On Monday afternoon (Aug. 30), Jim Spady of Dick’s Drive-In announced that they’ll be expanding their line of fast food restaurants by one, with the final location to be determined by votes from the public on the restaurant’s website.

There are three areas under consideration:

1. South End, which includes SeaTac, Tukwila, Renton, Burien, South Seattle and West Seattle.
2. North includes Shoreline, Mountlake Terrace, Lynnwood, Edmonds and South Everett.
3. East includes Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, Bothell, Mercer Island, Issaquah and Sammamish.

As of 11pm Monday night, the vote tallies are showing us South Enders trailing in third place, with just 29% (1,748 votes) – could this be a sign that we already have a sufficient supply of red meat and tater-based food product?

Leading the pack is the obviously burger-starved East Side, at 37% (2,260 votes).

Second place goes to the North End with 33% (1,982 votes).

So Burien – do YOU want a Dick’s Drive-In ’round these parts? Or are you already happy with your local joints?

Click here to vote, but be very patient – last time we checked, their website was moving about as fast as Heinz ketchup on a cool crisp rainy late-summer day.

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Prior to the grand opening of the new Burien location at 626 SW 152nd Street, Grand Central Bakery pledged to contribute a portion of the opening day sales to two local organizations. Today they followed through by handing over checks for 100% of their first day sales.

The two groups receiving checks this morning (Aug 27) were the Highline Schools Foundation for Excellence and the Highline Area Food Bank. Thanks to sales that set a opening day record for Grand Central, each organization received a check for $2,350.

Mike Werle, Executive Director of the Highline Area Food Bank, acknowledged the donation saying, “We’re very fortunate to have a business come into our community and latch on to organizations like ours.”

Maya Mendoza-Exstrom, President of the Highline Schools Foundation Board of Trustees, agreed and welcomed Grand Central to the neighborhood saying, “While we appreciate all of our community support, for a new business to step up like this is unprecedented.”

Highline Schools Foundation for Excellence (L to R) - David Paice, Mike Bischoff, Maya Mendoza-Extrom, Kent Horton, Summer Hepburn (Grand Central Cafe Manager), Patti Gifford, Holly Moore

Highline Area Food Bank (L to R) - Mike Werle, Executive Director and Summer Hepburn, Grand Central Cafe Manager

Photos by Michael Brunk. Click to view larger versions.

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Looking for something to do this weekend? Here’s a round up of events happening around the area:

• Saturday – Saturday Morning Jazz Set at Dubsea Coffee
• Saturday – Fantastic Fruits & Vegetables At This Week’s Des Moines Waterfront Farmers Market!
• Sunday – Mark Your Calendar For This Sunday’s B-Patch Garden Day!
• Sunday – Advertiser E.B. Foote Winery Hosting Jazz Night On Sunday, August 29
• Sunday – El Tianguis Latino Market at Burien Town Square
• Sunday – Free Music at Marvista Park Featuring Blue Ringer

Know about an event we missed? Feel free to share the details in a comment!

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This week, our decision to “take the pledge” to the TAO of Journalism came to fruition, and we’d like our Readers to know about it.

The “TAO of Journalism” is, quite simply, a “promise to your audience that you will be Transparent about who you are, Accountable for your mistakes, and Open to other points of view.”

Here’s how this concept originated:

At a Journalism That Matters conference in Washington, D.C., in 2008, John Hamer of the Washington News Council was thinking about how journalists demand that everyone they cover be transparent, accountable and open — but what about journalists themselves? Isn’t it a two-way street? He realized those three words spelled “TAO” and proposed a breakout session on the “TAO of Journalism.” About two dozen conference attendees showed up to discuss the idea and help refine it.

In 2009, at another Journalism That Matters gathering at the Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Florida, Hamer floated the idea again and convened another breakout session. Several attendees came and talked it over — including Tom Stites of The Banyan Project, who encouraged Hamer to pursue it.

