Those among us who had the privilege of knowing Alice Franklin Bryant and her lifelong work for world peace have strongly supported the efforts of her granddaughter, Ruth Williams, and many others to name a quiet urban park in her honor. We can never do enough to recognize the pioneers of the peace movement and to keep their memory alive. And on today's war-torn planet we need all the Alice Franklin Bryants we can find!
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Hello everyone,
As many of you know by now, Seattle Parks ignored the wishes of over 1,000 Seattleites and named Park Six 'Beaver Pond Park on Thornton Creek'. This is disappointing, but bureaucrats will have their day even in Seattle.
As a consolation they are offering a sort of monument at the Seattle Peace Park which is just NW of the University Bridge. At our request this would honor Alice, Floyd Schmoe, and Emery Andrews, and the work they did on behalf of the Japanese in the aftermath of WWII and Seattle's interned Japanese-Americans. We'll keep you informed of how things go.
One wonders how so much work and enthusiasm for 'Alice Bryant Peace Park' could be discounted as it has been. Parks' naming committee has a tradition of arbitrary application of their policy. Sometimes they ignore it completely. Nevertheless, they have made it so restrictive that despite its ambiguity I think it means only people involved in parks can be so honored.
In the spring of 2009 the naming committee chair stated, in a public meeting, that waging a write-in campaign is a legitimate way to get a park named. A year later this same person said that the most popular names aren't always the best ones. It might be time to revise the process, so that it makes sense to the rest of us.
It has been wonderful for me to 'revisit' Alice and bring her back to life for a new generation. And it has been a real pleasure to meet and talk with so many of you who share her values and would like to see her example publicly recognized and honored in a permanent way. Thank you for your support and for your continued work for the greater good.
Still Pushing for Peace,
Ruth
As many of you know by now, Seattle Parks ignored the wishes of over 1,000 Seattleites and named Park Six 'Beaver Pond Park on Thornton Creek'. This is disappointing, but bureaucrats will have their day even in Seattle.
As a consolation they are offering a sort of monument at the Seattle Peace Park which is just NW of the University Bridge. At our request this would honor Alice, Floyd Schmoe, and Emery Andrews, and the work they did on behalf of the Japanese in the aftermath of WWII and Seattle's interned Japanese-Americans. We'll keep you informed of how things go.
One wonders how so much work and enthusiasm for 'Alice Bryant Peace Park' could be discounted as it has been. Parks' naming committee has a tradition of arbitrary application of their policy. Sometimes they ignore it completely. Nevertheless, they have made it so restrictive that despite its ambiguity I think it means only people involved in parks can be so honored.
In the spring of 2009 the naming committee chair stated, in a public meeting, that waging a write-in campaign is a legitimate way to get a park named. A year later this same person said that the most popular names aren't always the best ones. It might be time to revise the process, so that it makes sense to the rest of us.
It has been wonderful for me to 'revisit' Alice and bring her back to life for a new generation. And it has been a real pleasure to meet and talk with so many of you who share her values and would like to see her example publicly recognized and honored in a permanent way. Thank you for your support and for your continued work for the greater good.
Still Pushing for Peace,
Ruth
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