Knute Berger

A regular contributor to Crosscut.
This reader has commented on Crosscut articles more than 100 times.

Bio:
Knute Berger is Mossback, Crosscut's chief Northwest native. He also writes the monthly Grey Matters column for Seattle magazine and is a weekly Friday guest on Weekday on KUOW-FM (94.9). His newest book is Pugetopolis: A Mossback Takes On Growth Addicts, Weather Wimps, and the Myth of Seattle Nice, published by Sasquatch Books. In 2011, he was named Writer-in-Residence at the Space Needle and is author of Space Needle, The Spirit of Seattle (2012), the official 50th anniversary history of the tower. You can e-mail him at mossback@crosscut.com.

Website: http://www.crosscut.com/mossback/

Active since April 2007

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What color is your Space Needle?

Posted Sun, Apr 22, 6:56 a.m.

@gabowker: The shade does seem different. I'll try and compare swatches. But the light also changes it--with the sun yesterday, at some angles, it did almost look gold. The great thing about that color is it looks so good against both gray and blue. As a kid, I remember thinking ...

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What color is your Space Needle?

Posted Sun, Apr 22, 6:44 a.m.

Not sure what kind of paint was used originally. Also, I should have checked my notes more carefully. Victor Steinbrueck did suggest specific shades--charcoal gray and clover white Rost-Oleum shades.

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What color is your Space Needle?

Posted Thu, Apr 19, 7:54 p.m.

I wish someone would put it back together and bring it back to life. You'd think Paul Allen could find a place for it.

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What color is your Space Needle?

Posted Wed, Apr 18, 5:46 p.m.

All Things Considered had a nice piece tonight about the Needle's 50th and paint job. http://www.npr.org/2012/04/18/150887020/back-to-the-future-seattles-space-needle-turns-50?sc=tw&cc;=share

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What color is your Space Needle?

Posted Wed, Apr 18, 2:43 p.m.

NickBob: My upcoming book will show some of the color variations, including the rainbow sketch and the photo of the red Needle model with the gold top. dbreneman: Prince Philip also made fun of the Horiuchi Mural, so young Charles comes by his traditionalism honestly.

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What color is your Space Needle?

Posted Wed, Apr 18, 11:59 a.m.

On clarification, dbreneman: It was Price Philip, not Prince Charles, who disliked the Needle original orange top (contrary to the P-I blog). But I love your fantasy of Charles-and-Philip-friendly Needle architecture. Maybe a gargoyle on top? Or was that Dark Angel?

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Bill Ruckelshaus: Watergate and me

Posted Thu, Mar 29, 10:51 a.m.

I really appreciate this first-hand account of the Saturday Night Massacre. I was a college journalist during that era and followed the scandal(s) and hearings very closely. As a news reader on Evergreen's KAOS radio, I transmitted some of these events nightly and felt as if I was living part ...

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Memorable fiascos of Seattle's 1962 world's fair

Posted Tue, Mar 20, 4:54 p.m.

dbreneman: Your Olympics analogy is right on. The US cannot now host a fair until it rejoins the BIE. The current rules are that a non-member cannot host a fair, and we withdrew during the George W. Bush era. But, the fair drought began before that withdrawal. Part of the ...

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Memorable fiascos of Seattle's 1962 world's fair

Posted Mon, Mar 19, 6:39 p.m.

MJH: The great fade of fairs in North America (none since '86) is likely due to specific conditions and cycles in the US and Canada re: city building. The final fairs here were mostly in emerging, smaller cities (Seattle, San Antonio, Spokane, Knoxville, Vancouver; New Orleans ended the US fair ...

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Memorable fiascos of Seattle's 1962 world's fair

Posted Mon, Mar 19, 4:31 p.m.

David: Great comments. The post-fair arguments began early--way before the fair. By tying the fair to the civic center bond issue, they were committed to putting all the eggs in one basket, and acquiring the 74 aces proved more expensive then anticipated, so a number of things had to be ...

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Today's dynamic Seattle: born at the Space Needle

Posted Wed, Jan 25, 6:33 p.m.

NickBob: I suggest reading Emmett Watson's "Digressions of the Native Son" for a great take on Brougham. And I agree about The Argus. I spent time with it on microfilm at the UW library while researching the Needle book and was reminded that in the late 50s to late 60s, ...

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Why this winter's snowy owl visit captivates us

Posted Tue, Jan 10, 3:30 p.m.

Saw a snowy through a powerful scope down at Nisqually Delta on Sunday. Big, impressive birds. In the background, the top of Mt. Rainier--two great snowys in one view. Thanks for the background information and context.

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Washington history: Boring no more

Posted Wed, Dec 21, 9:30 p.m.

I received the following reply to the above comments from Lorraine McConaghy: Thank you so much for your comments; this is exactly what public history means to me: to engage in a conversation. As a historian, I have always begun any discussion of territorial history with the statement that this ...

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Mad Men were all the leadership in 1960s Seattle

Posted Sat, Oct 29, 9:55 a.m.

To add one more point, many of those downtown leaders were also tremendously supportive of positive efforts, particularly building up the arts. They were key in establishing or building the Pacific Science Center, the Rep, Ballet, symphony, arts support groups (like PONCHO, launched in '62). Also Forward Thrust took new ...

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Mad Men were all the leadership in 1960s Seattle

Posted Sat, Oct 29, 9:48 a.m.

By definition, comparing condos to Space Needles is apples and oranges since the Needle is, and was meant to be, unique. The Needle was unprecedented. Simpler than condos in many respects, more complicated in others because one had never been built before, banks and insurance companies were skeptical, and it ...

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Kubota Garden: Seattle's most beautiful and least known park

Posted Thu, Oct 27, 11:15 a.m.

Yes, love the paradoxes of Kubota. A Japanese influenced garden, yet with big mature trees. I love the collage-like layering, reminds of a Horiuchi. Great place for birds too. Thanks for reminder.

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When the 'past' came to Century 21

Posted Mon, Sep 19, 11:45 a.m.

MJH: Noted and fixed.

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'Spiritual but not religious' - how smug is that?

Posted Thu, Sep 15, 9:21 a.m.

Most airplane conversations are dull, whether it's baby pictures or your seat-mate's spiritual journey. Many of life's most important experiences and insights are common: the marvel of childbirth, coming of age, breaking your leg are not unique, but what is special is that it happened to you. The fact that ...

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The disaster of GOP disaster politics

Posted Sun, Sep 4, 5:38 p.m.

Obama and Chris Christie reject the Cantor/Paul approach to disaster aid: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/05/nyregion/obama-visits-flood-ravaged-new-jersey.html?_r=1

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The disaster of GOP disaster politics

Posted Tue, Aug 30, 10:12 a.m.

An interesting take on how the post-Katrina disaster response of FEMA worked in the case if Irene: http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/hurricane-irene-and-the-benefits-of-big-government/2011/08/29/gIQA4bnEoJ_story.html

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The Tunnel: An earth-moving election for Seattle

Posted Wed, Aug 17, 8:05 a.m.

@Jon: Godzilla is attracted to night lights (beware liberalizing the sign ordinance!). Yes, like a moth. So they black out the city and lure him across Puget Sound and the Olympics into the Pacific with flares, hoping the radiation-breathing mutant will swim for home. Godzilla's response to all this? "MRAAWWW!"

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Northwest may never see another Republican like Hatfield

Posted Mon, Aug 8, 4:23 p.m.

Thanks for the great overview of a remarkable career.

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'See Washington Last'

Posted Fri, Jul 22, 5:04 p.m.

Years ago, there was an antique dealer at the Pike Place Market who had a 49-star flag for sale, made between Alaska and Hawaii statehood. Who knew that it would be correct some day?

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'See Washington Last'

Posted Fri, Jul 22, 3:39 p.m.

@Bluelight: If you saw recently, North Dakota is not actually a state but still a territory due to an error in their constitution, so I don't count them.

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Seattle needs more shrines to writers

Posted Thu, Jul 14, 8:54 p.m.

Sorry to hear about that. As a child, Stegner lived in Redmond, then a rural logging community, for awhile. There ought to be lots of Stegner Streets throughout the West.

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Seattle needs more shrines to writers

Posted Thu, Jul 14, 6:08 p.m.

@heartscribe: Where is it?

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Seattle needs more shrines to writers

Posted Thu, Jul 14, 5:11 p.m.

typo: I do mean Rick Anderson. Working at the Weekly, he's never been Rich.

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Seattle needs more shrines to writers

Posted Thu, Jul 14, 5:09 p.m.

Rich Anderson's suggestion of Ed Guthman Meadow is inspired! So too the idea of a Writer's Park. See Blackie's link above.

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When crows become eagles

Posted Thu, Jun 30, 7:55 a.m.

Eric: There is so much drama in the air. Down in California recently, I saw hummingbirds chasing and harassing a prairie falcon, like fighter plans vs. a bomber. And the hummingbirds won. I'd be interested to learn how much the crow population has grown. It's striking how many more crows, ...

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Retro ideas from the Seattle World's Fair that today's urbanists should embrace

Posted Fri, Jun 17, 9:42 a.m.

dbreneman: The Needle repainted the top for the 40th; not sure if they'll do it again, but I know the question has come up. As to the diorama, yes, images seem to be extremely scarce. I recently found a pretty good one in an old Seattle Time, but don;t know ...

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Retro ideas from the Seattle World's Fair that today's urbanists should embrace

Posted Fri, Jun 17, 9:38 a.m.

Beaky: Well, they certainly used to in Paris, which was dramatically transformed by multiple (at least six) world's fairs which were also used for major urban improvements.

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Retro ideas from the Seattle World's Fair that today's urbanists should embrace

Posted Thu, Jun 16, 7:45 p.m.

Excellent comment thread raising many issues. Sarah90: It's absolutely true that many people who attend world's fairs come away with memories of nothing more than ice cream: Call it the Belgian Waffle syndrome. Like dbrenman, I was not one of those: the fair had a profound impact on my expectations ...

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Retro ideas from the Seattle World's Fair that today's urbanists should embrace

Posted Wed, Jun 15, 11:03 p.m.

It's true that Century 21 brought suburban ideas to the city, but it also emphasized urban ones (mass transit, pedestrianism, the arts). It is too simplistic to see it simply as only or mostly suburban, which in urban-speak almost always connotes failure. Jeffrey Ochsner is right that it's a mixed ...

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Seattle Center: How the city bulldozed history to create change

Posted Thu, May 19, 8:26 a.m.

animalal: The original school was demolished, but a 1919 addition was kept and added on to. http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file;_id=3195

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Why does Seattle have so many bleak public spaces?

Posted Wed, May 18, 7:17 p.m.

I'm sure Red Square is used--it has to be. But it has no focus, no greenery to speak of, it's a center without a center. It doesn't really even take advantage of the AYP view corridor except from one angle, and the west side makes a bizarre entrance to the ...

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Why does Seattle have so many bleak public spaces?

Posted Wed, May 18, 12:34 p.m.

Great piece. You left out my "favorite" for bleak: the UW's Red Square.

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The Dog House lives

Posted Mon, May 9, 4:30 p.m.

Your dad was a true hero.

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The Dog House lives

Posted Mon, May 9, 2:19 p.m.

And speaking of the 5-Point, I came across a menu of theirs from June 11, 1962, collected by a fair visitor. The most expensive dinner: a T-bone steak for $2.85, including soup, salad, potato, vegetable, roll & butter, desert and beverage of choice. The cheapest entree? Creamed Chipped Beef on ...

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The Dog House lives

Posted Mon, May 9, 2:07 p.m.

The Wedgwood Broiler is definitely on the list; my mother and uncle were regulars in the restaurant, and I would join them for liver and onions. I was just touting Burgermaster to Eli Sanders, my panel-mate on KUOW. he recently complained in The Stranger about paying $12 for a tuna ...

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Syria confirms Parvaz's captivity, says she is being treated well

Posted Wed, May 4, 10:35 a.m.

This is a good piece of progress.

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Osama bin Laden's dead. Why so glum?

Posted Tue, May 3, 2:49 p.m.

Perhaps I should have said "the Arab Tweet." http://arabnews.com/world/osama_bin_laden/article380327.ece?comments=all

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Osama bin Laden's dead. Why so glum?

Posted Tue, May 3, 10:49 a.m.

Bundy's 1989 execution was celebrated with parties and t-shirts. It wasn't a national wave, but a highly public one and such behavior was also condemned for similar reasons as bin Laden's death. See this editorial from a Florida newspaper: http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1989-01-25/features/8901050452_1_execution-ted-bundy-pleasure

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Icons we could do without

Posted Wed, Apr 20, 2:02 p.m.

