by Ralph Nichols

An international spotlight will focus on Des Moines during the 1st World Emerging Industries Summit 2010 in China, which Mayor Bob Sheckler will attend Aug. 31-Sept. 3.

“I just got confirmation that I will be allowed, as requested, to make a speech on behalf of the city promoting local development,” Sheckler told The Waterland Blog in an Aug. 19 interview.

“This excites me and challenges me. Opportunities like this come once in a lifetime, if ever. These are people who represent Fortune 500 companies,” Sheckler said.

“Des Moines, with a population of 30,000, has the opportunity to be promoted before all these international investors and developers in China.”

He added that “a lot of my ability to even go there is due to the city council’s support and help in paying for my trip.” The Des Moines Rotary Club also donated $500 to help with his airfare.

Referring to his successful China trip last November – which he paid for himself and which landed a multi-million-dollar hotel for Des Moines on Pacific Highway S. – Sheckler noted, “If it wasn’t for that trip I wouldn’t have been invited [to this summit].

“This trip is based on relationships I built with government officials and investors I made then. Otherwise this invitation wouldn’t have come my way.”

That invitation came from Wang Rulin, governor, Jilin Province of China, Dominique de Villepin, global chairman of the Asia-Pacific CEO Association Worldwide, and Zheng Xiongwei, global executive chairman of the association.

Sponsored by the Chinese government, the summit – “New Industrial Revolution & Green Economy” – will feature business talks on investment, cooperation and technology exchanges, and promotion of international economic cooperation in emerging industries.

International political leaders, ministers and elected representatives of federal, state, provincial and local governments, CEOs, representatives of industry and related international organizations, and top economists will attend.

“There won’t be a lot of time for one-on-one discussions, which makes my talk all the more significant,” Sheckler said.

Topping his list as he promotes the city will be the planned 89-acre Des Moines Creek Business Park just west of Pacific Highway north of S. 216th St. Des Moines will regulate land use planning and zoning since the business park is within its city limits.

The property is owned by the Port of Seattle, which supports Sheckler’s upcoming efforts in China to attract businesses to this planned development.

He will also highlight opportunities for commercial and residential development in the downtown Marina District, especially along Marine View Drive and 7th Ave. S.

“And there remain a lot of places for development along Pacific Highway in addition to the planned Waterview Crossing project and the 300-room hotel with a four- or five-star true Chinese restaurant.”

Sheckler recalled that the hotel originally was going to be built in Tacoma until he developed an international business relationship with its Chinese investor.

Earlier, he said the city’s efforts to attract international developers and investors have “to be a two-way street. We can’t just take and not give. They are looking for good opportunities for investments in Des Moines that will give them a good return for their dollar. Their interest is in profitable investments.

Chinese investors like the Des Moines area because they can’t get its views of Puget Sound anywhere else “without paying premium dollars for them,” Sheckler added. “And the marina is a huge attraction to them.”

by Ralph Nichols

Other Highline-area cities – Burien, SeaTac and Tukwila – have economic development directors or managers. So do other neighboring cities including Federal Way and Kent.

But until now, Des Moines has gone without one – despite a sagging local economy and a need for the city to position itself to attract new retail and other businesses when recovery begins.

That changed when the Des Moines City Council, on a 4-2 vote, created the position of “temporary full-time economic development manager.”

City Manager Tony Piasecki advised the council that, if they approved the proposal, he would appoint Marion Yoshino as the city’s first economic development manager. Yoshina had worked as a volunteer in that capacity since early this year.

She will be paid $70,512 – at $40 an hour – through next April 30, the equivalent of an annual salary near the lower end of the range for similar positions in some other suburban cities in the Puget Sound area.

“Some businesses have survived the recession well,” Piasecki told council members. “They’re the ones we want to bring here. We need to have our act together … to welcome them to our city … to go out and find them.”

Since coming to the city as a volunteer, Yoshino “has shown a tremendous amount of growth,” he continued. “She relates well to those businesses we want to attract.”

Mayor Bob Sheckler and council members Matt Pina, Dan Sherman and Carmen Scott voted to create the position. After voicing concern about city priorities after sharp budget cuts were made in the 2010 budget, Mayor Pro-Tem Dave Kaplan and Councilwoman Melissa Musser voted no.

“I agree there’s a need, but reluctantly I can’t support it,” said Kaplan, noting that utility tax revenue has dropped for the first time this year.
He questioned the city’s ability to pay for the new position for a third of next year and, noting there are other areas in which the city could apply $70,000, said “I just can’t, in good conscience, commit additional resources.”

Musser called the position “a luxury I wish we could have. But it doesn’t feel right. I can’t put it up there on my list of priorities.”

Pina, also wrestling with committing the funds for a new position, observed “that what makes this different is that it can be a revenue-generating opportunity … if we lose momentum here, it will be pretty hard to get it back. It will cost us more in the long run not to do this than to do it.”

Although absent, at a previous meeting Thomasson had stated his opposition to the move, calling it the “camel’s nose under the tent” and urging that the funds – from business and occupancy (B&O) tax revenues that are higher than anticipated – be used to help rehire a police officer.

Sheckler said, however, that “neighboring cities are getting ahead of us … we’re giving them an advantage. When the recession ends, I want us to get off to a running start.”

Acknowledging the difficult decisions Kaplan and Musser had to make, he added that what they said about the economy and city priorities are “very important … things we should keep in mind, too.

by Ralph Nichols

That retail activity is lagging in Des Moines comes as no surprise to city leaders, who continue to deal with a struggling “main street” on Marine View Drive, along with slumping sales tax revenue.

Now a survey conducted by the city reports that almost half of all responding Des Moines businesses – 41.5 percent – say their current volume of customers is less than what they need.

The same number of businesses – in both the downtown Marina District and along Pacific Highway South – says their customer traffic is just “OK.”

Only 17 percent of those responding said the number of people walking through their doors is “excellent.”

Results of the survey, which was mailed on May 15 to 332 licensed businesses, were recently reported to the city council by Marion Yoshino – now the city’s full-time Economic Development Manager.

Only 58 businesses responded to the survey. Yoshino told council members the low response may be due in part to difficulty owners for whom English is a second language had with the questionnaire.

She also noted that “those who had a strong opinion to express would be more likely inclined to respond … those businesses that are successful may be otherwise occupied and not take time to complete a survey.”

For these and other reasons, the survey provides insights into the local business community, but is not statistically valid.

Still, “this does give us some clear ideas about how we can move forward,” Yoshino said. “It also says to business, ‘We have heard you.’”

The best news for Des Moines, based on the information received, is that over 75 percent of responding businesses intend to remain in the city for at least the next three years:

• 48.1% plan to remain at their current location
• 15.4% will expand or remodel at their current location
• 13.5% will relocate within the city

Another 19.2 percent plan to relocate outside Des Moines, and 1.9 percent each will sell their business or the owners will retire.

More good news for the city is that 19 percent of businesses that have had interactions with local government in the last three years described their experiences as “excellent”; 57.1 percent called them “good.”

The city was given a “fair” rating by 16.7 percent, while only 7.1 percent described them as “poor.”

Beyond these encouraging findings, Mayor Bob Sheckler noted that a renewed Destination Des Moines (read our previous coverage here) is taking on “a brand new scope” to promote the city.

Destination Des Moines “will no longer be working on the premise of becoming a new Chamber of Commerce … it will be working on [local] events.

“Hold on and see what happens,” Sheckler added. “It’s going to be a pleasant surprise for everyone … next year’s Waterland Parade will be something else.”

The survey also underscored the small-business nature of much of the commercial activity in Des Moines. Ninety-six percent of responding businesses have eight or fewer full-time employees, with over 40 percent having only one employee.

In addition, 55.8 percent said the city “should take action to promote better maintenance or renovation” of commercial buildings and adjacent areas.

