By Sean Keeley
Seattle icon J.P. Patches was famously known as the Mayor of the City Dump on his long-running TV show.
Patches a.k.a. Chris Wedes appeared on KCTS 9 Wednesday night in his “final” TV appearance and, on it, City Council member Jean Godden suggested renaming the nearby North Transfer Station after J.P. as a fitting tribute.
While Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) wasn’t a big fan of their station being referred to as a “dump,” they did find common ground and plan to name a new education center in the transfer station, which is being redesigned and reopen in 2012, after the clown.
“The idea will be to show how thinking about solid-waste management has evolved over the last several decades. The education center will teach the next generation how to reduce the amount of materials we put into landfills every year,” said Hennessey, who claims to be a Patches Pal but admitted to liking J.P.’s burly sidekick Gertrude better.
And so, J.P. will live on as the Mayor of the Dump forever…just don’t call it a dump.
