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Stories
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Mike's adventures in art: Sweeney Todd, Drug Lord, BAIT
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
"Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street," is showing at the 5th Ave Theatre. Visually, this production is stunning. Scenic designer, Lex Marcos, stole the show. The set is three levels. It's metallic, sharp, and gloomy. The third level puts characters in a position to loom over the audience in such a bold and at times creepy way. The center piece, which contains Mrs. Lovett's pie shop on the first story and Sweeney Todd's barbershop on the second story, is placed on a rotating panel. With a half turn, we see a grungy brick wall that puts us in London, where the huge ensemble created the feeling of actually being on the busy streets of London. There were moments where up to 15 actors shared the stage. The full rotation of the platform revealed the bakeshop in the back of the meat pie shop where human bodies were turned into pies. The brilliance of the set design came in moments where characters entered and exited the meat pie shop while it rotated seamlessly changing the perspective of the audience and allowing for flawless movement of actors. The pace of the play was breathtaking.
But enough about the technical components! Yes, the set was amazing, and yes, costume designer Danielle Nieves is responsible for my favorite scene — a masked ball where the costumes were immaculate. The shimmering glitter of the wardrobes as they danced was incredible. But the story itself is worth mentioning. A tale of revenge, greed, violence, and cannibalism that was presented with just enough comedy to not make the audience flinch when a neck was cut, but maintaining enough eeriness to keep us intrigued.
This is my pick of the week, and everywhere I go people are mentioning this show to me. The bold stage design, the creepy costumes, the use of lighting to create blood, the chilling narration from the ensemble, and the classic story and songs audiences have loved for years. This play has something for everyone.
"Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" is showing April 24 – May 15 at the 5th Ave Theatre
Our Dear Dead Drug Lord, presented by Washington Ensemble Theatre is showing at 12th Avenue Arts. This is a change of pace from the previous show, and that is a big part of why I'm putting it here. There something special about the intimacy an audience gets from a performance in a black-box theater. And I left this show feeling like I get to know each of the four actors in the cast.
The play takes place in the tree house of Pipe, the president of the Dead Leaders Club. On its face, this production is the journey of the club as they fight to be reinstated as an official club at the members high school so that they can use the extracurricular activity on college applications. But the heart of the story is so much more.
Somehow, in a 90-minute sprint, this production tackles themes including the recent suicide of a parent, self-harm, abortion, gender identity, political affiliation, sex, race, and class. And to be clear, I'm sure there are a few I missed. With no intermission, it was a whirlwind.
The highlight of the play, was the ability to cover this ground without ever making the audience feel lectured. All of these complexes issues were folded into the dialogue and action of the play seamlessly. We met these teens, and immediately witnessed them confront obstacles as if they were part of their everyday lives. This was both refreshing, from the standpoint of not wanting to be preached at by a play, and crushing as a parent with two elementary age children who watched these youth, who seem like everyday American teens, go through the toughest situations as if they were a normal part of their daily lives.
My reflection of this experience is the need for more — 20 more minutes, maybe even an intermission to break the tension. With so much ground to cover, with a little longer runtime, the audience could have had more time to sit with the despair. The lows would have felt lower if we had a breath to experience them, but oftentimes we moved on before the weight of the blows could fully land. When we face the reveal of the death of a sibling, or learn that a father recently took his own life, or see an abortion, we need time to feel the gravity of those moments.
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As Seattle loses tree canopy, a city council bill may let developers cut down more
Developers and density advocates scored a potential victory from the Seattle City Council on Thursday. The council's Land Use Committee voted 4-1 to guarantee developers' rights to remove trees on lots slated for higher density development.
The complex legislation was first introduced by Mayor Bruce Harrell in March. It would allow “hardscape” — that's non-living landscaping elements like patios or walkways along with the building itself — to cover at least 85% of individual properties that have been zoned for low-rise development (townhomes) and above, regardless of existing tree cover. If, for example, a large tree would prevent developers from reaching that 85% hardscape threshold on a single property, the tree could be removed.
On Thursday, the Land Use Committee amended the legislation so that in higher density zones, developers are guaranteed the ability to develop 100% of the property.
