Here’s a great, fun way to brrrrrring in the New Year – at Noon on Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019, dive into Puget Sound at the fun-filled annual Polar Bear Plunge in the 3500 block of 172nd SW Street (map below) in Burien’s Three Tree Point neighborhood!

This annual New Year’s Day tradition will continue with crisp and refreshing saltwater, along with all the usual craziness (costumes!) that make this the perfect way to start the New Year (and perhaps cure a hangover).
One of the more festive parts of this community event is the awarding of the Polar Bear Plunge champion trophy – which consists of a Polar Bear figure on a piece of driftwood – chosen during the event by regulars and previous award-winners.

TIP: usually, the “most exuberant” plunger wins, but recently some very creative, fully costumed plungers have taken home the prize.

Last year’s winner was Katarzyna Patora, who wore an amazing mermaid costume that she made herself:

Here are some video highlights from our live Facebook feed:

Here’s GoPro POV cam footage shot by Shawn Anderson:

Here’s a great video of the 2017 plunge, shot and edited by Cameron Johnson, a proud grad of Highline High School and freelance videographer from Burien:

The 2017 Three Tree Point Polar Bear Plunge from Cameron Johnson Video on Vimeo.
Here are some Hints and Safety Tips:

• Dress Up in costume to add whimsy (and perhaps win the big prize!)
• Come early, as parking is limited. Carpool or come by boat!
• Anyone with heart problems should consult your health care provider before participating. If you don’t participate, you’re still welcome to join and watch.
• Do Not Drink. Alcohol – it does not warm you up; it accelerates hypothermia.
• Do Not Stay In The Water Longer Than 15 Minutes. Body heat is lost 30 times faster in the water than in air.
• Keep Your Outer Clothing On until swim time and remove any wet clothing before getting back into dry clothes. Bring big dry towels to warm up after you plunge!
• Have Fun!

Check out our extensive prior Polar Bear Plunge coverage hre.

• Buy only a freshly cut tree
• Shake tree to see if too many needles fall off (bad sign)
• Recut bottom of trunk to allow better water absorption
• Water tree daily, keeping base of tree submerged
• Keep tree away from all heat sources
• Never use burning candles on or near tree
• Keep pets and kids away from trees
• Dispose of tree properly by recycling

The bridge, located in the 2200 block of S. 116th Street in Burien (map below) – was demolished after winter storm damage significantly weakened the pilings.

The city says the new structure will open to traffic in the fall of 2020.

As we previously reported, in February, 2017, the ravine below the 67-year old structure experienced severe erosion caused by a strong winter storm, significantly damaging the bridge’s support columns. The erosion undermined the structural integrity of the bridge, and the City closed it. The creek running through the ravine also moved, causing further erosion.

A few facts about the bridge:

• It was built in 1950.
• It underwent a seismic retrofit in 1996.
• It was inspected in June 2016 by King County. The report states that there were no issues with scouring of the hillside.
• There is an apartment complex as well as a few private residences near the bridge.

WHO WAS PETER WESTERN?
The bridge’s namesake – Peter H. Western (pictured, left) – was born in Kent, WA on March 11, 1883, and passed away just a week shy of his 71st birthday on March 4, 1954.

“Peter Western was from a pioneer family who settled in the Duwamish Valley where Peter was born in 1883,” Researcher Karen Portzer said (via Maiya Andrews and Emily Inlow-Hood at the City of Burien). “He died in 1954.”
Western was a farmer, and he also owned a battery repair store in Boulevard Heights. He married Olive Avenell in Nov., 1911, and fathered three children: John Henry Western (1912-1978), Donald Hovel Western (1916-1993), and William Avenell Western (1918-1988).

Western resided at 11837 25th Ave S., and his son Donald appears to have lived at 2400 S. 118th, which is near the bridge.

Here’s the latest update from the city:

Project Overview
On February 9, 2017 City staff responded to a report of severe erosion occurring below the bridge. The bridge was closed for structural inspection, which revealed two bridge columns had been completely undermined. A third column was only partially supported. The bridge was declared structurally deficient. Burien applied for and has been awarded emergency funding to demolish and remove the existing structure; and to construct a replacement bridge, repair damaged stormwater facilities in the ravine, and restore the eroded streambed.
The project will occur in two phases. Phase 1 will demolish and remove the bridge, temporarily stabilize stormwater facilities and the streambed. Phase 2 will install a permanent replacement bridge, permanent stormwater facility repairs, and restore the streambed and adjoining ravine side slopes.
Project Status
Phase 1 Status:

• Demolition is complete. Watch video of the demolition.
• Staff is working with agencies to secure after-construction permits as required by law.

