September 2007

The Sept. 6 Seattle Times published a short story concerning 66 affordable housing units that will be demolished in Seattle's Discovery Park in Magnolia. The reporter commented on the lack of opposition to the demolition of these units compared to the outcry over the demolition of the Lora Lake Apartments.

What happened to the voices of King County Executive Ron Sims, the King County Housing Authority, the Church Council of Greater Seattle and other affordable housing proponents?

In Ralph Nichols' perfect world, conservatives would gleefully spout outrageous statements while liberals remain meekly silent.

In last week's column, Ralph wrote it is OK for "everyday people" to question the occupation in Iraq.

Meet Ada Mottola

She is the matriarch of the family that founded Vince's Italian Restaurants, which are celebrating their 50th anniversary this month.

Vince's is one of the oldest family owned Italian restaurant chains in Seattle.

Construction workers recently stripped Cal-Mor Circle of its yellow protective covering to reveal the large round building's new look. The scaffolding is next to come down. Photo by Steve Shay.

Second-graders Reed Lower and Sara Golliver negotiate garden chores to help complete Phase 1 of Lafayette Elementery School's playground remodel. About $350,000 was raised for the project, which includes a new grass field surrounded by an asphalt track and play area. The final step involves students and their parents planting along the north and west fence. Photo by Steve Shay.

Tay Yashitani, who has been chief executive officer of the Port of Seattle for six months, wants to make Seattle the "cleanest and greenest" port in the nation and then use its eco-friendly image for competitive advantage.

"Cleaning up the environment is a worthy goal in and of itself," he said, but going green is proving to be good business too. The challenge is to figure out ways to use the Port's commitment to pollution clean-up to gain "new leverage," he added.

Yashitani was guest speaker at the Sept.

Like a wholesome scene in a Norman Rockwell painting, Erik Holsather, 23, sells produce and caramel corn from his quaint but sturdy homemade powder-blue cart on the sidewalk in front of the Alki Homestead restaurant.

Unlike a flat canvas however, Holsather is multidimensional and comes prepared. His business, called Erik's Alki Produce Cart, is topped off with an umbrella roof for rain or sun.

The backseat of his car is filled with boxes of apples, pears, carrots, watermelons and avocados purchased from wholesaler Charlie's Produce.

Miss America has been a target for envy, contempt and/or corporate marketing ever since the pageant was mounted many years ago. Women through the decades have surrounded TV sets around the world to ooh and ah or utter snide remarks about the contestants whose one claim to fame is strutting in a swim suit in front of millions through the medium of television.

I was one of those oglers year after year, secretly envying my sisters who managed to make it to the top in one of the few contests open to the female of the sexes - the beauty contest.

It only seems like new developments are springing up "everywhere" in West Seattle, but it's an optical illusion.

When people talk about development, they frequently have in mind multistory condominiums. apartment buildings and retail stores. To be certain, there are numerous multilevel commercial buildings being built in West Seattle.

Thanks so much for your article in today's (Sept. 12) Herald. It's an excellent history of the Sound Way property and community efforts to preserve it as open space.

However, Seattle Parks has had to ask that the legislation be pulled from the Sept. 19 agenda for the Parks, Education. Libraries and Labor (PELL) Committee of the City Council.

The reason is a technical issue: it now appears that the city must contract directly with the state in order to receive the proceeds of the capital grant that was secured by Sen. Erik Poulsen.