We just received a nice little press release from Melonite Emily Knudson. It’s about an exciting new TV show that’s supposed to be doing big things for sustainability and community. If they can make TV a positive force, maybe this is worth a read. Here’s the release:

Seattle’s little TV show that could – Mission: Sustainable – is gaining momentum on its climb to the top by taking an unconventional and simple path to success.

Seattle, WA – January 4, 2010 – There’s a unique story developing in Seattle for television producer Rose Thornton, and it revolves around the simple concept of “ask and ye shall receive.” Against all odds – as well as Hollywood’s blueprint for how-to-make-a-television-show – Thornton and her company, ReGeneration Productions, are nearly finished producing the pilot episode for the green-themed makeover show Mission: Sustainable.

This man-bites-dog story is compelling because Thornton bypassed the traditional approach of selling a TV show to the networks. She wasn’t interested in optioning the concept or parading through the networks with a treatment to pitch the show. Instead, she opted to produce the pilot episode on her own – with little production experience and no money – simply by telling people she needed their help.

Silly idea? Not to Thornton, who has applied this mantra since May of 2009 and has a long list of successes already under her belt, including finding a director, holding auditions, casting a team of eight local sustainability experts, locating a crew and necessary equipment, shooting and editing the pilot episode, and creating the “Green Carpet Event of the Season” in the form of the show’s premiere at Seattle Center’s Fisher Pavilion on February 11, 2010. In addition to the Seattle premier, the Mission: Sustainable team was also invited January 22-24 to broadcast the pilot during Eugene, Oregon’s 5^th annual Good Earth Home, Garden & Living Show – the nation’s first sustainable home show, attracting tens of thousands of visitors annually.

“From the very beginning, all I had going for me was an idea I was extremely passionate about,” says Thornton, a 23-year-old graduate from the University of Washington’s Community, Environment and Planning program. “All I’ve done is share my idea with people who care about the environment and sustainable living, and it wasn’t long before people were contacting me out of the blue offering their support. It has been a phenomenal seven months.”

Mission: Sustainable has been fueled by the energy of more than 50 volunteers – not a single person involved in the production is being compensated – and the donation of products and services from more than a dozen organizations, including the Seattle Center, In Harmony Sustainable Landscapes, Mode Organic Salon, PCC Natural Markets, Full Circle Farms, Mutual Fish Co., Vesta Home Performance, Absolute Digital Media and Pure Audio. More than $20,000 has been donated since the project began in earnest last September.

“I’m proud to say that I live in a community that gets the importance of sustainable living,” says Thornton, who estimates the total out-of-pocket expense for the show to be less than $900. “Whenever we’ve asked for help, Seattleites have stepped up and delivered with pride and enthusiasm. They want this show to make it and are doing whatever they can to help us. I’m humbled and forever grateful.”

Thornton and company are facing their greatest financial obstacle since the project began with a $5,000 funding gap to secure payment for required union workers for the premier event at Seattle Center’s Fisher Pavilion.

“We think it’s extremely important to have the premier at a green location, and Fisher Pavilion fits the bill,” says Thornton, who is working closely with her marketing team to invite local politicians, dignitaries and celebrities to attend the big event, which is expected to draw more than 1,000. “We reviewed several less expensive venues, but all along we’ve felt this was the venue for us. Now, we simply need to ask all the green-friendly businesses to help us make this dream a reality.”

Thornton and company are reaching out to more than 100 Seattle-based companies to support their efforts in the form of donations. In return, the sponsoring companies will have reserved seating at the event, logos included in all advertising efforts and the opportunity to have a booth at the event. In addition, anyone in the community can donate to help the cause by visiting the Mission: Sustainable website at www.mission-sustainable.com and selecting the “Donate” tab.

Anyone interested in supporting the Mission: Sustainable production process is invited to contact Thornton at rose@mission-sustainable.com. “This is a show about Seattle initially, yet it’s for the benefit of the entire planet,” says Thornton. “We’ll talk to anyone and everyone who wants to help us get the show on TV as soon as possible.”

Media Contact: Rose Thornton, 206-335-5370, rose @mission-sustainable.com

About Mission: Sustainable: Think Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and What Not to Wear for green lifestyles. Each show will feature a new individual nominated by friends and family for a sustainability makeover. Depending on the nominee’s lifestyle, three green consultants will be chosen to perform a makeover customized to the individual’s needs, desires, and walk of life.

