We needed 40 new Members to meet our Fall goals, and more than that number came through. Another bunch joined at the door of our Members-free party and political panel last night. Thanks to all, with special thanks to the Ruckelshauses and the Raffs, who provided matching grants of $1,000 to challenge donations of $100 and more; both challenges were met.
Our party last night was the first of many in a performance and event space we have access to in part of the old Elliott Bay Books portion of our new home. We plan to work with others in filling up the space with events, "intelligent entertainment," and co-presentations. Pioneer Square needs such a draw, now that the beloved bookstore has decamped to Capitol Hill, and to help with the revitalization of the historic neighborhood. And it gives us a congenial space for holding more public events and Members-come-free occasions. Thanks go to the owners of the building, the historic Globe Building of 1891, Grant and Ilze Jones, whose landscape architecture firm, Jones and Jones, occupies the top floor of the building. We're thrilled to be here and to be helping bring back the Square.
When Seattle Weekly was founded in 1976, our first offices were on 85 S. Washington St., a block from Crosscut's new offices. That old St. Charles Hotel — once grand but long a bordello — provided us with a two-story space around a light well. Eventually the paper outgrew the building and moved to First and Virginia, the Terminal Sales Building (another lovely historic building), and then to its present space in the National Building at Madison and Western. The area is still full of media properties, what the Puget Sound Business Journal called, in welcoming us to their neighborhood, "Seattle's Fleet Street."
Anyhow, nice to be "home." And very nice to have the generous gifts, and votes of confidence, from all you new and renewing Members. We'll try hard to live up to your faith in our common venture.
