If you think you have a community worthy of her attention or want to invite her to an event she will happily send two of her minions to inspect it.

Here are some other vids of Manuela:

“Whipping Bells” by the Yodeling Dominatrix:

Beer Drinking Song at Oktoberfest:

Manuela Horn at Teatro Zinzanni:

If you’d like to book Manuela for a holiday party, email her here.

Read our previous coverage of Manuela here.

View Amy’s previous “B-Town Breakdown,” a video interview with local artist Rebecca Miller here.

by Mark Neuman

We sat down recently for a talk with King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg.

Dan joked while recollecting his days playing both offense and defense for Highline High School’s football team in the late 1970’s.

“We were a small team, but we were slow.”

The Pirates won, perhaps, four games during the three years Dan was there.

“But really, I have to say that learning to lose and learning to do so with some grace and class is part of learning to live,” he said. “I think I may have learned more by being on a losing team than I would have being on a state championship team.”

Dan went on to the University of Washington for his BA in Political Science and a law degree.

“My favorite professor in law school was the one that scared me the most. His name was Arval Morris, a constitutional law professor. He was an intellectual giant,” Dan said. “I was in awe of him because of his ability to analyze and his depth of knowledge.

“He taught us so much about constitutional law and the rules of criminal law and how the government interacts with its citizens. The contract between government and citizens is the Constitution.

“It’s a fascinating area because we continue to define what we mean by that contract. The Constitution is a living, breathing document in my office because we look at Fourth and Fifth and Sixth Amendment issues every day as we analyze cases.

“I love the law, and I see those years in law school as formative years,” Dan added. “The prosecutor has a significant role in moving law in new directions. A prosecutor can actually direct traffic.”

JUVENILES WITH GUNS
One area where Dan is directing traffic deals with attempting to separate kids from gang activity before they fire a weapon in commission of a crime.

“You would think that when a 16 or 17 year-old youth is caught with a handgun that we would bring to bear all of our resources because this is a giant red flag. ‘We better pay attention to this kid,’” Dan said. “But the truth is that current state law builds in a tolerance where literally nothing happens until (there are) five felony convictions.

“And only then the kid, by law, would go to a Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration facility, let’s say Echo Glen, for a period of time.

“So the message that we send to a kid is that gun possession is not a big deal.”

Dan Satterberg and The State Prosecutors Association want to change that. They are pressing the Washington State Legislature to make changes to the law during the upcoming legislative session such that a juvenile found in illegal possession of a handgun will “get an immediate response from the system. We don’t wait. The kid gets removed from the community and put into Echo Glen,” he said.

“And while there the juvenile can get help with tried and true programs such as Moral Recognition Therapy which helps him understand his options and the potential consequences of his future actions.”

CANINE COMPANION PROGRAM
Dan spoke about the relatively new Canine Companion Program which involves having a dog in the courthouse to help calm the nerves of those going through the legal process.

“We have a dog in our office. Her name is Ellie, a six year-old Golden Lab. Ellie’s full time job is to come in and lay on the floor and look up at you with doe eyes. She puts kids at ease. We use her with our elder abuse cases as well.

“Once we got Ellie on board we realized this is an essential part of what we need to do to put witnesses and victims at ease. We have a lot of children who come into our office to talk about sexual abuse that happened to them or some scary moment, and when they see the dog all of a sudden everything’s okay. And they want to come back to see Ellie again.

“We even bring the dog up to drug court. Ellie will put her head in the lap of someone who may be heading to prison because they screwed up.

“Ellie doesn’t discriminate. Ellie loves everybody.”

NORM MALENG AND THE JOB OF PROSECUTOR
The duties of King County Prosecutor involve overseeing a staff of about 500, including 220 attorneys. The Office of the Prosecutor has an annual budget of $56 million.

Those duties fell on Dan’s shoulders quite unexpectedly in the spring of 2007 when long time Prosecutor Norm Maleng died suddenly at the age of 68.

Dan was appointed by the King County Council to serve as prosecutor and subsequently won election to serve the remainder of the full term.

“It was a great honor for me to work with Norm Maleng for 17 years. I was just 29-years old when he selected me to be his chief of staff.

“What I learned from Norm was not so much about the law as about life in general. I started with him shortly after he’d lost his daughter in a tragic sledding accident. So he was in many stages of grief and I learned an awful lot about dealing with people in grief.

“One of the things that he taught me was that every one of the thousands of felony cases we deal with involves a human tragedy, a story of someone’s hurt or loss or suffering.

“Norm would always start out a meeting with a homicide victim’s family by reaching out and saying how sorry he was that this happened to their family. He would say ‘Tell me about your son or daughter.’ To make that case and that person alive. The case wasn’t just a file full of papers.

“I try to keep that practice alive. What makes this job so meaningful is the ability to reach out and talk to victims and their families.”

THE FAMILY AND THE BAND
Dan and his wife, Linda, have two children and live in Normandy Park.

When he finds the time, Dan loves rocking out with his pals in their band The Approximations. Here’s info from their website:

Organized by bass player and singer Dan Satterberg (aka the King County Prosecutor), the band includes harmonica player and vocalist Bill Mattocks leader of the Bill Mattocks Band, keyboardist and vocalist Michael Hepburn from the nationally known 80’s R&B group Pleasure; drummer and vocalist Rusty Fallis, guitarist Tom Pratt, guitarist and vocalist John Rankin, percussionist and drummer Fred Staples, vocalists Linda Norman and Michelle Purnell-Hepburn. Tom, Rusty, Dan and John also play and record original songs as the Treehouse Dreamers.  With such a large band and wide array of musical backgrounds, the Approximations are likely to play songs by Smokey Robinson, the Beatles, AC/DC, Savoy Brown, Stevie Wonder, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Fleetwood Mac and Kings of Leon all in the same set.

The Approximations have played their full, multi-faceted, danceable rock sets in Seattle venues such as the Showbox, Showbox Sodo, Mountaineers Club, and the Highway 99 Blues Club entertaining for private functions, special occasions, and benefits for the Domestic Violence Coalition, and the American Cancer society among others.

The band’s website is here, and you can view videos of the band in action here.

You can catch The Approximations at Mick Kelly’s Irish Pub (located at 435 SW 152nd Street in Burien), this Friday night, Sept. 18th:

by Mark Neuman

Former KIRO-TV reporter and anchor Susan Hutchison spoke with The B-Town Blog recently. She and County Council Chair Dow Constantine are going head-to-head to become King County’s next Executive.

PRIMARY RESULTS & ELECTION STRATEGY:
As of August 27th, the most recently updated election results show Susan with about 33% of the primary votes. The results also show the four office-holding Democrats in the primary race (including Dow) with a cumulative 62% of the vote.

How will you go about attracting some of that 62% your way? we asked Susan.

“Dow is so partisan. He just sees everything from the filter of his Democratic point of view. (Primary opponents) Fred Jarrett and Ross Hunter represented outsiders, as I did, and they did rather well,” she said.

“Most people looking at the vote results would say that the bulk of the votes went to outsider candidates. I would suggest that in fact the vote was very clearly for an outsider candidate.

“I think the way the voters divided us up was ‘insider versus outsider.’ And the outsiders won big.”

THE BUDGET:
“I think a ‘rainy day fund’ is absolutely prudent government management,” she said.

“In a (private sector) company, what you have is something called a cash reserve, and the finance department or board of directors is always looking at that cash reserve.

“It’s understood that you are going to have good days and bad days. Good years and bad years. You’ve got to have the capability to cover using that cash reserve. That is just a basic principle of good accounting and money management in a company. And that’s why it’s essential in government as well,” Susan said.

“We are in a budget crisis. We can project now that between this year and next we’re going to have a $110 million budget shortfall. We have to go back to first principles. That is ‘what is the county’s job?’ And the county’s job is to provide safety and protection to its people.

“It is really essential that we keep that in mind as we go through this process of trying to figure out how to make ends meet.

“This budget crisis we are now in falls directly at the feet of the county council and its chair, Dow Constantine, because the council carries the power of the purse.

“We cannot trust a politician who helped get us into this mess to get us out of it,” Susan said.

COMMENTS ABOUT BURIEN?
“Oh, absolutely. I was there recently for two (campaign) forums. Burien has that ‘Main Street USA’ feel,” she said. “It’s terrific. Oh, and there’s great access to the airport when you’re in Burien!”

Susan says she supports annexation efforts.

“I just think it’s important that the choice be given to the people. There’ve been some efforts throughout the county to annex without the residents (of the unincorporated area) weighing in on that decision and I think that’s wrong.

“I’m always with the people.”

THE KIRO YEARS:
Susan spent 20 years with the KIRO-TV News department.

“Certainly one my most treasured memories of the job I did there was to write and produce a documentary on Chinese culture and history called ‘Son of Heaven’. I spent a lot of time in China doing the shooting and research. It won several Emmy awards and had a year-long run of attention.”

Susan recounted the course of events that led up to her coming to KIRO:

After attending the University of Florida, she was working in television in Hawaii in the late 1970’s. Lloyd Cooney, who ran KIRO at the time, was visiting Hawaii and happened to see her delivering the news on a local channel. Cooney sent her a letter inviting her to consider working in Seattle.

