A name for The Bridge? Proposal to honor Jeanette Williams

| Transportation | West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

Three months ago, former City Councilmember Jeanette Williams (seen at left in a city archives photo from 1973) was remembered for accomplishments including fighting to secure federal money to building the high-rise West Seattle Bridge. Now, there’s a campaign to name the bridge in her honor as the Jeanette Williams Memorial Bridge; a resolution supporting the proposal was adopted unanimously at last week’s Seattle Community Council Federation meeting and is circulating among other councils in the city as well (here’s the wording as also recently endorsed in View Ridge, according to SCCF chair Jeannie Hale). City Council approval would be required; no word yet of a timetable for a formal proposal coming before the council, but we asked Councilmember Tom Rasmussen – who got his political start working with Ms. Williams – and he told WSB he’s all for it. We’ll keep you posted. (Maybe it’ll happen in time for the bridge’s 25th anniversary this summer?)

old timer January 28, 2009 (1:35 pm)

Those were the days!
She and Sen. Magnuson got it built.
And quick, too!
So sorry that today’s ‘leaders’ are not,
they’re just pale imitations of the real thing.
If Williams and Maggie were around, the viaduct resolution would already be in use!
IMO, of course….

Pete January 28, 2009 (3:00 pm)

Funny that this can happen so quickly after her passing but the Parks department is balking at the communities efforts to name a park after Tim St Clair.

TomA January 28, 2009 (4:02 pm)

Shouldn’t it be named the Rolf Neslund Memorial Bridge?

herongrrrl January 28, 2009 (4:54 pm)

Good suggestion, TomA!

Even if it gets officially named, will anyone ever call it anything other than the WS Bridge?

jw January 28, 2009 (5:14 pm)

My family always called the lower bridge the Rolf Neslund Memorial Sausage Bridge. Gallows humor I know.

Not too many folks call the 520 floating bridge the “Rossellini Bridge”, but seeing that sign each time you cross it matters. Jeanette Williams’ work and contributions, not only to WS, needs to be remembered by future community members. Given that this bridge will be here for a long time, I believe it to be a fitting way to honor a great lady.

WSB January 28, 2009 (5:17 pm)

An update on the Morgan Junction park-naming issue is on the agenda for the Morgan Community Association tonight, 7 pm, The Kenney, fwiw.

Toad January 28, 2009 (6:14 pm)

“will anyone ever call it anything other than the WS Bridge?”
.
Yes. I call it ‘Waffles.’ As in, “Look, here I am again, driving on Waffles.” They should rename it ‘Waffles.’

zerodacus January 28, 2009 (9:07 pm)

Funny JW, we used to have a golf tournament called ‘The Rolf Nesland All Beef Open’ and as the folks in the San Juans used to say, there’s a little bit of Rolf in all of us.

Rusty Williams January 28, 2009 (9:57 pm)

My mom was Jeanette Williams. I am one of the people behind this campaign. She did so many more things than get the high level bridge built. But it was her grandest achievement and it would be a fitting tribute to all the great work she did for the city she loved. And the people that live here.

Lindsey January 29, 2009 (9:44 am)

Not a bad idea! I like it, especially since WSB now means West Seattle Blog to me.

Why Bother? January 29, 2009 (12:37 pm)

Why spend money and time one this? Honestly!

What January 29, 2009 (2:29 pm)

Quick, somebody name the 520 floating bridge by it’s real name… go go go

It’ll always be the West Seattle Bridge and the lower one will be “the bridge under the West Seattle Bridge that has less traffic but always goes up because some boat is trying to pass”

Sorry, comment time is over.