Who says government employees don't work hard? For years, Washington state election officials have been toiling away in their efforts to make the upcoming primary as meaningless as possible. Last year, they moved the primary to mid-August, smack in the middle of one of the only two months a year with reliably decent weather around here - meaning nobody, absolutely nobody is paying attention to local politics. Now, thanks to a combination of ineptitude, initiative and court rulings, we have the top-two primary, in which the top two vote-getters, regardless of party (or lack thereof), advance to the November ballot.
Last Friday, a state appeals board ordered use of low-impact building techniques to control runoff, a known contributor to the pollution of Puget Sound, perhaps the region's greatest natural asset.Oil, pesticides and other pollutants from the streets and other impervious surfaces such as driveways and sidewalks in communities throughout the area are contributing to the contamination of Puget Sound. These factors may affect salmon populations and have been documented as one reason why orca whales are steering clear.
It's hard to believe that a band conceived from a Jimi Hendrix song has become something of a legend themselves. When Sky Cries Mary takes to the Nuemos stage on Saturday, Aug. 9 - their first Seattle gig since February - the six-piece psychedelic trancers will be just a few months shy of their 20th anniversary. Though Sky Cries Mary has seen its fair share of personnel changes since 1989's "Until the Grinders Cease" - though its current lineup has been constant since 2004 - the group has inspired a culture of musicians and bands who prosper within the genre.
The classic Italianate storefront can be found on East Mercer Street, near Summit Avenue. For more than a decade the space has been used as a private residence. Walking by it over the years, it seemed to be a space waiting for its true potential as a gallery. But no more. Earlier this year, when Justine Ashbee and Joel Leshefka learned from the owners of the No Space Gallery in the same building that the space was available, they jumped at the opportunity. Thus was the Cairo gallery born.
Almost hidden on the west side of Broadway, tucked away at the mouth of Broadway Alley, is what can only be called a hole-in-the-wall sushi restaurant called HaNa.The quarters are bit tight, with seating for 40 spread around columns and peculiar wall protuberances. That includes the six seats at the sushi bar across the back of the place. Windows on two sides of the tiny restaurant reach up nearly to the 16-foot ceilings, giving the tiny place a surprisingly spacious feeling. If you are looking for fancy, you might want to reconsider. The focus is on the food, not the seafoam-green walls or white tile floor.
I last discussed the bar scene in this space in January.Since then, I have seen the future of Capitol Hill nightlife, and it's cozy.Not pretentiously "casual," like the old 1970s fern bars.But also not coldly retro-futuristic, like the old Manray and ARO.space. Why this particular shift from retro-1962 to retro-1971?
There is a bustling coffeehouse on 15th Avenue East in Capitol Hill that has always been geared toward the community. It's a place where the young, old, rich and poor commence to chat about all things Seattle and beyond. We know each others' children, we rejoice in accomplishments and share burdens alike. The company owning this coffeehouse was once structured in the roots of community but something happened along the way that turned it into a place of commercial business, tossing aside what once made it so special. As this column goes to print, Howard Schultz and his team at Starbucks are putting plans in the works to close down a store that has been a staple in the Capitol Hill community since 1995.
The year 1891 was an extraordinary one for Seattle. J.M. Thompson's Madison Street Cable Car was completed, providing steam-powered transportation for people and freight up the steep hill from downtown and on through the woods and stump farms to Lake Washington. Also in 1891, Jesuit education began in Seattle at the original site of Immaculate Conception Church near the southeast corner of Madison Street and Broadway. Now part of Seattle University, the 1910 car barn at 10th Avenue and Madison Street has been transformed.
The following are based on incident reports from the Seattle Police Department's East Precinct. They represent the officers' accounts of the events described.Theft, drugs Just before 4 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 1, officers responded to a 16th Avenue East parking lot to investigate a suspicious vehicle parked in a parking lot
The following are based on incident reports from the Seattle Police Department's East Precinct. They represent the officers' accounts of the events described.Mental incidentJust before 6 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 8, officers responded to a Summit Avenue boarding house after several tenants reported a disturbance taking place between a resident and someone who may or may not have been his acquaintance.
Living on Capitol Hill, I've always thought of my neighborhood as a cyclist's paradise. Unfortunately the incident that occurred in late July, where a motorist plowed into a group of cyclists he perceived as threatening and was then attacked by several riders, drew a lot of negative attention to our progressive burg. Not that the confrontation couldn't have happened in any Seattle neighborhood, or any other city.
Who says government employees don't work hard? For years, Washington state election officials have been toiling away in their efforts to make the upcoming primary as meaningless as possible. (Let's set aside, for now, the eternal debate as to whether any vote can be meaningful in the farce that masquerades as our "democracy.") Last year, they moved the primary to mid-August, smack in the middle of one of the only two months a year with reliably decent weather around here - meaning nobody, absolutely nobody, is paying attention to local politics.
The third-annual Masters of Lindy Hop and Tap will be at Capitol Hill's Century Ballroom this week, and the event continues to be an important and even historical celebration of America's original swing dance. The event begins Wednesday, Aug. 13, with a panel discussion and documentary with legendary tap dancer Jeni LeGon, who danced with Bill "Bojangles" Robinson and appeared in numerous films. At 13, LeGon landed a spot on the Count Basie Orchestra Chorus line and in 1935 went on to become the first African-American woman to sign an extended contract with MGM, ultimately making 24 films in her career. She has been honored by the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame and the National Congress of Black Women.
It's been nearly a year since Ethan Delavan released his documentary "Stories of Silence: Recovering from Boyhood Sexual Abuse" and aired it on KCTS Channel 9. He's received requests for the DVD from Scotland, Trinidad, Puerto Rico, England, Australia and Guam.While gratified to receive such support, he continues to struggle on his own journey of recovery that started when he was first abused by an uncle at age 9. He likens the recovery of a sexual-abuse survivor with that of an alcoholic's: "You're never done recovering. You have to catch [the feelings that come up] before they take you over.... There's always that tug," he said.
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is proposing to improve customer service for users of Residential Parking Zones (RPZs), but some customers in areas such Capitol Hill, the Pike-Pine corridor and Lower Queen Anne may not appreciate the effort.RPZ permits allow users to legally park in restricted areas covered by the zones, typically at night but also for unlimited times in areas in the parking zones with time restrictions. There are currently 27 RPZs in Seattle, and more than 17,000 motorists have RPZ permits, according to SDOT figures.