B-Town Blog’s Mark Neuman filed this late-night missive with Publisher/Editor Scott Schaefer around 11pm Thurs. night:

Scott -

Got back, about an hour ago, from the City of Burien’s community meeting at Boulevard Park Presbyterian Church earlier tonight (Thurs., Aug. 28). Topic: proposed annexation of North Highline and the temporary withdrawal of the City of Burien’s request to pursue said annexation.

About 45 people attended, and one could reasonably assume that a goodly portion of the attendees (this correspondent included) would have preferred to view, live, the televised acceptance speech of Senator Obama. Must rely on delayed broadcast for that.

About half of those in attendance were Boulevard Park residents, and about half of those are home owners. As noted by one attendee, most everyone there was Caucasian and not exactly springing from the younger side of life.

But all were earnest, many were skeptical, and few were without opinion.

While this was only my second meeting regarding the annexation proposal, I believe I came away with some accurate observations:

Burien City Manager Mike Martin is a very decent fellow, with a reserve of patience greater than that which most folks, myself included, would likely muster and maintain in assemblages such as tonight’s.

“This annexation, if approved, will be revenue neutral,” Mike said. “This move would not make a dime for Burien, nor cost Burien a dime. In that sense, financially, annexation as proposed would be a wash.”

Mike said this several times, not because he is a repetitive person, or one who forgets what he just said, or loves the sound of his voice.

The reason Mike said this more than once is because it is the truth and because some in the audience either weren’t listening or suffer from CDS (Chronic Disbelief Syndrome).

With respect to emergency services, I think it’s pretty clear that the King County Sheriff’s Department works quite smoothly with local police departments.

And for Pete’s sake, does anyone really think the good men and women of any Fire Department would indeed fail to respond to an emergency because it’s occurring a block or two beyond a city boundary? Of course this won’t be allowed to happen.

The only things that should be left to helplessly smolder are the scare tactics of some and the ignorant fears of a few others.

Scott, I know you were looking for a Wake ‘Em Up in The Morning Headline, but frankly, I think the temporary withdrawal of the annexation request is a wise, brief and prudent move.

Perhaps the headline for this report should be: Extra! Extra! Sometimes Truth is Dull.

Well, gotta go, Scottso. Somewhere sits a PBS station ready to roll tape on Barack and Michelle and those two cute kids of theirs.

We just got an exclusive response from Burien Mayor Joan McGilton on this entire annexation withdrawal issue, and here’s the latest:

First, a snippet from Seattle Councilmember Richard Conlin as quoted on another Seattle-based blog:

“…unless Burien is prepared to make significant change in its proposal…”

Mayor Joan’s reaction to Mr. Conlin’s statement:

“Burien has consistently acknowledged the role Seattle has in the proposed annexation of the North Highline Area. Seattle chooses to not negotiate directly with Burien. The City of Seattle’s Position Statement filed with the Washington State Boundary Review Board for King County filed on August 18, 2008 clearly misinterprets Burien actions to move forward with annexation.

In the best interests of all parties, Burien chooses to withdraw its current request so that the Boundary Review Board can focus on the merits of annexation rather than on the procedural and legal issues.

Burien wishes to take the “high road” and have our neighbors to the north ask the probing questions so that when this comes to a vote, they are truly informed of the actions that are in their best interest as a community.”

We’ll have a full report from tonight’s Annexation Open House, which will surely provide more quotes and controversy in this ongoing political chess match of words, so please check back later or subscribe to our RSS feed for up-to-date news.

Just got off the phone with Gordon Shaw, Burien native and City Councilmember, who offered up this exclusive, yet rather fiery quote about the North Highline/White Center annexation withdrawal political game currently being played out between Burien and Seattle:

“The efforts Burien has made so far have been stymied by Seattle and King County to a certain degree because of preference for Seattle to annex North Highline.

But clearly Seattle is not ready to do it.

To oppose Burien’s annexation efforts on the substance of annexation is one thing, but to oppose it on procedure that we all know is going to change in 30 days is bullshit!”