“It was months before I actually met Lloyd, but I eventually came to work at KIRO. I just loved Lloyd when I met him. He’s an amazing fellow.

“I still have the letter he sent me. It’s very precious.”

NOTES:

• The General Election is November 3, and, like the primary, will be an all mail-in election.
• The B-Town Blog interviewed Dow Constantine the night of the August 18th primary and ran the interview the next day – click here to read it.

by Mark Neuman

We spoke with King County Council member Dow Constantine, who, along with Susan Hutchison, will advance to the general election in November in the race to become the next King County Executive.

As of Wed., Aug. 19th at 4pm, partial vote count totals showed Dow in second place with just over 23 percent of the vote compared to Susan Hutchison’s 36 percent.

“We are in a very strong position to win the general election,” Dow said from his victory celebration Tuesday night (Aug. 18th). “I am very happy with our numbers.

“The four office-holding Democrats in the (primary) race were really splitting up the vote. And now we have a chance to consolidate that.”

We asked Dow Tuesday evening: Are you, generally speaking, having a good time tonight?

“Generally? Yes. It was pretty nerve-wracking leading up to the announcement of the vote totals. My girlfriend, Shirley, and my mom and dad and I were sitting and waiting for the results to come over. And when it happened it was a big relief.”

We asked Dow about his strategy for his general election campaign.

“There are two distinctions between the two remaining candidates,” he said. “One, Susan Hutchison has a philosophy which is way out of synch with the people of King County.

“And two, there’s also the issue of experience. Susan Hutchison has zero experience at solving the kinds of problems that we’re facing in our economy (and) in our county.

“I have served in the private sector as well as the State House and Senate and the King County Council. I have a strong record of reform legislation of exactly the kind that’s going to be needed as we weather this economic crisis,” Dow said.

“The four Democratic elected officials in the primary, including myself, had a robust exchange of ideas during the campaign. These are all bright, capable people. We raised a lot of great ideas.

“We need to throw open the doors of this county to everyone’s ideas and everyone’s proposals for innovation.

“I have had conversations on several occasions with (primary candidate and State Representative) Ross Hunter about how we can work together in the future between the state and the county to solve some of these structural problems. I’m very excited about that opportunity,” Dow said.

Thoughts about Burien?

“Burien is a good example of the way in which the county has changed and how the old structures need to be retooled to reflect that change,” Dow said.

“Burien’s leaders and business community set about to really reinvent the place and make it into an urban hub that is readily served by transit and is vibrant with multi-family and commercial and job opportunities.

“There are perhaps a dozen such hubs around the county now so King County is no longer just one big city surrounded by low density suburbs,” he said.

An invitation for an interview with the B-Town Blog has been extended to the Hutchison campaign.

King County Executive election results as of 4pm Wed. 8/19/09:

• Larry Phillips 25073 11.95%
• Fred Jarrett 26045 12.41%
• Stan Lippmann 2634 1.26%
• Alan Lobdell 5397 2.57%
• Susan Hutchison 75382 35.92%
• Dow Constantine 49109 23.40%
• Ross Hunter 23222 11.07%
• Goodspaceguy 2646 1.26%
• Write-in 345 0.16%

[EDITOR'S NOTE: This story is about my "oldest friend" I'm still in touch with, a great guy named Roger Gee, whom I first met when we were just young lads going to Genesee Hill Grade School in West Seattle.]

by Scott Schaefer

What do people do when they get laid off? Go on unemployment? Look for another job? Sit around home playing video games and rewriting their resumes?

Most likely, but oftentimes with little success, especially in an economy where the unemployment rate is hovering near double digits and decent jobs are hard to come by.

Some people however, like Burien resident Roger Gee, see it as an opportunity to “re-invent” themselves.

You see, Roger used to work as the shop manager of a small guitar repair shop and custom guitar builder in Bellevue. He managed sales and marketing of their custom guitars, and was fortunate enough to meet, sell to and even play with many great northwest artists and musicians.

Then, this summer, like millions of others, he got laid off.

So, Roger took matters into his own hands and traded in his ax for an…ax – he decided to go into business for himself as a Yellow VAN Handyman.

Instead of “turning lemons into lemonade,” Roger turned his lemons into a Yellow VAN.

It was a natural transition, since he often enjoyed working on projects around his home and for friends and family.

“My wife says that I am not happy unless I have a project to work on,” Roger said as he recalled his weekends packed with repairs and projects. “I am looking forward to helping my clients eliminate their To-Do lists.”

Roger launched his business last week, and he’s eager to begin serving his community. With his van freshly painted, tools in tow (including a guitar if you ‘ax’ for one) and his Yellow VAN Handyman hat atop his head, Roger is actively marketing his services to his neighbors for his first 12 weeks of business. When asked what he was looking forward to the most about owning his own business, Roger replied;

“Having the flexibility to spend time with my family is something that I am greatly looking forward to. Being able to watch my son play baseball is worth so much to me.”

Look for Roger on his morning walks or driving his yellow van on the streets of Burien and surrounding neighborhoods.

Check out his web page here to learn more about Roger, his rates, his favorite To-Do list items, or to schedule online.

Or call 206-763-6800 for more information.

Just be sure to tell him that his old pal Scott sent ya!

From his website:

Roger is an experienced handyman with a particular aptitude for electrical work. He learned much of his know-how from his father & his growing professional skills are the perfect compliment. Roger finds much satisfaction in the personal relationship he builds with his members & feels strongly about supporting his community. When Roger is not on a job, he surrounds himself with friends & family.

My earliest memory of home repair was at age seven when my Dad remodeled the master bedroom in our home. I was given a hammer and some nails and taught the proper way to drive a nail. Unfortunately the nails I drove in to the hardwood floor upset my Mom and my first job abruptly ended.

My Dad was a custom cabinetmaker and very skilled with woodworking. Throughout my childhood and into my teen years, my Dad was there to show me how different projects were done. Carpentry, plumbing and electrical jobs were very common around the house.

I am a licensed, bonded, & insured contractor. Whether the service you need is on the interior or exterior of your home, I can help. I build decks and fences, repair drywall, fix leaks, stop squeaks, repair & replace toilets, caulk showers and sinks, install tile, repair and clean gutters, as well as hang doors, paint and do minor plumbing repairs. I really enjoy doing the electrical type repair work. Installing a light fixture, a new outlet or just repairing a broken switch is my idea of fun.

You may need help with other tasks such as: spring clean-up, summer landscaping, yard improvements and seasonal things like putting your Christmas lights up and taking them back down for you. I can also help with emergencies like a hot-water heater replacement.

I take great pride in my work and I am committed to establishing relationships based on trust and communication. When a member refers me to their friends and family, I feel I have accomplished my goal of building trust-based friendships.

“Friend” Roger on his Facebook page here.

Check out his band, the Pink Torpedoes music here.

by Mark Neuman

Picture a small boy in India, in the early 1940’s, his family’s home being personally visited by Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru themselves.

Imagine that same boy, just a few years later, on August 15, 1947, being held lovingly by his family atop the hood of a car as they and millions of others celebrate India’s independence from British rule.

Visualize a young graduate student in Amherst, Massachusetts, being utterly moved by the words and visions of a young U.S. President, “full of energy, strong in his views and personality,” delivering a 1962 commencement speech, a mere fifteen rows away.

See a trim and vibrant gentleman recently sipping decaffeinated coffee in Olde Burien, who keeps in shape by swimming several laps every day, and tending to his garden at the same house he and his wife have lived in for almost forty years.

Conjure all of that, and you will see Dr. Arun Jhaveri, the first mayor of Burien.

“Our whole family crammed into our little car, including all the kids,” he said with a smile during an interview last week with the B-Town Blog, referring to that August 1947, day. “They put me on top because I was the youngest and I remember going around the city the whole evening, fireworks going. People were just jubilant.”

When asked if politics was part of his upbringing, Dr. Jhaveri’s answer is more than a mere Yes.

“My uncle was a very active member of the Congress Party, before the independence, against the British Crown,” Dr. Jhaveri said. The Congress Party was the political party of Mahatma Gandhi and future Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

“My uncle looked very much like Nehru in his personality. He wore the white cap and the long white coat and everything. My grandfather, my father and my uncle had just gone to a political rally in Bombay. And after the rally   they were coming back in a horse-drawn carriage. A fanatic saw my uncle and mistook him for Nehru. The fanatic came from behind and killed my uncle with a dagger.”

The Jhaveri family was soon visited by Gandhi and Nehru, who came to express their condolences.

Young Jhaveri eventually moved to the U.S., earning his Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Washington, before moving on to earn his Masters in Physics from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.

On that “beautiful day” forty-six years ago “President Kennedy was such a charismatic leader, the way he spoke to the students. I was extremely inspired,” Dr. Jhaveri recalled. “It was an excellent opportunity for me to see a real president just a few feet from me speak about educational and political issues.”

Dr. Jhaveri, a physicist and mechanical engineer, earned his Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Seattle University, and, early on, worked for Boeing on the development of the 727, 737 and 747 aircrafts prior to their FAA certification.

