by Dave Markwell

The other night I stepped on one of my son’s toys. It was a red SUV-type truck with a surfboard rack. It used to have a surfboard, but that was lost a long time ago.

I have stepped on a lot of my son’s toys over the years. In fact, I have probably stepped on, tripped over, kicked, stubbed and/or somehow otherwise damaged myself on more of my kids’ toys than I have not. Breaking toys is not new to me. What was strange about this incident was that I felt bad about it. I was very surprised on this day that the accidental destruction of yet another trip hazard actually affected me.

Through the years, I have been a veritable serial killer of toys and have been personally responsible for countless “disappearances.” Literally, hundreds of victims have met their demise in the stinky, shallow grave of my kitchen trashcan, covered only by chicken bones and eggshells. I have been indiscriminate in my toy tossing. There has been no pattern that any expert CSI or profiler could reveal. It has been random and willful. I have been able to perfect a straight-faced response to my kids’ queries into where a particular toy that I had thrown away might be.

“You must have lost it, like normal…” I can say without flinching or shame. Why do I do this? Simply put, my kids have too much crap and I have taken it upon myself to cull the herd. It is a lonely duty, but it is mine.

Independent of my efforts, the life of a toy in my household is a rough one. It is perpetual teeter-totter hell-ride, bouncing between extreme neglect and extreme abuse, with nothing in between. The truck that I damaged on this day had already endured several tough years. It was my son’s favorite for a time and I can remember him playing with it several years ago, back when he was just a cute little five-year old boy with baby teeth and a big head. This truck had managed to survive, when many, many others could not. While this accomplishment is worth noting, it, to me, does not explain my unusual reaction. I am a jaded and calloused toy killer and I sleep well at night knowing this. Why did I feel bad about crushing another toy that had done nothing to me, but be in my way for years?

Upon reflection, destroying the toy itself did not affect me, rather the toy represented something else that is both gone and leaving more everyday – my kids’ childhood. This stupid, broken red truck symbolized something wonderful and fleeting and its destruction spotlighted the fact my kids are growing older. Its obsolescence hurt me, because, I know what’s coming next…my obsolescence!! I am slowly and surely becoming the dusty, busted toy buried deep under the bed that nobody wants to play with anymore.

While this makes me sad, it comes with, as all downsides do, an upside. They say life begins “when the kids move out and the dog dies.” I cling to this idea as a life preserver. I look forward to golfing more and people not crying in my house everyday. I look forward to watching what I want on the TV with a FULL bag of Doritos. I look forward to fewer questions and less laundry. This is where I am stuck, because these things I will also miss. I will miss the constant bickering, crying and yelling. The silence scares me. My concerns may be premature as my kids are still young and I have a few years to get over my fears and simply enjoy the screaming, fighting, inconvenient pains in the arse that are my kids. They are growing up regardless of how I feel about it and I should embrace this as a natural part of life.

So….I guess that’s what I’ll do…..right after I fix the windshield and glue the roof back on the red truck, maybe polish it a little and while I’m at it, I should look for that surfboard…

[EDITOR'S NOTE:"Feel Good Friday" is a regular column written by Des Moines resident Dave Markwell, who extols to all neighbors: "Enjoy where we live. Put your feet on the pavement and truly feel how great it is to live here!"]

by Dave Markwell

Feel Good Friday is Buzzing!!!!

Last summer, my five year-old daughter, Helena, and I went for a walk with our dogs down to the Beach Park in Des Moines. It was a little misty and cool, a pretty standard late August morning. While walking through the park, we ran into my ten year-old son, Aden and his buddy, Elijah, riding their bikes. For the previous three days, the boys had been scouring the town with the fairly newfound freedom of being able to ride around un-chaperoned. I remember this time in my life very fondly.

Upon seeing me in the park, my son’s eyes lit up a little bit in excitement to see me. He was playing it pretty cool, but he was genuinely happy to see me or maybe more happy for me to see him being independent.

“What are you clowns up to?” I asked, casually.

“Not much. We were just throwing rocks at a beehive. Want to see?” Aden replied.

A tiny, but powerful electric impulse hit me.

“Do I want to see!!?!! Of course, I want to see!!” I thought, frantically. Beehives still excite me and it will be a sad day when I pass up an opportunity to check one out. As we headed to the back of the park, I felt the rare and beautiful anticipation of something cool about to happen. When we got to the beehive, I saw that it was a dandy! It was a big hive and the bees were thick and swarming pretty good. It hung about ten-feet high in a wide-open hole between the branches of a maple tree.

I gently questioned Aden if he remembered how it felt when he stepped on a honeybee in our yard a couple of weeks earlier. His scream had been heard for blocks. He responded with, “Oh, yeah!” Enough said. It was a subtle, yet effective warning, a father’s duty. Upon clearing my parental conscience, I picked up a good-sized rock and hucked it. I hit the hive hard and square, then scooped up my daughter and ran with a wild-eyed smile on my face. Just behind me, laughing the hysterical laugh of fear and fun, the boys peddled furiously. We were all laughing that laugh. We managed to outrun the bees and were unharmed. I suppose this story would not be told had we been stung, as I’m sure my wife would have made re-living this moment un-fun, probably forever. Nonetheless, we lived to tell the tale and though there are many things that I am eagerly waiting to outgrow, chucking rocks at beehives is not one of them. I have become convinced that a small fragment of youth resides, untarnished by work deadlines and house payments, in each hurled stone, waiting to make a man a boy again.

On a cool August morning in my son’s 10th year, I was able to surprise him by truly sharing his excitement and letting one fly!! From the moment the rock left my fingers, I had, in some small, though not insignificant way, changed, to him. I wasn’t just Dad, the rule-maker and fun-taker. He saw that I was capable of something else, something more. I had the potential to be more to him. He’s not sure what yet, but I got him thinking and that’s a start.

It was a good day.

[EDITOR'S NOTE:"Feel Good Friday" is a regular column written by Des Moines resident Dave Markwell, who extols to all neighbors: "Enjoy where we live. Put your feet on the pavement and truly feel how great it is to live here!"]

[EDITOR'S NOTE: We'd like to officially introduce a new regular column, "Feel Good Friday," written by Des Moines resident Dave Markwell, who extols to all neighbors: "Enjoy where we live. Put your feet on the pavement and truly feel how great it is to live here!"]

by Dave Markwell

The other night my six year-old daughter and I attended a concert at Highline Community College. My ten year-old son was performing with the Parkside Elementary orchestra as they opened for a Des Moines Arts Commission Music Series show. He plays viola.

I have come to understand that the learning curve for instrument mastery is decidedly not steep. The slight twitch my dog, Diego, is now afflicted with, no doubt the result of the unnatural sounds piercing my son’s bedroom door, will testify to this. While the process is slow and sometimes painful, there is progress and as the group came together and played their pieces, it was actual music and it was great. Their focused and serious faces read their music as they played powerful works. Occasionally, a shrill missed note would find its way to my spinal cord, followed by an eye-raising wince from the assailant, but overall they sounded pretty good and I was proud.

As proud as I was of my son, my daughter, on the other hand, on several occasions, narrowly avoided a very public strangulation.

“Just sit still, PLEASE!” I loud-whispered and repeated as a mantra throughout the concert.

Now, I had no allusions that bringing a six year-old to a classical music show would be entirely trouble-free, but as the bouncing, talking, swinging, fiddling, fidgeting and kicking ramped up, I was considering very bad things.

Fortunately, as it sometimes will, fate intervened.

As my son’s performance wrapped up, the headline group, The Sirens, came out and began to play. They are a trio who play piano, flute and oboe. I don’t ever recall hearing an oboe before, certainly not like this. This woman played notes that I did not know existed. They touched me and gratefully must have touched my daughter as well. For three wonderful minutes, she sat on my lap and we listened to a song that we could feel. There is an emotion in the oboe that surprised me. The music swept over us and it was beautiful. I looked around the room and saw my son sitting next to his buddy several rows away from us, because if there is anything uncooler for a fifth-grader than a classical music concert, it is sitting with your dad and little sister at a classical music concert. I understood and was not hurt, too much. I enjoyed the true magic of the moment and was genuinely moved.

This was until my daughter woke up with a simultaneous flailing back head-butt to my face and swinging heel crotch-kick. The wonderful moment was over in an instant. It was just too good to last. As a stifled a yelp, I collected our things and knew it was time to go.

“Go get your brother.” I said as I made my way to the door and stepped out into the cool Des Moines rain.

I tipped my head to the sky and smiled and knew that the brief, pure moment was worth all of the hassle, struggle and even the crotch kick. The beauty of a single moment is worth all of it, every time.

As the owner of Shuttle Express, a provider of passenger service at Sea-Tac International Airport, I have been following the Port of Seattle’s recent decision to replace STITA (Sea-Tac International Taxi Association) with Yellow Cab. How could the Port make such a poor decision and why? Even though I compete with the taxis, I feel the need to speak up. When there is such an injustice to the traveling public, questions need to be asked.

Working at Sea-Tac for 35 years, I have firsthand knowledge of airport operations and STITA Taxi. Knowing STITA’s reputation, I thought they would surely be chosen for the new contract for the taxi concession. I was astonished to hear the Port’s decision. The structure of the RFP caused a bidding war, and the Port plans to award the contract to the highest bidder, Yellow Cab. How could they base their decision purely on money and not reputation and quality of service?

