Story and Photos by Michael Brunk
As of Monday, March 1st, hungry folks in the city of Des Moines now have a new option to satisfy their culinary cravings. Barnacles Restaurant & Bar – located in the old Boston Pizza location at 22636 Marine View Drive South – is now officially open for business. I stopped by during the dinner rush on Monday to see for myself what this new business had to offer.
As you pull into the parking lot, it’s hard to miss the rather dramatic changes that have been made to the old building. The first thing that catches your eye is the new, covered, outdoor seating area. Still a little cold to be enjoyed just yet but bound to be a favorite spot as the weather warms up.
Stepping inside reveals the restaurant proper, completely remodeled from floor to ceiling. The interior is smaller than I expected. The Butlers have made good use of the space however, and very little is wasted. To your left as you enter is the bar with seating and to the right is the open dining room. For the evening crowd the lighting was subdued and intimate. I sat in the bar but I found the music just a bit on the loud side for my taste.
Almost immediately I bumped into Mayor Bob Sheckler and Carmen Scott and Dave Kaplan from the City Council. Nice to see local officials out supporting a new business. Dave raved about the fish and chips so I ordered a batch to try them for myself.
Given the fairly large opening night crowd, I imagined I’d be waiting a while before my dinner arrived but I was pleasantly surprised at the quick service. A very good sign! I’m no food reviewer but I’ve eaten fish and chips at restaurants from coast to coast. While I wouldn’t rate these as the best I’ve had it was certainly tasty and a great value at $10.
The fish and chips are just one item on the streamlined menu that Barnacles refers to as “American comfort food.” Some patrons might chafe at the lack of options but frankly, I think it’s a smart move for a new restaurant to focus on doing a few things really well. I’m definitely going to have to return sometime soon and give their cheeseburger a try.
Overall, a very positive first impression. Good food at a decent price, served fast and with a smile. It could prove to be a winning combination for this new Des Moines business.
Here are some photos from my evening at Barnacles:
The Des Moines Police are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the man who was photographed by security cameras (see pics below) during a local bank robbery on Saturday, Feb. 13th.
The bank robbery took place around 4pm last Saturday at the Wells Fargo Bank inside the Safeway store at the Redondo Square shopping complex, located at South 272nd and Pacific Highway South.
According to police, the suspect told the bank teller he had a gun and demanded money.
No weapon was seen and no one was injured during the robbery.
The suspect was last seen leaving the area on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash.
The suspect is described as:
- Black male with a very light skin complexion
- About 6′2″ tall
- Thin build
- In his 20s
- Dark colored “beanie hat”
- Dark (or black) hooded sweatshirt and sweatpants
- Silver-rimmed sunglasses
Here are two security cam pics – recognize this guy? Anyone with information about this case should call the Des Moines Police immediately at 206-878-3301 or dial 911:
Classes began at Des Moines’ newly rebuilt Parkside Elementary School Wednesday morning (Feb. 17th), as buses arrived and students streamed in for the first day of classes in their shiny new building.
Parents enjoyed a welcome reception and a quick chance to look around at the new facility, and a grand opening event was held for families and the community on Tuesday, March 16th.
Students and staff of Parkside have been temporarily housed at the Manhattan school site during the last year and a half, during which time the old Parkside building was demolished and construction of the new facility took place.
School hours are 9:30am – 4pm weekdays, and the newly renovated building is located at 2104 South 247th Street in Des Moines. Please note that along with a new building, Parkside also has a new phone number: (206) 631-4700.
Here are some photos of the new building, which looks very nice and modern:
For a bus load of more pics of the building, click here.
(Photos courtesy the Highline School District)
Story & Photos by Gina Bourdage
Community members and local business owners stepped up to raise $1,675 for the completion of Highline Medical Center’s new ER at the “Red Wine & Decadent Dessert” event Wednesday night, Feb. 10th.
This event was the brainchild of local business owners from Mark Restaurant, WLB Advertiser E.B Foote Winery and OptiMark Eye Care. This event allowed attendees to sample some of the great things our community has to offer as well as enjoy an evening among friends.
“We are glad to see such a great turn out, especially in this economy.” said Renee Klein, Executive Director, Highline Medical Center Foundation. “There is really something to be said about the energy in this room and seeing people enjoying themselves. This event speaks to the character and uniqueness of our community to see people come together, showing that this community is truly unlike any other.”
