I've spent my life in Fremont (as scary as that may sound, just try living it), and all my life I've known the honorary mayor of Fremont to be Armen Stepanian. For good or for bad, depending on who you spoke with and what he'd done lately, Armen made the most of his mayoral influence. Decades after Armen moved away, mythic stories remain of his legendary deeds and the impact he'd made here.Previous honorsOn Aug. 12, the Fremont Historical Society honored Armen at a potluck. Armen told the audience about his numerous experiences, for Armen never sat back and let life pass him by, as well as the history of Fremont's honorary mayors and his place therein.It surprised me to know that Armen was our fifth, for you never hear about the other four. The Feb. 7, 1947, issue of The North Central Outlook announced the Fremont Old Timers association's election of Thomas W. Lough of Winslow, Bain-bridge Island, as mayor of Fremont. The second sentence in the brief notice referred to the position as honorary. No mention followed of Mr. Lough's connection to the neighborhood, but Armen recalled him as a fire official, and another former mayor, from the 1920s or '30s, as a state representative.The position, bestowed as a tribute or award, seems to have been distributed arbitrarily: characteristic Fremont casualness.
In an effort to make the Emerald City greener, Mayor Greg Nickels is planning to plant more trees.Beginning this month, residents of Seattle can obtain one of 2,000 free-tree coupons, which can be redeemed for one free tree. The mayor implemented the free-tree program as part of Urban Forest Management Plan, which is also a part of Nickels' Green Seattle Initiative. Nickels' goal is to increase the amount of tree cover in the city of Seattle over the next 30 years; these 2,000 trees are just a start.Greening up homesAccording to John Heeley, who works with the city's Office of Sustainability and Environment, applications for the coupons can be found on-line at seattle.gov or at any local community center."Basically, you apply for the coupon, and then if you are one of the first 2,000 to sign up, you get a free tree," Heeley said.Planting more trees will hopefully help the tree populations recover from disease and inconsistent maintenance, problems that have plagued Seattle's forest population since the 1970s.Seattle City Arborist Nolan Rund-quist said that over time, tree populations have simply decreased. "Essentially, we are losing a lot of trees, mostly on private property and residential areas," he said.That's why he and the city are encouraging residents who get the trees to plant them on their property, although Rundquist said they can plant the trees "anywhere they want" within their property lines.
Walls embellished with bright colors - a layering of blue, yellow and orange - transport many West Indians back home upon entering the new Trinidadian restaurant Pam's Kitchen. "A lot of people are like, 'Oh, this reminds me of a rum shop' with the colors and just the feel of it, so we really did want to bring that part of Trinidad to Seattle. Everybody really just feels like they're home," said Anjuli Churaman, daughter of owners Patrick Churaman and Pam Jacob. Rum shops are local Caribbean hangouts and bars, but you don't have to be from Trinidad to feel at ease in Pam's Kitchen. Pam's Kitchen opened its doors on Sept. 22 at 5000 University Way N.E. in the University District. "We already have regulars," Anjuli said. A cozy, corner business, this West Indian-style restaurant is a family affair and chef and co-owner Jacob's dream to open her own restaurant.
Art Clokey's darkness, like real darkness, descends, arriving not from beneath but above, the landscapes he created for Gumby, Pokey and - above the toy cars, trucks, jeeps, piano, xylophones and his perennial favorite - the sturdy red fire engine. The darkness through and across clouds of cotton, roiling into animated rainstorms, hurricanes and floods, accentuating the bold, and inspired use of real water, and sometimes real fire (clay pirates need something to light their cannons) in stop-motion animation surroundings. In the private, sometimes completely abstract animated films he lensed without Gumby, Pokey, or any of his other fondly-remembered animated creatures, the camera pans over and sideways through foreboding landscapes, stark shapes and color contrasts. Beneath Gumby's gaiety lies loss.The Northwest Film Forum's "Gumby 50th Anniversary Celebration" comes with a documentary, "Gumby Dharma," directed by the late Robina Marchesi. The film doesn't skimp on the details, even as Marchesi presents them in a matter-of-fact manner, usually through Clokey's far-ranging ramblings. Art Clokey began life as Arthur Farrington in the Detroit area. Eight-years old when the stock market crashed, he watched his father and mother take in a boarder, a local policeman, to their extra bedroom.
When Jeffery Beaumont, played by Kyle MacLachlan in David Lynch's "Blue Velvet," discovers the seedy underside of his seemingly benign, stereotypically suburban hometown of Lumberton, he delivers a quintessential Lynchian understatement: "It's a strange world." As the machinations of gentrification work to pave over uniqueness throughout many American cities all to erect the area's next chain-store, The Crescent Lounge stands in stiletto-heeled opposition giving this ever encroaching trend "the hand." And for this we should be grateful.Located on East Olive Way, the Crescent Lounge is nothing less than a landmark in Capitol Hill's cultural history. What opened as a lesbian bar over five decades ago and has since morphed into a generally gay, always unique, come-as-you-are-no-matter-whom-you-are, everyone's welcome watering hole that hosts karaoke seven nights a week. This diversity of clientele makes the Crescent distinct in Seattle. In fact, it's not hard to imagine its singularity in any contemporary American city.
