Hello, Pioneer Square! As Real Change moves to Main Street, I look forward to luncheon meetings at the Waterfall Garden Park at Second Avenue. I have a suggestion for improving the park, to make it perfect. But, first, our editor, Adam "Bowling Balls Make Great Cheese Presses!" Hyla wants me to say what the Waterfall Garden Park is, and why.
The park was designed by Masao Kinoshita and built in 1977 to honor workers of United Parcel Service. UPS was founded in 1907 in the basement of a tavern at the site. So, come on! They used to drink beer in a Pioneer Square bar, deliver packages, then come back for more beer, all day long. You have to build a Japanese-style garden and artificial waterfall in a place like that.
Those days UPS is believed to have done lots of business carrying packages of opiates to historic saloons and brothels. At least, let's hope they did, and let's imagine what went on in those places, and dream of a Historic Preservation Board that gives us real history like that.
Meantime, I feel strongly that the Waterfall Garden Park needs monkeys. A dozen little monkeys climbing the rocks all day long, being cute, and begging for food scraps from all the visitors. We're talking organ grinder Capuchin monkeys, like the one in the "Our Gang" comedies.
People often say to me, "Wes, what if they get out and spread around the city?" My answer: Great! Seattle needs monkeys!
You all know in your hearts we do. So I'm begging you to do as I do. Whenever you go to the park, find the security guard and ask him/her to pass on my suggestion to the establishment. If enough of us ask, we'll get the monkeys that will mean so much to us all!