Responses to suggestions for ways the city might improve its downtown and highway business districts include:

• Colorful banners and flower pots along arterials and public art:
  • Very helpful: 47.3%
    
  • Somewhat helpful: 43.6%
  • Not helpful: 9.1&
• Pedestrian-friendly features such as sidewalks, benches, lighting improvements:
  • Very helpful: 54.5%
    
  • Somewhat helpful: 32.7%
  • Not helpful: 12.7%
• More police patrols:
  • Very helpful: 25%
  • Somewhat helpful: 34.6%
  • Not helpful: 40.4%
    
• A promotional city website that highlights Des Moines attractions:
  • Very helpful: 57.7%
    
  • Somewhat helpful: 32.7%
  • Not helpful: 9.6%
• Relaxing building or sign code restrictions:
  • Very helpful, 47.3%
    
  • Somewhat helpful: 27.3%
  • Not helpful: 25.5%

by Ralph Nichols

Des Moines council members approved on July 15 the use of $1,400 in city funds to help pay Mayor Bob Sheckler’s airfare to China for the 1st World Emerging Industries Summit 2010.

But not before Councilman Dan Sherman repeatedly tried to block the contribution by the council.

Sheckler received a personal invitation in June from Wang Rulin, governor, Jilin Province of China, Dominique de Villepin, global chairman of the Asia-Pacific CEO Association Worldwide, and Zheng Xiongwei, global executive chairman of the association.

All his expenses for attending summit from Aug. 31 to Sept. 3 – except travel – will be paid by the Chinese government.

Full airfare is expected to cost as much as $3,500, Sheckler informed the council before the vote.

Mayor Pro Tem Dave Kaplan and council members Melissa Musser, Matt Pina and Carmen Scott joined Sheckler in approving the expense.

The $1,400 is the balance remaining in this year’s general fund budget for authorized travel expenses by City Council members.

Before casting his no vote, Sherman displayed apparent ignorance of Chinese culture and customs by suggesting the city send someone other than the mayor, perhaps Economic Development Manager Marion Yoshida, to the summit.

Sheckler noted, however, that this invitation was extended to him personally following a successful trip he made to China last November, where he made contacts with government leaders and business investors.

For the city to send someone in his place, he said, could be viewed as an insult by the Chinese hosts. “Sending a substitute would set that person up for failure.” Sheckler added later that “failure is what Dan Sherman wants.”

Sherman also questioned without offering specifics the legality of ties the mayor is developing between Des Moines and Chinese officials and investors – a suggestion that appeared to leave other council members perplexed.

Voicing support for the city’s contribution, Councilwoman Carmen Scott noted that Sheckler “went [to China] last year, not at the city’s expense, and the city is already reaping rewards from that trip. So I think we should pay for a small portion of his trip this time.”

Sherman, however, countered that plans for a hotel financed by a Chinese investor, which will be located on Pacific Highway South, were already moving forward by the time Sheckler was in China.

Sheckler agreed the hotel already was being planned at the time of this trip – for Tacoma – and that contacts he made with the developer while there resulted in the project going to Des Moines instead.

The 300-plus-room hotel, now in the design and permitting stage, will include a four- or five-star authentic Chinese restaurant (not Chinese-American) and, possibly, retail space.

Earlier, he called the invitation “quite an honor … I look forward to the exchanges I will have with my hosts, and reporting back to our city when I return.”

He said Chinese investors “are looking for good opportunities for investments in Des Moines that will give them a good return for their dollar. Their interest is in profitable investments.”

And they like the Des Moines area because they can’t get its views of Puget Sound anywhere else “without paying premium dollars for them.”

By Ralph Nichols

Mayor Bob Sheckler will return to China late this summer – invitation in hand – for the 1st World Emerging Industries Summit 2010.

Sheckler, who said his invitation is “quite an honor,” hopes to interest investors there “in any type of development that would complement the city, either on the highway or downtown.

“This has to be a two-way street. We can’t just take and not give,” he added. “They are looking for good opportunities for investments in Des Moines that will give them a good return for their dollar. Their interest is in profitable investments.

“I look forward to the exchanges I will have with my hosts, and to reporting back to our city when I return.”

Sheckler said Chinese investors like the Des Moines area because they can’t get its views of Puget Sound anywhere else “without paying premium dollars for them. And the marina is a huge attraction to them.

“We’re squared away to bring in investments on Pacific Highway and to downtown now that the water issue is taken care of – and to Des Moines Creek Business Park,” he continued.

Sheckler was invited as the result of personal contacts he made with government leaders and business investors during his China trip last year.

He went there in November to build foundations for a sister-city relationship with Changle and an exchange program between Chinese community college students and Highline Community College.

But Sheckler came home with a lot more – an agreement for a multi-million-dollar hotel in Des Moines in addition to those relationships.

In addition to the hotel, with more than 300 rooms, this development – at the old state vehicle emissions testing site along Pacific Highway S. north of Kent-Des Moines Road – will feature a four- or five-star Chinese restaurant and, possibly, retail space.

“It will be a true Chinese restaurant,” Sheckler noted. “Not a Chinese-American restaurant.”

The project is currently in the planning and design stage. Groundbreaking for construction is expected sometime next spring, perhaps sooner.

Matt Chan of Normandy Park, who is planning the multi-phase Waterview Crossing development on Pacific Ridge, accompanied Sheckler on his China trip last year and introduced him to business investors there.

Sponsored by the Chinese government, the Aug. 31-Sept. 3 summit – “New Industrial Revolution & Green Economy” – will include business talks on investment and cooperation, information and technology exchanges, and promotion of international economic cooperation in emerging industries.

International political leaders, ministers and elected representatives of federal, state and provincial, and local governments, leaders of Fortune 500 companies and other industry-leading companies, representatives from industry and related international organizations, and top economists have been invited.

The invitation came from Wang Rulin, governor, Jilin Province of China, Dominique de Villepin, global chairman of the Asia-Pacific CEO Association Worldwide, and Zheng Xiongwei, global executive chairman of the association.

“As Des Moines continues to reach across the Pacific to Chinese investors who are interested in the potential for them in Des Moines,” Sheckler declared, “I feel confident that the majority of city council members will embrace these opportunities for future economic development.”

by Ralph Nichols

King County Executive Dow Constantine liked what he saw during a brief tour of Des Moines – guided by Mayor Bob Sheckler and City Manager Tony Piasecki – Thursday morning (July 8).

“Des Moines has so many natural advantages … with great views everywhere,” Constantine said as the visit wrapped up, citing in particular the city’s marina and Beach Park on Puget Sound.

He also expressed excitement over recent progress by the city and Port of Seattle toward development of Des Moines Creek Business Park on 89 vacant acres north of S. 216th St. just west of Pacific Highway S., and plans for revitalizing the downtown marina district.

“This will help Des Moines and it will help all of King County,” Constantine added. “Quite frankly, it will help tax revenues as well … once the economy turns around, it looks like Des Moines is poised for quick economic recovery.”

Sheckler said later “it was a pleasure to have Executive Constantine visit our city. He showed considerable interest in what the city has to offer, and my impression is that he will be supportive of our economic development efforts.”

The tour marked Constantine’s 27th visit to cities throughout King County since he became county executive late last November. He went to Normandy Park later in the day, and has already made visits to SeaTac and Tukwila.

Constantine said he plans to visit Burien later this year, although he has already been there – which was in his district as a King County councilman – on at least two occasions as executive.

He noted these visits are part of his stated objective of “laying a foundation between the county and its cities” for new, cooperative relationships to realize and share mutual benefits.

“I have managed to make it clear to our city partners that we really want to work with them. We want to work with cities as we want them to work with the county on issues of mutual interest.”

Joining the tour were Councilwoman Melissa Musser, Assistant City Manager Lorri Erickson, and Parks and Recreation Director Patrice Thorell.

by Ralph Nichols

(NOTE: When I sat down with Des Moines Police Chief Roger Baker for an interview shortly before his retirement, my intent was to present an overview of his accomplishments in law enforcement, from Anaheim to Des Moines. But as he talked, it became obvious that his career is a living example of Robert Frost’s poem, “The Road Not Taken.” Baker’s well-documented record of success in Des Moines will establish the foundation for the city’s evaluation of its police needs and search for a new chief. This account, then, tells in brief the fascinating story of how he got to Des Moines in the first place.)

“Life is like a box of chocolates,” Forrest Gump observed in the popular movie by that name. “You never know what you’re gonna get.”

That line came to mind over the weekend as Roger Baker prepared not so much to retire as to take the next steps in a journey that will lead him down a new – yet familiar – path.

The sign on his door and his business card, had he taken a road that once beckoned him, could have said this:

Roger Baker, Ph.D.
Clinical Psychologist

Instead of this:

Roger Baker
Chief of Police
City of Des Moines

Or, for that matter, he could have been a top manager at Disneyland, where he was moving up – until becoming a cop “for just a couple of years” before returning to graduate school full time.

Now, after 36 years as a police officer, Baker, who has served as chief of the Des Moines Police Department since January 2004, turned in his badge on June 15.

Although Baker tells colleagues and friends he is “retiring, again,” in reality he is simply “trading his badge for a briefcase.”

And he isn’t leaving law enforcement behind, only changing his relationship with the men and women in blue whose motto is “to protect and to serve” the rest of us.

Together with his wife, Shirley, Baker will follow a dream of many years as becomes principal consultant in their new business – assisting police departments with “strategic leadership and planning in the 21st century.”

Their consulting firm, which is ready to launch, is The Business of Policing.

The Bakers will continue to live in Des Moines, where they found their retirement home shortly before he was hired as chief here – only days after his first “retirement” as chief of the Anaheim (Calif.) Police Department after five years as that destination city’s top cop.

But that comes later in this story.

Crime Rate Reversed
Most Des Moines residents are familiar with what Baker accomplished as chief, and how the police department under his guidance improved the quality of life in this waterfront community.

When he came to Des Moines, Baker’s immediate goal was “to stop double digit increases in the crime rate.” By any account, he succeeded, turning the crime rate in the city “into double digit decreases.”

During his tenure here, Baker led successful efforts to:

• Develop and implement a Police Department Strategic Plan.
• Restore the police department.
• Implement the property tax levy lid lift to restore police staffing to its 1999 level.
• Open a substation to increase police presence in the Redondo area.
• Adopt a city crime-free rental housing program.
• Enact a city anti-graffiti ordinance.
• And restore peace to the community.

“We met maybe 90 percent of the goals of our strategic plan, which we adopted after I got here,” he noted.

“I have had the good fortune to work with the outstanding staff of the Des Moines Police Department for over six years,” Baker told department personnel in announcing his retirement.

“It has been my pleasure to lead you in the daunting task of restoring police services in our city. I could not have had a better team to work with to successfully accomplish that task.”

“You’ve left us a better place than you found us,” City Manager Tony Piasecki told Baker at the June 10 Des Moines City Council meeting.

Piasecki also announced that Commander John O’Leary will become interim police chief when Baker steps down on Tuesday.

“We hope to have the [police chief] position filled by second quarter next year,” following a national search, he added.

What most people don’t know, however, is the rest of the Roger Baker story – and why his résumé would be written much differently had his professional life unfolded as he envisioned it.

All the years he spent in law enforcement, Baker remarked in an interview with the Waterland Blog last week, “I could have been a clinical psychologist sitting in an office somewhere.”

Disneyland
Even clinical psychology as a career goal wasn’t on his radar when he enlisted in the Air Force Reserve in 1965, while attending Rancho Santiago College in Orange County, Calif.

Baker’s parents owned a plumbing contracting business, where he worked while taking general studies with a business emphasis before his enlistment.

“I spent six happy years in the Air Force Reserve as administrative assistant to the group commander at wing headquarters,” at March Air Force Base in Riverside, Calif., while earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Chapman University.

In 1966, Baker went to work at Disneyland – the first fork in his road – where he “was fortunate enough to get hired into their security department.” While there he began the master’s degree program in counseling psychology at Chapman University.

As time went by, Disney moved Baker from security to wherever they needed him. He eventually managed four restaurants along with retail sales stores and other attractions at Disneyland, with 550 employees under him and a $20 million budget in 1974.

“This was the best business education on the planet, and they paid me,” he recalled. “One of the 10 best managed companies in the world paid me to learn business leadership and management skills.”

But Baker was rapidly approaching his 30th birthday. He wanted to finish his master’s degree and pursue a doctoral degree in clinical psychology.

He left Disney to join the Anaheim Police Department “for two years to get the experience of working with police officers and the public in a new environment.

As things turned out, this was “the beginning of the end in my career, of getting a doctorate and becoming a clinical psychologist.”

Anaheim Police Department
Baker attended the police academy, where he became president of his class.. He was sworn in, put on his badge, and assigned to patrol as an Anaheim police officer.

“This was the best time in my life,” he recalled. “I had no employees to worry about and no budget to worry about. All I had to be immediately concerned about was my police car and me. This was heaven!

“Plus I had the opportunity to work with an incredibly skilled and dedicated group of public servants working in a sometimes very dangerous environment,” Baker continued.

“I really enjoyed helping the public. “Police work is 90 percent helping people in crisis. Only 10 percent is actual criminal work.”

As time went by, the day when he would embark on a doctoral program in clinical psychology was growing closer. Or so he thought.

About 18 months after joining the Anaheim Police Department, “I got a call to report to the patrol division commander. I was off probation by then, but that’s still not necessarily a good thing when you’re a “newbie” and called to see the boss.”

His summons was not because of something he had, or had not, done. It was about a special project the department needed him to tackle – one that would become the next diversion away from his plan.

The police department had been given a directive by Anaheim’s new city manager to develop a performance-based, zero-based budget for the agency. Aware of his management experience with Disney, department brass asked if he could develop that budget.

This, in retrospect, was the next chapter in the “beginning of the end” for Baker.

Transferred to a desk in the patrol division commander’s office – the only space they could find – it took him about 90 days for study and analysis, and to weave the results into the department and get the budget done.

When Baker completed the police budget, he was named training officer for the then-400-person department, which “solidified the end of my career in clinical psychology” – although he would make a final move toward that goal.

After four years as training officer, he had been in uniform for six years. “I had to get out and get my doctorate,” he said. And he came close. He was offered acceptance into both the UCLA and USC clinical psychology doctoral programs.

As a practical matter, however, “I still needed to work to eat.” So Baker asked both schools if he could go part-time and continue in law enforcement.

Neither of them approved, however, believing that police work was incompatible with clinical psychology. Instead, both offered him financial assistance and undergraduate teaching assignments to help pay his way.

Nor did the Anaheim Police Department want him to pursue his doctorate in this field, assuming it would make him too liberal to be a good cop.

Onward and Upward
Instead, the police department promoted Baker to sergeant, and he returned to patrol for a year. “I came out number one on every assessment I ever took,” he said. “Every time I tried to leave, they promoted me.”

In addition, he was teaching at three Southern California police academies, writing curriculum, and teaching courses in behavioral management techniques for the California State Department of Justice.

“I’m teaching, I’m getting to be a cop, I’m having more fun than a human should have,” Baker said. “It never stopped.” Life was becoming “a Walter Mitty thing” for him.

Then, in the early 1980s, the Anaheim Police Department was involved in a major deadly shooting incident.

This incident showed deficiencies with the agency’s tactical response and SWAT team operations. By then, Baker had “a strong relationship with the command staff,” and “the chief says ‘fix it. Find a better way.’”

He looked at what other California police departments were doing, and then put his two psychology degrees to use. Baker rebuilt Anaheim’s SWAT team and developed a new crisis management and hostage negotiation team. .

Then he was offered the opportunity to teach basic and advanced hostage negotiation and crisis management techniques to law enforcement officers from throughout the western U.S.

“I found myself teaching and mentoring in areas of study that I never dreamed possible as a law enforcement officer. “I was doing stuff that I would never have been able to do in the education field and probably not even as a clinical psychologist.”

