Won't You Just Die Already!!

picture from the dallas observer

Tonight there was a "Seattle as a No Newspaper Town?" panel and town hall to discuss the future of print media in Seattle..... Sounds absolutely boring and about 10 years too late. I can't even remember the last time I picked up a newspaper. You can't turn back the clock and unfortunately the time for change for most newspapers has passed.

Here are some tweets from the town hall tonight:

dont want print media to disappear though. so hoping the solution involves saving actual papers made from paper.

cannot sit idly by and watch newspapers die.

what upsets me is the classism of the discussion. not everyone has high-speed internet. (gets applause)

Why in the world would professionalism and ethics be lost due to change in MEDIUM?

I am amazed by the confusion and how the discussion can be very similar to the "We must save the auto industry" discussion. It's not like we have to re-invent the wheel, there are plenty of online new sites that are flourishing online and I recommend that we look to the political arena which has really been the leader in online news.

Here are two great examples
The Huffington Post - probably the closest thing to an online newspaper. Its format is newspaperish and it's content comes from a core group of staff writers and guest contributors which in the past has included Hillary Clinton, President Obama and John Cusack just to name a few. It's a model I could easily see implemented locally. Core staff of writers and guest contributors from the community.

Real Clear Politics - is more of an aggregator and it has been so successful that it has launched many spin offs. They aggregate what they consider to be the best news from the web and contribute original articles and commentary from a small group of core writers. Another great model I could see being implemented locally, pull in some great local blog content, pull some national news from the AP and have a core group of writers that can contribute some local newspapers.

So this brings me back to... what will we do with one newspaper in Seattle or none.. gasp! The answer is...we will survive. The time for discussion has long past and it's time for action and I have my money on someone like Patrick from WestSeattleBlog.com and Justin from CapitolHillSeattle.com to bring us the future in Seattle news.

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Random Seattle News: Electronic Billing, Pets and Naming Parks

Finally electronic billing has arrived!

As a new option, customers of Seattle City Light and Seattle Public Utilities now can choose to receive their bills electronically....To learn more or to sign up, visit either utility’s Web site. Seattle City Light’s is http://www.seattle.gov/light/. Seattle Public Utilities’ is http://www.seattle.gov/util/services//.

New Seattle Parks
Somehow with this big budget deficit Seattle still has the budget for more parks. I'm not complaining I personally think it's great, I just would have assumed that parks would have been the first thing to go.

The new parks are in Northgate and West Seattle. You can read all about the new parks and how to submit potential names for the new parks here

Spay or Neuter Your Pets For Free

To commemorate Feb. 24 as Spay Day USA, for the entire week of Feb. 23 through March 2, the Seattle Animal Shelter is offering certificates for free spaying and neutering to pet owners in need of financial assistance to have their pets sterilized. This offer ends at 5 p.m., Monday, March 2. For more information, call (206) 386-PETS (7387) or visit www.seattleanimalshelterorg.

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Seattle Viaduct Tunnel = Claustrophobic Mess

I never thought I would actually be unhappy about replacing the viaduct with a tunnel, but 2 lanes is just a disaster waiting to happen. Can you imagine being stuck in the tunnel for an hour during rush hour or during an accident? Two lanes doesn't give you much room to go around an accident or a stalled bus.

I am not against doing an tunnel it was actually my preferred option but 4 billion seems like an aweful lot for a 2 lane disaster waiting to happen. If we are going to go with a tunnel might as well go all out and spend 8 billion and make sure we build something that will last ease traffic(or atleast not create it) and might even allow room for a future light rail option to run through the tunnel as well.

Just a thought



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The End Of The Seattle PI

I always feel so sorry when any local business goes under but at the same time I have a hard time feeling bad for an industry that has been staring into the face of death for many years and yet fought against change. It's almost like many newspapers were really just hoping that the internet was a trend, and if they just waited long enough it would pass and things would go back to normal.

