December 2015

Inventory remains “critically low,” but there are fewer house-hunters in the hunt during this holiday season so motivated sellers and buyers are seeing success, according to brokers with Northwest Multiple Listing Service. Its just-released statistics for November show year-over-year gains in pending sales, closed sales, and prices, but a steep decline in inventory.

“The housing market continues to be red-hot on a seasonal basis, but this winter will be even more intense given the dangerously low inventory,” remarked J. Lennox Scott, chairman and CEO of John L. Scott Real Estate.

Compared to a year ago, MLS figures show drops in the number of new listings added to inventory during November (down 4.6 percent) as well in the total number of active listings at month-end (down 26.5 percent).

King County Sheriff’s detectives arrested a 44 year old Seattle man Dec. 3 in connection with a homicide that occurred near SeaTac airport October 29. The victim of the homicide was shot and killed as he drove his car on S.154th St. near 24th Ave S.Detectives are not saying what led up to the arrest but confirmed that the suspect was booked into the King County Jail.

No further info at this time

Mark & Kellie Bassen, Santa (Rob Johnson) and their Daughter, Lynsey Bassen. Front Row: Bailey, a cross of Australian Shepard and English Shepard, and Takota (aka Taco), a cross of great Pyrenees and Fox Hound. 
 
Santa and the Bassen's are members of B-Town D.O.G. According to their website, http://www.b-towndog.com, The B-Town DOG Owners Group is a canine community group in Burien who's mission is to work towards providing a safe and friendly off-leash area for dogs and their owners to socialize and promote healthy activity.
 
In 2013, Beneful sponsored a 'Dream Dog Park' contest. Kellie Bassen and her dog Bailey were one of the finalist. Although they did not win the $500,000 prize, Beneful donated $20k towards her 'Dream Park'.  Since then, Burien Chevrolet and Burien Toyota jumped in and donated $10k; In addition, the group raised $15k from miscellaneous fundraising events and the city awarded them $15k in matching funds.
 

On November 30, the City of Burien launched two branding surveys to allow residents and businesses to share their insights and ideas about the community and its brand. These surveys are one of many steps in the research phase of Burien’s branding process. To take the survey, visit www.burienwa.gov/Branding101 by December 14.
 
Earlier in the research phase, City staff shared with its branding agency, JayRay, a variety of past community assessment survey results and visioning processes as well as background on its organizational mission and values. JayRay has conducted a brand audit of City promotional materials such as the website and other publications both in print and online. Additionally, JayRay is reaching out to business, organization, and civic leaders beyond Burien’s borders to assemble external feedback. In early 2016, JayRay will convene business and resident discussion groups to glean more in-depth, internal feedback.
 

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

High schools
Girls basketball
Highline hosts Kennedy Catholic for a 7 p.m. game Wednesday as Foster entertains Tyee and Evergreen gets a visit from Hazen.
West Seattle, meanwhile, is at Nathan Hale at 7:30 p.m. as Chief Sealth travels to Cleveland.
Shorewood Christian will drop in on Chief Sealth's "C" team at 4 p.m. and Seattle Christian hosts Crosspoint at 6 p.m.
Seattle Lutheran will play a 6 p.m. home game against Muckleshoot Tribal on Thursday and Shorewood Christian visits Tulalip Heritage at 5 p.m. Friday.
Chief Sealth entertains West Seattle at 6:30 p.m. that day and at 7 p.m. Thomas Jefferson is at Mount Rainier, Highline at Tyee, Renton at Kennedy, Foster at Hazen and Evergreen at Lindbergh.
JFK meets Auburn-Riverside at 9 a.m. Saturday at Highline Community College and Seattle Lutheran entertains Bush at 1 p.m. with Seattle Christian hosting Life Christian at 4 p.m. and Evergreen entertaining Mount Rainier at 5 p.m.
Tyee plays host to Seattle Christian at 6:15 p.m. Monday and Foster goes to Sammamish for 7:15 p.m. action.

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

McPhee hits double-double

Mount Rainier graduate Jordan McPhee scored a double-double for the Seattle Pacific women's basketball team in its 55-46 win over Concordia on Saturday.
McPhee scored 11 points and led the Falcons with 12 rebounds to reach double figures in both categories. She added five assists and one steal.
McPhee also hit a team-high 15 points in a 79-58 victory over Western Oregon on Thursday. She hauled down seven rebounds in that game and had one steal.

McPherson, Vikings take title

Kennedy graduate Jennica McPherson had two big outings to help the Western Washington University volleyball team take the NCAA Division II West Region title Saturday.
She had 10 kills and 17 digs in a 3-2 win over San Diego before leading with 26 digs in a 3-2 victory over Cal State San Bernardino in the championship.

Penner paces SPU in win

A fire in a dumpster at Arrowhead Gardens senior living center was dealt with easily by firefighters on Monday evening. No one was hurt.

Fire fighters went through the building after the fire with Carbon Monoxide detectors to clear the building.

The Ballard Senior Center is facing a loss in funding after United Way of King County changed their focus from supporting senior services and the disabled to the education of young children and homelessness prevention.

United Way of King County is a primary funder of Senior Services, a non-profit devoted to supporting seniors and the disabled. After 50 years of support they have decided to change their focus.

Jerry Aronson, Director of Communications United Way of King County, said that the change in focus comes as they aim to move from an umbrella strategy to a community impact method, which identifies the most pressing issues and what the most effective use of their funds would be. The changes won’t be implemented until July 2016.

Over the years UWKC has gradually moved their focus. In July of this year they released their strategic plan for 2020. Their goals are to get 80 percent of kids ready for kindergarten; 50 percent of at-risk youth a stable career path; 50,000 people to rise out of poverty and the number of people on the streets reduced by 50 percent.

“Because of those goals we have to make some really tough choices,” said Aronson.

By Carol Smith

Here is to Christmas and all of its fun
Here is to sleighs that by reindeer are run
Here is to handing out gifts one by one
Here is to not landing in debt when you’re done

Here is to Santa on whose lap hope sits
Here is to parties served up on a Ritz
Here is to switching to warm woolen mitts
Here is to pitching assembly required fits

Here is to sea salty caramelly chews
Here is to bourbon laced egg noggy brews
Here is to buffing your tray’s silver hues
Here is to stuffing your dry turkey blues

Here is to those who still write the North Pole
Here is to toes who oppose lumps of coal
And here’s to not waiting for the old year to roll
To start celebrating the child in your soul!