Ooops: Forgot the Leif Erikson statue at Shilshole. And you can add Bergen Place sculptures to the "no" list.

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Icons we could do without

Posted Wed, Apr 20, 1:57 p.m.

I like many things. Here's a short, off-the-top list: Sculpture Park--Roxy Paine's steel tree and the Neukom Vivarium are intensely provocative. Mt. Rainier: an icon and goddess that must be respected, if not worshipped. A Needle-that-shall-not-be-named Pacific Science Center: Yamasaki's secular temple; the gothic "space arches" are stunning still. Horiuchi ...

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Another matching grant for Crosscut's Membership drive today

Posted Thu, Apr 14, 8:54 a.m.

I think the comments are like letters to the editor, subject to editing, review, etc. I don't think "disagreement" is the criteria for eliminating posts--any fair reader of the stories and comments on Crosscut can see that there is much disagreement between commenters, writers and editors. I think one of ...

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Mossback's '36 hours' in Duwumps

Posted Sun, Apr 10, 7:51 a.m.

@stumphaven: Yes, it was the Society for Applied Anthropology conference. I wrote a preview of it, and a story last week on archaeological storytelling that was inspired by a session there. It was a feast of ideas. I have another potential story or two in mind from the conference. And ...

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Niehaus Way South: a nice tribute, or half of one anyway

Posted Mon, Apr 4, 3:04 p.m.

Dave Neihaus is deserving, but it's getting rather silly to have most contemporary (and rare) street namings go in honor of sports figures. If the criteria is who can pay for an honorary designation, then let's get serious about it and make some money. But Brougham, Martinez and Niehaus hardly ...

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The tyranny of the right, architecturally speaking

Posted Tue, Mar 29, 5:56 p.m.

I agree with Larry Cheek about curves, but hope Seattle has had its fill of the corn-cob fad that gave us the Westin twins.

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The 'Mad Men' landmark that might have been

Posted Thu, Mar 10, 6:26 p.m.

mhays: The parking and auto access (via sunken roadway) issue would have been a challenge. I wish I knew Thiry's thoughts on that. It's interesting to read the accounts of plans for parking at the site (tearing down Memorial Stadium post-fair for parking was explored). From the view standpoint, the ...

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Public's taste in presidents suggests ignorance

Posted Tue, Feb 22, 10:34 a.m.

Just because something is known in one time, doesn't mean it will be in another. Too often, we take for granted the ideas of progress, or the permanence of records and information, of knowledge (it just keeps growing, right?). Keeping memory alive and work takes work, it's active. Clearly, we ...

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Why we should transform Seattle Center from a theater district to a park

Posted Tue, Feb 15, 11:48 a.m.

If you want an example of a Robert Moses failure, it was the billions of dollars spent trying to the smelly and smoky Corona ash dump into a park with two world's fairs ('39, '64). Flushing Meadows/Corona park would love to have the viable, vital legacy that Seattle Center has, ...

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A Seattle-style Boeing: Oh, the places you'll never go

Posted Thu, Feb 10, 11:22 a.m.

@fgruben: The gum would be what's holding it together! Great idea.

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Seattle's most elegant ash tray

Posted Fri, Feb 4, 1 p.m.

@thoughts: I have no problem with the water being off seasonally, which I assumed was the case, but part of the problem with the fountain's location is that it is within the smoking zone outside and even the air reeks of tobacco smoke. That combined with the dusty butt-bowl just ...

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McGinn on the job: Potholes get attention

Posted Fri, Feb 4, 8:10 a.m.

Orino: Thanks for the correction.

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The would-be county killers

Posted Wed, Feb 2, 1:48 p.m.

DMorrill: Economic issues aside, there is nothing sacred about how many counties there are or what shape they are. Washington has previously broken up counties and redrawn their boundaries (Benton formed out of Klickitat and Yakima in 1905, Ferry sliced off from Stevens county, Grant from Douglas, etc.), and even ...

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Artistic legacy of a Ballard fish and chips shop

Posted Sun, Jan 16, 6:13 p.m.

Orino: I have found that many, many people care, sometimes newcomers the most.

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More victims of the heritage hatchet

Posted Tue, Dec 21, 5:24 p.m.

The Seattle Times is delighted with budget cuts because museums "are nice but not necessary." http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorials/2013732836_edit22gregoirebudget.html

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Canlis: The hidden, human scene behind the dining institution Seattle doesn't really know

Posted Mon, Dec 20, 12:37 p.m.

Great story, Hugo. Thanks for the behind-the-scenes look.

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What Seattle's skyline says about us

Posted Fri, Dec 10, 11:51 a.m.

jml: Yes, I do want such committees, and we already have them (design review, landmarks, city council, comp and neighborhood plans). It's also why we have zoning. The argument for cultural, historic and aesthetic considerations, for shaping cities by forces other than "the market", is decided. The issue is the ...

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What Seattle's skyline says about us

Posted Fri, Dec 10, 11:46 a.m.

RevSandy: I am opposed to changing the ordinance to allow big corporate logos on skyscrapers and critical of the way it wound up on the agenda: as a favor to one company. I think the skyline is distinct from, say individual streetscapes, as outlined above. On Seattle Center, I disliked ...

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Revelations more stunning than WikiLeaks'

Posted Thu, Dec 9, 11:10 a.m.

I am a freelance writer; Crosscut requires that we disclose any potential conflicts, but encourages us to write about our areas of interest and expertise. I indicated in my story about my fall trip to Shanghai that I was a guest of the BIE (they covered airfare and lodging) for ...

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Save money by redrawing Washington's map

Posted Thu, Dec 9, 8:17 a.m.

Cameron: Nixon's proposal provided for a transition period, the appointment of a special master (judge) to oversee the transition and the process of equitably apportioning assets and between the two resulting counties (Cascade and King (Seattle). It's worth looking at his bill to see how this is set up. Clearly, ...

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Revelations more stunning than WikiLeaks'

Posted Wed, Dec 8, 12:05 a.m.

Background on the BIE can be found at their website: http://www.bie-paris.org/site/en.html They are supported by dues of member states (some 150+ countries; the USA is not currently a member). Summits, Conferences and Forums are often held in connection with world's fairs, such as this year's summit in Shanghai, and the ...

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Revelations more stunning than WikiLeaks'

Posted Tue, Dec 7, 3:22 p.m.

Bluelight: I took two trips, the first paid for by me; the second hosted by the Bureau of International Expositions in Paris.

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Revelations more stunning than WikiLeaks'

Posted Tue, Dec 7, 8:59 a.m.

Doh! Thanks for the correction. While visiting the Estonian pavilion, I drank a few glasses of Tallinn, a tasty alcoholic beverage that goes down too easily, and makes everything look like... Lithuania.

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Seattle's pedestrian-umbrella boondoggle

Posted Sun, Dec 5, 3:37 p.m.

1) The campaign amounts to telling grown adults to look both ways before crossing the street. Should be learned in kindergarten. 2) Part of the promo effort: a flash mob dance sequence with city-funded umbrellas at Westlake to Singin' in the Rain. Very Kirkland. 3) Improve driver safety by getting ...

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Brave new book banning

Posted Tue, Nov 30, 2:40 p.m.

On You Tube, you can find a fascinating Mike Wallace interview with Aldous Huxley from 1958 in which Huxley talks about trouble just around the corner. George Orwell, he said, envisioned a dictatorship of terror, but he sees one of manufactured bliss where man will "actually love his slavery." The ...

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Seattle should dig into its past

Posted Tue, Nov 30, 2:25 p.m.

BlueLight: The whole thrust of our presentation was that urban development and new construction create *opportunities* for archaeology, and that the city should be more proactive about making the most of ground disturbances that can teach us something. If you think about public projects and cost overruns, archaeology and historic ...

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Seattle should dig into its past

Posted Mon, Nov 29, 7:38 p.m.

A number of points. First, everyone is aware of Seattle's current budget situation and no one is suggesting the only solution is to hire more people. Addressing the issues raised could involve tweaking regulations, or possible oversight by existing entities (like the Landmarks Board) or volunteers. Much archaeology, assessment, and ...

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An iPod or Xbox world's fair?

Posted Wed, Nov 24, 12:24 p.m.

Update: the Canadian government has pulled the plug on the Edmonton bid by saying no to federal funding. Still alive (for now) are potential bids from Silicon Valley and Houston in the USA, plus other overseas bids. But Cascadia won't get one soon. http://www.canadaeast.com/front/article/1319438

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Seattle's live-work spaces: Commuting is such a breeze

Posted Thu, Nov 18, 2:12 p.m.

Great review. I love the live-work idea, and it makes sense for people like me (writers) who work from home. But most people have real jobs somewhere else and our economic system and policies do not encouraged self-employment or self sufficiency, let alone small business. If we had economic policies ...

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Is Gov. Gregoire the new Tim Eyman?

Posted Thu, Nov 18, 12:59 p.m.

I'm saying that if you take the order literally, it is confusing. But it's philosophy is not: it is declaring that regulation is a barrier to business and economic recovery (ironic on the day of GM's re-emergence). The order will be a boon for lobbyists, gives conflicting signals to state ...

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Is Gov. Gregoire the new Tim Eyman?

Posted Thu, Nov 18, 10:12 a.m.

Yarrow: Here's Gregoire's rationale as reported by her chief of staff in the Seattle Times: "Manning said the governor's office wasn't motivated by any one particular issue, but by complaints from small businesses that they're dealing with a cumulative effect of new rules from many agencies all at once at ...

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A personal remembrance of John M. McClelland, Jr.

Posted Wed, Nov 17, 5:38 p.m.

Two small corrections to my story. First, McClelland's son, John McClelland III, says he's pretty sure his dad favored Camaros, not Trans Ams. Second, Ken Gouldthorpe reminds me that his key meeting with McClelland to launch Washington magazine took place in Longview, not Bellevue. A Seattle memorial service is scheduled ...

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City budget shines a light on Magnuson Park decay

Posted Wed, Nov 17, 10:50 a.m.

Word is the Parks Dept. has identified about $54 million worth of capital improvement projects for the park, including historic building renovations (and possible demolitions) and other major things like the park's sewers, electrical systems, picnic areas, pedestrian improvements, signage, beach work etc. Half of that amount would be for ...

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City budget shines a light on Magnuson Park decay

Posted Wed, Nov 17, 9:54 a.m.

One can claim anything is historic, but to get recognition from the National Register, you go through a rigorous state and national review process. Here's the link to the nomination for Sand Point, which gives the details, background and physical descriptions, and explains why the district is of national significance ...

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Dave Niehaus dies at 75: An appreciation

Posted Wed, Nov 10, 8:17 p.m.

Dave Niehaus could narrate paint drying and make you want to listen. Partly, it was irrepressible optimism of the "two-grand-slams-and-we're-right-back-in-it" school. Jeez it's hard to imagine the M's without him, without his constancy. This guy has delivered more hope than Obama.

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The unbearable lightness of Dino Rossi

Posted Tue, Nov 9, 8:14 p.m.

I'm not encouraging Dino to run again, and I doubt he would read the piece as encouragement, passive aggressive or otherwise. What I am pointing out is that he's had three losing tries as an empty suit, so unless the guy's got something more to add next time, forget it. ...

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Death by mountain goat

Posted Mon, Oct 18, 3:34 p.m.

Photos of an aggressive goat on the same trail coming soon.

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Hill towns: Seattle can learn from Europe

Posted Thu, Oct 14, 7:29 a.m.

Speaking of genuine hill towns, one in the US is Jerome, AZ, a former wild west mining town near Sedona that's kind of like Port Townsend (great old buildings, galleries, restaurants, hippies) set on a mountain. Spectacular history, views, and windy roads. Reminded me of hilltowns in Greece. One great ...

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What Indians' understanding of tsunamis might teach Seattle

Posted Wed, Oct 13, 11:31 p.m.

grousefinder: Will do!

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What Indians' understanding of tsunamis might teach Seattle

Posted Wed, Oct 13, 12:01 p.m.

LotusRally: To your question, I highly recommend reading Charles Mann's book, "1491" about new discoveries and perspectives on Pre-Columbian America, which, it turns out was mostly urban (even by European standards of the day), heavily populated, often with extensive road and trade systems (think Chaco Canyon, the Inca empire) and ...

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What Indians' understanding of tsunamis might teach Seattle

Posted Wed, Oct 13, 9:34 a.m.

