In Everett, it's the deus ex machina too wonderful to believe: The soon-to-be shuttered Kimberly-Clark mill may have tapped a willing buyer, the Connecticut-based Atlas Holdings, LLC. As Mike Benbow of the Daily Herald writes, "This summer, the company had warned its 750 workers that unless a buyer is found, it would shut the plants down early next year."
The Kimberly-Clark mill (and before that Scott and before that Soundview and before that Puget Sound Pulp and Timber) is one of the last, best expressions of old-school labor in a town elevated and bound together by working people. The worst-case scenario: 750 living-wage jobs could go up in steam (these are not smokestacks, mind you). Benbow reports that Atlas will take a couple of weeks "to examine the plant and talk with employees, union representatives, and others." Today the Kimberly-Clark mill is an orphan, the last working mill on a waterfront once hemmed by mills. If Atlas bites, it could hold that distinction for years to come.
Darshan who? Darshan Rauniyar, a Northwest entrepreneur and Democratic candidate in the first-Congressional district, should find inspiration in Northwest political history and the successful gubernatorial run of a low-profile Pierce County executive. In 1984, t-shirts and buttons promoting Booth Gardner read, "Booth who?" As the Seattlepi.com's Joel Connelly reports, "He is facing a quartet of present and former Democratic legislators, but 1st District U.S. House candidate Darshan Rauniyar is showing he’s a player in the race by raising $110,000 in the last three months."
What is impressive is that the $110,000 Rauniyar has raised comes from more than 800 contributors and "no business, lobbyist, or PAC money," he says. A Mr. Rauniyar Goes to Washington scenario could be gamed out assuming Rauniyar boosts his name recognition and capitalizes on his non-politician status in an era when career lawmakers are seen as part of the problem.
Howard Schultz may know what he's talking about, but it's the way he's talking about it that's the problem. As the Washington Monthly's Steve Benen observes, "Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz is getting increasingly engaged in the nation’s economic debate, and in general, that’s a positive development."
Benen notes that the problem with Schultz's no-campaign-money push, as well as his latest effort to solicit donations to provide loans to local businesses that can't nail down financing, is the lack of specificity. Benen writes, "why doesn’t the Starbucks CEO, instead of painting with a broad brush in blasting 'Washington,' partner with those who already agree him? Why not support their efforts? Why not call out those he sees as irresponsible — in this case, congressional Republicans who seem eager to hold the economy back — and praise those who share his priorities?" The lesson for Schultz sounds paradoxical: Stop talking like a politician and act like one.
Amanda Knox is safe at home as Seattle-ites heaved a collective sigh: All is good and right with the world. The Associated Press, however, decides to revisit some of the festering questions regarding the case. A few merit recalling, for example: "Why did Knox initially tell prosecutors she was in the apartment that night and had to cover her ears to drown out her friend's screams as she was brutally attacked by a man Knox falsely accused?"
Another observation that imparts questions about Knox's judgment and her response to the violent death of her roommate: "The American turned cartwheels and did splits at the police station as she waited to be questioned by police, according to investigators and Kercher's friends during the first trial. They said Knox sat on Sollecito's lap, making faces at him, crossing her eyes and sticking her tongue out, while giggling and kissing him." Perhaps all of this can be chalked up to immaturity and naivete. We'll need to wait for the Barbara Walters interview to find out.
Lastly, it's officially too late if you wanted your cat, dachshund, or iguana blessed. The annual "Blessing of the Animals" to mark the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi took place at various venues such as St. Thomas More School in Lynnwood on Tuesday and in West Seattle over the weekend. The quote of the week comes from Deacon George Peterson at St. Thomas More: "Some of these animals, I didn't know what they were," Peterson told the Daily Herald.
Link summary
Everett Herald, "Potential buyer surfaces for Everett Kimberly-Clark mill"
Seattlepi.com, "Darshan Rauniyar--on the map in 1st district"
Washington Monthly, "The 'Create Jobs for USA' initiative"
Seattlepi.com, "Knox verdict leaves long list of verdicts"
Everett Herald, "Students' cats, dogs, and even frogs are blessed at Lynnwood school's celebration"
