July 2007

With great gusto, White Center is embarking on revitalization. Led by the replacement of the 65-year-old war housing at what is now called Greenbridge, street improvements, new businesses coming in, a spanking new Jim Wiley activity center being dedicated, a brand new park and an active group of young people at work seeking a brighter and better town there seems to be exciting fervor in the air.

Browsing through some ancient back copies of the paper last week I spotted a story about a White Center citizen who put our community on the map half a century ago.

A typical weekend might find me waking up to my cell phone alarm at about 9 a.m. I get up, eat breakfast and then land right back in bed, pulling my laptop up after me. First things first, I have to open iTunes and select which mix I want to listen to. When that's done, I can settle in to check my e-mail (sometimes up to five, six, seven times a day!). Then I'm off to the various other websites that I absolutely must check daily (such as Myspace, Cosplay.com, eBay, etc.). The whole process can easily eat up hours at a time if I let it.

Anger followed by swearing is an interesting phenomenon. In my small town of Chehalis, Wash., I never heard epithets, certainly not from my mother who was my only parent after she was widowed. I learned soon enough that only men were allowed to swear and they weren't to do this in the presence of "ladies."

While I was very young I had a nanny taking care of me all day while my mother worked and my older siblings were in school.

Metro Transit's proposal to partially cover buses in plastic advertising takes a bad idea makes it worse by attempting to compromise. They now want to have twice the number of buses wrapped, but the windows will only be partially covered.

Those of us who use public transit deserve better. Local vistas, such as those one sees crossing the West Seattle Bridge and the Ballard Bridge are worth a whole window.

Partially covering windows is not a new idea. I've heard that this is done in Minneapolis. Seeing your stop is difficult enough, especially if you're standing.

Went shopping in one of the $100 stores - you know the one you buy in quantity instead of just one item. And your purchases always seem to exceed the above amount far more than you had planned to spend.

My complaint or rant is for people wheeling these steel cages around called shopping carts as courtesy and politeness seems nonexistent.

Are peoples' minds so engrossed in their own thoughts that we cannot take time to be polite to other humans. Noting carts parked crossways on a busy aisle while the patron is looking at other items far removed.

I just read your op-ed (Sharon Best, Op-Ed, June 6, 2007) regarding organ donation, family consent and research. I am particularly interested because I work for Northwest Kidney Centers and while we provide dialysis treatment for people whose kidneys no longer function, we also promote organ and tissue donation in the greater community.

It was a short article and probably did not go into the detail you wanted, but I must say I am confused as to what you really wanted to say. It seems that you were discussing three main issues. One being the issue of family consent.

On Monday, June 25, the full Seattle City Council voted 7-1 (Steinbrueck excused absence) in favor of Council Bill 115917, which provides a financing plan for the operation of the South Lake Union streetcar, and approves an agreement with King County Metro to operate the streetcar.

I cast the "no" vote.

I had written in great detail about this legislation. . . .

Parents and community members said they've felt excluded from the public input process of a $125 million Seattle Public Schools capital project that will move Denny Middle School to the Chief Sealth High School campus.

Dozens showed up at the Southwest Community Center last week to voice their opinion and learn more about the plan, which Seattle voters approved this past February under a $490 million capital bond that will pay for replacement and renovation of seven schools.

Since then, plans have moved forward to combine the two schools onto one campus, but residents sai

A group of contractors interested in building the $3 million Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center on West Marginal Way recently met at tribe headquarters to learn more about the planned project and possibly submit bids, which are due in mid-July.

Construction of the two-story, 6,000-square-foot facility is scheduled to begin in August.

Like many other tribes in the Northwest, the Duwamish Indians lived in what were called longhouses. The cedar structures were longer than they were wide and could be partitioned inside to accommodate families as well as activities.

Whether it's another windstorm or major earthquake, are residents of the peninsula community of West Seattle prepared to survive on their own when even government agencies aren't able to help?

That was one question posed at a recent disaster preparedness event held at West Seattle High School, sponsored by the Southwest Precinct Advisory Council and the Southwest and Delridge district councils.

When, not if, a natural disaster hits West Seattle, residents better be prepared to depend on themselves and neighbors for survival and information before government agencies.