Just like in every household during the holidays, there are many Big Media indulgences as we trash one calendar and hang a new one. The Urbanist is no different, and we will be hosting a few year enders and looks forward over the next few weeks.
Few media traditions, however, tend to be as saccharine as those with Thanksgiving. Are we going to go with the things we’re thankful about and try to squeeze some tears out of the Reddit-addled and hot-take bleary readership? Or will we put all journalistic integrity on the line and tee up a handful of turkeys for the year, mocking foibles and kicking someone when they’re deservedly down?
Of course, The Urbanist can’t do anything normal. So we’re going to talk Thanksgiving Meatballs. Just like the hot plate of tomato sauced, softball-sized, pork and veal monsters that show up on the holiday buffet, these morsels stand out because how poorly they fit into the overall ambiance of the day. We’re not even sure who Aunt Marseille is, why she insists on making these things, or how she fits into the family.
But damn, after trying one, we’re happy they’re here. Cutting through all the heavy cream and cloying pies, we realize they are great in and of themselves and also something necessary. They’re a reminder that traditions start somewhere. Why not here, today.
Bonus, a glass of sherry in, Aunt Marseille is going into the story about your grandparents, a trip to the Dells, and a shaved schnauzer named Perkins.
Bothell
Tucked at the north end of Lake Washington and overshadowed by neighboring powerhouses like Seattle, Bellevue, and Redmond, it’s easy to forget Bothell. As one rounds the cluster of shops and apartments on SR 522 or the tangled intersections off I-405, this town of 48,000 slips by. Though it has a UW campus and a McMenamins, it flies mostly under the radar.
No matter how sleepy they appear, Bothell is tearing up the script on progressive urbanism these days. The speculatively developed city hall has anchored some impressive apartment and street front development complimenting the cozy town center. The city council has extended the downtown open street program, allowing the Main Street bars and restaurants to make an absolutely pleasant urban plaza. And Urbanist favorite Davina Duerr fought the good fight in the legislature on HB1099 to consider climate change in comprehensive plans. Though it didn’t pass, she returned to her Bothell city council position and convinced the city to stick to it anyway.
It’s easy to dismiss these as blips in a fairly sprawling exurb. But that takes away from the effort it takes to turn any ship, much less one that large.
KIRO7’s Crystal Fincher-led election night coverage
November 8th was not supposed to be a good night. The Red Wave was poised to wash the last whispers of representative democracy off the map, scouring away the minimal progressive gains made over the last two years. So tuning into broadcast television coverage was a fool’s errand for anyone hoping to enjoy breathable air or human rights. At least KIRO7’s broadcast featured Crystal Fincher to comfort us at the precipice.
We first got to know Crystal Fincher’s interviewing and reporting skills from her Hacks and Wonks podcast. Casually amazing with questions and topics, the podcast is the second most important local thing we subscribe to. (Her coverage was so good we invited her onto The Urbanist’s board.) Election night just reinforced Fincher as the best informed correspondent covering Seattle news. Easily tying the actual events of the day to an extensive base understanding, she was as outstanding a representative of “the left” that both-sides-ist television coverage can ask for.
