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Mike's adventure in art: Hedwig, Art Attack, and Ice Cream!
If you're looking for tips on how to experience art in the Seattle area, you're in the right place. In this weekly post, KUOW arts reporter Mike Davis has suggestions for what to do around Seattle over the weekend so you can have your own adventures in arts and culture.
Theater
"Hedwig and the Angry Inch" is showing at Arts West. This is my pick of the week. I was familiar with the story of the gender-queer rock star before entering the theater, but this performance still left me with so many questions about love and acceptance and how important it really is to have someone love the whole you. In fact, this led me to reach out to Nicholas Japaul Bernard, who plays Hedwig, to explore these themes. That interview will air on Soundside next week.
Let’s talk about the production. The first thing I noticed walking into the theater was Kataka Corn. They played Dorothy in the 5th Ave Theater production of "The Wiz" last year. I had no idea they were in this play before I went, and seeing them made me excited. If you haven’t heard Corn sing in person yet, I encourage you to do so now. With a voice that powerful, and their ability to bring so much emotion into a role like this (they play Hedwig’s husband Yitzhak), Corn may not be on our local stages for long. My expectations were immediately raised, and Corn delivered!
The bulk of this production feels like a one-person play. Bernard, who plays Hedwig, an east-German rock artist, is performing a concert for us — the real life audience. Through the concept of this concert, we take a journey through Hedwig’s life. We see her childhood, we learn her deepest, at times traumatic, experiences. The way Bernard controlled the audience was masterful. In the moments when people were supposed to laugh, we laughed, when he sang upbeat rock songs, we danced (and sang along), and in moments of Hedwig’s despair, we felt her pain in our souls. The pacing of the play was near perfect. I remember a specific moment, when Hedwig is slumped on stage around a pile of disheveled garments and trash. The lights are turned down so the theater is dimly lit. There is an old-school television with black-and-white fuzz faintly illuminating the stage. Hedwig is experiencing emotional trauma (I won’t spoil it here), and has a bottle of alcohol in her hand. And she sits there. And we, the audience, sit there. In a moment that feels like forever, we feel what she feels, and the pause is agonizing.
This is a musical, and the songs are great. There are certainly times when we all had fun. But this production has a lot to say. About our society, about people like Hedwig who live among us with pain that many of us can’t imagine. But these people exist. And through Hedwig, they are not only seen, but felt. This production made me feel. That’s a hallmark of great theater.
"Hedwig and the Angry Inch", showing at Arts West until July 23
Visual Art
Art Attack is this Saturday in the Georgetown neighborhood. This is Georgetown’s version of an art walk and this event happens every second-Saturday. If you have not had the chance to visit Georgetown recently, this is a great way to get to know it. During Art Attack, over 20 neighborhood venues and art galleries are open to the public and many restaurants offer deals on food and drinks. And Georgetown has a ton of great food! So, if you are looking for some fun in the sun this weekend, in a place where you can see some great art and have some food, this is the place to be. And, it’s family friendly!
Art Attack, Georgetown Saturday July 8
Community Event
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It's official: Dave Reichert enters race for Washington governor
Dave Reichert has officially announced his campaign for Washington governor, making him the most prominent Republican in the race. The move has prompted one GOP candidate to drop out of the gubernatorial race.
"I'm Dave Reichert and I'm running for governor to protect the vulnerable, to help small businesses, and to keep people safe," Reichert says in a 33-second video officially announcing his run for governor.
Reichert's video announcement is simple and to the point. It stands in contrast to the announcements of his Democratic counterparts, who released minutes-long, highly-produced videos, such as Attorney General Bob Ferguson and Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz. In his 33 seconds, Reichert lays out his view that government should be open, and not "pitting one region against another, one generation against another, one family against another."
"So buckle up. We're going to show America there is another way. Catch you down the road."
The official announcement appeared on recently opened social media profiles, and a website that just went live. It arrives one week after news broke that Reichert filed paperwork with the state as a candidate for governor.
In conjunction with Reichert's run for governor, Raul Garcia, a physician from Yakima, has dropped out of the gubernatorial race and has shifted his campaign to run for Senate. Garcia has also been viewed as a moderate Republican. On Friday, he told KING5 it doesn't make sense to go head-to-head with Reichert when they share many of the same ideals.
