January 2010

Interested in revisiting the Civil War beyond the battles? Pete Mazza is an authority on the conflict that took the lives of over 600,000 Americans and ended some 100 years prior to the Voting Rights Act. Mazza will teach “The U.S. Civil War- Beyond the Battles” at South Seattle Community College Continuing Education Department beginning Feb. 2. (That’s just 10 days before President Lincoln’s birthday.)

“The best thing I can do instead of regurgitating battles is to try to mine and weave together how these battles were indications of the economic, social and political fabric of the times and what it came to be as times went on,” said Mazza, 68, who retired from banking, insurance and investing at Mazza Financial. He attended Dickenson College, just 30 miles from the Battle of Gettysburg, in Pennsylvania, which he said helped fuel his interest in the Civil War.

“In the last 135 years since the end of the war, over 50,000 books, essays, pamphlets and graduate theses have been published,” he said. “And more are coming out all the time."

Catherine Elizabeth May

Born November 21, 1951, Santa Barbara, CA.
Deceased January 7, 2010, Seattle, WA.

After a long struggle with multiple illnesses and physical limitations beyond her control our beloved sweet Cathy is at peace. Cathy was an extremely strong woman, she withstood countless doctor visits and strived to manage her many medical issues with grace and courage.

Raised in Santa Barbara, Cathy was baptized and confirmed in Trinity Lutheran Church. Cathy graduated from Santa Barbara High in 1969 and attended Santa Barbara Community College for two years. She also attained a BA degree in paralegal studies at San Francisco Community College. Cathy loved to return to Santa Barbara for vacations and family visits.

Cathy enjoyed an active and successful career in the legal field as a Paralegal. Her interest in all matters of law that related to the field of medicine made her the “go to” person for her colleagues. Cathy’s wide knowledge of the medical and legal fields proved to be an asset to every firm that she was associated with. She enjoyed the work and the community that the legal field provided.

The problem with health care in America is this: American doctors are practicing astronomical, unjustified, uncontrollable greed.

No government-sponsored health care program can help us if we continue to allow such financial wickedness.

The Holy Bible says in 1st Timothy 6:10 “For the love of money is the root of all sorts of evils.” Also, found within its content is Mark 8:36 “For what shall it profit a man (or woman) if you shall gain the world and lose your soul?”

I call forth the answer to our health care problem in America: American doctors, repent of your godless greed! Stop working to our financial ruin.

Immediately cut all your prices in half! Doctors in other nations work for half of what you do, and still live very high off their earnings!

Thomas Anthony
Davenport, Ia

Our Beginning, a new Fremont daycare center, is taking its cues from what its founder sees as the ethos of the surrounding neighborhood – alternative, eclectic and environmentally aware.

Our Beginning, which opened its doors at 123 N.W. 36th St. Jan. 4 to children ages 6 weeks to 6 years, serves all organic food in its cafeteria, uses nontoxic paint on its walls and has only nontoxic toys.

Our Beginning follows the Reggio Emilia educational philosophy, which is child-centered and based on principles of self-directed learning and respect for the child’s wishes.

Paula Jones, founder and owner, said her mother owned a daycare center for low-income children in Seattle, so she grew up in the business.

Jones initially worked as a state licenser for childcare centers and later as the executive director of a Headstart program, but opening her own daycare was always in the back of her mind.

“I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit,” she said.

Jones said she could never have done it alone, and she had a great team of people helping her along the way, including her broker and her architect.

More than 20 faces from West Woodland Elementary School's past gathered in the library Jan. 26, the month of the school's 100th anniversary, to share memories of their time there.

Graduates spanned the decades, from the 1920s to the 1990s. Some hadn't been back in many years; others have children attending West Woodland.

One woman was the second of three generations of West Woodland students. Another has grandchildren attending the school. They asked her if the school did composting when she was there.

Alumni remembered extraordinary events from West Woodland, such as a teacher surviving a plane crash and a retiring teacher climbing out of the third-floor window because he was "escaping."

