Gettin into the Alternatives

News from Alternative Newspapers throughout Cascadia:

[The Georgia Straight] sticks to the hot (or should I say shocking, hehe) topic of B.C. at the moment.


Over in Victoria [Monday Magazine] voices fears about childcare (Oh, and taser stuff).

Learn about the high expectations for Bellingham's new mayor, Dan Pike, in the [Cascadia Weekly]. (Obviously the best named indy paper!)

Both the [Seattle Weekly] and the [The Stranger] team up for a little love to the dirtier side of downtown Seattle.

Spokane's now infamous tent city remains a thorn in the side of government officials, reports [The Inlander]

[The Vancouver Voice]: South Washington expats tell all.

Learn about Idaho's flailing newspaper business in the [Boise Weekly].

Where are Potland's cops? Let the [Portland Mercury] tell you.

The [Willamette Weekly] reports on Portland's upcoming mayoral race.

Looks like Eugene residents aren't ready for an urban renewal. Check it out in the [Eugene Weekly].

A Look into the Duwamish

This week the Seattle Post Intelligencer published a 'Special Report' on the Duwamish River in South Seattle. The articles look at the history of the Duwamish and how it came to be an industrial wasteland and critically analyzes the clean-up efforts that have been going on since it was designated a a national Superfund site in 2001. It is a very good report and certainly needed. The environmental raping of the Duwamish has continuously been put on the back shelf by policy makers for a host of reasons, including costs and its geographic location in the poorer South end of Seattle. As Seattle's only river, its sad that its natural beauty go completely unenjoyed by humans and wildlife alike. From the report:

The Duwamish is Seattle's river. Seattle's only real river.

And it is among the largest and most complicated toxic messes ever taken on by the federal government.

It's a Superfund site five miles long. How wide? That's yet to be decided, but theoretically it could extend from the crest of West Seattle to the top of Beacon Hill, a vast swath of Seattle, more than 10 square miles.

This is the heart of industrial South Seattle, where the meandering and shallow Duwamish River was straightened and deepened into an angular canal, mostly between 1913 and 1918. After that, industry moved in where Japanese- and Italian-American farmers had grown some of the first produce sold at Pike Place Market.

Along the Duwamish an army of industry took over: shipbuilding, manufacturing, oil tanks, metalworking shops, rendering plants, cement companies, a steel foundry, on and on.

Much of today's pollution had its roots in World War II, when Boeing cranked out nearly 7,000 "Flying Fortress" bombers. At the height of the war, a plane rolled off the assembly line about every two hours.

It helped save our country, but today that plant is arguably the river's most noxious toxic dump. PCBs leaked out of the bottom of the main plant, without anyone noticing, for decades.

Other riverside plants produced parts for the Liberty Ships that delivered vital supplies to Allied troops -- often food and materiel loaded at Seattle piers.

By the war's end, the price paid was becoming clear: More than 20 pollutants were being dumped into or alongside the river, including muriatic acid, sulfuric acid, cyanide, arsenic, copper sulfate salts, copper ammoniate and chromic acid. Plus the raw or minimally treated sewage of 48,000 people.

Wrote investigator Richard F. Foster of the newly created Washington Pollution Control Commission in December 1945: "The expansion of existing factories and the addition of several new industries since the outbreak of war has increased the pollution load. ... The extensive and continued spilling of oil ... does not seem justified."

But substances much worse than oil were being quietly unleashed, and their volumes would grow.

A River Lost?

Part 1
- The Duwamish helped Seattle prosper. But along the way it became one of the nation's largest and most toxic urban sites.

Part 2
- Critics say the clean up plan doesn't do enough to protect local residents, wildlife, and the environment.

Part 3
- A cautionary tale about a whitleblower who paid the a steep price for his actions.

Check out the full report for photos and other mulitmedia.

Is Secession Legal?

I thought this was pretty interesting:

[American Secessionist Project]: Dedicated to putting secession in the mainstream of political thought as a viable solution to contemporary problems.

Rainy day, dream away
Let the sun take a holiday
Flowers bathe and I see the children play
Lay back and groove on a rainy day

Johnny Allen "Jimi" Hendrix
November 27, 1942 – September 18, 1970

Happy Birthday Jimi.