About ReGeneration Productions: Founded by Rose Thornton, ReGeneration Productions creates community-based green media in the Seattle area with a mission to communicate the ideals and practice of urban sustainability. Visit www.regenerationproductionsllc.com for more information.

We were pleased to hear that we would have the opportunity to sit down with three fantastic authorities on voting reform.

• Paul Jacob, former President of U.S. Term Limits and current President of Citizens in Charge
• Krist Novoselic, former bassist from Nirvana (yeah, that Nirvana), current voting reform advocate and Chair of FairVote
• Kelly Haughton, President of Citizens for a Better Ballot

Huddled in The Melon’s studio, what followed was a riveting discussion on Ranked Choice Voting, democracy, and three big amendments in Pierce County’s upcoming election.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Download mp3

protectvoterchoice.com – Official No on Amendment 3, RCV website

noriggingthesystem.com – Official No on All 3 website

rankedchoice.blogspot.com – Kelly Haughton’s personal blog on RCV

fairvote.org – National election reform organization

Special thanks to Erik Connell for making this interview possible

photo by Erik Bjornson

Let’s face it: Russell’s decision to move to Seattle and abandon Tacoma was a punch in the face to our city and city residents alike.  Let’s take a week to mourn their decision and the negative consequences the move will have on our city and then get over it and continue to work to rebuild Tacoma.

It is hard to blame the Russell Company for moving.  Had they stayed in Tacoma, they would have been located across the street from the Luzon Building which is in such a dilapidated and dangerous condition it has forced the City of Tacoma to close the adjacent street.  In contrast, moving to Seattle will allow Russell to move into the shiny Chase Center.  Can Tacoma really be surprised of Russell’s move?

Having Russell move out of downtown Tacoma will certainly have a significant negative impact on restaurants and other businesses in the area where Russell employees frequent.

photo by Erik Bjornson

An even worse blow may have been delivered to the psyche of Tacomans who have been pummeled by Seattle continuously for the last 100 years.  The latest poaching of Russell from Tacoma is just another series of blows Tacoma has endured from Seattle.

The Good News

Although the Russell Company was physically located downtown, the company took great pains in their building design to interact very little with urban life downtown.

Russell employees drove to a private parking garage downtown and then walked over the street via a skybridge adding very little to the vibrancy of the area.

Unlike other businesses downtown such as DaVita, Russell had its own cafeteria within the building isolating many of its employees from the streets of Tacoma.

Hopefully, the new tenants of the Russell building will be more independent and from a variety of companies which will facilitate new businesses and life downtown.  The Russell Building appears to be in good shape and could be relatively easy to lease.

Whatever the future, Tacoma needs to take the initiative and redouble its efforts to reduce the visible blight downtown if it is every going to attract and retain companies downtown and people who would want to work at them.

Erik Bjornson is an attorney in Downtown Tacoma who often writes about urban issues in local papers and blogs.  He is a member of the North End Neighborhood Council and edits the blog the Tacoma Urbanist.

Grist.com has come out with a Top 20 list featuring the most environmentally friendly colleges in the nation. High on the list at #2 is the University of Washington in Seattle:

The UW holds new campus buildings to a LEED Silver standard, strives for a local, organic focus in its food services, and is currently the pilot site to test the first compostable paper soft drink cups.

At #6 is the good ol’ Evergreen State College in Olympia:

The college purchased a fleet of electric vehicles and runs a sustainably managed farm where it teaches courses in organic agriculture. With the help of students’ self-imposed clean-energy fee, Evergreen is on its way to meeting its goals of being waste-free and carbon neutral by 2020.

Absent from the list is my alma-mater the University of Puget Sound which actively promotes its sustainability.  Better luck next year UPS.

Last Saturday, May 16th, my bookstore sold books at a Michael Pollan event in the Central Enoch Pratt Library in Baltimore, Maryland. Over 1,100 people showed up for this question and answer session with the author of (most recently) In Defense of Food and The Omnivore’s Dilemma. I’ve only read an earlier book of his, A Place of My Own, but since I’ve been studying his precursor, Wendell Berry, it’s only a matter of time before I get to his other work. I’m always behind on the latest trends.

Tony Geraci, the new Baltimore City Head of School Lunches, interviewed Michael Pollan. I didn’t take these questions and answers down verbatim, so these are not direct quotes by Michael Pollan, but they are the content of what he said.

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With recent budget cuts and dour economic forecasts, the Seattle school district has been scrambling to reduce a $37.1 million budget gap next year. This has lead to drastic solutions including the call to close schools, move programs, reduce busing, and freeze hiring.