At a third Journalism That Matters event at the University of Washington in Seattle in January 2010 (Editor’s Note: this is where we first met John and learned of this concept), the “TAO of Journalism” was informally launched. Several attendees took the “TAO pledge” and/or bought T-shirts displaying a TAO logo. Others signed up at a Society of Professional Journalists convention in Seattle in April 2010.

We now proudly publish the pledge we took for not only The SeaTac Blog, but for our five sister sites as well:

Transparent
We will fully disclose who we are, our journalistic mission and our guiding principles. We will post information on our background and expertise, including education and experience. We will list advertisers, donors, grants, and any other payments that support our work. If affiliated with a political party or special-interest group, we will disclose that. If lobbying for any particular legislation or regulation, we will disclose that. If we are being paid to promote a product or cause, we will disclose that. If other factors could be seen as potential conflicts of interest, we will disclose them. (NOTE: The principle of transparency does not apply to confidential sources, who may still be protected.)

Accountable
If we get any facts wrong, we will admit that promptly and publicly. We will post/publish/print/podcast/broadcast a correction or at least a clarification. We will fully explain what happened to cause the error or mistake. We will do a follow-up story if that is appropriate, putting the original material in better context. We will apologize and promise to be more careful next time. We will show a little humility.

Open
If there are credible challenges to our point of view or simply differences of opinion, we will be open to contrary positions. We will give the other side(s) opportunity and space to express their views and engage in open public dialogue through comments or other means. If we are primarily engaged in opinion and commentary, rather than news reporting, we will make that clear – while inviting others to express their opinions through comment and feedback means.

We do not necessarily agree to abide by any particular code of journalism ethics or professional standards, although we may choose to do so. If we do, we will declare that publicly. If we don’t, we will declare that as well. We understand that this will not be enforced by any outside organized group. It will be overseen by everyone on the Internet who wants to see high standards of transparency, accountability and openness in journalism – through whatever media platform.

We understand that if someone using the “TAO Seal” starts violating its basic principles, they will be admonished, criticized, reprimanded and embarrassed in public through the awesome power of the Internet. Call it “crowdsourcing” ethics and accuracy. In summary, we believe that Transparency, Accountability and Openness are keys to our personal credibility and public trust.

So…what the heck does this mean to our Readers?

• It means that you can rest assured that if we have a bias or agenda, we’ll do our best to openly disclose it.
• If we make a mistake, we’ll do our best to correct it.
• And, as we’ve showed in the past by allowing anonymous Comments and Forum Postings, we’ll continue to allow contrary points of view, as long as they’re not libelous, or contain naughty words.

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Looking for something to do this weekend? Here’s a round up of events happening around the area:

• Saturday/Sunday – City of Tukwila Community Garage Sale is Aug 14-15
• Saturday – 5th Annual Trash To Treasure Parking Lot Sale Is Saturday, Aug. 14th
• Saturday – Health & Fitness Day at Des Moines Waterfront Farmers Market
• Saturday – Brent Rice Memorial Swim Is Aug. 14th; Here’s How You Can Join In/Help
• Sunday – FREE Ice Cream With Ciscoe Morris At Highline/SeaTac Gardens Aug. 15th
• Sunday – Experience Live Mexican Dance At El Tianguis Latino Market
• Sunday – Free Music at Marvista Park Featuring The Starlings

Know about an event we missed? Feel free to share the details in a comment!

