Tonight at West Seattleite-owned SODO Park, the nonpartisan civic-engagement nonprofit Municipal League of King County presented its 52nd annual Civic Awards – and one of the biggest awards of the night went to County Executive Dow Constantine, the James R. Ellis Award for Regional Leadership. “We work best when we work together,” he said, talking about some of the highlights of his two-plus years leading county government, including getting the push for a new South Park Bridge over the final hurdles. He was accompanied by parents Lois and John Constantine and partner Shirley Carlson, and quipped he wanted to thank them for making “the 8-minute drive from West Seattle” to be there for him.
Another political leader who grew up in West Seattle, State Sen. Ed Murray (at right in the next photo), shared the Warren G. Magnuson Award with State Sen. Steve Litzow (photo left) for their bipartisan leadership in getting the marriage-equality bill passed this past session:
And we were humbled that WSB was among this year’s honorees (full list here), for Government News Reporting of the Year. City Council President Sally Clark, who had nominated WSB, introduced your editor here (accepting the award solo because co-publisher Patrick Sand was covering the BEX-IV meeting – video and notes up shortly). She spoke of the ever-growing role that online-only neighborhood news services like this one play in informing and engaging their communities. Since WSB is a community-collaborative news service, this belongs to you too:
A few other West Seattle notes – County Councilmember Joe McDermott was one of a dozen or so other West Seattleites who said hi (you can see him in this photo we took from the stage)
And we want to thank our table captain, West Seattleite Clayton Graham, a Municipal League board member. Tonight’s event coincided with a day we celebrate each year, the anniversary of our arrival in Seattle in 1991; back then, it took us only days to determine that West Seattle was where we wanted to live, and we are so happy to be, with you, part of a beautiful, inspiring community. Thank you.
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