Shuttle Express and STITA operate within a few feet of each other so I know their operations and service level. STITA taxi owners maintain their vehicles and have invested in a green fleet, all while making a living wage. And, STITA provides good service, much better than any other taxi service in Seattle.

As a competitor, it would be to my advantage to say nothing and compete against a lesser provider. But I can’t watch this play out without saying something about the Port’s injustice to STITA, and more importantly to you, the traveling public. I have no issue with the Port opening the concession to competitive bid, but its selection based on who will pay the most money rather than service and safety is wrong.

Jim Sherrell is the Owner of Shuttle Express.

More money for the Port may sound good, but in reality the over-inflated fees that Yellow agreed to pay the Port are way off base. There is no way Yellow can use the minuscule taxi fees to fund reservations, dispatch, accounting, marketing, safe vehicles, insurance, advertising AND also pay the Port an exorbitant fee to use the taxi curb. What expenses will the Yellow taxi drivers have to cut to still be able to put bread on the table? Will you feel safe when you climb into that taxi knowing they cannot meet their financial obligations and still make a living?

So why would the Port prioritize getting more money above safety, service and other important factors? What seems obvious is the Port wants more money. Who is eventually going to pay the Port more money? Sure, first it will be the poor taxi drivers. Next, the taxi drivers will ask regulators to allow increased fees. In the end, YOU, the traveling public will be paying the difference with higher taxi fares.

Now ask yourself, is the Port operating in the interest of the traveling public, or is it merely trying to squeeze more money from taxi drivers and you, the passengers?

Will the publicly elected Port of Seattle Commissioners recognize this flawed RFP bid for what it is and correct this radical mistake? My experience during the last thirty-plus years tells me that when the Port Commissioners know the facts and hear from their voters, they will make the correct decision to award the RFP fairly, based on service and safety for the traveling public rather than strictly money from fees.

It’s up to you, the traveling public, to let the Commissioners know your feelings on the issue to have it corrected: www.portseattle.org.

- Jim Sherrell
Owner, Shuttle Express

(Jim Sherrell is the owner of Shuttle Express, serving the Seattle region since 1979)

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Have something you'd like to say? Then email us your "Letter to the Editor" by clicking here. Be sure to include your real name and a way to contact you, and, pending our review, we'll most likely post it. Otherwise, feel free to leave a Comment below...]

by Ralph Nichols

Des Moines Mayor Bob Sheckler recently presented to the City Council gifts that were given him during a trip to China late last fall.

But the mayor brought home a lot more than just gifts and a slide show of his travels in this ancient, now-booming country.

A multimillion-dollar development along Pacific Highway South backed by Chinese investors – agreed to during Sheckler’s highly productive trip – is now in the planning and permitting stage.

Ground breaking and the start of construction are expected to take place this summer if preliminary activity continues at its current pace.

The development, which will feature a hotel and restaurant and possibly retail space, will be located at the old state vehicle emissions testing site on the east side of Pac Highway not far north of Kent-Des Moines Road.

While in China, Sheckler also laid the foundation for an exchange program between Chinese community college students and students at Highline Community College.

And now there is the promise of even more. He reported at the Feb. 11 City Council meeting that representatives of business investors in China and Russia, with billions of dollars to invest, “are very interested in Des Moines.”

“The word’s out” about Des Moines – and the marina. “The word’s definitely out there,” Sheckler said. “They’re saying, ‘Where have you been?’ People are discovering that this (waterfront city) is a jewel. It’s very exciting.”

Sheckler began planning his China trip (Nov. 13-22) two years ago, not long after the prospect of developing a sister-city relationship with Changle, a coastal city in the Suzhou province of South China, was first discussed.

After corresponding with Changle Mayor Lin Wengang, Lin invited Sheckler to meet with him there. Sheckler was accompanied by Des Moines investor Matt Chan, who plans to build the Watercrossing development on the southeast side of the Pac Highway-South 216th St. intersection.

“I was there to visit him” and discuss a sister-city relationship, Sheckler noted. But he also went to China with plans to pursue an exchange-student arrangement and “to develop interest in investment in Des Moines.”

Even before he was “warmly received” by Lin and Deputy Mayor Lin Jian Xiu – to whom he presented gifts paid for by himself, as well as accepted their gifts – Sheckler had met with Zedong Ye, a property developer, and Mr. Zhang, an industrialist. Both had visited Des Moines and Tacoma last summer and liked the Waterland city.

Ye and Zhang had been told in advance that Sheckler and the Des Moines City Council are “very progressive in economic development” and wanted to meet with him.

In their culture, the initial meeting often determines whether a deal will be agreed to, and their cordial relationship at this dinner resulted in a green light for the Des Moines project. An advance team already in Des Moines was told to begin the pre-application process with the city, and the hotel project has been moving forward since then.

“I went over there to meet the mayor of Changle and to meet with others to get development going.” Mission accomplished.

Establishing a sister city relationship, according to custom, will take time, but the process has now begun. Discussions are in progress for an exchange student program in Des Moines. And ground breaking for the hotel is just a few months away.

That’s a pretty big long-term payoff for the city – which paid none of Sheckler’s expenses. He covered his round trip to Beijing and his hosts covered some of his expenses in China.

“But the key thing is the city didn’t have to pay for it. What I did on my own time and my own dime is my own business,” Shecker said, recalling that “certain naysayers” in the community criticized the cash-strapped city during the budget-setting process last fall for allegedly paying for his China trip.

He added, “The fact is, the city is the beneficiary, but the trip didn’t cost them a penny.”

[EDITOR'S NOTE: The following article was written by Des Moines resident Dave Markwell, who says "Days like this exist everyday in our great little Waterland town. Enjoy where we live. Put your feet on the pavement and truly feel how great it is to live here!"]

Story by Dave Markwell
Photos by Michael Brunk

The day belongs to the dogs. They claimed it early and aren’t letting go. The tic-tac reveille call of toenails on hardwood signal that their day has begun and kills any hope I have of finding my way back into that great dream I was having.

I get up.

This morning I succumb to my better nature and let the dogs out. Some mornings I don’t. I can fake sleep with the best of them and when the dogs come calling I have achieved some truly masterful performances. The problem I have in my house is that my wife is an equally accomplished sleep-feigner. This morning she breathes deeply and slowly and moves her eyeballs slightly inside their lids as if in R.E.M. I am unconvinced, but get up anyway. As I glance back at her from the door, I catch the bare hint of a smile and know I have been duped.

She wins this battle.

In the kitchen, I stand in my underwear and put coffee in the machine as Diego, our lab/dachshund mix dances around gleeful in his success at my awakening. He knows he’s going for a walk. The lab/dachshund mix is something I have considered and have no good answers to except that some serious motivation or lack thereof must have been present for such an act to occur. I walk back into the bedroom to get dressed and make a little too much noise opening drawers, ensuring that my wife is definitely not asleep.

I saddle up Diego with his leash and try to control his enthusiasm as he jumps and bucks and twirls like a bronc in his enthusiasm. We head out the door. My town is asleep. Marine View Drive is empty and shops are closed. One restaurant is open, Jacks. Every town has its Jacks. It is where the old-timers gather to discuss important things, like fishing and more fishing. As Diego and I walk by, one smell hits me hard, bacon. Bacon is one item that can inspire me to dance like Diego getting ready for his walk. This morning the sweet, smoky goodness drifts in the air like God’s own aftershave. “I WILL be having bacon today.” I think to myself and repeat as a mantra for several blocks.

As I stroll through the marina, I greet my buddy Jimmy, a Marina worker, as he begins his workday. I look at the boats and fantasize about warm summer days sitting in guest moorage drinking a beer after cleaning my imaginary twenty-five pounder. This fantasy carries me around Anthony’s and by South Marina Park, where I begin a new daydream. This dark, chilly winter morning, I desperately long for a quiet summer Saturday morning browsing through the Farmer’s Market with my family before getting some morning ice cream at Auntie Irene’s.

As reality sets back in, I see a light on. It is coming from my local attorney friend, Brian’s, office. It appears that he has either been disrupted this morning as well or is behind on some work, or possibly getting ahead on some work, a foreign concept to me. I wave to him, but get no response. He looks pretty intense and engaged in his project. Sensing an opportunity, I walk through the planter bed and bang on his window. I have never actually witnessed an electrocution. But Brian’s reaction is what I imagine one looks like. His head jerks up, eyes wide, his hands instinctively grip the arms of his chair and he shakes violently for a couple of the longest and best seconds of my year. I wave, as does Brian, him only using one finger. Diego and I carry on, the day having improved dramatically.

A couple of blocks from home, square in the center of town, right in front of the barbershop, Diego’s back starts to arch and I get nervous as I know what’s coming. I look desperately around for a patch of grass for him to make his deposit. Seeing none, I just let him go. Sometimes I can drag him to a better spot than the middle of the sidewalk, but this morning we are in no man’s land. He hunkers down and lays a prodigious trophy. I say trophy because if it were a fish it would be hanging on the wall in the den of some great man’s home. Diego is not a small dog, but this seems a bit out of proportion to me. Sometimes I hate my dog.

My own enjoyment of the morning after the Brian episode somewhat diminished after Diego’s episode, I make a beeline for home. As I walk up the driveway, I sense that perhaps karma has smiled on me. Nearing the front door, I try to control my excitement so as to not be disappointed. Alas, as I enter my home, my dream has come true and as I walk to the kitchen my wife stands at the stove cooking bacon. I feel blessed and have forgiven any previous resentment and look forward again to the remarkable potential of the day.

