July 2016

by Lindsay Peyton

Highline Public Schools is preparing for a bond election next November – to fund renovations to deteriorating schools, safety improvements on all campuses and needed expansions to ease overcrowding.

The school board approved a $299 million bond election during a special meeting held on Wednesday, July 20.

The proposed bond is based on recommendations developed by the Capital Facilities Advisory Committee, a 39-member, community-based group that assessed district needs.

The committee recommended reserving $93.3 million for a new middle school on the district’s Galcier site, $49 million for a new school on the district’s Zenith site to house Des Moines Elementary students and $103.3 million for a complete remodel of Highline High, preserving as much of the existing façade as possible.

The proposal also calls for $18.5 million in improvements to the Olympic site so it can be used to house students during construction projects, as well as $14 million for building design of upgrades to Evergreen, Tyee and Pacific campuses.

Discover Burien is pleased to announce the Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting celebration for The Oilerie Burien. The Oilerie is a locally owned specialty food shop offering imported olive oils and balsamic vinegars. They will even hand bottle your selection! They also carry a wide array of spices, including a selection of 100% certified organic, 100% certified kosher and 100% certified gluten free. Also available are a wide variety of specialty food products including stuffed olives, marinades, glazes, sauces and pasta selections.

Owned and operated by self-proclaimed “foodies” Marty and Trish Hughes. This husband/wife duo have always been passionate about food and finding the best and healthful products for what they serve in their home and are now delighted to bring the very best to every table in Burien.

Burien Actors Theatre announces auditions for the comedy The Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged), written by Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor, to be performed from Nov. 25 through Dec. 18. 
The play calls for a strong ensemble of just three actors: two roles can be either female or male, and one role is male. Actors age 18 and older of all races, ethnicities and body types are invited to audition. Actors must be able to sing.

SYNOPSIS: It’s the Annual Holiday extravaganza at St. Everybody’s Non-Denominational Universalist Church. But bad weather has barred the scheduled acts from arriving. So three church members have to perform the entire pageant themselves. This irreverent trip through the holidays promises a good time gift-wrapped in song, parody, an elf ballet, and delightfully twisted holiday cheer. If you liked The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), you’ll love this show.
Performances are at Burien Actors Theatre in Burien from Nov. 25 through Dec. 18 on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Rehearsals begin in mid-October. 
The director is Marc “Mok” Moser. 
$100 stipend provided.

by Clara McMichael
On July 20, the city of Des Moines hosted a meet-and-greet so community members could meet with the four finalists that the city council has chosen to fill the position of city manager.

The four finalists are Michael Matthias, James Nichols, David Niemeyer, and Nicole Ard.

“The Council wants to hear what the citizens have to say about this,” said Maureen Murphy, human resources manager for the City of Des Moines.

The current city manager of Des Moines, Tony Piasecki, will retire next month.

“I think all seven of the council members have really been speaking about transparency and communication being our top priority,” Councilwoman Melissa Musser said.

In addition to the community meet-and-greet, the candidates for city manager went on a tour of Des Moines, and were interviewed by five panels - the city council, department heads in the Des Moines community, the Citizens Advisory Committee, community leaders and City of Des Moines staff members.

Information from King County Council

The Metropolitan King County Council has approved legislation refining existing county land use regulations concerning the growth, processing, and retail sale of marijuana.

Included in the adopted ordinance are measures to:

- Remove all parcels under 10 acres and designated as Rural Area (RA) zones from use in the production (growth), processing, and retail sale of marijuana.

- Exempt Vashon from restrictions on the use of RA zoned land for production and processing of marijuana.

- Approve studies on potential retail and processing in specific locations.

- Require the County Executive to identify 10 locations suitable for retail in Neighborhood Business (NB) zoned areas across unincorporated King County.

The ordinance was passed by the council 5-3, receiving support from Councilmembers Reagan Dunn, Kathy Lambert, Pete von Reichbauer, Claudia Balducci, and Dave Upthegrove. Those voting in opposition were Councilmembers Joe McDermott, Rod Dembowski, and Larry Gossett, while Councilmember Jeanne Kohl-Welles was excused.

