Podcasts about avenue south

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Play Episode Listen Later Dec 29, 2024 19:00

Seattle's escalating public safety crisis has forced King County Metro to shut down bus stops at a notoriously dangerous intersection near 12th Avenue South and South Jackson Street. The area, plagued by rampant drug activity, theft, and violence, has seen mass stabbings and other serious crimes, creating unsafe conditions for drivers and passengers. In a tragic turn, a veteran Metro driver was stabbed to death during a confrontation in the University District, underscoring the urgent need for action. Critics argue Seattle's lax law enforcement and inadequate responses to homelessness and mental health crises have allowed the situation to spiral. This latest incident highlights the broader consequences of defunding police initiatives and ineffective crime policies. As King County officials emphasize transit safety, conservative voices call for restoring law and order and prioritizing public safety over progressive experiments that leave communities vulnerable.

Transit workers call for safety improvements after fatal stabbing of Metro driver

Soundside

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 19, 2024 10:16

Around 3:00am today, a King County Metro driver was fatally stabbed near the 4100 block of University Way in Seattle’s U-District. At a press conference this morning, King County Executive Dow Constantine said that the loss is being felt by everyone in county transit. "We are not always able to keep what's happening out on the streets away from the transit that operates on those streets," said Constantine. "We are doing everything that we can, and will continue to ramp up our efforts, to make sure that transit is safe for everyone. Including, especially, for our brave operators who are out on the streets every day." Greg Woodfill is the local president of the Amalgamated Transit Union #587. He said he’d like to see more regional resources dedicated to transit safety. "I don't have all the answers. This is a difficult, societal problem. What I know is that we're not doing enough," said Woodfill. "This is bigger than Metro, this is bigger than Seattle, this is the whole community that we serve." The attack comes just a couple days after Metro cut service to a cluster of stops around 12th Avenue South and South Jackson Street in the Chinatown International District because of ongoing “safety concerns.” For the latest, Soundside was joined by KUOW reporter Ann Dornfeld, who attended a press conference with transit and public officials in Tukwila this morning. Guests: Ann Dornfeld, reporter on the KUOW investigations team. Related links: KUOW - King County Metro bus driver killed in fatal U District stabbing King County Metro cites safety in closing Little Saigon bus stops | The Seattle Times Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Episode 202: Grim Tales of Great Falls

We're No Dam Experts

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2024 75:56

We're No Dam Experts: True Crime Edition. Get ready for some spooky tales on this episode! Megan Sanford with The History Museum has compiled a decade of research to create the "Grim Tales of Great Falls," including everything from a ransom note to a box of bones. Take a self-guided tour of the locations where these stories happened! Goodbye Goldie: Rosebud Alley, 217 1/2 1st Alley South Walter Holmes' freight accident: F.J. Giles & Co, 217 2nd Avenue South Dave Smith last seen: corner of 1st Avenue South and 2nd Street South Box of bones first found: Murphy Maclay Building, 7 2nd Street South Box of bones second found: Bach Cory Building, 103 Central Avenue Inspiration for baby's ransom: Conrad Bank, 324 Central Avenue Murdered husband: Davenport Hotel, 518 1/2 Central Avenue James Wilber hangs himself in jail: 311 3rd Avenue South Pick up a list with a map (keep in mind some addresses/buildings have changed) from The History Museum or our office at 15 Overlook Drive in Great Falls, Montana. The History Museum: https://visitgreatfallsmontana.org/listing-item/the-history-museum/

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Bridging Innovation and Healthcare for Global Impact | Seema Kumar | CEO, Cure at 345 Park Avenue South

The Brand Called You

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 14, 2024 35:29

In an era defined by rapid technological advancements and pressing global health challenges, leaders like Seema Kumar stand at the forefront of innovation, wielding their expertise to forge transformative paths in healthcare. As CEO of Cure and with a distinguished career spanning Johnson & Johnson, and more, Seema Kumar embodies a commitment to integrating cutting-edge innovation with compassionate healthcare solutions. Join us as we delve into her insights on bridging innovation and healthcare to drive meaningful global impact. [02:01] - About Seema Kumar Seema is the CEO at Cure. She has spent 20 years at Johnson & Johnson and has a background spanning NIH, Broad Institute, Whitehead Institute, and Hopkins. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tbcy/support

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The Creative Source (#CreativeSource) – 20th June 2024

SoulandJazz.com | Stereo, not stereotypical ®

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 24, 2024 138:56

This content is for Members only. Come and join us by subscribing here In the meantime, here's some more details about the show: It's a warm welcome then to the man himself: Dr. Brad Stone - the JazzWeek Programmer of the Year 2017, who's here every Thursday to present The Creative Source - a two hour show, highlighting jazz-fusion and progressive jazz flavours from back then, the here and now, plus occasional forays into the future. Please feel free to get in touch with Brad with any comments or suggestions you might have; he'll be more than happy to hear from you: brad@soulandjazz.com or follow him via Facebook or Twitter. Enjoy! The Creative Source 20th June 2024 Artist - Track - Album - Year Maria Parker Indo Latin Jazz Ensemble Sol de Barcelona Windows Through Time 2024 Sergio Pamies feat. Dave Liebman Miold Man Time to Say 2024 Win Pongsakorn Caipirinha Time Has Changed 2024 Luke Stewart Silt Trio The Slip Unknown Rivers 2024 Jon Gordon Paradox 7th Avenue South 2024 Lauren Henderson Venas Sombras 2024 Jo Harrop A Love Like This The Path of a Tear 2024 Lisa Rich A Timeless Place (The Peacocks) Long as You're Living 2024 Anthony Branker & Imagine Three Gifts (From a Nigerian Mother to God) Songs My Mom Liked 2024 Clarence Penn Growing Trade Behind the Voice 2024 EYM Trio No Madness Bangalore 2023 Buffalo Monroe Willie Meets the Bull Meets Willie Waldman 2024 Scott/Grant 5 The Tamarind Tree Horizon Song 2024 Something Else! Featuring Vincent Herring Driftin' Soul Jazz 2024 Amina Figarova & Matsiko World Orphan Choir Paper Kites Suite for Africa 2024 Antonio Adolfo You Do Something to Me Love Cole Porter 2024 Andrea Wolper Sobe e Desce Wanderlust 2024 Fernando Huergo Big Band Vidalita Relentless 2024 Tomy Romano Cadillac Green Three Card Monte 2024 Olin Clark Veronica Ephemera 2024 The Haas Company Featuring Andy Timmons Arrow of Time Galactic Tide 2024 Natsuki Tamura & Jim Black City of Night NatJim 2024 The post The Creative Source (#CreativeSource) – 20th June 2024 appeared first on SoulandJazz.com | Stereo, not stereotypical ®.

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The Creative Source (#CreativeSource) – 20th June 2024

SoulandJazz.com | Stereo, not stereotypical ®

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 24, 2024 138:56

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Focus on upcoming JUNETEENTH CELEBRATIONS

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2024 55:13

Today, Thursday, June 13 on Urban Forum Northwest :*April Sims, President of the Washington State Labor Council (WSLC) AFL CILO and Cherika Carter Secretary Treasurer of the Washington State Labor Council AFL CIO are co sponsors of Race, Labor, and Reparations that Juneteenth Celebration will be held Saturday, June 15 1:00-2:30 pm in front of the WSLC Office at 321 16th Avenue South. Reverend Dr. Robert L. Jeffrey, Sr. and Reparations Advocate Larry Gossett will speak.*Michael Woo and Harley Byrd were both leaders in the United Construction Workers Association UCWA, they pay tribute to Tyree Scott, Silme Domingo, and Gene Viernes who will be remembered for their activism at LELO's Annual Awards Dinner "No Separate Peace" on Saturday, June 15 at 5:30 pm at the Brockey Center at South College.*Apostle James E. Sears III and KL Shannon invite you today's 6:00 pm Unity March from Jimi Hendrix Park to Garfield High School. This is in response to the murder of Garfield High School student Amarr Murphy-Paine. The community showed up to greet students back to the school on Tuesday morning after being closed last Friday and this Monday.*Reverend Dr. Leslie Braxton invites you to Juneteenth Songs of Black Folks-Music of Resistance and Hope on Sunday, June 16 at 7:00 pm (PDT) at Seattle's paramount Theater. The event will feature local and national artist. Ramon Bryant Braxton is the Artistic Director and Conductor.JUNETEENTH CELEBRATIONS*Reverend Dr. Linda M. Smith invites to Renton's Juneteenth Celebration "A Freedom Celebration" Saturday, June 15 11:00 am-6:00 pm at Liberty Park.*Cherryl Jackson Williams is one of the coordinators of the Skyway Juneteenth Celebration and Festival on Saturday, June 15 at the Campbell Hill Elementary School field 641 124th Street.*Tana Yasu, Convener, Joe Brazil Legacy Project invites you to the Wednesday, June 19 Juneteenth Celebration 3:00-7:00 pm at Rumba Notes Lounge in Columbia City. The event will feature Phyllis Talley, Then-N-Now, Lonnie Williams, CT Thompson, and DJ Zeta.Urban Forum Northwest streams live at www.1150kknw.com. Visit us at www.urbanforumnw.com for archived programs and relevant information.Like us on facebook. Twitter X@Eddie_Rye. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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Focus on upcoming JUNETEENTH CELEBRATIONS

Alternative Talk- 1150AM KKNW

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2024 55:13

Today, Thursday, June 13 on Urban Forum Northwest : *April Sims, President of the Washington State Labor Council (WSLC) AFL CILO and Cherika Carter Secretary Treasurer of the Washington State Labor Council AFL CIO are co sponsors of Race, Labor, and Reparations that Juneteenth Celebration will be held Saturday, June 15 1:00-2:30 pm in front of the WSLC Office at 321 16th Avenue South. Reverend Dr. Robert L. Jeffrey, Sr. and Reparations Advocate Larry Gossett will speak. *Michael Woo and Harley Byrd were both leaders in the United Construction Workers Association UCWA, they pay tribute to Tyree Scott, Silme Domingo, and Gene Viernes who will be remembered for their activism at LELO's Annual Awards Dinner "No Separate Peace" on Saturday, June 15 at 5:30 pm at the Brockey Center at South College. *Apostle James E. Sears III and KL Shannon invite you today's 6:00 pm Unity March from Jimi Hendrix Park to Garfield High School. This is in response to the murder of Garfield High School student Amarr Murphy-Paine. The community showed up to greet students back to the school on Tuesday morning after being closed last Friday and this Monday. *Reverend Dr. Leslie Braxton invites you to Juneteenth Songs of Black Folks-Music of Resistance and Hope on Sunday, June 16 at 7:00 pm (PDT) at Seattle's paramount Theater. The event will feature local and national artist. Ramon Bryant Braxton is the Artistic Director and Conductor. JUNETEENTH CELEBRATIONS *Reverend Dr. Linda M. Smith invites to Renton's Juneteenth Celebration "A Freedom Celebration" Saturday, June 15 11:00 am-6:00 pm at Liberty Park. *Cherryl Jackson Williams is one of the coordinators of the Skyway Juneteenth Celebration and Festival on Saturday, June 15 at the Campbell Hill Elementary School field 641 124th Street. *Tana Yasu, Convener, Joe Brazil Legacy Project invites you to the Wednesday, June 19 Juneteenth Celebration 3:00-7:00 pm at Rumba Notes Lounge in Columbia City. The event will feature Phyllis Talley, Then-N-Now, Lonnie Williams, CT Thompson, and DJ Zeta. Urban Forum Northwest streams live at www.1150kknw.com. Visit us at www.urbanforumnw.com for archived programs and relevant information. Like us on facebook. Twitter X@Eddie_Rye.

