January 2012

Added Jan. 16: Top 10 winners were:

1-Bret Wiggins. 2-Scott Coon. 3-Roger Anderson. 4-Joe Krushinsky. 5-Stephanie Wichman. 6-Tom Nelligan. 7-Jeff Cook/Elvi-lele. 8-Nathan Alidina. 9-Helen Gately/Hellon Wheels. 10-Mike Weber.

Thank you Gillian Gaar!

UPDATE: Saturday night, Jan. 14, 11:00 p.m.

West Seattle resident and architect Bret Wiggins won the 15th Annual Elvis Invitationals and became "The King"- Seattle's Best Amateur Elvis. Wiggins took 2nd place the last two years and this time nailed first place with "Suspicious Minds".

Just before the competition when Wiggins learned of the order of the 19 competitors and that he was randomly selected last, he told the West Seattle Herald that he found this a bit unsettling. But it turned out the best was saved for last, and there seemed to be no suspicious minds in the crowd that he earned his spot as King.

Councilman Dave Kaplan will be Des Moines’ new mayor. Fellow council members selected him in a unanimous vote Jan. 5.

Kaplan will serve as the city’s new mayor through 2013. Councilman Matt Pina will serve as Mayor Pro Tem, also through 2013.

“I look forward to a brighter economic outlook for the city’s future,” said Kaplan. “This is a fresh start with a lot of things to do,” he said.

Considering community feedback, avoiding “dragging things out”, and reprioritizing basic needs concerning with one-time expenses are at the top of his list.

“In Des Moines’ 53 year history of having a mayor, there have not been that many,” said Kaplan in expressing his appreciation of the council’s support.

Kaplan replaces Bob Sheckler as mayor. Sheckler won a very tight council re-election race against Rebecca King, which went to a mandatory machine recount.

Three categories Kaplan said that need the most attention are strategic objectives, long-term goals and correcting issues with process. These include both long and short-term goals and he said he intends on brainstorming with the other council members at their retreat coming up.

As a 7-year-old growing up in the 1960’s, this would have been my dream come true. At that early age, I had already fallen in love with musical theatre. My fondest wish was to one day appear on stage in a musical, preferably one by the masters of the genre-- Rogers and Hammerstein.

That would have been all too wonderful...

But, for all the young, aspiring performers here in South King County, the Hi-Liners youth theatre organization has great news for you.

Anyone’s dream can come true. All you need is the desire to perform and be at least 7 years of age.

Downstage Center is the Hi-Liners’ education program that focuses on supplying a nurturing environment in which young artists can develop their talent in a “low tech” stage production. Actors 7 and older are cast in a musical, with MainStage performers used as mentors and actors in each show.

Downstage Center is presenteding OKLAHOMA: G2K, from Rogers and Hammerstein’s Getting to Know (G2K) Collection. The G2K is a 50-70 minute version of the classic musical offered for young performers in an easy-to-use adaptation.

Professional Chef Erin Coopey has her fingers in a lot of pots, but she wears just one hat, a tall, white one. That's because her work is her passion, and her passion is all about cooking.

Coopey, a talented food photographer who resides near Morgan Junction, currently offers 12 cooking classes at South Seattle Community College, including Knife Skills 101 Feb. 2, and Moroccan Cuisine Jan. 19, as well as classes at ChefShop.com on Elliott Ave. W., and operates her own catering business, Culinary Arts Enterprises.

At South, there is still room to sign up for her class "Impress Your Date":

Impress Your Date! Wednesday, 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm; 1 session starting January 18, 2012, ending January 18, 2012 Instructor: Coopey Rm. CAB - FSA Kitchen Class Fee: $45.00 Materials Fee: $20.00 Please read: Your $20 Materials Fee is not paid at the time of registration. It is paid directly to your instructor at the time of your class.

FIFE - Defense set up the final determination in Seamount 2A Tyee's 53-48 girls basketball triumph at SPSL 2A Fife on Friday, December 3, in the first half of a girls' and boys' non-league doubleheader.

"It was a good, hard fought game," said Totem head coach Wayne Severson.

"Our diamond press really startled them at the beginning. Then we mixed it up before using the press the entire fourth quarter. I don't know what happened in the second quarter, but Taylor McMillion kept us in the game with her steals. When she has a good game, our team flows smoothly."

