October 2006

The Cooper School community would like to thank you for writing about the "shotgun" marriage of Pathfinder and Cooper.

This is no solution. This would be a disaster. It is nothing more than a quick fix and an ill thought out plan that both communities reject.

I was told everyone in West Seattle reads your paper. Our hope is that this editorial will help rally the West Seattle readers of your paper towards stopping this superintendent's plan.

We at Cooper hope for nothing but the best for Pathfinder.

First of all I cannot believe that someone would think that open enrollment in the Seattle School District is anything other than a cover up of just plain stupidity. In everyone's dream world everything is fair and equal. Yet in reality nothing is.

With all the money that has been spent in transporting students to, "better," schools; absolutely nothing has been accomplished except more bad schools and less education for all the students. If all those involved would be honest how else can they explain decreasing graduation rates and test scores.

Despite all the turmoil surrounding West Seattle residents' ability to get to or through downtown on the Alaskan Way Viaduct or Interstate 5, West Seattleites still have a considerable advantage to some other city neighborhoods in getting around town.

Take for instance our two sets of "back" streets which take us either to Sea-Tac Airport or the general Southcenter area. From nearly anywhere in West Seattle it's a breeze to get to White Center, or hook up to West Marginal Way. From White Center or West Marginal Way, it's a literal piece-of-cake to get to the SR 509 expressway.

Before heading to work this morning I picked up the paper and read a heartfelt story about how the success of an undefeated high school football team is helping a community heal from a tragedy that cost the life of one of the team's young members.

In the article I learned of the ways that his family, friends, teammates, coaches and community had drawn together to support each other through the tragedy; how they were using the event to rise above the disparaging thoughts others voice about each of them.

While reading, I was saddened by the loss of life, inspired by the bon

In response to an article concerning parking on Alki, and the Alki Community Council meeting of Sept. 21. A tragic accident took place on the following Sunday, however I fail to find the connection between the two events, and object to the term "ironically" when referring to an accident which cost two people their lives. An editorial column might be a more accurate format for the West Seattle Herald to state opinions on local issues.

Paul Angel

Alki

I can understand King County Councilmember Dow Constantine's desire to protect his West Seattle constituents from unnecessary airplane noise as espoused in his recent political ad in your newspaper.

But as a King County Council member he has, I'm sure, an overriding desire to protect the best interests of all citizens within King County.

This past week a heartless thief stole a white concrete rooster from my front yard plating area at 50th Southwest and Southwest Stevens Street.

I and the three little chicks are lonesome. We have been together for many, many years.

Please return it, or if someone spots it, please call 937-1773.

I would be forever grateful.

M.D. Hass

Schmitz Park

Obesity? Stupidity?

Cause celebres at School Board, yes, but now also themes of the mayor's and City Council's latest tax pitch.

The Mayor's Transportation Ministry has embarked upon "road diets" such as converting Stone Way and Rainer Avenue from four lanes to two lanes.

I see in the West Seattle Herald (Sept. 13) the mayor wants to plant more trees. This is just after the city cut a lot of beautiful trees in a park just off Pioneer Square even after a public protest.

Also the mayor wants to give Paul Allen and South Lake Union a streetcar, after they took our streetcar away on the waterfront.

The mayor says he wants to make Seattle safer and more livable - I agree.

Last night at home we had a singularly unsavory experience which on one hand I wish never happened, but on another I'm glad did happen because it was an excellent learning experience for Paige - Alexei being too young to understand or care.

We received a visitor at our front door, who turned out to be representing the Democratic National Party trying to get out the vote next month.

He unsuspectingly went into his monologue, and we kindly listened for a while, but then Sherry interrupted him and said, "Thank you for your time, but we're conservatives."

Well this