Last month we told you about State Representative Sharon Tomiko-Santos and her embarrassing performance at the October 18th meeting of the Beacon Alliance of Neighbors’ (BAN).
Today, BAN spokesman Craig Thompson published a rundown of said meeting at Beacon Lights: A Beacon Hill blog:
She was dismissive of public safety concerns and the importance of the Mountains to Sound Trail. She showed no knowledge of the efforts of thousands of volunteers who have honored the memory of the Filipino national hero Dr. José Rizal by making one of two parks in the United States commemorating him a safe, accessible, and beautiful place.She insulted everyone in the room. I was glad that Cynthia Welti, Executive Director of the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust, left before the state rep characterized the Greenway as just “a trail.” Some neighbors walked out.
Who to know, where to eat & what to do in one of America’s most diverse zip codes!
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This is a very confusing issue.
On the one hand, there is a strong group of Beacon residents trying to stop crime in their neighborhood.
On the other, a group of dedicated environmentalists that have given tons of heart and soul to create the Mountains-to-Sound Greenway, for many years.
Now that so much work has been done, starting from the Mountains, it's now the Sound's turn.
And that just happens to run head-on into Beacon's concerns. They want the crime problem solved, and here come some powerful and beautiful Goretex-clad people that want to continue their way to the Sound.
I'm not knocking either group, but please don't mix them up.
BTW, here from a Greenway newsletter is proof that not all Anonymous posters are scum:
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@anonymous: What are you confused about?
“On the one hand, there is a strong group of Beacon residents trying to stop crime in their neighborhood.”
Who doesn’t want to stop crime in their neighborhood? Are you saying that environmentalism and public safety are mutually exclusive of one another?
“Are you saying that environmentalism and public safety are mutually exclusive of one another?”
Not at all. Just saying that the Greenway thing has been in the background for most people, but it’s hitting the blog now because we talk mostly of crime, and how to solve it.
Not mutally exclusive, but worlds apart, and should be thought of that way.
No Beacon crimefighter has the right to claim “Greenway” status unless they’ve been working on it as a TRAIL.
But of course I hope it helps end crime there.
“No Beacon crimefighter has the right to claim “Greenway” status unless they’ve been working on it as a TRAIL.”
Why so divisive? Still not sure what your point is other than to pit neighbors against one another unnecessarily.
“Why so divisive? Still not sure what your point is other than to pit neighbors against one another unnecessarily.”
OK, I have a private beef.
But apart from that imagine that you’ve worked so hard to make this thing a reality, and have walked, biked, jogged down from near the pass. All you want to do is make it to the Sound.
But the city sits in front of you.
You’ve dodged mosquitoes, bears, cougars and racoons, only to hit headlong into humanville.
And they won’t let you pass without giving up something in return.
Now we return to the blog, and politics as usual:
“But the city sits in front of you.”
I think a lot of us who hang out here can say that we understand how you feel on that score.
I think this focus on public safety is an opportunity to reveal the environmental and quality of life objective on this “trail”. Certainly, a light is being shined on the problems of the area, but your short backstory of Mountains-to-Sound greenway is lovely.
While people are focusing on ‘The Jungle’, use it as an educational opportunity to promote and create awareness of its linkage and unique experience in the heart of Seattle.
In Portland neighborhoods that live near Forest Park, one of the largest urban parks in the country and it is quite wild in the majority of its boundaries, are viewed as lucky to have quick access to the naturalist trails that give them exercise and recreation. How can the community shift our attitudes about the place? This is an opportunity to do so and compell people to use it more.
Hey Anonymous:
QUIT ARGUING WITH YOURSELF!
Don’t you know it’s not fair to fight a battle of wits with an unarmed person?
Oy vey…..
Jimmy, you’re safe.
But I do hope someone can give me a summary, a short story, of the relationship between the Jungle, Santos, Thompson, the BAN and the Greenway.
It all happended so fast and so choppy, but there’s a story under the surface I’m sure.
(more)
The juicy story seems to be the one about why, after no negative stories about Santos, these headlines hit the RVP right before the election. I mean, BAN is just one of many Beacon neighborhood groups, yes? The Jungle has been there for years, the Greenway has been going for 18 years or so; Santos has been our representative for years.
What’s up now? Why is this one meeting making headlines now, and why on the RVP??
Clearly the headlines showed up because Santos came out and was rude as well as offensive. This is not new; elected officials do it on a regular basis. What does Santos do anyway? Someone who wants to work for us should be in that position; we need someone else in Pettigrew’s and Kline’s too! What are any of them doing? Instead it has to be RVP with a beef against Santos? What are you, NUTS?!!!
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