Just four days after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed by a sniper’s bullet on a terrible April day in 1968, legislation was introduced to create a federal holiday to honor him. When the bill became bogged down by political maneuvering, petitions containing six million names endorsing the holiday were submitted to Congress.
People will inevitably differ in their interpretations of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy and in their assessments of “how far we’ve come.”
The focus of the 35th Annual Economic Outlook conference at the downtown Seattle Convention Center last Wednesday was on giving money away rather than making it. Instead of focusing on the usual indicators of employment growth or jet aircraft orders, the conference of business leaders and economists centered on the role of philanthropy as not only an engine of social change but also a tool of profound and growing impact on the world and the local economy.
In 2004, the Boys & Girls Clubs of King County first sat down with the Mercer Island School District to explore a partnership, spurred by the needs of the youth in the Mercer Island community. This group of youth advocates set out to improve facilities for the Mercer Island Boys & Girls Club, expand teen programming and enhance the educational and recreational opportunities of Mercer Island youth. Today, thanks to the Mercer Island Boys & Girls Club project, named “PEAK,” the Island is closer than ever to seeing these goals accomplished. The PEAK (Positive Place for Kids & Teens, Enrichment & Education, Activities & Athletics, Kinship & Community) facility will impact the lives of every child served, not just during school hours, but during critical after-school hours when youth are statistically most likely to explore high-risk behaviors.
I was appointed several months ago by the Mayor and City Council to be a representative of Mercer Island on the Renton Airport Advisory Committee (RAAC). My responsibilities include: being a voting member of the RAAC; working with the City of Mercer Island staff in the development of strategies to minimize the impact on Mercer Island residents of any City of Renton decisions on the Renton Airport Development Plan; keeping the Mayor, City Council and staff updated on the activities of the RAAC and City of Renton with regard to this issue; and providing a communication link to the residents of Mercer Island.
Gordon Hill
ISLAND FORUM
Despite the early hour, the wind-tossed hike up the steps (in high heels) from the Luther Burbank parking lot to our beautiful new Community Center was a worthwhile effort. The coffee was good, the company lively, and the sponsor of the early-morning fund-raising breakfast, Mercer Island Youth and Family Services, held a blessedly brief and informative program. Most innovative was the addition of Karen Campbell, the drama teacher from Mercer Island High School and Island attorney, Craig Wright, who performed rather than read a sampling of heartfelt comments and thanks from those the agency has helped.
The city and its citizens have geared up to challenge the City of Renton and its plans to upgrade and expand its municipal airport. Renton planners hoped to attract more planes and flights to the facility. However, Island officials and citizens want Renton to ensure that flights will not be routed directly over the Island at low altitude. Islanders had a taste of what might happen with more planes overhead last August when another south county runway was shut down sending extra flights directly over the Island. And many Islanders were stunned to find out just last fall that this expansion was nearly a done deal. The City of Renton had started the process to redevelop the airport as early as 2001.
Chris Harnish
Island Forum
Judy Clibborn
Island Forum
The proposed expansion of the Renton municipal airport and the potential for aircraft noise that would accompany it, recently brought Islanders out in droves to protest. Citizen shock over the scale of development in the Town Center is part of the push to modify building codes there. Islanders are fierce about protecting the tranquility of the Island and their way of life. Islanders are equally as fierce about protecting and enhancing the well-being of their children. The PEAK proposal by the Boys and Girls Club to build a teen center and field house near the high school has split these usually-aligned forces and has set them in direct opposition to each other. Neighbors near the high school are clearly, and we think correctly, concerned about the impact of this building on their streets and homes. Supporters of the project and the dedicated professionals of the Boys and Girls Club who are in the business of working with youth, are convinced that they can make it work. They want to peacefully co-exist with the people who live nearby. Their view, however, is that any impact from PEAK is a small price to pay for having a safe and enriching place for teens. It is hard to argue with them unless you live near the high school.
As an Islander, I have a good deal of faith in the workings of the staff at the City of Mercer Island, especially when people like Deb Symmonds are involved.
Julie Biggs
ISLAND FORUM
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