STB Real Estate Sponsor Prudential Northwest’s Open House is a spacious 4,600 square foot view home in desirable Shorewood On The Sound!

Walls of windows offer a picturesque backdrop for every season, and an expansive deck awaits entertaining and soaking in the scenery.

Original plans were by Ben Woo, and grounds by Kubota Gardens.

No need to join the gym with your very own fitness room and indoor swimming pool with hot tub.

RV/boat parking in a convenient location with easy commute to airport and downtown Seattle.

Here are some pics (click images to see larger versions):

Here are the details:

WHAT: Prudential NW Open House

WHEN: Sunday, June 16, from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.

WHERE: 12223 Shorewood Drive SW, Burien, WA 98146 (DIRECTIONS: from 116th Ave SW head South on 26th, left on Shorewood Drive SW; home will be on your right).

INFO:

• List Price: $998,950
• MLS Number: 499285
• Bedrooms: 4
• Bathrooms: 3
• Year Built: 1969
• Approximate House SqFt: 4,600

Site Features:

• Wired for Generator
• Bath Off Master
• Ceiling Fan(s)
• Dble Pane/Strm Windw
• Dining Room
• High Tech Cabling
• Hot Tub/Spa
• Security System
• Skylights
• Walk-in Closet
• Hot Tub/Spa
• Patio
• RV Parking
• Sprinkler System

Marketing remarks:

Amazing opportunity to own this spacious 4,600 sq foot view home in desirable Shorewood On The Sound.

Walls of windows offer a picturesque backdrop for every season. Expansive deck for entertaining and soaking in the scenery…feels like high bank waterfront.

Original plans by Ben Woo & grounds by Kubota Gardens.

No need to join the gym with your very own fitness room and indoor swimming pool w/ hot tub!

RV / boat parking. Convenient location w/easy commute to airport & downtown Seattle.

Click here to see the full, detailed listing.

Click here to view all of Prudential Northwest’s Open Houses.

Click image to see larger version.

Burien’s annual Wild Strawberry Festival is this weekend – Saturday, June 15 and Sunday, June 16 at Burien Town Square Park

New this year will be the first-ever “Band-a-Palooza,” which will include numerous marching/symphonic bands playing live!

Carnival rides will also run both through the weekend.

The city produced the following promo video for this year’s event:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Here’s the full entertainment schedule, which you can also download as a printable PDF here:

SATURDAY, JUNE 15 – 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.:

• 8 a.m.– 11:30 a.m.: Kiwanis Club Pancake Breakfast at Burien Fire Station

Band-a-Palooza (Town Square Stage @ SW 152nd & 5th Place SW):

• 10:00am – 10:45am Highline Community Symphonic Band
• 11:00am – 11:45am Renton City Concert Band
• 12noon – 12:45pm Backwoods Wind Jammers
• 1:00pm – 1:45pm Woodinville Community Band
• 2:00pm – 2:45pm Bellingham High School Alumni Band
• 3:00pm – 3:45pm Bellevue Community Band
• 4:00pm – 4:45pm Around the Sound Community Band
• 5:00pm – 6:00pm Ballard Sedentary Sousa Band
• 6:00pm – 6:45pm MJJO Swing Band

150th St Performance Pavilion (SW 150th & 5th)

• 10:00 – 12noon PK Dwyer (Blues)
• 12noon – 12:30pm Vovinam (Dragon/Lion Dance, Martial Arts
• 1:00 – 1:45pm New City Dance – Hip Hop workshop
• 2:15 – 3:00pm Bubble Man
• 3:15 – 4:15pm Voices of Burien Poetry Slam
• 4:30 – 5:30pm Spank Williams

Town Square Garage (SW 151st between 5th & 6th)

• 10:00am – 8:00pm: B-Boy Jam Break Dance Battles

Wandering Performers:

• 11:00am – 1:00pm Steve the Pretty Good (Comedy, Magic)
  TBA The Hi-Liners
• Noon – 2:00 Mariachi Fiesta Mexicana
• 3:00 – 4:30pm Spank Williams
  

SUNDAY, JUNE 16 – 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.:

