Written by Here’s much of what a mother has to say every day, in under three minutes, to the tune of William Tell Overture. This musical number could be on Broadway. Enjoy!
Kari Kopnick: The rewards of being a Mom
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Mother’s Day 2008
Happy Mother’s Day!
Even though this day was originally a call to leave war behind (http://www.prism.net/user/fcarpenter/howe.html) I kind of think Mother’s Day is a call to remember just what this whole dishes-laundry-carpool carousel we ride is all about.
Even before I had any babies, I knew that raising kids was an art, that creating a home that would be a nest to grow a family would be the biggest thing that any person could ever do, and that I; with the biology and sprit I’m equipped with as a woman, would be perfectly suited to do just that.
I’m not talking Martha Stewart perfection of obsession with the bric-brac that sometimes comes with a house. Really what I mean is that funny ju-ju you feel when you come into a home. Maybe it’s the sizzle of onions and veggies that will make a long simmered soup, or maybe it’s the fabric softener that goes into the washer on the rinse cycle. Maybe it’s the homebaked cookies that poor Hillary Clinton will never live down. But really, I think it’s the air that invites a long conversation. It’s the cozy, sometimes cluttered couch that invites sitting together for some down time. It’s the feeling of acceptance and time and love and hope and care that comes when someone who lives in the house has chosen, as their primary function in life, to create a home for a family.
It’s nothing for a delicate soul. There are no raises. The benefits are that eventually someone might take out the garbage FOR you and maybe they’ll find your commitment to them lovely. But there will be days that they wish for nothing more than for you go just get out of their way and leave them alone.
Full time employment looks pretty good when this happens.
Someone else can run that afternoon with snacks and homework and the ride home from school.
Someone else can make dinner.
Someone else can get the kids to get on the bus to just go to school, even if homework isn’t all done just right.
But those drives have little moments of clear brillance that you’ll miss. And those dinner prep moments have chemistry lessons and LIFE lessons that you’ll miss. And if you leave for those tricky times, you can’t help but MISS things. There’s no way to capture all of it, unless you are just there. No other way.
I’ve worked full time while homeschooling three kids. It’s not easy, it’s not fun. But if it was what I had to do to make the days work, well then, that was the only choice. I am not willing to miss those days.
Quality time is a lie. Time is time, and it doesn’t matter if you’re gone for an excellent reason. You are still, to you own child, just gone.
Maybe lots of moms disagree and feel that they’ll lose themselves if they are JUST home with kids (http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/362567_optin10.html).
For me, there is no greater art, nothing more important, no better way to spend my life, than with my amazing sons, doing the laundry, the dishes, driving to practice. There is nothing I’d trade for the chance, the honor, of being their mother. Nothing.
Happy Mother’s Day.
Kari Kopnick
The Renton Magazine has a proud new owner
For those of you who have not yet heard….
The Renton Magazine, Renton Mayor Denis Law’s year-old publication that has graced our mailboxes with beautiful full-color photos and uplifting content about our community, has been sold to a capable new owner. Diana Kramer, who was Denis Law’s top executive at the magazine, has purchased the business along with her husband. They have also assumed ownership of parent company Puget Sound Publishing, which also publishes the Business Report, and the Kent Magazine.
Ms. Kramer has an education in publishing, as well as family experience in the news business dating back to her childhood. She assures us the magazine will remain a growing, top-quality publication. She and Denis Law were very close partners in the Renton Magazine’s success. (Their advertisers report great response, since the magazine is mailed for free to fifteen thousand Renton homes, as well as freely-distributed in public facilities, hotels and businesses.)
As for Denis Law, he is dedicating so much time to his new duties as mayor that he just couldn’t run the publishing company anymore. He’s putting in extra-long days at city hall, and there is an awful lot more he wants to do.
I’m glad to have Denis working time and a half at city hall, and I think Renton citizens will decide they want him there for a long time. So his selling his publishing company works well for the rest of us…but I know it was a difficult emotional step for Denis.