Cascadian Communities: The Emerald Triangle

I would like to make this a typical addition here on Cascadia Rising. It's a chance for you, as well as me, to learn about all of the quirky and interesting regions within Cascadia. After all, the greatest part about this pseudo-nation is that it is in fact, made up of so many unique communities. Some people live on the open coast, pounded by the massive storms from the mighty Pacific, while others are surrounded by the lush rolling yellows of wheat fields. Still others live in a disconnected world of islands, where traveling is a constant challenge. The myriad outlooks give everyone a different perspective, and yet, we all share a fundamental mentality; we all love, live, and are a part of, the land and nature which surrounds us. We do not try and find ourselves in anachronistic philosophies and historical misgivings. Rather, we depend on our environment to mould and shape our identities. That, I believe, is the true spirit that gives Cascadia its solidarity.

That being said let's head South to Northern California and the Emerald Triangle...

The Emerald Triangle is made up of the three Californian counties of Mendicino, Trinity, and Humboldt. Tucked away between the Pacific Coast and the Redwood Forest, this quaint piece of land is a world unto itself. The two major highways connecting the area are narrow, winding, and underfunded, and I-5 barely breaches the eastern border of the Triangle.

The total land area is 10,260 sq. miles with a population of only 225,835. Most of this population is spread out in the woody hills that make up the area. The largest city, Eureka is only 26,128 and the second largest, Ukiah, is only 15,497.

All of these factors make the Emerald Triangle extremely conducive to one thing, growing marijuana. Every year billions and billions of dollars worth of marijuana are grown on the hills of the region making it the runaway leader of pot cultiviation in the US. But it makes sense. The area's varied geography and climate make it difficult to grow much else, while pot seems to flourish in the high hillside soil.

Although it is technically illegal, the dismal amount of government officers in the area make it impossible for any type of local action. In 1983 the government started the Campaign Against Marijuana Planting (CAMP) and has since been working, unsucessfully to try and eradicate the "problem". In 2005 CAMP managed to destroy 1.1 million plants but this $4 billion project did nothing to stop the supply and prices even went down significantly over the year. Even many conservatives agree that CAMP is simply, "an exercise in futility".

But that is not to say that people don't care, it just that the solution has been coming from the wrong direction. In the 1960's and 70's many people had small farms run by the alternative flower children of the day. But as prices have skyrocketed many people have gotten into the business stictly for the money. That means that more environmentally damaging practices are being used, like pesticide use and extensive deforestation. Many people believe that legalization could help stem environmental degradation by setting up laws and regulations, much like other businesses. Not to mention that the area stands to gain around $250 million worth of taxes a year from the industry; for the most economically iimpoverished area in California, this could be a lifesaver.

Many of the small towns in Northern California, such as Eureka, were founded in the mid-1800's and were mainly set up to exploit the vast timber and fish resources. Since then those industries have drastically declined leaving very little work for income. Perhaps legalization could help bring a much needed boost to the economy while regulation could protect the already endangered Redwoods. But who knows, the War on Drugs, despite its evident losses, shows little sign of slow-down.



Sources:
[USA Today]
[Wikipedia]
[3am Politics]

Across the Cascades...

Guess who's back? It's not shady.

The Blue Scholars put out a sweet new video for Joe Metro.

The beautiful game will finally hit the big leagues in the emerald city.

B.C. Brews swamp competition in Canadian Brewing Awards.

Is peaceful B.C. really a facist state? Oh sorry, province.

Portland continues to deal with some serious issues.

Capitalism isn't always bad for the environment.

Tent City a strain on Spokane.

Cascadia may be bike friendly, but its no Europe.

Tom McCall: The Natural Visionary

Last week Audrey McCall died in her Portland home at the age of 92.

Audrey McCall, the First Lady to the late Governor of Oregon, Tom McCall, was an active and powerful patron of environmental issues in Oregon.

While Mrs. McCall deserves admiration in her own right, one must know her husband to truly understand the impact of the McCalls on Cascadian history. Under Tom McCall's leadership in the 1960's and 70's, Oregon became one of the most progressive places in the world for environmental awareness.

"Surely, we all can subscribe to the uniting thought: That our actions here --- and always --- be guided by a reverence for life and respect for nature."

At first glance McCall doesn't seem to have the credentials of a typical eco-friend. He was a Republican and a vocal supporter of the Vietnam War, which raged during his Governorship. Nonetheless he understood the importance of the natural environment in the Oregonian psyche. "Health, economic strength, recreation --- in fact, the entire outlook and image of the state --- are tied inseparable to environment," he proclaimed in his first Inaugural speech.

