Ambassador Committee
Tuesday, February 10
8:00 am
Chamber Office

HWY 99 Action Committee
Tuesday, February 10
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Tukwila Community Center
12424 42nd Ave. S 
Speaker: Brandon Miles, Senior Planner, Dept. of Community Development, City of Tukwila
Topic: Proposed Sign Regulations for Tukwila Intl. Blvd.

**Optional Dinner, 5:30 pm, Pabla Indian Restaurant, next to Half-Price Books on Southcenter Parkway 

February Networking Breakfast
Wednesday, February 18
7:00 am - 9:00 am
Hilton Garden Inn Seattle/Renton
1801 E Valley Rd.
$17 pre-paid by 2/17
$20 at the door
Sponsors: Menzies Aviation, Port of Seattle, Puget Sound Energy

Register here....

Greetings! I hope your 2009 is off to an energetic start.

If you're looking for a way to jumpstart your business exposure in the new year, do consider participating in our February Membership Luncheon and Business Showcase. This fantastic opportunity only comes around twice a year (in February and October). Showcase tables are going quickly, but there are a few spots left should you care to sign up (and we hope you do!).

I also want to personally invite each and every one of you to Chamber Day 2009. This is an all day event in our state's capitol where you meet with your Senators and Representatives, attend various hearings and committees, and let your voice be heard! Members of our very own Chamber have been key players in helping initiate legislation. I myself went last year and was amazed! This truly is an incredible benefit of Chamber membership... and of living in a democratic society. I hope you are able to join me and other Chamber members for the day! More information can be found below.

Thank you for allowing us to serve you! 

Sincerely,

Diane Summerhays

Chair, Board of Directors

Join your Chamber, the South Sound Chambers of Commerce Legislative Coalition and the Washington Chamber of Commerce Executives at Chamber Day 2009 in Olympia, Wednesday, February 11, 2009.
 
The day begins at 9:00 am in the 2nd Floor Capitol Rotunda with the Legislative Reception Breakfast (the breakfast is complimentary). At 10:15 am the program will begin with a welcome, introductions and WCCE Briefing and Chambers' Legislative Agenda Sharing. 

Lunch with South Sound Coalition-area Senators and Representatives will follow the meeting. Cost is $20.  
 
At 1:30 pm, we will begin meeting with the various Senators and Representative from our Districts and are also free to visit hearings and committees.
 
Please RSVP to the Chamber office BY FEBRUARY 6 with your lunch choice if you plan to attend. Once we know how many will go, we will organize carpools for those wishing to participate.
 
Let's show our support for our Districts!

Meet Vanessa Flores, a senior at Foster High School. She is the February Student of the Month for the Southwest King County Chamber. She is also a Chamber Junior Ambassador, so be sure to say hi if you see her at any upcoming Chamber events!

Vanessa is President of Future Business Leaders of America. While at Foster High School she has been involved in National Honor Society, Future Business Leaders of America, volleyball and tennis. She helped to jump start the Experience Academy Committee.

In her community she has helped with her church's women's shelter, KidsReach, church preschool and cleaning up the city of Tukwila. Vanessa has also worked at Target in food service and as a cashier. Currently she is working in retail at Skechers.

Each of her extracurricular activities has taught her team work, team effort, support, the meaning of family, independence and the benefits of hard work. After high school, she wants to attend Gonzaga University in Spokane. In the future, she hopes to own her own dentist clinic to help low income families. 

Vanessa would like to thank the Chamber's SUCCESS Foundation and others who have been part of her journey in making this all possible: her family, Superintendent Burke, Mr. Boyce, Mr. Wright, and Ms. Morgan, Foster High School Teachers, Ms. Simpson and Achievers mentor Lisa Gallo.

Congratulations, Vanessa!

King County Metro Transit and Sound Transit are working together on possible changes to bus routes serving portions of Burien, Federal Way, Kent, SeaTac, Tukwila, and the Tukwila Sounder Station. The changes would be made to connect Metro buses with Sound Transit's Link light rail and Metro's new RapidRide service, and to improve overall bus service in southwest King County.

Link will provide frequent, fast, and reliable service between Sea-Tac International Airport, Tukwila, southeast Seattle, and downtown Seattle. RapidRide is Metro Transit's new, streamlined bus service that will provide frequent, all-day service in five high ridership corridors. The A Line will run between Tukwila International Boulevard Link Station and Federal Way on Pacific Highway S/International Boulevard (State Route 99) beginning in 2010.

Last fall, Metro asked community members what they thought about some suggested changes. More than 1,100 people returned questionnaires or commented in other ways. Most of the comments were about the proposed routes and service levels. People also expressed concerns and made suggestions about safety, fares, travel times, transfers, reliability, and frequency of service. After considering the comments, Metro revised many of its proposals.

For more information on the revised set of proposals and to fill out an online questionnaire go here.

