“Let your imagination ROLL WILD!” reads an email. “Our first round this past summer was very successful, and there is some amazing art hung up at the rink. There’s plenty of room on the walls, and hundreds of skates just waiting for you and your ideas to be a permanent part of the Southgate Roller Rink in White Center.”

Sculpture Criteria and Instructions:

• Max out your design at 4′ wide x 2′ tall
• Utilize up to (5) pairs or (10) skates
• Make it wall mountable

Like the Native Americans with the Buffalo hunt, include as much of the roller skate as possible (ie; the boot, truck and wheels). A surplus of clay wheels are also available for use.

• Sculptures must be completed by May 9th
• Participation fee is $20 which covers skates, hanging and promotion of the May 3rd Saturday Art Walk.

The roller rink will play host to a fundraiser benefiting WCA on May 16th which will serve as an early unveiling of the art work before the Art Walk on May 19th.

Please email whitecenterartwalk@gmail.com by March 1st if you would like to participate and details about skate pick up.

Highline School Board Member Tyrone Curry (pictured above, photo courtesy ESPN.com) has been named to a list of “100 History Makers in the Making” by theGrio.com, a daily news and opinion website that’s a division of NBC News.

The list “honors Black History Month by highlighting the next generation of African-American history makers and industry leaders who have the potential to make a difference in the lives of all Americans,” according to a press release issued by theGrio.com.

As many of our Readers may recall, Curry won $3.4 million in the Washington State Lottery in 2006, and instead of leaving his job as a custodian and track coach at Evergreen High School – positions he held for 34 years – he continued working, and generously donated $40,000 to the school to build a new race track.

According to a press release, “theGrio.com is devoted to delivering stories and perspectives that reflect and affect African-American audiences.”

Curry joins 99 other individuals from across 10 professional fields, including business, education, sports, science and the environment, media, service and activism, politics, health, pop culture and the arts. Individuals from “TheGrio’s 100” will be profiled on NBC News programs, including “NBC Nightly News,” “Today,” MSNBC, CNBC, and msnbc.com through the end of February.

View Curry’s profile on TheGrio’s 100 list here.

Visit www.thegrio.com/black-history to learn more about theGrio’s 100 list.

Burien Police Chief Scott Kimerer

by Jack Mayne

Burien’s police chief say he was a bit perplexed at recent increases in crime in the unincorporated parts of the North Highline Unincorporated area, but believes his department can easily police the area if the Burien City Council and the voters of the area eventually do approve its annexation to the city.

The annexation matter is still under consideration by the state Boundary Review Board for King County. If it approves the proposed annexation, the Burien Council must ask voters in the so-called Area Y to vote in favor of becoming part of the city.

During recent Boundary Review hearings, Chief Scott Kimerer said there were some “relatively minor increases” in crime in the northern half of the North Highline and the White Center business and residential area.

During a recent period, overall statistics for “Part One” crimes – more serious offenses such as assaults and robbery – were 54 incidents per thousand residents in Burien, while the number for North Highline was 65 incidents per thousand people.

“Not a huge difference,” he said, but in the past both areas were about 62 violent crimes per thousand.

For “Part Two,” or lesser crimes, the recent comparison was 66 per thousand for Burien, versus 69 per thousand in North Highline – “so very similar,” said the chief.

One reason the county wants North Highline to become part of a city (Burien, Seattle or Tukwila) is that counties have fewer ways to tax residents and offer higher urban services. That means there are as many as half as many deputies patrolling the area than there used to be.

That could account for the increase in crime rate, Kimerer said in a recent interview.

“Like I said at the (annexation hearing), I was a little bit surprised because in studying crime up there for the almost nine years that I have been (Burien Police chief), the crime rates have always been very similar.”

“You could say at times there might be a concentration of crime in the White Center area, however you could also say there could be a concentration of crime in the downtown Burien core,” the chief said.

Kimerer said the annexation of the southern half of North Highline was mostly residential areas, very little business. But the majority of the area still unincorporated is where business is located.

The King County Sheriff’s office has “had a budget crisis” in the past couple of years.

“The sheriff’s office has taken some serious cuts in officers and staffing – the staffing is not what it was four years ago up in White Center,” Kimerer said.

People need to remember that Kimerer and all blue uniformed members of the Burien Police are actually deputies in the King County Sheriff’s Department, contracted and paid by Burien taxpayers. While he has been chief in Burien for just under a decade, he is also a major in the Sheriff’s department.

