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

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

Here are the details:

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

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

WHERE: ACME Bowl, located at

INFO: From a poster:

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

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

Bowler check-in at 8:45am.

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

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

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

The Kent Police Department has created a website showcasing photos of 160 recovered stolen items including electronics, wallets, purses, backpacks, stereos, baby clothes and even a wedding dress; some of which may have been originally swiped in the Burien/South King County area.

According to police, a man and woman who are suspected of breaking into more than 100 cars have been busted. Now, they want to return the stolen items to their rightful owners.

The suspects were apparently caught when they used stolen credit cards at local businesses. Police then followed their trail and recovered the stolen stuff in a storage locker as well as at local pawn shops.

According to the website:

Suspects Mode of Operation:

Type of crime: Vehicle prowls (car break ins)

Method of entry: Break window or force door lock

Types of vehicles: Different types and styles but they favored FORD F-series trucks

Property targeted: luggage, purses, laptop computers, GPS units, assorted tools, backpacks, cameras, MP3 players, I-Pods, cell phones, CD players, car stereos, jewelry, anything of value.

Estimated time range of criminal activity: Past 3-4 months

Focus area of vehicle prowl activity: Kent, Tukwila, Renton, SeaTac, Burien, South Seattle, Unincorporated areas of South King County. Collateral areas that may have been impacted as well are: Des Moines, Federal Way, Auburn, Bellevue.

If you were the victim of a car break-in between Oct. 1, 2009 and Feb. 4, 2010, your stolen items may be in police custody – check this website now and see if you recognize anything; if you do, contact Officer Bateman at (253) 856-5894 or via email: kbateman@ci.kent.wa.us.

The recovered stolen property includes (click on links below to see individual pics):

• Laptops
• Cell phones
• MP3 players
• Car Stereos
• Unusual, miscellaneous stuff like:
  • Baby clothes
  • Wedding dress
  • Ford Truck Manuals
    
  • “Pirate Stuff“
  • Swords
  • “Aiming for Barcelona” Belt Buckle

Some items have been claimed and returned, but most are still in evidence and awaiting rightful return to their owners – so check out the website here.

Tukwila resident Serges Hakizimana (pictured, left) will be honored on Thursday, March 11th, by the American Red Cross at their 2010 Heroes Breakfast in downtown Seattle.

Hakizimana, originally from Burundi, has been serving as part of the Red Cross Language Bank in Seattle, where he learned how to bring people together and help them understand each other. From there he started organizing people in other ways, establishing community funds, cultural training and more.

Before Hakizimana was born, his parents fled the ethnic violence of Burundi. They educated their son in refugee camps, which was not an easy task. Although safe from the violence that drove them from their homes, Burundian refugees faced new challenges of confined living, being told where to live and what to eat. They were never required to pay for the things they were given, but nor were they permitted to have jobs or earn money.

In 2007, Serges was one of the first Burundians who relocated to the King County area. Recognizing his unique skill with language, his case worker directed him to the Red Cross Language Bank in Seattle, where Serges learned how to bring people together and help them understand each other. From there he started organizing people in other ways, establishing community funds, cultural training and more.

There are now 30 Burundian refugee families in the Seattle metro area who rely on Serges as their leader. He has taught some of them enough English to find work, and helped others get a small business loan to establish a farm in Kent. Through it all, he serves as a role model, balancing his time between work, volunteer, school and community.

Fifteen heroes will be honored at the 14th Annual Heroes Breakfast – sponsored by Costco Wholesale. Here are the details:

WHAT: 14th Annual Red Cross Heroes Breakfast

WHEN: Thursday, March 11th from 7:30am – 9am

WHERE: Washington State Convention Center, located at 800 Convention Place in Downtown Seattle (Click here for directions)

INFO: All proceeds will support disaster relief efforts in King County. More information available here.

The Museum of Flight is presenting An Evening with Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger on Monday, March 8th from 7pm to 9pm in its William M. Allen Theater.

As many Readers may recall, “Sully” Sulenberger is the heroic airline pilot who safely landed US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River in January, 2009. He has over 40 years of flying experience in both commercial and military aviation.

Cost is $10 for non-members and $5 for members.

Here are the details:

WHAT: An evening with “Sully” Sullenberger

WHEN: Monday, Mar 8, 2010: 7:00pm-9:00pm

WHERE: Museum of Flight’s William M. Allen Theater, located at 9404 East Marginal Way S. in Seattle; Phone: 206.764.5720. Located north of Burien and south of downtown Seattle, at the south end of Boeing Field / King County Airport; Exit 158 off Interstate 5. Free Parking adjacent to the museum and Airpark.

INFO: From the museum’s website:

Now a legendary pilot for the dramatic events and emergency landing on the Hudson River of US Airways Flight 1549 in January 2009, Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger, III is a captain for US Airways, an author, and a lecturer. He has over 40 years of flying experience in both commercial and military aviation. A former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, Sullenberger served as an instructor and Air Line Pilots Association safety chairman, accident investigator and national technical committee member. He has participated in several USAF and National Transportation Board accident investigations. He has a decades-long history of technical and academic contributions to the field of aviation safety.

Here’s a pretty cool video animation that utilizes the audio recording to re-construct the historic crash landing:

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

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

Here are the details:

WHAT: Job Fair in Tukwila

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

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

COST: It’s FREE!

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

If you read The B-Town Blog regularly, you’re probably aware that, aside from providing a much-needed and timely service to the Burien area, we’re growing very quickly in both traffic, content and Advertisers (more info on us here).

And growth can be good, except of course when it starts to overwhelm a very small staff.

Hence, this posting – we’re looking for at least two capable folks to come join our Burien-based team:

1. JOURNALIST/EDITOR with Wordpress knowledge (or you’re at least not afraid to learn it). Yes, we need another Editor to collect content, format it, copy edit, add graphics (and do appropriate FTPing if necessary), then push the “Publish” button to update some of our up-and-coming blogs (we currently have 6 total, with more coming soon…).
2. SALES REP who can call on local businesses to let them know about us. We have nice Rate Cards, excellent traffic (40-50k Uniques per month on BTB alone), the websites speak for themselves, and we’re finding that Ads on here are an easy sell. We just need more feet on the ground!

Here’s some more info:

• We prefer to find local folks who live in the area.
• We like people who are involved in their communities (we’re active in ours).
• We like to find people who either read the blog already, or know of us.
• You can work part or full-time (some folks working here now have other gigs).
• You can set your own hours.
• This is a “ground-floor opportunity” and you will be part of a small, growing team.
• These are Contractor (1099) positions, meaning that you’ll be paid on an either per-job/hourly basis or pure Commission. And believe it or not, we also accept Volunteers! There are no benefits other than working with a fun, local, talented team who like to make a difference in their community.
• Your work will be seen on not just here on The B-Town Blog, but our five other area sister sites as well, including:
  • The White Center Blog
  • The Waterland Blog (for Des Moines)
  • The Normandy Park Blog
  • The Tukwila Blog
  • The SeaTac Blog

Requirements:

• Please have a computer and internet access (we’ll give you an email account).
• Please have a reliable car & valid driver’s license.
• Please have the ability to manage your clients throughout their entire Ad run on the sites (this includes staying in contact with them, renewing them when their contracts expire, etc.).
• You will work as an Independent Contractor, meaning you’ll be responsible for your own taxes, insurance, etc. and there are no additional benefits).
• You dig the internet and are excited about its future possibilities, including new technologies like the upcoming iPad.
• You like Local News, Events, Arts, Entertainment and more, as well as helping out your community(we hold our own Fundraiser Blog Parties about once per quarter, and over our 2+ year lifespan have raised over $13,000 for local charities).

To apply for one of these positions, please email us your resume, links to your online stuff (ie: Facebook, LinkedIn, Blogs, etc.), and your interests and availability!

The Museum of Flight is holding an Engineering Fair this weekend, and the one event that stood out to us was the 15th Annual Popsicle Bridge Contest, which is scheduled to take place Saturday, Feb. 13th from 8am to 5pm.

High School engineering students will be busy creating sturdy (and perhaps not-so-sturdy) bridges made entirely of Popsicle sticks and white glue, which to us sounds like a lot of fun (especially if they have to eat a lot of Popsicles beforehand to prepare).

