A group of 100 facial-hair growing contestants have come together in a month-long competition consisting of two wheeled races, nights out and lots of fun to benefit local charity, Treehouse. Tonight, Blue C Sushi marks the kick-off of this competition. While the thought of beards and ‘staches mixed with raw seafood and udon have been met with conflicted emotions, no one can argue that the cause is wonderful, and that it will be entertaining. Proceeds benefitting Treehouse will help fund their multitude of programs that support the positive growth of foster children. So if you’re not excited about the other kick-off happening today (and if you’re reading this, chances are you’re not), join a sea of hair and fish alike and vote on your favorite fuzzy sculptures for a good cause! For more info or to get involved in the 28-days of hairy madness, check out the official Beard & Stache fest website.

The following highlights feedback received from community members who attended the four streetcar forums in July 2008. The forums were held to present the preliminary concept route map for streetcars, and then discuss details associated with the line through each of the neighborhoods. The four forums were held for: the Central Line, Ballard/Fremont Line, University Line, and First Hill/Capitol Hill Line.

The first section below presents general comments that would apply to all of the potential lines. It lists the Pros and Cons heard at the forums. Then for all lines as well as the individual lines, questions raised by attendees are listed.

All Lines
Pro:
~Seattle needs all forms of alternative transportation.
~Great mode to connect neighborhoods.
~Streetcars can help Seattle accommodate projected growth for next 30 to 40 years.
~Streetcars are earth friendly, with a smaller carbon footprint.
~Many will ride a streetcar that won’t ride a bus.

Con:
~Tracks are a tripping hazard for bicyclists.
~LID assessments would adversely affect businesses in neighborhoods.
~Streetcars cannot be diverted if there is an incident that blocks the street.
~Streetcars are affected by congestion on a street unless they run in an exclusive right-of-way.

Questions that pertain to all lines:
* How does a streetcar compare to other modes of transit (e.g., buses, electric trolleys, rail in exclusive right of way)?
* How will a streetcar affect the zoning around stations?
* How can we integrate the system to avoid redundancy?

Central Line

Pro:
~Build it now, we need many different forms of transportation.
~Many growing communities in Little Saigon/ID would be served by the Streetcar.
~LID taxes more than covered by the increase in property values

Con:
~More expensive than trolley buses
~Use money for improvements in current system
~Streetcar will be just another partially-funded transportation system.

* What effect would streetcar have on 1st Avenue parking?
* Would streetcar increase congestion along 1st Avenue?
* Can parking be removed and traffic moved to curb lanes to provide an exclusive center lane for the streetcar?
* Could the route be located on a portion of Western Avenue? Or use both Western and 1st Avenues to provide a loop?
* Would the 1st Avenue line replace the Waterfront line?
* Could the line be extended 31st Avenue E & Jackson Street?
* Could the line be extended in the future south into Rainier Valley?
* Could the line be extended in the future south into SODO?
* How would streetcar operate through the “Free Ride” zone?

Ballard/Fremont Line

Pro:
~Fund it, and build the extension to the Zoo
~Build it – need political will to do this
~Streetcars can help take DUIs off the road
~We need dedicated rail – buses can’t do this
~Streetcars will create livable, walkable communities and influence positve zoning

Con:
~Streetcars are limited by slope/grade
~Could tax small businesses out of the area
~Ballard already has good transportation to Downtown
~Streetcars cannot be diverted if there is an accident
~This will not work without dedicated lanes

* Is Dexter Avenue a better route alignment for the streetcar than Westlake Avenue?
* Could line be extended to the Ballard Locks?
* Would gentrification around streetcar line affect industrial businesses in Ballard?
* Would parking on Westlake Avenue be affected by streetcar line?

Note: Many attendees both at the Ballard Forum and University Forum expressed interest in a line that would connect east-west between these two neighborhoods.

University Line

Pro:
~Should invest in eco-friendly transit mode – streetcar can do this
~Streetcars offer greater comfort

Con:
~Eastlake is already so skinny – this is going to create problems for parking and bicycles
~NE District Council is opposed to Streetcar
~U-District may not have as much development potential as SLU or Fremont-Ballard
~The Ave underwent an overhaul, and it’s too much strain on business to come back through with construction

* Would Roosevelt/11th Avenue or 15th Avenue be possible routes instead of University Way?
* How would tracks affect parking and bicycles on Eastlake Avenue?
* Does the route duplicate service provided by LINK?
* How would streetcar affect existing Route 70 service? (There was substantial concern related to replacing the Route 70 with streetcar since it would then require a transfer to access areas south of Westlake Station.)

