As many of our Readers may recall, last Saturday (Aug. 14) we reported on a severe boat fire off the Des Moines Marina that resulted not only in the arrest of the owner, but now an unclaimed, burned-out hull that is floating upside-down, outside the marina breakwater, seemingly unwanted by everyone.
According to an inside source, the boat fire began after the owner took it for a somewhat reckless “joy ride,” then left the key in the “on” position, with no blower running, which allowed fumes to build up. This apparently lead to an explosive fire, with the boat owner having to abandon ship.
As you can see from the photos below, the boat burned down to the waterline. The owner was arrested, then released.
Currently the boat is awaiting removal by the State Department of Ecology.
Photographer Michael Brunk got a boat ride out to the burned-out hull Saturday morning from Del Rivero to take the following pics:
The hull of the burned-out boat floats, upside-down, tied to the breakwater outside the marina.
A total loss, the destroyed boat's bow sits on the rocks.
The boat is seemingly homeless now, a potential environmental hazard.
A portion of the boat's bow sits on the rocks.
We finally finished processing all the photos from last Saturday’s Brent Rice Memorial Swim (see our previous coverage here), and, as promised, here’s a link to them on our sister site The B-Town Blog’s Flickr page, where you can browse, view and even download high-res pics for FREE:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/b-townblog/sets/72157624770868318/
Now if you’ve never used Flickr before, it’s pretty easy – click on the link above and you’ll go the the photo set page.
Once there, you’ll see a bunch of images – 885 of ‘em to be exact, but who’s counting?
Here’s what to do to get a FREE high-res image, courtesy The Waterland Blog:
- Click on the “main” image, of Justin at the Pt. Robinson lighthouse (you can click on any image actually…).
- You can move through the slideshow by using your > key, or by clicking the “Next” or “Previous” buttons at the top.
- Go through the pics until you see one you want to download.
- Click on that pic. The slideshow should stop.
- Now, in the upper right corner you’ll see “View All Sizes” – click on that.
- Then click on “Original Size,” and right-click on
Download the Original size and “Save As” the pic to your computer. - The “original size” image is large enough that it can be printed, emailed, etc.
DISCLAIMER: Hopefully we took a pic of you and posted it. If not, we apologize – it’s quite a challenge to photograph so many people at one event.
UPDATE SUNDAY 8/15/10: We’ve added video of the fire -- see below.
Witness (and Photographer/Videographer) Wayne Corey says he heard that one person was on board a boat that caught fire Saturday afternoon off Des Moines. The survivor apparently was rescued, uninjured, after jumping into the water. According to Master Sgt. Bob Collins of the D.M.P.D., the rescued boater was arrested.
The boat burned down to the waterline, sending dramatic plumes of black smoke rising over the city.
It appears that the boat is a total loss.
According to witness Wayne Corey:
It looked like about a 24-foot fiberglass pleasure boat.
A South King Fire & Rescue fire boat responded as well as DMPD and a Medic One aid car.
The burning boat passed under the pier without any problems as the fire boat put out the flames.
The boat burned to the waterline and wound up against the rock jetty south of the pier.
Here’s video as shot by Wayne:
Here are photos sent to us by Wayne, in sequential order:
On Saturday morning (Aug. 14), 41 brave swimmers donned wetsuits and bathing caps, then slowly waded out into the chilly Puget Sound from Des Moines Beach Park, where they then swam 2.3 miles to Point Robinson on Maury Island for the annual Brent Rice Memorial Swim of the Sound fundraiser.
According to Del Rivero, the water temperature was 52.6 degrees, the first swimmer made it across in one hour, and the slowest took two hours and fifteen minutes. Five swimmers were pulled out due to rough water conditions, the first time ever in the four-year history of the event.
The swim was started in 2006 by 17-year old Justin Moser, who wanted to honor his friend and mentor Brent Rice, who passed away just over five years ago in a car accident. Brent Rice, a local swimmer, once did the swim himself as a personal challenge from one of his brothers. He was an All-American at Mt. Rainier High School and Whitworth College in Spokane.
The funds raised by this year’s sponsors, fees and donations will go towards the Brent Rice Memorial Scholarship Fund which will help low-income families afford swim lessons. The funds will also help promote water safety to children, teens and adults in the Puget Sound area.
