Tim Burgess' City View

The Next Fifty and Free Opera

The Next Fifty celebration at the Seattle Center kicked off last Saturday with great fanfare. This year marks the 50^th anniversary of Seattle’s 1962 World’s Fair and lately there has been a lot of interesting chatter about the history and future of our city. (Check out this letter from the 1962 City Council to the “2,012” City Council.)

The celebrations will continue the next six months and many arts organizations that make their home at the Seattle Center are taking part. On Saturday, May 5, the Seattle Opera is hosting a free HD simulcast in Key Arena for the opening night McCaw Hall performance of Madama Butterfly, the final show of its season. Up to 8,000 tickets are available for what is expected to be the largest live opera audience in Seattle history. Don’t think opera is for you? Read these opera myths debunked on the Seattle Opera Web site.

Thank Goodness for Government

At exactly this minute—17 minutes and 43 seconds past eight o'clock in the morning—one week ago today, the alarm sounded at Fire Station 18 in Ballard and Seattle firefighters jumped into action and headed for their rigs.

They were on their way to bring my friend, Dave Carlstrom, back from the dead.

Why I Asked for Housing Discrimination Audit

Fair and equal access to housing is a fundamental right.  No one should ever be denied a place to live because of race or the color of their skin or because they have a disability.  This equal access right is spelled out in Seattle's Municipal Code which also identifies other classes protected from housing discrimination.

Last December, after reviewing newspaper articles from 10 years ago that told of widespread housing discrimination in Seattle, Councilmember Bruce Harrell and I sent a letter to the City's Office for Civil Rights asking for an audit to determine whether illegal practices in rental housing were still occurring. 

Last Friday, the Office for Civil Rights announced the audit results.  Here are the key findings:

"Overall, 55% of the tests showed evidence of illegal discrimination. In the tests for race-based discrimination, 69% showed patterns of inconsistencies that generally favored white testers. The inconsistencies included quoting a higher rent to African American testers, not telling African American testers about move-in specials, or using different screening criteria with African American testers, including credit or criminal background checks.

"In the tests for disability-based discrimination, 38% showed patterns of inconsistencies that create barriers for people with disabilities. The inconsistencies included refusing to accommodate service animals, not telling testers about available units, or not providing parking areas with spots designated for people with disabilities."

These findings are highly disappointing. I am pleased that the City is pursuing legal action against some of the property owners identified in the audit because often the best education is good law enforcement.  Let's hope that in the future all property owners in Seattle comply with our fair housing laws which are intended to protect a fundamental American right to equal access to housing. 

 

State Senator Scott White: A Tribute

My friend died today.

Senator Scott White was a man of character, rational, hardworking, a dedicated leader commited to public service.  We were together in Cle Elum the last couple of days at the annual conference of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce.  Political, labor, environmental, business, nonprofit and education leaders from around the state were there. 

Councilmember Sally Bagshaw and I moderated a panel that included Senator White on Thursday morning.  He was excited about arranging a bus trip to Yakima with Senator Curtis King and other legislators so we could better understand gang violence.  Senator White wanted to cut through the so-called Cascade Curtain between the east and west sides of Washington. 

Last night, Senator White joined a group of business leaders and legislators for a quiet dinner. We talked about the pending state budget cutbacks and how to protect core services, especially the safety net services so many rely on.  We briefly mentioned SR 520 and the Senator's planned testimony before the City Council on Monday.  We listened as friends from Boeing and King County government described efficiencies gained through Lean managment techniques.  We discussed the importance of higher education and how to get more funding; Senator White was a big booster of the University of Washington.

Tonight, a little after 7:30 p.m., we gathered in SODO to watch the beginning of the demolition of the Alaskan Way Viaduct. The word of Senator Scott's passing quietly spread through the crowd atop the Silver Cloud Hotel on First Avenue South. The celebration ended.  A friend was gone.  A friend who likely would have been there tonight to join the party, if he could.

 

 

Molly Moon's Ice Cream Joins Queen Anne

There's a new addition to the south end of upper Queen Anne—Molly Moon's Homemade Ice Cream.  I love it, as you can tell in the photo below. 

Located on West Galer Street, Molly Moon's is part of a little community-within-a-community, snuggled with Café Fiore, Tribunali and Top Pot, all within one block.  Owner Molly Moon Neitzel runs a great company that gets the kudos it deserves, like being named one of the Top 100 companies in Washington.  What's more, the ice cream is homemade and delicious!

Personal Memory on September 11

America will pause today to remember that terrible day 10 years ago when we were attacked.  There will be memorials to the 2,977 people who lost their lives that day, including 403 fallen firefighters and police officers. Heroes all.

Today, I remember another hero who passed away September 1, just over a week ago.  Our family and friends gathered yesterday to remember the life and many, many contributions of Lyle Martin Ellefson, Joleen's father, my father-in-law.  I loved Lyle. 

Lyle served America during another troubling time—World War II—in the Army in England, France and Belgium.  He worked 30 years at Puget Power and Seattle City Light, moving up from substation operator to electrical engineer.  Lyle's hands could do almost anything—he built houses, repaired engines, restored toys, fixed electrical systems.

But, it was Lyle's heart that impressed me the most.  He knew what was right and what was wrong.  He stood up for justice and he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with those who were ignored, pushed aside or pushed down.  Here are just two examples.

Where Visitors Go

In my most recent newsletter about the Council’s proposal to create a Tourism Improvement Area I asked readers where they take out-of-town visitors. The responses were numerous and varied, but the general theme was: Outside!

People love our city’s parks and open spaces, from Gasworks to Green Lake to Volunteer Park to Alki to Seward Park. Each one offers something different. Several highlighted the versatility of the Ballard Locks, which provides hooks for the range of visitors: gardens, engineering works, salmon jumping.

Lessons on the Fragility of Life

Three things over the past couple of weeks have reminded me of the fragility of life.

Two weeks ago, a friend, neighborhood activist, former youth soccer coach, husband and father took his own life at a seemingly desperate and hopeless time. Phil Irwin was a good man; he coached my daughter’s team in their early years when they were just learning team sports. He followed a coach we parents had essentially "fired" due to his biting, degrading and never-ending screaming. (Continue Phil's story and more after the jump.)

Save Money! Pay Traffic & Parking Tickets Now and Save

The City's Municipal Court judges have opened a special "save money" window of time that allows you to lower costs on outstanding traffic and parking infractions.  But, the window slams shut at the end of June.  Here's a link to frequently asked questions about the program.

These reduced cost program expires June 30, one day before the City's new Boot-the-Car enforcement effort begins.  So, get those unpaid traffic and parking tickets paid off or else your vehicle may be subject to booting, a device that attaches to your tire and makes moving your car impossible.  Don't get the boot!  Pay off your traffic and parking tickets today.

 

Dave Niehaus Memorial Street

We ceremonially renamed a Safeco Field street for Mariners' broadcaster Dave Niehaus yesterday.  Watch the vote, including an audio remembrance.

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