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The Southcenter Rotary will be holding its 3rd annual Mardi Gras Auction this Saturday night, Feb. 11th at the Southcenter Doubletree Hotel.

Tickets are $60 per person.

“Give back to the community,” reads a poster. “Donate an item for the auction!”

To donate, or for more info, email scrotaryclub@gmail.com.

The state Department of Ecology, Washington State Patrol and Tukwila Fire Department responded to the incident.

The trucking company has hired a private cleanup contractor to remove the truck from the river.

Here’s the DOT’s traffic webcam of the scene (refresh the page to see the most recent image):

FACEBOOK HEADLINE CONTEST UPDATE:

We don’t mean to make light of this accident, and we hope that no humans were hurt in it (the fish, since they were already dead and frozen, don’t really matter…), but this is one of those stories that just called out for a funny headline.

So we held a contest on our Facebook Page.

Below are our top three choices for best headline rewrites (go ahead and add yours in Comments below) – thanks everyone!:

Fish Hijack Truck and Return to River!
– Cyndi Upthegrove

River awash with frozen fish after trailer gets schooled and takes a plunge.
– Lisa Bosques

The weather has been so cold lately that frozen fish from an overturned trailer felt right at home in the Duwamish!
– Ian Hamilton

Wilbur Chinn was born March 22, 1924 in Portland, OR and died on Nov. 22, 2011 at his home in Seattle, surrounded by his family.

He attended Broadway High School in Seattle, graduating in 1942. He married the love of his life, Sarah Jean Alkana, in 1948.

He attended Central Washington State College and became a high school teacher.

He taught school in Portland, OR for five years before enrolling in osteopathic school.

He graduated from Des Moines Osteopathic School of Medicine and Surgery in 1958 and worked in solo medical practice from 1959 until he retired in 2009.

Dr. Chinn always lived by the golden rule. He always treated people the way he himself wished to be treated. This was especially true in his medical practice, where he treated his patients the way he would wish to be treated if he were a patient.

Dr. Chinn was a very gentle soul and very kind. As much as he loved to eat fish, it was difficult for him to kill the fish that he caught and he always apologized to them before administering a sharp rap with the fish club.

Dad always looked forward to his trips to Las Vegas. He loved the shows, showgirls and the craps tables.

Dad had a great sense of humor and a large repertoire of jokes. He was always the life of the party, and will be greatly missed, not only by his family, but by his patients as well.

Dr. Chinn truly cared for his patients and was very proud of the fact that he delivered several generations of babies in some families. He kept pictures on his office walls of every baby he delivered, adding new pictures as the babies grew into young adults. One of his greatest joys was having a reunion dinner with all of the babies that he delivered.

Many of his patients were surprised to find out that he was quite the basketball player in high school and in the Seattle All Chinese League.

Dr. Chinn’s family is very grateful for the wonderful support and help that they received from both Hospice and their many friends during Wilbur’s final days.

Dr. Wilbur Chinn is survived by his wife of 63 ¾ years, Sarah Jean, son Lauren Lee Chinn, DC (Pamela Anne Chinn, RN) and the apple of his eye, his granddaughter, Margeaux Anne Chinn, a fourth year nursing student.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: We are experimenting with publishing Obituaries for local residents as a community service. If you have one, please email as editor@b-townblog.com for consideration.]

Troopers say that Katerina M. Valavala, 20, of Des Moines, died in the one-vehicle crash around 9:15 p.m. Saturday night on I-5 just north of SR-518.

Read the rest of the story here.

The event will be held from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 6 at the DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Seattle Airport Southcenter (16500 Southcenter Parkway, Tukwila). Chamber members are $10 in advance or $15 at the door. Guests are $15 in advance or $20 at the door. Free parking.

You can register by contacting Brenna Arnesen at the Southwest King County Chamber of Commerce: (206) 575-1633 or email barnesen@swkcc.org. Or register online, click here.