Phase 2 Status:

• Based on the current design progress, the bridge will be under construction in early 2019, and will open to traffic in the fall of 2020. This timeline assumes there are no issues in obtaining the necessary property rights to do the work.
• Estimated project completion date: Project completion date is dependent on requirements from environmental permits.

Below deck rendering of new bridge:

Above deck rendering of new bridge:

And an old pic of the original bridge:

And just because we think it’s interesting, here’s a video of the bridge being knocked down on May 19, 2017:

The Project manager for this is Maiya Andrews, (206) 248-5514, maiyaa@burienwa.gov.

• We advise that you include community voice, especially the voices of youth in the training of police such as student-led training
• Also, we suggest more events that push police officers to meet, connect with and bond with our community

All Councilmembers then gave verbal responses to students at the end.
Running time of their comments – edited only for time – is 18:26, and it’s worth a view:

THE BRIEFING PROJECT EPISODE 13

The Lost Cause – November 13, 2018

Thank you. I’m Steve Edmiston for The Briefing Project. Today’s comment is inspired by the “lost cause” speech from Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, for two reasons. First, no surprise, I’m often told this project is a lost cause because of the Port’s economic growth ambitions and the disparity in our respective level of influence. Second, in film-speak, today reveals the list of actual project quests, meaning, here, the specific actions that will, “lost cause” or not, quantify success.
I’ve titled these actions the “Port of Seattle Airport Neighbor Community Accords.” The Accords are designed to provide cities and citizens a simple, ongoing, public measurement – a gradebook, or scorecard, if you will, of how each of you act, or fail to act, respond or fail to respond, to the information provided and the actions requested. Any one of you can introduce these actions as policy, to be advocated for and implemented to the extent permitted by law, just as you did on immigration, and on climate change. They are legal. They are within your authority. They reflect choices. I have the full text for the Clerk; I’ll read the Accord headings now.

First: The Health of Humans and the Environment is a Paramount Duty and Pre-Condition to Increased Frequency of Aircraft Operations (requiring reversal of the Port’s 2018 bylaw amendment deleting the commitment to community quality of life).

Second: Transparency Is a Core Value Requiring Independent Audit of Historical Mitigation Expenditures. 

Third: Trust is a Core Value Requiring Non-Interference with Independent Health and Environmental Studies. 

Fourth: Tax Levy Funds Shall Be Prioritized for Airport Neighbor Community Mitigation.

Fifth: Establishing a Nighttime Curfew to Protect Human Health Shall Be a Policy Priority Supported by Port Resources. 

Sixth: Fully Remediating the Failed Commitments for 3^rd Runway Usage Shall be a Policy Priority. 

Seventh: Establishing Increased Glide Slopes for All Runways to Reduce Noise and Protect Human Health Shall Be a Policy Priority Supported by Port Resources. 

Eighth: Establishing a Regional Airport to Preserve Statewide Economic Growth and Simultaneously Reduce the Unfair Burden on Airport Neighbor Communities Shall be a Policy Priority Supported by Port Resources.

Ninth: Citizen Complaint Processes Shall be Reformed to Provide Meaningful Engagement and Solutions. 

Tenth: A Moratorium Shall be Placed on Capital Projects That Expand Aircraft Operation Capacity Until a Comprehensive Plan Developed in Collaboration with Airport Neighbor Communities to Protect Health and the Environment is Achieved.

It’s a big list. Perhaps certainly, a “lost cause” list. But as Jimmy Stewart’s Mr. Smith said, “they’re the only causes worth fighting for.”

Much later in the meeting, as part of the 2019 Budget Resolution discussion, Commissioner Peter Steinbrueck introduced:

“…a proposal that I believe has been vetted by staff and law department and Commissioners to create an airport communities fund with an initial endowment of $10 million for five years. And the purpose is to “strategically address airport growth and the environmental impacts or effects associated with that including noise, pollution and health, potentially, and the concerns that have been raise publicly from various voices in the communities.” Commissioner Steinbrueck acknowledged that use of federal aviation funds within the 65 dB boundary is restricted, and “the intent here is to address some of the unfunded abatement measures.”
The Commissioner added “it would not be difficult to identify high priority uses over five years for this amount of money.”

