Podcasts about Pioneer Square

Earlier this summer, DSA and partners launched a coordinated effort to get people sleeping unsheltered in the Pioneer Square neighborhood downtown and on the path to stability. This project required a multi-team effort, close coordination, and there were no extra resources available to lean upon. Community Solutions had developed similar program architecture to address chronic homelessness in more than 100 cities across the country. Now, it was Seattle's turn and the results were impressive. Community Solutions founder and president Rosanne Haggerty built this program in Times Square, and she sits down with Jon to talk about her beginnings in this work; the success of the Pioneer Square project in Seattle; the state of homelessness in our country and much more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Rosanne Haggerty of Community Solutions.

Seahawks sign Terrion Arnold, a player with 8 felony charges. Survey says Seattle voters lack confidence in Mayor Wilson. A shooting at a bar in Pioneer Square and surveillance cameras were not available. The staff at KOMO voted to remove SAG-AFTRA union out of their newsroom. // LongForm: GUEST: RNC Dallas Spokesman Zach Kraft previews what's in store for the GOP midterm convention in Dallas next month. // LongForm: GUEST: Michael Russell Gunn is the Director of the new movie "The Brink of War," which chronicles the 1986 Reykjavik Summit between President Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. // Quick Hit: A former Fauci adviser plead guilty to attempting to cover up COVID-19 research records during the pandemic.

What’s Trending: Seahawks sign Terrion Arnold, a player with 8 felony charges. Survey says Seattle voters lack confidence in Mayor Wilson. A shooting at a bar in Pioneer Square and surveillance cameras were not available. The staff at KOMO voted to remove SAG-AFTRA union out of their newsroom. // LongForm: GUEST: Founder of We Heart Seattle Andrea Suarez on why volunteer groups that try to address the homelessness crisis get more scrutiny from the state than the homeless themselves. // Quick Hit: Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel says DSA candidates need to leave the Democrat Party.

Surveillance camera critics rally in Seattle as company tightens safeguards. Kent officers arrest child rape suspect after ALPR alert during routine patrol. New poll: 75% of Seattleites support CCTV cameras, expansion in wake of multiple shootings. Shootout at Pioneer Square bar prompts questions on offline CCTV camera. Harger: Auburn Police arrested five shoplifters at Fred Meyer and booked them into jail. Here’s why that matters more than you think // Puget Sound VA involved in a federal psychedelic research push. VA launches psilocybin trial for Veterans with treatment-resistant depression // LETTERS

With just a little over a month away from the 2026 Independent Hotel Show Miami taking place, special guest and President of Staypineapple Hotels Inc., Dina Belon, joins the Suite Spot to discuss the Stayepineapple brand, the independent hotel industry, and what she is looking forward to from IHS Miami 2026! Ryan Embree: Welcome to Suite Spot, where hoteliers check in and we check out what’s trending in hotel marketing. I’m your host, Ryan Embree. Hello, everyone. Welcome to another episode of The Suite Spot. This is your host, Ryan Embree. Back for another edition of season two of our independent hotel show series, where we are getting geared up and ready for that annual tradition down in Miami Beach at the Independent Hotel Show. We cannot wait. We’re gonna talk a little bit about it with our guests. We actually met for the first time in person last year at this event. We’re able to spend some time with her. Dina Belon, president at Staypineapple Hotels. Dina, thank you so much for joining me back on The Suite Spot. Dina Belon: Oh, thank you so much for inviting me, Ryan. This is amazing. I’m so excited. We had such a good time in Miami last year, it was a blast and, uh, talking to you felt like I was talking to a friend. Ryan Embree: Well, I appreciate it. I feel the same. Just honored to be speaking with you here. And I can’t believe we’re here. It’s we’re just months away from the Independent Hotel Show. It’s gonna be bigger, better than ever. We’re excited about it. We’re gonna talk about it. But we did have you on for the first time, so we had the opportunity. Usually, I start these episodes by a little bit of a background and kind of an introduction, but I’m gonna start a little unorthodox today. There was a post that I saw on LinkedIn, which by the way, for our Suite Spot listeners, make sure you say, uh, you follow Staypineapple Hotels and Dina. Great follows on LinkedIn. But there’s an, an article called Everything Staypineapple Hotels Dina Belon Does in a Day. And I thought that was such a cool and creative idea and concept. Talk to us a little bit about how that idea originated and give us a day in life. What is it like to be Dina Belon? Dina Belon: Well, I tried to be very honest. Hopefully it was fun too. I, there’s a lot of humor in my day, and so hopefully that came across. Um, the magazine, uh, that’s a local magazine here in, uh, east, the east side of Seattle and Bellevue and Kirkland area of Washington does those highlights of leaders in the area, um, on a regular basis. So it was fun, uh, a little stressful because you had to, like, take photographs and, you know, kind of just walk through your day. Um, I loved, though, really integrating my pets, because they’re a big part of my life. And so it started off with Molly waking me up at 5:45, which is actually what she does every morning. About 15 minutes before my alarm goes off, my little kitty cat starts yelling at me about wanting water. Um, so yeah, all the way until, you know, 8:00 at night and a lovely glass of wine with my husband. And all the shenanigans in the middle. Ryan Embree: Yeah. And I think it’s so cool because I think it, you know, we obviously work in the people business, right? In hospitality. Uh, we host people from all over the world, all different walks of life. Um, but to see, you know, sometimes, uh, I think right now, especially right now, right, when there’s all this talk of AI and technology and stuff like that, it’s really refreshing to see our industry leaders. And I get that. I have the, the privilege of getting that, interviewing some of the industry leaders when they talk to me about their, you know, beginnings and, and how maybe they started as a bellman or a front desk agent or fell into the industry. And I think the more that we can kind of humanize and show that these are people that