Baker was then promoted to lieutenant and assigned to prepare the department’s security and tactical response plans for the upcoming 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

Anaheim would host the wrestling competition and this was just 12 years after the terrorist attack during the Olympics in Munich, Germany. There were no incidents.

“For the next 20 years, it was the same rocket ride,” Baker continued. As a captain, he later commanded each of the four divisions of the police department – patrol, special operations, investigations and administration – for at least two years.

And he graduated from the FBI National Academy, and from the U.S. Department of Justice Southwest Command College.

But there was also tragedy, with the deaths of two Anaheim chiefs of police, both good friends of his – Joe Molloy and then Randy Gaston. Their deaths still touch him deeply. Both men died suddenly from heart attacks at the office – each at age 54 after five years as chief.

“It was really horrific,” Baker said.

Anaheim Police Chief
Immediately after Gaston’s death, the Anaheim city manager appointed Baker interim police chief while the agency undertook yet another search.

That happened even as he was trying, once again, to leave the police department – this time to retire and take his family to Mendocino, Calif., and teach at a local community college and at Humboldt State University.

Baker was not sure that he wanted to stay on as chief, but he was strongly encouraged to remain there by his fellow staff members.

More importantly, Shirley finally told him if he wanted to stay, then stay, “but only for five years.” He lived through his 54th birthday, broke the jinx, and stayed on.

“I had a five-year opportunity to completely modernize the organization,” he said. “The Anaheim Police Department was very good, but it could be better.”

Baker introduced into the department a graduate degree program in organizational leadership, which Chapman University set up for Anaheim, and brought in millions of dollars in grants for new equipment and “massive new technology.”

During those five years, “we dropped the crime rate by 40 percent. We took Anaheim to a whole new level and made it the safest of the 10 biggest resort cities – with 40 million tourists a year – in the U.S. We set huge goals for ourselves and met them, like we did here [Des Moines].”

Anaheim became the second safest of the big 10 cities in California – behind only San Jose, which had 30 percent more police officers yet only a slightly better part one crime rate.

As the time for his first retirement as a police chief drew near, “they wanted me to stay,” Baker added. “I kept my promise to Shirley and we were gone in six weeks.”

Line of Fire
Baker is adamant that a police officer is a “peace officer,” not a combat soldier. His or her job, if at all possible, is to restore order without the loss of life and without injury.

He has been shot at four times during his career in law enforcement that almost never happened, but never has fired a shot beyond the firing range, where his skill as a marksman still impresses younger officers.

“I’ve pulled the hammer back three times, but every time I was fortunate enough to avoid firing,” Baker said. “But one time I should have shot I did not have enough probable cause to shoot, and the suspect got away.”

The suspect was a serial rapist. Baker had developed an analysis of the crimes before this was a common practice and predicted where the suspect would hit next.

Baker placed the location under surveillance, and then spotted the suspect at 3:00 a.m. as he appeared to be getting away from a crime scene. Baker gave chase on foot and thought he had the suspect where no innocent persons could be hit if he fired a shot to stop the suspect.

“Your police training tells you that you’d better be sure when you fire a shot, but I was not sure that I could hit him.” And Baker had no confirmation at the time that a crime had been committed.

The suspect was arrested six months later in Los Angeles, and one of the many crimes of rape that he was charged with was the rape that, it turned out, he had committed in that location that night.

Moving North
After they were married, Roger and Shirley had honeymooned in the Northwest. Then, after he was appointed Anaheim police chief, Shirley had booked them on an up-and-back round trip from Anaheim to Seattle on Amtrak’s Coastal Starlight Express.

During that trip, Baker wrote the business plan he needed to redesign the organizational structure and redefine the mission of the Anaheim Police Department.

Now they decided to return to this region and find their retirement home.

“When I announced my retirement, I talked to Craig Steckler” – a friend who is still the Fremont, Calif., police chief. Upon learning their retirement plans, Steckler told Baker that Des Moines, Wash., was searching for a new police chief.

He applied, and was invited to come for an interview.

This time the Bakers flew to Seattle just long enough for the interview process. Baker went for ride-alongs with Des Moines patrol officers – the only candidate for chief to do this – and Shirley went house hunting.

She found the home, and they tried to talk the sellers out of tearing the house down to make way for condos. With a scheduled early-afternoon return flight to Anaheim on a Sunday in late December, the Bakers met them one more time on their way to the airport.

“They agreed. I handed them the earnest-money check Shirley had put in my pocket. And we had just enough time to get on our plane.”

Within a week, Piasecki called Baker. He had learned from barbershop chatter that a police chief from southern California had just bought a house in Des Moines.

“You need to let me know when you do something like that,” Baker said Piasecki told him.

“But that assumes that we have a professional relationship,” Baker demurred.

“We do now,” Piasecki replied. The city council had endorsed the city manager’s recommendation and Baker was the new Des Moines police chief.

“So all the dreams but one – clinical psychologist – came true,” Baker said. “We come up here, and that starts another whole new chapter.”

Here’s this week’s Des Moines Police Department’s Police Blotter, with local crime news fed to us directly from our good friends at the DMPD.

This week’s news include the arrest of a 56-year old Walgreens robber, photos of the Special Olympics torch being carried through Des Moines, and information on the city’s animal care and control.

DES MOINES POLICE BLOTTER NEWS (June 4, 2010)

Des Moines PD Arrests Walgreens Robber: On 06/02/10 at approximately 1815 hours a 56 year old man entered the Des Moines Walgreens and demanded prescription medications. The man displayed a handgun during the robbery. Responding Des Moines Officers found the suspect attempting to hide among several large trees west of the store. The weapon was determined to be a pellet gun with an orange tip that had been blackened. The suspect later admitted to detectives he was responsible for robbing the same Walgreen’s in April. The man shows a last known address out of Des Moines. He was booked into the King County Detention Center for Robbery 1 and investigators are forwarding filing documents to the King County Prosecutor’s Office for both robberies.

Special Olympics Torch Carried Through Des Moines: Members of the Des Moines Municipal Court and the Des Moines Police Department participated in this years “Special Olympics” torch run. The torch was delivered to Des Moines PD by members of the Port of Seattle Police Department. The torch was carried through the city along Pacific Highway South and handed off to members of the Kent Police Department. The run helps to raise funds and awareness for Special Olympics Washington.

Here are some photos of the event:

Look What’s New in Animal Care and Control for Des Moines Residents:
Beginning July 1st, the city of Des Moines will no longer be contracting with King County Animal Control for any animal sheltering.

Des Moines Police Department has its own Animal Control Officer and has for many years, so those services will remain the same- we will continue to provide service for vicious/dangerous dog problems, dog bite reports, animal cruelty investigations, dog and cat licensing, nuisance animal complaints, lost and found pet reports, enforcement of animal control laws, rescue of sick/injured domestic animals, animal care and control education, and referral to other animal service agencies.

Since the first part of 2010, the city of Des Moines has entered into contracts with local vendors, which include a boarding kennel and four veterinary hospitals, for animal care and shelter services; pets impounded from Des Moines are now being cared for at one of those vendors’ facilities instead of the King County Animal Control shelter.

What to do if you have lost a pet, found a pet, need to place your pet in a new home, or have an animal emergency:

Citizens who find a pet in the city limits of Des Moines should contact the Animal Control Division of the Police Department (206) 870-6549 or (206) 878-3301 regarding care and possible impoundment of the animal.

Citizens who have lost a pet should check all area shelters and police departments, as pets can roam and cross into other jurisdictions.

Citizens thinking of placing their own pet in a new home may call the Animal Control Officer for resources and assistance to help keep their pet; however, if there is no other option, they should contact area rescue groups, area shelters, and Petfinder.com for possible placement assistance.

And as always, if a public safety emergency is occurring such as an in-progress vicious dog attack , citizens should call 911.

Adoptions of friendly, healthy pets will also be offered on occasion through the Animal Control Division of the Police Department; thankfully most nice impounded pets are claimed by their owners, but on occasion there may be a pet available for adoption at one of the local vendors.  Des Moines pet adoptions will also be occasionally offered through area rescue groups, local media, Petsmart stores, and Petfinder.com.

