This editorial will appear in tomorrow's print edition.

At times we thought we’d never see the day. But it arrives Saturday: the first big section of regional light rail.

Celebration is in order. Supporters can welcome the realization of their decades-old vision. Skeptics should find some satisfaction that Sound Transit is finally – if belatedly – delivering on service it promised in 1996.

What’s opening Saturday isn’t the 21-mile line originally proposed to the voters that year. It’s a truncated 14-mile stretch that runs from Sea-Tac Airport through downtown Seattle. The shrinkage came amid an almost-fatal fiscal crisis Sound Transit endured nine years ago, when its original cost estimates proved wildly optimistic. At the time, the odds were against the survival of light rail.

In 2001, the agency regrouped under new management, adopted rigorously realistic cost-projection methods and shortened the tracks to bring the project in line with revenues.

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The military ouster of Honduran President Manuel Zelaya has largely been reported in this country as an illegal coup. Here's another view:

By Miguel A. Estrada
Special to the Los Angeles Times

Honduras, the tiny Central American nation, had a change of leaders on June 28. The country’s military arrested President Manuel Zelaya — in his pajamas, he says — and put him on a plane bound for Costa Rica. A new president, Roberto Micheletti, was appointed. Led by Cuba and Venezuela (Sudan and North Korea were not immediately available), the international community swiftly condemned this so-called "coup."

Something clearly has gone awry with the rule of law in Honduras — but it is not necessarily what you think. Begin with Zelaya’s arrest. The Supreme Court of Honduras, as it turns out, had ordered the military to arrest Zelaya two days earlier. A second order (issued on the same day) authorized the military to enter Zelaya’s home to execute the arrest. These orders were issued at the urgent request of the country’s attorney general. All the relevant legal documents can be accessed (in Spanish) on the Supreme Court’s Web site. They make for interesting reading.

What you’ll learn is that the Honduran Constitution may be amended in any way except three. No amendment can ever change (1) the country’s borders, (2) the rules that limit a president to a single four-year term and (3) the requirement that presidential administrations must "succeed one another" in a "republican form of government."

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Excuse me while I bask in the civility. It’s so rare, especially in politics. It was found in abundance today during the political theater that was the first day of Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice. It seems worth taking a moment just to say ahhh.

Today was also the national debut of Senator Al Franken from Minnesota, who took his senatorial oath less than a week ago. Political watchers were half expecting long time political rival Republican Norm “let’s hold the longest election night in history” Coleman to knock Franken out of his chair, but of course those high jinks belonged in Franken’s last career as actor/comedian, not this one (although Senate chambers are no stranger to slapstick).

Today, Frankencame as a member of the judiciary committee, and was chosen to make opening remarks. His speech was eloquent, saying the Supreme Court was the last place in America people can go to in search of justice. After being momentarily interrupted by a protester (Coleman, was that you?) Franken said Sotomayor was the most qualified nominee in 100 years.

Franken’s gravitas was appropriate, but still, I couldn’t help wishing his introduction would have given a wink and a nod to a former gig, something like “Live, from New York, it’s Sonia Sotomayor.”

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I had a few goals at the Art on the Ave festival Sunday: Hear Vicci Martinez, eat some good street food and see some politicians get dunked.

Mission accomplished. Martinez rocked, the new Sax restaurant/nightclub had the best deal on Sixth Avenue with $1 sliders and chicken skewers, and I got to see mayoral candidate Jim Merritt go into the dunk tank. Repeatedly.

He was a good sport and probably scored some points with voters just for braving the chilly water on such a chilly day.

Merritt's opponent, Marilyn Strickland, was not on the dunk tank schedule, but several other politicians were, including Metro Parks Commissioner Ryan Mello, Tacoma City Council candidate Marty Campbell and unopposed council incumbent Jake Fey.

The one I'm sorry I missed was Pierce County Councilman Tim Farrell, dressed up as Carmen Miranda (pictured). But at least News Tribune photog Drew Perine was there to get the shot. I particularly like the Cher wig.

To see more photos from the festival, and to see a slideshow of editorial cartoons, click here.

We're working on an editorial for tomorrow cheering the debut of Sound Transit's long-in-coming light rail line. Anyone who has ventured north lately has seen the blue-and-white trains on trial runs; now comes the more important test of whether they convince people to get out of their cars.

We're also planning to run the blog post about state workers' share of health care costs as an editorial on tomorrow's page.

If you have comments or questions about these topics, please email them to patrick.ocallahan@thenewstribune.com. Editorials represent the consensus view of The News Tribune's editorial board.

Want to sit in on a daily ed board meeting? Email cheryl.tucker@thenewstribune.com to make an appointment.

You'd have thought the state has struck down 40-hour work weeks, the minimum wage and child labor laws in one fell swoop to hear the leaders of the biggest state employee labor union tell it last week.

Greg Devereux of the Washington Federation of State Employees came unhinged after the Public Employees Benefits Board voted to – get this – not raise state workers' share of their health care costs.

To be fair, Devereux wasn't protesting the board's decision to require employees to continue to pay 12 percent of their health care premiums, but how the board got to that number.

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