The Weekend Wrap Goes Storm Chasing

From Duvall, YouTuber Iamthecourtjester filmed the Monroe funnel cloud--people are still confirming whether it touched down and achieved tornado status--that accompanied our windy, rainy week. Cliff Mass says his book explains why our convergence zone will create spinners like these (he's more excited about the coastal radar system getting set up a year early).

It felt like a slow news week locally: the Gulf oil spill claimed much of the headlines, as did the Israeli boarding of the Gaza flotilla, and the Dow finished the week below 10,000. In Seattle, the three police chief finalists were making the rounds, Mayor McGinn and Governor Gregoire mixed it up over the tunnel, and Boeing's experimental scramjet hit Mach 5. PETA set up a naked shower in Westlake, and probably overloaded several camera-phone uploading networks. Ken Griffey Jr. retired. King County pending sales dropped off a 44-percent cliff, now that that housing tax credit has expired.

Speaking of overloaded networks, AT&T announced its new data plans and tethering for the iPhone, and TechFlash announced that Amazon's Jeff Bezos was trying to patent online nodding ordering, and that Microsoft's Bing was no long cash-backing. A Virginia man argued that Starbucks coffee and steroids led him to kill his wife. Costco is still selling up a storm.

In the 'hoods, MyBallard got the story on organic vodka, the Nickerson Street diet had Queen Anne talking, and Magnolia residents had all sorts of ideas about a weird smell's source. PhinneyWood was taking up a not-in-our-library stand against public masturbation. Maple Leaf welcomed Burger & Shake. Top Chef is coming to the University Village tomorrow. Wedgwood is getting a new tennis center.

CHS had two great stories on a street food pilot program (my idea!), and the legal skirmishings between Melrose Project developers and restaurateur Tamara Murphy. CD News stuck tenaciously with the electric trolley bus v. diesel bus decision. Eastlake Ave. covered NOAA seconding its decision to move from Seattle to Newport, OR. The Southlake looked into its booming crop of bike commuters.

The Rainier Valley Post reminded everyone that Seattle allows you to plant gardens in the planting strip next to the sidewalk. The South Seattle Beacon is putting its money on Patty Murray, the "senator from Boeing." WSB reported on two West Seattle schools' "no confidence" votes in school superintendent Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson.

On the TSB A&E channel, we were feeling festive: There was Bumbershoot's 2010 lineup, the MusicFest Northwest lineup, the Capitol Hill Block Party lineup, and OtB's Northwest New Works lineup (Jeremy spoke with Marissa Rae Niederhauser about her work stifle). Katrina visited the UW's 2010 MFA Exhibition. Morgen caught The Long Winters and Nada Surf at the Croc. Audrey recapped Top Chef Masters. I reviewed Intiman's The Thin Place  and PNB's Coppélia.

At SIFF, I interviewed Linas Phillips, Tony interviewed Senior Prom's Nicholas Terry and Amer's Bruno Forzani and Helene Cattet. Here are our SIFF picks for this weekend.