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Early polling data done by Pyramid Communications for attorney general hopeful Deborah Senn's campaign placed the former insurance commissioner far ahead of her Democratic primary opponent, Mark Sidran, and the Republican hopeful, Rob McKenna. A survey of 600 statewide voters had Senn trouncing both Republicans, errr, both her opponents--2 to 1. JOSH FEIT

Big Surprise: Carrasco Approved

During Mayor Nickels' State of the City speech on Monday, February 2, the mayor beamed about the new Seattle City Light superintendent: "And now, with Jorge Carrasco's leadership, we will establish stability and set the course for City Light's next century." No matter that Carrasco hadn't even been confirmed yet. How symbolic. This was a rubber-stamp deal from day one. With only one public hearing on Carrasco under its belt, the Seattle City Council went on to approve Nickels' nominee--who has never been an electric utility super or CEO before--with a 9-0 vote. JOSH FEIT

Coping with the Chamber

The nascent Puget Sound Skatepark Association (PSSA), which formed just two weeks ago to help preserve a Ballard skate park that may get demolished to make way for a new neighborhood park, got caught up in its first political skirmish last week. While the PSSA had expected to focus its efforts on city officials, that changed when the Ballard Chamber of Commerce jumped into the debate.

The chamber sent a letter to Mayor Greg Nickels on January 21, opposing a skate park in the new Ballard park. "Skateboarding elements will have numerous detrimental effects, including visual, audible and experiential impacts on those living in the area and using the park," chamber leaders wrote.

The on-point PSSA fired off a rebuttal on February 2. "Destroying this one bowl would leave skaters searching for other places to skate, likely the streets of Ballard. We don't think that the community of merchants really want that," the skaters argued. "In fact, the area has benefited from the existence of the Ballard bowl. When skaters travel to Ballard, they spend money in Ballard." Both the chamber and the PSSA want a meeting with the mayor. BRIAN WALTON

Antiwar Anniversary

Local activists are meeting every Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. at Seattle Central Community College on Broadway and Pine Street (room 3205) to hammer out plans for a March 20 demo signaling the one-year anniversary of the initial bombing campaign in Bush's ongoing war in Iraq. AMY JENNIGES