Stories for October 2016

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Monday, October 31

A dog in the fight

Seattleites duke it out over off-leash parks

Residents on both sides of the fence came out Sept. 22 to tell the Seattle Parks Board what they think of the draft master plan for off-leash areas, with dog owners barking loudest during the two-hour public hearing.

Friday, October 28

Time to tell Congress: 'You're fired!'

Republicans have controlled both houses of the legislature for two years; Enough's enough

The president can use the bully pulpit to try and sway public opinion, or veto power to stop bad legislation in its tracks, but the real power to shape fiscal and social policy rests with the House of Representatives and the Senate.

A budget to benefit all?

Mayor's proposal heavily favors downtown area

It’s that time of year when the City Council decides on the mayor’s proposed budget for the coming year. Owing to good economic times, Mayor Ed Murray has proposed a general fund budget of $1.2 billion — $300 million above what was available for city programs in 2015. A careful look it, however, shows it to be business as usual.

Guest Editorial: 'Two-second delay' at City People's site is a mile of nonsense

This site will be developed, along with a myriad of other projects around the city. But let’s see that our neighborhood is developed with integrity.

Review board kicks City People's proposal back to architect

Concerns focus on Dewey Place East side of proposed mixed use building

The firm on the project, Studio Meng Strazzara, has worked to refine the preferred of three options since the last meeting, which has a stepped design that aims to alleviate the bulkiness of the building on the east side across from single family homes.

Wednesday, October 26

Community, familiarity and comfort food at St. Clouds

Simply by virtue of its location at the heart of this quiet residential district, St. Clouds is like a community center crossed with a neighborhood bistro.

Tuesday, October 25

Madison Park resident to be featured in Seattle Shorts Festival

Director Peter Feysa will see his movie “Dead in the Water” screen at the festival Nov. 13. The festival runs Nov. 11-13 at the SIFF Film Center in lower Queen Anne.

Monday, October 24

Julia Lee's Park transferred to Seattle Parks and Recreation

Monument to Knudsen Family matriarch had been privately owned since 1993; 'It was time,' daughter says

Julia Lee's Park, a small private park used by Madison Valley residents for a generation, has been transferred into city ownership.

Soaring home prices confound experts

Rising home prices 'unprecedented'

According to a new report from Veros Real Estate Solutions, a risk management and collateral valuation firm, Seattle is now among a handful of cities which rank as “strongest housing markets” in the nation.

Friday, October 21

Have health, will travel

Keep free of flu and germs during the holidays

Nearly 100 million people will travel this holiday season to visit friends and family. Getting out of town or having house guests can be a well-deserved break from your regular routine. But those breaks in routine also present risks for sharing illness.

Thursday, October 20

A nun since WWII, Immaculate Conception alum dies at 94

Sister Stephanie Marie Nakagawa was the Maryknoll convent's first Japanese-American member to come from the West Coast.

Wednesday, October 19

Social advocates beg for support at budget hearing

The next public hearing on the budget will be held Oct. 25 at 5:30 p.m. in the City Council chambers. 

Tuesday, October 18

'Man of La Mancha' well served by expert comic timing and spectacle

“Man of La Mancha,” directed by Allison Narver, is a splash-bang spectacle of visuals and sound.

Friday, October 14

Seattle's music scene, 25 years later

The music world, and especially the business of music, have changed vastly since 1991.

New Boeing facility to honor fallen firefighter

At the height of World War II, as Boeing was testing a plane that would become the B-29 Bomber, one prototype crashed into a meat packing plant adjacent to Boeing Field.

Staying home for the long run

Eighty-seven percent of baby boomers, age 65 or older, want to continue living in their current homes. So the question is: How do we make this happen? By making aging accommodations before they are needed.

Restoring an original Olmsted vision

The Volunteer Park Trust organized a work party to plant hundreds of yellow flora in the soil beds on the southeast corner of the park reservoir.

Sightline study whitewashes the housing crisis

The virulently anti-neighborhood, pro-developer Sightline Institute recently posted a story attempting to prove that the demolition of low income and affordable housing in Seattle is not a problem.

Thursday, October 13

Neighbor negotations

Marianne Lile is a Madrona resident and the author of “Stepmother,” a memoir released Sept. 27. 

Clinton v Trump

The choice is clear: We cannot support Trump for POTUS

The candidates for both major parties stretch the truth. Neither is particularly trustworthy. Republican nominee Donald Trump is a clueless outsider; meanwhile, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton is the mirror opposite, a chameleonic insider. 

Monday, October 10

I-1433 proponents say sick leave key to children’s care

Proponents of a statewide initiative to raise the minimum wage and expand access to paid sick leave made their case on Sept. 13 for why voters should back the sweeping measure designed to reduce economic inequality in Washington. 

Practice good yard work habits to save your body

During the fall season, occupational and physical therapists see back and neck injuries from carrying lawn chairs and elbow and shoulder tendonitis from raking leaves.

Saturday, October 8

The hardy banana tree

A banana tree in the Pacific Northwest? It’s true. 

To drive, or not to drive

The fuel shortage lingered following World War II but the ability to drive or own a car was a vital thing to look forward to after sacrificing for the war efforts. Passing the driver’s test was the main goal. The second was finding our first ride!

Friday, October 7

Pricing your home for the present

As the summer eases into fall, overall home sales have cooled in comparison to the spring and summer. The market has shifted, and it would be easy to chalk this up to a weakened market or natural seasonal variation.   

Guest Editorial: Felling trees and breaking trust

This June, Velmeir Properties, developer of the City People’s site, hired an arborist to prepare a report on the trees that cover the eastern hillside where they want to build.  The report, which is publicly available on the city of Seattle’s website, reads like a cursory response to one question: “What will happen if we build a very big building here?”  

Thursday, October 6

Guest Editorial: ST3 is a 'no' for me

I oppose ST3, given what the plan includes and the cost of the proposal. Regarding the former, it appears that the plan will not solve the traffic problems in the three-county area. Regarding the latter, the cost is excessive.

Bidding wars: Bad for buyers?

Common sense and proven sales strategies tend to fly out the window when there are rumors of a bidding war just down the block.

Fond memories of lost fine dining spots

I drove past Francois Kissel’s old house in Madrona the other day, with its fine view across Lake Washington to Bellevue and the Cascades, and I got to thinking about our city’s history.

The thick veneer

With winter approaching, there’s a new clarity to Mayor Ed Murray’s approach to our homeless crisis.  Sadly, the only lesson learned from the 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness seems to be that The Plan cannot fail. The plan can only be failed.

Monday, October 3

City Council passes secure scheduling law

Law promises 14-day notice on schedules, additional compensation for 'clopening' shifts

The Seattle City Council passed legislation on Monday, Sept. 19, that will give a number of food and retail employees earlier notice of their work schedules and require large employers to provide increased compensation when those schedules change.

Heroin policy must live up to political theater

The march of public progress is slow but sure. But rarely has that march seemed slower than on the opioid crisis. 

County heroin and opiate addiction task force calls for a shift from justice to public health

Chief among the task force’s recommendations were a recommendation to increase the supply of overdose-reversing drug naloxone, as well as a recommendation to build two supervised injection sites in King County.