June 2008

Quite a game between the Pac West Blue Diamonds and Federal Way American Thunderbats Thursday.

Arson has been determined as the cause of the fire that burned down the old Angle Lake school on the evening of May 31.

By a process of eliminating accidental sources of ignition, "the hypothesis is that somebody set a fire," according to King County Fire Investigator Craig Muller

Transients had occupied the building, which was boarded up.

"People were, I guess you could say, living in another part of the building," Muller said.

Boating

Coast Guard Auxiliary

Ongoing

U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Des Moines Flotilla No. 32 regularly offers Boating Safety and Seamanship courses at Mount Rainier High School.

They cover the full range of boating safety subjects, including federal requirements, basic piloting, marlin spike, seamanship and boat handling.

The instruction is free, although there is a nominal fee for the student text and work books.

Despite dreary spring weather, the Elliott Bay Water Taxi is off to a strong start, registering a 17 percent increase in riders over last years record-setting pace.

The downtown-to-Seacrest Park run served a total of 29,340 riders since opening its 2008 summer season on April 27.

"The continued strong increases in ridership show that the Elliott Bay Water Taxi has become an important and valued commuting option for West Seattle residents," said Dow Constantine, member of the King County Council.

What might have been

By Georgie Bright Kunkel

At a time of being despondent there are always thoughts of the one that got away or what could have happened if something hadn't gone wrong. My husband can always remember the marlin that he played for hours leaving him with aching arms for days after one fishing trip. I get seasick so didn't accompany my husband on the fishing boat off the shores of Kauai. I waited in the motel for him to return and when several hours had passed I called the tour office.

Summer reading listed for teens

By Wally Bubelis

Summer is almost here, and with this year's recession, that may mean that the annual family road trip will be shortened or put on hold entirely. We can expect a lot more inexpensive activities for everyone, and teens will likely find themselves either working for some spending money or having a lot of time on their hands.

One cost-effective activity that delivers a huge bang for the buck is, of course, reading.

As a West Seattle High School community member I am very dismayed with the new bell schedule that is posted on the school Web site for the 2008-09 (school year).

Once again our students are being shortchanged on instruction time, in class, learning with a teacher.

The difference between 55 minutes and 50 minutes is 15 hours per class per year, or 360 hours per student over the course of four years. The 55 minute periods were mandated by Ms.

Public safety cuts are necessary

By Dow Constantine

How would cutting 100 Sheriff's deputies affect police response times? How would a reduction of 30 deputy prosecutors impact our ability to put criminal suspects on trial?

These are examples of the grim decisions facing King County citizens and lawmakers as we confront a $68 million budget deficit for 2009 and a possible $80 million deficit in 2010.

How did this problem come to be?

The South Park Bridge, which spans over troubled water, is in trouble itself.

While the Duwamish River needs to be cleaned, the bridge above may need to go. The 78-year-old bridge cannot yet be retired, and must continue to carry 18,000 cars and 2,600 trucks per day.

With epoxy-repaired columns, shaky wooden piers buried in shallow water, enormous gears with teeth that have shifted out of line, and fuses reminiscent of those in Dr.

Thirty-five dots sprinkled the initial City of Seattle municipal jail site map. Each represented a potential seven-plus-acre site for a new 445-bed misdemeanor jail.

And then there were four. One is off 15th Avenue West abutting the Interbay Golf Center's southern border. Another is on 11762 Aurora Avenue North, across the street from Puetz Golf.

The remaining two candidates have nothing to do with golf, but everything to do with the South Park neighborhood, whose former rough-and-tumble reputation has softened over the last decade.