SW 152nd Street:

• 10am-4pm: Discover Burien Father’s Day Car Show & Chili Cook-Off

Town Square Stage (SW 152nd & 5th)

• 10:00am – 11:00am Cornerstone Burien Band (Rock/cover)
• 11:15am – 11:45am New City Dance Studio
• 12:15pm – 1:00pm Git Hoan Dancers – The People of the Salmon (Native American Dance)
• 1:30pm – 2:00pm Momentum Dance Studio
• 2:30pm – 3:45pm Banda Vagos (Latin Rock)
• 3:45pm – 4:00pm Chili Cook-Off winners announced

150th Street Performance Pavilion (SW 150th & 5th)

• 11:30am – 12noon RopeWorks
• 12noon – 1:00pm Shumba Marimba Ensemble
• 1:00pm – 1:30pm RopeWorks
• 1:45pm – 2:45pm Abrace
• 3:00pm – 4:00pm Summer Januaries

Wandering Performers

• 11:30am – 3:00pm Summer Januaries
• 11:00am – 3:00pm The Laff Master–Mr Mario!
• 10:00am – 4:00pm Turtle Theater

Burien Parks and Recreation Booth (Saturday and Sunday): Come test your knowledge and answer questions about all things Burien Parks & Recreation. You could win a PRIZE!

The Wild Strawberry Festival will be held at Burien Town Square Park, near the intersection of SW 152nd and 5th Place SW:

View Larger Map

by Earl Gipson

Tuesday’s Council Meeting and Study Session were relatively uneventful. In the Study Session we had the ULI (Urban Land Institute) give the Council recommendations for the Angle Lake Station. The only thing missing was their track record of successes/failures of those other Cities that took their advice. They see beautiful walkways, plazas, and all the happy stuff where others may see high crime/gang gathering areas, high density (10 pounds of crap in a 5 pound bag), and other negatives light rail has blessed other Cities with.

Now for something possibly politically incorrect (as if that’s ever stopped me).

I also attended the State Refugee Advisory Committee meeting held at SeaTac City Hall on Friday (the 7th). Un-elected Mayor Anderson (flanked as always by un-elected Deputy Mayor Gregerson) gave the introductions with diversity his buzz word of the day and bragged that SeaTac has plenty of affordable housing. Well Mr. Anderson, there is always lots of affordable housing in aspiring slums.

According to their data, the faucet of refugees headed for SeaTac, Tukwila, etc. is still on full blast. This committee showed not the least concern of what this is doing and has done to the existing community, its schools, and services. They gave the impression it was humorous that some refugees don’t know how to use a toilet, stove, and used the refrigerator to keep their clothes cool and their bed frames to dry food. It’s not so funny when people are relieving themselves in your backyard and the building owner wonders why he as to keep replacing refrigerators and bed frames.

One must wonder how many people would have stayed in SeaTac if they knew we were going to be part of a grand social experiment in the last decade. I don’t have to wonder too much. We lost a third of our registered voters from 2001 to 2011. Spokane, a City of 200,000 seems to get about 500 refugees per year. Perhaps they can absorb that amount but little SeaTac (pop. 27K) and Tukila (pop. 15K) cannot.

I can remember a year or so ago a group called NewFutures presented to the SeaTac City Council a young lady with two or three small children who had lived in SeaTac King County Subsidized Housing for 8 years. She spoke no English and needed a translator to speak before the Council touting NewFutures and KCH. If this is a success story, what does a failure look like?

I implore this committee and the other “do gooder” organizations to turn off the refugee faucet to South King County and give the existing residents (those that remain). new residents, and our schools/services some time to breathe and adapt. You are killing what’s left of our community. Of course we need a Community Building Committee. It should be called the Community Rebuilding Committee because you broke the old one!

Accepting the Innovation Lab award Saturday were (left to right): Writer/Producer Steve Edmiston, Producer Danny House, Executive Producer John White, Director of Photography Michael Boydstun and Director/Producer Scott Schaefer. Photo courtesy Washington Filmworks.

