September 2007

The chief executive officer of the Port of Seattle is Tay Yoshitani. His name was misspelled in the Sept. 19 edition.

The Seattle fireboat Leschi sprays water behind the Sea Scouts' 44-foot gaff-rigged training ketch, Yankee Clipper. The boats were out off Alki recently during the replacement ceremonies for the new bronze Statue of Liberty. Photo by Steve Shay.

Four boys have been temporarily removed from a local elementary school after bringing a BB gun, two knives (one a switchblade), and a box cutter onto school grounds. And if that arsenal had proved insufficient, one of the boys allegedly told students his uncle could supply some guns. The 10- and 11-year-olds are apparently involved in a disagreement with other classmates.

Another disagreement between classmates led to a free-for-all at the Morgan Walgreens on Sunday. Employees told a girl to leave after she caused a disturbance with a teenage customer.

Week number two of the Metro League cross country season brought runners from both Duwamish Peninsula high schools face-to-face at Upper Woodland on Friday.

In their first competitive encounter, West Seattle's Kyle MacDonald led all the way to win in 17:50, as Chief Sealth's fast-improving Bryce Rainwater finished second in 18:35 on a hilly 3-mile course. West Seattle runners took four of the top 10 places, with Jacob Nauss finishing third, Eli Swedlow ninth, and Lars Stromberg tenth.

West Seattle Little League has been named recipient of the Boeing Mariners Care Athletic Field Grant.

The $100,000 grant, awarded annually to fund improvements at youth baseball and softball fields in Washington, will be presented during a pre-game ceremony on Friday, Sept. 28 during Fan Appreciation Night, when the Seattle Mariners take on the Texas Rangers.

This is the 23rd year the grant has been awarded, thanks to the generosity of The Boeing Co., a longtime Mariners corporate partner, and Mariners Care, the team's nonprofit foundation.

What a trip. A grand adventure. I remember I went to Mount Baker (10,800 feet) to get to the top. I came home in awe of its beauty.

In awe of my companions, the same amazing group I summited Mount Rainier (14, 400 feet) with last year, my clients Sharon Best and Heather de Vrieze, Heather's husband Martin de Vrieze, and Tony Medeiros, along with our amazing and big-hearted mountain guide John Colver, who convinced friend and fellow guide Paul Rosser to assist him in leading our group.

So, rents are supposed to level off by 2010, says an expert in adivising apartment owners and managers.

My opinion on these extra tall houses is put them together away from one-story homes.

My mother had a person buy the house next to hers and he squeezed a big two-story next to her. Now she gets no light or sunshine on the north side of her house, it's always wet, slippery and keeps the house damp on that side constantly.

(If) the person next to me happens to sell his place and they build next to me on my south side, I'll get no sun for nine months of the year. I rely on the extra light and heat in the winter.

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the picture of the Lander Street and California Avenue crosswalk on Page 2 in the Sept. 19 edition.

We can't get a safe crosswalk at 48th Avenue or 47th Avenue on Southwest Admiral Way and they get an "artistic" crosswalk where they already have a four-way light. This is an insult to the memory of the young man who was killed crossing at 47th last year.

I would like to know the following: 1) who ordered it, 2) how much it cost, 3) the purpose of it, 4) is this the way to spend our money?

Hats off to the efforts to bring salmon back to Fauntleroy Creek, particularly to the homeowners opening their backyards to important stream work.

As a "native plant steward" who works alongside dedicated volunteers upstream in Fauntleroy Park, I want to urge broader support from surrounding neighbors to retain the health of this valuable watershed.