Highline High School students take maiden voyage on Alaska Airlines’ new 737
Photo by Steve Shay
Nearly 30 Highline High School students were treated to the maiden voyage of a Boeing 737 yesterday, May 6, flying one hour around Mount Rainier, on the new Alaska Airlines plane. This was the first time some students had flown. Other passengers included two Scout troops, the co-ed Venturing branch, and Chief Seattle Council. Joining them were King County Sheriff John Urquhart, Highline High School Resources Officer with the Burien Police Department Brian J. Barnes, Veronica Asence, Miss Seafair 2012-13, additional SeaFair staff and others.
The skies were clear, and the jet took off at Boeing Field and landed at Sea-Tac Airport.
“We’re here because the CEO of Alaska Airlines (Bradley D. Tilden) has taken delivery of the new plane (…) and we’ve been invited with Sheriff Urquhart to take a flight around Mount Rainier,” said Barnes. “The students are from Highline High School, and some are with the King County Sheriff’s Police Athletic Program.” (more…)
Thieves rip off in excess of $10,000 in equipment and more from Burien Elks
The following article was published in partnership with the Highline Times and was written by Patrick Robinson.
No forced entry evidence indicates someone might have hidden during event.
Thieves stole in excess of $10,000 worth of material from the Burien Elks Club on 140th SW . Club officials said that a P.A. System, DJ Equipment, flat screen televisions, an estimated $1000 liquor, keys for access to other areas of the building and more were taken sometime between the hours of 2 am and 10 am Sunday April 28.
But they believe it was accomplished via a very sneaky method. There were no signs of forced entry.
Scott Knight, Past Exalted Ruler of the Burien Elks said, “I believe somebody came in during a party for the National Guard on Saturday night, and basically crashed it. The police thought it might even be a female who dressed the part, mingled in with the group and then found somewhere to hide. Once the building was empty she called in a group. The police said it had to be two or three men at least, lifting this stuff. That DJ equipment is heavy.”
The party was for the 303rd Calvary of the National Guard who held an auction during the event. Some of those items were stolen too, including a highly valuable sword. The DJ equipment belonged to a National Guard member.
“We believe they were going to come back because we found the door propped open and a lot of stuff staged in the hall by the door. They had our big screen TV off of its pedestal on the ground, waiting to go out the door as well.” (more…)
This weekend’s Cove to Clover features 4 cities, 4 races, 2 pub crawls, 1 carb-loading dinner and lots of snakes
David Watkins of Realty West Properties in Burien got his race face on last year as he volunteered to help at several events. This year’s event will feature two pub crawls on Friday, a carbo-loading Italian dinner and snake pit on Saturday and four races on Sunday. Photo by Steve Shay.
The following article was published in partnership with the Highline Times and was written by Eric Mathison.
Every year, Highline’s Cove to Clover event gets larger.
This year’s extravaganza, with events spread from two pub crawls starting it all on Friday, April 26 to a snake pit dinner on Saturday to four different big races on Sunday, is no exception.
The cities of Des Moines and SeaTac are also joining Burien and Normandy Park in the fun.
Centerpieces of the activities are the fundraising runs on Sunday, April 28.
The 5K run starts at noon at the Normandy Park Swim Club (The Cove) at noon and finishes up at Burien Town Square. The 10K run also starts at noon and ends up at Town Square. The 10K takes off from the Normandy Park Towne Center at First Avenue South and South 200th Street.
Race organizers say there are no other races like these with suffering the name of the game as runners climb and climb up the ominously named “Snake Hill.”
At the top of the hill, runners are rewarded with great views of Puget Sound and music from a Highland piper. All the races will feature an obstacle called “The Uprising,” a Celtic battle reenactment.
Children and families can participate in the nearly one-mile Wee Race, beginning at noon. It starts and ends at Town Square. Organizers promise a “mini-snake hill” on the course. (more…)
Surviving school Sycamore being removed after chainsaw vandalism
Photo by Eric Mathison.
The following article was published in partnership with the Highline Times and was written by Eric Mathison.
A giant Sycamore tree that anchored the northwest corner of Cedarhurst Elementary School in Burien is being removed after vandals severely damaged it with a chainsaw.
Several other Sycamores along the west side of the school had been removed when a new school was built in 2007. Namesake Cedar trees were left on the school’s north side.
But the new school was designed around this survivor Sycamore, which stood guard at the front of the school.
Neighbors said they heard noises Thursday night but the vandalism was not detected until daylight on Friday. A deep cut was made along one side of the tree with a chainsaw. (more…)
Burien City Council Once Again Rejects Lake Burien Land-use Request
The following article was published in partnership with the Highline Times and was written by Eric Mathison.
The Burien City Council rebuffed Lake Burien residents again April 1 in their efforts to have the city’s land use map changed to show the neighborhood as low-density use.
Mayor Brian Bennett and council members Jack Block, Jr., Rose Clark, Gerald Robison and Joan McGilton opposed placing the request on the 2013 comprehensive plan amendments docket. Deputy Mayor Lucy Krakowiak and Councilmember Bob Edgar voted to place it on the docket. (more…)
Longtime Burien Town Square on-site sales team, Tracy O’Brien & Stacy Phipps leave & look back; Remain with Matrix Real Estate
Tracey O’Brien, left, and Stacy Phipps sit on the balcony of a Burien Town Square condo with Sea-Tac Airport in the background.
The following article was published in partnership with the Highline Times and was written by Steve Shay. It has been a long and winding, and sometimes rocky, road for the always-eager “Team Tracey & Stacy” of Matrix Real Estate who were for years the first folks you’d probably see when viewing the 124-unit Burien Town Square condominiums as they greeted you with matching smiles in their ground floor loft sales office. Stacy Phipps, a Burien resident, and Tracey O’Brien of Auburn were rotated out of that office, Phipps last November, O’Brien last month. Since the pre-sale phase from their storefront office across the street in July, 2007, the dynamic duo has sold 50 units, half of those since last September. They are still involved in the closings of those pending units sold while they were still there. And they still work for Matrix, now selling new single family homes by Lennar Corporation, one of America’s top four home builders, with communities in 18 states, including some 29 communities in the Seattle and Vancouver, WA. areas. (more…)
The Mark and 909 win Burien Bites’ Top Chef contest
The following article was published in partnership with the Highline Times and was written by Eric Mathison.
The people have spoken.
So have the critics.
The people’s choice for Burien’s top chef is Rogelio Rios of the Mark Restaurant.
The food critics picked chef Ryan Nielcen of 909 Coffee and Wine.
Those were the results of the Burien Top Chef competition held March 20 at HomeTask Network in Burien.
All this was a preliminary event for the second annual Burien Bites on Sunday, June 2 from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Participants will tour Burien restaurants sampling special bites prepared at each establishment. They will then vote for their favorite bite and the winning restaurant will be awarded the Burien Bites trophy.
Rios won the Top Chef people’s choice award with 56 points for his corn and black bean salsa fresca. (more…)
Supporters applaud King County Executive Dow Constantine at his re-election campaign kickoff (Photo Slideshow)
King County Executive Dow Constantine, right, is pictured with his father, John. Both are West Seattle residents. Dow appeared at the Hall of Fauntleroy for his 2013 campaign kickoff Thursday night, March 14.
The following article was published in partnership with the Highline Times and was written by Steve Shay.
King County Executive and West Seattle resident Dow Constantine kicked off his 2013 re-election campaign Thursday night, March 14, at the Hall of Fauntleroy in West Seattle.
Introducing him were King County Councilmembers Larry Gossett, & Joe McDermott. Supporters present included Dow’s father and mother, John and Lois, and Dow’s brother Blair.
Other politicians present were State Senator and Senator Majority Leader Ed Murray, new Port Commissioner Courtney Gregoire, the former governor’s daughter, King County Sheriff John Urquhart, King County Assessor Lloyd Hara.
Also there, Tim Nuse, 34th District Democrats Executive Board Member of the Year, Pete Spaulding, active member of the West Seattle Food Bank board, Southwest Precinct Advisory Council, the Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council and other community groups, and other politicos. (more…)