Urban Forum NW 06 - 13 - 24

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2024 55:13

Today, Thursday, June 13 on Urban Forum Northwest : *April Sims, President of the Washington State Labor Council (WSLC) AFL CILO and Cherika Carter Secretary Treasurer of the Washington State Labor Council AFL CIO are co sponsors of Race, Labor, and Reparations that Juneteenth Celebration will be held Saturday, June 15 1:00-2:30 pm in front of the WSLC Office at 321 16th Avenue South. Reverend Dr. Robert L. Jeffrey, Sr. and Reparations Advocate Larry Gossett will speak. *Michael Woo and Harley Byrd were both leaders in the United Construction Workers Association UCWA, they pay tribute to Tyree Scott, Silme Domingo, and Gene Viernes who will be remembered for their activism at LELO's Annual Awards Dinner “No Separate Peace” on Saturday, June 15 at 5:30 pm at the Brockey Center at South College. *Apostle James E. Sears III and KL Shannon invite you today's 6:00 pm Unity March from Jimi Hendrix Park to Garfield High School. This is in response to the murder of Garfield High School student Amarr Murphy-Paine. The community showed up to greet students back to the school on Tuesday morning after being closed last Friday and this Monday. *Reverend Dr. Leslie Braxton invites you to Juneteenth Songs of Black Folks-Music of Resistance and Hope on Sunday, June 16 at 7:00 pm (PDT) at Seattle's paramount Theater. The event will feature local and national artist. Ramon Bryant Braxton is the Artistic Director and Conductor. JUNETEENTH CELEBRATIONS *Reverend Dr. Linda M. Smith invites to Renton's Juneteenth Celebration “A Freedom Celebration” Saturday, June 15 11:00 am-6:00 pm at Liberty Park. *Cherryl Jackson Williams is one of the coordinators of the Skyway Juneteenth Celebration and Festival on Saturday, June 15 at the Campbell Hill Elementary School field 641 124th Street. *Tana Yasu, Convener, Joe Brazil Legacy Project invites you to the Wednesday, June 19 Juneteenth Celebration 3:00-7:00 pm at Rumba Notes Lounge in Columbia City. The event will feature Phyllis Talley, Then-N-Now, Lonnie Williams, CT Thompson, and DJ Zeta. Urban Forum Northwest streams live at www.1150kknw.com. Visit us at www.urbanforumnw.com for archived programs and relevant information. Like us on facebook. Twitter X@Eddie_Rye.

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Hamdi Mohamed, president, Seattle Port Commission

Play Episode Listen Later May 10, 2024 54:45

Thursday, May 9 on Urban Forum Northwest:*Hamdi Mohamed, president, Seattle Port Commission invites constituents to participate in the Port of Seattle Budget 101and the South County Impact Fund process on May 9 6-8 pm at El Centro de la Raza, 2524 16th Avenue South, Seattle,98144 and May 16 6-8 pm at Green River College, 417 Ramsay Way, Suite 112, Kent WA 98032.*Maria Doucettperry, Sound Transit's Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer and Edson Zavala, Sound Transit's Director of Economic Development. Both play a crucial role in holding the agency accountable to advancing and elevating the agency's values and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Ms. Doucettperry was the Director of Equal Opportunity and Title IX at the University of Nevada, Reno. Mr. Zavala held a similar position with the City of Seattle.*Attorney Jesse Wineberry, Sr. is Co Founder, Washington Equity Now Alliance (WENA) and is a Delegate to the Washington State Democratic Convention that will be held at the Meydenbauer Center June 21, 22 & 23. Attorney Wineberry and supporters of the Reparations Resolutions that is on the agenda is expected to get a lot of support for passage.*Ramon Bryant Braxton, Artistic Director/Conductor 2024 Songs of Black Folks:Music of Resistance and Hope that will feature Special Guest Artist John Stoddart, Crystal Akin, several recording artist, 40 Voice Choir, a 50 Piece Orchestra. This Fathers Day & Juneteenth event will he held at Seattle's Paramount Theater on June 16 at 7:00 pm (PDT).Urban Forum Northwest streams live at www.1150kknw.com. Visit us at www.urbanforumnw.com for archived programs and relevant informatiom. Like us on facebook. Twitter X@Eddie_Rye. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hamdi Mohamed, president, Seattle Port Commission

Alternative Talk- 1150AM KKNW

Play Episode Listen Later May 10, 2024 54:45

Thursday, May 9 on Urban Forum Northwest: *Hamdi Mohamed, president, Seattle Port Commission invites constituents to participate in the Port of Seattle Budget 101and the South County Impact Fund process on May 9 6-8 pm at El Centro de la Raza, 2524 16th Avenue South, Seattle, 98144 and May 16 6-8 pm at Green River College, 417 Ramsay Way, Suite 112, Kent WA 98032. *Maria Doucettperry, Sound Transit's Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer and Edson Zavala, Sound Transit's Director of Economic Development. Both play a crucial role in holding the agency accountable to advancing and elevating the agency's values and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Ms. Doucettperry was the Director of Equal Opportunity and Title IX at the University of Nevada, Reno. Mr. Zavala held a similar position with the City of Seattle. *Attorney Jesse Wineberry, Sr. is Co Founder, Washington Equity Now Alliance (WENA) and is a Delegate to the Washington State Democratic Convention that will be held at the Meydenbauer Center June 21, 22 & 23. Attorney Wineberry and supporters of the Reparations Resolutions that is on the agenda is expected to get a lot of support for passage. *Ramon Bryant Braxton, Artistic Director/Conductor 2024 Songs of Black Folks:Music of Resistance and Hope that will feature Special Guest Artist John Stoddart, Crystal Akin, several recording artist, 40 Voice Choir, a 50 Piece Orchestra. This Fathers Day & Juneteenth event will he held at Seattle's Paramount Theater on June 16 at 7:00 pm (PDT). Urban Forum Northwest streams live at www.1150kknw.com. Visit us at www.urbanforumnw.com for archived programs and relevant informatiom. Like us on facebook. Twitter X@Eddie_Rye.

Urban Forum NW 05-09-24

Play Episode Listen Later May 10, 2024 54:45

Thursday, May 9 on Urban Forum Northwest: *Hamdi Mohamed, president, Seattle Port Commission invites constituents to participate in the Port of Seattle Budget 101and the South County Impact Fund process on May 9 6-8 pm at El Centro de la Raza, 2524 16th Avenue South, Seattle, 98144 and May 16 6-8 pm at Green River College, 417 Ramsay Way, Suite 112, Kent WA 98032. *Maria Doucettperry, Sound Transit's Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer and Edson Zavala, Sound Transit's Director of Economic Development. Both play a crucial role in holding the agency accountable to advancing and elevating the agency's values and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Ms. Doucettperry was the Director of Equal Opportunity and Title IX at the University of Nevada, Reno. Mr. Zavala held a similar position with the City of Seattle. *Attorney Jesse Wineberry, Sr. is Co Founder, Washington Equity Now Alliance (WENA) and is a Delegate to the Washington State Democratic Convention that will be held at the Meydenbauer Center June 21, 22 & 23. Attorney Wineberry and supporters of the Reparations Resolutions that is on the agenda is expected to get a lot of support for passage. *Ramon Bryant Braxton, Artistic Director/Conductor 2024 Songs of Black Folks:Music of Resistance and Hope that will feature Special Guest Artist John Stoddart, Crystal Akin, several recording artist, 40 Voice Choir, a 50 Piece Orchestra. This Fathers Day & Juneteenth event will he held at Seattle's Paramount Theater on June 16 at 7:00 pm (PDT). Urban Forum Northwest streams live at www.1150kknw.com. Visit us at www.urbanforumnw.com for archived programs and relevant informatiom. Like us on facebook. Twitter X@Eddie_Rye.

Graduation Day for Avenue South | Psalm 84 | Aaron Bryant

The Church at Avenue South Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2024 25:51

Brentwood Baptist Church Buzzsprout-15026980 Sun, 05 May 2024 16:00:00 -0400 1551

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#CRE: #SCALAREPORT: The $1.00 office building on Park Avenue South at 26th. Chris Riegel, Scala.com. #STRATACACHE

The John Batchelor Show

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 1, 2024 10:35

#CRE: #SCALAREPORT: The $1.00 office building on Park Avenue South at 26th. Chris Riegel, Scala.com. #STRATACACHE https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/who-could-be-next-largest-canadian-pension-fund-sells-manhattan-office-tower-1 1911 Brooklyn to Manhattan

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PREVIEW: #CRE: Excerpt from a conversation with colleague Chris Riegel of Scala.com re the report of a Canadian pension fund selling a well located 26th and Park Avenue South NYC office building fior $1.00 plus taking over the loan servicing. More of th

The John Batchelor Show

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 29, 2024 1:53

PREVIEW: #CRE: Excerpt from a conversation with colleague Chris Riegel of Scala.com re the report of a Canadian pension fund selling a well located 26th and Park Avenue South NYC office building fior $1.00 plus taking over the loan servicing. More of this later today. 1900 Ottawa

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What Where When-sday: Cannery Hall

WNXP Podcasts

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2024 5:56

This week for What Where Wednesday, we discuss Cannery Hall with general manager Brent Hyams. The site off 8th Avenue South formerly known as Cannery Ballroom, Mercy Lounge and the High Watt, sold to a New York-based real estate company back in 2019. After undergoing renovations for the new space, the new Cannery Hall is set to start running shows starting tonight. Hyams discuss the process and vision for the venue.

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Heartbeat Today 1-22-2024

KJAN

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 22, 2024 11:31

Jim Field visits with Dona Tuel, who operates the non-profit, "Prom Closet." The project accepts donations of floor-lengthy gowns and gives those who might not otherwise be able to afford a prom dress the opportunity to select free, pre-used dresses. The Prom Closet is located at the Ascension Lutheran Church in Coon Rapids (406 5th Avenue South). You can reach Dona at 712-830-7825. Free Shopping Days are scheduled for: Saturday, February 3 from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm Saturday, February 10, from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm Saturday, February 17, from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm Saturday, February 24, from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm Sunday, February 18, from 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm Sunday February 25, from 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm

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Gas for $3.82 a gallon in Kent for two hours on Wed. Sept. 13th

The Commute with Carlson

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2023 14:40

Gasoline will be sold for $3.82 a gallon at a Kent service station for two hours tomorrow, Wed. September 13th, from 10am-noon. KVI's John Carlson interviews the architect of the $3.82 a gallon gas plan, Dann Mead Smith, with the group Future 42. Mead Smith explains the restrictions and guidelines for drivers who pull up to the Jackson's Shell Station at 22588 84th Avenue South. Here's the link for the Jackson's Shell station location. https://www.mapquest.com/us/washington/jacksons-269941696

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RE-AIR: How Highway 99 Removal Would Reconnect South Park with Mike McGinn and Coté Soerens

Hacks & Wonks

Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2023 35:58

Hacks & Wonks will return next Friday with a regular week-in-review! In the meantime, please enjoy this re-air where Crystal is joined by Mike McGinn of America Walks and Coté Soerens of Reconnect South Park to learn about their work with the Freeway Fighters Network. Mike shares a broad overview of the movement's efforts to remove crumbling highway infrastructure while addressing the climate, health, and equity issues these concrete structures have caused. As a resident of Seattle's South Park, Coté reflects on the throughline of Highway 99 running through the middle of her community – connecting a history of red-lining, displacement, and racism to the present-day impacts on the neighborhood's livability, pollution exposure, and life expectancy. Mike and Coté call out the lack of imagination exhibited by the country's attachment to highways and paint a compelling vision that replaces underutilized thoroughfares with vibrant, connected communities. As always, a full text transcript of the show is available below and at officialhacksandwonks.com. Follow us on Twitter at @HacksWonks. Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Twitter at @finchfrii and find Mike McGinn at @mayormcginn and Coté Soerens at @cotesoerens. Mike McGinn Mike is the Executive Director of national nonprofit America Walks. He got his start in local politics as a neighborhood activist pushing for walkability. From there he founded a non-profit focused on sustainable and equitable growth, and then became mayor of Seattle. Just before joining America Walks, Mike worked to help Feet First, Washington State's walking advocacy organization, expand their sphere of influence across Washington state. He has worked on numerous public education, legislative, ballot measure and election campaigns – which has given him an abiding faith in the power of organizing and volunteers to create change. Coté Soerens Coté Soerens calls herself a midwife to a thriving local coffee shop that has become a hub for community organization and activism. Living in the South Park neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, a community filled with immigrants and people of color where opportunities are limited, Soerens felt called to create spaces of belonging. In 2017, while hosting a dinner for neighborhood friends, Soerens realized that, even without secured funding, she had all she needed to create a local coffee shop, where local youth could find employment and where neighbors could meet to discuss local issues and organize. Soerens, along with the neighborhood, has even bigger dreams. Reconnect South Park initiative's dream is to ultimately decommission the highway which cuts the neighborhood in half and to reclaim those 44 acres for equitable development. Resources Freeway Fighters Network Reconnecting Communities Campaign | America Walks Reconnect South Park “South Park Joins Growing Movement to Dismantle Freeways” by Agueda Pacheco from The Urbanist “Seattle residents drive movement to tear out Highway 99 in South Park” by David Kroman from The Seattle Times “Feds award money to study removing Highway 99 in one Seattle neighborhood” by David Kroman in The Seattle Times Transcript [00:00:00] Crystal Fincher: Welcome to Hacks & Wonks. I'm Crystal Fincher, and I'm a political consultant and your host. On this show, we talk with policy wonks and political hacks to gather insight into local politics and policy in Washington state through the lens of those doing the work with behind-the-scenes perspectives on what's happening, why it's happening, and what you can do about it. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get the full versions of our Friday almost-live shows and our midweek show delivered to your podcast feed. If you like us, the most helpful thing you can do is leave a review wherever you listen to Hacks & Wonks. Full transcripts and resources referenced in the show are always available at officialhacksandwonks.com and in our episode notes. Well, today I'm thrilled to welcome two guests to the podcast. The first, Mike McGinn - you're used to hearing him on Fridays, as we do weeks-in-review. But today we are talking about what's in his wheelhouse, really, in America Walks, the organization that's helping to build a nationwide movement to reconnect communities divided by wide roads and overbuilt arterials - that hosts the Freeway Fighters Network, which calls for increased investment in walkable, equitable, connected, and accessible places by divesting from polluting highways. And Coté Soerens with the Freeway Fighters Network - representing a broad coalition of public and private sector leaders, community activists, and multidisciplinary professionals - dedicating ourselves to championing design, equity, and policy principles that center people before highways. Welcome to you both. As we get started, I just wanted to start with you, Mike, and what got you involved with this work? [00:01:53] Mike McGinn: Oh my God, it just depends where you want to start. Probably a big starting point for me was the realization, as a climate advocate, of the role of transportation in climate emissions, which - when I was working in the mid-2000s on Seattle's Climate Action Plan, transportation was 40% of all emissions because we had hydropower. We'd already gotten off of coal. What's fascinating now is that as the nation is getting off of coal, which is great and renewables are the way to go - it's just the cheapest, best way to go - that's now what's happening nationwide. Transportation is now the largest source of emissions. But then once you start getting into it, even the littlest bit, you also see tremendous equity issues, like who has access to the transportation system. Right now it requires a car mainly - and if you have to walk, bike, and use transit, you're denied of a lot of opportunities because we've built a system that's very hostile to getting around that way. And oftentimes it's hostile because it's wide, fast roads, it's freeways that have divided communities, lack of sidewalks, not having bus lanes, they're not prioritizing transit, all of that. So huge equity issues, huge health issues as well. Apartment buildings tend to be, and residences tend to be near those wide roads - and all the pollutants you breathe in has tremendous negative effects on the health of everyone living nearby. And again, that's an equity issue as well. We intentionally do this. You'll hear people argue for this - the apartment buildings belong next to the arterials to protect the single-family neighborhoods. So in other words, the people of lower incomes need to breathe more pollution so that we, in the leafy green neighborhoods, who are better off can breathe less pollution. It's - yeah, the whole thing is just an extreme failure of public policy, and planning, and building for the future. And of course, it's not even a good transportation system. Obviously when you're excluding a huge portion of the population that doesn't drive because of age, because of ability, or because of income - already it's bad. That's not a way you raise all boats, so to speak. That's not a rising tide that lifts all boats. It's something that divides us, but it's also extraordinarily wasteful and expensive. Which kind of brings us back to the freeway work as well. We're at the stage now - and the Alaska Way viaduct on our waterfront was an example of that - where after you've had that concrete structure around for 50 or 60 years, it's ready to be replaced. It's gonna fall down. It's gonna take a big expenditure to replace it. And what more and more places are realizing is - Let's not replace it with another highway. Let's replace it with a surface street, or maybe no street at all. And let's put the dollars we would have spent into rebuilding this inequitable, polluting, climate-changing monstrosity of infrastructure - let's put the money into walking, biking, transit, or geez, how about affordable housing? How about letting people live back in communities again - live near jobs and services? And those are all the arguments. We've had no shortage of arguments - good, really good ones - why we should do this. We're starting to see them take hold, but the US still has not let go of its highway-building mania with all its negative effects, but we are starting to see some cracks, so to speak, in the unity that's been around highway building for decades. And we're actually seeing the beginning of a freeway removal moment, and at the very least, we should be stopping highway expansion, and I get to do that work now at America Walks, too. [00:05:26] Crystal Fincher: And Coté, how did you get involved in this work and why is it important to remove freeways? [00:05:31] Coté Soerens: Well, I got involved in this work by living in a neighborhood that was cut in two by a highway that was never actually very popular. For residents in South Park, this portion - it's a portion of Highway 99 State Route - was fought very proactively by the residents of South Park back in the '50s, but Washington State Department of Transportation at the time decided to go with it anyway. What I do love about this movement of highway removal and walkability is basically the emergence of a new imagination, nationally, around how life should be lived. It seems that if you look at the time that this highway in my neighborhood was built back in the '50s, the imagination then was - Let's expand car availability - and there were different values that were being worked at the time. And now, 70 years later, we want different things as a society, we need different things. We tried the car designs, urbanism, and we have found that it's not equitable, it's also horrible, and also - it's funny - you have to pay a premium for a walking score of 90. Now it's like a privilege to live in a walkable neighborhood. So back to the question how I got involved in this. I've lived in South Park for 10 years. I've raised three boys in this neighborhood and South Park, actually, it's a pretty interesting place in Seattle. It's been a red-lined neighborhood back in - if we get a little wonky with history - back at the turn of the century. And then I feel that I find this history of South Park fascinating because it seems to be a history of government consistently missing out on what residents of our community are saying. It seems like - We hear what you're saying, and yet we don't care. We're gonna move forward anyway. So this story has been replicating itself around this highway. Back in the 1900s, South Park was a farming community - it was its own little town in Seattle. And it was a thriving neighborhood of farmers that actually started the Pike Place Market, which is very famous nationally. And it's always been a community after - the Duwamish were here originally in the ancestral lands - then it's been a community of immigrants, and it's been a community of Italian immigrants back at a time where Italians were not considered white. And in the planning map of the town, of the time, South Park is seen as "hazardous," which is a word that has been used in planning before to say it's non-white. And now that it's environmentally challenged, we see the word "hazardous" and would say - Oh wow, yes, of course, there is a Superfund in it - there is the Duwamish River. But if you go back to the time - no, it was a farming community, which changes the meaning of "hazardous." So at the time, Seattle wanted to annex this little town of South Park into the city with very different expectations than the residents had. So at the time, Seattle City Council thought - Well, there is a river in the park that is really good for industry. So we're going to annex this neighborhood to make it industrial and push out all the residents. The residents, on the other hand, were thinking - Whoa, if we get annexed to Seattle, we can get better permits for our sewer system and other amenities. So they both entered into this "agreement" and with very different expectations. Now, the City of Seattle - wanting to make this place industrial - what got accomplished out of that was the Duwamish River became a Superfund site and then industry was started popping around. And by the time the plans for the highway to cross this residential core were conceived, it was thought of as a very convenient way to discourage the residential - so that we could continue with the work of making this area industrial. So all the protests of the time, in the '50s, of residents were sorely ignored. That highway didn't make any sense and it still doesn't make any sense. It's a very redundant grid. Many people don't know this, but when we talk about removing the portion of Highway 99, people think that we're talking about this other one - this 509 - which is what people use to get to the airport. And it's not that one. You can still get to the airport. It's a portion that connects I-5 and 509 and it goes right connected to it. So I'm totally not answering your question, Crystal, about how I got involved. So the way I got involved was Cayce James and the City at the time, put together a group of people - stakeholders in the neighborhood - to walk around the neighborhood. And we were making different tours of different places around the neighborhood - the community center, the library. And on every stop, people will be talking about problems caused by this portion of the highway. So I remember looking around to my tour partners and saying - Hey guys, you all realize that all these problems go away if you just shut the dang highway, right? And the reaction was a reaction that I often get, which was to look at me and say - Cute, moving on. They really didn't think of this as a viable solution - to just cut an underutilized highway in order to resolve issues such as pollution, safety, lack of walkability, lack of access for kids to their school, and other problems this highway creates. And what that did for me was to see firsthand the problems with the illusion of permanence. People do see a highway and they think it's been there forever and it will be there forever. They don't think about it like - No, this was actually an expression of certain values that we hold as a society, and when our values change, we can also change our built environment. We can change the highway. At some point, I remember Cayce James, who hosted this tour around the neighborhood, reached out and we started talking and she said - Hey, you know what? I've been thinking about this too. I think it's possible to remove this highway. So we started talking and then we got connected with the folks from PlacemakingUS, who I just mentioned this idea - Hey, Madeleine Spencer and Ryan Smolar. Hey, how about - I've been thinking about removing this highway. What do you think? They said - Hey, there is a whole movement across the country on highway removal. And we were connected with Freeway Fighters, and then we started learning that across the country, so many communities were having this idea of reconnecting communities, thinking about land differently, really considering the opportunity cost of having a highway crossing the neighborhood. For us in Seattle, we have had problems with affordability for a long time. The City has not been effective at creating policy that will stabilize the real estate market and actually preserve cultural space, preserve housing, affordable housing - particularly for communities of color. When thinking about this portion of the highway crossing South Park, you can see 44 acres of land that could be utilized in a different way. That, to me, creates a once-in-a-generation opportunity to actually make more land for equitable development. So for all these reasons, I am particularly excited about getting this highway out of our neighborhood. And another thing that I need to mention is that this highway - it's so interesting how it was designed - it goes through every single place where kids play. It goes right next to the community center, the skate park, the library, and the elementary school. It seems to have been designed to cut children's life expectancy by 13 years, which it does. There are studies about this. So I can talk to you for three hours about reasons why this highway needs to be removed. [00:12:35] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, it's really important. It makes a difference. And both of you touched on the racialized history of highways and just the impact that this has on communities, on families, and particularly on health. Transportation is the number one polluter in our state, in our area. And what you just talked about - I feel like sometimes people hear statistics and they don't really apply it to people's lives. But when you talk about a life expectancy that is that much shorter - in Seattle - it feels neglectful. It feels criminal almost. It feels wrong that we know that these types of harms are being forced upon our children. And we aren't taking that into account so often when we have these repeated conversations every single year about what highways we're gonna build, expand, put in. And these are conversations that aren't just - they certainly absolutely started in the '50s and we started that whole domino effect rolling. But now we have the chance to review what we're doing to make modifications, whether it's Highway 99 in South Park, whether it's the Interstate Bridge Replacement between Washington and Oregon. We had this out - and Mike McGinn is notorious and has been pretty much vindicated, it looks like - for fighting against the Highway 99 tunnel in Seattle. But we seem to so easily dismiss the negative harms that this has on neighborhoods, on affordability, on health, on just our quality of life. How do you view just the importance of really taking all of these factors into account as we make these policies, Mike? [00:14:19] Mike McGinn: Well, first of all, I just have to say that as a mayor, you're not supposed to have any favorite neighborhoods. But if I had a favorite neighborhood, South Park would be pretty darn close. I spent a lot of time down there as mayor, but I also spent time there before mayor - my kids played basketball in the rec leagues and I played ultimate frisbee in the schools. And I'd be down there in those playing fields at South Park Community Center. And yeah, you're right next to the highway. And that highway doesn't carry that many cars either. The reason people confuse it with 509 is because it's not really that useful a section of highway, but it certainly carries enough cars for the noise and pollution to be meaningful. And it's also not at all surprising, tragically, that it's a community like South Park that gets a highway like this. What you see is - when you look at where freeways were built across the country, they almost always went through Black or Brown or poor neighborhoods - because that was where there would be the least political resistance to building it. And they oftentimes would get a little more convoluted in the route to avoid wealthy neighborhoods. So it's worth thinking about that - would you - and take a look at where the, take a look at the property values near big bustling highways and the ones further away. I'm not talking about downtown, which has its own economic thing - but even there, the properties right next to the highway were the last to develop. And the ones that are a few blocks away developed faster. And if you look at Seattle, the wealthiest neighborhoods are the furthest from the highway. So we built a system that was designed to speed people in and out of the city at the expense of other people. And the equity issues are really tremendous. And South Park - it's a textbook case, really, of that - when you see all the highways going through South Park. And then of course they're under the airport and everything else - under the airport flight routes. So you'd like to think that decisions about how to build a transportation system and how to route highways and all the rest were based on rigorous analysis of the data - what's the most public good we can generate from this. And certainly we dress it up that way - that there's a plan and it was done for a certain way. But anytime you dig into it, you found that it's really a reflection of who did have power in the political system at the time and who did not. So we speed the commute of people from wealthier places and we subsidize that with the lungs and health of poor people where those highways go through. And if it were your neighborhood, you wouldn't stand for it. So of course South Park would like to see it removed. And we're talking about SR 99 here, right - which is kind of a weird route - it's not 509, but they intend to extend 509 to connect with I-5 right now. This is underway. And when that connection is complete - they've been working on this for years - they call it now the Puget Sound Gateway Project, used to be called the SR 509 extension. It's been labeled nationwide as a highway boondoggle - it's a nationally known highway boondoggle - the 509 extension. That's gonna siphon off tens of thousands of cars a day from I-5 to send them to a back way into Seattle, which is not gonna be that fast 'cause that back way is gonna run right into the First Avenue South Bridge, which is always backed up. And so where will that traffic jam be - at the First Avenue South Bridge? It's gonna be in South Park again. I mean, honestly - WSDOT should rip out 99 just as an apology for building the 509 extension 'cause they're actually making it worse right now. [00:17:55] Coté Soerens: So you do have, yes - the equity issues are so blatant when you look at the highway grid in Seattle. Even if you have wealthy neighborhoods next to the I-5, you have sound barriers and other appropriate ways to mitigate the effects of it. But there are things in the history of this particular portion of the highway that are really painful. For example, the land upon which it was built - it was conveniently left vacant by the Japanese internment. Much of that land was built on homes that belonged to Japanese farmers. There is a house actually that was transported from South Park to the Hiroshima Museum of the Japanese-American Experience. So there are these undertones to this highway that, in a way, make it a monument to racism. And as we are removing monuments across the country, this one might be one of the ones that we can remove. But also what I find very concerning is the lack of imagination - 'cause that's also part of it. I don't see anybody at Department of Transportation being - Hey, let's be as racist as we can. I think it might be, it is often an issue of - We know to do highways, so we're going to just do highways. And when it came to the decision of building this portion of 99 across South Park, the history of it tells us the story of residents making their case that it shouldn't be built. And Washington State Department of Transportation said - Yeah, we know, but we already started. We have the plans, we're about to start, so we're gonna do it anyway. And it was supposed to be a federal highway, but it was so underutilized - as it is today - that nearly six years later, six years after its completion, it was demoted from a federal highway to a state route, which to us is a smoking gun right there. Yes, it's a very irrelevant piece of highway in the grid. The need for a new imagination, the need for people to think of a better way to live life that does not rely on highways and to be able to invite departments of transportations across the nation to think differently about transportation - I think that's a really great opportunity that this movement has. And I think that Pete Buttigieg has really, really done the movement a favor in the sense of making this idea more mainstream in ways. There is a lot of room to grow, of course, with the Reconnecting Communities Initiative, but I'm actually hopeful about the ability of people in communities to think of new ways about how to build their communities. I'm really hoping that this is a good means for neighborhoods and cities to think differently. [00:20:34] Crystal Fincher: Now, I want to talk about the how of this really - 'cause there's still a lot of people, and a lot of the general conversation for people who don't follow this for their job is - Hey, you know what? You just said that this highway will take some pressure off of I-5 and man, I'm sick of sitting in traffic on I-5. So isn't that a positive thing? And wow - this is supposed to connect people and help people get from A to B faster? What does it mean to remove a highway? Does nothing go in its place? Where do those cars go? Is it going to be a burden for everyone? How do you answer that, Mike? [00:21:12] Mike McGinn: Well, the first thing you have to realize is that we've created - if the idea was that by building a freeway system through populated places, we would make transportation work really smoothly - I think we got about 50 or 60 years of evidence that it's a failure. Any economically successful place cannot possibly accommodate all of the mobility needs of its residents through limited access freeways and through single occupancy vehicles. And it's not a question of ideology or even climate or health or anything else - it's really just a question of geometry. A car that holds 1-1.5 people per trip on average - there's not enough room for all the cars, which is why we also saw so many downtowns kind of get the parking crater around their downtown office buildings, where you got - parking lots had to be built to accommodate all the vehicles. And it's not something that can be met. The other thing you do when you do a system like that is you really encourage everybody to sprawl out over the landscape. Whereas before you needed to be within a closer proximity for transit to work, or maybe walking to work, or streetcars to work - now you can live in more distant places. So those freeways then fill up again, 'cause what you've done is you've filled up the landscape with people that have to drive, right? They have to spread all over the place. So now once you do that for 50 or 60 years, as we've done, it's kind of reasonable for people to go - Well, how could you do something differently? We're now at a point where people, for most of them in their lifetimes, have not lived in an environment in which that wasn't true. But we can look at other places around the globe, or we can look at smaller units of our country, and see where many more people are moved by a combination of walking, biking, and transit - particularly if you put the housing closer to the destinations. So that's what we haven't done. Now, what we've seen, now let's just - now that may sound all pie in the sky. Well, that'll take forever to build all that transit and do all that housing. But let's take a look at SR 99 on the waterfront. How many times did we talk about the Carmageddon that would come when the viaduct closed, as it did for lengthy periods of time for construction reasons, and it never materialized. And it didn't materialize because actually a lot of those auto trips are by choice. People could choose a different time of day. They could choose a different place to go. They could combine trips, or they could choose an alternative like transit. So what you saw every time the viaduct was closed was that in fact, everything worked a little more smoothly, believe it or not, because people - it turns out people have brains and they will not mindlessly drive into traffic and they will adapt their behavior. And that's what we see happen again and again - not just on the Seattle waterfront, but every place this is predicted. And those cities that have removed highways, what they find is that the Carmageddons don't materialize, but they regain this land just as Coté was talking about. They regain this land for, really, all these other great purposes. One of the best purposes would be housing - what we know is so many people - our young people, our immigrant and refugee communities, our Black and Brown communities that have been lower income communities, service workers pushed out of the city by higher housing prices. What if we started investing those dollars in making it easier for people to drive from further and further away? We say easier, but you got to own a car for that. You got to pay all the expenses of that. What if instead we put people closer where they could actually use transit and could be taxpayers in the city? What a crazy concept, right? Okay, so for all you fiscal conservatives out there, WSDOT isn't paying taxes to the City of Seattle for all that land. So if you're a fiscal conservative, you should love this idea because you bring a bunch of new housing in there - you got sales taxes, you got property taxes, you've got all the other taxes that people who live in a city pay as taxpayers - and you have all the economic activity that goes along with that. And you've reduced household expenses because people can live in a place without a car. This is - the fiscal prudence of this alone - if you are not convinced by health or climate or anything else, if all you do, if all you care about is hard line, bottom line, dollars and cents considerations, the last thing you want to do is invest in a freeway through a populated part of your town. [00:25:52] Coté Soerens: That's why this is such a great idea because you have arguments on every side. So yes, we do need - there are more progressive causes that are pushed by these initiatives such as affordable housing and environment. But also fiscally - I really - I'm worried about seeing the City of Seattle consistently spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on mitigation strategies to deal with this highway - that is underutilized. One of the reasons we decided to move forward with this Hail Mary initiative - let's see if we can pull it off - was when we saw the traffic counts. Hey, this is not something that is necessary to anyone we are aware of. Again, there is a feasibility study underway, but so far with the data we have, we calculated that it would maybe add 7 minutes to a commute, which again - compare 7 minutes to 13 years of life expectancy of children. This is the youngest neighborhood in Seattle, but nothing in the built environment will tell you that. Most children live per square foot in South Park than anywhere else in the city. Also there is - particularly in South Park, because of the disinvestment that the City has practiced over South Park - because they want it to be industrial, so we have like 100 years of disinvestment on affordable housing and other amenities - and we pay the same taxes. There are people - the residents in South Park have consistently had to organize to make things happen in this neighborhood. So you have generations of immigrant families who have really put sweat equity in the development and livability of South Park that now are being pushed out. That to me was a tragedy and something I felt we needed to do something about. So making more land available in this neighborhood for families who have invested their lives here to be able to remain and thrive in place - that, to me, is a big win that this project could bring, among other things. But I love what you said, Mike, about the fiscal aspect of this - the amount of revenue that we will bring as far as property taxes, businesses. Somebody at the Legislature, Washington Legislature, mentioned this opportunity cost that I thought it was a really important point when we think about land being used for cars. [00:28:06] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, really for cars versus the community. And you're right, it absolutely makes a humongous difference. It is absolutely fiscally responsible and it has a stimulative effect to the local economy. There's just a - gosh, I'm trying to remember this study - I'll find it, I'll try and put it in the show notes resource section. But there was a study done for local business owners, who we all - who employ most people in cities, small businesses employ most people in the area - and they asked them to estimate how many people arrive to their stores and shops via car, versus via foot, on bike. And they all overestimated how many people arrived by car to the tune of 4-5x as much. They estimated 60, 70, 80%, and it was uniformly under 20%. I think people underestimate how much a community connection makes a difference to the local and regional economy. And that's absolutely something that makes a difference. I live in an area close to a freeway that really cuts us off from a significant portion of the city, or just makes it really, really inconvenient. And is a 5 minute detour by car, is a 20 minute detour to 30 minute detour to walk around - and just walk across the street, walk three blocks one way, if there was not a freeway there. What does it mean to South Park? And you talk about the opportunity with the additional land - South Park is, as you said, the youngest neighborhood in Seattle with almost a third of the residents being under 18. What will it mean to kids and families, and really the future of this area and region, to be able to reclaim that space? [00:29:54] Coté Soerens: Well, we'll see because - so something that is really important to mention is that the process that we're engaged in right now is a community envisioning process - to provide the opportunity to South Park residents to say what ought to happen in these 44 acres. So we have - because we're part of this neighborhood and we've heard people speak for years - we have a hunch that it will be about affordable housing, first and foremost, but also places for children to play. Infrastructure for kids is not great, and it's actually - compared to other places in Seattle - it's upsetting to see the quality of the community center and the playgrounds. Again, I have three school-aged children and I have stories about the places they have access to play, or the places we have access to bike. It's very dangerous to bike, to connect from South Park and other places. So the opportunity of these 44 acres - to actually let the neighborhood have a say on what the built environment should look like - I think it's incredibly powerful. And it's one of the benefits of engaging a whole neighborhood into a community envisioning process, which now we have just started the contract with the City to begin this process. There will be three or four big meetings and we have partnered with very skilled community organizers and - that do understand the importance of clear communications across the neighborhood and the ability of people to say their opinion in an equal playing field with others about what ought to happen in this 44 acres. In the Reconnect organizing team, we have shied away from saying what needs to happen because we are basically quarterbacking the project. We are kind of bringing the resources together and bringing the platform together, but the conversation needs to occur within South Park by South Park people. So I have opinions about what I would like to see on this 44 acres, but I think the most powerful work will happen when everyone in the neighborhood is given the chance to say - I would like this to happen, or I'm concerned about that. There's some people who are concerned about - Hey, if we shut that portion, then will the traffic be diverted to 14th Avenue South? How are we going to deal with that? Those are all incredibly important questions. So what is important right now - the way we see it at Reconnect South Park - is the dialogue. How are we able to host a democratic dialogue within the neighborhood is the most important. And then at the end, the story of government completely ignoring the voice of the residents and not being accountable to it, does the story want to change? And also we, as residents, also can use a dose of imagination as well. 'Cause for many of us, it's been like - Oh, there is a highway there, whatever. No, hey - you deserve better. So engaging people in that conversation - that I think it's - I'm a retired therapist, so I see things as therapeutically speaking. So I think that's a nice therapeutic process for this neighborhood's healing. [00:32:56] Crystal Fincher: Excellent. That makes complete sense. So as we get close to drawing this conversation to a conclusion - Mike, for people who are looking to get involved, who understand the importance, or just want to make their voice heard here - how can they get involved? And also as importantly, as we consider the several city council candidates - including in District 1 in Seattle, which includes South Park - what should we be looking to hear from those candidates, and how can we hold them accountable to listening and serving this community? [00:33:33] Mike McGinn: Well, the question answers itself, doesn't it? But let's just first start by saying - to celebrating the fact that there is now a grant from the federal government to study this, the Reconnecting Communities grant. But a study is a long way from success. And there will be powerful interests locally that will fight to maintain the highway. We're already hearing from the Port that somehow or another this is essential to them, but I'm sure they're not prepared to pay the costs of all of those shortened lives. It's not worth that much to them. So I think you do have to understand that there will be a fight here. And you'll never be able to push this through the State Legislature in that fight without strong local champions. So first of all, support Coté and everybody down there in South Park in the effort. It's gonna take public demand. Second, let's get people on the record. Do we need a highway in South - do we need that SR 99 in South Park? Get them on the record. And I really think it's not just the city council candidates, but the mayor as well. 'Cause if you can get the City united around that, there'll be a fighting chance with WSDOT. But that's gonna be extremely difficult - because let's be really clear that it is not just the Port businesses. It's a lot of labor unions down there at the Port too that believe in this stuff. They've still got 1950s and 60s outdated notions of what should happen and that highways are good. So against that combined political might, it's really gonna take a significant public demand to move elected officials. And now's the best time to make those demands as elections are occurring. [00:35:11] Crystal Fincher: Thank you for listening to Hacks & Wonks, which is co-produced by Shannon Cheng and Bryce Cannatelli. You can follow Hacks & Wonks on Twitter @HacksWonks. You can catch Hacks & Wonks on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts - just type "Hacks and Wonks" into the search bar. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get the full versions of our Friday almost-live shows and our midweek show delivered to your podcast feed. If you like us, leave a review wherever you listen. You can also get a full transcript of this episode and links to the resources referenced in the show at officialhacksandwonks.com and in the episode notes. Thanks for tuning in - talk to you next time.

