January 2021

Pat's View: Bel·lig·er·ence

By Patrick Robinson

Over the last 12 to 16 years I have watched with increasing alarm, the tendency of people, organizations, groups, couples, political parties and most recently leaders to react quickly, angrily, making snap judgements, saying inflammatory things, resorting to personal attacks and more. In short I have taken note of a major increase in Belligerence. 

The word comes from the Latin Bellum Gerere meaning to “wage war.”

Wars, by their nature and through history are binary. One winner. One loser. And as they say, all is fair.

We have seen the breakdown of manners, of what we used to call “couth” meaning well mannered behavior.

That itself is a kind of outgrowth of basic biblical teaching. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. 

But what is behind this belligerence? 

I think it’s in large part the distance and anonymity provided by the internet.

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Rifle recovered after report of gunfire in West Seattle

information from Seattle Police Blotter

Police recovered a gold-colored rifle and a loaded magazine from a vehicle shortly after officers were called to investigate a report of gunfire Sunday evening in West Seattle.

Around 6:15 PM, officers responded to 4800 block of 25th Av SW to investigate a possible gunshot. A witness reported seeing a black two-door driving away from the scene.

Officers stopped the vehicle a short distance away and contacted a man and woman in the vehicle. After identifying the driver and passenger, officers released them from the scene and began working to obtain a warrant to search the car.

After being granted a warrant, officers searched the car and found a gold-colored rifle, a loaded magazine and steel knuckles.

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Jay and the Bridge: Part One

by Jay Craig

Everybody loves the Ballard Bridge. It was built as part of the effort to connect Lake Union and lake Washington to Puget Sound and the Pacific Ocean. Without the Ship Canal, Seattle would not be the city it is. Being a fresh water port allowed us to become the Port of Alaska, with over 50% of the seafood consumed in the United States passing through here. The Ballard Locks and the Ship Canal Bridges are daily reminders of one of the greatest engineering projects in US history.

And the view from the control tower of the Ballard Bridge on a sunny morning or when the sun is setting behind the Olympics is beautiful. 

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Don't let them steal our history

By Jean Godden

In 1991 when Ron Chew, an International District institution, wanted to learn about his family's hidden history, he was able to retrieve his grandfather's nearly century-old immigration papers from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in Seattle.

Those papers were filed along with many tantalizing details, referencing people and places in his granddad, Chew Quay Fong's life. From those records, Ron Chew learned that Quay Fong, only son of Chew Jung Man and his wife Chin, was born in 1877 in the village of Fow Seck in   China's Hoisan District.

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You are going to want to motate to MOTO; Unique pizza and ice cream shop opens in West Seattle

 

Open on Jan. 22, is MOTO at 4526 42nd SW and to say it is both amazing and unique is not enough. Owner Lee Kindell brings a lot of energy to making and serving both 8 different kinds of pizza and an equal number of flavors of soft ice cream all in specially made pastry cones. The interior of the 600 square foot completely remodeled home is decorated with highly customized murals by artist Joseph Brooks.

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RealFine Coffee is clear, confident and covid safe as they open a third location

New shop opens on January 26; Grand opening set for January 30

Julie Mierzwiak must have the heart of a lion.

She's the entrepreneur and owner of Realfine Coffee whose two existing locations on Fauntleroy Way SW and on Capitol Hill at 616 Pine Street are well known. But just before the pandemic began she took out a lease on a third location, this one at 7900 35th Ave SW. just next to Locol Barley and Vine and near Kenyon Hall and The Westy Sports and Spirits. Then COVID-19 caused many businesses to cutback or close. For Julie it led to a drop of around 50% in business (and the bridge closure did not help) and a big delay in her plans for a new spot. But she has persevered. Now the shop is opening on Tuesday, January 26. 

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Letter offers support of Duwamish Trail to West Marginal Way connection

information from D1CN

Recently, West Seattle Bike Connections (WSBC) met with SDOT for a presentation of its proposal for a two-way bicycle trail between the West Seattle low bridge and the north end of the West Duwamish trail using the southbound curb lane of West Marginal Way SW. WSBC, in consultation with Duwamish Valley Safe Streets and West Duwamish Greenbelt Trails, has just sent a letter to SDOT detailing our support for the project.

Specifically, they support SDOT’s Option B, which would run the bike trail between the signal at West Marginal Place SW, just south of the bridge, to the existing half-signal crossing to the West Duwamish trail and provide parking on the west side of the road from there to the planned new crossing to the Duwamish Longhouse.

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Op Ed: SDOT needs to push pause on West Marginal Way lane changes

By John Persak

West Seattle residents’ access to the rest of Seattle remains crucial, especially when the time frame of the West Seattle Bridge repair is uncertain. Small businesses continue to struggle, health care workers’ commutes are 90-plus minutes long, and the patience of West Seattle residents is wearing thin overall. 

So why would the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) be moving so swiftly to remove additional lane capacity on West Marginal Way, the connector for everyone living north of the Alaska Junction? 

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