BlueLight: A sampling of things to think about given the Native American experience: Does the city have evacuation routes in the event of catastrophe, and do ordinary citizens know about them? Could we do better than New Orleans with Katrina, but with less warning? Are plans for the waterfront, seawall, ...

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Meade Emory, 'Seattle's Atticus Finch,' dies at 79

Posted Tue, Oct 12, 9:05 p.m.

Wonderful tribute, Ted. Thanks.

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UW's freshmen all must read (gasp!) poetry

Posted Wed, Sep 22, 1:50 p.m.

This is a wonderful idea. So, I imagine, would the ghost of Roethke.

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Historic photos with modern echoes

Posted Sat, Sep 18, 10:58 a.m.

Wonderful photographs, Chuck. Would it be possible to see a photo gallery of his Northwest pictures? I'd love to see you do a then and now contrasting his and your photos of Seattle.

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Seattle should invite the world (again)

Posted Wed, Sep 15, 2:28 p.m.

dblarsen: Good thoughts on the balance between originality and getting outside the bubble. Also about St. Louis: whereas some fairs have marked major turning points for cities, or a sequence of fairs has had an ongoing, regenerative impact (Paris is an example of this), it has arguably been all downhill ...

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Why progressives should be fiscal conservatives

Posted Thu, Aug 26, 10:33 a.m.

Back in january, state Rep. Reuven Carlyle (D-36) of Seattle addressed this very topic: "It is time to shatter the myth that somehow the question of government spending, efficiency and reform belongs to conservative, anti-government folks who ideologically want to shrink the role of government in all areas of life ...

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The ultimate Cascades hike, along the ghost railroad

Posted Fri, Aug 20, 8 p.m.

Great history; thanks. I've hiked this trail in early autumn, fabulous fall colors.

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Columnist on vacation: Thanks, Danny

Posted Fri, Aug 20, 9:12 a.m.

Teddy Roosevelt's pince-nez glasses: Very French.

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Speaking of the Space Needle...

Posted Tue, Aug 17, 1:11 p.m.

mhays: You make some great points. Big anniversary celebrations in themselves don't mean a lot, unless they're really big. Century 21 was originally meant to commemorate the 50th anniversary of AYPE. I think it's unlikely Seattle will ever host an expo again. The commemorations are important local rituals, though, and ...

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Searching for the 'best' burger: It's all about the hunt

Posted Fri, Aug 13, 3:53 p.m.

I agree with Ben Lukoff that a Dicks burger is still basic; I've always been a Special guy myself. But one of my favorite burgers, simple and tasty ($8.95) is the Scoop Burger at Scoop de Jour ice cream shop in Madison Park. They're just great, and perfect for taking ...

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Seattle, the 21st-century bungalow city

Posted Fri, Aug 13, 3:43 p.m.

Erin: You raise good points. One is, Seattle needs more protection of historic neighborhoods in general. We're way behind the curve on that. Second, trees are an issue and cottages, especially those not built on existing footprints (like garages, driveways or sheds) mean that habitat and canopy could get whittled ...

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Should Seattle allow big corporate signage on its skyscrapers?

Posted Mon, Aug 9, 4:50 p.m.

GW's mention of Sao Paulo reminds me that they have an exhibit on this project in the Urban Best Practices Area at the Shanghai Expo and the results of their project to take down illuminated signs all over the city is impressive. I'm not against all illuminated signs--I miss "Grandmas ...

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In defense of Mike McGinn's tunnel position

Posted Thu, Jul 29, 9:42 a.m.

According to a press release, a group, Citizens Against the Tunnel (SCAT), are filing an initiative with the city to put the tunnel to a public vote. Former monorail booster Dick Falkenbury is part of the effort. Details here: http://www.scatnow.com/

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A writer with multiple personalities?

Posted Mon, Jul 19, 7:50 p.m.

A reader sends this link. I'm surprised I'm not Shakespeare! http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/012502.html#012502

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The tunnel: Let's vote

Posted Sat, Jul 17, 2:33 p.m.

Richard Borkowski: Since when did I become a "big project" person? Interesting. Wells: What is the Crosscut conspiracy? We've published many differing views on the Viaduct/tunnel etc. and there is no consensus here.

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Seattle's history at risk in plans for Boeing plant demolition

Posted Sat, Jul 17, 12:25 p.m.

Diana: Thanks for taking this story on. It's a big one. I'm a bit baffled by the lack of a Section 106 process since the demolition is, ostensibly, due to an agreement with a federal agency. I know these things get complicated, but it would be good to get clarification ...

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Why sardines ought to be on Seattle's plate

Posted Thu, Jul 15, 8:50 p.m.

Great idea, bringing back sardines. Thanks for the tips on where to find them. I hope the sources will get more local. I do feel I have to speak up for cod and halibut, which are *not* bland if cooked properly (tricky). I had one of the best pieces of ...

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The tunnel: Let's vote

Posted Thu, Jul 15, 6:43 p.m.

Here's the Seattle Times piece on Thom Neff's report on tunnel risks. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2012368981_tunnel16m.html Keith please note this quote from the story: "McGinn reiterated that if the council will add that language [requiring that Seattle off the hook for overruns], he will sign the agreements, which deal with utility access, schedules ...

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The tunnel: Let's vote

Posted Thu, Jul 15, 6:22 p.m.

If the tunnel is a great idea, and it has many merits, supporters shouldn't fear a vote. The assumption seems to be a vote will derail the project, but it could in fact give it a boost: If a majority of Seattleites say let's just build the damn thing, there ...

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How to prevent a boondoggle, on the waterfront and beyond

Posted Tue, Jul 13, 6:52 a.m.

Sierra Girl: The figure is from the findings of Prof. Bent Flyvbjerg who has studied mega-projects worldwide (defined as projects costing over $1 billion). Here's a link to an article that lays out many of his findings. http://www.miller-mccune.com/business-economics/derailing-the-boondoggle-4334/ "In a worldwide study of 258 rail, bridge and road projects over ...

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Oh, to be in North Korea's pavilion!

Posted Fri, Jul 9, 9:07 a.m.

Jon: See some more here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/expomuseum/tags/expo2010northkorea/ and here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/88017382@N00/4730968282/in/photostream/

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Visions for the Center's future: I hear Seattle singing

Posted Tue, Jun 15, 9:50 a.m.

RevSandy: If people move to a dense downtown district without a big park, well, they shouldn't expect one. The unique amenity for the neighborhoods you mention is Seattle Center, and no one thinks it can't be improved for the city, region, and nearby residents. But I am against viewing it ...

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Budget cuts make Washington only state without board to decide place names

Posted Tue, Jun 8, 8:18 a.m.

BlueLight: What's your evidence for that? Surely not Salish Sea, a concept conceived and pushed by a white scientist. Surely not the Rainier controversy, where the board stood fast for keeping the name despite efforts to change it to an Indian one.

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How Utopian thinking leads to Seattle's gridlock

Posted Thu, Jun 3, 4:23 p.m.

TLjr: I am not in favor of expanded freeway capacity. Where did you get that?

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How Utopian thinking leads to Seattle's gridlock

Posted Wed, Jun 2, 5:17 p.m.

mhays: There are lots of blank slate people throughout Seattle's history, people who have reshaped the land drastically, or who have helped to erase entire districts, whether for industrial development (SoDo, Duwamish), a powerful developer remaking a neighborhood (South Lake Union) or to deal with blight and civic remaking (Seattle ...

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Further discoveries about Lewis and Clark

Posted Thu, May 20, 2:36 p.m.

Snoqualman: Right you are, and I say that not due to the fact that my great grandmother was a McKenzie. Nicandri does give the Scotsman his due, and in fact shows how much Lewis and Clark (and even Jefferson) relied on his experiences, journals, and opinions. It caused me to ...

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Further discoveries about Lewis and Clark

Posted Thu, May 20, 7:45 a.m.

Seattlelifer: One thing seems certain. If Vancouver had discovered the mouth of the Columbia instead if Gray, we'd all be speaking Canadian, eh?

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I miss the old rituals surrounding death

Posted Sat, May 8, 2:39 p.m.

Tony: I so agree. We seem to fear mourning and grief. We shun it because it is embarrassing, or worse, we don't have "time" for it, it's "unproductive." Chief Seattle, in his famous "oration" expressed shame and bewilderment at how whites treated the dead, their own dead. Funerals offer a ...

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Seeing Venice through the eyes of Mary McCarthy

Posted Wed, May 5, 5:50 p.m.

Judy, thanks for the look at McCarthy's intellectual emergence. And I'm very excited about James Eldin Reed's book-in-progress.

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Built to spill

Posted Wed, May 5, 11:34 a.m.

The problem with many eco-disasters is that they are slow to unfold and the damage is to complex systems. Investigations and fixes are slow too. The state of Puget Sound is an example of how, despite spills (oil, sewage) the state of the Sound has been slow to get traction ...

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How to fill the hole in Pioneer Square's heart?

Posted Thu, Apr 29, 10:29 a.m.

I think Art makes a great point, whether for the Elliott Bay space or somewhere else. The public spends millions on historical research and archaeology for public projects, and more of the data and artifacts uncovered need to reach the general public. His is absolutely right that Pioneer Square offers ...

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Great White earthworms bagged and tagged

Posted Wed, Apr 28, 2:47 p.m.

Speaking of Darwin, one of the interesting questions is whether the Leavenworth worms and the Palouse worms are the same species, or closely related, perhaps each having evolved slightly differently after being separated by something like the scouring actions of the Missoula floods. Could big native worms be our finches?

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Saving Pioneer Square by teaching it some old tricks

Posted Thu, Apr 22, 1:27 p.m.

serial-cat: I don't have a plan for the Square, but you might want to read the ideas I pulled together in "Seven Steps for Saving Pioneer Square" and the discussion that generated. The key point here is the interest in adopting the Main Street technique, which could answer one of ...

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Famed bookstore turns a page

Posted Wed, Apr 14, 9:12 p.m.

I don't think print will become extinct: old technologies rarely go away. If they did, we wouldn't have cops on bikes and horses. The medical community has also found uses for leeches! One great service the Internet has provided is a better way to get used books into the hands ...

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Nick Licata does Disney World

Posted Thu, Apr 8, 1:26 p.m.

Nick: Just comparing Disney and the Soviet Union is guaranteed to get Glenn Beck riled up. He'll likely declare the Magic Kingdom a commie plot and add it to his blackboard of derangement. If he does shut down Disneyland, we'll have you to blame!

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Unsolved Northwest mysteries

Posted Wed, Mar 31, 9:56 a.m.

Drake's cousin, got it.

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Unsolved Northwest mysteries

Posted Wed, Mar 31, 8:17 a.m.

Scott Williams, the principal investigator in the Beeswax Wreck Project, replies to ProFool's query: Cook's reference that the de Burgos might have burned is based on a collection of stories written by an American living in the Philippines in the early 1920s, who claims to have translated old letters from ...

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Unsolved Northwest mysteries

Posted Tue, Mar 30, 11:44 a.m.

Artifacts: Spanish armor, indeed And here's a story about Spanish musket balls. My father worked summers in a logging camp near Neah Bay in the 1930s. He told of two loggers coming into camp showing off a musket ball they found embedded in an old growth tree they had cut ...

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Unsolved Northwest mysteries

Posted Tue, Mar 30, 7:27 a.m.

Thanks for the correction. I must have been thinking of Washington's Newhalem.

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What's in a (street) name?

Posted Wed, Mar 24, 9:40 a.m.

I think the location notion is important and should be part of the mix. I think the names have to be rooted locally, if not after a local person certainly a landmark, physical feature, or even activity (Sailmaker's Alley). I've been struck that in a lifetime of navigating around Seattle, ...

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What's in a (street) name?

Posted Tue, Mar 23, 8:32 p.m.

Rob K: That's a wonderful find. Keep your eyes out for other examples. It will help begin to develop a priority list. Another suggestion is to name alleys as they are adopted or reclaimed by neighbors. I especially like the idea of naming ones that have important, unacknowledged functions, like ...

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City's landmark-preservation process on trial

Posted Fri, Mar 19, 4:49 p.m.

Judge Lasnik ruled today (Mar. 19), nullifying the sale of the Federal Reserve Seattle Branch, thus handing a big victory to the plaintiffs, the Committee for Preservation and Art Skolnik. The decision is not about the historic merit of the building, but about the legal process, and the judge found ...

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Got names? Ideas for new Seattle street names

Posted Wed, Mar 17, 9:25 p.m.

