We’d like to welcome back Advertiser Three Tree Montessori School, which serves student learners from the Highline and West Seattle area – you know, that’s the school behind those whimsical columns on SW 160th in Burien. They’ve been guiding students in this area since 2003. “Guiding,” as in not “teaching” – well that’s the Montessori philosophy, you see.

Montessori is a time-tested, (since 1907 in Europe, and the mid-50s in the US), child-centered developmental education method that is focused on the individual child’s potential, giving the child hands-on experiences that nurture the love of learning. It emphasizes collaboration, self-expression, and self-motivation in beautiful learning environments, which foster respect, peace, and joy.

Every Thursday morning from late October through May, Three Tree Montessori welcomes interested parents and the community to experience Montessori by watching classroom activities. BTB recently spent time viewing Three Tree’s students at work. It wasn’t like any classroom we knew of, being products of public school, but it was interesting and worth explaining to our readers who are interested in public school alternatives.

Montessori divides classes by age, not grade level. The Toddler Program includes children aged 1 (and walking) to 3. This is where young children experience their first structured contact with other children. There are two toddler classes with 12 students in each class guided by a Montessori-certified teacher and an assistant teacher. There is one half-day class and one full-day class.

To give you an idea of what the Three Tree Montessori is like, here’s a slideshow of photos:

I was paired with an anxious mother from West Seattle who needed to watch her 1-1/2 year old son in his first week in class (he was doing much better than Mom!).

The Toddler environment is prepared to meets the needs of the child and to foster independence, motor coordination and language acquisition. This is where young children experience their first structured contact with other children. We observed tea parties, biscuit-baking, sweeping and cleaning—all performed with age appropriate tools.

Next we were off to the Primary Program for ages 3 to 6. We observed one of three primary classes. There is one teacher/guide, one assistant, and one support staff. One of the basic tenets of Montessori theory is the multi-age classroom. Here students learn practical life, sensorial, cultural, math and language activities and of course, outdoor play. There isn’t a desk in sight – instead there are chairs and tables that are age appropriate. Many of the children were using floor mats, studying math and geography working in groups or individually, with the older students mentoring the younger. We noted how quiet it was as they were learning at their own pace.

Finally we were welcomed into the Elementary classroom for ages 6-12. Yes, welcomed. Two girls (class greeters) welcomed BTB and offered tea. Students were working in small groups. Elementary children are noted for their questioning minds and their imaginations. The ability to reason is at its greatest capacity in the child of this age. The elementary classroom is designed to be the stepping-off point into the universe. The study of language includes writing, reading and oral expression. Math includes arithmetic, geometry and algebra (and we’re talking little kids learning this stuff!). Once again, all this learning is done on the floor or at tables.

After our tours of the classrooms were complete, we toured the gardens. Outdoor education is as important as indoor education at Three Tree Montessori. Each age level has their own garden area planted outside their classrooms, and are all aspiring gardeners. Their gardens include a compost pile as well as rain barrels (which were overflowing).

Service to the community is an important aspect of the Elementary program. Over the years, the children of Elementary have raised money for a Montessori school in Kenya, organized food drives for Northwest Harvest and holiday gift drives for the non-profit organization Baby Boutique, and held a clothing drive for a local family who lost all their belongings in a fire. And this past school year, the Elementary class has sent a work party of students each Friday to Marra Farm, a non-profit community farm promoting sustainable agriculture and education that donates tons of fresh produce to local residents.

We sat with the Elementary guide/teacher and learned there are no grades given in Montessori School. Rather there are two annual parent teacher conferences and a year-end evaluation (the ITBS is given to the equivalent of third and sixth graders).

Three Tree Montessori offers a diverse student and teacher population, and they work at keeping classrooms diverse and balanced (by race and sex). Tuition assistance is available. There are 120 students at the school, with room for a few more in the Toddler and Elementary Programs.

Three Tree Montessori is located at 220 SW 160th in Burien. Imported columns grace the front of Three Tree Montessori.

For more information about Three Tree Montessori, please contact the school office at (206) 242-5100, or click on their Ad for more info.

And about those columns – the originals were found in Cawa Cawa, New Zealand. They are replicas designed and built by parents from originals done by famous New Zealand artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser.

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There will be a “Save The Pool” rally tonight (Monday, Aug. 31st) from 5pm to 7pm at the Evergreen Pool, which is located at 606 SW 116th St in White Center.