Attendees will be able to mix and mingle with other young professionals in a festive, jovial holiday atmosphere, while raising money to give to Toys for Tots. Several of the Toys for Tots Marines will be present at the event, accepting donations. South Side Young Professionals (SSYP) events are great opportunities for young professionals to make business contacts and begin to develop lifelong friendships and work relationships. Admission will include complimentary spirits and hors d’oeuvres, dessert and candy bar, holiday drink specials, and door and raffle prizes. Each guest to bring one unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots will receive two free raffle tickets.

The South Side Young Professionals group, or SSYP, was founded in 2011 as an open networking group of the Southwest King County Chamber of Commerce. The group is targeted to young business professionals, from age 21 to early forties. SSYP seeks to promote the region through social networking events held in the Southwest King County area and support local non-profits. There is no fee to join SSYP; however, members of the Southwest King County Chamber of Commerce have discounted admission rates to SSYP events. The mission of the South Side Young Professionals is to connect and build relationships with other young professionals in an unstructured, festive atmosphere, while creating a positive influence in Southwest King County.

Here are more details:

WHAT: Fun networking with other young professionals at an upscale entertainment venue with tasty food and drinks

WHY: The mission of the South Side Young Professionals is to connect and build relationships with other young professionals in an unstructured, festive atmosphere, while creating a positive influence in Southwest King County.

PERKS:

• Delectably delicious hors d’oeuvres and 2 drinks per person
• A mystifying magician will wow and amaze guests!
• Chances to win great raffle and door prize giveaways
• Photo Booth to create fun memories
• Opportunity to give generously to our Toys for Tots campaign

For other questions or to promote your company with a donation of a door prize for one of our exclusive events, please feel free to contact Brenna Arnesen or Kate Hudson.

On the agenda will be a briefing on the Four Post Plan (how the FAA funnels traffic at Sea-Tac Airport) and an update on the Greener Skies Initiative, a FAA project focusing on aircraft using satellite-based technology to reduce track miles and descend more efficiently.

The public is invited to make comments at the start of the meeting.

The Highline Forum includes the southwest King County communities of Des Moines, Burien, Normandy Park, SeaTac, Tukwila and Federal Way, as well as the Highline School District and Port of Seattle.

Tukwila’s Southcenter Parkway and Klickitat Drive have reopened, making access to that part of the city much better, just in time for shopping season.

BUT…as this Reporter experienced first-hand, there have been some changes that Drivers should be aware of:

• When turning right (heading south) from the very right lane from Klickitat Drive onto Southcenter Parkway, you will be funneled straight ahead. You cannot turn left onto Strander Blvd. as you could prior to the construction.
• This “funneling” may confuse and upset some Drivers trying to get to the mall. This Reporter ended up turning left into the parking lot of Outback Steakhouse, then heading north and turning east on Strander.
• Many Drivers have been seen performing u-turns in this area to access Strander Blvd. and the mall.
• If you want to get to the mall, stay in the middle lane of Klickitat and turn right, or turn left and head towards Nordstrom!

UPDATE: Apologies to everyone – this appears to have been driver error – as many Commenters have noted, to turn left onto Strander from the Klickitat interchange, stay in the middle/left lane. However, it is still confusing if you’re used to the “old way” at this location.

Here are some pics of the re-opened interchange:

As you turn right from the very right lane, the new interchange looks nice and smooth...

...until you realize you're being funneled straight ahead. Be aware of a u-turn frenzy ahead!

Here’s more on the re-opening from the city’s website:

After the roads open, the contractor will continue to wrap up some of the final construction elements of the project. Please expect some temporary lane closures within the project limits as these final elements are completed. These temporary lane closures will occur on up to ten days spread over the next month, with as much work being completed at night as possible. During this time, depending on weather, some of the work that will continue after the roadway opening may include:

