April 2007

As I was described by one former board member of Discover Burien as the "grandfather" of Discover Burien, I am happy to see the forthcoming changes.

I have been a strong proponent of reforms within the group since February 2006. Witnessing a poor Web site was only the tip of an iceberg. I had heard stories about bad perceptions of the group, but I was totally devastated when I witnessed first-hand the direction the group had actually taken.

I returned to Burien in August to join Del Bianco Realty.

You don't have to look far to understand why Washington needs family leave insurance ("Hard-working citizens taxed toward serfdom," March 28).

A young mother from Auburn was saving her vacation and sick leave to use after she gave birth. But she discovered how even prudent planning can be undone. Her son arrived prematurely on a Thursday and in need of intense medical care-and she had to return to work on Monday.

Burien resident Stephen Lamphear, author of "The Lazy Gardener" for Robinson Newspapers for the past eight years, last week "reluctantly" announced that he has decided to stop writing his garden column.

The top 100 school champions from throughout the state, as identified by the National Geographic Society, assembled on March 30, at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, for the 19th Annual Washington Geographic Bee.

Among the champions, for the third year in a row, was Madison Middle School sixth-grader, Sean Keller. He was accompanied at the bee by Tim Owens, Eastern Hemisphere teacher, as well as by his parents, younger brother, and great uncle.

There just are so many similarities in the lives of Jerry Robinson and his old and dear (sometimes) friend, Earl Cruzen, now of Alki.

Both were born in 1920, Jerry Robinson, in Portland, Earl Cruzen in West Seattle's Highland Park. Both sold magazines at age 10, both walked long distances in summer, often barefooted. Robinson walked to swim in Peninsula Park; Cruzen to swim in the Alki Natatorium.

Both cut Christmas trees at age 12, Cruzen where the tree-covered Gatewood Hill reservoir is now. Robinson in nearby woods.

The first of April, April Fools' Day - the worst possible day a college could choose as its acceptance/rejection deadline.

Imagine that you have been raised to believe that your entire future rests upon what college you get into, and then realize that your entire future rests upon something that you will read on April Fools' Day. This is just such a fun time - let me tell you.

Given, not all colleges run on the same schedules. Perhaps only those of us who applied to USC are that 'lucky.' Either way, this is the month for college decisions.

It was just 36 years ago in 1971 on a warm summer day that the Southwest Branch of the Seattle Public Library celebrated its 10th anniversary. Along with the many well wishers, some bringing flowers, was Kim Kunkel carrying a sheet cake decorated with "Happy Birthday -10" to present to Doris Rossbach, librarian, and her staff. Susan Kunkel helped bake that very cake.

When the library first opened in 1961, Kim's brother Steve, at age 12, stood waiting to be the first person to check out a book.

We in West Seattle tried to get an innovative monorail system only to have it shot down because of gross incompetence of the monorail leaders and rejection by the city's political leadership more beholden to downtown business interests and the light rail system being built by their baby, Sound Transit.

The Alaskan Way Viaduct rebuild or replacement issue then took center stage ending in a $1 million "election" that said what common sense already had: A tunnel costs too much and a badly (and politically) designed above-ground replacement was not what the citizens wanted.

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All sides can agree that the region's transportation system is woefully insufficient to handle the demand on our road system. The state's November Congestion Report concludes that travel times increased on most every major route monitored in the region. And population estimates show the region will gain another 1.2 million more people in the next 20 years.

Elected leaders responded to this looming congestion crisis and urged the region to embark on expanding the public transportation system.

One of the basic tenets of government since the early 20th century, both nationally and locally, has been to protect. Protect consumers, employees, employers, and many more stratifications. Sometimes protection was warranted; and other times government regulators made mountains out of molehills.

Back when there was only one way to make a phone call, and really only one company, AT&T, to do it for you, the federal government stepped in to ensure that that company did not take advantage of its monopoly position.