October 2007

William Charles Bowman

Growing up on Long Island, New York, Bill developed a love of family, science, sports, music and humor that endured through his entire life and enriched all who knew him. He studied physics at MIT where he rowed crew and excelled in violin, becoming the concertmaster of the MIT orchestra. Then he went on to UC Berkeley to get his Ph.D. in Physics and play rugby for "Cal."

While diving at the UC Pool, he met Betty, his wife of 45 years. They moved to Normandy Park to start a family while he enjoyed a 30-plus-year career in nuclear physics at the Boeing Company.

Wyvona M. "Vi" Bills
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Age 78, died on October 15, 2007, after a brief illness following a fire at the family home. Born in Withee, Wisconsin, on November 18, 1928, she moved to the Seattle area at the age of 18. Vi worked as the playground teacher at Gregory Heights Elementary School for many years before owning and operating the His and Her Hair Center in Old Burien, where her daughter Kandie works to this day.

She enjoyed many interests, including sewing, gardening, cooking, and babysitting her grandchildren.

Jane Zimmerman
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Jane Zimmerman passed away peacefully in her sleep on Friday, October 5, 2007. Jane was born in Roselle, New Jersey, on March 27, 1921. She completed her studies in elementary education at Columbia University in Ohio.

After marrying Michael E. Zimmerman, the couple moved to Normandy Park and raised two children, Lorrie and Drew.

She was a resident of Huntington Park in Des Moines.

She is survived by her son Drew, daughter-in-law Priscilla and two grandchildren, Michael and Jessie.

Frank Yellam Sr.

Frank Yellam Sr., age 85, of Burien, died suddenly and peacefully on October 10 at home. He was born to Italian immigrants, Domenic and Florence (Fabbio) Yellam, in Seattle where he lived his entire life. He graduated from Cleveland High School in 1940. He was very active in sports-soccer, floor hockey, softball, basketball and football.

Wyvona M. "Vi" Bills
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Age 78, died on October 15, 2007, after a brief illness following a fire at the family home. Born in Withee, Wisconsin, on November 18, 1928, she moved to the Seattle area at the age of 18. Vi worked as the playground teacher at Gregory Heights Elementary School for many years before owning and operating the His and Her Hair Center in Old Burien, where her daughter Kandie works to this day.

She enjoyed many interests, including sewing, gardening, cooking, and babysitting her grandchildren.

Ideas With Attitude - New age nursing homes

When I began to complain about care centers that do not respect the personal, social and spiritual needs of residents, I was given a packet of materials sent to my editor by Providence Mount St. Vincent, called the Mount.

Writer Beth Baker had been offered the opportunity to live at the Mount while researching her new book "Old Age in a New Age: The Promise of Transformative Nursing Homes." She was given free reign in interviewing residents without someone at her elbow.

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Bookshelf - Agony, ecstasy of . . . potty training

The agony! The ecstasy!

Running desperately for the goal, and responding instantly to urgent directives. The exhilaration when it all comes together in resounding success!

The glory of football season? Not in this case. I am referring to potty training. On the one hand, a parent or caregiver can look forward to liberation from diapers. On the other hand, there may be difficult times ahead, filled with accidents and the phrase "Do you need to go potty?" anxiously uttered a thousand times a day.

I have good news!

Neighborhood
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Dithering green

Sometimes we want to just scream, "Take a position, blast it. Stop dithering and ducking for cover."

That is the feeling we have with Proposition 1, the regional measure that would raise a lot of money to fix roads and extend Sound Transit.

The dithering is embodied in the personification of King County Executive Ron Sims, who is a long-time board member of Sound Transit and a mover and shaker in transportation issues. During the long construction process of this three-county multi-billion dollar measure, Sims sat silently with the proponents and drafters.

Neighborhood
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Sundquist using false endorsements

As a West Seattle student who has been following the school board races this year with some interest, I found it troubling that candidate Steve Sundquist is displaying the logos of impartial organizations like the Municipal League and Seattle Metropolitan Elections Committee on his website ( www.sundquist4schools.com) under the headline "Steve's Endorsements Include" as if to imply that those groups are indeed supporting him.__

Since neither of those organizations, nor several others he displays in that manner, have made endorsements in his race, he should refrain from implying othe

Neighborhood
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Approve Referendum 67

I'm tired of corporate ads saying that if Referendum 67 is passed, all our health care premiums will skyrocket. At present there are no consequences for insurance companies who break the rules by denying or delaying legitimate claims. Referendum 67 will put consequences in place to protect the consumer. It will discourage the companies from deliberately delaying and denying for no reason other than to increase profits.

As insurance consumers we follow the rules or face the consequences. We must pay our health care premiums on time.

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