Written by Randy Corman
This a really entertaining video that Bill Gates put together about his upcoming retirement from Microsoft.
He includes funny performances from many celebrities and politicians like George Clooney, Steven Spielberg, Bono, Al Gore, and many others.
The theme is what Bill Gates plans to do after retirement….it’s self-deprecating, very silly in places, and good light-hearted fun.
Enjoy!
Written by Randy Corman
Here is the latest from our city Transporation Department:
January 8 Update:
We just had a meeting with BNSF and its contractor regarding the schedule for Rainier Ave. Closures. The start date is still January 14.
1. The full closures are going to be at night, 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. (first night might be an hour longer; still being discussed) Hardie is the main detour.
2. Partial closures — one lane in each direction — will be added in the eveing, 9 p.m to 11 p.m. except for the first day when the long girders (125 ft.) are installed (we’ll add one, maybe two hours, in the evening — this is still being discussed).
3. The full duration for this work will be until Feb. 8. Hardie Ave. welding will also take longer with some closures.
4. Businesses are being notified; media too; Renton Reporter doing a story; Boeing has been notified.
5. Everyone is being told to check www.rentonwa.gov for the most up to date information.
6. BNSF staff were seen today already beginning to measure and plan for the Houser Way concrete panels (based on city council approval Jan. 7).
BNSF is still pushing hard to have the new track laid and everything ready by the end of February.
Peter
January 7
Written by Randy Corman
This is a pretty amusing essay that ran last week. I’ve always enjoyed Dave Barry’s sense of humor, and this column seemed particularly funny to me.
Dave Barry’s annual recap: Another year down the (airport) toilet
Written by Randy Corman
Gary Palmer captured these great pictures from our first council meeting.
The first picture is the council and new mayor, as we posed for our official photo. The second is a shot of the crowd that was present for the meeting and the ceremony.
There are several dignitaries in the audience, including State Attorney General Rob McKenna (who swore in Denis Law).
I really like these photos. Unfortunately, the council portrait will be out-of-date in a month, when we add our seventh member…so we will have to re-shoot it at that time.
The photos can be enlarged by clicking on them. If you see yourself in the audience, and you are not too shy, let me know in the comment section below!
Written by Randy Corman
Earlier this week, Governor Gregoire threatened she will simply tear down the Alaska Way Viaduct by 2012, if it is not replaced before that.
While Seattlites have been debating the merits of her threat (and whether she will even be in office in 2012), I found another part of her statements somewhat puzzling….and they need some correction lest Rentonites somehow take them at face value.
The Governor is quoted as saying:
“We really are fundamentally not efficient and effective now. Our offramps from I-5 are not efficient to the flow of traffic. What international city do we know of that would have two-way traffic in downtown? What international city do we know of that would have street parking in the middle of downtown?”
If I understand correctly, the governor is implying we need to get rid of Seattle’s remaining two-way street traffic, and on-street parking, to make Seattle an international city.
Knowing this did not seem right, I made a quick run-through of a few of travel photos:
Paris
Paris… (Champs Elysees)
Singapore
I could have published photo’s from many, many other international city that show two-way traffic and street parking in downtown.
I don’t think that going to one-way streets and getting rid of parking should be the answer to our traffic woes, in Seattle or in Renton.
I also don’t think the Governor should tear down the viaduct without a good plan in place… I don’t want Seattle to jump in front of I-405 in the funding race just because the Governor says “It’s coming down in 2012. I’m taking it down — the middle”.
Written by Randy Corman
A little more on this subject that I should address.
Some of you have pointed out that I deleted another comment, by another party, a couple weeks ago. I did this because the comment was left by someone who is involved in a lawsuit over similar blog postings, and I did not want THAT legal issue to be further inflamed.
In general, I really want to leave your comments up…whether I agree with them or not.
Written by Randy Corman
In this entry, Benson Hill resident Kari Kopnick ponders the Renton Census that is required to get state assistance with annexation funding. Here is her journal entry:
_________________________________________________________
This is the information age, I know it. I am well past my 20s but I still have a facebook and a myspace. I play scrabble online with friends across the country, and keep in touch with my mom by email.
