Tom Douglas cooks up a winner with Market salmon bake

YOU have to admire Seattle chef and restaurateur Tom Douglas. When he gets worked up about something, he does not just talk, he acts. His latest idea, well worth a try, is a weekend salmon bake at Victor Steinbrueck Park at Pike Place Market.

Yes, the park is across from one of Douglas' restaurants. Pervasive, aggressive panhandling in and around the park cannot be good for business. But Douglas is not a whiner, he is a doer.

He was a strong proponent of reasonable anti-aggressive-panhandling laws the City Council could not support with enough votes to override Mayor Mike McGinn's veto. So he offers a creative way to bring activity to the neighborhood that could help combat crime and menace: Salmon Nights, $12 a plate. Proceeds would go to hire additional security for the park. Win, win, win.

Policing the park and creating reasonable policies to keep the peace are the city's responsibility. But if the city cannot do more, maybe pure business innovation can make a difference. A round of applause for Douglas for giving a darn and doing something about it.

No one should get too excited about predictable comments from Tim Harris, executive director of Real Change newspaper, which itself is a solid idea for helping the homeless. Harris seems to bristle at any proposal that changes the status quo.

Harris even suggested the proposal was unfair to Native American homeless who frequent the park. That is disingenuous. Harris was a rabid opponent of the panhandling laws, so he should step forward and say what steps he is for that would improve the neighborhood.

Douglas is the productive one, attempting a nonprofit endeavor to reinvigorate a neighborhood. That is community-minded citizenship at its best.

Douglas was also a driving force behind an impressive radio campaign six weeks ago that helped save Seattle's last remaining Fourth of July fireworks show.

He is improving his city and we need more people who think — and act — like he does.