Hero is probably the most taxed word in the English language. Plastered on everyone from talentless reality television mavens to recalcitrant multimillionaire running backs it remains a minor miracle when it finds itself attached to a worthy party. No Skyway-area resident would challenge its precision when used in describing their beloved fire chief of the past two years; the soon to be departed Mark Chubb. Continue reading Skyway Community Bids a Fond Farewell to Beloved Fire Chief
by Gregory Davis
My skepticism
I was invited to attend the White House My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Summit as a community representative by the City of Seattle. A prestigious opportunity for sure; my mother, wife and co-workers were excited, I suppose that’s all that matters really, in fact I was the one filled with skepticism. Continue reading From The White House to South Seattle: My Brother’s Keeper
by Phyllis Porter
“I have never been so scared and alone”. True words of another South End citizen fallen victim to the streets of Rainier Avenue. Continue reading The Porter: The Lucky One (Surviving Rainier Avenue)
by Virgina H Wright
With the passing of Norm Chamberlain, Southeast Seattle has lost one of its longest-serving and dedicated champions. Known by nearly everyone, he worked to improve the lives of people in the valley, through his professional work at the helm of Pioneer Human Services, directing its array of human services – in particular helping to open doors for persons suffering under the strains of alcoholism, drug addiction, and re-entry into society after incarceration. Continue reading Remembering Norm Chamberlain
Ashley Mouldon
Meals are best when shared with others; when everyone at the table can enjoy each other’s company over good food and even better conversation. That simple idea of getting to know your neighbors by sharing a kitchen sprouted the Community Cooking Club. Continue reading Hunger for Great Food and Community Sparks South End Cooking Club
by drea chicas
Gun shootings in the South-end are sometimes exaggerated, and other times, they are underreported. But this kind of shooting rarely gets exposure in South Seattle. One Tuesday morning, two artists transformed one of Rainier Beach’s busiest intersection into a picturesque backdrop of urban lure, interrupting the normalcy of everyday commuters on Henderson and Renton Ave. Continue reading “A Shooting” on Henderson and Renton Avenue
By Katy Wong
South Seattle- The Museum of Flight was filled with Popsicle stick bridges as high-school and middle-schools students fixed their creations with cutters and glue and teachers made final bridge inspections Saturday morning at the 20th Annual Popsicle Stick Bridge Competition. Continue reading Building Bridges from Popsicle Sticks, Competition Sparks Students’ Ingenuity
by Marcus Harrison Green
Yesterday’s King County Council meeting to approve the contract for the building of a new youth detention center turned into a marathon session of civil disobedience. What was intended to be a cut and dry public hearing ended up punctuated by police scuffles and full throated salvos against the county’s proposed plans as protesters refused to allow an end to public testimony until every last voice Continue reading “New Youth Jail” Passes After Dozens of Cops Storm Protestors in King County Council Chambers
by Marcus Harrison Green
Usually, finding yourself in a high school classroom as someone in your thirties while “peers” half your age run mental circles around you is a glaring signifier you’ve made a succession of disastrous choices in life, but on January 22nd – as I played the part of a wilted bud planted amongst sophomores and juniors, squirming in his seat, too scared to be called on to give an answer to a barely absorbed question – there didn’t seem a better place for a South End native to be. Continue reading “And the Youth Will Lead Us”: Community Transformation and Absenteeism
by John Stafford
Washington State is characterized by an interesting paradox: it is 46th in the nation in the percentage of its graduating high school seniors that go directly to college; yet it is 12th in the nation in the percentage of its residents that have earned a college degree. One explanation (there are several) for this seeming-inconsistency is that Washington employers hire a considerable number of college degree holders from outside the state. If more of our state’s high school students earned college degrees, they would presumably be able to compete for these jobs. Continue reading The Paradoxes of Higher Ed Funding in Washington State
