Matt is the second teen Writer to join our ranks after Josh Hart.

If you have a movie you'd like for him to review, please email him. Look for more of his movie reviews and other articles soon on The B-Town Blog!]

by Matt Marble

Two-time Academy Award nominee Will Smith leads a great dramatic cast in “Seven Pounds,” a film Written by Grant Nieporte and Directed by Gabriele Muccino.

Smith portrays Ben Thomas, a mysterious IRS agent who has many inner demons. From the beginning of the film, the Director creates a deeply emotional tone. I felt that I spent the whole film trying to figure out what exactly he was going to do and why. Thomas’ entire persona changes when he meets Emily Posa (Rosario Dawson), an ailing woman who forms a deep bond with Thomas.

After several other meetings with people who seem to have various 
problems with their health, relationships etc., you realize that he 
wants to help them, although you are just not sure to what extent or
 why.

There are a couple of scenes where he meets with his life-long best friend Dan (Barry Pepper) where you will get a little hint of something, but as quickly as it seems that you will finally find out what is going on – the movie moves on.

By the end of the film though, it all adds up and the message that shines through is amazing.

The one point I hope everyone takes away from this powerfully moving movie is that while the world is a cruel, mean, violent place, there are people around that truly do care about changing the lives of others for the better…

Here’s a trailer for “Seven Pounds,” which is still playing at several local theaters, as well as an interview with Will Smith:

The B-Town Blog would like to welcome back Advertiser Moss Chiropractic!

“Two and a half docs” (2 full-time and one half time chiropractors), five massage therapists, clinic hours when patients can be there (Open Mon-Sat), an office cat, and a warm lodge-like environment are just for starters to patients of Dr. Jonna Moss. She and her staff have much to offer those in need of TLC when it comes to ridding Burien residents of pain.

Dr. Moss has been a chiropractor for nearly 19 years. Seventeen years ago she bought the building that is now Moss Chiropractic, designed it like a warm and friendly lodge—right down to a bevy of bears– and hung out her ‘shingle’ (on 152nd St). One of the great things on her ‘shingle’ is ‘se habla espanol’, which is very important in Burien and surrounding areas!

More than a local chiropractor, Dr. Moss and her staff are community activists. Some of the things they are currently involved in are Burien’s “Girls Night Out” raising money for Highline Cancer Center; during “Boo in Burien,” they have their ever-popular haunted house; in November they stage their annual food drive for Northwest Harvest and finally in December, they adopt a Burien family truly in need and provide them with literally a van-full of gifts donated by their patients and friends.

Check out Moss Chiropractic at 612 SW 152nd St. in Burien (map below).

You can schedule an appointment or consultation at 206-244-1466. Check out their Ad, or go directly to their website: www.spinewise.com.

View Larger Map

Mueller died when his Toyota Prius hit a guardrail on Highway 509 near South 160th, left the road and hit a tree.

PREVIOUSLY:

According to The Seattle Times, a 57-year old Normandy Park man was killed Monday night around 7pm when his car, a Toyota Prius, hit a guardrail on Highway 509 near South 160th Street and left the road.

Sound Transit is offering a special sneak-peek “Ride The Lunch Bus” tour of their new Link light rail system on Friday, Jan. 16th starting at 11:30am and ending at 3pm.

Here are the details:

WHAT: “Ride The Lunch Bus” Link light rail lunch tour

WHEN: Friday, Jan. 16 starting at 11:30am and ending at 3pm

WHERE: Tours depart and return at the southwest corner of 5th Avenue & South King Street in the International District. A Sound Transit bus marked “SPECIAL” will be waiting. Lunch location: Thai Recipe Restaurant.

COST: Cost of lunch is $10 (cash only) which includes a meal, drink, and tax. RSVP by Jan. 15 to Paige Johnson at 206-398-5300 or email at: Linkconstruction@soundtransit.org

DETAILS: Here’s more info from their website:

View the newly completed SODO and Stadium light rail stations and the Operations and Maintenance facility. Catch a glimpse of the Beacon Hill Station area where miners have excavated the underground station. See the elevated Mount Baker Station and guideway. Come see Martin Luther King Jr. Way S. get a facelift with new light rail, street improvements, sidewalks, lighting and landscaping. In Tukwila, see the nearly five miles of elevated trackway that was put together by the huge overhead gantry. Finally at Sea-Tac Airport take a look at the 1.7 miles of elevated and surface trackway that will connect the Tukwila International Blvd Station to the airport. Train testing is underway — you may see the first light rail vehicle!

Sound Transit Link light rail would like to invite you to tour the entire initial segment construction. The tour is part of Link light rail’s on-going effort to mitigate construction impacts on local businesses. This is a guided bus tour that will take you to and along the current construction sites. At any time during the tour, please feel free to ask questions. The tour is then followed by lunch at a local eating establishment. You are responsible for buying your own lunch.

Tours depart and return at the southwest corner of 5th Avenue & South King Street in the International District. A Sound Transit bus marked “SPECIAL” will be waiting. Tours depart at 11:30 a.m. and return by 3 p.m.

Cost of lunch is $10 (cash only) which includes a meal, drink, and tax.

We are sorry, but due to restrictions in our insurance policies, children under 18 are not permitted on the lunch bus tour.

To RSVP, or for more information, please contact Paige Johnson at 206-398-5300 or email at: Linkconstruction@soundtransit.org. In your response, please include your name, organization, telephone number and request for accommodations.

At 3:24pm Monday Jan. 5th, the National Weather Service issued the following Flood Watch Advisory:

… Flood Watch in effect from Tuesday evening through Friday afternoon…

Rain will fall over western Washington beginning Tuesday afternoon and continuing into Thursday. Rain will be heavy at times in the mountains… along the coast… and over the southwest interior and lower Chehalis valley. The Cascades and Olympics will get 5-10 inches with some southwest facing slopes 15-20 inches. Perhaps 6 inches will fall on the coast and SW interior. The Seattle area could see 4 inches over the two days and northern lowland areas will get an inch or two.

This sums to a real flood potential… both for river flooding and urban and small stream flooding. This flooding will be driven by heavy rain that has been consistently present in numerical models. Some flooding seems certain… and major flooding is possible on some rivers.

Precautionary/preparedness actions…

Monitor weather forecasts in case conditions change. If you live near a river… prepare for flooding now.

There are plenty of creeks and streams in the Burien area, so be sure to check for clear drains and clogs if you live or work near one.

Numerous Burien-area residents were in the dark Sunday night, and it wasn’t just because the sun went down - Seattle City Light reports that power was lost last night around 8pm to nearly 3,900 homes.

According to Mike Eagan of Seattle City Light, there were two outages overnight, both caused by falling tree branches laden with heavy snow:

1. Boundaries - 1/4/2009 8:03:00 PM:

• North - S Barton St;
• South - SW 152nd St;
• West - Puget Sound;
• East - 10th Ave S;
• Approximate customers affected: 3899
• Cause: UNKNOWN It was a Tree
• Estimated power restoration time for the above outage: January 5, 2009 at 6 a.m. 100% power restored at 1:28am 1/5/09

2. Boundaries - 1/4/09 early am (time unknown):

• North - S. 96th
• South - SW 175th
• West - 24th SW
• East- 33rd SW
• Cause: Tree
• 95% power restored as of 9:25am 1/5/09

Love blooms unexpectedly in “Prairie Heart,” written by local Playwright T.M. Sell. The plot revolves around Scandinavian pioneers in North Dakota in the 1890s.

“That’s about the time my great-grandparents homesteaded there,” says Sell.  “The story is based on the kinds of stories their descendants used to talk about when I was a kid.  But I think it’s an immigrant experience that a lot of people will be able to relate to.”

The show is directed by Alan Wilkie with music by Nancy Warren, choreography by Teresa Widner and costumes by Melissa Sell.

The cast features:

• Adrienne Grieco
• Luke Amundson
• Eric Hartley
• Melissa Grinley
• J Howard Boyd
• Steve Scheide
• Melissa Malloy

Show dates are:

• Friday, Jan. 16
• Saturday, Jan. 17
• Sunday, Jan. 18
• Wednesday, Jan. 21
• Friday, Jan. 23
• Saturday, Jan. 24
• Sunday, Jan. 25
• Wednesday, Jan. 28
• Thursday, Jan. 29
• Friday, Jan. 30
• Saturday, Jan. 31
• Sunday, Feb. 1st

On Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturday performances, doors open at 6:30pm, and the show starts at 7pm.

Sunday shows start at 2pm and the doors open at 1:30pm.

The annual “Escape from Super Bowl Sunday” show is Sunday, Feb. 1 and starts at 1pm.

