Emily Nguyen reads from her winning entry at Wednesday night's event. Watching on the left is Highline School Distrct Secondary ELL Facilitator Stephanie Forman.

The Highline School District held an Awards Celebration and Reading for winners of its 2010 – 2011 Writing Contest for Secondary English Language Learners at the Burien Library Wednesday night (April 20th), with many students reading their entries.

BTB Publisher/Editor Scott Schaefer served as one of the judges for this contest, which featured student’s stories about struggles adapting to a new culture. Some stories were amazing, others heartfelt, but all were impressive for

The entire contest and event was facilitated by Secondary ELL Facilitator Stephanie Forman.

Credit also goes out to HSD’s Bernard Koontz, Language and Cultural Arts Coordinator, as well as Teri Hein and Alicia Craven of 826 Seattle, a nonprofit writing center.

Here’s a list of the student winners:

• Chalachew Shiferaw, Global Connections
• Jean Ben-Oni Eliezer, Global Connections
• Alexis Tapia, AAA
• Sanyasen Serbulo, Cascade
• Efrem Woldemariam, Sylvester
• Emily Nguyen, Sylvester
• Diego Munoz, Sylvester
• Kham Sian Kip, Sylvester
• Sergio Anaya, Sylvester
• Jose De Jesus Roque Torres, Sylvester
• Som Maya Subba, Sylvester
• Kumar Teve, Sylvester
• Maedeh Pirjamali Nesiani, Sylvester

Below are some of the winning entries, written by students – when reading these, keep in mind these kids are Secondary English Language Learners:

How Both Of My Cultures Effect Me
by Maedeh Pirjamali Neisiani

As an Iranian American I am proud of having two cultures, I know how to talk in English, Farsi, and Turkish, and also how to write in English and Farsi as well. Isn’t that amazing? My two cultures make me who I am.

Language is a very important thing to me that makes me who I am. We have classes for people that want to learn how to write and read in Farsi, but sometimes the pronunciations can be difficult. “Salam man sizdah sall daram” means “hello, I am thirteen years old.” Farsi writing starts from right to left. I encourage people to learn Farsi.

My favorite holiday that we celebrate is New Years, it’s my favorite because we give gifts to each other and we make various kinds of foods. We decorate our tables with seven things that start with the letter “S” in Farsi, so we call it Haft Sin. These are the names: sekeh, somangh, serkeh, sir, sib, and sebzeh. We can’t get all of the items in the U.S., but because our new year is very important to us we call family in Iran and we tell them to send the items to us. Our new year is coming up at March 21st I am so excited.

Some people treat me differently just because of my accent and that makes me sad. For example last year I was talking in English but people didn’t understand a word I said, and they said that they felt bad for me. After a while I thought and said “well I feel bad for you because I know how to talk in three different languages, but you can only speak English.”

Even though I face some difficulties because of my two cultures, I still know that I will have a bright future and I am here to learn and to do my best. I am Persian and I am proud of it.

Som Maya Subba, of Sylvester Middle School, reads her entry Wednesday night.

Reading and Writing
by Som Maya Subba

In Nepal I never like to read and write, but here is America I do.  There were many reasons why it was difficult for me to read and write in Nepal.  When I came to America I learned many things, but the most important thing was read and write.  This is what I going to write about it.

In my country, the teachers are very tricky it was very difficult for me to write and learn how to read.  Because the teacher would hurt silent students.  They would kick, pull your hair, and slap you.  So wjem teachers hurt students we would get angry and not want to read and write.  Sometimes teachers do not help you because teachers are mean.

At night, when we tried to read and write or do homework, we had no oil for lamps and it was very hard to read, write, or do homework.  Teachers hurt students sometimes we were late for school.  We didn’t have bus so we had to walk to school.  School was so far sometimes we were late for school.
In Nepal when we tried to read and write but other students talked loudly in Nepali and it makes it difficult to work and difficult to think so we were not able to pass the final exam and we had to study in the same class next year.

In America it is very easy to read and write because teachers are kind and we can read and write at night we don’t have oil problems because we have electricity light at my home so we can read at night.  I can do think that I could not do at my country.  When I came to America I learn to like reading and writing.  My parents told me to read, I am learning, I am learning about American.

Growing Up As a Kid in Samoa
by Kumar Teve

As a kid growing up in Samoa, my favorite thing to do was cook.  I learned how to cook many foods and learned how to prepare food.  I like to cook because it helped my family.  I learned how to cook by watching my family cook.  There are many different kind of food I like to cook.  Cooking in Samoa vs. USA is way different.

One of the reasons I like to cook because I could help my mother to cook while she’s at work.  Another reason I liked to cook was to help my mom to stop cooking because she work the whole time and come home and she was tired.  Because she works from 12 am in the morning through 12pm at the afternoon.
First I want to tell what is my favorite think to cook is banana and taro chips because it one of the easiest thing to cook.  The other think I like to cook is young coconut soup because coconut is one of my favorite fruit t eat.  Another thing I like to cook is fish with coconut because is my favorite seafood to eat.

Second of all in Samoa we don’t use oven.  But the way we baked our food we burn the rocks to put the food on it.  But when we baked our food it takes only five to ten minute to bake.  But the way we cooked our food in a pot we use different kind of stuff, we used two banana branch and two hard metals to put the pot on.  And we need coconut leaves and the coconut cup.

Finally I want to talk about how I learned to cook.  I learned how to cook by watching my mom cook.  The other way I learned to cook is I taught myself how to cook.  The other way I know how to cook is I go to cooking class at school when schools end.

So now you know about me that cooking is my favorite thing to do.  And how I learned how to cook and now tell me something that you do in your country.  I cooked in Samoa and here in the United States.  But my dreams are that I want to be a chef when I get older.

“La De La Mochila Azul”
by Jose De Jesus Roque Torres

“La De La Mochila Azul,” is a song that I would hear often on the radio when I lived in Mexico and it is an important reminder of where I’m from.  I have been living in the United States since 2001.  Now it is 2011.  I have lived here for 10 years.  One thing that my parents had to do to come to America was cross the bother.  When crossing the border, they came into land of different language, music, and celebrations.  As a Mexican American, both my Mexican experiences and my American experiences share who I am today.

Language is an important part of my culture.  I used to speak Spanish but now I speak Spanish and English.  Spanish is important to me because it is my native language.  English is important to me because it helps me communicate with other people.

Music is another part of my culture.  Even though I am in America, now I can still listen to Mexican music like corridos, duranguse, rancheras, and bandas.  Music is important to me because it belongs in my past but I still listen to it now.

A final part of my daily culture is my celebrations.  I celebrate Mexican holidays with my family.  We get together to eat our cultural food like tamales and nopalitos.  My favorite Mexican holiday is the day of the Virgin De Guadalupe.  We celebrate her day on December 12th.  We go to parties and go to two churches and sing songs about the Virgin De Guadalupe.  This is important because it makes me feel happy and connects me to the Virgin De Guadalupe, my first mom.  Daily culture is important to me because it is what I have been missing about Mexico.

My identity as a Mexican-American has been formed by my experiences with language, music, and celebrations.  These three parts of my life connect me to my past in Mexico and they are an important part of my present in Washington.  In the future, I will return to Mexico to speak my language, hear my music, and celebrate my holidays in my native land.

I Am From Peru
by Diego Munoz

As a Peruvian, both my Peruvian experiences and my American experience shape who I am today.  My name is Diego Munoz, I am from Peru and speak Spanish.  I came to United States on December 3rd, 2009.  I have been in the United States for one year.  My grandfather and grandmother came to the United States five years ago.  I live with my family here: my cousins, grandfather, grandmother, aunt, and my mom.

Both my Peruvian and American friends are important to me because in Peru, my friends and I watched soccer games or sometimes we played outside.  Both in Peru and in the U.S.A. my friends and I we always played video games.  My Favorite game is Soccer.  In the United States, my friends teach my how to celebrate American culture and they help me with my homework.

My family always teaches me important things.  They send me to school to learn more English.  My family is learning English too and we help each other by reading books or the newspaper together.  I always talk with my family who is still in Peru.  They also teach me good stuff in doing my homework, and being early in school everyday.  Also we go every Sunday to church.  The church is called “LLamada Final” In the church everybody speaks Spanish when I am with my family at the church, I feel relaxed.  The songs remind me of Peru, and I feel good.

My food is important to me because it reminds me of my country, In the United States, I eat rice with chicken, but it has a different flavor than my country, in kinds of food people eat in Peru and the U.S.A. are different too.  Some foods, like corn, apples, oranges, and bananas though taste the same.  For example in Peru at my lunch, I are juice with milk or sometimes Peruvian food like “Ceviche” or “Anticuchos”.

As a Peruvian, both my Peruvian experiences and American experiences shape who I am today.  My friends are important to me because we are always together.  My family is important to me because they teach me good things.  My food is important to me because it reminds me of my country.

We’d like to send out a huge congrats to these students, who not only overcame their fear of trying to write in a new language, but overcame the fear of public speaking in front of a crowd – there were at least 50 people there.

Twenty-five ginormous book covers have suddenly appeared on and around various Burien businesses, seemingly turning sleepy little B-Town into a giant library.

Actually, they’re all part of the King County Library System’s “Book Cover Walking Tour,” a display of over 100 framed book jacket covers turned into outdoor art pieces placed in eight cities around the county and on display through the end of March. Other participating  communities include Bellevue, Issaquah, Kent, Kirkland, Mercer Island, Renton and Vashon.

“The inspiration for the tour is to provide an opportunity for the public to interact and engage with books in a fun and unique way,” reads a statement on the KCLS website.

All of the book covers on the Tour are reprinted with permission of the publisher, so if you’re some hungry, greedy lawyer looking for trouble, just fuggetaboutit.

Here are a couple of pics of some oversized book covers we found:

Outside the Tin Theater is Robert B. Parker's "Appaloosa": When Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch arrive in Appaloosa, they find a small, dusty town suffering at the hands of Randall Bragg, a renegade rancher with so little regard for the law that he has killed the city marshal and one of his deputies.

Just west of 909 Coffee & Wine is Dave Eggers' "What the What," a biographical novel that traces the story of Valentino Achak Deng, who as a boy was separated from his family when his village in southern Sudan was attacked, and he became one of the estimated 17,000 “lost boys of Sudan” before relocating from a Kenyan refugee camp to Atlanta in 2001.

Here’s a full list of where you can find all 25 around B-Town, along with Audio Tour explanations of each – looks like a great walking tour:

909 Coffee & Wine 909 SW 152nd Street 98166	What is the What Dave Eggers Vintage (Random House)  This biographical novel traces the story of Valentino Achak Deng, who as a boy was separated from his family when his village in southern Sudan was attacked, and he became one of the estimated 17,000 “lost boys of Sudan” before relocating from a Kenyan refugee camp to Atlanta in 2001.
Burien Library 400 SW 152nd Street 98166	Blood Hina Naomi Hirahara Minotaur Books (Macmillan  Mas Arai is all set to be the best man at his friend Haruo’s wedding, until an ancient Japanese doll display owned by Haruo’s fiance goes missing, prompting Mas to take the case to clear his friend’s name, in an investigation that uncovers a world of deception and murder.
	Framed Gordon Korman Scholastic Press  In this sequel to Swindle and Zoobreak, Griffin Bing is in trouble again! When a Super Bowl ring disappears from the school’s display case he is framed for the crime. Will he be able to solve the mystery in time?
Burien Town Square 455 SW 152nd Street 98166	Gulf Music Robert Pinsky Farrar, Straus and Giroux (Macmillan)  These poems by the former Poet Laureate of the United States span a wide range of topics, including love and war, the architecture of small towns, and objects on top of a desk.
	Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cat T. S. Eliot Harcourt Brace Jovanovich  This famous collection of nonsense verse about feline characters was the inspiration for the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, Cats. Cover from OLD POSSUM’S BOOK OF PRACTICAL CATS by T.S. Eliot drawings by Edward Gorey. Jacket Design © 1982 by Edward Gorey. Used by permission of Harcourt Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
CC’s Lounge 635 SW 152nd Street 98166	Black Mirror Nancy Werlin Dial Books for Young People (Penguin Group)  Sixteen-year-old Frances begins an investigation to prove her brother’s death was murder rather than suicide after suspicious student activities at her boarding school.
Danish Bakery 825 SW 152nd Street 98166	The Sneetches and Other Stories Dr. Seuss Random House  In this collection, the famous doctor of rhyme serves up four wild stories that are not only entertaining but also teach valuable lessons about human nature: The Sneetches, The Zax, The Many Daves, and What was I Scared Of?
Elliott Bay Brewhouse 255 SW 152nd Street 98166	Robot Dreams Sara Varon First Second (Macmillan)  In this poignant and wordless graphic novel about friendship, Dog orders a mail-order robot kit and builds himself a best buddy. They are happy together until a trip to the beach results in their separation. Will Dog and Robot ever find each other again?
Glass Expressions 648 SW 152nd Street 98166	The Affinity Bridge George Mann Tor (Macmillan)  In an alternate-universe London marked by airships, robots, and a Queen Victoria who is kept alive by a primitive life-support system, agents Newbury and Hobbes investigate the wreckage of a crashed airship while attempting to solve a string of murders.
Goodie Gumdrops 816 SW 152nd Street 98166	No, David! David Shannon Blue Sky Press (Scholastic)  In this autobiographical picture book, a mischievous boy is depicted doing a variety of things which he should not. But don’t worry, in the end he gets a hug. From NO, DAVID! by David Shannon. Scholastic Inc./The Blue Sky Press. Copyright © 1998 by David Shannon. Used by permission.
Grand Central Bakery 626 SW 152nd Street 98166	Annie and the Wild Animals Jan Brett Houghton Mifflin Cover from ANNIE AND THE WILD ANIMALS by Jan Brett.  When Annie’s cat disappears, she attempts friendship with a variety of unsuitable woodland animals. Will Annie find a new animal friend? The beautiful illustrations foretell the emergence of spring and the birth of kittens. Copyright © 1985 by Jan Brett. Used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Howard & Marge 901 SW 152nd Street 98166	Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears Verna Aardema Dial Press (Penguin Books)  This retelling of a West African folktale reveals how the mosquito developed its annoying habit while imparting a lesson about how one’s actions affect others.
John L. Scott 930 SW 152nd Street 98166	The Enormous Room E. E. Cummings Penguin Books (Penguin Group  In 1917 Cummings served in a Red Cross ambulance unit on the Western Front. His free-spirited, combative ways got him tagged as a possible enemy of La Patrie, and he was sent to a French concentration camp. Unexpectedly, under the vilest conditions, he discovers what it means to become free.
Karuna Arts Studio 819 SW 152nd Street 98166	Ca Dao Vietnam (Vietnamese Folk Poetry) John Balaban Copper Canyon Press  During the Vietnam war, John Balaban traveled the Vietnamese countryside alone, taping, transcribing, and translating oral folk poems known as “ca dao.” He walked up to farmers, fishermen, seamstresses, and monks and said, “Sing me your favorite poem,” and they did. Jacket art copyright ©2010 by Jennifer Taylor from FRAMED by Gordon Korman. Scholastic Inc./Scholastic Press. Used by permission.
Law Offices of Doug Moreland 417 SW 152nd Street 98166	Charlotte’s Web E. B. White HarperCollins Publishers  In a story beloved by generations, Wilbur the pig is desolate when he discovers that he is destined to be the farmer’s Christmas dinner until his spider friend, Charlotte, decides to help him.
Mark Restaurant & Bar 918 SW 152nd Street 98166	Shark’s Fin and Sichuan Pepper Fuchsia Dunlop W. W. Norton  This food writer creates a memoir that combines her love of travel with her respect for Chinese cuisine.  After obtaining a study scholarship in China, she enrolls in a professional chef’s program then researches the cuisine for her cookbooks.
Miller Paint 636 SW 152nd Street 98166	Bookseller of Kabul Åsne Seierstad Little Brown (Hachette)  The Norwegian journalist provides a portrait of a committed Muslim man and his family living in post-Taliban Kabul, Afghanistan.
Natural Pet Pantry 830 SW 152nd Street 98166	Windy City Scott Simon Random House  A widower transplanted from India with two Americanized daughters, Sonny Roopini is an alderman in Chicago’s city government and finds himself thrust into the limelight thanks to the sudden death of the mayor.
Photography by Steven 243 SW 152nd Street 98166	Avielle of Rhia 219 Dia Calhoun Marshall Cavendish  Taught to hate and fear the heritage that sets her apart from most people of the kingdom, fifteen-year-old Princess Avielle of Rhia must finally embrace the magic of her Dredonian ancestors to save the very people who scorn her.
Sal’s Deli 15212 6th SW 98166	The Calligrapher’s Daughter Eugenia Kim Henry Holt (Macmillan) Reprinted courtesy of Henry Holt and Company  In early twentieth-century Korea, the privileged daughter of a calligrapher, is sent to serve as a companion to the princess, only to see the monarchy crumble after the king’s assassination and be sent on her own journey through increasing oppression.
Sterling Bank 244 SW 152nd Street 98166	Nuns Having Fun Maureen Kelly Workman  Hallelujah, it’s a book! The 125 photos of nuns in full habit, cutting loose – are vintage 1950’s and 60’s images with retro charm. The former parochial school students who compiled the book explore the lore and legends surrounding nuns, with good humor and respect.
Tin Room Bar & Theatre 923 SW 152nd Street 98166	Appaloosa Robert B. Parker G.P. Putnam’s Sons (Penguin Group)  When Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch arrive in Appaloosa, they find a small, dusty town suffering at the hands of Randall Bragg, a renegade rancher with so little regard for the law that he has killed the city marshal and one of his deputies.
Town Square Dentistry 610 SW 152nd Street 98166	The Consequences of Love Sulaiman Addonia Random House  A Romeo and Juliet story set against the strict Muslim laws of Saudi Arabia, a sensuous and intensely wrought story of a young immigrant and a girl behind the veil who defy law and risk their lives to be together.
Vino Bello Wine Bar 636 SW 152nd Street 98166	Hungry Woman in Paris Josefina López Grand Central Publishing (Hachette)  From the celebrated author of Real Women Have Curves, a young woman, disillusioned with life, runs away to Paris and enrolls in cooking school to reawaken her senses and mend her broken heart.
Windermere Real Estate 401 SW 152nd Street 98166	Antiques to Die For Jane K. Cleland St. Martin’s Minotaur (Macmillan)  When Josie Prescott leaves a high-paying job in New York to set up shop as an antiques appraiser on the rugged New Hampshire coast, her life does not go exactly according to plan: dead bodies keep crossing her path.

We think the only thing that could’ve made this concept a little better would have been to include book jacket covers from local authors (like Ann Rule, Shawn Underwood or George Matthew Cole) or from books that use Burien in various scenes (Robert Dugoni).

Our friends at Burien Little Theatre sure are busy lately, ramping up for their new production and now, putting a call out for script for the 2010 Bill and Peggy Hunt Playwrights Festival, which will be staged April 8 – May 1, 2011.

So if you’re a Writer, or aspiring Writer, here’s your chance to get your work seen and staged.

Deadline is Sept. 30, 2010.

Here’s the full notice:

The play’s the thing…

Works from Washington State playwrights sought for 2011 Bill and Peggy Hunt Playwrights Festival

Deadline September 30, 2010.

Winning scripts to be staged April 8-May 1, 2011.

Burien Little Theatre is seeking submissions of unproduced, unpublished plays by Washington State Playwrights for the 2011 Bill and Peggy Hunt Playwrights Festival.

Winning scripts will be staged April 8 through May 1, 2011, as part of the company’s 2010-2011 season. In addition to being produced, winning plays will also receive monetary prizes. Additional scripts of merit may receive readings.

The submission deadline for all scripts is September 30, 2010. To qualify for the Festival all submissions must follow Playwrights Submission Guidelines detailed below. The guidelines and entry form can also be found at www.burienlittletheatre.org.

About the Bill and Peggy Hunt Playwrights Festival:
The mission of the Bill and Peggy Hunt Playwrights Festival is to encourage, promote and showcase previously unproduced theater works written by Washington state residents.

The Festival was named to honor Bill and Peggy Hunt’s dedicated service to theater and their devoted involvement with Burien Little Theatre. Peggy Hunt joined Burien’s theater scene in 1960 with a leading role in the play Harvey. Over the next 35 years, both Bill and Peggy Hunt appeared in and directed plays, designed and built sets, served on the Board of Directors, and were involved in some aspect of every theater project.

Originally from Canada, the Hunts were familiar with Canadian play competitions and were instrumental in igniting this idea locally. The first staged competitions were theatrical, aimed more at fostering play production instead of writing, with entries from the greater Seattle area. In the early 1970s, these competitions were held as part of Burien’s Arts Festival.

Later, Peggy Hunt suggested establishing a playwriting competition with winning shows to be produced by Burien Little Theatre. The company has been producing this unique festival every two to three years since 1999.

Playwrights Submission Guidelines:

• Open to any person residing in the State of Washington.
• Previously produced plays are not eligible. Staged readings and workshops are not considered productions.
• The Festival provides a workshop environment for basic production, so excessive production requirements may result in disqualification. Legal clearance of materials not in the public domain is the full responsibility of the playwright.
• Submit two copies of the script via snail (regular) mail. No electronic copies accepted. Bind entries securely. Include title page, synopsis (no more than one-half page in length), character list (including gender, age range and features such as skin or hair color necessary to script), setting (time and place), and number of scenes. Entries must be postmarked by September 30, 2010.
• Judging will be blind. Do not show your name, address, or any identifying information on any page or on the cover of your script. Instead, download entry form from www.burienlittletheatre.org or request one by contacting info@burienlittletheatre.org or 206-242-5180. Complete and sign the entry form and attach with paper clip to play submitted.
• All submissions must be in a standard professional play format. Format guidelines can be obtained from Samuel French or found at http://www.vcu.edu/artweb/playwriting/format.html. Failure to comply will result in rejection from competition.
• If your play is a musical or requires music, the music must be sent in on CD.
• Submissions should be sent snail (regular) mail to:
  • Bill and Peggy Hunt Playwrights Festival
    Burien Little Theatre
    P.O. Box 48121
    Burien, WA 98148
• The Festival is designed to be a collaborative process involving the playwrights, directors, and performers—facilitating a transition of each work from page to stage. As such, playwrights are encouraged to be involved in the production and rehearsal of their scripts. Playwrights will be encouraged to attend a production meeting with the director and producer, at least one rehearsal and all performances.
• Playwrights are asked to participate in discussions with the audience following each performance.
• Submissions will not be returned. Burien Little Theatre will not be responsible for any loss or damage to entries.
• Winners will be announced December 30, 2010. Plays will be staged April 8-May 1, 2011.

Questions? Contact info@burienlittletheatre.org or 206-242-5180.

About Burien Little Theatre:
Exciting live theater has been a tradition in Burien since 1955. Incorporated in 1980, Burien Little Theatre (BLT) has been a leading producer of quality live theater serving residents of the Seattle and south Puget Sound areas.

Burien Little Theatre is committed to being an entertainment leader by producing intriguing professional-quality shows. The company’s mission is to treat audiences to productions of the highest artistic integrity that excite, engage and involve both the local and expanding theatrical communities in the Puget Sound region.

BLT is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) entity and operates on revenue from ticket sales, donations, grants, sponsorships and volunteers.

“Images of America: Three Tree Point,” a locally-written book

Longtime residents-turned-authors Doug Shadel and Pam and Guy Harper will be autographing and selling books, as well as sharing anecdotes in the back of the Tin Room (923 SW 152nd in Olde Burien; 242-8040), at a historic table made from the old wooden sign from the Three Tree Point store.

This should be a lively event full of historic stories and interesting photos, as well as a way to acknowledge a nice success story for these local folks.

Here are some more excerpt photos and captions from the book:

When Native American and early explorers approached Three Tree Point from the north, this would have been their view. The long, flat point jutting out into Puget Sound is visible from West Point beyond Elliot Bay and from Poverty Bay near Redondo. The first home was build by Linden Irwell Gregory, a native of Lancashire, England, about 1902 and is probably the one that is visible in this photograph. (Gordon Peek.)

One of the first display ads taken out by the Three Tree Point Company in the Seattle Mail and Herald on July 3, 1903, advertised the new community to the public. The Seattle Mail and Herald went out of business in 1905.

This 1936 schedule shows the frequency of the Suburban Transportation System's bus service at Three Tree Point. In those days, a person didn't need a car to travel between Three Tree Point and Seahurst, Burien, or Seattle, as there was service throughout the day.

In 1969, KVI Radio personality Robert Hardwick announced and event called the Dinghy and Survival Derby. This boat race started in Ballard, proceeded through the ship canal and locks, and into Shilshole Bay. Several fellows from Three Tree Point entered a raft called "The Lusty Wench" from the nonexistent Three Tree Point "Yaught Club." Dressed in nightgowns from left to right are David Puckett, Guy Harper (one of the authors), Richard Anderson, William Wintermute, and Robert Cole. This fine craft consisted of a bed with life cushions. Their raft won first place – a year's supply of Dag's 17-cent hamburgers and $50, which they used to start the real Three Tree Point Yacht Club.

“Images of America: Three Tree Point” is available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at (888)-313-2665 or www.arcadiapublishing.com.

Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States. Our mission is to make history accessible and meaningful through the publication of books on the heritage of America’s people and places. Have we done a book on your town? Visit www.arcadiapublishing.com.

As we previously reported, “Images of America: Three Tree Point,” a locally-written book about one of Burien’s historic waterfront neighborhoods, is being released Monday (March 8th), and its authors will be holding a book-signing party at The Tin Room on Friday, March 12th beginning at 3pm.

Longtime residents-turned-authors Doug Shadel and Pam and Guy Harper will be autographing and selling these rich, historical books full of unique and rare photos at the 3pm+ signing for just $20 (Amazon charges $21.99). Visitors will also be able to ask questions or share anecdotes about this neighborhood with these folks, who have a passion for and incredibly deep knowledge about the entire area.

Fittingly, the authors will be stationed in the back of the Tin Room (located at 923 SW 152nd in Olde Burien; 242-8040), at a historic table made from the old wooden sign from the Three Tree Point store – how perfect is that?

This new book includes more than 200 vintage photographs chronicling the history of Burien’s unique beachfront community, and these good creative folks have been working hard on this project for well over a year, so this will be a big day for them – reason enough we say to drop by and show your support! Also, we’re lucky enough to have read an advance copy of it, and we think it’s just fantastic – chock full of great, never-before-seen photos (at least to us) with informative and incredibly interesting captions that make it a local “must read.”

They’ve also been kind enough (along with Arcadia Publishing) to allow us to excerpt some “sneak peek” photos and captions from the book, which we present below (we’ll be posting more excerpts soon, so check back often) – did you know that two large saltwater lagoons once filled an area at the point?:

High tides and storms filed two saltwater lagoons in a low area just inside the point. The larger of the two had a circumference of 1,800 feet. Looking across the lagoon from the south, one can see a mound that Native Americans may have used as a burial ground. The prominent trees could be the ones that gave the point its name.

Beyond this view of the lagoon is a road going along the north side of the point, and by 1905 it was 20 feet wide. The lagoon was later filled with sand from a quarry at the east end of 171st Street. This part of the street is high above the point, and the sand was moved down the hill by means of a metal flume.

“Images of America: Three Tree Point” is available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at (888)-313-2665 or www.arcadiapublishing.com.

Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States.  Our mission is to make history accessible and meaningful through the publication of books on the heritage of America’s people and places.  Have we done a book on your town?  Visit www.arcadiapublishing.com.

Longtime Burien residents Doug Shadel and Pam and Guy Harper have written a historical book about Three Tree Point, which is being released March 8th by Arcadia Publishing.

This new book, which is priced at $21.99, includes more than 200 vintage photographs chronicling the history of Burien’s beachfront community, and these good creative folks have been working on this project for well over a year.

We hope to be doing in-depth interviews with the authors soon, along with publishing some excerpts and photos from the book.

There will most certainly be a local book signing soon, so stay tuned to The B-Town Blog for updates.

Books may be purchased directly from the Authors, and will be autographed. Interested parties should call the Harpers at (206) 242-4144 for an early delivery. You can also click below to pre-order the book online through Amazon.com:

Here’s the press release, sent out by Arcadia Publishing on Tuesday, Feb. 16th:

Discover the History of Three Tree Point
New Book Traces the History of the Point Through Vintage Images

New from Arcadia Publishing and local authors Doug Shadel and Pam and Guy Harper, is Three Tree Point. This latest volume of the Images of America series is filled with more than 200 vintage images chronicling the history of Three Tree Point.

Three Tree Point is a prominent peninsula on the eastern shore of Puget Sound about 14 miles south of Seattle. Its name came from three massive fir trees that stood on the north side of the point at the beginning of the 20th century. The area remained largely undeveloped until 1903 when the Three Tree Point Company began marketing the community as a place to build summer homes. Seattle’s business elite built houses at the point to take advantage of the beach lifestyle for which it has become known. Over the years, Three Tree Point and its 2.5 miles of waterfront emerged as one of the Northwest’s most unique residential communities. Its history is a diverse mixture of family life, unusual characters, Fourth of July celebrations, shipwrecks, fishing derbies, and storytelling.

Highlights of Three Tree Point:

• Includes a Pulitzer Prize winning photo.
• Features never before published images including some from Asahel Curtis.
• Tells stories of the Point from shacks to mansions and residents past and present.

Available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at (888)-313-2665 or www.arcadiapublishing.com.

Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States.  Our mission is to make history accessible and meaningful through the publication of books on the heritage of America’s people and places.  Have we done a book on your town?  Visit www.arcadiapublishing.com.

And here’s Amazon’s description (Click here to order: “Three Tree Point (Images of America)”):

Product Description

Three Tree Point is a prominent peninsula on the eastern shore of Puget Sound about 14 miles south of Seattle. Its name came from three massive fir trees that stood on the north side of the point at the beginning of the 20th century. The area remained largely undeveloped until 1903 when the Three Tree Point Company began marketing the community as a place to build summer homes. Seattle’s business elite built houses at the point to take advantage of the beach lifestyle for which it has become known. Over the years, Three Tree Point and its 2.5 miles of waterfront emerged as one of the Northwest’s most unique residential communities. Its history is a diverse mixture of family life, unusual characters, Fourth of July celebrations, shipwrecks, fishing derbies, and storytelling.

About the Author
Pam and Guy Harper’s families have been residents of Three Tree Point for generations, and the couple has an intimate knowledge of the history, culture, and lifestyles of the people who have lived there. Doug Shadel is also a resident of Three Tree Point and an author of five previous books on a variety of topics. Numerous residents of the point generously contributed to this book by donating pictures from their personal collections.

A new book recapping over 100 years of life at Burien’s Three Tree Point is now in the developmental and research stage by husband and wife authors and longtime residents Guy and Pam Harper.

Beginning with the early Native American days, Three Tree Point (aka “Point Pulley”) was used extensively for meeting areas, feasts and potlatches. It provided an excellent stop over point for the Native canoes when traveling between the northern and southern Puget Sound waters as the area was particularly abundant with fresh water, clams, salmon and fine camping grounds.

In later years, many steamboats from the Mosquito Fleet made Three Tree Point one of the major stops along Puget Sound. Soon, summer homes were built along the shore as many folks realized that this area was very enjoyable for recreation and relaxation.

The TTP book authors are searching for pictures dating back to the early 1900′s thru the 1970′s. The intent is to gather pictures, letters and
verbal histories – categorize them and publish those selected in a history book involving just Three Tree Point. The book will be offered for sale from various sources.

This is a call for anyone to respond to the quest for this early data for the purposes of including the information in the final book. If you or your parents or friends have any pictures or events of this sort and want to share them, please email guyharper@comcast.net or call 206-242-4144 with such information.

It is interesting that many residents already look forward to an historical record of Three Tree Point.

BLT will also feature “Recession Pricing” for all of May, with tickets priced at just $10.

You can buy tickets safely and securely online here:

You can also email tickets@burienlittletheatre.com or call (206) 242-5180.

As for the playwright fest:

Experience wonderful brand-new works written by up-and coming playwrights from Washington state and never produced anywhere else.  Come see the winners of the 2009 playwrights festival!

The festival is graciously sponsored by the City of Burien.

Half of all ticket sales for the Playwrights Festival go to Hospitality House to help homeless women.  (Sorry, this means NO Five Buck Friday during the Festival.)

There are four shows, two one-act plays and two full length plays in the festival.  One one-act play and one full-length play will be performed together.  Two shows for the first two weekends and then the other two shows for the last two weekends.  Don’t miss out!  Come twice and see ALL the winners! – The shows are recommended for audiences age 15 and older due to occasional language.

SPECIAL – SPECIAL – SPECIAL – Every Saturday there will be a FREE reading of the honorable mention plays! (we will pass the hat)!  Starts at 2 pm!  See details below:

“The Reprieve” a one-act play written by Judith A. Jacobs AND “If Spiders Made Honey” a full-length play written by Dave Tucker:

• May 1 at 8:00 p.m. Friday – MAY DAY!
• May 2 at 8:00 p.m. Saturday – Plus free play readings at 2 p.m. – “Penny Loves Butchie Hartog” and “Sinking Bass Turds”
• May 3 at 2:00 p.m. Sunday Matinee
• May 8 at 8:00 p.m. Friday
• May 9 at 8:00 p.m. Saturday – Plus free play readings at 2 p.m. – “Penny Loves Butchie Hartog” and “Sinking Bass Turds”
• May 10 at 2:00 p.m. Sunday Matinee

“Famous Last Words” a one-act play written by Michael Wallace AND “Man Defeats Nature” a full-length play written by Christopher Bailey:

• May 15 at 8:00 p.m. Friday
• May 16 at 8:00 p.m. Saturday – Plus free play readings at 2 p.m. – “Freight” and “Days of Future Passed”
• May 17 at 2:00 p.m. Sunday Matinee
• May 22 at 8:00 p.m. Friday
• May 23 at 8:00 p.m. Saturday – Plus free play readings at 2 p.m. – “Freight” and “Days of Future Passed”
• May 24 at 2:00 p.m. Sunday Matinee

A few things to note:

• The play readings are free to the public.
• Tickets for the productions are just $10 with one half of the ticket price ($5) being donated to Hospitality House.
• BLT is conducting a food drive for local food banks, so please bring non-perishable food stuff.
• There is a “play with your food” option (dinner and a show) at the Mark Restaurant and Bar – a two course meal and a ticket for just $30.00 per person. Call the Mark at (206) 241-6275.
• If you brought food for the food drive and bought a ticket, you could enjoy live entertainment and feel self-righteous from all of the good you are doing for the community!

Winning scripts will be staged in May 2009 as part of the 2008-2009 Burien Little Theatre season. In addition to being produced, winning plays will also receive monetary prizes.

The submission deadline for all scripts is December 31, 2008. To qualify for the Festival all submissions must follow Playwrights Submission Guidelines detailed below and on the Burien Little Theatre website:

www.burienlittletheatre.com

ABOUT THE BILL AND PEGGY HUNT PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL
The mission of the Bill and Peggy Hunt Playwrights Festival is to encourage, promote and showcase previously unproduced theatre works written by Washington state residents, and stage the winning plays at Burien Little Theatre.

The Festival was named to honor Bill and Peggy Hunt’s dedicated service to community-based theater and their devotion to and involvement with Burien Little Theatre. Peggy Hunt joined Burien’s community theater organization in 1960 with a leading role in the play Harvey. Over the next 35 years both Bill and Peggy appeared in and directed plays, designed and built sets, served on the Board of Directors, and were involved in some aspect of every theater project.

Originally from Canada, Bill and Peggy were familiar with Canadian play competitions and were instrumental in igniting this idea locally. The first staged competitions were theatrical, for play production, not writing, with entries from the greater Seattle area; this competition was held as part of Burien’s Arts Festival in the early 1970s. Later, Peggy suggested establishing a playwriting competition with the winning shows to be produced by Burien Little Theatre. Since officially launching in 1999, Burien Little Theatre has successfully been sponsoring the Bill and Peggy Hunt Playwrights Festival, celebrating and producing the works of Washington state playwrights.

PLAYWRIGHTS SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

1. Open to any person residing in the state of Washington.
2. Previously produced plays are not eligible. Staged readings are not considered productions.
3. The Festival provides a workshop environment for basic production, so excessive production requirements may result in disqualification. Legal clearance of materials not in the public domain is the full responsibility of the playwright.
4. Submit two copies of the script. Bind entries securely, and include character list, time, setting, and number of scenes. Entries must be post-marked by December 31, 2008.
5. Judging will be blind. Do not show your name, address, or any identifying information on any page or on the cover of your script. A completed, signed copy of the entry form must be attached with a paper clip to each play submitted. Contact info@burienlittletheatre.com or call 206-242-5180 for an entry form.
6. All submissions must be in a standard professional play format. Format guidelines can be obtained from Samuel French or found at http://www.vcu.edu/artweb/playwriting/format.html. Failure to comply will result in rejection from competition.
7. The Festival is designed to be a collaborative process involving the playwright, directors, and performers—facilitating a transition of each work from page to stage. As such, playwrights are encouraged to be involved in the production and rehearsal of their scripts. Selected playwrights will be encouraged to attend a production meeting with the director and producer, at least one rehearsal and all performances.
8. Playwrights are invited to participate in discussions with the audience, following each performance.
9. Submissions will not be returned.
10. Burien Little Theatre will not be responsible for any loss or damage to entries.
11. Winners will be announced February 15, 2009. Plays will be staged in May 2009.

ABOUT BURIEN LITTLE THEATRE
Community-based theater has been a tradition in Burien since 1955. Incorporated in 1980, Burien Little Theatre (BLT) has been a leading producer of quality live theater, serving residents of the Seattle and south Puget Sound areas. Burien Little Theatre’s Mission is to make every audience member’s experience at BLT a welcoming, lively and fun escape from the everyday world, beginning the moment they walk in the door, by providing high-quality, accessible and exciting theater. 
BLT is a non-profit 501c3 entity and operates on revenue from ticket sales, donations and volunteers.

“Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol” is currently playing at Burien Little Theatre through Dec. 21st, and you can purchase tickets directly online here.

To read a behind-the-scenes story (complete with videos) from one of the cast members, click here.