Dr. Jhaveri worked in 1992 to help earn Burien a little independence of its own, so to speak. The voters said Yes that year to Burien becoming a city in its own right, and the new City Council elected him Mayor. He served from 1992 to 1998.

In 1997, Dr. Jhaveri was one of eleven mayors from the United States to participate in the Global Climate Conference in Kyoto, Japan.

Jhaveri is co-authoring a book, titled “Carbon Reduction – Policies, Strategies and Technologies.” It is scheduled for release later this year.

He is currently an Adjunct Professor at the Argosy University, teaching two Doctoral courses, one on Educational Leadership and the other on Program Evaluation.

“I am an eternal optimist,” Dr. Jhaveri says. “The key is to educate the young people of today” about the care of the world’s environment.

“The earth’s future is truly in their hands.”

Mark Neuman is a Writer as well as Marketing Dude for The B-Town (Burien) Blog.

He has interviewed two US Presidents, cops, cooks and cartoonists, authors and artists, senators, scholars and senior citizens, and the B-Town Blog is proud to have him on our team.

Mark can be reached at mark@b-townblog.com.

by Mark Neuman

We spoke recently with Ross Hunter, candidate for King County Executive.

Ross, a Medina Democrat, managed a political miracle, if you will, seven years ago.

The 48th District (Bellevue, Redmond and Kirkland) had not sent a Democrat to the House in over 100 years. Ross got himself elected.

“That was back when it wasn’t fashionable to be a Democrat on the east side. It was hard work. I raised and spent about a quarter of a million dollars. I knocked on eight thousand doors. I worked pretty hard.”

Was there a particular selling point?

“Sure. I’m competent. And I care about public education, the paramount duty of the state legislature.”

We asked Ross about one of his opponents for King County Executive, Susan Hutchison. In a recent direct mail piece Susan said she, if elected, would establish a transportation czar.

“Susan seems to be confused about the powers the King County Executive actually has.

“For her to come in and say she is going to have a czar that takes over the functions of the cities and the state is a fundamental misreading of what the King County Executive is actually allowed to do.

“The job of Executive is a complicated one with a lot of moving parts and a $5 billion budget.

“Unless we coordinate our transportation with our land use we are making the problem worse.”

Ross recently received the endorsement of the Seattle Times.

“Of course it makes you feel good that they (the Times) share your belief that you are competent to do the job.

“Next to the Seattle Times endorsement, I am most proud of the endorsement of the Eastside Business Alliance. This is a group of various chambers of commerce who know their business doesn’t succeed if they don’t have quality education for their kids, or if they don’t have roads.

“Our economy and quality of life depends on us making the wisest use of limited transportation dollars. We are one county, one region, and we should act like it.

“The solution to improving the business climate isn’t always to cut taxes. Making the system fairer and easier to comply with could have much more impact. More service, less overhead. Simplifying and regionalizing how King County does business with its businesses is one way the county can potentially save businesses thousands and thousands of dollars.

“We can simplify the permitting process for builders and contractors. Instead of making a business owner waste time traveling throughout the county to revisit city permitting offices, King County can provide a regional office where businesses can manage their permits at one location.

“Many cities in King County are already doing this and there’s no reason we can’t provide such a service countywide.”

“I propose that King County provides a simple web service for businesses to apply for licenses and calculate and pay business taxes. One tax return, one tax bill.”

Regarding recent budget cuts Ross said “I think we probably need more prosecutors. It’s not a place I would have cut. I also wouldn’t have cut into the public defenders.

“There are normal times and there are special times. This is a special time, because of the unprecedented downturn in the economy.”

Ross said he expects voters of North Highline to approve annexation on August 18.

He supports annexation because with it “There will be somebody to answer residents’ phone calls.”

by Janet Grella

Everyone who knows me knows that I’m studying Italian and that I love all things Italian. So when I heard that native Italian artist Maria Grazia Repetto had moved to the area, I just had to meet her and hopefully talk a little Italiano with her.

My husband Michael joined us for dinner at Osteria da Primo, where Carlo and Lindsay made a fellow Italiana feel welcomed. Fortunately Michael was with us, as he served as translator part of the evening (my Italiano has barely made it past Buona Serra, Bongiorno Buona Notte and Ciao!).

Having just returned from two years of painting frescoes for homeowners and businesses in Arizona, Maria settled with a friend in Normandy Park. She joined us for dinner on a recent Tuesday night.

Her journey to our area began 12 years ago when she visited her college-aged son in Seattle. She loved the lushness, beauty and summer weather here.

“I could live here,” she thought.

So she went back to Milano, collected her 12-year old son, procured a visa and moved to Seattle. She spoke no English, and relied on connections with Italian speakers and her young sons to help her open a shop, begin a business and began working her art. Maria Grazia’s training is in the fine work of murals, frescoes, reliefs, stuccoes, oils on canvas, acrylics, watercolors, sketches and portraits. She quickly found herself accepting commissions in Seattle, and soon Boca Raton, and finally Arizona.

One of her fondest memories of a commissioned fresco was with Hedges Winery in Richland.

“I painted a beautiful view of the red mountains with vineyards and orchards and gold colored soft rounded hills of the desert,” she said. “It was painted in a private apartment above the chateau and can be seen by invitation only.”

She spent four months alone in the chateau, “creating, creating and creating.”

“It is sometimes very lonely when you paint frescoes,” Maria Grazia told BTB over prosciutto e melone and carcioffi fritti at Primo.

Another totally modern fresco (which she prefers over rennaisance style) was “The Tower” which includes partial view of Qwest Field in the background (see photo at left).

Here’s a video showing her in action, along with the progression of her work on “The Tower“:

“It looks completely weird, and I love it.”

She added that she was taught the art of fresco with a ‘modern’ take.

Maria Garcia proudly told us that every woman in her family is an artist, including her mother and sister who live in Italy, a sister in Brazil and another sister in France, plus two nieces. I guess you could call them the “Painting Repetto Women.”

Maria Grazia began the study of frescoes when she was 15.

“At the time I was studying, women were only expected to become secretaries, maids, shopworkers or wives and mothers” (can we infer, like many women of a certain age, Maria Grazia became a feminist?).

After our double espresso and sorbet de limone we did a passegiatta (walk about) of Burien and B/ IAS. Maria Grazia found our notorius ‘naked woman‘ sculpture “very beautiful and it looks like a real woman.” On the other hand, like many Burien-ites she is still trying to figure out ‘The Passage’ and the torn up grounds around it.

Her young sons are now grown into young men, aged 35 and 25 respectfully. Her oldest is with the FAA and his wife is a pilot for Horizon Airlines. Her youngest just graduated from the UW in Physics.

What’s next for our new resident italiana artist? She is shopping for a studio in the area.

“The medium I prefer is olio (oils). But I can’t do olio at home due to the smell.”

She’s currently working in acrylics in her Normandy Park home.

Here are some more videos that showcase her work:

To find out more about Maria Grazia Repetto and see her masterpieces click here.

Here at The B-Town Blog we’re excited to introduce our latest feature: “B-Town Breakdown with Amy Bouska,” a new, regular video interview segment.

For her inaugural production, Amy interviews Burien-based artist Rebecca Miller, who also happens to have been a model, as well as being associated with a certain rock drummer (you’ll have to watch the video to find out who…):

According to her MySpace page, Rebecca’s interests include:

Genera:l Creating beautiful things. Loving, Living, Painting!
Music: ALL…Without it what is there??????????
Movies: Hmmm, one’s that evoke emotion.
Television: BLAH… do love the Dexter!!
Books: Ahhh so many!! The stories of other interesting lives. Mark Twain, Robert Anton Wilson, Henry Miller, Anais Nin, Kurt Vonnegut, an on & on……….:)
Heroes: People who inspire others, Free spirits, Artists!

Here’s a slideshow of some of Rebecca’s art:

Click to View Photo Slideshow of Rebecca Miller’s Art

Do you know of someone Amy should interview for her next “B-Town Breakdown”?

If so, please email us ASAP at editor@b-townblog.com!

By Mark Neuman

There is a certain endearing modesty about Al Haynes, who worked for United Airlines for 35 years, and has lived in the same house near Sea-Tac airport since 1963.

One would never know from the sound or words of this neighborly and unselfish man, that he is one of the heroes, along with his crew, in a horrific plane crash that occurred 20 years ago this Sunday, on July 20, 1989:

We recently spoke with Captain Haynes as he was returning home from a luncheon and heading out to volunteer as a public address announcer at a Little League baseball tournament, something, including umpiring, he has loved doing for years.

On July 19, 1989, United Airlines flight 232, with almost 300 people on board, took off from Denver, heading to Chicago. Captain Haynes, with over 30,000 hours of flight experience, was at the controls.

Things were quite normal. The weather was fine. Nothing seemed wrong with the Douglas DC-10.

Suddenly, a foot-long, pie-shaped piece of fanblade flew off, cutting and destroying all three independent hydraulic systems.

Captain Haynes and his flight crew had only the thrust levers for the two remaining engines to work with, forcing them to make only right turns. As much fuel as possible was dumped and the crew made an emergency landing at Sioux City, Iowa.

