June 2008

Make Macefield house a landmark

Some people make their mark by just being who and what they are. Edith Macefield was that sort of person.

When she died on June 15, she was told about on newscasts and in newspapers around the world. "The Woman Who Wouldn't Sell" was the most frequent headline. The little house surrounded by high, thick cement walls was photographed in newspapers around the United States and Canada, even in Great Britain and Asia.

Neighborhood
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Last assembly

On the next to last day of the school year I noticed mothers walking to Adams Elementary while I was deadheading rhododendrons in front of my house. I'd seen on a sign on the ever-informative reader board about an awards assembly at 9:30 a.m. I brushed off sticky, spent blooms, put my camera in my pocket, went down the street and slipped into the cafeteria/auditorium. The room was already hot with the excitement at least 500 people facing the front.

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Calabro now in charge of celebrity tourney

It came again. And, yes, what a show it was.

The 32nd annual Bruce King Celebrity Golf Classic at the lovely Twin Lakes Golf & Country Club, that's what, all to benefit the Boys & Girls Club of South King County Thursday.

"Another day of perfect weather, 32 years in a row," said King, retired KOMO News 4 sports anchor.

Or did King say that at the golf classic?

Bruce King? Wait ! Halt! Lies, deceit, from the reporter!

King wasn't there this year, you say?

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Kent hands steel lake its first district loss

"We'll go after it tomorrow," said Steel Lake Minors manager Ken Allen. "And then we can see these guys again."

Steel Lake was hoping to play Kent for the championship after press time Saturday if it won the games before that. After all, the final score may have been a seven-run difference, but the game was a little closer than that.

Kent got on the board in the top of the third inning, with a home run hit over the center field fence to make it 1-0.

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Westwood unveils 'early vision' for Denny site

The Westwood Neighborhood Council has developed an early vision for the existing site of the Denny Middle School and lands owned by the Seattle School District, according to a news release e-mailed Saturday morning.

Steven Fischer, president of the Westwood Neighborhood Council, said the community's vision includes a neighborhood-oriented combination of open spaces, natural areas and ball fields that are open to the public.

"This area needs better public spaces that serve the community and complements the role of our schools and the Southwest Community Center.

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Nationals double up on tournament championships

There are shutouts and no-hitters, then there are perfect games, really perfect games and really, really perfect games.

Sonny Dorhofer of the South Highline National Little League Juniors flirted with a really, really perfect game, then still had a perfect game before she wound up with "only" the no-hitter and a shutout.

Dorhofer struck out every Renton batter she faced through two outs in the fourth inning before the string of 11 strikeouts to start the game ended on a ground out to second base.

Dorhofer kept the perfect game through a ground out to shortstop

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Camp Out Party at Camp Long - A Green Birthday Alternative

Recently, Steve Dubiel, the Executive Director of EarthCorps, reminded me of birthday celebration possibilities that restore our sense of community and connection to the earth:

"As a parent of two young children, I have my share of trepidation when it comes to the consumption associated with birthday parties. EarthCorps is one of four US nonprofits teamed up with ECHOage to create meaningful birthday celebrations.

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Bigger than a hamlet

A village is defined as bigger than a hamlet, usually smaller than a town. Urban is defined as characteristic of a city or town, or citified. But put together, what does urban village really mean? It is a term used in urban planning since the 1980's to describe a community that ideally offers medium population density, mixed use zoning, good public transit, access to public space and community institutions, and pedestrian only zones. For purposes of future growth targets and amenities Ballard is a designated Hub Urban Village by Seattle's Department of Planning and Development.

Neighborhood
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Circus Annexus?

The Romans had their Circus Maximus. The Burien City Council has its Circus Annexus.

The council is on the edge of a fiscal annexation folly.

The council even has a straight man in the form of a city manager. He says things like, "Full annexation will break the bank". Members of the city council come back with the idea of annexing in phases, hoping that no one will notice that the city is going broke slowly.

The city manager says that we can pay for annexation with grants and promises of tax reimbursements.