Seattle School Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson broke the news on 11/25 that in order to operate on their projected budget, seven schools would be forced to move to other premises and their buildings would be closed as a way to save money. Then on 12/03 Goodloe-Johnson upped the number to nine including Rainer Beach High School, the first high school on the list. The updated plans also formally considered the option of permanently closing some of more unique school programs like the Summit K-12 program (the only one in the district), and the African-American Academy. Other money saving cuts included a hiring freeze and cuts to the district busing program.

While the term “closing schools” inspires a special sort of panic, the reality is much different. Seattle city school district currently has more seats than actual students. The reported numbers vary from 7,000-9,000 seats, but still enough to warrant some consolidation. The reason for most of the specific closures – mainly moving programs in North Seattle to South Seattle is manifest in the socio-economic divide between the two areas. Lower-income families in South Seattle have taken to busing their children to better funded schools in North Seattle to get a better education, creating a perverse imbalance of students. Many of the schools in North Seattle are overcrowded, where as South Seattle schools are struggling to teach full classrooms. These movements are all intended to correct these imbalances, and save cost on maintaining extraneous buildings.

However, public discussion of these matters has been less than flattering. Some racist remarks have been bandied about – giving programs back to the poor – and those schools who have made great strides in the wake of the flawed No Child Left Behind Act are crying foul. Another concern specific to Rainer Beach High School is an escalation in gang violence. Under the current plan, Rainer Beach would be merged with rival school Cleveland High School. There is some animosity between the schools and parents are concerned that these feelings would escalate if the schools were to be combined.

Currently there are many public hearings scheduled for individual schools prior to the final recommendations being released on January 6^th. For a full list go here.

“Justice too long delayed is justice denied.” – Dr. M. L. King

Make no mistake, I’m a believer. A believer in what, you ask? Why, a higher power of course. But I’m not talking about your typical run-of-the-mill God-fearing Bible-belt-thumpin’ type of believer. That’s not really my style. I’m more of a dabbler in the religions of the world. I like elements of many religions – Christianity, Buddhism, Native American, even Islamic. Why? Because I certainly don’t agree with all aspects of any of them. And I have extreme distaste for anyone who uses their religion to persecute others. I prefer to see things from the perspective of human rights and equality, and that all men and women are created equal no matter what their sexual orientation, race, color, creed, country of origin, or age (among others.) It’s about justice. It’s about being tolerant of others and their opinions. It’s about natural rights. I prefer to envision Jesus as a man who taught us that everyone is loved equally (prostitutes and lepers ain’t no thang!) And yeah, I agree with Buddha that the purpose of life is to end suffering. I even agree with the Mormons about sharing resources for the betterment of the community (but that’s about it.)

So why of all this talk of religion? Because it’s a never-ending topic that arises whenever anyone speaks of equal rights – especially gay equal rights. Last weekend, Seattle held an equal rights march against the recently passed California Proposition 8. It was one of many equal rights marches across the state and across the country in response to gay marriage bans. More than 6,000 people marched in protest of Prop 8 in Seattle and I can proudly say, as a believer, I was one of them.

The rally began around 11:30am at Volunteer Park and lasted until about 1:00pm. Speakers included openly gay Senator Ed Murray (who was recently appointed as the Senate Democratic Caucus Chair – a step in the right direction for gay rights), Senator Joe McDermott, King County Executive Ron Sims (who gave the most powerful speech of the day), and Mayor Greg Nickels. As the crowd listened and cheered during the speeches, I couldn’t help but notice the clever signs folks made and the way that everyone was so supportive of each other.

At the stroke of 1:00pm the march began. At first, it was slow going. But no one seemed to mind. There was no road rage present on this path, only laughter and the knowledge that so many people across the nation were marching with us. (300 cities participated, including New York City, San Francisco, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Boston, and Las Vegas). As we came down Broadway, we saw folks standing alongside the road and cars parked in the middle of side streets. I have to admit that at first I thought they were anti-protest religious-right. Turns out they were supporters – many of them waving signs and some honking their car horns.

We ended at Westlake Center around 3:00pm. Once there, Representative Jamie Pedersen, City Councilwoman Sally Clark, Executive Director of Equal Rights Washington Connie Watts, and Pastor David Strong all spoke. While Pastor Strong was speaking to the zealous crowd about acceptance, I noticed another Pastor was perched across the way and oh-so-eloquently screaming “burn in hell!” while holding a Bible. Sure, that man has a first amendment right to be there as much as the next guy, but when I went to give him a hug – he really needed one! – I was nearly killed by a Bible swatting the air furiously and the police force that surrounded him. Really? Really?