Dow Constantine, King County Councilmember and candidate for the executive position, says that the pool will close Tuesday, Sept. 1st, and stay closed until a new management deal is completed.

Evergreen Pool’s budget was cut by the county, and its future appears to be sinking fast, unless something is done soon…so be there to show your support!

by Ralph Nichols

Burien Mayor Joan McGilton began a special City Council meeting on annexation Monday night (Aug. 24th) by rolling out the welcome mat for 14,100 North Highline residents who will become part of the city early next year.

Councilwoman Kathy Keene, observing the “long, hard fight” to bring the south part of the North Highline unincorporated area into Burien is over, added, “We just want to assure everybody that it will be a seamless transition and a welcoming transition,”

Sally Nelson, a city council member since Burien incorporated in 1993, said, “We feel like you’re one of us now. We’ve erased that line (dividing the city from the neighborhood immediately to the north) and we have a new line and we hope someday to erase that line too.”

City Manager Mike Martin said these future city residents will “see no changes until annexation actually occurs,” which is expected to happen in late March or early April. Even then, he continued, “they will not see substantial changes” unless services are enhanced.

With 2,472 ballots cast in last week’s primary election counted through Monday, 55.91 percent (1,363) of registered voters in the North Highline annexation area favored becoming part of Burien in last week’s primary election, while 44.09 percent (1.075) opposed the merger. The current total represents 38.72 percent of voters in that area.

“We do not consider this to be a mandate, but it certainly is a very strong showing,” Martin told council members. “We want to thank everyone who was involved, and they are legion … there was a lot of heavy lifting that went on here” in the months leading up to the vote. He extended special thanks to the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council “for their steadfastness” in support of annexation.

When annexation becomes official, Burien will be the 21st largest city in Washington with a population of about 45,000. Currently the city ranks 31st in the state. The annexation area extends north from South/Southwest 128th Street to a line that zigzags west to east along Southwest 112th Street in north Shorewood, South 116th Street, South 112th Street, and South 107th Street in Boulevard Park, ending at Tukwila.

Much of Beverly Park and Boulevard Park, including the Rainier Golf and Country Club, will be absorbed by Burien. Left in the remaining unincorporated area between the new Burien city limits and Seattle will be the North Highline fire station, Evergreen High School and Pool, and the Top Hat neighborhood.

Martin noted that after a lengthy telephone conversation with interim King County Executive Kurt Triplett, “it appears extremely unlikely that any (county) parks in our annexation area will be shut down.” Triplett has proposed closing 39 parks in unincorporated areas to help balance the county’s budget next year. Five of these parks are in the annexation area.

The city’s contract with the King County Sheriff’s Office will be modified to hire more deputies as city police officers, many of whom already work in North Highline. All special districts – fire, water, sewer, library, and Highline schools – will continue to provide services in the newly annexed area without interruption or change, Martin added.

Council members also encouraged residents of the North Highline annexation area to become involved with their new city government now. Councilwoman Rose Clark invited them “to come to council meetings” and to offer comments. “I encourage that. We need all the advice we can get.”

McGilton reminded them that they “can come to (advisory) commission meetings and participate” both before and after annexation takes place, even if they are not commission members. “You do not have to be at the table” to contribute.

Following a lengthy discussion, council members backed away from a proposed ordinance to allow North Highline annexation area residents to become members of the Arts, Parks and Recreation, and Planning commissions before they become part of the city.

Planning Commission member Jim Clingan reminded lawmakers that city policy has been to have no geographic preference for council positions and commission memberships. To make this exception now could result in preferential treatment, he cautioned.

Councilman Gordon Shaw and McGilton, who agreed there should be no geographic preference, noted the council’s normal process is to invite applications for membership on these commissions in January, review them in February, and appoint new members in March – about the time the annexation area will become part of Burien.

The council directed staff to draft a new ordinance, relating to participation on city commissions by residents of the annexation area on city commissions, that states they can apply for membership on commissions before joining Burien.

During public comment, North Highline resident Karen Veloria told council members, “I wanted us to go to Seattle … but I’m now in Burien. That’s OK with me. I’m willing to work with you all.”

Another North Highline resident, Richard Beaubelle, told them, “I pledge to assist in making this a smooth transition.”

Burien resident Cherisse Luxa added, “I’m so proud of the people in the south part of North Highline for choosing to become part of Burien.” Extending her welcome, Luxa said, “I can not wait until north North Highline” also becomes part of the city.

Liz Giba of North Highline exclaimed, “I can’t wait until we become part of Burien.” She said she will keep on working on annexing the rest of North Highline into the city “and will remain hopeful.”

The White Center Community Development Center’s annual fundraiser dinner event is coming Saturday, Aug. 29th, from 4pm to 8pm, with a “Luau In The Park” theme at White Center Heights Park.

Here are the details:

WHAT: “Luau In The Park” fundraiser/party for White Center CDA

WHEN: Saturday, Aug. 29th, from 4pm to 8pm

WHERE: White Center Heights Park, located at SW 102nd and 7th SW

TICKETS: $37 pre-pay, $45 at the door; purchase tickets online here.

INFO: From their poster:

“Join us for an evening of island style merriment with a real pig in the “imu” (pit).

There will be cultural and island entertainment, as well as island cuisine for your feasting pleasure.

Join in on the Dessert Auction and Live Auction (wanna win a trip?) where the highest bidder gets first pick! Satisfy your creativity and create your own Tahitian skirt, learn how to make an Hawaiian flower lei or just come to taste and experience the islands the “White Center Way.”

Connecting People & Place to Build Community.

So come one, come all!”

For more information, visit the White Center Community Development Association’s website here.

The special Burien City Council meeting on annexation is tonight (Monday, Aug. 24, at 7pm), with the goal of discussing “how in general to do this whole thing,” according to City Manager Mike Martin.

Residents in the newly-annexed southern North Highline area are invited to attend, along with those in Burien, to discuss what’s next for the new part of the city, and how best to “get there.”

“We plan on listening to that community to find out how their vision fits with that of our existing Burien residents,” Martin said. “There seems to be a strong feeling that something was torn apart when Burien incorporated in 1993 and this starts to put that back together again.”

The session will be at 7pm at the new Burien City Hall, which is located at 4th Avenue SW and SW 152nd Street in downtown Burien. To download a PDF of the agenda, click here.

by Ralph Nichols

It’s déjà vu all over again. Closed parks and pools, on top of program and job cuts, have been proposed by the King County executive to balance next year’s operating budget. But that was then, when Ron Sims was county executive and the 2003 budget was on the table.

Seven years later, Kurt Triplett, Sims’ former chief of staff, is interim county executive. And the second verse is same as the first. (Actually the third verse when last year’s cuts in the sheriff’s and prosecutor’s offices and the court system are included.)

Triplett recently proposed “mothballing” 39 parks in unincorporated urban areas in King County – more than a third of them in the Highline area. But even if all parks on his hit list were to be closed, which some Highline officials and volunteers consider unlikely, five parks and maybe a sixth would remain open.

Those parks are in the “south” part of the North Highline unincorporated area, which residents there decided on Tuesday will be become part of the city of Burien. That transition is expected to occur early next year.

North Highline parks that will be annexed by Burien are:

• Arbor Lake Park, So. 124th Street and 4th Ave So.
• Hazel Valley Park, SW 126th Street and 2nd Ave SW
• Hilltop Park, So. 128th Street and 26th Ave So.
  
• Puget Sound Park, 126th Street SW and 1st Ave So.
• Salmon Creek Park, SW 118th Street and 8th Ave SW

Southern Heights Park, So. 120th Street and 14th Avenue So., also in the annexation area, has been leased and maintained by the county but is owned by Water District 20. There is no immediate indication about the district’s plan for this park.

Triplett said mothballing the parks would reduce general fund expenses by $4.6 million. The county faces a $56.4 million shortfall in projected tax revenues and the executive and council are looking for ways to balance the budget to maintain 2009 service levels.

King County Councilman Dow Constantine of West Seattle, whose district includes North Highline and most of Burien, reacted swiftly with a statement opposing Triplett’s plan. Constantine, who finished second in the August 18 primary election contest for county executive – and will face former KIRO-TV anchor Susan Hutchison in November – currently serves as council chairman.

“I am opposed to Executive Triplett’s proposal to cut all funding for King County parks in the urban unincorporated areas,” Constantine said. “Parks are important to the health and quality of life of everyone in the communities in which King County provides basic services – especially to our young people. To eliminate these parks with the stroke of a pen when economic times get tough would be short-sighted.”

