August 2007 Developer Edition One buyer, 40 acres: a quiet revolution in Sodo An immigration lawyer-turned-developer, Liebman has quietly assembled acre after acre in Seattle's Sodo neighborhood, becoming that area's largest private-property owner -- in a creative, some say cunning, way. Read the Full Story in the Seattle Times  (07/20) A U.S. Indian tribe becomes a force in the American West's energy boom Many American Indian tribes count on gamblers at their casinos to generate most of the income for their members. The Southern Ute tribe is a lot luckier. Its 700,000-acre, or 280,000 hectare, reservation here in the San Juan Basin sits on one of the world's richest deposits of methane, a gas found in coal seams. Read the Full Story in the International Herald Tribune  (07/24) Water and wetlands get more protection Stricter rules were approved Wednesday to better preserve areas near streams, wetlands and lakes in unincorporated Snohomish County. Read the Full Story in the Everett Herald  (08/02) Building green for less green: Design team plans lower-cost, energy-efficient housing In construction, affordable and green are often contradictory terms. What makes for an environmentally conscious building — such as the use of natural building materials or systems to generate alternative forms of energy — often also makes for an expensive one, leaving sustainable design a choice only a few can afford. Read the Full Story in the University of Wisconsin-Madison News  (08/02) Kansas City: Modest metropolis in midst of mighty renewal Early next year, the Cordish Co. will cut the ribbon on the Power & Light District, a massive redevelopment of a nine-square-block chunk of Kansas City's long-dilapidated downtown. Like Baltimore's Inner Harbor, it will feature restaurants, bars, shops and live entertainment. Read the Full Story in USA Today  (08/17) Quote of the Month "Never be afraid to sit awhile and think." -Lorraine Hansberry (writer and playwright)