Seattle is a ghost town for ghost bikes?

There's a new and growing effort to memorialize cyclists hit by motor vehicles — and in the process, raise awareness for bicycle safety and sharing the road. The first "ghost bike" reportedly appeared in St. Louis, Mo., when Patrick Van Der Tuin witnessed someone on a bike getting hit by a car.

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Northwest travel: A quick escape to Whidbey Island

A mere 24-hour trip from Seattle can seem like a journey far away. For starters, all those lovely views ...

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Seattle is not 'all about beer'

According to the writers at All About Beer magazine, when it comes to the top 125 places to have a beer before you die, Seattle doesn't much come to mind. London? Most certainly. Munich? Of course. Here's the big surprise: Denver, Colorado trumped European watering holes, coming in first place in this list of favorites, which the writers admit is "more art than science." Seattle, however, appears only once, and at a lowly No. 124 on the list, with Stumbling Monk, which also appeared on a reader blog list at the P-I.

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On Sunset and Leilani

We're thrilled to bring a distinct new voice to Crosscut readers with today's piece on the closing of Sunset Bowl. I was introduced to the work of Seattle novelist Stephanie Kallos when writing a series for Seattle Woman on local women writers. Both Seattle transplants, Kallos and I discussed the importance of place in her work; her novel Broken for You is set in a fictionalized but quite recognizable Seattle.

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11-7: Northwesterners cut gasoline consumption 11 percent in seven years

A report released today by Sightline Institute shows that per-capita gasoline consumption in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho decreased for the seventh consecutive year in 2007. That's an 11 percent decrease since 1999.

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The Seattle swarm

No, it’s not the name of the new major league soccer team. It’s a phenomenon. It’s what happens when a restaurant, bar or other public establishment is deemed hip by Seattleites due to a series of write-ups in local publications, and hordes flock to it despite obvious deterrences such as long waits, harried service, deafening social noise, tight spaces, and strangers stepping on your toes and sucking up your air.

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The truth about free toilets

I saw a post on the Seattle Weekly's blog that really got me going, as it promised free, energy efficient toilets from the city of Seattle.

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Growing up without newspapers

Sixth of a series: The youngest member of the Crosscut editorial team weighs in.

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Seattle fails the button test

In the absence of SWAG (stuff we all get) from official Obama campaign channels, a bounty of homemade political buttons has surfaced in Seattle. Certainly they lack the slick messaging of Clinton's campaign, or even Obama's advertorially smart O logo, but they characterize well a campaign that has relied on true grassroots momentum, to historic effect.

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Washington's higher ed priority: posh dorms

Officials at Washington State University announced last week that the school plans to build new dorms. On the face of it, the initiative seems long overdue: The school hasn't built dorms in 37 years. However, the $26 million dollar residence hall adds only 229 beds, at a cost of $113,537 per bed. The residence hall is part of a larger plan to upscale the dorm experience.

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Women write where you live

I just finished writing a three-part series for Seattle Woman on local women writers. As requested, I interviewed two sets of writers in the area of genre fiction — romance and mystery — and one in literary fiction.

Skeptical at first about the genre fiction, but willing to question my own snobbish predilections, I was pleasantly surprised by what I found to be strong arguments in both romance and mystery's favor.

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Readers riff on Russell Investments and Tacoma's aroma

Although finance as a discussion topic tends to get yawns or groans from most people, my profile on Tacoma's Russell Investments, little-known outside the investment world, drew many readers and comments. Here on Crosscut, Scottacoma says this:

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Russell Investments: Tacoma's global high-roller

Having outgrown its headquarters building, the company needs new digs for 1,100 employees. A bigger issue, though, is the possibility Russell has outgrown Tacoma. State and local politicians are scrambling to keep the 72-year-old company there, but Russell's employees live in a big world.

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Sound Transit survey, take 2

As reported in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Sound Transit received complaints about their regional transportation survey, also criticized by some Crosscut readers.

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Sound Transit is accused of push-polling

The widely promoted Sound Transit survey has more bugs than bang, say critics. My blog linking to the survey gleaned excellent critiques posted by our Crosscut readers. I just got word that Will Knedlik, state-rep-turned-transportation activist, has asked Sound Transit to shut down the survey, charging that it constitutes push-polling and calling for disciplinary action. This happened at a Sound Transit board meeting on Feb. 28, and you can watch the action here. (It's about 15 minutes in, after a Link safety report.)

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A rush 'hour' that lasts all day?

