As the year comes to a close and we reexamine some of the major stories that have helped shape our world, there is reason for optimism and plenty of hopeful signs for a better 2012.
Maybe it’s just a feeling in the air, a sense that things are beginning to turn around, both economically and socially. It is a feeling of movement and change.
After years of a hard slog, there are unmistakable clues that our local economy is beginning to improve and move in the right direction. From the construction cranes in Lower Queen Anne to the glow of the Uptown Theater marquee to the plans for new developments in the Interbay and Magnolia neighborhoods, a recovery appears to be taking hold.
There is also the measurable growth of our economic titans. Boeing is inking record sales deals and Amazon.com is one of the winners in this Christmas season.
Closer to our own neighborhoods, the campaign to shop locally appears to be working as our local merchants and small businesses report a more robust holiday season than many had expected. Housing prices in the Magnolia and Queen Anne areas, for the most part, remain strong and actually increased in 2011. A small boom in apartment construction is helping to fill once-empty spaces and, if nothing else, given the impression of moving forward.
However you may feel about the pending demise of the Alaskan Way Viaduct and the plan for a tunnel, the project has miraculously moved forward after years of bickering without much in the way of traffic disruptions. We have even survived relatively unscathed the first year of the dreaded road diets that Mayor Mike McGinn and his staff are so fond of.
Despite the internal problems tarnishing the image of the Seattle Police Department, our streets have rarely been safer. Crime and murder statistics are at their lowest levels in decades.
There is even a strong chance that the Port of Seattle and city officials will agree soon on the details for turning over the sliver of undeveloped prime real estate along Smith Cove to the Seattle Parks Department so the area can be turned into one large park. Such a result may be asking too much, but hope springs eternal.
No look back at 2011 would be complete without remembering those who left us too soon this year. The Magnolia community lost a wonderful benefactor, leader and friend in the passing of Art Van der Wel. Many will also be mourning the loss of Catharine Blaine teacher Karen Helweil. Queen Anne will miss the incomparable Jim Fielder, the unforgettable Jan Paolini and the passionate Phil Irwin. They will all be deeply missed. Our prayers and thoughts are with their families and friends this holiday season.
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