Amongst the warm candlelit setting of the Mark Restaurant, the evening highlighted a raffle drawing for a table full of generous community items including everything from baskets of gardening supplies, a romantic valentine inspired package and art work and more. Guests also were treated to a number of wines from the E.B. Foote Winery and a plate of indulgent sweet treats brought by Mark Restaurant and OptiMark Eye Care.
Originally built to serve 12,000 patients per year, Highline’s Main Campus ER now serves nearly 47,000 –– making it one of the busiest in the state. According to their website:
When a health emergency strikes, you need advanced care. And you need it fast, which is why a new ER is so critical. While we have made significant investments in expert staff and advanced technology over the years, there are simply too few treatment rooms for the number of patients. Ambulances are sometimes diverted to other hospitals farther away, because we simply don’t have enough capacity, according to www. lifedependsonit.org.
“…Highline Medical Center receives no tax support, i.e., we are not publicly funded. Yet, we are a not-for-profit hospital. The new Emergency Room and Patient Care Unit is a $60 million project, most of which is funded through bonds and reserves. But a $10 million capital campaign is needed to help complete the funding. The community has responded, and to date we have raised $5.4 million. But we still need more to reach our goal, and are so thankful for those individuals and businesses who have stepped up!” – Renee Klein
“We are truly grateful for the Mark Restaurant, OptiMark and EB Foote Winery. This was truly all their idea,” added Klein.
In addition to the three businesses that planned the event, many others donated time, products and/or gift certificates, and those businesses include:
- Market Place Salon
- Levich Agency
- Archery Bistro
- Bison Creek Pizza
- La Costa
- Purple Café’ & Wine Bar
- Artist Warren Knapp
Here are some photos shot at the event by Gina:
The annual “Empty Bowls” fundraiser for the Highline Area Food Bank was a smash hit Friday (Jan. 29th), setting records in both attendance (964 diners) and total amount of money raised (over $13,000).
“We had 477 people attend during lunch and 487 who came out for dinner,” said Mike Werle, Highline Food Bank Executive Director. “The amount of money raised was a little over $13,000.”
Werle added, “There must have been over 40 people who volunteered at the event, many of who were probably not counted because they didn’t come through the front door. Therefore I think we had over 1,000 people who contributed to the dollar total.”
“Do me a favor and put a big plug in for all the work that Gina Kallman and Debra George put in to make this event happen. They are awesome!”
Here’s a Photo Slideshow shot during the dinner serving by Scott Schaefer:
Also, as previously reported, BTB Photographer Michael Brunk took these shots during the lunch hour:
by A few years ago, when I worked as a volunteer in the Emergency Department at Highline Medical Center, the waiting area usually was filled with patients and family members well into the evening.
Patients waited, as they still do, for their turn to be screened in a single triage room, then waited longer for a treatment room to become available. That’s not surprising since the crowded Highline Emergency Department, designed to handle 12,000 patients a year 50 years ago, now provides care for nearly 50,000 patients annually.
But all this will change soon. Construction of a new state-of-the-art Emergency Department that will triple the size of the current facility is nearing completion – on time and on budget. When its doors open to patients on April 13, waiting times for triage and treatment will decrease dramatically.
The new patient-friendly facility also will improve exponentially the convenience and efficiency of the working environment for physicians, nurses, radiology and lab technicians, and everyone else who contributes to the care of Highline’s emergency patients.
B-Town Blog photographer Michael Brunk and I joined a tour of the new Emergency Department on Jan. 19 – shortly after the end of major construction activity as the finishing process got underway. No equipment or furnishings had yet been installed.
Even at this incomplete stage, however, one thing was immediately apparent – the new Emergency Department is a magnificently awesome improvement over the current emergency facility.
Highline Medical Center CEO Mark Benedum described it well: “a facility that’s up to the care the staff’s been providing.”
Benedum said planning for the new Emergency Department began in 2005, with the start of construction on the $60 million project (which includes a new 31 bed Patient Care Unit) getting underway in 2008.
Highline Medical Center’s service area extends from West Seattle to Federal Way and from Tukwila to Vashon Island, and most of its emergency patients come from this region – as well as persons driving along Interstate 5 and both passengers and employees at Sea-Tac International Airport.
Combine the size of this service area with its population growth in the last two decades and it’s easy to see why the aging emergency facility is overcrowded, noted Renée Klein, Executive Director of the Highline Medical Center Foundation.