The folks at Sound Transit really want you to take an online survey to help them do what voters said shouldn't be done via Proposition 1. To get you into proper survey-taking mood, the entry to the survey page states: "Studies show that by 2030, rush 'hour' could last all day in many places." A startling statistic, no doubt, but one begging several questions: What studies? Which places? How are they defining 'rush hour,' and what does that mean, really, that it would last all day? A few links to more information would go a long way here.

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Sound off on Puget Sound

The agency tasked with saving Puget Sound wants your input. Puget Sound Partnership will hold public forums throughout the region to glean citizen opinion on what is wrong with the Sound, and how to fix it. Says David Dicks, executive director of the Partnership, "It's important that the people who live and work on Puget Sound play a role in bringing it back to health."

Each forum is structured as two sessions: One for those inclined to participate in hands-on workshops, followed by a general public discussion.

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Washington caucuses: Casting about for Obama

Last in a series: Women are favoring Sen. Barack Obama, even if they think getting a woman in the White House is long overdue. Here's one's reasoning.

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Report from a neighborhood

It's not the youth who are speaking today in Ballard, but citizens there are speaking loudly for Sen. Barack Obama. The crowd at Calvary Lutheran in Seattle was mainly the over-30 set, representative of this neighborhood of single-family homes. The pews were packed; Calvary Lutheran — which a neighbor told me is going "belly up" — probably hasn't seen this much action since the 1950s. One woman I spoke with said that in 2004, the caucus was "a few people sitting at a cafeteria table." Today there was no parking to be had, but most folks walked. As I headed down there around 12:45 p.m., I found the sidewalks filled with my neighbors.

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Washington caucuses: Neck and neck, door to door

Third in a series: Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are just about even in the delegate count as Super Tuesday results continue to trickle in after record turnout. Last weekend, Obama's supporters hit the sidewalks in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood, as optimistic as ever. This Saturday's caucuses in Washington will be key in the pitched battle between the two Democratic candidates.

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Caucusing in five easy steps

Caucus participation on Feb. 9 in Washington is well within the grasp of the average citizen. Here's how to do it.

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Washington caucuses: Team Ballard gets down to work

Second in a series: Week two for supporters of Barack Obama who are preparing for the Feb. 9 caucuses in the Seattle neighborhood. Nationally, their candidate is not exactly cruising to the nomination — at once discouraging and motivating.

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Washington caucuses: Obama's magic rubs off in Ballard

First of a series: Former cynics find each other in a living room where inspiration and perspiration meet. Their charge is to get out the vote, one doorbell at a time.

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Ed Hansen's other UW involvement

University of Washington athletic boosters and regular fans have inundated President Mark Emmert, Athletic Director Todd Turner, and football Coach Ty Willingham with hate e-mail over the Huskies' abysmal performance. So found the Seattle Times from a public records request.

Of the 1,000 or so e-mail messages was Ed Hansen's pledge of $100,000 to fund a law school scholarship if Willingham was terminated and another $100,000 to also fund a law school scholarship if Turner was terminated.

Time to take note of Ed Hansen's other tie to UW.

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2007 in review: The University of Washington at Everett

What's it going to take for the U.W. to decide where to place another campus?

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2007 in review: Tacoma's growing arts scene

There are signs of a nascent community, but the City of Destiny is still looking for its place in the world of artists and collectors.

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How the Christmas cookie crumbles

An e-mail fracas at North Seattle Community College hits on why "the most wonderful season of all" causes us so much angst.

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A tree falls in Oregon

They might be dwarfed by architecture, but nothing we've built has transcended time the way big trees have. The "Klootchy Creek Giant" lived long and large. It took a record-setting windstorm to bring it down.

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Make like a Missourian and compromise

A lot's been said about Proposition 1, but apparently it's not enough, as the Crosscut "prediction" poll says it will fail.

I hope these Crosscut readers are looking into defective crystal balls. Seattle's inability to get with the transportation program is a source of embarrassment for me, as my family and friends back in Missouri (a red state, no less) are poking fun. They, and not Seattle, after all, have light rail, and I'm not talking about some cute little trolley with a politically incorrect (but unforgettable) acronym.

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For homeless women, an alternative to couch-surfing

Services like Jubilee Women's Center, a transitional-housing and training nonprofit, are seeing increasing numbers of homeless single women. But because they tend to stay off the streets, it's not easy to find them and reach out.

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A growing enclave for the arts, 30 miles from Seattle

The City of Destiny was not destined to be Puget Sound's cultural capital. It is a small star. But the arts scene in Tacoma has managed to shine.

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A newcomer on notice

Choosing to live in Seattle, and arriving here by way of St. Louis, Miami, and Tacoma, you see things differently than the mossbacks.

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