Originally published Saturday, November 29, 1997

By SCOTT SUNDE
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

A frequent point of confusion is whether to put a hyphen in the name of this South King County city, or of the airport around which it grew.

The short answer:

• Hyphenate as "Sea-Tac" when giving the popular nickname for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

• Don't hyphenate when talking the city -- then it's merely "SeaTac."

That changed when the push for a new city began. Bill Bowlin, one of the organizers of incorporation, told the P-I in 1989: "When we drew up our petition for incorporation, we wanted the name to be different" from the airport's Sea-Tac.

But confusion continued. When the incorporation question went on the ballot that year, the proposed city's name appeared as "Sea-Tac" -- following the style used in an incorporation ordinance approved by the county council.

The new city, however, officially adopted the hyphenless spelling, and it was so noted on official incorporation papers filed with the state.

(Note: A background story on the city's incorporation spells the city's name as "Sea-Tac" because that's how it appeared when the story was originally published in 1990.)