On Monday afternoon (Aug. 30), Jim Spady of Dick’s Drive-In announced that they’ll be expanding their line of fast food restaurants by one, with the final location to be determined by votes from the public on the restaurant’s website.

There are three areas under consideration:

1. South End, which includes Tukwila, SeaTac, Renton, Burien, South Seattle and West Seattle.
2. North includes Shoreline, Mountlake Terrace, Lynnwood, Edmonds and South Everett.
3. East includes Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, Bothell, Mercer Island, Issaquah and Sammamish.

Click image to go to the slow-loading Dick's website to vote.

As of 11pm Monday night, the vote tallies are showing us South Enders trailing in third place, with just 29% (1,748 votes) – could this be a sign that we already have a sufficient supply of red meat and tater-based food product?

Leading the pack is the obviously burger-starved East Side, at 37% (2,260 votes).

Second place goes to the North End with 33% (1,982 votes).

So Burien – do YOU want a Dick’s Drive-In ’round these parts? Or are you already happy with your local joints?

Click here to vote, but be very patient – their website was moving about as fast as Heinz ketchup on a cool crisp rainy late-summer day.

Here’s what they’d like you to know:

Unique Banking – Right Here In Your Neighborhood

New in Renton, but almost 75 years old, we’re TwinStar Credit Union and we’d like to introduce you to a whole new style of banking. TwinStar operates for the good of our members, and as such we return operating profits to clients through better rates, lower fees and much better access to your money.

Credit unions do not have shareholders – we focus solely on returning value to the people who use the credit union. You’ll see it in our Accelerator Checking account which pays 3.00% APY* if you meet the monthly requirements. They are really quite simple, click here to learn more.

There’s also 20 other branch locations located along the 1-5 corridor and over 6,000 Shared Branch outlets (other credit unions where you can do many of the same transactions) located all over the US. Need cash at an ATM, just look for the Money Pass symbol and there’s no surcharge. Locations

TwinStar Credit Union started in the basement of Olympia High school in the last 1930’s so that teachers struggling with the Great Depression could have access to credit at fair prices. We’ll, we’re out of the basement now and have a robust website where you can do all sorts of account transactions and even pay bills – for free. Finally, we’ll soon be introducing Mobile Banking, which will provide much of the same access via your handheld device.

The branch is in downtown Renton – 1102 Bronson Way N., stop by to learn more about our unique style of banking. You can also visit the website or call 800.258.3115.

*APY = Annual Percentage Rate. Accounts insured by NCUA.

• Saturday – Saturday Morning Jazz Set at Dubsea Coffee
• Saturday – Fantastic Fruits & Vegetables At This Week’s Des Moines Waterfront Farmers Market!
• Sunday – Mark Your Calendar For This Sunday’s B-Patch Garden Day!
• Sunday – Advertiser E.B. Foote Winery Hosting Jazz Night On Sunday, August 29
• Sunday – El Tianguis Latino Market at Burien Town Square
• Sunday – Free Music at Marvista Park Featuring Blue Ringer

Know about an event we missed? Feel free to share the details in a comment!

This week, our decision to “take the pledge” to the TAO of Journalism came to fruition, and we’d like our Readers to know about it.

The “TAO of Journalism” is, quite simply, a “promise to your audience that you will be Transparent about who you are, Accountable for your mistakes, and Open to other points of view.”

Here’s how this concept originated:

At a Journalism That Matters conference in Washington, D.C., in 2008, John Hamer of the Washington News Council was thinking about how journalists demand that everyone they cover be transparent, accountable and open — but what about journalists themselves? Isn’t it a two-way street? He realized those three words spelled “TAO” and proposed a breakout session on the “TAO of Journalism.” About two dozen conference attendees showed up to discuss the idea and help refine it.

In 2009, at another Journalism That Matters gathering at the Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Florida, Hamer floated the idea again and convened another breakout session. Several attendees came and talked it over — including Tom Stites of The Banyan Project, who encouraged Hamer to pursue it.

At a third Journalism That Matters event at the University of Washington in Seattle in January 2010 (Editor’s Note: this is where we first met John and learned of this concept), the “TAO of Journalism” was informally launched. Several attendees took the “TAO pledge” and/or bought T-shirts displaying a TAO logo. Others signed up at a Society of Professional Journalists convention in Seattle in April 2010.

We now proudly publish the pledge we took for not only The Tukwila Blog, but for our five sister sites as well:

Transparent
We will fully disclose who we are, our journalistic mission and our guiding principles. We will post information on our background and expertise, including education and experience. We will list advertisers, donors, grants, and any other payments that support our work. If affiliated with a political party or special-interest group, we will disclose that. If lobbying for any particular legislation or regulation, we will disclose that. If we are being paid to promote a product or cause, we will disclose that. If other factors could be seen as potential conflicts of interest, we will disclose them. (NOTE: The principle of transparency does not apply to confidential sources, who may still be protected.)

