August 2013

By Marjorie Young

One of the most delightful aspects of life is our connection with the animal world. There’s nothing unique in this view…ask any dog or cat lover, and you’ll be gifted with paeans of praise concerning their precious companions. I’ve been fortunate to not only share my life with them, but to receive bountiful lessons in return.

After adopting a starving (pregnant) stray cat in Tokyo, Cora showed her appreciation in a remarkable manner. Believe it or not, she brought me flowers! Not any old flower; no, nothing but red camellias would do. Invading a neighbor’s garden, she’d gather the fallen blossoms (ignoring the white version) in her mouth, carry them home and either drop them at my feet (if I was there) or pile them in my favorite chair (if I wasn’t). She’d require repeated trips to accomplish this. I’ve never heard of a cat doing such a thing…bestowing birds or mice, yes…but floral offerings?! It was touching, bewildering, and beautiful.

From the 36th District Democrats

The 36th District Democrats' Executive Board has recommended the sole endorsement of Ed Murray to its membership for a second time. The board recommended him during the primary, but the membership voted affirmatively not to endorse any candidate and instead revisit the issue in September.

The board recommended Murray with a vote of 10 in favor and 5 against. “As a board we've been moved by Murray’s leadership in Olympia, and we want that same leadership for our city. He’s uniquely qualified and has proven he gets results,” says Joseph Peha, the Communications Director.

The Lockheed Martin Corp. has agreed to clean up an area of 40 acres at their site at 3443 West Marginal Way SW in a $48.1 million dollar program.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a Record of Decision for the Lockheed West Superfund Site on August 29.

In their announcement the site that once served as a shipyard released contaminants into Elliott Bay, including metals, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and petroleum products. The cleanup will require that 151,000 cubic yards of sediment be dredged from the area.

The 184 page decision explained how the cleanup will proceed and will include:

- Dredging and disposing of dredged sediments at a permitted landfill;
- The addition of a thin layer of clean material across the site to enhance natural recovery and cover dredged areas;
- Continuation of a fish advisory to make people aware of risks from eating contaminated seafood;
- Removing debris and pilings.

An additional 15,800 cubic yards will be removed through excavation or dredging from the shoreline and intertidal area.

In the Seattle School Board race, the two candidates duking it out in District 4, which outgoing Past School Board President Michael DeBell is leaving vacant, have differences in style and approach that could shift the school board majority one way or another.

That’s how District 4 School Board Candidate Sue Peter frames it.

“What we’re fighting for is the future of the school board and the district and the board majority,” Peters said. “This race is going to decide the board majority.”

Peters says she represents the parents, the teachers and the community, while she claims opponent Suzanne Dale Estey represents businesses and corporate education reform.

Estey would dispute this claim, citing that she has plenty of support from parents and regular community members, too. She also said she doesn’t necessarily reject the support she has from business interests or the multitude of public officials she has been able to line up to endorse her.

Peters and Estey have different backgrounds.

Tired security guard doesn’t bother too much with shoplift

Aug. 27, 4:59 p.m., QFC 9900 Block of Holman Rd NW – A tired security guard at the end of his shift did not call police after two black males in their teens to early 20s stole four bottles of liquor (three Crown Royal and one Johnny Walker Red, if you’re curious) and shoved him aside as they escaped. The guard said he was only planning on asking for the liquor back and asking the two suspects to leave.

One of the males was wearing a black sweatshirt and blue jeans. The store surveillance video captured some images of the suspects entering the store but did not record the incident itself.

Friends’ televisions stolen, “signed” check cashed

Hundreds of Seattle teachers and school employees turned out in four locations around Seattle, including Ballard, Rainier Valley, Northgate and West Seattle.

Speaking for the Washington Education Association, Rich Wood said, "The Seattle School Board needs to make teachers and other school employees a fair contract offer that gives them the support they need to educate all of Seattle's public school students."

Negotiations over that contract are underway now and have been going on since last Spring. The existing contract ends Aug. 31.

Seattle Public Schools have indicated that if teachers do not negotiate a contract by the first day of school they can continue to work, if they agree to work without a contract.

If the contract issues are not settled, it could lead to a strike, causing school to be delayed past the scheduled Sept. 4 start date.

In a statement on their website SPS said

Mashiko, a well-loved sushi joint on California Ave. in West Seattle since 1994, made news this week – not for their sourcing of sustainable ingredients or the quality of their work – but for a “Open Letter to Bigot Diners” chef/owner Hajime Sato unleashed upon the internet on Aug. 23 on his usually sleepy “sushiwhore” blog.

After thanking his many customers for their continued patronage over the years, Hajime’s metaphorical rubber met the road:

“The thing that saddens us is that some of our customers are bigots,” he wrote. “To everyone else, thanks for not being a bigot.”

Hajime fought back against customers who – either to their face or behind the veil of internet anonymity – have called the restaurant out for not having enough Japanese people on staff, not having enough Japanese diners, and (one that really riles Hajime’s feathers) calling out his 12-year sidekick sushi chef Mariah Kmitta for being (#1) white and(#2) female.

"Just frustration. Just feeling not very respected."

These are the words spoken by Adams Elementary 5th Grade Teacher Michael Hertzog, in reaction to the Seattle Public Schools' proposed contract renewal for teachers.

Hertzog was one of about 20 picketers gathered at 15th and Market in Ballard this afternoon to protest the proposed contract. The event was organized by the Seattle Education Association, which represents 5,000 Seattle teachers, secretaries, classroom aides and education staff associates.

"When people rise to power in any situation, they seem to lose touch with the people on the front lines. I think this is clearly one of those cases," Hertzog continued.

While educators and the district were able to agree on a number of issues in the contract, there were a few points of contention.

According to Ballard High School teacher and union rep Noam Gundle, there were four points in the contract that could be improved upon:

The final Concert at Hiawatha Park for the 2013 series will be held in the gym this evening at 6:30pm at Hiawatha Community Center, rather than on the east lawn as previously scheduled. Concertgoers are invited to bring their picnic dinners and blankets, as usual.

Tonight's band is Strong Suit - a local-area “super-group” consisting of members from Goodness, Sweet Water, Star Anna & The Laughing Dogs, Kristen Ward, Halloqueen, and Peter Frampton.

West Seattle's Kerry Hughes and husband Pete Spalding took a very special trip this summer, specifically to honor Hughes' ancestors and learn more about their life story. Hughes' long time interest in genealogy led her research to the family of Marjorie Smith and her journey to America in the 1850's. Their struggle to survive was honored by Hughes through the placement of a grave marker that commemorates their story. This captured the attention of the Courier newspaper in Dundee, Scotland where the Smith family lived.

Here's that article reprinted with permission.

by Grant Smith
In 1856 Marjorie Smith and her five children left Dundee for a new life in 
America.

It was a life that could have ended almost as soon as it began, as the trek they joined to Utah ran into terrible weather and by the time a rescue party reached them dozens of people had died. But the Smiths were among the lucky ones, and they settled in the town of Beaver where they intermarried with other Scottish immigrants.