Great suggestions, people, keep them coming. I'll be talking about naming alleys on KUOW's Weekday with Steve Scher, 3/18 at 9am, along with some real experts on the subject of making better urban spaces. Tune in or check their online archive.

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Chihuly exhibit: smashing Center open space hopes?

Posted Fri, Mar 5, 5:44 p.m.

Let's get the Jones Museum back too!

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Salish Sea name adopted in BC

Posted Mon, Mar 1, 10:53 a.m.

Wfprice: Just for the record, the geographic name boards of the US, Canada, Washington and British Columbia cast a wide net for feedback on the name proposal, including from cities, counties, tribes, citizens, historical societies, and organizations and government agencies. The vast majority who responded supported or raised no objection ...

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The anti-Mark Driscoll: Resisting cage-fighter Jesus

Posted Thu, Feb 25, 4:50 p.m.

"I cannot worship a guy I can beat up." Sounds like the Church of Tony Soprano!

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Salish Sea name adopted in BC

Posted Sat, Feb 20, 5:46 p.m.

The Strait of Juan de Fuca is in the Salish Sea. The headline is correct.

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'Washington Law & Politics' magazine to fold

Posted Thu, Feb 4, 1:23 p.m.

A couple of more things about WL&P;: it has (soon to be had) no particular ideological bent and tweaked and illuminated regardless of party or clique. Second, there are few media that cover statewide issues. This isn't just an Olympia problem, it's about looking at Washington as a whole, in ...

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That was the week that sucked

Posted Fri, Jan 22, 5:16 p.m.

Kieth: I was referring to attempts to restrain corporate influence in federal elections that date back to the Tillman Act of 1907.

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Celebrating MLK: He was Christian?

Posted Sat, Jan 16, 6:02 p.m.

Tony: Good piece. I think religion belongs in the public square. It is fascinating to visit countries (like India) where spiritual explorations are part of daily news, discussion and reflection. But religion's use in the public square is limited: in a pluralistic democracy, policy debates needs to be centered on ...

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Blogging about your bungled bungalow

Posted Thu, Jan 14, 9:12 a.m.

Eugenia Woo says Quonset huts have been covered at Docomomo WeWA: http://www.docomomo-wewa.org/styles_detail.php?id=24

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The spirit of the season

Posted Wed, Dec 23, 7:45 a.m.

Thanks for the inspiring words.

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The Seattle brand

Posted Tue, Dec 8, 5:55 p.m.

Cocktails42: Seattle-centric navel-gazing is part of my job description!

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"What does it mean to be black in the Northwest?"

Posted Tue, Dec 8, 5:53 p.m.

Judy: Very interesting piece. Love Eddie Hill's comment. A lot of white didn't just move here to get away from blacks, but to get away from race itself. The notion, still prevalent in this city, is that whites are "raceless" and that only people of color have race. That is ...

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Restoring saltwater, and nature, to the Nisqually River estuary

Posted Tue, Nov 24, 4:08 p.m.

I've often wondered what the Puget Sound area would look like if we could go back and do it over. We built cities in so many sensitive areas. In my research for Pugetopolis, I stumbled across a 19th century plan to build a big city at the Nisqually Delta, called ...

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JFK and Seattle: How the city mourned

Posted Mon, Nov 23, 10:14 a.m.

I'll never forget those days. My grandfather died the day after Kennedy, which brought a double darkness to our home. The day JFK was killed, I remember coming into my 4th grade class and watching our teacher, Mrs. Huber, gather the girls to her ample bosom as everyone wept.

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Sex, death and 'Bodies'

Posted Fri, Nov 20, 4:42 p.m.

Great news about Galileo's body parts: two fingers and a tooth recovered (and no, not from my family's basement!): http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1103ap_eu_italy_galileos_fingers.html

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U.S. approves Salish Sea name

Posted Mon, Nov 16, 7:49 a.m.

The Tacoma News Tribune has a "Hot Button" poll up today (11/16) asking readers if they like the designation "Salish Sea." The results: 16% like it, 26% say it doesn't matter and won't catch on, and 57% say it's a dumb idea, unnecessary, confusing. I should have mentioned in the ...

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U.S. approves Salish Sea name

Posted Fri, Nov 13, 4:28 p.m.

One of the things the Salish Sea name addresses is people referring to local waters as "Puget Sound" that are not Puget Sound. The San Juan Islands, for example, are not in Puget Sound, yet countless travel guides and tour operators refer to them that way. The new name will ...

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Generation Y, the future is calling

Posted Wed, Nov 11, 9:08 p.m.

There are some CDRom discs in the Centennial time capsule. Also microfilm. One of the big problems with transmitting electronic data over time is will people in the future have the technology (or budget) to recover it, assuming it survives? If someone has a computer disc from 1989, could they ...

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Michelle Malkin’s journey from ideas to tribes

Posted Fri, Nov 6, 5:09 p.m.

I enjoyed Malkin's Times stint, and her libertarianism. Her politics seemed to take a turn after 9-11 (e.g. defending of the internment camps). Too bad, and Ross is right on. I miss the old Michelle, for whom Seattle was such a target-rich environment. As to national columnists from the Times/P-I ...

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Fall is in the air, and on Seattle's street signs

Posted Tue, Oct 27, 9:07 a.m.

I have to say I love the new street signs that are going up. They're much more readable. Thanks for explaining the brown signs. I assumed it was something to suggest "historic." As for the connection with cycling, let's not forget that the main original lobby for paving our roads ...

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Updated: Crosscut's new approach

Posted Fri, Oct 23, 6:28 p.m.

Just to be clear, Crosscut does not make political endorsements, but individual writers can (thus Ted Van Dyk's recent column).

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'Wrong on metaphysics, wrong for America'

Posted Thu, Oct 22, 1:25 p.m.

Nietzsche for mayor!

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McGinn's tunnel cave

Posted Tue, Oct 20, 1:36 p.m.

Unter: You make a great point. Is Seattle better off with a mayor who believes in the tunnel (Mallahan) or a guy who says he'll implement something he doesn't believe in (McGinn)? What's changed here is McGinn's vow to "stop" the tunnel, but it may be that he's convinced it ...

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Seattle, toward a 'MetroNation'

Posted Thu, Oct 15, 9:53 a.m.

It might be true that America is "urban" if you define it by population and GDP (although a lot of what is encompassed as "urban" we would define as suburban sprawl). I worry that this mindset will lead to marginalizing everything that is not urban, including populations and activities and ...

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Where do Seattleites come from?

Posted Thu, Oct 1, 7:45 a.m.

The above comment was not posed by me but by a friend using my computer.

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Where do Seattleites come from?

Posted Thu, Oct 1, 7:43 a.m.

I think Seattle has much to gain from the latest immigrants. If we're lucky, we might even see some needed cultural changes through cross-cultural exchange. Here's one example, on a very small and personal scale: My late father became close friends with a neighbor couple from Ethiopia. When my father ...

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The enduring wisdom of Mom & Pop

Posted Thu, Sep 3, 11:58 a.m.

CP: Good point about "owner-operated," which is a big part of the benefit. As to chains, Spector cites some bookshops, like Village Books in Bellingham, as exemplars of being more than what they are. Village books is a community center as much as a bookstore, and a fine one it ...

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The enduring wisdom of Mom & Pop

Posted Thu, Sep 3, 11:51 a.m.

crown heights: I too miss Chubby and Tubby (or "Chub's and Tub's" as my mother called it). They kept me in jeans and flannel throughout childhood. That little business district at Rainier and Walden has been through some really interesting changes throughout the years and seems it has some interesting ...

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The enduring wisdom of Mom & Pop

Posted Thu, Sep 3, 7:30 a.m.

Fixed, thanks.

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Baseball's Brigadoon: the Seattle Pilots

Posted Sun, Aug 30, 12:52 p.m.

seattlebaseball: I wasn't able to make it due to illness. I did keep some souvenirs, including my opening day ticket stub and a Pilots button. Would love to see your stuff sometime, but I'm bummed I missed the event.

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Dense, denser, densest

Posted Thu, Aug 27, 5:07 a.m.

I'm not being misleadng on density, I'm presenting the data Seattle's own Department of Planning and Development and the Puget Sound Regional Council uses. No one has said that "neighborhood" is a scientific term: neighborhoods differ in size, make-up and diversity. Ballard has an industrial base, Madison Park does not. ...

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Dense, denser, densest

Posted Wed, Aug 26, 8:35 a.m.

Some 90 percent of the Central Puget Sound region's growth has been outside of the city of Seattle in the last 20 years. Seattle is attractive to only a subset of people who come here. See Dick Morrill's analysis on "extreme Seattle." http://crosscut.com/2008/08/27/culture-ethnicity/17027/ The idea that Seattle will be a ...

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Seattle Mayor: a bad career move

Posted Sun, Aug 16, 7:39 p.m.

Kieth: As to whether being mayor is ever much of a stepping stone for politicians, be assured that many mayors have moved up the political ladder, including at least three presidents. But also coming to mind are former mayors like Dianne Feinstein (SF), Dick Lugar (Indianapolis), Hubert Humphrey (Minneapolis), Dennis ...

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A TV sports marathon this Saturday

Posted Sat, Aug 15, 4:18 p.m.

Sorry to miss the digital marathon, but I'm busy now with my Facebook friends. See you on my Wall, Hendu.

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The dumbest Smart Car

Posted Mon, Aug 10, 8:49 p.m.

Yes, I've heard alarms go off many times, as I alluded to in the blog item, but never so relentlessly and with so little provocation. I mean, it started going off within seconds of leaving the dock, and it would not stop. The mildest vibration got it going. The fact ...

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Snores of a summer political season

Posted Mon, Aug 3, 1:46 p.m.

Grace Crunican, the Bobby Ayala of Seattle city government. Now that's a devastating comparison.

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Snores of a summer political season

Posted Mon, Aug 3, 11:26 a.m.

Eat the State weighs in with its brand of progressive endorsements. They like Mallahan. http://eatthestate.org/13-23/PrimaryEndorsementsMail.htm

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The eggs and us

Posted Fri, Jul 31, 8:12 a.m.

Loved your story. I can relate. It reminded me of the year I spent with chickens on San Juan Island, my chief responsibility being to defend them on weekends against predation. One day I was chasing a hen, it ran around a corner and when I arrived seconds later it ...

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Light rail does not a 'grown-up' city make

Posted Wed, Jul 22, 2:58 p.m.

Serial-cat: I'm not arguing that Seattle of old was utopia. I've spent countless column inches over the years writing about the city's dark side. The point I'm making here is about being a "grown-up" city, and if being a grown up city is complicated and messy, you're helping to make ...

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Light rail does not a 'grown-up' city make

Posted Mon, Jul 20, 4:36 p.m.

This story is not about the pros and cons of light rail. Seattle has a light rail system now. That's a fact. As Kenan Block says, I hope we make the best of it. I've long been of two minds about it. I even voted for it a time or ...

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Seattle's World's Fair: the do-over

Posted Fri, Jul 17, 5:08 p.m.

AYPE came along toward the end of a glut of US expos in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and it was overshadowed by some very significant fairs (St. Louis, Chicago). I have been struck over the years how it seemed to fall into the expo memory hole, sometimes ...

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Walking the light rail line

Posted Fri, Jul 10, 8:31 a.m.

Rob K: Mossback's race-walking skills are the stuff of legend!

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Ferries etiquette 101

Posted Tue, Jul 7, 9:31 a.m.

Sue: Good advice. One thing I've really noticed this summer: ferry maintenance seems to be suffering. I've seen more than the usual amounts of rust on the decks and on the interior of the car decks. On the July 4th weekend, my Bainbridge-bound ferry passed one coming from Bremerton (maybe ...

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Hidden treasures of Fremont

Posted Thu, Jun 25, 8:14 a.m.

Barbara: A wonderful statement about what's so important about our neighborhoods: the complexity, the detail, the small stuff that makes Seattle Seattle. I keep finding fascinating enclaves. You couldn't explore this city fully on foot in a lifetime. Thanks for your on-the-ground report.

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The Great Vancouver vs. Seattle Debate

Posted Wed, Jun 24, 2:50 p.m.

Great discussion about the "great debate." I will be following up with some additional details about the views of Gordon Price and Peter Steinbrueck on the Crosscut blog soon. But I just got the schedule from the Seattle Channel on the airing of the debate on TV (see below). It ...

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P-I Globe makes endangered list

Posted Fri, May 22, 2:54 p.m.

A Globe tidbit from Crosscut reader Steven Camp: Here is a sidebar on the P-I Globe you might find interesting. Yes, Paccar built the globe. The neon tube lighting for the globe was made by Electrical Products Consolidated, in their "sign shop" at the corner of Mercer and Yale in ...