For more fiery talk, including what’s sure to be a lively interactive question and answer session, you can come to tonight’s Annexation Open House at 6:30pm at Boulevard Park Presbyterian Church (see map below).

It appears that the political war of words is just starting folks, so stay tuned.

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UPDATE 8/28 @ 10:25am: Tonight’s Annexation Open House is still scheduled to occur starting at 6:30pm at Boulevard Park Presbyterian Church (located at 1822 South 128th Street in SeaTac), despite the fact that Burien is temporarily withdrawing its annexation request.

Here’s a quote from Jenn Ramirez Robson, Management Analyst at the Burien City Manager’s Office:

“In brief, the City of Burien has withdrawn its current request to annex a portion of North Highline but plans to re-file later this year.

We are still committed to the annexation process and will continue to do educational open houses in the North Highline Area, including the Open House tonight at 6:30 PM at the Boulevard Park Presbyterian Church.”

We are currently investigating why the city is withdrawing now, only to re-file “later this year.”

Rest assured, tonight’s Open House should be even more interesting, especially with this latest development.

Here’s the press release from the City of Burien website:

Burien Withdraws North Highline Annexation Request

The City of Burien has notified the Boundary Review Board of King County that it is withdrawing its current request to annex the southern portion of the North Highline unincorporated area. The City plans to re-file an annexation request later this year after completion of a new round of negotiations with King County and the cities of SeaTac and Seattle regarding the proposed annexation boundary.

The Burien City Council authorized submittal of the “Notice of Intent” to annex part of North Highline in May 2008. The Notice of Intent was filed with the Boundary Review Board in late June after the approval of new countywide planning policies allowing the annexation request to proceed. The timing of Burien’s filing was challenged by the City of Seattle and the North Highline Fire District on legal grounds.

“In the interest of having the community and the Boundary Review Board focus on the merits of annexation rather than upon procedural and legal issues, we believe that it is in the best interest of the parties for the City to withdraw its current Notice of Intent,” said Mike Martin, Burien’s city manager.

The delay in the annexation process allows the cities and County to meet to discuss substantive issues related to annexation, including providing adequate urban services within annexed portions of North Highline and any remaining unincorporated area.

“We’ve tried to get Seattle to the table for almost a year to resolve these issues but they have been unwilling to meet with us,” Martin explained. “For whatever reason, they’ve changed their mind now and appear willing to talk. We wish for the sake of the North Highline residents Seattle would have come to that conclusion sooner, but better late than never.”

Now, for the first time, Burien is able to consider the specific and detailed concerns of the North Highline Fire District that were filed with the Boundary Review Board. While the City of Burien has no authority over the current or future operations of the fire district, “we will encourage the North Highline and Burien/Normandy Park fire districts to resolve their differences in the interest of providing quality services in the areas they serve,” said Martin.

The City has offered to start negotiations immediately, with the goal of reaching a successful resolution of issues by the end of the year. Martin added, “Our City values trust, integrity, communication and collaboration. It is in this spirit that we are ready to take one step back in order to help our neighbors in North Highline move many steps forward.”

Just a quick reminder that the City of Burien will be holding the first in a series of informational open houses tonight, starting at 6:30pm at Boulevard Park Presbyterian Church, 1822 South 128th Street in SeaTac.

The goal of these meetings is to answer questions about what a Burien annexation might mean for the people within the proposed annexation area:

Details:

WHEN: Tonight, Thurs., August 28th, from 6:30-8:00 p.m.

WHERE: Boulevard Park Presbyterian Church, 1822 South 128th Street

Format:

• There will be a presentation followed by a Question and Answer session.
• Refreshments will be provided.
• Supervised play activities for children will be available
• Interpreter services can be arranged if requested in advance

Download a pdf version of the flyer for the Open House.

More info at the City of Burien website.
MAP:

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In our continuing effort to serve the community of White Center, the White Center Blog proudly announces its latest category page: JOB LISTINGS!

You can find it anytime by clicking on “Jobs” listed in the upper navigation menu between “Home” and “Forums.”

We’re still fine-tuning the code, but this page is set up to retrieve live, continuously-updated job listings for the general White Center area.