After Fife called timeout with 1:37 showing on the scoreboard clock, Tyee inbounded from the side near half court and got the ball to senior guard Arinesha Smith who maneuvered into to position do deliver a three-point dagger from beyond the arc at the top of the key to send the Totems ahead 51-48 with 1:16 remaining.

FEDERAL WAY - It was time for the Mount Rainier High School gymnastic team to raise the bar to where no Ram team has gone before.

Leaping and swinging to new heights, the surging Rams posted a school record team score of 169.95 points in a strong second place behind the host Todd Beamer Titans (170.75) in an SPSL 4A four-team meet on Wednesday, January 4, at the Beamer gym, with Kentlake placing third at 155.85 and Capital (West Olympia) landing in fourth at 149.95.

"What we got was really good," said Mount Rainier head coach Ali Kestle. "Everyone improved out of the holiday practices. Generally, we've been improving as the season goes along. State is our goal and we have some more additions to improve for even higher possibilities."

The Rams bested the other squads on the vault and beam, while the Titans held sway on the bars and floor exercise. Beamer's 38.1- 36.6 advantage against Mount Rainier on the beam proved to be the key difference between first and second place.

FEDERAL WAY - It was time for the Mount Rainier High School gymnastic team to raise the bar to where no Ram team has gone before.
Leaping and swinging to new heights, the surging Rams posted a school record team score of 169.95 points in a strong second place behind the host Todd Beamer Titans (170.75) in an SPSL 4A four-team meet on Wednesday, January 4, at the Beamer gym, with Kentlake placing third at 155.85 and Capital (West Olympia) landing in fourth at 149.95.
"What we got was really good," said Mount Rainier head coach Ali Kestle. "Everyone improved out of the holiday practices. Generally, we've been improving as the season goes along. State is our goal and we have some more additions to improve for even higher possibilities."
The Rams bested the other squads on the vault and beam, while the Titans held sway on the bars and floor exercise. Beamer's 38.1- 36.6 advantage against Mount Rainier on the beam proved to be the key difference between first and second place.

When: Jan. 9 at 7 p.m. and Jan. 10 at 7 p.m. (if needed)

Where: Cascade Middle School, 11212 10th Ave S.W.

Why: The annexation proposal next goes before Washington State Boundary Review Board for King County, which will conduct a public hearing before determining whether to accept the proposal, modify the boundaries, or reject it.

Additional details from the City of Burien

The Burien City Council has moved forward a proposal to annex the unincorporated remainder of North Highline, which includes White Center, Top Hat, Beverly Park, Glendale, and portions of Boulevard Park, Riverton Heights and Shorewood. Burien annexed the southern section of North Highline in 2010.

When: Jan. 9 at 7 p.m. and Jan. 10 at 7 p.m. (if needed)
Where: Cascade Middle School, 11212 10th Ave S.W.
Why: The annexation proposal next goes before Washington State Boundary Review Board for King County, which will conduct a public hearing before determining whether to accept the proposal, modify the boundaries, or reject it.

Additional details from the City of Burien

The Burien City Council has moved forward a proposal to annex the unincorporated remainder of North Highline, which includes White Center, Top Hat, Beverly Park, Glendale, and portions of Boulevard Park, Riverton Heights and Shorewood. Burien annexed the southern section of North Highline in 2010.

In their first meeting as a non-profit community organization instead of a King County government extension (the county ended contracts with unincorporated area councils at the end of 2011), the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council met on Jan. 5 to discuss the Public Health Center’s move to Greenbridge, library consolidation and crime updates.

Public Health Center move
David Reyes, area manager for the Public Health Center in White Center discussed plans to move from their current location at 10821 8th Ave S.W. to Greenbridge. The new location consists of two storefronts just south of DubSea Coffee at 9910 8th Ave S.W. and Reyes said, in an ideal situation, the move will be completed by mid-June of this year.

Reyes said 34 to 35 employees (two-thirds of the workforce) will move to the new location and nearly all services currently offered at the current location will also transfer. The home nurse program will still be available to area residents, he said, but the staff will no longer operate out of the new location.