Here are the details:

WHAT: Engineering Fair & the 15th Annual Popsicle Bridge Contest

WHEN: Saturday, Feb 13th from 8:00am-5:00pm

WHERE: William M. Allen Theater at the Museum of Flight, located at 9404 East Marginal Way South in Seattle; Phone: 206.764.5720

INFO: From the Museum of Flight’s website:

The Younger Member Forum of the American Society of Civil Engineers will put on a competition of bridges built using only Popsicle sticks and white glue. Each year teams of high school students from local schools build bridges that are strong, efficient, as well as aesthetically pleasing. The bridges will be judged and then tested to failure with a hydraulic press. Be sure to be in the room as each bridge snaps and broken Popsicle sticks fly everywhere. At 12:00 noon the winners will be announced and prizes will be awarded.

In the Museum’s Side Gallery, the Puget Sound Engineering Council will celebrate the annual National Engineers Week with an Engineering Fair. Local chapters of national societies representing the entire span of engineering disciplines will staff booths all day where those interested in engineering careers can learn more about the exciting opportunities available. Several university engineering departments and student clubs will also be represented.

Here’s a video about the Popsicle bridge competition:

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

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

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

Here are the details:

WHAT: 33rd District Community Jobs Forum

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

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

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

Confirmed participating agencies include:

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

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

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

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

Early Saturday morning (Jan. 23rd) a Metro bus driver, 56, was assaulted in Tukwila, receiving injuries that sent her to Valley Medical Center. Three persons were later arrested, one for the assault and two for vandalizing the bus.

And as police were converging on the scene, a King County Sheriff’s police cruiser crashed into one from a Tukwila Police officer. The Tukwila officer was treated at the scene, while the Sheriff’s deputy was taken to Valley Medical Center, where he was treated and released.

The incident occurred just after midnight, when the Metro Route 124 bus stopped in Tukwila at South 144th and International Blvd. to let passengers off. A group of seven or eight youths gathered at the back door but only two got off before the doors closed. At least some of the group went to the front of the bus and the driver was punched in the head several times, knocking her unconscious.

Meanwhile two suspects kicked and hit the rear door of the vehicle, breaking glass and bending the door frame. All suspects then ran off.

A Tukwila Police K-9 dog tracked the group to a house in the 13700 block of 45th Ave South. Eight people were detained. Eventually witnesses from the bus identified three people who were directly involved in the altercation. They were arrested.

All three were booked into the Youth Center, including a 15 year-old boy from Renton, for felony assault. Two males were booked for felony vandalism, ages 16 and 17, from Tukwila and Kent, respectively.

A passenger called 9-1-1 from the bus after the assault, and as two police cars came to the scene, they crashed into each other.

One way you can tell that spring is on its way is when you start seeing signs for Little League baseball registration (oh, and these 50+ degree days sure help as well) – PACWEST Little League registration begins Tuesday, Jan. 26th.

PACWEST Little League is for kids ages from age 5 to 18.

Here are the details:

The following are the dates, times, and locations for the scheduled registrations.

Please plan to attend one of the dates:

• Tues., Jan. 26th – Highline Christian Church: 6pm-8pm
• Sat., Jan. 30th – St Francis: 10:00am-2:00pm
• Sat., Feb. 6th – Tukwila Community Center: 10:00am-2:00pm
• Sat., Feb. 20th – Boulevard Presbyterian Church: 10:00am-2:00pm

If you have questions about signing up, you can call the main office at (206) 243-9229 or email PACWEST Here.

More info available at the PACWEST website here.

The Washington State Department of Transportation wants folks to be aware that all lanes of northbound I-5 at SR-599 in Tukwila will be closed tonight (Tues., Jan. 19th) beginning at 11:30pm and continuing until 4:30am Wednesday morning.

Drivers will be detoured off I-5 onto SR-599 and will return to northbound I-5 via the Boeing Access Road.

The following ramps will also be closed from 11:30pm to 4:30am:

• Eastbound SR 518 to northbound I-5
• Interurban Avenue S. to northbound I-5

The closure will allow crews to install a new sign bridge.

Here’s a map of the area:

Today marks a big day in the just over two-year life (so far) of The B-Town Blog, as we’re proud to introduce our newest section and Advertiser: Real Estate Powered by Prudential Northwest!

This means that you can now access all local real estate listings by clicking on “Real Estate” in the upper navigation menu section between Advertise and Events. We’re happy to be working with the Burien-based Prudential Northwest office, and the entire company consists of six offices throughout the Greater Seattle area.

Techie-types at both PNW and BTB have been working ’round the clock to develop the innovative new “Zero Click House Finding Engine” for real estate listings in the Burien and South Seattle areas. Users will be able to quickly and easily see all of the area’s latest home listings, view by neighborhoods, see open house maps and more just by clicking on “Real Estate” in our top navigation menu. The real estate section will also be available soon on sister sites The Waterland Blog (Des Moines),  The White Center Blog, and soon The Normandy Park Blog.

“To search on a real estate site we wanted to make it easy to use so that every level of user can find what they are looking for,” said PNW Sales Manager Bradley Hawthorne. “Just by clicking on ‘Real Estate,’ you’ll instantly have every listing in all of Burien, Normandy Park, and Des Moines without having to do anything, hence the ‘Zero Click’ technology moniker.”

Want some real proof? Just click on one of the five areas below and see for yourself:

• South Seattle
• Burien
• Des Moines
• SeaTac
• Tukwila

If you click on any of those five areas, on that page is every listing for that area – and not just Prudential Northwest Realty listings – but everything that is inputted into the Northwest Multiple Listing Services website! Within those five major pages you’ll also find several communities and if you click on a community again just the listings in those communities will be shown without you having to input any search criteria (of course PNW’s standard and advanced searches are still available for the techie searchers, so you can tailor our search site to any criteria that you personally want), but for those of us that need a little help when surfing the web, “This is the simplest sight I have ever seen!”

Hawthorne adds: “Tying into these fast-growing community websites will not only help us showcase the latest listings for these areas, it will also help us serve our communities better. We all love the Southwest King County area and we hope we can help others find out what a hidden gem it is.”

PNW has been a community player since they first set foot in Burien seven years ago. With 56 active Realtors, they outgrew their first location in Olde Burien and they’re now located at 127 SW 156th Street. Broker/Branch Manager Lori Alden-Pense has been managing PNW Burien since they moved here; she’s been with them since 1994.

“It is PNW’s mission to help build a better tomorrow by partnering with our communities today,” Lori said.

She talks the talk and walks the walk when it comes to PNW’s mission of giving back to the community.

Not only is Lori President of the Discover Burien Executive Board, you’ll find PNW sponsoring all of the events that Discover Burien brings to our community including the Farmers Market, Clean Sweep, the Father’s Day Car Show, Lunch-time Concerts (New!), Octoberfest, Winterfest and Empty Bowls.

For the past six years, PNW has held an annual food drive benefiting the Highline Area Food Bank on the first Saturday of October. They are currently hosting a three-month food bank drive at their office, and you can drop by non-perishable food items or money now through March.

Owned by long-time and well known real estate professional Mike Gain, Prudential Northwest Realty Associates has established itself as an industry leader by upholding the principles of the agent-customer relationship. Their combination of real estate expertise and responsive, flexible customer relations has allowed them to continue to grow and become one of the most influential real estate companies within the greater Puget Sound region. Constantly looking for ways to improve their company, PNW remains committed to the very highest standards of professionalism and service. More info is available at http://www.pnwrealty.com.

Prudential Northwest realty has a total of 450 real estate agents in their neighborhood offices, which, in addition to Burien includes Federal Way, Kent, West Seattle, Bellevue and Kirkland.

“We’re very excited to have Prudential Northwest Realty as our newest Advertiser,” said Scott Schaefer, B-Town Blog Founder/Publisher. “This brand new sponsored section will help inform the more than 55,000 monthly Readers of The B-Town Blog, Waterland Blog (Des Moines) and White Center Blog for the latest local news, events, arts, entertainment and now – up-to-the-minute local real estate listings.”

Be sure to stay tuned for another new related feature – “Open House Friday” on our blogs, where we’ll present the weekend’s best Open Houses throughout our coverage area, among other real estate related features.