The differences between the current facility and the new Emergency Department are strikingly apparent the moment one walks into its main entrance, which is on the west side of the medical center not far from the current emergency entrance.
The interior is bright and airy, with large windows that provide ample natural light, as well as spacious – 27,000 square feet compared with the current 9,000 square feet. In fact, the main nurses station area, well inside the Emergency Department, looks as if it could hold the entire existing facility.
Just beyond the reception desk are three private triage rooms, which will speed evaluation of patients, reducing their time in the general waiting area. Patients then will be taken to any of the 32 large, private treatment rooms, where admitting can be done at bedside.
Every room is universally equipped – “hardwired” – to handle any emergency. Two of the rooms are dedicated for pediatric care. The current facility has 19 beds, only eight of which are hardwired.
The ambulance entrance – with an ambulance bay that can accommodate about a dozen emergency vehicles including police cars – is on the north side of the Emergency Department. Two trauma bays for serious emergencies such as heart attacks are immediately inside. Each is designed to handle two patients if necessary.
Two diagnostic imaging rooms – one x-ray, the other CT, both dedicated for emergency patients – and a separate diagnostic imaging waiting room are located just beyond the triage rooms.
In addition, there are two seclusion rooms for psychiatric and other patients who require additional security, an isolation room for highly contagious patients, a decontamination room with an outside entrance for disasters and contact with hazardous materials, a separate area for first responders – emergency medical and law enforcement personnel – to write their reports, and a private family consultation room.
Designed byNAC Architecture, the Emergency Department was planned “from the physicians’ and nurses’ point of view” to provide “rapid treatment,” Klein said. The general contractor is GLY Construction .
One floor above the new Emergency Department is a 31-bed Patient Care Unit for medical and cancer patients. (Look for a report on this unit on the B-Town Blog soon.) Beneath it is a parking garage for those going to the Emergency Department.
The grand opening of the Emergency Department is set for April 9-10, and will include an open house for the public.
Klein noted that while most of the cost of the new facility was paid through bonds and capital reserves, only $5.4 million of a $10 million capital campaign has come in or been pledged. “I’m optimistic that the community will help us with that last amount,” she said.
Highline Medical Center receives no tax dollars for capital expenses and general operations, and relies largely on grants and pledges. If you would like to learn more about how to support Highline’s Campaign for a New ER, log on to www.LifeDependsOnIt.org or call the Foundation office at 206.901.8500.
Here’s Michael Brunk’s Photo Slideshow of the facility:
Last Saturday (Jan. 9th), the Three Tree Point Yacht Club (TTPYC) held its “Duwamish Head Race” from the Des Moines Marina to Duwamish Head in West Seattle.
This was the second race of the Southern Sound series, and the yacht club’s biggest race of the year, with up to 100 boats participating.
Des Moines City Councilmember Carmen Scott sent us this report, along with the great Photos below:
The weather was mild and dry, with a thin cloud cover, but it lacked a main ingredient for these kinds of events – there was no wind!
The heats were scheduled to begin at 9:30am, but no one appeared to be going anywhere.
The boats stayed at the Des Moines Marina all morning. When the sun began to break through, it created wonderful reflections on the smooth-as-glass water. I ran out of memory in my camera at about noon, just as the first class of boats began to head up the Sound. However, I think I got my cover shot for next year’s Des Moines calendar.
Anyone who would like more information can go to the yacht club’s website at www.ttpcy.org it’s an interesting site, and lists their race, cruise and social events.
Here’s Carmen’s Photo Slideshow:
Click to View Carmen Scott’s Photo Slideshow
Here’s a link to the race results (PDF file).
[EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the first in a series of reports on Sunday's "No Pants! Link Light Rail Ride," where Reporter Gina Bourdage was brave (or foolish) enough to ride public transportation and drop trou. Look for more reports soon, including a video from Bart Bryan and Mark Neuman]
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, and if you participated and have some, please email us!):
Photo of pantsless women at Sea-Tac Airport courtesy Monica Guzman of SeattlePI.com.
Now that 2009 is over, it’s time for us to find another way to reflect on it – this time courtesy Photographer Michael Brunk, who put together a special SoundSlideshow of what he considers the best Photos of the year, as shot by himself, Scott Schaefer, Francis Zera, Maureen Hoffmann, Janet Grella and Gregory Rehmke:
Click to Play Michael Brunk’s SoundSlideshow
Story and Video by Scott Schaefer
As if on cue, the sun made a brief appearance, the rain stopped, and during a nice lull on an otherwise typical, windy New Year’s Day, 29 people braved the chilly waters of Puget Sound and kicked off the new decade and year at the annual Three Tree Point Polar Bear Plunge in nearby Burien.
