by Gina Bourdage

Most days being in your undies in public would be the nightmare we just woke up from.

Today is not that day.

After a frenzied Internet campaign via Facebook, the NYC group Improv Everywhere convinced people nationwide, myself included, to ride public transit today in their skivvies.

I have had that little voice in the back of my head ask me numerous times “What the heck are you thinking?!” and to be completely honest I have tried to talk myself out of participating.

In hindsight of the type of year 2009 turned out to be, most of us could use a little more light-hearted humor in 2010.

According to the Improv Everywhere website, “not taking life too seriously” is exactly the reason behind the nationwide “No Pants!” rides on buses, trains and subways all over the country today.

So relax, take a deep breath, drop trou and enjoy life…

Yep, actually getting out of the car and taking off the pants without the little voice telling me i am officially crazy was impossible. If it weren’t for the other twenty or so fellow pantsless participants I might turn and run. It is a little odd with children pointing “Hey mommy?!” but thank goodness everyone is “decent” and there’s nothing here you wouldn’t see on a beach.

After the first stop half the train is pants free. Who knew it was so easy to get people to rock their undies in public?

Oh boy this went to another level when i just saw a pantsless family.

I am impressed with the level that we, the pantsless mob, have pulled this off. Never have I seen so many strangers be so friendly with a smile and supportive silent acknowledgment that there really is something bigger going on here.

The confused and bewildered looks of the unsuspecting other riders is worth all the initial butterflies.

I encourage everyone to be a part of something that brings people together the way this has.

Here are some pics of the event (more to come so keep checking back!):

Here are some pics sent in by Readers “xtina” and “hollywood,” who added:

“The ride was great…So much fun we got off and on at different spots … ending at Westlake and walked to Fox Sports Bar where we enjoyed a cold one in our undies… Way fun”

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On Saturday morning (Dec. 19th) at 10am, Sound Transit opened its Link light rail service to SeaTac with lots of ceremony, local dignitaries, curious passengers, and of course, functioning trains that now link the airport to downtown Seattle.

The first 14 miles of light rail opened from downtown Seattle to Tukwila in July. This final segment from Tukwila to SeaTac / Airport Station, built under a close partnership with the Port of Seattle, connects the airport from downtown with 13 stops serving the SeaTac, Tukwila, Rainier Valley, Beacon Hill, SODO to the final stop at Westlake.

“It’s been a heck of a journey, but we delivered on what we promised: light rail from downtown Seattle to the airport in 2009,” said Seattle Mayor and Sound Transit Board Chair Greg Nickels. “This opens an entirely new option for travelers and commuters, and represents the first steps of a truly regional network.”

Service on the 1.7-mile extension line kicked off with an inaugural ribbon cutting at the SeaTac / Airport Station before the station and trains opened for regular passenger service at 10am, and Photographer Michael Brunk was there to capture this Photo Slideshow:

Click to View Michael Brunk’s Photo Slideshow

“Opening the doors to Sound Transit’s airport line in time for the holidays is great gift to residents of the Puget Sound region,” said U.S. Sen. Patty Murray. “This new line will provide fast and easy connections to downtown Seattle and a low-cost way to get around. This is just the latest in environmentally friendly transportation that will help ensure our region’s long-term economic growth.”

Sound Transit and the Port of Seattle collaborated on the Airport Link project which included the new light rail station, pedestrian bridges connecting the station to the airport parking garage and a pick-up and drop-off area to the east serving the city of SeaTac. The Port also relocated and upgraded the Airport Expressway and the Return-to-Terminal roadway loop.

“With more than 30 million passengers through Sea-Tac every year, and 15,000 airport employees, we anticipate light rail will be a welcome “green” alternative for travel to and from the airport,” said Port of Seattle Commissioner John Creighton. “Using light rail will reduce air emissions and traffic congestion. It’s good for the airport and it’s good for our region.”

The next light rail extension is scheduled to open in 2016 with service from downtown Seattle to Capitol Hill and the University of Washington. Construction is underway on that segment while Sound Transit plans for 36 more miles of light rail extensions to Lynnwood, Bellevue, Redmond, Mercer Island and Federal Way by 2023.

Link’s normal Saturday schedule will be from 5 a.m. – 1 a.m. with regular fares required. On weekdays, the first train from the airport to downtown will depart at 5:16 a.m. and the last one to downtown will leave at 12:07 a.m. The last train to Mt. Baker Station in the Rainier Valley departs at 12:46 a.m.