[Do you have an opinion about life in Des Moines? Would you mind sharing it with our nearly 7,000 per month Unique Readers? You can either send it as a Letter to the Editor or a Guest Column – email us here, and thanks for Reading!]

Dear Editor,

Recently, the Des Moines Police Officers’ Guild started a website to pass on information to its members and the public. We, as a group, felt it was important to open a more effective line of communication with the citizens we serve and again our members. On our site you will find important links to other local guild’s web pages along with links to other law enforcement organizations.

Recently on our site, we have posted, with permission, a memo written by Chief Baker about the state of the Des Moines Police Department and how recent budget cuts have affected us and the voter approved 2006 Tax Levy Lid Lift. This memo is posted on the home page of the site under the “What’s New” section.

Please take the time to look over our site and contact me with any questions:

http://www.desmoinespoliceguild.com/

Thank you,
Kevin Montgomery
Vice President
Des Moines Police Officers’ Guild
kmontgomery@desmoinespoliceguild.com

Good things are happening in Des Moines!! Good people are doing them!!

I say this as a reminder that all news is not bad!! We have problems, certainly, but we also have plenty to feel good about. We have people that care about this town. This is a fantastic jumping off point for constructive dialogue about what type of town we want to live in, as so many issues hang in the air. Budget problems, economic development questions and even a parade, seem to stir strong feelings. This is great!! It demonstrates that people are thinking about this town. I applaud ANY strong opinion, even if I can’t stand that opinion. If it comes from a place of concern for Des Moines, I am grateful and I thank people for caring.

With that in mind, the recent war of words regarding a parade has inspired me to throw my own opinion into the hat. The parade “debate” speaks to where we place value. It represents what kind of town we want to live in. It is about more than money, as plenty of people would do it and have done it for free, maybe not the police, but certainly many others. A parade and other events are about reconstructing a livable city. Des Moines has become so lame, it truly borders on unlivable. Those words break my heart, as I am a child of this town and love it more than anyone I know. Des Moines needs fun stuff to do. This need is not a superficial, fickle, immediate-gratification-regardless-of-consequence type of desire. Events foster a sense of community and belonging to something that connects people. It connects residents to local businesses and neighbors to one another. More than anytime I can recall, in the forty years I have lived here, Des Moines needs to get connected. These connections matter. These connections are connected to quality of life. A town without these vital connections and a high quality of life is a town people don’t want to live in. The beautiful thing is that we can manifest and determine our quality of life by engaging with each other having some fun. This is great. It is a cause for hope that a genuine win/win is possible! As the folks lined the streets last summer, I was reminded of what Des Moines can be, a true community, a place where people can come together and enjoy this town and feel proud to be a part of it.

Value is here.

On a warm day in July, I watched my five-year old daughter walk the parade dressed up as an eggplant, following the Farmer’s Market entry. My wife was an apple and my ten-year old son carried a pitchfork, frankly unnerving me a little bit. The memory of this day is priceless. It is priceless to me and it is priceless to my kids and many other kids and parents and residents that set-up their chairs early to sit in the summer sun and watch our parade. This has value. It is real. It is tangible and it matters. I can think of nothing this town needs more than opportunities for people to get together and feel good about living here.
There are problems in this town. There is no money. This is understood and undeniable. What we do have is interested, passionate people with big hearts and creative minds willing to set to task making good things happen. This has value, as well. A town with a strong service base and folks that can and will support events that create a sense of community is a good investment. A town that people want to live in is a good investment for OPM. We need it.

Recognizing, promoting, encouraging and prioritizing this as a part of any economic development plan is vital to shaping Des Moines future. It is not all about the feely-goody. Fun and feeling good about Des Moines is good business!!

I am including a letter I e-mailed around a few months prior to last year’s Anniversary celebration. It created some buzz and stirred opinions and seems timely given the current debate. I named it, ironically, the “Waterland Manifesto”. The irony exists in taking fun very seriously and the value in making great memories for ourselves and our kids. We need to do more of that in our terrific little water town.

My Waterland Manifesto by Dave Markwell

"Am I the only one that misses the Waterland Festival?" - Dave Markwell

I’ve been very conflicted recently with my own feelings of allegiance to the Waterland festival and my involvement in and support of the current events scheduled for the citizens of Des Moines. I struggle with whether or not I might be an anomaly. Am I the only one that misses the Waterland Festival? Am I clinging to the past and not giving the future a fair shot? Am I really not as progressive as I think by continuing to pine for the Waterland week?

Growing up as a kid in Des Moines, I looked forward to two weeks out of the year, Christmas and Waterland. Waterland was the highlight and exclamation point on every summer that I can recall. From sitting on my dad’s shoulders watching the parade, to spending the night on my uncle’s boat on L dock all five Waterland nights, to the first time I rode my bike to Waterland with my buddies and no parents, to “accidentally” getting to second base on the Skydiver in the eighth grade, to the annual reunion of high school friends who invariably would show up on Friday night, to being both the first and last person in the beer garden on the same day (once), to setting up, tearing down, guarding the gate, picking up garbage, being a vendor, sponsor and parent of kids enjoying the same things I did, my memories and experiences are not just Waterland memories. They are my life’s memories. They are the best thing there is. I am not the only one that has these memories. Anyone growing up in Des Moines has their own vault of great Waterland days. It is a collective joy shared. From Wednesday fireworks, to Thursday kid’s day, to the funny boat race, arts and crafts, B & E Tri-tip, Lions Club corn on the cob, barbershop quartet to old time rock and roll and the Seafair pirate ship cannon blast during the parade, Waterland had something for everyone. The cool, salty breeze on a hot summer evening mixing with the whistles and screams of the games and rides made it perfect. It defined community event. It was of, by and for Des Moines located in the heart and soul of Des Moines, the marina. The Waterland Festival was not perfect, but it was ours. It was something that residents of Des Moines could be a part of and enjoy. People were there as families. Local businesses were set up and people met one another and friends were made, some lifelong.

It was a showcase of the best Des Moines had to offer. People came and saw and had fun. In a landslide, the good times far outweighed the bad.

Granted, the last few Waterlands were shaky. Organization, security and accountability were issues as were money and politics. However, I hold that the good experiences still triumphed over the negative by far. My question now is why can’t it be great again? Des Moines is at the cusp of a fantastic renaissance with new restaurants and businesses cropping up, as well as new families moving in. How could Waterland be bad? It is a huge event with opportunities for every business, community group or interested person to get involved. It provides the best venue around to highlight and truly showcase all that Des Moines has to offer. With the 50 year anniversary coming up, there is not a better event to celebrate the occasion. Waterland represents the good things in Des Moines history and could really help define and highlight its hopes for the future. I believe that the combination of the new, enthusiastic and engaged citizens with the tried and true veterans of Waterlands past could create magic. We know where the problems were. How can we fix them? Solutions exist.

Many creative, talented minds also exist in this town. It is time to revisit Waterland and explore the potential. It is real and it is great and totally consistent with what every person who lives here, works in, or serves this town wants. Knowing what the problems were allows a great chance for some changes to help mitigate the issues. Having a couple years break allows an opportunity to reshape the event in ways that will make it something everyone will be proud to get involved with. It can be done. More memories of kids sitting on their dad’s shoulders watching a parade in their hometown are just waiting to be made, hopefully by my kids.

Thanks for indulging my thoughts and I hope to see you at the next parade as the Pete’s Towing truck train marks the grand finale. It’s about the coolest thing there is.

–Dave Markwell

by Gina Bourdage

Set in the familiar location of Snoqualmie Pass, an unlikely group of travelers find themselves trapped by the snow-closed passes in “Snowbound,” which opens Friday, Jan. 15th at WLB Advertiser E.B. Foote Winery.

In the solitude of a quaint local inn, each guest is faced with conflicting personal struggles, not only with themselves but with the other guests as well. Learning that the local sheriff (a guy reminiscent of Barney Fife, played by Scott Green) is looking for an escaped convict only adds to their heightened sense of self preservation and sends each person seeking answers about who they can trust and what they are really looking for.

The cast of this Breeders Theater production showcases an array of experienced talent, all of whom holds your attention and keeps you guessing. Each actor brings a unique perspective to their role, including:

• Binky (played by Brenan Grant) the “emo” young man who relishes in his own misery.
• Lovely (played by Teresa Widner) whose out of control hormones seem to be too much for even her to handle at times let alone her trail of conquests.
• Ike (played by Martin J. Mackenzie) the innkeeper who had such a convincing of role of the friendly small town fellow whose trustworthy and friendly nature draws people to him.
• Glenda (played by Kelly Johnson), Binky’s mother, shows hints of a 50s sitcom housewife whose traditional values are challenged by raising a rebellious young man.
• Hank Thompson (played by Andrew Smith) the seemingly sincere, reliable and at times dryly sarcastic chef finds himself thrown into uncomfortable positions of his fellow traveler’s dilemmas.
• The young couple “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” (played by Stephen Scheide and Laura Smith) who find themselves in a suspicious bind that even they are unsure of how to resolve.

Each guest is presented with the overwhelming concern of not only wanting to avoid an encounter with the escaped convict, they have to question; could the convict be among them? Distracted by only their own egotistical veils, each person reveals humorous and deeper struggles among each other.

