July 2008

On behalf of the West Seattle and Fauntleroy YMCA, we would like to thank Nucor Steel Seattle for choosing the YMCA as the beneficiary of their first ever charity golf tournament.

Thank you for this article raising awareness of the importance of doulas and the wonderful program from Open Arms (Herald, July 9).

I read this article over and over again, as I am myself a doula, childbirth educator, and provide lactation support. I'd like to add a little bit more.

As the article alludes, there are two types of doulas, birth doulas and postpartum doulas. A birth doula visits with a pregnant woman, sometimes offering massage, and learns what the mother hopes for in her birth.

not at parade

We are very sad that we were not able to bring J.P. Patches to the West Seattle Hi-Yu Parade this year. He had a prior engagement with his wonderful granddaughter and was unable to make it.

It has been a wonderful 15 years we've had with J.P. and we have had so much fun with him in the parade. If we had a photograph of every person that teared up when they met him, we'd have enough to stretch from here to D.C.! The way his fans feel when they meet him is hard to explain, but they never fail to get a big "hello" from J.P.

If you live within a few blocks of 53rd and Alki avenues Southwest, the beautiful sites and sounds of sunsets and waves have yielded to a crescendo of nasty sounds and smells of construction due to "that pump station's" upgrade.

The 22-month long, $6 million 53rd Avenue Pump Station project that broke ground February came to and odorous apex in the wee hours of Thursday with half a dozen trucks, a backhoe, and an army of workers frantically transporting wastewater to the Alki Stormwater Treatment Plant on Beach Drive, and the West Seattle Pump Station at Harbor Drive.

With the ball already rolling on construction of a new Denny Middle School, Westwood Neighborhood Council members hope they can make their voices heard regarding future plans for the old school site.

The eventual use of the Denny property, once it is demolished and removed in 2011, has caused concern in the Westwood community.

The Coast Guard has become aware that some fishermen engage in the practice of working all day and, then in the evening, allowing their vessels to drift while the entire crew sleeps.

This practice is dangerous and is a violation of basic seamanship rules.

The expansion of the Multi-Family Tax Exemption program approved by the Seattle City Council on June 30 allows developers a 12-year tax exemption on portions of new construction rentals and homes affordable to those earning between 80 and 90 percent of median for renters, and between 100 and 120 percent for homebuyers.

It has been said that by playing a musical instrument it make one smarter, teaches a person discipline, relieves stress, gives an individual a sense of achievement and is just a fun thing to learn and know how to do.

For Toni Reineke, head teacher and ensemble coach for the Seattle Public School's 55th Annual Summer Instrumental Music Program at West Seattle High School, her love and knowledge for music was reintroduced to her after a 25-year hiatus.

Reineke walked away from her passion and knowledge for music at the time of unrest, when civil rights, anti-Vietnam War and

On a boat normally frequented by commuters and Mariners fans, West Seattle residents Irene Stewart and Bruce Butterfield found an entirely different use for the Elliott Bay Water Taxi: They got engaged.

On June 25, Stewart and Butterfield were celebrating their tenth anniversary of dating. Ten years earlier, they had taken the Water Taxi downtown for their first date, and they decided this year to do the same in celebration.

"We took the Water Taxi to make it easy on ourselves - nothing fancy, just a fun ride to a restaurant downtown," said Stewart, who as an aide to then King County Councilmember Greg Nickels was instrumental in getting the service started.

Stewart said everything seemed normal until the vessel approached Pier 55 on the downtown waterfront. All of a sudden, the captain veered to the left and turned the boat around so it faced West Seattle. Everyone onboard was quite confused.

Almost everyone, that is.

For Butterfield, this was all part of the plan. Earlier in the day, he made several trips to Seacrest Park to speak with the captain and crew, and enlist their support.

At 30th and Graham, a nine-year-old boy was dared to yell "F*!& Iraq" around the park and specifically in front of a park visitor who was originally from that country. The man chased the boy, grabbed him by the arm (some said he grabbed him by the ear) and said he was going to take him to meet with his parents. A 12-year-old girl ran home to tell her father and by the time officers arrived several adults were involved. The man admitted he went after the child but denied assaulting him. He says he is constantly being harassed by the kids in the park.