But I’m still a little skittish about giving out information about my family. Part of the Benson Hill neighborhood annexation to Renton involves a census. I got a letter a couple of weeks ago from the city advising us that a “census enumerator” will be coming to the door, wearing an official City of Renton badge with their name and picture on it. They have been charged to ask me my name, and the name of everyone who lives in my household. It’s for money, so the city can get funds allocated based on population increase. I get it. But still, I was a little uneasy when I heard about this.
OK, so what’s the big deal? I have a pretty public life. I work for a church and my contact information is all over the church website. I have a facebook with lots of information; even my political leanings. I know that technically that information is private, but I really I think if someone wanted it, they could get it.
Maybe that’s it. I wonder if the census information will really be destroyed after the verification process. I momentarily remember that during World War 2 when people of Japanese decent were held in concentration camps, one way that officials located the people was with US census information. And we are a mixed race family. My husband is a Korean American, I’m white, and our kids are like Barak Obama, Tiger Woods and Keanu Reeve—mixed race or what some mixed race Asian folks call hapa.
But this form doesn’t ask for race.
This census form (available online at rentonwa.gov) only asks for our names and a kind of survey of how much time we spend at our home address. “Do any of those listed above attend school and not live at the above address during the school year?” “Do any of those listed above sleep elsewhere more than three nights per week?” things like that.
Maybe my issue is with listing my kids. Maybe naming the people over 18 who live here is not a big deal, but writing down the names of the kids is unsettling.
But my kids’ names are on forms we send to the IRS and they are registered for school. It’s not like they’re flying under the radar right now.
So, I thought I should be a good citizen and do what the letter I got says to do if I have questions or concerns and call the person they list to call. I easily reached Glenn MacGilva, the person listed. He even answered on the first ring. And he was really friendly. Glenn is from the firm called Census Services that Renton hired to do the census of our area. He seemed maybe to be expecting that I was about to bite his head off, but I wasn’t. I really just wanted to know why the city needed our names. And I wanted to know what was going to happen once I gave our names over to his “enumerator”, the person that knocks on my door.
He told me that the state wants names so that they can be assured that the city is not just making up names to pad the numbers being annexed, which of course equals more money, and also to bar against inadvertent duplicates. When I asked why they can’t just do an average, you know say this many households usually have this many people so here’s the number. He told me that that would average out over a really big number of households, but given that we’re really dealing with neighborhoods, it can be very different; like a neighborhood with lots of empty nesters probably has a different average household number than a neighborhood with lots of families with young kids. Mr. MacGilva also told me that the state actually goes and does random checks with a name match, and that’s why it can’t really just be a number. That’s why they want a name.
OK. That I’ll buy. I can see the point there.
Mr. MacGilva told me if I had concerns about security of the confidentiality of my family’s names once they left my front door I should call a woman named Theresa Lowe from the State Office of Financial Management. So I did.
Ms. Lowe was also lovely to talk with, and even remembered in 1967 being at the Federal Office building preparing for the 1970 survey and hearing from people who had been profiled during World War 2 based on the US Census. Now that’s living history. She reassured me that with these annexation surveys the names are physically cut from the forms and shredded when they reach her office. And she also affirmed that there is no law that compels us to answer this census. It is important to get the best response to the census possible, so the state can provide the right level of funding. But it’s still voluntary.
So now, I don’t know!
Maybe I should just go live in a yurt on an island in the ocean where no one cares who lives there.
Yeah, I know. There would probably be a motor powered canoe that would putter up and someone would climb out, and they’d have a name badge and a clip board. And they’d want to know who lived in my yurt and how many nights a week we all slept there.
Yep, it’s the information age.
Kari Kopnick
Written by Randy Corman
Tukwila celebrates it’s Centenial this year!
P.S. In Renton we celebrated our Centenial in 2001
Written by Randy Corman
After 10 years of improving our city’s economic fortunes with active marketing, we’re taking our ahead-of-the-curve marketing campaign to the next level. You will surely enjoy this new ad!