The comments had an all-too familiar ring:"Drug dealers have been more prevalent," said one resident."I've lived here since 1992, and it's never been this bad," said another."There are a lot more kids here than the public perception. We choose to live here, and many of us have children and we feel less safe," said yet another."We're considering moving out of the neighborhood. We've been broken into, found needles in our backyard. The crowd hanging around feels particularly mean," added another still.These comments, and many in similar vein, were put forward at a neighborhood gathering last week at the 11th Avenue Inn, a bed and breakfast located one block north of Cal Anderson Park. Roughly 30 neighbors, concerned about the current state of public safety around the park, came together on Thursday, Oct. 12, to speak with Julien Loh, an advisor to Seattle Mayor Greg Nickles on public safety issues. The gathering came about in part due to several recent violent incidents that took place at or near Cal Anderson Park.
There are places I'll rememberAll my life, though some have changedSome forever, not for betterSome have gone and some remainAll these places have their momentsWith lovers and friends I still can recallSome are dead and some are livingIn my life, I've loved them all -In My Life, John Lennon & Paul McCartneyThumper's, a gay community mainstay for 22 years, makes its final last call this Saturday. The property, at 1500 E. Madison Street, will be redeveloped into apartments and ground-floor retail.Thumper's grand opening party was April 27, 1985. Owners Steve Nyman and Nathan Benedict wanted to provide the gay community an open, clearly gay restaurant to celebrate the continued freedoms and gay liberation begun in the 1970s. It was a heady time of fighting oppression and a deliberately gay restaurant provided an environment and message of such importance that it is difficult to believe today."It's pretty strange, after 21 and a half years, watching the neighborhood change," Benedict said. "Since we announced [the closure] last Wednesday it has been very emotional for us."This is not a case of a greedy landlord shoving out a small business. Nyman and Benedict own the property and have decided this is the time to close and sell Thumper's. They have tried to sell the business, but value of the property, and the subsequent taxation at "highest and best use" makes the economics of the single-story restaurant impossible. The necessary rent would simply be too high."During the last week people have been coming up and telling us stories we have never heard before," Nyman said. Most of the stories are highly personal, sharing their first gay-bar experience or a special relationship that began at Thumper's. Several gay rights organizations have been founded or held their meetings at Thumper's."It has been very exciting to have that happen," Benedict said."A lot of people have made us cry," Nyman added.
Light rail is becoming a physical reality. Construction on the initial light rail segment connecting downtown to the airport is well underway. Work on the former Metro bus tunnel downtown proceeds in anticipation of light rail operations in 2009. Property acquisition along Broadway is also taking place in preparation of building Broadway's light rail station. The segment from downtown to the University District, which will include Broadway, is targeted for a 2016 opening. Progress on the project may not occur overnight, but light rail is on its way.But one thing that isn't going to happen is a light-rail station on First Hill. In the summer of 2005, the Sound Transit board chose not to build the First Hill station despite the fact that the station was included on light rail's original route and had long been assumed. The station was removed from the drawing board for reasons of cost and safety. But its removal left a dense, urban neighborhood, one with major employment centers that attract a large number of commuters, without a natural connection to the Sound Transit network now under construction.Following that decision, Sound Transit said it would explore other First Hill transit options. One such option is building a street car line to connect First Hill to the Broadway light-rail station. And while the idea is a long way from becoming reality, it is an option that Sound Transit is seriously exploring.
Streisand sing-alongs. Movies with titles like "50 Ways of Saying Fabulous." Could it be time for another Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival (SLGFF)?The 11th edition of this stalwart film festival opened Friday, Oct. 13. Unlike bigger events that invade Capitol Hill in May, this film fest runs a compact 10 days, ending on Oct. 22. But during those 10 days, the organizers have tried to stuff enough movies to satisfy every film lover."It's not just 10 days of films. It's an experience," said Rachael Brister, executive director of Three Dollar Bill Cinema (the organization that produces SLGFF). "We want the festival to be a place to gather and a place to discuss the issues raised by the films."And also a place to have a little fun, whether attending a sing-along version of "Funny Girl" at the Cinerama or a party at the Aquarium following a screening of the very adult "Shortbus."Besides the ticketed events, SLGFF sponsored a free showing at the Capitol Hill Library on Oct. 15. Another free screeing is scheduled on the festival's closing day at the Seattle Public Library's main branch downtown on Oct. 22.