I know some people will say “so what?” But you’d be surprised how many people refuse to recognize gay civil rights as equal to other civil rights causes. People are allowed to have their own personal opinions – even the Mormons, who financed more than 70% of the Prop 8 campaign – but when they affect others’ rights and lives, they have gone too far. And to those who say that protesting is something that just gives a warm fuzzy feeling without accomplishing anything, I say to them: Roe v. Wade didn’t just happen because a majority of Supreme Court justices decided women have the right to choose. The Civil Rights Movement didn’t happen because a few people decided that blacks and whites should be equal. No, it was after a mass movement worked hard for many years to make those movements politically possible. And to those religious believers who say that I’m a sinner for supporting gay marriage, I say to them: Jesus, God, Mohammed, Buddha, and Coyote are all different, and all the same. But what is most important is that if any of these higher powers truly exist, and they are as judgmental as their religious peons on earth, then I’m buying a first class ticket to hell.

If you weren’t able to make this momentous event and you’re just itching for more images, no worries, you can also see a video montage of it here on the Melon.

This Saturday, some of us from The Melon and friends, drove up to Seattle to march in an Anti-Proposition 8 Rally. Here’s some of the footage we captured:

Few Democrats are so undeserving of their seat as Congressman Norm Dicks. Here are seven reasons why he should not be reelected.

1.  Elected to the United States House of Representative seventeen times (34 years) he has still yet to secure a chairmanship for himself.  If someone you knew had been working for a company for over thirty-four years and still wasn’t trusted with even a middle-management position, wouldn’t you be a little suspicious of his character, conduct or convictions?

2. In 2003 he voted to authorize the president to use U.S. forces to preemptively invade Iraq.  Although publicly he has subsequently changed his position on the subject - he has continued to vote in favor of bills related to funding the war, even at times by breaking rank with his Democratic colleagues.

3.  Despite a legal background marked by a JD from the University of Washington, Congressman Dicks Voted for the USA Patriot Act.  He also voted for the Military Commission Act that effectively rationalized the suspension of habeas corpus as a tool to fight terrorism (He was one of only 32 House Democrats to vote for this.  The remaining 162 Democratic members of Congress voted NAY on the bill).  It remains uncertain as to whether or not US citizens – in addition to alien combatants – are also subject to the laws outlined in this bill.

4.  Continues to support free-trade legislation, despite a worsening economy.

5.  Voted for the Bush Bailout, despite countless polls that suggested that the overwhelming majority of both Democrats and Republicans opposed the legislation.

6.  Voted for the FISA Amendment Act of 2008.

7.  Crapped out of his first Melon Interview midway through a radio recording because he suddenly remembered he had “a dentist appointment.” The subject of the interview was veterans suffering from PSTD – a topic which both Elliot Trotter and Peter Braun were shocked to discover that the congressman was unwilling to discuss or knew relatively little about.  This was very disturbing given that Congressman Dicks represents one of the largest military districts in the United States.

These are only a few highlights into the career of one congressman who went too far and was kept for too long. Therefore, I would encourage you all to either vote for the Republican candidate, Doug Cloud, who – if nothing else, is not Norm Dicks and would have opposed the bailout.  If you, as a Democrat, can’t move yourself to vote for a Republican, then write-in Paul Richmond, a fellow Democrat who would have been a vast improvement had he won the primary.  If neither of these options sound palpable to you, then you can write in Harvard West: The Lesser of Three Evils.

For those in the mood for daring live theatre, the Book-It Repertory Theatre’s production of “Even Cowgirls Get The Blues” fills the niche for theatre that still pushes the envelope.

Based on the 1976 Tom Robbins novel, “Cowgirls” follows the hitchhiking travels of Sissy Hankshaw and all the vibrant characters she finds along the way.

Blessed with abnormally large thumbs from birth, Sissy is “the one great passenger” for all the great drivers in the world. From New York City to North Dakota, Sissy roams earning money when she needs it by modeling for The Countess (Brian Thompson), a transvestite tycoon of vaginal perfumes. It’s The Countess who steers Sissy towards Julian (Chris Maslen) a full blooded Indian, though he doesn’t look it. Here, Sissy faces her first real dilemma. She’s enchanted with the freedom the American Indian represents, but her own personal Indian becomes a shut in, unwilling to show Sissy’s huge thumbs in public. Through the rest of the play, Sissy continues to fight for her right to live the way she wants, despite all efforts to get her to conform.

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