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Seattle News Round Up

$650 million face lift for Seattle Center (link)
Condo hotel concept not very popular in Seattle (link)
Anyone want to buy a hospital (link)
Our school system sucks (link)
Tons of new parking kiosks coming to Seattle (links)
Seattle not running out of drinking water any time soon (link)

More Redlight Cameras Coming To Seattle

Due to the success of the Red Light Photo Enforced Intersections, Seattle will be adding an additional 30 Red Light Camera Intersections. So if you run a red, be sure to smile for the camera.

Red Light Camera Locations – New & Existing 30 Cameras (24 new) and 22 (19 new) Intersections
New			Existing
North Seattle
EB Northwest Market @ 15 th Northwest			EB 45 th @ Roosevelt
WB Northwest Market @ 15 th Northwest
SB 15 th Northwest @ Northwest 80 th
SB Stone Way @ Northwest 40 th
NB Aurora @ Northwest 85 th
EB Northeast 80 th @ Fifth Northeast
EB Northeast 45 th @ Union Bay Place (“Five Corners”)
WB Northeast 45 th @ Union Bay Place (“Five Corners”)
NB Northeast 45 th @ Union Bay Place (“Five Corners”)
Central Seattle
SB Sixth @ James			EB 5th @ Spring
SB Fifth @ Spring			EB Denny @ Fairview
SB First @ Marion			WB Denny @ Fairview
NB Broadway @ Olive (Ped)
EB Olive @ Broadway (Ped)
SB Broadway @ Pine (Ped)
SB Boren @ James
SB 23rd @ E John
NB Ninth @ James (Ped)
South Seattle
NB 14th South @ Cloverdale			NB Rainier @ South Orcas
EB Cloverdale @ 14th South			SB Rainier @ South Orcas
WB Avalon @ 35th Southwest
SB 35th Southwest @ Southwest Thistle
NB Rainier @ South Massachusetts
WB South McClellan @ Martin Luther King

Seattle is the 8th Greenest City in the country

According to Earthlab Seattle is the 8th Greenest City in the Country right behind San Francisco. Damn you San Francisco....you always seem to beat us. (from the PSBizJournal)

Presents for Kids lost in flood. Miller Community Center Needs Help

Apparently The Miller Community Center and The Country Doctor (low income health clinic, 19th & Republican) had a ton of presents stored in the basement of The Country Doctor ruined by the recent flooding. The Toys were to be delivered to low income kids on December 15th. They need presents ASAP. If you would like to donate presents to help out low income kids then please call the Miller Community Center Director at (206) 684-4753

Walk Or Take The Seattle Streetcar

Seattle was recently named the 6th most walkable city out of the major US cities

"Cities were ranked by their walkable urban places divided by population. Seattle scored high, even though it's the largest city in the rankings without a meaningful rail transit system." (PSBusinessJournal)

We might not have a rail system but we do have a Streetcar. The Seattle Streetcar opens on Dec 12th and will be Free. The Streetcar will run from Downtown to the Eastern Side of Lake Union. (PSBusinessJournal)

According to the NAR - Seattle Real Estate to continue to Soar

There is a great article in the Seattle PI that talks a little about the national real estate scene and the local Seattle scene

From the Article
"Yun suggested Seattle will continue as one of the bright lights, which it's been this year. Median year-over-year home prices have risen every month save October, when they were down slightly.

But Seattle's strength may go beyond the usual reasons: a strong local economy and good job growth propelling housing demand.

Yun suggested that Seattle may be joining such cities as New York and San Francisco as "superstar cities" whose desirability attracts affluent newcomers who bring the buying power to continue pumping up housing prices."

Read The Article Here

Seattle/Tacoma - #1 Consumser of Coffee in the Nation

According to a new survey by HealthSaver
These are the most caffeinated cities when you take into consideration all caffeinated products

Most Caffeinated Cities:
1. Chicago
2. Tampa
3. Miami
4. Phoenix
5. Atlanta

Least Caffeinated Cities:
1. San Francisco/Oakland
2. Philadelphia
3. New York
4. Detroit
5. Baltimore

If you just look at coffee alone, the Seattle/Tacoma area tops as the number one coffee consumer in the nation, followed by Boston & Houston.

