You Could Always Talk To Your Neighbor

Hey Johnston: When my neighbor places his recycling and garbage bins on the street for pickup on Fridays, he tends to leave them out all weekend. When he finally brings them in, he leaves it all piled up in front of his garage where it's unsightly and makes our neighborhood look bad. Isn't there an ordinance against this sort of thing? You'd think he'd figure it out on his own out of common decency, wouldn't you?

Answer: Maybe this neighbor's parents didn't raise him right, or maybe he is like Mr. Johnston, who tells his children one of their responsibilities is to bring in the garbage can and recycling bins. Then the cans sit by the curb for a few days while the children point at each other and say, "I did it last time!"

Unfortunately, there is no law requiring your neighbor to put his recycling bins and garbage can behind his house or in the garage, says Tom Spille, who handles recycling in Bellevue. As long as they aren't in the street, they can become part of the neighborhood scenery.

How about doing something radical and talking to your neighbor? Or drop off a note, gently suggesting that it would improve the neighborhood appearance if there weren't recycling bins on the street.

Hey Johnston: I have been trying for years to get litter cans on the streets in Old Bellevue, but the city won't put them in. Why doesn't the city allow trash cans in Old Bellevue so people can put their trash some place instead of throwing it in the street?

Answer: Actually, Bellevue doesn't have anything to do with litter cans in front of businesses. Bellevue puts in garbage cans and litter barrels at public places like beaches and parks, but when it comes to those cans on public sidewalks, it is up to local residents. If you want a litter can, you have to talk with the merchants.

As long as you are familiar with Old Bellevue, talk to the merchants and see if one of them will sponsor a litter can.

Hey Johnston: Sweyolocken means "Sigh of the Whispering Pines." I got that from the Camp Fire Boys and Girls Council in Spokane. I went to camp at Sweyolocken in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, when I was younger.

Answer: This piece of information comes from Dee Dee Giesa of the Issaquah area. Her husband told her that Mr. Johnston was looking for the meaning of Sweyolocken, which is attached to a public boat ramp in Bellevue.

A Camp Fire spokesman in Spokane said the camp on Lake Coeur d'Alene was built in 1921 and given the name Sweyolocken. The word comes from the Coeur d'Alene tribe and translates to either "sigh of the pines whispering" or "sigh of the whispering pines."

The original question was submitted to us by the Bellevue Historical Society. Mary Ellen Piro wondered what Sweyolocken meant and how the boat ramp got that name. Now we've answered the first part.

Taking a wild guess, we would say someone on the Bellevue Parks Board had good memories of her childhood and the camp, and gave the boat ramp the name back in 1956.

How to Just Ask Johnston: This column appears Mondays and Wednesdays in the Eastside edition. Leave your questions on Steve Johnston's voice mail at 206-464-8475. Or write: Just Ask Johnston, c/o The Seattle Times, 10777 Main St., Suite 100, Bellevue, WA 98004. The e-mail address is east@seatimes.com