On Monday (March 1st) we received an email from Janel Stoneback, announcing that her Emerald City Smoothie store located at the Normandy Park Towne Center had shut its doors.

This store, located at 19803 First Ave South, may have been affected by a number of elements, including recent ongoing construction on First Ave South, the economic recession, as well as a relatively troubled location where other businesses have also faltered.

According to the Normandy Park city newsletter, this ECS location opened in August of 2008.

Far as we know, Janel’s other ECS location near the Burien Safeway, is still open and in business.

While we don’t have the exact details yet (we’re hoping to get more info from Janel soon, which we’ll publish as soon as we receive it), according to Janel’s Facebook Page:

To all my Excellent very supportive customers, friends and business associates, it is with great disappointment we have had to make a decision to close Normandy Park Emerald City Smoothie.

As we’re previously reported, Des Moines’ “The Reuben” New York Eatery & Espresso shop finally closed last week after many last-ditch efforts by owners Mike and Debbie Rovech to stay afloat.

Obviously they couldn’t make it, due to the recession, a lack of traffic and customer loyalty.

On Sunday (Dec. 20th), the following Craigslist Ad was posted, ironically stating that the cafe has “great morning traffic flow in a loyal community“:

That’s right – for under $10K you too could try to sell consumables to a “great morning traffic flow” in a “loyal community.”

It’s a tough time for just about every business, but we hope that this location finds a new owner who might have better luck.

We’re wondering if there’s anyone out there brave enough to try…any takers? If so, here’s the email address to reply to:

sale-m7vzy-1518520877@craigslist.org

UPDATE 10/21/09: According to Pat Nardo:

“Our “Eulogy” may have backfired in that Mike Rovech is NOT completely out of business yet, and my article has been taken that way. Mike just called and I feel terrible about possibly costing him some business. Can you write something to let people know that they are going to keep on making sandwiches until the place actually sells?

On a side note; their landlord just hit him for a late rental payment and things are getting tough for them at the Reuben. So you see, they can’t afford to miss a sale of even one sandwich there.

This recalls the old saw, “No good deed goes unpunished!”

Oh, and Jerry Miller will be playing there on Saturday October 31st!”

PREVIOUSLY:

by Pat Nardo

It is surprising that there is no death knell when a small business ceases to exist, breathes its last economical breath, and is suddenly only a very pleasant memory. No one to extol the praises and no eulogy that puts to rest the life it had and yet there is a certain sense of mourning when this happens in a small city like Des Moines.

Here was a business that was everything a business should be, everything but gone! Mike and Debbie Rovech put in so many hours to make a success of The Reuben, touted as a New York Eatery and Espresso restaurant. It seems that the harder they persevered, the deeper they went into the abyss of failure. Their sandwiches (the business was basically a sandwich shop} were consistently “out of this world’ in taste, texture, ingredients, and eye appeal, yet we will be deprived of this delicacy forever.

That is, unless I win the lottery.

More than just a place to enjoy a Reuben Sandwich or Pastrami on rye, this was a local gathering place to meet old friends, exchange gossip and news or just sit in a corner behind an espresso while yakking (rudely) into your cell phone. Personal stories were exchanged such as you might expect within your own family and that is one of the secrets of this little displaced corner of New York. Personal contacts and immediate bonding between proprietors and guests, for you entered never a “customer” at The Reuben, but a welcome guest. Camaraderie and good humor prevailed here…always. At The Reuben, strangers actually talked readily to one another and usually left smiling and, of course, satisfied.

Among the favorite things we found at The Reuben are the baked goods that were always in their display case. The top of the list of these favorites is the brownies, heavenly brownies! I bought them, sometimes by the dozens to give as presents and to advertise this wonderful little sandwich shop. One day, as we walked our dog by a little old lady in the park where we live, the lady turned to her friend and, referring to me, said, “Oh, there’s the Brownie Man!” So you see, The Reuben has made a mark in Des Moines for the goodness of their presence, as well as their products.