really have a true passion for serving other people. Um, and then on the other side of the front desk, the guests that come into our lobbies, they are people too, whether they’re on a work trip, where they’re trying to escape. You know, sometimes it, it’s refreshing to take, take a beat and think about that. And that’s exactly what this article did for me because it is, you know, even though we’re hospitality, we’re in it, the hustle bustle, 365, twenty four seven. We’re still people, right? Yeah. We’re still people with our pets and, and, and our, uh, you know, what we like to do. Um, so it was a really cool, I think, uh, refreshing look. I wa – I definitely wanted to bring that in. Br – um, and, and your love of pets, it goes right along with your brand, uh, Staypineapples Hotel. And, you know, I’ve come to know and love through your content, your keynotes at the Independent Hotel Show, uh, following you on LinkedIn. For those audience members that might not be as familiar, uh, share with us, uh, a little bit about what makes Staypineapple Hotels so unique and one of a kind. Dina Belon: Yeah. So we are the opposite of corporate uniformity, uniformity. Uh, we’re really about, you know, a boutique sp – hotel experience with a lot of personality. Um, so one of the things that we’re well known for is the naked experience, um, which is, uh, a little eye-opening to a lot of people, but all it really is, is a fun, cheeky, which we like to do, uh, marketing way to talk about our bed and our bedding and our linen and our terry is so comfy, cozy and amazing, you’ll wanna sleep naked. Um, so it, and we give you an, a big cuddly robe so that you don’t come to the door naked. Ryan Embree: There you go. Dina Belon: Um, so that, that’s, that’s very indicative of the Staypineapple personality. Um, we’re also, um, not just pet friendly, we’re dog obsessed. Um, so we, uh, really go over the top with our pet program. We have a partnership with Soundz, S-O-U-N-D-Z, uh, that is, um, uh, sounds, uh, in music – Sure. That, um, pets like and that calm them when they feel nervous, um, that is available for guests, uh, at no cost, a 14-day, uh, free trial. And then, um, we have a partnership with, uh, an emergency veterinary, uh, service called Veg. Um, of course, you get beds and bowls and treats and, um, water bottles and poop bags and all kinds of stuff when you bring, uh, your furry friend. Although we’re dog obsessed, we also love kitty cats too. I have two kitty cats and two dogs. So, um, we, yeah, we’re, we’re pretty over the top with the pet thing. And then we have a, we have a number of the properties that have, uh, hotel dogs as well. Um, so one of the management staff ha – brings their dog to work every day and has really become a, a core team member. Um, you wouldn’t believe how many reviews we get, uh, with our, our furry, uh, friends being, uh, listed as their favorite part of the hotel. Ryan Embree: Yeah. I’ve seen them at trade show nows at industry trade shows. Yeah. You’ll have, like, a puppy break. Uh, brilliant. Brilliant. Dina Belon: It’s my favorite thing. Ryan Embree: Yeah. It just gets people in, in, in a happy mood. People love it. So, uh, and, and the focus of, of the dog obs – dog obsessed, um, i- i- is, is so smart. I mean, p – you know, people. We always think about how stressful travel is, obviously, from a logistics and s – and people standpoint, but obviously on our pets too. They’re in a place that they’ve never been before. Um, they don’t know that they’re heading across the country or even down the road. They’re in somewhere unnatural. So that’s really, really cool that you can kind of make them feel at ease there. And, and I’m sure the guest feedback, uh, from that has been really, really great to see. Um, now, you talked about, um, Staypineapple being a, a very unique boutique brand. Um, I noticed one word you didn’t mention in there, which is, uh, independent or non-branded. Uh, you prefer the term unchained. And I wanna explore that a little bit. I don’t wanna give you too much, uh, of a question. I, I’d like, like you to kinda run with that. Why do you prefer unchained to maybe independent segment or non-branded? Dina Belon: So to me, independent, non-branded, um, you know, indicates that we’re small or we’re isolated or, um. And, and I think it’s, um, diminishing to 30% of the hotel sector, which is truly unchained in both term, both ways that that term can be used. One, we are not attached to a chain in literal terms, but we’re also unchained from a limitation perspective. I think what is so amazing about the independent or the in – the unchained sector of the market to the guest is the founders, the visionaries, the leadership teams, the hotel teams at these hotels put their lifeblood and their passion and their vision and their belief in hospitality into these properties and into the experiences guests are gonna get. It is not a corporate ownership that is managed by a brand that has 5,000 other w – hotels just like it. And, you know, the onsite hotel team has reams of binders to tell them how to do their job. Um, we believe very much in no SOPs. Um, we have, uh, ultimate SOP. It’s do the next right thing. That’s the SOP for Staypineapple. It’s that simple. Just do the next right thing. We help the team understand that a little bit with kind of some guidelines, which is what is the best thing for you and your colleagues? What is the best thing for the guests? And what is the best thing for the business? And if you frame that question, those questions under do the next right thing, anybody can make the right decision at any moment, at every level of the organization. When we talk about empowerment, it isn’t, you know, we’ve given you a toolkit. I always loved this, because I worked in, in the brands. Um, and we always had a toolkit. You had a toolbox full of things that you could use to solve a problem. Well, I don’t need to give you a toolbox. You are a grown person that is a professional in the hospitality industry and you’ve entered this industry with a passion for people. Why would I tell you how to do your job, um, in every aspect with books of SOPs? Instead, I should get out of your way and let you be who you are in an authentic way. Because that connects with people. If, uh, you know, we put, we put people in our industry in a blazer, a Navy blazer, and a name tag, and tell them, “This is how you answer the phone. This is how you greet somebody. This is how you do this.” Basically, you’re a representation of the brand, so you need to fit in this box. Well, I believe in a different hospitality, in a hospitality that is, um, grounded in, um, real people and real human