In response to Steinbrueck’s proposal, Edmiston responded:

“I greatly appreciate this proposal for potential action – and leadership – offered by Commissioner Steinbrueck. This is moving the needle in the right direction. I hope that this type of action reflects the beginning of a long-term commitment that will require a much more significant investment. I agree with Commissioner Felleman’s comment that ‘my really my only concern is that the needs are so much greater than the fund and that we create an unreasonable expectation about all that could be accomplished with this sort of resource. But I’m ultimately tremendously sympathetic I’m bearing a disproportional brunt of this regional asset.’”

About The Briefing Project
The Briefing Project is a social media and documentary film project that merges journalism, editorial commentary, citizen activism, and the ‘it’s happening before our eyes’ elements of a reality-show, all serving an anticipated documentary about five elected officials with a choice to make to continue, stop, or mitigate, the harms caused to humans and the environment by noise and emissions from overflight operations. He has committed to spend no more time than the Commissioners provided to the FAA and to the Port’s own staff for a briefing in 2017: forty-three minutes. The project’s twist? As a citizen, Edmiston must provide his briefing during two-minute public-comment segments, as provided by Port bylaws. He estimates it will take a year to complete.
About Steve Edmiston
Steve is a business, intellectual property, and entertainment lawyer. He is also a screenwriter and independent film producer. He has written and produced award-winning feature-length and short films (including “Crimes of the Past,” “A Relative Thing,” “Farewell to Harry,” “The Day My Parents Became Cool,” “The Periphery Project,” and “The Maury Island Incident”). He serves on the Port Townsend Film Festival Board of Directors, and has taught screenwriting and producing at Seattle University, University of Washington, and Seattle Film Institute. 
Like The Briefing Project on Facebook: 

• https://www.facebook.com/thebriefingproject/

See all The Briefing Project episodes: 

• www.quadrant45.com/#/thebriefingproject/

• https://www.quadrant45.com/#/thebriefingproject/
• https://www.facebook.com/thebriefingproject/

Our prior coverage is available here.

• https://www.quadrant45.com/#/thebriefingproject/
• https://www.facebook.com/thebriefingproject/

Our prior coverage is available here.

• Mira’s Walk for AIR (Aviation Industry Redemption) will start at 2 p.m. this Friday, Sept. 28 at the Highline SeaTac Botanical Garden (map below), and will end at the Port of Seattle at 8 p.m.
• It will include stops at Boeing, the Connections Museum, Starbucks Headquarters, and KING5 News.
• There will be 12 legs to this walk, with each walk examining a different problem and a different solution around the aviation industry.
• Walk one mile, 4 miles, or all 12.

This “Walk and Talk” was orchestrated by SeaTac dad of two, Kent Palosaari, his seven-year-old daughter, Mira, and a team of concerned citizens, many of whom are from communities impacted by flight paths, pollution and noise from SeaTac.
Kent is reaching out to local and state elected officials, and Port of Seattle officials to walk and talk with concerned citizens in a search for innovative and community-friendly solutions around the negative impacts that the airport has on surrounding communities. He hopes that this will be a concrete step to validate the Port’s claim that they want to be better neighbors to airport communities. What better day than International Good Neighbor Day to start that relationship? He will be bringing a lasagna to the Port, and encourages others to share baked goods with their neighbors, as is customary on this annual day. People are encouraged to join in the walk and to bring baked goods to share with fellow marchers as well as people they meet along the way. The goal is to begin to care for one another.
As the local therapist and father to a new baby boy says, “We must work on this together. I worry most about the impacts on the children. It takes a village to make a problem, and I believe it takes a village to solve it.”
Kent adds:

“When I moved to SeaTac 12 years ago, I thought the only problem would be the noise. The sound of planes gets louder than a chainsaw every day. After becoming a father, I realized there are far more serious risks the airport showers on SeaTac and other nearby communities. Experts are telling me this may include prominently shorter life spans, infertility, dramatically increased risk of heart disease, brain tumors and cancers. I know there is a problem, and I know I need to take action to find solutions. This documentary is part of what I can do, so that others are encouraged to take action as well.“

Here’s a trailer for this project:

For a full schedule, and to join the discussion anywhere enroute, visit mirasgarden.org, the documentary, for more information.
The Highline SeaTac Community Garden is located at 13735 24th Ave S.: