July 2005

sports CORRESPONDENT

CENTRALIA - South Highline's close encounter of the first kind proved to be deadly on Sunday, July 17, at Fort Borst Park.

Playing solidly most of the way on Dick Scott Field, the District 7 Nationals let one inning get away en route to a 3-0 loss to District 8 Richmond in the first round of the 11-year old 2005 Washington All Star Little League state tournament hosted by District 3.

"Except for a few mistakes, we made the plays we were capable of making," said South Highline manager Rick Morine.

Heavy hitters coming

On Saturday, July 30th, the country's best softball hitters are coming to Seattle as the 2005 WSL HR Tour invades Safeco Field. The WSL's Long Haul Bombers Softball Home Run Team will host a home run derby exhibition at 12:30 p.m., prior to the Mariners game vs. the Cleveland Indians. The Long Haul Bombers will hit softball after softball out of Safeco Field.

Seattle will mark the 14th stop on the 15-city 2005 WSL Stadium Power Tour.

One of West Seattle's leading liberals, Tom Weeks recently announced his resignation as chairman of the monorail project after helping create the $11 billion fiasco. If I remember correctly, previously he took his financial expertise to the Seattle School District and then resigned after the district lost $35 million.

On July 19, a number of secondary streets heading up to the Admiral District of West Seattle were chip sealed creating a hazardous situation to what was previously a safer alternative to a cycling route up the main arterial, Admiral Way.

When it comes to summertime, West Seattleites live for the weekend. And while many may try to get their chores and duties of domesticity done during the week in order free up their Saturdays and Sundays for fun and sun, now there's a reason to save your shopping for the weekend and combine it with a day at the beach.

Introducing Alki Open Market.

Just steps away from the mile-plus stretch of sand, south of Coastal Surf Boutique, the Alki Beach Open Market is a fun way to spend a weekend day shopping without crossing the bridge to Pike Place.

From 9 a.m.

In response to your quote from Gary Dawson (Herald, July 13) that the traffic from Fauntleroy has an impact on West Seattle, I would point out there is also a great deal of commerce and inter-dependence between Vashon and West Seattle.

This was demonstrated in our Community Council's survey of Vashon businesses and services last year, which was taken into consideration during the ferry system's planning. Under the long-range plan, if Southworth car traffic is re-directed to downtown Seattle, the total traffic through Fauntleroy will be less than current levels, even out to 2030.

(Editor's Note: This is a copy of a letter sent to the board of directors of the monorail project.)

In the past, I have been a strong supporter of the monorail project. However, I find my support for the monorail waning, as is true for so many in Seattle.

I am disturbed by the proposed financing of the project. To pay for the construction of the monorail, debt service on the construction cost may have ballooned to as much as $11 billion to be paid perhaps as long as 45 years.

What has happened to showing our patriotism and our love for our country?

After 9-11 it was hard to find any sort of American flag to buy. There was a flag at almost every house, on cars, boats and every form of transportation in America. Where are all of these flags and patriotism today?

It is amazing how the downtown media are able to forget that the people of Seattle voted four times to create and build a monorail. Columnist after columnist has declared the whole idea of a monorail dead and buried. The P-I said on Monday that what the Seattle Monorail Project needs now is not a new executive director, but an undertaker.

It seems that in the plush environs of the daily media the only ideas worth supporting come from their own scribes or from the hordes of professional transportation planners.

Is there some sort of rule in Seattle that says all proposals for advancement and change must be greeted with a loud and definitive "No"?

As soon as Southwest Airlines suggested moving its operations to cheaper quarters at Boeing Field, the nattering nabobs of negativity immediately cried "No way." The "no-way" crowd spewed their nonsense even when the airline did something that none of the promoters of sports palaces did: offer to pay for the improvements themselves.

Southwest would spend $130 million on a terminal and a parking facility.