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.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training begins Sept. 16th and continues every Thursday evening from 6pm – 9pm at SeaTac City Hall, which is located at 4800 South 188th Street.

CERT was created by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in 1994. The goal is for emergency personnel to train neighborhood residents, community organization members and employees in basic emergency response skills. CERT members are then integrated into emergency response efforts for their area. Some sessions require physical participation while others are primarily lectures. Instructors emphasize that participants must be physically fit enough to engage in strenuous activities, such as lifting and carrying.

There is a $35 fee for the course and select supplies, and a thorough background check is conducted on applicants.

Various session highlights include:

• Sept. 16: Disaster Preparedness, with Instructor Mike Marrs, Chief of the Burien/Normandy Park Fire Dept.
• Oct. 7: Disaster Psychology & ICS, taught be Sgt. Henry McLauchlan of Burien Police, and Kathleen Gleaves of the Port of Seattle.
• Oct. 28: Terrorism & Review with Doug Reynolds of SeaTac Police.
• Oct. 30: Final Mass Casualty Exercise, which is the big finale with fake “victims” being treated in a mock disaster. Cool.

For more information, contact Community Service Officer Mechee Burnett at (206) 973-4917 or mechee.burnett@kingcounty.gov.

Here’s the full class lineup:

Popularity: 1% [?]

How about one that works at the airport, or on the waterfront, for the Port of Seattle?

Well, the Port of Seattle Police Department is holding its own “Citizens Academy,” which is a unique opportunity to learn up close and personal about the many challenges facing local law enforcement.

This is a once-a-week, 10-week program that is open to the public at no cost. That’s right – it’s FREE.

It will be held at Sea-Tac Airport on Mondays, from 9 a.m. – 11 a.m., beginning April 12th and continuing through June 28th.

Police officers and civilian personnel who are experts in their fields will teach classes at the Citizens Academy. Each instructor has years of training and street experience, providing insights not ordinarily available to those outside the department.

Subjects include patrol, community policing, recruitment and training, domestic violence, narcotics, dispatch, investigations, crimes scene analysis, SWAT, explosive detection and narcotics detection K-9, and the bomb squad.

All classes are free of charge and open to the public. The class is limited to 25 participants, so get your application in early.

Want to participate? You’ll need:

• The ability to commit to attending a two-hour weekly class for ten weeks
• A background check

Port employees who wish to participate must have their manager’s permission.

Ready to Apply? Download, print and fill out the application (PDF file) here, then return it to:

FAX: (206) 787-5741

or Mail:

Port of Seattle Police
Attn: Citizens Academy
PO Box 68727
Seattle, WA 98168

For more information, please contact Detective Dan Breed, at breed.d@portseattle.org, or Officer Kyle Yoshimura at yoshimura.k@portseattle.org.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Together with the King County Sheriff’s Office, SeaTac and Burien Police are continuing their twice-yearly “Citizen’s Police Academy” program with an orientation on Thursday, March 11th, and classes on Wednesday nights from 6pm-9pm.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Citizen’s Police Academy Training

WHEN: Starts Thursday, March 11th and continues through April 24th. Classes are held on Wednesday nights from 6pm to 9pm at the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Center in Burien.

Classes will run for 13 weeks, plus a graduation ceremony including a certificate of completion and pictures with police staff. A light meal will be provided for students. There are presentations by many of the Sheriff’s Office Units and several opportunities for hands-on experiences, plus a field trip to the King County Communications Center.

The training sessions are held twice a year in the spring and fall. The sessions require approximately 20 hours to complete. There is a minimal fee for tools supplied to students, enabling them to build their own emergency response kit.

WHERE: Orientation meeting will be at the Burien/Normandy Park Fire Station, which is located at 15100 8th Ave SW in Burien; subsequent classes will be at the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Center in Burien.

COST: FREE!

INFO: From a press release:

Graduates of the Citizen’s Police Academy will have a better understanding of the law enforcement role in the criminal justice system and an appreciation for the many challenges facing law enforcement in today’s complex society. They will also be better able to assist offices in improving their neighborhoods and communities.

The goal is for emergency personnel to train members of neighborhoods, community organizations or workplaces in basic preparation and response skills. CERT members are then integrated into the emergency response capability for their area.

SeaTac and Burien Fire and Police Departments partner in offering this eight-week training held on weekday evenings, with a Practical Fianl Exercise held on a Saturday. Sessions require approximately 20 ours to complete. There is a minimal fee for tools supplied to students, enabling them to build their own emergency response kit.

Training is designed to cover the following:

• Disaster Preparedness
• Fire Safety
• Disaster Medical Operations (Triage, Treating Life Threatening Injuries, and Assessment, Treatment and Hygiene.)
• Light Search and Rescue
• Team Organization
• Disaster Psychology
• Terrorism

Graduates will also be eligible for the Ride-Along program, in which you can spend up to an entire shift riding with an officer.