Ultimately, the long hours and the aches and pains, both physically and mentally, wore them down and reduced them to fewer hours of opening and Sunday closures. This and the recessive nature of our economy tolled the final bell for The Reuben and it is up for sale as I, sadly, write this goodbye notice. One thing especially stands out about Mike and Debbie is that with all the somber clouds hovering above them, they still can laugh and exchange humor with their guests in the sharing of personal, funny stories and jokes.

As you read this, you might wonder, “Is there no salvation for The Reuben?” Well, although it is a long shot, here is all it would take; the sale of 30 whole sandwiches per day of the Reuben and Hot Pastrami caliber. Now, that doesn’t seem like much does it? This is all it would take to keep our favorite little restaurant earning a living until the recession passes.

There is irony here as we watch the demise of The Reuben New York Eatery & Espresso; they just won a citation for “Best Runner Up” in restaurants $10.00 and below as seen in and awarded by our own Highline Times (see page 8 under “Congratulations”).

Bon Voyage, Reuben, wherever you may go…

Signed,
The Brownie Man

4Culture, the cultural development agency serving King County, recently announced federal stimulus funding awards totaling $250,000 to preserve jobs at 40 arts and cultural organizations throughout the region, including a $7,500 grant to the Des Moines Arts Commision.

The federal funds will help organizations extend or restore threatened salaried and contract jobs, ranging from executive directors and curators, to marketing managers, to actors and artists.

“The recession has deeply impacted non-profit cultural organizations of all sizes and disciplines,” said Jim Kelly, Executive Director of 4Culture, “However, the applications we reviewed demonstrate that arts managers are resilient, creative, and determined to continue programs in the service of their missions.”

4Culture will distribute the federal funds throughout the County to a diverse range of organizations and communities including:

Auburn Symphony Orchestra	Auburn	$10,000
City of Auburn Arts Commission	Auburn	$5,000
Bellevue Arts Museum	Bellevue	$10,000
City of Bellevue Parks & Community Services	Bellevue	$3,000
Music Works Northwest	Bellevue	$4,000
Attic Theatre, The	Bothell	$5,000
Northshore Performing Arts Center	Bothell	$5,000
City of Burien	Burien	$2,500
Hi-Liners, The	Burien	$7,500
City of Des Moines Arts Commission	Des Moines	$7,500
Duvall Cultural Commission	Duvall	$6,500
Fall City Arts	Fall City	$5,000
Centerstage Theatre	Federal Way	$7,500
Federal Way Symphony	Federal Way	$6,500
City of Kent	Kent	$6,500
City of Kirkland Cultural Council	Kirkland	$6,500
Kirkland Arts Center	Kirkland	$7,500
Kirkland Performance Center	Kirkland	$5,000
Studio East	Kirkland	$8,500
SecondStory Repertory	Redmond	$7,500
Evergreen City Ballet	Renton	$5,000
Arcade (NW Architectural League)	Seattle	$7,500
Arts and Visually Impaired Audiences	Seattle	$3,500
Degenerate Art Ensemble	Seattle	$3,000
Early Music Guild	Seattle	$7,500
Giant Magnet (formerly Seattle Int. Children’s Festival)	Seattle	$7,500
Langston Hughes PAC	Seattle	$5,000
Northwest Film Forum	Seattle	$7,500
Seattle International Film Festival	Seattle	$5,000
Seattle Music Partners	Seattle	$5,000
Seattle Public Theatre	Seattle	$7,500
Seattle Scenic Studios	Seattle	$7,500
Suyama Space (Space.City)	Seattle	$3,000
Theatre Puget Sound	Seattle	$7,500
Town Hall	Seattle	$7,500
Washington Lawyers for the Arts	Seattle	$7,500
Choir of the Sound	Shoreline	$5,000
Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council	Shoreline	$6,500
Vashon Allied Arts	Vashon	$7,500
ArtsWest	West Seattle	$7,500

Earlier this year, 4Culture applied for and received the maximum award of $250,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to re-grant to King County arts and cultural organizations to support art jobs. The NEA had $50 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to distribute nationwide.