Stunningly, 185 people on board survived the cartwheeling, fiery crash landing.

And since then, Haynes’ expertise and experience in handling in-flight emergencies, and the story of United Flight 232, have been constantly sought, with emphasis on addressing professionals in the aviation industry.

“I’ve done about ten talks this year with about four more lined up. I really have cut back.”

His speaking engagements have included instructing new astronauts at the Space Center in Houston

We asked Captain Haynes to comment on the frequently held belief by some over the years that the location of a passenger’s seat on a flight might influence that person’s chance of surviving an emergency landing.

“We had fatalities in every section of the aircraft and we had survivors in every section of the aircraft,” he replied. “It can be a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Al Haynes first moved to Seattle in 1957.

“The airport here was very, very small. It only had about ten gates. Seattle was very friendly and very comfortable. My wife was from Southern California and she fell in love with Seattle, and there was no question we were staying right here.”

Many people thought of Al Haynes this past January when Captain Chesley Sullenberger landed US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River after that aircraft suddenly became disabled just after taking off from from New York’s LaGuardia Airport.

“He did a superb job,” Haynes said of Sullenberger. “And he did it in a very short period of time. He did an outstanding job of making those quick decisions and reacting as fast as he did. The decision was forced upon him, but to make that decision is still tough.”

While the two had never met before, Haynes and Sullenberger have spoken on the phone with each other twice since the Hudson River landing.

We asked Captain Haynes about his flight crew from that fateful day twenty years ago. The crew included First Officer William Records, Flight Engineer Dudley Dvorak, and Dennis Fitch, a United training pilot who happened to be on board.

“Everybody’s in good shape,” Haynes said. “We hope to have a crew reunion sometime this summer.

“There is a bond there, and we try to keep in contact.”

by Ralph Nichols

Many of us enjoy the promotional jingle for Emerald Downs: “Nobody’s gonna slow me down. Oh no, oh no, I gotta keep on moving….” But instead of horses, it easily could describe Burien City Councilmember Sue Blazak this summer.

Not long after filing for election to a second term on the city council in late May, Blazak discovered what every woman fears – a lump in her breast, found during a self-exam. She had a mastectomy on June 18. (“I won’t say which side,” she quips. “I think it’s more interesting for people to wonder.”)

While all tests since then indicate that she is now cancer free, Blazak will begin chemotherapy soon. This is standard medical procedure since, during surgery, it was discovered that cancer had spread to her lymph nodes. She won’t have to undergo radiation treatment.

Learning that she had cancer “was a shock,” Blazak told the B-Town Blog recently. “I think that I had some other things going on that may have lowered my immune system. My odds might have gone up. And I turned 50 this year. But it was unexpected. I have no family history of this.”

Despite the stunning news, Blazak didn’t lapse into self-denial and promptly sought medical care. “I was due for a mammogram anyway. And I want to encourage other women to have mammograms and do self-examinations,” she stressed. “They caught (mine) early and I feel lucky.

“I discovered that I have a lot of company. It’s happening to a lot of women, and there’s a very good support system” for those with breast cancer.

Despite the physical challenges that lay ahead, Blazak was determined even before surgery not to let this slow her down. She was going to keep on going – to beat breast cancer, and to continue running for re-election.

And one of the first persons to express his sympathy and best wishes was former Councilman Jack Block Jr., who will run against Blazak in the only contested race in Burien this November.

“I want to let people know,” Blazak added, “that for the next few months I will not be able to keep up the pace that I did the last campaign. Fatigue (from both surgery and chemo) is a problem and I understand that. I need to recuperate and won’t have the same energy that I had four years ago.

“Other than fatigue, I’m feeling fine now. I’m doing some physical therapy and walking every day. And I’m taking no more pain pills. I’m clearheaded again. I’m thrilled!”

While Blazak needs time for rest and rehabilitation now, “I won’t slow down in the long run,” she promises. “I am hoping to be, I expect to be back up by September. I’ll give myself couple of months to relax first. I have a lot of people volunteering to help me.”

During her recuperation, she plans to sit down with friends “and get better organized.” They will help her get campaign yard signs out, delegate other campaign chores, and plan for the last couple months of her bid for re-election. Already she’s received the endorsement of the Women’s Political Caucus.”

Blazak has a lot she still wants to accomplish as a councilwoman. Looking ahead, she said the impetus begun “with the planning and completing of projects in Town Square needs to keep going. Burien has an excellent reputation with planning and completing projects….

“Burien and South King County need to have a stronger voice with planning in our region. Seattle has size, Bellevue has money, and I feel strongly that we need to have a voice, to be at the table when decisions are made.

“We need to be more involved,” she continued, pointing to her experience on the South County Transportation Board and on the Transportation Policy Board of the Puget Sound Regional Council, “where I’ve strongly advocated for Burien and South King County…. That’s one of the things that I feel I do well.”

Blazak also wants to continue working for a bicycle/pedestrian transportation plan for Burien, which may include putting a proposed Transportation Benefits District on the ballot this fall to fund that plan (read more on the proposed TBD here).

In addition, she supports a proposed new Community/Senior Center for Burien, which is on hold because of the economy, and promotes Burien as a “wellness center” that would encourage both improved health care and the entry of students into the educational pipeline for good careers in health care.

In a B-Town Blog exclusive, we’ve just learned from longtime Burien business owner Dan House, proprietor of both The Tin Room Bar and Dan the Sausageman, that he’ll be building a brand new combination movie theater/bar at 923 SW 152nd, in the space where his retail business was located.

The new theater/bar, to be called The Tin Theater, will not only show movies in an intimate setting, it will allow 34 moviegoers to eat and drink at their seats, similar in concept to McMenamins, a combo theater/bar with numerous locations in Portland.

Here’s a scan of the plans, exclusive to The B-Town Blog (click on the image below to see a larger size):

Below is a Q & A interview with Dan, who proudly became a father of a baby girl Monday July 6th, and he’s looking for name suggestions (see below):

Q: Why are you building “The Tin Theater”?

A: The same reason why we built the Tin Room, I think Burien needs it badly.

Q: How did you come up with this idea?

A: There is a bar owner in Portland that has done this for awhile and I always like the idea, they are the McMenamin bars, they have about five theaters.

Q: What kind of films will you be showing?

A: We will be showing all kinds of Movies, we may have James Bond week (Martini and a movie), Clint Eastwood week, etc. and I would like to have the Burien Film Festival, maybe have the Highline School District or local people enter short movies.

Q: What will you show as the the first film?

A: First movie I am leaning towards is The Wizard of Oz, for the Tin Man.

Q: What will make your theater different from others?

A: The Tin Theatre will be small and intimate, not a monster “get lost in the parking lot” multiplex. You will be able to eat and drink in our lounge-type setting. We are thinking the theater may be for rent so you can invite 45 of your favorite friends to view your best movie or see a screening of your wedding, vacation, graduation etc., or for sporting events, with this you will be able to have your own server/bartender.

Q: What will happen with the Dan the Sausageman shop?

A: In front of the Theater will be a new Dan the Sausageman/Tin Cellars focusing on our wines, sausages and cheese but it will also be the area to hang out and mingle with Chirlee (my mother) and wait for the movie to start.

We will be taking our internet business off site to make room for the Movie Theatre, and we are looking for a location in Burien with warehouse space that we can build our gift boxes from and ship out; we have been around for 21 years and have no plans of stopping.

We just had a baby girl today at 4:04, we need a name, got any ideas?

Please post your baby name ideas (or thoughts on The Tin Theater) in the Comments below and we’ll make sure Dan gets ‘em (our suggestions: a name that can be shortened to “Tin” like Tindal, Tingley, Tinnea, Tinney, Tinsley, etc.).

Wednesday morning (July 1st), KUOW Radio featured German Urban planner Thomas Sieverts, who will be the featured guest at a “Nosh & Walk” event Thursday night, July 2nd at the Burien Interim Art Space, beginning at 4pm.

Sieverts coined the term “Zwischenstadt,” a book on the dissolution of the traditional European city, and the new form of urban landscape that emerges. The book was later republished in English under the title, “Where We Live Now.”

The term “Zwischenstadt” became popularized to mean an “in–between city,” or the city between the old historical centers and open countryside. He previously taught urban planning at the University of Visual Arts in Berlin and the Technical University in Darmstadt. He has run his own practice since 1978, and in 2000 jointly founded the architecture group, S.K.A.T.

Thursday night at B/ IAS, Sieverts will discuss Burien’s “Zwischedstadt-edness,” which should provide for some interesting discussion since this will be his first trip here.

Here’s an MP3 of KUOW’s interview with Sieverts:

[display_podcast]

Discover Burien President Sarah Slaughter, left, and
outgoing Executive Director Patty Sader.

Story and Photo by Janet Grella

The B-Town Blog has acquired a copy of the resignation letter that Discover Burien’s (DB) Executive Director Patty Sader read to her board at their June 2nd meeting.

We sat down with Patty and DB President Sarah Slaughter (Executive Director of BTB Advertiser El Dorado West), and DB Vice President and Prudential’s Lori Alden over lunch at 909 Coffee & Wine to discuss not only Patty’s accomplishments in this position, but the accomplishments of Discover Burien over the past two years.

