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Axios Seattle
Voters to city: Fix the darn potholes
Seattleites have many concerns about the issues affecting the city, but the vast majority want local leaders to focus on the basic problems of day-to-day city living, like the age-old scourge of potholes.Driving the news: Among 700 Seattle voters polled in March, nine out of 10 think city leaders ought to focus on things like potholes, maintaining parks and addressing public safety, according to the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce's Index report.Stunning stat: Seattle Department of Transportation workers filled 25,000 potholes in 2023, the most repaired in the past five years, per the department.Yes, but: Washington was ranked the worst...
Five things to do in Seattle this weekend
A nice-looking weekend is ahead of us, and whether you want to spend it inside or out and about, there are plenty of ways to pass the time. Here are a few events that look like fun.Friday🩰 Catch "The Seasons' Canon," Pacific Northwest Ballet's performance of gorgeously contemporary choreo from Crystal Pite. 7:30pm (with two more shows tomorrow, 2pm and 7:30pm). Tickets from $30.🌷 Celebrate spring with a visit to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival and its technicolor flower fields, open through April 30. Tickets from $15.Saturday🤣 Yuk it up with Amy Poehler and Tina Fey as their Restless Leg Tour arrives in Seattle. 3pm and 6pm. Tickets from $111.50.🎼 Listen to Mahler's Symphony No. 3 at the Taper Auditorium at Benaroya Hall. 8pm. Tickets start at $35.Sunday🍽️ Seattle Restaurant Week kicks off this week and runs through April 27. Try curated menus ranging from $20 to $65 from dozens of restaurants, bars, cafes, food trucks and pop-ups across the area. Sign up for Axios Seattle for free.
Interest in polyamory and ethical non-monogamy is rising among Seattleites, data says
When it comes to love, people are expanding their options, with more than one-third of Seattle-area OkCupid users saying they're open to polyamory and non-monogamy.Why it matters: There's been an active polyamorous community in Seattle for decades, clinical psychologist Sheppard Salusky told Axios.That includes singles who date multiple people, couples who bring in a third and groups of three or more sexually involved people who live together as family.What they're saying: Polyamory doesn't always work out long-term for some of the people Salusky has counseled, though trying out the lifestyle can be fun.Jealousy is common, even among people who are...
Boeing's first 737 took flight in 1967
Here's a look at some of the April historical events in the city, sourced from state history encyclopedia HistoryLink and local newspaper and university archives.April 9, 1967: The first Boeing 737 prototype flew out of Boeing Field. "Baby Boeing" is the precursor to the ubiquitous 737 models we know today.You can visit the original at the Museum of Flight.April 10, 2006: 15,000 people marched in Seattle against House Bill 4437, which had passed out of the U.S. House of Representatives and would have made being undocumented a crime.The march led to more actions for immigrant rights, culminating in the May 1, 2006, "Day Without an Immigrant" march in Seattle — part of one of the largest nationwide protests in American history.HB 4437 never passed the Senate.Sign up for Axios Seattle for free.
Pregnancy at 35 has its pluses
Data: CDC Wonder; Chart: Erin Davis/Axios VisualsAlmost 57% of Washington babies born last year had birth mothers in their 30s and older, according to provisional CDC data.Why it matters: In the last few years, age 35 has gone from the start of "geriatric pregnancy" to a potential maternal-age sweet spot.By the numbers: In Washington, the average age of women who gave birth in 2023 was 30.3, compared to the national average of 29.6, per the CDC data.Last year, 33% of births were to women ages 30–34.19% were to women ages 35 to 39, and nearly 5% to those 40-plus.All of...
The Samish Nation has cleaned over 500 tons of ocean trash since 2014
Nearly 91,000 pounds of marine debris was removed by the Samish Indian Nation from Washington shorelines and coastal waters last year, per the Nation's Department of Natural Resources.Why it matters: The removal of creosote-treated wood, plastics, tires and other toxins is essential to protect the habitats of the Coast Salish people's traditional territories, Samish DNR manager Matt Castle said in a March statement.Stunning stat: Between 2014 and 2023, the Samish removed over 1 million pounds of marine debris from the shoreline and waters of Skagit County, Island County, Whatcom County and the San Juan Islands during annual events.What's next: The Samish tribe, along with the Washington Conservation Corps and the state Department of Natural Resources, will start another round of cleanup this June.Want to help? Download the MyCoast app to report marine debris on shorelines in Skagit County, Island County, southern Whatcom County and the San Juan archipelago.Sign up for Axios Seattle for free.
