January 2010

From an historic logging community to big yachts, small boats, a public boat launch, boat shows, fishing and fun festivals. Des Moines identity changed with the grand opening of Des Moines Marina, May 10th, 1970.

Recently the marina has changed again - not for the better, some say. There is no public boat launch, only three businesses survive in the marina, and the whole place is torn up with construction.

Walking is in a fenced area away from the water and hundreds of people who came to the marina are now seldom seen.

My little dog, Miss Katrina is not happy with possibility of meeting face-to-face with a pit bull dog in this fenced area without immediate escape option.

Still we must believe this marina will be restored as good or better.

Folks with boats they can no longer launch here may not agree.

The Des Moines Marina made this town a welcome berth for boaters. New stores, some stocked with marine supplies located downtown such as Fishery Supply, Seattle Marine and Fishing, Napa Auto Parts, True Value Hardware, Johnny's IGA, state liquor store, Molly's boat upholstering, a carpet store, and Butler's Auto repair shop where Butler's restaurant is now.

Probably not as fun as a champagne toast, but a New Year's tradition nonetheless, here is my arbitrary list of the top ten Highline stories of the year.

As noted last week, 2009 was the year of the big ribbon-cutting scissors. The Burien Town Square project, Burien Transit Center, the Matt Griffin YMCA in SeaTac and two area light-rail stations all opened last year.

Of course, all these projects were years in the planning and implementation, which makes it ironic that they all came to fruition during the greatest economic downturn since the Great Depression:

1. The Burien Town Square project, including the condominium/retail building, city hall/library and public plaza finally opens.

A minor debate broke out over whether the Town Square opening was the biggest thing to happen to Burien since Gottlieb Von Boorian settled on Lake Burien or since Mike Kelly discovered a "sunny dale." Mayor Joan McGilton, who never stopped smiling on opening day, insisted it was simply "the most momentous event in Burien's history."

There are seldom more spirited exchanges than when vegetarians and meat (e.g. beef, fowl, lamb, pork, and fish) eaters face off.

There are good reasons Dr. Price didn't find any long lived, strictly vegetarian societies.

Modern "wisdom" is that meat clogs our arteries and as humans we should know better than to eat our "friends." It's argued that our systems aren't designed to eat animals and that we'll be slimmer and live longer without consuming it.

Protein and saturated fat from clean animals is essential for growth and development. It provides the body with energy and is needed for the manufacture of hormones, antibodies, enzymes and tissues.

Complete proteins are those that contain all nine of the essential amino acids. The best sources of complete proteins are certified organic meat, eggs, raw dairy, nuts and seeds.

Of those, meat is one of the best sources of "complete" protein available.

There is a rhythm to life that seems lost in the current quest for spirituality and political correctness. Feed lots and conventional farming are abominations against nature with their drug, pesticide and chemical applications.

Mt Hood is only about an hour from Portland where I grew up and only a warm up peak for serious mountaineers like the famous Whittaker brothers of West Seattle

But for this writer and three novice climbers, four adventurous high school buddies, it was a challenge we could not resist.

When Luke Gullberg, from Des Moines and his two friends lost their lives this month on its dangerous slopes I was reminded of my own perilous conquest of Oregon's snowy pride.

To get some rock climbing experience before we tackled the mountain we spent some weekends scaling a big stone called Rooster Rock in the summer of 1940. Nearly straight up, and maybe 350 feet high it required, agility, pitons, ropes and tennis shoes. We assaulted this basalt crag several times and in August we felt we were ready for the big one.

We decided to drive up in my brother's Model A Ford and arrived at our chosen route leading up the southeast side, parking at historic Cloud Cap Inn about daybreak,

I wore corduroy school pants, cotton shirt, tennis shoes, a sweater, an old Lindy imitation leather helmet, some dark goggles and mittens.

Fox national news recently aired a segment about the City of SeaTac and their pending condemnation of the Cassan property.

Doris Cassan communicated their situation very plainly, and Rob McKenna commented on the need for Washington state to revise its eminent domain statutes.

Fox indicated that they had tried to obtain the City of SeaTac's side of this story, but that the city would not respond to them. I find this arrogant stance that the city seems to assume when questioned (by citizens and outsiders alike) unacceptable, embarrassing and antagonistic,

I cannot understand why the city would not have taken this opportunity (and a plethora of others in the past) to explain their sound reasoning for why their decision would be "for the good of all City residents" so that we could understand their noble reasoning power ... could it be because "sound" and "noble" are but a few of the missing adjectives that would be obvious if the condemnation action was explained honestly and truthfully?