The Chamber has published 10,000 copies of its 2009 At Your Service Guide. Similar to our Dining Guide, this colorful pamphlet is an absolute must for residents of Burien, SeaTac, Tukwila and Des Moines seeking a quick and handy reference for a variety of professional services in southwest King County. It features over 30 Chamber businesses in categories ranging from Auto Repairs to Wineries.

The guides are available at the Chamber office and at all Chamber events. You are encouraged to keep a stash on display at your office.

The Chamber needs your promotional items for its Operation: Thank You program. Once a month, Ambassadors deliver goodie bags to new and renewing members to thank them for their support. It is an excellent opportunity to promote your business: the Chamber delivers to approximately 500 businesses per year. Ideas include pens, mousepads, coupons, coffee mugs, etc. Be creative!

If you can't make it down to the Chamber office, members of the Ambassador Committee are available to pick up items.

For more information, please contact Brenna at the Chamber: (206) 575-1633.

Town Square: Anyone who hasn't been to downtown Burien in the past year might not recognize it as the first buildings of the Town Square project move toward completion this spring. This includes the first residential/retail building, the roads and infrastructure that serves Town Square, the City Hall/King County Regional Library, and the central park and plaza. The Urban Partners condominium/retail building will welcome its first tenants this spring. The new Burien City Hall will open in mid-May followed by the new regional library in the building the library will share with the City. The new park should be ready in June. Plans are in the works for a grand opening celebration for the condominiums, City Hall/Library and Town Square Park in mid June.

Art Celebration: The Town Square site hosted its first "people event" on January 24 at the opening celebration of the Burien Interim Art Space. Different artworks will be displayed at the outdoor site over the next year until the second of 3 residential/retail building is constructed there. "The Passage", 30- and 20-feet-tall metal sculptures of a mother and child walking, was the first piece to be displayed. Fire performers entertained crowd enjoying the art celebration.

Traffic Cameras: Burien is joining the cities installing traffic cameras at signaled intersections to cut down on motorists running red lights. The cameras will begin taking pictures on March 1 at three intersections along 1st Avenue S: SW 148th Street, SW 152nd Street and SW 160th Street. There will be a 30-day warning period before the registered owner of the vehicle is sent an infraction which carries a $101 penalty. The cameras have been shown to increase public safety by forcing drivers to slow down and stop for red lights, preventing collisions. They also increase pedestrian safety.

Clean Sweep: ­Burien's annual spring cleaning, Burien Clean Sweep, is planned for Saturday, April 25. This is when citizen, business groups and members from other organizations such as churches all roll their sleeves up and pick up trash and other debris at assigned areas along streets, sidewalks and parks in downtown Burien and some neighborhoods. The day starts at 8 a.m. at the downtown Burien Fire Station and concludes there with a free lunch. People who have questions or wish to sign up should contact Discover Burien at (206) 433-2882.

Wii Tourney: I'm pleased to report that Burien Senior Program's Wii bowling teams finished 3rd and 4th place in a League Championship tournament on January 7. The competition was between 16 teams from 8 different cities at The Grand Casino in Tukwila, which provided big screens and the logistical support to host the event.

~ Mike Martin, City Manager

Crime Prevention Training: The City of Tukwila's Police Department is offering crime prevention training on Saturday, March 21, 2009 from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. The training is designed to provide businesses and residents with first hand information about the operations of the Tukwila Police Department. Participants will learn police patrol procedures, 911 procedures, how to identify and report drug activity, protecting homes from burglars, auto theft and prowl prevention. There is no fee to attend this training. The registration deadline is March 16. For more information and an application, contact Community Policing Coordinator Chris Partman at [email protected] or 206-433-7156.
 
Sign Code Revisions: The City of Tukwila is currently revising its sign codes. The Sign Code Advisory Committee has held multiple meetings and its recommendations are available on the City's website under: www.ci.tukwila.wa.us/dcd/signcodereg.html. A joint meeting of the Planning Commission and City Council was held on January 29, 2009 to discuss the recommendations of the Sign Code Advisory Committee. If you would like more information, please contact Senior Planner Brandon Miles at [email protected] or 206-431-3684.
 
Research Funding Available: If you are a technology business looking to partner with an academic or non-profit researcher on a collaborative research endeavor, you may be eligible for funding through Washington Technology Center's Research & Technology Development grants program. RTD pays up to 80% of the cost of research projects. Project teams are eligible to receive up to $100,000 for initial proof-of-concept projects and up to $300,000 for multi-phase projects. The next round of grants will be awarded in June with projects beginning in July. The deadline to submit a Notice of Intent is March 19 and applications are due April 23. For more information contact Economic Development Administrator Derek Speck at [email protected] or 206-433-1832.

~ Rhonda Berry, City Administrator

Keep everyone posted! If you are a Chamber member whose contact information has changed, please let us know.

Was: Highline Work Clinic
Now: The Work Clinic
Alvin S. Nayan, MD, MPH, MRO is the Medical Director of The Work Clinic. He has taken the clinic and made it his private practice. The Work Clinic has been serving the community for over 20 years and will continue to provide Comprehensive Occupational Health Services to businesses and companies.