Northgate

In September, Mayor Nickels demanded the city council pass his Northgate agenda--a play to scrap the neighborhood-friendly but burdensome set of regulations known as the General Development Plan (GDP). Nickels said scrapping the GDP--which requires developers to publicly outline long-term blueprints so the city can control the direction of large-scale developments--would entice Northgate Mall owner Simon Property Group to build up the sluggish shopping complex. In return for Nickels' pledge to scrap the GDP, Simon pledged to build up to 165,000 square feet along the west side of the mall by I-5.

In mid-November, however, a majority of the council responded by saying Simon's plan didn't meet neighborhood needs for pedestrian-friendly development along nearby Fifth Avenue Northeast. The council threatened to reject Nickels' proposal. The mayor stuck out his tongue and said he'd wait for the new council to take over in January. The two sides reached a compromise this week, however, when the council agreed to lift the GDP in exchange for a substantial commitment from Simon to build along Fifth. JOSH FEIT


Judy Nicastro

You probably haven't heard the last of Judy Nicastro, who was ousted from Seattle City Council last month. "Heard" being the key word. Rumor has it that the vocal Nicastro is looking for work as a radio talk show host. Now she can bash the mayor from the safe harbor of the airwaves. Nicastro has already made numerous appearances on KUOW. On November 15, Judy was her typical fiery self on Bill Radke's otherwise stiff Rewind. In the guise of offering advice to council rookies, she made this dig at Mayor Greg Nickels : "Be very calculated in how you deal with the executive." MAHRYA DRAHEIM


Howard Dean

Why was Howard Dean grinning so broadly on the evening of December 8? Was it all the money pouring into his campaign? Was it Al Gore's endorsement? Or was it the greeting he was receiving in Seattle, and in gatherings in nine other cities videoconferencing with the candidate? Probably all of the above.

Seattle's Bell Harbor International Conference Center gathering drew about 150 supporters--at a nifty $100 a head. Dean looked on with a satisfied smirk as local Deaniacs chanted his praises and posed with a life-size cardboard cutout of the Democratic front-runner. SANDEEP KAUSHIK