Today’s swim was run by volunteers, lifeguards, the Des Moines Fire Department, South King Fire and Rescue, Burien Fire Department, Brown’s Point Rescue and the US Coast Guard.
It’s quite a spectacle to watch these swimmers as they slowly wade out into the cold waters from Des Moines, then suddenly appear to grow in height as they reach a sand bar about 200 feet offshore. Once immersed up to their necks, arms start flapping, water splashing and they’re off.
Here’s our first set of photos of the event; we’ll post more over the next few days, along with times and total funds raised, so be sure to check back soon. Also, if you swam in the event and want to see if we took a photo of you, check back in 2-3 days for a link to a Flickr page with pics you can download for free.
Photos of the event start, shot by Scott Schaefer:
Event swim and finish, shot by Gene Achziger:
During a recent Farmers Market, WLB Photographer Michael Brunk noticed that a there was a substantial amount of vehicle traffic driving through Des Moines Beach Park, across the public beach and across an area marked “private” to houses north of the park.
Michael took some photos of the practice, which we found to be somewhat odd – we can’t say we’ve ever seen vehicles “park” on public beaches on Puget Sound before (but then again, we don’t get out much…).
Here are some pics:
Being the inquisitive (and yes, possibly ignorant – does everyone but us know about this?) types, we checked with the city to determine if there is an agreement or law in place that allows vehicular traffic across public or private beaches. This is the response we got from City Manager Tony Piasecki:
The City of Des Moines has given people who own beachfront property just north of Beach Park access through the park to drive on the beach to get to their homes at low tide. They have had this access for years, even before the City acquired the Park. No one else can drive through Breach Park and onto the beach without authorization from the City. Not all of the beach in front of a private piece of property is considered private. How much is considered private is a little complicated because it depends on what class of tidelands is in front of the property.
Generally, the property line is at the mean lower low tide line.
Hope this helps.
- Tony
So, what do YOU think? Should cars be allowed to drive through Beach Park and onto the beach? Do you think this is hazardous? Safe? Ecologically sound? Please leave your Comment below…
The Des Moines Police Department is requesting the public’s assistance in identifying a theft suspect, who was observed between May 17 and 24th and confronted by staff at a nursing care facility in Des Moines.
According to police, the suspect was loitering inside the building on two separate incidents. During one of the incidents he seen wearing nursing scrubs and told a staff member he was looking for a job. The police were not called during either event.
On May 24th, one of the staff nurses discovered her purse was taken and learned shortly afterward that a charge in excess of $800.00 in debit card transactions had taken place against her account. One of those transactions took place at the Redondo Safeway and was captured by surveillance video (see photos below).
Anyone with information as to the identity of the suspect (pictured below) is asked to contact Detective Ross Stuth at rstuth@desmoineswa.gov or 206-870-7615.
Last weekend, dozens of dedicated volunteers showed up at Burien’s Highline Memorial Stadium to participate in the American Cancer Society’s annual Highline Relay for Life, a two-day event aimed at raising money to fight cancer.
Cancer survivors, family members, concerned residents, sponsors and more showed up on a sunny Saturday, with many camping out and spending the night with various events and entertainment to keep them busy.
According to the ACS website:
The American Cancer Society Relay For Life is a life-changing event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease. At Relay, teams of people camp out at a local high school, park, or fairground and take turns walking or running around a track or path. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event. Because cancer never sleeps, Relays are overnight events up to 24 hours in length.
Relay began in 1985 when Dr. Gordy Klatt, a colorectal surgeon in Tacoma, Washington, ran and walked around a track for 24 hours to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Since then, Relay has grown from a single man’s passion to fight cancer into the world’s largest movement to end the disease. Each year, more than 3.5 million people in 5,000 communities in the United States, along with additional communities in 19 other countries, gather to take part in this global phenomenon and raise much-needed funds and awareness to save lives from cancer. Thanks to Relay participants, we are creating a world with more birthdays a world where cancer can’t claim another year of anyone’s life.
The top five fundraising teams included:
- Cousins for a Cure
($6,320.00) - SEATTLE’S FINEST
($5,664.25) - Burien Good2Great
($3,814.00) - Freddy Fighters
($3,730.50) - Sea Hawkers South
($3,634.50)
The B-Town Blog was proud to be a sponsor, and Photographers Scott Schaefer and Michael Brunk showed up at different times to capture the following two slideshows:
Click to Play Scott Schaefer’s Slideshow
Story & Photos Courtesy Carmen Scott
Des Moines Historical Society
Many of the pioneer families of the Des Moines, Burien, Sunnydale, SeaTac and Highline areas are represented at the historic Hillgrove Cemetery, located on South 200th Street a few blocks east of Des Moines Memorial Drive.