Vicki Lockwood
SeaTac

This year, as many in the past, each family member made out a list of potential Christmas List of needs or gifts.

This year, top of my list was a new America Flag as the one I fly each and every day and retire at sunset had become slightly tattered and in need of replacement.

And if I'm very fortunate to receive this gift the other tattered flag will be retired in the proper manner befitting this symbol of America: Each red and white stripe that commemorate the original thirteen colonies will be recognized in order starting with Delaware and ending with Rhode Island as they are cut from and then the blue and white field of stars representing the current number of states within the Union will too be committed to flames as the final retirement act to honor this National symbol.

The Washington state budget has been devastated by the recession. It wouldn't be so bad if we had a better tax system.

When retail sales and property values take a dive, so do revenues based on them. And the taxes that are collected fall most heavily on those least able to afford them.

A new study by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy shows that Washington has the most regressive tax system of all the states. A family earning an income of $10,000 a year pays 17.35 percent of that in state and local taxes, while one getting $80,000 pays about 8.8 percent.

That is grossly unjust for several reasons.

It hurts a poor person a lot more to pay a dollar than it does a rich person. The wealthy have more influence on legislation and take more advantage of state services.

They benefit from the education, health, and social services provided by the state to their workers and fellow citizens.

A progressive income tax would see that the cost of state services is fairly shared.

The press release for the ITEP report for all states is at http://www.itepnet.org/whopays3release.pdf.

Boy Scout Troop 375, chartered in Saint Francis Assisi Church, wants to thank everyone who supported our Christmas tree recycle effort again this year on January 2 and 3.

We recycled over 500 trees, and community donations are more generous than ever before. These funds allow us to make sure that money is not a factor to our scouts being able to participate in our many camping and outdoor activities and this funding also allows us to help some families be able to send their boys to Boy Scout Camp Parsons each summer.

Every year, our troop recycles Christmas trees during the first full weekend AFTER January 1 at the Herr Garden Center. Herr Garden Center has been a great supporter of our effort. What a great neighborhood business.

We also note, that Scarsella Brothers construction provides a truck to help haul the clippings away. Frank and Kim Scarsella had two of their boys earn their Eagle Scout award from our troop several years ago, yet they continue to support our troop effort every year.

Thanks everyone for your goodness and thanks to everyone in the community who supports for our scout troop through your donations.

Mark Ufkes

On a visit to Tampa, Florida, the first thing I noticed was the abundance of bridges in the area.

I thought, "Wow, good thing this isn't Seattle, these bridges wouldn't be here!"

The phobia that arises when a new bridge is discussed near Seattle is just not to be understood with the amount of traffic to be moved in the area.

And all the worry about "the view" in downtown Seattle is just amazing. I bet it is all to keep certain pieces of real estate from appearing to go down in value.

As pictured in a previous "Highline Times," the bridge would be an asset to the view all lighted up at night. The Skyway Bridge across Tampa Bay is just simply beautiful, several times longer, over much more water and is also a toll bridge for those really concerned about money.

A bridge is essential to people of Burien, Des Moines, and the south area to move from south to north. For my taxes it is safer as well than an underground tunnel and could be built while the viaduct still moves traffic.

Government, do what is needed not what you want to reward someone with.

Diane Smith
Bradenton, Florida
(recently of Boulevard Park)

The SeaTac City Council has voted unanimously to purchase a 4.23 acre parcel and commercial structure located at 15247 International Boulevard for a total acquisition cost of no more than $12.7 million.

The property, located directly across International Boulevard from the new Tukwila International Boulevard light rail station is needed to construct public roads, open space and infrastructure as set forth in the Capital Improvement Plan for the Light Rail Station Area at South 154th Street, according to SeaTac staffers.

The transaction closed Dec. 31.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for the City of SeaTac," said Mayor Ralph Shape. "The city was able to purchase a critical piece of property for future public use at $4 million less than a recent appraised value, and more than $6.4 million less than the current tax assessed value.

"At the same time the community will realize significant net operating income in the coming years from the current leases at the property."

Fifteen tenants occupy 61,641 square feet of space at SeaTac Center including Monte Carlo, Refugee Women's Alliance, Pabla India Cuisine, and Pacific Highway Chiropractic.