The Seattle Library Board of Trustees Voted Unanimously Not to Pursue a Name Change: Rich Smith, who has been reporting on the library rebranding mess, was there yesterday when a 5-0 vote was taken to stop a $2 million effort to give the Seattle Public Library a brand new brand identity. Language in the approved measure included this: "The library will not move forward with a name change or logo at this time.â Look for more from Rich on Slog later this morning.
The Move Seattle Campaign On "The Truth about Fayeâ: As Heidi Groover reports, the campaign backing the mayorâs $930 million transportation levy held a media event Wednesday to call out Faye Garneau, the North Seattle landowner who is bankrolling opposition to the levy with $325,000 of her own money. Levy supporters called Garneau, who has also also donated to Tim Eymanâs latest initiative, a âwealthy conservativeâ trying to âbuy the election.â âThe bottom line,â said Transportation Choices Coalition Deputy Director Shefali Ranganathan, âis Faye Garneau does not want to pay her fair share in taxes⌠Her vision is to stop progress and to do nothing.â
Council Candidates Call for Progressive Taxation: Want a city council that will fight for progressive taxes, like the business head tax and the increased commercial parking tax Nick Licata and Kshama Sawant have been pushing for? Today, a slate of candidates is promising to do just that. Sawant, who's running for reelection, will be joined by candidates Michael Maddux, Jon Grant, and Tammy Morales at a press conference this morning supporting those taxesâplus a "millionaires tax" and developer impact fees. The coalition is similar, if smaller, than the group of candidates who stood together for a slate of housing affordability policies earlier this year.
Vancouver Will Tear Down Its Viaducts: "The Vancouver (B.C.) City Council voted Tuesday night to tear down a pair of waterfront viaducts," notes the Seattle Times. "The twin elevated roadways, known as the Georgia Street and Dunsmuir viaducts, connect downtown Vancouver with the False Creek area. According to the Vancity Buzz, a new $300 million project would replace the viaducts with a new six-lane road." Here, again, is the potential future of Seattle's still-not-demolished viaduct.
A Campaign to Protect the Salish Sea from Shipping: "A small non-profit in the San Juan Islands has taken the lead in an international campaign to protect the Salish Sea from adverse effects of shipping," reports KPLU's Bellamy Pailthorp. "Currently, proposals for 14 new or upgraded export facilities for fossil fuels in British Columbia and five in northwestern Washington could dramatically increase shipping traffic through local waters."
Wrongly Accused Man Gets $35,000 Settlement from SPD: "A Federal Way man wrongly accused in a violent kidnapping has settled with the city of Seattle for $35,000," the SeattlePI.com reports. "Randy Leshon Stevens was charged in January 2013 after Seattle Police Department detectives identified him as a suspect in a sexually motivated kidnapping that occurred a year before. It turned out the lead detective had misidentified Stevens as a suspect."
It's Hard to Find Unhappy People in Bellevue? "Four Bellevue City Council members are up for election this fall," reports Joshua McNichols. "The election comes at a time when Bellevue is going through many changes. Downtown is growing, and with light rail on the way, that growth will expand northeast toward Microsoft. I wanted to ask voters what they think about Bellevueâs current path. I figured I would start by finding a person happy with Bellevue and someone looking for change. That ended up being more complicated than Iâd imagined."
Images from the "Extinction Economy": Sea turtle skin boots, an ivory statue, a cheetah foot paperweight, and an elephant hide wallet are among the items on display at a Woodland Park Zoo exhibit designed to encourage support for the Paul Allen-funded Initiative 1401, which, as Joel Connelly writes, would "stiffen penalties and prohibit selling, buying, trading or distributing parts of 10 endangered sea and land creatures, or products containing or made from those animals." The Stranger Election Control Board says to vote Yes.
And There Was Another Republican Debate Last Night: Here's The Stranger's liveblog of the CNBC "Your Money, Your Vote" extravaganza. And in other Republican news: Paul Ryan is the new speaker of the House.