beings and, and mistakes even, and quirkiness, and stuff that you wouldn’t necessarily, uh, engage in or experience in your normal life. That’s why you’re traveling. You wanna experience different things and new things. You’re going to a new place. And so we don’t have, um, dress. We don’t have uniforms for our front of house team members. We do for back of house simply because we don’t want the back of house team to have to ruin their own clothes because the engineers get their clothes snagged and the housekeepers get their clothes dirty and, you know, so it’s more just to take care of our team. But, um, the front of house team doesn’t have uniforms. They get to wear their own clothes to work. That’s another idea. It’s like, I want you to be you, but wear this black polo shirt that makes you look like everybody else. Or Navy Blazer that makes you look everybody, right? Like the entire concept of what we think is normal and standard in our industry is the antithesis of what we’re trying to create as an experience for a guest. Um, so it’s really important to us, you know, you can have colored hair and ear piercings and tattoos. And I remember early in my career, it was always, um, I love to tell this story. Um, the, the dress code, because I was a manager, so I was allowed to wear my own clothes, but the dress code was, had to have, um, pants or a skirt, uh, a, a jacket, had to have a blazer, and it had to be of solid color. So what I’ve got on today would not have applied. Um, my shoes could not have open toes and an open heel, one or the other. And I had to have pantyhose on. So I lived in Florida. I remember I stopped wearing pantyhose at some point because they were hot. And so I, I actually had an HR person, uh, come up to me and say, “By the way, um, we’ve, we’ve noticed that you’re not meeting the dress code.” And I just turned around and looked at her and I was like, “Those things make me sweat. I have to be out by the pool sometimes. I have to be outside. It’s too hot. I’m not wearing them. Fire me.” Ryan Embree: Yeah. Yeah. Dina Belon: That was the end of pantyhose in our dress code. I was like, “Good luck with that.” Ryan Embree: Right. And I’m sure the person on the other side, you know, it, it, they were just obviously following the guidelines – Right. And the standards of what was put before them. And you’re absolutely right, Dina. You know, the, the one thing that we talk about all the time, and you talk to. Uh, I’ve talked to industry leaders about is, you know, what makes your management company brand property so great? Usually the first thing they say is they’re people. Yet, when you’re putting those people in a box, how great can they actually be, right? Every property is so different because of the individuals that make up that property. Um, so, you know, that thought process is, is so brilliant to, to think of the individualism and the passion can kind of shine through because it’s those stories that you talked about in the unchained or the independent sector that, that reason why I, this is one of my favorite series, because I get to sit and talk to independent hoteliers and, and hear their stories, their struggles, their challenges, but also their successes, their passions, where they built this, this property that has been, you know, where they’ve had these struggles, but they’ve gotten over the hump and they just love it so much and you can just see it come out in that, that, uh, conversation. It’s, and sometimes very different. Nothing to knock the brands, but sometimes very different when you’re talking to a GM of a branded hotel. Um, and it’s m- maybe just a stop on, on their way to the career. So it is one piece of advice I hear all the time is if you’re a hospitality professional out there, you know, maybe explore the independent hotel down the road. You know, get some good experience there. It’ll, you’re definitely gonna learn a lot, that’s for sure. Yeah. Um, you’re gonna get a lot of – Well, it depends on – Yeah. Dina Belon: Yeah, what you like, right? And I agree with you. One isn’t right or wrong. I spent the vast majority of my career in the, in the branded hotel space. Um, and I just found my happy place in – Sure. In the independent space, right? I, because I was always bucking the rules when I worked in the brands. And I didn’t, I didn’t even know what boutique and. I, I though boutique hotels were just little. Like, I literally, when I started at Staypineapple, I love the story too. ‘Cause when I started, I was like, “I’m gonna come in and show them how to write SOPs and, and brand standards, and we’re gonna standardize this, and we’re gonna scale it, and it’s gonna be, you know, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.” I had, I told, because I had spent my whole career in that space. Um, I believed passionately in brand standards when I started at Staypineapple. And I remember, um, our CFO telling me, “Do not say the word brand standard. You will send Michelle off the deep end.” Michelle is our founder. Yeah. And I was like, “What? I don’t understand.” Yeah. “How could you not have brand standards? How do you even operate this place without brand standards?” Right? Right. Um, and, and it took me a couple of years to really internalize what the difference in the business model is. Again, one is not right or wrong. They both have their strengths. But if you’re, uh, a free spirit, if you’re somebody. Like we hire for three things. Authenticity. Like your. First of all, people underestimate the willingness to be authentic. If you have been trained to put on a mask when you go to work and, and almost be an actor and play a part at the hotel, it’s very difficult to take that mask off and, and allow the vulnerability of being yourself. ‘Cause if somebody rejects you when you’re being yourself, it hurts a lot more than if a guest rejects you and yells at you when you have a mask on. That’s a Ryan Embree: Great point. Dina Belon: You’re being somebody else, right? Yeah. So it’s a harder position for our team members, I think, to be their authentic selves. Um, the next is really critical thinking. The ability to problem solve and, and, and be creative and figure out ways to, um. We know to say yes. That’s one of our sayings. We notice. We know how to say yes. Yes is not always a direct yes. Sometimes you have to go around to get to yes, but we know how to do that. And that’s all about creativity and critical thinking. And then really, the last one, um, I think is underserved in our industry, which is emotional intelligence. Um, that ability to read people. And, and it connects to that critical thinking, right? If I can, if I can, uh, connect with you on