WHATS YOUR 1 THING?

I drive my motorcycle as often as possible instead of my car - 50 mpg helps some.  -Bruce, Lake City
Replace bath towels with half sized hand towels, plenty of towel to get the job done. Reduces laundry/energy/water/soap 1/2.  -Michael, Quilcene
I recycle my Aquarium water after a change and use it to water my garden.  -Ray, Renton
I've given up plastic grocery bags altogether. I have about 7 reuseable ones which can fit just about everything I need.  -JenF, West Seattle
Ive switched jobs in construction to a company that builds green homes!They can save ya hella cash-ola!  -JD, seattle
The paper towel roll sits in a lower drawer where it's hard to find. But we have plenty of cloth towels for cleaning up spills.  -Tom, Seattle
I hang my clothes to dry.  -Christy, Seattle
My boyfriend and I (we've been together a long while) shower together every morning. It saves water and energy heating water  -Angie, Port Orchard
My home now runs on 100% wind power--the bill is a bit more but I hardly notice considering the impact it makes.  -Tasha, Vancouver
Whenever I find it on, I turn off the light in my company's conference room.  -Jill, Seattle
I have a chemical free yard and recycle faithfully. Also I grow my own vegetables.  -Lauri, Seattle
I buy biodiesel for my VW Golf TDI at Dr. Dan's Alternative Fuelwerks in Ballard!  -Maggie Pettit, Seattle
I turn of the water while brushing my teeth and doing dishes  -michela, vancouver
my husband and I drive natural gas cars.We fill up @ home for 1.63 a gallon & no emissions.  -laura, kenmore
I use cloth diapers and cloth wipes on my 10 month old daughter Abigail!!  -Megan, Fort Lewis
I purposely keep all my receipts in my purse and then clean through my purse with a recycling bin by my side :)  -Cassi, Seattle
I recycle all the garbage I can.  -Sheldon, Orting, WA
I re-use my travel mug instead of accepting disposable coffee cups. Some places even offer a discount when I do this.  -Bill, Issaquah
NW Biodiesel Network Monthly MeetingBiodiesel - It's All About the Quality. 8/26/08. www.nwbiodiesel.org/.  -Joe, Seattle
I changed all my bulbs to fluorescents  -Kelly, Seattle
I traded in my beloved 9 year old Jeep Wrangler (15 mpg) for a new Hybrid! Hurray!  -Leann, kenmore, wa
I check my tire pressure once a month to improve the efficiency of my gas and reduce the amount CO2 into the air.  -Terra Moreland, Tacoma
My housemates and I have a big vegie garden going in our yard and are watering with collected rain. Tasts so good!  -Bruce, Lake City
I have a Klean Kanteen stainess steel water bottle that I carry with me instead of constantly buying plastic disposable ones!  -Laelle, Tacoma
I never use the heater in my apartment, blankets are cheaper and don't waste energy!  -Catie, Seattle
I replaced all light bulbs in my home with energy efficient bulbs.  -Karri, Bothell
i started recycling like crazy. my husband and i even set up recycle bins at work and bring them home everyday.  -C.P + A.P., poulsbo
I put a sweater on instead of turning up the heat  -Jake, Puyallup
I used a refillable water bottle instead of disposable ones.  -Amiee, Seattle
I refill four, one gallon, water bottles for work. I am a May truck driver. I hope all trucks get APU's to stop useless idling.  -Richard Carstens, Carson
We started hanging up our clothes out side to dry them.  -Riley, Kirkland
I RECYCLE JUST ABOUT ANY THING YOU CAN THINK OF.. I EVEN TAKE THE TIME TO STRIP RECYCLABLES OF NON-RECYCLABLE MATERIALS DO YOU ?  -RON, OAK HARBOR,WA.
I use my own coffee mug and water bottle at work instead of the paper cups  -Priya, Bellevue
Air-dry my laundry.  -Kristine, Seattle
We got chickens and reuse other peoples' egg cartons to disperse our extra eggs to family and friends. Commercial eggs, blech!  -Heather, Clinton
I unplug appliances I don't use on a regular basis like toaster and coffeemaker, microwave and other small appliances.  -Faith, Everett
My boyfriend and I ride our bikes to school everday, a gas tank lasts us about two weeks. Take that gas prices!  -Caitie, Bellingham
When washing your hands, turn off the faucet while lathering and scrubbing, then turn the water on again to rinse.  -DeDe, Seattle
Buy Local  -Sue, Seattle
I have a beautiful, locally made coffee mug I use every day at work instead of paper or Styrofoam.  -Michelle, Redmond
If I'm not using an electronic or a light it isn't plugged in or turned on.  -Ashley, Seattle
Buy local, support stores that buy from local vendors! Shop seaonal fruits and veg. Minimize shoppping the "commercial stores".  -Virginia, Kitsap County
I educate my neighbors about surface water run off to the Puget Sound and encourage them to properly dispose of pet waste.  -Jacqui, Snohomish
At work, I have a drinking glass at my desk. Can take it home to wash and avoids using disposable cups.  -Erin, Bothell
I recycle paper towel and toliet paper core tubes and take my own bags to grocery shop.  -Rick , Evergreen, CO
My one thing is to walk more and drive less.  -Nikki, Seattle
I've stopped using plastic cutlery when I bring my lunch to work.  -Liz, Bremerton
I use cloth bags instead of taking the plastic bag they offer  -William, Fort Lewis
I install energy efficient heating and cooling systems as well as solar and geothermal.  -Travis, Marysville
instead of throwing out old things, i find someone who can use them, i even rehome the things my neighborhood puts on the curb.  -C.P., poulsbo
 

The History of Seattle’s Parks

April 16, 2008 - 3:28pm — clybecker

The story behind the parks system here in Seattle is a long one, reaching as far back as 1903. It all started when the City contracted the Olmstead Brothers landscape architecture firm of Massachusetts to draft a comprehensive plan for the city’s parks. The Olmstead Brothers, famous for designing such great spaces as New York’s Central Park and Yosemite Valley, came to Seattle in April of 1903 to begin surveying the city. Just a few months after their arrival, the Brothers finished their surveying and returned home to the east coast. Soon after their return, they sent back their plan, which was approved by the City Council in October of that same year.

In less than one year, the Brothers had designed a plan so grand that few cities could rival it and the City of Seattle acted quickly to make the plan a reality. Recognizing that the real estate market in Seattle would soon become more competitive, the Brothers encouraged the City to quickly purchase and preserve as much land as possible, especially the lands along the shores of its many waterways. In addition to all the work being done the by the city, the citizens also took action to help secure monies and land for the parks. In the decade following the initial acceptance of the plan, the citizens voted to pass bonds totaling over $3.5 million (equivalent to $57 million in 1990) to be used for the creation and improvement of parks.

By 1937, over 35 parks and playgrounds had been created, including Green Lake, Volunteer, Colman, Seward, Washington Park and Arboretum, and Woodland Parks as well as Lake Washington, Magnolia and Ravenna boulevards. In addition to the planning of large green spaces, the Olmstead Brothers also began to promote the construction of playgrounds and fields for younger children and families throughout the city. This was an important aspect of the plan as it was one of the Brothers’ goals to have a park within a half a mile of every home in the city. The Brothers stuck with a naturalistic tradition by using native vegetation and incorporating the unique topography of each park into its development.

Today, thanks to the time and dedicated work of the Olmsted Brothers combined with the efforts of the City of Seattle and its citizens, our city boasts more than 400 parks and open spaces with acreage totaling in the six thousands. So next time you are looking for something to do, simply go outside and enjoy what your local park has to offer.