Here is a link the the magazine, with more information about its new owner, staff, content, and advertising contacts: www.rentonmagazine.com
Regina Cahan for King County Superior Court, Position 10
I’ve endorsed Regina Cahan for King County Superior Court. She’s exceptionally qualified, and when I met her I was very impressed by her intelligence, attitude, and perspective. She is running against one other opponent for a seat on the court which is currently vacant.
King County Superior Court is important to Renton, as it gets all of our felony cases, as well as land use appeals, family court issues, major civil suits, protection orders, and many other cases that affect our citizens.
You can read more about her at www.cahanforcourt.com
Teen hospitalized after being slashed in face at Gene Coulon Park
By KOMO Staff
RENTON, Wash. — A teen was slashed in the face during a fight at Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park on Friday evening, according to police.
Police said the incident happened around 6:30 p.m. during a fight between several teens. One of the teens pulled out a large knife or machete and slashed the face of the victim, they said.
The victim was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. His name is not known.
Police did not have a suspect in custody and were interviewing witnesses for clues.
Mayor Law and Chief Milosevich taking further steps to increase security at the Transit Center
Our mayor and police chief are working hard to further tighten security at the Transit Center.
Right away we are modernizing the camera system (to give us much higher resolution images and better detail capture/recording), and streaming the images into more police work centers… including new higher-definition plasma displays right at the police sub-station at the Transit Center. The new system will allow police and other officials to monitor more details, including faces and weapons, rather than just general crowd movements and disturbances. We may also be soliciting volunteers to work with Renton PD to monitor these cameras at certain hours of the day… so watch for a city volunteer request if this is something you might be willing to help with.
Existing signage already warns visitors that they are being video monitored, so this should not be a surprise to anyone.
The mayor is also working with King County to see if we can put more King County/private security forces in place. Meanwhile, I am sure the police will maintain an emphasis on this area.
We will also be pursuing more long-term solutions as well, and everyone’s suggestions are welcome and encouraged. If you have ideas on how we can make the Transit Center safer, please comment them below or send an email to the council this link here
New Red Robin at the Landing
My family and I tried out the new Red Robin down at the Landing on Thursday. The service and food were great, and the restaurant has a very comfortable family atmosphere.
The Landing is coming along very well overall, with construction happening all up and down our new city streets. I was amazed by how much bigger the development seems, now that the stores and restaurants are going in. If you have not visited or driven by recently, you should take a peek next time you are in the area (east of the Renton Boeing plant).
The whole project is going to be beautiful when it is complete.
Lunch presentation from the man who invented the internet
I saw the man who invented the internet today… and no, it was not Al Gore. It was Vint Cerf, former Department of Defense engineer and currently Google’s Internet Evangelist, who spoke at a luncheon sponsored by Seattle’s Technology Alliance. Our fair city of Renton had a delegation of nine managers, to learn all we could from this pioneer of computing. I was very impressed by Mr. Cerf’s command of technology, vision, sense of humor, the work he put into moving the original 4000 computers onto the system in 1983, and how he was able to devise a system back in 1983 that now accommodates half a billion computers….talk about scalable.
Relative to privacy in the new technology world, he said the flippant answer is “There is no privacy, get over it”. With face recognition, cameras everywhere, cell phones taking video and uploading it in seconds, etc, we need to get used to a world where all our movement and actions in the community are available forever. But at the same time, he and other computer geniuses really are trying to work on improved to keep our medical, banking, and other private records private.
I took many of my own notes to write a story for you. But Seattle PI blogger John Cook did such a good job describing the event, that I can cover most of it by just providing this link.
Please call Sergent Tracy Merrill if you witnessed the transit center stabbing incident
From the comments on my blog entry yesterday, it sounds like some readers witnessed the transit center stabbing. In today’s press release, the Police are asking you to please give them a call so that they can document your first-hand memories of the events.
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Press Release
Investigation Update – Renton Transit Center Stabbing
Renton Police Detectives are continuing to investigate last night’s stabbing by interviewing eye witnesses and reviewing the video tape from the city’s security system in the Transit Center.
It is believed that more than one person was armed with a knife at the time of the assault. It is also likely that our 73 year-old victim had a knife in his possession at one point.