We had hoped to have past DB president Linda Isernio with us, but she’s on a well deserved vacation. Before we got started, Sarah wanted to especially thank Linda for her two years of service to DB through a particularly challenging time in the groups’ history and long-time board member Kevin Fitz for his leadership. Both remain on the Discover Burien Board.

From the letter:

To The Discover Burien Board of Directors:

In June of 2007 you asked me to come aboard as your Interim Executive Director.

I came aboard at a time when the business community was somewhat fractured and indecisive about what they wanted and needed from an organization like Discover Burien. This business community was very vocal and none to (sic) happy with what they perceived as their “value to membership”.

I jumped right in with a voice of reason, allowing a venue for this business community to voice their concerns of the past and their hopes for the future.

You asked me to do a few very specific things, to bring together the business community to work together as a team, to re-build a relationship with City of Burien Staff and City Council members, to build value to membership and to create programs that were useful to the Burien Business community…

Sarah: “Patty can take credit in growth in membership.”

Patty: “No, I can’t. I believe that I attracted strong committee members to the membership committee. They should be credited. Any member of DB can apply to serve on various committees. Our membership has grown the first half of 2009 from 127 members to 160 currently. Our membership committee members are Jim Hughes, Lori Alden, Sarah Slaughter, Janel Stoneback, Merry Ann Peterson and Shandra Rose.”

Patty: “Early on I made (recently deceased long-time Burien businessman) Dick Dahlgard the ‘Master of Retention’ on this committee.”

Dick died suddenly last November, but his good work continues with other members.

Lori: “I adore Patty, consider her a great friend and thank her for getting me so involved with DB.”

Patty told us she spent countless hours in her fist two months visiting the disgruntled, the unhappy, the unsure about DB. Plus she walked right into the First Ave. reconstruction where she acted as the “ears” between the contractors, city and retail establishments on First Ave., from Burien Nissan all the way down to Fred Meyer, and all parts in-between.

Patty: “Slowly but surely the drop-outs and disillusioned are trickling back into DB.”

Other accomplishments in the past two years include the introduction of monthly networking after-hours at various venues around Burien and the recent introduction of informational seminars that have proven very valuable to BTB and others in the small-business community who have attended. The latter done in conjunction with the SBDC (Small Business Development Center) from the Highline area and Renton.

…In the two years that I have been a part of your organization we have accomplished these things and many more of which we can all be proud. I am confident that the current Board of Directors will continue on with strong leadership, with integrity, and vision for the future.

Saying these things, the time has come for me to step down as your Executive Director as you conduct a search for your next leader who will be able to lead you into the next phase of your dream…

Patty: “I’m proud given where we’ve come from, to where we are today. Both old and new members are energized.”

Sarah: “We have 1,500 licensed Burien businesses and want a substantial number involved in DB. All Burien business are invited to contact the DB office (206-433-2882) if they would like additional information or see our website for a membership application.”

Patty: “My job is not a job, it’s a lifestyle. It’s like you’re nurturing ‘this thing’ for a long time. There are still communites to be nurtured, most particularly the Hispanic community.”

There will be an immediate search for a new Executive Director.

I have been asked by the Board of Directors to remain in my role and assist them in this transition phase of which I am happy to do so.

In the meantime it will be “business as usual”…

Lori: “We’ve had 20 resumes that came in by Tuesday’s deadline. We’ve got a nice round offering of applicants. DB has seven board members on the selection committee. Each member was asked to identify their top five candidates. Interviewing has already started.”

Sarah: “Our goal is to make the transition very seamless. “There’s been a positive roadmap laid out by Patty to follow.”

Patty: “The marketing, membership and website committees are all moving forward.”

…I am looking forward to the next phase of my career and a possible relocation in the near future to sunny Arizona…

A Western Washington native, Patty’s next phase includes moving to Arizona, returning to a private-sector position in the Tel-Com industry, learning to play golf and enjoying hot weather and barbequing.

She concluded by telling BTB that “I will NOT miss working on weekends.”

by Mark Neuman

I spoke Friday (June 5th) with Burien City Councilmember Rose Clark, who is running for re-election, Position No. 5.

As of press time (or in this electronic era, as of “hit send” time), Clark has no opposition in her bid for another four-year term on the council:

MIKE MARTIN PROTEST
A May 20th B-Town Blog story covered a public protest by Burien resident Tai Oh concerning the April 19 arrest of Burien City Manager Mike Martin for suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. Martin entered a plea of “not guilty” on May 15.

In that story, Oh, who is calling for the resignation or firing of Martin, said he contacted the Burien city council as a body and each member individually via e-mail and voicemail and not a single councilmember responded to him.

“My office phone number is everywhere. I never received a phone call from him,” Clark said, referring to Oh.

“I would have been happy to talk to him if had he called me, but he didn’t.

“We did receive some emails from him over our city website.

“He has sent several (emails),” Clark said. “I can’t tell how many. (On) all of them the tone is very derogatory towards Mr. Martin, expressing anger that ‘a man like that’ is holding ‘that job’ (city manager). And demanding that he leave the city. On one email he called (Martin) an unkind word. I can’t even remember what the word was. But I’m not very impressed when people come on like that. They need to be a little bit more intelligent about their language.”

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
Among her major accomplishments over the recent four years, Clark says “I was very, very gratified to have pushed emergency preparedness enough that we hired an Emergency Preparedness Coordinator (Karen Ferreira) which would have been a costly position except we share it with Normandy Park and Sea Tac.

“I think that is what I am most proud of.”

ANNEXATION VOTE:
Regarding the August 18 annexation vote, Clark said “I think the people north of here will vote to come to Burien, a small city, more able to serve their needs.”

BUDGET CUTS:
Will coming budget cuts result in the reduction of officer positions in the Burien Police Department?

“I think, yes, the possibility is there,” Clark said. “However, our Police Chief, Scott Kimerer, is pursuing grants. We might lose a couple positions, but through the grants, we might gain them back.”

MAYOR CLARK?
The seven-member council will, this January, elect a mayor.

Would Clark want to be elected mayor?

“No I don’t think I have that kind of personality. I would consider serving as deputy mayor again.”

Clark served her first term as Council member earlier in the decade. She has served as deputy mayor six times, her most recent term expiring this past February. The term of deputy mayor runs one year.

She is employed as a library tech at an area high school, and has been there since 1992.

by Mark Neuman

The B-Town Blog spoke recently with Metropolitan King County Councilmember Larry Phillips, who, along with fellow councilmember Dow Constantine are the leading contenders in the race to replace outgoing King County Executive Ron Sims.

THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE:
We asked Phillips who he regards as the best King County Executive since the office came into existence some 40 years ago.

Phillips named three, starting with the first Executive, John Spellman, who served three terms.

“I think Spellman set the framework for successful (county) government. I hold him in high regard. He’s a fabulous individual.”

Phillips admires Randy Revelle, who served in the early 1980s and for whom Phillips served as chief of staff for four years.

“I got to know the executive branch very, very well during that period,” Phillips said. “I was in the room for all the tough decisions.”

“I am also partial to Ron Sims, who I believe had an extraordinary run during his years two through eight” as Executive.

RESPONDING TO DOW’S BULLET POINTS:
Phillips agreed to respond to five bullet points that appeared on a direct mail piece the Constantine campaign mailed out to prospective voters the week of March 30th.

The Constantine bullet points appear in italics below.

CLAIM: Dow fought for parks, open space and Puget Sound. He has a 97% lifetime environmental voting record

RESPONSE: “I completely trump Dow when it comes to parks, open space and Puget Sound. If there is one hallmark to my service over the years it’s the contributions that I’ve made to open space in King County and our regional parks system. I could go on beyond that significantly. I trump Dow in spades.”

CLAIM: Dow helped lead passage of light rail expansion

RESPONSE: “That one he doesn’t get to claim for himself.”

Phillips recalled the failure of area voters to approve light rail during his school days in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s.

“I’ve been fighting for light rail ever since, including my time in the Washington State legislature.

“I’m a growth management guy, so I look ahead ten to twenty years. My dad was an architect, so planning is part of my DNA.”

CLAIM: Dow is a champion for jobs and working families

RESPONSE: “I have a fabulous labor voting record. I emphasize jobs and infrastructure.” Phillips named several labor endorsements his campaign has received to date.

CLAIM: Dow demanded efficiency in audits in county government

RESPONSE: “No one has led more reforms in county government than I have. I was the one who called for the audit of Metro Transit last year before anybody else did.”

CLAIM: Dow is the only candidate who represents rural areas, suburban cities, Seattle neighborhoods and the broad diversity that is King County. Dow will unify, not divide our county

RESPONSE: Phillips responded by pointing out that he has received endorsements of the rural county mayors of Enumclaw, Maple Valley, Black Diamond and Issaquah.

“I have a long, long history of working with the rural communities of King County. I know their issues and I know their people.”

RED LIGHT CAMERAS:
Phillips says he does not see the use of red light cameras by some cities in King County (such as Burien) at certain intersections as a revenue-generating effort.

