Bikes are coming back to Green Lake: Today So Far

• The gunshot idea...again. Will Seattle do it this time?
• Come November, wheels will be back at Seattle's Green Lake Park.
• The 2022 wildfire season has been the mildest in a decade.

This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for October 10, 2022.

Given recent headlines, it might be a bit odd to hear that the 2022 wildfire season has been the mildest in a decade.

The state's Department of Natural Resources is noting that 140,000 acres have burned in Washington this year, which is the fewest since 2012. A total of 1,370 separate fires have happened so far, the second fewest in a decade.

This comes after 2020 and 2021 were the second and third worst wildfire seasons on record in the state. I'd say we can all breathe a sigh of relief, but despite this news, air quality throughout our region was unhealthy at best this morning. Wildfires continue to burn in the Cascades, sending smoky air our way.

DNR is also crediting recent investments in wildfire fighting in the state. Did you know the state was previously using helicopters from the Vietnam War era for these operations? Read more here.

Come November, wheels will be back at Seattle's Green Lake Park. You may recall that wheels, such as bikes and roller skates, were banned at the park's "inner loop" (the path directly next to the lake) amid the pandemic. If you don't recall that, then you weren't alone as I've witnessed wheels rolling along the path this whole time, including my own, and no one said anything. Signs did go up, but honestly, they were up pretty high and I was too busy not rolling into others on the walkway to read them. Those signs also conflicted with the signage imbedded in the actual pathway itself instructing bikers and skaters to stay right and go slow.

Amid all this, there has been work on plans for an "outer loop" around Green Lake, along Aurora Avenue and Green Lake Way, that will connect with existing protected bike lanes. I've previously expressed some criticism about how this is not the same feel, ambiance, or purpose of the lakeside path — it's a bike lane in a road. It seems that some Seattleites also weren't too into the idea. A Parks and Recreation spokesperson told me that, while some folks enjoyed the absence of wheels, others were concerned about having kids on bikes or rollerbladers on the street bike lanes. So the wheels are coming back, just like the good old days, and the more recent days too.

Parks and Rec is reminding folks of Green Lake's courtesy code. Anybody who has spent time at the park knows that folks need this reminder. If everyone just followed the code, it would take care of a lot of common complaints, starting with: Wheels on the right, walkers on the left. Also, don't walk with more than two people side-by-side. Read more here.

Seattle wants to try something new to respond to gunshots in the city. At least, it would be new if it is ever approved. The idea, however, has been floating around Seattle for a decade.

The idea is simple: Install gunshot-listening devices on rooftops and utility poles around parts of the city with higher-reported gun crime. When a gunshot is heard, those devices focus in on where it likely came from and send information to police. A camera system can also be a part of this to record suspects, cars, etc. immediately after the gunshot.

Mayor Bruce Harrell now wants to set aside $1 million in the next budget to fund such a system in town. He argues that it is needed after record-high gun violence.

A colleague of mine reported this same story 10 years ago. At the time, city officials were also noting record numbers of gun crimes. Harrell supported the idea as a council member back then. He and city officials were back in 2016, hyping the idea yet again. The reason this idea has never gone anywhere in Seattle is because there is another side to this story, and it's likely it will come up again this time. Critics point out that it's a form of surveillance, often placed in poorer neighborhoods with more residents of color. There has also been some concern about how gunshot detectors can be used in court cases.

Seattle's proponents of the detectors are aware of skepticism, but remain adamant that it's needed. Victoria Beach is one such person. She's a member of the city's African American Community Advisory Council and says she often speaks to the families of gunshot victims.

“I hear their weeping and crying and their lives are changed forever,” she told KUOW. “I’m willing to do anything that is going to stop that ... Nothing else has worked. Why not try something we haven’t tried?"

KUOW's Amy Radil has the full story here.

AS SEEN ON KUOW

Ryan Hunt (left) and Nate Hoe (right) are the co-founders and designers behind Seattle Department of Design, an apparel company that aims to provide Seattle with "aesthetically-pleasing signifiers of civic identity." Their latest collection (which is also a collaboration with Instagram account Almost Style!) was inspired by Almost Live! and pays homage to some of their favorite cast members and sketches. (Noel Gasca / KUOW)

DID YOU KNOW?

Today is Indigenous People's Day, celebrated on the second Monday in October. Last year was the first time a president proclaimed as much. It takes place on the same day as Christopher Columbus Day. I think what happened is that someone at the U.S. Department of Holidays crunched some numbers and discovered that Columbus wasn't a United States citizen, and in fact, lived a few hundred years before the USA even existed. And then there's some not-so-flattering history that happened after he arrived in the Bahamas.

A similar tale has recently unfolded in our corner of the country. Harney Channel was a route that many boats and ferries take through the San Juan Islands. A local looked into the history of the name and discovered that it was in honor of Gen. William S. Harney, who had no connections to the Northwest and who also has a not-so-flattering history. So it feels a little odd to have something local honoring him.

Taking that history into account, Harney Channel has been renamed as Cayou Channel in honor of Henry Cayou, a man who was actually from the region and had very positive influence. Cayou was born in 1869 to an Indigenous mother and French father. He became a businessman who sold fish and oversaw an orchard on Orcas Island, as well as a boat-building operation. He went on to become one of the first elected officials in Washington state, serving as San Juan County commissioner for 29 years. He also served on his local board of education. He is credited with bringing electricity to the San Juan Islands.

Cayou Channel is now the path that ferries will take en route to the San Juan Islands, between Shaw Island and Orcas Island.

ALSO ON OUR MINDS

The White House is turning to TikTok stars to take its message to a younger audience

When President Biden hosted a celebration with lawmakers on the South Lawn last month to mark the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, Democrats' signature spending package, there was an unique group of guests joining them. More than 20 influencers — content creators with devoted followers on platforms like TikTok, Instagram and YouTube — received special invitations.

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