As we find more job listing feeds, we will add them.

Please check it out and let us know your thoughts.

And if you’re looking for a job…good luck!

We’re always on the lookout to help the Dub-C community (as evidenced by Monday night’s Food Bank Fundraiser), and when we found this White Center job listing for an Assistant Head Start Teacher on Craigslist, we just had to post it:

Assistant Teacher (3 positions – Job #2007-34-2) (White Center)

Puget Sound Educational Service District (PSESD), a premier regional agency that provides innovative pre-K to 12 services and leadership, seeks Assistant Teachers (3 positions – Job #2007-34-2) to assist Head Start Teacher in providing quality child development and selected health services to preschool children and their families, and participate in educational planning, goal setting, and center activities. The positions are based in PSESD Highline Head Start in Seattle, which provides services to children & families in the multi-cultural communities of White Center & Burien.

Successful candidates have a High School Diploma or GED and job-related experience; early childhood experience in Head Start/ECEAP setting preferred. Must obtain Food Handler’s Permit within 30 days of employment; CPR/First Aid Certificate within 90 days of employment.

Three (3) positions: 1 PT (~ 27.5 hrs/wk), year ‘round; 2 PT (~ 32 hrs/wk), school year (~165 days/yr). Minimum $13.72/hr, DOE. Excellent benefit/retirement package. Open until filled; 2nd close: Friday, 9/12/08. For more information and to download an application, visit our website at www.psesd.org. 425.917.7616; 253.778.7616; TTY 425.917.7833.

Puget Sound ESD is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

A local Boulevard Park-based Director/Producer named Frank Oliver is seeking donations and locations from area residents and businesses for his upcoming film production “The War of the Grandmas.”

The film’s plot:

“War of the Grandmas” is a family-fun-packed, independent comedy – half live action and half cartoon animation.

This is a screwball comedy in the vein of “Grumpy Old Men,” but with women.

PATTY, a sixty-something frugal tomboy, reigns as queen of her cul-de-sac until an arch enemy from her past – flirty, glamorous ROSE, also in her sixties – invades Patty’s territory and the queen declares war. The grannies fight the only way they know how – over a man. But when the old gals try to bring their twenty-something granddaughters into the fray, the young gals decide it’s time to teach the old gals a lesson: A woman does not need a man to make her happy! (Or does she?)

Oliver, 33, is seeking local sponsors, including residents and businesses, to help defray some of the film’s $15,000 budget. His intent is to film and edit a six-minute scene, then promote that at film markets in the next year or so in hopes of turning it into a full-length feature film.

“I’m trying to get the community involved, as this is a great opportunity for locals to help create a fun and entertaining project,” Oliver said as he took a break from his regular day job as a Construction Inspector. “I’ve received a grant from the Northwest Film Forum, but we’re still in need of funds to pay actors and crew.”

We spoke with Oliver on the phone recently, and found him to be a very passionate and ambitious man. We know personally that making a feature-length movie is a huge undertaking, and we admire his goals and passion.

From Texas originally, Oliver has been in the Northwest for six years.

“I moved up here for a variety of reasons, one of which is that I was inspired by the WTO riots,” he said. “I love activism, and am also a huge fan of the artistic and independent spirit of the region, which I love.”

Oliver is currently seeking:

• Access to locations in exchange for product placement in the film; specifically three houses situated next to each other, perhaps in a cul-de-sac, to serve as the movie’s major location
• Donate money (any amount, even minor)
• Visit the website, download the flyers, and post at their workplace/social activities
• Everyone is welcomed to audition for the cast or participate as crew

Here’s his self bio:

Frank is creative, resourceful, and entrepreneurial. He helped manage the family business while still attending high school and learned about taking calculated risks and surrounding himself with talented people to help achieve a goal. He founded a non-profit dance organization in Texas and taught swing and lindy hop to inner city youth. Frank is socially conscientious and passionate about social and economic justice. When he relocated to WA, he joined the union construction trades and actively helped organize and educate others about the struggles and gains of the labor movement. Frank enjoys cinema and aspires to be much like Ken Loach, the filmmaker, and serve the people through his art. Frank hopes to achieve credibility as a director by successfully completing the “The War of the Grandmas” production and attracting well-versed writers to collaborate with him on docudramas and films of social commentary.

