News

In Other News...

When the Seattle Times announced recently that it lost $12 million in 2004 and would cut 90 to 110 full-time positions at the paper, morale in the newsroom plunged. They have cause for concern. The paper is tentatively planning to cut 23 newsroom jobs, according to Times spokesperson Kerry Coughlin, pending ongoing negotiations with the paper's unions. An announcement of who will be affected will come mid-February. Also, the Times is rumored to be planning a weekday newsstand price hike, doubling from 25 to 50 cents. Coughlin would not confirm the rumor. SANDEEP KAUSHIK

Advancement

When local NAACP head Carl Mack announced this week he was leaving after two high-profile years, 34-year-old attorney Alfoster Garrett Jr. , Mack's lieutenant, took over as new president. Garrett sounds like he'll have no trouble stepping in where the outspoken Mack left off. He says the group's priorities--education, police accountability, and improving opportunities for black-owned businesses--will remain. "Honestly, right now, no," Garrett said when asked if the city was making enough progress on race issues.

We must admit to being psyched that Garrett has taken over. Two years ago, when Mack became prez, we profiled Garrett instead, saying we were more excited about Garrett's ascendancy to the V.P. slot ["Carl Mack Isn't the Only New Leader at NAACP," Amy Jenniges, Dec 5, 2002]. Now, we'll learn if we were right.

A civil rights attorney, Garrett is currently defending a client who was arrested last fall in a controversial case related to an attempted FBI terrorism sting. JOSH FEIT

Tree Trouble

Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) workers recently tacked neon-green public notices to 54 mature trees along the Pike/Pine corridor of Capitol Hill. "This tree shall be removed," the flyers said--either because the existing plants were "in poor health" or they conflicted with power lines. Most will be replaced as part of a $250,000 package of neighborhood improvements.

It didn't take long for Pike/Pine residents to spoof the flyers--someone hung nearly identical posters on utility poles, subbing in the word "pole" for "tree" and directing inquiries to city arborist Liz Ellis.

Others called the city to complain that the elegantly matured trees were being axed for arbitrary aesthetic reasons rather than for any legit purpose. "In my opinion, they have no reason [to remove the trees]," says resident Anne Michelson.

Arborist Ellis, however, argues that replacement is the best option. She says many have suffered "tree torture thru topping." Further pruning, she says, "would just stress out the tree even more." AMY JENNIGES