[Would you like to have a “Blogvertorial” story, Ad and/or Event Listing like this on a popular, fast-growing website seen by nearly 50,000 interested Local Readers every month? Email us for more info, or check out our Advertise page!]

We know there are no excuses for posting this video so late, as the event took place last Sunday (Jan. 10th), but, um…we left our Flip camera in our other pants, and since we weren’t wearing any to begin with…

Actually, we hate to just throw up lame raw video, and editing takes time, and um…there’s that whole “other pants” thing again.

But first, a little interesting behind-the-scenes backstory:

Two days before the pantsless prank, we received the following email from Emerald City Improv’s Kelsey Wildstone:

First, please remember that we’re trying to be inconspicuous here.

If you’d like to film the event with a motion camera, try to find a way to disguise your camera in a box or something to make it a sort of “hidden camera”.

Use some creativity here, but the point is that we’d like to avoid people seeing you openly point a camera around.

Considering that we respect the fine art of successful pranking, and that our Publisher used to work on a hidden camera TV show (“Totally Hidden Video,” Fox), we wanted to abide by this request (unlike some local TV news stations who just showed up and shot with their huge cameras and “Reporters”). The end result was that our shooter Mark Neuman went out of his way to “disguise” our Flip camera thusly:

Okay, so here it is (finally!)…with video shot by Neuman, featuring Bart Bryan, edited by Scott Schaefer and featuring the groovy public domain hit “Midnight Special” recorded by some long-dead dude named Bill Cox in 1933, ironically during the last Great Depression when not wearing pants wasn’t a prank, it was a way of life:

Also, we were very curious to find out what the MuckyMucks at SoundTransit thought of this pantsless prank, so we sent an email to Andrew Schmid, Sound Transit Media Relations director –here’s his response:

Q: Was ST aware beforehand that this was going to happen?
A: No, we were totally caught with our… (unless you lack internet access, it was almost impossible to not know about this event).

Q: Did ST security goes pantsless?
A: No.

Q: Was security worried about this prank at all?
A: Slightly – our security is worried about everything.

Q: Did this event increase ridership? if so, by how much? (have any estimate on the # of pantsless?)
A: Yes, but the infrared technology on Link’s Automatic Passenger Counting machines is not designed to distinguish between the pant-sed and the pants challenged.

Q: Will ST tolerate future events like this?
A: So long as folks follow our code of conduct (read it here).

Q: Will ST ever sponsor future events like this?
A: No.

Q: How about creating some ST underwear for folks to wear?
A: Sorta already been done – see this.

Q: Did you, or any other ST officials, attend?
A: NO COMMENT

And in case you haven’t seen the other videos, here they are:

by Ralph Nichols

King County Executive Dow Constantine re-affirmed in a talk in SeaTac on Friday (Jan. 8th) his commitment to creating a new spirit of cooperation with other local governments.

Constantine, who took office in late November, declared, “We are going to improve our relationship … between King County and the 39 cities in King County.”

This new relationship with the cities “will be one of partnership,” he said.

Constantine added that the county also has an opportunity to work with businesses to prepare and “provide leadership for the economic recovery that is to come.”

He spoke at a membership meeting of the Southwest King County Chamber of Commerce at the Cedarbrook Lodge.

“This region is the economic engine of the state,” he continued, noting that 30 percent of Washington’s population, 40 percent of its non-farm workforce and 50 percent of its economic activity is in King County.

These are primary reasons why “King County needs to reform the way it works with business … needs to reform the way it works with the cities.”

Reforms need to include county staff doing “the leg work” to find those regulations that affect individual businesses, so owners and managers can focus on running their businesses.

“We need to find ways to incubate new local businesses,” and then work to keep them here “rather than seeing them move elsewhere,” he said.

“Permitting in King County now is daunting,” Constantine said, and the county needs to establish “one-stop shopping” for business licenses and building permits, and to work with the state to simplify business tax codes.

County government also needs to be more efficient, he said.

“I’m very hopeful about our future as a region,” Constantine continued. “It’s clear that the economy in fits and starts is starting to come around. We need to make sure that living wage jobs are available to everyone.”

He added that “visitor taxes,” which helped build Safeco Field, Qwest Field and other public facilities, “need to go to help bring more visitors to King County.”

by Theresa Frasch

I emailed the link from The B-Town blog to my friend Pam a few days ago and said, “You are the only one I know that would do this with me. Want to?” After a little cajoling and the promise of boxers, she and her daughter agreed.

We were in the first group to get on the light rail. Everybody was assigned different stops to “de-pant.” We were stop number two. There were two guys sitting in our section looking very nervous. One of them said to the other, “I don’t think I’m going to be able to do this.” I asked which stop they were and he said, “Two.” “Well, so are we – so we’ll all do it at the same time. Remember, when the doors close”

At stop number two we were prepared. Just as the doors were closing and we were preparing to de-pant we heard a lady walking toward us. She was saying, “That is highly inappropriate.” She walked through our car repeating that phrase as we were taking our pants off. Guy number two lost his nerve! He regained it at stop number three with a little help from his new found friends.

All five of us got off at the Beacon Hill stop to mix it up a little and wait for the next train. That was pretty safe – it was underground. Then we got off at Columbia City – out in the real world, but still pretty protected. The ultimate test was the Rainier Beach stop – right in the middle of the street, nowhere to hide, traffic coming from both directions.

The train was rolling to a stop. We girls said we were going to do it. The guys said they weren’t. I told them they’d regret it if they didn’t. “Next year,” they said. The doors opened. “Come on,” I said. They protested. Finally I grabbed one and just pulled him out the door with us and the other one followed. We had so much fun watching the passersby faces! When we got back on for our final destination our new friends thanked us for “making” them go with us.

Thanks to Emerald City Improv for giving us such a good laugh and a chance to have some fun.

Here’s a Photo Slideshow of Sunday’s “No Pants!” pics, taken by various Flickr Photogs:

Click to View Photo Slideshow

Here’s a video from today’s “No Pants!” Subway ride in NYC:

Read our other coverage here.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the first in a series of reports on Sunday's "No Pants! Link Light Rail Ride," where Reporter Gina Bourdage was brave (or foolish) enough to ride public transportation and drop trou. Look for more reports soon, including a first-hand video from Bart Bryan and Mark Neuman]

by Gina Bourdage

Most days being in your undies in public would be the nightmare we just woke up from.

Today is not that day.

After a frenzied Internet campaign via Facebook, the NYC group Improv Everywhere convinced people nationwide, myself included, to ride public transit today in their skivvies.

I have had that little voice in the back of my head ask me numerous times “What the heck are you thinking?!” and to be completely honest I have tried to talk myself out of participating.

In hindsight of the type of year 2009 turned out to be, most of us could use a little more light-hearted humor in 2010.

According to the Improv Everywhere website, “not taking life too seriously” is exactly the reason behind the nationwide “No Pants!” rides on buses, trains and subways all over the country today.

So relax, take a deep breath, drop trou and enjoy life…

Yep, actually getting out of the car and taking off the pants without the little voice telling me i am officially crazy was impossible. If it weren’t for the other twenty or so fellow pantsless participants I might turn and run. It is a little odd with children pointing “Hey mommy?!” but thank goodness everyone is “decent” and there’s nothing here you wouldn’t see on a beach.

After the first stop half the train is pants free. Who knew it was so easy to get people to rock their undies in public?

Oh boy this went to another level when i just saw a pantsless family.

I am impressed with the level that we, the pantsless mob, have pulled this off. Never have I seen so many strangers be so friendly with a smile and supportive silent acknowledgment that there really is something bigger going on here.

The confused and bewildered looks of the unsuspecting other riders is worth all the initial butterflies.

I encourage everyone to be a part of something that brings people together the way this has.

Here are some pics of the event (more to come so keep checking back, and if you participated and have some, please email us!):

Here are some pics sent in by Readers “xtina” and “hollywood,” who added:

“The ride was great…So much fun we got off and on at different spots … ending at Westlake and walked to Fox Sports Bar where we enjoyed a cold one in our undies… Way fun”

Read Report #2 here.

Sometimes when we hear about a comedy idea that’s as brilliant and hi-flippin-larious as this, we just have to post it and encourage all our Readers (or at least the ones with an actual sense of humor) to participate – we’re talking of course about the first annual “No Pants! Link Light Rail Ride” which is coming to our area this Sunday, Jan. 10th from Noon – 3pm.