We Are Makers In Conversation with Yellow Hammer Creative

We Are Makers Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 9, 2023 113:17

Welcome to our latest podcast featuring Yellowhammer Creative, a design and print studio based in Birmingham, Alabama. In this episode, we sit down with founders Brett Forsyth and Brandon Watkins to discuss their journey from making concert posters to building a successful business with a wide range of services.From their early days of designing and printing posters, Brett and Brandon have built Yellowhammer Creative into a multifaceted design and print studio that offers full-service design, consulting, and top-notch screen-printing.Join us as we chat about the challenges they faced along the way and how they overcame them to create a thriving business. We also take a look at their retail shop, Yellowhammer Print Shop, located at Pepper Place in Birmingham, where you can find hand-printed posters, shirts, and other items from the area's best makers.Whether you're a fan of design, printing, or entrepreneurship, this episode has something for everyone. So sit back, relax, and enjoy our conversation with Yellowhammer Creative. Don't forget to visit them in person at 2821 2nd Avenue South in Birmingham, AL.We Are MakersInsta: @weare_makersWebsite: https://wearemakers.shopYellow Hammer CreativeInsta: @yellowhammer_creativeWebsite: https://www.yellowhammer.org/NomonoInsta: @nomonosoundWebsite: https://nomono.co/Youtube: @NomonoSoundLike this podcast and want to watch it? Subscribe to our YouTube Channel! Or, Like to read? Discover our biannual publication that includes stories of makers worldwide! (We ship worldwide too!)

