What’s a whistle stop?

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Back in the day, a whistle stop or a whistle stop tour was where a politician would ride the train around stumping for his political campaign.

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Last Saturday I headed down to the Othello light rail station's very own whistle stop, except it was a little different. All the who's who of community development of the southend was at the grand-opening of the Whistle-Stop Co-op. Deputy Mayor Daryl Smith, Bike Works, Councilmember Sally Clark, Rainier Valley Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Susan Davis to name a few. All there to celebrate a bike and coffee shop that evolved from the grassroots level. There wasn't much political soapboxing that I could see. More of a celebration of what grassroots dreams can accomplish.

Dick and Mona, the primary owners of the shop, started the shop with the hopes that it will become a neighborhood gathering space for idea sharing and for wrenching on bikes. This is sure to be helped by the fact that the shop is located right next the Link Light Rail station and the Othello Market.

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Mona Lee (co-founder of Whistle Stop) and Darryl Smith (Deputy Mayor)

Sounds to me that this whistle stop will be less like a politicians pulpit and more like a place for all of us to share our passionate ideas.

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Not only that, right near the Whistle Stop Co-op at Othello and MLK, Sound Transit has also installed some new bike lockers.

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