Category Archives: Community

Capitol Hill Community Post | Don’t Be Fooled, Even in Blue Seattle, Far Right Ideology is Hiding in Plain Sight — OPINION

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From Alycia Ramirez and Shaun Scott’s “Better Washington” Campaign for the 43rd LD / Opinion

In 2024, over 200,000 Washington Renters were behind on rent, while homelessness also increased 9% in the same year. Despite the growing number of residents in need and a severe lack of affordable housing options, municipalities across the state, from Burien to Spokane, have responded by banning camping.

This criminalization of homelessness is, in part, due to a right-wing propaganda campaign that has blamed progressives for the homelessness crisis and falsely branded policies like Housing First a “leftist failure.” This narrative conveniently denies the significant roles that racial and socioeconomic disparities, as well as the lack of affordable housing, have in homelessness.  Figures like Tucker Carlson perpetuate these falsehoods on a national level, while local entities such as the Discovery Institute (a right-wing think tank originally working to teach creationism in our schools) and We Heart Seattle, a conservative-leaning non-profit, reinforce these harmful narratives on the local level.

Who is We Heart Seattle?
Founded in 2020 by Andrea Suarez, We Heart Seattle (WHS, initially named I Heart Downtown Seattle) is a nonprofit that engages in privately funded encampment “cleanups.” Throughout its four-year run, this group and its founder have had a long history of conflict within the Seattle Mutual Aid and homelessness services community. Continue reading →

Capitol Hill Community Post | Stop Seattle Public School Closures

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From McGilvra Advocacy Committee

Dear Greater Capitol Hill Community:

On September 11th, Seattle Public Schools released its proposals for school closures; a list which includes closing Stevens Elementary, TOPS K-8 (in one of two proposals), and McGilvra Elementary (among others). This proposal divides communities, zoning neighborhoods into different schools and dividing classmates, families, and friends, including the deaf and hard-of-hearing community at TOPS.

To be clear, the proposals are not yet final. People need to take action today, ahead of the School Board meeting on October 9. The district’s plan is not in the best interest of the city, the district, our schools, or our children. We know this because every major US school district that has executed on a mass closure plan has experienced fallout with student and teacher attrition, disruption that harmed student outcomes, and cost savings that were far less than projected. (See page 6 of this Pew Report for examples.) We have enough wealth in Washington to solve the public school budget crisis. We just need the political will.

If you oppose mass closures, you can take action in the following ways: Continue reading →

Capitol Hill Community Post | Madison Beach Survey

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By Friends of Madison Park

The Friends of Madison Park neighborhood association is exploring possible improvements of Madison Park Beach and upgrades of the facilities, in partnership with the Seattle Parks Dept. But we need to hear from you!

The City of Seattle cannot help us until we complete a public survey.  If you love coming to the Madison Park Beach, please take the 6 question survey linked from our website: friendsofmadisonpark.com/lander

The survey is short but essential for us to know why you love the beach and what improvements you would like to see with the facilities and the park.

We are looking for people from all over the city to give us their input.

Thank you!

 

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Capitol Hill Community Post | Capitol Hill Garage Sale Day 2024 is August 11th

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From the Cal Anderson Park Alliance

The Capitol Hill Garage Sale returns Sunday, August 11 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Cal Anderson Park! This annual event is Seattle’s longest running community-wide garage sale and regularly features over 100 people selling their treasures in Cal Anderson Park in addition to many independent garage sales at homes across Capitol Hill.

The Cal Anderson Park Alliance hosts the Capitol Hill Garage Sale in partnership with the Seattle Parks and Recreation, and the Capitol Hill Seattle Blog with the aim of activating Cal Anderson Park while giving Hill citizens a day to come together, shed some extra belongings, do some recycling and meet neighbors!

For more general information on Cal Anderson, follow us on Instagram or Facebook or sign up for email alerts from the Cal Anderson Park Alliance.

REGISTRATION
Registration for the 2024 Capitol Hill Garage Sale in Cal Anderson Park is now officially open! You are welcome to register for a space in to sell in the park or register your own garage sale on Capitol Hill during the hours of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, August 11th. To participate, simply fill out the form below to indicate your preferences. Registration for on-site (in Cal Anderson Park) or off-site locations will officially close at 10:00 p.m., Monday August 5. NOTE: If you are interested in selling in the park, and registering on or after August 5, you may need to provide your own table and chairs for displaying your merchandise—registration team will confirm availability of rented tables/chairs after registration. If you are hosting your own garage sale somewhere else on Capitol Hill, we will add it to our community map that shoppers can use on Sunday, August 11th as they explore the neighborhood.

 

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Capitol Hill Community Post | Jonah Bergman’s Margaritaville Paradise Island Bait Shop Says Hello!