Mayor Ed Murray, joined by numerous other City of Seattle officials took a Find It Fix It walk through the Westwood/Roxhill neighborhood on Monday July 25 to see for himself what was both right and in need of attention in this area. Police Chief Kathleen O'Toole, Scott Kubly Seattle Department of Transportation, Seattle Fire Department Chief Harold Scoggins, Madeline Goddard, Seattle Public Utilities, Fred Pedesto Dept. of Finance and Administrative Services, Patricia Lallly, Seattle Office of Civil Rights, Kathy Nyland, Director of the Dept. of Neighborhoods, Sam Assefa, Director Seattle DPD.

They began at the Longfellow Creek P-Patch for opening remarks then took the walkway on 25th Ave SW where public safety was the topic. A large group of people tagged along down the staircase at 22nd Ave SW and SW Henderson talking about loitering, illegal dumping, and drug use at the site. Next up was the busy crosswalk at Westwood Village and SW Barton, at the Metro Transit hub there, where crosswalk improvements are needed. The walk ended at Roxhill Park where the history of the park and it's current condition were shown and discussed.

Discover Burien is pleased to announce the Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting celebration for The Oilerie Burien. The Oilerie is a locally owned specialty food shop offering imported olive oils and balsamic vinegars. They will even hand bottle your selection! They also carry a wide array of spices, including a selection of 100% certified organic, 100% certified kosher and 100% certified gluten free. Also available are a wide variety of specialty food products including stuffed olives, marinades, glazes, sauces and pasta selections.

Owned and operated by self-proclaimed “foodies” Marty and Trish Hughes. This husband/wife duo have always been passionate about food and finding the best and healthful products for what they serve in their home and are now delighted to bring the very best to every table in Burien.

A year and a half ago, Don Carmignani and his wife, Bev, moved into an apartment in Wesley Gardens. Their home in SeaTac – which they had occupied for 43 years – was too much to maintain once Don was diagnosed with Parkinson’s.

“At our age, it’s very difficult to move,” Carmignani said.

But it was ultimately worthwhile. According to a letter written by Carmignani, Wesley Gardens was “a peaceful, serene environment perfect for spending one’s sunset years!”

Last November, Carmignani first received notice that they would need to move again. He did not receive a projected date for the move.

“We had no idea what they had in store for this,” Carmignani said.

The move is part of Wesley Garden’s extensive renovation plan, where the whole campus will be replaced.

Burien Actors Theatre announces auditions for the comedy The Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged), written by Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor, to be performed from Nov. 25 through Dec. 18. 

The play calls for a strong ensemble of just three actors: two roles can be either female or male, and one role is male. Actors age 18 and older of all races, ethnicities and body types are invited to audition. Actors must be able to sing.

SYNOPSIS: It’s the Annual Holiday extravaganza at St. Everybody’s Non-Denominational Universalist Church. But bad weather has barred the scheduled acts from arriving. So three church members have to perform the entire pageant themselves. This irreverent trip through the holidays promises a good time gift-wrapped in song, parody, an elf ballet, and delightfully twisted holiday cheer. If you liked The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), you’ll love this show.

Performances are at Burien Actors Theatre in Burien from Nov. 25 through Dec. 18 on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Rehearsals begin in mid-October. 

The director is Marc “Mok” Moser. 

$100 stipend provided.

On July 20, the city of Des Moines hosted a meet-and-greet so community members could meet with the four finalists that the city council has chosen to fill the position of city manager.

The four finalists are Michael Matthias, James Nichols, David Niemeyer, and Nicole Ard.

“The Council wants to hear what the citizens have to say about this,” said Maureen Murphy, human resources manager for the City of Des Moines.

The current city manager of Des Moines, Tony Piasecki, will retire next month.

“I think all seven of the council members have really been speaking about transparency and communication being our top priority,” Councilwoman Melissa Musser said.

In addition to the community meet-and-greet, the candidates for city manager went on a tour of Des Moines, and were interviewed by five panels - the city council, department heads in the Des Moines community, the Citizens Advisory Committee, community leaders and City of Des Moines staff members.