Councilmember Alex Pedersen, who cast the lone vote against the ordinance, said those guarantees remove any incentive for developers to preserve existing trees. He said the current city policy, which is to consider the ratio of the building to the size of the lot, provides more flexibility to adapt construction around trees.
But architect David Nieman told the council during public comment that the new proposal reflects the reality that it's nearly impossible to save big trees in areas zoned for higher density. He said the city currently requires developers to document large trees on lots slated for multifamily housing projects, but in his experience, all the trees have ultimately been removed anyway.
“While we haven’t had a project that has saved any of these trees, it does require an enormous amount of analysis and effort to get to the point of proving the tree can’t be saved, while maintaining full development potential,” Nieman said.
Pedersen proposed an unsuccessful amendment that would have allowed the city to retain its current approach to development in low-rise zones.
“This may be the most important amendment all day,“ he said. “I’m worried that this 85% will actually make things worse for trees in Seattle.”
A recent study found that Seattle is losing tree canopy, and that less affluent neighborhoods had fewer trees to start with. Lower canopy is linked to heat islands in Seattle that see the hottest temperatures during record heat waves.
However, researchers also find that urban density can reduce the carbon emissions fueling climate change, and decrease development pressure on the outskirts of cities.
The Urban Forestry Commission, which is appointed by the council and mayor, recommended against the development guarantees, in part citing a lack of evidence to support how they'd work.
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What's so special about WA's upcoming special session?
The 2023 regular legislative session may be over, but lawmakers will be heading back to Olympia soon for a special session.
Gov. Jay Inslee is calling them back to work on May 16, so they can come up with a new statewide drug possession law. The law as it stands right now is a stopgap measure that will expire July 1.
Inslee told Soundside host Libby Denkmann he's hopeful the Legislature can come to a bipartisan agreement during the special session.
"I do want the Legislature to move now because we don't want cities to have to be going off in a hundred different directions on this very important policy," he said. "I think there's good reason to believe they will get this done."
In fact, dozens of cities are considering new bans on possession or public use of illegal drugs. A key question — for cities and towns as well as state lawmakers — is whether such offenses should be a misdemeanor or a gross misdemeanor. Misdemeanors can mean up to a $1,000 fine and 90 days in jail. Gross misdemeanors can receive up to 364 days in jail and a $5,000 fine.
They're weighing the need for more treatment and overdose-prevention services, too, further complicating the effort to strike a deal that members of both parties can get behind.
"Basically, what I've been saying now for a couple of months is what I believe the vast majority of Washingtonians believe," Inslee said. "We need to make sure people get treatment for drug addiction and have it available to them but have some sanction if they refuse to participate in that."
The governor is confident lawmakers will find a compromise along those lines.
So, how will the special session work?
Starting May 16, lawmakers will have 30 days to make a deal and get a bill passed.
The entire special session is dedicated to one issue — a statewide drug possession law — unlike during the regular session when many issues are up for debate.
KUOW's Olympia correspondent Jeanie Lindsay said that could make it easier to find a deal that enough people can agree to pass. After all, lawmakers will be spending all of their time and energy on the same problem.
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Sweet insights into Seattle's soda tax: Today So Far
- After roughly five years with Seattle's tax on sugary drinks, more and more insights into its effects are emerging.
- Would you eat gene-edited meat? In the future, perhaps you might not have a choice.
- Are your summer plans starting to take shape? Any concerts coming up?
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for May 5, 2023.
After roughly five years with Seattle's tax on sugary drinks, more and more insights into its effects are emerging. For starters, people are drinking less of these drinks.
But don't credit the soda tax too quickly. Researchers say that consumption of sugary drinks is not only down in Seattle, but also in neighboring communities (Auburn, Federal Way, and Kent), which don't have the tax. I try not to make this newsletter about my opinions, or put any hot takes out there, but I'll break with that tradition this time and say — good. I have a whole tirade about RC Cola being a guilty pleasure, and there is no such thing as moderation, etc. But we'll skip all that. I think it's safe to say that those drinks aren't good for anybody. Back to the real news, the main headline here is that folks around Western Washington seem to be drinking less sodas — tax or no tax.
