Congrats to Rep. Liz Berry, one of Seattle Subways Riders of the Year honored last night at Optimism Brewing.
Congrats to Rep. Liz Berry, one of Seattle Subway's Riders of the Year honored last night at Optimism Brewing. Matt Baume

Happy Transit Operator Appreciation Day. On Friday, tip your hat to your bus driver, ferry captain, and streetcar conductor. It’s the 13th annual Transit Operator Appreciation Day, a global celebration that started in Seattle. If you’re really feeling generous, then fill out a Driver Commendation Form.

Behold, SDOT’s bike lane to nowhere. Work continues on the Alaskan Way Traffic Trench, the multi-lane speedway that will replace the elevated viaduct. The latest forehead-slapping innovation is a pretzel of a bike lane that absolutely nobody will use. You see, at one point, the proposed bike lanes pass by Pier 66, which for a few months out of the year is where cruise ships load and unload their passengers. To avoid conflicts, SDOT is proposing a labyrinth, wherein cyclists will be instructed to cross a busy street, and then cross back two blocks later. Nobody will do this, which is why I am relieved to see that Seattle Greenways’ Gordon Padelford and Port of Seattle’s Ryan Calkins are talking — on Twitter, at least — about figuring out something better.

Amazon bought a lion. Specifically, the MGM lion, and everything else belonging to one of the largest movie studios in the world. Amazon spent a little over $8 billion to acquire MGM, which is all worth it to be the owner of Showgirls.

It's moving day. Today and tomorrow, Seattle will trash the shelters and push unhoused people in the CID to other neighborhoods. Though social workers may make referrals to shelters, there's no guarantee that the shelter will actually meet the individual's needs, which is why so few referrals result in someone accepting.

What will it take to make WeWork work? A coworking space in Ballard that opened in 2019, then closed in June of 2021, is re-opening on April 4. Another former WeWork space in the U District has been snapped up by another coworking company, this one calling itself Industrious. Private offices are going for about $1,000/month. You can rent a whole apodment for less than that!

Be sure you have a pillow nearby while reading this Twitter thread. You’re going to need something to scream into.

Did you get your hemp license yet? If you want to grow it for commercial uses, you have until March 31 to apply.

Trouble sleeping? You’re not alone. The pandemic has made our sleep much worse, particularly among youth. Stress, a lack of outdoor activity, and inconsistent sleep times contributed to a near-doubling of the number of children experiencing sleep disturbances according to a new UW study. The study author recommends discussing sleep issues next time you see a doctor. But if you do seek treatment, be prepared for a lengthy process — I tried to make an appointment for a sleep study back in December, and it wasn’t until this month that UW was able to get me a kit to diagnose my sleep problems. And it’ll be a few more weeks before they’ll be able to analyze the results. In the meantime, I’m gobbling down edibles every night before bed, which I don’t love but it’s resulted in some fascinating dreams.

What do we do about the housing crisis? Check out my post from yesterday about why the housing reform bills failed this year, and what it would take for them to succeed next year. Then RSVP for this forum about state housing policy, which features some familiar faces.

Watch out for horse strangles. Strangles, the common name for a type of equine respiratory bacteria, has been detected in at least seven horses so far this year around the state. If you have a horse, please look over these tips for keeping them safe, and then send me a picture of your handsome creature.

The ghost of Anita Bryant rides again. Yes, I know she’s technically still alive, but her career sure is dead, lol. Anyway, it is exasperating to see that conservatives have exhumed the corpse of “gays are coming for your children,” which has been the big bad heterosexual lie about us for as long as any of us have been alive. Here’s the always-astute Zack Ford, responding to the latest round of Republican lies about “grooming.”

Chag Purim sameach. I am accepting hamantaschen recipes/bakery recommendations.

Start your election planning now. Yes, November is still months away, but this year’s election is going to be particularly complicated due to more position-shuffling than usual. Lots of folks are retiring or running for other offices — SECB will be on the case as we get into the summer, but until then, Crosscut just updated their list of anticipated candidates.

Sunny lost her tennis ball! Don’t worry, Seattle Humane has another one for her. But what she really needs is for you to take her home. Also, if you’ve already got a furry friend in your life, SH is providing free (!) vaccinations, microchipping, and checkups at a clinic this Saturday March 19, from 1-5pm at the SeaMar Museum.

But will there be room for a TMNT lair? You know there’s nothing I love more than a Liquid Effluent Retention Facility (aka stinky sewer), and Washington’s decommissioned nuclear facility known as the Hanford Site is currently planning some adjustments to their cleanup procedures. It’s all quite technical — much more so than most standard urban sewage systems — but if you’re a nerd about clean, safe water, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with the proposal and submit comments by May 14.

Donate your time to the fish. The Seattle Aquarium is looking for adult volunteers — the next orientation session is next week, so sign up now! Among the roles they need to fill: Habitat interpretation, evening event interpreters, and divers.

Traffic does not exist if you don’t want it to. I’ve been using ebikes and scooters to get around ever since my bike was stolen, and I love it so much I cannot imagine going back. This is the future: