Recently, an item appeared in The Seattle Times mentioning that during Nixon's vice presidency a drive-in along Whittier Boulevard down in southern California by the name of "Nixon's" was the teenage hangout spot. I know; I grew up nearby, and I've eaten more than a few "Nixonburgers." One night my father almost inadvertently caused a riot there when we cruised past. "What kind of tires are those?" I asked one evening in 1961 after my father had pulled into the driveway with what looked like red tires on the car he'd brought home that night. "They're a set of experimental Goodyears that we had mounted on this new Chrysler to help promote it," he explained. "They aren't made out of rubber but a soft, translucent plastic that Goodyear thinks may replace rubber someday. We'll take a ride after dinner; they do something that I think will really surprise you."
I spend one hour a day exercising.When I'm finished, I've traveled to and from work by bike. I've gone door-to-door faster than I would have by bus. I have not spent a dime on gasoline, parking or bus fare. Nor have I contributed to air or noise pollution.I derive great pleasure from the efficiency of my bicycle. I call it the "environmental aesthetic" (pleasure) rather than the "environmental ethic" (morality).Modern bikes are light, take up minimal space and give maximum output for minimum input. (At my age - 62 - minimum input is very important.)
Countless passengers have ridden ships of his design without necessarily knowing his name, but Philip Spaulding was a legend in West Coast and international maritime circles."I had a fantastic desire to create a good looking ship," Mr. Spaulding told his newspaper in an October 2003 interview.Mr. Spaulding died at his Magnolia home May 5. He was 92 years old.Spaulding-designed ships include the Port Angeles-Victoria ferry MV Coho, seven Alaska Marine Highway System ferries and the 440-foot Walla Walla and its sister ship Spokane, workhorses for Washington State Ferries since 1971. Other designs include 14 ferries for BC Ferries in British Columbia, three aluminum high-speed San Francisco Bay ferries, plus numerous tankers, tugs, barges and yachts.
Chronic macular degeneration is a terrible optical affliction that has deprived many people of their eyesight. Patients and doctors alike are all too familiar with the phrase, "There's nothing more that can be done."And unfortunately, for the "dry" type of macular degeneration - where no new blood vessels are formed under the retina -there is no medical treatment. But when it comes to the "wet" type, what is there to do? "Plenty," says Dr. Richard J. Shuldiner, a low-vision optometrist who treats people with vision loss- as do I. "The name of the game is prevention or arresting the progression, and there are a number of things that people can do for themselves."
Land that once belonged to a 19th century African-American entrepreneur in Seattle was officially opened as the Central Area's newest park and dedicated to a modern-day African-American man of high achievement on May 14. Homer Harris Park, in the 2400 block of East Howell Street, was named after a Queen Anne resident who grew up in the Central Area and went on to become Garfield High School's first black football-team captain. He also went on to become the first African-American football-team captain at Iowa State University, and Harris was inducted into the Iowa Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002. Before retiring in 2000, Harris also worked for 43 years as a dermatologist in Seattle, where he is honored as a "Pioneer Black Doctor."
Five of six candidates and two incumbents running for three Port Commission positions tackled the subject of North Bay development at a Magnolia Community Club meeting last week.The race is significant because the Port's approach to redeveloping North Bay could change if all three seats are filled with newcomers, noted MCC president Victor Berry. "It could change the balance of power very easily," he said at the May 12 meeting.Community activist Dan Becraft was clearly skeptical of the Port's intentions for the largely vacant area north of terminals 90 and 91. "They're not even going to commit to how much money they're going to commit to this project," he said.
There were unintended consequences about a year and a half ago when Seattle City Light put in new transmission lines on Elliott Avenue West to handle the increased power needs for Amgen and development in South Lake Union, according to City Light worker Leo Schmitz.The power lines were strung higher than they used to be, and that suddenly turned the lines above Albert Lee Appliances into a comfortable roosting area for hundreds of pigeons who naturally did what birds do, complained owner Albert Lee. "It is a real mess," he said of the droppings that coat the sidewalk and crosswalk in front of his building. "You've got to clean it off every day; it's a constant battle," Lee said. "You'd think it would be a freaking health hazard."
If you're not likely anytime soon to fly to New York to see the Monty Python-inspired Broadway hit "Spamalot," you might consider taking in ACT Theatre's closer-to-home "Bach at Leipzig," a remarkably silly yet intellectually stirring comedy by the gifted, 28-year-old playwright Itamar Moses. ACT's press materials for "Bach" liken Moses' 18th-century-set, fact-based farce to a fusion of the Marx Brothers and the reality-television series "Survivor." But the comic pomposity and extravagance of the play's characters - all well-regarded German composers competing, sometimes nastily, for a prestigious job - plus Moses' insights into sometimes cruel juxtapositions of destiny and talent, actually bring to mind a blend of Peter Shaffer's "Amadeus" and Jon Lovitz's hammy "Saturday Night Live" character, Master Thespian.
May heralds the 31st edition of the Seattle International Film Festival (really the 30th, but the 13th was superstitiously skipped), and that three-decade anniversary makes me realize that - tempus fugit! - half my life has been spent under SIFF's annual influence one way or another. From holing up for a month with movies from all over the world, to reviewing fest films, to participating in panels and juries, to serving on the selection committee, mounting tributes and even editing the doorstop program, my on-again, off-again relationship with Seattle's premier cinematic extravaganza has been multifaceted. Even during the 10 years-plus I adventured in Manhattan, where I helped choose films for the highly selective New York Film Festival, I regularly headed back to Rain City for a taste of SIFF's omnivorous slate.
After a long session, the 2005 Legislature has adjourned for the year. Despite the serious challenges of having a $1.6 billion revenue shortfall and wanting to avoid imposing a general tax increase, we had one of the most productive sessions in recent memory. We managed to make critical investments in our schools and universities, in health care for more of our population, in our transportation infrastructure and in a stronger safety net for those in need, while shielding critical public services from cuts and without a general tax increase. Here are some highlights of the most notable successes.
Things are quiet on most of Washington state's political fronts. That is not necessarily good.Politicians are lying low. In that respect they are like bears: They hibernate for a time. Bears, when food is scarce; politicians, when votes are scarce...or right after legislative sessions.The backwash from revenue-raising ventures in Olympia will start to be felt by residents this summer, when gas prices climb and "sin" taxes escalate. It's going to cost more to drive, smoke and drink.
Last week, Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Raj Manhas announced changes to his preliminary recommendation on school closures, consolidation and student assignments that was presented to the School Board on April 20. The recommendation would have required 10 of Seattle's public schools to shut down, forcing its students to transfer to nearby schools. Upset by this prospect, parents, student and teachers rallied to challenge the superintendent's proposal and to help keep their neighborhood schools alive. Due to the great amount of concern expressed by the community, Manhas announced the removal of school closures from his recommendation for balancing the 2006-07 budget.
Fishermen's Terminal," a documentary about the home of the North Pacific Fishing Fleet, is showing at this year's Seattle International Film Festival. Directed by prolific filmmaker and author B.J. Bullert, the one-hour film marks the end of a four-year project that started when the Port of Seattle decided to allow pleasure boats to moor at the working-man marina for the first time.Depending on who's talking in the documentary, the 2001 decision was an example of class warfare and the gradual gentrification of Seattle, or it was a move to bring in extra money to a Port property that's seen better days since it was built almost a century ago at the northeastern edge of Magnolia.
The bride will wear red - on her head. She will also wear a slinky, purple dress and purple shoes. As would be expected of a Red Hat Society member.All of "The Intriguing Ladies" (as the Greenwood Senior Center group is called) will wear similar outfits for the Catholic ceremony, albeit without the bridal bouquet, and the other guests are encouraged to follow suit. Alice Everett-Oswalt, 65, had wanted her wedding to be an event for her fellow Red Hat members, and the 76-year-old groom, Albert Farrar Jr., was happy to oblige. In fact, he is wearing a purple shirt for the occasion.
Have you been thinking about doing more physical activity? Maybe you were more active when you were younger, but your life has gotten too hectic and now you just don't have the time. Or maybe the word "exercise" sends chills down your back, and you have no desire or idea on how to get started. There are three things to keep in mind as you think about physical activity and ways to get going: It is good for you. It will save you money. It can be relatively easy and enjoyable.