Cumulatively, over $1.2 Million dollars will help preserve jobs at nearly 100 organizations statewide through the NEA appropriations. The Washington State Arts Commission received ARRA funds to distribute state-wide, and over the summer announced awards totaling $285,000 to 24 arts organizations, including six in Seattle. In early September, the Seattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs (SOACA) announced another $250,000 in ARRA funds to 22 Seattle-based arts organizations. SOACA and 4Culture were two of only sixteen local arts agencies nation-wide that received ARRA funds to sub-grant to constituents. The NEA also awarded grants totaling $450,000 directly to 12 Seattle arts organizations.

An arts organization can only receive ARRA-appropriated NEA jobs funding from one source. With all three regional public funding entities receiving ARRA dollars, WSAC, 4Culture and SOACA devised an application process that would ensure that arts organizations wouldn’t have to submit multiple applications if they were eligible to apply to more than one agency. 4Culture was the final agency to undergo a panel process, and received 99 applications from organizations throughout King County. Proposals were evaluated on the significance of the position(s) to the mission and core services of the organization, the potential of the position(s) to have an immediate impact, and the organization’s ability to manage the funds.

According to their website:

4Culture is a unique integration of the arts, heritage, preservation and public art; committed to advancing community through culture. Public exhibitions and performances, public art, preservation of significant sites and interpretation of local history deepen our connections to the places in which we live and work. 4Culture stimulates cultural activity and enhances the assets that distinguish a community as vibrant, unique and authentic.

Waterland Blog Advertiser BECU is holding a free seminar called “Surviving in Today’s Economy” on Thursday, Sept. 24th from 5pm to 6:30pm at the Woodmont Library in Des Moines.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Free “Surviving in Today’s Economy” seminar

WHEN: Thursday, Sept. 24th from 5pm to 6:30pm

WHERE: Woodmont Library, 26809 Pacific Highway S., Des Moines, WA

COST: NO COST. NO OBLIGATION. REGISTER TODAY.

INFO: Space is limited – call 206-439-5910, visit www.becu.org or stop by any BECU Neighborhood Financial Center to register.

Sponsored by BECU Neighborhood Financial Center, whose free seminars are led by experienced financial educators.

At a time when school districts are struggling to maintain music programs, Des Moines’ Pacific Middle School has quietly been building an award-winning Wind Ensemble and Choir while cultivating Concert, Jazz and Symphonic bands.

Under the direction of Jeffrey Steen, Pacific is the only middle school in the Highline School District that offers this degree of musical instruction. In competitions with middle schools from area districts, Pacific fields more musicians and brings home more honors – this was most recently achieved at the Soundview Solo and Ensemble Contest held on January 31st – Pacific had over 60 entries from the Wind Ensemble and Choir; other district middle schools brought less than a dozen each.

Pacific Wind Ensemble is also preparing to go to California over Memorial Day to compete in the Heritage Festival, and they’re currently in the midst of fundraising.

Recognizing the value of the music programs, the Pacific Band Boosters formed as a non-profit last year to support the band program and to enhance musical opportunities throughout the district. As a fundraising body, we serve to fill in where levies or tax dollars fall short in the musical arena. This year, we’ve purchased harnesses for the new Drum Line class, paid to refurbish the drum sets, purchased instruments to make them available for low income students, and helped some students pay for trips to out-of-the-area competitions.

The importance of music instruction cannot be understated – over 40 years of research shows that music education improves reading and math skills. As Jeffrey Steen explained it:

When humans play music there are some special things going on in the brain.

Playing music activates several cognitive centers of the brain and creates pathways and synapses between those centers. Right behind the ears are the music centers of the brain. If you do not play or sing music there is very little, if any at all, brain activity in this part of the brain.

Since music notation is similar to reading text, studies have shown that our linguistic center of the brain is also activated. The music and linguistic areas of the brain work together and create pathways of thought.