For additional questions regarding the changes in animal sheltering, please contact Master Animal Control Officer Jan Magnuson at JMagnuson@desmoineswa.gov or (206) 870-6549.

by Ralph Nichols

A long-simmering disagreement between the city and Water District 54 over upgrades to the water system in downtown Des Moines was expected to boil over at the June 3 council meeting.

There was even a possibility that the city would begin the process of assumption – the takeover of the water district – if council members didn’t get the answers they wanted.

Instead, the meeting began with Water District 54 Commissioner John Rayback informing them that “the commissioners think the district can now put a line down Marine View Drive.”

Following their May 20 council meeting, several lawmakers expressed frustration over what they considered to be a pull-back by the commission from what they thought had been a preliminary agreement reached at a joint meeting in April for installation of a new 12-inch water main along Marine View Drive.

To do this, Rayback said, the water district “will need the city’s assistance and will need concessions from the city.”

City assistance would include a $486,000 federal earmark secured by Rep. Adam Smith, D-Tacoma, which is dedicated to water system improvements in Des Moines, Rayback told council members.

“And the city needs to waive all permit fees” associated with the project “if you’re really serious,” he said.

This project “will still be very expensive … we need to keep costs down.” But, Rayback added, “We think it can be done.”

The water district will draw from its capital reserves to provide additional funding for the job.

“From the district’s point of view, putting pipe in the ground is money well spent,” Rayback said.

“I couldn’t agree more,” remarked City Manager Tony Piasecki.

The district “very probably will have to go into debt a little bit,” Rayback noted. “We’re willing to look at it.”

When asked for details about their plan, water district engineer Warren Perkins told the council, “We will come back to the city with a proposal.”

“What I’m hearing from the district is actually encouraging,” replied Mayor Bob Sheckler, who then pressed Perkins for a date certain.

“This has been a controversial subject for many years,” Sheckler said. “And a lot of criticism of the district is that it says it will do something and then nothing is done.”

Perkins offered “six weeks, maybe sooner.”

“Let’s say four weeks,” Sheckler countered.

Perkins agreed, and Water District 54 officials are now scheduled to submit their project proposal to council members on July 1.

If the plan for installing the new water main along Marine View Drive receives council approval at that time, “we can … get it designed and out to bid, and start work in the early spring [2011],” Sheckler said.

“Hopefully we can wrap this up on July 1. I’m very encouraged.”

City Manager Tony Piasecki added, “I’m very, very encouraged.”

The 12-inch water main on Marine View Drive, which may be installed beneath a sidewalk because of obstacles beneath the street, will include 12-inch cross connections to east-west lines at S. 220th, S. 222nd, S. 225th and S. 227th streets.

Those lines could be capped and connected later to the main along Marine View Drive, depending on the cost of the primary project.

Water District 54 Commission President Alli Larkin said following the meeting that what changed in the district’s approach to upgrading downtown water service was a decision to put “on hold all our cross connections and putting our money into the Marine View Drive Line.”

She said the district “then can go in later and do the cross connections,” which would include connecting with loops the end of water lines that now dead end along 7th and 8th avenues.

Perkins said some looping might be able to be done as part of this project.

South King Fire & Rescue has, in the past, said the downtown water system falls short of providing a required sustained flow of 3,500 gallons per minute for three hours for fire suppression, while still providing water service to the rest of the area at reduced pressure.

Water District 54 has disagreed with that analysis.

Loren Reinhold, the city’s assistant director of utilities and environmental engineering, told council members the project now proposed “will provide the necessary water supply downtown.”

The City of Des Moines this week announced the kick-off of “Shop Waterland,” a new program aimed at promoting local businesses, helping them grow and be successful.

This new program is designed to encourage residents to shop locally, and would include a “Waterland Card” for discounts, as well as other promotions at no costs to businesses. As part of the program, the city is planning on creating a promotional flyer listing participating businesses that will be included in upcoming issues of the City Currents newsletter, as well as featuring “news-style” programming about local businesses on Public Access channel 21.

“With 29,000 residents, if only a small percentage respond to these City-sponsored promotions, there is a big potential impact for local business owners (for example, a 2% response rate would result in 580 additional customer visits),” said the city in a statement.

Here’s text of a letter the city sent out to local businesses:

Dear Business Owner/Manager,

The City of Des Moines is pleased to announce the kick-off of “Shop Waterland,” a new program to promote local businesses, help them grow and be successful.

A sign of Des Moines business promotions past.

“Shop Waterland” will create a marketing program that will encourage residents to patronize our own businesses.  The program establishes a “Waterland Card” good for local discounts, that residents can carry and use in our town.  The City will also offer Shop Waterland decals for participant store windows, and other promotions, at no cost to you.  As part of the program the City will create a promotional flyer listing participating businesses that will be included in upcoming issues of the City Currents newsletter, and we will be featuring “news-style” programming about local businesses on our Public Access channel 21 (more details to follow).  With 29,000 residents, if only a small percentage of them respond to these City sponsored promotions, there is a big potential impact for local business owners (for example, a 2% response rate would result in 580 additional customer visits).

We would also like to offer you the chance to tell us how the City of Des Moines could better assist local businesses.  On the following page you will find a short survey, giving you a voice in what your City does for you.

We ask you to complete this survey by visiting the City of Des Moines’ website at www.desmoineswa.gov, and clicking on the Business Survey link.  A paper copy of the survey is ONLY included here for your convenience.  Your online response will allow us to accurately record and tabulate the results, but in addition, it will also allow us to communicate with you via email about how your business can participate in future City-sponsored promotions.

Please respond, either by participating in the survey or directly by email, if you would like your business to be placed on upcoming reference lists for both tourism and local promotions.   To reduce costs, information will not continue to be sent by regular mail.  We will be contacting you back shortly to ask how your particular business can be featured in our marketing programs.  We would like you to consider what types of promotional specials or discounts you could offer to local residents, or other ways that your business could be highlighted.

Thank you in advance for participating, and if you have questions, or would like to make additional comments, please feel free to contact me.

Marion Yoshino
Economic Development Manager
(206) 870-6725
myoshino@desmoineswa.gov

by Ralph Nichols

(First of two parts.)

Sabers are drawn for what could prove to be Water District 54’s last stand.

The first exchange – which is shaping up to be a rough and tumble clash, even if it doesn’t rival Pickett’s charge – is set for a June 3 study session of the Des Moines City Council.

Without a timely resolution to this standoff, the outcome could be assumption of the water district by the city. Should that happen, it is possible that Highline Water District could absorb that service.

At issue is what city officials consider to be a pull-back by the district commissioners from an earlier commitment to an interlocal agreement for major upgrades to the water system in downtown Des Moines.

For the better part of a decade, tensions between the city and the district have been simmering over the long-needed – and long delayed – improvements to the downtown water system.

New development that could help revitalize a moribund downtown business district can’t proceed without increased water capacity there.

And South King Fire & Rescue has repeatedly noted the current water system falls well short of providing a required 3,500 gallons per minute for three hours to the entire downtown area for fire suppression.

An Interlocal Agreement?
For their part, the commissioners believe the city wants to put the water district out of business by taking it over, and so is over-reacting to a letter they sent on May 4 to Loren Reinhold, Des Moines assistant public works director.

The water district letter outlines 10 points the commissioners want included as revisions in the interlocal agreement, which was drafted by city and district staff following a joint meeting last month between the city council and the commissioners.

“We hope that with this letter, you will be able to revise the interlocal agreement so that it is acceptable to both the City and the District, to move the project forward,” it informed Reinhold.

With what seemed to be unequivocal posturing, the letter concluded, “We look forward to receiving a revised interlocal agreement incorporating these comments and working with you to bring this project to a successful conclusion.”

It was signed by commission President Alli Larkin and commissioners John Rayback and David Gilkey.

