August 2005

When I moved from Ballard to South Park not five months ago I had no idea what I was getting into. Maybe a little more crime nearby, maybe it'll be harder to get groceries after hours, but I knew I'd be speaking Spanish more often and I was eager for the change of scenery.

What I found in South Park is nothing short of the most welcoming, vibrant cluster of engaged neighbors I've experienced since my childhood in Maine.

Darlene Madenwald said her top priorities in her first run for a Seattle City Council seat would largely focus on the growing healthcare concerns and quality of life.

"I would like a chance to make this city healthier," she said.

Madenwald, a 61-year-old nurse from Kansas, said she grew up with humble beginnings so she knows what it takes to persevere over rough odds and doubtful people.

She came to Seattle in 1966 to work at the University of Washington Hospital after finishing her bachelor's degree in nursing at the University of Wichita and then went on to t

The monorail to West Seattle can be built if the public and the Seattle City Council support it, acting monorail board chairman Kristina Hill said last week.

Since the project originated with the people, the project is not getting a fair share of attention from the state or the city, Hill told the West Seattle Herald.

"I think they see us as different kind of project than Sound Transit, which had two years to do a turnaround," said Hill.

Members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers took Ballard Locks visitors back in time last weekend as they re-enacted the experiences of explorers Lewis and Clark.

Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were authorized by President Thomas Jefferson in 1803 to explore the west. They traveled 8,000 miles in 28 months between 1803 and 1806.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers park rangers, and other staff from Illinois, Massachusetts and other states, were selected to play roles in the re-enactment.

Dave Dawson, the diving coach for both the boys and girls swim teams at Ballard High School, recently won a bronze and a silver medal at the World Masters Games in Edmonton, Canada.

The Olympics style event is held every four years for adults in various age divisions competing in track, swimming and other sports.

Dawson was one of 22,000 athletes at the World Masters Games. There were 100 divers at the event.

"It was great," said Dawson. "It was remarkable.

While the tax cutters chop away at the public purse, Seattle and many other juristictions are dithering while the infrastructure crumbles and collapses.

Editor,

I live in Waregem-Belgium at about one mile from the US Flanders Field military cemetery. I am interested in the history of World War 1, so this cemetery has my special attention.

I started to write a book about the soldiers buried here and am looking for information about all those men. I think the book would be a great tribute for those young Americans, who gave their lives for the freedom of my country.

In the cemetery are 10 soldiers from Seattle whose names are at the bottom of this request.

Swedish Medical Center's plan to retool their benefits and new retirement plans have been met with great opposition from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). Swedish is one of the last of its kind to offer a traditional pension plan.

"The reality is that all of the other hospitals in this area all made these changes in the mid-80s to early 90s," said Ron Sperling, Swedish's chief financial officer.

With increasing numbers of fishermen losing their jobs due to fishing restrictions, a new survey has been conducted to help them find new employment.

The Ballard based, Deep Sea Fishermen's Union of the Pacific (DSFU), has surveyed crab fishermen to assess their needs in job retraining, this is in response to federal regulatory rationalization and buyback programs created to promote fish conservation in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands of Alaska.

Dave Soma, executive director of the Deep Sea Fisherman's Union said the federal government has been trying to figure out wa

Acting chair for the Seattle Monorail Project, Kristina Hill, said she believes that with the support of the Seattle City Council and the community, the Monorail Project still has a chance to emerge as a successful mass transit system for the city.

Hill said since the project originated with the people, the project is not getting a fair share of attention from the state or the city.

"I think they see us as a different kind of project than Sound Transit who had two years to do a turnaround," said Hill.