July 2008

The Fourth of July celebration of the United States Independence Day is past and I give a sigh of relief.

There is a change of the meaning of this day or the attitude we question.

Over $10,500 was raised for victims of the fatal June 29th Burien apartment arson fire at a fundraiser held at Mick Kelly's Irish Pub in downtown Burien on July 17.

All proceeds of the event, which included a silent auction, live auction, a 50/50 raffle (where the winner donated her 50% share right back), as well as the entire day's profits at the pub were deposited into a special fund set up at Sterling Savings Bank in Burien.

Over 125 people attended the event, including 14 fire victims, who got their entire night's food and drink covered by the pub's owners.

On Saturday, Aug. 23, a number of hearty souls will swim from Des Moines Beach Park across Puget Sound to Point Robinson on Maury Island.

Funds raised by the third annual Brent Rice Memorial Swim will go toward a foundation that helps low income families afford swim lessons and promotes aquatic safety education classes in the Puget Sound area.

The swim is a 2.3-mile journey in fifty-degree water.

The event was started in 2006 by 17-year-old Justin Moser, who wanted to honor his friend and mentor, Brent Rice.

After experiencing a decrease in membership recently, the North Hill Community Club in Des Moines is looking for more people to get involved.

Last year the club was down to only 25 members and two officers.

Now it is back up to 35 members who have paid their membership dues - and about 65 other members who have not paid their dues yet.

North Hill Community Club vice president Gwen Koch thinks it is important that people have strong communities, which are represented by clubs like this.

But she believes that the recent technology boom has led to fewer

Residents of Burien's Blakely Manor neighborhood, just west of Sea-Tac International Airport, are mourning the loss of a dedicated community leader.

Becky Haggland beat cancer once, but died May 14 after the lethal disease reoccurred.

Haggland had been an active community member in the neighborhood since she and her husband, Paul, moved there in 1991.

She was block watch captain for 15 years and spent seven years training Canine Companions for Independence (CCI) assistance dogs with help from her two daughters, Amy Haggland and Cate Zaragoza.

Greg Butler, manager of the Highline SeaTac Botanical Garden, is well beyond the five-year limit doctors gave him in his fight against the cancer eating at his brain.

But he faces the future with an optimistic outlook and a focused mind that in many ways he thanks the garden for making possible.

Butler started his adult life as a musician and eventually found himself totally engaged in the Grunge scene as a member of the iconic band Nirvana's stage crew.

He later worked in a shower-door factory feeling less than fully useful to himself and his community.
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On July 10, the Des Moines City Council approved a draft resolution to the South Transit board of directors endorsing a South Transit 2 plan for light rail.

Council supported the extension of light rail to South 272nd Street and encouraged further extension to Tacoma.

Mayor Bob Sheckler emphasized that the council does not want light rail to stop permanently at 272nd Street.

The Sound Transit Board is meeting July 24 to make final decisions about an expansion package and to decide on ballot timing.

Sound Transit may present a plan to voters either th

In game one of their Senior all-stars District 7 state Little League tournament, Pac West knowingly beat Hazel Dell, combining error-free defense and solid pitching from Ryan Lingle -- beating the southwest Washington-area team, 8-0, at Moshier Field on July 12.

Knowingly?

Yes, these Pac West players know baseball.

Fall signups begin

Fall 2008 youth soccer registration is now open. The West Highline Soccer Club serves 900-plus youth (boys and girls) from ages 5-18. Register on-line at www.westhighlinesoccer.com and click on the registration link. Volunteers for coaching positions can also register.

It is so nice to read a letter ("Helping a blind woman," Letters, July 9) praising the good deeds of fellow citizens - good deeds that often go unacknowledged. Way to go Amy and the kind helpers.

Mary D. Magalhaes

Seattle