More detailed schedule and fare information is here: http://www.soundtransit.org/x11204.xml.

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Thursday morning (Dec. 17th), Sound Transit held a “sneak peek” ride for the press on the section of the Link Light Rail between the Tukwila and Sea-Tac Airport stations (which opens this Saturday), and Photographer Michael Brunk was able to stowaway on board, where he took these pics:

Click to View Michael Brunk’s Photo Slideshow

From Sound Transit’s website:

The extension of the popular light rail service means holiday travelers will have a reliable, one-seat ride between downtown Seattle, the city of SeaTac and the airport, taking only 36 minutes. This new station provides a smooth, green travel option for the 20,000 people who work at the airport and the 30 million who travel in and out of it every year.

The SeaTac/Airport Station is connected to the fourth floor of the airport’s main parking garage. A covered, level walkway separated from the main parking area will lead passengers to the main terminal. Station amenities include boarding pass kiosks, and in the near future, a flight time information display.

The first 13.9 miles of Link opened in July with service between downtown Seattle and Tukwila. Link service runs from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Saturday and from 6 a.m. to midnight on Sundays.

SeaTac/ Airport Station opens just in time for the holidays: Sound Transit is the official transportation sponsor for The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, starring the Rockettes.

For Central Link light rail service info, visit http://www.soundtransit.org/linkschedule

Artworks at the station
The new Sea-Tac Airport Station features four art installations. “Flying Sails,” by artist Werner Klotz, spans the mezzanine and platform levels of the station. The plates feature the names of First Nation tribes from Washington state and cities from around the world that share the latitude or longitude of Seattle.

Other works include Fernanda D’Agostino’s “Celestial Navigation” at the International Blvd. plaza; Christian Moeller’s “Restless” along the International Blvd. pedestrian bridge; and an exhibit on Northwest tribal culture on the mezzanine’s north end. The interpretive exhibit by Pacific Studios showcases a cast concrete canoe, and a display explaining the history of the Native American presence in the Puget Sound region.

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Detectives from the King County Sheriff’s Department are turning to the public in the hopes of identifying this pair of likely mail thieves who used a stolen debit card in several area cities:

This photo was taken in early June of the suspects using the stolen card in Puyallup.

The two suspects “hit the motherlode” when they stole mail which included a brand new debit card and PIN.

The stolen card was subsequently used in Federal Way, Tacoma, Tukwila, and Puyallup.

The fraud was discovered recently when unknown charges popped up on the victim’s new debit card account. The bank had supposedly mailed the card and PIN in separate envelopes, but both appeared to have been stolen from the mail.

The victim is a resident of SeaTac, and the loss is several thousand dollars.

If anyone recognizes the suspects they are asked to call the King County Sheriff’s Office at (206) 296-3311 (24 hours) or 9-1-1.

Popularity: 1% [?]

by Ralph Nichols

Federal and state funding from earmarks and other targeted appropriations is critical for continued economic growth in Southwest King County, officials from three Highline cities said Friday (July 10th).

Burien Councilwoman Sally Nelson, representing Mayor Joan McGilton, along with SeaTac Mayor Ralph Shape and Tukwila Mayor Jim Haggerton delivered annual reports on the economic state of their cities at the Southwest King County Chamber of Commerce monthly membership luncheon at the Red Lion Hotel in SeaTac.

Burien Councilmember Sally Nelson spoke on behalf of Burien Mayor McGilton.

“Earmarks have gotten a bad rap but the needs of local government depend on federal and state funding,” said Nelson. Yet, she recalled, Congressman Jim McDermott, D-Seattle, said at last month’s dedication of the King County Regional Library/Burien City Hall that the new building “is an example of earmarks at work.”

“We can’t do this alone,” agreed Shape. Local governments depend on funding by the federal government, he added. Haggerton noted that state law limits cities and counties to property tax revenue increases of 1 percent per year except on new development, and that much of this money goes for fire and police services and health care.

Focusing on current economic development in Burien, Nelson said the city’s Town Square “never would have happened without a changed (SW) 152nd Street – the redesign and rebuilding of Burien’s “main street” that preceded construction of new condominiums and street-level retail space in addition to the library/city hall through a public-private partnership.