He said “all other possible cuts” – including reductions in administrative staff – and “innovative budget solutions” need to be explored “before we consider the elimination of direct services to King County residents. I have laid out a set of ideas to serve as a starting point for substantive discussions by the King County Council to create a balanced 2010 budget without raising taxes or cutting funding for urban unincorporated parks”

Hutchison could not be reached for comment.

Triplett’s proposal addresses only parks with maintenance financed through the general fund. They total approximately 610 acres and have a total assessed value of $57 million. It would not affect King County’s regional parks and trails, which are funded through the County Parks levy.

“Taxpayers have paid for these parks, and I am open to any proposal from the cities or others to transfer ownership for free,” said Triplett. “As part of the effort to encourage annexations, the state has given these cities tax options the county does not have.”

The 39 targeted parks will remain open for use but will not be maintained. In December, if this plan goes into effect, crews will fence playground equipment, lock and secure restrooms, post signs and lock gates in the closed parks.

Triplett said his priority is to shield public health and criminal justice services as much as possible but that all county departments will see budget cuts in 2010.

The other parks in the general Highline area on Triplett’s mothball list are:

• Duwamish (River) Park – Site 1
• Evergreen Athletic Field (and Evergreen Pool), 606 SW 116 Street
• Hamm Creek Natural Area
• Lakewood Park, 11050 10th Ave SW
• North Shorewood Park, SW 102nd Street and 24th Ave SW
• Sunset Playfield, So. 136th Street and 18th Ave So.
• White Center Heights Park, SW 102nd Street and 7th Ave SW
• White Center Pond Natural Area, SW 102nd Street and 12th Ave SW

Holy Family Parish is sponsoring “El Carnaval” on Satrurday, Aug. 29th from 10am-10pm and Sunday, Aug. 30th from 10am-4pm at their campus in White Center.

The entire community is invited to meet their neighbors, and here are the details:

WHAT: Holy Family Parish’s “El Carnaval” Street Fair

WHEN: Saturday, Aug. 29th from 10am to 10pm and Sunday, Aug. 30th from 10am to 4pm

WHERE: Holy Family Church, located at 9622 20th Ave SW at Roxbury

INFO: The fair will have:

• Vendors
• Bands
• Children’s activities
• Food
• Bingo
• A beer garden
• Many other fun activities

They are planning to close 20^th Street from Roxbury for one block between the Parish and the School, and will open this area to the entire community for an opportunity to meet our neighbors. The school will also be open to all.

“Holy Family Parish School has a rich history having served the White Center community for over 80 years.

We are a very diverse community and we are welcoming everyone to come together to have a lot of fun.

We would love to see the entire White Center community come together to meet each other and have fun!”

For more info, visit the Holy Family Parish website here.

VOLUNTEERS/VENDORS: If you would like to participate as a vendor or as a volunteer in “El Carnaval,” or have questions please feel free to e-mail principal@hfseattle.org or call 206-767-6640.

Courtesy Reader Duane Hobbs (of Andrews/Hobbs Design Company, 206-248-8410) comes this weekend’s interactive map of area garage and yard sales, as culled from Craigslist and other online listings.

To utilize the map, simply click on any of the yellow push-pin styled icons, and a listing of that specific sale will pop up (HINT: if you feel like you’re “stuck” on one listing, just click on another icon):

View Burien Area Sales (8/22-23) in a larger map

by Ralph Nichols

With North Highline voters approving annexation to Burien by a comfortable margin, Burien Mayor Joan McGilton declared Wednesday morning (Aug. 19th), “I’m pretty excited about having a whole historic part of our community brought together again in the city.”

Burien City Manager Mike Martin added, “I’m very pleased with the results and welcome our new residents. We’ll do our best to serve them well.” He said “in recent weeks, people expected it to go this way.”

After the first two reports from King County Elections on the results of yesterday’s primary election – the county’s first all mail-in election – votes “For” the annexation issue led with almost 59 percent of the ballots cast, compared to just over 41 percent to those “Against” the move.

Ballots counted on election night represent slightly more than 23 percent of registered voters in the part of the North Highline unincorporated area that will be annexed – 1,491 ballots out of 6,384 registered voters – with 862 yes votes and 603 no votes. Election officials predicted that about 35 percent of registered voters would cast ballots in the primary.