an emotional level and understand you better, understand your psychographics as a person, which is much deeper than that you like Diet Coke, right? I want to know things deeper than that about you. Then I can use that emotional intelligence to be creative and create, create hyper-personalized experiences for you. That is something that I think isn’t. It. The industry in general, particularly on the branded side, does not foster in our industry. If those things are interesting to you, then go check out the independent or unchained space, because I think you’ll be a lot happier coming from a recovering brand employee. Ryan Embree: Ryan Embree: Yeah. I, I love that. I love everything about that. I mean, those skills are. I mean, it’s, it’s at the core of hospitality, um, especially the emotional intelligence. And I think y- you’re absolutely right. It’s a skill needed now more than ever, by the way. Um, and it’s gonna get trickier to navigate. So we’ll be those, those younger, um, hospitality professionals and, you know, at, at, at any age, really, that invest that time and effort into honing in that skill that are gonna, that are gonna see successes there. Um, I wanna, I wanna take, uh, a step back, Dina, and kinda look at the hospitality landscape right now for independent and, or unchained, uh, uh, hotels. Where do you see opportunity in today’s landscape? And then maybe where are some of the bigger challenges that, that they’re coming up against? Dina Belon: Sure. So I think one of our biggest opportunities I just mentioned, which is hyper-personalization, um, we really look at this, i- if you kinda start at the beginning of the process of how you do hyperpersonalization. Um, it really starts with zero-party data for us. Uh, every brand or every group or every, you know, independent hotel is different, um, in their philosophy on this. I’ve certainly, um, experienced and, um, met with people that do research on their guests online. They look up your Facebook page. They check you out and see what you might be talking about. Um, we have decided to take the approach that we only wanna use data that you have freely and willingly given us. Um, so we communicate with our guests a lot, um, when we can. So there’s a little bit of a differentiator here when we talk about this. Um, if you’re coming in as an Expedia or a Booking.com guest, probably not getting this experience because we don’t have, we don’t have much information about you, and those OTAs don’t like to share. So, but if, uh, you’ve stayed with us before or it’s a direct booking, then we have communicated with you, um, in a way that is fun and cheeky and kinda starts to get you. Um, w- we like to, we like to encourage kind of a pre-arrival experience that is, um, engaging and, and, and gets you kind of primed for what Staypineapple is gonna be like. So you’re not, like, smacked in the fa – you know, you’re expecting a Marriott courtyard and you’re smacked in the face with Staypineapple. Ryan Embree: Right. You got a dog running up to you and yeah. Um, Dina Belon: So one of the things we do is ask a very open-ended question, um, in a pre-arrival email to all of our, uh, direct booking guests. And it says, um, basically in a cheeky way, I don’t remember exactly how it’s phrased, but it’s why you come in to stay with us. And you would be shocked at the amount of information that people share with us and, like, get into deep personal things and tell us all kinds of stuff. That is a trevor – treasure trove of information. Again, that’s stuff that matters. Not whether Jack Daniels is your favorite, you know, liquor. Uh, like, I wanna know that you’re. What, what do you volunteer for? What, what are you passionate about? What do you care about? Are you married? Do you have kids? You know, like, the things that, that you really, really make you who you are, right? That’s, that’s what we really look at for hyper-personalization and allows our team to use their creativity. So that’s just step one, right? Gotta have the information. And then two, you have to have a culture of people that are encouraged and inspired to be creative, to do fun, interesting things, not just deliver a bottle of wine to your room. What? Ryan Embree: Yeah. Dina Belon: Right? Um, like, do something that’s about me, not about you. It, like, that’s what I always say. To me, the bottle of wine in the room is about you buying my loyalty. It’s about you as a hotel. It’s not about me as an individual. So everything should be about the individual and about what makes them excited or happy or feel welcome or feel like they belong, um, there. How many times have you walked into a hotel and you felt like there was a cool club and you didn’t belong? Ryan Embree: Mm. Yeah. Dina Belon: So awful. It is the worst thing about hotels, I think. One of the other things that I just find, um, disheartening about our, our industry is that many people that are not related to the hotel business think you can’t go in a hotel if you’re not a guest. That’s so sad to me, right? Like, there’s, there’s this perception of a barrier, and it’s the opposite of what we should be. Like, we believe our hotels are very much a community hub. And so we encourage the community to come into the hotel. And we don’t even, we don’t have a lot of food and beverage. And some of our properties don’t have any. Some have just limited. We have a few full-service restaurants, but it’s not about us wanting to make money in our restaurants. It’s about us wanting to create an atmosphere in the hotel that is engaging and activating for the guests that are coming. ‘Cause the guests wanna interact with locals. They don’t want to interact with somebody from New York – Right. When they’re in Seattle. They wanna hang out with Seattle people, right? Yeah. So it’s, it’s a real win-win model, but you have to turn, you have to turn that barrier so many people think exists. Ryan Embree: Well, you touched on two things there, Dina, that at the core of this independent hotel show series, it really comes back to, which is loyalty, you know, just fierce, fierce loyalty for inde – I mean, the type of loyalty that I hear from guests talking about independent hotels is very different from the other points or nights that I’m, that I’m hearing in, on the other side of it. And, and it’s a depth that will be word of mouth. I mean, when you talk about word of mouth, like, that is the ultimate s – what marketing can’t buy, right? That storytelling that they’re going to be able to provide you champions of your brand and advocates for your hotel. Uh, the second thing is local community engagement and getting the community on board with what you do. I see