Thanks Susan for suggesting this item for my blog.  I agree, this was a real achievement for our community, and a strong showing of support for KCSARC’s important work.  Denis did an amazing job chairing this fundraising event.  The  fundraising committee broke the record they set last year (when Denis was also chair).  Kirby Unti did an excellent job of motivating the givers too.  He is so dedicated to this community….what a great choice for citizen of the year.

Here is Susan’s note:

Many people do not realize that our nation’s foremost author of true crime novels lives right in our area, and has had significant contact with King County and even Renton police through the years. (Wikipedia actually says she lives in Renton, but I think she lives closer to Puget Sound than that. Maybe I am mistaken about this.)

Ann Rule got her start as a short story author, writing about police cases in King County. As an author, she experienced the bizarre coincidence of serving as a crisis councilor on the Suicide Hotline with Ted Bundy, while she was writing a story about the unsolved “Ted” killings. Her story “The Stranger Beside Me” launched her national recognition, and also made her a leading expert on the psychology of serial killers.

One of her short stories covers the Gary Grant serial killings in Renton in the 70s. Victims were left in the Honey Creek Ravine (not far from my home), down by the Main Library, and on Benson Hill. Some amazing police work by the Renton police solved this series of killings. They managed to find the murder weapon in a deep woods with the aid of explorer scouts. The weapon was a knife with electricians tape around the handle. When the peeled the tape off the handle, they found initials on it. They then connected the initials to the knife’s original owner, who insisted he had traded the knife to someone else. When the “someone else” was contacted, he explained that he had left the knife in another person’s truck (if I remember the story correctly), and the owner of the truck was contacted. When interviewing this man, the police put it together that the man’s 19-year-old son had committed the four sex-related murders. This story is in her book “Empty Promises,” and is titled “To Kill and Kill Again”.

When I read this story last year, I mentioned it to my council colleague Don Persson, who had been a police officer in Renton at the time this serial killer was captured.   Don could recall names and details as if the crime spree happened yesterday. Don said the events happened early in his career, and left some strong memories.

Ann Rule has an interesting website that includes a blog she updates every few days.

Dear Readers,

Thank you all for your interest and participation in this website. Visits are on a record-pace, and there are many interesting new reader comments (be sure to check these out). The Dave Ross show was a perfect info-mercial yesterday….the mayor and I debated right though a couple of station breaks, then ended with some teasers for listeners who wanted to read more. I’m grateful that Dave Ross let me plug my website at the end of the show. Keep checking back, and tell your friends to visit! With the election on top of us, I would like to see every Renton voter stop by at least once.

Thanks,

Randy

The Seattle PI ran a story about the crazy politics in Renton these days. Click here to access the story. I noticed there is a sound-off section for public comment after the story… if you have strong feelings about what has been going on, you have an opportunity to express them there.

We have diversified our empoyement base, and redeveloped some of Boeing’s surplus property, but that has in no way slowed down our city’s record airliner output.  According to this article, at todays production rates, it would take more than FIVE YEARS for the Boeing Renton plant just to produce the 737’s that are already on order!  And NEW orders are coming in strong!  Click here to see the Tacoma Tribune article.

Interesting tax-collection analysis for Proposition 1.  I can’t personally guarantee the numbers, but the format is good, and the person who prepared it identified himself as a professional engineer. Click here to see it.

Two men were injured in a drive-by shooting on 167 down near Vally Hospital.  Click here for the story.

The new Renton Target Store has been open for a few days in a “soft opening” warm up for their big day tomorrow. Renton residents are reporting that they are really enjoying the convenience of having a Target so close to home.

In the top picture below, new Target Employees are getting some last minute coaching as customers enter the store for the first time. In the lower picture, mayoral candidate Denis Law and Renton Technical College CEO Don Bressler are checking out the cool stuff in the Halloween aisle for the first time. You can see how large and bright the new store is.

Everyone is invited to the formal ribbon cutting tomorrow at 8:00 AM sharp. If you attend, be sure to look for me and say Hi!

Somebody in Received from a Renton citizen…
You’re welcome sweet_panda!Anyone who reads Randy’s blog (except for Mayor Kathy, perhaps) can probably tell that he’s exactly the kind of person we need on the city council. I have also been incredibly impressed by Denis Law’s responses to my concerns. (Link) (Reply)

Sombody inWe did the right thing to open up our email to everyone (Entry Link)

Dude, you rock
Greg Overstreet mentioned this on his blog today. I give you a big two thumbs up for doing this. Missed the original Times article, sorry I am belated in congrats.

If only more public servants did so, it would be a much better place.

The Geezer
Formerly an elected official, now part of the solution, instead of part of the problem, generating more light, than heat, I hope.

(Comment Link) (Reply to this)

If you left a comment that needed me to respond, please check back where you left it.  I’ve been trying to catch up!

Thanks, Randy

My father was a nuclear physicist.  Here is a report he wrote the year I was born (recently declassified and posted on the web).  I studied physics in college, but um…when I read this abstract, I think airplane design is a little easier to understand.

My dad was the sweetest man you could ever meet, but he was also a bit of a mad scientist.

Greg Overstreet has been one of Washington’s leaders in ensuring open government for all citizens. He worked many years for the Attorney General’s office, and has now gone into private law practice where he works with private citizens to ensure good access.

I’m flattered and grateful that he appreciates my act of opening council email to all!

Click here to see the entry!

If anyone thinks my blogs are a little too candid, personal, or silly, I would like you to know that I am in pretty good company.

Today, I discovered that the Deputy Administrator of the EPA has his own blog, and I have to say my impression of that agency rose after reading it.  I like the director’s view on life, and the human qualities he brings to the job.

This Blog in particular amused me, as he recognized the fun that the Simpson’s movie poked at his agency (after you read the Simpson’s blog scroll up and down to see his others):

Doh!  EPA is teased by the new Simpsons Movie! Click Here!

Okay…lately I’ve  been extra-critical and sometimes even a little cranky as a result of  the forthcoming extremely-important election (and all the accompanying political hijinks); but I’ve been able to keep my sense of humor too, which is the coping mechanism I learned growing up in a busy, busy household with lots of other kids..

Meanwhile, In spite of my teasing and quips,  I’m taking my work on your behalf very seriously, as I always do. I try to keep my perspective, and help others to do the same.

There was a tragic reminder on the Associated Press today about how much emotion can enter into a city council chambers:

Councilmember wants to resign after witnessing suicide at council meeting…Click Here

Good communication is so important.  It keeps issues collaborative, and it keeps everything in perspective.  So please keep  in touch readers!  Please leave me your comments, or send me an email or drop by city hall. You can also find me in and about your community, along with your other Renton neighbors.

And by all means, you may also call me anytime.  My home number is 425-271-6913.  And my city council phone is 425-430-6501.  Please feel free to leave messages with our Legislative Aid, Julia.

To end on an upbeat note, I got a nice mention in a Mercer Islanders blog.  Richard Sprague keeps an online journal which I ran across while google searching for Mercer Island reaction to the Renton Airport Issues.

He writes about me as City Council Blogger (click here).  Thanks for your kind comments Richard!  The positive feedback really makes it worth it.