Seattle is among the nation's top cities for clean transportation
Seattle is not far behind San Jose, San Francisco and New York in limiting greenhouse gas emissions from local transportation, according to a recent report.Why it matters: Transportation is the biggest driver of greenhouse gas emissions in the nation and accounts for 60% of greenhouse gas emissions in Seattle, according to the city's 2023 Climate Change Response Framework.State of play: The Seattle metro area, which includes Tacoma and Bellevue, came in fifth overall.The Transportation Climate Impact Index, created by transportation analysis firm StreetLight Data, ranks the 100 most populous U.S. cities across a variety of transportation-related emissions factors.They include overall...
Why Seattle-area boomers won't sell their big houses
Data: Redfin; Chart: Axios VisualsEmpty nesters own one-quarter of family-size homes in the tight Seattle market, slightly lower than the 28% national share, according to a recent Redfin report.Why it matters: Seattle has a well-documented housing shortage and affordability crisis, with sky-high interest rates putting home ownership out of reach for many millennials without help from family.State of play: The problem for many younger families is that baby boomers don't have much motivation to sell, according to Redfin senior economist Sheharyar Bokhari.Boomers typically have low housing costs and are mortgage-free or holding great low-rate mortgages.In addition, many are "still young...
How and when to watch the solar eclipse in Seattle
Data: NASA; Map: Erin Davis/Axios VisualsA glimpse of this month's once-in-a-lifetime solar eclipse is already one of the country's hottest attractions, and while the Seattle area is nowhere near the path of totality, weather permitting, we may get a peek at the phenomenon.Why it matters: If we get a break between clouds on Monday morning, as National Weather Service Seattle meteorologist Dev McMillian predicts, Seattleites should be able to see the Moon passing in front of the bottom fifth of the Sun.The eclipse begins for Seattle viewers around 10:39am, peaks at 11:29am and will be over by 12:21pm, per Time...
Things to do in Seattle and Puget Sound this weekend
From the "World Cup of breakdancing" to taco trucks and dragon egg hunts, there's no shortage of things to keep you busy around Seattle and Puget Sound this weekend.Friday🐲 Search for 25 hidden hand-blown glass eggs on a dragon egg hunt in downtown Renton, where the city will be commemorating the arrival five years ago of rooftop guardian Erasmus. 9am–8pm. Free.🎙️ Hear the James Beard Award-winning blogger behind The Everywhereist, Geraldine DeRuiter, talk about how cooking and cuisine fuel her feminism. 7:30pm at Town Hall Seattle. Tickets are on a sliding scale from $5–$25.🎸 Seattle-based indie/psych band Weep Wave takes...
Youth homelessness in Washington drops, report says
Washington saw a significant drop in youth homelessness over six years, according to a new report, something advocates say was due in part to new strategies, including emergency cash grants for youth in the margins.Why it matters: Adults living without stable housing often had their first experience with it as young people, said Casey Trupin of Raikes Foundation, which co-funded the report.Prevention not only decreases individual trauma, it results in significant savings in the form of lower criminal justice, health care and public support costs, he told Axios.What they found: Between 2016 and 2022, homelessness among people ages 12–24 in...
Traffic deaths are increasing in Washington state
Data: U.S. Department of Transportation; Map: Thomas Oide/AxiosVehicle-related deaths rose 11% in Washington last year, despite a national 3.6% decrease, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) statistics.Why it matters: The percentage of fatal crashes went up statewide between 2022 and 2023 even as the total number of crashes went down, per Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) data.Zoom out: Fatal crashes in Washington have also increased since before COVID, from 517 in 2019 to 596 in 2021, WSDOT reports.There was a presumption that the increase was somewhat tied to the pandemic and lockdowns, Clay Peterman, a transportation safety...