McCall first ran for governor in 1966 under the banner of "livability". Although his own party opposed him, he won the election and quickly passed the "Beaches Bill" which granted the public ownership of much of Oregon's beautiful coast, saving it from development. This would be the first in a long line of pioneering environmental measures. His most famous was the "Bottle Bill" passed in 1971. This law, the first of its kind in the nation, required all soft-drink and beer containers to be returnable for a small refund. This bill dramatically cut down on litter and has since been copied by many other states in the country.

McCall also worked hard to clean up the Willamette River, which runs through the center of Portland and had virtually become an industrial wasteland by the end of the 1960's. The Harbor Drive Task Force which McCall organized in 1968 aimed to replace an old section of the Route 99 freeway, which spanned the Willamette River in downtown Portland, with some type of public space. In 1974 the highway was demolished and the area was developed into the Tom McCall Waterfront Park, a beautiful, historic park in the heart of downtown Portland. (Hmmmmm, maybe tearing down a decrepit viaduct on the water CAN have good results!)

But more than just environmental issues, McCall saw things from a greater perspective of sustainability and quality-of-life. He is well-known for his blunt message to non-Oregonians: "We want you to visit our State of Excitement often. Come again and again. But, for heaven’s sake, don’t move here to live." Even in a post-WWII environment, where growth of the West was seen as an integral goal of the United States, McCall understood the necessary balance needed between humans and other life. Under his leadership Oregon implemented the first statewide land planning system, which introduced an urban growth boundary to many of Oregon's metropolitan areas.

In 1983 Tom McCall mournfully succumbed to cancer. From that day forward, Audrey McCall carried on her husband's ambitions until her unfortunate death this year. The McCall legacy is one that all Cascadians should remember and commend. It is people like this that have made our small region of the world one of the best. In 2002 Oregon Governor Ted Kulungoski summed up McCall's character; it is one that has greatly influenced the Cascadian ethos:

Non-conformist. Fiercely independent. Plain spoken. Tolerant. And above all, in love with—and determined to protect—natural beauty.

Sources:

Oregon Historical Society: [Governor Tom McCall]
Oregon Biographies: [Tom McCall (1913-1983)]
Oregon State Archives: [Tom McCall's Administration]
Wikipedia: [Tom McCall]
Wikipedia: [Oregon Bottle Bill]

Towards Carfree Cities: Rethinking Mobility, Rediscovering Proximity

The dream is still alive! The 8th Annual Carefree Conference, put on by the World Carefree Network, will be held in Portland next summer. Check it out, or get invovled.

Very badass, classic Cascadian poster.

If you find this random, click here.
If you find that random, click here.

For more Cascadian designs, click here.

Seattle, a Vancouver Perspective

"The amazing thing about Seattle and Vancouver is how different we are, considering our near-identical climates and bioregions, similar hybrid ethnicities and parallel histories. Look at a satellite photo of Puget Sound to Howe Sound, and it’s clear that there is now a border-straddling megalopolis from Lions Bay to Tacoma: seven million people in one virtual city, with the insufferable anomaly of an international border down the middle. With two heads but one conjoined body, Vancouver and Seattle are Siamese twins. Yet we are fused not at the head, but at the back—forever looking in different directions. We may share the same flesh, but our outlooks are, in many ways, starkly different." - From the Seattle Series

The April 2007 edition of Vancouver Magazine had a special series examining Seattle. You can learn a lot from an outsider's perspective, so check it out.

The Seattle Series

• 36 Hours in Seattle: Where to eat, shop, sightsee, and take five.

• Bed Check: A look into 3 different hotels

• Culture Crawl: Vancouver's selected music, books, and independent coffee.

• The New Seattle: What Vancouver can learn from its Pacific Sister

• A Tale of Two Cities: A Column Comparison

Thanks to [Rain City Guide] for the find.

Frisco Bay Oil Disaster

On Wednesday, November 8th, during heavy fog, the 902-foot long container ship Cosco (China Ocean Shipping Company) Busan hit a post of the Bay Bridge, causing 58,000 gallons of oil to spill into San Francisco Bay and the surrouning areas. Although not comparable to the Exxon-Valdez spill in volume (nearly 11 million gallons) it will likely be incredibly devastating to the area's unique eco-systems.

