Crosscut - News of Seattle and the Pacific Northwest

Even in hard times, there are signs that livable Seattle can still make progress despite, or even because of, the challenges of the economy

Can we save the old Horace Mann School?

Posted Thu, Jul 2, 6 a.m.

By Sue Peters

The classic building, last one standing by an early architect, has been closed by the School District. That could create serious problems for a crime-torn neighborhood, unless a new use is found. Some residents are trying.

Reverse discrimination is back as an issue

Posted Thu, Jul 2, 6 a.m.

By Ted Van Dyk

The Supreme Court ruling on the New Haven firefighters case, plus the Sotomayor hearings, bring back an issue that once divided liberals. Oddly, the President who started affirmative action was Nixon.

Strains in the green-growth coalition

Posted Wed, Jul 1, 6 a.m.

The battle for candidate endorsements reveals some ideological divides between local environmentalists, developers, and independent thinkers who wonder if all urban growth is good.

Newest local airline survives a tough first year

Posted Wed, Jul 1, 6 a.m.

By Matt Fikse

SeaPort flies small planes from Boeing Field to Portland, saving lots of time and security hassles. But a recession hasn't been the best time to get off the runway with a new approach.

Sock! Pow! Blam!

Posted Tue, Jun 30, 6 a.m.

By Robert Fortner

Further adventures in the fight against malaria, as the Gates Foundations seeks to stomp it out permanently. Two dozen new grants limn an ominous foe pitted against vivid human imagination.

Heroes, saints, and celebs

Posted Tue, Jun 30, 6 a.m.

By Anthony B. Robinson

In a perverse way, our modern fascination with celebrities such as Michael Jackson provides an avenue for moral discourse

Sounders win their biggest game to date

Posted Mon, Jun 29, 10:15 a.m.

By Peter Miller

Lesson to the Colorado Rapids: getting Freddie Ljungberg mad is not a great strategy

For the Seattle Times, relief is not spelled M-A-I-N-E

Posted Mon, Jun 29, 6 a.m.

By Bill Richards

Estimates put the sale price at $30-40 million, about a $200 million loss from the 1998 purchase price. And the Seattle company apparently has to carry unfunded pension liabilities as part of the deal.

Humor: Let those grudges fly!

Posted Sun, Jun 28, noon

By Steve Clifford

It's National Grudge Week, and naturally Seattle is crowded with fun events.

'Burning the boards' at New Century

Posted Sat, Jun 27, 4:26 p.m.

By Ben Rankin

The exciting new theater company mounts its second show at ACT, bringing Craig Wright's play about adultery, Orange Flower Water, to a fierce emotional pitch.

An intense, searching world premiere at the Symphony

Posted Sat, Jun 27, 8:30 a.m.

By Thomas May

The orchestra commissions and debuts a powerful new symphony by Aaron Jay Kernis, a summa of this major composer's work to date

In defense of the Rainier Club

Posted Fri, Jun 26, 6 a.m.

Jim McDermott's Congressional earmark for historic renovations is hardly an outrage compared with the way taxpayers are asked to help the rich everyday. Particularly in the Northwest, we take federal largesse for granted.

Can we talk about what the County really does?

Posted Fri, Jun 26, 6 a.m.

By Chris Vance

The King County Executive race is highly competitive, but the candidates keep talking about issues where the county has little influence. Here's a plea to address the topics where the county matters, such as law enforcement.

Hidden treasures of Fremont

Posted Thu, Jun 25, 6 a.m.

By Barbara Stenson Spaeth

Fremont is a classic in-between neighborhood in Seattle, full of houses that reflect individual builders slowly adding homes of character over the past century. You just have to wander away from the main streets to find them.

Obama badly needs a victory

Posted Thu, Jun 25, 6 a.m.

By Ted Van Dyk

Just as Obama's health care and energy reform bills take shape, voters and Congress are newly sensitized over costs, thanks to the way the new President mishandled his stimulus package.

Celebrating the Northwest's floating world

Posted Wed, Jun 24, 4 a.m.

Maritime advocates are looking to have Congress declare most of Washington's coastline, including Puget Sound, a National Heritage Area. It could be a boon for tourism, preservation, and the marine industry itself.

Here's what schools accountability looks like

Posted Wed, Jun 24, 4 a.m.

By Dick Lilly

It's time to put some teeth into one of education's over-used buzzwords. What's need are proper testing and real consequences for failure.

UPDATED: Frank Cooper, the man who shaped Seattle's neighborhoods

Posted Tue, Jun 23, 6 a.m.

By David Brewster

Cooper Elementary, a West Seattle school rich in history, shifted its mission last week, with scant mention of Frank Cooper, one of the most influential figures in Seattle history. Here's his story.

Local tourism: hanging on til the Olympics

Posted Tue, Jun 23, 6 a.m.

By Sue Frause

In British Columbia and Washington, 2009 is going to be a tough year for the tourist business. Here's what some experts are doing to get through the recession.