The “No Pants!” idea comes from a group in New York City called “Improv Everywhere,” which puts on a “No Pants! Subway Ride” there every January. And now it’s coming to the northwest.

Ironically, or perhaps by design, this first annual pantsless event will also serve as a Seattle Singles Meet-Up. What better way to meet someone new than whilst riding pantsless on our new transportation service?

To participate, it’s quite simple – just show up on Sound Transit’s new Link Light Rail system between Noon and 3pm on Sunday, Jan. 10th. Have your pants on if you’re there early, then simply take them off while you’re riding, all the while keeping a straight face and acting like nothing’s different.

There’s a Facebook Page set up for the event here (thanks Julie Bradley for the link!).

Here are videos of the last two years of the “No Pants!” prank NYC that will give you a better idea of what to expect:

More details:

WHAT: Emerald City Improv invites you to participate in our first annual “No Pants Seattle! Light Rail Ride.”

WHEN: This SUNDAY, JANUARY 10th, from Noon – 3pm.

WHERE: Most participants will start in Downtown Seattle (most likely the Westlake Station), then ride Link Light Rail to SeaTac and back; we suggest that you board either at the Tukwila Station (which has parking) or the new SeaTac/Airport Station and ride roundtrip, thus boosting their original group.

COST: No fee other than a roundtrip ticket on Link Light Rail, which is $5.00; okay, the other cost may be your dignity, but it’s all in the name of senseless entertainment, which the world certainly needs more of…

INFO: From the Seattle Singles Meetup Group website:

Tell and invite your friends!! We want this to be epic!

Every January, Improv Everywhere in New York stages their annual “No Pants! Subway Ride.” Cities around the globe participate.

This year, Emerald City Improv in Seattle invites you to participate in our first annual “No Pants Seattle! Light Rail Ride.”

This event will occur SUNDAY, JANUARY 10th, from 12:00- 3:00.

REQUIREMENTS FOR PARTICIPATION:

1. Willing to take pants off on light rail
2. Able to keep a straight face about it

WHERE TO MEET:
Meet at the plaza at 4th Ave and Pine St, across from Westlake Center, at noon.

Oh, and if you do participate, please take pics (and/or video) and email us about your experience!

The City of SeaTac announced Monday (Jan. 4th) that it has purchased a 4.23 acre chunk of land with commercial structures on it at 15247 International Blvd. for $12.7 million.

According to a press release, the property, which is located directly across the street from the new Tukwila Sound Transit Link light rail station, will be used to “construct public roads, open space and infrastructure as set forth in the Capital Improvement Plan for the Light Rail Station Area at S. 154th Street.”

The transaction closed Thursday, December 31, 2009.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for the City of SeaTac,” said Mayor Ralph Shape. “The City was able to purchase a critical piece of property for future public use at $4 million less than a recent appraised value, and more than $6.4 million less than the current tax assessed value. At the same time the community will realize significant net operating income in the coming years from the current leases at the property.”

Fifteen tenants currently occupy 61,641 square feet of space at SeaTac Center, including Monte Carlo, Refugee Women’s Alliance, Pabla India Cuisine, and Pacific Highway Chiropractic.

In December 2006 the SeaTac City Council adopted the “South 154th Street Station Area Action Plan” which called for this area to be developed as a “vibrant, mixed use residential neighborhood that connects people of various backgrounds.”

The station area was envisioned to be pedestrian-oriented, visually pleasing, easily accessible, and integrated with the new light rail station across the street.

The adopted plan provided for the city to acquire property in order to build the required infrastructure such as roads and sidewalks. In May of 2009  the property went into foreclosure proceedings, and SeaTac worked through a commercial broker to ascertain the value of the land and the current tenant lease agreements.

The City of SeaTac will retain a third-party firm to manage the property.

On Saturday morning (Dec. 19th) at 10am, Sound Transit opened its Link light rail service to SeaTac with lots of ceremony, local dignitaries, curious passengers, and of course, functioning trains that now link the airport to downtown Seattle.

The first 14 miles of light rail opened from downtown Seattle to Tukwila in July. This final segment from Tukwila to SeaTac / Airport Station, built under a close partnership with the Port of Seattle, connects the airport from downtown with 13 stops serving the SeaTac, Tukwila, Rainier Valley, Beacon Hill, SODO to the final stop at Westlake.

“It’s been a heck of a journey, but we delivered on what we promised: light rail from downtown Seattle to the airport in 2009,” said Seattle Mayor and Sound Transit Board Chair Greg Nickels. “This opens an entirely new option for travelers and commuters, and represents the first steps of a truly regional network.”

Service on the 1.7-mile extension line kicked off with an inaugural ribbon cutting at the SeaTac / Airport Station before the station and trains opened for regular passenger service at 10am, and Photographer Michael Brunk was there to capture this Photo Slideshow:

Click to View Michael Brunk’s Photo Slideshow

“Opening the doors to Sound Transit’s airport line in time for the holidays is great gift to residents of the Puget Sound region,” said U.S. Sen. Patty Murray. “This new line will provide fast and easy connections to downtown Seattle and a low-cost way to get around. This is just the latest in environmentally friendly transportation that will help ensure our region’s long-term economic growth.”

Sound Transit and the Port of Seattle collaborated on the Airport Link project which included the new light rail station, pedestrian bridges connecting the station to the airport parking garage and a pick-up and drop-off area to the east serving the city of SeaTac. The Port also relocated and upgraded the Airport Expressway and the Return-to-Terminal roadway loop.

“With more than 30 million passengers through Sea-Tac every year, and 15,000 airport employees, we anticipate light rail will be a welcome “green” alternative for travel to and from the airport,” said Port of Seattle Commissioner John Creighton. “Using light rail will reduce air emissions and traffic congestion. It’s good for the airport and it’s good for our region.”

The next light rail extension is scheduled to open in 2016 with service from downtown Seattle to Capitol Hill and the University of Washington. Construction is underway on that segment while Sound Transit plans for 36 more miles of light rail extensions to Lynnwood, Bellevue, Redmond, Mercer Island and Federal Way by 2023.

Link’s normal Saturday schedule will be from 5 a.m. – 1 a.m. with regular fares required. On weekdays, the first train from the airport to downtown will depart at 5:16 a.m. and the last one to downtown will leave at 12:07 a.m. The last train to Mt. Baker Station in the Rainier Valley departs at 12:46 a.m.

More detailed schedule and fare information is here: http://www.soundtransit.org/x11204.xml.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

• PHOTOS: Scenes From Sound Transit’s Airport Station Sneak Peek Ride
• Sound Transit’s New Airport Station To Open Dec. 19th
• I Rode Link Light Rail & Lived To Write About It. Have You?
• Ride Sound Transit’s New Link Light Rail All Weekend For FREE
• First It Was The Third Runway – Now Sound Transit’s Light Link Rail Is Too Loud? Take Our Poll…
• Sound Transit Begins Intensive Testing Of Light Rail
• Tukwila Link Light Rail Station To Open July 18th
• It’s Going To Cost $2.50 To Take Link Rail Downtown

Thursday morning (Dec. 17th), Sound Transit held a “sneak peek” ride for the press on the section of the Link Light Rail between the Tukwila and Sea-Tac Airport stations (which opens this Saturday), and Photographer Michael Brunk was able to stowaway on board, where he took these pics:

Click to View Michael Brunk’s Photo Slideshow

From Sound Transit’s website:

The extension of the popular light rail service means holiday travelers will have a reliable, one-seat ride between downtown Seattle, the city of SeaTac and the airport, taking only 36 minutes. This new station provides a smooth, green travel option for the 20,000 people who work at the airport and the 30 million who travel in and out of it every year.

The SeaTac/Airport Station is connected to the fourth floor of the airport’s main parking garage. A covered, level walkway separated from the main parking area will lead passengers to the main terminal. Station amenities include boarding pass kiosks, and in the near future, a flight time information display.

The first 13.9 miles of Link opened in July with service between downtown Seattle and Tukwila. Link service runs from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Saturday and from 6 a.m. to midnight on Sundays.

SeaTac/ Airport Station opens just in time for the holidays: Sound Transit is the official transportation sponsor for The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, starring the Rockettes.