Music is also mathematical. Rhythm, time signature, tempo and the relation of harmonic pitches are all based on mathematical principals.

Music is, afterall, just organized mathematical principals happening in a metered time. Now the music, linguistic and math centers all work together to create pathways. If you use an instrument to play music you have to activate the motor functions (kinesthetic). The musician has to play in tune and watch the conductor so the student has to activate interpersonal intelligence. There is also a tremendous amount activity in our creative areas (right side) of the brain. There is no other activity that uses so wide and varied areas of the brain all at the same time. When you play music it super-charges the brain for learning and intelligence.

It is apparent that music should be viewed as fundamental to any core curriculum.

The Pacific Band Boosters typically depend on band member parents to raise funds, but are widening their search to include outside contributors. Those interested are welcome to contact Mysty Beal at johnjbeal@comcast.net, and she’ll be happy to detail the sponsor package.

Photos and Story by Scott Schaefer

Cafe Mia, located in the Normandy Park Towne Center on First Avenue South, closed suddenly last Thursday (4/21) with no warning.

Saturday afternoon (4/25) the doors were locked, paper covered all windows, no employees were present, and the only information available was a letter taped to a window near the front door, which read:

April 24, 2009

Dear Loyal Cafe Mia Customers,

We opened as a Cafe and unfortunately realized that this is not what the residents of the City of Normandy park need and want. In an effort to respond better to these needs we are closing effective immediately and are working to rebrand our concept. We apologize for the inconvenience and hope that you will soon see that our new, more comfortable, family friendly concept will be even better. We will continue to provide great food an hope to add a bar into the new concept.

As residents of this community, our community is very important to us. We are excited to be part of it look forward to bringing you the restaurant that Normandy Park residents need and want. If you have any questions please email us at cafemianp@yahoo.com.

Thanks for your continued support and patience. Please check back for updates.

The Owners of Cafe Mia

We sent an email to the address listed in the notice, but as of 6pm Saturday had not yet heard back; the Cafe Mia website doesn’t mention the closing. We also called the restaurant’s phone number, but after about a dozen rings it went to voicemail.

“I was a regular customer,” said Helga Herrera, a Normandy Park resident and owner of Normandy Nutrition who we found reading the explanatory letter (see photo above). “I loved coming here because they were open late and I could eat here after I closed my store. Plus, they had great coffee.”

While it was opened, Cafe Mia offered fresh baked breads, pizzas, pasta, pastries, paninis and sandwiches, gelato, salads, and even beer and wine.

The recently-opened Normandy Park Towne Center appears to have many empty storefronts and condos, and there were plenty of empty parking spots and little foot traffic when we dropped in on Saturday. The development, which opened in December, is managed by the McKittrick Real Estate Group.

According to the Towne Center website:

“This 3.58 acre mixed use project consisting of retail, office and residential components on 1st Avenue in Normandy Park promises to be a welcome addition to the neighborhood!

With Emerald City Smoothie, Café Mia, Herfy’s and Tight Cuts as our first tenants, we are also proud to offer 26 luxury townhomes for sale and 18 condo flats for rent.”

We’ll keep you updated as soon as we learn what the future holds for this business.

The Highline School District is facing huge budget cuts, potentially having to lay off the equivalent of 228 full-time Teachers, and tonight (Thurs. 4/23) the first of three town-hall style meetings will be held at Pacific Middle School in Des Moines (from 6-8pm, map below).

According to the school district, the RIF (Reduction In Force) will impact 152 full-time and 114 part-time teachers for a total of 264 individuals, or 228 full time equivalent teachers.

John Welch, Superintendent of the school district, made the following statement (it can also be seen on the district website as a PDF here):

Message to the community
April 22, 2009

Dear Neighbors:

As you probably know, the state is dealing with a budget shortfall of $9 billion. As a result, the legislature will likely make deep cuts to education funding. At Highline Public Schools, we anticipate budget cuts of $8 million for next school year due to state funding cuts. We have already made significant reductions in the current school year; we must now make some very difficult choices for next year.