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Humility and Trust: Letting Go of Plans and Goals, and Holding Desires with An Open Hand | Episode 28, ft. Aaron Bryant and David Hannah

Sermon Notes

Play Episode Listen Later May 9, 2023 17:59

On this episode of Sermon Notes, Aaron and David focus on waiting, trusting God's timing, and seizing opportunities for growth and community. Aaron reminds us that when God closes one door, He is about to open a better one and that spiritual paralysis can result from a lack of clarity or not being able to hear God's voice. The episode also includes updates on a new permanent facility for our Avenue South campus, recent growth and momentum in a community at Lockeland Springs, and a desire to be embedded in an engaged neighborhood and community. Our mission is to engage the whole person with the whole gospel of Jesus Christ anywhere, anytime, with anybody. To give to the ministry at Brentwood Baptist Church, click here: brentwood.church/stewardship/. STAY CONNECTED Website: www.brentwood.church Facebook: facebook.com/brentwoodbaptistchurch Instagram: instagram.com/brentwoodbaptist/

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How Highway 99 Removal Would Reconnect South Park with Mike McGinn and Coté Soerens

Hacks & Wonks

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 14, 2023 35:58

On this midweek show, Crystal is joined by Mike McGinn of America Walks and Coté Soerens of Reconnect South Park to learn about their work with the Freeway Fighters Network. Mike shares a broad overview of the movement's efforts to remove crumbling highway infrastructure while addressing the climate, health, and equity issues these concrete structures have caused. As a resident of Seattle's South Park, Coté reflects on the throughline of Highway 99 running through the middle of her community – connecting a history of red-lining, displacement, and racism to the present-day impacts on the neighborhood's livability, pollution exposure, and life expectancy. Mike and Coté call out the lack of imagination exhibited by the country's attachment to highways and paint a compelling vision that replaces underutilized thoroughfares with vibrant, connected communities. As always, a full text transcript of the show is available below and at officialhacksandwonks.com. Follow us on Twitter at @HacksWonks. Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Twitter at @finchfrii and find Mike McGinn at @mayormcginn and Coté Soerens at @cotesoerens. Mike McGinn Mike is the Executive Director of national nonprofit America Walks. He got his start in local politics as a neighborhood activist pushing for walkability. From there he founded a non-profit focused on sustainable and equitable growth, and then became mayor of Seattle. Just before joining America Walks, Mike worked to help Feet First, Washington State's walking advocacy organization, expand their sphere of influence across Washington state. He has worked on numerous public education, legislative, ballot measure and election campaigns – which has given him an abiding faith in the power of organizing and volunteers to create change. Coté Soerens Coté Soerens calls herself a midwife to a thriving local coffee shop that has become a hub for community organization and activism. Living in the South Park neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, a community filled with immigrants and people of color where opportunities are limited, Soerens felt called to create spaces of belonging. In 2017, while hosting a dinner for neighborhood friends, Soerens realized that, even without secured funding, she had all she needed to create a local coffee shop, where local youth could find employment and where neighbors could meet to discuss local issues and organize. Soerens, along with the neighborhood, has even bigger dreams. Reconnect South Park initiative's dream is to ultimately decommission the highway which cuts the neighborhood in half and to reclaim those 44 acres for equitable development. Resources Freeway Fighters Network Reconnecting Communities Campaign | America Walks Reconnect South Park “South Park Joins Growing Movement to Dismantle Freeways” by Agueda Pacheco from The Urbanist “Seattle residents drive movement to tear out Highway 99 in South Park” by David Kroman from The Seattle Times “Feds award money to study removing Highway 99 in one Seattle neighborhood” by David Kroman in The Seattle Times Transcript [00:00:00] Crystal Fincher: Welcome to Hacks & Wonks. I'm Crystal Fincher, and I'm a political consultant and your host. On this show, we talk with policy wonks and political hacks to gather insight into local politics and policy in Washington state through the lens of those doing the work with behind-the-scenes perspectives on what's happening, why it's happening, and what you can do about it. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get the full versions of our Friday almost-live shows and our midweek show delivered to your podcast feed. If you like us, the most helpful thing you can do is leave a review wherever you listen to Hacks & Wonks. Full transcripts and resources referenced in the show are always available at officialhacksandwonks.com and in our episode notes. Well, today I'm thrilled to welcome two guests to the podcast. The first, Mike McGinn - you're used to hearing him on Fridays, as we do weeks-in-review. But today we are talking about what's in his wheelhouse, really, in America Walks, the organization that's helping to build a nationwide movement to reconnect communities divided by wide roads and overbuilt arterials - that hosts the Freeway Fighters Network, which calls for increased investment in walkable, equitable, connected, and accessible places by divesting from polluting highways. And Coté Soerens with the Freeway Fighters Network - representing a broad coalition of public and private sector leaders, community activists, and multidisciplinary professionals - dedicating ourselves to championing design, equity, and policy principles that center people before highways. Welcome to you both. As we get started, I just wanted to start with you, Mike, and what got you involved with this work? [00:01:53] Mike McGinn: Oh my God, it just depends where you want to start. Probably a big starting point for me was the realization, as a climate advocate, of the role of transportation in climate emissions, which - when I was working in the mid-2000s on Seattle's Climate Action Plan, transportation was 40% of all emissions because we had hydropower. We'd already gotten off of coal. What's fascinating now is that as the nation is getting off of coal, which is great and renewables are the way to go - it's just the cheapest, best way to go - that's now what's happening nationwide. Transportation is now the largest source of emissions. But then once you start getting into it, even the littlest bit, you also see tremendous equity issues, like who has access to the transportation system. Right now it requires a car mainly - and if you have to walk, bike, and use transit, you're denied of a lot of opportunities because we've built a system that's very hostile to getting around that way. And oftentimes it's hostile because it's wide, fast roads, it's freeways that have divided communities, lack of sidewalks, not having bus lanes, they're not prioritizing transit, all of that. So huge equity issues, huge health issues as well. Apartment buildings tend to be, and residences tend to be near those wide roads - and all the pollutants you breathe in has tremendous negative effects on the health of everyone living nearby. And again, that's an equity issue as well. We intentionally do this. You'll hear people argue for this - the apartment buildings belong next to the arterials to protect the single-family neighborhoods. So in other words, the people of lower incomes need to breathe more pollution so that we, in the leafy green neighborhoods, who are better off can breathe less pollution. It's - yeah, the whole thing is just an extreme failure of public policy, and planning, and building for the future. And of course, it's not even a good transportation system. Obviously when you're excluding a huge portion of the population that doesn't drive because of age, because of ability, or because of income - already it's bad. That's not a way you raise all boats, so to speak. That's not a rising tide that lifts all boats. It's something that divides us, but it's also extraordinarily wasteful and expensive. Which kind of brings us back to the freeway work as well. We're at the stage now - and the Alaska Way viaduct on our waterfront was an example of that - where after you've had that concrete structure around for 50 or 60 years, it's ready to be replaced. It's gonna fall down. It's gonna take a big expenditure to replace it. And what more and more places are realizing is - Let's not replace it with another highway. Let's replace it with a surface street, or maybe no street at all. And let's put the dollars we would have spent into rebuilding this inequitable, polluting, climate-changing monstrosity of infrastructure - let's put the money into walking, biking, transit, or geez, how about affordable housing? How about letting people live back in communities again - live near jobs and services? And those are all the arguments. We've had no shortage of arguments - good, really good ones - why we should do this. We're starting to see them take hold, but the US still has not let go of its highway-building mania with all its negative effects, but we are starting to see some cracks, so to speak, in the unity that's been around highway building for decades. And we're actually seeing the beginning of a freeway removal moment, and at the very least, we should be stopping highway expansion, and I get to do that work now at America Walks, too. [00:05:26] Crystal Fincher: And Coté, how did you get involved in this work and why is it important to remove freeways? [00:05:31] Coté Soerens: Well, I got involved in this work by living in a neighborhood that was cut in two by a highway that was never actually very popular. For residents in South Park, this portion - it's a portion of Highway 99 State Route - was fought very proactively by the residents of South Park back in the '50s, but Washington State Department of Transportation at the time decided to go with it anyway. What I do love about this movement of highway removal and walkability is basically the emergence of a new imagination, nationally, around how life should be lived. It seems that if you look at the time that this highway in my neighborhood was built back in the '50s, the imagination then was - Let's expand car availability - and there were different values that were being worked at the time. And now, 70 years later, we want different things as a society, we need different things. We tried the car designs, urbanism, and we have found that it's not equitable, it's also horrible, and also - it's funny - you have to pay a premium for a walking score of 90. Now it's like a privilege to live in a walkable neighborhood. So back to the question how I got involved in this. I've lived in South Park for 10 years. I've raised three boys in this neighborhood and South Park, actually, it's a pretty interesting place in Seattle. It's been a red-lined neighborhood back in - if we get a little wonky with history - back at the turn of the century. And then I feel that I find this history of South Park fascinating because it seems to be a history of government consistently missing out on what residents of our community are saying. It seems like - We hear what you're saying, and yet we don't care. We're gonna move forward anyway. So this story has been replicating itself around this highway. Back in the 1900s, South Park was a farming community - it was its own little town in Seattle. And it was a thriving neighborhood of farmers that actually started the Pike Place Market, which is very famous nationally. And it's always been a community after - the Duwamish were here originally in the ancestral lands - then it's been a community of immigrants, and it's been a community of Italian immigrants back at a time where Italians were not considered white. And in the planning map of the town, of the time, South Park is seen as "hazardous," which is a word that has been used in planning before to say it's non-white. And now that it's environmentally challenged, we see the word "hazardous" and would say - Oh wow, yes, of course, there is a Superfund in it - there is the Duwamish River. But if you go back to the time - no, it was a farming community, which changes the meaning of "hazardous." So at the time, Seattle wanted to annex this little town of South Park into the city with very different expectations than the residents had. So at the time, Seattle City Council thought - Well, there is a river in the park that is really good for industry. So we're going to annex this neighborhood to make it industrial and push out all the residents. The residents, on the other hand, were thinking - Whoa, if we get annexed to Seattle, we can get better permits for our sewer system and other amenities. So they both entered into this "agreement" and with very different expectations. Now, the City of Seattle - wanting to make this place industrial - what got accomplished out of that was the Duwamish River became a Superfund site and then industry was started popping around. And by the time the plans for the highway to cross this residential core were conceived, it was thought of as a very convenient way to discourage the residential - so that we could continue with the work of making this area industrial. So all the protests of the time, in the '50s, of residents were sorely ignored. That highway didn't make any sense and it still doesn't make any sense. It's a very redundant grid. Many people don't know this, but when we talk about removing the portion of Highway 99, people think that we're talking about this other one - this 509 - which is what people use to get to the airport. And it's not that one. You can still get to the airport. It's a portion that connects I-5 and 509 and it goes right connected to it. So I'm totally not answering your question, Crystal, about how I got involved. So the way I got involved was Cayce James and the City at the time, put together a group of people - stakeholders in the neighborhood - to walk around the neighborhood. And we were making different tours of different places around the neighborhood - the community center, the library. And on every stop, people will be talking about problems caused by this portion of the highway. So I remember looking around to my tour partners and saying - Hey guys, you all realize that all these problems go away if you just shut the dang highway, right? And the reaction was a reaction that I often get, which was to look at me and say - Cute, moving on. They really didn't think of this as a viable solution - to just cut an underutilized highway in order to resolve issues such as pollution, safety, lack of walkability, lack of access for kids to their school, and other problems this highway creates. And what that did for me was to see firsthand the problems with the illusion of permanence. People do see a highway and they think it's been there forever and it will be there forever. They don't think about it like - No, this was actually an expression of certain values that we hold as a society, and when our values change, we can also change our built environment. We can change the highway. At some point, I remember Cayce James, who hosted this tour around the neighborhood, reached out and we started talking and she said - Hey, you know what? I've been thinking about this too. I think it's possible to remove this highway. So we started talking and then we got connected with the folks from PlacemakingUS, who I just mentioned this idea - Hey, Madeleine Spencer and Ryan Smolar. Hey, how about - I've been thinking about removing this highway. What do you think? They said - Hey, there is a whole movement across the country on highway removal. And we were connected with Freeway Fighters, and then we started learning that across the country, so many communities were having this idea of reconnecting communities, thinking about land differently, really considering the opportunity cost of having a highway crossing the neighborhood. For us in Seattle, we have had problems with affordability for a long time. The City has not been effective at creating policy that will stabilize the real estate market and actually preserve cultural space, preserve housing, affordable housing - particularly for communities of color. When thinking about this portion of the highway crossing South Park, you can see 44 acres of land that could be utilized in a different way. That, to me, creates a once-in-a-generation opportunity to actually make more land for equitable development. So for all these reasons, I am particularly excited about getting this highway out of our neighborhood. And another thing that I need to mention is that this highway - it's so interesting how it was designed - it goes through every single place where kids play. It goes right next to the community center, the skate park, the library, and the elementary school. It seems to have been designed to cut children's life expectancy by 13 years, which it does. There are studies about this. So I can talk to you for three hours about reasons why this highway needs to be removed. [00:12:35] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, it's really important. It makes a difference. And both of you touched on the racialized history of highways and just the impact that this has on communities, on families, and particularly on health. Transportation is the number one polluter in our state, in our area. And what you just talked about - I feel like sometimes people hear statistics and they don't really apply it to people's lives. But when you talk about a life expectancy that is that much shorter - in Seattle - it feels neglectful. It feels criminal almost. It feels wrong that we know that these types of harms are being forced upon our children. And we aren't taking that into account so often when we have these repeated conversations every single year about what highways we're gonna build, expand, put in. And these are conversations that aren't just - they certainly absolutely started in the '50s and we started that whole domino effect rolling. But now we have the chance to review what we're doing to make modifications, whether it's Highway 99 in South Park, whether it's the Interstate Bridge Replacement between Washington and Oregon. We had this out - and Mike McGinn is notorious and has been pretty much vindicated, it looks like - for fighting against the Highway 99 tunnel in Seattle. But we seem to so easily dismiss the negative harms that this has on neighborhoods, on affordability, on health, on just our quality of life. How do you view just the importance of really taking all of these factors into account as we make these policies, Mike? [00:14:19] Mike McGinn: Well, first of all, I just have to say that as a mayor, you're not supposed to have any favorite neighborhoods. But if I had a favorite neighborhood, South Park would be pretty darn close. I spent a lot of time down there as mayor, but I also spent time there before mayor - my kids played basketball in the rec leagues and I played ultimate frisbee in the schools. And I'd be down there in those playing fields at South Park Community Center. And yeah, you're right next to the highway. And that highway doesn't carry that many cars either. The reason people confuse it with 509 is because it's not really that useful a section of highway, but it certainly carries enough cars for the noise and pollution to be meaningful. And it's also not at all surprising, tragically, that it's a community like South Park that gets a highway like this. What you see is - when you look at where freeways were built across the country, they almost always went through Black or Brown or poor neighborhoods - because that was where there would be the least political resistance to building it. And they oftentimes