SeaTac Mayor Ralph Shape

For sustained economic recovery and development to happen, strong partnerships are needed, Nelson continued. Local economic development depends on “strong transportation systems, strong water and wastewater systems … managed and paid for by local government, but this will not happen without strong support by state and federal government.”

Planning and opportunity are meeting in SeaTac, which Shape described as “a transportation-centric city.” New development is taking place on the west side of Tukwila International Boulevard across from the light rail station, and will include both commercial space and multi-family housing. Planned at South 176th Street across International Boulevard from the light rail airport station is “a vibrant mix of restaurants, shops, entertainment and residential” developments, which will be easily accessible to light rail and air passengers as well as city residents.

Shape said updated zoning laws that encourage higher population densities in these areas along with easier permitting are encouraging these developments as well as other businesses to relocate to SeaTac. In addition, good fiscal management is helping SeaTac weather the current economic storm, he added. These projects have been in the planning stage for years, and “now is the time to implement them.”

Tukwila Mayor Jim Haggerton

Haggerton observed that while Tukwila is a small city with a population of only 18,000, it provides 42,000 jobs. And Westfield Southcenter Mall, which generates many of these jobs, is planning to develop the north side of the mall – with improved pedestrian access – in the wake of the recent expansion on the mall’s south side.

After five years, the Tukwila South project – a new non-central business district development on the current Segale property south of South 180th Street – is moving forward, he said. And a developer has been selected for the Tukwila Village project along Tukwila International Boulevard, which is expected to revitalize that area with new retail and housing.

Reminding chamber members that light rail service between Tukwila International Boulevard at Southcenter Boulevard and downtown Seattle begins this coming Saturday, July 18th, King County Councilwoman Julia Patterson (SeaTac) said this will usher in “extraordinary opportunities for economic development in South King County.”

In addition, it “will provide the opportunity for us to get out of our cars and go into Seattle (by light rail) to work, to go to a play, to go to a Mariners’ game. This is an exciting, exciting event … and the biggest investment in infrastructure, except for what the Port has done at the airport, in South King County.

Patterson, who also serves on the Sound Transit board, added that the grand opening for light rail service from Tukwila on to Sea-Tac International Airport will take place in December.

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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.

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BECU staffers Truyen, Angela, David (branch manager) Tina in front of their Neighborhood BECU location in Redondo.

Welcome Our Latest Advertiser: BECU (Boeing Employees Credit Union)!

BECU is the largest credit union in Washington with assets of $8.2 billion with over 540,000 members. It is one of the top five financial cooperatives in the United States. As a not-for-profit financial cooperative, BECU is owned by its members, and its earnings are returned to the members in the form of better interest rates and lower fees for services.

BECU “walks the walk and talks the talk” when it comes to giving back to the communities they serve. We interviewed the managers of the BECU offices in our coverage area to see if they’re ‘walking and talking’.

David Paice, Manager of Redondo BECU located at 25250 Pacific Highway South in Fred Meyer’s – right when you walk in the door! David was born to manage with BECU. He was 19 when he started there, and less that seven years later he was branch manager. He’s been with BECU for over nine years, and during this time he went to school and got his MBA. His thoughts on BECU:

“It’s a great place to work.BECU provides a great environment and culture for our employees and members. Finally we have a great involvement with our communities.”

And speaking of involvement, in addition to managing the Redondo branch, David has thrown himself into volunteering in the communities he serves. He’s most particuarly interested in education and the issues of children. A board member for the Des Moines Legacy Foundation which raises funds for both the Senior Activity Center and youth at risks. It is a not for profit organization entering it’s 10th year in Des Moines.

He is also on the Highline Community College Foundation Board. David’s been on the board of the Highline Fund For Excellence which raises money and awareness of the Highline School District. Currently he is co-chair of this years’ Highline Fund For Excellence awards program on May 29th.

He joined the Des Moines Rotary Club two years ago, and is an active participant in their Poverty Bay Wine Festival. Monies raised from this event help children and students in the area.

David is a product of the Highline School District, and owes a lot of what he’s achieved in life to his association with HSD. A Tyee grad, and former Burien resident, David and his wife recently relocated to house four blocks from the house he grew up in. Not on purpose, they liked the house!

After we left David and his BECU Neighborhood Financial Center in Kent/Des Moines, we journied North to the BECU Tukwila Financial Center, at 12770 Gateway Drive.