Proceeds from the Jan. 29 show go to benefit the Highline College Foundation.

Each performance includes tasting of E.B. Foote’s award winning wines and hors d’oeurves, still for only $20.

Tickets are $20 per person and include wine tasting, hors d’oeuvres, and the play. The winery will be chilly so dress warmly and casually.  Tickets are available at E.B. Foote Winery and at Corky Cellars, located at 22511 Marine View Drive, Des Moines; phone: 206-824-9462. Visit the winery or call for tickets, 206-242-3852 or check out breederstheater.com.

Tickets can also be ordered online at E.B. Foote’s “Current Releases” page here, and Sherrill will call you to confirm a date and other details (credit cards accepted with a $5 fee per ticket OR your credit card can guarantee the tickets, and you can pay at the door with cash or check.)

For more information, contact T.M. Sell at breederstheater@aol.com.

And now, a quick Q & A with T.M. Sell:

Q: What is “Prairie Heart” about?
A: “Prairie Heart” is about Scandinavian immigrant farmers in North Dakota in the 1890s.  From what I’ve heard and read, life was a bit of challenge then, so it’s about what people went through when they got there.  It’s also about the difficulty of romantic life.

Q: How is this different or similar to your previous work?
A: It’s similar in that there’s romance; it’s different in that there’s no mutant aliens, no talking animals, no gods descending from heaven; just fairly normal folks trying to get through life.  But I hope it’s still funny.

Q: Why 1890s in North Dakota?
A: That’s where my great-grandparents homesteaded, near Minot.  We visited there this summer, and it was very interesting.   So parts of the story is based on their stories.

Q: Are there any parallels to modern-day life in the general Burien area?
A: At some level all of our ancestors were immigrants who went through some struggles to get there.  And at some level, most of us have struggled with romance and relationships and trying to figure how to say the right thing to the right person, while hoping that he or she doesn’t laugh in your face.

Q: Tell us about your cast.
A: Luke Amundson plays Ole, a bachelor farmer; he played Tom Monroe in Crazy/Naked last year.  Adrienne Grieco plays Ingrid, a young woman who ends up alone and basically penniless in his town.  Eric Hartley and Melissa Grinley play a more settled, successful farm couple; Steve Scheide plays another young man who is interested in Ingrid; J Howard Boyd plays a narrator who helps explain the story as it unfolds.   It’s a very strong cast and I feel very lucky to get work with them all once again.

Q: I understand you’re doing a benefit show - details please?
A: Jan. 29 is our annual fundraiser for an arts scholarship that we created at Highline College.  We’ve been able to help a dozen students with tuition assistance in the eight years we’ve been doing the scholarship.

Q: Let’s talk about the important stuff now - the wine - what’s on tap for this production? And do the cast members get to imbibe during the show?
A: Sherrill will be tasting six wines, featuring her reds, of course.  I can’t speak for how medicated the cast might be for a show, but they do tend to take their work very seriously.

Q: As 2009 begins, do you have any predictions for Readers of the B-Town Blog?
A: More crazy weather; more timely local news; perhaps more awareness that we really do live in a very nice part of town.

View Larger Map

• However, JFK High School will be starting LATE – at 10:30am.
• Most King County Metro Transit buses are on their regular routing for Monday morning, but some will be chained. This could cause some service delays as the buses travel more slowly across both slushy and bare roadways. Metro riders to check service status online or by calling (206) 553-3000 before traveling today.
• Today’s weather forecast shows NO SNOW: “Scattered showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 47. West southwest wind between 10 and 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.”

UPDATE 10:30pm 1/4/09: Looks like the sudden rush of heavy snow showers is fading and/or turning to a wet mix, so perhaps both garbage collections and school will go on as normal on Monday.

Outside The BTB Home HQ (near sea level) we received just over an inch of the stuff, which was very heavy and wet - not a good mix for branches and power lines; in fact, we heard of some sporadic power outages around Burien, including the Seahurst neighborhood around 9:30pm.

Be sure to check here Monday morning for the latest weather, school and road closure updates, and in the meantime, enjoy another exciting winter’s night!

PREVIOUSLY:

UPDATE 7pm 1/4/09: Okay, so perhaps we’ll be wrong about tonight’s snow, but according to the precipitation prognosticators, the snow is supposed to turn into rain late tonight/early tomorrow.

