With COVID-19 hospitalization rates still high in King County during Christmas week, the City of Seattle announced the opening of three new COVID-19 testing kiosks at locations across the city, including one near the Mount Baker Link Light Rail Station. The Mount Baker kiosk begins service on Saturday, Dec. 26.
The walk-up kiosks offer an observed and directed self-collected oral fluid swab COVID-19 test that’s less uncomfortable than nasal swab tests. The tests are free, but online reservations are required at the City of Seattle’s COVID-19 testing website or at www.curative.com. The kiosk operates from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday, although these hours may be adjusted to meet demand. Check the city’s testing website for more details.
Estrella Gonzales-Sanders’ parents may have been prophetic when they named her Estrella, the Spanish word for “star.” The young Renton resident has already danced in front of notable stars like Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Barry Gordy, and Stevie Wonder, to name a few. Now, she has landed a small feature in Debbie Allen’s newly released Netflix documentary, Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker. And at age 12, Estrella’s own rise to stardom has only just begun.
With a challenging year soon to be behind us, we asked community members to share their vision of what they hope becomes of our city post-pandemic.
by Maru Mora
What should renewal in 2021 Seattle, one of the wealthiest cities in the world, look like?
It should look like us, low-income People of Color, being able to afford to live, work, eat, and walk safely on the streets or driving without worrying about the police and authorities targeting us.
I’ve taken photos of children with Santa Claus for more years than I can remember. I even had a brief stint as a Santa photographer at Nordstrom in downtown Seattle in the early 1990s.
Update on Stimulus Payments: Direct Deposits and prepaid debit card mailings have begun according to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. Physical checks will begin to be mailed December 30.
President Donald Trump’s last-minute second-guessing of a congressionally approved COVID-19 relief package will almost certainly delay direct monetary payments to Americans, once expected to begin going out as early as next week. But the president’s criticism of the bill, which came abruptly after weeks of partisan negotiations, has also given Democrats an opening to increase payments to $2,000 per person, up from $600 in the version already approved by lawmakers.
Fury-fueled crowds of chanting protestors, clever and insightful picket signs, and collective action to transform or eradicate unjust laws and cultural practices — this is how many see social justice. But when Intiman Theatre began to look for a new home and contemplated how they could advance their mission, they imagined how social justice could be advanced by backstage storytellers — costume designers, lighting designers, sound riggers, set builders, and other technical theatre artists. The answer was a two-year Associate of Arts degree in Technical Theatre for Social Justice (AA-TTSJ) and a partnership with Seattle Central College (SCC). But what does that mean, exactly? Who can participate? And what does social justice in technical theatre really look like? During our telephone interview, Intiman’s Educational Director, Dr. M. Crystal Yingling, gave a sneak peek into the program.
With a challenging year soon to be behind us, we asked community members to share their vision of what they hope becomes of our city post-pandemic.
by JM Wong
What if care was the organizing principle of our society? Not profit, not white supremacist garbage masked as liberal paternalism in the form of “diversity” that would hire cops of color to continue to target Black and Brown folks on the street just living their lives.
In the early hours of Wednesday morning, Dec. 23, a fire broke out in the Greentree Apartments in Skyway. Though firefighters from King County Fire District 20 (KCFD20), as well as units from Renton Regional Fire Authority, Tukwila Fire Department, and other units from across the region fought the three-alarm fire, the massive blaze left most of the apartment building damaged. Thankfully there were no fatalities, though KCFD20 reported that one resident was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
When COVID-19 forced Columbia City’s Ark Lodge Cinemas to shutter their doors in March, the sudden loss in revenue dealt a staggering blow to the South End’s few independent movie theaters. Owner David McRae quickly launched several fundraising strategies, and now new managing director Justin Pritchett brings Popcorn Weekends to the Ark. Pulling from his expertise in movie theater food and beverage operations, Pritchett has big plans for keeping the Ark afloat, now and long after the pandemic.
Winter is here. The long, dark days. The cold wind. The wet and freezing rain. And since this is 2020, we can probably add quite a bit of snow to that list. But just beneath the blanket of gray is a golden thread of sunshine — a Seattle cook, born and bred right in this city, hopes to bring a little warmth to the hearts and hearths of this beleaguered town. Veronica Very, the owner of Black’Butta Co., has always cooked but not in any official capacity before the pandemic. She was (and still is) a writer, the wife and business partner of visual artist Hiawatha D., and the founder of Women of Wonder, “a sacred space for Black women and girls.” But the pandemic forced her to get creative about her next business move.