it no greater place than Miami when we’re at, at the independent hotel show. And they talk about trying to just infuse that Miami culture into their own properties. And it does attracts a lot of locals. And, and you’re absolutely right. It’s, there’s a parallel where probably somewhere where you, where we talk a lot about reputation and people being scared of those one-star, two-star, or even negative feedback in any sense of it, embracing that and saying, “I don’t want one-star reviews, but I wanna see the negative feedback so that I can fix it, right? I want those, I want those locals to come into my hotel. Um, I don’t wanna put that barrier up because I wanna be that community hub. I love that. So what about any challenges you think right now? Dina Belon: Yeah, I think, um, the, there’s, there’s a number of challenges. I mean, I can, I can talk about the obvious, the headwinds on inflation, the cost of human and financial capital, maintaining service quality while we’re trying to maximize profit. Yeah. I like all of the blah, blah, blah. All of the, Ryan Embree: Yeah. All those talking points. Dina Belon: Yeah. They’re not very fun topics though. Um, honestly, I think the most interesting topic right now is really AI. And I do think it’s our biggest risk, particularly in our, our world of this unchained or independent hotel space. It’s the biggest risk we have, and it’s also the biggest opportunity. And it could go either way. And I think it will probably go hard one way or the other. It won’t be somewhere in the middle. And the reality is, is AI, AI search, which is kind of where we’re at right now, not, we’re not really to the point of bookings starting a little tiny bit. But, um, AI search is focused on very deep, complex, broad data about a hotel. So a, a person, and it really starts with the search parameters. You’re going from keyword search, like, I’m going to Seattle and I wanna be near Pioneer Square, to, I’m interested in a boutique hotel with a cool vibe that has a restaurant and provides a great sleep experience. Those two searches are completely different and is where the threat and the opportunity comes from. The opportunity is, as the hotel owner, operator, you have the best opportunity to create very deep content that is searchable by an AI. Compared to Booking.com and Expedia and all the others, their scale just does not allow them to create that kind of deep content for every hotel on their site, right? So you can create a higher value for the AI search to go to your website over somewhere else that it can go find your hotel. You might still find your hotel, but you’d rather get the booking. Um, direct and get the AI sending the guests to your website to check out the hotel than to booking.com ‘s website to check out. So that’s where the opportunity is. Threat is very real that the big brands and the OTAs have the pocketbooks, bandwidth, the resources to win at this fight and come in and put themselves between us and our guests. And so I think both at a legislative level, all the way down to individual property advocacy and elevating your voice online and everything in between, every hoteler, hotelier needs to be paying attention to. Because in the next five years, you could lose, you could lose the connection to your guests prior to arriving. And that, for us, that would ruin a huge part of our experience. Like we have pre-arrival concierge that helps you curate and plan your experience for your whole trip, not just your hotel stay. All of that would be for naught if I can’t communicate with my guests. Ryan Embree: 100%. Yeah. Uh, seismic shift happening, technologics pl – like shifting beneath us. Uh, I think you’re absolutely where it’s gonna impact everyone from the big brands all the way down to the small independent hotel who, who thinks, “Oh, this is, this isn’t coming for me. It’s gonna have wide ranging effects. It’ll be very, very interesting to see.” But share your concern, but also hopefully that little bit of hope there too, that it, it does go that right way and hospitality stays in, in somewhere where we come to know and, and love our industry. I wanna shift gears. Another thing I’ve, uh, learned about you over the years following your content and your career is your work, uh, inspiring, empowering the next generation of female hospitality professionals. Dina, I’ve seen you on stage at, at multiple panels, uh, a- a- around this subject. Tell us a little bit about the work you do behind the scenes and any tips you would share for up and coming Suite Spot female listeners or just the listeners in general here. Dina Belon: Yeah, I do. I love this topic. I, I love to empower women. Um, I think, uh, uh, we’re, we’re a force in this industry, um, and our voice should be heard. Um, so I, I like to support other women by a couple of things. Um, you’ll, you’ll, you’ll start to notice, I like to simplify things down to like one, two, three points at most. Yeah, I like it. Um, because I think it’s the way the human brain works. Sure. And the best way we can kind of, uh, create change – Yeah. Is by having a very focused, uh, approach to it. I really like self-advocacy, um, and encouraging women to self-advocate, because I think in general, this is a generalization because it’s not all women, but in general, we’re not great at it. Um, men are much better at self-advocacy than women. There’s been all kinds of study and research done on that. Um, and it’s a huge part of why women are paid less, why women are promoted less, because they just don’t ask. They don’t raise their hand. Um, and so I. And then the, the second point kind of ties in, which is leading by example. And so I think I love to tell stories about my career when self-advocacy was a benefit to me and how I got to where I am. And I’m afraid of it too. Let me tell all the female listeners I am not great at self-advocacy. Um, I’ve learned to do it over the years while I’m kind of gritting my teeth in the back of my mouth. Um, but I, there’s been a number of times when, you know, the really, the places where my career really took off, um, I stood up for myself and I raised my hand and I said, “I can do that.” Or, “I can even do more than what you asked me for.” So I’ll give you an example. Um, when I was at Wyndham, um, we, we acquired another company that did the same thing as we did. Um, and we were looking at how to create efficiency and blah, blah, blah. One was in Seattle and one was in Florida. And I was in the Florida office and I was asked, and we were the acquirer, so we acquired the company in Seattle. And so I was asked to fly out to Seattle and check out how my division, which we did all the renovation