For Central Link light rail service info, visit http://www.soundtransit.org/linkschedule

Artworks at the station
The new Sea-Tac Airport Station features four art installations. “Flying Sails,” by artist Werner Klotz, spans the mezzanine and platform levels of the station. The plates feature the names of First Nation tribes from Washington state and cities from around the world that share the latitude or longitude of Seattle.

Other works include Fernanda D’Agostino’s “Celestial Navigation” at the International Blvd. plaza; Christian Moeller’s “Restless” along the International Blvd. pedestrian bridge; and an exhibit on Northwest tribal culture on the mezzanine’s north end. The interpretive exhibit by Pacific Studios showcases a cast concrete canoe, and a display explaining the history of the Native American presence in the Puget Sound region.

The annual “Canine Christmas Adoption Event” is this Sunday, Dec. 13th from Noon to 3pm at the Paws-Abilities Dog Training Center in Tukwila, where you’ll be able to meet (and adopt) many great dogs and puppies from across Washington in one location.

And what makes a better gift than a loving, living creature?

Here are the details:

WHAT: Annual Canine Christmas Adaoption Event

WHEN: Sunday, Dec. 13th from Noon – 3pm

WHERE: The Paws-Abilities Dog Training Center, which is located at 1007 Industry Drive in Tukwila. Directions here: http://everydoghas.com/Special%20Links/map_to_center.html

INFO: There will also be a Dog Food Drive:

Times are tough, especially for the shelters and rescues relying on donations. In conjunction with the adoption event, we will also be holding a pet food drive. Will you consider bringing canned or dry pet food to our event? The food will be distributed to the shelters and rescues attending our event.

Adopt a dog and light up your life this holiday season.

A variety of wonderful dogs and puppies will be available at this event. Experienced shelter staff, volunteers and professional trainers will be on hand to help you find the right dog for your family. Meet the many great puppies and dogs from 8 shelters and rescues from across the state. Now is your chance to meet them in Tukwila, which is just minutes from Seattle and the Eastside.

For a list of frequently asked questions regarding our events, please click here.

Click here to Download a Printable PDF Flyer.

A special “Tip-A-Cop” fundraiser is being held by the Tukwila Police Department this Friday night, Dec. 4th, to help raise money for the families of the Lakewood Police Officers killed last Sunday (Nov. 29th).

The fundraiser will be at the Claim Jumper Restaurant (located at 5901 S. 180th Street in Tukwila), beginning at 4pm, and all donations collected between 4-11pm will go to a trust established for the families of fallen Lakewood Police Officers Mark Renninger, Tina Griswold, Greg Richards and Ronnie Owens, who were all shot and killed at a coffee shop in Lakewood this past Sunday.

As we reported on Nov. 29th, Officer Renninger served eight years on the Tukwila Police Department, and was most recently a member of the Lakewood P.D. and S.W.A.T. team. He is survived by his wife and three children.

“Tip-A-Cop” is a great, fun fundraiser, where, for a small donation, you can pay to have a friend or family member “arrested” and taken out of the restaurant by uniformed cops. It’s all in fun, for a great cause, and from our own previous experience it provides a lot of laughs as well as a great way to meet and learn about local law enforcement.

Other participants will include Valley SWAT, Tukwila Fire Department and Les Schwab.

Sunday morning (Nov. 29th) four Lakewood Police Officers were shot and killed in a coffee shop when a suspect suddenly opened fire, and one of the victims, Sgt. Mark Renninger, served eight years with the Tukwila Police Department.

Here’s the most recent report:

Sergeant Mark Renninger, Officer Tina Griswold, Officer Greg Richards, and Officer Ronald Owen were shot and killed at a coffee shop in the Lakewood area.

A man entered a coffee shop where the four officers were working on their laptop computers. He stood in line and when he reached the counter he pulled a gun out of his coat and turned and started firing at the four officers. Two officers were hit before they could react, one officer was shot as he attempted to struggle with the gunman, and another officer fired toward the gunman as he fled, and may have hit him. Two employees and other customers were inside the coffee shop, but were not shot or injured. All four officers died at the scene.

Renninger was born and raised in Bethlehem, PA, and served in the military. He was one of six siblings, served with the Tukwila P.D., and was most recently a member of the Lakewood Police and S.W.A.T. team. He is survived by his wife and three children.

Along with Sgt. Renninger, others slain include Officer Tina Griswold, Officer Greg Richards, and Officer Ronald Owen.

Griswold is survived by her husband and two children, Richards by his wife and three children, and Owen by his daughter.

On Sunday, numerous Facebook pages were created in the officers’ honors, including:

• A Facebook page was created in memory of Renninger
• A Facebook page for the four slain officers
• Another Facebook group created for all officers

The suspect has been identified as Maurice Clemmons, 37, of Tacoma. He apparently has a long criminal record with evidence of violence, erratic behavior as well as potential mental health issues.

We here at The B-Town Blog (along with all our sister sites) send our condolences to all the families and friends, and hope that justice is served for this heinous crime.

by Ralph Nichols

When the United States eventually returns to space after the shuttle program is retired next year, “we can go back to the moon and on to other planets,” Apollo 8 astronaut William A. Anders said at the Museum of Flight in Tukwila recently.

Anders, a retired major general in the US Air Force Reserve, was keynote speaker at a private luncheon hosted by the museum and the Seattle Symphony honoring the Apollo missions. It was held on the 40th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 12 – the second mission to land men on the moon.

In remarks given between symphonic works at the concert, Anders, the lunar module pilot on the Apollo 8 mission – the first manned lunar orbit mission, recalled that President Kennedy, determined “to demonstrate that America was not second rate … and would not lose the missile gap,” would land a man on the moon by the end of the 1960s.

“And that was done,” added Anders, whose reflection on the Apollo 8 mission, “We came all this way to explore the moon, and the most important thing is that we discovered the Earth,” has become a famous quote.

Even more famous are his pictures, the first taken of the earth from the moon, including “Earthrise,” which he took on Christmas Eve, 1968:

“The space program today,” he said at the Museum of Flight, “has had some spectacular flights … and spectacular successes with the space shuttle. But the shuttle will be grounded next year.”

Now NASA is working on new space vehicles, and with the vision of companies like Boeing and leaders like Bill Allen, the long-time CEO of the aerospace giant, the United States “will go back into space.”

The Washington State Patrol is looking for witnesses to Wednesday morning’s fatal multiple car accident on I-5 in the southbound lanes of I-5 in Tukwila near SR-518.

The fatality was a 43-year old Seattleite who was driving a Toyota Land Cruiser without a seatbelt. A passenger in a Toyota Camry was treated for minor injuries at the scene, while others involved were not injured.

Most of southbound I-5 was closed during the morning rush hour while police and detectives investigated the scene.

If you saw the accident, you are urged to call 425-401-7719 as soon as possible.

Burien native and King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg announced Thursday (Nov. 12th) that Christopher John Monfort, 41, will face charges of aggravated first-degree murder charges for the killing of Seattle Police Officer Timothy Brenton, along with three counts of attempted first-degree murder for allegedly trying to kill his partner, aiming a gun at police, as well as first-degree arson charges for trying to kill officers by firebombing police vehicles at a city maintenance yard.

Along with that litany of charges, it’s also probable that Satterberg will pursue the death penalty for Monfort, as aggravated first-degree murder of a police officer is punishable by one of two sentences in Washington — life in prison without parole or the death penalty.

As we previously reported, Monfort was shot last Friday (Nov. 6th) outside his Tukwila apartment after being approached by police about his car, which matched a vehicle seen near the scene of Brenton’s death on Halloween night.

After aiming a malfunctioning handgun at police, Monfort was shot on the scene and is still in custody at Harborview Medical Center. It was also revealed by his family today that he is paralyzed from the waist down as a result of the shooting.

According to Seattle Police documents, Monfort’s apartment had a cache of weapons, including bomb-making materials. He is also believed to have “worked alone” in the fatal shooting of Officer Brenton, and has been called a “lone terrorist” in this case. Detectives have recovered DNA evidence from both the arson scene at the city maintenance facility and the scene of Officer Brenton’s murder directly tying him to both incidents.

Detectives also recovered a .223 caliber rifle from Monfort’s apartment, and a ballistics test identified it as the firearm used in Officer Brenton’s murder.

