This month we were saddened by the passing of Leighton Hilbert. While his may not be a household name, his artistry has been appreciated by thousands and his legacy will live on. In 1971 Mr. Hilbert carved and donated to the City the wooden replica of the City Seal – the profile of Chief Seattle that hangs in the Mayor's Office. It has been the backdrop of hundreds of photos with every mayor since 1971. The beautiful carving watches over our daily deliberations in the Mayor's Office and serves as a tribute to the dignity and contributions of both Chief Seattle and Leighton Hilbert.

In 1971 a promise was made to Mr. Hilbert to award an annual $1,000 college scholarship to a Native American student. It was a forgotten promise and I was proud to make good on it when I took office in 2002 (see photo). Ironically, this is the month we announce the recipient of this annual scholarship. It will be a bittersweet privilege to present this year's award to a deserving student without Mr. Hilbert's presence, but I know he would be proud.

Heading into June and summer in Seattle, I look forward to the many summer events going on all over town, reflecting our city's many unique neighborhoods and rich cultural diversity. And as you travel around town this summer -- given skyrocketing gas prices and our commitment to fighting climate disruption -- I encourage you to consider giving your car a vacation too(see below). Have an enjoyable car-free summer.

Sincerely,


GREG NICKELS
Mayor of Seattle

Many Seattleites do their part everyday in the fight against global warming -- in their homes, at work and on the road. This summer we're offering Seattle drivers incentives to do a little extra and “give your car the summer off.” As part of my Climate Action Now program, we encourage you to use carbon-friendly alternatives throughout the week and in the neighborhoods. No matter how you go -- bus, bike, car pool, train, foot -- we're offering a number of programs to make it easy and rewarding to give your car a vacation. Seattle Art Museum, Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle Aquarium and many local businesses will offer discounts to people who pledge to not drive alone, and more incentives will be offered to drivers who give up their cars for a month or a year.
Find out more in the news release

It was a beautiful sunny Saturday when we celebrated the grand opening of the new complex in south downtown that houses Fire Station 10, the Fire Alarm Center (FAC) and the Emergency Operation Center (EOC). The new Fire Station 10 replaces the 1928-vintage station located in Pioneer Square. And the new home of the FAC and the EOC provides much needed space and state-of-the art equipment to carry out their life-saving jobs. The new facility reflects our commitment to green building practices and includes low-flow fixtures throughout, and a 12,000 gallon cistern that captures water from department drills to provide 100 percent of the water for truck washing and irrigation. And if you're in the neighborhood, take note of the artwork which reflects the life-saving work of the people who work in the building and its location in the International District.
Read the news release
See more photos

Watch the Press Conference on the Seattle Channel

Seattle has some of the finest-tasting, healthiest and purest-source water in the world. That's why it makes little sense for Seattleites to waste their money on bottled water -- which costs 2,400 times as much as tap water and creates thousands of tons of greenhouse gases. Every year we issue a report on water quality and again this year Seattle's water rates as among the best in any major city in North America. In March I ordered all City departments to stop purchasing bottled water to cut down on waste and climate pollution. Now I'm asking all of Seattle to join us.
Read the news release

With strong community support, I have proposed a solution to the chronic flooding that has plagued the Madison Valley neighborhood for years. The plan will divert storm flows from the northwest corner of Madison Valley to a 2-million gallon storage facility that will be located just south of the Washington Park playfield in the Arboretum. This plan will greatly reduce the decades-long risk of flooding in Madison Valley. It combines sound science with intensive neighborhood involvement to create a solution that's good for the residents and for the city.
Read the news release

Our neighborhood business districts are the economic engines that provide jobs and create the unique character of each neighborhood. Each year we award funds to neighborhood business associations throughout Seattle as a means of investing in building healthy communities. This year, we awarded almost $160,000 to 18 organizations, including the Columbia City Business Association (with representative Andrew Stewart pictured here),Central Area Chamber of Commerce, Georgetown Merchants Association, Crown Hill Business Association and more. Projects funded range from sidewalk cleaning to winter decorations and banners.
See the news release for a complete list of award recipients

Our animal shelter on Elliott Avenue now boasts a new adoption center and improvements throughout the building that will benefit employees, customers and the animals. In unveiling these improvements, we also paid tribute to Neal Duncan, a shelter officer who died on the job in 2006. In Neal's honor, his widow Pam joined me in unveiling a plaque that will grace the entrance of the adoption center. I was pleased to also be joined for the ribbon cutting by Councilmember Jean Godden, Sharon and our own dog, Edgar, whom we adopted from the shelter last January.
Read the news release

Pioneer Square -- a great historic neighborhood -- was the site of Clean and Green #83. This is truly an all around neighborhood, with lots of history, art galleries, unique shops, residences, a wonderful park, great places to eat, and neighbors ready to roll up their sleeves to spruce up their neighborhood. This dedication plays out all across our city when neighbors come out for these Clean and Green events. To date, more than 12,000 volunteers have collected more than 341,000 pounds of litter.
Visit the Clean & Green Web site

It’s always a pleasure to have young visitors come by the office. On this year’s Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day, one of my visitors was Erik, the 11-year old nephew of employee Richard Vincent. Erik enjoyed sitting in my chair. And who knows, one day it may be his chair. I hope all the daughters and sons who came to work enjoyed their day on the job.