While I found each performance to be well played, I struggled with the level of general air-headedness that most of the women and at times the men possessed. Being confused is one thing, but as the script rolled along the naivety prevailed leaving me to question the characters’ intended intelligence.

The lack of an actual set was at first distracting for me; however the actors/characters got and kept my attention quickly enough for me to get past it. The theater in the round, or more like “audience as bookends,” might be new for some viewers, but brings a complete perspective to the show and allows you to see each scene as if you were actually there.

All in all this TM Sell play directed by Michael Brunk was humorous, charming and engaging while bringing a level of the traditional whodunnit to an unsuspecting ending that I can only say was jarringly layered and thought-provoking.

I would recommend not missing this performance of “Snowbound,” especially for Alfred Hitchcock and Twilight Zone fans, as the references are abundant…just be sure to bring a coat.

No, seriously – it can get a little chilly at E.B. Foote Winery this time of year.

Tickets are $20, and include the play, hors d’oeuvres and a wine tasting by E.B. Foote.

You can purchase them at the winery (127-B SW 153rd in Burien; 206-242-3582), at CorkyCellars here in Des Moines (206-824-9462) or online here.

by Mark Neuman

We had a regularly scheduled staff meeting at The Waterland Blog’s dorm room-like offices Wednesday morning, where a non-regularly scheduled question was asked.

“Hey Neuman. Can you do a review of the dress rehearsal of the comedy ‘Snowbound’ at E.B. Foote Winery (WLB Advertiser) tonight?”

“Well, uh, I’ve never actually reviewed an actual play before,” I stammered.

“Good,” said Blog Editor Scott Schaefer. “I’ll expect your review in the morning.”

Great. What do I do now?

Honesty is the best policy I reminded myself, so hours before I arrived at the winery, home of many Breeder Theater’s productions over the past several years, I “pre-wrote” my opening review paragraphs, which I now present, for the reader’s approval:

In the spirit of full disclosure it should be noted that, first of all, in addition to never having reviewed a play before, I met ‘Snowbound’s’ author, playwright T.M. Sell, almost a third of a century ago, while hanging out at the Highline Community College newsroom, where my pals would, late at night, put the school newspaper, The Thunderword, to bed, as they say in the biz.

Second, I intended the above paragraph to be as run-on-ish as it appears.

Third, I was lucky enough to have made the pleasant acquaintance of ‘Snowbound’s’ director, Michael Brunk, last year. He is a brilliant Photographer, and we work together with Schaefer on the blog.

Michael’s skill with the camera is amazing. He reaches the summit on his photographic mountain climbs so amazingly frequently that we blog staffers just stare skyward and declare: ‘Good Brunksmanship!’

And fourth, speaking of E.B. Foote Winery, I actually know THE E.B. Foote. The Footes were among my best friends growing up, going way back to first grade. Chris Foote and I visited his parents as they were just finishing building out their first winery, in South Park, also about a third of a century ago.

Okay. Full disclosure is out of the way.

At the winery Wednesday night, minutes before the house lights did what house lights do just before a play is about to start, I looked over and Thank Goodness there was my blog colleague Gina Bourdage, with her friend Jack, who reminds one of a quiet and calm Jack Black.

“I’ll be doing the review of the play tonight,” said Gina, confidently. Wisely, Schaefer had recalculated the assignment.

“And I’ll just tell the story of a Regular Joe such as myself who never sees theater,” I responded.

“Fine,” smiled Gina as she and Mr. Black moved on.

Relieved, to say the least, that Ms. Bourdage would handle the rough stuff, I felt free to muse over and note such things as the jar full of multicolored M&M’s at the table of hors d’oeuvres.

“M&M’s at the hors d’oeuvres table!” I said to myself, because, well, no one else was within earshot. “Clearly Sell’s and Brunk’s contracts demanded the confection. And just as clearly, the winery refused to be limited to just one color, Led Zeppelin style. Or was it The Who? Lynyrd Skynyrd? Well, anyway.”

Gina will provide details of the play under a different headline, but let me give you a thumbnail of “Snowbound”:

Dean Martin plays an airline pilot who has an affair with a beautiful flight attendant, played by Jacqueline Bisset…

Then…oops, sorry…those are my notes from the first film I reviewed, “Airport,” for the Lafayette Elementary School Gazette back in 1970.

Let’s see here. Lemme get a little better organized. Okay. Here we go:

“Snowbound” is a mirthful production that concerns a group of unique personalities stuck in a lodge near the pass, just off I-90, in a wicked snow storm. The roads are all closed for the foreseeable future. And wouldn’t you know it? An inmate has escaped from the state pen in Monroe. A killer, perhaps? Is he among those stuck in the lodge?

What will T.M Sell think of next? See the play (it starts this Friday, Jan. 15th), and find out. It’s terrific, especially for the $20 price, which includes wine tastings, hors d’ouevres and of course, a great and entertaining play chock full of lots of Sellishness and Brunksmanship (you can buy tickets online here).

Stage Manager, Andrew Pogue, when asked before the show what advice he gives to anyone about to stage manage their first play, said: “Don’t start out with ‘Annie.’ And use checklists. Lots and lots of checklists.”

When asked after the dress rehearsal by this reporter what advice he had for anyone wanting to write their first play, T.M. Sell said “Know what you want to write, and stick with it. The initial writing part is relatively easy. It’s the rewriting process that can be difficult.”

He then said “Now Neuman, please go away and don’t contact me again for another third of a century.” (Just kidding, folks.)

Nancy Warren arranged the music and sang beautifully. Word is that regular Breeder Theater goers complain if Nancy does not sing somewhere during a performance.

An audience member, who I will refer to as “Becky” because, well, her name IS Becky, said “Of the four Breeder Theater plays I’ve seen, ‘Snowbound’ is the funniest. I laughed repeatedly.”

Kelly Johnson, who plays Glenda, the mother of Binky, has been acting since childhood. She has advice for prospective actors about to read for their first part: “Go bravely,” said the auburn beauty.

Go, ready to enjoy yourself, to “Snowbound.” I heartily recommend it. It runs through January 31st.

On this Thanksgiving 2009, we here at The Waterland Blog are ever-so-thankful for all our Readers, Advertisers and Contributors, and we send our heartiest, cranberry-soakiest, stuffingist, yammiest, Tofurkeyturdukenist wishes to everyone!

Unless something big happens, we’re all taking the day off to engorge ourselves with our dysfunctional families and friends.

Here are some of the things us Waterland Bloggers are thankful for this year:

“I’m thankful for the diverse range of people who call this area their home. I’m thankful for the smiling faces I see at local businesses that I frequent. I’m thankful for the gorgeous views and beaches of Des Moines. I’m especially thankful that there’s always something going on here, which means we’re never at a loss for content. I’m thankful for everyone who helps with this blog, which is growing every day. And last but not least, I am thankful for my family and friends!” – Scott Schaefer

Thankful for all our wonderful customers at WLB. Thankful for our readers at WLB. Thankful for everyone who enjoyed our pumpkin-based chili at the Chili Cookoff! - Janet Grella

“I am thankful we live in a nation with a free economy and a strong and indefatigable First Amendment, where an upstart neighborhood blog such as The Waterland Blog can birth itself, thrive and grow. This simply is not the case in many other parts of the world.” - Mark Neuman

The stuff I am thankful for are the people and staff that contribute to the blog and their genuine care and involvement in our communities.
The growth and progress of the amazing small business owners we have. We are lucky they are here. The readers!!! I couldn’t be more excited to hear of our numbers and see that people really care about the stories we are able to provide. - Gina Bourdage

I am thankful for family and pets, for good friends, for good health, and for work even in this recession. And for a suburban city like Des Moines that fosters a sense of community, and looks to the future with optimism. And for the men and women of the Des Moines Police Department and our firefighters who help protect us. And for the men and women from the area who serve in America’s armed forces. And for the Waterland Blog, which provides a real source of news and information for the community. And for all the little things in life that matter a lot. - Ralph Nichols

“I’m thankful for all of the parks and beautiful trees (especially during the fall) that make the area so very pretty and easy to enjoy. Happy Thanksgiving!!” – Amy Bouska

“I am thankful for everybody who contributed to our food bank fundraisers, knowing that everything they did will help the less fortunate in the area. I hope to see everyone at our next one at Tin Cellars in Burien on Tuesday, Dec. 8th!” - Bart Bryan

“I’m thankful for the ability to do whatever the hell I want – I’m going backpacking in Costa Rica soon! I’m also thankful for my youth and my irresponsibility! – Danielle Burton

Here’s some Turkeyday artwork to enjoy from our youthful, irresponsible artist Danielle Burton:

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

What are YOU thankful for? Please leave a Comment below…

Dear Editor –

It is election time again and there is confusion in the craft. So many good people, all wanting to serve the community and in as many different ways, have stood up to the scrutiny of voters. From each candidate comes a word or two that they know voters really want to hear or read about. The voter’s pamphlet lays open on our table and it is eagerly analyzed but rarely fully understood. So when you evaluate each individual and come up empty or undecided, it is time to look at all of the issues confronting us today, this year, and onwards.

A few very important items glare up as you read, line by line, all of the propositions and positions taken by the candidates. It becomes a choice, not so much of which person to vote for, but what they stand for. Proceeding down the list of issues, we are made, painfully aware, that our little city of Des Moines is running on empty when it comes to finances and action must be forthcoming to bail us out. This immediately begs the question:

“How long did it take us to get to such a sad, sorry state, and how much is the recession actually responsible for this?”

Instead of looking backward to find causes and assign blame, we need to decide how to get back on our feet and return to the proud existence that was once enjoyed by our fellow citizens. We find that two major items before us are; the need to maintain a suitable police presence and preserving parks and recreation facilities, both nearly on equal footing. Now, realistically, you can deny the good judgment of our chief of police Roger Baker and start carrying a sidearm while looking over your shoulder or you can argue strongly for holding onto what we have. The first priority that a city has toward its citizens is a comprehensive blanket of security. All else becomes secondary, especially when you see graffiti on walls and fences declaring “territorial rights”.

I would like to share my thoughts about what I think would make Des Moines a better more attractive destination and tourist Mecca:

• At the first opportunity there would be a closure of Marine View Drive one or two weekends a year for street vendors, rerouting traffic through 7th Avenue but only during the events.
• A small seafood shop like Ivar’s would be encouraged to set up down on the northern end of the marina.
• There would be a large gazebo erected where the “Big Catch” plaza is now for occasional entertainers and kid things.
• Our city leaders would begin selling the sizzle of Des Moines instead of the steak. Why not partner with a little east coast village as a “sister city” such as Nantucket or Provincetown?
• In the process we could also encourage a casino to open nearer to the marina and add to our revenue base.
• In the summer it seems that a water taxi visiting and bringing tourists is an ideal goal.

Many of these things depend on a little more leeway on the part of our permit and building staff and the ability of the new council to present a much more friendly face to prospective residents and businesses. Oh and why not lease the Des Moines Cinema to the parks and recreation department such as the one in Auburn?

Our city of Des Moines has promise; you candidates and incumbents need to make some promises that you can keep.

- Pat Nardo

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Have something you'd like to say? Then email us a Letter to the Editor by clicking here, and pending our review, we'll most likely post it. You can also leave a Comment below...]

The citizens of Des Moines have an opportunity this election to stand with tradition and stand with their children, seniors and community.

It was 41 years ago that the people of King County approved the Forward Thrust measure to build 16 pools across the county so that our children could be taught to swim and combat the grim statistics which, even today, record that nine Americans drown every day – three of them children. Today, many of those pools have closed, victims of communities that just don’t care enough.

Over the last two months of campaigning, I’ve heard time and again from the city council candidates about how bad things are here in Des Moines. But I’m here to report about something that’s right with our community: the job that’s being done at Mount Rainier Pool.

Since Mount Rainier Pool finally opened its doors in 1975, tens of thousands of kids have learned to swim, to perform CPR and learned lifesaving skills that keep them, and all of us safer here in the “Waterland City.”

Teaching kids to swim is the No. 1 priority, but there’s so much more. Seniors and the infirm are maintaining their mobility and lengthening their lives through low-impact water aerobics programs. Faith Callahan last week celebrated her 105th birthday and attributes her continued good health to her three-days-a-week regimen at the pool.

Our high school and swim clubs are producing some of the best swimmers in the state – young athletes who go on to represent us at the collegiate, national and international levels. Remember that the fastest woman in the world in the 200m IM, Ariana Kukors, practices at Mount Rainier Pool. The best men’s 200 fly swimmer in the Big Ten, Scott Rice of the University of Wisconsin, only a few years ago led the Mount Rainier Rams to three consecutive 3A state championships.

We have numerous young servicemen and women who credit their physical fitness and leadership skills to time spent at Mount Rainier Pool. US Marines Christopher Sharpe and Christopher Burrage both sing high praise for their association with youth programs at the pool.

And how remarkable is it that once a month Pacific Middle School kids fill the pool for safe, supervised water activities on Friday nights?

This hasn’t happened by accident. It’s happened because this community cares about its young people. It cares about its seniors. And even now, during the current hard economic times, this community understands that preserving these opportunities is well worth the approximately $1 per week, per household, it will take to keep Mount Rainier Pool open for this and future generations. That’s it, for the average homeowner, a buck a week.

You’ve done good Des Moines. Let’s keep up the tradition! Vote YES! on Prop. 1.

Gene Achziger, for
Save Our Swimming

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Have something you'd like to say? Then email us a Letter to the Editor by clicking here, and pending our review, we'll most likely post it.]

Letter to the editor:

Parks, Recreation and Senior Services builds community and enhances your quality of life.

What is important to you?

The Des Moines Legacy Foundation was established in 1999 to support Des Moines Parks, Recreation and Senior Services to help ensure that Des Moines remains a beautiful, healthy, safe and caring place to raise our children and enjoy retirement.

Every day our lives are enriched by the work of Parks, Recreation and Senior Services preserving our environment, nurturing our children, providing activities, services and events for our citizens regardless of age, access needs, ability to pay, and connecting and celebrating our community.

We believe that parks and recreation programs are the foundation of our community that contributes to the social, physical and mental health, safety and security, economic and environmental fabric of the community; essential building blocks for healthy families and citizens. These are important values to the citizens of Des Moines and are necessary to make Des Moines a livable community.

The City of Des Moines has for many years faced severe financial challenges due to the lack of a sustainable tax base. As reported in the September edition of the City Currents, due to the economic slowdown the City reduced expenses by cutting over ten positions, negotiating several “give backs” from employees, closing City Hall and all non-essential operations for five days, and keeping a lid on all expenditures for materials, supplies, and services. The Parks, Recreation and Senior Services Department also increased program fees, ended non-revenue producing programs and special events, and severely reduced park maintenance to a level below 1994 standards.

For 2010, the City is facing an additional $2M cut due to more reductions to sales and property taxes. Proposals have been made to close many of your recreation programs and parks to offset the budget shortfall. These cuts would drastically reduce or bring an end to youth and adult sports programs, before and after school programs, camps, fitness programs, facilities such as the Field House and Steven J. Underwood Memorial Park, and reduce maintenance further or close many of the parks in your neighborhoods.

Share your vision for Des Moines with its leadership!

The Des Moines Legacy Foundation asks you to take a moment and let your elected officials know how important Parks, Recreation and Senior Services are to your family and to the community.

• E-mail the Mayor and Des Moines City Council at: citycouncil@desmoineswa.gov
• Attend a City Council meeting on Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. and provide public comment
• Write the Des Moines Mayor and City Council at:
  City of Des Moines
  21630 11th Avenue South
  Des Moines, WA 98198

Contribute to your community and make a lasting difference.

The Des Moines Legacy Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit whose purpose is to raise funds and provide financial support for community programs, park enhancements and to serve the less fortunate in our community. Your donations can be directed to support youth and senior scholarships or to sponsor a specific recreation or senior services program; contribute to park amenities such as play equipment, picnic tables and memorial benches; rehabilitate the historic Field House Grandstand or to support community events such as Fireworks Over Des Moines and the Des Moines Farmers Market. Your investment at any level will help the legacy continue!

Please help us keep Des Moines a family community.

Together we can build a brighter future through parks, recreation and senior services in the Des Moines community!

Sincerely,
Clark B. Snure, President
Des Moines Legacy Foundation

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Have something you'd like to say? Then email us a Letter to the Editor by clicking here, and pending our review, we'll most likely post it.]

Police chiefs from King and Snohomish counties voiced their concerns at a press conference in Burien Wednesday morning (Oct. 21) about potential impacts of Initiative 1033 on public safety – especially in smaller cities.

But they stopped short of opposing the revenue-limiting ballot measure. Public officials are prohibited by state law from campaigning for or against ballot proposals as well as candidates.

Instead, said Scott Kimerer, Burien police chief and chairman of the King County Police Chiefs Association (KCPCA), “People have a right to make their own decisions on how to vote. But they need to be informed….

“We are encouraging citizens to ask their city governments what effect I-1033 would have on their ability to provide services if it is successful.”

Kimerer and Des Moines Police Chief Roger Baker represented Highline cities at the press conference.

I-1033 would limit future growth in the revenue cities, counties and the state could take in, based on annual growth in inflation and population. Revenues above the limit would be used to reduce property taxes.

“Already reeling from tough economic times that have seen 15 to 20 percent reductions in revenues, the financial analysis indicates that police services, many of which have already experienced budget cuts this year, could be further restricted to the point of struggling to meet the needs of their citizens’ public safety concerns,” Kimerer said.

“Police budgets generally represent half or more of cities’ general fund expenditures,” he added. And there has been “a 30 percent drop in cities’ anticipated enrollment of new hires in the (state) police academy” in Burien.

The impact of I-1033, if approved in the November election, Kimerer said in response to a question, also could delay North Highline annexation by Burien, which now is expected to take place in late March. Residents of the southern part of the unincorporated area voted 56 percent to 44 percent in August to become part of the city.

Burien City Manager Mike Martin, who attended the press conference, concurred with Kimerer’s assessment.

“If people want less government, they will get less government,” Martin said. “There will be fewer departments and less people (police officers) on the street.”

Kimmerer said “the easily discernable impacts of I-1033 can be found by examining the general funds and budgets of the 82 percent of suburban cities in King County having a population of fewer than 50,000. These cities function with a small margin to provide all the needed services and are very transparent in their budget process and revenues.”

Statewide, 94 percent of all cities have populations less than 50,000.

Marysville Police Chief Rick Smith, chairman of the Snohomish County Police Chiefs and Sheriffs Association, said his department experienced sharp cuts due to the recession this year. Further cuts, should I-1033 pass, “could impair our ability to provide services to our city….