"I will be challenging Maria Cantwell in the upcoming 2024 election," Garcia said in a brief Facebook post. "We need a senator for Washington who truly listens and offers solutions instead of politics to the office. Together we can restore health, effective leadership, and unity to Washington."
Reichert has something his remaining Republican competition does not: name recognition. He was previously King County sheriff, and a seven-term Congress member from Washington's 8th District. He is also known as a member of the task force that brought in the Green River Killer in 2001.
In Congress, Reichert leaned into traditional GOP issues, such as lower taxes and limited government. He was on the Ways and Means Committee. He was also a member of the Main Street Partnership, a caucus of moderate Republicans, which also included then-Sen. John McCain and former Washington Congressmember Jaime Herrera Beutler. GovTrack.us ranks Reichert as center-right. In 2017, he favored repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, but also voted against the GOP's health-care bill that same year.
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MLB All-Star Week expected to bring in $50 million, but at what cost?
Major League Baseball's All-Star Week has arrived in Seattle.
The Seattle tourism advocacy group "Visit Seattle" expects sold out crowds at both the Home Run Derby on Monday and the All-Star Game on Tuesday. Plus, they're expecting more than 100,000 people to attend the other events. All-Star Week kicks off Friday, July 7 with the HBCU Swingman Classic.
All-Star Week is expected to be a home run for local businesses, with an estimated $50 million pumped into the economy.
RELATED: Downtown Seattle businesses prepare for MLB All-Star visitor surge
Deputy Mayor Greg Wong told KUOW's Angela King the games also come with additional benefits for the city.
"We also have direct investments that Major League Baseball and the Mariners are making in our community that will leave lasting impacts," he said. "Such as improving our Rainier Playfields in South Seattle and helping support youth baseball teams in the area."
Hosting All-Star Week will also cost the city money, though. Wong said the city hasn't yet determined what the final cost will be.
Some critics have pointed to a toll on the unhoused people in particular. They've accused Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell's administration of ramping up homeless encampment sweeps and RV removals, particularly in the SODO neighborhood. Harrell has pushed back.
Deputy Mayor Wong said the efforts to clean up neighborhoods like the Chinatown-International District, for example, have been a part of long-term efforts — not just part of preparations for All-Star Week.
"We don't actually, as a city, need a big event to clean up our neighborhoods that have really been impacted disproportionately over the past few years by the pandemic and some of the social unrest in our city," he said. "That's why we've actually been partnering for quite a long time, and separately from the All-Star Game, with communities like Chinatown-International District on identifying their priorities."
Part of that, Wong said, has been "addressing our unsheltered neighbors and prioritizing getting them into housing." The same applied to people living in RVs, he said.
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It's still Pride month in Tacoma where the celebration continues through July
June is widely known as Pride month, but Tacoma keeps the celebration going through July — it's still Pride month in Grit City.
This week, the Pierce County Council made it official and declared July as Pride month in the county.
“We have come a long way, and I don’t want to diminish that progress,” Council Chair Ryan Mello said in a statement. “But there’s a growing, and alarming, divide growing in America that can unravel years of progress. That’s why recognizing Pride Month and inviting everyone to celebrate is so important.”
“I am proud to be the first openly gay person to lead the Pierce County Council in its history," he said. "I am grateful to show up as my full self every day to lead this council and work on issues such as job creation, protecting our environment, building more affordable housing, and the inclusion of everyone in our society, especially those historically marginalized.”
Pierce County first officially recognized July as Pride month in 2021.
Tacoma's Pride month kicks off with a week of festivities, starting on Friday, July 7 with LGBTQ+ Community Pride Awards. A street fair takes over Pacific Avenue at Ninth Street on Saturday, July 8, followed by an evening block party. A queer interfaith function is Sunday, and the week closes out on Wednesday, July 12 with Queerly Funny, an LGBTQ+ standup comedy show featuring local comedians.
The month continues with additional events, such as a big hat brunch, watching "Hairspray" in People's Park, and more. Check out the full schedule here.
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Photos: First game of All-Star Week features HBCU student athletes
Major League Baseball’s All-Star Week started Friday in Seattle. But before the major leaguers show up, the first game featured student athletes from historically Black colleges and universities for the inaugural HBCU Swingman Classic.