This course is an unforgettable experience and it’s completely free for anyone who lives or works in the cities of SeaTac or Burien!

There are two sessions each year and they fill up fast, so register early with your local Community Service Officer.

If you are interested in attending the next session and would like an application sent to you by mail, please contact CSO Mechee Burnett at mechee.burnett@kingcounty.gov or 206.973.4917 (you can also download a PDF application here).

• SEATAC: If you are from the SeaTac area, please contact: CSO Eloise Kruger: 206-973-4915 or ekruger@ci.seatac.wa.us
• BURIEN: If you are from the Burien area, please contact: CSO Nicki Maraulja: 206-296-3333 or nicki.maraulja@kingcounty.gov

Popularity: 1% [?]

The Highline Historical Society will be presenting “Soldiers in Petticoats: The Struggle of the Suffragettes” at the SeaTac City Hall on Sunday, Feb. 21st, beginning at 2pm.

Local actress Tames Alan will return, dressed in full period costume and acting in character, to talk about the struggle of American women to gain the right to vote.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Highline Historical Society’s “Soldiers In Petticoats: The Struggle of the Suffragettes”

WHEN: Sunday, Feb. 21st beginning at 2pm

WHERE: Sea-Tac City Hall, located at 4800 S 188th Street.

COST: This is a FREE event.

INFO: From a press release:

In the authentic clothing of a suffragette, Actress Tames Alan returns to talk about the struggle of American women to gain the right to vote. In 1867, the passing of the 14th Amendment defined “citizen” as “male,” thus denying women the right to vote. On this 100th Anniversary of women’s right to vote in Washington State, learn how American women adopted the militant tactics of English suffragettes to earn the right to vote and regain citizenship in their own country. Discover how the suffragettes influenced child labor laws, the use and dispersal of birth control, the Temperance movement, and the right of women to earn a college degree.

This engaging program is free.

It is brought to the community by the Highline Historical Society with the support of Humanities WA.

Immediately followed by a reception for the elected women of Highline.

Tames Alan is an actress, historian, and fashion history teacher who has combined her skills to create Living History Lectures for people of all ages. Since 1986, she has been touring her programs throughout the United States and Canada, where she is known for in-depth research and a lively presentational style. Tames studied theater and history at Willamette University in Oregon and theater at the American Conservatory Theater and the Dell Arte School in California. She taught fashion history at the Art Institute of Seattle, and is a historical consultant to museums, libraries, and historical festivals throughout the Pacific Northwest.

For more information, visit the Highline Historical Society’s website here.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Here’s what they’d like you to know:

Come see the beautiful classrooms, gardens and playgrounds, meet the teachers, and learn about Montessori programs for children ages one through twelve.

All are welcome!

Three Tree Montessori is located in Burien at 220 SW 160th, near Sylvester Middle School. More info at their website here.

[Would you like to have a “Blogvertorial” story, Ad and/or Event Listing like this on a popular, fast-growing website seen by thousands of interested Local Readers every month? Email us for more info, or check out our Advertise page!]

Popularity: 1% [?]

Michele Brees (pictured above), a fifth-grade teacher at SeaTac’s Madrona Elementary School, won a Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching.

Brees teaches math and science for the Highline School District school, and is also on its math summit committee and science development team.

According to the White House:

The Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching is awarded annually to the best pre-college-level science and math teachers from across the country. The winners are selected by a panel of distinguished scientists, mathematicians, and educators following an initial selection process done at the state level. Each year the award alternates, going either to science and math teachers in grades K through 6 (as it is this year) or to those teaching in grades 7 through 12.

Winners of the Presidential Teaching Award receive $10,000 awards from the National Science Foundation to be used at their discretion. They also receive an expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. for a White House awards ceremony and several days of educational and celebratory events, including visits with members of Congress and science agency leaders.

Brees and the other winning teachers will be honored in Washington DC this fall, when they will receive a signed certificate from President Obama as well as $10,000 from the National Science Foundation.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Over the past year, the news has been full of reports of ham radio operators providing critical communications during unexpected emergencies in towns across America, including the California wildfires, winter storms, tornadoes and other events worldwide. During Hurricane Katrina, Amateur Radio – often called “Ham Radio” – was often the ONLY way people could communicate, and hundreds of volunteer “hams” traveled south to save lives and property.

When trouble is brewing, Amateur Radio’s people are often the first to provide rescuers with critical information and communications. On the weekend of June 27 – 28, the public will have a chance to meet and talk with the Highline area’s ham radio operators and see for themselves what the Amateur Radio Service is about. Showing the newest digital and satellite capabilities, voice communications and even historical Morse code, hams from across the USA will be holding public demonstrations of emergency communications abilities.

This annual event, called “Field Day” is the climax of the week long “Amateur Radio Week” sponsored by the ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio. Using only emergency power supplies, ham operators will construct emergency stations in parks, shopping malls, schools and backyards around the country. Their slogan, “When All Else Fails, Ham Radio Works” is more than just words to the hams as they prove they can send messages in many forms without the use of phone systems, internet or any other infrastructure that can be compromised in a crisis. More than 30,000 amateur radio operators across the country participated in last year’s event.