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Godless in Cascadia

Posted Thu, Apr 23, 11:18 a.m.

There are some interesting ideas about why Nones are growing, according to Mark Silk. One is that fewer people have been raised with strong religious identities and that with the rise of general spiritual seeking and non-denominational churches, religion is seen as something you choose, rather than something you're stamped ...

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Clinton says take me to the fair!

Posted Mon, Apr 6, 6:40 p.m.

Received this from Nick Winslow, who is heading up the State Dept.-sanctioned Expo group: Dear Knute- Thank you for forwarding the blog piece. Unfortunately, you omitted a very important sentence, namely "we have authorized Shanghai Expo 2010, led by Mr. Nick Winslow and Ms. Ellen Eliasoph, to raise funds to ...

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London's secret weapon for avoiding a Seattle riot

Posted Mon, Apr 6, 9:34 a.m.

David: This reminds me of an indelible image from WTO: A line of black-clad anarchists waiting patiently and politely in line to use the bathroom at a deli near Ground Zero while chaos reigned right outside.

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Will Obama visit start a second Pig War?

Posted Fri, Apr 3, 1:30 p.m.

Luxembourgs! I love it.

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As the Globe turns

Posted Tue, Mar 31, 2:46 p.m.

I received an answer on the conflict of interest question from Wayne Barnett, executive director of Seattle's Ethics and Elections Commission. Here's what he said in an email: "It's my understanding that there are two ways in which a landmarking decision can come before the Council. "First, the property owner ...

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Can Locke save the world's fair?

Posted Thu, Mar 26, 1:22 p.m.

Washington is not slated to have a pavilion at this fair. U.S. pavilion supporters have looked to states for funding, but with so many underwater budget-wise, they're not likely to be a major source of funds. Washington has had pavilions at numerous fairs, including, as you say, Vancouver, BC, the ...

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Seattle's 'niceness' problem

Posted Wed, Mar 18, 7:40 a.m.

teolsen: I just discovered this after another reader pointed it out. It was a typo (my mistake) and I can't believe I made did this because it is such a pet peeve of mine. I've even written and ranted about it! Arrrgh. I continue to collect more theories on Seattle ...

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What if a newspaper folded and nobody cared?

Posted Tue, Mar 17, 7:45 p.m.

Seadog: I never said I wouldn't miss the P-I or that you or anyone else shouldn't. I was reporting on the results of the Pew survey which are a dose of harsh reality about the state of the business and American public attitudes toward the media. I've previously written on ...

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Suburbs: cul-de-sac communes or apocalypse?

Posted Sat, Feb 7, 1:35 p.m.

Great comment thread. Very thoughtful. Some reactions: There is obviously a lot I did not go into. One is the way in which Seattle's suburbs are varied, not all stereotypical, which a number of you pointed to. When I moved to Kirkland in 1983, I lived near the railroad tracks ...

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Does Mt. Rainier need a better name?

Posted Thu, Jan 29, 7:23 p.m.

I absolutely would support Duwumps.

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Setting sail for the Salish Sea

Posted Fri, Jan 23, 12:52 p.m.

The Coast Salish naming conventions were different from ours. Puget Sound-area tribes referred to the water as "Whulj" or "Whulge" when whites asked them what it was called. As mentioned in the story, it translated as "salt water." Northern Coast Salish peoples referred to parts of Georgia Strait as "Sqelateses," ...

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Mossback talks "Pugetopolis"

Posted Sat, Jan 10, 8:07 a.m.

Update: Looks like the date for the Berger/Egan appearance at Town Hall will be Feb 25th at 7:30 pm. Details to come.

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Monorails: the idea that will not die

Posted Tue, Jan 6, 4:34 p.m.

In answer to MadMan: I have long been a booster of buses-- that makes me a "gadget-driven dreamer"? My favorite local mass transit concept was from the 1920s when Bellevue's visionary, James Ditty, suggested regular zeppelin service across the lake. Now there was a great use of hydrogen!

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The politics of beards

Posted Sun, Jan 4, 7:48 a.m.

A reader makes a correction: Bill Richardson grew his beard after he dropped out of the presidential race,

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2008: Year of Hope, Year of Fear. Essay 2

Posted Mon, Dec 29, 8:27 a.m.

Fly: I live in the city of Seattle.

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How to build a Northwest conservatism

Posted Fri, Dec 26, 9:35 a.m.

I think the writer makes an important point about steeping regional politics in regional issues and identity. Both parties have competed to see which can be the biggest shill for the business community and often act as if the commercial vision for the region is the only vision. Liberals, however, ...

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All I want for Christmas is a suburban swinger

Posted Sat, Dec 20, 9:15 p.m.

J.R.--I am well aware of the changes on the Eastside and have written about them frequently. But re-read the "Urban Archipelago" piece--there are slams against the suburbs throughout.

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Obama's early stumbles

Posted Sat, Dec 20, 9:15 a.m.

Would Rick Warren be my choice at my (gods forbid) inauguration? No. But I think it makes sense for Obama. I think he's trying to walk the walk of changing political discourse. The new paradigm assumes that political allies can differ, and that common ground can be found with people ...

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Gee, officer. I was just trying to cut my carbon footprint.

Posted Thu, Dec 18, 4:20 p.m.

This law is very selectively enforced, often only when people complain. And it can depend on what neighborhood you live in. Is street parking in high demand or not? In the past, there have been crackdowns in places like the South End where people have had their cars towed from ...

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Can we avoid a Big Dig?

Posted Wed, Dec 17, 1:50 p.m.

To Jniles: Your beef is not with me. The reference to Sound Transit is part of a comment in response to the story that I posted for Aubrey Davis. They are his words, not mine. My name is at the bottom because I posted them on his behalf (he had ...

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Can we avoid a Big Dig?

Posted Wed, Dec 17, 1:50 p.m.

To Jniles: Your beef is not with me. The reference to Sound Transit is part of a comment in response to the story that I posted for Aubrey Davis. They are his words, not mine. My name is at the bottom because I posted them on his behalf (he had ...

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Can we avoid a Big Dig?

Posted Tue, Dec 16, 7:51 p.m.

State transportation "guru" Aubrey Davis writes to make several points in response to this article. He says: The Metro bus tunnel came in very close to budget and the the miss was largely due to late breaking requirements from Seattle on additional police services to manage business access during construction. ...

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All the news that ain't

Posted Thu, Nov 6, 12:33 p.m.

I thought there was quite a bit of good reporting during this campaign--much of it the kind of day-to-day, detailed tracking of people and events that would bore me snotless, which is why I didn't spend much time in the part of the business. But it is very useful to ...

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A successful nuclear reaction!

Posted Tue, Oct 21, 7:19 p.m.

Kieth--you're exactly right--all three worked on the building with Lovett as the lead. That is one of the striking things about the building, an unusual collaboration of great Northwest talents.

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Spokane: what Seattle used to be

Posted Fri, Sep 19, 6:11 p.m.

RE: -: San Francisco is an example of a city with widish streets and great scale in the residential neighbs which are mostly without towers. Cities with high-rises and narrow streets can make me claustrophobic. But I'm with you on narrow streets if the scale is right (as I said, ...

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Spokane: what Seattle used to be

Posted Fri, Sep 19, 3:22 p.m.

RE: GOOD OLD DAYS: When I talk about the Seattle I miss of that era, I am not offering a complete social critique. There were many things that were worse in the '70s. My nostalgia is selective, and my main points had to do with scale, affordability and lack of ...

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Spokane: what Seattle used to be

Posted Fri, Sep 19, 3:09 p.m.

RE: -: I like wide streets. Maybe it's a Western thing. Some of my favorite cities have wide streets, like Chicago. It's one of the things that makes the Windy City tolerable--and it's about the only good thing I remember about Salt Lake City. For me, the economic factor is ...

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Chop, chop

Posted Fri, Sep 12, 8:17 a.m.

RE: Make like one...Oh...you already did!: You don't know what you're talking about. I live in Seattle.

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Chop, chop

Posted Thu, Sep 11, 7:07 a.m.

RE: C'mon Knute. Stop giving voice to lies.: David: The source, as I wrote in my reply, for the one million tree figure is Mark Mead in an interview with me last year. And, no, if you call someone a "liar," you must back that up with proof. You are ...

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Chop, chop

Posted Wed, Sep 10, 7:50 p.m.

RE: C'mon Knute. Stop giving voice to lies.: David: You know this is information contained in the city's extensive urban forest study. I have addressed some of your criticisms and found one valid: that the methods used to measure canopy in 1972 (satellite imagery) and the present time (LIDAR) are ...

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The Filson of my dreams

Posted Fri, Aug 29, 12:34 p.m.

Oufitting mossbacks for generations: Enjoyed this story. I've had fun turning friends, from farmers to fishermen, on to Filson gear. When my grandpa came to Seattle enroute to the Klondike, he outfitted himself for the gold fields with the kind of natural, durable gear Filson still makes (I don't know ...

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The post-partisan electorate

Posted Wed, Aug 20, 4:44 p.m.

RE: Still need more facts: Not every proposal does all those things. I-26 by definition takes the parties off the table, as you note. An elected elections supervisor is an example of more accountability--the voters, as they can in all other 38 counties, can vote-in or vote-out whoever is in ...

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The post-partisan electorate

Posted Wed, Aug 20, 1:37 p.m.

RE: Need a few more facts here: It doesn't matter whether they are plots or not. My point is that voters, many of them Democrats, simply don't care. Voters are generally supportive of (and less suspicious of) county reforms which offer they think will offer "more accountability, more efficiency, less ...

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A Riesling for no reason

Posted Thu, Aug 14, 8:46 p.m.

Progress: In 1984, I attended what was probably the first formal tasting of Washington wines in Paris. We were all eager to see what the critics would think of wines from our corner of the wild west--most of them had never heard of our state. A critic sipped a chenin ...

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Death by a thousand cuts

Posted Fri, Aug 8, 5:01 p.m.

It's part of our story: While I have no nostalgia for Weyerhaeuser per se, I can appreciate the overall point that what it represents is a big part of our past and identity. The history of the West is full of contradictions that include that fact that we romanticize stuff ...

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The pet peeve

Posted Tue, Aug 5, 9:03 p.m.

RE: The Golden State Freeway: Okay, now you're opening a can of worms on the bridges. The northernmost floating bridge has at least three names: 520, Evergreen Point Bridge, and Albert D. Rosellini--Evergreen Point. The southernmost bridge is actually two side-by-side bridges. They used to be differentiated by being called ...

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In Seattle, let the people 'chill'

Posted Sun, Aug 3, 8:39 a.m.

RE: ight to the mark: You're way out of date. I live in Seattle, never lived on a cul de sac. In fact, that image of Kirkland is also sadly out of date. When I did live there, it was in a neighborhood that was more dense, more diverse and ...

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In Seattle, let the people 'chill'

Posted Sat, Aug 2, 12:27 p.m.

RE: Sorry to interrupt your rant, but...: You're right, my mouth frotheth over. But my point stands.

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Spying in defense of liberty

Posted Thu, Jul 31, 8:54 a.m.

RE: veryone does it: She wasn't there to report. She was apparently helping to run the organizations and feeding intelligence back to groups working directly against them which could, in effect, amount to a form of sabotage.

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The pet peeve

Posted Mon, Jul 28, 2:29 p.m.

Like fingernails on a blackboard....: that's what "Warshington" sounds like to me. I understand it's a rural Midwest thing, but it still grates. Even some people in Eastern Warshington grew up saying Warshington. Maybe instead of a Cascade Curtain we need Cascade earplugs! Growing up, kids' dads worked at Boeing's. ...

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The Rose City blooms while the Emerald City fades

Posted Mon, Jul 7, 6:06 p.m.

RE: Are they really talking about *design*?: I've requested a full copy of the report. The poll results and detail might be interesting.

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Getting the jitters

Posted Mon, Jul 7, 4:19 p.m.

RE: McDonald's eXpresso is undrinkable: I won't defend McDonald's "expresso," but I think it's interesting that they're targeting Starbucks with a class argument--namely, that they have taken coffee to new levels of pretension. I think Starbucks helped create a market for products--a taste for lattes etc.--that people can now find ...

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The dangers of imperfect storm predictions

Posted Tue, Jul 1, 4:47 p.m.

RE: While we're at it: George, I totally agree and had a tantrum about the subject a few years ago (see link below) in my Seattle Weekly column. The gist: "What's at work here is far more insidious than lazy writers leaning on the crutch of an apparently sturdy cliche. ...