Although the water district now wants to revise the draft agreement to get more favorable terms, it is the city that, at the April 14 meeting, agreed to shoulder most of the financial responsibility for the project, which is estimated to cost $1.8 million.

City contributions would come from a $486,000 federal earmark secured by Rep. Adam Smith, D-Tacoma, that is dedicated to water system improvements in Des Moines, and from the sale of more than $1 million in bonds.

The water district would provide approximately $300,000 from its capital reserves to complete funding of the work, which would be done along Marine View Drive.

When fully constructed, the upgraded proposed water system would include a north-south link to both feeder mains on Marine View Drive, and new 12-inch side street main segments at S. 220th, S. 222nd, S. 225th and S. 227th streets.

A City Viewpoint
“At last we had a solution to the water problem in downtown Des Moines,” Mayor Bob Sheckler told The Waterland Blog this week, in reference to the May 4 letter. “Now we’re back to square one.”

While the city “has insisted that something be done” since 2007, he said, the district’s response has been that “growth pays for growth” – meaning the first developer would pay for the water system improvements, and then recover its investment from future development.

Yet in the letter, they’re essentially saying the same thing again, Sheckler added. “What developer would pay for that?”

He said the city has asked the water district commissioners for an explanation of why they backed away from the interlocal agreement, but “so far they haven’t offered one.”

Asked if the city will push ahead to improve the downtown water system, even if Water District 54 pulls out, Sheckler said “yes.” But the commissioners have been invited to the June 3 meeting, where the city’s “next move” will be discussed.

If the water district chooses not to participate in the interlocal agreement for this project, will a recommendation be made for its assumption by the city? “In all likelihood, that will occur,” Sheckler said.

And in that event, could a motion for assumption be made and voted on at the June 3 meeting? “In all likelihood, yes,” he said. Then, “in all probability, the next logical step would be to begin discussions with Highline Water District” about taking it over.

Sheckler emphasized repeatedly that what happens on June 3 will be “dependent on council actions” and not on his prior speculations.

Water District 54
What city officials are saying and preliminary posturing they appear to be making has, in turn, angered Water District 54 commissioners.

“We did not back away” from the interlocal agreement,” retorted Larkin. “We did not renege” on it. Either they don’t know how to read or they don’t understand what they’re reading,” she said of the city’s reaction to the May 4 letter.

Citing the way that letter ended – “We look forward … to bringing this project to a successful conclusion.” – Larkin asked, “Does that sound like we’re reneging? I don’t know why he says we have reneged.”

The commissioners have only made changes to the interlocal agreement to benefit the water district, she continued. They still plan to proceed with the downtown project.

“It is totally out of line for the mayor to do dishonest smears when we’re trying to work with them. It is amazing that the mayor would step out with dishonest smears about the Water District.”

Larkin charged that “Mayor Sheckler is trying to destroy the water district” at the same time the commissioners are “trying to do all we can for an interlocal agreement to do the best we can for the city, the water district and the residents of Water District 54.”

by Ralph Nichols

Will a major upgrade of the water delivery system in downtown Des Moines attract new commercial development there?

“We do know if we don’t build it, they will not come,” Mayor Bob Sheckler opined during a joint meeting of the city council and Water District 54 commissioners on April 14. And “once it occurs, development can contribute to the cost” of the project.

Yet, said Mayor Pro Tem Dave Kaplan, even if no new commercial development did come about, “this [is] an investment in our city … the same as paving streets or fixing the auditorium. It’s an obligation … I think it has to be built.”

The potential impact on development was one of three key questions raised about a proposed project to make long-needed improvements in water capacity downtown – especially for fire suppression.

“Even if it would not bring another business to town, in terms of water flow and fire protection it is needed,” Kaplan said on that point. “And I do think it will bring in new business.”

The other two questions were how to pay for it, and whether the work along Marine View Drive should be done over one construction season or two. Funding for the estimated $1.8 million project would come from $486,000 in federal earmark funds, water district capital funds, and financing through the city.

At the end of the meeting, city and water district staff were asked to start drafting an interlocal agreement for the downtown water service project, which would be managed jointly by both jurisdictions.

“If we want to do all of it at once, that would mean borrowing would be involved,” observed Councilman Scott Thomassen. “If we were bold enough to borrow,” he asked, then how much money would be borrowed and where would it come from?

Thomassen suggested borrowing just enough to fund about half of the project this year, then borrowing the rest to complete the work later on, so the city could avoid putting its bare-bones budget at risk if anticipated revenue isn’t adequate to cover the annual debt service.

Adequate funding is already available to fund installation of a new 12-inch water main along Marine View Dr. from S. 219th St. to S. 223rd St., or from S. 223rd St. to S. 227th St., but not for the full eight-block stretch this year, Loren Reinhold with the city’s Planning, Building and Public Works Department told council members and the commissioners.

When fully constructed, the proposed water system would provide a north-south link to both feeder mains on Marine View Drive, and would include new 12-inch side street main segments at S. 220th, S. 222nd, S. 225th and S. 227th.

It would support the required 3,500 gallons per minute for three hours to the entire downtown area for fire suppression.

Sheckler disagreed with the idea of doing only part of the work this year. “We need to do this project one time and one time only, and not incrementally over a number of years,” he suggested.

Councilwoman Melissa Musser concurred. “I kind of like getting in and doing it all at one time and not disrupting downtown businesses anymore,” she said.

Water District 54 Commissioner John Rayback indicated that if money has to be borrowed, the city will have to do it. “We’re reluctant to go into debt and look to our customers to bail us out,” he said, noting the small district already is repaying four loans for capital projects.

That leaves borrowing about $750,000 in additional funds up to the city if the project is to be completed in one construction season and, noted City Manager Tony Piasecki, “finding the revenue to pay for debt service will be challenging.”

However, Piasecki offered several revenue options, including a capital service charge for new hookups, latecomer fees for developers and landowners not already in place, and one-time sales, business and real estate excise taxes associated with new construction.

Kaplan cautioned against committing one-time revenues to ongoing expenses.

The possibility was also raised of a downtown Utility Local Improvement District to help finance the project, which would be done through the water district.

While there isn’t enough time to get a ULID approved and in place to finance the water system upgrades this year, Thomassen said he can’t imagine the project beginning before 2011. There isn’t time to plan and design it, get bids, and then obtain funding in time to start work yet this construction season, he predicted.

Construction on Des Moines Marina north parking lot continues, and soon IMCO General Construction will be performing “quite a bit” of electrical and parking lot reconfiguration work, closing it to all vehicle traffic from April 19th to May 3rd.

In order to perform this work safely, Des Moines cityfolk tell us that even the North Parking Lot will be closed, pedestrians will still be able to access the fishing pier and walkway along Dock Avenue South.

The Marina Office and all other Marina facilities/businesses will remain open and may be accessed via the Marina entrance at S. 227th Street.

Beginning Tuesday, April 13, mobile reader boards will advise drivers of the scheduled North Parking Lot closure as well as the closure of the Beach Park parking areas.

On Monday, April 19, “Road Closed” signs will direct vehicle traffic away from Cliff Avenue S. beginning at both S. 223rd St./6th Ave. S. and S. 222nd St./5th Ave. S. Local access for residents will still be allowed.

If you have any questions or concerns, you are asked to contact Doreen Torseth at the Marina Office (206-824-5700).

by Ralph Nichols

Unlike several other communities around Puget Sound – including Burien – an updated Shoreline Master Program for Des Moines was adopted quietly on April 9.

Council members gave conditional approval to the document on a 4-1 vote. It will now be submitted to the Department of Ecology, which has been working with local lawmakers as they revised the plan over several years, for its review.

Mayor Bob Sheckler, Mayor Pro Tem Dave Kaplan, Dan Sherman and Carmen Scott voted “Yes,” while Matt Pina voted “No.” Melissa Musser and Scott Thomassen were absent.

If Ecology makes no significant changes in the plan, the Des Moines council is expected to give it final approval before a June 30 deadline that is based on the state’s fiscal year.