Another takeaway from recent audits of Seattle's soda tax is that businesses aren't taking on any new costs. As expected, it's customers who are paying the tax, which adds up to 1.75 cents per ounce. Shops just hike the price to cover the tax. Anyone who has seen price tags at the store is well aware of this.
It should be noted that the city's recent audit is only a window into two years of the soda tax. And the audit is just one report among a handful of studies on the tax that were recently published. Other studies, for example, monitored Seattle residents' BMI (body mass index). The short version of that: The region's average BMI has increased in recent years, but less so in Seattle. Read more here.
Would you eat gene-edited meat? In the future, perhaps you might not have a choice.
Researchers over at Washington State University recently held a barbecue featuring locally produced pork sausages, very local. They came from WSU's lab. Researchers have been using CRISPR to edit the genes of pigs. If you're not familiar with CRISPR, the short story is that it's tech that can modify DNA. It's used for a lot of things. If Jurassic Park ever becomes a reality in our world, CRISPR will likely be a part of that.
At WSU, however, they are focused on these pigs, and potentially other livestock. The concern is that the livestock our food supply relies on may not hold up so well to our changing climate. There's also world hunger to consider. Over the course of human history, we've taken animals and bred them to get certain traits we like. That takes generations. But a change to some DNA here, and a little tweak there, and researchers can speed up the process to produce livestock ready for climate change — reduced water, altered pasture and grazing land, hotter and colder weather, etc.
So how did those sausages taste at WSU. Well, they tasted like pork. They're still pigs after all. CRISPR can't edit cotton candy sausages into existence, or anything like that. Read the full story here.
Are your summer plans starting to take shape? Any concerts coming up?
That's a question Soundside just pondered along with sound engineer Bunnie on the Board, KISW's Kevin Diers, and The Inlander's music editor Seth Sommerfeld. There are a lot of big names coming to the region — Drake, Boygenius, Taylor Swift, The Cure, Madonna, Ed Sheeran, Beyoncé, George Strait, and more. You got the Gorge Amphitheater, Chateau Ste Michelle, Lumen Field, Climate Pledge Arena, Bumbershoot, and others spots to see this all. Of course, without naming names, after I get excited about an upcoming concert, I then see the ticket prices, and that's the end of that.
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Washington's GOP and the 2024 governor's race: Today So Far
- Washington's GOP has a positive outlook toward the 2024 governor's race. But there are challenges they face.
- Gov. Inslee has something special for state lawmakers in Olympia.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for May 4, 2023.
It didn't take long for Democrats to jump on the opportunity that Gov. Jay Inslee delivered this week. But so far, no prominent Republicans have announced their bid for the governor's office in 2024.
Within a day of Inslee announcing he will not run for another term, Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced an exploratory committee, via an online video that looks very much like a campaign announcement. Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz is another name that has potential. As of this morning, she has only said "Stay tuned. Big announcement coming soon…"
KUOW's David Hyde got in touch with Republican leaders around Washington. The initial impression is that they are feeling quite optimistic about their chances in 2024. That doesn't mean they aren't aware of the steep challenges ahead. Washington's GOP has to find a way to win over independents around Puget Sound, something it hasn't pulled off in a gubernatorial race since the 1980s.
“That's just the reality of the math," Washington GOP Chair Caleb Heimlich told KUOW. "There are not enough conservative voters in Washington state to carry an election and win.”
Another branch of the local GOP is the Mainstream Republicans of Washington (a video hyping their upcoming conference features Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison). Deanna Martinez, who heads the organization, tells KUOW that mainstream Republican candidates are the ones who have made progress in recent elections, the ones who stick to being fiscally conservative and socially moderate.
“We were disappointed with this last election," Martinez said. "The red wave didn't happen. But if you break it down, it was mainstream candidates that won.”
So far, it doesn't appear that any "mainstream" candidates are emerging.
Hyde notes that Republican Semi Bird (Richland), a “constitutional Christian conservative” and a "career American," has announced he is running for governor in 2024. He's already touting endorsements from Joe Kennedy (the Bremerton High School football coach who prayed with his students), and Joe Kent (the MAGA Congressional candidate who lost the last race for Washington's District 3).
Read the full story on current GOP perspectives on the 2024 election here.
