Since the passage of Measure 37 two years ago, the confusion surrounding land use and property rights has only intensified. An overburdened court system received about 3,400 claims in one three-week period at the end of 2006, according to the Department of Land Conservation and Development. And thousands of claims for previously restricted property developments have been held up by .....

Two years after Katrina devastated New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, the vast emptiness of the Crescent City shocks the senses.
The loneliness of its forgotten people, the stress of restarting lives is written on every face, and the truth is that we have mostly moved on to other things ....

Seattle actress Stephanie Hatley plays Dinah Washington in Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center's annual play, "Dinah Was: What a Difference a Day Makes" which runs through Nov. 18. It was directed by Jacqueline Moscou and features a talented Seattle cast.

Some of Seattle's most notable African Americans are being interviewed this week to be included in a national archival collection of African American video oral histories.
The HistoryMakers is the nation's largest African American video oral history archive dedicated to recording and preserving the personal histories of well-known and unsung African Americans. Based in Chicago, the nonprofit institution is committed to preserving, developing and providing easy access to thousands of African American video oral histories.
"We haven't been to the Northwest and there are African Americans who have accomplished a great deal there," said Julieanna L. Richardson, founder and executive director of The HistoryMakers.
A video crew from The HistoryMakers are in town interviewing local residents such as Seattle's first and only African American mayor, Norm Rice; Metropolitan King County Council Chair Larry Gossett, retired Washington State Judge Charles Smith, former Seattle Poet Laureate Mona Lake Jones, activist Aaron Dixon, University of Washington professor William Bradford, Professor Emeritus at Western Washington University Violet Malone, resident Gary Gayton, renowned educator Maxine Mimms and president of Jazz Inc., Gloria Burgess.
Richardson said they select individuals by doing research, talking to local ....

Many journalism students in Seattle are accustomed to brushing their teeth while watching Joyce Taylor anchor the KING-5 Morning News, or eating breakfast while reading a column by Jerry Large in The Seattle Times. But until this past weekend, few had been fortunate enough to hear them speak about their experience as minorities in the newsroom.
More than 200 aspiring and professional Black journalists gathered in the auditorium ...

The Washington Alliance of Black School Educators is making a comeback. The group held its 15th annual state conference two weeks ago, after taking some time off to regroup and make some leadership changes.
The conference explored the role of Black educators in "influencing the agenda for the education of Black children." That's a message that WABSE President Dr. Thelma Jackson is passionate about, and the reason for holding the conference in October rather than its usual March date ....

TEEN SCREEN.....CHAMBER MUSIC RECITAL.... HOLY GHOST HARVEST RALLY....   FREE BLOOD LEAD TESTING... FRIENDS OF TREES... COMPUTER LAB, ADULTS & SENIORS....  TOUR OF UNTIMELY DEPARTURE.... AUTUMN ART FAIR... TURKEY SWIM.... DEMOCRACY AND INEQUALITY.... HOMEWORK HELPERS.

It was hard for Mercer Island High School Freshman Yahnnica Tate to contain her excitement Saturday.
"This was amazing," she says, "I learned so much today."
Yahnnica was among about 90 students walking the halls of the African American Academy on a day and at a time when most young people are usually hitting the snooze button on their alarm clocks.
These students were up and to the school by 8:30 a.m. for a free workshop for high school and college students interested in a career in journalism.
The Seattle Association of Black Journalists (SABJ) spent nine months putting this workshop together so students would be informed about scholarship opportunities, mentoring programs and internships.
At the workshop, students attended different breakout sessions facilitated by various media professionals in radio, television, newspaper and on-line media ...

JENA, La. (AP) -- The Nationalist Movement, which describes itself as "pro-majority," will hold a rally in Jena, La., on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the group announced.
The organization issued a statement this week saying "Jena Justice Day to Empower the Majority" would be held on Jan. 21, 2008, the day set aside to celebrate the birthday of the slain American civil rights leader.
The statement said the Nationalists were .....

The homeland security chief on Saturday lashed into his own employees for staging a phony news conference at the Federal Emergency Management Agency. "I think it was one of the dumbest and most inappropriate things I've seen since I've been in government," Michael Chertoff said.  "I have made unambiguously clear....