A major point of controversy over proposed updates to local shoreline regulations in other cities is greater setbacks for homes and other structures from the high-water mark, which critics say will restrict the use of their property had lower property values.

But this was never a troublesome issue in Des Moines, where the shoreline plan revision process has been under way since around 2005. The updated plan imposes a setback of 115 feet, compared to the existing 30 feet.

Except for the Redondo area, most residential property is above, not on, the shoreline, which apparently contributed to the lack of local concern about development setbacks. Neither the Marina area downtown nor commercial waterfront development at Redondo were mentioned.

Existing non-conforming structures won’t be affected, according to Robert Ruth, the city’s Development Services Manager, nor will their normal maintenance and repair. The cost-threshold exemption for upkeep that won’t need prior approval will increase from $2,500 to almost $6,000.

The allowed building height at the Marina will increase from 30 to 35 feet to conform with the zoning there.

Ruth noted that only Des Moines’ Puget Sound shoreline falls under this plan, because its streams and wetlands are smaller than what the state Shoreline Master Program regulates.

Former City Councilman Ed Pina expressed concern, during a public hearing that preceded the council’s discussion and vote, about bulkheads in front of his shoreline property and that of his neighbors should they need to be replaced.

Noting that bulkheads prevent tidal erosion at the edge of his property, he said tidelands account for 71 percent of his property value.

Pina was the only member of the public to speak at the hearing.

Ruth said if a homeowners already have bulkheads, they “can continue to enjoy [their] use” as well as repair it over time. But that could be negated if storm damage or natural wear were not repaired within a reasonable time, he added.

And, said Barbara Nightengale from Ecology, while the department’s “intention” is not to remove bulkheads, it would want a “clear assessment” if one was to be rebuilt.

Current Councilman Pina responded, “I’m all for protecting the environment, but I’m looking at the rights of property owners here.”

Pina also wanted to know why the term “publicly owned shorelines” was removed from a provision to encourage public access to the city’s shoreline, “if you’re not leaving open the possibility of access to privately owned shorelines?”

Nightengale said this provision basically related to new subdivisions of waterfront properties. While the state should not get into the subdivision of property, Ecology “could put more stringent public access back in” the regulations if required in the future, she added.

Kaplan, in making the motion to give conditional approval to the plan and send it to Ecology for review, said “this is something the city’s been obligated to comply with” since 2004 or 2005 … we’ve all been very conscious of protecting private property rights.”

But, said Pina, “I’m still struggling … I look at this document understanding its intent, but I feel that pieces are missing.”

Aside from being April Fools’ Day (one of our favorite days of the year), Thursday, April 1st is also “Census Day,” meaning it’s the deadline to mail back your census questionnaire.

Denise Lathrop, Planning Manager for City of Des Moines, wants all our Readers to know exactly why they should “stand up and be counted”:

2010 Census is Here – Stand Up and Be Counted!

By now, every Des Moines household should have received a 2010 Census form. Each form has 10 short questions you need to answer then mail back in the postage-paid envelope.

If you don’t mail the form back, you may receive a visit from census taker who will ask you the questions. Every 1% increase in the national mail back participation rate for the 2010 Census saves $85 million in taxpayer money!

What is the Census?
The Census counts every resident in the United States, and is required by the U.S. Constitution to take place every 10 years. Did you know the Census has been conducted every 10 years since 1790?

Why it’s important for you to participate
Census data is used to determine the number of congressional seats our state has in the U.S. House of Representatives. In addition, information from the 2010 Census will help ensure our community receives its fair share of more than $400 billion in federal funds each year for things like:

• Public Health
• Job training centers
• Schools
• Senior centers
• Bridges, tunnels and other-public works projects
• Emergency services

The Census will help us deepen our understanding of who we are as a community, enable us to plan effectively for the services, jobs, facilities and infrastructure needed for our city, and to make Des Moines the most thriving and livable city it can be.!

Information you provide is confidential. Federal Law protects the confidentiality of all personal information provided on your 2010 Census Form (Title 13 of the U.S. Code, Confidential Statistical Efficiency Act and the Privacy Act). Additional information about the 2010 Census can be accessed at: http://2010.census.gov

Every person in Des Moines that is counted will maximize the dollars our community receives to provide services that benefit you and your neighbors.

A local woman walking near the Des Moines pier on Monday evening (March 29) was the first to capture photo evidence of the recent string of sightings of the Des Moines’ sea serpent of legendary fame.

The elusive creature has been sought for decades by local fisherman.

“I was completely petrified, I couldn’t move, the first time this enormous thing rose out of the water,” said Marion Yoshino, who is a resident of Normandy Park. “I was walking the dog along the pier, we both froze – I think my dog was too frightened to even bark. It happened so fast that I didn’t have a chance to think about taking a picture.”

“But after I calmed down I pulled out my camera, hoping to get a glimpse of something in the water. Then it came back again! If I hadn’t gotten this photo I don’t think that I could tell the story, because, who would believe it?”

“It just makes sense that, as more people carry cell phone cameras, we will finally have photos of the sea creature that boaters have been telling us about for so many years,” said Joe Dusenbury, Harbormaster at the Des Moines Marina. “We have drawings from Captain’s logs 200 years ago of a giant sea serpent, so the history goes way back. We know that there are Indian legends. But we never had proof. Our boat owners told us that they hesitated to say anything because they thought no one would believe them. Now their stories are finally validated.”

Many of the eyewitness accounts have ended up on the desk of Police Chief Roger Baker.

“I have trusted members of the community who have seen it,” he said. “But every time we get a new report, and send our officers out there, it is long gone. One comment we always hear is that it is only visible for a split second, so it is a good thing that someone could finally get a photograph. The creature seems to be able to move like lightening.”

The Powell family, who have been business owners in Des Moines for four generations, also have had encounters with the famous sea serpent.

“My great-grandfather had the first official sighting in the town of Des Moines,” said Brooks Powell, who owns Powell Renovations, along with his brother Todd. “This is tremendously exciting for us. We have always hoped to get a photograph, it’s something that we have talked about for years whenever we are out on our boats. Now the rest of our family can finally see what it actually looks like.”

Students from Highline College’s Marine and Science Technology (MaST) Center in Redondo have been quietly diving in the area this week, hoping to find physical evidence to support these recent claims. If unidentifiable samples are found and tested, which could take weeks, this will be the first-ever proof of a new species of marine life in Des Moines, let alone of a real, giant “sea monster.” Speculation from students we spoke with is that it could actually just be a “lost, giant squid.”

The Waterland Blog has previously received numerous emails and phone calls about “Moinsey” from local residents, but experienced a sudden surge of fresh sightings over the last few days.

“The fact that we are able to break the story of the first known photograph is an exciting day in the history of the Blog,” said Publisher/Editor Scott Schaefer. “Newspapers all over the Puget Sound are going to be calling us to get the story.”

Here’s the stunning photo Yoshino took:

The City of Des Moines Planning Agency is holding an Open House on “Marina District Design Guidelines” on Monday, March 22nd from 5pm – 7pm at the Des Moines Activity Center.

This meeting is intended to gather residents’ thoughts and ideas on draft design guidelines for the downtown marina district neighborhood.

“The goal is to fashion a document that blends a sense of public vision with concrete and easily understood guidelines for designers and developers as they evaluate, plan, and implement redevelopment projects in the downtown waterfront core.” said Bob Polwarth, Planning Agency Chair.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Des Moines Planning Agency Open House on 
“Marina District Design Guidelines”

WHEN: Monday, March 22, 2010 from 5pm to 7pm.

WHERE: Des Moines Activity Center, located at 2045 South 216th Street 
Des Moines, WA 98198.

INFO: From the city’s website:

Last fall, the City Council tasked the Planning Agency to work with City planning staff to review design guidelines for the Downtown Neighborhood.  The goal is to fashion a document that blends a sense of public vision with concrete and easily understood guidelines for designers and developers as they evaluate, plan, and implement development projects in the downtown waterfront core.  This document is but one part of an overall revitalization strategy for the Downtown that will influence the pattern and the “look and feel” of the new environment we shall see and experience in the future.