would get a little more convoluted in the route to avoid wealthy neighborhoods. So it's worth thinking about that - would you - and take a look at where the, take a look at the property values near big bustling highways and the ones further away. I'm not talking about downtown, which has its own economic thing - but even there, the properties right next to the highway were the last to develop. And the ones that are a few blocks away developed faster. And if you look at Seattle, the wealthiest neighborhoods are the furthest from the highway. So we built a system that was designed to speed people in and out of the city at the expense of other people. And the equity issues are really tremendous. And South Park - it's a textbook case, really, of that - when you see all the highways going through South Park. And then of course they're under the airport and everything else - under the airport flight routes. So you'd like to think that decisions about how to build a transportation system and how to route highways and all the rest were based on rigorous analysis of the data - what's the most public good we can generate from this. And certainly we dress it up that way - that there's a plan and it was done for a certain way. But anytime you dig into it, you found that it's really a reflection of who did have power in the political system at the time and who did not. So we speed the commute of people from wealthier places and we subsidize that with the lungs and health of poor people where those highways go through. And if it were your neighborhood, you wouldn't stand for it. So of course South Park would like to see it removed. And we're talking about SR 99 here, right - which is kind of a weird route - it's not 509, but they intend to extend 509 to connect with I-5 right now. This is underway. And when that connection is complete - they've been working on this for years - they call it now the Puget Sound Gateway Project, used to be called the SR 509 extension. It's been labeled nationwide as a highway boondoggle - it's a nationally known highway boondoggle - the 509 extension. That's gonna siphon off tens of thousands of cars a day from I-5 to send them to a back way into Seattle, which is not gonna be that fast 'cause that back way is gonna run right into the First Avenue South Bridge, which is always backed up. And so where will that traffic jam be - at the First Avenue South Bridge? It's gonna be in South Park again. I mean, honestly - WSDOT should rip out 99 just as an apology for building the 509 extension 'cause they're actually making it worse right now. [00:17:55] Coté Soerens: So you do have, yes - the equity issues are so blatant when you look at the highway grid in Seattle. Even if you have wealthy neighborhoods next to the I-5, you have sound barriers and other appropriate ways to mitigate the effects of it. But there are things in the history of this particular portion of the highway that are really painful. For example, the land upon which it was built - it was conveniently left vacant by the Japanese internment. Much of that land was built on homes that belonged to Japanese farmers. There is a house actually that was transported from South Park to the Hiroshima Museum of the Japanese-American Experience. So there are these undertones to this highway that, in a way, make it a monument to racism. And as we are removing monuments across the country, this one might be one of the ones that we can remove. But also what I find very concerning is the lack of imagination - 'cause that's also part of it. I don't see anybody at Department of Transportation being - Hey, let's be as racist as we can. I think it might be, it is often an issue of - We know to do highways, so we're going to just do highways. And when it came to the decision of building this portion of 99 across South Park, the history of it tells us the story of residents making their case that it shouldn't be built. And Washington State Department of Transportation said - Yeah, we know, but we already started. We have the plans, we're about to start, so we're gonna do it anyway. And it was supposed to be a federal highway, but it was so underutilized - as it is today - that nearly six years later, six years after its completion, it was demoted from a federal highway to a state route, which to us is a smoking gun right there. Yes, it's a very irrelevant piece of highway in the grid. The need for a new imagination, the need for people to think of a better way to live life that does not rely on highways and to be able to invite departments of transportations across the nation to think differently about transportation - I think that's a really great opportunity that this movement has. And I think that Pete Buttigieg has really, really done the movement a favor in the sense of making this idea more mainstream in ways. There is a lot of room to grow, of course, with the Reconnecting Communities Initiative, but I'm actually hopeful about the ability of people in communities to think of new ways about how to build their communities. I'm really hoping that this is a good means for neighborhoods and cities to think differently. [00:20:34] Crystal Fincher: Now, I want to talk about the how of this really - 'cause there's still a lot of people, and a lot of the general conversation for people who don't follow this for their job is - Hey, you know what? You just said that this highway will take some pressure off of I-5 and man, I'm sick of sitting in traffic on I-5. So isn't that a positive thing? And wow - this is supposed to connect people and help people get from A to B faster? What does it mean to remove a highway? Does nothing go in its place? Where do those cars go? Is it going to be a burden for everyone? How do you answer that, Mike? [00:21:12] Mike McGinn: Well, the first thing you have to realize is that we've created - if the idea was that by building a freeway system through populated places, we would make transportation work really smoothly - I think we got about 50 or 60 years of evidence that it's a failure. Any economically successful place cannot possibly accommodate all of the mobility needs of its residents through limited access freeways and through single occupancy vehicles. And it's not a question of ideology or even climate or health or anything else - it's really just a question of geometry. A car that holds 1-1.5 people per trip on average - there's not enough room for all the cars, which is why we also saw so many downtowns kind of get the parking crater around their downtown office buildings, where you got - parking lots had to be built to accommodate all the vehicles. And it's not something that can be met. The other thing you do when you do a system like that is you really encourage everybody to sprawl out over the landscape. Whereas before you needed to be within a closer proximity for transit to work, or maybe walking to work, or streetcars to work - now you can live in more distant places. So those freeways then fill up again, 'cause what you've done is you've filled up the landscape with people that have to drive, right? They have to spread all over the place. So now once you do that for 50 or 60 years, as we've done, it's kind of reasonable for people to go - Well, how could you do something differently? We're now at a point where people, for most of them in their lifetimes, have not lived in an environment in which that wasn't true. But we can look at other places around the globe, or we can look at smaller units of our country, and see where many more people are moved by a combination of walking, biking, and transit - particularly if you put the housing closer to the destinations. So that's what we haven't done. Now, what we've seen, now let's just - now that may sound all pie in the sky. Well, that'll take forever to build all that transit and do all that housing. But let's take a look at SR 99 on the waterfront. How many times did we talk about the Carmageddon that would come when the viaduct closed, as it did for lengthy periods of time for construction reasons, and it never materialized. And it didn't materialize because actually a lot of those auto trips are by choice. People could choose a different time of day. They could choose a different place to go. They could combine trips, or they could choose an alternative like transit. So what you saw every time the viaduct was closed was that in fact, everything worked a little more smoothly, believe it or not, because people - it turns out people have brains and they will not mindlessly drive into traffic and they will adapt their behavior. And that's what we see happen again and again - not just on the Seattle waterfront, but every place this is predicted. And those cities that have removed highways, what they find is that the Carmageddons don't materialize, but they regain this land just as Coté was talking about. They regain this land for, really, all these other great purposes. One of the best purposes would be housing - what we know is so many people - our young people, our immigrant and refugee communities, our Black and Brown communities that have been lower income communities, service workers pushed out of the city by higher housing prices. What if we started investing those dollars in making it easier for people to drive from further and further away? We say easier, but you got to own a car for that. You got to pay all the expenses of that. What if instead we put people closer where they could actually use transit and could be taxpayers in the city? What a crazy concept, right? Okay, so for all you fiscal conservatives out there, WSDOT isn't paying taxes to the City of Seattle for all that land. So if you're a fiscal conservative, you should love this idea because you bring a bunch of new housing in there - you got sales taxes, you got property taxes, you've got all the other taxes that people who live in a city pay as taxpayers - and you have all the economic activity that goes along with that. And you've reduced household expenses because people can live in a place without a car. This is - the fiscal prudence of this alone - if you are not convinced by health or climate or anything else, if all you do, if all you care about is hard line, bottom line, dollars and cents considerations, the last thing you want to do is invest in a freeway through a populated part of your town. [00:25:52] Coté Soerens: That's why this is such a great idea because you have arguments on every side. So yes, we do need - there are more progressive causes that are pushed by these initiatives such as affordable housing and environment. But also fiscally - I really - I'm worried about seeing the City of Seattle consistently spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on mitigation strategies to deal with this highway - that is underutilized. One of the reasons we decided to move forward with this Hail Mary initiative - let's see if we can pull it off - was when we saw the traffic counts. Hey, this is not something that is necessary to anyone we are aware of. Again, there is a feasibility study underway, but so far with the data we have, we calculated that it would maybe add 7 minutes to a commute, which again - compare 7 minutes to 13 years of life expectancy of children. This is the youngest neighborhood in Seattle, but nothing in the built environment will tell you that. Most children live per square foot in South Park than anywhere else in the city. Also there is - particularly in South Park, because of the disinvestment that the City has practiced over South Park - because they want it to be industrial, so we have like 100 years of disinvestment on affordable housing and other amenities - and we pay the same taxes. There are people - the residents in South Park have consistently had to organize to make things happen in this neighborhood. So you have generations of immigrant families who have really put sweat equity in the development and livability of South Park that now are being pushed out. That to me was a tragedy and something I felt we needed to do something about. So making more land available in this neighborhood for families who have invested their lives here to be able to remain and thrive in place - that, to me, is a big win that this project could bring, among other things. But I love what you said, Mike, about the fiscal aspect of this - the amount of revenue that we will bring as far as property taxes, businesses. Somebody at the Legislature, Washington Legislature, mentioned this opportunity cost that I thought it was a really important point when we think about land being used for cars. [00:28:06] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, really for cars versus the community. And you're right, it absolutely makes a humongous difference. It is absolutely fiscally responsible and it has a stimulative effect to the local economy. There's just a - gosh, I'm trying to remember this study - I'll find it, I'll try and put it in the show notes resource section. But there was a study done for local business owners, who we all - who employ most people in cities, small businesses employ most people in the area - and they asked them to estimate how many people arrive to their stores and shops via car, versus via foot, on bike. And they all overestimated how many people arrived by car to the tune of 4-5x as much. They estimated 60, 70, 80%, and it was uniformly under 20%. I think people underestimate how much a community connection makes a difference to the local and regional economy. And that's absolutely something that makes a difference. I live in an area close to a freeway that really cuts us off from a significant portion of the city, or just makes it really, really inconvenient. And is a 5 minute detour by car, is a 20 minute detour to 30 minute detour to walk around - and just walk across the street, walk three blocks one way, if there was not a freeway there. What does it mean to South Park? And you talk about the opportunity with the additional land - South Park is, as you said, the youngest neighborhood in Seattle with almost a third of the residents being under 18. What will it mean to kids and families, and really the future of this area and region, to be able to reclaim that space? [00:29:54] Coté Soerens: Well, we'll see because - so something that is really important to mention is that the process that we're engaged in right now is a community envisioning process - to provide the opportunity to South Park residents to say what ought to happen in these 44 acres. So we have - because we're part of this neighborhood and we've heard people speak for years - we have a hunch that it will be about affordable housing, first and foremost, but also places for children to play. Infrastructure for kids is not great, and it's actually - compared to other places in Seattle - it's upsetting to see the quality of the community center and the playgrounds. Again, I have three school-aged children and I have stories about the places they have access to play, or the places we have access to bike. It's very dangerous to bike, to connect from South Park and other places. So the opportunity of these 44 acres - to actually let the neighborhood have a say on what the built environment should look like - I think it's incredibly powerful. And it's one of the benefits of engaging a whole neighborhood into a community envisioning process, which now we have just started the contract with the City to begin this process. There will be three or four big meetings and we have partnered with very skilled community organizers and - that do understand the importance of clear communications across the neighborhood and the ability of people to say their opinion in an equal playing field with others about what ought to happen in this 44 acres. In the Reconnect organizing team, we have shied away from saying what needs to happen because we are basically quarterbacking the project. We are kind of bringing the resources together and bringing the platform together, but the conversation needs to occur within South Park by South Park people. So I have opinions about what I would like to see on this 44 acres, but I think the most powerful work will happen when everyone in the neighborhood is given the chance to say - I would like this to happen, or I'm concerned about that. There's some people who are concerned about - Hey, if we shut that portion, then will the traffic be diverted to 14th Avenue South? How are we going to deal with that? Those are all incredibly important questions. So what is important right now - the way we see it at Reconnect South Park - is the dialogue. How are we able to host a democratic dialogue within the neighborhood is the most important. And then at the end, the story of government completely ignoring the voice of the residents and not being accountable to it, does the story want to change? And also we, as residents, also can use a dose of imagination as well. 'Cause for many of us, it's been like - Oh, there is a highway there, whatever. No, hey - you deserve better. So engaging people in that conversation - that I think it's - I'm a retired therapist, so I see things as therapeutically speaking. So I think that's a nice therapeutic process for this neighborhood's healing. [00:32:56] Crystal Fincher: Excellent. That makes complete sense. So as we get close to drawing this conversation to a conclusion - Mike, for people who are looking to get involved, who understand the importance, or just want to make their voice heard here - how can they get involved? And also as importantly, as we consider the several city council candidates - including in District 1 in Seattle, which includes South Park - what should we be looking to hear from those candidates, and how can we hold them accountable to listening and serving this community? [00:33:33] Mike McGinn: Well, the question answers itself, doesn't it? But let's just first start by saying - to celebrating the fact that there is now a grant from the federal government to study this, the Reconnecting Communities grant. But a study is a long way from success. And there will be powerful interests locally that will fight to maintain the highway. We're already hearing from the Port that somehow or another this is essential to them, but I'm sure they're not prepared to pay the costs of all of those shortened lives. It's not worth that much to them. So I think you do have to understand that there will be a fight here. And you'll never be able to push this through the State Legislature in that fight without strong local champions. So first of all, support Coté and everybody down there in South Park in the effort. It's gonna take public demand. Second, let's get people on the record. Do we need a highway in South - do we need that SR 99 in South Park? Get them on the record. And I really think it's not just the city council candidates, but the mayor as well. 'Cause if you can get the City united around that, there'll be a fighting chance with WSDOT. But that's gonna be extremely difficult - because let's be really clear that it is not just the Port businesses. It's a lot of labor unions down there at the Port too that believe in this stuff. They've still got 1950s and 60s outdated notions of what should happen and that highways are good. So against that combined political might, it's really gonna take a significant public demand to move elected officials. And now's the best time to make those demands as elections are occurring. [00:35:11] Crystal Fincher: Thank you for listening to Hacks & Wonks, which is co-produced by Shannon Cheng and Bryce Cannatelli. You can follow Hacks & Wonks on Twitter @HacksWonks. You can catch Hacks & Wonks on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts - just type "Hacks and Wonks" into the search bar. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get the full versions of our Friday almost-live shows and our midweek show delivered to your podcast feed. If you like us, leave a review wherever you listen. You can also get a full transcript of this episode and links to the resources referenced in the show at officialhacksandwonks.com and in the episode notes. Thanks for tuning in - talk to you next time.