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When animals attack, and also when they don't

Posted Tue, Jul 1, 4:30 p.m.

RE: Beastly article made me laugh: As far as I know, the Running of the Bares in Fremont was bite-free this year.

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You, anonymous

Posted Sat, Jun 28, 10:07 p.m.

Different standards are okay: During the years I edited Seattle Weekly, we rarely ran anonymous letters. We only did in a few cases where keeping the identity of the letter writer confidential was important, say in a whistle-blowing situation. But those correspondents were never anonymous to us editors. We required ...

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A Manning's Googie twin?

Posted Sat, Jun 21, 1:45 a.m.

RE: no upwelling on that one: You said the Ballard Manning's case was "all about" densification vs. nostalgia. It was demonstrably not. There was a community fight to save the Manning's in the 1980s, which was successful. It was not about densification, it was about preserving a community gathering place ...

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A Manning's Googie twin?

Posted Fri, Jun 20, 10:19 p.m.

RE: no upwelling on that one: You can attribute some of those motives to some people in the community, including me. But--I've said this before and I'll say it once more--the people who worked days and nights to organize and landmark the Ballard Manning's/Denny's were and are not anti-development. They ...

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Left alone in Seattle? Dream on

Posted Fri, Jun 20, 5:49 p.m.

RE: Changing the things you can: I agree with many of the things on your wish list. But you cannot build a city by just saying "yes." As long as markets are allowed to run rampant, sometimes a "no" vote is the most positive thing a citizen can do. That ...

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Left alone in Seattle? Dream on

Posted Thu, Jun 19, 8:22 p.m.

RE: Changing the things you can: So let me get this straight, it's the stick-in-the-muds who have held this city back? These folks suddenly popped up in the '70s and '80s to stop Seattle's visionary future? A future that envisioned the Pike Place Market as a parking garage? That wanted ...

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The second-worst winter ever was a Seattle spring

Posted Tue, Jun 10, 10:47 p.m.

RE: Now I'm skeptical: Check this out: it's the coldest June on record: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/366473_weather11.html

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Unsustainable Seattle

Posted Tue, Jun 10, 11:01 a.m.

Great comments: I am learning a lot from this comment thread--thank you and keep it coming. I see "Unsustainable Seattle" as the opening of a conversation about these topics. I come at this as someone who has been writing a lot about historic preservation and cultural heritage this last year, ...

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Unsustainable Seattle

Posted Tue, Jun 10, 10:39 a.m.

RE: Yes and no: David: I'm glad we found an area of agreement, but I don't think my mention of the monorail was a sideshow. It was an example of where public policy pitted many green-minded people against some preservation-minded people who were concerned about the monorail's impact on Seattle ...

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A Lake Union field trip

Posted Thu, May 29, 5:54 p.m.

The best education: This is the way schooling ought to be done. Great stuff.

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Rich Jerk Watch

Posted Mon, May 19, 3:53 p.m.

RE: dizzying moral calculus: Sean: There's a difference between opinion and the force of public policy. Greg Nickels wants to punish people for bagging their groceries "incorrectly" and wants Seattleites to drink less bottled water. I think, as a matter of policy, he should stop micromanaging the consumer behavior of ...

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Getting ready for the Big One

Posted Mon, May 19, 2:56 p.m.

RE: close, but not quite: Fair point. I encourage people to read the specifics of the "Seattle Scenario" because there are all kinds of assumptions about the quake (where it occurs, etc.) that go into making up the hypothetical. The magnitude does not tell the full story. I should note ...

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Mods versus snobs

Posted Mon, May 5, 11:37 a.m.

RE: I couldnt agree more with Knute-: For the record, I was quoting what Larry Cheek wrote. That is not my view.

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Mods versus snobs

Posted Fri, May 2, 4:16 p.m.

RE: Ballard Denny's: Many people in Ballard held the same misconception. In fact, that's what led me to check the place out in the first place: I thought it was a world's fair pavilion moved to the site. During the landmarks process, many people came forward and insisted the same ...

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Appraising the Deborah Jacobs revolution at Seattle libraries

Posted Fri, Apr 25, 8:07 a.m.

Ephemeral libraries: I'm really struck how so many new libraries seem like impermanent facilities--the empty warehouse where you might house a dot-com start-up. They're interesting spaces (I'm thinking of the Ballard Library) but it's such a difference from the old libraries which emphasized permanence, either in solid Gothic edifices (like ...

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Can Conlin shape up the City Council?

Posted Thu, Apr 24, 3:05 p.m.

Joni is right on: Conlin risks marginalizing himself with these feel-good, nit-picker nanny laws. Growing and eating locally is great for all kinds of reasons, and we could be much more aggressive about it. For one thing, it would help preserve rural lands and economies. If we had a creative ...

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A big, new growth management plan is already outgrown

Posted Wed, Apr 23, 5:06 p.m.

Conventional Delusion: Plans like Vision 2040 have been churned out by the PSRC and others for decades. They always posit the impossible. The current plan was drafted to address this question: "How can the region accommodate another 1.7 million people and 1.2 million new jobs by 2040 while enhancing the ...

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When Proust met Miss Bardahl

Posted Sat, Apr 19, 6:16 p.m.

RE: Gosh, Knute, I guess you really aren't a fan: Doh! I didn't pick the photograph. I'll let the editor know to switch it to a Green Dragon era one. Thanks for noticing.

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Wheat-country blues in Washington's least-populous county

Posted Thu, Apr 17, 9:13 a.m.

Garfield and Pomeroy update: I've posted a follow-up to this story focussing on the feedback it received. You can find it here.

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Cordon blues: New York is no indicator of tolling's future

Posted Mon, Apr 14, 12:53 p.m.

The issue is options: I suspect HOT lanes will be popular because some people will be willing to pay a premium to move faster. But one thing makes them more palatable than other forms of road pricing: They're voluntary. In other words, you can drive in the regular free lanes ...

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The Seattle Times' suburban retreat

Posted Wed, Apr 9, 1:01 p.m.

RE: History of dailies in Washington: Thanks for the daily details and correction. Also, while I was referring to traditional daily newspapers, another trend should not be overlooked: the free commuter mini-daily. Sound Publishing, which moved heavily into the Eastside market after the King County Journal folded, publishes many suburban ...

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Congestion pricing: Even New York's got a problem with that

Posted Wed, Apr 9, 8:45 a.m.

RE: Pretty good analysis: Yeah, I agree those are pretty big "ifs."

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Big Brother is us

Posted Mon, Mar 24, 12:07 p.m.

Montana Showdown: I've just added an update about the implementation of Real ID in Montana, which has refused to comply with the feds.

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A city's money is better spent on something besides pro sports

Posted Sat, Mar 15, 11:37 a.m.

Kent is right on: The big pro sports franchises want it both ways: they want to be completely free to be run like a business, yet they want total public support through tax dollars and anti-trust exemptions. At one time, you might have been able to make the case that ...

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Benaroya files suit over the landmark Denny's

Posted Fri, Mar 14, 12:52 p.m.

Comment from Karen Gordon: I have posted an update to the story, which is Karen Gordon's email to me this morning in response to the Benaroya press release.

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An historic hot house

Posted Fri, Feb 29, 1:22 p.m.

RE: Well, close, but more: Noted. Thanks.

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An historic hot house

Posted Fri, Feb 29, 1:06 p.m.

Correction about AYPE: I quoted Abby Martin's nomination regarding the UW campus, but it contained an error. There are in fact two surviving buildings from the 1909 Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition (AYPE) on campus: Cunningham Hall and Architecture Hall. I knew better, but didn't catch the mistake either.

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How William F. Buckley rescued me from lefty Bellingham

Posted Thu, Feb 28, 9:06 a.m.

Great punditry: William F. Buckley influenced more than conservatives. What I always loved about him was his intelligent punditry--so different from today's TV talking heads who rarely actually say anything insightful or noteworthy. He was feisty, but with smarts and wit. The dream team, of course, was when ABC paired ...

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Saving the lesser Seattle landmarks

Posted Sun, Feb 24, 11:06 a.m.

RE: I'm lost: The whole idea of landmarking is designed to target structures that are special in some way. This is not sufficient to preserve heritage because many buildings are worth saving precisely because they are not special or unique but because they are part of the community fabric--not old ...

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Saving the lesser Seattle landmarks

Posted Sun, Feb 24, 10:47 a.m.

RE: But why does the process take so long?: Your comment raises a couple of issues. I don't know if the process is too long or too short--certainly, if legal disputes are involved it can be interminable. I do know there sometimes jurisdictional and turf issues involved in the landmark ...

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Saving the lesser Seattle landmarks

Posted Sun, Feb 24, 10:13 a.m.

RE: Saving Seattle: A couple of things. First, the photos of the Manning's/Denny's are somewhat deceiving. It was a thriving restaurant (a Denny's) up until last fall. The building was fully operational, but Denny's pulled out in part because they've been waiting month-to-month for some sense of their future at ...

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Googie or not, it's a landmark

Posted Thu, Feb 21, 2:29 p.m.

RE: To improve the visuals ....: Spike: There has been a bit of a dispute over the 1980s controversy about the Denny's plan to tear down the Manning's restaurant when they took over in the early 1980s. Relatives of the previous owners of the property, Allen and Victoria Symington, told ...

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Dreams of our mothers

Posted Tue, Feb 12, 6:59 p.m.

RE: WA Women HAVE BEEN electing women: One correction: women have not always had suffrage in Washington. There's a short history of women's suffrage in the state and territory at the Secretary of State's website. The right to vote wasn't enshrined in the state constitution until 1910. Progressive, yes, but ...

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How I became an Obama girl

Posted Tue, Feb 12, 4:51 p.m.

RE: All one handed: I was wondering when you'd pipe up. Glad to hear from you. Instead of whining about not liking the menu at our wine and Brie parties, maybe you could tell us something about what you think. Sounds like you went to your GOP caucus, you getting ...

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How I became an Obama girl

Posted Tue, Feb 12, 10:19 a.m.

RE: Delegates go to TWO events: Yes, I plan to attend both!

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The Soviet of Washington

Posted Tue, Feb 12, 10:14 a.m.

RE: You're wrong: Luke Esser announced a winner before the ballots were fully counted. He's not a pundit, or a media organization calling a vote outcome based on statistics, he's the official in charge of tallying the caucus results. What would the level of outrage be if the head of ...

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The rock star of hope

Posted Sat, Feb 9, 10:30 a.m.

RE: fascistic?: David Plotz of Slate in a podcast. According to an account at RawStory.com, he was chided for that characterization, but defended it thusly: "My brother who is an academic wrote this wonderful book about crowds, and crowd theory. And one of the sort of lessons that he's always ...

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Shelling out to save Puget Sound

Posted Fri, Feb 8, 9:55 a.m.

The Water Tax: Dan: How would Lombard's proposal work? I'd be interested in some details on that. Also, I think your point is really important: How do you define success and what would it look like? Not visually, of course, but in terms of the fundamentals.

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Oregon's circumcision decision: Calling Dr. Freud

Posted Sat, Feb 2, 8:51 a.m.

More circumcision debate: FYI for those who have been discussing the topic here, I've posted a new piece on a feminist debate over circumcision on the Crosscut blog.

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The unpopularity of populism

Posted Thu, Jan 31, 8:46 p.m.

RE: eal versus fake: Your point about Eyman is exactly mine: I think he is a populist and I think he represents the latest version of successful populism, which is local and situational, not institutional. It is also possible, by the way, to be both a populist and an opportunist, ...

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The unpopularity of populism

Posted Thu, Jan 31, 3:08 p.m.

RE: xtensive Coverage to Edwards, et al: Go to the Washington Post John Edwards page and you will find links to his position papers and links to scores of articles about Edwards, his campaign, his issues, his personal life. There's more at the New York Times. This is on top ...

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The unpopularity of populism

Posted Thu, Jan 31, 12:34 p.m.

Not an attack on populism: I am not against populism. Far from it. But I think that it's clear that the traditional populist messages are not working for the candidates, left and right, who are making them the basis of their campaigns and image. In some cases it's a flawed ...

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The last train to Hooterville

Posted Sat, Jan 19, 12:28 p.m.

RE: Will anything work?: David, I have to chuckle because I thought my review of the SLUT was pretty positive. I like the scale and the speed with which it got up and running. Will it prove out? Remains to be seen, but I think it really demonstrates the virtues, ...

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The last train to Hooterville

Posted Sat, Jan 19, 11:43 a.m.

