Tag Archives: Ronnie Estoque

News

Dead Fish Appearing on Lake Washington Shorelines Due to Bacteria and Warmer Water

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by Ronnie Estoque

The Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW) has received numerous reports of dead fish washing up on the shores of Lake Washington. According to WDFW King County District fisheries biologist Aaron Bosworth, the dead fish that are appearing are mostly yellow perch, with a few sticklebacks in the mix as well. He conducted a survey earlier this month at the Kirkland shoreline, and counted about 100 yellow perch scattered alongside the area. Yellow perch are an extremely common fish in Lake Washington, and they can also be found in other lakes across the state.

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Community

Palengke Summer Party Celebrates Filipino Community

by Ronnie Estoque

On June 10, community members gathered at The Stonehouse Café on Rainier Avenue for the Palengke Summer Party, a festive celebration of local Filipino food, businesses, and artists. FCS Negosyante’s sponsorship contributed to making the event a reality, alongside a partnership with Max Heigh of Heigh Connects Food Group and LeeAnn Subelbia of The Stonehouse Café to host the event on their property. DJ K-Boogie performed a lively set for the event, which included vendors such as Ma Arté Co., Neighborhood Bubble Tea & Coffee, Ube Books, Your Kuyas, and many more.

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News

El Centro de la Raza Breaks Ground on Columbia City Housing Development

by Ronnie Estoque

On Wednesday, June 14, El Centro de la Raza hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for The Four Amigos – Beloved Community, a mixed-use building development at 3818 S. Angeline St. that is projected to provide 87 affordable apartment units. Construction for the project began last April and is scheduled to be completed in November of 2024.

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Community

PHOTO ESSAY | Africatown Community Land Trust’s ‘Honoring Our Black Wall Streets’ Celebrates Local Black Businesses

by Ronnie Estoque

On Monday, May 29, 23rd Avenue and Jackson Street was full of soulful music, lively dancing, tasty food, and over 100 Black vendors as Africatown Community Land Trust (ACLT) hosted their third annual Honoring Our Black Wall Streets event. The event honored the 102nd anniversary of the massacre and decimation of Black Wall Street in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

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News

Mapu Maia Clinic Opens in Kent to Serve QTPI and QTBIPOC in Need of Health Care Service

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by Ronnie Estoque

On May 3, UTOPIA Washington held the grand opening of their new Mapu Maia Clinic in Kent. The clinic provides free services for the QTPI (Queer and Transgender Pacific Islanders) and QTBIPOC (Queer and Transgender Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) community and does not require health insurance. Currently, the Mapu Maia Clinic provides wellness care, gender-affirming care, harm reduction, vaccine access, and COVID-19 PPE and test kits.

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News

Gov. Inslee Signs Gun Reform Legislation

by Ronnie Estoque

On April 25, Gov. Jay Inslee signed House Bill 1240, which made Washington the 10th state in the U.S. to ban assault weapons. House Bill 1143 and Senate Bill 5078, both gun reform legislation, were also signed by Gov. Inslee in the presence of gun violence survivors and victims’ families.

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Community

PHOTO ESSAY | Year of the Rabbit: Celebrating Cambodian New Year in White Center

by Ronnie Estoque

Last Saturday, April 29, community members unified for the 20th Annual White Center Cambodian New Year Street Festival. The event was organized by the Cambodian Cultural Alliance of Washington, and featured live musical performances, delicious traditional cuisine, dancing, vendors, and plenty of smiles and laughter on a day where the sun shone brightly.

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News

Future of Filipinx History and Ethnic Studies in Limbo Amid SPS Budget Deficit

by Ronnie Estoque

Last October, the Emerald reported on a celebration held at Hood Famous for the launching of Filipinx American U.S. History courses in Seattle Public Schools (SPS). But now, following its first academic year as a course, community members are concerned about the future of its development amid a $131 million budget deficit in the district. Tianna Andresen currently teaches the course and is worried about its future.

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News

Sound Transit and Seattle Department of Transportation Awarded Federal Grants for Improvements

by Ronnie Estoque

The U.S. Department of Transportation has provided two federal Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) grants to Seattle transportation agencies. One grant of $2 million was awarded to Sound Transit and Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) to increase the general safety around the Link light rail along Martin Luther King Jr. Way South, which statistically has been the most dangerous for local residents as reported by the Emerald last year.

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News

Increased Drug Use on King County Buses Raises Safety Concerns for Employees

by Ronnie Estoque

According to data provided by King County Metro, there were 46 drug-related reports made by operators and customers on King County Metro buses in 2019. That amount grew exponentially to over 1,885 reports in 2022 alone, according to Jeff Switzer, a public information officer with King County Metro.

“The following drug-related reports are employee-reported and are not verified. Metro has worked diligently with frontline staff to encourage reporting and to streamline the incident reporting system,” Switzer said. “We are seeing the results of that effort with an increase in reports coming over the last 18 months, which has allowed us to deploy transit security resources to where they can be most effective.”

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