• Paving of the final layer of asphalt.
• Turning on the new traffic signal just south of Strander Boulevard.
• Construction of concrete crosswalks in the Doubletree Hotel vicinity. The crosswalks will require a minimum of 24 hours of cure time before vehicular traffic can cross them. Consequently, both directions of traffic will be routed to one side of the parkway while the first half of the crosswalk is curing, followed by the reverse process to complete the second half. These lane shifts may occur on up to four days spread over the next month.
• Installation of a large sign structure across southbound Southcenter Parkway near the new tunnel. This work will most likely occur at night during late October. The new sign structure will have signs with arrows indicating which lane to be in for accessing I-5/SR 518, Strander Boulevard and Southcenter Park way.
• Continued landscape maintenance throughout October. The contractor will provide this service to ensure the plants are established throughout the coming year. Some slopes may be temporarily protected against erosion using plastic or special matting.
• Replacing all temporary wood pedestrian railings with new steel railings.
• Continued monitoring and optimizing of the new traffic signal timing.
• Installation of permanent striping. Some striping materials require a minimum cure time on asphalt pavements before they are installed. Permanent striping is also weather dependent.
• Painting of concrete retaining walls. This will be completed as weather permits.

It will be held at Billy Baroo’s Restaurant, located at Foster Golf Links, 13500 Interurban Avenue South in Tukwila.

Former Seattle mayor Greg Nickels will moderate.

Races featured include Tukwila City Council, Mayor and School Board.

This event is organized by various residents of Tukwila.

There is no cost to attend.

Donations of non-perishable food will be taken at the door.

“Keep your family healthy this winter,” reads a press release. “Get your free flu vaccine! Flu vaccines are the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones from flu.”

Tukwila Community Center? is located at 12424 42nd Ave South? in Tukwila, WA 98168.

• Flu vaccine is for people 6 months and older — especially children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with health problems like diabetes and heart disease.
• You will not be asked for proof of health insurance or citizenship.
• Interpreters available

For more information, or for registration forms, click here.

With a little (okay, a lot) of help from iFLY Instructor John, Scott Schaefer flew on the first day of fall.

Story & Videos by Scott Schaefer
Photos by Michael Brunk

It seemed only fitting that on the first day of Fall 2011 that I would find a way to, well…fall.

Luckily for me, my ‘falling’ was actually flying – I got the opportunity to do some indoor skydiving at iFLY Seattle, which had its grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday afternoon, Sept. 23rd.

iFLY is located in that big weird red metallic building down by Southcenter Mall in Tukwila, and somehow they let me get in a jumpsuit and jump (okay, it was more of a fall) into a powerful wind tunnel that also serves as a flight trainer.

Along with about nine other rookies, I got a chance to fly in iFLY’s 14-foot diameter flight chamber with four powerful fans that create a wall-to-wall airflow that’s strong enough to make you fly – for beginners, that was a sustained wind of around 104mph (others with more experience get it cranked up – one time I saw it hit 154mph). The wind tunnel provides a simulated sky-diving experience, but fear not – we had an expert Instructor named John who guided us.

After signing a waiver, our flight Instructor showed us a video that explained how the tunnel worked, what we should do (or at least try to do) with emphasis on four different, important hand signals since it’s nearly impossible to hear while falling flying:

1. Chin up
2. Legs bent
3. Legs straight
4. Relax!

Then it was ‘Top Gun’ time – we got into our jumpsuits, stuck in earplugs, strapped on goggles and a helmet, then were let into a waiting zone just outside the tunnel where we all sat like nice, excited yet polite kids on a school bench that just happens to be a few feet from a 100+ mph wind tunnel.

"Look at me, I'm freakin' flyin' ova here!"

Next thing you know, John was standing at the door, motioning to me – somehow they picked me to go first! “Great,” I thought, “I don’t even get a chance to watch someone else flail and fail and learn from seeing their mistakes – I get to be Guinea Pig #1!” So in I went, falling gently as the video instructed, my hands in fists near by chin. As I leaned into the wind, I could feel its incredible power pushing me up. As instructed, I opened my fists up, extended my arms,bent my legs and soon I was actually floating on air! John held onto strategically-placed straps on my jumpsuit and made some motions to me. “Chin up!” I remembered. “Legs bent!” got it! Soon I could feel his grip loosen and soon I was, gulp…I was FLYING!