Oil has been found as far north as Marin County and as far south as Pacifica, a 40 mile stretch of coastline. At least 22 beaches have been closed including Point Reyes National Seashore, the only marine wilderness area south of Alaska. In addition 1,000 oil-soaked birds have been recovered, 550 of which have already died. The marine damage has not yet been assessed but Governor Schwarzenager has suspended all fishing and shellfish harvesting.

Paul from horsesass.org, a recent witness to the catastrophe said this:

"Think of it this way: If inner Puget Sound was coated with brown gobs of sticky goo, if beaches were closed to the public (even to volunteer cleanup), if boats at local marinas had tarred bathtub rings marring their hulls, and if waterfront property owners had days of cleanup on their hands"

While there are at least 1,500 workers and volunteers, as well as 53 vessels working to contain and clean up the disaster, a recent analysis of the area says that the remaining 40,000 gallons of oil are most likely unrecoverable. Although city officials are quick to reassure tourists that the problem is under control there is no doubt that this disaster will have a lasting negative impact on the region.


Other News Reports on the Spill:

[HorsesAss]: Incompetence is the Strategy

[Wikipedia]: Nov. 7 SF Bay Oil Spill

[Brisbane Times]: Oil Spill pollutes San Fran Bay

[Environment Service News]: Most of San Fran Bay Oil Spill Not Recoverable

[USA Today]: Oil Spill Kills More than 550 Birds

[The Guardian]: Oil Spill Gets Hairy

[BBC]: Inquiry into California Oil Spill

International Representation

I would like to direct your attention to a recent article posted in the BBC:

A US man has injured himself in both legs after attempting to loosen a stiff wheel-nut by blasting it with his gun.

The 66-year-old man from Washington state was repairing his car outside his home when the accident took place.

Shooting at the wheel from arm's length with his 12-gauge shotgun, he was peppered with buckshot and debris.

The man - whom police say was on his own and not intoxicated - was taken to hospital with severe, but not life-threatening, injuries.

The man, from South Kitsap, 10 miles (16km) southwest of Seattle, had been repairing his Lincoln Continental for two weeks, according to the police, and had removed all but one of the nuts on the right rear wheel.

Frustrated by the one remaining nut which refused to budge, he resorted to fire power in an effort to shift it.

He sustained injuries from his feet to the middle of his abdomen, with some pellets reaching as high as his chin.

Now, after you have a nice chuckle at this poor dumb bastard, think about this shit again, this is serious. BBC is the most popular news site in the entire world. This article, was the most popular article on BBC's website. Thus, today, more people learned about this bumbling (sober!?!) Cascadian hick, than about parlimentary elections in Denmark or the IMF's decisions on Liberia.

It's not that I'm upset, just disappointed. The goal of this blog is to help present Cascadia to the world as a progressive, caring, and intelligent pseudo-nation. But its idiots like Kitsap Karl over here that fuck this mission up. Thanks buddy, thanks a lot.

The Mountains

At its southern end the range is about 30 to 50 miles (50 to 80 km) wide and 4,500 to 5,000 feet (1,370 to 1,520 m) high and 80 miles (130 km) wide in northern Washington. At its northern apex at Lytton Mountain (2,049 m) in Canada, near the confluence of the Fraser and Thompson Rivers, the range is only 10 miles (16 km) wide. The tallest volcanoes of the Cascades are called the High Cascades and dominate their surroundings, often standing twice the height of the nearby mountains. They often have a visual height (height above nearby crestlines) of one mile (1.6 km) or more. The tallest peaks, such as the 14,411 foot (4,392 m) high Mount Rainier, dominate their surroundings for 50 to 100 miles (80 to 160 km).

The northern part of the range, north of Mount Rainier, is known as the North Cascades. It is extremely rugged, with many of the lesser peaks steep and glaciated. The valleys are quite low, resulting in great local relief, and major passes are only about 1,000 m (3,300 ft) high. The southern part of the Canadian Cascades are included in the North Cascades, and have the same geography and geology. Usage differs as to whether to include the Coquihalla Range, which reaches up to the confluence of the Fraser and Thompson Rivers, and which has very different terrain and geology, more resembling the plateau country which extends north and east from the range's terminus at Lytton Mountain.