When annexation becomes official, probably sometime in late winter or early spring, Burien will be the 21st largest city in Washington with a population of approximately 45,990, surpassing Olympia. Currently the city ranks 31st in the state. Some 14,100 new residents will come into the city as Burien takes in an area extending north from South/SW 128th Street to a line that zigzags west to east along SW 112th Street in north Shorewood, So. 116th Street, South 112th Street, and South 107th Street in Boulevard Park, ending at Tukwila.

Much of Beverly Park and Boulevard Park, including the Rainier Golf and Country Club, will be absorbed by Burien. Left in the remaining unincorporated area between the new Burien city limits and Seattle will be the North Highline fire station, Evergreen High School and Pool, and the Top Hat neighborhood.

“City staff will be working really hard to make this transition as seamless and as welcoming as possible,” McGilton assured the future new city residents.

The first step will be a special City Council meeting on annexation on Monday, Aug. 24, at 7pm, to discuss “how in general to do this whole thing,” Martin said. “In the immediate future, we plan on listening to that community to find out how their vision fits with that of our existing Burien residents. There seems to be a strong feeling that something was torn apart when Burien incorporated in 1993 and this starts to put that back together again.”

Addressing “those who didn’t want to join Burien,” he stressed “there is room in this city for dissenting voices. We welcome that, and hope we will win them over in the future and they will feel comfortable in our city.”

Not sharing their enthusiasm over the annexation vote was Mark Ufkes, president of the White Center Homeowners Association and a member of White Center Residents for a Secure Future, and a leading opponent of the proposition who argued before the primary that “Burien is the least best choice” for North Highline.

“All I can offer is that they’re predicting a 35 percent (voter) turnout and last November there was an 80 percent turnout. Would the election outcome be different if everybody participated? My contention all along was that Burien wanted a low turnout and they got it.”

But Greg Duff, president of the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council disagrees. Approval of annexation by Burien is “not a surprise because NHUAC did a survey and it showed that people wanted to go to Burien rather than Seattle. At that point, the council began working on annexation and supported the people’s wishes. I had a good idea based on the response to our survey they would vote to support annexation.”

Duff noted that survey results reflected a preference by a majority of all North Highline residents to become part of Burien – including those residing in “north” North Highline, which will remain unincorporated for now.

He extended thanks to Martin “and the Burien City Council for having the vision that North Highline is an asset. And I thank the citizens of North Highline who worked so hard to make this possible. This was a real grassroots effort.”

Ufkes, who lives one block north of the annexation area, said what happens to the remaining unincorporated area is not for him to decide. “It’s up to the community members.” But, he said, “Seattle has expressed interest in moving ahead (with annexing that area) next year with a vote – in November.”

Duff questioned Ufkes’ claim. “I belief this annexation to Burien is going to be successful,” he said, adding that would increase the interest of residents outside the city in becoming part of Burien, too. The unincorporated area council needs “to sit down and decide what’s our next move. We can’t wait. But it’s really up to Burien.”

He also said he is unaware at this time of any interest by Seattle in the remaining North Highline area, and that that city’s mayoral and council races could affect its future position on annexation.

A resident of the area that will be annexed, Duff will resign soon from the unincorporated area council.

McGilton repeated her earlier statement that Burien’s annexation of “south” North Highline needs to be given time to settle in. Then the council can “look at it. I’m a phase one, phase two person … if this is a success, then that will give us credibility to move on north.”

She acknowledged “the tremendous work that Mike Martin and Jennifer Ramirez-Robson, who set up the community meetings, and (Community Development Director) Scott Greenberg, who worked on this for so long compiling the numbers so they came together and will not increase cost to the city. Many others were instrumental as well, but these three were out in front.”

At Monday’s council meeting, “we will bring a resolution to modify the municipal code so North Highline residents in the new annexation area can serve on city advisory boards and commissions now” – through the regular appointment process as positions become open,” Martin noted. That “will give folks in that area a direct say in advising the city council.

“In the next few weeks we will be hiring staff and taking inventories of capital needs (in the unincorporated area). We will need to start figuring out planning and zoning issues up there.”

Martin repeated that “south” North Highline will not become part of Burien immediately. The process of bringing the unincorporated area into the city will take several months, with annexation becoming official sometime in late winter at the earliest.