“The whole criminal justice system (including prosecutors, courts and jails) would be impacted, maybe significantly,” Smith said. “We just don’t know. The bottom line is for citizens to ask officials what impact 1033 would have on their city.”

Any cuts in the budgets of local law enforcement agencies “minimizes our response,” he added.

One problem with I-1033, said one police chief who spoke on condition of anonymity, is that it “targets state government, large counties and large cities” without taking into account the different circumstances of smaller cities and counties.

by Bob Sheckler
Mayor, City of Des Moines

November’s election for three City Council members comes at a critical time in Des Moines. First and foremost, our city faces a $2 million revenue shortfall. By the time the Council members elected in November take office in January, the 2010 budget will have been adopted.

The new Council must deal with multiple impacts from sharp budget cuts that, by law, must be made by Dec. 31 – and with a struggling business community buffeted hard by the lingering recession.

This is why, for the first time ever as mayor, I find it of major importance to endorse publicly the candidates who, I believe, can best serve Des Moines during these hard times and will best guide Des Moines to a brighter future.

Having observed two of these candidates during my six years as presiding officer of the council, and having observed all candidates on the ballot at every campaign forum held during the last two weeks, I endorse strongly:

• Matt Pina for Position 1
• Carmen Scott for Position 3
• Dave Kaplan for Position 7

As City Council members, both Carmen and Dave do their homework, study the issues, and make reasoned and deliberate decisions – based on logic rather than emotion – to provide a local government that enhances the safety, quality of life, and economic well-being of all our citizens and businesses. As a past Highline School Board member, Matt has shown that he will bring the same kind of advocacy for our city to the next Council.

And, from the perspective of a presiding officer, I would have done exactly what Councilman Dave Kaplan did – run against Councilwoman Susan White in her bid for re-election. On too many occasions she comes unprepared to Council meetings. She also has jeopardized the City several times by stating her opinions during public hearings before all testimony has been received. Des Moines both needs and deserves better.

Councilwoman Carmen Scott has a breadth and depth of proven experience that is difficult to find on a council in a city this size. By contrast, her opponent had no actual experience before running for City Council – and has seemed inept when it comes to city issues in her answers at candidate forums.

Matt Pina has incredible experience from his years on the Highline School Board. It is obvious at the candidate forums that he understands the critical issues facing our city and comes prepared – essential attributes for a council member. On the other hand, his opponent, too, is lacking in actual public experience and awareness of the issues.

One only would have had to listen to these people during candidate forums in the past two weeks, when the contrasting qualities of the candidates have become readily apparent.

It is important to note, again, that the next City Council will deal not with “window dressing” and “feel good” issues. The recession that has impacted every state, county and city has stalled plans for development of several projects, large and small, in Des Moines, and depressed local economic growth. As a city, we now must continue to plan for new development, new growth, and renewed economic vitality.

Regrettably, some in our community – council members, candidates, and citizens – do not share this vision. They cling to a “no-growth, status quo” attitude that, if allowed to expand, would relegate Des Moines to second-class status, thereby diminishing the quality of life for all residents and downgrading the economy for our local businesses.

Dave, Carmen and Matt, however, are leaders we can count on to help us weather this economic crisis and move into a better future, not by looking behind as some would prefer to do, but by always looking ahead and moving the city forward.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Have something you'd like to say? Then email us a Letter to the Editor by clicking here, and pending our review, we'll most likely post it.]

[EDITOR'S NOTE: The following is a Guest Editorial by Des Moines resident Greg Fox:]

by Greg Fox

With the recent public outcry that the city has no money and needs new development downtown, the question that many (including several councilmembers which is a bit puzzling) have asked is:

WHY IS THERE NO NEW DEVELOPMENT?

I believe there are a number of reasons why – let’s look at a few:

1. LACK OF WATER:
   Water District 54 supplies the water to the downtown area. After years of lying (as in not telling the truth) it was discovered that the water district has done no upgrades to its water system for some time. They have continually told the city and the fire department that water is not a problem (they still stand by that statement), but, in fact, there is a definite lack of water. The fire department has made the statement that if there were a major fire downtown, the fire department could possibly suck the water lines dry and collapse the system. Kind of scary if you really think about it. In order to build in the area, the buildings have to be a much higher fire rated construction (read that as more expensive-at least 50% more cost than if there were enough water). The city has known this for some time now (years). This was discussed by the council several times, but to no avail. It was put on the back burner before the last election and since there is no new development planned, it is not now an issue.
2. NO POWER:
   Puget Sound Energy supplies the electricity to the area. Much of the downtown area has only single phase power available. What this means is that the equipment (elevators, lights, heaters, air conditioners etc…) in the buildings is not as efficient (and costs more to operate) and the equipment is much more expensive (or not available) than if three phase power were there. PSE has said that it would cost approximately $100,000 to upgrade the electrical grid in the downtown area and they were not going to pay for it.
3. CITY REQUIREMENTS:
   The city zoning regulations allow for only a maximum of three stories above grade in the downtown area (a council person lives just above the downtown area and is insistent that the rules be enforced to the letter as he does not want his view of the sound impeded). The zoning code also requires that the buildings are to be mixed use (the bottom floor is commercial and the upper floors are residential with parking underground). Then there are those pesky noise reduction requirements (such as special sound reducing glass which is at least 50% more costly than normal glass) that the FAA requires and is strictly enforced by the building department.

What all of this means is that the cost of construction is much higher than in Seattle or other adjacent communities. The developers know this and go somewhere that is more builder friendly and less expensive to build. Thus no new development!

There is no easy or inexpensive or fast fix to this dilemma. What the city needs to do is take the water away from District 54 and give to another water district that will upgrade the system (this has been explored and another water system was willing and capable of upgrading the water lines). They also need to get PSE into action and install a new system capable of meeting future demands.

Also, ease up on the zoning requirements. Many developers have stated that one or two additional stories would make the difference between being economically viable or not.

Is the view more important? Or the loss of parks and rec and other city services?

You decide, it’s your city!

[EDITOR'S NOTE: The Waterland Blog strives to serve the community of Des Moines by posting frequently-updated, relevant news stories, events and other information, as well as serve as a Forum for civil discussion amongst its residents. It is in this spirit that we encourage our Readers to email us their own stories or "guest editorials," and as long as they meet our standards and are not libelous, we'll post them. Readers are also encouraged to leave Comments below each story. Thanks for your continued support!]

by Scott Schaefer
Publisher/Editor

Last Tuesday (Oct. 6th), we first broke the news that Des Moines City Manager Tony Piasecki was proposing the cutting of the entire Parks and Recreation Department for his 2010 budget.

Some people, including many city councilmembers, apparently claimed that this news was “false.”

“False“?

How is this breaking news “false”? If so, please enlighten us as to our mistakes and we’ll happily correct or retract it.

Even our local news media “competition” posted a story that called our report “misleading,” using the following language as a cutline to a photo:

“Residents flocked to a Des Moines Council meeting after a misleading blog posting implied that lawmakers were thinking of cutting all parks and recreation programs.”

Let the record show that we stand 100% behind our original posting, which we still believe to be 100% accurate. Of course, it’s easy to call something “false” or “misleading,” but seeing that nobody has yet come forward to correct us or tell us what the alleged “false” information is, we still believe we published the following truth:

That City Manager Tony Piasecki had drafted a proposal to cut the entire Des Moines’ Parks & Recreation Department and programs (excluding senior programs).

This website, while it contains the apparently-frightening term “blog” (oooh…run away – a website that actually allows users to interact!) in its title, is run by professional journalists, including yours truly, who has won several national awards for writing, along with many others who once worked for the competition. We post only accurate stories, and verify each one; this one was no exception as it was verified with numerous, well-placed sources within Des Moines city staff before it was posted.

The one analogy that comes to mind reminds me of two of my heroes – Woodward and Bernstein (you know, the guys who broke the Watergate story in the 70s?), and how they must’ve felt once the Nixon administration started denying the truth of their breaking news. So I actually take this as a good sign – that The Waterland Blog has the guts to actually report news first, before it receives and publishes an official press release (and don’t get me started on the laziness of other local media and how they basically just reprint press releases…).

Personally, I think it may boil down to the hurt egos of our local politicians. I believe they are upset because they learned about these proposed cuts from a “local blog,” which, in my humble opinion, is providing something this city hasn’t experienced in years:

ACTUAL JOURNALISM.

Thanks,

[EDITOR'S NOTE: The following is a Guest Editorial by Des Moines resident Leslie Newman:]

Des Moines Citizens, Residents, Business Owners, Neighbors, Voters, Tax Payers, and City Council Members;

It is my understanding that tonight (Thursday, Oct. 8th) at 7:00 PM in council chambers the Des Moines City Council will be meeting to discuss budget cuts. It is my understanding that the proposed budget cut is the ELIMINATION OF THE CITY OF DES MOINES PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.

I am encouraging all of you to either please show up for this meeting on Thursday to let your voice be heard or, to email, call, or stop by city hall to express your concerns over this proposed cut.

What this budget cut means:

• Closing of City Parks and Recreation Department
• Closing of the Des Moines Field House
• Elimination of all Parks and Rec Employees
• Elimination of all programs that our children and seniors participate in
• Elimination of after school programs
• Elimination of Camp Khaos

If this comes to fruition, this will have a huge impact on our Senior Citizens. Where will the seniors take their exercise classes with a closed field house? Where will our Senior Citizen softball league practice and play their games with closed ball fields? This means closing of Underwood Memorial Park, and closing of our ballfields.  The City of Des Moines recently received a $100,000 grant for upgrading of our grandstand (the original King County Park No. 1) at the field house.  The city has in place plans for the renovation of that much used field and has spent a portion of those grant funds.  If the city is to close the grandstands and ballpark at the field house, the city has to pay that grant back.

Do you really want this to happen?  This would mean that all of our parks would be closed, shut down, fences put around them.  (If you were not aware, this was proposed last year and in a last ditch effort, the parks and rec employees along with a few citizens begged and pleaded for this not to happen).  There were major cuts made to parks, rec, and senior services and several parks and rec employees lost their jobs or had their hours cut.

We cannot be apathetic.  It is no secret that the communities surrounding our city including the cities of Federal Way, Normandy Park, Burien, Seatac, Tukwila, Kent, continue to grow and thrive and make needed and necessary changes to growth, development, and community centers in their downtown cores.  If you have had opportunity to visit any of these surrounding cities you will see continued growth in spite of economic downturns, you will see new businesses opening, parks being maintained, added, community centers being built.  Have you seen the new YMCA in Seatac?  Have you seen the growth and development in downtown Burien?  Have you seen the activity in both Seatac and Tukwila along with the new proposed community center with new residential condominiums in Tukwila?  Have you seen or been stopped behind the new construction on 1st Avenue in Normandy Park? Have you seen the new ShoWare Center in Kent?

The City of Des Moines Police Budget is 65% of the cities overall budget.  The surrounding communities in the region have police budgets at 48% of their city budget.  Do we really want to be a police state?  Do you really want to have no services, fields, parks, rec programs available to our residents?  Police services are important but if we have no places or activities for our citizens to participate in, can you imagine how crime will rise?  Cities that do not have active rec programs for their citizens and do not have places for people to go and places for young people to hang out have higher crime rates than those cities whose focus is community activities and centers.

Studies and statistics show that those neighborhoods with focus on parks, recreation, strong schools, strong senior programs are the communities that people look to when choosing a place to move.  If you have had a chance to travel or visit other thriving cities in our area – Kirkland, Redmond, Renton, Kent, Edmonds, Bellevue, Bainbridge Island, Mercer Island, West Seattle, Tukwila, Seatac, Burien, Normandy Park you will see a huge community and city council focus on schools, parks, recreation, economic development, and growth and change.

There will be no growth in our city if we do not speak up and vote for change in the upcoming city council elections.  As a resident for the past 10 years in the City of Des Moines, I have seen little change in the downtown core.  I have seen many businesses open their doors only to have to close them due to lack of foot traffic.  The city needs to make major changes and have a whole new focus, vision, and plan if Des Moines is going to survive.  Many cities have faced budget cuts but those cities whose focus has remained on providing places and activities for people have been the cities that have thrived the most.

What will happen to your property values when the parks have fences put up around them?  We have seen problems with our property values because of increased air traffic from the airport and the third runway.  We have difficulty selling our homes because purchasers are more interested in the communities surrounding ours that seem to have more progressive minded leaders looking for ways to increase growth, economic development, and activities for the residents.

Please make your voice heard.  The candidates and incumbents for city council are speaking at different venues in the next several weeks. I would encourage you to attend and listen to their positions on growth, economic development, and change, or, if you prefer, the North Hill Community Club will be hosting the candidates on Tuesday October 13, 2009 at 7:00 pm.

- Leslie Newman
Owner/Managing Broker
RE/MAX All City (Burien, WA)
Des Moines Resident

[EDITOR'S NOTE: The Waterland Blog strives to serve the community of Des Moines by posting frequently-updated, relevant news stories, events and other information, as well as serve as a Forum for civil discussion amongst its residents. It is in this spirit that we encourage our Readers to email us their own stories or "guest editorials," and as long as they meet our standards and are not libelous, we'll post them. Readers are also encouraged to leave Comments below each story. Thanks for your continued support!]

Sgt. John Urquhart of the King County Sheriff’s Department sent us the following article Friday afternoon (Oct. 2nd), where he attempts to clarify budget cuts that will affect police officers, as proposed on Monday (Sept. 28th) by current King County Executive Kurt Triplett.

Here’s Sgt. Urquhart’s rebuttal to Triplett’s announcement:

The King County budget is incredibly complicated…some might even say convoluted! Attached is my effort to clarify one aspect: the cuts contemplated by the Exec’s Office to the Sheriff’s Office as a result of the North Highline annexation to Burien.

John

Budget 101: The Cuts to Cops on the Streets

There has been some confusion over budget numbers released by the Sheriff’s Office Wednesday (Sept. 30th), and statements made by the Executive’s Budget Office. This should clear up at least some of the confusion.

Burien residents voted on August 25th 18th to annex a relatively small area into their city. It’s officially called “North Highline”. The annexation officially occurs about March 1, 2010.

Here’s a map of the area:

It is 1,700 acres (about 2.6 square miles) and includes 14,100 people.

The Sheriff’s Office already provides police service to the area since it is in unincorporated King County. For 24/7 365 day coverage, it takes seven officers, as well as a part-time detective for investigations and a part-time sergeant for supervision. Call it eight police officers.

With the area soon to be part of Burien, the eight officers are no longer needed so their costs for King County go away because the city will take over police duties in North Highline in March.

The average cost for a Sheriff’s Office employee is $100,000 a year, including salary, benefits, and equipment. Remember, that’s an average……some are higher and some are lower.

Therefore the “avoided cost” to King County due to the North Highline annexation, if annualized, is about $800,000 (eight deputies X $100,000 each). However the since the annexation doesn’t take place until March 1st, the 2010 avoided cost is $666,666 (10 months of $800,000). Pretty simple.

It would be entirely appropriate to take that amount out of the Sheriff’s Office budget for 2010, since that is the savings when deputies won’t be providing police service in the area.

However, rather than $666,666, the Executive’s Office is removing nearly $3.5 million from the Sheriff’s Office budget in 2010. The amount is specifically labeled as a result of the “North Highline Annexation” in several budget documents. (Those documents are available for review in the Sheriff’s Office, or are certainly available from the Executive’s Budget Office.)

So that forces a reduction in Sheriff’s Office staff of 35 positions specifically because of the North Highline Annexation ($100,000 X 35 = $3.5 million).

However it is likely that eight of those positions will be hired by the city of Burien, (one of our contract cities) for police duties in North Highline beginning March 1st.

That means the number of lost positions (35) can be reduced by eight, leaving a net loss to unincorporated King County of 27 deputies.

Note that 27 deputies is exactly the number listed in Communications Director Carolyn Duncan’s press release on Monday, Sept. 28th (link here).

However the lost positions are not listed anywhere in budget documents. This masks the cuts to cops on the street.

So the obvious question: If the cost savings to King County is $666,666 due to the North Highline annexation, why cut the Sheriff’s Office by $3.5 million…more than five times higher than it should be?

Good question. We’ve asked. So far, the Sheriff’s Office has not been provided the documentation behind the cuts.

by Jack Kniskern
Special to The Waterland Blog

The Concours d’Elegance Italian Car Show took place a few Sundays ago at the Des Moines Marina, and days prior I met a woman named Janie at The Reuben, where she was hanging a poster to advertise the event.  She shared that they prefer the Des Moines Marina to any venue they had previously tried in Seattle. Despite the rain, many attended and hope many more will again next year.

A flower merchant at the Des Moines Farmers’ Market shared that he sold more flowers in Des Moines than at the Seattle Pike Place Market. The market is growing in size and significance, and it is important that we the citizens of the Des Moines Community not only visit this lively community activity, but also patronize it with our purchases – so please make a point to come down every Saturday to the South Marina Park between 10am and 2pm, and remember that the final day is Halloween (Oct. 31st).

Above comments suggest that the Destination Des Moines concept is catching on. Wednesday night concerts in Des Moines Beach Park, and the Flute Quest held with workshops at Saltwater State Park and concerts at Highline Community College were great successes. Continuation and expansion of events such as these can have significant impact on the Des Moines Community.

The city of Des Moines is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The city and it’s citizens should also solidify common aspirations for the next 50 years. Here are three important topics suggested for serious deliberation,.policy making, and decision making:

• How to best save, preserve and operate the Mt Rainier Swimming Pool?
• How to determine and implement the best future use of the Des Moines Elementary School site and buildings?
• How to best contribute to the purification of th waters of Puget Sound?

Community Betterment Teamwork is suggested as the process for addressing community betterment issues. This writing is offered as a starting comment to the Waterlandblog. It is suggested that a hierarchy of communication can grow on the blog, in ways yet to be determined.

Finally, the Waterland Blog itself has great potential to grow as a community betterment tool, and help to feature and cultivate ASPIRATIONS FOR DES MOINES.

More thoughts to follow…

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Jack Kniskern is a retired Architect and longtime Des Moines Rotary Club member. He designed many buildings in Des Moines, such as the City Council Chamber Building and Auntie Irene’s. Jack also participates in the Rotary Dictionaries by the Dozens project which has given every third grade student in Des Moines a dictionary every year for the past five years. Jack got his Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University off Washington and Master of Architecture degree from MIT. We are happy to have him as our latest Contributor to The Waterland Blog! Read more about Jack here.]

by T.M. Sell, Ph.D.
Special to the Waterland Blog

On the eve of an important primary election in Des Moines, we should consider the question of economic development within the city.