Because of the range's proximity to the Pacific Ocean, precipitation is substantial, especially on the western slopes, with annual accumulations of up to 150 inches (3,800 mm) in some areas—Mount Baker, for instance, recorded the largest single-season snowfall on record in the world in 1999—and heavy snowfall as low as 2,000 feet (600 m). It is not uncommon for some places in the Cascades to have over 200 inches (5,500 mm) of snow accumulation, such as at Lake Helen (near Lassen Peak), one of the snowiest places in the world. Most of the High Cascades are therefore white with snow and ice year-round. The western slopes are densely covered with Douglas-fir, Western Hemlock and Red alder, while the drier eastern slopes are mostly Ponderosa Pine, with Western Larch at higher elevations. Annual rainfall drops to 8 inches (200 mm) on the eastern foothills due to a rainshadow effect.

Beyond the foothills is an arid plateau that was created 16 million years ago as a coalescing series of layered flood basalt flows. Together, these sequences of fluid volcanic rock form a 200,000 square mile (520,000 km²) region out of eastern Washington, Oregon, and parts of Northern California and Idaho called the Columbia River Plateau.

The Columbia River Gorge is the only major break in the American part of the Cascades. When the Cascades started to rise 7 million years ago in the Pliocene, the Columbia River drained the relatively low Columbia River Plateau. As the range grew, the Columbia was able to keep pace, creating the gorge and major pass seen today. The gorge also exposes uplifted and warped layers of basalt from the plateau.

From "Cascade Range" on [Wikipedia]

Cascadians talk Climate

Willamette Valley, Oregon

Taking the Lead
By Eva Sylwester
November 1, 2007

"Global warming: A problem that requires the cooperation of the world to solve.

Action at the state level and collaboration between states is still an important part of the solution — even though measures taken at the different levels of government involved can conflict with each other.

Speakers at the "Combating Climate Change on the Regional Level: West Coast Policy and Litigation" symposium at the UO School of Law on Oct. 19 addressed these issues. The Journal of Environmental Law and Litigation, which UO law students produce, and the Bowerman Center for Environmental Law sponsored the symposium.

State Sen. Brad Avakian (D-Beaverton), one of the symposium's keynote speakers, said Oregon's government has a historical record of acting for the betterment of society, as in the 1967 Beaches Bill and the 1971 Bottle Bill.

"We lost that in the last couple of decades, but the last legislative session was a turning point," Avakian said. "It was the beginning of a cultural shift back."

Accomplishments of the 2007 legislative session Avakian noted include expanding the Bottle Bill; requiring recycling of consumer electronics; and the Oregon Renewable Energy Act, which mandates that 25 percent of Oregon's energy will be renewable by 2025.
The level of thought toward climate change in the Pacific Northwest is unique, and so are the Northwest's challenges for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Northwest does not have the number of methane-producing cattle that the agricultural Midwest does, and it also benefits from hydroelectric power. Therefore, the Northwest has a greater share of its emissions coming from transportation than the U.S. does as a whole, said Spencer Reeder of the Washington State Department of Ecology, and transportation emissions are harder to reduce than other types of emissions."

Read full article in the [Eugene Weekly]

Election Time!

Its that wonderful time of year when Cascadians get to voice their typically-so-polite opinions by choosing the candidates and propositions that matter most. Here is a quick look at some of the most important issues this time around.

In the time of carbon footprints and LEED design, transportation and its environmental impacts is ALWAYS a controversial topic. Pierce, Snohomish, and King Counties in Washington are voting on an $18 billion dollar transportation packet that couples new road construction with extended light rail. The proposition has been criticized for trying to reconcile car users with transportation riders and many groups, including the Stranger newspaper, and the Sierra Club, as well as King County executive, Ron Sims, have denounced the measure. Governor Gregoire and the Seattle PI both endorsed the plan but it seems it did not satisfy enough voters.

In the Bay Area a similar battle rages as two Propositions, A and H, will decide the fate of sustainable transportation in the San Francisco area. Proposition A looks to pump $26 million more dollars a year into the bay area's MUNI system which has been plagued with problems and slow downs in the past few years. Proposition H, an indirect rebuttal to A, wants to increase off-street parking spaces within the city limits. The majority of publications, as well as the current mayor, Gavin Newsom, have endorsed Proposition A and not H, but the influential and popular San Francisco Examiner has taken the other stance as well as the Small Business Owner's Association, a group with substantial funds. A populist campaign has been sparked to deter more money for public transport.

