This strike is just sad. Both the SEA union president, Jonathon Knapp, and the SPS superintendent, Larry Nyland, seem like level headed people that deescalate situations. Larry Nyland graduated from Seattle Public Schools and has a track record of staying put in superintendent jobs without causing trouble. Jonathon Knapp is a moderate in the union who was elected over the firebrand Jesse Hagopian.

Why couldn’t they just split the difference in negotiations? It seems like this strike is the result of pent up frustrations resulting from years of bad administration and bad contracts. Now that district finances are doing somewhat …

Vegetarians and caracassatarians are similarly losing out. Hawaiian Breeze has been gone for a little while, but we figured we’d make it official with this picture:

There’s no indications the building will be redeveloped, which is too bad as it’s the sort of older brick structure that is vulnerable in earthquakes. Ideally CVS would move into every building in the neighborhood, upgrade them all seismically, then move out.

Sutra is slated to close on September 19th. Some of the owners are relocating far away to be closer to where they live, but another set of people from the restaurant have …

On the one hand, a Seattle Public School teacher strike is looking very likely to be called tonight given the latest reports from the bargaining teams. Bleah. On the other hand, a new playground!

Greg Lewis writes:

A few months ago, the John Stanford Playground Improvement Committee applied to the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods for a large project matching grant to implement a neighborhood improvement project on the JSIS school site. Large project grants can be awarded up to $100,000 and require a 1:1 match in value. The match can be comprised of cash and volunteer hours, with most volunteer …

In the land of neighborhood karma, Mark just pulled off perfection. He writes:

I’ve just put up Seattle’s first (?) Tiny Free Library, a little free library just for pre schoolers. I did it because I wasn’t seeing a lot of kids’ books in the existing community library for our two kids (nearly 3 and nearly 4).

So this is small, just big enough for board books, and at around the right height for toddlers. Be great if families started to use it.

It’s on the south side of 44th between Corliss and Bagley.

You can finally get rid of your VHS player- despite years of advertising to the contrary, the 50th street Deli Market is not going to restock with $0.98 video tapes. Thanks to Todd for passing this info on to us:

Looks like 50th Street Market building is being torn down and replaced with 17 “efficiency apartments” in a 3-story building. Goodbye to my Cascade views but hopefully new retail in the building will not sell alcohol to attract drunk vagrants. Store owner told me demolition is set to begin in November. Comment period open till early September.

The DPD posting …