The Innovation Lab program offers funding assistance support, and is designed to challenge local filmmakers to create motion picture content that traverses multiple platforms. It’s part of a long term economic development strategy designed to invest in the future of film by tapping into Washington’s creative community and encouraging original storytelling that capitalizes on new forms of production and technology.

“This is a tremendous honor,” Edmiston said, “and we are thrilled to receive this award, which will help us create innovative new forms to tell this long-forgotten piece of local UFO history.”

Filming on the production is set to begin in the south Puget Sound area June 28.

“Winning an award like this really propels this project forward,” Schaefer added. “This film has really got a life of its own, with a lot of momentum, and it’s becoming a lot of fun for all involved. That is, as long as no Men In Black try to stop it…”

A jury of industry experts, representing all facets of motion picture production, multiplatform storytelling, and emerging entertainment models selected finalists from a diverse pool of 25 quality applications.

Here’s what Jury member Matt Vancil said as he presented the award:

“The Maury Island Incident exposes a fascinating hidden history: the first recorded UFO incidents in the US didn’t occur in Roswell, but in Washington. This captivating project brings a spooky local legend to light and sets the stage for ongoing storytelling on the subject.”

Final decisions were based on the merits of each project and its investment in Washington State. The Board of Washington Filmworks approved the jury recommendations for funding and the awards were announced on Saturday, June 8 at the Seattle International Film Festival. These projects, helmed by Washington resident filmmakers, will push the boundaries of how motion picture content is used, and help create new revenue models for the motion picture industry.

“The five recipients of funding assistance have creative vision and a deep understanding of the business of film,” said Amy Lillard, Executive Director of Washington Filmworks. “As the digital revolution continues to shape the future of entertainment, each of these filmmakers are thinking creatively about how to leverage their story with existing technology resources unique to Washington. This entrepreneurial approach to filmmaking will inevitably lead to exciting new business models that will help create more jobs and economic activity in the statewide motion picture industry.”

Here are the five winning projects:

• The Maury Island Incident – Steve Edmiston (Writer/Producer) and Scott Schaefer (Director/Co-Producer)
• Rocketmen – Alycia Delmore (Producer/Actor) and Webster Crowell (Writer/Director)
• Science-Trak (formerly referred to as Project Pluto) Kevin Maude (Executive Producer) and Graeme Lowry (Producer)
• People of the Salish Sea – Tracy Rector (Producer/Director) and Lou Karsen (Producer/Co-Director)
• Emerald City – Lacey Leavitt (Writer/Director) and Eric Stalzer (Co-Writer)

About The Innovation Lab
The Filmworks Innovation Lab is designed to invest in our local creative community and to encourage the development of original storytelling that capitalizes on new forms of production and technology. By leveraging our existing film infrastructure and the diversity of our in-state technology resources, Washington is uniquely positioned to incubate a groundbreaking digital entertainment platform that fosters a new Creative Economy for Washington State. For more information on the Innovation Lab, visit the following link: http://www.washingtonfilmworks.org/index.php/InnovationLab/

About Washington Filmworks
Washington Filmworks is the non-profit 501(c)(6) organization that manages the state film and production incentive programs. Its mission is to create economic development opportunities by building and enhancing the competitiveness, profile and sustainability of Washington’s film industry. We do this by creating possibilities for local and national filmmakers, offering comprehensive production support, as well as financial incentives. More info at http://www.washingtonfilmworks.org.

About The Maury Island Incident
The Maury Island Incident is a short film that tells the story of a long-forgotten UFO encounter that happened off Maury Island, WA on June 21, 1947. This often-overlooked incident happened just two days before Ken Arnold’s Mount Rainier sighting, which spawned the phrase ‘flying saucers,’ and 16 days before the infamous Roswell crash. It also included what is considered by many experts to be the first “Men in Black” encounter as well. The script is based on FBI investigative documents that were declassified in 1997 – 50 years after the incident.