The Space Needle didn't collapse — but a prank suggested otherwise
From an April Fools' Day prank that went a little too far to the (real) original Starbucks, springtime is a trove of Seattle history. Here's a look back, sourced from state history encyclopedia HistoryLink and local newspaper and TV news archives.April 1, 1989: For April Fools' Day, KING 5 sketch comedy show "Almost Live" "reported" that the Space Needle had collapsed. It was a joke, but many viewers took it seriously.Calls from concerned citizens flooded the Space Needle, the Seattle Police Department and KING 5's phone lines."A lot of people wanted us fired," the comedy show's host John Keister recalled...
Meet the Washington company at the center of the EV battery revolution
Backed by a $100 million grant from the Department of Energy and hundreds of millions in private investment, Woodinville-based Group14 Technologies is working to address one of the most significant barriers to EV adoption: charging anxiety.Why it matters: Widespread use of EVs is a key step in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, experts say, but the transition is turning out to be longer than many predicted in part thanks to this fear.How it works: Group14 Technologies has developed a way to enhance battery performance by replacing graphite anodes with silicon carbon material, CEO Rick Luebbe told Axios.This allows batteries to store...
Washington state is cracking down on catalytic converter thefts
With Gov. Jay Inslee's approval, Washington will get new protections for catalytic converters next year — and new penalties for stealing them.Why it matters: Catalytic converters contain valuable metal and aren't easy to trace, which makes them easy to steal. That's led to a rise in thefts throughout Washington and nationally, with little recourse for car owners.The thefts disproportionately impact the "people who can least afford it," King County senior prosecutor Gary Ernsdorff said during a committee hearing on the bill in February.By the numbers: According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, catalytic converter thefts spiked in 2021 to 2,079....
Warmer and drier April forecast for Seattle
April in Seattle is starting off in the mid-60s, and the rest of the month could be warmer and drier than average, some forecasters say.Why it matters: While warm spring days can bring relief to sun-starved residents of the Pacific Northwest, higher-than-average springtime temperatures can also cause earlier snowmelt, increased drought and longer allergy and wildfire seasons, per the state Department of Ecology.Driving the news: While our temperatures early this week are higher than the average high of 56° this time of year, cooler days will follow, with rain and temperatures in the lower 50s expected Wednesday and Thursday, National...
Reservations open for Mount Rainier during peak season
People who plan to visit Paradise or the Sunrise Corridor in Mount Rainier National Park in July can make a reservation starting today.How it works: Reservations are required for visitors to enter the Sunrise Corridor at the White River Entrance via State Route 410 from 7am–3pm between July 3 and Sept. 2.Reservations are also required to visit the Paradise Corridor through the park's Nisqually or Stevens Canyon entrances from 7am–3pm between May 24 and Sept. 2.Reservations are not required outside of those peak hours.Each reservation is for one personal vehicle and costs $2, but does not include the cost of...
$3 million from state boosts "super" park vision near Garfield
With $3 million recently allocated by state legislators to develop the Garfield "Super Block" — an accessible art and amenity-filled park and promenade in the heart of Seattle's Central District — officials say the project is on track to break ground next year.Why it matters: The block around Garfield and Nova high schools in the historically Black neighborhood has long been a draw for Seattle's young people and the redo promises to make the space more useable and attractive, said Rebecca Bear, president of the nonprofit Seattle Parks Foundation.The community relies heavily on the campus for everyday activities, celebration, advocacy,...
Things to do in Seattle on Easter weekend
With weather folks saying we're likely to see the sun this weekend with highs in the upper 50s, it'll be a great time to leave the house for an egg hunt, a dance party or a monster truck show.Friday🎨 Get into Seattle Art Museum after hours for original art and creative mingling at art party SAM Remix. The theme for this one is "Crush," a play on the excitement and potential of meeting new people.Tickets are $25 for SAM members and $50 for everyone else. 7-11pm💃🏽 Pop lovers can join the Dua Lipa vs. Miley Cyrus tribute party at Rendezvous'...
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