How can you find peace? A deeper look at Isaiah 11:1-10 | Aaron Bryant | Episode 14

Sermon Notes

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 6, 2022 36:27

Welcome back to Sermon Notes, a podcast that dives deeper into the sermons of each of our campus pastors. In this episode, we're joined by Aaron Bryant from the Church at Avenue South. We'll start off with a fun Christmas game, and then dive into Aaron's sermon on Isaiah 11:1-10. This passage is a reminder of the hope we have in Christ. Through him, we can have peace and harmony with God and with one another. We can experience the fullness of God's kingdom on earth, and we can be filled with the knowledge of the Lord. Aaron encourages us to look upward instead of inward in order to find the peace that God promises us, and also reminds us that peace is not the absence of conflict.

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Walk on Water or Part The Sea? Aaron Bryant discusses why he thinks some people struggle reading the Bible + a quick game of This or That: Biblical Edition | Episode 5 | September 19

Sermon Notes

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2022 23:36

In this episode, Pastor Aaron Bryant (The Church at Avenue South) joins hosts Amy-Jo Girardier and Evan Kunz to talk about being hungry for the Word of God. Plus, they play a fun game of Would You Rather?! Come to Scripture with expectation. We are strengthened with joy in community. Your identity is tied to His Word. You have full access to God, so what keeps us from getting to know Him? Remember this: You're not just engaging a book; you're engaging Jesus. https://readkaleidoscope.com/ https://brentwood.church/masterclass/ https://brentwood.church/podcast/

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Seattle's CID denizens "prepare to fight" 500 bed homeless facility

The Commute with Carlson

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 31, 2022 11:25

Seattle's Chinatown International-District residents and business owners are "coalescing" in opposition to a proposed 500 bed homeless shelter and services complex that has been quietly unveiled by King County officials including the Regional Homeless Authority and Executive Dow Constantine, according to news reporter, Jonathan Choe. KVI's John Carlson interviews Choe about what he's discovered regarding the proposed homeless facility that would be located near 6th Avenue South and Airport Way in the SoDo neighborhood, just south of the CID. Choe notes that this complex was "quietly announced in March" but government officials have avoided mentioning it to avoid drawing attention to it. The large proposed homeless complex has neighbors and business owners nearby "going to war", according to Choe, to stop its completion. Back in 2017 Choe cites a public trust incident in CID's Little Saigon for a safe injection site and Carlson points out the incongruity of the proposed homeless complex with both a "sobering center" and "safe injection site" at the same complex. Choe adds, the complex gives "drug dealers a new location to prey on these lost souls."

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IMA Doctors: Dr. Jenifer Jones-Dees, IMA Kids

It Takes 2 with Amy & JJ

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 19, 2022 32:25

Dr. Jenifer Jones-Dees joins Amy & JJ for this month's "IMA Doctors Show". In this episode: dangerous heat, dehydration, COVID vaccines, ADHD, mallet toe and more! IMA Healthcare is located on 45th Street and 32nd Avenue South in Fargo, ND. You can reach them at 701-280-2033 or visit www.imahealthcare.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Minneapolis police fatally shoot man after overnight standoff

MPR News Update

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2022 4:35

Minneapolis police say officers fatally shot a man Thursday morning following a lengthy standoff. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating the shooting that happened at about 4:30 a.m. near 21st Avenue South and Franklin Avenue. This is a morning update from MPR News, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.

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2022 Episode 26: Traffic Fatalities Report, City Light Rate Increases, Mayor Harrell's First Veto, and More

Seattle News, Views, and Brews

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 21, 2022 29:37

Learn about the latest in local public affairs in about the time it takes for a coffee break! Brian Callanan of Seattle Channel and David Kroman of the Seattle Times discuss how the City's goal of zero fatalities by the year 2030 is heading in the opposite direction, what new rate increases mean for City Light ratepayers, a response to Mayor Harrell's first veto, an approval voting measure, and a three-plus-year stalemate over a repair on 4th Avenue South. If you like this podcast, please support it on Patreon!

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Setting the Stage at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute

Black Arts Legacies

Play Episode Listen Later May 31, 2022 32:11

Transformed by a 1960s urban relief program, the former synagogue has fostered generations of Black artists even as the neighborhood around it changes. For the first half of the 20th century, the building at the southeast corner of 17th Avenue South and East Yesler Way in Seattle's Central District housed a Jewish synagogue. But by the late '60s, the neighborhood demographics looked much different, and fighting urban poverty had become a government priority. This, combined with the vision and effort of local citizens, gave the building a second life as Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute. Federal money from the Model Cities Program helped the majority-Black Central District create a community hub and creative outlet for themselves. In the 50 years since, that hub has served as much more than just an arts space for generations of Black Seattle. And it has also continued to give young people a space to find and explore their artistic passion. But the Central District is significantly less Black now than it was back when the institute first opened in 1972. So the venue, now operated by the nonprofit LANGSTON, had to change to meet the needs of Black people displaced across King and Pierce counties while also fighting to stay a Black space. It was a battle worth fighting because, for many Black people in and around Seattle, that former synagogue is too important to lose. For this episode of the Black Arts Legacies podcast, host Brooklyn Jamerson-Flowers explores the origins of Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute and speaks to several artists who found a platform for authentic expression there. They each help to frame the institute's importance and visions of its future. See the full Black Arts Legacies project, featuring profiles, photography and videos. --- Credit Host/producer: Brooklyn Jamerson-Flowers Story editor: Sara Bernard Executive producer: Mark Baumgarten Audio support: Jonah Cohen

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#1,090 - Person stabbed, shots fired and officers bit in incident at Seattle homeless encampment

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Play Episode Listen Later Apr 26, 2022 10:00

Seattle police are investigating after one person was stabbed and shots were fired in a homeless encampment in the Chinatown-International District on Monday. Police responded to an encampment near 13th Avenue South and South Lane Street around 10 a.m. for multiple reports of a man shooting a rifle. LIKE & SUBSCRIBE for new videos everyday. https://bit.ly/3KBUDSK

#1,051 - Seattle Police Sweep Notorious Homeless Encampment After Recent Shooting Death

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Play Episode Listen Later Apr 1, 2022 16:43

A troublesome homeless camp that's been the source of several violent crimes near Seattle's Little Saigon neighborhood was cleared again on Friday. It's part of a campaign led by the Mayor's office to remove encampments that have been declared a public safety hazard and an obstruction.About 50 structures and tents had been erected on a hillside at 10th Avenue South and Dearborn Street over the last several months. The camp has been removed several times before over the last several years, but it always repopulates.LIKE & SUBSCRIBE for new videos everyday. https://bit.ly/3fs6dBU

#982 - 4 Shooting Incidents In 3 Days Leave Downtown Seattle Businesses In A Panic

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Play Episode Listen Later Feb 18, 2022 29:41

In the last three days, there have been four shootings in Seattle, all near the downtown districts of the city.On Friday, Seattle Police say a suspect shot an employee during a robbery at Key Bank in the SODO District. It happened around 1 p.m. on the 1900 block of 1st Avenue South. LIKE & SUBSCRIBE for new videos everyday. https://bit.ly/3fs6dBUSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/seattlerealestatepodcast)

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Plans take shape for extending Veterans Boulevard into Horace

InForum Minute

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 14, 2022 3:47

It's still a few years away, but plans are being made to extend Veterans Boulevard from Fargo's 52nd Avenue South to Horace's 100th Avenue South.