We encourage all our WCB Readers, and anyone who enjoys supporting the arts, to visit the “War of the Grandmas” website, and consider volunteering their location(s) and/or time, as well as making a donation to the film.

Rest assured, the White Center Blog will keep you posted on the progress of this creative endeavor as things develop.

Monday night’s Blog Party 2.0 Food Bank Fundraiser was a rockin’ success, bringing in 166 distinct food items and $280 in cash/checks, split evenly between the Highline and White Center Food Banks!

Two large food barrels were filled, and all donations will go to hungry and needy neighbors in the White Center/Burien areas.

We at the White Center Blog would like to shout out a huge THANK YOU to everyone who braved the weather and showed up at Elliott Bay Brewery in Burien!

Some highlights of the evening:

• Local comic Winlar did a hilarious set of original musical comedy
• Skwish’s Luke did a rousing (yet very grungy) solo acoustic set
• Lost in the Bamboo finished the night with a killer set
• And sadly, WCB Publisher/Editor Scott Schaefer was forced to sing “Folsom Prison Blues” live (and yes, there’s video of this so stand by…)

We’ll be posting more photos and exclusive videos soon, so please check back in…and again, THANKS EVERYONE for helping to feed your hungry neighbors!

This just goes to show that a neighborhood blog needn’t be just about how quickly you can post local news – it can also be about serving the community as a resource for change.

Just a gentle reminder to all WCB Readers – our Food Bank Fundraiser is this Monday night, Aug. 25th, from 6pm on, at Elliott Bay Brewery, which is located at 255 SW 152nd Street in downtown Burien (map below).

This event is co-sponsored by our sister website, The B-Town (Burien) Blog, and will serve as both a lively “Blog Party” featuring local talent (two local bands and a local comedian will be playing, starting at 8pm), as well as a fundraiser for both the White Center and Highline Food Banks.

There is NO cover charge, but a suggested donation of two cans (or boxes) of food would be appreciated (there will be at least one large barrel visible and ready for donations throughout the night).

From the White Center Food Bank website:

The White Center Food Bank serves more than 1,200 hungry families each month. In 2007, we provided enough food for more than 53,000 individuals including 21,000 children under the age of 18. We could not provide these services to the White Center community without the generosity of our donors and volunteers. However, more help is needed to meet the overwhelming demands of this community!

If you can’t make it to the party, you can donate online directly to the WCFB by clicking here.

For more insight into how the current recession is affecting food banks in the northwest, read this Seattle Times article; here’s a snippet:

As more residents struggle with the rising price of gas and food, the organizations that are their safety net are beginning to falter. Providers are running seriously over budget on fuel. Volunteer drivers are quitting. Staff members who commute are finding jobs closer to home. Demand is up as much as a third at some food banks — and donations are down that much or more.

We will be “blogging live” from the event, but hope to see (and meet) you there in person!

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We’re always trying to help our Readers as well as inform and entertain them, and today we’re going to post links to two pretty decent Dub-C job openings – the first at Cascade Middle School and the second at Evergreen high School.

To read the full listing, which includes qualifications and the usual skillsets needed, click on the links below:

1. Site Manager, Cascade Middle School – pays between $36,400 – $38,272 yearly, dependent on qualifications, plus benefits.
2. Site Manager, Evergreen High School – pays between $36,400 – $38,272 yearly, dependent on qualifications, plus benefits.

To see other job listings for the Dub-C on Craigslist (at last count we found 24), click here.

We took this photo a few months ago when we were first doing mockups of this here White Center Blog, found it again and thought it was worth posting – this was a memorial, perhaps for a fallen motorcyclist, that was set up near a crosswalk island on 16th Ave SW near SW 104th:

Another interesting video from Seattle Pacific University that focuses on White Center’s Union Gospel Mission branch, with a good commentary by Katie Russell around 3:04 in:

“SPU students and youth in White Center learn from exposure to diverse cultures and life experiences. Union Gospel Mission White Center Director Katie Russell and 2007-2008 SPU student team leader Corbin Sheffels explain.”