With air temps hovering around a mild 50 degrees, and the water temp not far below, this was the biggest turnout that we’ve ever seen for Burien’s annual festivity.
This event also served as a fundraiser for the Highline Food Bank, and according to co-organizer Bob Hubbs, netted 100 pounds of food donations and $50 in cash.
Carol O’Kennedy (along with her dog Kaya) was awarded the Polar Bear Plunge trophy, which consisted of a piece of driftwood, a small Polar Bear and a plaque. To see Carol and her dog, be sure to watch the video below.
Our own intrepid Sales Dude Bart Bryan also participated (after first getting some “fortification”), utilizing our exclusive, customized and waterproofed “Polar Bear Plunge POV” video camera, and here’s our video of the day’s event:
And here’s a Photo Slideshow of the wacky event, as shot by Photographer Michael Brunk:
Click to View Michael Brunk’s Photo Slideshow
[NOTE: If you happen to see yourself in one of these pics and want to download it (for FREE of course, courtesy the BTB), just click here and you'll be taken to the Flickr page where the photos live. Once there, click through the shots, and when you see one you want, click on "All Sizes" above it, then download the "Large" or "Original" image, which are suitable for printing!]
Story and Photos by Scott Schaefer
Members of Boy Scout Troop #375 were busy Saturday (Jan. 2nd), at their annual Christmas Tree Recycling Fundraiser in the parking lot of Herr Backyard Garden Center in Burien.
Troop #375 includes boys from an area that includes Des Moines, Normandy Park, Burien, White Center and West Seattle (for more information, check out their website here).
It’s just $5 to donate your tree(s), and they’ll be accepting more on Sunday (Jan. 3rd) from 9am to 4pm.
“This is one of two major fundraisers we do every year,” said Scoutmaster Mark Ufkes as he supervised the kids. “Along with our annual dinner at St. Francis, the money raised today will go towards scholarships for camps for scouts. And people should know that a kid can be a Boy Scout without having to pay much money.”
Ufkes continued: “To be a Boy Scout, all you have to do is a) be between 11 and 18 years old, b) be an upstanding citizen, c) believe in a higher power, and d) want to spend a lot of time outdoors doing adventures with other kids. Having money is not a factor.”
This event is a “mandatory” one for members of this troop, and we counted at least 12 scouts while we were there Saturday afternoon. Ufkes says that all 20 boys from this troop will help out over the entire weekend, making one wonder:
How many scouts does it take to de-limb a Christmas tree?
To find out, click on Scott Schaefer’s Photo Slideshow below:
The large truck hauler used at his event was donated by Scarsella Brothers Construction, who help out every year.
Over the last two years, 16 Eagle Scouts have been awarded in Troop #375, which is an unusually high number. The Troop is currently sponsored by St. Francis of Assisi Church in Burien.
According to the Des Moines Historical Society, Boy Scout Troop #375 was formed March 17, 1924 by Rev. Beatty, Scoutmaster, Rollin Case, and Franklin Lowery. In 1923, Rev. Cyrus Gilbert, a teacher at Sunnydale and Highline High School, had established a troop at Sunnydale.
We here at The Waterland Blog highly recommend that all Readers recycle your tree with these kids, because everything stays local, from the donations, which fund scout activities, to the firewood, which will be sold to raise funds, to the mulch made from the tree chippings (which will end up in a local yard).
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:
“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.
Sadly, Des Moines’ “The Reuben” sandwich and espresso cafe has finally closed, despite many last-ditch attempts to recover by owner Mike and Debbie Rovech.
Photographer Michael Brunk stopped by Wednesday (Dec. 16th) to show his respects, and he also took these photos:
Read our previous coverage of The Reuben here.
On Friday, November 27th, I couldn’t help but notice a shopping cart, piled high with boxes and rubbish, blocking the sidewalk and parked right in front of the “Welcome to Des Moines” sign at Pacific Highway S. and Kent-Des Moines Road. Most likely a homeless person was using it to transport belongings, and had left it there.
On Saturday afternoon, November 28th, the cart was still there.
I drove past again on Wednesday, December 2nd. There sat the cart. By now, some of its contents were beginning to blow around the adjacent planting beds and into the street. I thought surely someone from the City would have seen this by now and at least moved it so it wasn’t blocking the sidewalk.