Also recovered from Monfort’s apartment was a considerable amount of bomb-making material and evidence that indicates that the type of explosive devices Monfort was in the process of making or had made were even more lethal than the ones used in the Oct. 22nd arson.

According to police, “he clearly was intending to inflict even more destruction in his next criminal attack.”

Further examination of the explosive devices used in the arson and of the devices found in his apartment indicate that Monfort was also intending to harm first responders to the scene, such as police and fire department personnel.

Monfort once attended Highline Community College in Des Moines, where he became involved in student government and was elected vice president of legislation.

The Oct. 23, 2003, edition of HCC’s student newspaper The Thunderword describes how Monfort ran for student senate and spoke at a candidates’ forum, where he was quoted as saying:

“Too often, too many of us walk around with our head in the clouds.”

According to the article, Monfort:

“…believes he is unique, because he is upset about our current state of government and actually wants to do something about it. … The student body has been cheated and lied to by the Bush Administration,” said Monfort. He plans on putting together a petition to bring our soldiers home.”

Monfort was also quoted as saying: “Our freedom is under attack.“

Lots of interesting news this last week in the Burien area, from Day of the Dead to Election Day to the Day of a Massive Police Response in Tukwila and more.

Here are the stories we covered between Nov. 1 and Nov. 8, 2009:

UPDATE Sat. 11/7/09: The Seattle Police Department released more information Saturday about Christopher J. Monfort, the suspect shot Friday in Tukwila after being approached about his car, a Datsun B-210 that matched a vehicle seen near the scene of Officer Timothy Brenton’s death on Halloween.

He was shot on the scene and is currently in serious condition and in custody at Harborview Medical Center.

According to the latest reports, Monfort’s apartment had a cache of weapons, including bomb-making materials. He is now believed to have “worked alone” in the fatal shooting of Officer Brenton, and is also a suspect in the Oct. 22 firebombing of seven Seattle police vehicles.

Monfort once attended Highline Community College in Des Moines.

Here’s the release:

On the afternoon of November 6^th , 2009, Seattle Police Homicide detectives received a tip about a Datsun 210 matching the description of a possible suspect vehicle used in the slaying of Officer Tim Brenton. Detectives responded to a parking lot in the 13700 block of 56^th Avenue South in Tukwila. While detectives were investigating the scene further an adult male suspect emerged and pointed a gun at them. Detectives fired on the suspect in self defense, striking him at least once. The suspect was taken into custody and transported to Harborview Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. No detectives were injured.

The Tukwila Police Department is handling the crime scene investigation and the King County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit is conducting the officer-involved shooting investigation.

SPD detectives obtained search warrants to further examine the crime scene. Evidence located inside the suspect’s apartment included improvised explosive devices (IEDs), a rifle, and various other items of evidence.  Detectives now believe that this individual is responsible for both the murder of Officer Brenton,  the attempted murder of Officer Sweeney, and the arson attack on October 22^nd at the Charles Street facility. Detectives are asking the Prosecutor’s Office for formal charges. The Datsun that detectives were looking for is registered to the suspect.  Our investigation into the murder of Officer Tim Brenton and attempted murder of Officer Britt Sweeney continues and we are still receiving and following up on tips.  We have received numerous tips from the public and we encourage everyone to continue to call us with any information they may have regarding this investigation.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to call either 911 , or the tipline at (206) 233-5000.  Those wishing to remain annonymous are encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or send a text to CRIMES (274637).  Your text message should include “TIP486″  to ensure proper routing.  Calls are taken 24 hours a day.

PREVIOUSLY: Friday afternoon (Nov. 6th), shortly after Seattle Police Officer Timothy Brenton’s memorial concluded, a suspect named Christopher J. Monfort was shot outside his apartment building in Tukwila, prompting a massive outpouring of police to the area.

Police were apparently serving a search warrant on Monfort, 41, when he pulled out a weapon. He was shot on the scene and is currently under custody at Harborview Medical Center.

Monfort apparently attended Highline Community College in Des Moines, where he ran for student office in 2003.

According to HCC’s “Thunderword” student newspaper dated Nov. 20, 2003 (PDF link to issue), Monfort’s platform was:

“Christopher Monfort said he’s running to make the student body more aware of the civil liberties lost under the Patriot Act and the current political administration (Bush).

Monfort said students should vote for him because he actually cares about the world and wants to make a positive change.”

Monfort also studied law enforcement issues at the University of Washington.

Seattle Police Officer Timothy Brenton was shot and killed as he sat in his patrol car with an officer-trainee after a traffic stop on Capitol Hill on Oct. 31. Thousands of officers from around the country attended a memorial Friday afternoon for him at KeyArena in Seattle.

Community Schools Collaboration is holding its first annual fundraising breakfast on Thursday, Nov 5th beginning at 7:30am, at the SeaTac Gateway Radisson.

Community Schools Collaboration (CSC), formerly Tukwila Community Schools Collaboration, was established in 1998. It is a non-profit organization created to develop and strengthen full service community schools in the Tukwila and Highline School Districts. The organization’s mission is to “ensure that all students and families have access to resources, opportunities and essential services by engaging and collaborating with schools and community partners using  culturally competent strategies.” CSC’s unique full service community schools model provides supports and opportunities to young people and  their families through out-of-school time programming, health services and community outreach. CSC provides before and after school educational support (including tutoring), health and fitness programs and free immunizations and physicals, family literacy and job training programs, referrals to social services and case management, and community liaisons who work with immigrant and refugee families.

Here are the event details:

WHAT: Community Schools Collaboration’s first annual fundraising breakfast

WHEN: Thursday, Nov. 5th starting at 7:30am

WHERE: SeaTac Gateway Radisson, located at 18118 International Blvd.

COST: $25 per person; RSVP to Phyllis Byers at 206.244.0110 or via email to Phyllis@cscwa.org. You can also buy tickets at the door, or buy them through the mail – please make checks payable to CSC and mail to:

CSC
16256 Military Rd. S, Suite 102
SeaTac, WA  98188

INFO: From their press release:

Are you interested in the quality of our schools?  You should be!  Well, have I got news for you…

Community Schools Collaboration is having its big first annual fundraising breakfast on Thursday, Nov 5, 7:30 a.m., at SeaTac Radisson.  Read about this program and how to participate.

We’ve all heard the statistics. The kids who thrive, the kids who make a difference, the kids who have the start they need in life – you know what they usually share?  Strong Families. Strong Communities. They have strong shoulders to stand on as they reach for their futures.

That is where the Community Schools Collaboration comes in.  We provide that support for kids in Tukwila, SeaTac, White Center, Burien and surrounding areas; giving them the enrichment opportunities that we all know make a difference outside of school.

How do we do it? Community Schools Collaboration (CSC), formerly Tukwila Community Schools Collaboration, established in 1998, is a non-profit organization created to develop and strengthen full service community schools in the Tukwila and Highline School Districts. The organization’s mission is to “ensure that all students and families have access to resources, opportunities and essential services by engaging and collaborating with schools and community partners using  culturally competent strategies.” CSC’s unique full service community schools model provides supports and opportunities to young people and  their families through out-of-school time programming, health services and community outreach. CSC provides before and after school educational support (including tutoring), health and fitness programs and free immunizations and physicals, family literacy and job training programs, referrals to social services and case management, and community liaisons who work with immigrant and refugee families.

As part of our fundraising efforts this year, we are holding our first ever Community Schools Collaboration Breakfast on November 5, 2009, 7:30 am, at the Gateway Radisson. Your generous support will make a difference in the lives of children who rely on the Community Schools Collaboration services.

Now is your chance to become part of and help our wonderful organization. If you would like to attend, contact Phyllis Byers at 206.244.0110 or email Phyllis@cscwa.org.  Attendance is just $25! Please make checks payable to CSC and mail to:  CSC, 16256 Military Rd. S, Suite 102, SeaTac, WA  98188 or pay at the door. (Note: attendance is only payable through check. We are not able to use credit cards for this rsvp.)

If you have already been invited, please be sure to rsvp as soon as you can.The success of this event hinges largely on our supporters, who lend their names and financial support to the event. The money we raise at this event goes directly to programs that ensure that students and families in our community have the resources and opportunities they need to survive and thrive.  All of our programs serve low-income families and are provided free of charge.  We know you get many requests for your time and money. Trust me when I tell you that this is a worthwhile investment of both of those things. We make a difference in the lives of kids every day. I hope you can support us, as a sponsor or with your attendance.