However, that hasn’t stopped the National Weather Service from posting this Winter Weather Advisory, which is in effect until 9pm tonight:

… Winter Weather Advisory in effect until 9 PM PST this evening…

The National Weather Service in Seattle has issued a Winter Weather Advisory… which is in effect until 9 PM PST this evening.

Snowfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches are likely across the Seattle… Tacoma and Everett areas… with snow changing over to rain later this evening.

Precautionary/preparedness actions…

A Winter Weather Advisory means that periods of snow will cause travel difficulties. Be prepared for slippery roads and limited visibilities… and use caution while driving.

PREVIOUSLY: It’s snowing again in Burien, but don’t worry folks - even though tomorrow is the first day back at school for kids, our patented B-Town Blog Weather Rock™ predicts that temps will be in the upper 40s tomorrow will change everything to rain as well as prevent any rash decisions by school officials.

However, one never knows with the weather ’round these parts, so be sure to check back and watch the webcams we’ve got posted here, and be sure to refresh the page to see the latest images:

Have you ever raced slot cars before?

It’s a blast for kids of all ages, especially during the “gift playing” time of year – we recall with fond memories racing slot cars either in the basement rec room or every Wednesday night at Speedway & Hobby in the West Seattle junction.

Man, that was fun.

Well, the fun is coming back folks - starting at 1:30pm on Sunday, Jan. 25th, there will be a free, open, multi-generational HO-scale slot car session at Normandy Park United Congregational Church.

WHAT: Multi-generational slot car racing session

WHEN: Sunday, Jan. 25th, from 1:30pm to 4pm+

WHERE: Normandy Park United Congregational Church, located at 19247 1st Ave South in Normandy Park (see map below); phone: (206) 824-1770

COST: FREE!

CONTACT: Bob at rfgeorge@rockwellcollins.com or 206-890-6479

Here’s the original posting we found on Craigslist:

Do you have any HO (1/64 scale)cars that have not been used lately? On January 25th, Sunday afternoon, come on out and use them on our tracks. As a multi generational gathering at Normandy Park Congregational UCC, we’ll be having slot car day. The plan is to introduce slot car racing to some of the youth, and all ages are invited.

We plan to have the tracks ready to run by 1pm Sunday, and will be actively racing from 1:30-4 or whenever the final winner is announced. We plan to have multiple tracks set up so all ages can play/compete within their skill levels. We’ll have a four lane set up for elimination competition. Time trials will be used to allow for lane selection.

If you’ve already got a track set up, I’d love to hear about that too! perhaps you have some pointers for us on our activity. If we get good turn out, we’ll probably turn it into a monthly event.

We emailed Bob and got more info:

As an overgrown kid, I like to inspire “play time” in others like myself.  We work long hard hours, so a little R&R is deserved.

I mentioned to our Christian Ed leader, who has been coordinating several youth events, that I’d like to host a youth event with the slot cars.  As we talked more about it, we decided it should be a multi-generational thing, as there are a lot of us “older” kids in our congregation.  In discussing it further, we decided that we should invite the general population, as the slot car thing is rather a small sect of the population and being multi-generational the real message is interfacing with all ages.

So, I’ll set up three or four race tracks in our fellowship hall on Sunday the 25th.  My plan is to give a 20 minute presentation on the history of the slot cars in general, a bit about the care of the cars and tracks, and a bit about race car competitions in general.  (There are some very serious slot car racers out there, and they take it just as serious as Indy 500 etc.).  After the introduction, we’ll commence in race track fun.  Depending on the number of people, we’ll handle the “who goes first” with drawings or count off in the group or whatever.

After an hour and half of general race/play fun time, I’ll start time trials for those who want to compete.  This will be on a four lane track.  Again, done by random drawing or whatever.  Then we’ll start the elimination races.  Depending on how many people there are, we’ll determine the number of elimination races.  For example, 16 people will be 4 elimination races and a final race for a grand prize winner.  There will be prizes, and we’ll have different prizes such that whatever age the ultimate winner is, we’ll have an appropriate prize.  Nothing significant, but something fun.

There is a lot of effort on my part to set up,and tear down the tracks, but I think it’ll be a great time for all.  And, who knows, maybe we’ll make this a regular event, make some new friends, and at the very least have a “hobby shop” afternoon with all ages.  The youngest should not be under 7, and the oldest (that I know of) will be 85. Me, I’m 47.

View Larger Map

Three Tree Point 05/06/08 from David Rockwell on Vimeo.