history makes funny

[solarbird]

I've now put pretty much everything I thought worth including in the Wikipedia entry on Kenmore. I have to say, this was pretty fun, and it was neat to find out that Kenmore actually does have a bit of a "there" there; just as Seattle was saved by prostitution, Kenmore was built by illegal liquor.

I also found out that Kenmore's most famous speakeasy, The Blind Pig? That name? It's slang for "WE SERVE ILLEGAL BOOZE." It's another way to say "speakeasy," and was known slang for decades beforehand. In other words: they were flaunting it. They may as well have had a big neon sign up blinking, "BRING IT, COPPERS!" Or better, like in that Bugs Bunny cartoon, first "BRING IT," then "COPPERS," then "BRING IT, COPPERS!" with a little line-drawing-style cartoon of a drunk guy, repeated three times before cycling again.

I love shit like that so much.

Comments

[corivax.livejournal.com]

That's really cool! I didn't know any of that!

I had to attend some Kenmore-incorporation committee meetings as a "civics activity" when I was in high school. I think they mostly wanted to incorporate to kick out the strip clubs. You can imagine what the sudden influx of high-school males thought about this, and said, loudly, during the meetings! It was great. They asked the high school not to send us back. Ever. :)

[solarbird]

zomg I've never heard that from anybody! I've heard a bunch of reasons, none of which were that one: 1. Lake Forest Park wasn't just talking annexation, they'd actually grabbed a chunk off (this move apparently convinced a lot of undecided voters); 2. Bothell and Kirkland were looking west and north respectively, and Kenmore was about to be cut up like Poland in the 19th century (see issue 1 - staying "rural" and unincorporated wasn't going to be an option anymore); 3. King County's benign neglect had become malignant neglect when they permitted some stuff (notably People's Storage in downtown and their GIANT NEON SIGN) that everybody local hated - the house I live in is an example of King County's inept permit handling in the area; 4. The GMA was bringing density somewhere, and they wanted control over where.

Nr. 4 was apparently a very big one. And I can assure you that King County's planning and zoning for the area was a disaster, so I can't even imagine what they'd have done. Anyway, Nr. 4 is what the council talks about most of the time these days.

That strip-club thing is funny too, particularly since you can't ban 'em anyway. Or I didn't think you could. Can you? There's still at least one pr0n store on Bothell Way.

[firni.livejournal.com]

Ours isn't as much fun.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snohomish%2C_Washington

Although I remember reading *somewhere* that the reason the town has so many churches is there used to be a law that for every bar/tavern/saloon, there had to be a church near it.

[corivax.livejournal.com]

There was something wonky about KC's zoning laws that made it more attractive somehow to set up strip clubs in unincorporated areas than in cities proper, I think. I remember there being lots of strip clubs, like ten in a row on one street - at the time I thought Washington must just be very sinful, as I'd just moved from rural Pennsylvania.

At the meeting, someone complained about the zoning laws bit, and said the clubs were mostly frequented by out of town folk. Maybe it was just a passing concern, not any "real issue", but at this particular meeting the crowd of high school boys just ran with it and it became a Big Deal, and eclipsed all the real reasons?

I don't really know, as I didn't attend any meetings before or afterwards.

[solarbird]

Ours isn't as much fun.
It's Wikipedia - you can fix it, if you wanna! Kenmore's used to look like this before I started hacking on it.

Although I remember reading *somewhere* that the reason the town has so many churches is there used to be a law that for every bar/tavern/saloon, there had to be a church near it.
I've heard that about a lot of places. I think it's an urban legend. But I dunno!

[firni.livejournal.com]

Now that I think further on it, it was TODD THE JACKASS who told me that.

Therefore, it is probably utter bullshit, like most things that come out of his mouth.

[corivax.livejournal.com]

However, nothing I've said here should be taken as authoritative. I was a dumb high school kid at the time. It's just what seemed true to us then.

[torquemada.livejournal.com]

King County's benign neglect had become malignant neglect

This is what the southeast end of the county's like, now, and it's getting people pretty pissed off. Enough that Fairwood's considering incorporation (though parts may ask Renton to annex them).

King County's actively cutting back on services to unincorporated areas, thanks to the Growth Management Act and poor budgets, while increasing taxation on the same areas. YAY!

[solarbird]

Nah, I could see that being a Deal(tm) with people. King County really doesn't want to do land use, and that's just yet another example.

pikaPIKA!

[solarbird]

"GOTTA BAN 'EM ALL!"