If you would like any more information on Community Schools Collaboration, please visit www.cscwa.org.

OMG! On Thursday, Nov. 12th, some cast members from “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” will be appearing at Tukwila’s Westfield Southcenter Mall!

And get this kids – not only can you meet and listen to “some” of the cast members, but there will also be a live performance from one of the bands on the soundtrack. Any guesses as to which one? Perhaps one from this area?

OMFG!!!

To get in though, you’re going to have to spend $75 at Nordstrom this Saturday, Oct. 31st beginning at 8am; this will entitle you to a “VIP pass” (just 75 are available on a first-come, first-serve basis).

Also, don’t expect the big stars to be there, since they’ll apparently be otherwise occupied.

WTF??? BUT OMFG!!!

Nordstrom is currently selling a special line of clothing based entirely on The Twilight Saga, so ‘rents, it’s time get the plastic out for the kids. Once the $75 is spent, your TwiFan will be given access to return to Southcenter on Nov. 12th to meet the cast and participate in the event.

According to Entertainment Tonight:

Fans can acquire limited-amount V.I.P. credentials on a first come, first-served basis at 8 a.m. this Saturday, October 31 at Hot Topic and select Nordstrom stores, given to those who make qualified purchases. They will be given access to return and meet select cast members at that same mall on the assigned scheduled date and time.

V.I.P. credentials are non-transferable.

by Mark Neuman

Tomorrow (Saturday, Oct. 3rd) is your chance to attend a panel discussion with the first pilot of the Boeing 747, Brien Wygle, and the plane’s chief engineer, Joseph Sutter.

Sutter has been called “the father of the 747.”

The panel discussion, which starts at 2pm, will be in the William M. Allen Theater and is free with paid admission to the Museum.

A limited number of randomly chosen audience members will have the rare opportunity to tour the Museum’s 747 prototype – usually closed to the public – after the program.

This aircraft was the first 747 ever built – registration number 001. It first flew on February 9, 1969 over western Washington.

The growing worldwide demand for air travel during the 1960s led to the development of the 747, the first “Jumbo Jet.”

Merely recalling the early days of the 747 program “brings sweat to the palms of my hands,” Boeing’s then-president, William Allen, said years after the giant aircraft had been developed.

Aircraft Details of the first 747:

• Manufacturer: The Boeing Company
• Model: 747-121
• Year: 1969
• Power Plant: Four Pratt & Whitney JT9D, 43,500 lbs. thrust each
• Registration: N747001
• Serial Number: 20235
• Length: 231ft
• Height: 63ft
• Span: 196ft
• Wing Area: 5,500ft
• Empty Weight: 370,816lbs
• Gross Weight: 735,000lbs
• Cruise Speed: 640mph
• Range: 6,000 miles

The Museum of Flight is located at 9404 E. Marginal Way S., Seattle; Exit #158 off I-5 (on Boeing Field between downtown Seattle and SeaTac Airport).

The Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $14 for adults, $13 for seniors 65 and older, $10 for active military, $7.50 for youth 5 to 17, and free for children under 5.

For general Museum information, please call 206-764-5720, or visit www.museumofflight.org.

(Photos courtesy The Museum of Flight. All rights reserved.)

The Southwest King County Chamber of Commerce (of which we’re proud members) is holding its 20th Anniversary Gala Party on Saturday, Oct. 17th at the Seattle Airport Marriott.

The evening will include dinner, a silent auction, music by members of the Northwest Symphony Orchestra, dancing, and a program highlighting the Chamber’s 20 years of service. The Chamber will honor loyal and dedicated members who have been part of the Chamber since its inception.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Southwest King County Chamber of Commerce 20th Anniversary Gala

WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 17th beginning at 6pm

WHERE: Seattle Airport Marriott, located at 3201 South 170th Street in SeaTac.

INFO: Reception and Silent Auction begins at 6pm and Dinner and the Program at 7pm, followed by dancing.

The Southwest King County Chamber of Commerce will celebrate 20 years of serving the business community on Saturday, October 17, 2009 at the Seattle Airport Marriott. 

Since 1989, the mission of the Southwest King County Chamber has been to be a leader in the business communities it serves – Burien, SeaTac, Tukwila and Des Moines. The Chamber provides business advocacy, outreach and networking opportunities.

Cost is $75 per person or $600 for a table of eight. Gala/festive attire. At this time Baker Commodities is a Platinum Sponsor. The Chamber is seeking auction items and sponsors of various levels for this event.

REGISTRATION: Register online here.

SPONSORSHIP: You can sponsor this great event and get some excellent, targeted publicity – just download this PDF here.

PROCUREMENT: The Chamber is still seeking items to put up for bid – you can donate by completing an for auction procurement form here (PDF).

COST: $75 per person or $600 for a table of 8

RSVP: For more information, contact the Chamber at (206) 575-1633 or email staff@swkcc.org.

This Saturday, Sept. 26th, dozens of Washington State Truckers will drive their big rigs in a huge convoy while local law enforcement will escort them from the Tacoma Dome to the Insurance Auto Auctions in Tukwila.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Washington State Truckers will drive their rigs in the convoy while local law enforcement will escort them from the Tacoma Dome to the Insurance Auto Auctions in Tukwila.

WHERE: The Convoy route will begin at Exit #132, in Parking Lot G of the Tacoma Dome, then depart at 9am towards Tukwila.

WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 26th:

• 8:00 AM – Registration and Truck Staging at Tacoma Dome’s Parking Lot G
• 9:00 AM – Departure towards Tukwila
• 11:00 AM – Arrival at Insurance Auto Auctions, located at 8801 E Marginal Way S., in Tukwila
• 12:00 PM – Lunch
• 1:00 PM – Truck Show & Shine

BBQ Lunch includes: Awards, entertainment, raffle prizes and more!

HELP: Companies can become official sponsors of the Truck Convoy; Trucking companies and truckers can register at: www.sowa.org. $100 to enter one truck (includes lunch & goody bag). Participants are encouraged to collect pledges and donations.

WHY: Special Olympics Washington athletes train in various sports throughout the year. Their participation is free, so law enforcement and truckers are helping to continue to help provide these sports opportunities to the athletes. Over 6,700 Special Olympics Washington athletes benefit locally.

INFO: On Sept. 26th join the compassionate army of truck drivers across the nation as law enforcement escorts the World’s Largest Truck Convoy to raise awareness and funds for Special Olympics! Truckers will meet at the Tacoma Dome and are escorted by law enforcement in a convoy to the Insurance Auto Auctions in Tukwila for a celebration party. Truckers will be welcomed by Special Olympics athletes and families, community organizations and law enforcement agencies. Enjoy music, activities and awards. Lunch will be provided for each driver.

WLTC Facts:

• 200 trucks participated in Washington and over $25,000 was raised locally in 2008
• Over 2,000 trucks participate nationally and $643,000 raised nationally in 2008
• 26 U.S. states and 4 Canadian provinces participate in the WLTC

REGISTRATION: Phone: (800) 752-7559, ext. 218, or Email: mdo@sowa.org. More info at: www.sowa.org

Courtesy B-Town Blog Contributor Duane Hobbs (of Andrews/Hobbs Design Company) comes this weekend’s handy-dandy interactive map of area garage and yard sales, from Des Moines to West Seattle, from Friday Sept. 4th through Sunday, Sept. 6th (since Monday is a holiday some may be going on then as well).

To utilize the map, simply click on any of the yellow push-pin styled icons, and a listing of that specific sale will pop up (HINT: if you feel like you’re “stuck” on one listing, just click on another icon):

View Area Sales (9/4-6) in a larger map

Last Saturday (Aug. 22nd) there was an actual “Forklift Rodeo” held at Boeing Field, and Photographer Michael Brunk was there to capture both visual and audio elements, which he has built into the following “SoundSlideshow”:

Click to Play Michael Brunk’s SoundSlideshow

In the Forklift Rodeo, drivers were required to use expert forklift operating skills to negotiate a driving course that included various tasks and hazards. Contestants were evaluated on the “safe, efficient, skillful and proper completion of the course using accepted forklift operation standards.”