I happened by the location again on Saturday, December 5th. Cart intact.
Hmmm… maybe this is some sort of artwork installation… or it is replacing the boat sails as Des Moines’ new civic symbol?
If it weren’t for the fact I was running late for an appointment, I was going to go move the cart myself, out of sheer frustration that thousands of cars had been proudly welcomed to the City by a grocery cart of rubbish for over a week.
I will be driving by again this afternoon. I can’t wait to see if its still there…
Here are photos taken Saturday the 5th:
- Michael Gray
Director of Campus Services
Landmark on the Sound
[EDITOR'S NOTE: Have something you'd like to say? Then email us a Letter to the Editor by clicking here, and pending our review, we'll most likely post it. You can also leave a Comment below...]
The 10th Annual Des Moines Legacy Foundation’s Bayside Brunch was held at Anthony’s HomePort on Sunday morning, Nov. 1st, raising over $33,000, which will go to Des Moines Senior Activity Center programming.
“Gold Rush” was this year’s theme and many of the 106 participants arrived dressed in costume.
There were many activities including the Silent Auction, Jail & Bail, Miners Poke Mystery Bags, Restaurant Bid Board, raffles, and of course the Live Auction. Folks milled around having fun spending money and trying not to get thrown into the pokey by honorary “deputies,” Del Rivero and Brian Snure. It was five minutes of time served or $5 to bail out. Most folks who were “arrested” didn’t seem to mind much as noted by the laughs and smiles on their faces.
The annual Fund-A-Need, which benefited youth programming provided by Des Moines Parks and Recreation, brought in $10,225, the highest amount ever raised during this portion of the event. Brian Snure gave a very convincing and heartwarming speech encouraging everyone to contribute to the best of their ability and beyond. He then gave his daughter permission to “spend part of her inheritance” and Clark Snure, his dad, permission to “spend part of his inheritance.” They both promptly bid $1,000 and a third, anonymous donor joined them. This was followed by 56 additional people donating $25 – $500 to this cause.
Brunch was delicious and the Anthony’s HomePort staff, who volunteer their time to this event each year, were top-notch.
There were over 20 event volunteers in attendance, including: Mary Jo Rulffes, their “Procurement Queen,” who helped obtain many of the items donated by local businesses and residents. This year’s brunch was organized by Charleen Schultz, Laura Rex Straight, Mary Jo Rulffes, Carmen Scott, Janet Grella, Sue Padden and Brenda Anders and many other behind the scenes volunteers.
It is not too late to make contributions to the Des Moines Legacy Foundation’s Bayside Brunch – donations can be made online via their website: www.desmoineslegacy.org.
Here’s a Slideshow courtesy Photographer Thomas Sirgedas:
Wednesday morning (Nov. 4th), the Port of Seattle and Alaska Airlines conducted a full-scale snow removal and anti-icing exercise to prepare for the upcoming winter season.
Photographer Michael Brunk risked his life on Sea-Tac Airport’s tarmac to get these photos:
During the 2008-2009 season, SeaTac Airport experienced just over 23 inches of snow, compared to an average of 12 inches. While airport operations continued during the higher than normal snowfall, some improvements are being made for the 2009-2010 season.
Alaska Airlines has added eight new de-icing trucks to their fleet and three “nurse trucks” that will shuttle fluid from storage tanks to the new de-icing trucks. The new de-icing trucks feature an enclosed operator cockpit that allows them to operate safely around aircraft while the aircraft engines are still running. This feature coupled with new procedures will allow Alaska Airlines to de-ice an aircraft much more quickly and efficiently using central de-icing pads that will use a “car wash” model.
The Port of Seattle — which is responsible for clearing snow and ice from runways, taxiways and the ramp areas — has also taken delivery of several new vehicles that were already on order prior to last year’s unusual snow event. Using several snow plows followed by snow brush trucks one runway can be plowed and cleared in 30-45 minutes.
Halloween in Des Moines was a very fun, eventful day for children of all ages, and Waterland Blog Photographer Michael Brunk was out and about capturing images, including these he shot at Landmark on the Sound’s annual “Halloween at the Haunted Castle”:
Story & Photos by Scott Schaefer
Welcome to Dia de las Muertes de Des Moines – The Waterland Blog’s “Day of the Dead” tribute to the area’s earliest, and sadly, mostly forgotten settlers, who are buried in a place most residents don’t even know exists.