First Hill/Capitol Hill Line

Pro:
~This line is experiencing new growth and development; Streetcar is needed
~Streetcar Alliance supports, but would like line to run on 12th Avenue

Con:
~Boren is too steep for Streetcar

* Can a direct connection between First Hill and the heart of downtown be provided? (Note: Original Streetcar Alliance proposal included an east-west line that connected Seattle University, the Medical Centers on First Hill, and downtown via Union Street, Seneca Street & 8th Avenue. It returned to Capitol Hill on Pike or Pine Streets.)
* Could route use 12th Avenue instead of Boren Avenue and Broadway?
* What streets have the best grades for streetcar?
* How can streetcar line integrate with the proposed reconstruction of Yesler Terrace?

With transportation causing almost 50 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, why not try something different: Give Your Car the Summer Off.

We know that one size does not fit all. So we’re sharing lots of ways to get to your favorite summer events and destinations, saving money and reducing climate change pollution at the same time.

Incentives. These include discounts at the Woodland Park Zoo, SAM, Pacific Science Center, Tutta Bella, and more to be announced.
Online tools. Mostly links to trip planners and non-car transportation options.
CAN “In A Box”. The box provides everything you need to get your planning party started.
Car Free Days.

So yeah, it’s been a good week and a half since we hosted the blarch badness awards ceremony at the Skylark Cafe. We’ve been meaning to get the final results up since then, but our esteemed tournament organizer has been caught up in work. I guess we’ll have to give him a pass…this time!

Before I announce the winners of the 2008 Seattle Metblogs Blarch Badness Tournament of Blogs, I’d like to again thank our sponsors for the fabulous prizes. Hotel Max donated a night’s stay at their property, Sub Pop threw in a bunch of cds (including the Flight of the Conchords ep that I am so coveting right now), Neumo’s gave away two tickets to a show of the winner’s choice and accoutremonts, and Northwest Film Forum ponied up tickets for a show at their establishment. Oh and thanks to Wesa for finding the super-sweet trophy as well. All in all, quite a bag of goodies for our winners.

This year might have had a tiny bit of controversy, but I think the ultimate winners were inevitable (and well deserved!). And so, without further ado, the winning blog of this year’s crazy tournament: West Seattle Blog! Who, in a fitting touch, live blogged the party. Congratulations, WSB!

Thanks also to the bloggers who attended the ceremony, all the bloggers who participated in the tournament, as well as the fine folks from Skylark who took care of us and fed us (among other things) pie and ice cream. (Pam @ Nerd’s Eye View has a great shot and recap of the ceremony at her blog.) I hope everyone had a good time. I’m already looking forward to next year!

As Dylan mentioned, we are having the Blarch Badness Awards Ceremony this Friday, March 14th.

We’re sorry for the short notice, but we had some technical difficulties. (Which of course translates to me being lazy. Sorry!) In any case, we really hope you’ll come. Not only will the winner be announced, but they will be showered with fantastic prizes. Oh yes, prizes*!

For the non-champions, there will be snacks! And Dylan to abuse! And I owe several people beers (maybe you’re one of them)! And really, it’s 6:30-8:30, so it’s before you were going to go out anyway (and/or before your bedtime). So no excuses!

Skylark Cafe (all-ages)
Friday, Mar 14, 2008 ~ 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
3803 Delridge Way, Seattle
RSVP

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* Thanks to our very generous sponsors: The Hotel Max, Sub Pop, Neumo’s, and the Northwest Film Forum.

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Image above is entitled, “Mob Games,” and is Docutorial?’s winning NYE photo-contest entry. Will our party be as cool? Maybe not, but you won’t know unless you’re there.

To deal with the blown brackets and broken sites, I’ll just put the last three blogs that appear to be standing in the final:

Accidental Hedonist (the only blog left from the Squirrel Bracket)
Seattle Daily Photo (which got caught up in the site shutdown mess)
West Seattle Blog (who has the most votes of the non-cheating blogs)

And the site still won’t let me embed stuff (good job on the design, Head Office), so you’ll just have to go elsewhere to vote:

VOTE IN THE GRAND FINAL

VOTING CLOSES 5PM ON FRIDAY.

And then at 6:30pm on Friday… The Trophy Presentation at the Skylark Cafe, 3803 Delridge Way in beautiful West Seattle. Come meet bloggers and their spawn. Heckle me! And drink our beer (if we have any).

UPDATE: The new system is stripping all sorts of code, including the code that links to the polls. So, if you want to vote in this, GO HERE.

Wednesday night at 9 PST, we’re done.