Seattle Mariners legend and baseball hall of famer, Ken Griffey, Jr., teamed up with the MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation for the first ever HBCU Swingman Classic.
Fifty athletes from historically Black schools played Friday night before Tuesday’s All-Star Game.
It was a chance for the students to play on a major league field in front of thousands of fans and scouts.
“These guys get an opportunity to play at the highest level, get drafted, go out there and further their career in the game of baseball,” Griffey told MLB in June.
Griffey said this game is an opportunity for him to give back to younger players the same way his father, another former Mariner and World Series champ, helped Junior when he was coming up in baseball.
“Not everybody can go to a Power Five conference,” Griffey said. “Not everybody can afford to pay the 30, 40, $50,000 a year to play baseball.”
Griffey said he’d be in the dugouts to chat with the players and offer advice.
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Child care gets $7.6 million boost in Snohomish County
Snohomish County officials are spending $7.6 million to increase the local level of high-quality, affordable child care.
“A major barrier to people joining or returning to the workforce is the lack of available and affordable child care," County Executive Dave Somers said in a statement. "The effects of child care deserts across our county impact all of us, but they have an even more acute impact on women, who are pushed out of the job market at higher rates due to the extremely high cost of child care. That’s why we are expanding access for communities across our county, particularly in places where child care is already extremely scarce.”
Somers said the money will be awarded to six capital projects and will create approximately 360 new child-care slots, especially in areas that are considered extreme child-care deserts. Somers' office estimates 80% of Snohomish residents live in such an area, and that there are about 62 child-care spots for every 100 kids in the county (which it notes is lower than the state average of 79).
Increasing child-care availability was identified as a top community priority during the county’s communitywide pandemic recovery engagement effort.
The county is targeting the funds at six local organizations, including the Boys and Girls Club of Snohomish County, which is getting $1 million to construct a 12,000-square-foot building to increase capacity for child-care programs. The Latino Educational Training Institute is receiving $656,193 for a 1,200-square-foot modular building and a playground. See a full list of organizations here.
The money for the child-care programs is coming from funding the county received from the American Rescue Plan Act.
“Because of the historic investments Democrats made in the American Rescue Plan, hundreds of families across Snohomish County will now have access to affordable, high-quality child care. Right now, families are struggling to find the child care they need—and struggling to afford the options they can find—and today’s announcement by Executive Somers is going to make a real difference for so many kids and families in Snohomish County. This announcement shows what’s possible when we invest in our nation’s child care sector, and I am going to keep pushing in Congress until we fix the child care crisis once and for all,” Senator Patty Murray said.
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Seattle to get its first protected intersection
After years of delays due to budget cuts, the city of Seattle has started the bidding process for its very first protected intersection.
Imagine an intersection with a floating island at every corner. The floating islands create a physical separation between people in the street and vehicles, providing safety for both. This is what the new protected intersection, planned for Thomas Street and Dexter Avenue in South Lake Union will look like.
Francisca Stefan, senior deputy director at the Seattle Department of Transportation, said the Thomas and Dexter intersection was chosen because it’s a growing part of town.
"We've got the busy Seattle Center just to the west, we have many employers in this area and it's quite a busy pedestrian area," Stefan said. "So, this is a great spot."
Stefan explained that each corner is a protected space for cyclists. She said the design provides greater separation between pedestrian and vehicle traffic, which makes it safer for everyone, especially at the intersection of Thomas and Dexter.
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Space summit hypes Washington's out-of-this-world industry
Washington's leaders in the space economy gathered in Kent Wednesday to promote the state's place in the industry of the future. The Washington State Space Summit was also an opportunity for Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell to hype the region's companies to NASA.
"We're here today to discuss how our state and our country stays ahead in space," Cantwell said at the event, held at Blue Origin's headquarters in Kent. "...many companies in the state of Washington are providing growth and opportunity for space jobs. It is providing a booming economy, and it has helped maintain America's position in leadership of space exploration."
Cantwell cited a 2022 report showing that Washington's fast-growing space industry "had more than doubled in four years to $4.6 billion and had 13,000 jobs."
