Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Seattle Seahawks fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

It’s the first Seahawks Reacts survey for October! You know the drill by now: Confidence poll question, followed by margin of victory/defeat for the Seattle Seahawks’ upcoming game. I’m curious to see by how much the confidence reading drops after the first loss of the Mike Macdonald era.

This week’s main question is all about projecting the October schedule, which, if you’re not sure what’s on tap for Seattle, consists of the following opponents: vs. New York Giants, vs. San Francisco 49ers (Thursday), at Atlanta Falcons, vs. Buffalo Bills. Only the Giants are below .500, and both the Niners and Bills are seen as Super Bowl contenders. Three home games plus a dome road game is pretty damn favorable to Seattle in terms of schedule, even if the opponent difficulty is quite tough. How many October wins do you see from Seattle? Your only options are 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 because those are literally the only outcomes.

Vote in the survey below!

Check back this weekend for the full results! Here is how you voted last week.

SEATTLE – The Seattle Public Schools Board approved an employment agreement and pay raise on Tuesday that will result in Superintendent Dr. Brent Jones earning an extra $20,000. 

Erin Combs, the parent of a second-grader at Thornton Creek Elementary, says she was shocked to learn that while Seattle Public Schools was weighing plans to close schools due to budget deficits, the board was planning a vote to approve the substantial raise for the superintendent.  

“Unfortunately, the school board is not taking any public comment at today’s meeting,” said Erin Combs, with All Together for Seattle Schools.

Parents and some educators were upset that the board meeting was virtual, so they couldn’t speak out against the raise.   

“If the district doesn’t have enough money to keep schools open, then we certainly don’t have enough money to give district leadership raises,” said Combs. 

According to state data, in the 2021-2022 school year, Jones made more than $323,000, and in 2022-2023, he made $334,998.

His salary is expected to jump by around 6% under the latest agreement. 

“The base salary increase is the same cost of living adjustment that was provided to other administrators in Seattle Public Schools,” said Board President Liza Rankin. 

Past employment agreements with Jones also included a car allowance, along with health and retirement benefits.  

Despite previous reports that the budget would need to be cut by nearly $100 million, the board unanimously approved the employment agreement, along with a new evaluation instrument. 

Jones said during the meeting that he was supportive of the changes and also offered to take unpaid furlough days in solidarity with other central office staff. 

“I’m willing to have five furlough days to make sure we are in alignment,” said Jones. 

“On the one hand, I think it’s a positive sign, but I still have deep-seated skepticism about what’s next,” said Combs. 

When FOX 13 Seattle reached out to the SPS about the agreement, the district released this statement:

“The employment agreement the Seattle School Board will vote on tonight reflects negotiations between Board President Liza Rankin, as authorized by the Board, and Seattle Public Schools (SPS) Superintendent Brent Jones. The changes to Superintendent Jones’ contract are described in tonight’s Board Action Report as follows: 

“The proposed employment agreement (a) removes the automatic extension language and requires an affirmative vote of the Board in January to extend the term of the agreement; (b) aligns the annual salary decision with budget development in July; (c) supports the performance evaluation process with quarterly check-ins and a review of data aligned to the Student Outcomes Focused Governance Framework; (d) updates common employment terms for sick leave accrual, vacation cashout, and holidays; and (e) provides a cost-of-living adjustment to salary. 

“The cost-of-living adjustment is consistent with what SPS administrators received effective September 1, 2024.”

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Washington’s minimum wage increasing in 2025

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It used to be that when someone asked, “Where do I go for good dim sum in Seattle?” you could answer — annoyingly but maybe accurately — with “Richmond, B.C.”

Well, not anymore! Thanks to a series of high-profile restaurant openings, the Seattle metro area seems to be on the verge of a dim sum boom.

The tide started to turn in April when Sun Sui Wah Seafood Restaurant, a popular Cantonese food destination with roots in Hong Kong that opened in Vancouver in 1988 (and later in Richmond), brought its mark of excellence to Bellevue. Typical of dim sum restaurants, diners can order baskets of buns and other dim sum items until 2:30 p.m., at which time the kitchen starts to turn its focus to the dinner menu, which includes Sun Sui Wah’s upscale squab, duck, and abalone platters. A Sun Sui Wah representative says the restaurant selected the Seattle area for expansion because of its proximity to their successful established market in the Vancouver area and because Seattle has a very strong Chinese community. The fact that there were three-hour waits for dim sum when Sun Sui Wah opened proved the owners were on to something.

Those on the south side of Seattle (and anyone willing to travel) can now enjoy the dim sum delights at Mr. Dim Sum, founded by Ben Liang, who also owns Hong Kong Bistro in the Chinatown-International District.

Sandwiched between Gen Korean BBQ House and Marugame Udon as part of a new restaurant row at Southcenter Mall, Mr. Dim Sum is unique in that it serves dim sum all day. As at other restaurants, the kitchen staff arrives early to start with Chinese pastry work and other prep. The difference is that the shrimp dumplings, rice rolls, chicken feet, barbecue pork pies, and custard buns are available into the evening, with increasingly younger diners dropping in as the day progresses.

Perhaps the most celebrated opening occurred in late August at Diamond Bay Restaurant, located in the former House of Hong location in the Chinatown–International District. Entry reveals an expansive banquet room with large round tables that accommodate big parties but can be shared by small parties willing to do so. (Given the limited number of four-tops, sharing is the only way to avoid long waits on the weekend.) Popular dim sum items here include the Golden Crispy Shrimp Rice Rolls (offering contrast in crispy and silky textures) and the Ube Salted Egg Yolk Lava Sesame Balls (offering contrast of sweet and savory flavors). Dim sum service stops at 3 p.m. Diamond Bay has an adjoining space called Jin Huang, a Cantonese cafe like you’d find in Hong Kong, serving roasted and BBQ meats, clay pots, and more.

Diamond Bay and Jin Huang represent an expansion of similar restaurants in New York. Andy Liao, one of Diamond Bay’s partners, identified a need for more dim sum in Seattle, saying, “My aim is to enhance the neighborhood with this development, attracting more foot traffic and adding to the area’s vibrancy. Since we are the largest dim sum parlor in Seattle we can offer a welcoming space for everyone to enjoy.” It’s indeed a gathering space, as the banquet room can be rented out for events like wedding parties, while there are private dining rooms on the second floor for business meetings and more intimate occasions.

There’s one imminent dim sum opening to come, sure to please people on the north side of Seattle, and it’s the place some consider to have offered the area’s best dim sum in recent years. Triumph Valley, a popular destination in Renton, is putting finishing touches on renovation of the former Super China Buffet location in Shoreline and is expected to open in October. With newfound competition, it will be interesting to see how Triumph Valley and all the existing dim sum restaurants in the area rise to the occasion.