Tag Archives: Mark Van Streefkerk

Community

It’s Almost the Emerald’s Ninth Birthday!

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Join us tomorrow at the Rainier Arts Center to celebrate nine years of amplifying authentic voices in the South End.

by Mark Van Streefkerk

We hope you’ll come out for the South Seattle Emerald’s Ninth Birthday Celebration this Saturday, Aug. 12, in front of the Rainier Arts Center from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. There will be live music, Q&As with the Emerald newsroom, and an introduction to our new managing editor, Rosette Royale. Many thanks to our birthday party sponsors: Trial & Error Productions, Rainier Avenue Radio, KVRU, Real Change, and Mizz Tish Productions.

Continue reading It’s Almost the Emerald’s Ninth Birthday! →
Community

We Asked, You Answered: Sound Off on Seafair Poll Results

This is what the South End really thinks about Seafair.

by Mark Van Streefkerk

If you live in the South End, you’ve most likely heard the roar of the Blue Angels F/A-18 Super Hornets by now, just in case you forgot that Seafair is upon us. The 74th annual multi-week event encompasses a variety of neighborhood celebrations — like the Torchlight Parade and the Seafair pirates landing at Alki Beach — culminating in Seafair weekend August 4–6, featuring a Blue Angels air show every evening and hydroplane races at Genesee Park and Lake Washington.

A couple of weeks ago we asked what you thought of Seafair, what you would change about it, and what you’d like its organizers to know. If you want to skip right to the (anonymous) responses, click here. Note that the Emerald has not fact-checked or edited any responses. For a summary, keep reading.

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Community

The South Seattle Emerald’s Ninth Birthday Is Right Around the Corner

We’re having a party, and you’re invited!

by Mark Van Streefkerk

It’s almost time for the South Seattle Emerald’s ninth birthday, and we hope you’ll come out to help us celebrate on Aug. 12 at Columbia Park in front of the Rainier Arts Center.

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Community

The ‘Emerald’ Guide to Father’s Day Events 2023

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by Mark Van Streefkerk

Our fathers — as well as uncles, grandfathers, older siblings, mentors, and LGBTQ+ parents — inspire, care for, protect, and nourish our families and communities. This Father’s Day, Sunday, June 18, take some time to celebrate the father figures in our lives with these fun events in the South End. 

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News

NEWS GLEAMS | A Win for Black Voters in Alabama, New Affordable Housing in Yesler Terrace, and More

A roundup of news and announcements we don’t want to get lost in the fast-churning news cycle!

curated by Mark Van Streefkerk and Megan Christy

Continue reading NEWS GLEAMS | A Win for Black Voters in Alabama, New Affordable Housing in Yesler Terrace, and More →
News

NEWS GLEAMS | Trump Indicted for Alleged Mishandling of Classified Documents

A roundup of news and announcements we don’t want to get lost in the fast-churning news cycle!

curated by Mark Van Streefkerk and Megan Christy

Continue reading NEWS GLEAMS | Trump Indicted for Alleged Mishandling of Classified Documents →
Community

Earth Day in the South End 2023

Honor and Connect with the Earth, and Each Other, on Earth Day

by Mark Van Streefkerk

Earth Day, April 22, is the only yearly U.S. holiday the Earth gets, but as many people have pointed out, when you live on this planet, every day is Earth Day. Before white settler colonialists came, the Seattle area was an important ecosystem, home to the Coast Salish peoples, who are still here and have taken care of the lands, watersheds, and local ecosystems since time immemorial. Today, as we assess the impacts of colonization and its displacement or erasure of Indigenous peoples, it becomes evident that environmental degradation and the climate change crisis are interconnected with systemic oppression, racism, and poverty.

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Community

Good Food Kitchens Helps Fund Chefs Making Free Meals for South End Communities

Supporting local food economies, restaurants, and South Seattle neighbors, this program serves up more than just meals.

by Mark Van Streefkerk

In March 2020, restaurants were in trouble. Seattle was the U.S. epicenter of COVID-19, and a wave of shutdowns called for the immediate temporary closure of restaurants — some of which never reopened. Food scarcity was exacerbated as closures across all industries led to higher rates of unemployment. These disruptions also affected local farmers, many of whom lost half their major market channels instantly with the closures of schools and restaurants. In the South End, however, a handful of like-minded chefs made arguably one of the savviest pandemic pivots in the industry: They started the Seattle Kitchen Collective. 

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Community

Usher In the Year of the Rabbit and the Year of the Cat at These Lunar New Year Events

by Mark Van Streefkerk

From lion dances and traditional music to art performances and dance parties, there are plenty of opportunities to kick off the Year of the Rabbit, or the Year of the Cat in the Vietnamese calendar. This year, the Lunar New Year falls on Jan. 22, but celebrations take place from this weekend into next month. Celebrated in China, Korea, Vietnam, and other East and Southeast Asian countries, some traditions include cleaning and preparing before the holiday; wearing red and gifting money in red envelopes; eating lucky foods, like dumplings and niángāo (glutinous rice cake); honoring ancestors with offerings; and family feasts. 

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