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Looking for something to do this weekend? Here’s a round up of events happening around the area:

• Friday/Saturday – “Cruisin4TheCure” Fighting Cancer With A Car Wash Friday & Saturday
• Friday/Saturday – Big Al Brewing’s Second Birthday Celebration August 7 and 8
• Friday – Guy Harper and Pamela Harper, Authors of Three Tree Point at Burien Books From 4-6PM
• Saturday – Des Moines Waterfront Farmers Market Celebrates Shark Week… Puget Sound Style!
• Saturday – White Center CDA Member Mixer Is Saturday, Aug. 7th
• Saturday – Burien’s Sizzling Saturday Night Car Show
• Saturday – Greg Wright, Author of West of the Gospel at Burien Books From 1-3PM
• Saturday – WestSide Baby Challenges Burien To “Stuff The Bus” Saturday Night
• Sunday – Sustainable Burien Meeting At Community Gardens, 437 SW 144th Street
• Sunday – Burien’s “El Tianguis” Latino Market
• Sunday – Pink Party For The Cure Is This Sunday At All-Star Sports Bar
• Sunday – Des Moines United Methodist Church Hosting Blues Concert Featuring “Sister Wives”
• Sunday – Free Music at Marvista Park Featuring Woodrush

Know about an event we missed? Feel free to share the details in a comment!

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Looking for something to do this weekend? Here’s a round up of events happening around the area:

• Friday/Saturday/Sunday – “Withering Heights” at the E.B. Foote Winery
• Friday/Saturday – Advertiser Lavina Mays To Host Grand Opening Event This Weekend
• Saturday – Normandy Park Hoop Fest Basketball Tournament Is Saturday, July 31st
• Saturday – Coffee “Cupping” at Dubsea Coffee in White Center
• Saturday – Elder Care & Safety Day at the Des Moines Waterfront Farmers Market
• Saturday – Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” in Des Moines Beach Park
• Sunday – “El Tianguis Mercado Latino” street market in Burien Town Square
• Sunday – Normandy Park’s Free Concert at Marvista Park Featuring Recess Monkey & the Normandy Park Youth Orchestra

Know about an event we missed? Feel free to share the details in a comment!

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Looking for something to do this weekend? Here’s a round up of events happening around the area:

• Friday/Saturday/Sunday – Olde Burien Sidewalk Sale
• Friday/Saturday/Sunday – “Withering Heights” at the E.B. Foote Winery
• Friday/Saturday – Local Kids Perform in “Robinson Crusoe” at Des Moines Field House
• Saturday – Business Showcase and Cooking Demonstrations at the Des Moines Waterfront Farmers Market
• Saturday – Mount Rainier High School’s Class of 1980 Reunion Cruise
• Saturday – White Center Fall and Winter Gardening Class
• Sunday – “El Tianguis Mercado Latino” street market in Burien Town Square
• Sunday – Breakfast/fund-raiser and diaper collection for WestSide Baby at White Center Eagles
• Sunday – Dinner/fund-raiser for Orphan Relief and Rescue at 909 Coffee and Wine Bistro
• Sunday – Fundraiser Carwash for the Highline Blue Sox
• Sunday – Wine Dinner featuring Waterbrook Winery at Advertiser Archery Bistro (Call for reservations)
• Sunday – Normandy Park’s Free Concert at Marvista Park Featuring Contemporary Celtic Music by “Craicmore”

Know about an event we missed? Feel free to share the details in a comment!

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Story and photos by Michael Brunk

On Wednesday, July 14, workers and local dignitaries joined together to celebrate the “topping out” of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport’s new consolidated rental car facility. When the new structure opens in spring of 2012, it will house all rental car related operations for the airport.

The ceremony, which by most accounts dates back to ancient Europe, marks the completion of the building’s basic structure. After the mandatory speeches, the dignitaries and labor representatives each signed the large steel beam that acted as a back drop for the day’s ceremony.

Bedecked with a banner representing the Iron Workers Local 86, an American flag on one end and an evergreen tree on the other, the beam was lifted by one of the large tower cranes and “flown” around the job site before being maneuvered into place on top of the structure.

With the final piece of structural steel in place, the construction project is around the half way point with a lot of work remaining in order to meet the scheduled opening date in early 2012.

Speakers at the event included Dave Soike, the Deputy Managing Director of Sea-Tac Airport, Port of Seattle Commissioner John Creighton, SeaTac Mayor Terry Anderson, rental car industry spokeswoman Lorie Tallarico, King County Labor Council AFL-CIO board member Lee Newgent, and Jack Beaudoin, Vice President and General Manager for Turner Construction.