The Burien contract has permitted Kimerer to maintain the same number of officers.

King County had to cut the White Center storefront position, at 9609 16th Ave. SW for almost a year until funds were found to restore it. Still there are about two officers per shift on duty there, down from up to four before cuts.

“I think people don’t realize the value of that storefront position in crime reduction and community involvement to help drive down the crime rates,” Kimerer said. “All the cuts bunched together showed indicators that the crime rate went up.”

Kimerer said he would keep the storefront open if Burien annexes the area and would even keep the same deputy since the Sheriff’s department manages the individual from his department who would reopen the storefront. The deputy that works the office does not answer calls, but is available in the business community and can advise store operators on ways to cut down on crime and how to control nuisances by panhandlers or those under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

“It is community interaction, getting together with the businesses, talking about what their issues are, trying to find solutions, trying to build relationships up there amongst us and them and with each other to really drive down the people that are causing the problems.”

The chief also said he did not need as many officers to handle the unincorporated area that Seattle said in a study its department would need.

“Seattle said they would have to put all of those officers in there and then turned around and said they could not afford it,” Kimerer said. “Well, I could make a claim of putting a whole bunch of officers in there that I can’t afford but it is about being realistic. We all have budget concerns.”

Seattle has a “fine department” but he didn’t think policing the area would take as many officers as they had claimed – 44 added police officers – while Kimerer figured he would need only 15 additional officers.

The added officers for Burien to cover the proposed new annexed area would mean he had that many additional officers to use anywhere in Burien, as needed.

“It would become a much more robust department,” Kimerer said.

Luso will be celebrating Valentine’s Day with a special Portuguese wine and beer tasting with Latin dancing, Maria Luisa Empanadas, appetizers and more from 7 p.m. – 10 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 10th. Cover charge is just $8 so be sure to mark your calendars for this event:

Fatima Eremita Hemmons

As we do with all our Advertisers, we’re giving Luso a forum to describe their business:

The owner, Fatima Eremita Hemmons (Tina) was born in Goa, the most beautiful former Portuguese Colony on the SW coast of India. She spent many years in England and has been living and raising her family in the United States of America since 1980. Hence, most of the amazing food and wine comes from Portugal, Goa and England. Luso, is a Beer and Wine Specialty Shop. Luso is a retail store. Fatima has wine tasting from 12 to 2pm and 5-7pm and lunch from 11-7pm which includes coxinhas (Brazilian croquettes), empadas (Portuguese) and Maria Luisa Empanadas from Argentina and salad. Let Tina make you a salad with her special olive oil that so pleases the palate. Even better, just come and meet Tina, she’s as warm and inviting as her tasty treats. She also carries bread from Grand Central Bakery and Ice Cream from Full Tilt.

Fatima, as a Certified Health and Wellness Coach, provides informational knowledge to help individuals make necessary lifestyle changes. Using the eight natural laws of health, the body is able to regain a healthy balance and heal itself. Hence, the Health and Wellness Center located at Luso Food And Wine offers various classes to boost motivation, improve cardio and bring in cheer. They offer health and wellness coaching and hydrotherapy by appointment. They also offer other exercise classes as follows:

• Zumba: Features easy to follow routines of interval training to tone and sculpt your body while burning hundreds of calories. Tues and Thursday from 7 to 8 pm
• Belly Dance: Core conditioning focuses on strengthening one’s core through isolation movements. This class gives you a full body workout targeting the abs, thighs, calves, gluts arms and shoulders. Sunday from 2 to 3 pm.
• Salsa: 1 hour of footwork and fun with authentic Cali Style Salsa. No partner necessary!! Come alone with a group of friends or with your partner. Beginners 3pm to 4pm and advance from 4 – 5 pm.
• Samba: features a very prominent teacher, Dora, from Brazil. Samba is a Brazilian dance and a musical genre originating in Bahia. If you can only imagine the hip work and cheerful atmosphere! This class will start on February 23rd @ 6pm.
• Cooking Classes: Start in March to learn about spices and their health properties. This class is for bring together families and communities.

To make it special for the family, friends and supporters of Luso, Tina has invited Alma Y Azucar to create a special Valentine’s Day Performance on February 10th from 7 to 10 pm. Music, dancing, food and wine, who could ask for more! Cover Charge $8.00. Appetizers included.

Check us out on Facebook @ Luso Seattleand like us!

There's plenty of room to dance at Luso!

Luso Food and Wine is located at:

9988 15th Ave SW, Suite C
Seattle, WA. 98146

A cool new spot in White Center, offering Portuguese Wines and Beer and specialty teas and spices from India.

Store Hours:

• Tues – Sat 11- 7pm
• Sunday Noon to 6pm

Here are some videos featuring belly dance instructor Sofia-Fahd:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Community Center is located at 14700 6th Ave SW, in the building that formerly housed the library.

Publisher/Editor Scott Schaefer was on hand to take the following pics during the lunch session; be sure to check back later for scenes from the dinner from Michael Brunk (click images below to see larger versions or to start slideshow):

Click here to view the embedded video.

The video shows four men entering the store and ordering customers and employees to get to the ground. It also shows a suspect forcing a youth to the ground. At least one of the suspects was armed with a handgun, while the others carried baseball bats.

While in the store, the suspects struck an employee in the shoulder with a bat and smashed a glass display case. The suspects took jewelry and an undisclosed amount of money and fled on foot.

The suspects are described as 4 black males, wearing dark clothing.

If you have any information related to this crime, please call the King County Sheriff’s Office at (206) 296-3311.

Preliminary approval of Burien’s request to proceed toward annexation of the northern half of the North Highline Unincorporated Area was approved Monday night at a chilly meeting of the Boundary Review Board.

The voice vote was unanimous and the motion included language urging Burien and the two fire districts that serve the area to come to a decision on how fire service will be conducted if annexation is finally approved.

The preliminary vote of the quasi judicial board in effect orders the board staff to draft up the order and will be finally voted on at a meeting on Feb. 16 at a place and time to be announced later, said Lenora Blauman, board executive secretary.

Then, if the Burien City Council eventually moves to consummate the action, it will seek voter approval of the people living is so-called Area Y. Only voters in the proposed annexation area will be allowed to vote.

Board members spent some time discussing some members’ disappointment that the two fire districts and the city had not come to a decision on how finances and operations would be affected. Board member Sylvia Bushnell that that concerned her and member Laura Kisielius said she was concerned but “we don’t need to resolve the issue.”

The board member Evangeline Anderson said she had been impressed during other annexation procedures how things seem to come together after the Boundary Review Board makes a decision.

“For some reason after we make a decision then they suddenly get serious and make an agreement,” she said.

Although told by its legal adviser that adding a suggestion that the decision be made before the annexation was accomplished would have no legal impact, the board decided to add the word to “spur a decision.”

The other problem discussed was the effect that the Washington Legislature would have if it cancelled a state law that gives cities up to a maximum of $5 million a year in sales tax rebates to help pay annexation costs. That matter is included in potential cuts to balance the state budget.

“The elephant in the room” was whether Burien would have the money to support the annexed area if the money were taken away by lawmakers, said board Chairman Mary Lynne Evans.

The Review Board’s vice chair said he “appreciated the candor if the city on the issue.” At the two hearings earlier, City Manager Mike Martin said he would not recommend and he felt the council would not approved going ahead with the annexation if the sales tax rebate was not available. Anderson said she was impressed with Burien’s prudence on doing the annexation in two pieces and said the city apparently has “done a good job with the first annexation.”

Board member Paul MacCready said he was worried that the annexation might separate neighborhoods but then noted that there were many neighborhoods in the annexation area and suggested that no decision would please everybody. He and others said the preponderance of testimony said people in “Area Y” seemed to identify with Burien.

The meeting will take place where the prior forums were – Cascade Middle School – located at 11212 10th Avenue SW near the Evergreen High campus.

Here’s the rest of the announcement:

Please note, however, that the Board has completed the public hearing in this matter so no further public testimony can be received.

For more information please contact Lenora Blauman, Executive Secretary, at 206-296-6800.

Thank you for your interest in this matter.

WOW who writes this stuff for the City of Burien website. Currently on the website under annexation of north Highline this statement is made in the last paragraph, “…Financially feasible, and even provide additional resources to the City above the costs of annexation, since Burien would receive up to $5 million a year for ten years …”.

Amazing how wrong our City staff can be! Let me quote Washington state law RCW 82.14.415(6), “All revenues collected under this section SHALL be used SOLELY to provide, maintain, and operate municipal services FOR THE ANNEXATION AREA.”