“We hope that people will come and see for themselves, this is not your grandfather’s radio anymore,” said Allen Pitts, W1AGP, of the ARRL. “The communications that ham radio people can quickly create have saved many lives when other systems failed or were overloaded. And besides that – it’s fun!”

In the Highline area, the Highline Amateur Radio Club will be demonstrating Amateur Radio at Marvista Park, 4th Avenue SW and SW 200th Street in Normandy Park on June 27th and 28th. They invite the public to come and see ham radio’s capabilities and learn how to get their own FCC radio license before the next disaster strikes. The Highline area includes Burien, Des Moines, Normandy Park, SeaTac, and Tukwila as well as the North Highline unincorporated area.

There are over 650,000 Amateur Radio licensees in the US, and more than 2.5 million around the world. Through the ARRL’s Amateur Radio Emergency Services program, ham volunteers provide emergency communications for thousands of state and local emergency response agencies, all for free.

The public is most cordially invited to come, meet and talk with the hams. See what modern Amateur Radio can do. They can even help you get on the air!

To learn more about the Highline Amateur Radio Club, go to http://highlinearc.cfsites.org. To learn more about Amateur Radio, go to www.emergency-radio.org.

Popularity: 1% [?]

In an effort to avoid having to close any more schools, Public Health Seattle and King County is asking parents to be on the front line of stopping flu infections, and are offering this informational checklist for parents:

Please talk to your children about how they are feeling.

If your child is sick, keep your child home. Staying home when sick helps reduce exposure to others and helps the sick person get well faster.

Answer these questions every morning before sending your child to school or child care:

1. Does your child have a fever (100º F or 37. 7ºC)?
2. Does your child have a sore throat, cough, body aches, vomiting, or diarrhea?

If you answered “yes” to both questions, your child might have the flu. Keep your child home from school for seven days or until symptoms are gone for 24 hours, whichever is longer.

If you answered “yes” to only one of the questions, keep your child home from school until symptoms are gone for 24 hours.

In addition to health and safety information about H1N1/Swine Flu, starting tomorrow, Wednesday May 6th, the Flu Hotline will offer callers an opportunity to speak with registered nurses.

(The hotline starts with a recorded message, follow the prompts for the best language option and when asked if you want “health and safety information about the H1N1 flu” or “if you have the flu,” follow the prompt to “if you have the flu.” This will take you to the menu that allows you to select “talk to a nurse.”)

Hotline nurses will tell callers how to manage their symptoms at home, tell them if they need to see a doctor or health care provider and answer other medical questions about H1N1 flu.

The Flu Hotline number is 1-877-903 KING (5464)

For more information, go to Public Health’s web site: www.kingcounty.gov/health/H1N1 or call the Flu Hotline at 1-877-903-5464

Popularity: 74% [?]

And the winners are..

Highline Schools Foundation for Excellence announced its 2009 Gold Star Award winners:

Outstanding Administrator – Dr. Steve Grubb
Dr. Grubb is a leader who models integrity, respect and professionalism at all times. He has an ability to stay focused on what is most important – the big strategic picture and the end goal without losing sight of the impacts on fron line staff.

Outstanding Classified Employee – Zenaida (ZZ) Newman
ZZ Newman evaluates and enrolls students who speak other languages and is often the first contact for families arriving at schools. She is caring and reliable and puts her knowledge and her personal concern for other individuals into practice.

Outstanding Teacher – Linda Drahn
Linda Drahn is a 1st grade teacher at McMicken Heights Elementary. She is a 28 year teaching veteran who is a loving , patient instructor and a mentor to new teachers, as well.

Outstanding Volunteer – Tamera Nason
Tamera Nason is in her 5th year volunteering at Aviation High School. She travels from Maple Valley to volunteer and is willing to assist with whatever is needed including flying her airplane to Moses Lake to deliver legal documents to students.

Because the quality of nominees is always so high, the committee had a difficult time in making the above selections.

The winners will be honored at the Gold Star Benefit Luncheon at the Doubletree Guest Suites in Tukwila, on Friday, May 29th. The Master of Ceremonies will be local funnyman John Keister, former Host of KING TV’s “Almost Live!“, local celebrity bald guy and former co-worker of the publisher of this here blog.

For more information on how you can attend this luncheon, please contact the foundation at 206-248-5196.

The Highline Schools Foundation Gold Star Benefit luncheon is sponsored by Boeing, BECU and Rogers and Norman.

Highline Schools Foundation mission is to “provide community resources to help Highline Public Schools Succeed. By enriching the classroom and school experience, we can engage students to reach a higher level.” Since 2001 the foundation has distributed over $250,000 to the 32 schools in the Highline District. Donors include corporate, foundations and private citizens.

Congratulations to all the winners!

Popularity: 80% [?]