July 2006

Herald Staff

Students at Cooper Elementary School were "surprised and happy" to receive a gift of about 340 books from the Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators of Western Washington.

"The parents are not that affluent," said Gail Martini-Peterson of the society regarding the selection of Cooper School for the gift.

The society started its book donation program last year with a contribution to Bailey Gatzert Elementary School.

Herald Staff

The following West Seattle and North Highline students at Washington State University were selected for the Spring 2006 President's Honor Roll. They are, Laura Cathryn Barry, Megan Jean Bowman, Gretchen Jane Brown, Christine Conway, Luke Clark Corbin, Nicholas James Eaton, Amy Olson Gilmore, Annmarie Lenhart, Angelina Marie Neal, Vivian Anne Nguyen, Marie-Claude Francoise Owens, Mark Francis Peden, Jeffrey Kent Rafuse, Devin Leo Rider, Monica Alyssa Sprague, Kristin A. Tiernan.

Officers heard shots fired near the Southwest Precinct late Monday and saw a large group of people scattering from the apartments a half block away at the corner of 24th and Webster. Officers recognized one man who had previously threatened people with a gun, so they placed him in handcuffs as a precaution as they continued their investigation. A crowd of 15 people grew and shouted "angrily" at the officers as the handcuffed men incited the crowd.

Herald Staff

An article in the June 28 edition about the proposed intermodal garbage transfer facility attributed the wrong job title to Tim Croll. He is director of the solid waste program at Seattle Public Utilities. Chuck Clarke is director of Seattle Public Utilities.

Golf under the eyes of cons

By Jerry Robinson

Just about every golfer in this area has played Tyee, the unique track at the south end of Sea-Tac Airport.

Many years ago I played it pretty often. That was when George Puetz was the pro, it had a driving range, a sizeable pro shop and lot of interesting holes.

Get off your lazy bum, do something!

By Kyra-lin Hom

The weather as of late has been absolutely beautiful. I'm all too well aware of the shining sun as my mom keeps trying to shove me into it. So I thought, it is summer and I am being forced out of my upstairs anyway since the wood floors are being refinished (please excuse any lack of coherency my writing may possess, as this is my first night back in my fume-filled house).

Garden Tour time has arrived

By Steven Lamphear

Recently the Wall Street Journal ran an article promoting a ban on nitrogen fertilizer (ammonium nitrate). The author, Russell Seitz, argued that garden centers around the country are supply depots for terrorists. Europe has already banned selling the fertilizer in pure form.

Homeland Security mania is beginning to permeate the lives of ordinary gardeners. The poison ricin is made from Castor beans so we shouldn't grow them.

My compliments to Tim St. Clair for his article, "Rec field fees skyrocket," in the June 28 issue of the West Seattle Herald. As Dawn Longo, president of the Southwest Athletic Club points out, "I can't imagine why they (the Seattle School District, which owns the Southwest Recreation Complex where the Club's activities are located) want to put an athletic association at risk."

The reason is simple. Tax cuts. All across the United States our legislators have been yammering that taxes need to be cut because government has gotten too big.

Copy of letter e-mailed to Mayor Nickels:

Mayor Nickels:

I am a resident of the Alki beach community and am writing to ask you to enlighten me as to what, exactly, I am getting in exchange for my hefty property taxes?

Case in point:

Police regularly fail to respond to 911 calls with the excuse that they are short staffed and busy elsewhere. As a result I often incur risk to my personal safety by confronting unruly revelers drinking/drugging 'til the wee hours of the morning in the park adjacent to my home.