Dear West Seattle and White Center communities,

These are my final days as a reporter for the West Seattle Herald and White Center News and I just want to take a moment to thank you, our readers, for letting me write about your world.

My three years here were an honor. I was given the opportunity to interview and write about some of our most colorful and historically significant residents and events, to do my best in keeping you informed on day-to-day happenings, and to learn more about my community than I ever could have with any other job.

Moving to West Seattle in August of 2010, I was shocked to realize how passionate and active a community can be. From banding together as block watches and giving property criminals their comeuppance to collective fronts encouraging smart development and transportation choices to gathering en masse for fun events like West Seattle Summer Fest, this is one great neighborhood.

As for White Center, while I never managed to get my hands on one of those “I (heart) White Center” t-shirts, I wear that slogan on the inside. I moved here from Idaho, where cultural diversity is merely a catch-phrase found on paper, so to be able to learn about so many different cultures in covering such a small area was a true gift. It’s also the best place in King County to get amazing food at reasonable rates, in my opinion. The energy coming from that swath of unincorporated land is undeniable, and I can’t wait to see how White Center grows.

Thank you to everyone who made it through one of my stories, and thanks to those who shared their views so I had something to write about! I got into journalism because I wanted to help improve community in some small way, and I hope I accomplished that goal.

The silver lining for me is that I’ve accepted a job at South Seattle Community College, so I get to continue living and working in the place I now call home.

Westside forever and thanks again,

Ty Swenson
tys@robinsonnews.com