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Wealthy Seattle homeowners fighting affordable housing
In a great feature at the Stranger, Heidi Groover details how wealthy homeowners in Seattle’s Magnolia neighborhood are fighting plans to create affordable housing in the former Fort Lawton property. Citing fears of crime, NIMBY groups are waging a concerted campaign in a city with the nation’s third-highest homeless population.
In related news, in Vancouver, a court ordered that a project to provide inexpensive homes for low-income people could continue in the city’s Marpole neighborhood. And in Portland, a report found 80 homeless people died on the streets in Multnomah County last year.
Fish farms’ dirty secret: a nasty virus
Andrew Nikiforuk at the Tyee reports on a new study that finds rates of piscine reovirus (PRV), which can lead to death in salmon, higher in wild salmon runs near fish farms. The study, the first of its kind, found that rates of PRV were 40 percent of wild salmon in the Lower Fraser, but only 20 percent in the Upper Fraser. It also found 95 percent of farmed salmon in BC markets were infected. Bloody wastes dumped into the Salish Sea may be be contributing to infection levels.
Five years after Sandy Hook: more gun safety in WA and OR?
Crosscut looks at the prospects for passage of gun safety laws in the Washington state legislature five years after Sandy Hook. Manka Dhingra, who won a special election and tipped the majority in Democrat’s favor, is considering sponsoring a bill that would prohibit gun purchases by those convicted of domestic violence. In Oregon, state legislators have passed laws on background checks since Sandy Hook, and are considering further measures such as banning “jump-stocks.”
Inside Portland’s Russian Culture
Russian is now Oregon’s third-most spoken language (after Spanish and English) and Portland’s Russian community is a hidden but vibrant one. The Rose City is home to more than 50,000 Russian speakers, is home to one of the nation’s top Russian restaurants, and boasts a Russian-language magazine and pop music radio station. Willamette Week dedicates its recent issue to saying да! to all things Russian.
Techie-artist Sondra Perry’s return to Seattle
Mutli-media artist Sondra Perry, whose videos, robots, and other tech explore issues of labor and race, makes a return to Seattle at Seattle Art Museum. In an interview with City Arts, she talks about her new installation, Eclogue for [in]HABITABILITY. Perry’s first galley show was at Seattle’s INCA, which is moving to Portland.
A poet laureate’s ode to Spokane’s Fox Theater
Over at Washington Humanities, there’s a poem by Washington State poet laureate Tod Marshall, who’s reaching the end of his two year term (and definitely deserves a break after all his hard work!). The poem, Autumn Blessing for the Fox, is dedicated to Spokane’s historic Fox Theater:
“…Sometimes we listen to those birds, glance at the night sky
and do not fully marvel at the immense glory of that gathering,
the soft pardon singing gives us from the constantly ticking minutes…”
That’s all from Cascadia Daily headquarters, where the rain is resuming and we send best Hannukah wishes to those of you celebrating. Chag Sameach! ? –Andrew Engelson Photo credits: Sondra Perry courtesy Seattle Art Museum, photo by Natali Wiseman.