RELATED: NASA contract has Kent's Blue Origin feeling over the moon, and on it
That 2022 report from the Puget Sound Regional Council not only found that Washington's space industry generated $4.6 billion in local economic activity in 2021, it contributed $1.6 billion in labor income, and that for every job in the field, 1.26 jobs are created across the region's economy.
Most of the state's workforce in this field is employed by Amazon, Blue Origin, and SpaceX, though the report notes that there are various smaller, local businesses providing support and research. Products range from launch vehicles to satellite manufacturing and related services. "Significant amounts of office, industrial, flex, and warehouse space are now being taken up in the region to support these activities," the report states.
The Washington State Space Summit gathered 20 regional companies and schools at Blue Origin Wednesday, along with NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. It's Cantwell latest effort to engage the space economy, which she views as a growth industry (she has previously pushed legislation to support the removal of space junk in orbit around the Earth).
RELATED: How Seattle became a major player in the new space race
“NASA’s work with Washington commercial space companies and academic institutions demonstrates the power of investing in America," Nelson said in a statement. "NASA partnerships in the state are creating good-paying American jobs and fueling groundbreaking research and technology...With the help of Washingtonians, NASA will make new and more exciting discoveries while also inspiring the Artemis Generation — the next generation of scientists, engineers, technicians, and explorers.”
Artemis is NASA's current effort to return to the moon. It is viewed as the first step toward trips to Mars. There are 42 Washington companies with contracts connected to Artemis, according to Cantwell's office. Two local companies (Blue Origin and Aerojet Rocketdyne) are contracted to help with the Gateway program — a space station slated to be in orbit around the moon.
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The cat community around you: Today So Far
- How neighborhood cats could open up your local community. It already happened in Tacoma.
- Drought advisory for Washington state.
- Let's talk about fires.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for July 6, 2023.
Quick hits
- NW drinking water concerns could get worse as the climate changes
- U.S. is barred from combating disinformation on social media. Here's what it means
- Mike's adventures in art: 'Solaris,' 'Formation,' 'Fantasy A'
Whenever my wife Nina passes a cat on the street, she wants to take it home. As if cats on a stroll can be picked up like wild berries. I try to tell her, "That's somebody's cat. You can't just take it." But whether we are walking or driving, she insists the cats must be out walking in search of a home, specifically, our home.
"Seattle Now's" recent episode has inspired me with a solution. Perhaps these neighborhood cats are actually a source of community, and can add to a broader sense of home, just by being right where they are.
A year ago, Chris Watson went to Camp Bar in Tacoma with his partner Bob and a crowd of friends.
"And I told Bob, 'You realize almost all of these people, we met through their cats," he told "Seattle Now." "So the cats are building community. Cats are the most uniting thing."
These friendships started in 2020, when Watson took a neighborhood walk in South Tacoma. He noticed a lot of cats lounging in yards and on porches. Some even approached him. So he posted a video of his walk on TikTok, featuring all the friendly fur balls along the way.
"It had like 1,000 views," Watson said. "I was like, 'Whoa, I've never got 1,000 views before.' So I was like, 'Alright, I'm just gonna keep posting the cat walks, because people seem to enjoy it, and the third video went viral."
Three years later, Watson's cat walk videos on @Catluminati now receive hundreds of thousands of views on TikTok, just by simply showcasing Tacoma's cats.
"It's almost like a spiritual thing where I can feel the love surrounding us," Watson said. "I'm sure it has a lot to do with the cats, but now it's the neighbors, too. And I'm sure that for people who live here, it's helped them see the neighborhood in a different way. We are dealing with a drug crisis right now, and pretty much the whole country has somewhat of an elevated crime rate. If that's all you focus on, then your like, 'Oh, that's a scary place to live.' But when you see the cat walk, you're like, 'Oh, it depends on your perspective. The things you choose to focus on.' And I think that we choose to focus on loving our neighbors, and the cats. I think that shines through."
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Drought advisory issued for Washington state as summer temps rise
Washington's Department of Ecology has issued a drought advisory for the entire state as the region experiences ongoing high temperatures, and very dry conditions.
A drought advisory is an informal "early warning," according to the department. It doesn't kick in any emergency actions. It does, however, give residents a heads-up about a potential drought ahead. Water conservation, and responsible use, is recommended.