Economic development is always a subject over which reasonable people can disagree, even in a city such as ours, where reasonable people sometimes appear to be in short supply.

But the bottom line is that since the end of the car-tab equalization fund, which propped up the budgets of cash-poor cities such as Des Moines, the city has been chronically short of cash, all the while carrying a frankly deserved reputation as a very difficult place to do business.

One school of thought is that Des Moines is fine the way it is, and anybody who wants to do business here should:

A. Pay heavily for the privilege

B. Not impact the (non-existent) parking problem (if you don’t have any businesses, how is there a parking problem?)

C. Not disrupt anybody’s view of the water.

This school of thought argues that a planned development in the Pacific Ridge area between Pacific Highway South and Interstate 5 should not have been given any tax breaks, which the City Council approved earlier this year.

So great was the outcry from the losing side in this debate that they went out and recruited a slate of candidates to take out the evil people responsible for this travesty of justice.

Opponents of the development argue that the tax breaks will push the taxes onto the rest of us. Even so, they are quite happy to ask you to raise your property taxes to maintain a swimming pool that the city can’t afford to operate.

The city should have the pool – a lot of people use it. It should have after-school programs for kids; it should have open and well-maintained parks; it should have enough employees to do all the things a city is supposed to do.

The reason it can’t is because Des Moines has a woefully inadequate tax base. Statewide statistics show that Des Moines has the lowest per capita sales tax receipts of any city over 20,000 in the entire state, and the second lowest above 10,000. We also rank low in property tax receipts.

So Des Moines needs some business. Downtown right now is an attractive mix of nail salons, espresso stands and vacant lots; Pacific Ridge meanwhile leads the city in police calls. Shopping in Des Moines largely means driving to Burien or Federal Way.

And the city is tough to do business with, to the point where I don’t think hardly anybody on the council understands. For example, some city council members thought that as a condition of giving Highline College (my employer) a building permit for redeveloping the Marine Science and Technology Center in Redondo, the college should have to build a parking garage.

Now there is a parking problem in Redondo, but it’s on nights and weekends, when the college facility typically isn’t open. One council member thought the college should build a bridge from the MaST to Salty’s. Apparently, the college is sitting on a vast pot of money which we are free to use to solve the city’s problems.

A couple of years ago when the college was building its new Instructional Computing Center, a city engineer proceeded to demand that the college put in a sidewalk on a street off campus that had no relation to the college or the computing center. I approached a city councilman about this ridiculous request, which violated state law, and his only response was “He’s a good city employee.”

The college is a large institution and we can look out for ourselves. And we do our part. Over the last decade, millions of dollars in building fees from the college have helped the city balance its budget.

But we’re not building anything right now, and the city is going to have to look elsewhere for funds. The cash cow is out to pasture.

Which brings us back to Pacific Ridge. The 11-acre parcel where the development would go right now generates little revenue for the city – it’s a mobile home park and other underused properties. I know that sounds cold – the people who are there are as important as anyone in the city – but we don’t have enough money to be as comforting to everyone as we might like.

So the notion that tax breaks for an area that isn’t generating much revenue now will somehow cost us money is simply untrue.

Furthermore, as it is unlikely that everything will be built at once, the tax breaks won’t all come at once, further spreading out whatever tax burden might marginally occur from the development.

And let’s face it – nobody’s going to build up there without some inducement. And the size of this inducement isn’t going to bankrupt the city any faster than it’s already going bankrupt. And it is.

Opponents of the development point to the difficulties that similar mixed-use projects are having in Burien, Tacoma and Bellevue. Hello? We’re in a recession. Everybody’s having problems. Do you think that’s going to last forever? At worst, if the market is so bad there’s no money to be made, the developer won’t build and the tax break will never accrue.

The line of logic used in opposing this kind of project is not NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) – it’s BANANAs (Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anyone).

Somewhat understandably, there’s a group of people within the city who like it the way it is: A relatively quiet bedroom community without much going on.

The problem with that model is that it doesn’t work. The city cannot afford to be what it has been, a city with a pathetic tax base, a city that has as many vacant lots and empty storefronts as it has actually operating businesses. We can’t afford to provide the services people say they want without some businesses in town that pay taxes (and maybe even employ people).

In actually trying to get some new development in Des Moines, the City Council majority is not selling Des Moines by the pound. They’re saving it by the dollar.

Whoever you vote for, in the primary and the general election, ask them this:

How are you going to make Des Moines a city that can support itself again?
Because right now, it can’t.

(T.M. Sell, Ph.D., is professor of political economy at Highline College and has lived in Des Moines for more than 20 years.)

Story by Ralph Nichols
Photos & Video by Oran Viriyincy

With Sound Transit’s Link light rail trains running at last between Tukwila and downtown Seattle, it was time to experience this new commuter option. So with my girlfriend, I boarded a train for a round trip from the South 154th Street station late on a busy Seafair Saturday afternoon.

With lots happening downtown, we weren’t surprised to find the station’s main parking lot full. (Tukwila has Link’s only free park-and-ride lot, like those at several Metro bus stops around King County, although there is private paid parking near the Beacon Hill station.) But there were a number of empty spaces at the overflow parking lot across the street.

Five minutes after parking, we bought our tickets – $5 per person for the round trip – and one minute later boarded a train that had just come in. With trains running from Tukwila every 10 minutes at that hour, this gave us 9 minutes to look around on the inside before our journey north.

Each $4 million electric-powered car, with electricity from overhead wires, is 95 feet long – three times longer than one of Metro’s articulated buses. Each car can seat 74 passengers and accommodate a total of 200 riders with standing room only, and each train consists of two cars. The trains travel at a maximum speed of 55 mph on the elevated track near Tukwila and at 35 mph on the ground.

The train doors closed – rather quickly it seemed – at 5:50 p.m. Soon it pulled out of the station, right on time. Less than half a mile down the track, we agreed the ride was not as smooth as expected; still, the vibration isn’t bad at all. And the train moves along at a steady clip without delays for vehicles when streets intersect with the tracks.

Station stops took far less time than I expected. Passengers got on and off with ease and without delay, and we moved right along. Here is how our station stops went:

5:59 p.m. – Arrived at the Rainier Beach station.

6:00 – Depart.

6:02 – Othello station.

6:03 – Depart.

6:06 – Columbia City station.

6:07 – Depart.

6.10 – Mount Baker station.

6:10 – Depart … and head into the tunnel under Beacon Hill.

6:12 – Beacon Hill (tunnel) station.

6:13 – Depart … and back into daylight.

6:15 – SODO station.

6:15 – Depart.

6:17 – Stadium station.

6:18 – Depart … and enter the downtown bus tunnel.

6:20 – International District/Chinatown station.

6:21 – Depart.

6:23 – Pioneer Square station.

6:23 – Depart.

6:24 – University Street station.

6:25 – Depart.

6:26 – Westlake station, the end of the line.

Twenty-six minutes from Tukwila to midtown Seattle via the Rainier Valley. Not bad.

When we left Tukwila, there were about 12 riders in our car including us. Picking up more riders at most stations along the route (none at a couple), usually ranging from an additional 6 to 12 at each stop, our car was almost full of seated riders by the time we reached Westlake. No one had to stand. As we stepped off the train, it looked like its other car had carried about the same number.

Getting from the train to street level – at Pine Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues just below Nordstrom – is easy, as is returning to the train, which we did about an hour later. On the return trip, which took the same time, only 16 people were riding in both cars and only 8 beyond the Mount Baker station. It is logical to assume, given the number of cars still in the parking lot when we got back to Tukwila, that southbound ridership was much higher after events wrapped up downtown and people headed home.

Above ground, the view from a train car ranges from interesting, even scenic, along the elevated track north of the Tukwila station to very drab through part of Rainier Valley not far up the line.

A trip on Link light rail is comparable to a ride on Portland’s MAX, although a good stretch of that line parallels Interstate 84 – the major highway into that city – rather than winding through nearby neighborhoods along the way.

Sound Transit has reported that Link light rail carried an average of 12,000 riders per weekday in its first five days of regular paid service, and 16,900 riders on July 25 and 15,100 on July 26 during the first big Seafair weekend, when both the Mariners and Sounders also were in town.

With service on to Sea-Tac International Airport scheduled to begin in December, Sound Transit projects 26,600 one-way trips daily (13,300 round trips) along its 16-mile light-rail route by the end of 2010. The current trip from Tukwila to Seattle is 14 miles.

A footnote about our trip: While the actual travel time from Tukwila to Westlake was a reasonable 26 minutes, it took another 9 minutes to drive from my home and park, then another 14 minutes to get into the station, buy tickets, board a train and wait for it to depart. Riders who take light rail from other stations must walk, ride a bicycle or take a bus to get there since they have no park and ride lots.

Convenience, including time and destination, may be the determining factor for riding light rail for many commuters. I might take light rail from Tukwila to a Mariners game or dinner in the International District, but would not do so from, say, Columbia City due to lack of parking. At the same time, I probably would drive to SODO to shop or the Othello community to go to the park.

Regardless, once you’re moving on a light rail train, it’s a comfortable trip in good time to your stop. Still, at $2.3 billion for this line, it’s one expensive commute for the convenience it affords.

If you haven’t yet ridden Link light rail, here’s a video by Oran Viriyincy:

This section, approaching Tukwila Intl. Blvd., has the steepest grade in the system. You can hear the motors as the train climbs.

So…have YOU ridden Link light rail yet? Please take our poll or Comment below…