The city’s primary focus on bringing the annexed area into Burien will be planning and zoning, streets and storm drains, and code enforcement, as well as adding staff to work on these matters. In addition, Burien, which adopted a two-year budget for the first time this year, will need to modify it for 2010 to allow for both increased revenue and spending.

The city’s contract with the King County Sheriff’s Office will be modified to hire more deputies as city police officers, many of whom already work in North Highline. All special districts – fire, water, sewer, library, and Highline schools – will continue to provide services in the newly annexed area without interruption or change.

Highline School District on Wednesday (Aug. 19th) announced that, beginning this September and continuing through the 2009-2010 school year, students will be released 90 minutes early on “most Fridays.”

This new policy will replace the half-day Wednesdays and most of the non-student “waiver days” HSD has had in past years.

“This has nothing to do with budget cuts,” said Catherine Carbone Rogers, Director, Communication and Community Engagement for HSD. “The purpose is the give teachers time to learn and collaborate with the goal of improving instruction and student achievement. Most school districts do some form of early release or late start for this purpose, and have for many years. Students will have about the same amount of time out of school as they have for the past few years.”

School begins in three weeks for Highline students, on Wednesday, Sept. 9th, which would make the first early-release day Friday, Sept. 11th (so parents, mark your calendars).

“After students are dismissed on Fridays, teachers will use the time for training, professional development, and collaboration,” states the letter. “The 90-minute sessions, called Professional Collaboration Time (PCT), will include activities such as learning new and better ways to deliver instruction, analyzing student work together, and sharing ideas and plans that will improve student performance.”

Also, as printed in the letter, “The school district surveyed parents and teachers, and the majority preferred a weekly early release of less than two hours, versus a less frequent but longer block of time as we have had in the past.”

Here’s the letter, which will be sent out to families from individual school principals:

DATE

Dear [name of school] Families:

We want you to be aware of a change our school schedule. This year, school will be dismissed 90 minutes early on most Fridays. This will replace the half-day Wednesday schedule and most of the non-student “waiver” days we have had in past years. Overall, the amount of time students will spend out of the classroom is comparable to past years.

After students are dismissed on Fridays, teachers will use the time for training, professional development, and collaboration. The 90-minute sessions, called Professional Collaboration Time (PCT), will include activities such as learning new and better ways to deliver instruction, analyzing student work together, and sharing ideas and plans that will improve student performance. While you might not expect that giving time off school could lead to increased student learning, research shows that time invested in teacher training and improvement of instruction does indeed result in improved student achievement.
Students must be dismissed early in order to provide time for teacher learning and collaboration within teachers’ state-funded work day.

We recognize that shortened school days impact families and parents’ work schedules. The school district surveyed parents and teachers, and the majority preferred a weekly early release of less than two hours, versus a less frequent but longer block of time as we have had in the past.

The most significant impact will be to families of half-day Kindergarteners. Morning and afternoon classes will alternate attending school every other Friday. On Fridays, Kindergarteners will be on the same schedule as students in grades 1-6.

For example, on September 18, morning Kindergarteners will attend school the same hours as grades 1-6; afternoon Kindergarteners will have no school. On the following Friday, afternoon Kindergartners will attend school with grades 1-6; morning Kindergarteners will have no school.

We hope the consistency of the weekly early release will be beneficial for students, families, and teachers. If you have questions, please contact me at [phone number and/or email address]

Sincerely,

[name]
Principal

For more information, visit the Highline School District website here, or download a PDF of the school year calendar here.

With over 19% of the votes tabulated so far, the results of the North Highline Fire District Commissioner, Position #3 are:

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: 2,718 / 14,011 19.40%

• Peggy Noble: 520 •  21.73%
• David Lawson: 739 •  30.88%
• Ray Austin: 1,122 • 46.89%
• Write-in: 12 • 0.50%

The North Highline Fire District (originally named King County Fire District #11) was founded in 1942 and currently serves approximately 40,000 citizens in a 9-square mile area located south of the Seattle city limits.

Its service area includes both a portion of unincorporated King County and the City of Burien. There are 35 paid and 48 volunteer firefighters who provide fire suppression and rescue services from two fire stations, which are staffed 24 hours a day.