State Republicans know they need to convince middle-ground Washingtonians to vote their way; they don't have enough statewide support among their own party. This means that watching Washington's Republicans in the upcoming gubernatorial election should be interesting. At least, it is for folks who tune into local politics like local sports (it's a terrible, toxic way to engage with politics, and no, I'm not proud of it). The Republicans' story over the next year and a half has the potential to either be the "Little Engine That Could," or a total train wreck. Because — big picture — this isn't just about swaying middle-ground voters. It's also about balancing the challenges within its own party.
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These Seattle 4th graders planted trees to bring green to their barren playground
The Seattle City Council is considering updates to its current tree regulations this month. One goal is to bring more trees to areas that lack them. Mayor Harrell’s proposal includes a “fee-in-lieu” program that would require people to pay into a tree-planting fund when they cut down trees on their property.
A recent study found that Seattle is losing tree canopy, and that less affluent neighborhoods had fewer trees to start with. Proximity to trees is associated with better human health outcomes and reduced impact from the record heat waves fueled by climate change.
Replacing pavement with trees can be rewarding but involves a lot of legwork. Hawthorne Elementary in Seattle’s Columbia City neighborhood provides a case study.
Parent Peter Schumacher said a few years ago families started brainstorming improvements to the school’s playground. The playground was outdated and consisted of a big expanse of asphalt that got really hot on sunny days.
“We just started thinking, well, trees are a solution to that, right?” he said.
The group ultimately obtained grants from Seattle’s Department of Neighborhoods, King County, and The Nature Conservancy to replace some of that asphalt with trees, wood chips and a rain garden.
But Schumacher said the process was not easy or cheap.
“If it was just planting the trees, we would have only needed probably about $5,000 to do that," he said. "But the de-paving work and the drainage associated with that was another $35,000.”
Peter’s daughter Anna noted that even when school was out, she and other community members have had to water those baby trees on hot summer days.
“It was not fun then, but now that I see all the plants that have gotten so big and they’re so green, I’m glad that we did," she said.
Fourth grader Josephine Kennedy said now those trees are starting to provide a little shade.
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Audit cracks open what's worked, fizzled on Seattle soda tax
Years after Seattle passed a tax on sugary drinks, it's consumers — not businesses — taking on the cost.
The city of Seattle released a series of audit documents on its soda tax this year, with the most recent reports on Monday. The findings have shown the tax is delivering on some of its promises, but may not be as effective as hoped at reducing demand.
One concern when the tax took effect in 2018 was higher costs for stores. That has not been a problem for small stores and independent convenience stores. The city's auditors found "no evidence of a loss of gross revenue among Seattle stores."
Jesse Jones-Smith, an associate professor at the University of Washington's School of Public Health, has tracked the policy since its inception.
"We evaluated whether the tax had an impact on small business revenue, and small store closures, and we found no impact on either of those two things," Jones-Smith said.
That's because customers, not stores, are paying the price.
Stores have, on average, passed the soda tax onto customers by raising prices on sweetened drinks. Drinks are more expensive in Seattle than in surrounding communities without the tax.
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Check your Android phone. Latest update could cause a 911 glitch
A heads up for Android smartphone users who may have recently updated their phones — your phone may be calling 911 without you knowing.
Snohomish County 911 dispatchers, and others across North America, say a feature of that update is causing people's phones to accidentally dial 911.
They say the number of calls increased by 24% between April 27-29. Similar 911 upticks have been reported in Florida, Ontario, and elsewhere.
The apparent glitch turns on a user's emergency SOS feature, which causes the phone to dial 911.
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What's in a name, like 'assault weapon'?: Today So Far
KUOW's Bill Radke had a dilemma when he had to talk on air about how Washington state passed an assault weapon ban last session. The issue was, that term "assault weapon." There's a lot bound up in that term, including an ethical question for journalists.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for May 3, 2023.
I found myself going through the same mental and ethical debate when posting our reporting on KUOW.org.
"Every gun is an 'assault' weapon, so why even use 'assault'?" Bill said on his recent "Words in Review" segment.
The term is not descriptive enough for him. He'd rather describe and let other people characterize. Still, when he posted this segment online, and podcasted it, he had to write a headline. That headline had to effectively communicate the topic. Could he use "assault weapon"?
