SeattleIAM: Sonics Play Like “Young Team” Against Suns, Renton Delegates Plan Trip to Sister City in Japan

This is a selection of recent popular blog articles from SeattleIAM where you will find the best blogs from Seattle, Washington as well as video uploads, social networking, rumors, and blog authoring

Sonics Lose Strong First Quarter Lead in Game Against Suns

Gary Washburn, blogging for Seattle Sonics Blog, reviews the Sonic’s loss against the Phoenix Suns last night. After the first quarter, the Sonics held a 20-point lead, but they had pretty much blown it by half-time. Seattle has to “sustain” their successes longer. “All they had to do was match Phoenix basket-for-basket or even give up a few points here and there,” but they allowed the Suns to “rally quickly.” In the second quarter, the whole team “played young,” missing 19 of 25 shots, “including 2-for-11 from the reserves.”

Washburn writes in his post that “Sonics coach P.J. Carlesimo blamed the bench… for their lack of production.” Delonte West “sleptwalked” through the game, with “two rebounds, no assists, one turnover and one foul in 18 minutes.” Wally Szczerbiak finished 4-for-10, “but attempted just one 3-pointer and didn't get an open look.” And Chris Wilcox is heading back to Seattle to have his dislocated pinky checked. He was ruled out of the game and could be out an extended period. “Nick Collison finished with 14 rebounds in his absence, but the Sonics definitely could have used Wilcox's fresh legs.”

Renton Delegates to Visit Japanese Sister City in April

In a recent post on Renton, WA Lynn Glessner informs readers that Renton has a sister city: Nishiwaki, Japan. This relationship began in 1969 when an alliance with Nishiwaki “was forged by the Renton Lions Club with support of other civic organizations to promote mutual understanding and goodwill… and to encourage the exchange of ideas and culture between the two cities.”  Sister city relationships pair “two cities with strikingly similar characteristics.”  Renton and Nishiwaki are both located in a valley with a river running through the center of town. “Nishiwaki is located near the city of Kobe, which is one of Seattle’s sister cities.” 

A trip is planned for the week of April 7 (exact dates TBA), and is “open to community leaders and residents interested in representing Renton.” Previous delegations have included “members from the Renton School District, City of Renton, Mayor and Councilmembers, service clubs, and Renton citizens.” According to her post, delegates will “meet Nishiwaki’s Mayor and Council, and tour local attractions and cities.” They will be totally responsible for their expenses, but home-stay accommodations are available. One additional expense to note is that visitors to Japan should bring gifts for their homestay sponsors, so as not to appear rude.

Seattle Not as “Walkable” as Brookings Claims

Over at Metroblogging Seattle, Samantha Mastridge looks at the “walkability” (and “jaywalkability”) of Seattle, which was recently touted as the 6th most walkable U.S. cities by Brookings.  The result was “more on the strength of our neighborhoods than our downtown core.” She points to a crosscut article that argues this standing because “construction often steals sidewalks… [and] no one in Seattle jaywalks, no matter what time of day or night.” Being a pedestrian, originally from a bottom of the “Walkable City” listing, Mastridge agrees with the article, which states that in a pedestrian-friendly city “no developer could block pedestrian passage with a building project… Any construction project that did block a sidewalk would have to provide a pedestrian passage beside it.”

In addition, the Crosscut article points to the fact that pedestrians can get tickets for jaywalking, even if it’s across a “deserted 3rd Avenue at 3 am.” Mastridge claims in her post that “a lot of people in Seattle get hit in crosswalks when the walk light is lit, and the aftermath is a lot worse.” Our blogger adds to Crosscut’s reasoning with the idea that in order for a city to be walkable, it needs more bike lanes. “If there's a place for bicycles to ride… then there will be safer sidewalks for pedestrians to walk without worrying about being run over by bikes.” She concludes that Seattle is more walkable than many cities, but “it is not more walkable than New York and Chicago, Brookings, no matter how nicely you can stroll along the Kirkland waterfront.”

Viaduct Coming Down… Or Else?

Seth reports in Seattlest that Gregoire is tearing down the viaduct no matter what. Our Governor recently told the Seattle P-I that she has made a decision. “It's coming down in 2012. I'm taking it down… And if we don't have some alternative by then, boy are we going to have a mess on our hands because it's coming down.”

Interestingly enough, our blogger points out, is that Gregoire has an election between now and her deadline of 2012. So, “what happens if she doesn't get re-elected?” he asks in his post. The viaduct issue has been debated for years while we wait for a decision, and it “seems to have taken on a life of its own.” Despite being “ugly, old, and widely derided” it goes on existing year after year.

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