Most Coffee Consumption, Regular coffee & specialty coffee drinks:
1. Seattle/Tacoma
2. Boston
3. Houston
4. Chicago
5. Miami

From NeedCoffee & HealthSaver

Reminder:: Free Parking Downtown on Monday

SEATTLE-The Seattle Department of Transportation reminds motorists that Monday, November 12, is a legal parking holiday. As printed on the parking meters and pay stations, Veteran’s Day, November 11, is a holiday. The Seattle Municipal Code states that when the designated holiday, as in this case Veteran’s Day November 11, falls on a Sunday, then the following Monday is the parking holiday. The pay stations will be shut down on Monday and will not accept payment; however, the old parking meters cannot be shut down and will continue to accept coins.

Please note: Although parking is free, peak-hour transit parking restrictions will still be in effect.

The Seattle Department of Transportation builds, maintains and operates Seattle's $8 billion transportation infrastructure. To further Mayor Nickels’ goal to get Seattle moving, the department manages short- and long-term investments in streets, bridges, pavement and trees, that better connect the city with the region.

COUNCIL PASSES SEATTLE BICYCLE MASTER PLAN

Press Release:

SEATTLE – The Council, today, unanimously passed the Seattle Bicycle Master Plan in order to increase bicycling and improve bicyclists’ safety in the City. The Bicycle Master Plan was an 18-month collaboration between the City and a Citizen’s Advisory Board that included representatives from the Cascade Bicycle Club, the Bicycle Alliance of Washington, and many more. Councilmember Jan Drago, Chair of the Transportation Committee, said, “Bicycling has great benefits for personal, public, and global health. It is a form of transportation that the City must support and make safer and easier to do.”

The Bicycle Master Plan is a policy that plans to increase the number of bicyclists that bike to work daily from the current 6,000 to 18,000. The Bicycle Master Plan identified the locations and recommendations for a 450-mile bicycle system that includes bike lanes, shared land markings, bicycle boulevards, signed local street connections, and multi-use trails. The Plan also includes developing a bicycle education, enforcement and encouragement program and securing funding to implement the infrastructure improvements. All of this should help increase the safety of bicyclists and reduce the rate of bike crashes by one third between 2007 and 2017.

Bridging the Gap, a voter-approved levy passed in November 2006, provides $10 million a year to implement recommendations in the Bicycle Master Plan over the next nine years. Councilmember Drago said, “The generosity of Seattle voters will help us realize the goal of a City where bicycling is an accessible and safe form of transportation.”

Seattle Metro Area 4th in Nation for Blogging

According to the Scarborough Research, Austin, Portland, San Francisco and Seattle are the top local blogging markets for reading and contributing to blogs.

Apparently we are early adopters of new technology
We are more likely to download podcasts/videos
We come from middle class families
We make 50k t0 100k
We do everything from correspondence to banking online

Read more about the research report Here

Study Shows Big Jump in Seattle Bike Commuters

From the City of Seattle

SEATTLE - The number of bicyclist entering downtown during the morning commute jumped 31 percent since 2000, according to a recent count released today by the Seattle Department of Transportation.

“More and more people are choosing to leave the car in the garage and find a different way to get to work,” said Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels. “We are making it easier and safer to get around Seattle by walking and biking and we are starting to see the results. By taking a bike instead of a car, people are reducing greenhouse gas emissions and leaving the city and the planet a better place.”

“We are building a true transportation network in Seattle, one that recognizes that there really is more than one way to travel through this city,” said Grace Crunican, director of the Seattle Department of Transportation. “This increase in bike commuters is great news. We know that the safer and easier you make it to ride a bike in Seattle, the more people will do it.”

For the downtown survey, volunteers at 29 locations recorded the number of bicyclists passing by, counting 2,273 during the morning commute. The top five locations for bicyclists to enter the Center City are, in order: Dexter Avenue N, Colman Dock, the Alaskan Way Path, the Elliot Bay Path, and Pine Street. The complete results of the 2007 Downtown Bicycle Counts can be viewed at: http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/bikeinfo.htm.