Freakin’ flying ladies and gentleman!

I’ve never skydived before, and the closest I ever got to any real kind of flight was when, at age five, I fell off my back porch into a coffee can and ended up with six stitches behind my right ear.

Now look at me…I’m FLYING! Or at least…trying (note to self: next time an Instructor moves your hands, leave them where he moved them!) [for best viewing experience, switch to 720p and watch at full-screen]:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Okay, John’s helping me a lot but I can see (and feel) why – it takes practice to learn how to stay symmetrical, all while being “relaxed” enough to just float in the hurricane-force wind.

The second flight was a little easier and better, and I think that John actually let go of me at least once:

Click here to view the embedded video.

I’d like to thank the good folks at iFLY Seattle for giving me this opportunity, and I encourage all our Readers to give this sport a try. It’s truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and it doesn’t require any real athleticism (trust me, I didn’t even break a sweat, but maybe that’s because of the fans…). All you have to do is be able to adjust your body to your Instructor’s commands, and once you get the hang of it you can actually fly (learn more from their FAQ here). From what I hear, it can become a rather addictive activity, since each time you do it you get better and are able to try new things (some folks can actually fly upside down on their heads!).

Just remember – chin up, bend your legs and relax!

iFly Seattle is located at 349 Tukwila Parkway in Tukwila; phone: (206) 244-iFLY; website: http://iflyseattle.com/ifly-indoor-skydiving

Here’s more from their website:

What is iFLY?
iFLY Seattle is a vertical wind tunnel with fans at the top with the purpose of drawing the air up past you in the flight chamber. You will experience a controlled environment providing you the just the right amount of air flow for the utmost flight enjoyment. Comprised of a 14-foot diameter circular glass flight chamber with four powerful fans creating wall-to-wall airflow, the iFLY wind tunnel provides a simulated sky-diving experience with the ability to adapt to age and ability levels. This scalable technology implemented under the guidance of a certified instructor offers an exciting adventure for children ages three and up, while challenging experienced adrenaline junkies.

Is it scary?
Generally it is not considered scary; there is no jumping, no falling and no experience is needed. You simply float on a column of air. There is no sensation of falling or anything that would make you feel motion sickness.

On average, an actual sky-diving freefall lasts 45 seconds and costs several hundred dollars. The introductory iFLY indoor skydiving fight package lasts almost three times as long and only costs $59.95. iFLY Seattle is one of 22 SkyVenture wind tunnel locations worldwide. Additional iFLY sites are located in Orlando, Hollywood, San Francisco Bay Area, Singapore, Dubai and beyond.

Who can fly?
Flyers may be as young as three years of age. There is no upper age limit. All flyers must be in good health and physical condition. Those less than 6 feet tall must weigh less than 230 pounds, and those over 6 feet must weigh less than 250 pounds. Children under 18 years of age need to have a parent or guardian to sign their waiver. If you have a prior shoulder dislocation or back or neck problems you should not fly. Management reserves the right to refuse service to anyone at any time.

iFLY Seattle
iFLY Seattle is an indoor skydiving center that offers the thrill of freefall in a safe, controlled environment. It’s safe for kids, challenging for adults, exciting for teens and realistic for skydivers. iFLY also offers group and party packages for birthdays, company outings or simply a family night out. Located at 349 Tukwila Parkway in Tukwila, just outside of Seattle. Open Monday – Friday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Saturday – Sunday from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. For more information or to make a reservation, please visit www.iflyseattle.com or call 206-244-iFLY (4359).

About SkyVenture
SkyVenture is the world’s largest and most advanced manufacturer of vertical wind tunnels. Twenty-two SkyVenture tunnels currently operate in nine countries around the world, under the brand names SkyVenture, iFLY, Airkix and Freezone. SkyVenture’s unique designs and innovative technologies are patented in over 138 countries.

Oh, and just in case you don’t believe I really fell flew – I even got a certificate proclaiming that I “reached terminal velocity”:

Here are some photos of Friday’s event shot by Michael Brunk: