Back in October, we premiered a trailer for a new documentary being produced on Burien, called “Where We Live Now, Burien.”

This documentary is still in production, and another clip has been released, this time focusing on Burien’s Skatepark located at SW 144th and 4th Ave SW, near the community center.

Here’s an intro for this segment from the Editor’s (Rowan North) YouTube Channel:

“This is a section from a working documentary about the power of community collaboration and grassroots democracy in Burien, Washington…”

Here’s the clip:

As we mentioned before, the crew behind this production includes many well-known Northwest video folks, such as:

• Executive Producer: Anne Stadler, community leadership consultant, formerly KING-TV5 documentaries and specials Producer
• Co-Producers and Writers: Terry Tazioli, writer/on-air Host, formerly with The Seattle Times, KING-TV5
• Lucy Mohl, formerly Senior Manager, Microsoft (and previously KING-TV, Film.com and RealNetworks)
• Production Manager, Videographer, Editor: Aaron Stadler, www.fatcatVDO.com
• Videographers: Bill Fenster, www.billfensterproductions.com
• Diana Wilmar, www.foxwilmar.com/bios/bios
• Videographer/Editor: Rowan North, LinkedIn
• Still Photographer: Kimi Milo
• Audio: Stevan Smith
• Scott MacLaughlin
• Robin Sarmento

This project is still in production, and like most productions-in-progress, is still seeking funds to complete it.

Executive Producer Anne Stadler says:

“We’re looking for at least $7,000. One thing we want to do is get this packaged with a series of discussion questions to market to Mayors and City governments around the state and country. So anything more that we raise, will go toward THAT. Haven’t budgeted for that yet.

Donations will go towards editing the doc, as well as producing a couple of shorter pieces: skate park and young people; Burien and BIAS.”

Here’s how you can help:

Send whatever you can to the Sunyata Foundation; all Donors will get their names in the credits, as well as a DVD of the video, along with the heartwarming knowledge that you helped promote Your Burien (keep in mind that this is a non-profit, 501-C3 organization):

Sunyata Foundation
PO Box 58788
Renton WA. 98058

As more elements get produced, we’ll preview clips here…so stay tuned to The B-Town Blog.

Our intern, Bryan Charles, of Big Picture High School, has created another Flash-animated cartoon in his “3 Frog Bros.” series.

As we mentioned before, Bryan is a budding young artist, has a passion for comics, cartoons and humor, and his Flash skills are growing quite rapidly.

Here’s what he has to say about this week’s “3 Frog Bros.,“:

“Good news from the Frog Brothers universe!!

After a recent hard drive failure, lots of animation is being redone, this however does mean quality is at a minimal compared to the originals, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be as awesomely funny and epic, so to show you what I’ve recently achieved, here is a preview of the 3 Frog Brothers Movie in high definition!!”

- Bryan Charles
Writer/Animator/Actor

To see more of Bryan’s work, click here.

Burien resident Tom Nelligan will be channeling Elvis this Friday (Jan. 8th) when he returns to the 13th annual Seattle Invitationals, the contest to find the area’s best amateur Elvis tribute artist!

Tom has lived in Burien for years and is a local painting contractor – but on the side, in his heart-of-hearts, he’s a hip-swivelin’, pelvis-shakin’ Elvis Tribute Artist!

He’ll be “leaving the (Burien) building” this Friday night to perform at the Seattle Invitationals, hoping to take home the top prize by singing the crowd favorite “I Got A Woman.”

Here are the details:

WHAT: Seattle Invitationals – The search for the new amateur King of Rock and Roll, featuring Burien’s own Tom Nelligan!

WHEN: Friday, January 8th at 8pm (Elvis’ 75th Birthday!)

WHERE: Club Motor, located at 1950 First Ave. S. in SODO, Seattle

COST: Tickets are $12.00 in advance & $15.00 at the door; buy tickets online here.

INFO: From their flier:

That’s right, the thirteen-year old “mother of all Seattle amateur musical contests” is back in style for 2010…

On The King’s Birthday, Friday January 8th 2009, this beloved Seattle institution returns to Seattle and TO beckon impersonators from near and far to represent just what “The King” really means to them!  There is only one place in Seattle each year where you can see thirty different impersonators in full hip-gyrating, fried Chicken-eating and swooning action… You’ll probably even see his wife Priscilla, manager Colonel Tom Parker and even Red West, The King’s alleged best friend in the crowd or on stage… it’s all at the Seattle Invitationals !

Each Amateur performer in attendance will tackle one of the Kings many personas: the innocent and magnetic country boy, the hip-swinging rockabilly superstar, Army Elvis, the Hollywood playboy, the devout gospel singer, or the diamond-studded, gold-sun glassed Vegas crooner. Each impersonator will get one chance to show what he (or she) is made of – a single shot to perform a song, in costume, backed by the fabulous Kentucky Rain band!

A panel of celebrity judges and an audience clap-o-meter decide on who will be crowned The King of the Seattle Invitationals…

Live Music!  Comedy!  Over 20 professional and amateur Elvis Tribute Artists!

Judges include VFTA (Vern Fonk Tribute Artist) Robert Thielke, Rockabilly Queen Sweetpea, Priscilla and The Colonel!

Hosted by Seattle comedian Nicole Lucas, with special Guest Appearance by Robert Washington, winner of Image of Elvis contest in Memphis!

Opening by THE KINGS, female-fronted Elvis tribute band.

Starring THE KENTUCKY RAIN BAND!

More information at http://www.SeattleInvitationals.com

And here’s the best video we could find from a previous Invitational, with KING-TV’s Jim Dever doing his Elvis:

Story and Video by Scott Schaefer

As if on cue, the sun made a brief appearance, the rain stopped, and during a nice lull on an otherwise typical, windy New Year’s Day, 29 people braved the chilly waters of Puget Sound and kicked off the new decade and year at the annual Three Tree Point Polar Bear Plunge in Burien.

With air temps hovering around a mild 50 degrees, and the water temp not far below, this was the biggest turnout that we’ve ever seen for Burien’s annual festivity.

This event also served as a fundraiser for the Highline Food Bank, and according to co-organizer Bob Hubbs, netted 100 pounds of food donations and $50 in cash.

Carol O’Kennedy (along with her dog Kaya) was awarded the Polar Bear Plunge trophy, which consisted of a piece of driftwood, a small Polar Bear and a plaque. To see Carol and her dog, be sure to watch the video below.

Our own intrepid Sales Dude Bart Bryan also participated (after first getting some “fortification”), utilizing our exclusive, customized and waterproofed “Polar Bear Plunge POV” video camera, and here’s our video of the day’s event:

We’re proud of our latest Intern, Bryan Charles of Big Picture High School, who’s not only learning new things about storytelling, but has been teaching himself Flash and making numerous animations, all based around his original “3 Frog Bros” cartoon.

Here’s his latest creation, “3 Frog Bros Episode 5” in which the Frog Bros have a close encounter of the strange, and oftentimes funny, kind (keep in mind that he drew and animated this entire thing himself, with the only help coming from friends doing voices):

Have a cartoon idea for Bryan? Email him here!

This just in from BTB Advertiser Richard Doane of Burien Auto Repair – looks like Richard and his wife Sheila are housing one of Burien’s fastest-rising stars – a dog named Ryder!

Ryder, a Pembroke Welsh Corgi and lifelong Burien resident, will be appearing in Hallmark’s 100th Anniversary TV Commercial, which will air this Sunday night (Nov. 29th) during the “Hallmark Hall of Fame Movie – A Dog Named Christmas,” which begins at 9pm on KIRO-TV (channel 7).

We’ve been told that the ad will be shown during the first commercial break, so be sure to set your TiVos/DVRs or watch closely for the first 20 minutes.

Owner Richard was recently contacted by Leo Burnett Advertising in Chicago who had previewed thousands of dog videos, and guess what? They selected Ryder to be one of the stars in this commercial, which will air nationally.

Ryder was selected for the commercial based on the following YouTube video clip that Richard shot and posted after his dog’s 1st Birthday about two years ago – it shows Ryder “blowing out the candles” on his birthday cake:

And get this – YOU can help make Ryder the winner of Hallmark’s “Cutest Dog of the Season” contest by voting online here:

www.hhofdogcontest.com/results/current-entries?name=ryder+doane

(Don’t forget to forward the link on to all your friends – let’s see if we can make Ryder a real star!)

According to Richard, for his “acting services,” Ryder was paid $350 which he plans to donate to PAWS to help out dogs and cats less fortunate than himself.

Here’s what Richard had to say:

Ryder was chosen not only for his award-winning talent, but also for his positive attitude and willingness to help others.

When not chasing a tennis ball, Ryder loves to chase birds for fun, and go to the lake with his posse of other Corgis.

He has been a “therapy dog” at the Highline Medical Center, and enjoys spending time with his family and friends.

Remember to set your TiVo for Sunday night’s feature presentation – or at least until the first commercial break!

We recently produced a video ad for longtime B-Town Blog Advertiser Highline Audiology, which includes real testimonials from real, actual (and all unpaid) patients:

[Are you a Business looking to make a major impact on the internet? Video is one of the most effective ways to market, and our experienced production team can produce one for you and post it here to over 30,000 local Readers, as well as market it on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter! For more information, email us or call (206) 248-2565!]

It was “Heroes” week at Camp Craz, Burien Parks’ summer daycamp program, and on Wednesday, July 22nd, officers from the Burien Police Department visited with the kids.

Here’s a video courtesy Burien Parks, with our fave moments at :25 (kid yells “pull over!!” into the microphone) and at 1:35 (same kid yells “I like fishing!”):

Three Tree Point resident Alex Sasonoff sent us this photo he took of what appears to be a very large Lion’s Mane Jellyfish washed up on the beach in Burien last weekend (his dog Dottie is in the pic to show scale):

“It was the largest I have ever seen on the beach – three and one half feet in diameter. I measured it,” Sasanoff said.

And yes, the world’s largest jellyfish do sting – just check out the colorful red and orange tentacles on that guy.

According to Wikipedia:

Lion’s Mane Jellyfish is the largest known species of jellyfish in the world.

Its range is confined to cold, boreal waters of the Arctic, northern Atlantic and northern Pacific Oceans, seldom found farther south than 42°N latitude.

The Arctic Lion’s mane jellyfish is one of the longest known animals; the largest recorded specimen had a bell (body) with a diameter of 2.3 m (7 feet 6 inches) and the tentacles reached 36.5 m (120 feet). It was found washed up on the shore of Massachusetts Bay in 1870. This specimen was longer than a blue whale, which is commonly considered to be the largest animal in the world.

A common species, the lion’s mane jellyfish is well known to divers for its painful, but seldom fatal stings; they are toxic and can cause severe burns. Most encounters cause only temporary pain and localized redness. Although this species is potentially dangerous, only one person has ever been reported to have been killed by this type of jellyfish.

Here’s a video of one of these guys swimming in TTP waters that we previously posted from Youtube user and area diver m4jwilliams:

Burien’s recently-installed, controversial nude female sculpture has become a local media sensation (which we first covered on Monday), and Thursday (June 25th) our B-Town Blog video production crew of Mark Neuman and Bart Bryan dared to actually go near “Paradigm Shift,” the lifelike bronze Mike Magrath statue located at the Interim Art Space, where they shot this video:

If you haven’t yet read our original story, it’s worth a peek since the Comments are quite interesting – click here to read ‘em.

A group of longtime area residents has teamed up to re-record and release a very timely music video for a song called The New Depression Blues, which we present for your amusement below:

Here’s a note from Co-Writer, Musician and video Director Beau Robinson:

Originally written by Carl Larson and Pat Robinson in 1971, The New Depression Blues was rewritten in 1982 following the recession that gripped the country then, when the unemployment rate crested at 9% and the famous billboard went up asking the ‘last person to leave seattle’ to turn out the lights.

Now that the economy is faltering again, “Country Carl,” who grew up in the Standring Lane area of Burien, and Pat and Beau, who lived in White Center, decided to resurrect The New Depression Blues and shoot a video to accompany it.

Shot in High Definition video in the actual Maple Valley trailer park that “Country Carl” lives in today, the trio figured it was an appropriate set to exemplify the state of mind of the people of this nation.

The song includes a plea to President Obama, along with a promise to vote for him again if he does well.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

Here are the lyrics if you feel like singin’ along:

My jeans are wearin thin
My pockets wearin through
I aint had a paycheck
Since they’ve closed the factory too

I got the new..I got the New Depression Blues
And things aint been this bad here since 1932

The unemployment office,
they pay my salary
but when my checks stopped coming
You know I just can’t live for free
I got the new..I got the New Depression Blues
and things aint been this bad here.since 1932

(Instr.)

Now they bailed out the big banks
And motor city too
They foreclosed on my house
and my trailer rent is overdue
I don’t know how they figure
That a man’s supposed to live
When they’ve taken just bout everything
He could ever give
I got the new.I got the new depression blues
and things aint been this bad heresince 1932

So lets ask President Obama
have some mercy on us too
get this country back in shape
we’ll vote you back in Oh One Two

I got the new..I got the new depression blues
And things aint been this bad here since 1932.

Copyright © 2009 Robinson, Larson, Robinson

More info at the “Nickel Records” website.

by Matt Marble

When Adam Sandler first appeared on Saturday Night Live in the 80’s, it was clear that he was going to become a great comedic actor.

He has stayed strong since then with films like Happy Gilmore, Billy Madison, and The Longest Yard.

Now he stars in Disney’s “Bedtime Stories” as Skeeter Bronson, a happy-go-lucky hotel handyman who dreams of one day running the establishment that his father built.

But when the current owner informs him that the job will go to his arch enemy Kendall (Guy Pearce), he feels like all he’s worked for has been flushed down the toilet. Then his sister Angie (Courtney Cox) has a business trip and asks Skeeter to watch his niece and nephew for a couple days. This seems like his worst nightmare, but when the stories he tells them actually start to come true, Skeeter sees this as an opportunity to help his situation.

I had a feeling going into this film it was going to funny and…I was right.

Filled with tons of laughs and great chemistry, this has been the funniest movie I have seen this year! And with this film being a made by Disney, you can be sure that it’s kid friendly.

Adam Sandler makes a great role model in this movie by showing children that happy endings aren’t just for fairy tales.

Local theaters and showtimes here.

Here are some clips to tide you over until you hit the theater:

[EDITOR'S NOTE: "Matt's Movies" is a regular movie-review column written by Matt Marble, a 17-year old student at Highline School District's Big Picture High School.

If you have a movie you'd like for him to review, please email him.

Look for more of his movie reviews and other articles soon on The B-Town Blog!]

by Josh Hart

It just so happens that the first inauguration I ever witnessed in my short lifetime happens to be one of the most historical inaugurations in many people’s lifetimes.

As I listened to the inauguration over the internet, I particularly focused on Barack Obama’s speech. After he was sworn in, even despite the couple mistakes by Supreme Court Justice Roberts, the crowd started chanting “OBAMA!”

After the crowd quieted down, our new President started with:

“My fellow citizens, I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors.”

He then continued by thanking his predecessor George W. Bush. Following that he said:

“Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.”

He talked about the crisis of America being at war among topics of the economy.

Then came what I thought was the greatest part of his speech:

“In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted — for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom. For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life. For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth. For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn. Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.”

Those are some of the greatest couple of paragraphs I have ever heard. I think that was what made this speech great also. Those few paragraphs included every race and gender, and really tied America into one. He didn’t leave anyone out, but instead included us all.

It was FANTASTIC!!!

I am really looking forward to seeing what he brings to America and I can’t wait to hear more of his speeches.

Here’s an interesting “highlight” video of Obama’s big day, as shot by Colorado Filmmaker & Photojournalist Brian Malone:

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Josh Hart is the B-Town Blog's first Intern! He's also a 15-year old student at Highline's “Big Picture High School” in SeaTac.

You can read more of his writing here...]

Burien Parks produced this video, which showcases area seniors who took part the first ever regional Wii Bowling League Tournament between participating senior centers on Jan. 7th:

The virtual non-gutter ball, strike & spare-rollin’ Senior Bowlers were from various centers around South King County, and the tournament was hosted by the Great American Casino in Tukwila.

According to numerous, reliable sources (and this is apparent in the video), a fun time was had by all!

[EDITOR'S NOTE: If you have a Wii, please be sure to wear your wrist strap at all times, else suffer the fate of this clumsy Wii Bowler:}

From our friends at Burien Parks comes this video and information on a very impressive sculpture coming soon to Burien Town Square:

Here’s more info on this project:

The Burien/ Interim Art Space is a year-long experiment, combining and transforming the concepts of art, temporary green spaces, and community gathering. The Interim Art Space at Burien’s Town Square will be kicked off by displaying Buriens first major temporary art piece, The Passage, a sculpture depicting a mother and child walking together to share and explore life.

This artwork was first created by Dan Das Mann and Karen Cusolito for the 2005 Burning Man Arts Festival in the Nevada desert. The figures stand a dramatic 30 and 20 feet tall and are fabricated out of recycled and scrap metal. The interim art space will occupy a temporarily vacant one-acre parcel of Buriens Town Square project. This exciting space will not only showcase art but will be an energetic gathering place for Buriens citizens.

B/IAS will be a working canvas that will be transformed by the efforts of both artists and the community throughout the year. The art space will celebrate its opening in December of 2008 with the installation of The Passage. The project will conclude when the sculpture is removed and construction begins at the site on a future phase of Town Square.

B/IAS is a collaboration between the City of Burien Arts Commission, Urban Partners, GGLO and Ignition NW. For more information please contact Gina Kallman, City of Burien Cultural Arts Supervisor, (206) 988-3713, ginak@burienwa.gov.

So…whaddaya think of this sculpture?

And do you have any ideas for what else should go in the “Interim Art Space” at Burien Town Square?

Email us or post a Comment below…

As you’ve probably heard by now, a shooting inside Tukwila’s Westfield Southcenter Mall on Saturday Nov. 22nd left one young man dead and another seriously injured, the gunman still at large, and the mall locked down for a while before being evacuated.

Police are still searching for the suspect.

We’ve managed to gather several videos related to the shooting:

KOMO News:

KIRO-TV:

KING-TV:

CELL PHONE VIDEO NEAR VICTIM:

TWO YOUNG WOMEN STUCK IN PARKING GARAGE TRAFFIC:

KID’S YOUTUBE COMMENTARY VIDEO:

Story and Video by Janet Grella

With the passing of Dick Dahlgard on Wednesday, Nov. 5th, Burien has lost one of its most passionate supporters. So passionate in fact, that he was often referred to as “Mr. Burien.”

While working in sales at the Highline Times, I passed many informative hours sitting in Dick’s very cluttered office at Dick’s Camera and Video on First Avenue in Burien. He’d share Burien’s history and historical artifacts with me and tell me endless stories about the old days. Like most people in Burien, I bought my first camera from Dick (I was over 50, and it was a digital!).

And like most people in Burien, I considered Dick Dahlgard a friend.

As a 1954 graduate of Highline High School, Dick was a treasure-trove of information about the school and area.  When we last spoke, he was busy planning the 55th Reunion of the class of ‘54 which will take place next summer. The only time he was away from Burien was while he was in the service after high school.  He was proud of his kids and their service to our country. Daughter Paige served in the Washington Army National Guard in Baghdad, Iraq, while son Nels is a Marine currently stationed in California.

Among many venues of community service, Dick was the official photographer and promoter of The Hi-Liners from its very beginning; a board member of Discover Burien and past president of Merchants of Burien; and a board member and volunteer of The Highline Historical Society.

He was always proud of his 46-year association with Rotary International, especially the Burien/White Center chapter that meets every Thursday at 12 noon at Angelo’s of Burien. He was so devoted that he never missed a meeting in his entire 46 years.

Wanting to pay tribute to Dick, I caught up with a few local Rotarians Thursday prior to this week’s meeting, tragically the first missed by Dick in 46 years.  Many members were just hearing about his passing when they entered the weekly gathering.

We at the BTB cannot put into words what Dick Dahlgard meant to this community. Here’s what some of his fellow Rotarians and a few community leaders had to say about Dick:

If you’d like to share your thoughts on Dick, please do so in our Comments section below.

NOTE: to prevent spam comments, we kindly ask that if you haven’t yet registered, please register or log in to post a comment.

If you didn’t make it to our Halloween Blog Party at The Mark Restaurant & Bar Tuesday night, you missed scenes like this – Bart “On the Street” Bryan singing “I Wanna Be Sedated” by The Ramones:

Last Saturday night (Sept. 6th) we sponsored an outdoor mini concert/music stage on SW 152nd and 10th Ave SW in Olde Burien at B-Town’s annual Artwalk.

We called it B-Town BlogstockAPalooza, and we had a great turnout (most likely due to the fact that both The Mark and The Tin Room featuring “extended outdoor seating”).

The show featured four bands:

• Daybreak
• Lost in the Bamboo
• Skwish
• Morris Can Fly

Here’s one of many videos we shot, this one an annotated “Pop-Up Video” styled clip featuring the original song “Oceans” by Lost in the Bamboo, whose founding member Ted Walker was instrumental (pun intended) in helping us line up the bands and get the show done:

More videos coming soon, and be sure to check out our new Music Channel!

by Cynthia Reid

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Elizabeth also had this to say:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For more information please go to  www.fortheworldschildren.org

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

Saturday’s annual Artwalk (aka Arts A-Glow) was a resounding success, with a wide variety of art, artists, musicians, performers and more spread throughout downtown Burien on SW 152nd all day long.

We had a booth outside Jay Lauris Jewelry and met quite a few friendly neighbors, then managed to find time to sneak away to enjoy a few of the festivities ourselves.

Hours of video were shot, dozens of photos taken, all of which will be edited and doled out over the next several days here, so be sure to check back often.

Some of our fave moments of the day included:

• Stumbling upon an acrobat rehearsal in the parking lot of Karuna Yoga
• Writing messages on the glass to the artists living inside the storefront windows
• Seeing autistic artist Chris Stiles’ original paintings up close at Sterling Savings Bank
• Seeing children dance the night away during the first-ever BlogstockAPalooza Music Fest
• Gathering new “slogan ideas” for Burien and reading them aloud between bands at BlogstockAPalooza (which we’ll be revealing over the next several days so stay tuned…)
• Watching great local bands with distinctly different original styles
• Happening upon the Ballard Ave Jug Busters, who played good ol’ boy honkytonk music on the sidewalk outside the Continuing Education office on SW 15nd:

We’re pretty sure this is a legit Youtube video of some Burien kid who calls himself l2ape doing a killer gee-tar solo – watch and let us know (in comments below) what you think – could this be B-Town’s own Jimi Hendrix?

Or have we been duped into a Purple Haze?

And if you know this kid, or perhaps you are this kid, please email us ASAP!

Some pretty cool takedowns and Bruce Lee-ish moves in this video of a karate demonstration of Kyokushin Karate by the Seattle branch of the Northwest Kyokushinkai at the recent Shinnyo-en summer festival in Burien:

Filmed at the Burien Skatepark and found on YouTube is this video of some dude doing some sick ‘boardin in B-Town (warning: music track contains some naughty words, so turn the volume down if kids are around!):

From local resident and YouTube User (and frequent nature videographer) 98166n comes this rather provocative video rant about graffiti and its effect on Burien:

“I support the City’s efforts to clean up graffiti, and the revised graffiti ordinance could be a useful tool.

The City of Burien could show leadership in this effort by cleaning up City properties.

The City has spent millions of dollars to improve our quality of life and also the perception of Burien in the minds of others living around the Puget Sound region.

Graffiti covering our public parks, the public face of the City most often seen by citizens and visitors, undermines all our efforts to improve our city.

This video inventory of graffiti in Burien Parks gives City managers and their contractors a place to start.

Some of it has remained for many years.

I look forward to revisiting these locations 10 days from now and finding all this graffiti removed.

When City leaders ensure that the City follows its own laws, they set an example for the citizens and speed the attainment of our collective goals.”

[WARNING: SOME NON-FAMILY FRIENDLY LANGUAGE WITHIN THIS VIDEO:]

It’ll be interesting to see what happens next – will the City respond?

Or will we see another video record and rant soon?

Hey Cityfolk…you still reading this here Blog?

Courtesy Burien Parks comes this video of Seattle artist Susan Robb’s one-day temporary art installation (now gone) called Warmth, Giant Black Toobs, which was showcased at Lake Burien School Park last Thursday:

In Warmth, Giant Black Toobs, Robb uses solar power and ambient breezes to give life to the ever-present black plastic garbage bag:

• Giant polypropylene garbage bags, 50 feet tall by 30 inches in diameter, are inflated with air by allowing the wind to fill them or by running with them
• One end is staked to the ground; the other end is free
• The sun does the rest
• Employing a similar principle to that of hot air balloons, the sun heats the air inside the toobs, and since hot air is less dense than cold air, the toobs become buoyant!

Pretty cool stuff, but what would you expect from such an artist haven as Burien?

Be sure to mark your summerific calendars for this Thursday, July 17th for the “Family Fiesta” featuring Correo Aereo and the New Futures Dancers, performing from 6:30pm – 8pm.

Here’s some video samplers of what you can expect, only visualize yourself outside on a warm summer night at Lake Burien School Park:

View Larger Map

On Thursday, July 17th, Seattle artist Susan Robb will be showcasing her outdoor, temporary art installation called Warmth, Giant Black Toobs at Lake Burien School Park (located at SW 148th & 16th Ave SW) from 11:00 am to 4:30 pm.

In Warmth, Giant Black Toobs, Robb uses solar power and ambient breezes to give life to the ever-present black plastic garbage bag:

• Giant polypropylene garbage bags, 50 feet tall by 30 inches in diameter, are inflated with air by allowing the wind to fill them or by running with them
• One end is staked to the ground; the other end is free
• The sun does the rest
• Employing a similar principle to that of hot air balloons, the sun heats the air inside the toobs, and since hot air is less dense than cold air, the toobs become buoyant!

Check out these “YouToob” videos (ha) for a better idea of what to expect – definitely other-worldly stuff:

Come to Lake Burien School Park on July 17th and experience this fascinating sculpture!

Bring your lunch and watch as the toobs move in the breeze.

The artist will be on site for questions (we know what we’re going to ask her – what did she do with all the garbage that was once inside these giant garbage bags?).

View Larger Map

Courtesy BTB Reader Greg Rehmke comes this video shot last night at 9:30pm as the 4th celebrations begins at Lake Burien (listen for the apparent air horn coordination signal):

Another photo taken earlier in the day by Greg of activity on the lake – note the floating picnic table-like dock full of folks (what if someone has to, you know…go to the bathroom?):

 

Ever been pepper sprayed?

I haven’t, but from what I hear, it stings and burns like a son-ova-uknowwhat.

If you’re a cop, or a cop-in-training, like we have at our local Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission facility (located at 19010 1st Avenue South), it is apparently a requirement that you get pepper sprayed during training.

I guess this way you know exactly how those bad guys feel when they’re on the receiving end of it.

I found two videos of apparent WSCJTC trainees getting pepper (aka “O.C.” which stands for the main ingredient, Oleoresin Capsicum) sprayed.

The most interesting part of these videos is that, right after getting zoinked directly in the eyes (and being told to “open your eyes!”), each victim then blindly (and obviously in a great deal of discomfort) staggers over and starts punching and kicking a punching bag, all while being cheered (or jeered) on by classmates.

Man, there are some wild things going on around B-Town:

The dedication and official opening of Jacob Ambaum Park was last Friday, June 13th, and here’s some video of it.

The coolest part of the video (to us at least…) happens around 6:33 when the camera catches 90-year old Mary Ambaum deLeuw, the actual daughter of pioneer Jacob Ambaum!

Mary grew up near where the new park is located, and we here at the BTB are honored to show you this historic footage, as captured by Burien Parks:

View Larger Map

What happens when some thrill-seeking dude with a video camera decides to videotape his and his buddy’s longboard ride down SW 170th to Three Tree Point?

This does:

(thanks xcbarrett!)

Humorous found video of some dude’s Dad “doing karate moves” in B-Town in the 70s:

From the YouTube account:

This is 8mm footage of my dad decked out in his karate gear performing a kata. Circa 1973. The music was added when my grandparents had their 8mm movies transferred to VHS. The best parts are when he swings his head to get the hair out of his eyes. For those of you who don’t know my dad now, he doesn’t have hair anymore. 

This is a pretty cool flyover vid of Westfield Southcenter done using a radio/remote-controlled airplane, shot by Cascade Aerial Photography:

Burien has its own Titanic folks – apparently there’s a sunken old ski boat off Three Tree Point, and we found footage of it that does not (thankfully) include Leonardo DiCaprio or Kate Winslet.

Although some of the anemone are better actors:

The things we love about this video are:

• The fisheye lens throughout gives it that other-worldly look
• Camera operator was actually skateboarding behind the featured Sk8r  (without falling…)
• The amazing athletic skills of Isaac, the star

Earlier this week, we brought you a collection of some interesting Burien Skatepark videos.

Today, we bring you this highly unusual Skate Video, shot in Burien as well:

[EDITOR'S NOTE: "Boing."]

Say what you will, but we here at the B-Town Blog strongly believe:

• Skateboarding is not a crime
• The Burien Skatepark is a great place for today’s kids
• Skateboarding is exercise and requires skill
• Some pretty cool videos of sk8rs in action are out there

Here are a few:
Joey middle bowl to quarter pipe:

Aaron middle bowl to quarter pipe (according to the Youtube poster, “Aaron is the youngest person (12) to ever do this gap from the middle bowl to the quarter pipe at burien skatepark. NO GRAB”:

Alex burien footy:

Alex breaks his board (warning: strong language):

Burien line:

Do you have some cool skateboarding videos shot in B-Town?

Send ‘em our way!

View Larger Map

Proof that, despite the recent soggy gloom, Spring is really here – amazing video of a male Chickadee building a nest by digging rotten wood out of an old alder stump near Eagle Landing Park:

This video courtesy of YouTube user 98166n.