June 2008

How good it is to be a part of y (our) community!

COMMUNITY SERVICE is required for students these days in order to graduate from high school. Our Communities are crying out for persons to continue to help promote our communities, to keep our areas clean, to help children, to help our elderly, to be good neighbors.

Did you know that there is a service organization, KIWANIS INTERNATIONAL, which is a GLOBAL ORGANIZATION of volunteers dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time?

A very serious accident just occurred on our street (SW 130th heading into Shorewood) about 10:15 p.m.

There were seven police cars, two ambulances and one fire truck. One King County officer guessed that the speed must have been in excess of 65 mph and the car rolled about four times.

This was a young driver, perhaps 17, and allegedly under the influence of either alcohol, drugs or both. This is a child of a Shorewood homeowner. His mother came to the accident and provided no explanation for his behavior.

The weather gods better get cracking with summer weather soon because folks in Des Moines are raring to go with outdoor fun events. Coming up is everything from the farmer's market to Three Tree Point Yacht Club races, 4th of July fireworks, a pet festival and younger folk's fundraising to restore a 1938 baseball grandstand.

Most Burienites are aware of the sky blue house in Dottie Harper Park, across the street from the Burien skateboard bowl.

This historic building was a home built in the '40s by Harold Kempinsky, a druggist with a store at 4th and Pike in downtown Seattle

Now it is a landmark home base for the Burien Arts Gallery and the annual Burien Strawberry Festival.

Readers of this newspaper have proved over and over again that they expect us to provide them with the information they need to access the necessities and the not so necessary enjoyments of life in our peninsula. We are making an important change this week to help this process.

For many years, On The Go has served as the basic calendar of events, large and small, serious and frivolous. Nowhere else such a full listing of events exists.

Dog owners who walk their critters in the Fauntleroy Watershed have been caught by some kids in primary school with letting Fido walk without a leash where a leash is required.

Those kids at KapKa Primary School on Phinney Ridge became scientific straight-talkers at two forums last week thanks to their completed study on Fauntleroy Creek bacteria that showed excessive amounts of dog poop - which means high fecal coliform bacterium levels in its waters.

Kindergarten through second grade classes took five trips to the creek and discovered a total of 55 dog piles left behind

With four high schools left to go, the Seattle Public School District is making their final transition from using yellow buses to using King County Metro to transport students next year.

The program will cost less and will allow students more flexibility with transportation for before and after school activities and off campus events.

The district says that twice a day about 25,000 students are transported on buses provided by First Student Inc. and subcontractor Curtis Transportation and Laidlaw buses.

Teenagers who love to tango or to swing and ballroom dance?

"It's a nice change from the normal dancing we do," says West Seattle High senior Sophia Sandvig.

Port of Seattle Chief Executive Officer Tay Yoshitani recently announced the creation of a Central Procurement Office and appointment of an acting chief procurement officer.

"I am very pleased with how quickly our CEO moved to implement a centralized procurement process," said Commission President John Creighton.

Before hiring a limousine or town car to celebrate your wedding or a prom, make sure it's licensed and legitimate.

"If you're planning to make your event extra special by using one of Washington's quality limo services, we suggest you do your homework," said Liz Luce, Director of the Department of Licensing. "Always check references and be sure the company is licensed."

Limousine operators in Washington are required to be licensed, carry sufficient liability insurance, and undergo annual safety inspections by the Washington State Patrol.