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From Jonah Bergman’s Margaritaville Paradise Island Bait Shop

Capitol Hill is changing and so are we. Bait Shop is refreshing its neighborhood bar concept in partnership with financial group Parrothead Capital and Florida-based developer Lost Saltshaker Ventures, LLC.

April 1, 2024 will mark the grand opening of Jonah Bergman’s Margaritaville Paradise Island Bait Shop. Our bar will be THE place for Seattle newcomers to relax and ‘waste away’ in a ‘paradise’ of cheeseburgers, margaritas, and more margaritas. Plus, patrons will learn about incredible timeshare opportunities, and delight in a carefully-curated playlist of our seven favorite Jimmy Buffett songs. Did we mention Coconut Shrimp? It’s five o’clock somewhere, baby.

The sun is always shining at Jonah Bergman’s Margaritaville Paradise Island Bait Shop. See you soon!

 

$5 A MONTH TO HELP KEEP CHS PAYWALL-FREE

Subscribe to CHS to help us hire writers and photographers to cover the neighborhood. CHS is a pay what you can community news site with no required sign-in or paywall. To stay that way, we need you. Become a subscriber to help us cover the neighborhood for $5 a month -- or choose your level of support 🖤 

 
 

Capitol Hill Community Post | Capitol Hill plays itself in web series The Uncertain Detective

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From Smarthouse Creative

Created by longtime Capitol Hill-based filmmaker Gregg Lachow, THE UNCERTAIN DETECTIVE is an online scripted series full of neighborhood cameos and Seattle locations. Crosscut calls it “understated and charming…Funny and appealingly odd. A genuine portrayal of what it’s like to live and work as a family of artists, inhabiting and exhibiting different selves.”

In the show, art imitates life and life imitates art. A film director (played by Lachow) creates a surreal, neo-noir tv series featuring a bumbling detective, and casts his wife and kids in it (played by Lachow’s actual family). In the show, as in their lives, each character tries to solve the central mystery of life: in a world that seems to be falling apart, where is the love that binds us together? Continue reading →

Capitol Hill Community Post | The Clay Apartments opening of Section 8 waitlist

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From the Low Income Housing Institute

LOW INCOME HOUSING INSTITUTE (LIHI) PUBLIC NOTICE

Opening of Section 8 Waitlist at the following building: The Clay Apartments

Effective on February 6, 2024 through February 12, 2024

LIHI will temporarily reopen the Section 8 waitlist for the Clay Apartments on February 6, 2024 at 10:00 AM, and the waitlist will remain open for one week, closing on February 12, 2024 @ 5:00 PM.  This waitlist is for studio apartments only.  These units have a maximum income limit of 30% Area Median Income, currently $28,800 for an individual. Continue reading →

Capitol Hill Community Post | Comedian Pearl Lam takes a deep dive into reality TV at 18th & Union

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(Image: Pearl Lam)

From Todd Matthews

Actor and comedian Pearl Lam has been thinking a lot about reality television’s effect on its cast members, viewers, and the larger culture—all of which has resulted in her solo show XXX Island, premiering this month at 18th & Union on Capitol Hill. The show centers on “It Girl” Amethyst Crystal, newly arrived at XXX Island to film the hottest new dating reality show promising Instagram fame and lucrative branding deals. Instead, she finds a hellscape of producer manipulation and drug-induced hallucinations.

“It’s like Man vs. Wild and Too Hot to Handle if they had a child,” Lam explained during an interview at a local coffee shop. “It’s a 60-minute comedy with dramatic elements—a dramedy, but I hate that word. Amethyst Crystal has to last 30 days on nothing but a fully stocked mini-bar while uncovering things about herself that she has kept hidden for a very long time. It’s absurd and off the wall, but it’s also a commentary about fame. I think most artists will go through a period where they question whether they’re doing their art for the art or the fame. There’s no shame in wanting to be famous, but when you knock on that door, you’re going through a passageway and won’t come out yourself.” Continue reading →

Capitol Hill Community Post | Empowering Queer Voices: Three Dollar Bill Cinema in need of support to sustain LGBTQIA+ film initiatives

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From Three Dollar Bill Cinema

In a world where representation is pivotal for fostering understanding and acceptance, organizations like Three Dollar Bill Cinema play a crucial role in amplifying queer voices through cinematic experiences. As a non-profit committed to showcasing LGBTQIA+ narratives, they have been instrumental in hosting queer film festivals, such as the Seattle Queer Film Festival, and nurturing emerging talent through programs like Reel Queer Youth. Continue reading →

Capitol Hill Community Post | Stevens Tree Sale 2023

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(Image: CHS)

From the Stevens Elementary School PTA
With the closure of City Peoples’ Garden Store, do you know where you’re getting your Christmas tree this year? The good news is you can pre-order your tree and greenery from the Stevens Elementary PTA Tree Sale now and get your fresh and fragrant tree at our pop-up event the first weekend in December. Plus, your purchase helps public elementary school kids in your community! Continue reading →