This is the story of the area’s oldest graveyard, a private, historic and rundown place on South 200th called Hillgrove Cemetery.
You won’t find Hillgrove on many maps, because, like its 360 residents, it’s no longer living. It’s private, it’s fenced off, yet once you look at the chain link barrier and barbed wire, it’s obvious that people find ways to get in to do whatever living people do in graveyards full of dead strangers.
We too found our way into Hillgrove recently (how could we not this time of year?), and despite forgetting to wear boots (our Chuck Taylors got soaked but oddly, we didn’t care) yet managing to be very careful and respectful, we took numerous photographs, which we built into a “Sound Slideshow” to a public domain song from 1910, the era when this site was in its heyday.
But before we present our photographic and audio tribute, we’d like to share our personal observations of Hillgrove:
It was a sad place, and not just because it was full of dead bodies – it’s in disrepair, with missing, crooked and broken tombstones, years of neglect and evidence of vandalism.
The oldest grave we found was from 1890.
Historic, old graves with unique stone markers ranging from the earliest burial (at least that we saw) in 1890 to the most recent in 2005. Some tombstones have been restored, while many are clearly without any markings (several we discovered only by stepping into indentations in the grass).
Here’s some info on it courtesy Highline Historical Society Executive Director Cyndi Upthegrove:
Hillgrove Cemetery is owned by the Hillgrove Cemetery Association, comprised of the remaining families that own the property. I don’t believe anyone famous is buried there, but a large number of local pioneer families are. It is in disrepair because the people that remain of those families are quite elderly and cannot physically maintain it themselves, and the city of SeaTac and the Port won’t maintain it because it isn’t theirs. SeaTac has occasionally mowed for them and helped to build a retaining wall at the left entrance when the bank slumped one time and remains started spilling out.
From what I understand, there are about 360 souls there. They consist of veterans from both the North and the South from the Civil War, the Spanish American War, both WWI and WWII, Korea and the first Iraq War. Their extended families are also buried there.
About 12 years ago a teacher at Highline HS teaching at-risk students taught a local history class and they really responded to it. These were very bright students “at risk” of dropping out. So she took them over to the cemetery to show it to them and they told her, “We know about this place. We come over here to drink.” Together with her, the Society acquired a grant to pay for her project. So she got them to clean it up as a class project. They dug up buried headstones, mowed, learned about the people buried there, mapped it and tended it for a couple of years. After they had invested so much time and care into it, they wouldn’t let anyone else go in there and mess with it.
The most recent, from 2005.
Then they graduated and moved on, and she quit teaching that class and things kind of reverted to how they were. We have retained some of the records and the Association has the rest.
Recently a paranormal investigation group contacted me to see if they could go in and look for ghosts. I referred them to the Association and I think they did some kind of investigation there, but we weren’t given their results. Occasionally a Boy Scout will work there building benches, or mowing and grooming the place as an Eagle Scout project.
We did several bus tours of “The historic sites of Highline” a few years ago and Hillgrove was a stop on the tour. People found it very interesting. I have always wished that we could engage the various cities and veterans groups to hold their Memorial and Veteran’s Day commemorations there rather than in schools and community centers, but other heads prevail.
I have always wished I had the funding for the Society to take care of the place for the community, but I don’t.
Walking around a decaying graveyard isn’t really creepy, or new to us – in college we used to visit one that was near our house, and this Reporter has always been fascinated with the dead and how the living treat them. Especially Hispanic culture and their “Day of the Dead” festivities, which involve spending the night in graveyards, setting up elaborate altars, offering food, wearing bizarre (and to me, really cool) costumes, and believing that, for one night on Nov. 2nd, their dearly departed dead relatives and loved ones come back and visit with them.
With those sentiments in mind, here’s our “SoundSlideshow” tribute to Hillgrove Cemetery and the historic people who are buried there, may they Rest In Peace:
Click to Play Scott Schaefer’s SoundSlideshow
The annual Chili Cookoff was held at the final Farmers Market on Saturday, Oct. 31st, where fun (and good eats) was enjoyed by hundreds, and over $1,000 was raised for the Des Moines Food Bank!