The Dub-C branch of the Union Gospel Mission is located at Mount View Presbyterian Church, which is at 10806 12th Ave SW:

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(okay, so we’re not even sure if “Autumnish” is a word but we like making new things up so bear with us) The National Weather Service has issued the following “Weather Advisory,” with wonderful phrases like “A powerful storm more typical of autumn will bring rain” and others that can just ruin whatever summer you’ve been enjoying thus far, so please plan accordingly:

… A powerful and wet Pacific storm will bring significant rainfall to western Washington tonight through Wednesday…

A powerful storm more typical of autumn will bring rain… locally heavy… to the area tonight through Wednesday. Storm total rainfall amounts are expected to be in the 2 to 4 inch range in the Olympics… and the 1 to 3 inch range on the coast and Cascades. Elsewhere… amounts will be less or generally in the quarter to one inch range. It is possible that the heavy rains could lead to water rises on small creeks as well as ponding of water in low lying areas.

In addition to the significant rainfall… this storm system will bring gusty winds and usher in a colder air mass Wednesday night. By early Thursday… the snow levels are expected to be mainly in the 6000 to 6500 foot range. People planning on hiking or camping in the mountains should be prepared for Fall-like weather and plan accordingly.

Full weather report here.

Here’s an interesting video from Seattle Pacific University that focuses on White Center’s Neighborhood House and how it helps children and families in need:

More info on Neighborhood House:

Since 1906, Neighborhood House has helped immigrants, refugees and low-income people overcome economic, educational and employment challenges. They learn to rely on themselves and each other to fulfill their dreams and to become active members of a free and democratic society. From the moment of their birth to the twilight of their years, people depend upon Neighborhood House for hope and opportunity.

Neighborhood House was founded by the National Council of Jewish Women, Seattle Chapter in 1906 as a settlement house that provided services to Jewish immigrants from Turkey, Greece and other European countries. Not long after, Seattle and King County began developing low-income housing, and Neighborhood House began providing a range of services to families moving into public housing.

Today, our programs are located in public housing communities in Seattle and King County, WorkSource centers and public schools. Our services are based on extensive experience and deep understanding of the role language and culture play reaching out to multilingual communities. We provide first language services in Vietnamese, Cambodian, Oromo, Tigrinya, Amharic, Somali, Spanish, Russian and several other languages.

Each person who comes to Neighborhood House has unique service needs, and many receive a combination of intensive services. Any number of events in a person’s life can merit a new strategy for self-sufficiency. A pregnancy can delay job training, family arrangements for childcare can fall through, an immigrant’s sponsor may ask them to leave the house. For most people we serve, needs are not easily addressed separately, but rather require a “wrap around” approach that considers the individual, the family and the community. Our main program areas each represent a fundamental piece of our mission and complement our goal of promoting self-sufficiency, financial independence and community building.

We’re only one week away from our special Food Bank Fundraiser/Blog Party, which is scheduled for MONDAY, AUG. 25th, starting at 6pm at Elliott Bay Brewery, located at 255 SW 152nd in downtown Burien.

Aside from being a fun and festive gathering, this event will also serve as a Fundraiser for both the Highline and White Center Food Banks, and while there’s NO COVER CHARGE, we kindly ask that you bring at least two cans or boxes of food to help feed your neighbors in need.

So come on out and have some fun while helping a great cause, and mark your calendars for what’s sure to be a night full of:

• NO COVER CHARGE (suggested donation of 2 cans or boxes of food is asked)
• Fundraising for Highline and White Center Food Banks!
• Live Blogging!
• Live Comedy from local Comedian “Winlar”
  
• Live Music from area band “Lost in the Bamboo”
  
• Food courtesy Elliott Bay Brewery!
• Fun!
• Drinks!
• Humor!
  
• Much more, just show up!
  

We’ll see ya then!

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