How does the above quoted state law allow Burien (or any other City) to “provide additional resources to the City ABOVE the costs of annexation”? If the City writer cared to learn more he/she might try reading RCW 82.14.415(7) which further details what the annexing City MUST do with these Sales Tax Credits and what to do if the Credits actually exceed the costs of providing services in the area.

Okay now to give the City staffer a math lesson. It is NOT POSSIBLE for the City of Burien to receive anything near $5 million. Not even possible to receive near $1 million. Why? Because the above state law specifically details the formula upon which any City receives this Tax credit. The credit is based upon the state’s Sales Tax collected in the annexing City not as reported in the BERK Report based upon the City Sales tax.

Manager Mike Martin has already stated that Burien, “has received a total of $584,000 to date to help the city provide services in the NORTH Burien annexed area” referring to the Area X north highline. That amount is nowhere near $5 million as referred to in the website. Even if Burien annexes Area Y and again based upon sales tax formula the City MIGHT be able to get an additional $200,000 since the sales tax would then include those collected in Burien to INCLUDE Area Y (White Center business area). Burien does not have a snowballs chance to collected “up to $5 million” EVER. Note the City of Auburn received its first annexation check in 2008 for $1.25 million. Auburn has a enormous retail and commercial sales tax base compared to Burien. How could anyone speak of getting “up to $5 million” when it not even a remote possibility? Unless it is written to purposefully deceive, such a statement is grossly incompetent.

Who writes this stuff for the City? How could these significant errors get past the City Manager and the Council?

- Chuck Rangel
Burien

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by Jack Mayne

The second night of testimony to the Boundary Review Board was as much pro-Burien annexation as the first night was anti-annexation, giving a good-sized audience another evening of opinions while again suffering on hard middle school cafeteria seats while straining to hear because of a poor sound system.

The meeting took over three hours again, so the board decided to adjourn to Monday, Jan. 23 at 7 p.m. The meeting place is still unknown.

That meeting will not be for comment by those for or against the northern part of the North Highline Unincorporated Area being annexed by Burien, only for the 10 members of the board (one has recused himself because he lives in the area) to argue between themselves over whether Burien should be allowed to go forward with the second annexation in a bit over two years.

The Monday night group heard the majority of people testify they were opposed to the annexation. Many were Burien residents and most said the city had not made the financial case that the addition of the 3.2 square mile area that is home to about 17,300 people.

Tuesday night most of those testifying lived in or close to Area Y, or the northern half of the former unincorporated area. A rough count showed 20 testifying were for annexation to Burien, and four were opposed.

Time and time again area residents told the board that, in the words of Mercedes Dantona, that White Center “is much better served in Burien; it would add color and interest to Burien.”

Andre Lopez agreed and said he was prompted to come to the second night of hearings because he was told “people of color were not represented at the first meeting and that people of color need social services.”

“If we don’t get annexed by Burien, we will be annexed to Seattle,” he said, adding that he would not like that because government would be far away from area residents.

Some were upset by people Monday night referring to residents of the White Center area as somehow beneath them.

“I kept hearing people who never would set foot in my neighborhood say horrible things about our people,” said Rebecca Lopez, who lives in the proposed annex area.

Person after person talked about how they felt like Burien residents already, how they shop there and pay sales taxes there. Others referred to Seattle government as far away and remote because of distance and because the Seattle City Council met in the daytime when they could not attend meetings, while Burien met at night when they can attend.

“I am afraid if we don’t annex to Burien, we will lose something important,” said Martha Koester, another resident from the area that would be annexed.

Most of the 20 pro-Burien people who testified mentioned not wanting to be a part of Seattle, even a woman who lives north of Roxbury in West Seattle but runs a White Center restaurant. Elizabeth Gordon said Burien would be better and noted that in the past few years, “beautiful things are happening in White Center, people know each other and they are working together” to make a good business area even better.”

A couple of people were definitely in favor of Seattle annexing the area with a woman suggesting needed health care for her family would not be available in Burien.

Burien makes final pitch
City Manager Mike Martin summed up the process of annexation as being “a divisive and emotional issue,” but said the “thoughtful process by the city of Burien was exactly the same as used for the first annexation.”

“During the first annexation, you heard exactly the same arguments against it,” Martin said “and we outperformed those expectations. This was a difficult issue (but) the Council has come to the realization that we can do this.”