The memories that came up for others were of particular teachers who had an affect on their lives. One woman remembered her teacher taking her to her first art gallery. Another remembered a teacher who became a friend to her family of 12 and attended many of their weddings.

For some, bonds formed at West Woodland have lasted a lifetime. Graduates from 1959 are now neighbors on Whidbey Island. Ray and Jackie Hovick, now married, met in kindergarten in 1952.

The tree-lined coast of West Seattle from Brace Point to Pt Williams was originally called Fauntleroy Park. When the city of Seattle bought it in 1922, during a time much closer to the Civil War than we are now, they renamed it Lincoln Park. Surely the Duwamish before them had their own names for this forest of cedars and firs along the Puget Sound. But in the 1970’s, my brother Troy and I just called Lincoln Park - “freedom”.

I can’t apologize for growing up in simpler and somewhat quaint time, where kids were free to roam Lincoln Park all day long as long as we were home before the street lights came on. We were explorers, and there was much to be discovered.

Our first order of business was to ride bikes to our favorite forts and hideouts in the park intent on stopping for candy on our way home. But try as we might, our bicycles always forced us to stop at the optimistically named Lincoln Park “Grocery” before we ever got to the park.

Tierney Vial got her English Yellow Labrador Retriever about 5 years ago from a breeder named Cameo Labs in Sedro Wooley. Vial often walks Brydie down by Lowman Beach and at night, once the house is quiet, Brydie will roll on her back, fall fast asleep, legs in the air, start to dream... and run, "Full on runs, which is funny," said Vial.

Brydie has an affection for shoes, but kindly does not chew them. "She brings you a shoe when you come home, you don't get to take the shoe, and she spreads them out so you can't find them later," Vial said laughing.

This is a dog with strong views on politics too. "One time there was a political sign for a judge, and she just ripped it out and ran and brought it all the way home," Vial explained, "and she shredded it. Apparently she didn't like the judge."

Jan Drago, the newest member of the Metropolitan King County Council, was elected Chair of the King County Ferry District on Jan. 25.

“Currently, King County only has two passenger-only ferry routes, both of which serve District 8 residents,” said Drago. “I look forward to working with my constituents to maintain and enhance service while we look at possible long-term options for expanding service throughout the County.”

The King County Ferry District supports operation of Vashon-Seattle passenger-only ferries and year-round Elliott Bay Water Taxi service; conducts feasibility studies of future routes; and is establishing a modest capital fund for better boats and dock facilities.

The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation has awarded a $200,000 grant to the White Center Community Development Association for a green jobs initiative that will take advantage of federal stimulus funding to train youth in the White Center and South Seattle in home weatherization as a foundation for additional education, training, and employment security.

The White Center Community Development Association was created in 2002 to engage White Center residents in planning and advocating for economic development, housing and neighborhood revitalization in their home community in southwest King County.

As part of its latest round of grants awarded in 2009, The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation announced $4.6 million in grants to nonprofit organizations. The Foundation awarded grants to 66 diverse non-profit organizations in the Pacific Northwest region, including 38 nonprofits in Washington, 18 in Oregon, four in Alaska, four in Idaho, and two in Montana.

I recently visited with a friend who I hadn’t seen in more than a year. After catching her up on my life as a single mom, complete with dancing and dating horror stories, she said, “Wow, you’re so different now.”

I laughed and said, “You mean because I stay up past 8?”

“That’s the least of it! You stay out until 2, drink whiskey and date a different guy each week.” (Disclaimer: Although the first two are true, the third statement is not.)

“The way you say it, I almost feel like a stereotype. ‘Divorced woman gone wild.’”

“That’s what you are!” she laughed. “Next thing I know, you’ll get a tattoo.”

“Uhhh,” I said as I lifted my shirt and showed her the 6-inch by six-inch tattoo covering my shoulder.

“Damn,” we said in unison.

In defense of what appears to be my current reckless lifestyle, getting a tattoo is something I’ve wanted to do for 15 years.

And no, the whiskey had no bearing on helping me actually do it. But getting divorced may have.

I spent a lot of my 20s and early 30s thinking about things but not always following through with them.