September 2008

If you can run or walk and want to help women dealing with breast cancer, your opportunity comes on Sunday, Sept. 28 in the form of the fifth Annual Alki Beach Walk/Run.

All proceeds go to benefit the West Seattle based Northwest Hope and Healing Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping women battling breast cancer. The 5K route will begin at the Statue of Liberty at Alki Beach Park, and continues along the West Seattle waterfront to Anchor Park.

Each participant is encouraged to gather pledges of $100 or more. Unlike many cancer research organizations all money raised will be used to directly assist breast cancer patients in need of non-medical support services, such as childcare, transportation and other emergency needs. In the last five years, over 900 participants and volunteers have raised over $170,000 at this annual event.

"This organization does amazing work helping breast cancer patients in the Seattle area, and I am privileged to be part of it," says Shari Sewell, the director of Northwest Hope and Healing.

Northwest Hope and Healing Foundation is a non-profit organization founded by Christine Smith in 2000.

I wish, for the love of mercy, that someone in the local press or blog community would bring some attention to the fact that Mars Hill Church is bringing Ted Tripp to Seattle in just a few weeks. Tripp has an extreme focus on corporal punishment, and teaches parents to target BABIES as young as 8 months old for physical discipline. It makes me sick that this guy is going to come to Seattle and influence young parents here. Tripp's ideas are developmentally inappropriate and sexually unsavory for small children. Check out some of the reviews for his book on the Amazon website.

help environment

I don't ever remember hearing or reading that "single use" bags were going to "solve" our environmental woes! But, come on! Give it a rest! It will "help" the environment.

How many plastic bags do you need in your life?

Pastor Randy Leskovar (Sept. 10 issue) asserts that he will not vote for Obama because Obama supports a woman's right to choose whether or not to carry a fetus to full term. He asserts that there is a 50/50 chance it might be a human life, therefore, therefore terminating might be murder. He does not use that word, but it's what he's saying.

Perhaps the decision should be based on which candidate will support your right to religious freedom.

No one disagrees that a fetus is a living collection of tissues. We terminate lots of living collections of tissues in our bodies.

(Editor's Note: This letter was addressed to Mr. Larry Phillips, county councilman. A copy was sent to the West Seattle Herald.)

King County Parks and our King County Executive do not seem to comply or recognize King Counties Ordinance 6798 Chapter 7.12.640 (Alcohol is prohibited in King County Parks.) And 7.12.642 (Intoxication) the question is why is this ordinance not enforced?

One area of concern is Lakewood Park/Hicks Lake located near White Center next door to Cascade Middle and Evergreen High Schools. Have noticed our executive and Parks Dept.

I appreciate the recent coverage of the California Place Park efforts, but your headline was unfortunate and was a disservice to the many of people in Admiral who have worked very hard to get this project up and running. There is a vocal minority of people in the area who have concerns about the park, and your headline worked to serve their needs over the needs of the hard working majority.

It is your responsibility to report the news as you see it.

Your Op-Ed article by Jeanne Kohl-Welles and Linda Mitchell (Sept. 10 issue) was on the mark - well written and stated. I seem to be for everything Sarah Palin is against. As an 85-year-old retiree I will be voting for Obama for the very reasons Pastor Leskovar (Sept. 10 issue) is voting against him.

I especially got a kick out of the line "women voting for McCain would be like chickens voting for Colonel Sanders."

Emil Martin

Beach Drive

Tim St. Clair

(Note: This letter was addressed to Mr. Tim Gallagher, Parks Superintendent Seattle Parks and Recreation. A copy was sent to the West Seattle Herald/White Center News.)

Dear Mr. Gallagher,

As you may be aware, Tim St. Clair, a former reporter for the West Seattle Herald, passed away earlier this year. Mr. St. Clair was a resident of the Morgan Junction neighborhood, and a highly respected member of the West Seattle community as a whole. He was a professional journalist who was dedicated to the residents of West Seattle.

I am responding to the letter to the editor by Pastor Randy Laskovar in the Sept. 10, edition.

Paster Rady Lskovar helped clarify my position. For the record, I have been a devout, Christian woman for 72 years. The regime of the Bush Administration has given me opportunity for much soul searching. This is my conclusion.

Many Christians are pro-birth.

On behalf of the Seattle Statue of Liberty Plaza Project, we wanted to thank the West Seattle Herald and its staff for the unfailing support you all have given us over the course of this project. When this renewed effort started, Tim St. Clair wrote a fine piece on the desire of our citizens to see this plaza completed.