These days, Seattle has a good vibe. It’s growing, maybe too fast. It’s cutting edge, grunge and high-tech coexist happily. It’s both affluent and cool. People are passionate about their close-knit neighborhoods yet proud of their robust metropolitan area. Seattle has its problems, but the city’s upbeat attitude gives them a manageable perspective. Lots of people here lead interesting lives and do engaging work. Mark Higgins is one of them.

The Seattle Times is one of the largest family-owned newspapers in the United States. The Blethen family has owned The Seattle Times since 1896; the fifth generation is involved in running the paper today. Mark grew up in King County but moved away for a number of years and worked for Hearst Publications. “I felt they lost their way, that journalism was just a small part of their bottom line.” So he returned to Seattle where the Blethen’s are actively involved in their community as advocates of free speech and using speech to shape policy and direction.

Mark is one of four editors charged with creating the editorial page, which includes articulating the Blethen’s editorial voice and editing opinion pieces written by others, including me. “To write is great. To work with writers is divine.” Anyone who invokes the divine in describing his work is a lucky man.

How will we live tomorrow?

“My dad, who passed away last year, was a Norman Vincent Peale kind of guy, a Greatest Generation guy. He survived World War II, got a purple heart, was involved in Civil Rights and the 60’s. His optimism rubbed off on me. When I look around I see good things.

“I am a big believer in science. There will be solutions. I don’t know what they are but they will happen.”