Preliminary name recommendation for Morgan Junction’s park

The final word rests with Parks Superintendent Tim Gallagher, but the Parks Department naming committee has announced its recommendation for what to call Morgan Junction’s new park (on the ex-Fauntleroy Auto, ex-planned-monorail-station site north of ex-Video Vault-turned-Beveridge Place Pub). The recommended name, disclosed at this week’s Parks Board meeting … Morgan Junction Park. As reported here in recent months, a community petition drive had been under way to get the park nameed in memory of Tim St. Clair, the longtime West Seattle Herald reporter who died in March of last year; he lived near Morgan Junction and spent years covering issues that led up to the creation of the park, including the monorail. Supporters, including major West Seattle-area community leaders and groups, asked Parks to make an exception in the department’s naming policy, which says a park can’t be named after someone until at least three years after their death. Again, the final park-naming decision is up to Superintendent Gallagher; if you are interested in contacting him with your comments on the proposed name, you’ll find his contact info here. Whatever name is finalized, the park will be officially dedicated during the Morgan Junction Community Festival on June 13th.

10 Replies to "Preliminary name recommendation for Morgan Junction's park"

  • celeste17 April 25, 2009 (9:37 pm)

    I hope that they still name the park after Tim. He was such a presence in the community it would be nice to remember him in this way.

  • chas redmond April 25, 2009 (10:41 pm)

    And, what the heck. Tim St. Clair Park has a much nicer ring than Morgan Junction Park. If we’re going to call it the latter, I suggest now that we unofficially and forever forward refer to the Morgan Junction Park as Monorail Memorial Park.

  • chas redmond April 25, 2009 (10:43 pm)

    In honor of the rapid transit system we lost before it arrived and the man – Tim St. Clair – who reported on those events for the community surrounding the former Green Line “sunset” station property (and before that our beloved and lost video vault and repair shop).

  • Forest April 26, 2009 (12:55 am)

    Whatever the park’s name, I think a true commemoration of Tim St. Clair would be to officially dedicate in Tim’s name a well-lighted park bench for sitting quietly and taking notes.

  • Meghan April 26, 2009 (8:14 am)

    As I’ve said before, I’m sure Tim was a lovely man. But as I recall, both he and the W. Seattle Herald were very critical (if not adamently against) the whole monorail plan. And this park only exists because of the (failed) monorail plan. I like Forest’s idea. If someone wants to privately donate a bench in Tim’s honor, that’s great. It would actually take some commitment and effort. But to try to twist the arm of the Parks Dept to change a longstanding rule regarding the naming of parks (for one person who just happened to die right before its completion) is going to lead to more and more requests like this all over the city. And it will lead to alot of frustration and anger as other neighborhoods try to name parks after recently deceased – or still living – people. Remember, as soon as you change the rules for one person, it opens a flood gate.

  • Pete April 26, 2009 (3:19 pm)

    meghan, as I have commented before on your posts on this subject….please do a little research about yoru subject matter….Tim was a reporter and did not let his personal opinion or views get in the way of the facts of the story that he was reporting. There are many prior examples in this city of naming things after folks that are alive and those that have been deceased for less than three years. So no need for you to fear a stampede of anming squabbles with Parks….but please do a little research and find out why so many folks are behind naming this park after Tim. Just making assumptions can do a lot of harm.

  • Forest April 26, 2009 (4:29 pm)

    Not so fast there, Pete. Please cite two or more of those “many prior examples” of the city naming a public property after either a living person or someone (not counting any public officials) dead less than 3 years.

  • Pete April 26, 2009 (5:24 pm)

    How about the housing above the Delridge library…named the Vivian McLean Place and Vivian is one of my neighbors and very much still alive.

  • Forest April 26, 2009 (9:06 pm)

    That’s it? A grand total of one naming to back your argument that many such examples exist in the city of Seattle? I stand uncorrected.

  • WSB April 26, 2009 (9:25 pm)

    The policy used to be two years, per this old Seattle Weekly story:
    http://www.seattleweekly.com/2002-07-03/news/snapshots/
    It mentions an exception in the ’80s, Terry Pettus Park.

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