Last Thursday (May 27), several teams of young students from the Puget Sound Skills Center, under the Direction of Fire Services Instructor and Battalion Chief John Madson, spent a hard day at work mowing hip high grass, weed whacking, trimming, raking, and removing overgrown vegetation.
By day’s end, the grounds were walkable and ready for Memorial Day visitors.
An observer will see a great many long-term local names:
The Markwells, who operated an early Mill in Des Moines.
The Drapers, who founded and operated the Draper Children’s Home orphanage.
Rilda Martin Moses, Valedictorian of the 1912 Des Moines High school Graduating class, and as Mrs. Moses, she was still teaching kindergarten classes at Des Moines, into the 1960s.
One Johnson gravestone remembers a wife and mother who lived only from 1872 to 1906, 34 years.
Another remembers Jennie Yeisley, 1865 – 1890 At Rest.
Memorial day presents an opportunity to remember the pioneers of yesteryear, and appreciate all they did to forge a future for us, the generations that followed.
The Memorial Day clean-up efforts were arranged by Jim Lingwood, representing the Hillgrove Cemetery Board, and by Jim Langston, representing the Des Moines Historical Society.
A special thanks goes to the city of SeaTac for loaning the use of their grounds-keeping tools and equipment.
Here are more photos of the event:
Also, here’s a Sound Slideshow of Hillgrove Cemetery, as Produced by Scott Schaefer last Fall:
Click to Play Scott Schaefer’s SoundSlideshow
The Des Moines Police Department is asking the public’s assistance with help in identifying two car prowl suspects.
The incident occurred in the early morning hours of April 26th in an apartment complex parking garage located in the 2400 block of S. Kent-Des Moines Rd.
The two suspects forced entry into two vehicles stealing various electronic components.
Suspect 1:
White male, mid to late twenties in age, medium to heavy build. Lightly bearded. Wearing dark (black?) San Francisco Giants baseball hat with the letters “SF” on front.
Suspect 2:
Black male, early to mid twenties in age, slender to medium build.
Suspect Vehicle: Dark colored Ford Crown Victoria (possibly mid to late nineties model)
Anyone with information regarding the identity of these subjects is asked to call Detective Paul Young at 206-878-3301.
The Des Moines Police Department is asking for the public’s help in identifying a man whose picture was taken as he entered the Walgreens Store in the 23000 block of Pacific Highway South on Saturday, March 10th.
The suspect produced a handgun and demanded entry into the employee area of the pharmacy. He demanded specific prescription medications, placed them into a shopping bag and left the store in a dark colored mid-size Chevrolet sedan. The vehicle is believed to be a model year of 2000 or later. The vehicle was last seen southbound on Pacific Highway South.
The suspect is described as a Hispanic male, 40 years of age, five foot seven with a medium build, short black hair and no facial hair. It is also possible he has been in the store before.
Here are two surveillance camera photos of him:
If you have any information regarding the identity of this individual, please contact the Des Moines Police Department at 206-878-3301.
UPDATE 3/31/10: According to Bob Collins, Professional Standards Sergeant of the Des Moines Police Department, the burglary suspect in the security cam photos we posted Tuesday has been identified. We’ll be updating with full details as soon as we receive them.
PREVIOUSLY:
The Des Moines Police Department is requesting the public’s help in identifying one of two burglary suspects, seen below in security camera photos.
The burglary occurred on Sunday, March 28th, at about 5:45pm at a home located in the lower Woodmont neighborhood of Des Moines.
The homeowner had just pulled into his driveway when he saw one suspect walking out the front door carrying multiple items.
The suspect escaped in a dark blue Toyota Land Cruiser being driven by a second suspect.
Both suspects are white males.
The Toyota Landcruiser is believed to be a 1995 model.
Here are photos taken from the home’s security camera 20 minutes apart – note that this pic is of just one of the two suspects, who apparently changed his shirt and came back:
If you recognize this suspect, or believe you have information related to this case, please call the Des Moines Police Department immediately at 206-878-3301 and reference case number 10-0681.
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.
Loading ...
