Venture Investing Continues to Rise in Seattle Area, Eleventh Straight Loss for Sonics: SeattleIAM

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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

Venture Investing on the Rise in Seattle Area

According to a recent post in John Cook’s Venture Blog, venture investing has risen in both Seattle and Portland over the past year. “Following a report late last week that venture investments in the state soared 31 percent last year to $1.3 billion,” the Dow Jones VentureSource reports that “103 companies in the Seattle metro area raised $1.2 billion last year.” Last year there were 96 companies that raised $1 billion. Portland had 23 companies raising $192 million last year, “compared to 18 companies that raised $108 million in 2006.”

In addition, writes Cook in his post, “two Seattle area companies -- Telecom Transport Management and Alder Biopharmaceuticals -- were among the top 15 most-heavily funded startups during the fourth quarter.” TTM raised $55 million and Alder raised $40 million. Other companies with “ties to Seattle” that made top deals include “Facebook (backed by Microsoft and others), Motricity (recently purchased InfoSpace's wireless business) and Ice.com (backed by Ignition Partners).”

Super Losses for Super Sonics

Over at Super Sonic Soul, a post-game review laments the Sonics’ eleventh loss in a row last night to the Houston Rockets, who “outscored Seattle 24-16 in the 3rd quarter.” This is not unusual, however. “During the Sonics’ 11-game skid, they have been outscored in the 3rd nine times, by a cumulative score of 295-242.” The only exceptions were in their games against Dallas and Philadelphia, who “let the Sonics sort of get back in the game. The Sonics won that third in convincing fashion, 28-27.”

The post goes on to note that “Nick Collison now ranks 5th in the league in rebounds per 48 minutes in January (18.5).” In addition, “Luke Ridnour is now averaging 11.9 assists per 48 on the road and 7.9 per 48 at home.” Another observation is that Wally Szczerbiak “averages 13 ppg in Sonic wins and 13.2 ppg in Sonic losses, and also shoots almost the exact same percentage from the field.” Our blogger jokes that with last night’s loss, “the Sonics have equaled Dennis Kucinich’s win total,” and at this point, is not sure who will get one sooner.

Will Tacoma Shoppers be Deterred by the Narrows Bridge Toll?

Devona Wells, blogging for Biz Buzz, wonders whether the prospect of paying a $3 toll keep Tacoma and University Place shoppers away from Uptown Gig Harbor. The site hosts new stores found nowhere else in Pierce County, but will they be discouraged by crossing the Narrows bridge? “It seems that $3 is not such a big price to pay if you already make the drive to Seattle or elsewhere for J. Jill or Coldwater Creek. But, on the other hand, it could be more than shoppers want to hassle with.”

Uptown Gig Harbor has 150,000 square feet of retail opening, but “was built primarily with the Gig Harbor customer in mind.” Developer John Hogan said when they analyzed the market, they “did not include any community over the bridges.” He said they “wanted to make sure as a Gig Harbor project it could stand on its own.” They didn’t know if the toll was “going to create an additional artificial barrier.” It will be difficult to determine until the new 10-screen Galaxy theater opens next month, which Hogan says will “be the most technologically advanced in the state.” Wells reminds us in her post, that “you’ll be able to buy a beer or glass of wine and sip it from your movie seat.”

Judge Dismisses Teacher’s Racism Suit against Lakeside School

Nina Shapiro, blogging for the Daily Weekly, reports that last week, a federal judge “dismissed the racial discrimination claims made by one of two African American teachers suing Lakeside School, the elite private institution that claims Bill Gates as an alumnus.” U.S. District Court Judge Ricardo Martinez wrote that Ms. Coleman only offered “subjective evidence to support her claims.” Colman submitted 900-plus pages of documents since she and fellow teacher Chance Sims “filed their case 16 months ago.”

“I have…been reduced to tears at the thought of returning to Lakeside or even spending another moment there,” Colman wrote to administrators “after she had decided to leave the school following complaints from parents about her teaching.” The judge concluded there was not “a sufficient legal nexus between her personal struggles as a teacher and the conduct of Lakeside.” In fact, he says, Lakeside administrators tried “to address Coleman’s concerns about racism,” meeting with the parents of a student “she felt had belittled her.” They also invited the teacher to “participate in a diversity committee” and paid for her “to attend a minority conference in Hawaii.” The post notes that Lakeside “continues to push forward an aggressive diversity campaign,” and some current and former parents, students and teachers suggest this obsession “lets nobody forget about it.”

About SeattleIAM

SeattleIAM is part of a groundbreaking network of city-focused blog aggregation, user generated media and social networking websites currently rolling out across North America. Each IAM website filters and organizes blog content as well as offering video upload capabilities, social networking, blog authoring, favourites lists and rumours. The IAM Network is a division of SoMedia Networks Inc which also operates Inveslogic.com, Greenedia.com, Healthedia.com and Blabaloo.com. For more information or to register an account, visit SeattleIAM.com.