Accountable
If we get any facts wrong, we will admit that promptly and publicly. We will post/publish/print/podcast/broadcast a correction or at least a clarification. We will fully explain what happened to cause the error or mistake. We will do a follow-up story if that is appropriate, putting the original material in better context. We will apologize and promise to be more careful next time. We will show a little humility.

Open
If there are credible challenges to our point of view or simply differences of opinion, we will be open to contrary positions. We will give the other side(s) opportunity and space to express their views and engage in open public dialogue through comments or other means. If we are primarily engaged in opinion and commentary, rather than news reporting, we will make that clear – while inviting others to express their opinions through comment and feedback means.

We do not necessarily agree to abide by any particular code of journalism ethics or professional standards, although we may choose to do so. If we do, we will declare that publicly. If we don’t, we will declare that as well. We understand that this will not be enforced by any outside organized group. It will be overseen by everyone on the Internet who wants to see high standards of transparency, accountability and openness in journalism – through whatever media platform.

We understand that if someone using the “TAO Seal” starts violating its basic principles, they will be admonished, criticized, reprimanded and embarrassed in public through the awesome power of the Internet. Call it “crowdsourcing” ethics and accuracy. In summary, we believe that Transparency, Accountability and Openness are keys to our personal credibility and public trust.

So…what the heck does this mean to our Readers?

• It means that you can rest assured that if we have a bias or agenda, we’ll do our best to openly disclose it.
• If we make a mistake, we’ll do our best to correct it.
• And, as we’ve showed in the past by allowing anonymous Comments and Forum Postings, we’ll continue to allow contrary points of view, as long as they’re not libelous, or contain naughty words.

• Saturday/Sunday – City of Tukwila Community Garage Sale is Aug 14-15
• Saturday – 5th Annual Trash To Treasure Parking Lot Sale Is Saturday, Aug. 14th
• Saturday – Health & Fitness Day at Des Moines Waterfront Farmers Market
• Saturday – Brent Rice Memorial Swim Is Aug. 14th; Here’s How You Can Join In/Help
• Sunday – FREE Ice Cream With Ciscoe Morris At Highline/SeaTac Gardens Aug. 15th
• Sunday – Experience Live Mexican Dance At El Tianguis Latino Market
• Sunday – Free Music at Marvista Park Featuring The Starlings

Know about an event we missed? Feel free to share the details in a comment!

The Tukwila Days Car Show will be cruising into town on Saturday, Aug. 23rd at the Tukwila Community Center, and residents are being asked to bring their cool cars to show off!

Admission to the show is ABSOLUTELY FREE, and there’s a $10 pre-registration fee to show your car.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Tukwila Days Car Show

WHEN: Saturday, August 21st from 10am – 3pm

WHERE: Tukwila Community Center, located at 12424 42nd Avenue South.

INFO: “Buff those beautiful babies to a mirror shine and cruise on over to the 7th Annual Tukwila Car Show for your chance to show it off. Come on by to check out some of the hottest things on wheels!…”

For more information or application please contact the Tukwila Parks and Recreation Department at 206-768-2822 or by email at djohnson@ci.tukwila.wa.us.

This event is part of Tukwila Days, which also includes:

Music, art, food and fun will be a part of this year’s festival held at the Tukwila Community Center on August 21. This festival offers something for everyone, so bring your friends and family and join the fun! There will be plenty of food, games, music, entertainment, arts and crafts, vendor booths, special kid’s activities and more! Admission and most activities are FREE! For more information about any of these events, please call 206-768-2822.

This year’s schedule:

• Pancake Breakfast, 8:00am – 10:00am: Breakfast service begins at 8:00am in the TCC Social Hall. Supports the Tukwila Sister Cities Committee
• Vendor Fair, 10:00am – 3:00pm: Come check out more than 100 booths! Vendor space is available. For an application please call 206-768-2822.
• Art Show, 10:00am – 3:00pm: Hosted by the Tukwila Arts Commission, the 14th Annual Tukwila Days Art Show showcases local artists.
• Vintage Car Show, 10:00am – 3:00pm: Enter your restored classic car, truck, muscle car or souped-up import, or stop by and vote for your favorite!
• The Fun Zone, 10:00am – 3:00pm:Enjoy inflatable bouncers, giant slide, dunk tank, face painters, roving clowns and special kid’s entertainment!
• Challenge Yourself, 10:00am – 3:00pm: Stop by at the Tukwila Community Center booth to find out how you go about challenging yourself for a prize!
• Chalk It Up!, 10:00am – 2:00pm: Young artists can grab some chalk and create their masterpieces on the sidewalks of the Tukwila Community Center.