All of the speakers emphasized the degree of cooperation and coordination required across multiple agencies, including the Port of Seattle, City of SeaTac, and the construction company and labor unions, for the project to move ahead and be successful despite roadblocks along the way.

The project was paused in December 2008 when economic conditions deteriorated. Construction resumed in July 2009 after the Port approved the sale of $317 million in revenue bonds to help fund the $419 million project. Almost the entire cost of the project will be paid back by fees paid by rental customers.

In the meantime, over 3,000 family-wage jobs will be generated over the life of the project and the City of SeaTac will collect nearly $2 million in tax revenue.

Much was made of the focus on minimizing the environmental impact. Turner Construction General Manager Jack Beaudoin stated that 95% of the materials used in constructing the facility were recycled, and that nearly 99% of construction waste leaving the site is being recycled. Beaudoin also declared the structure will be “salmon safe” with 85% of the car wash water reclaimed, filtered and reused. LEED certification is also being pursued for the facility

Once the new rental car facility opens, it will bring together operations that today are located at the airport and scattered across several off-site locations. In the process it will increase the number of companies providing cars from the five available at the airport today to a total of eleven. It will also free up more than 3,200 parking spaces in the main terminal garage.

Photographer Michael Brunk attended today’s ceremony and assembled the following slideshow. Click on the images to advance.

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by Jack Mayne

The Port of Seattle has been accused by a taxicab company of violating the state open meeting act and seeks to have the Port restrained from signing a contract with Yellow Cab for exclusive cab service from the airport.

The legal dispute over the taxi contract for travelers arriving at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport could make finding a taxicab impossible after the August 31 end of the current contract. The Port of Seattle and the Seattle Tacoma International Taxi Association, better known as STITA, say some sort of service will be found but no discussions have been held with any cab provider, say spokesmen for both sides.

Court orders sought by STITA and other cab companies have prevented the Port from signing a new contract with Yellow Cab as recommended by the Port staff. For 20 years, STITA has held the contract to provide all taxi service leaving the airport, but the Port was stung last year by a state auditor’s report dinging the Port for not making enough money on the contract.

The Port and STITA say there were no discussions about increasing income to the Port. Instead, for the first time last year, the Port issued requests for proposals, which resulted in Port staff recommending the contract be awarded to Yellow Cab.

STITA and other area cab companies have gone to court to stop Yellow from getting the contract, claiming various problems with the way the bid were evaluated.

In the latest filing, STITA is asking for the court to issue an injunction restraining the Port from signing a new contract with Yellow Cab because it violated the open meetings act by adopting changes in the provisions of the contract in a closed door meeting and without giving bidders notice of those changes. The changes should have been discussed in a public and open meeting, says attorney Michael A. Goldfarb on behalf of client STITA.

“Everything points to the Port of Seattle to go back to the drawing board, and clean up this mess,” says Jesse Buttar, a STITA spokesman. “We’re not asking for them to give us the contract, but to give us a level playing field. This has been stacked against STITA from the beginning.”

STITA says it also plans to appeal another case to the State Supreme Court to continue an injunction preventing the port from signing the Yellow Taxi contract. If the Court starts its summer recess before acting on the appeal, the injunction against a new contract could result in no contract for cab service being in place after the current one expires.

ADDITIONAL COVERAGE ON THE B-TOWN BLOG:

• STITA Cab Challenges Yellow Taxi Lobbyist Over Role In Taxi Contract
• Court Ruling Prevents Port Of Seattle From Signing Taxi Contract. For Now.
• Taxicab Companies Request State Investigation Into Port Of Seattle
• Port Of Seattle Being Sued By Second Taxi Company
• UPDATE: After Brief Denial, STITA Cab Wins Stay Against Port Of Seattle
• STITA Taxi Files Lawsuit Against Port Of Seattle For Breaking Contract

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