MONDAY, AUGUST 7, 2017

Another piece of Seattle’s heritage died yesterday. For the first time in 65 years, there was no live coverage of the hydro races on local broadcast TV. Just a highlights show in the evening. Even during that, no racing heat was aired start-to-finish.

Even if you did the radio or streaming-video coverage, you only got two preliminary heats at noon Sunday and the final run at 5. The first two pairs of heats were shifted to Saturday, presumably to get more in-person viewers to the lake both days.

This is not the way to keep the sport, or the tradition, alive.

WEATHER

Not as hot as last week. Still somewhat smoggy, though.

This past weekend, we had the “worst air quality in the nation.” (State Dept. of Ecology)

Those big BC wildfires have led 37,000 people to leave their homes. (BBC)

STATE OF THE ART (OF THE STATE)

The third Seattle Art Fair was its usual mammoth self, with the likes of Picasso and Tobey juxtaposed with the wares of local artists and/or galleries.

The all-local Out of Sight exhibit, moved to the ex-Schoenfeld Interiors storefront, was its own solid showcase, highlighted by local clay-animation legend Bruce Bickford and his tabletop Twin Peaks tableau.

And the brand new third leg of the art-trioka, 4Culture’s BorderLands at King Street Station, made a terrific debut with works on common themes of “nationalism and belonging”—about as Now a topic as you can get, even with items gathered from existing city-owned collections. (image: Ryan Feddersen)

Indeed, resistance-themed works were all over all three mega-shows, plus many of the smaller "unofficial satellite” events.

As you'd expect.

CITY HALL FOLLIES

After Friday’s “ballot drop,” Nikkita Oliver gained a little ground vs. Cary Moon for the second slot in November’s mayoral final. But she’s still got a 2,000-vote deficit, and not a lot of uncounted ballots are left. (Slog)

The Oliver camp’s big hope: a good showing among the 2,200 “challenged ballots.” (Slog)

No, Jenny Durkan’s first-place showing in the primary doesn’t signify a more “centrist” seattle. Rather, the total results show the city moving even further leftward. (Knute Berger)

Even if she doesn’t make the general election, Oliver’s strong showing in the primary may be “the first US manifestation” of a new left-populist movement already stirring in Europe. (Greg Scruggs, Crosscut)

IN THE RESISTANCE

Social media right-wingers have been spreading a graphic “meme,” supposedly advertising a Starbucks one-day special for “Dreamer” immigrants/offspring. T’aint real. (AP)

County Exec Dow Constantine says King County’s “fighting back” against federal cuts to sex-ed funding.

Danny Westneat suggests a revised Statue of Liberty poem: “Give me your privileged, your professionals, your STEM grads yearning to sling code…”

AROUND THE GENDER BEND

Five of GeekGirlCon’s volunteer directors have quit the convention organization, claiming its executive director “kink-shamed” a high-ranking volunteer staffer, and had also mismanaged the organization’s funds. Management put out a statement saying it’s acted “to improve communication, transparency and financial oversight.” (GeekWire)

An official in the state Dept. of Fish and Wildlife was charged with rape. Investigators into the case found an “inappropriate sexual culture” in the department’s offices, that had “festered for more than a year.” (News Tribune)

In a rare instance of the UW firing a tenured prof, medical researcher Michael Katze was dismissed after he was found to have sexually harassed coworkers, kept pornos on his office computer, and once asked assistants to get him a sex worker. (BuzzFeed) (SeaTimes)

YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS

Seattle Center and the Seattle School District signed a deal for a new or renovated stadium (at the current Memorial Stadium site) and a new high school (somewhere on the Center grounds). (KING)

O GIVE ME A HOME

We mentioned how Greenwood NIMBYs are using assorted complaints to try to stop an “affordable” apartment complex. One of their claims: the #5 bus doesn’t always show up on time, so residents would need cars, but the plan doesn’t include any parking. (Weekly)

A Zillow report says Seattle’s got America’s third highest homeless population, and that it’ll only get bigger with more rent hyper-inflation. (GeekWire) (KING)

UPDATES

We’ve now heard from Jeff Lee, co-owner of the Two Bells Bar and Grill. He insists that the Belltown institution isn’t going anywhere, despite a developer saying it wanted the land.

Former local real-estate developer Lobsang Dargey was sentenced to four years in prison and three years’ probation, for “conspiring to commit wire fraud and concealing information from federal authorities.” (PS Biz Journal)

We mentioned a potential Teamster strike against sand and gravel companies. We didn’t mention such a strike would also affect concrete suppliers, thus threatening innumerable construction projects. (KIRO-FM)

THE BIG A

One of those Forbes.com “contributors” cites Amazon’s new warehouses as proof that “China-like wages are now part of the US employment boom.”

SPORTS

The HomeStreet Bank hydroplane, driven by Jimmy Shane, won the Albert Lee Cup race final, after Andrew Tate in the Les Schwab Tires boat crossed the finish line first but got a late penalty.

Sounders FC won 4-0 at Minnesota. Home vs. Sporting Kansas City Saturday.

The Storm lost at Dallas Friday (93-80) and at San Antonio Saturday (87-80, in OT). At Phoenix Saturday.

The Mariners split the four-game series at Kansas City. A rainout Saturday meant a doubleheader Sunday, in turn resulting in an 8-7 win and a 9-1 loss. At Oakland starting Tuesday.

TONIGHT

Chevelle. (Showbox Sodo)

DOTA2 video-game championships. (KeyArena, thru Sat)

Authors David Edward Walker and Deena Metzger. (Elliott Bay Book Co.)

“The Moors,” play by Jen Silverman. (U Heights Center, thru Tue)

"The Magic Hat” comedy-variety show with Emmett Montgomery. (Rendezvous)

Teenage Sexx, Dynamite Nugget, Golden Age, Dead Evergreen. (Funhouse)

Jason Eady, Rachel Mae. (Tractor)

Meat Wave. (Vera Project)

“Take 5” improv comedy. (Pocket Theater)

QUOTE-O-THE-DAY

(T.S. Eliot):

“We know too much, and are convinced of too little. Our literature is a substitute for religion, and so is our religion.”

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© 2017 Clark Humphrey