RE: Took my 3 year old son for a ride on the SLUT: One thing I didn't mention: On our SLUT ride, there was a father and son sitting next to me (boy older than three, but still small) and the lad was looking out the window and peppering his ...

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Does John Edwards have a secret sartorial strategy?

Posted Thu, Jan 17, 7:09 a.m.

He does want to look Kennedyesque...: but it's Bobby, not Jack.

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Just say 'none'

Posted Sat, Jan 12, 4:31 p.m.

RE: Values?: I don't mean to imply any such thing, and I say that as an unchurched heathen "None." I am saying that values do matter and so does the source. Being in the "None" zone doesn't mean we don't have values and I think it's important to talk about ...

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Googie fight on the airwaves

Posted Sun, Jan 6, 11:16 p.m.

RE: Compromise Solution?: That's the kind of creative solution that's needed!

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Score one for Googie

Posted Sun, Jan 6, 3:23 p.m.

Googie discussion on the radio: I will be a guest on David Goldstein's radio show on KIRO tonight (Jan. 6) at 9pm talking about historic preservation. It's a call-in show. The number is 1-877-710-KIRO (5476).

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Score one for Googie

Posted Sun, Jan 6, 12:21 p.m.

RE: MAYHEW IMPORTANT? II: Kieth: The report you're referring to is the one put together by Larry Johnson working for the developer--a report designed to downplay Mayehew etc. The best case for the building was in a length report by the University of Washington's Alan Michelson which was submitted as ...

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Score one for Googie

Posted Sat, Jan 5, 8:24 p.m.

RE: COMMENT?: When I get info on comment procedures, I will post them in this comment thread and in a future update on the story. If anyone knows, please feel free to share.

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Score one for Googie

Posted Sat, Jan 5, 8:22 p.m.

RE: MAYHEW IMPORTANT?: Among the people who contend Mayhew is important are Al Michelson of the University of Washington and architectural historian Alan Hess of California. No one is confusing him with Bernard Maybeck, who is a personal favorite of mine, but his work was earlier and distinctly non-Googie.

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Score one for Googie

Posted Sat, Jan 5, 8:15 p.m.

RE: There ought to be a law: Piper: A couple of comments. landmark laws are Constitutional--just like zoning laws. Every property owner understands the concept of buyer beware, and the fact is that if you want to change the use if a property, you have to deal with the regulations ...

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Memo to P-I editors and everyone else: This is really big

Posted Fri, Jan 4, 3:04 p.m.

RE: P.I. made right news judgement: And where was Joel Connelly this morning? Writing a local column? No, reporting from Iowa.

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Seattle's pedestrian attitude toward pedestrians

Posted Fri, Jan 4, 8:56 a.m.

We talk the walk, but don't walk: The thing that strikes me is that even in some very walkable neighborhoods, few people walk. I think for all the talk of development styles and density and new urbanism, we forget that people make a lot of personal choices not to behave ...

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Score one for Googie

Posted Fri, Jan 4, 1:13 a.m.

RE: Couple of Questions: Telly: The landmark consideration does not include the adjacent building with Sudden Printing, etc., only the Denny's/Manning's. If it is designated a landmark, the representative of Benaroya, Marc Nemirow, told me that Rhapsody would not buy the property for its development because the deal is contingent ...

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Score one for Googie

Posted Thu, Jan 3, 7:26 p.m.

RE: What a joke: If you look at the actual landmark criteria, the Denny's appears to meet at least two or three of the requirements. A landmark need meet only one. One of the most important is the fact that it was designed by a highly regarded modern architect--a fact ...

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Score one for Googie

Posted Thu, Jan 3, 7:07 p.m.

RE: Which Capitol Hill buildings?: I'm not sure. The station takes up much of the one block; I think the stuff south of Denny is for staging construction. Hopefully the community will bird dog Sound Transit on the design station and what comes after for those properties.

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Score one for Googie

Posted Thu, Jan 3, 3:48 p.m.

Quick correction: I am informed that the Norton Building approval was its final designation, so its fate has been decided by the board. The Ballard Denny's/Manning's will have its designation hearing on Feb. 6, as mentioned.

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Score one for Googie

Posted Thu, Jan 3, 2:55 p.m.

RE: Which Capitol Hill buildings?: I did mention them but not by name. If you go to the Seattle Landmarks Board website and click "current nominations," you will see nominations (text and picture files) for three buildings: Marynel/Chevlier Apartments, Marianne Apartments, and the Agincourt Apartments. The board turned down their ...

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Is Evergreen a "hippie" school?

Posted Fri, Dec 28, 8:16 a.m.

RE: Go Geoducks!: Joe: A quick correction. Evans was the college's second president. The first was Charles McCann.

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A storm by any other name wouldn't be as wet

Posted Thu, Dec 20, 9:20 a.m.

Remembering Pandemonium: Pete: My pagan day-book reminds me that early December is associated with Pandemonium, Milton's term for the chaotic place of demons. It more generally means a place or time of wild uproar. Pandemonium is connected to the Greek god Pan, who Barbara Ardinger describes as the "raucous, lecherous, ...

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The Seattle Symphony describes the NYT expose as 'old news'

Posted Tue, Dec 18, 7:14 p.m.

"Inaccuracies": The article that "ignited" the controversy (to use horn player Cerminaro's term) was a story by Roger Downey in Seattle Weekly in 2006. Symphony representatives tried to spike the story before it appeared, and after it appeared, demanded that it be removed from the website because of "inaccuracies." Chuck ...

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Uff da! The inside skinny on Swedish people

Posted Wed, Dec 12, 2:17 p.m.

RE: Oy vey!: KMH: You can rest easy because your article on Swedes reads as if a Norwegian had written it, which is why it is so good and accurate.--Knute

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Big development comes to Yesler Terrace

Posted Tue, Nov 27, 9:47 a.m.

History of displacement and the architecture: >Preservation Seattle ran a great backgrounder on Yesler Terrace in January 2004 (a software glitch is preventing me from providing a link, but you can find it at historicseattle.org) that looked at its place in history, what it has meant in the life of ...

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As it grows up, Seattle boughs down

Posted Sun, Nov 25, 6:36 p.m.

RE: I question the numbers on decline of tree canopy: The deforestation and reduction of the tree canopy has been regional. You can get an idea by looking at the satellite maps accompanying the 1998 Puget Sound study by American Forests. If you just look at the city of Seattle ...

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As it grows up, Seattle boughs down

Posted Sat, Nov 24, 8:07 p.m.

RE: To Get Ahead Stop Cutting!: This issue of native v. non-native trees drives me nuts. There are 3,000 different species of tree in Seattle and less than 30 species are native. Are we supposed to cleanse the city of any 100 year old tree that doesn't fit the arborist's ...

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Why we hate soccer

Posted Thu, Nov 22, 1:54 p.m.

America's Next Top Xtreme Sport: One possible route for soccer here: Americanize it by going to extremes. One of the most popular incarnations of croquet in the U.S. is "xtreme croquet", a game that eschews greenswards and involves wacking balls across the countryside. Forget garden parties and think wilderness adventure ...

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No ferry tale endings in this fleet

Posted Wed, Nov 21, 11:56 a.m.

RE: Last of the Black Ball boats?: I had never heard that song before. It's awesome. It's even honest about our lack of sun! Thanks.

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Why we hate soccer

Posted Wed, Nov 21, 8:49 a.m.

RE: lag time: Just for the record, there was no "you guys" who wrote the piece. I did. Crosscut is neither pro nor anti-soccer. As to the "sport of the Internet," wouldn't that be World of Warcraft?

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Local evangelicals go organic

Posted Wed, Nov 21, 8:25 a.m.

RE: Watch it!: Piper: I'd like you to explain something to me, a heathen. If someone accepts Christ, if someone is "born again," why are they any less a pure Christian than an "organic" Christian? Doesn't the idea of "organic" Christians imply that converts or late-comers are somehow second-class Christians? ...

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Announcing our Status Enhancer Award nominees

Posted Mon, Nov 19, 4:56 p.m.

If you're looking to increase your mossback cred...: try these: I gave Bill Gates a wedgie in high school. I was an original Patches Pal. During the Boeing bust, I was the guy who turned out the lights.

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A taste of grunge before Grunge

Posted Mon, Nov 12, 1:52 p.m.

RE: Great memories: Man, I envy you. The perfect band, the right year, a classic venue.

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What does one name streetcars when the line is called SLUT?

Posted Thu, Nov 8, 9:27 a.m.

Of course, if my evil twin....: was working for the mayor, I would insist the streetcars each be called "Affordable Housing" or "Workforce Housing." That way I could insist that we in fact do have Affordable Housing downtown and in South Lake Union. In fact, it is right on track!

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What does one name streetcars when the line is called SLUT?

Posted Thu, Nov 8, 8:45 a.m.

There is more than one kind of slut...: We're thinking too narrowly here. Let's consider options beyond sex. It's possible to be a slut when it comes to other things. How about naming the street cars after other insatiable appetites: Growth, Development, Public Subsidy and Pork? These names would be ...

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Bruce Chapman is right

Posted Tue, Nov 6, 7:40 a.m.

RE: Great piece--but are you harshing on Fosdick?: You make a good point that worth keeping in mind: many of the most enthusiastic eugenics boosters were social liberals and progressives--people who pushed for family planning, better mental healthcare and welfare. The idea was that more and better services could be ...

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No, really, this is a watershed election

Posted Mon, Nov 5, 3:21 p.m.

Not so fast on that watershed....: David, I applaud the idea of a more practical, more common sense politics, but I don't think some of your examples hold up. To suggest that Alec Fisken is somehow responsible for port dysfunction (you say he "torments" the port with his "narrow" vision) ...

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The Terror of Tiny Town returns

Posted Thu, Nov 1, 8:23 a.m.

RE: Photos, please: I've also just added some links to 17th Ave. E. Capitol Hill photos, including a great 360-degree shot that gives you the flavor of the night.

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The Terror of Tiny Town returns

Posted Thu, Nov 1, 8:06 a.m.

RE: Photos, please: I'm all thumbs when it comes to cameras, but someone posted a slideshow of Camp Killmore so I've added a link to the post.

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Most surprising Halloween costume tonight: a Wobbly

Posted Wed, Oct 31, 9:44 p.m.

Go kid!: That restores my faith in Seattle's youth.

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Vancouver is Shangri-not

Posted Thu, Oct 25, 3:05 p.m.

RE: rror in article facts: You're right, I made a mistake. I will correct and clarify the Dubai connection.

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Is a species endangered if you can't find it?

Posted Fri, Oct 12, 9:54 p.m.

RE: Send Knute into the Field More Often: Oh, Mom, that's the nicest thing you've ever said about my writing!

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The myth of gridlock

Posted Wed, Oct 3, 6:06 p.m.

RE: aising the gax tax is unpopular?: Will: I've written alot about the concerns about congestion pricing and I admit, I'm still studying and thinking about it. I'm skeptical for lots of reasons. One is that I think there needs to be a lot more debate about it. I'm not ...

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The myth of gridlock

Posted Sun, Sep 30, 10:17 p.m.

RE: Skip, do you really think doing nothing is a good idea?: Aaron: My curiosity about what Sandeep thinks about Sims' opposition is hardly off topic if you read his post. Sims is on the Sound Transit Board, helped develop the package and has turned against it. He's also offering ...

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The myth of gridlock

Posted Sun, Sep 30, 4:44 p.m.

RE: Skip, do you really think doing nothing is a good idea?: Sandeep: I would love to hear what you think of your old boss Ron Sims bailing on the roads and transit package. He doesn't seem to be buying into the "transformation" you see taking place.--Skip

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The myth of gridlock

Posted Sat, Sep 29, 4:24 p.m.

RE: elasticity: Cameron: I'm not in favor of congestion pricing, I'm just trying to explain why the proponents like it--and the honest ones admit that the punitive nature of them is why they're effective. I think you make a great point, but the congestion pricing and toll advocates--and the Bush ...

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The myth of gridlock

Posted Sat, Sep 29, 2:07 p.m.

RE: elasticity: Traffic jams and long commutes are a kind of "congestion pricing" in that when they get bad enough, people to look for solutions or alternatives. But the argument against letting the gridlock "market" manage itself is that it has negative consequences in the meantime. If commutes are too ...

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Eating our way out of extinction

Posted Wed, Sep 26, 12:11 p.m.

RE: An economic idea does not a political movement make: I did not mention it in my story, but Bruce Babbitt did bring up the Elwha by reminding us that when dam removal was initially proposed there was nearly a consensus against the idea and that in the end there ...