For more information on the film, visit http://www.mauryislandincident.com; to donate to the production, visit http://www.mauryislandincident.com/donate/; to volunteer services, visit http://www.mauryislandincident.com/producers-seeking-donations-volunteers-and-help/.

by Earl Gipson

In Tuesday’s Planning Commission meeting Commission Chair Tapio let loose with all guns. What triggered this (I think) was a NEW 172 page Comprehensive Plan regarding SeaTac’s Surface Water Management. This document was not scheduled to be reviewed by the Planning Commission although it has extensive land use ramifications. The only reason he saw it was, like myself, he is a party of record to these type of documents. The rest of the Commission was not even notified of its popping into existence. This comes right after the surprise new and misrepresented Fire Code just two weeks ago.

That was only the trigger and then Mr. Tapio went into a litany of passionate woes with the City, its Planning, and management and how property and business owners are under constant attack by new regulations. In addition, in reference to general City conditions, he mentioned his own SeaTac home had been broken into to, the houses built in the City that were broken into almost as soon as they were sold/built, and the deterioration of the schools. Lets say he was on a roll and the frustration of all the years trying to improve things came to a head. I have never seen him in this manner but who can blame him with the thousands of hours he has put in and being ignored for the most part not to mention his own home being violated.

For a minute there I thought he was going to resign but thank goodness he did not. He is the most knowledgeable of the Commissioners (not to diminish the contributions of the other Commissioners) and it would be a great loss to the City if he left.

Lets just say Commissioner Tapio, I feel your pain and it is just one of the reasons I write this column. I have been to all the Commission Meetings and Council Meetings (since 2009) and the stakeholders have been ignored for many years. We now have new management in the Community and Economic Department along with the Planning division. Lets give them the benefit of the doubt and if that don’t work the non-resident City Manager needs to go as well (perhaps sooner than later).

The Council needs to hear the recording of Tuesday’s meeting to get a true understanding of what was said.

Sea-Tac Airport’s lead beekeeper, Bob Redmond, director of the local nonprofit The Common Acre, and beekeeper David Feinberg look at the health of the hive next to the center runway. Click image to see larger version. Photo Credit: Port of Seattle

A half-million honeybees have become the newest flying objects to join with 777s and other aircraft that call the airport home as the Port of Seattle has partnered with the nonprofit The Common Acre in a project named Flight Path, which makes Sea-Tac one of the first airports in the nation to feature an apiary.

Six hives sit at three vacant, undeveloped sites near the field. Like most airports, Sea-Tac has large tracts of open land that provide an added buffer for both safety and noise mitigation such as the runway protection zones.

With open space around the airfield and bee populations in decline, the Port of Seattle says the airport is uniquely suited to host honeybees and other pollinators. A long-term goal is to promote hardy bee populations in the region by increasing their genetic diversity and supporting them with adequate habitat.

“As a leader in sustainability, we are pleased to become one of the first airports in the U.S. to host bees,” said Port Commissioner Bill Bryant. “Bees are a critical part of the food chain and connect with our goal of growing sustainably and increasing the economic contributions of the port while reducing our environmental footprint.”

Honeybees pollinate approximately one-third of all U.S. crops that humans eat and three quarters of all of the flowering plants in the world, the Port of Seattle said in a news release. As a key part of the food chain, bees provide a regional benefit and further the Port’s goal of helping the local economy through a robust agriculture industry and related jobs. An estimated $15 billion worth of freight, including agricultural products, is exported through Sea-Tac each year.

In the face of the massive national and regional decline of bees, the program will contribute to the number of healthy bees in the region. Deforestation, disease, urbanization, invasive species and harmful agricultural and land management practices all contribute to the decline of honeybees, the Port said. The project will raise and select for the highest quality queen bees to help strengthen hive health for other beekeepers in western Washington.

Bees at Sea-Tac also will contribute to the port’s local conservation efforts at the airport’s wetland mitigation sites where nearly 150,000 plantings and other restorative projects have been underway since 2007.

“We’re excited to work with the Port of Seattle to support pollinator health,” said Bob Redmond, director of The Common Acre and lead beekeeper for Flight Path. “This project is a poster child for land stewardship: the habitat, the bees, and our food system all benefit. The port’s leadership is exemplary — I hope Flight Path becomes a model for other projects in the region and nationwide.”