Here are the official results of the cookoff:
- Team Nutting – Down and Out Demolition (market sponsor)
- Hot Pepper Mamas – Des Moines Rotary
- SOS – Save Our Swimming
- Peoples Choice: Dave Markwell – 10th Ave Chili Dogs
- Within one point of winners: South King County Fire and Rescue
Oddly, The Waterland Blog’s special “Great Pumpkin” chili failed to impress enough, but that’s okay, because we’ll be back next year!
Oh, and on that note, be sure to look soon for our next political blockbuster story sure to raise the cockles of everyone: “Was the Chili Cookoff Judging Rigged?” which will be published tomorrow.
According to DMFM’s Debra Jackaon:
In my opinion…..Pumpkin Chili and Lavender Chili were great…but that’s just me!
Over $1,000 was collected for the Des Moines Food Bank with $119.00 of that coming from bribes to the judges (which had no effect on the outcome).
Here’s a Photo Slideshow of the event by Photographer Michael Brunk:
Fall has definitely fallen unto our area, and to celebrate the refreshing, crisp air and colorful leaves, we present to you a very zen-like Photo/Audio Slideshow shot locally by Photographer Michael Brunk:
Click to Play Michael Brunk’s Zen-like Autumn SoundSlideshow
Story by Janet Grella
Photos by Scott Schaefer
On a warm and sunny fall Friday afternoon in Des Moines, nearly 400 people rallied at the Mt. Rainier pool for a SOS (Save our Swimming) meeting, complete with one of the world’s fastest women swimmers, Ariana Kukors, along with one of the oldest, Des Moines’ own 104-year old Faith Callahan.
What do these two women have in common? They both train at the Mt. Rainier Pool. To honor them, Mayor Bob Sheckler presented them with certificates commemorating their achievements.
After the appropriate speeches and acknowledgments, Ken Spencer, pool manager and coach for King Contry Aquatics took to the pool, fully clothed as part of an impromptu fundraiser.
USMC private and pool supporter Chris Burrage told the audience that he credits “my father and the Mt. Rainier pool for making me what I am today.” Chris has just returned home to Des Moines from boot camp. “Every community deserves a pool, and this community will fight for this pool,” he added, to roars of approval from the crowd.
Willie Salmond, Jr., chairperson for the committee to Save Our Swimming, told The Waterland Blog that beginning Saturday (Oct. 10th), volunteers will start doorbelling and distributing literature about the pool and their cause.
The audience of both young and old enjoyed an old fashioned BBQ outside, while there was an open swim for anyone who wanted to take a dip.
One banner said it all, for the supporters of SOS:
If Prop. #1 doesn’t pass, the pool will close forever on December 31.
Here’s a photo slideshow by Scott Schaefer of the event:
Painting crews were out Monday morning (Sept. 21st) at Sea-Tac Airport, to paint the 60-foot designator markings on the end of the longest runway as the Port of Seattle prepares to reopen it after a summer-long reconstruction.
The painting is part of the finishing touches on the project which is scheduled to reopen by the end of this month.
Photographer Francis Zera was there and shot these photos:
Here’s some info on the runway from the Port of Seattle:
The original runway was built in 1944 and was extended several times to reach the current size of 11,901 feet. The reconstruction project completes a comprehensive rebuilding of the entire runway – from runway lights to the concrete pavement itself. The new 20-inch thick runway, and adjoining taxiways, required 120,000 cubic yards of concrete. In comparison, 65,000 cubic yards of concrete was used for the Third Runway [only 8,500 feet long and 17-inches thick].
Located at each end of the runway for identification by approaching aircraft, runway markings will read 16L on the north end and 34R on the south end. Numbers are determined by the compass location of the runways and their alignment with the two other runways (right, center, and left).
On Saturday, Sept. 12th, the City of Des Moines held their third annual Children’s Art Festival at the Field House.
Photographer Michael Brunk was there and captured this photo slideshow (go all the way through it and you’ll even see Des Moines Mayor Bob Sheckler doing a Polynesion dance!):
Monday night (Aug. 31st) dozens of residents and concerned citizens held a “Save Our Pool” rally at White Center’s Evergreen Pool, which shutters its doors today (Tues., Sept. 1st) for an unknown length of time as another deal to re-open through Whitewater Aquatics is attempted.
As you may know, Evergreen Pool has been wading though the recent King County budget crisis, with its funding cut to the point of ceasing operations; until a deal is worked out though, the doors will remain locked.
Photographer Michael Brunk was there to capture both visual and audio elements, which he has built into the following “SoundSlideshow”:
Click to Play Michael Brunk’s SoundSlideshow
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