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In Other News...

As if Mayor Nickels' office wasn't shameless enough about trying to boot incumbent City Council Member Judy Nicastro from office (and control the council), Nickels' communications director, Casey Corr, is hosting a September 10 fundraiser for recently declared Nicastro opponent Jean Godden at his Laurelhurst home. Godden, thanks to about $25,000 of her own cash, has about $37,000 total. JOSH FEIT

Pronounced "Toast"

In the week's biggest campaign irony, Nicastro--whose chances of reelection seem iffy--held an August 26 fundraiser at Fremont's ToST. NANCY DREW

Nickels' Agenda

To boost his biotech agenda, Mayor Greg Nickels has a few more proposals for South Lake Union. On August 18, after sliding some biotech-friendly zoning changes through the Department of Design, Construction and Land Use (DCLU), including increased height limits and reduced parking requirements, Nickels sent the tweaks on for council approval. "There are special needs for biotech buildings that we're trying to accommodate through these changes," explains Marianne Bichsel, spokesperson for the mayor.

The Seattle Displacement Coalition and a new neighborhood group, DEEDS (Democratic, Equitable and Environmental Development in South Lake Union), are appealing the DCLU's opinion that the changes don't have a significant impact on the neighborhood. "We're talking about zoning changes that lay the groundwork for a level of development that not only violates the neighborhood plan, but would also be used to justify millions of dollars of additional public infrastructure for South Lake Union," the Displacement Coalition's John Fox explains.

The groups plan to flood a September 2 public meeting at the South Lake Union Armory to argue against the zoning changes. AMY JENNIGES

McKenna Jumps In

Republican King County Council Member Rob McKenna--who represents Bellevue, Mercer Island, and Renton--jumped into the 2004 race for state attorney general, a seat being vacated by Christine Gregoire (who's bidding for governor). McKenna, a smarty-pants Sound Transit critic and fiscal conservative who's currently running unopposed for reelection to the county council, was waiting to announce his candidacy until state Republicans--including McKenna--picked their gubernatorial candidate. On Tuesday, McKenna declared that he "couldn't afford to wait." AMY JENNIGES