Chicken

When the KFC on East Pine Street shut its doors, it was another nail in the coffin for fast-food chains on Capitol Hill. On Broadway, Taco Bell was demolished in May for a six-story mixed-use development and Jack in the Box closed in March to make way for the light-rail station.

"My business partners and neighbors are all happy that fast food will no longer be the use for that site," says Ted Schroth, owner of the Odd Fellows Building across the street. According to Schroth and neighborhood sources, the site will be developed into (what else?) a multistory building with retail on the ground floor and apartments up top.

But they may be counting their fried chickens before they hatch. Before the site's big transformation, it could be home to another fast-food joint—albeit temporarily. The buyer is reportedly known to take his time redeveloping new properties. And workers in coveralls last week were painting the iconic red roof with tan paint; they said the new owner is seeking a new fast-food tenant. Dominic Holden

Conflicts

King County Executive Ron Sims is facing probable opposition in his bid for reelection from King County Council Member Larry Phillips. So as you can imagine, things have been a little tense around the county courthouse. To alleviate some of the pressure, Sims recently hired consultant Heather Andersen to conduct focus groups of county staffers to, according to an e-mail from chief of staff Ross Baker, "discuss relations between the King County Council and the executive."

Last week, though, the focus group was abruptly canceled after it came to light that the consultant Sims chose was a donor to Sims's campaign—and even served as a "table captain" at Sims's campaign kickoff at the downtown Westin last week. Andersen was also the lead plaintiff in the case challenging Washington State's Defense of Marriage Act, aka Andersen v. Sims—a lawsuit that gay-marriage-supporter Sims wholeheartedly encouraged. Erica C. Barnett

Cocks

According to a Gay Pride Parade organizer who met with police on June 18, a Seattle police officer threatened to arrest nude cyclists scheduled to ride in the Pride Parade. But when parade attorney David Coffman tried to verify those claims, SPD assistant chief Nicholas Metz told him that Seattle's nude-cycling policy hadn't changed.

Metz sent Coffman a letter from Chief Gil Kerlikowske explaining that for police to make an arrest, a rider must be engaging in "lewd or obscene behavior" and someone must complain at the scene of the nudity.

But did an SPD officer claim that police would bust the cyclists and take a parade organizer to the police station? "It was a nondenial denial" from the assistant chief, says Coffman.

This is the first time the naked riders, who have ridden in Pride events on Capitol Hill, have threatened to shake their junk downtown. The Body Pride Ride is scheduled in slot 81 of the procession on Sunday, June 29, somewhere behind Governor Christine Gregoire, who is expected to wear clothes. Dominic Holden