Currently the 73 year-old victim is in stable condition. The second victim’s injuries were not life threatening.
If you witnessed this incident, we ask that you call Sergeant Tracy Merrill at 425-430-7527.
Kevin Milosevich
Chief of Police
425-430-7503
A 73-year-old was stabbed at Renton Transit Center; Mayor Law is at the scene with Renton detectives
Correction to this story as of Friday 6:00 AM: See the third comment below for the account from a close friend of the victim…the news report below, from Thursday night, may be mistaken on the timing of the phone calls.
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By KOMO Staff RENTON, Wash. — A 73-year-old man was stabbed when he got involved in a fight between teenagers including his grandson, according to police.
Police said an alleged theft of a cell phone triggered the fight between two groups of teens at the Renton Transit Center on Thursday evening.
During the argument, one of the teens called home and told his father and grandfather what was happening. The two men arrived at the transit center several minutes later.
When the men got involved in the fight, the teen’s grandfather was stabbed several times in the torso, police said. He was rushed to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition.
The victim’s name has not been released.
Police have three suspects in custody, and said they’re still looking for one or two more teens who may have been involved. The suspects are between 16 and 19 years of age, police said.
You might get the feeling this picture is from 1950’s Renton
With the reference to both Boeing and Longacre, it looks like this picture belongs in Renton. It’s actually from New York City, 2008.
Here is the article from the New York Times that I found it in. The French comedy “Boeing, Boeing,” which I first saw as a 50’s movie starring Jerry Lewis, is making a comeback as a Broadway play in the Longacre theater.
Renton Reporter– My visit to Nishiwaki: Creating a lifetime of memories, friendships
Dean Radford at the Renton Reporter invited me to write a guest column about my experience in Nishiwaki. It was published in today’s Renton Reporter, and is available online as well. See the article here!
The photos from the story can be seen in a large format by clicking on the thumbnail below:
Tragedy in our Jail; Inmate Suicide
We had an apparent inmate suicide in our jail yesterday afternoon. Suicides are a concern and issue in jails across the nation, and they are obviously extremely hard on the inmate’s loved ones and the jail staff when they occur. We have numerous protocols to try to prevent them, and I’m sure these will be discussed as we learn more about this case.
Meanwhile, my prayers are with the inmate’s family and friends, the staff at the jail, and everyone else affected by this tragedy.
Here is the police press release:
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City of Renton Police Department
Press Release
On 05/06/08, at approximately 16:40 hours, a 53 year old male was found deceased in a cell at the Renton City Jail.
The subject was arrested on Friday for outstanding traffic warrants, and went before a judge on Monday and today.
The preliminary investigation indicated that the death was a suicide. According to the jail staff, there were no indications of depression or suicidal tendencies.
Efforts are being made to notify his family.
The Renton Police Department will be conducting the investigation.
Commander David Leibman
Renton Police Department
1055 South Grady Way
Renton, WA 98055
(425) 430-7573
Become a potential bone marrow donor for Mother’s Day; save someone’s life!
This is a great opportunity to get yourself entered into the bone marrow data base. Your bone marrow can save someone else’s life… possibly the most significant kind of gift you can ever give! Getting yourself entered into the data base is painless and will not cost anything under this program (normally there is a small processing fee). If you are later found to be a match for someone, the bone marrow donation is an outpatient procedure.
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Hey Randy,
I don’t mean to spam, but I’d love it if you could promote this to your readers. There are too many people out there that should still be with us but weren’t able to find a match, and people with diverse ethnic backgrounds are especially needed. The “free” aspect should be a bonus too.
Click here to be taken to a page with more information
(I’m not in any way affiliated with the above blog, but someone passed the link on to me and I thought it was a great cause.)
Birthday Slide Show
My son Kenny and his girlfriend Anastasia put together a fun slideshow for my 46th birthday party (which was today.) They did a really nice job digging through many old photos, without letting me have a clue that they were working on this.
If you are going to look at it, It has a nice soundtrack, so be sure you adjust your speakers before clicking the link.
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