Click here to see Almost Live Host John Kiester in Renton’s new television ad
RENTON, WA-The Renton Community Marketing Campaign will showcase the
city and its brand “Renton. Ahead of the Curve” in a television
commercial to be aired during the NFC Wild Card game, featuring the
Seattle Seahawks, and during the Super Bowl XLII pre-game show.
The advertisement features actor/comedian John Keister, who regularly
panned Renton on his groundbreaking comedy show “Almost Live,” which
was produced and broadcast by KING-TV from 1984 to 1999.
“Remember all those jokes we used to make on ‘Almost Live’ about
Renton?” Keister reminisces in the commercial.
Over the past decade, Renton has undergone a remarkable transformation,
shaking a historic blue-collar image and becoming one of the fastest
growing communities in King County.
“With exciting developments under construction such as the Seattle
Seahawks’ Virginia Mason Athletic Center and The Landing, our 68-acre
mixed-use neighborhood, as well as great neighborhoods, a diverse
business community, excellent schools, Renton Technical College and
Valley Medical Center, Renton is a dynamic place to be,” said Mayor
Denis Law.
The Renton Community Marketing Campaign celebrates its 10th anniversary
in 2008. The partnership includes the City of Renton, Renton Chamber of
Commerce, Renton School District, Renton Technical College, and Valley
Medical Center. The partnership has been recognized nationally for its
“Ahead of the Curve” brand and as one of the first in a trend of
communities working to market themselves.
“Ahead of the Curve is more than just a marketing slogan,” said
Alex Pietsch, administrator of the city’s Economic Development,
Neighborhoods and Strategic Planning Department, who coordinates the
campaign’s marketing efforts. “It is a way of life here in Renton.
We’re taking that message to a new level by running this advertisement
on television. And, with the Seattle Seahawks locating their
headquarters and training facility in Renton this year, we could think
of no better place to start than their first playoff game.”
Previous marketing efforts have focused on radio and print
advertisements. This is the campaign’s first foray into broadcast
television.
“If people haven’t thought of Renton since ‘Almost Live’ was on
the air, we hope this ad will give them reason to come down and give us
a look,” added Bill Taylor, CEO of the Renton Chamber of Commerce.
“Whether you have a young family and are looking for an affordable,
close-in community to call home or a company in need of a centrally
located headquarters, Renton is clearly is a community with a tremendous
amount to offer.”
A copy of the advertisement is attached. For more information about the
City of Renton visit rentonwa.gov.
Written by Randy Corman
Tonight I ran across this Time Magazine essay about the Death Penalty, and how we are entering a new period of national debate on the topic. While city council has no say on this topic, it is a topic of interest to many Washington citizens, and could become a subject for our state legislators to take up again sooner than we may realize.
While I have never lobbied for or against the death penalty, in recent years I generally prefer the life without parole option for murderers. I think capital punishment is becoming too arbitrary. (A couple examples that come to mind: (1) Washington’s worst killer ever, who coldly and randomly raped and killed around 48-50 girls and women, did not receive a death sentence;(2) one man who was scheduled for hanging ate too much junk food and became too heavy to be hung, and died later of natural causes instead). And DNA reversals are so common now it’s sickening to think about who may have been killed erroneously across our nation in years past. (Just yesterday a man was released from prison in Texas after serving 27 years for a crime he did not commit, and not long ago an innocent man was released who had been on death row). With life-without-parole, we may take someone’s liberty, but we can give that back to them, and at least try to help them get their life back if later evidence or science shows we have made a mistake. And in terms of closure, the death penalty takes so long to administer that it keeps victims in legal limbo for up to 20 years or more. It’s better to find closure when the judge’s gavel strikes, and the killer is sentenced to life without parole. Victims should be afforded the opportunity to start their final grieving, coming to terms, and rebuilding at this point. I don’t think we should encourage them to wait for the execution which may never come.
What do you all think?
Written by Randy Corman
I received a comment from Charlie Conner, who owns the helicopter that was the subject of discussion in earlier blogs. He offers his phone number, and wants to address any questions or concerns you may have.