The top five individual competitors from this competition will advance to the final competition to be held at the 2009 Governor’s Industrial Safety and Health Conference.

The Forklift Rodeo was presented by The Material Handling Panel of the Governor’s Industrial Safety & Health Advisory Board and the Department of Labor & Industries.

Courtesy B-Town Blog Reader Duane Hobbs (of Andrews/Hobbs Design Company, 206-248-8410) comes this weekend’s interactive map of area garage and yard sales, as culled from Craigslist and other online listings.

To utilize the map, simply click on any of the yellow push-pin styled icons, and a listing of that specific sale will pop up (HINT: if you feel like you’re “stuck” on one listing, just click on another icon):

View Burien Area Sales (8/22-23) in a larger map

Tukwila company American Electronics Recycling Corporation is holding a FREE “E-Cycling” event this weekend (Aug. 7th, 8th, and 9th from 9am – 3:30pm) as part of the state’s “E-Cycle” law that allows for convenient and environmentally-responsible recycling of computers, monitors, laptops and televisions.

Drop-offs are being accepted at American Electronics Recycling Corporation offices, located at 18435 Olympic Ave. South in the South Center South Industrial Park in Tukwila (see map below). There will be signs directing traffic off of West Valley Highway.

Here are the details:

WHAT: FREE e-cycling event

WHEN: Friday, Aug. 7th, Saturday, Aug. 8th and Sunday, Aug. 9th, from 9am-3:30pm

WHERE: American Electronics Recycling Corporation offices, located at 18435 Olympic Ave. South in the South Center South Industrial Park in Tukwila (see map below)

INFO: They will be collecting a long list of electronic items, including all TVs, Laptops, PCs, and Monitors for free. AER is registered with the WA State Dept. of Ecology, as part of the E-Cycle WA program. More info on our company, and a list of the items they will be accepting can be found at http://www.aercorprecycler.com.

Here’s more info from the State of Washington E-Cycle website:

Who can use the program?
Households, small businesses, schools & school districts, small governments, special purpose districts, and charities can recycle electronic products free of charge in this program.

What can I recycle for free?

• Televisions
• Computers
• Computer monitors
• Portable or laptop computers

Please note that computer peripherals such as keyboards, mice, and printers are not included in this program.

Why recycle electronics?
Many electronics, especially TVs and computers, contain toxic materials such as lead, cadmium and mercury. Reusing and recycling electronics keeps these toxic materials out of our landfills and incinerators and also recovers valuable resources. The electronic equipment this program collects will be taken apart and separated into materials such as glass, plastic, metal and toxic chemicals. All recycling will follow performance standards set up by the Department of Ecology.

To find other drop-off points near you, visit this website.

View Larger Map

Sound Transit’s Link Light Rail opens for passenger service between Tukwila and downtown Seattle this Saturday, July 18th, with FREE rides all weekend before moving to regular paid service on Monday.

Here’s what riders can expect during opening weekend:

• Sat. 7/18 at 8:20am: Inaugural ribbon cutting at Mt. Baker Station. Immediately prior to the ceremony, news media will join the mayors of Seattle and Tukwila on the station platform as their trains arrive carrying representatives from their respective cities.
• After the ceremony: ticket-holders for the two inaugural trains (one northbound and one southbound) will move to the platform and board the trains. The majority of inaugural ride ticket holders are members of the public who received tickets through radio giveaways and other promotions.

SCHEDULES & SERVICES:

• The free opening weekend light rail service will operate with special hours:
  • Saturday – 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
  • Sunday – 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• Trains will depart each station about every 7-1/2 minutes throughout the day. Sound Transit has made provisions for a high volume of riders on the opening weekend; lines are expected. The number of riders picked up at each station will be limited to a predetermined number to preserve capacity for passengers to board at other stations. Each launch weekend train will carry about 350 riders, including standees.
• All riders must deboard upon reaching one of the line’s termini (Westlake for northbound trains and Tukwila for southbound trains). Upon reaching a terminus, riders can wait in line again to return via light rail, or choose the potentially quicker option of bypassing the light rail line and returning via free shuttle buses. Special shuttle buses will run along the route opening weekend and stop at every station. All rides are ADA accessible.

WHAT SERVICES WILL BE AT STATIONS:

• Each station will feature a welcome portal staffed by Sound Transit to provide information about wait times and answer questions about opening weekend and regular service.
• Portable restrooms will be provided at each station, along with family-friendly acoustic entertainment at all stations. Food and beverages will be available for purchase from nearby local restaurants and stores. There will be a food vendor at Tukwila International Boulevard Station.

PLEASE NOTE: Free connector buses from Tukwila to Sea-Tac International Airport will be available from July 20 through the opening of direct light rail service to the airport in December 2009. However, the connector buses will not be in service on the opening weekend.

EXPECT CROWDS

• While Sound Transit is not making a specific prediction for the number of riders on the opening weekend, provisions are in place to manage a significant turnout. In addition to the start of Link service on July 18, about 60,000 fans expected to attend a noon Sounders FC soccer match at Qwest Field. The Bite of Seattle at the Seattle Center will also draw about 450,000 people over the weekend.

GETTING TO STATIONS:

• There is no parking at Link stations in Seattle, and parking at Tukwila will be extremely limited. Riders are encouraged to bus, walk or ride their bicycle to a station. Bicyclists are encouraged to leave their bikes at special staffed “bike corrals” that will be available on opening weekend. For a list of transit centers and bus routes that can connect you with downtown Seattle on July 18 and 19, visit http://www.soundtransit.org/Projects-and-Plans/Project-Updates/Traveling-Downtown-July18-19.xml. For more information about all Sound Transit services and help planning your entire trip, visit www.soundtransit.org.

MORE INFORMATION

• For detailed maps and much more information on opening weekend and regular service see: www.soundtransit.org/linklaunch.

SOUND TWEETSIT:

• For up-to-the-second information during opening weekend events follow Sound Transit on Twitter at @ST_TravelLight (link here). We’ll tweet all day about which stations have the shortest lines, what’s happening at the stations and behind-the-scenes updates.
• Twitter updates will also be posted at www.soundtransit.org/linklaunch.

Far as we know, it’s the only wacky bowling party based on a Coen Brothers movie – the annual Lebowski Fest returns to the area on Monday July 20th & Tuesday July 21st!

The Fest kicks off with the Movie Party at Seattle’s Fremont Outdoor Cinema with a performance by Har Mar Superstar, Jeff Dowd and white russian flavored popcorn on Monday, July 20th.

Here are the details:

WHAT: The annual Lebowski Fest

WHEN: Monday, July 20th and Tuesday, July 21st:

MONDAY, JULY 20th: Lebowski Fest Seattle Movie Party – Featuring Har Mar Superstar and Jeff “The Dude” Dowd. Followed by a screening of the movie. All Ages. Doors at 6pm, show at 7:30. @ Fremont Outdoor Cinema – 3501 Phinney Ave. North, 98103. $20

TUESDAY, JULY 21st: Lebowski Fest Seattle Bowling Party – Bowling, costume, trivia and other contests. Appearance by Jeff “The Dude” Dowd. Ticket includes bowling* and shoe rental. Ages 21 and up. 7pm @ ACME Bowl – 100 Andover Park W, 98188. $25 Advance / $30 Day of

WHERE: Mon. 7/20 at Fremont Outdoor Cinema and Tues. 7/21 at ACME Bowl in Tukwila (located at 100 Andover Park West).

TICKETS: Tickets are on sale here, and the last Lebowski Fest sold out in advance so considered yourself warned, dude.

INFO: “Come down Tuesday July 21st and check out the one and only Lebowski Fest at ACME Bowling, Billiards, and Events. Please note that ACME Bowl will be closed to the public during this event. Sorry for any inconvenience.”

Jeff Dowd, the inspiration for The Dude, will appear in Seattle! Ever heard of the Seattle Seven? That was Jeff Dowd (and six other guys). The Dude will help the roadies on the Speed of Sound tour kick off the West Coast leg.

*Bowling is general admission and not guaranteed. Bowling shoes not required with any non-dark soled shoe.

To whet your appetite for this unusual fest, here’s a trailer for the Coen Brothers movie (to see more clips, click here, but be warned that several use what one might call “adult language”):