Seattle-based non-profit The Common Acre advocates healthy agriculture through practical programs like this one, as well as through arts and education programs. In addition to the conservation elements of Flight Path, The Common Acre also is launching an arts program to educate and inspire youth and adults.

To increase public awareness of the importance of honeybees, Sea-Tac Airport will host a bee art and educational exhibit on concourse B. The exhibit, slated to open in January 2014, will include work on the subject of flight and bees by local artists Mandy Greer, Jason Puccinelli, David Lasky, Celeste Cooning and many others.

STB Real Estate Sponsor Prudential Northwest’s Open House – happening both Saturday and Sunday – is a gorgeous 3-bedroom home in Seahurst, priced to sell at just $329,950!

Recent interior and exterior remodeling includes Granite counters, Samsung Stainless steel appliances, Cherry kitchen cabinets, new vinyl siding, new 35-year composition roof, new Energy efficient windows, new furnace and the list goes on and on.

Gleaming Oak floors greet you upon entry, there are two spacious bedrooms on main floor and you’ll say “Wow” on seeing the bathroom.

Upstairs offers master bedroom with walk-in closet and den/office landing.

Oh, and there’s also an impressive “Mechanic’s Dream” garage!

Here are some pics (click images to see larger versions):

Here are the details:

WHAT: Prudential NW Open House

WHEN: TWO DAYS – Saturday, June 1 and Sunday, June 2, from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.

WHERE: 1452 SW 150th Street, Burien, WA 98166

INFO:

• List Price: $329,950
• MLS Number: 493400
• Bedrooms: 3
• Bathrooms: 1
• Year Built: 1944
• Approximate House SqFt: 1,250
• Lot SqFt: 7,906 sf

Site Features:

• Dble Pane/Strm Windw
• Disabled Access
• French Doors
• Deck
• Fenced-Partially
• RV Parking
• Shop

Marketing remarks:

PERFECTION!!!

Location, interior & exterior remodeling including Granite counters, Samsung Stainless steel appliances, Cherry kitchen cabinets, new vinyl siding, new 35 year composition roof, new Energy efficient windows, new furnace and the list goes on and on.

Gleaming Oak floors greet you upon entry, two spacious bedrooms on main floor and youll say “Wow” on seeing the bathroom.

Upstairs offers master bedroom with walk in closet and den/office landing.

Impressive “Mechanic’s Dream” garage.

Click here to see the full, detailed listing.

Click here to view all of Prudential Northwest’s Open Houses.

by Earl Gipson

Lets start with some good news. In the Study Session Tuesday it was noted and accepted by the Council that Fire Marshal Napier, together with the CED department, decided to accept the recommendations of the Planning Commission regarding the revised Fire Code. The State is still shoving more stuff down our throats but at least we used flexibility where we could. Well worth the time of the Planning Commission and staff to work things out for SeaTac’s needs. It goes to Council’s official vote next meeting.

Now the goofy stuff. In the Council Meeting Tuesday, the City’s ICLEI (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives) membership dues was on the vouchers for approval (see also Agenda 21). For those who do not know what ICLEI is it is a mind numbing attempt to control local government polices so we all ride bicycles to work in the rain and for all you 70 year olds to stop driving to the store and get on the bus. Seriously, last year this same membership issue filled the Council chambers with some 70 people protesting our participation. It is too complex to go into here but I can tell you, by adopting its policies, it won’t be doing your diminishing freedoms any favors.

Un-elected Mayor Anderson stated we get grants because we are ICLEI members. The City has never received such grants since our membership started in 2007 and secondly ICLEI does not give grants. But in Mr. Anderson’s usual style “if you don’t know something, make stuff up”. It passed 4-2 and you can guess who voted for it (Mr. Un-elected, Gregerson, Ladenburg, and Bush). Then there was the usual butt kissing/politicking festival in Council comments at the end.

And finally we come to the Community Building Committee’s 1st meeting on Wednesday. As predicted it was just another Human Services “we need stuff” get together for the culturally (best word I could think of) impaired. All this feel good stuff costs money and if you are running business and economic growth out of town with City laws that mandate $15 an hour minimum wage plus benefits there won’t be anyone to pay for it. Obviously there were no economists and/or SeaTac’s major businesses appointed to the committee.