I have already announced $2.2 million in cuts—elimination of 10 administrator and manager positions, a freeze on administrator and manager pay, and elimination of 20 math and literacy coaching positions.

We still must make cuts of around $6 million. We have identified a list of budget reduction options, and we are asking staff and the public for feedback. You will find the list published on at www.hsd401.org. I invite you to participate in one of the community budget forums being held in the next week:

• Thursday, April 23, 6pm – 8pm: Pacific Middle School
• Saturday, April 25, 9am – 11am: Hazel Valley Elementary
• Monday, April 27, 6pm – 8pm: Evergreen High School campus

We are working very hard to minimize direct impacts on students. But since 70% of district spending is on employees, it is impossible to sustain cuts this deep without cutting staff—both teachers and non-teaching staff.

In our earlier projections based on the governor’s budget, we did not anticipate the need to lay off teachers. Since then, the state budget shortfall has grown significantly, and the state House and Senate have published their budgets, which contain much deeper cuts to public education funding. As a result, we now anticipate a reduction in force (RIF) of 152 full-time and 114 part-time teaching positions.

This is a worst-case scenario. We anticipate we will be able to call back at least some of these teachers.

I had very much hoped to avoid a reduction in force. I regret that we will lose even one teacher. And I recognize that even for those who will be called back to work, the RIF notification is stressful. However, until the legislature finalizes its budget and we know how many teachers are retiring or moving out of the district, we cannot be certain of our staffing needs. This is an unfortunate place to be, and I am asking both staff and the public to be patient as we work through this process.

The school board faces some tough decisions. Your input will help inform their decision-making. Together, we will work to create a budget that meets the needs of students as best we can with the resources we have available.

If you can’t attend any of the three meetings above, you can always send in an anonymous comment by clicking here.

Highline Public Schools serves over 17,000 students in 35 different schools (18 elementary, 4 middle and 13 high schools), ranging in an area from White Center to Des Moines.

More information, including specific budget cuts, is available on the Highline Public Schools website.

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In our continuing effort to serve the community of Des Moines, The Waterland Blog proudly announces its latest category page: JOB LISTINGS!

You can find it anytime by clicking on “Jobs” listed in the upper navigation menu between “Events” and “Directory.”

We’re still fine-tuning the code, but this page is set up to retrieve live, continuously-updated job listings for the general Des Moines area.

As we find more job listing feeds, we will add them.

Please check it out and let us know your thoughts.

Here’s a taste of what you can expect to find on the Jobs Page – all lists are automatically generated with the most recent jobs posted:

If you’re looking for a job, and happen to have Reporting/Writing or Sales skills…please email us!

Highline Community College is presenting “Tips for a Successful Interview,” another free workshop for job seekers this Tuesday, March 31st from 9:30am to 11am.

This seminar will be repeated on Tuesday, April 28th as well.

Here are the details:

WHAT: “Tips for a Successful Interview” workshop.

WHEN: Tuesday, March 31st from 9:30 am – 11:00 am -OR- Tuesday, April 28th from 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm

WHERE: Highline Community College Building 99, Room 132, located at 2400 S 240th St., Des Moines

INFO: Get valuable tips for how to prepare for a successful interview and find out what to expect during the interview process. Human Resources staff members will also discuss the laws concerning employment discrimination and what interview questions are illegal for an employer to ask. Individual coaching sessions will be offered as well.

COST: Free and open to the public.

RSVP: (206) 878-3710 x3812 or hrstaff@highline.edu

In a struggling economy, every piece of positive news counts, and here’s some that’s very relevant to the area:

Tourists spent $615 million last year in the cities of Des Moines, Tukwila, SeaTac and Kent, according to a tourism group that represents the four southwest King County cities.

There were 5,350 tourism-related jobs that generated $181 million in wages last year in the four cities, according to a report prepared by Dean Runyan Associates for the Seattle Southside organization.