As of 9pm on Tuesday, Aug. 18th, Burien’s annexation bid for the North Highline Area has the following returns, from just over 23% of the 6,384 ballots sent out – nearly 59% “For” and 41% “Against”:

North Highline South Annexation Area Proposed Annexation to the City of Burien

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: 1,491 / 6,384 • 23.36%:

• FOR ANNEXATION: 862 – 58.84%
• AGAINST ANNEXATION: 603 – 41.16%

As more returns are tabulated, we’ll update the results, so be sure to check back often.

As homelessness grows with tough economic times, a White Center-based non-profit organization, Light Under The Bridge Homeless Ministry, is successfully affecting homelessness one person at a time.

Light Under The Bridge began last October by husband and wife founders, Kevin and Hope Kerkof.

“It began with us just making 6 sack lunches and going to Occidental Park on a Saturday morning. We just wanted to remind the homeless they are not forgotten. To look them in the eye and treat them with respect as human beings,” Kevin explained. “We had no idea what a mission this would become.”

What began as 6 lunches, has now become a team of volunteers and about 40 lunches every Saturday. “The need is overwhelming,” Hope explained, “With approximately 1,900 unsheltered people in Seattle, its easy to get discouraged and think what difference can one person make? However, our strategy is to affect the lives of the homeless by establishing relationships built on trust and respect, one person at a time. We bring them food, clothing, supplies…and as we build relationships with them, we continue to visit them when they are sick or injured in the hospital, and visit them in jail. And through our networking with other ministries, we are able to help get the homeless off the streets and the help they need when they’re ready.”

Light Under The Bridge goes where most charities will not go – under the freeways, bridges, and into the woods looking for the homeless that are not involved with the missions, shelters, and soup kitchens. These are the homeless that indeed feel forgotten, that is until they meet the volunteers from Light Under The Bridge.

Light Under The Bridge goes out every Saturday morning, on the same route-thereby visiting the same people, at the same time. The homeless look forward to their visits as one homeless man, William Johnson tells, “I’ve lived in 49 states, and in all those states, meeting Hope & Kevin is the first time I’ve ever been shown real love. Everyone out here on the streets is always asking me when the Christians are coming back out.”

As a result of Light Under The Bridge and their volunteers building relationships with the homeless, some have left the streets and are getting the help they need. Part of Light Under The Bridge’s mission has been to establish networking relationships with other faith based programs that offer rehab, housing, food, clothing, job skills, and eventually integrates them back into society. One such program that Light Under The Bridge has partnered with is The Freedom House.

The Freedom House is located in Des Moines and is a year long faith-based program that provides a discipleship program for men and women suffering from addictions. There are three phases of discipleship. During Phase I Temporary housing is provided which occurs in the first 30 days. During this time men and women are able to stay in a drug and alcohol free facility. Those that are committed to change continue into phases two and three and provided permanent housing. The program is an inclusive program, providing lodging, food, clothing, biblical teaching, life skills and an alternative life to drugs and alcohol abuse. At the end of the year, these men and women will have established a job, been taught how to budget and have savings, and will have a place to rent. Several of Light Under The Bridge’s success stories have sought treatment and are now residing at The Freedom House.

Kevin & Hope Kerkof compare Light Under The Bridge to a search and rescue team, and The Freedom House as a hospital with long term care.

“It’s a fantastic system which is affecting lives one person at a time.”

Both ministries operate from donations. 100% of all donations received by Light Under The Bridge help the homeless.

Hope adds:

“We are in great need of donations. Tangible items such as clothing or groceries can actually be left off at our church office at Shorewood Foursquare Church marked for Light Under The Bridge. We need socks, gloves, hats, and jackets are most in need, especially since the weather will begin to cool off very soon.

We get help and donations from The Freedom House in Des Moines, and Hope Fellowship Community Church in Burien which has a community outreach clothing closet every Sunday. Volunteers are always welcome. We ask them to give us a call first and to check out our website www.LightUnderTheBridge.com.”

You can also donate by sending checks to:

Light Under The Bridge
224 SW 153rd St #146
Burien, WA 98166

For further information, you can visit their website at www.LightUnderTheBridge.com.

Thrive by Five Washington and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation today announced $4 million in new, joint funding to support the White Center Early Learning Initiative (WCELI) that was launched last year and shows progress in preparing children for kindergarten.

WCELI received $11.7 million in 2008.

“The White Center Community is working with a sense of urgency to help make sure its young children get the best start in life possible,” said Nina Auerbach, president and CEO of Thrive by Five, the state’s public-private partnership overseeing the work in White Center and similar work in East Yakima.

