Seattle City Councilmember Bruce Harrell

The Seattle Storm embarked on their tenth season on Saturday, June 6th, with a victory over the Monarchs in Sacramento. SWEET! On Sunday, June 7th, I had the opportunity to read a proclamation before the tip-off of their home opener, declaring it Seattle Storm Day. I was joined on the floor by my colleague, Councilmember Jan Drago. The energy in the Key was electric as the Storm went on to win the game 80-70. More than 9,000 people attended the game. They let their voices be heard, as they expressed their adoration for the team. When I watch the Storm, I am always very impressed with their selfless style of play and the crowd’s die-hard enthusiasm.

I cannot say enough about the impact sports has in Seattle. Let’s not underestimate its importance on morale, business generation, mentorship, revenue and our sense of community. It was my pleasure to honor the Storm. I look forward to another exciting, successful season. Go Storm!

View the proclamation (left image) that was read by Councilmember Drago and I before the game.

Photo credit: Aaron Last/Storm Photos

On March 26, 2009, Mayor Nickels and I celebrated the magnificent drawings done by the students at Madrona K-8 Elementary School. Students in Ms. Letta Baker’s class were asked to develop images of their three favorite historical figures. They developed images of President Obama, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and President Abraham Lincoln. The top seven pictures have been on display in my office at City Hall since March 20, where onlookers and viewers have been amazed. On March 26, these paintings were transported to the Mayor’s floor for another viewing, where people were equally impressed with the work.

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On Monday, March 16, 2009, we all received news of the inevitable—the Seattle Post-Intelligencer as we know it printed its final edition for the Tuesday (March 17, 2009) circulation. The paper, which began in 1863, is 146 years old and is our City’s oldest business. It is a casualty of changing times which have been exacerbated by the current economic recession. The P-I will still continue to run as an online publication with 20-25 professional news staff, but a majority of the 167 employees will lose their jobs. According to a representative from the Hearst Corporation, the online version will be “a new type of digital business with a robust, community news and information web site at its core.” I am pleased that the P-I will continue online at least. However, I believe that we are losing a significant piece of our city which lends itself to creating a balanced discussion of news and issues.

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