September 2009

After last winter's record high waters on the Green River last winter, the risk of flooding in Tukwila and other valley cities this winter is greatly increased and almost inevitable.

A depression in the right abutment of the Howard Hanson Dam was recently discovered. The US Army Corps of Engineers, as a result, will be lessening the amount of water in the flood storage pool that the dam holds. This will raise the water level in the Green River Valley below the dam.

Tukwila's residents and commercial properties are at high risk this flood season, (which is roughly from October to March.) The potential flood risk areas run roughly from the Segale Business Park, through Southcenter, Interurban Avenue, and all the way to East Marginal Way.

King County Councilwoman Julia Patterson is chair of the King County Flood Control District.

Patterson says "the higher risk of flooding in Tukwila is due to the water seeping more rapidly through an earthen bank next to the Howard Hanson Dam after record high water last winter."

She says home owners who do not normally experience flood problems may find themselves in several feet of water.

While it may not be profoundly dramatic and it does not include a majority of our small businesses in Des Moines, a very small contingent of main street businesses are growing into what may become a Des Moines Business Association.

At the nucleus of this minute eruption, is our own favorite sandwich shop, The Reuben New York Eatery and Espresso.

A community "hustler" and entrepreneur, Mike Rovech, has begun recruiting his neighboring business associates for this purpose for self-paid and self-generating advertising and handing of numerous discount coupons.

One step beyond word-of-mouth they are inviting you as a potential loyal customer, to sample their wares, food and other offerings at an attractive discount.

In the absence of and in the void created by the demise of The Des Moines Chamber of Commerce, this appears to be catching on and promises to bring more of our Des Moines dollars back into Des Moines where it rightfully belongs.

Now it is true that not every commodity that we feel necessary can be found and at a reasonable price in Des Moines. But these little shops and eateries are working at becoming more competitive.

I suggest that all the Des Moines park facilities that are staffed daily (senior center, field house. etc.) receive outgoing mail from citizens (mailing checks, etc.) who thus save time and gas and environment from not having to drive to the post office. Good will gesture.

Rationale:

1. Less travel time and road construction ($.50/per mile)

2. Not much added effort for appreciated helpful service to community. Also this may bring new people to the field house who may enroll in offerings thus bringing new revenues.

3. Further proof that the Des Moines Parks Department is trying to help all its citizens

4. Redondo Fred Meyer has a drop box which is very much appreciated

John Corr
Des Moines

Shame on the Des Moines city council (except Dave Kaplan).

The city is feeling the recession and reduced revenue is forcing cutbacks. How sad.

Many of the city's citizens are also suffering. I am retired but I have lost at least 40 percent of my assets and 60 percent of my income.

My son, who had a good-paying tech job, has been unemployed for months and has yet to get one job interview.

My neighbor is working only four days a week.

We are already paying fifty or sixty federal, state and local taxes.

But the Des Moines city council votes a new tax on vehicle license renewals to be collected by DMV that will take millions from the city's residents.

What kind of humans do this to others just because they can?

John Cruse
Des Moines

I just read your front-page article on the Mt. Rainier Pool and am disturbed about the way it ended.

It ended by saying that there is a new pool at the YMCA in SeaTac.

While this is true, the way it is written implies that people can go there freely like they do at Mt. Rainier. It costs $93 per month for a family membership. We actually just cancelled our membership.

It was $60 per month for our family of six but it increased 50 percent.

I just want to make sure all the info gets out there because people will really miss the public pool should it close and I don't even want to think about what it will do to high school sports, swim lessons, and elderly exercise programs.

Please get all the info out there so that people are aware of what is at stake.

Leigh Fenster
Normandy Park

What is happening in Burien? We pastor a small church in Burien at 16640 1st Ave. S. Let me tell you how our summer has gone.

We had homeless people accessing our neighbors' properties, using ours as a walk-through. Trying to be compassionate, all of us told them they had to move on.

The code enforcement department was notified of the situation by the police.

After a visit to their settlements, our neighbors were told to remove their garbage or be fined by the City of Burien.

A few days later, a member of our congregation was given a truck so he could seek work. He left it on the property until he could get it licensed. Someone decided to torch it!

No insurance coverage was on the truck. The incident was ruled arson, causing $10,000 worth of damage to the church property.

During the clean up of that mess, we were using our personal dump trailer, a $10,000 value, which was then stolen from the property.

We found out that personal auto insurance would not pay for it because it was not taken from off the truck, homeowners wouldn't cover it because it was not stolen from our house.

(Editor's Note: This is the second in a three-part series on "learning how to walk before starting to run.")

When fitness enthusiasts and their trainers are stumped by a client's inability to lose fat, the immediate tactic is to cut calories and increase the levels of cardiovascular exercise.

To their collective dismay, more fat is layered on. So more calories are slashed, aerobic exercise is increased, but fat stubbornly stays.

The message being sent to the body is that it's in a crisis state of starvation coupled with increased activity.

"I'm dying!" is what the cell collective is trying to tell the brain of these misinformed, mislead bodies. "Stop running around, feed me plenty of nutritious calories that contain the fats and amino acids I need for protein synthesis, drink pure water and REST!"

We are still ancient survival machines; this caloric restriction with too much exercise is telling the body to eat the muscle and store the fat for survival.

And we simply aren't listening.

Girls soccer

Kennedy 3, Highline 0

Julia Besagno scored in the 12th minute to get the Lancers started Thursday, then Rebekah Kurle struck in the 51st and 78th minutes for insurance. Kurle was assisted by Jenna Bojorquiz on the second goal.

Ev. Luth. 4, Mt. View Chr. 0

Evergreen Lutheran got the best of Mountain View Christian in a shutout win Thursday.

Mt. Rainier 9, Foster 0

Mount Rainier dominated the Bulldogs Thursday.

Nestled in a small bowl in Burien, Highline Stadium hosted a battle in the Seamount Conference on Friday, Sept. 18.

The Pirates of Highline (0-2) met the visiting Rams from Mt. Rainier (2-0).

Mt. Rainier entered the contest with an impressive 44-0 victory over Evergreen and the Pirates had lost two previous games by the slimmest of margins.

A win for the Rams keeps them in the hunt and a loss for the Pirates digs a huge hole.

Even with two losses Highline’s head coach, Juan Cotto, has kept his “team” focused on three goals wrapped in a ‘team’ concept.

“We work on playing hard for 48 solid minutes. Our focus is to never give up,” coach Cotto says enthusiastically as his team warms up before the kickoff. “We want our kids to have fun playing football built on fundamentals.”

His counterpart, head coach Chris Paulsen, bases his success on the experience of the line, and the strength on both sides of the ball.

“My guys, the ones in the trenches, have bought into the weight room. They are strong, play physical and work hard,” says coach Paulsen.

Beamer 13, Aub.-Riv. 7

Marley Liulama scored on a 1-yard touchdown run to spark the Titans Friday, then kicker Benjamine Draeger took over from there.

Draeger slipped the extra point through the uprights, and went on to boot a 37-yard field goal and a 32-yard field goal to lift the Titans to victory over Auburn-Riverside.

Kentridge 21, Federal Way 13

Kelyn Rowe kicked field goals of 37 and 32 yards for the Eagles Friday, and he also provided the kick for the extra point after Nick Tanielu scored on a 2-yard run.