See his comment by clicking Here
Written by Randy Corman
Many of you expressed appreciation and admiration for Tawny Davis and Ian Wilson, the couple who own the century-old house that was just moved though four cities, and across Renton’s airport, to get to it’s new site.
Tawny wrote in today, on behalf of her and her husband Ian, expressing gratitude for your support.
See her comment by clicking HERE!
And Tawny and Ian, thank YOU for your amazing accomplishment in saving this piece of local history. I can’t wait to watch the special on the Discovery Channel.
Written by Randy Corman
I made this friends-only for a while, because Rose is getting picked on by the annonymouse Renton masses. (I think they might be taking it all too seriously.)
What do you livejournal friends think I should do?
Here is her article:
I’m not one for resolutions, but invariably at this time of year my thoughts turn to how things could be improved. Not just in my personal life, but on a grander scale: how can we work together to make our living situation better? Here are a few subjects of personal ire that will never be resolved lest we all contribute:
(1) The left lane is for passing. The left lane is for passing. The left lane is for passing. If you’re still not getting it: KEEP RIGHT UNLESS YOU ARE PASSING. Traffic flows much more smoothly when drivers make proper use of the road- and keep in mind that you’re there to get from point A to point B, not to teach others a lesson. You know those times when someone creeps up on you from behind, highbeams a-blazin’, and you mutter: “I’m already doing 60. They don’t need to get past?” Just let them pass anyway. Let them do 70 if they want, and maybe you’ll get the giddy justification of seeing them pulled over further down the freeway. If not, no skin off your nose, right?
(2) While we’re on the subject of not teaching lessons on the roadway, don’t do that thing where you see someone trying to merge coming up from behind you, and you see they’re going to pass you, so you move over to block them- especially not if the actual merge point is 200 yards ahead. If they have enough lane left to get past you, let them get past. You’re just making the backup worse by stopping them before it’s necessary.
(3) As my dad has pointed out many a time, you ever notice that people walk like they drive? Rule number one above applies to walking as well, and this is a critical one in malls. Further, do not stop in the middle of the aisle when you are shopping. This transgression was one I saw countless times over the holidays. I will run into you, if only to prove a point. I know I said no teaching lessons, but it’s less dangerous on foot than by vehicle. If you stop short of me in the middle of Southcenter, expect that I’ll keep going and demonstrate exactly how I’ve been inconvenienced, because it’s infinitely more fulfilling to prove a point about common sense than it is to swerve around you and let you think it’s an acceptable practice.
(4) I’m not sure how this one is fixable, really, but have you ever been in a checkout line for more time than when you shop at Fred Meyer? I could be buying a single box of cereal and going through the U-Scan checkout, and STILL it takes ten minutes, whether I’m on Benson, downtown, or in Crossroads. I guess there’s not a workable solution here; I just needed to get that out there.
(5) Get your coffee anywhere but Starbucks. I know, it’s hard- I have trouble keeping myself away from their ubiquitous stores as well; I can hardly call myself a Starbucks teetotaler. Sometimes it’s just too convenient. And I do recognize that they came from the area so technically buying there is supporting local business, but COME ON. It’s completely, utterly soulless, and there’s better coffee to be had elsewhere. My favorite is Sips on Sunset Blvd, which not only has excellent white chocolate mochas, but also hot baristas. We are the coffee-buying market here, people- the rest of the world doesn’t have a Starbucks on every corner like we do here. Clearly we consume a helluva lot of caffeine, and if that caffeine (and those Joni Mitchell CD’s!) was bought elsewhere, we could take a substantial bite out of the market. Next time you’re complaining about the calories in your Frappucino or burnt taste of your Christmas blend, consider the other local coffee shops and stands that make the area in part what it is, and how their razor-thin profit margin could really use your help.
(6) I guess what I’m getting at here, what the overarching theme is, is: have a little courtesy, huh? You can live a full and fast-paced life without being a total schmuck about it. Pay attention to the people around you. If you accidentally back into them with your pool cue, apologize. If you pull halfway out onto Grady from 167 right in front of someone, wave a sorry and back the hell up. And also, look out for your neighbors. One of the greatest things about my house is the older couple who live across the street and keep an eye on things, while one of the worst things about my boyfriend’s place is that it was broken into twice with no leads. This place is what it is because of the people who are here- take care of each other or I’ll hurt you.