Branch Manager Tricia Singer was glad to show us around the facility. In this BECU center, there’s 29 tellers, and 31 consulatants. The drive-thru accommodates six cars (see photo below).

Tricia’s been with BECU for 6 years, and a branch manager for over a year. When it comes to serving her community her “passion is the Tukwila Food Pantry, which serves Tukwila, and parts of Burien and SeaTac.” She grew up on food bank food, so she understands its importance to a community. She’s on the board and volunteers with her 13-year old daughter. She’s also recruited several tellers and bankers to volunteer.

Repeating David’s sentiments about BECU being such a great place to work, she added that at BECU it’s all about the members.

“When we say we’re here for the members, we are. With any decision made we ask ‘what is the benefit for our members?’” Tricia added.

Tricia serves on the Employee Involvement Committee which encompasses the Annual Member Scholarships for high school graduates and undergraduates that last year distributed over $1 million to 500 receipients who excelled in academics, leadership and displayed a passion for helping others. She also works on the annual Ebay Auction for Children’s Miracle Netork, which will be held June 1 – 11.

A graduate of Evergreen High School, Tricia is a lifelong resident of the unincorporated Highline area.

In the Burien area you can find BECU banking ATMs at Fred Meyer and Five Corners. You can see David and his staff at the Redondo Branch, or visit Tricia at the BECU Banking Center 12770 Gateway in Tukwila.

Membership is no longer limited to Boeing Company employees and their families. All Washington state residents are now eligible to join BECU. The minimum deposit required to join is $5.

So, click on their ad, visit a branch, and start your relationship with BECU today!

Popularity: 55% [?]

The Highline Medical Foundation has a simple question for you, and they’re not horsing around:

Q: What could possibly be more fun than watching the Kentucky Derby live simulcast at a VIP trackside tent at Emerald Downs, with a sumptuous buffet lunch and silent auction?

A: Well, helping a good cause at the same time! Highline Medical Foundation is sponsoring Hats on for Highline to raise money for cancer care and other patient care programs on Saturday, May 2nd, beginning at 11:30am at Emerald Downs in Auburn.

This will be an afternoon of fun and fashion, complete with regional delicacies, Mint Juleps and the traditional festive Derby Day hats.

Details include:

• It’s on Saturday, May 2nd
• Gates open at 11:30am
• Buffet will be served beginning at 12:30pm.
• A silent auction of hats and other items includes glamorous hats for women, upscale straw Panama hats for men, and even a Harley-Davidson motorcycle helmet!
• At 3:04pm post time, the bugle will call Churchill Downs jockeys to their mounts for the famous “Run for the Roses” Kentucky Derby.
• Attendees are welcome to stay at Emerald Downs until 7:00 p.m. to watch the full complement of live races at the track that day.
• There even will be a handicapper to explain the ABCs of horseracing for any novices.
• Tickets are $45 each, and include admission to Emerald Downs, seating in the VIP trackside tent, parking, program, racing form and tip sheet.
• Reservations, due by April 25th, can be made by calling 206.901.8500, or emailing events@highlinemedical.org

Popularity: 57% [?]

You survived April Fool’s Day, but will you make it through “April Drool’s Day” without taking home a new best friend?

This Sunday, April 5th, from Noon-3pm will be a special event where you can meet adoptable dogs and puppies from nine shelters and rescues. Over 100 dogs available, including small dogs. Fall in love with your new best friend. All dogs and puppies are spayed/neutered, temperament tested and up to date on shots. Trainers, staff and volunteers will be on hand to help you find the right match for your family.

Many of these dogs are from rural shelters and really need a chance at a home.

“April Drools” will take place at Paws-Abilities dog training center, which is located at 1007 Industry Drive in Tukwila (map below).

More information at www.pawsitivealliance.org.

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Congressman Adam Smith invites all residents of the 9th District to attend a town hall meeting on Tuesday, April 7th from 7pm to 8:30pm at SeaTac City Hall Chambers, 4800 S 188th Street (map below).

The purpose of the town hall meeting is for Smith to meet with constituents to listen to concerns, answer questions, and discuss issues facing Congress.

Space is limited so please RSVP if you are able to attend by calling (253) 896-3775 or 1-888-SMITH09.

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Popularity: 47% [?]