A building name fit for a King

Kudos to the students, civic leaders and public officials who took part in naming King County's new office building The Chinook Building.

It is a name that pays homage to an iconic resource, and also keeps foremost in the public's mind the tribal heritage that richly endows the broader state.

The name for the 13-story center in downtown Seattle was proposed by Megan Drews, a freshman at Eastside Catholic High School in Bellevue. It was one of 140 entries submitted by middle-school students from throughout King County in a contest sponsored by King County Councilmember Bob Ferguson. Megan was attending Holy Family School in Kirkland at the time she entered.

The goal of the contest was educational. Ferguson wanted young people to explore Northwest history for their ideas on people, organizations, movements, activities or symbols to honor.

The entries added up to a thoughtful, bracing walk through history.

Dorothy Bullitt, founder of KING Broadcasting, was suggested as the namesake. So was Doc Maynard, Seattle's first physician. A recommendation was made that the building be named after Tyree Scott, the late civil-rights and construction-trades leader. Class projects and discussions formed around the contest.

In the end, the council unanimously voted on Monday for The Chinook Building, a name, as one council member noted, that suggests strength, vibrancy and regeneration, all attributes of a once and future King County.

Each of the nine County Council members will now be able to name a floor in the building for a person or symbol connected to King County, either from the remaining student entries or the members' own lists. The county executive will name floors 10 through 13.

This page originally favored naming the building, which houses agencies such as the Department of Public Health, for someone who directly impacted county government. However, we cannot fault an outcome that pays tribute to both the individual and universal good of the county.