"Birds flyin' high, you know how I feel, Sun in the sky, you know how I feel, it's a new dawn, it's a new day - and I'm feeling gooood!"

Don't those lyrics just lift your spirit and mood? We can hope for sunshine.

Heaven knows, with this cold winter and spring, economic challenges, and ridiculous hike in college
tuitions for Washington kids, we could sure use a little more high flyin' seagulls and sunny skies -- and reasons to smile out loud.

Negative effects of the poor economy have become what we live and deal with everyday. Have you noticed fewer cars driving through Des Moines and other cities? For years this city was like a slow-moving parking lot during commute times. Every day drivers were stop/go through town because the traffic was even worse on I-5 and Pacific Highway 99. Not today.

When I can pull out of Key Bank parking lot at 222nd and Marine View Drive at 5 p.m. and get rolling in less than two minutes, reality is clear. And I wonder, will our cities and business people who depend on retail revenue ever recover from this so-called Recession, that looks more like an all-out full-blown almost Depression?

Well, people seem to love being critical of decision-making officials, and that's our American right to complain out loud. Yet, it's well to remember those very elected people set future plans for our city's economic recovery -- or not.

In Des Moines, City Council members are working a big time development formula plan that Mayor Bob Sheckler said he's especially focused on. This will be a striking change to this city, so much that he wants to hear from local citizens to utilize your input.

He has scheduled public meetings for the people to weigh-in on this subject with suggestions: They are:
May 4th, Wednesday 5-8 p.m. at the Senior/Community Center on the east side of the Post Office on 216th Street, and City Council Chambers, May 12th, 7:30 p.m. for the public hearing.

How big is this plan? Picture the whole downtown Marine View Drive business district from 216th to 227th from north to south, and 7th Avenue South. Officially those areas that are, and will be, the heart of this huge change known as The Marina District Zone Changes.

If you don't think this matters much, picture new buildings that could be allowed to build as much as 45, 55, or 75-feet straight up to the sky.

If high heights get to you, it may be of some comfort to know the major locations planned for the highest buildings is at the north end of the city, near the QFC store block.

Mayor Sheckler said no 75-foot buildings would be in the middle of town. Now, that sounds like a lively subject for you to discuss at one of these meetings you simply don't want to miss.

These are once in a lifetime opportunities to make good things happen in Des Moines. If you don't attend, someone else will and you might not like those results.

Observing workings of politics and people finds me still wondering why some folks seldom seen at public learning opportunities are first in the complaint waiting line. What a miserable way to live life. And, it's never too early to start scoping out this year's new or re-election of potential City Council members. Get smart, ask candidates questions and do your homework.

Mayor Sheckler said, "This is the biggest decision any Des Moines City Council has made since the day they approved building the Marina. This decision will affect generations of people to come who live in, or visit our city. I intend to be in office to walk this project through to completion."

So with birds flyin' high, sun in the sky, and a growing city, it's a new dawn, a new day -- and we're "Feeling goooood!"

Today's Thought: "The difference between gossip and news depends whether you're telling it or hearing it."