"I think to call it an assault weapon is to use a word to sell your point of view," Bill said. "Now, it's such a common phrase, we're just calling it what people call it, but people are calling it that because we've used it so much ... somebody could use it to hunt, right, it seems like it's taking sides, calling it an 'assault weapon,' whereas 'AR-15 style' seems more neutral."
Journalists Joseph O'Sullivan with Crosscut, and Melissa Santos with Axios, had to navigate similar decisions.
"Traditionally, I would go with 'semiautomatic rifles' ... that's an example of a sort of clarity and specificity," O'Sullivan said, adding that he has also opted to use the term "assault style" and sometimes "AR style" in his reporting, which he feels meets the common understanding readers have.
Santos agrees readers are aware of the concepts, but it was also more about the reporting as a whole.
"In the first sentence of that story, I clarified that these are guns that they are classifying as assault weapons, and wrote what they are using to make that justification," Santos said.
"That's why I was OK using it in a headline and explaining immediately that it is an arbitrary classification ... so I think as long as you are clear that there is some specific definition here, it can be OK to use 'assault weapons,' even though it is not my preference."
The Associated Press Stylebook, aka the Bible for reporters, instructs journalists to avoid terms like "assault weapon" due to the politicization of such words. I personally would stick with the AP style, but I also found myself thinking about this dynamic between specifics and common understandings.
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Volunteers needed to defend Washington against the green crab invasion
Take a hike, and join the fight against the green crab invasion in Washington's waters.
The Washington Sea Grant is teaming up with Washington State University Extension to counter the rapid increase in the number of green crabs populating Puget Sound.
Nearly a quarter million European Green Crabs were trapped along the Washington coast last year, after Gov. Jay Inslee declared a green crab emergency. That's twice the number from the prior year, further indicating that the green crab population is booming. Shellfish businesses, tribes, and others have called for a green crab "blitz" across Washington's waters.
Now, WSU Extension and the Washington Sea Grant is launching a volunteer-based early detection program. Members of the public can help researchers spot and stop the creatures that destroy underwater habitats and attack local species, like Dungeness crabs.
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West Seattle Bridge ramp connecting Hwy 99 closed after pothole snarls traffic
UPDATE: The Washington State Department of Transportation reports that the ramp between the West Seattle Bridge and northbound SR99 will reopen at 5 a.m. Tuesday morning, May 9.
WSDOT reports that the weekend's warm temperatures helped cure the concrete quick, leading to an earlier than expected reopening.
ORIGINAL REPORT
Wednesday morning traffic out of West Seattle was snarled after a large hole was discovered in a busy onramp.
The onramp connects eastbound West Seattle Bridge to northbound Highway 99. Crews with the Washington State Department of Transportation are working to repair the large pothole that has shut down the route.
And by "pothole" we mean a 4-by-5-foot hole in the ramp. Folks passing underneath the ramp could see straight through to the sky.
The hole was discovered around 10 p.m. Tuesday. The tires on several cars were blown out by the hole before traffic was diverted.
WSDOT crews inspected the hole Wednesday, and began chipping away "unsuitable concrete" in the area. The span could potentially be closed up to 10 days for repairs.
WSDOT is telling drivers to find alternate routes.
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NW's wildlife rehabilitators need more help
Spring and summer are busy times of year for the Northwest’s wildlife rehabilitators, but such organizations need more help, especially in Washington state.
“We do what we can, but we don't have enough volunteers here or enough paid staff here to go out and collect wild animals," said Marcie Logsdon, a wildlife veterinarian at Washington State University. "We, for the most part, rely on the public and good Samaritans to bring them to us."
There are only seven permitted wildlife rehab centers in Eastern Washington, including a site at WSU.
Logsdon says she’s hopeful more Northwest residents might be interested in becoming wildlife rehabilitators, or volunteers to help transport animals that need help. There’s a need to transport these animals from the Tri-Cities, Spokane, Clarkston, and Lewiston areas.
Logsdon says people interested in becoming rehabbers in Washington have to do six months, or 1,000 hours, of volunteer work at a wildlife rehabilitation center.
Read the full story on the challenges that Northwest wildlife rehabilitators face,and learn about volunteering opportunities, at Northwest Public Broadcasting.
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