There were 2.2 million visitors to the four cities last year that accounted for $51.6 million in tax revenues for the state, the report indicated.

“For every South King County household, tourism provides $400 in taxes that residents don’t have to pay, and over 5,000 jobs that wouldn’t otherwise exist,” said Katherine Kertzman, program director for Seattle Southside, in a statement.

Highline Community College continues to do its part to assist area residents hit hard by the recession, and their next helpful handout will be a seminar about writing “Cover Letters and Resumes That Get Results” on March 17th and April 21st.

Here are the details:

WHAT: “Writing Covers Letters and Resumes That Get Results”

WHEN: Tuesday, March 17th from 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm -OR- Tuesday, April 21st from 9:00 am – 10:30 am

WHERE: Highline Community College, Building 99, Room 132; HCC is located at 2400 S 240th St., Des Moines.

Learn how to write a cover letter and resume that stand out to potential employers. Human Resources staff members will also offer one-on-one consultations to assist job seekers in creating and completing a cover letter and resume.

COST: Free and open to the public.

INFO: RSVP to (206) 878-3710 x3812

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On Tuesday, Burien’s Highline Medical Center laid off 85 management and staff positions.

CEO Mark Benedum said, “Today is an incredibly difficult and painful day for us. In order to assure our financial stability, we had to reduce 85 management and staff positions at both campuses through a lay-off. In many cases, these are individuals who have given years of service and significant contributions to our organization. This was not an easy decision and it was something I had hoped we would not have to do.”

Like most hospitals both locally and nationally, Highline Medical Center has been hit hard by the declining economy. Highline’s net revenue has been negatively impacted by both a decrease in outpatient volumes and an increase in uncompensated care. These factors led to significant financial losses in December and January and a projected loss in February.

Benedum continued, “We have taken actions to respond to the decline in the economy. While we initially believed that these measures would allow us to manage the economic fall-out, it was not enough. We cannot continue to spend more than we are earning. Continued losses of this magnitude are not an option. We have a responsibility to our patients and the community to reduce our costs and remain financially viable.”

The vast majority of positions that were eliminated were not involved in direct patient care.

Highline Medical Center first opened in 1958 as Burien General Hospital. It now includes two healthcare campuses and more than 20 clinics across Southwest King County. As the tenth-busiest emergency department in the Puget Sound region, Highline serves as the base station for the Burien area emergency medical unit. In 2008, Highline broke ground on a new ER & Patient Care unit, which is slated to open in early 2010.

More information is available at their website: www.highlinemedicalcenter.org.

Highline Community College will be doing what it can to resuscitate the local unemployment rate by holding a Health Care Job Fair on Wednesday, Mar. 4th in the student union building on its main campus.

It’s sponsored by HCC’s Workforce Development Services, and Employers from the Puget Sound area will be recruiting for jobs in many health care related fields, including:

• Nursing
• Respiratory care
• Medical assisting
• Medical transcriptionist
• Phlebotomy
• Polysomnographic technology
• Optician-licensed dispensing
• Chemical dependency

Here are the details:

WHAT: Health Care Job Fair

WHEN: Wednesday, March 4th, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

WHERE: Highline Community College’s main campus, Highline Student Union (Building 8), 2nd floor;Highline’s main campus is located midway between Seattle and Tacoma at South 240th Street and Pacific Highway South (Highway 99); address: 2400 S. 240th St., Des Moines, WA 98198.

COST: FREE and open to the public

INFO: Employers scheduled to participate include Advanced Health Care, Cascade Regional Blood Services, Good Samaritan Hospital, Regency Pacific, Sea Mar Community Health Centers, Valley Medical Center and Virginia Mason Medical Center.

The job fair coincides with Highline’s Health Information Fair, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Highline Student Union, 1st floor. The information fair features student booths that explore health-related issues and booths that highlight Highline’s health care programs.

SPONSOR: HCC’s Workforce Development Services

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