This effort builds upon several years of discussion within the Council and represents its efforts to bring the widest possible array of stakeholders into the process.  As part of the guideline review, the Planning Agency will be sponsoring several public outreach gatherings.  The first public open house to discuss design issues for the Downtown is scheduled for:

• March 22, 2010
• 5 to 7 PM

At the Des Moines Activity Center located at 2045 S 216th Street Des Moines, WA 98198.

Design Guidelines help shape the form of new development by paying particular attention to site design, building form, architecture and public spaces.

More information can be found on the City’s website at: www.desmoineswa.gov/planning or by contacting Denise Lathrop 
at: 206-870-6563 or dlathrop@desmoineswa.gov.

Construction at the Des Moines Marina will continue through Friday, Feb. 26th, with pile driving and carpentry activities going on from 8am to 8pm.

Here are details spelled out in a letter from the Marina folks:

Dear Marina Neighbors,

IMCO General Construction has received approval to perform pile driving and carpentry activities at the Des Moines Marina after normal working hours…through Friday, February 26.  The specific activities listed below all require the lower tide levels that occur during the evening hours this week.

Pile Driving adjacent to the Marina’s Guest Moorage Area:  8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

In providing approval for IMCO to perform pile driving activities after normal working hours, City of Des Moines Development Services stipulated the following conditions must be met:

1. The construction site (pile driving area) must be completely shut down for the day, to include turning off the construction lighting, by 8:30 PM each night.
2. The contractor is required to comply with all noise requirements established by the City’s Municipal Code and WAC 173-60.
3. Construction lighting shall be directed away from the residential areas and limited to lighting need to safely illuminate the work zone as established by industry standards.
4. Daily noise monitoring reports demonstrating compliance with the City’s Municipal Code and WAC 173-60 must be provided to the City the next day following each night of work.

Concrete Pile Cap formwork (carpentry) on the waterside of the new bulkhead:  11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Based on a review of the tide charts and the nature of the proposed work, the City of Des Moines Building Official approved a modification to the City’s “Hours of Construction” provided the following conditions are imposed:

1. Construction lighting (see 3. Above)
2. When work will occur after 7 p.m., all efforts will be made to stage materials near the work zone prior to 7 p.m. in order to reduce the use of construction equipment required to utilize back-up alarms.
3. Compliance with State of Washington noise ordinances (WAC 173-60-40/WAC 173-60-50).
4. When work occurs after 10:00 p.m., the Contractor shall take periodic noise readings to ensure compliance with the requirements of WAC 173-60-040.

If you have any questions related to the extended hours activities that may be occurring this week, please don’t hesitate to call or email.

You may also wish to check for news and updates on the project website.

Thank you for your patience and understanding during the construction of the North Marina Combined Projects.

Doreen Torseth
Contract Administrator
North Marina Combined Projects
City of Des Moines
206.212.6372 (phone)

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!]

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 Brenda Anders

It is that time of year again – time to start planning for our community summer events.

As you may or may not know, the current economic situation and major construction projects within the city of Des Moines have dictated that many events be cancelled this year, including:

• Classic Car and Wooden Boat Show
• Italian Concourse Car Show
• Waterland 5k Run
• Waterland 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament

The good news is that there will still be many fun things to do in Des Moines this summer. There are many groups busily planning events for you and your families to enjoy, including:

• Fireworks over Des Moines! Brooks Powell / Powell Homes is dedicated to making this event happen and is seeking additional funds to privately cover the costs of city staffing needs
• The Des Moines Farmers Market, every Saturday (June 5-October 30), south end of the marina
• Waterland Music Series, dates and times TBD, Des Moines Arts Commission
• Des Moines Parks and Recreation’s Camp Khaos (Kids Having An Outrageous Summer), new location due to construction, Des Moines Field House Historic grandstand and ball field rededication, Des Moines Field House
• Missoula Children’s Theater, July
• Trash to Treasure (swap meet style), August, hosted by Des Moines Senior Activity Center

The Waterland Parade has NOT been officially cancelled. Yet.

There is a group of people, led by Anna Bjorneby, dedicated to making it happen with help from donations and private funding. The question is this:

Will residents and the business community support a parade?

Council Member Carmen Scott had this to say:

“This information is needed quickly by the people who would be putting on the parade in order to secure support and entrants. It is important to know if the parade is important to our residents. What does it mean to them? Parades require a level of staff support from the city. Your comments and response to the blog poll and/or email to council@desmoineswa.gov will give council members a good update on what importance the Waterland Parade has to our community.”

Here is where you can help. Parade planners and city council members need to know where the community stands on this. Due to time constraints, this is perhaps your only opportunity to be heard regarding a 2010 Waterland parade.

Please vote using our non-scientific Poll below this story, or on the sidebar. Feel free to also share your thoughts about the parade and what it means to you, your family and traditions by leaving a Comment below:

[2009 Waterland Parade Photo by Gene Achziger; buggy photo courtesy Des Moines Historical Society; 2009 Photo courtesy Carmen Scott]

by Ralph Nichols

Des Moines councilman Bob Sheckler was elected to a fourth consecutive term as mayor at the city council’s first meeting of the new year on Thursday, Jan. 7.

Councilman Dave Kaplan, who was re-elected to the council in the November election, was chosen as the city’s mayor pro tem.

Sheckler, who was elected on a 5-2 vote of council members, was nominated by Kaplan.

Scott Thomasson then nominated Matt Pina, who declined to be considered “for a variety of reasons.”

Newcomers Pina and Melissa Musser were sworn in and seated on the council at the start of the meeting.

After Pina stepped aside, Councilman Dan Sherman nominated Thomasson.

Voting for Sheckler were Kaplan, Musser and Pina, along with Councilwoman Carmen Scott and Sheckler. Sherman and Thomasson voted for Thomasson.

Kaplan was nominated by Scott, and Thomasson then nominated Musser. Sheckler, Kaplan, Pina and Scott voted for Kaplan, while voting for Musser were Sherman, Thomasson and Musser.

In recent years, Sheckler and Kaplan frequently have been on one side of a number of contentious issues, with Sherman and Thomasson on the other.

Assistant City Manager Lorri Ericson introduced Marion Yoshino, the city’s new economic development manager, to the council.

Yoshino, a Normandy Park City Council member, small business owner and 14-year resident in the area, will serve in this capacity on a pro bono basis.

“We have all witnessed the unfortunate recent closures of many of our small businesses,” Yoshino said. “It’s hard to see what’s going on around us.”

But, she continued, Des Moines has “the most spectacular beauty,” and noted the similarity here with waterfront settings in Bellingham and Kirkland where local businesses are doing relatively well even in the down economy.

“Our small businesses deserve this now,” Yoshino said. “If we all pull together we’re going to have a fantastic place.”

As if setting a new tone at the beginning of a new year, community activist and volunteer Brenda Anders, in the only comment from the public at the meeting, expressed support for the new council in its work ahead and declared, “I love Des Moines, Washington. This is a great place to work, a great place to live, a great place to play.”

Des Moines’ annual holiday bonfire will be held at Des Moines Beach Park this Wednesday, Dec. 16th, beginning at 6:30pm.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Des Moines annual holiday bonfire

WHEN: Wednesday, Dec. 16th; Bonfire from 6:30-8:00 pm; Performance from 7:10-7:30 pm

WHERE: Des Moines Beach Park, located at 22030 Cliff Avenue South.

INFO: Holiday revelers will warm by a bonfire and enjoy complimentary cookies, coffee, and cocoa while Argosy’s lighted Christmas Ship anchors offshore to perform traditional holiday songs.

Choir and schedule are subject to change and the bonfire is weather permitting.

For bonfire information, call the Des Moines Park and Recreation Department at 206-870-6527.

For boat parade and Christmas Ship information, call Argosy at 206-623- 1445.

(Photo courtesy Jana Klietsch)