Meanwhile, the other semifinals — and the mudslinging fun that has broken out around it — continues.

Home stretch, folks. It’s almost over.

So, I’ll tell you what. Lookout Landing, Huskies Fan, Seattle Bubble, you’re all in the semi-finals.

But here’s my first and final warning. If I even get a whiff that anything funny is going on, you’re all out of the tournament. Capiche? If one cheats, then I’ll assume that everyone is cheating.

With that said, vote early and vote often.

UPDATE: OK, what part of the above did you all not understand? I’m pulling the plug. You don’t know how disappointed I am with all of you.

And as a reminder, the other two quarterfinals are still running — West Seattle Blog vs. Kirida closes up tomorrow night, Seattle Daily Photo vs. Glitter Pissing on Wednesday night.

One of the points of Blarch Badness is to get small good local bloggers more exposure in an increasingly noisy Seattle blogging world. Kirida, which is on a surprising run into the Final Eight, fits right into that model. Mona is a 25 year old native of Saipan who blogs about life as a sailor-mouthed mother in West Seattle. The folks over at West Seattle Blog nominated her for the tourney, saying that she’s the funniest blogger on the Westside. I would have to disagree — she’s one of the funniest this city has to offer, and it’s time she stopped being a West Seattle secret. Of course, now West Seattle Blog has to face the very blog they nominated. How ironic.

I pried an interview out of her while she was changing her husband’s adult diaper.

MB: Does anyone in this town besides you know where Saipan is? Do people hear Saipan and then immediately launch into Japanese, or into some diatribe about the oppressive working conditions in Micronesia?

I’ve had a few people tell me that they know where Saipan is, mostly because their grandfathers served in WWII or they watched Nicolas Cage’s movie Windtalkers. Most people have not heard of Saipan so it give me the opportunity to let people know what a gorgeous gem my home island is. It’s a small blip on the radar, but it’s a stunning and breathtaking part of the Pacific where you can wear shorts all year and watch spectacular sunsets. Sometimes when I share that I’m from a tiny tropical island in the Pacific, I get compliments because I don’t have an accent (go me!) and I speak English “real good.” There are also those who are surpised because I didn’t marry my husband to get citizenship. I already have a passport. What I don’t have is the sweet Nissan Altima he drives which I’ve named “The Silver Bullet.”

MB: What do you love most about Seattle?
This is a tough question because I don’t have just one answer. I love that this city is alive. You cannot be bored in a place packed with parks, bookstores, thrift stores, festivals, and bloggers. Since I first moved here in 2001, Seattle has changed my life. I met my husband, had a child, bought a house, graduated from college and started a career. I love this city because it makes me want to live here.

MB: Which genre of posts receives the most comments from your readers?
People love posts about my significantly older husband, my mother, the Mr. Bean fanatic and my inability to connect with other mothers. One of my most popular posts was a rant on how I want to date other moms but only those who would offer me a tequila shooter instead of telling me their birth stories for the umpteenth time.

MB: What’s your favorite post of the last year?
My favorite post has to be my 2007 year in review in which I cherry-picked moments like how I didn’t choose a copper-IUD because of copper-wire theft, how our house was tagged less than a month after we moved in and how my
husband transformed our garage into a purple and gold homage to the University of Washington.

MB: West Seattle Blog nominated you for the tournament. Now you’re taking them on. How does that make you feel?
I feel extremely honored to have been nominated by bloggers for whom I have so much respect and admiration. I’ve never said this before, but WSB is indirectly responsible for helping find our house. Thanks to WSB’s link last year, a West Seattle mom met me while my husband and I were house hunting and were frustrated with our agent who mainly sold million-dollar beachfront properties and just told us to look for a house with a “good roof.” This lady connected me with her super-talented real estate agent who actually took us to view places and led us to our shiny new house. For that alone, I want to bake WSB a cake but I don’t think I could make one big enough to fit a frosting message that says, “OMG YOU ARE SO AWESOME! THANKS FOR NOT LETTING US BE HOMELESS! KTHXBAI!”

Kirida is in the quarterfinals against West Seattle Blog.

Did Cinderella piss glitter? Or was that Snow White?

Hurry, sale ends Wednesday night at 9pm.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch:
Seattle Bubble/Accidental Hedonist (closes Sunday night)
Lookout Landing/Huskies Fan (closes Monday night)
West Seattle Blog/Kirida (closes Tuesday night)

The original bracket post

And that’s the quarterfinals. Just two rounds to go, starting with the first semifinal on Tuesday. I really need to shorten the time periods up next year.