To help better prepare kids to start school, the partnerships – also called the Thrive Demonstration Communities – are testing new ways to provide the best child care and early learning opportunities for children and their families. Each community’s partnership is a model for what can be done to substantially increase access to high-quality early learning opportunities for children from birth to age 5.

“The continued funding for the White Center Early Learning Initiative means that hundreds more  families will receive support getting their children ready for school and life, beginning at birth. This is a  wonderful example of a public-private partnership, where philanthropic dollars leverage state and  federal funding to benefit our community, state and nation,” said Dr. Monte Bridges, superintendent of the Puget Sound ESD, which oversees the community partnership in White Center.

Highlights for White Center include:

• Broke ground on nation’s 20th Educare, which will open this winter (Educare is a national model for high-quality child care).
• Started the Outreach Doula program, a home-visiting program supporting Somali and Latino families with health, development and early learning information before their child’s birth and for up to two years after that, if needed.

More information available at the Thrive by Five website.

Residents of the Highline area are invited to a community meeting about airport noise on Wednesday, Aug. 19th from 7pm to 8:30pm at the Des Moines City Hall. The meeting will be hosted by local legislators, including Senator Karen Keiser, and State Representatives Dave Upthegrove and Tina Orwall, along with Des Moines City Councilwoman Susan White.

Although the state Legislature does not oversee and has no jurisdiction over Sea-Tac Airport flight operations, the district’s elected officials are hosting this discussion to help inform residents of the decision-making process and provide an opportunity to ask questions and voice their concerns on issues from flight times to eligibility for noise mitigation projects.

Joining the legislators will be the Noise Programs Manager at Sea-Tac Airport, who will be on hand to present information and answer questions. The Noise Programs Office works closely with the Federal Aviation Administration, the airlines, and local communities to monitor existing noise programs and develop new ways of reducing airport and aircraft noise.

“As someone born and raised in the Highline area, I’ve experienced airplane noise first-hand,” said State Representative Dave Upthegrove (D – Des Moines), the meeting’s organizer. “Since operations have begun on the third runway, I have heard from many neighbors and Highline residents with questions and concerns about noise. This meeting will not only be an opportunity to learn more about flight operations and noise mitigation programs, but also get questions answered and share concerns.”

WHAT: Community meeting on airplane noise with state and local officials

WHEN: Wednesday, Aug. 19th, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

WHERE: Des Moines City Hall Council Chambers, located at 21630 11th Avenue South, Suite B

Shaun Donovan, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) completed a walking tour of White Center’s Greenbridge residential development Monday afternoon (Aug. 10th).

Joined by King County Council Chair Dow Constantine, the two toured the former public housing complex-turned mixed income community.

“I am pleased that Secretary Donovan got a first-hand opportunity to see the community redevelopment work that HUD funding has helped accomplish in White Center,” said Constantine. “We hope this can become a model for similar Hope VI projects. Former King County Executive Ron Sims, who is now deputy secretary of HUD, was a key leader in this effort to create a sustainable community at Greenbridge with strong connections to the broader White Center neighborhood.”

Secretary Donovan joined Constantine and County Executive Kurt Triplett for a tour of the residential portion of Greenbridge. He also visited the Jim Wiley Center (which houses the Boys and Girls Club and other community organizations), the Greenbridge Public Library/YMCA Adult Learning Center facility, and the White Center Heights Elementary School and Educare Center.

Greenbridge is a White Center mixed-income community built on the site of the former Park Lake Homes public housing complex and funded in part through a federal Hope VI redevelopment grant.

Originally built during World War II to house the families of civilian defense workers, the 569-unit Park Lake Homes was the King County Housing Authority’s oldest and largest public housing development. The new Greenbridge complex—partially funded through a $35 million federal HOPE VI grant—was constructed on the Park Lake site. It has 300 new public housing units and a mix of approximately 700 moderate-income rental and for-sale housing units.

In 2005, King County provided a $6.85 million HUD-guaranteed loan to KCHA that funded required utility infrastructure improvements at Greenbridge. Various county departments are repaying the loan over the next two decades as part of King County’s $10 million contribution to the $233 million redevelopment project. The King County Housing Authority is an independent municipal corporation, which receives no operating funds from Washington State, King County or the region’s suburban jurisdictions.