“Sparingly and appropriately used, red light cameras are a public safety and traffic calming effort,” he says. “However, there needs to be some balance and common sense in how much they are utilized.”

ANNEXATION:
Phillips says that King County “does not have the taxing authority that cities have. It’s very hard for King County to continue to provide the levels of service that people normally expect in urban areas.

“The state’s Growth Management Act strongly encourages incorporation or annexation in urban areas, but does not require it.”

Phillips says it’s up to the citizens in the remaining pockets of non-annexed and unincorporated areas to decide for themselves whether they want change or the status quo.

Short of incorporation or annexation, Phillips says, “our ability to provide current levels of services to North Highline and the White Center community will likely continue to diminish over time.”

THIRD RUNWAY:
Does Phillips think the residents living northwest of Sea-Tac Airport were, perhaps, duped with respect to the intended use of the now functioning third runway?

“I think the Port, from my perspective, can always do a better job of communicating with the public on what they’re doing, with respect to high profile or contentious issues,” Phillips said. “I’ve haven’t been a student of this issue as perhaps other citizens living around Sea-Tac Airport are.”

STATE INCOME TAX:
Does Phillips support a state income tax?

“I have supported a state income tax, yes,” he said. “Dow’s very proud of the fact that he supported the commission that just talks about an income tax. I actually supported the legislation.”

GO HUSKIES:
Phillips is a University of Washington alum, who played basketball on his high school varsity team. He went out on a non-political limb: Regardless of who wins the race for King County Executive in November, he predicts the Husky men’s basketball team will come out on top as National Champs in the Final Four next spring.

“I am three generations deep into being a Husky and I believe in Purple!”

Here’s Phillips’ YouTube video announcement for his campaign:

So who will you vote for as Ron Sims’ replacement? Please answer our poll:

[EDITOR'S NOTES: The B-Town Blog first published an interview with candidate Dow Constantine on February 16. The primary election is August 18th; the general election is November 3rd.]

by Mark Neuman

We had a wonderful time catching up recently with our friend Dr. Arun Jhaveri, the first mayor of Burien.

We first met Dr. Jhaveri about a year ago, when The B-Town Blog was just “being born.”

The ensuing article lived on as the most read item on our site for many months thereafter.

He’s a fascinating man, born in Bombay (now Mumbai). He and his wife still live in Burien, and he swims every day to stay in shape.

While he’s currently “semi-retired,” he recently co-authored a book, and is being considered for a post in President Obama’s administration.

How have things been lately?, we asked Dr. Jhaveri, who served as mayor for six years, starting when Burien officially became a city in 1992.

“Never a dull moment,” he told us. “I’m supposed to be semi-retired but my sense is that as long as I am physically and mentally active I want to do something both for me personally as well as for the community and professionally.”

Dr. Jhaveri, a physicist and mechanical engineer, earned his Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Seattle University, and, early on, worked for Boeing on the development of the 727, 737 and 747 aircrafts prior to their FAA certification.

Still as scholarly and worldly as ever, he will speak at a conference in Paris, France later this month, and his book, “Carbon Reduction: Policies, Strategies and Technologies,” will be released this month as well (Fairmont Press, Georgia).

While he has published lots of technical papers and, of course, a doctoral dissertation, “this is my first formal book. It is something I believe in.”

Available now for advance ordering through Amazon.com, the book serves as a “clear, concise, succinct and practical action plan handbook,” Dr. Jhaveri told us.

He co-authored the book with long time colleague and fellow engineer Dr. Stephen Roosa.

“This is a great book for engineers, architects and decision makers at the local, state and federal levels, government leaders and practicing energy managers,” Dr. Jhaveri said. “We have done the research for them and put it together in an easily accessible manner. It is full of step-by-step recommendations to create an action plan for carbon reduction in any community.”

“Meanwhile, I have been invited by the Alliance to Save Energy, based in Washington, D.C., to speak later this month (April 2009) in Paris, France at the Energy Efficiency Global Conference,” Dr. Jhaveri told us. “I will speak to and meet energy and environment experts from all over the world. This is quite an honor and a privilege for me.”

Dr. Jhaveri is being considered for a position in the Obama Administration.

“While I am not actively campaigning for the job, (Ninth District) Congressman Adam Smith, who I’ve known for several years, has been very helpful in putting my name in the consideration process.”

The position is Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. If selected, Dr. Jhaveri would work primarily out of the nation’s capital.

“I told Congressman Smith, I am doing this not because of money or power. I want to do it as part of my public and community service and if I can help the Obama Administration with very bold actions in terms of energy, environment and sustainability, then I’m willing to do that.”

Dr. Jhaveri recently developed and completed a “holistic strategic plan for the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest school district in the country,” with 700,000 students, a budget of $11 billion and 800 existing buildings with 200 new ones in the design and building stages.

The plan covers energy, environment, recycling, resource conservation, sustainable development, renewable energies, use of solar and wind for the whole school district including the design and construction of new school buildings.

“I teamed up with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado with whom I’ve worked for many years,” Dr. Jhaveri explained. “The Los Angeles school board adopted all of our recommendations, and are now implementing them.”

Another opportunity recently came about quite by chance, no pun intended, in Las Vegas.

While certainly not a gambler, Dr. Jhaveri attended an energy conference of engineers, which took place at the Mirage Hotel and Casino.

“One of the speakers there was the Energy Manager for the Mirage. He’s a very progressive type of person.

“He said, ‘Arun, I want to do more (to conserve energy). Can you help me?’”

Energy costs are anywhere from 15% to 20% of the operating budget for Las Vegas hotels and casinos

“And now with the economy going downhill they are concerned about their bottom line.

“So I said to the people at the Mirage ‘Look guys, I’m surprised you don’t take advantage of your 365 days of summer.’

“I put together a plan for them to use solar power, collected right there on site, using relatively little space, and a technology involving absorption chillers, to provide energy for lighting and air conditioning.”

Dr. Jhaveri gave them the proposal and they accepted it.

“The Mirage can really take the lead on the this. The other casinos will see it’s cost effective and they will follow.

“I told them ‘if you can transform the area from Sin City into Sun City, half of your problems will be over.’ They all laughed!”

EXCLUSIVE: This morning (April 1st) The B-Town Blog met and interviewed an unidentified male who claims responsibility for the spate of recent, unsolved laser-airplane incidents we’ve reported on in the area northwest of Sea-Tac Airport.

Below is a transcript of our brief and somewhat strange encounter with an area man who wanted to be called “Floyd.”

We met him in a garage not far from where the incidents occurred. He was working on an inflatable, remote-controlled helium-filled balloon and listening to some loud 70s progrock when we found him, alone.

BTB: Hello, I’m Scott from The B-Town Blog. Are you Floyd?

FLOYD: Come in here, dear boy, have a cigar (he offered us a cigar, which we politely refused).

BTB: No thanks. What can you tell me Floyd about these laser incidents?

FLOYD: (pulling out a chart of news clippings about him) Everybody else is just green – have you seen the chart? It’s a helluva start, it could be made into a monster, if we all pull together as a team…

BTB: Floyd, did you know it’s a felony to point a laser at an aircraft and it’s punishable under the Patriot Act?

FLOYD: Well I’ve always had a deep respect, and I mean that most sincerely…

BTB: A deep respect for what?

FLOYD: (he then cranked up his boombox, then pulled out a second laser pointer and played a shell game with both, apparently trying to confuse us) The band is just fantastic, that is really what I think. Oh by the way, which one’s pink?

BTB: You’re using a pink laser too? Which one is it? I say it’s in your left hand.

FLOYD NODS AND GRINS AND CONTINUES THE SHELL GAME.

BTB: Can you tell me Floyd why you do this?

FLOYD: I’m in the high-fidelity first class traveling set, and I think I need a Lear jet.

BTB: Oh-kay. Floyd what’s your reasoning behind these laser incidents?

FLOYD: I’ve always been mad, I know I’ve been mad, like the most of us…very hard to explain why you’re mad, even if you’re not mad…

BTB: Dude, are you off your meds or something? Why do you do this?

FLOYD: We don’t need no education, we don’t need no thought control. No dark sarcasm in the classroom…(yelling at a passing car) Hey! Teachers – leave them kids alone!

BTB: Um, okay. Anything else you want to add?

FLOYD: If you don’t eat your meat, you can’t have any pudding. How can you have any pudding if you don’t eat your meat?

At this point, Floyd starting pointing both lasers at an inflatable, pig-shaped helium balloon which had floated out the garage door and escaped.

As Floyd chased the balloon down the alley, we snuck away.

by Mark Neuman

Metropolitan King County Council member Dow Constantine has made it official.

“I’m running for King County Executive,” he said Monday (Feb. 16th) in an interview with The B-Town Blog.

“It’s a real big step, and I’m hitting the ground running.”

Dow has been on the Council since 2002. Just five weeks ago, he was unanimously elected by his colleagues as Council Chair.

Assuming current Executive Ron Sims’ nomination to serve in the Obama administration is confirmed by the US Senate, the council will select a replacement “quickly, soon after a vacancy in the office becomes official,” Dow said.

“The Senate vote is not expected to occur before the first week of March,” Dow said.

Dow favors selecting an interim executive “without political ambitions, but who has demonstrated managerial, budgetary and political skill.”

“We will strive to make the selection process open and transparent,” he said.

No matter who is selected to replace Sims on an interim basis, “the most important issue ahead of us on the council is the passage this fall of the toughest budget ever,” Dow said. “All of us on the council are keenly aware of the impact the current economic realities will no doubt have on the next budget.”

Dow, who in the State House and Senate represented Burien and surrounding areas before joining the council, is proud of Burien’s recent growth and development.

“It is a joy to watch Burien grow as a city,” Dow said. “I am proud to have included a provision for funding the Burien Transit Center on the recent Sound Transit ballot measure,” which passed last fall.

The Burien “Town Center and Transit Center are great models for other cities in the region to follow,” he said. “White Center and Burien are positioned as priorities for future light rail expansion.”

Dow promises more time for an in-depth interview with The B-Town Blog as the campaign progresses.

The only other announced candidate in the race for Executive is fellow Council member Larry Phillips.

For more information, here’s Dow’s campaign website: www.dowconstantine.org.

You can also view his video announcement on YouTube here.

by Cynthia Reid

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Previously, Burien resident Cynthia Reid wrote a story about hosting a child from Chernobyl, which can be read here]

As a local host parent of a child from Chernobyl, I’m having a very hard time with a situation that’s unfolding in Petaluma, California.

After her ninth summer health respite trip to the United States, Tanya Kazyra refused to go home to Belarus. She was well aware of the repercussions this would have on the other 1,400 children that come to the US every year and the heartbreak it would mean to the families that host those children. She is intent on staying with her Petaluma-based host parents, the Zapatas.

But now the news is much worse. Health respite programs in both Germany and The Netherlands have now been shut down as well, leaving thousands of children without a break from the radiation of Chernobyl.

Kazyra, who will be 17 in December, has taken part in the Chernobyl Children’s Project for the last nine years and this was her last year in the program due to her age. The project gives children from areas affected by radiation released in the Chernobyl nuclear disaster a chance to visit other countries for health respite.

“We are gravely disappointed in the Zapata family,” said Ruth Williams of the Chernobyl Children’s Project. “Decisions that are not in Tanya’s best interest are being made by people who are not her legal guardians.”

Although Tanya’s visa does not expire until December, Belarusian offices said the visa had been issued only for travel with the program. They believe her refusal to return to Belarus violates the agreement made by host families with the organization.

“When (the Zapatas) go to bed at night, they should lie there and think of 1,400 children that are crying and hoping  they can see their American mama and their American Papa next year,” said Cec Calhoun, the Belarus liaison for the Children of Chernobyl United States Alliance. “Children crying big tears because one family has decided to be selfish in keeping her.”

As a host parent myself, I’m ready to fly down to Petaluma and give this family a good talking to. This self-centered child is hurting so many people it’s unfathomable that she can continue to refuse to go home. I understand that her life is hard in Belarus. But life is hard for thousands of children there and she thinks her life is more important than theirs? Box her up and ship her out!

Here’s a video interview I conducted with Elizabeth Tennison, President of For the Children of the World:

Elizabeth also had this to say:

“Our own family has hosted six kids and two translators over the years. Last year we hosted a 16-year old boy who came for the first time. He comes from a poor family of eight kids, his mom is disabled and his dad drives a truck. Life didn’t hold much hope for him.  Here was an opportunity not only for him to have an amazing amount of dental work, which didn’t all get finished, but for him to begin to discover a bigger world and increased opportunity which could translate into better things for him at home.

We fell in love with this boy who, as the oldest boy in the family, could be tough and have an attitude. With us he was appreciative, funny, helpful and always wanting to learn. We so looked forward to having him back next year to finish his dental work, help empower him to help himself to a better future, encourage a good attitude and just enjoy the gifts that love brings.  He, like so many of the other children, has given us more than we could ever give him. All that is in jeopardy now.”

Our family, who has made hosting these kids part of their life mission too, is left wondering whether in the long run we have made a difference and feeling hollow at the loss of these kids who are now a part of our family. The Zapata family who has kept Tanya has certainly made a difference-a negative one.  One family has brought about a heart breaking loss to thousands of other families who just wanted to make a positive difference in the world.  What is wrong with this picture-and that family?”

Belarusian officials working on the case are not happy either with Tanya’s refusal to return home. They have been in continuing contact with her and her host family, but no progress towards repatriating the girl has been made. Her visitor’s visa does expire on Dec 25 and it is expected that no extension will be granted by the US State Department and she will have to leave the country at that point.

Americans have been encouraged by both the US State Department and Children of Chernobyl, USA Alliance to continue with a letter writing campaign to the Zapata family and the news media stating their point of view and the consequences for them of this families action.

Letters may be addressed to your local news media: TV stations, newspaper editors, radio, etc. with copies to C of C, USA for presentation to the US State Department and to the family.

Copies to C of C, USA Alliance may be addressed to:

Cec Calhoun
P.O. Box 213,
Ellensburg, WA  98926

For more information please go to  www.fortheworldschildren.org

Cynthia Reid is an owner/agent at John L. Scott Westwood

by Mark Neuman

Matt Hale has been starting early and thinking big since his early days here in Burien, and he’s still tackling early and big things today.

The 1998 graduate of Highline High School, who was already taking college courses at age 17, is running for a seat on the King County Superior Court.

He’s wasting little time pursing his longtime dream.

“I’ve always wanted to serve on the bench. I was talking with a friend about my goals and he said ‘Well, why don’t you run now?’ And I decided ‘I’ll do it.’”

You may have seen his orange and blue yard signs around town recently.

He’s taking on two-term incumbent Laura Gene Middaugh, wife of State Senator Adam Kline.

Matt is currently an attorney at Wiener, Lambka & Deutscher, a Seattle-based personal injury firm.

He earned an academic scholarship that helped pay his tuition at Gonzaga University Law School. He earned his BA in Political Science at Gonzaga. Before that, he pursued writing and public speaking while earning his AA at Highline Community College.

His work experience has included employment at local hardware stores. In Spokane, Matt helped counsel people in crisis, answering an emergency telephone hotline.

He feels one change the court might look at is the role played by the citizen juror.

“A friend of mine was called and he told the judge that to serve might literally cost him his house. He was living from check to check,” Matt says.

“Perhaps there might be a way in the future for the court system to ease the burden of jury duty.”

The mere process of running for office has been a learning experience.

“Campaigning has helped me more fully realize how wonderful not only Burien is, but what great people the residents of King County really are.”

“I am moved by the importance of the service to the community that judges provide from the bench. That knowledge and awareness, in itself, is humbling,” he said.

You can meet Matt, his wife Nicole, and his team at a campaign fundraiser this Sunday afternoon, July 20, at HiLine Lanes, 15733 Ambaum Blvd SW, in Burien. It runs from 1 to 4pm.

Find more info go to: www.peopleformatthewrhale.com

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Coriander, a “spicy little parable about policy” opens next Friday (July 11th) at E.B. Foote Winery (a BTB Advertiser), located at 127-B SW 153rd in downtown Burien.

From their press release:

A tunnel?  A surface street?  A bridge?

Watch the Gods and the Greeks debate policy in Coriander

BURIEN — Breeders Theater offers a spicy little tale about urban policy in its new show, Coriander. 

In the ancient Greek city-state of Aurora, where the living is above-average and housing prices are high, they might need a road to open up some new land.  The road would have to pass through the Garden of the Oracle, raising the ire of people of faith.  Meanwhile, some folks favor a surface street; some a tunnel; and some a bridge. 

In the middle of this is Coriander, chief administrator of the government, caught between the factions (including Tentacles, the developer, and the passionate radical Antagone), angry Gods, and the city council, led by Dimes, Draco and Ricotta, who are deep in the land of process.   And wither old King Freon?

The script and lyrics of Coriander are by T.M. Sell, with music by Nancy Warren.  Martin J. Mackenzie directs, with choreography by Teresa Widner and costumes by Melissa Sell.

Scott Green stars as Coriander, with Eric Hartley, Doug Knoop, Steve Scheide, Adrienne Grieco, Melissa Malloy, Julie Wenzel, Marianne Everett, Steve Coffey, Amber Rack, Jackie Graybill and Mark Wenzel.

The show will be at E.B. Foote Winery in Burien, 127B SW 153rd St.

The show runs July 11-12, 16, 18-20, 23-27.  Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with show time at 7 p.m., and 1:30/2 p.m. on Sunday, July 20 and 27. 

Tickets are still only $20, which includes wine tasting and hors d’oeuvres.

Visit the winery or call for tickets: 206-242-3852 or check out breederstheater.com. (Credit cards accepted with a $5 fee per ticket OR your credit card can guarantee the tickets, and you can pay at the door with cash or check.)

Here’s a Q&A with Coriander’s prolific local Playwright TM Sell, who also serves as a Professor of Journalism and Political Science at Highline Community College:

Q: Why is your new play named after a spice? Will you be serving any cilantro during the play (cilantro is derived from Coriander)?

A: As often happens, I start with a title.  I can’t tell you why.  I like good titles, not that mine are.  Then I see what’s either going on in the world, or something that’s been bugging me, and try see where the title gets me to saying something about that topic.  Coriander sounds like an old Greek name, and the Greeks were one of the inventors of theater, so that gave me a way of creating a situation that, as it turns out, has parallels to ours.

Q: What is Coriander about?

A: This play is about a couple of things: the public policy process and the nature of religion.  Politics and religion are two of my favorite subjects, which most people don’t want to talk about.  So if I get them to laugh, perhaps they’ll think about it a little more.

In the Ancient Greek city-state of Aurora, a developer wants to put a road to some fresh land for more housing, and Aurora, as the most desirable place in Ancient Greece in which to live, is short of housing.  But the road will go through the Garden of the Oracle, a disused but very holy site.  And in Aurora, that means you need a hearing, and public debate, and a lot of process.  In the middle of this is Coriander, a civil servant and a virtuous man, caught between various factions within the city and the city council.  Meanwhile the Gods are deciding whether to intervene.

Q: Any parallels to the “real world” to this topic?

A: Very strong parallels between our own political process, and the attitudes of some people about the world and how it should be.

Q: Any parallels to the “old Greek” drama world to this?

A: We do have a Geek chorus, though I haven’t used it quite like the Greeks would have.

Q: Was there ever a viaduct in Greece?

A: No, but the Romans built a lot of aqueducts.

Q: Talk about your writing process – how do you come up with story ideas? How do you then go about writing an entire play? How many drafts before you’re happy? Does anyone review/edit your work? etc.

A: The first thing I need is an idea.  Then I make notes about the plot.  When I’ve got that figured out, and if I have uninterrupted time, I just start writing.  I get pretty deep into that process, and I really enjoy it.  The first draft won’t take more than three or four days.  I then have to go over it a few more times, with less major surgery on each succeeding draft.  And then we read it, and members of the company make comments.  And even then, in the rehearsal process, people will think of things they like or that don’t make sense, or I’ll hear a line that’s just wooden or a joke that gets in the way, and revisions happen.

Q: You seem to be a very prolific writer – how many plays a year do you churn out?

A: Two a year.

Q: In April, we posted an audition notice for Coriander – how did the auditions go? Anyone new/interesting? Anything unusual?

A: Auditions are always odd and interesting.  You never know who will show up.  We didn’t get many men this time, but we got some very good women, and we did OK in filling what we needed filled.  Most of the company are people who have worked with BT before, and it helps to know somebody to get in.  Group chemistry is very important.  We don’t make enough money to deal with people who are high maintenance.

Q: Will the alleged, impending recession affect theaters? Why/why not?

A: Spending on entertainment is discretionary spending, so yes, of course, that makes it harder to sell tickets.  But I think we tend to fall into the category of an affordable luxury, and at $20 the tickets are cheap enough.  Also, the economy in King County is so far in much better shape than it is in other places.

Q: Should people bring jackets to EB Foote or will it not be so cold this time?

A: The winery has air conditioning for summer, which gets turned off during the show.  So it should be fairly comfortable.

Q: On a more important note, what is your take on the B-Town Blog’s progress and rising popularity?

A: Are you getting lots of traffic?  Then there’s room for more venues for information.  That’s the good news.  The other news is, in my limited understanding, if finding a way to make internet information sites profitable.  At least your costs are lower than those of a full-fledged newspaper.

This Reporter previously enjoyed a wonderfully fulfilling and entertaining “cheap date” out for TM Sell’s previous play Crazy/Naked, held at E.B. Foote last fall. We recommend it highly.

E.B. Foote Winery is located at 127-B SW 153rd in downtown Burien:

View Larger Map

The following is a Q & A with TM Sell, Playwright/Author of Crazy/Naked, which starts this Friday at the E.B. Foote Winery in Burien:

Q: First, tell us a little bit about yourself: Where are you from? What did you “want to be when you grew up”?

A: Born and raised in and around Seattle. Wanted to be a lot of things but wanted to write a play the first time I saw one when I was second grade.

Q: What do you do now?

A: Professor of political science and journalism at Highline College; founder and co-owner of Breeders Theater; author and freelance journalist.

Q: What did you do in a past life?

A: Reporter and editor with a number of local newspapers, including Valley Daily News and the Seattle P-I.

Q: How did you get into journalism?

A: One day when I was 16 my dad said ‘You should be a journalist. You like to write.” And he was right.

Q: What made you start writing plays?

A: I write because I like to make people laugh and to make them think.

Q: Is writing plays a natural thing for a journalist to do?

A: Probably not. But I find theater to be a good blend of two of my passions: journalism and politics.

Q: How many plays have you written? How many have been produced/staged?

A: I don’t know anymore. I stopped counting. This is our 13th show at E.B. Foote but some of them have been pairings of one-acts and some have been full-length plays. There’s only a couple things that I’ve ever written that haven’t been seen anywhere.

Q: Tell us about Crazy/Naked?

A: Crazy/Naked is about local politics, involving composites of people I have known saying things I’ve heard people actually say. It’s about the degree to which people don’t participate and don’t pay attention to politics. With, I think, bad consequences. I mean who the hell cares whether the candidate is a guy you’d like to have a beer with? Is that going to happen? I want to know if they have a clue about what might work in government policy. Little else actually matters. Good legislators that I knew often were assholes. And some really nice people I met in Olympia were simply ineffective.

Q: Tell us about Breeders Theater Group – when did you start it, why, what has it done, etc.

A: I had the idea way back in the ’80s. The I became a play reviewer for Valley Daily News and for KUOW, so I saw two plays a week for four years. It was like a second degree. Then I met actors. So we did some staged readings at Highline as benefits for the school. Then I met the folks at E.B. Foote and said, “I’ve written a play about a winery.” And they took a chance on us, and we’ve been there since 2002.

Q: As a Playwright, what is your ultimate goal?

A: To make people laugh and to make them think and to say things that I think matter.

Q: Do you aspire to do any other kinds of writing? (ie: feature-length screenplays, etc.)

A: I have finished two screenplays and I have no idea what do with them. I have neither a theatrical nor a film agent, and I really could use both (seriously). I’m not very adept at marketing my stuff.

Q: What are some other projects you’re working on now? Any upcoming plays?

A: I’m always still dabbling in political science research. I’ve finished a couple of drafts of our summer show. I have some other shows in mind for BT. A few have been started. Mostly I need time away without distractions to write, and then I write in a mad rush. The first draft of Crazy/Naked was finished in about three days. Then I have to see it a bunch of times before what’s wrong with it sinks in. I probably need to do more hard work on each script before it hits the stage. But the cast is very good about suggesting things that need fixing. They’re very smart people, which is both a challenge and a huge blessing.

Q: Is the newspaper business “dying”? Why/why not?

A: Nyet. It’s not growing, but newspapers remain well-positioned to gather and disseminate information. I don’t see them being replaced by blogs. What you’re doing isn’t so much a blog as a kind of on-line newspaper. The key, of course, reminds finding out how to actually make money on this.

Q: How has the internet changed journalism?

A: Not so much. I read that it was and did, but not really. Bloggers aren’t journalists (not talking about you again); they’re people popping off about subjects they often dimly understand. At the end of the day journalism is still about trying to tell true stories about important or interesting things. If there’s a fault of journalism, is that it’s taught in most places as a craft instead of as a method of inquiry.

Q: Should Bloggers be given the same access as newspaper reporters?

A: Only if they can earn it.

Q: Any predictions on how people will be getting their news in 5/10/20 years?

A: In the same ways they are now. The technology may change, but the information will not be greatly altered. Marshall McLuhan did indeed say that the medium is the message, but hardly anybody noticed that his comment was at least partially bullshit. Good reporting is still good reporting, regardless of the delivery method. But if you teach at a big university and say something suitably obtuse, suddenly you’re a genius.

Q: Any predictions for the B-Town Blog?

A: It may be in the right place at the right time. The difference may be that you are able to do more than recycle what other people already are doing.

Crazy/Naked opens this Friday, Jan. 18th at 7pm, and continues through Feb. 2nd at the E.B. Foote Winery at 127 SW 153rd #B in Burien, WA:

View Larger MapShow dates are Jan. 18, 19, 23, 25, 26, 30, 31, Feb. 1, 2 at 7 p.m.; Jan. 20 and 27 – 2 p.m., and Feb. 3 at 1 p.m.

The Jan. 30 show is a benefit for the Highline College Foundation.

The show includes tasting of E.B. Foote’s award-winning wines and hors d’oeurves, all for only $20.

Tickets are available at the winery, 206-242-3852 and at Corky Cellars, 22511 Marine View Drive, Des Moines, 206-824-9462.

[EDITOR'S NOTE/DISCLOSURE: This Reporter actually attended Highline Community College with Dr. TM Sell, who we knew then only as "Terry"; he didn't have a PHD yet but was a kick-ass fellow journalist for the Thunderword, the school paper he now advises/teaches at Highline College.

<---Apologies to all B-Town Blog readers for the embarrassing self-indulgent clipping from the Thunderword, circa 1979.

Yes, that's really me with big hair, wearing stupid shades and typing on an IBM Selectric typewriter.

Ouch.]