Stories for Aug. 7, 2007

Seattle Opera's enjoyable, traditional Flying Dutchman

Tue, Aug 7, 10 a.m.

By Fred Hauptman

The singing is splendid and the production is admirable, but if Seattle really is Wagner-mad, why play it so safe in this most-produced of Wagner's operas?

Endgame blame-game for the Sonics

Tue, Aug 7, 5 a.m.

By David Brewster

As the team heads for the exits, it looks like everybody lost. In fact, Howard Schultz, the Oklahoma City gang, and Mayor Nickels may have all got exactly what they wanted (but dared not declare).

What drives the runaway growth in the Seattle area?

Tue, Aug 7, 1 a.m.

By Dick Morrill

Much of the growth comes from external factors we cannot control. But not all of it is beyond local political control. An urban geographer sorts out the unusual concentration of growth hormones that hit the area and looks at the dilemmas of rapid growth.