Nearly seven pages worth of people testified during a Jan. 9 hearing at Magnolia United Church of Christ, where people filled chairs, lined walls, and crowded the entryway outside.
Many testimonies used their time to voice frustrations about previous Queen Anne and Magnolia hearings that typically turned sour. Comments also showed support for the chance to redevelop federal government property at Fort Lawton Army Reserve — free of charge — and build affordable housing.
Last year, on June 24, a 20-year-old named Giovann Joseph-McDade was shot to death by Kent police. The inquest hearing investigating the circumstances of his death by law enforcement was held in December. His mother, Sonia Joseph, was not prepared emotionally or financially for what befell her.
Monday, King County Executive Dow Constantine announced all police shooting inquests are paused while the Review Committee considers reforms and submits recommendations expected in March.
Franklin High School’s auditorium was nearly full for the memorial of former San Francisco mayor Edwin Lee. (Photo: Kelsey Hamlin)
The streets by Franklin High School (FHS) were full of parked cars as many showed up to pay their respects Saturday for the recently deceased San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee.
Edwin Mah Lee was born and raised in Seattle’s Beacon Hill neighborhood. Growing up, his siblings saw the traits of a leader. Lee often held meetings after school, usually for student government, while playing sports and working part time. Though reaching multiple positions of considerable status, Lee never forgot how hard his own mother worked, being a first generation immigrant who lost her husband early in life.
Capitol Hill Housing hosted its first public discussion Tuesday night with the community it will house in preparation for shaping what it hopes will be the nation’s first LGBTQIA+-focused affordable senior housing at 14th and Union. It just might take a little longer to come up with the money to pay for it.
Long ago, a group roamed Capitol Hill’s streets at night to protect their community alongside police. Now, a new Q Patrol takes shape, readying its members to de-escalate and assist those facing discrimination, violence, and hate crimes — without the Seattle Police Department.
“A core focus is empowering other queers and other marginalized groups of people,” said Emma, a Q Patrol member. For this story, CHS agreed to not use the full names of members for their safety and security. “We think police are the problem. We’re not trying to antagonize them per se.”
Panelist Sheila Capestany, King County strategic advisor for children and youth [Photo by Kelsey Hamlin]
“When progressives get together we usually agree with one another and vent about Trump and whatever,” said Lt. Gov. Cyrus Habib, a featured speaker at the Washington State Budget & Policy Center’s (WSBPC) Budget Matters Policy Summit. “A lot of times we talk about survival and we don’t take the next step to talk about prosperity. As long as we only focus on survival and we only focus on justice, the gap between the haves and the have-nots is going to get bigger.”