work and capital improvements and stuff like that, how my division would work with the group in Seattle. And so off I went on a plane and met with them and talked to them and figured out how they did things and figured out how we did things. Um, and so the ask was like, how do we merge the two and how do we create some efficiency? And I came back with a combined team that had me at the top of it with a promotion to vice president. It was really hard for me to do. It was a little bit easier because I gotta do it in writing and send it in and I didn’t have to say it out loud. Um, but it worked. And it was the first VP role I ever had. I was one of the youngest vice presidents at Wyndham. I remember the first time I went to the all leadership meeting, which was, happened once a year at Wyndham. There was 500 people there. This is vice presidents and above. Um, that’s how large the organization is. Um, that’s less than 5% of the employment base of the company. Um, and I was one of the youngest and I was one of the few women that were in the room. And I was blown away by that factor. And I went, “I, I need to work at do- doing something about this. I need to help other women.” ‘Cause particularly 20 years ago probably, um, there was a little bit more sharp elbows among women. There were so few seats in leadership that we were competing for them. And I think women weren’t as good as we are today at lifting everybody up instead of competing with each other. Adding more chairs at the table instead of competing for the one that a woman is gonna fail, fill. Um, so those, I think, are really my biggest things that I recommend younger women focus on is be an example to other women around you, above you, below you, beside you, I don’t care. Advocate for yourself. Advocate for other women and support each other. Um, don’t compete with each other. Ryan Embree: Yeah, I love that. I love that story. And I think we, you know, it’s inspiring to hear those, right? Because it, it can be scary sometimes. Um, but to hear those, those stories, those real life, um, you know, personal, uh, examples in front of you, those are the things that maybe get you that extra bit of confidence there. And it’s, it’s very, very cool to see. So, uh, appreciate your work there. And, um, you know, ex- excited to, to share that with those tips for the audience. Definitely wanted to, to, um, go into that topic a little bit. Um, but this is the Independent Hotel Show series. We might change your episode to say Unchained Hotel Series. But, uh, we’ll, we’re gonna. This is. We’re talking today about the Independent Hotel Show happening this year, September 16th and 17th. Uh, Miami Beach. Remember, listeners, uh, don’t forget to use promo code Ryan26. That’s for a complimentary, uh, registration. Dina, you’re on the advisory board. You’ve been a long time supporter of this show. What inspired you? Take me back to when you were first kind of asked to get involved with the show. Uh, what inspired you to get in, like, first involved with it? And how do you see it supporting independent hoteliers? Dina Belon: Yeah. I was, uh, introduced to it before the very first one and asked to be on the advisory board. And it was an immediate yes, and yes, what can I, what can I do to help? Because I knew that there was a gap in our industry in the independent space for a place for independents to get together and have real conversations and real opportunity to collaborate and learn from each other. We’re so isolated, um, in, in many ways. Like, we don’t have a mothership to create all of the stuff, the, you know, programs or education or philosophy or how do you do this? Or what do you do with that? Or, you know, how do you get mustard stains out of the towels? You know, like, anything. Like, we don’t have a mothership that helps us, that hands us a bunch of stuff and tells us how to do it. Each of us are creating all of this on our own. And that’s part of what makes our sector of the industry so unique and great, is that you get a different experience at every property because they’re all created through a visionary process. But there’s also a lot that we could share best practices and adapt what somebody else is doing to what we’re doing. I, like, I love to talk to, um, suppliers and vendors and tech companies, um, that reach out to me all the time because I learn from them. I learn what they’re doing, um, how one of their customers is doing something. You know, like, we constantly have a need for new knowledge and collaboration in our space that didn’t exist. And so this show is one of the only things that are really in our space focused on us and give us the opportunity to do that. It is an incredibly good show. It’s so well curated from, uh, an educational perspective, from the sessions. There’s multiple stages. Um, everything is in one room, which I love. Um, you can, you know, you can be listening to a panel discussion that’s really energizing, and then you’ve got a 10-minute break and you can run over and see a vendor that you wanted to talk to because you’ve only got 10 minutes. And then you get, you know, it’s not spread out. It’s not like the big shows where, you know, you’re gonna have to walk 10 miles to get to something. And the people that are there care and are focused on the independent space. So you’re also not gonna get the eye rolls and the you’re too small and we don’t care about you, and oh, you’re not part of Marriott, uh, you know, conversation, whether with vendors or with anybody, right? The, the people that are here are passionate about this part of the industry and are ready and willing to help anybody that comes to the show improve what they’re doing. Uh, like, I love helping other independent hoteliers, uh, in any way I can. In any context, talking about distribution, talking about guest service, talking about, you know, any, any part, because there are enough customers out there for all of us. I know we’re competitors, but, um, helping, helping everybody lift is a much better strategy than trying to elbow somebody out. Ryan Embree: Absolutely. We’re all in it together. 