The 17th Tukwila Community Garage Sale will be held on Saturday, Aug. 14th, and Sunday, Aug. 15th

To find the sale locations:

• Download the 2010 Garage Sale Locations and Map
• Starting Aug. 10th, pick up a map and list of sale sites during regular operating hours at:
  • Tukwila City Hall – 6200 Southcenter Boulevard
  • Tukwila Community Center – 12424 – 42nd Avenue South
  • Tukwila Pool – 4414 South 144th Street
  • Foster Golf Clubhouse – 13500 Interurban Avenue South
  • Foster Library – 4060 South 144th Street
• Check the ad with a list of sale locations in the August 13 Kent Reporter and Renton Reporter.
• On August 14 and 15, simply drive around Tukwila looking for the bright yellow signs that identify sale locations.
• List of participating addresses
• Map of participating households

By sponsoring the Community Garage Sale for 16 years, the City of Tukwila supports recycling and reuse! Have a great sale and happy shopping!

For more information please contact Rebecca Fox at rfox@ci.tukwila.wa.us or (206) 433-7178.

• Friday/Saturday – “Cruisin4TheCure” Fighting Cancer With A Car Wash Friday & Saturday
• Friday/Saturday – Big Al Brewing’s Second Birthday Celebration August 7 and 8
• Friday – Guy Harper and Pamela Harper, Authors of Three Tree Point at Burien Books From 4-6PM
• Saturday – Des Moines Waterfront Farmers Market Celebrates Shark Week… Puget Sound Style!
• Saturday – White Center CDA Member Mixer Is Saturday, Aug. 7th
• Saturday – Burien’s Sizzling Saturday Night Car Show
• Saturday – Greg Wright, Author of West of the Gospel at Burien Books From 1-3PM
• Saturday – WestSide Baby Challenges Burien To “Stuff The Bus” Saturday Night
• Sunday – Sustainable Burien Meeting At Community Gardens, 437 SW 144th Street
• Sunday – Burien’s “El Tianguis” Latino Market
• Sunday – Pink Party For The Cure Is This Sunday At All-Star Sports Bar
• Sunday – Des Moines United Methodist Church Hosting Blues Concert Featuring “Sister Wives”
• Sunday – Free Music at Marvista Park Featuring Woodrush

Know about an event we missed? Feel free to share the details in a comment!

According to the Army Corps of Engineers, after much analysis and review, they have determined that the most effective risk reduction measures to construct at Howard Hanson Dam would be to rehabilitate the existing drainage tunnel, add a branch to that tunnel through the area of highest concern to intercept seepage, and to install additional vertical and horizontal drains to channel more water from the abutment into the tunnel.

Once these measures are in place, the Corps believes that the dam could be operated at full capacity.

Funding recently approved for the Corps will allow construction to begin before the end of the year.

The Corps looked at extending a previously constructed grout curtain to address the Corps’ concerns about seepage through the dam’s north abutment, but engineers and scientists found after thorough analysis that rehabilitating the existing tunnel and a tunnel extension would be more effective and durable than a grout curtain extension.

The Corps of Engineers constructed an interim seepage barrier (grout curtain) in 2009 to reduce seepage and improved the drainage of the right abutment by installing drains that more effectively direct seepage into the drainage tunnel. Data collected from testing this spring have shown these measures to be effective in controlling seepage through the abutment.

This spring, the Corps was able to hold a pool of 1,167 feet above sea level (48 percent of full) for more than two months without seeing any problems. This has provided additional confidence in the storage capacity of the dam for this coming flood season.

The reservoir at Howard Hanson Dam reached 1,170 feet in elevation and was held at an elevation at or above 1,167 feet May 9 through July 12, allowing engineers to test the interim seepage barrier with additional reservoir volume. During the conservation pool, the Corps conducted in-depth investigations of the dam’s current effectiveness.

Background:
During January 2009 flooding symptoms of internal erosion were observed, prompting an operational limitation of the dam at the headwaters of the Green River. This operational limitation raised the flood risk for those communities in the Green River Valley downstream to levels not seen for 50 years.

The Corps operates the Howard Hanson Dam project, which provides flood damage reduction to the cities of Auburn, Kent, Renton and Tukwila, as well as low-flow augmentation to the Green River for environmental benefits. More details and history about Howard Hanson Dam and the right abutment issue can be found at http://www.nws.usace.army.mil.