Timeless Principles of Brand Development with Digital Marketing Strategist, Win Peniston

Friends of Build Magazine

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2022 62:04

From early 2016 through mid-2021, Win was the Director of Marketing at London Bay Homes. Today, he consults a variety of builders and developers, and also keeps his Realtor's license at John R. Wood Properties' 5th Avenue South office in Naples, FL.Today's conversation focuses heavily on the timeless principles of brand development and longevity. Win also speaks on the art of value proposition, in which the key is “to touch someone's identity, and how they wear the brand for themselves.”Through leading campaigns for some of the biggest brands in the world today, Win has learned to always steer the conversation away from, “What's in it for the company?” to, “What's in it for the consumer?”In a similar vein, he criticizes businesses who have strayed too far into the realm of political correctness at the expense of their brand identity. Companies who embrace pure, unadulterated authenticity fare far better, especially in the long-run, than those who rely on hollow messaging in an effort to ride on the coattails of certain cultural trends.Brand is the cornerstone of longevity. To build repetitional excellence, especially as a service business, it all stems from doing what you say and say what you do, and simply being transparent and authentic.Topics Discussed:[05:47] What brought Win to Naples from New York and his early successes[14:51] Marketing “affordable luxury”[17:09] Other prestigious companies and individuals that Win has worked with[21:06] What sets a brand apart[28:51] Lessons learned from working with some of the biggest brands of our time[33:01] Hollow messaging from businesses and Ronald Reagan's authenticity[37:30] How Red Bull developed an incredible culture[39:04] What is on the horizon for the Naples real estate market[46:39] Solidifying your brand for generations to come[53:52] How best to interact with your team and your customers or clients[58:22] The future of the tradesConnect with Build Magazine:Website - https://www.buildmagazine.com/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/buildmags/?hl=enFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/BuildMags/Key Quotes by Win:Pricing power is what Wall Street wants to see. [...] The big winners that can defend their pricing power are the brands that have the loyalty from the consumers that have an association with it.Who are we talking to? What do they think about us? What will they think about us after this piece of communication? We need them to have a deeper loyalty.The creative matters. It isn't creative if it doesn't sell.Take out the marketing-ese. Develop colloquialism and ease of messaging. Tone it down: Use layman's language when you're talking to consumers. They're a lot smarter than you think they are.

Fargo Sports Complex UPDATE

It Takes 2 with Amy & JJ

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 8, 2022 11:25

Criag Bjur, from the Fargo Park District Foundation, joins Amy & JJ to talk about where they are at in the planning process of the Fargo Sports Complex - a highly impactful community recreation facility planned on 100 acres just west of Interstate 29, between 52nd Avenue South and 64th Avenue South. You can be a part of the story - Craig explains the generous match offered to them going into Giving Hearts Day. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Straight Up Missing: Wanda Faye Walker

Straight Up Evil

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 30, 2021 3:01

60-year-old Wanda Faye Walker was last seen leaving her residence in the 1400 block of 11th Avenue South in Nashville, Tenessee on October 4, 2016. Wanda's car was located one week later in the 1000 block of Wade Avenue and contained many of her personal belongings. Wanda is described as a black female, 5'7" tall, 180 lbs, with brown eyes and brown hair that was dyed bleach blonde at the time of her disappearance. The FBI is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in this case. If you have any information, including photos or potential sightings of Wanda, please contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or anonymously online at tips.fbi.gov. You may also contact Nashville CrimeStoppers at 615-742-7463. Wanda Faye Walker-FBI

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Achievement Awards – Surfside Beach 3rd Avenue South Project: S3 Ep43

City Quick Connect Podcast from the Municipal Association of South Carolina

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 18, 2021 16:03

Surfside Beach won a 2021 Achievement Award from the Municipal Association its infrastructure and streetscaping project on a historically overlooked commercial street. Director of Public Works John Adair explains how the project was funded and planned, and what it has meant for the area's business development. See the video at vimeo.com/575511738.

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5th Avenue South, Historic Naples Florida MainStreet :Movers & Shapers: Episode 5 & 6 Featuring Owner of Emillions Art Gallery Marlissa Gardner & Executive Director of the Naples Airport Authority Chris Rozansky

Movers and Shapers

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2021 24:43

Please join us and download our new upcoming podcasts as I welcome two major Movers & Shapers, who are making a huge impact on Fifth Avenue South and the Naples community overall. You'll meet two very talented people with diverse backgrounds and expertise. Marlissa Gardner, founder and owner of Emillions Art on Fifth, discusses her successful art showroom featuring established and emergent international artists in all genres: painting, photography, mixed media, sculpture and works on paper, as well as her foray into the world of cryptocurrency. Chris Rozansky, Executive Director of Naples Airport Authority, oversees one of the most important private airports in the country. Chris explains the crucial role the airport plays in attracting residents and businesses to SWFL, especially on 5th Avenue South.

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5th Avenue South, Historic Naples Florida MainStreet :Movers & Shapers: Episode 3 & 4 Featuring Urban Legend Bob Gibbs, CEO of Gibbs Planning Group, and Kristen Coury, CEO and Producing Artistic Director of Gulfshore Playhouse

Movers and Shapers

Play Episode Play 30 sec Highlight Listen Later Aug 2, 2021 30:35 Transcription Available

Podcast Features Bob Gibbs and Kristen Coury, local Naples Florida IconsEpisode 3: Urban Retail legend Bob Gibbs, CEO of Gibbs Planning Group - Gibbs has helped develop more than 1,000 town centers and historic districts worldwide. If architect Andres Duany is considered the Father and visionary of Fifth Avenue, then Bob Gibbs is its kindly Uncle who worked alongside Duany in the Avenue's initial planning and has continued to shepherd it through expanded growth for decades. We will talk about Fifth Avenue's attributes, including walkability, accessibility, natural beauty and urban retail in meeting the needs of the community. We will trace the Avenue's historic beginnings, its case study development, and explore its future.Episode 4: Kristen Coury, CEO and Producing Artistic Director, Gulfshore Playhouse - Gulfshore Playhouse has grown from fledgling artistic startup to world-class production company, with Coury's visionary plans to build a state-of-the-art, 45,000 square foot new home for the theater, which is scheduled for completion in late 2023, as her priority. Kristen will discuss how the Playhouse has raised almost $60 million for construction and what this incredible undertaking means in terms of Naples' culture and economic impact.

#625 - Suspected gunman in Seattle CHOP zone homicide arrested more than a year later

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 19, 2021 28:51

After more than a year on the run, the man accused of fatally shooting 19-year-old Horace Lorenzo Anderson inside the six-block area that last summer was known as the Capitol Hill Organized Protest zone was arrested Monday in Des Moines.Seattle police identified Marcel Long as the man suspected of killing Anderson within a day of the June 20, 2020, shooting at 10th Avenue and East Pine Street and learned Long, now 19, had fled the state, according to the first-degree murder charge filed against him in August. He had been wanted on a $2 million arrest warrant since then.Members of the U.S. Marshal's Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force recently determined that Long was staying at a Des Moines apartment complex, a Monday news release said. Long was seen walking on South 216th Street, near 14th Avenue South, and was arrested after a brief foot chase.Long was booked into the King County Jail at 4:25 p.m., jail records show.Join your host Sean Reynolds, owner of Summit Properties NW and Reynolds & Kline Appraisal as he takes a look at this developing topic.Support the show (https://buymeacoff.ee/seattlepodcast)

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Brent Leatherwood on the Iowa Caucus mess, what happened and what's next on the 2020 campaign trail

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2020 48:56

The much anticipated 2020 Iowa Democratic Caucus became an unmitigated electoral mess as the first in the nation contest remained unresolved a day before the New Hampshire primary. Brent Leatherwood joins Jeff Pickering and Steven Harris to talk about what happened, what's next, and how Christians can be salt and light in a polarized partisan season. Guest Biography Brent Leatherwood serves as the Director of Strategic Partnerships. Before coming to the ERLC, he served as the executive director of the Tennessee Republican Party from December 2012 to December 2016, where he managed the organization's campaign apparatus at the federal, state and local levels. In addition, Brent has worked on Capitol Hill as a senior legislative aide to former Rep. Connie Mack (R-Fla). He and his wife Meredith have three children and are members of The Church at Avenue South, where Brent serves as a deacon. Resources from the Conversation Brent's Recommendations on journalists to follow Amy Walter, CPR Dave Wasserman, CPR Josh Kraushaar, National Journal Jonathan Martin, New York Times Brent's Recommendations on newsletters to subscribe Axios Politico Playbook POLITICO | 'It's a total meltdown': Confusion grips Iowa with no official results in sight New York Times | ‘A Systemwide Disaster': How the Iowa Caucuses Melted Down ERLC | Capitol Conversation Podcast

Faith and healthy democracy: Introduction with Paul Miller and Brent Leatherwood

The Deep End Friends Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 8, 2019 43:10

Jeff Pickering welcomes Brent Leatherwood of the ERLC and Paul Miller of Georgetown University to discuss their research project exploring what American adults with evangelical beliefs think about civility and politics. Guest Biography Paul D. Miller is a professor of the practice of international affairs at Georgetown University, a senior fellow with the Atlantic Council's Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, and a research fellow with the ERLC. Miller also taught at The University of Texas at Austin and the National Defense University and worked at the RAND Corporation prior to his arrival at Georgetown. Before his career in academia, Dr. Miller served as Director for Afghanistan and Pakistan on the National Security Council staff; worked as an intelligence analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency; and served as a military intelligence officer in the U.S. Army. Miller holds a PhD in international relations and a BA in government from Georgetown University, and a master in public policy from Harvard University. Brent Leatherwood is no stranger to our podcast but as a refresher, he serves as the ERLC's Director of Strategic Partnerships. Before coming to the ERLC, he served as the executive director of the Tennessee Republican Party and also worked on Capitol Hill as a senior legislative aide. Brent and his wife Meredith have three children and are members of The Church at Avenue South, where he serves as a deacon. Resources from the Conversation Read the report: Faith and Healthy Democracy by Paul D. Miller ERLC Unveils Evangelical Survey Results & Research Project on Faith and Healthy Democracy ERLC article: Poll results reveal what evangelicals believe about politics and civility Lifeway Research article: Heading Into 2020 Elections, Most Evangelicals Want to Play Nice in Politics The Tennessean article: 'What killed American public discourse?' New report, survey examines civility and evangelicals ERLC | Capitol Conversation Podcast

Episode 18: Live from We Out Here Part 2 - Nyema Clark

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 4, 2019 59:55

This Episode was recorded live at Langston Hughes from We Out Here, a festival of black excellence curated by Michael B. Maine. Nyema Clark is farm boss at Nurturing Roots on Beacon Ave & S Graham St. in Beacon Hill. A native to south Seattle, Nyema's entrepreneurial chops shine in her efforts as a beginning urban farmer. Proprietor of Avenue South, a line of natural health and beauty products, Nyema is deeply dedicated to the wellness and healing of her community. Come say hey at a Thursday farm stand, be embraced by her radiating love, and get a tour of the farm — there are chickens!

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Brent Leatherwood on what you should know about the presidential debates

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 3, 2019 29:47

The 2020 presidential election kicked off with double header debates this summer for the Democratic Party's nomination. As Christians, we want to approach these debates and each election thoughtfully to engage as well-informed citizens. Longtime politico, Brent Leatherwood joins Jeff Pickering around the Capitol Conversations table to talk about his recent article about the history of presidential debates and what we need to know going into 2020. Guest Biography Brent Leatherwood serves as the Director of Strategic Partnerships. Before coming to the ERLC, he served as the executive director of the Tennessee Republican Party from December 2012 to December 2016, where he managed the organization's campaign apparatus at the federal, state and local levels. In addition, Brent has worked on Capitol Hill as a senior legislative aide to former Rep. Connie Mack (R-Fla). He and his wife Meredith have three children and are members of The Church at Avenue South, where Brent serves as a deacon. Resources from the Conversation Article by Brent | What you should know about the presidential debates ABC News | Here's how the first 2020 Democratic debates work Book Review on Jonathan Leeman's "How the Nations Rage" | How should Christians navigate politics? ERLC | Capitol Conversation Podcast

The 2018 midterms with Brent Leatherwood