America’s Mayors Roll Up Sleeves at Seattle Climate Summit

SEATTLE - America’s mayors will take center stage in the effort to stop global warming as they gather in Seattle Nov. 1 & 2 for an unprecedented summit to spur local and federal action on climate change.

The two-day event will feature keynote addresses by former President Bill Clinton, and mayors Michael Bloomberg of New York and Antonio Villaraigosa of Los Angeles as well as other national and international leaders in the effort to prevent climate change. The U.S. House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming will also hold a special hearing with mayors during the summit.

Hosted by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the Seattle summit will be the largest-ever meeting of American mayors devoted solely to climate protection. More than 100 mayors from across the country representing millions of Americans will discuss the impact of climate change on their communities and the steps cities are taking to reduce greenhouse gas pollution.

Media planning to attend are highly encouraged to register now since space is limited. To register for the summit, please go to: http://usmayors.org/climateprotection/press_registration.asp

The mayors will participate in a wide range of sessions designed to accelerate local action on global warming. The summit will include real-world solutions for:
• Creating jobs and growing a green economy
• Designing a climate-friendly transportation system
• Reducing sprawl through smart growth
• Building a green city at home and work

The summit presents an opportunity to understand how local governments are leading the way on climate protection in the United States, and how one city in particular - Seattle - is taking bold steps to create solutions in homes, at work and on the road.

Seattle is powered by the first utility in the nation to emit zero net greenhouse gasses. It is investing millions of dollars to expand rail, bus and bike networks and working to reduce sprawl through innovative land use policies. Seattle is also partnering with businesses to foster a new “green” economy and create jobs in areas such as alternative fuels and construction.

Adopt A Drain

The city is inviting people to adopt a drain and help keep them clean from leaves & from flooding.

"We are asking for volunteers to "Adopt a Drain" and become active stewards of their neighborhood's environment. This program is being run as a complimentary part of our long standing and highly successful Adopt A Street program.

How to Sign Up
Signing up is easy. Read our Statement of Commitment (doc), fill it out and email to adoptastreet@seattle.gov. OR request sign-up information by calling the Adopt A Street hotline at (206) 684-7647. Leave your name, phone number, and address and we will send you everything you need to get started." (from the city of seattle)

Seattle is No. 2 for Candy Buying

New study shows that Seattle is 2nd in the nation for Candy Buying.

"Seattle residents buy more candy per capita than any other city in the country except one, according to a recent study." (Puget Sound Business Journal)

The Salt Lake region is number one in the nation.

I wonder if this means we also have a high number of people with diabetes

"Vessel" Sculpture - The First Windstorm Casualty

From Flickr

The Fred Hutchinson sculpture "Vessel" is the first casualty of the fall 2007 windstorm. According to a friend who works at Fred Hutch the Sculpture fell over in the windstorm, no one was hurt but there is glass all over the place.

Here is a low quality picture from the "Vessel" Cam


Thanks to Jill for her picture she took and posted on Flickr

Seattle: America's Most Stable Housing Market

According to Forbes Magazine Seattle has the most stable housing market in the nation.

Top 5 Cities
1. Seattle, Wa
2. Pittsburgh, Pa
3. Columbus, Ohio
4. Dallas, Texas
5. St. Louis, Mo.



"Nationwide, home prices are falling, sales are sluggish and the number of foreclosures is mounting. Ask any economist and you'll hear that things are bad, and likely to get worse.

Unless you live in Seattle, where the market is slowing but fundamentals remain strong.

The Emerald City has experienced strong price appreciation over the last six quarters, and that's expected to continue in the new year, though at a slower pace. In addition to a very low housing inventory and a strong sales rate, there are few non-conforming and high-risk loans on the books than in other cities, which means the area will likely see fewer defaults in the coming months than the rest of the country's markets." (from Forbes)