The city announced Tuesday it would give city-owned land plus $9 million to American Eagle Communities, halting the developer's plans to build private housing on the site of former military barracks in Discovery Park. The announcement cooled tensions between AEC and park neighbors, but may have an unexpected cost: Rumor has it that among the properties the city is considering giving to AEC is the lot on which the childhood home of Jimi Hendrix has sat derelict since 2001.

The military, required by federal law to privatize its housing, has planned since earlier this year to abandon its Discovery Park barracks and sell the land to AEC. After neighbors and the city objected to the idea of private housing in a public park, the developer agreed to give the parcel to the city in exchange for something of comparable value. Tuesday's announcement didn't identify which of property the city would give the company, but city council sources identified the Hendrix home as a possibility. The dilapidated house, once the site of a planned tribute to the late guitarist, will likely, council sources say, be demolished. NANCY DREW

Ron Disses Christine

The claim, pushed by conservatives, that King County Elections is biased in favor of Democrat Christine Gregoire in her recount battle with Republican Dino Rossi runs aground on one irrefutable point: King County Exec Ron Sims and Gregoire remain enemies after Gregoire trounced Sims in the gubernatorial primary. Case in point: At the Seattle Urban League breakfast on December 10, attended by Sims, Gregoire, and Rossi, jaws dropped when Sims, who spoke at the event, praised Rossi for attending, referring to him unambiguously as the governor-elect. Meanwhile, he completely ignored Gregoire. Sims' spokesperson Carolyn Duncan says Sims didn't know Gregoire was in the room. SANDEEP KAUSHIK

Bon-Macy's Disses Gays?

Negotiations between unionized Bon-Macy's janitors and management have apparently deadlocked, union officials say, because Bon-Macy's is balking at putting protections for gays and lesbians in the union contract--basic policies like family leave for domestic partners and nondiscrimination rules. Bon-Macy's told The Stranger that their H.R. policies already "strongly" protect gays. The union grouses, however, that the retailer is only willing to provide contractual protections "as provided by law." This may be more than adequate for Bon-Macy employees in Seattle (which has gay protection laws to back up H.R. policies), but says the union, it won't help their Southcenter staff in Tukwila (which doesn't). AMY JENNIGES