To me, the top priority for immigrants and/or refugees should be to learn English, NOW! I know it is hard but if you cannot communicate how do you expect to build Community, or would you like separate ones? You and I are all Americans so act like it. It is a drain on every service, educational/job opportunity we can offer to speak 40 plus languages in our little hamlet. I am not being politically incorrect I am being realistic.

And stop with the affordable housing (repeatedly brought up). SeaTac and South King County is as affordable as it gets and you may have to work a little harder if that doesn’t do it for you.

Sorry I may appear a tad cold blooded but I am not called the Cactus for nothing.

From Burien to Normandy Park to SeaTac, the folks whose gardens have been tapped for the 2013 Highline Garden Tour have been out in all kinds of weather this spring – weeding, pruning, composting and planting. And now it looks as if the clouds are clearing and the sun will be out for the Garden Tour, coming up Saturday, June 8.

Stephen Lamphear took a break recently in his 3-level collector’s garden to show off some of the art tucked into one turn of the path. From the entry Zen garden to a lush water garden, Lamphear has conceived of a series of outdoor “rooms” that feature unusual plants and other surprises.

The completion of a recent sidewalk project gave John and Nancy Feeney the opportunity to develop a garden border between house and street. But visitors to their garden also will note the couple’s large and abundant fruit and vegetable beds. The Feeneys regularly donate their surplus produce to the local food bank, and will gladly share how-to information with other gardeners who wish to do so.

Tom and Terry LePenske were inspired by last year’s Garden Tour focus on rain gardens to install a rain garden of their own. This complements an earlier project to convert much of their front lawn into a meadow with perennial wildflowers, which reduces the need for chemicals and summer watering. Other areas of the property feature a shade garden landscaped with rescued native plants and a charming parterre vegetable garden.

Other gardens on the tour include a rooftop P-Patch in downtown Burien, a Master Gardener’s idea-filled oasis on Angle Lake, a bohemian-style Victory Garden with laying hens and Three Sisters planting techniques in Normandy Park, and the Highline SeaTac Botanical Garden.

This self-guided tour, which benefits the Highline Historical Society, also features plant sales, music and art in the gardens, a drawing for a squirrel-proof bird feeder at Wild Birds Unlimited, a specially-priced box lunch at Grand Central Bakery, and other discount coupons.

Tour sponsors include The Bean, Burien Bark, Grand Central Bakery, Rodda and Sons Landscaping, Rain City Sewer and Plumbing, and Wild Birds Unlimited. Additional support comes from John L. Scott realtor Susan Plecko and Discover Burien.

Advance tickets are on sale now for $15, with group rates of $12 per person if bought in groups of four or more. Tickets will be $18 on the day of the tour. Tickets can be purchased at Wild Birds Unlimited, 15858 1st Avenue S, #106; Burien Bark, 13258 1st Avenue S; and Sterling Bank, 224 SW 152nd – all in Burien. Tickets also can be purchased by calling 206-241-5786.

For more information about the Highline Garden Tour and about the Highline Historical Society, visit www.highlinehistory.org.

Why give blood?

On Sunday, a 28 year old, male at Virginia Mason was transfused with 6 red blood cell, 23 plasma and 3 platelet units, following liver failure. Donors who came in and donated blood in recent past weeks for this patient, sparing this patients life, had no idea this is the person they would help save. But they took the time to come in and give blood because they knew SOMEONE would need it.

We don’t know who will need blood next in the coming weeks, but if you are able to attend the blood drive below, someone’s life will be spared by your life saving gift:

WHAT: Walk-in Blood Drive

WHERE: PRINCE OF PEACE LUTHERAN, located at 19030 8^th Avenue S, SeaTac WA 98148, Fellowship Hall

WHEN: Monday, June 3 from 12:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (CLOSED 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.)

INFO: THIS IS A WALK-IN BLOOD DRIVE – NO APPOINTMENT IS NECESSARY. For questions on eligibility, please call (206) 292-2543 or e-mail Donorhealthoffice@psbc.org