100% agree. And it’s funny, you know, you were mentioning at the, at the top of the answer about, you know, how independent hotels don’t have some of these resources that the big brands do. Uh, you know, one of the, one of the common things that big brands do is have an annual conference, right? And they get everybody together and, and share ideas and challenges. This is like the annual conference for independent hotel shows. So it’s a sense of belonging. Um, it’s a different energy. It’s a different. It’s, it’s a different type of, uh, uh, of event. Um, it. So real quick, first, uh, tip for any first time attendees that, uh, might be going. Dina Belon: Yeah. Um, I think two. Again, I love my, my two or three points. Um, be curious. So show up curious, um, and, and open and willing to share. Um, because that’s what your, your analogy to a brand conference is perfect because, um, that’s what we’re there to do is help each other. Um, and being curious will help you just be a sponge and take things in. Um, use, use AI in this scenario, um, and help have an AI assistant help you, an electronic one in your pocket, help you remember all the stuff that is gonna come at you because it’s gonna come like a fire hose and it’s gonna be really hard to remember it all when you get home. Um, I use Pocket for anybody who cares. It’s a little tiny device that I literally keep in my pocket. And I push it anytime I have an idea, I can just talk into it. Or I can push it if I’m having an interesting conversation with somebody and it’ll record that conversation. Of course, I ask the person before I do it. Um, but right? So that it, so that you’re, you’re capturing all of that interesting, cool ideas and, um, vendors and sup – you know, people that can support you. Um, it, walk away from an interaction with somebody and they’ve handed you their business card. Take your little device. It can be your phone too, but however you wanna do it and say, “I just met Ryan with Suite Spot and I really wanna be on his podcast. I need to reach out to him after when I get back.” And then your little AI will give you a to-do when you get back, uh, home. So that’s, that’s my number one tech tip. Um, and then I think the other, the opposite of that, which is a little challenging sometimes, is set the technology down and be present and be aware and pay attention. And don’t be on your phone answering emails from your staff back at your hotel. Like, I know it’s super hard to disconnect and, and be present while you’re at the conference, but you’ll gain a lot more if you’re there and you’re listening and you’re talking. Like, if you go to some of the educational sessions, raise your hand, ask questions. Make a point. Don’t even ask a question. If you’ve got an idea that the panel needs to hear, raise your hand and say it. Um, because it’s a, it’s a dialogue. This isn’t a. There’s, you know, we don’t have the president of Marriott and the president of Wyndham sitting on a panel telling us all how to do things. We’re all collaborators that are telling how we’re doing things and wanting to hear how you’re doing it and figuring out how we can share, share those ideas. So be present. Ryan Embree: That, that’s a great. Yeah, that’s a great mindset to, to enter this show into. My tip is gonna be make sure you see Dina Bellin on stage, uh, because she’s gonna be there once again. You’re gonna be moderating a powerhouse panel. Hospitality is not a department. Um, give us a sneak preview, if you can, of what that discussion might unpack and maybe your thoughts on the topic. Dina Belon: Yeah. It’s really gonna be, you know, about how hospitality is a culture. It’s not a silo. It’s, um, it’s really formed over time through behavior and modeling. Um, it’s not training manuals. It’s not a poster on the wall. It’s values. Um, it’s about, um, really taking everybody in your organization, whether it’s ops, which always seems obvious, but the finance departments, you know, HR, uh, the marketing team. Like, is everybody aligned to your mission and values as an organization? And you as a leader, are you practicing, as a lifestyle, the culture of your organization? So hospitality is not about the ops department. It is about the entire organization following a. Identifying first, have you identified? Right? So, like, our mission at Staypineapple is where stays become stories. Um, it’s a cute, cute way to say it, but it is in very real terms. We want your stay to be so impactful and so memorable that it becomes a lifetime story for you and your family. That kind of connection, that kind of sense of belonging, that kind of emotional feeling, um, is what we’re after, and that’s our mission. And so, if I’m not living that lifestyle every day as the leader of the organization, and our CFO, and our accountant, and our HR, uh, manager aren’t living that lifestyle, how can we ask the hotel teams to live it? Ryan Embree: Yeah. Great point. Yeah, it’s, I mean, it’s hospitality, right? And what we’re always trying to, to try to accomplish, uh, at the end of a guest day is to really, uh, not just, not just feel, feel the, the hospitality, feel the s – the, uh, uh, the, the service that we were providing them. Uh, not just feeling like they, they stayed in, you know, four rooms in a, four rooms in a box, right? That’s, that’s what – Yeah. The old saying. Dina Belon: How many hotels have you forgotten – Ryan Embree: Right. That’s a wonderful point. Wonderful point. And a great segue into our next, because I think you’ve got an unforgettable, um, uh, portfolio over there. So we’re gonna do some rapid fire here, Dina, to get to know you and your, uh, portfolio a little better at Staypineapple Hotel. So, uh, we always like to start with our favorite view from one of your hotels. Dina Belon: Definitely Chicago. So we’re in the loop and we look right at the Chicago Theater sign. And then three blocks down the other way, you can see the edge of the bean. And then there’s this amazing jazz mural, uh, from the corner rooms of the building. The, the incredible view. And we’re an urban city center, so views are not generally our vibe. Um, right? It’s usually another building next door. Um, but that one, that is really incredible. Ryan Embree: That makes for a good one. Uh, favorite fun fact about one of your properties? Dina Belon: Oh, uh, this is personal. Uh, uh, Fetch, which is our recycling program, is, um, all built around our dog obsessed culture. Uh, again, we like to be, you know, funny and cheeky. Um, so Dash, who’s our, um, our mascot, um, the pineapple pup. Um, he helps with waste reduction education, the Fetch program. Get it? Fetch, dog. Ryan Embree: Oh, I love it. Yeah. There you go. Uh, favorite signature dish, um, or amenity? Dina Belon: Hmm. Um, there’s a couple. Oh, goodness. These, this is hard. This is really hard. I, I mentioned the naked experience already, so I’ll let that one go, though that is one of my favorites. Again, personal. So you might start to see, I have a little bit of slant towards sustainability. Um, I am. It’s a, it’s a personal topic that I’m very passionate about. Um, our water bottles. Um, it was a huge lift for us to figure out. So, uh, what, I don’t know, five years ago, we used to have, um, unlimited