Happy New Year, and may you take an active part in the perpetual betterment of your community.
Rose McMayhem
Written by Randy Corman
So I just spent a few days back in the cold tundra that I used to call home. Before I made my home on Benson Hill here in Renton, I lived in Minnesota.
Minnesota is full of people who are a lot like Washingtonians. There are more Scandinavians back in the Midwest; less density of people in neighborhoods and less traffic and it’s really, really cold in the winter, but in both states the folks are nice.
I grew up in Bloomington, Minnesota in the shadow of the Mall of America. Well, where the MOA is now—back then it was an old baseball and football stadium—an outdoor one if you can imagine that. But now it’s a place where tourists flock to shop. And I really do think you can buy anything that you could possibly need there and a whole lot of things you would never, ever need.
This trip back I noticed that Bloomington is actually a lot like Renton. It’s an inner ring suburb, meaning it was one of the first places people fled the cost and crowding of the city for their own little home. It’s big, covering a huge amount of area. And Bloomington has a real industrial base just like Renton.
In both towns you go from the neighborhood that has new condos and quad homes to the old “war boxes” in a block or two. You have a nice downtown, although ours here in Renton is better, and we are getting some really decent shopping with the Landing—not a mall with an amusement park in the middle, but it has what we need.
When I was growing up a thousand years ago, Bloomington was the third largest city in Minnesota. As of January 1st Rochester, MN is the third largest.
Rochester feels like a smallish city. My family and I spent New Years Eve visiting old friends in Rochester.
Well, we weren’t really visiting friends. We were visiting our Cheezeball family, they may not be related officially, but we bonded early on trying to catch those little crunchy “food product snacks” after a friend threw them for us. That was 20 years ago. We’ve been there for each other ever since, so it’s better than family. A whole passel of us made the trek to Rochester to celebrate the New Year and all our new beginnings.
The folks we know in Rochester moved to Southeast Minnesota for a job at the Mayo Clinic and are still there 10 years later.
Getting to Rochester from Bloomington is like driving to Olympia for us, except instead of driving thru what feels like one continuing city; you pass a million farmsteads, some of them still clearly producing crops during the 5 month growing season. And the terrain is flat like the ocean. Flat, flat, flat.
On New Year’s Eve, the Rochester town paper had a feature about how the City of Rochester was annexing some neighborhoods so they could provide services for the people there. Sound familiar?
The Rochester City Council has been talking about annexation since the 90s. And it was all voluntary. Not everyone is happy about it of course. That’s how things go. Some folks think things were just fine as is. But like here in Renton, the services were really needed. People needed one place to call to get their city related issues handled.
And like it will be here in Renton, things are changing.
Like building the Mall of America right where Minnesota Twins Star Harmon Killebrew hit homeruns.
And like the super fancy boutique stores going in where there used to be five and dimes.
And even like having a Starbucks just about everywhere you can want one in my hometown now; including Target. I’m not complaining. I’m just noticing
The times, they are a changin’.
Now I have to go listen to some Bob Dylan.
Happy New Year!
Kari Kopnick
I have spoken with everyone living in our neighborhood on Mountain View Avenue North as well as those living within 300 feet on Lake Washington Boulevard, NE 29th, 30th and 31st streets. These are the only people who would have any firsthand knowled (Link) (Reply)
Somebody in Charlie Conner, owner of the Kennydale-based helicopter, wants to address any concerns you have
Hi Randy,Would it be possible to get his email address? I noticed in his Livejournal profile that it’s listed as charlieconnor@livejournal.com; is there somewhere better to contact him?Thank you! (Link) (Reply)
Please see my other comments on this and the other helicopter thread, I think they will answer most of your questions. I do not commute by helicopter on a daily basis as it is impractical due to the time required for preflight inspection, fueling an (Link) (Reply)