Nickels Newsletter - July 2006

Dear Friends,

I hope you all enjoyed a safe and meaningful Fourth of July celebration. One of the highlights of my holiday as mayor of Seattle is the annual naturalization ceremony at the Seattle Center where I have the honor of presiding over the swearing in of our newest citizens. This year nearly 500 people, from more than 70 countries, were sworn in.

I'm so proud they choose to live in our great city of Seattle, they add to our city's rich diversity and we all benefit. Most of us are immigrants or children of immigrants. No matter how long we've lived here, whether we are first generation immigrants, descendants of immigrants, or descendents of indigenous people, this holiday reminds us all to cherish our "unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." And with these rights comes the responsibility for all of us to respect and protect them at home, in our places of work, and in our communities.

The holiday was barely over when fire broke out on NOAA piers in Lake Union just after 1:30 a.m. While boats and buildings suffered serious damage, I'm thankful no people were seriously injured. I arrived at the scene at about 3 a.m. to find more than 100 Seattle firefighters fighting the blaze. I was pleased with our police and firefighters' quick response and for the help from firefighters from around the region.

As we hit the midpoint of summer, I hope you all have a chance to enjoy the many Seafair festivities around town. It's a great tradition and showcases our neighborhoods and cultural richness. Enjoy.

Sincerely,


GREG NICKELS
Mayor of Seattle

First rail laid for South Lake Union Streetcar

Laying the symbolic first rail for the South Lake Union Streetcar signifies that we continue to make progress in this up and coming center city neighborhood. There are new jobs, new homes for all incomes, we’re starting work on a new park, and we’re going to fix the "Mercer Mess." When I first proposed the idea of a streetcar I felt like it might be a lonely train ride to get to this point, but now we have many supporters, including Sen. Patty Murray, who helped lay the first rail. Together we will make it a reality and the streetcar will provide a vital link between the South Lake Union neighborhood and downtown Seattle.
Read the news release

Honoring Officer Steve Leonard – a true hero

On that tragic morning on Capitol Hill in March when a gunman shot and killed six people and then himself, Officer Steve Leonard was on the scene within seconds of the first 911 call. He didn’t wait for backup. He stopped the gunman and probably saved many more lives. It was an honor to recognize Officer Leonard’s courage and extraordinary act of bravery, and to thank his family for sharing Steve with us.
Read the news release

"Dirty Dozen" transportation headaches named

The people of Seattle have spoken and we received more than 700 nominations for the "Dirty Dozen." Last month I called for nominations for the worst transportation problems in Seattle to try to prioritize the long list and get to the worst first. And one of the worst is Wallingford's notorious 45th Street corridor, which carries an average of 23,700 cars a day. The response was overwhelming because there is so much to do. One-third of our bridges need major repairs or replacement, two-thirds of our primary streets are past their intended life, one-third of our sidewalks are in poor condition and we have faded crosswalks, graffiti tagging, bike path gaps and the list goes on. Our challenge is to eliminate a $500 million maintenance backlog. My 20-year "Bridging the Gap" plan will let us do that and we can catch up and stay up. The "Dirty Dozen" is a good starting point.
Read more about "Bridging the Gap"
Read more about the "Dirty Dozen"

266 and counting - mayors continue signing on to fight global warming

As we hit your inboxes with this newsletter, we have more than 260 U.S. cities on board, representing 47 million Americans from 43 states. They have pledged to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions to help stem the growing threat of climate change brought on by global warming. And I fully expect the number to hit 300 before long. The leaders of these cities realize that together we can make a difference in each of our cities. Here in Seattle, my Green Ribbon Commission outlined 18 recommendations in March and in September I’ll present Seattle’s action plan based on these recommendations.
Read the news release
Read more about climate protection and the latest number of cities

Moving ahead with the Alaskan Way Tunnel

With identified funding sources and a recent poll showing strong public support for a tunnel, I’m confident that we will be able to build a cut-and-cover tunnel and open up our waterfront for the people of Seattle. We identified $5 billion in secured and potential funding sources that exceed the necessary $3 billion to $3.6 billion to build the core tunnel project. And public support is mounting for the tunnel. The poll showed that the tunnel is the number one pick of Seattle voters. The people of Seattle understand the importance of investing in the future of our waterfront. We need to remove the viaduct, not expand or enlarge it.
Read more about the financing plan
Read more about the poll

Pride Festival – celebration for all of Seattle

It was a great day for a parade culminating Seattle’s weekend-long Pride Festival at the end of June. This year the festival and parade made a historic move to downtown and the Seattle Center. And for the first time, local television aired same-day coverage of the Pride parade. Seattle’s festival is one of the largest in the country - so big, in fact, that we had to move it downtown. I’m proud that Seattle is one of the first cities in the country to establish domestic partnership laws and officially recognize the marital status of same sex couples. This year we also celebrated the end of Tim Eyman’s statewide anti-gay Initiative 65. The Pride Festival is no longer for just one neighborhood, but a celebration for all of Seattle.

Building healthy communities

One of the keys to building healthy communities is by supporting neighborhood businesses. Each year, through my Office for Economic Development, we award grants to neighborhood business district associations throughout Seattle. This year, we made awards to 16 neighborhood business districts, totaling more than $150,000. These investments help ensure a thriving economy. The awards will be used for a variety of projects, all aimed at making businesses and neighborhoods better. Pictured here is Megan Tormey, representing the Lake City Task Force, one of the grant recipients.
Read the news release and the list of recipients

Seattle Channel wins two Emmy awards

Roll out the red carpet for our own Seattle Channel. The Northwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences honored two of the channel’s shows: "City A Go-Go" and "Community Stories." "City A Go-Go," a five-minute monthly show featuring art exhibits and unique entertainment in the Seattle area, won best Entertainment Special or Series. "Community Stories," which focuses on inspirational residents, culture and histories tucked within Seattle's many different communities, won best Video Effects for its opening sequence. These awards recognize the depth of talent, commitment and creativity at the Seattle Channel. Everyday, the Seattle Channel does a wonderful job of connecting people to the events and issues that make this such a dynamic and diverse city.
Connect to the Seattle Channel