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The Northwest Passage: mission accomplished

Posted Wed, Sep 19, 12:31 p.m.

RE: You and facts shouldn't be strangers.: I never said this is the first time ever, though ESA does say that this summer represented the "lowest Arctic ice coverage in history." ESA has been tracking since 1978. What's significant is how much less ice there is in the Arctic this ...

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Mossback updates: Poet Roethke, surveillance, and more obesity

Posted Fri, Aug 24, 2:49 p.m.

RE: If you wonder why no one takes you seriously...: Eric: I do like historic preservation, but I'd never argue that it's value is as a bulwark in the war against fat people. (And certainly not when arguing to preserve a Denny's diner!) I also like walking, but I don't ...

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A tortuous course through Seattle Center and Seattle process

Posted Tue, Aug 21, 8:27 a.m.

Build it in the Green zone: The skate park is the type of use that the Center should not merely accommodate, but showcase. It's active and appeals to young people, a major goal of the Center's redevelopment. It'll be even more necessary if the Fun Forest--on the hitlist of most ...

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Beware of the feds bearing gifts

Posted Thu, Aug 16, 4:28 p.m.

RE: We WILL be discussing all of this ...: Deb: I think it's great that you and some of your fellow legislators are on this. I think this is a case where some policy wonks, the ACLU, some lawmakers, and the tech industry are ahead of the general public in ...

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When we push out the down-and-out, what kind of city are we?

Posted Thu, Aug 16, 3:20 p.m.

RE: 72 hour parking is a reasonable tolerance policy: I think if the city started enforcing the 72 hour rule citywide--universally and unconditionally--there'd be a major rebellion. I've seen parked cars covered in moss on neighborhood streets (which means they had to have been parked there at least 96 hours). ...

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When we push out the down-and-out, what kind of city are we?

Posted Thu, Aug 16, 11:57 a.m.

Will the last bleeding-heart liberal in Seattle please turn out the lights?: Judging from some of these comments, you wouldn't know that Seattle is supposedly full of bleeding hearts. I think Kent is reminding us that government programs aren't enough to take care of people; that hard times call for ...

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The "Taj Mahal" and the pink elephant

Posted Tue, Aug 14, 1:23 p.m.

RE: Mannings revealed: According to the Elephant Car Wash website, in addition to 9 in the greater Seattle area there are also Elephant car washes in "Eastern Washington, Arkansas and California." And you a right about the windows and the interior. Eugenia Woo showed me a postcard of the interior ...

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Is urban development 'terrorism'?

Posted Wed, Aug 1, 11:08 a.m.

RE: Bungvilla?: It's a word I coined at Seattle Weekly in 2006 to describe the currently popular practice of taking small classic bangalows and remodeling them by adding two or three stories to make tall mini-towers stretching up for a lake view. Common in Madison Park, for example. An alternate ...

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Mossback updates: monorails, national parks, bears, North Dakota, and Ballard

Posted Mon, Jul 30, 5:46 p.m.

RE: Say it ain't so: I'm simply saying that sometimes the mythological explanations are much simpler and easier to believe than the scientific ones. The notion of an intelligent designer, I think, is more in line with personal experience (a strong, all-powerful daddy) than forces that could turn a forest ...

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The Pacifist Northwest: We're the nation's volunteer factory

Posted Mon, Jul 30, 3:57 p.m.

Peace Corps demographics: Peter: Very interesting story. I'd be interested in knowing about the demographics of the Peace Corps and other volunteer agencies and how they compare with our region's.

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Mossback updates: monorails, national parks, bears, North Dakota, and Ballard

Posted Mon, Jul 30, 3:53 p.m.

RE: Ahem...: I want to see Fremont and Ballard in a cage match for the title.

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Is Seattle a 'two-dollar whore'?

Posted Thu, Jul 26, 12:18 p.m.

RE: Seattle is not a two-dollar whore: Please! It's Wunda Wunda. And you left out Gertrude, Seattle's most famous crossdresser.

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Is Seattle a 'two-dollar whore'?

Posted Wed, Jul 25, 10:13 a.m.

KUOW Update: "Weekday" producer David Hyde tells me there will be at least two other guests on the show. One is Gail Dubrow, Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School and a professor at the University of Minnesota. She's the author of articles and books on historic preservation including, ...

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Is Seattle a 'two-dollar whore'?

Posted Tue, Jul 24, 1:38 p.m.

RE: No room for nostalgia: I actually agree with your general point about preservation and nostalgia. One of my pet peeves is that some people believe the only motivation for preservation is nostalgia which, in most cases, is a yearning for a past that never was. I think preservation can ...

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The next Northwest world's fair might be in Shanghai

Posted Thu, Jul 12, 4:44 p.m.

RE: US hasn't committed to participating in the Shanghai 2010 World Expo: True, the government has not committed, but the State Department did issue an RFP last fall and has received proposals for review. Whether it actually goes anywhere is another thing. Private pavilion sponsors will need deep pockets: the ...

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Just another metropolis

Posted Sat, Jul 7, 9:55 a.m.

RE: the natives are rolling their eyes: You're right, no one from Seattle would call red cedars "cypress," but a lot of people do use the term when referring to cedars, just like some people refer to evergreens as "pines." And some kinds of cedar, like Alaska, are commonly called ...

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Just another metropolis

Posted Fri, Jul 6, 4:43 p.m.

Raban's sharp probe: Every time someone criticizes Seattle, you catch a glimpse of the real density issue here: this town is crowded with straw men. Contrary to JamesD's snarky implication, nowhere in Jonathan Raban's piece does he suggest that the turning point in Seattle's history was when he arrived from ...

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Just another metropolis

Posted Fri, Jul 6, 3:15 p.m.

RE: When we turned into a big city: Seattle Pilots played here in the glorious summer of '69.

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Mossback is 'a nice guy – but he's wack-a-doodle-doo'

Posted Sun, Jul 1, 8:10 p.m.

RE: What was so passive aggressive about my comment?: Sandeep: I didn't write the headline, but in answer to your question, between the two of us, the exemplar of Seattle nice-but-not-so-nice is definitely me, not you, I readily admit it. But I did think the "nice guy" comment was a ...

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Middle class workers of the Pacific Northwest, unite!

Posted Tue, Jun 19, 9:55 p.m.

RE: Wobblies wobble and they always fall down...: Piper, man, I will let the blood libel of saying I'm the reincarnation of Karl Marx pass because I 1) love bagpipe music and 2) because it is off the charts on the ludicrous scale and 3) Crosscut doesn't allow four-letter responses. ...

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With 'nature-deficit disorder,' the decline of traditional summer camps

Posted Tue, Jun 12, 3:37 p.m.

RE: it's not vigerous life: Your're right it's not "vigerous [sic]." Teddy Roosevelt did promote the "strenuous life" in a book of that name. I took the "vigorous life" phrase from a Smithsonian website, and would point to this quote from a TR speech on the subject, which makes my ...

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Timothy Egan unleashed

Posted Sun, Jun 3, 11:27 a.m.

RE: gan book recommendations?: Ok, I'll play Nancy Pearl for a moment. I suggest starting with his first book, "The Good Rain," which is a wonderful look at the Northwest, past and present. He follows in the footsteps of a young Yale man, Theodore Winthrop, who explored the region on ...

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Bears gone wild

Posted Wed, May 30, 10:21 a.m.

RE: Mossback and Ursus arctos horribillis...separated at birth?: I admit there is a resemblance, though I am no "Grizzly Man" and believe bears, like mossbacks, are best viewed at a distance.

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Imperfect predictions of the perfect storm

Posted Thu, May 3, 10:06 a.m.

Multipe 100-year storms: In a follow-up email, Cliff Mass reiterates a point he made in passing which I quoted: that is that there can be multiple 100-year storms because they take place in different locations. So, in one year you could get a 100-year storm in Seattle and one in ...

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Our world's fair never ended, and that's a good thing

Posted Mon, Apr 30, 3:09 p.m.

RE: Bulldoze the Fun Park, create a real park for city residents: Just to correct a common misconception: the Seattle Center isn't just for tourists. Fully half of the users are locals (from King County). It is true that it is the city's top tourist attraction, but the city intends ...

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Our world's fair never ended, and that's a good thing

Posted Sun, Apr 29, 7:15 p.m.

RE: Skip's a nice guy, but he's wack-a-doodle-doo: Sandeep: Let's see. You criticize a story I write. I respond refuting your criticism. And you respond by admitting your original critique was unfair, and what you really meant to do was attack my entire oeuvre. You do this by tossing out ...

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Our world's fair never ended, and that's a good thing

Posted Sun, Apr 29, 11:58 a.m.

RE: Skip's a nice guy, but he's wack-a-doodle-doo: Sandeep: I wrote "Changes, some of them major, need to be made." How is this clinging to the past? I am arguing for continuing the Center's populist appeal, and I think that is completely consistent with what the city and the Center ...

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Going green shouldn't kill the Fun Forest at Seattle Center

Posted Wed, Apr 25, 4:56 p.m.

We need a Coney Island, not a Central Park: I completely agree with Casey that Seattle Center can be improved and open space expanded without tossing out key attractions that keep it's regional appeal broad-based. I worry too that trying to turn it into an amenity for the neighborhood risks ...

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The fight of the condo

Posted Wed, Apr 18, 12:35 a.m.

Note to readers: Clark Williams-Derry posted a response to my original article in the comments section of that story. In it, he mischaracterized what I said and I've rebutted him point by point. I will be posting a longer response to my blogger critics later today. Stay tuned.

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How dense can they be?

Posted Tue, Apr 17, 7:57 p.m.

RE: Shorter Mossback: You know, you make it easier to respond when you mischaracterize my positions. I'll respond shortly to your new Sightline post, but also let me say that your blog note earlier today accusing me of a "pro-sprawl propaganda campaign" was ridiculous. My post criticized sprawl and said ...

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Stalking Kurt Vonnegut, and so on

Posted Sat, Apr 14, 9:32 p.m.

RE: A high standard: Good point about Tacoma-boy Brautigan's local connections. I read him too, but wasn't swept away. My favorite book of his was "The Abortion: An Historical Romance." When I moved to San Francisco in 1975, I once sat couple of bar stools down from him in a ...

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Let's stop and talk about Seattle's transportation insanity

Posted Thu, Apr 12, 1:05 p.m.

RE: Let's Get Flexible: And I know traffic circles are supposed to "calm" traffic, but in some intersections they seem to add to the chaos: plantings block visibility, people take short cuts around them. There was one installed in Kirkland that was slightly too big the intersection, so drivers were ...

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Let's stop and talk about Seattle's transportation insanity

Posted Thu, Apr 12, 12:56 p.m.

RE: More cars and drivers is the answer: I think you make a great point. It used to be when you drove a car you were essentially outdoors: the car was noisy, you wore a coat, maybe the heater didn't work, or you went without air conditioning (who in the ...

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Let's stop and talk about Seattle's transportation insanity

Posted Wed, Apr 11, 5:45 p.m.

RE: We need less "courtesy": goody: for the record, I miss Rewind too. Though Bill Radke's new show--Weekend America--is a kind of stealth reunion of sorts for some of the old Rewind crew: John Moe is on staff and in recent weeks I've run into Cathy Sorbo and Sherman Alexie ...

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Let's stop and talk about Seattle's transportation insanity

Posted Wed, Apr 11, 10:59 a.m.

RE: Jaywalking: No, I am talking about people who cross mid-block into traffic or at corners against red lights. I've seen it regularly downtown, on Capitol Hill and in the Central District. The bus stop at 1st and University is a good spot to watch bad jaywalking, near Harbor Steps. ...

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Let's stop and talk about Seattle's transportation insanity

Posted Wed, Apr 11, 10:07 a.m.

Great point about signalling: Maybe I missed the word "optional" next to signalling in driver's ed. Also, I should have mentioned that aggressive politeness often seems downright hostile. If you don't take up someone's offer to violate the right-of-way rules, they wave at you wildly and angrily until you do. ...

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A Nixon could help save the Washington GOP from itself

Posted Mon, Apr 9, 10:34 a.m.

Correction: It was 1994: A reader pointed out that Fred Jarrett was incorrect that Republicans had lost ground in the state House in every election since 1984. Jarrett says he "misspoke" (I'd say he made a typo) in his email. He meant 1994. Thanks to the reader for catching the ...

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Seattle's dorkiest condo names

Posted Mon, Apr 9, 10:24 a.m.

NoMo: Wasn't that one of Stan Boreson's dogs?

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