In Oregon a special election has been called for two measures that typify the free spirit of the Oregonians. Measure 49, which is almost certain to be approved, would restore property rights to rural and suburban land owners. It adds a number of restrictions to commercial farm and forest lands, but also gives private property owners many rights taken away in 2004, including the ability to build up to 10 homes on one piece of land. Measure 50 would implement an 84 cent tax on cigarette packs which would go to into a fund to help low income children receive better health care as well as tobacco prevention programs. The issue has been incredibly divisive and won the record for most campaign money on any single measure with $12 million dollars being spent by supporters and opponents together. As righteous as this measure is, it seems that Oregon voters are not ready for more taxes.

There are also a number of mayoral elections taking place throughout Cascadia.

• In Bellingham, WA Dan Pike won the mayoral election with an emphasis on saving Lake Whatcom and quickly but responsibly developing the old GP waterfront.

• In Spokane, WA it looks like Mary Verner will be the new mayor. Verner studied the environment and resource management and has focused on sustainable, healthy growth for the eastern city.

• In Boise, Idaho incumbent David Bieter is facing a close race against retired police chief Jim Tibbs.

• And finally, in San Francisco a show of a mayoral race is taking place with 12 candidates battling against incumbent Gavin Newsom. The candidates come from all walks of life including a nudist activist, a homeless taxi cab driver, the infamous Josh Wolf, and an artist named "Chicken John" Rinaldi (pictured). While Newsom enjoys incredibly high approval ratings and is almost certain to win, the Bay Area's Guardian endorsed Quintin Mecke, a young social worker involved in homeless shelters and violence prevention.

For more information about Cascadian Elections, see these informative articles:

[The Guardian] Endorsments and info about San Fran Elections

[The Stranger] Endorsments and info about Washington Elections

[NWCN] Election Coverage in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho

Click here for a wonderful FOX interview with "Chicken John" and the nudist.

Cascadian Quality of Life

Mercer Human Resources Consulting, an international advisory firm, has concocted a global ranking of the most livable cities. The results are based on 39 comparable "quality of life" issues that range from political stability to school quality and media outlets. Gathering data from 215 different cities, New York City was given an index rating of 100.0 and each city was given a score in relation to this.

All of the ranked cities in Cascadia managed to make the top 50. The highest rated Cascadian city was Vancouver, BC (pictured), tying for 3rd with Vienna and behind (1) Zurich and (2) Geneva. The other Cascadian rankings were as follows:

San Francisco
Rank: 29
Score: 103.2

Portland
Rank: 46
Score: 100.3

Seattle
Rank: 49 (tied with Milan, Italy)
Score: 99.9

To see the full report, click here

Where is Cascadia?

This blog is dedicated to the going-ons of the greastest world region to grace this glorious globe. That is, Cascadia. But, before this wonderful adventure into Cascadia begins, there is one incredibly pertinent question that must be addressed: What exactly constitutes the borders of Cascadia?

Ernest Callenbach, author of the 1975 novel, Ecotopia, and one of the founding father's of the Cascadian ideal, thought mostly of the coastal regions. Callenbach envisioned Cascadia, or as he called it, Ecotopia, as Washington Oregon and Northern California. Coming from an older generation he centered in the South, with San Francisco as the capital. More recent Cascadian nationalists have tended to look north, generally including Canada's British Columbia within the parameters (see Republic of Cascadia). It is also important to note that due to the original boundaries of the Oregon Territory, the eastern side of the mountains has long been politically bound to the west and therefore shares a common historical tradition. Scholar and historian Carlos Arnaldo Schwantes, considers the states of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho to be the most historically and culturally homogenous, and, thus, has influentially dubbed this region as the Pacific Northwest.

But regardless of where you draw the lines, the fact remains that these recently colonized lands shelter a distinct identity that exists nowhere else on earth. In 1925 Almira Bailey traveled to this region and his comments about Seattle reflect a greater embodiment of the Cascadian spirit.

"Old cities forget that they were once-trees. In those cities they love old "musky, tusky" houses where the regicides once hid or Paul Revere stopped and supposed a cup of tea. But in Seattle, it is as though the trees changed to house shapes, still keeping the essence and benediction of earth-contact"

So without further ado, I bring you Cascadia Rising, the first and only blog dedicated to news and information about this greatly underappreciated, but not under-watered (sorry, a little NW humor for you) region. Viva Cascadia!