The opening reception for the much-anticipated "The Voyage of Barangay" exhibit on Oct.5 was a packed affair at the Wing Luke Asian Museum in Seattle's International District.The photo exhibition showcases the presence and significant impact that the Filipino community has made in King County through the education system, work place and overall contributions to the diversification of this region for the past 100 years.According to the exhibit's program guide, "since the 1980's, each year more than 1,000 new immigrants come to Washington to live. Of the 65,373 Filipinos living in the state, more than 15,800 live in King County." The photos are captured on four pieces of slick canvas with the detailed craftsmanship of bamboo as a frame. According to Joann Aquino, Public Relations Manager for the Wing Luke Asian Museum, "barangay" is derived from the Malay word "balangay" which translates into boat. In Tagalog, one of the major languages spoken among Filipinos, "barangay" is used in reference to community. "It's wonderful to see this exhibit representing our Filipino community," said Congressman Jim McDermott, who was in attendance. The exhibit is produced by the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS), whose mission is "To promote understanding, education, enlightenment, appreciation, and enrichment through the identification, gathering, preservation, and dissemination of the history and culture of Filipino Americans in the United States." The exhibit features approximately 60 photos that have been restored and extracted from 100s of photos that were provided by FANHS and members of the Filipino community in King County.
A recent report released by the FBI forced me to remember little George's about-face on Osama bin Laden. I'm sure you remember how he declared war on terrorists and said he wouldn't rest until bin Laden was dead and buried.Then, within a year, when we couldn't find old Osama, Bush started claiming Osama wasn't important.Well, the FBI must be reading George W's manual on backtracking.Immediately after a report was released to the press noting that only 33 folks in the entire agency speak Arabic - you know, the language alleged terrorists held without trial in Cuba and points west speak - the FBI, 12,000 strong, which means 11, 988 who don't speak any Arabic at all, claimed it is "not crucial to know Arabic."Must be why we did so well sniffing out the 9/11 terrorists.I think I side with Daniel Byman, a Georgetown University associate professor who heads the school's security studies program."The FBI's failure to attract Arabic speaking agents is a serious problem.... It [language proficiency] gives you extra cultural knowledge and sensitivity. It makes you more sensitive to nuance, which is what investigations are often all about," Byman said.
Every night it seems to happen. Someone decides to use a gun to settle their problems: in a traffic altercation or domestic dispute, and someone dies. Every week there is a news story: this week it's a priest molesting a young boy, or a congressman with his page. The next week it's a CEO pumping up his stocks and stealing from the public.Every month another desperate soul does something to try and save themselves. One day it's a grandma robbing a bank to get medicines, another day a secretary is pinching from a non profit, or the treasurer leaves town with the Boy Scouts' money.People are hungry for the first time and afraid of what tomorrow may not bring, and civility is lost when desperation becomes a permanent mindset. Small slights are magnified into major confrontations and people are being killed over hundred-dollar fender benders.Every time we turn on the television or pick up the newspaper we are besieged with a terrorist plan or an attempt to blow up or assassinate something or someone. Killers in Baghdad and Mexican border towns are raiding police stations and putting on the stolen uniforms could be signing death warrants.As all of this is swirling around, young men in trench coats are stalking the hallways of our schools on a mission to create havoc, expecting to die by the hands of the police or their own and hoping death will quiet the voices in their heads.These are the times when all seems lost, when today's societal norms were yesterday's extremes and the boundaries of what is right are blurred by a desire to win at all cost.
On Oct. 5, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued orders requiring Lucky An Dong, Inc. and Viet Wah Supermarket, two stores in the Little Saigon neighborhood, to stop selling two illegal, unregistered pesticide products.The two pesticide products named in the stop sale orders are "Miraculous Insecticide Chalk" and "Talent naphthalene BALL" (moth balls) which are imported from China and Taiwan. EPA inspected the two stores on Aug. 29. At this time, the stores removed the illegal pesticide products from their store shelves upon EPA request.EPA is especially concerned about children's potential exposure to "Miraculous Insecticide Chalk." Children can easily mistake this product for common blackboard chalk.
Even though the University of Washington undoubtedly offers a solid education for undergraduates, some of Seattle's most talented and ambitious high school seniors - the ones who would apply to Ivy League schools or top liberal arts colleges - may be craving something a little more rigorous. And that's why the UW offers the Honors Program."The Honors Program is for students who have done exceptionally well in high school," said Dr. Julie Villegas, the associate director of the Honors Program, "students who want to continue working at a high academic level and want peers who are interested in the same goals."Getting admitted into the program is highly competitive. For this current year's freshman class, 2,800 students applied and a mere 300 were admitted. The average SAT of an Honors student is 1400 (statistics have not come in for the new SAT scoring system yet) and the average grade-point average is 3.9. However, there are no minimum scores or grades to be considered, and the admissions committee does look at the entire package.
CHRIS VANHOLLEBEKE"Oh yes. They aren't paying attention. It is a hazard."MARILYN ROY"I think that they are a hazard. Usually their hand is tied up and they are trying to make a turn. I have seen many situations where traffic congestion was caused because of someone on their cellphone."