RELATED: NW drinking water concerns could get worse as the climate changes
“Our warm weather arrived a few weeks early this year and really kicked the runoff into overdrive,” said Jeff Marti, water resources planner for the Department of Ecology. “Now, as we head into the hottest weeks of the summer, we want people to use water wisely and to be aware of our water supply situation."
Ecology says that large metropolitan areas, like Seattle and Tacoma, have a decent supply of water heading into the summer, "Thanks to robust storage facilities." Soil moisture isn't so good for agricultural areas, however.
The month of May tied 1958 as the warmest May on record for the region. Washington only got 47% of it's usual rain between April 25 and Jun 23.
During that time, the heat melted of a lot of snowpack in the mountains. That means, moving forward, stream flows are expected to be 75% of normal. That could potentially affect fish later in the summer.
In short, use water responsibly and conserve when you can.
El Niño and climate change are being blamed for hot temps across the globe.
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Fireworks cause at least 2 building fires in Seattle, dozens of brush fires
Despite the fact that fireworks are banned in Seattle and King County, they have caused at least two major building fires in the city since July 1.
"Firefighters have responded to at least 67 brush fires throughout the city [since July 1] and the majority of them happened within the last 24 hours," said David Cuerpo with the Seattle Fire Department.
RELATED: Western Washington air quality takes a dive
In fact, Seattle fire crews responded to 53 brush fires on Tuesday, July 4, according to the department's real-time dispatch page.
It's not clear exactly how many of those fires started due to fireworks.
Fire officials say we're not out of the woods, yet. The fire department anticipates residents will continue to set off their unused fireworks throughout the week, despite the dry, hot conditions.
Western Washington was suffering from poor air quality on July 5, ranging from "unhealthy for sensitive groups" to "very unhealthy."
Local agencies blamed the poor air quality on the combination of smoke from wildfires and fireworks smoke from Fourth of July celebrations.
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2 things just happened that could affect your wallet: Today So Far
- Air quality tanks in Western Washington on July 5.
- Could Seattle rent control happen?
- Changes happening at the Seattle Police Department.
- A couple things just kicked in around Washington that could add some new costs.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for July 5, 2023.
Quick hits
- Honeybee deaths rose last year. Here's why farmers would go bust without bees
- Puget Sound starts getting crabby with it for summer 2023
- 10 states plan to sue the EPA over standards for residential wood-burning stoves
Happy July 5! Welcome back. I hope your holiday went swell and that you lit a BBQ, lit some fireworks (safely and if they are legal in your city), and didn't light anything else on fire. Frankly, a lot of stuff is on fire right now. You may have noticed the haze outside. It's from a mix of fireworks smoke and wildfire smoke, and it's tanking air quality throughout Western Washington. Most areas around have "unhealthy" or "very unhealthy" air right now. It doesn't look like things will improve until maybe tomorrow, or Friday. Read more here.
Two things happened on July 1 that may affect your finances moving forward. First, tolls went up on the 520 bridge in and out of Seattle. So if you're commuting into the city (in other words, if you're an Amazon employee who has been forced back into the office and is now part of the horde of drivers clogging up our roadways), this could hit your commuting costs.
Also, the tax for the Washington Cares Fund just kicked in. If you haven't opted out, this means that 58 cents for every $100 you earn will be diverted to this program, which aims to provide long-term care funding for older residents. This fund is slated to begin in 2026.
In other financial news, Seattle is getting ready for rent control ... sort of, sort of not. Councilmember Kshama Sawant has introduced a bill that would cap how much a landlord could raise rents. In short, rent increases would be tied to local inflation.
Of course, we've been here before. Rent control is not a new topic in town, so we all know that it's technically not allowed. There's a statewide ban on rent control. So if the Seattle City Council passes this bill, it would essentially be a trigger law. It would go into effect if and when the state ban gets knocked down. Read more here.
In January, Adrian Diaz was officially sworn in as Seattle's police chief (after being interim chief for 29 months). Now, Chief Diaz is starting to make some changes around the Seattle Police Department. For starters, he's adding a deputy chief role, which will be filled by Eric Barden, a 35-year veteran of SPD. But these changes are not all promotions. There are actually two demotions. Read more here.
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