February 2019

By Jean Godden

Quick question: What's the difference between Seattle and Portland? One of the biggest contrasts between the two cities is that Seattle has distinct neighborhoods whereas Portland is more homogeneous -- one quadrant pretty much resembles another.

Not so in the Emerald City. Official records list 127 individual Seattle neighborhoods, although their boundaries are fluid and districts within a larger neighborhood like Ballard blend into one another and overlap. Still they are iconic: you wouldn't mistake Seward Park for Greenwood or Sunset Hill for Columbia City.

Everyone is invited to a screening of new work by students in the Ballard High School Digital Filmmaking Program.  The Ballard Film Festival (BFF) will be on Saturday, February 9 at 7 pm in the Ballard High School auditorium.  The screening will feature short comedies and dramas as well as music videos.  Tickets ($10 for adults and $5 for students) will be sold at the door.    

To the editor:

The majority of Americans by now can understand Trump’s government shutdown make no sense. It's only a move to keep his promise to his racist base.

$5.7 billion dollars may not be enough and could turn out to be a white elephant and a burden on social programs.

Of course there are many decisions Trump has engaged in, which make uno sense at all. Trump has consistently and hypocritically talked about his loyalty to the rule of law and national security.. Yet he has broken every law in our constitution.

However, there is an extreme danger facing the heart of our Democracy and Constitution.

No one in their right mind would stand by and accept the destruction and assault on America and the people, unless they have a motive, as this point, I turn to cause and effect of Trump’s motives.

Editor’s note: the following is from a speech given by King County Executive Dow Constantine at a rally in Seattle Feb. 1

Last night, I was honored to stand with Washington State Democrats of all stripes in calling on Howard Schultz to stop toying with the idea of running a third-party presidential campaign. Together, we made our voices heard and shined a light on the fact that a Schultz candidacy would only hurt the Democratic Party and help re-elect Donald Trump in 2020.

We already have a diverse field of Democratic candidates who are vying for their chance to send Trump packing in 2020. If Schultz truly wants Trump out, and he wants to bring a perspective he doesn't think is represented in the current Democratic field, he should run as a Democrat, not as a third-party spoiler.

Two-mile-long tunnel part of replacement for Seattle’s seismically vulnerable Alaskan Way Viaduct

From a major earthquake to a massive machine that churned through two miles of soil, the path to the new State Route 99 tunnel in Seattle was long and winding. But when the sun rises on Monday morning, it will be a straight shot between the Space Needle and the stadiums for travelers, and a new day for Washington state’s transportation system.

District 1 Seattle City Councilmember Lisa Herbold shared news about Sound Transit's analysis on the West Seattle to Ballard light rail line.

Herbold writes:

Sound Transit has released its “Level 3” analysis for three end-to-end alternatives for the West Seattle/Ballard light rail line; here’s a link to the presentation from yesterday’s meeting of the Sound Transit Elected Leadership Group (ELG).

At yesterday’s meeting I requested Sound Transit provide visualizations of what the options will look like, and greater detail on potential residential and business impacts in West Seattle by neighborhood.