water bottles available to our guests. Um, it’s part of our health and wellness program. We believe that, you know, hydration is a big part of health and wellness, particularly in en – urban environments when you’re walking a lot, you need to stay hydrated. It gave me a lot of heartburn. We were, we were, we were selling, or not selling, giving away a half a million water bottles, plastic water bottles a year. And it just, it hurt my heart. Um, so we were able to partner, um, with Path Water to do a custom 20-ounce aluminum water bottle pre-filled. Um, and we leave that in the guest room complimentary for every guest. And we put a water bar in our lobbies, um, for, to refill those bottles. Um, and that replaced all the plastic water bottles. And so, so now you see really fun, cute, steak pineapple aluminum water bottles all over the airport all the time in our city. Ryan Embree: Hey, there you go. Great marketing goes along with it. Uh, favorite guest experience? Dina Belon: Um, definitely Surprise and Delight, which is our, uh, strategy around that creative, uh, you know, hyper-personalization for guests. Uh, really creating those moments that create memories and stories. Ryan Embree: And then last favorite piece of art. Ryan Embree: That’s funny. Um, we, we happen to have our owner, our founder, Michelle, is a huge art collector. So that is really hard. We have a lot of original art in our hotels that’s from her personal collection. She regularly emails me and says, “Hey, I just bought a new piece, and can you find a place to put it in one of the hotels?” And I’m always like, “Oh my God, I’m running out of walls, Michelle.” But I think my favorite that she has, um, bought for every single hotel is, um, a Martin Goldstein original dog sculpture. Um, he is famous for creating these whimsical, limited edition bronze dogs that are known as Harvey Dogs. Um, and they’re just super cute. Um, and you can find one at every hotel. It’s, it’s one of those, like, Disney where you have to find the Mickey Mouse and Everything. Ryan Embree: Yeah, like a little Easter egg, yeah. Dina Belon: Exactly. An Easter egg hunt at any Staypineapple is go find the Marty Goldstein, uh, Harvey dog. Ryan Embree: All right. Well, there it, there it is. Challenge, um, put out there for our Suite Spot listeners, uh, visiting Staypineapple Hotels. Well, Dina, thank you. You’ve spent, um, quite, uh, some time with us. Um, thank you so much for sitting down. As we wrap up today, we do like to look into kind of our hospitality crystal ball. Uh, try to predict the future, which is becoming more difficult to do every single day, uh, now with every, the technology and AI. But, you know, as president of Staypineapple Hotels, what’s your vision for the future of, uh, the brand? Dina Belon: Yeah. You know, I think we’re gonna continue to expand on our ability to connect with guests and make them feel like they belong when they’re at Staypineapple, that they’re part of the family. And I know that sounds kitschy, but it’s, it’s a very real emotional, uh, mission for us. And, and in the broader context, what we believe the hospitality’s, hospitality industry’s role and responsibility in society is, and will become even more important as robots take over the world. That human connection that a hospitality industry can create, um, becomes an imperative for us to stay connected as a society. Ryan Embree: I agree. Yeah, that was just gonna echo that same sentiment. I think it’s gonna become more and more im- important. So we need, uh, brands like Staypineapple Hotels to, to keep true to that hospitality mission statement. So Dina, thank you again, uh, for taking the time to join us here on The Suite Spot. Any final thoughts before we wrap up? Dina Belon: Just go out there and be you, you know? Uh, don’t be afraid to, uh, come play in the independent space and definitely come to the Independent Hotel Show in Miami and, uh, let’s have a cocktail. Ryan Embree: Let’s do it. Uh, both Dina and I will have the privilege of being down there in Miami. We hope to see you in person. Dina, thank you so much for joining us here on The Suite Spot, and we hope to see you at the Independent Hotel Show in Miami. Thank you. And thank you for listening. We’ll talk to you next time here on The Suite Spot. To join our loyalty program, be sure to subscribe and give us a five-star rating on iTunes. Suite Spot is produced by Travel Media Group. Our editor is Brandon Bell with cover art by Bary Gordon. I’m your host, Ryan Embree and we hope you enjoyed your stay.  

Mayor Frank Ivancie, Pioneer Courthouse Square's most intransigent opponent, gleefully declared the project “dead” in a 1982 speech. In doing so, he accidentally galvanized the citizen group that would prove him wrong. (Portland, Multnomah County; 1960s, 1970s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1405c.pioneer-courthouse-square.html)

This week… Tourism numbers are in for the World Cup and Pioneer Square is celebrating the win. The city of SeaTac wants to build an identity outside of the airport. And the Seattle Kraken are looking for lookalikes for their mascot, Buoy. The Weekly Seattle Podcast Host Rachel Horgan and KUOW Editor Phyllis Fletcher are here to break down the week. We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us. Tap here to make a gift and keep Seattle Now in your feed. Got questions about local news or story ideas to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at seattlenow@kuow.org, leave us a voicemail at (206) 616-6746 or leave us feedback online.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Six months into her tenure at City Hall and Mayor Katie Wilson has a message for Seattle: things are going great, actually. On this episode of Seattle Nice, hosts Erica C Barnett, David Hyde and Sandeep Kaushik dig into Publicola's two-parter with the mayor: a "spicy" interview that covers everything from whether she's the next "sweeps" mayor to whether Chief Shon Barnes keeps his job. Plus, why the council keeps finding out about Wilson's legislation the same way the rest of us do: by reading PubliCola. And what she's doing to fix the tense relationship with the council. Also: a school lunch program got ambushed the same day the mayor bragged about it.World Cup hangover / promise. Seattle's role in the World Cup is over and Sandeep is back to driving his gas-guzzler to work at Pioneer Square, but the vibes (and the Occidental Park jumbotron) haven't fully left. Will Wilson pedestrianize more of downtown for good?The Pioneer Square playbook. Sandeep makes the case that the PDA-led shelter-and-services push that cleared the neighborhood for the World Cup actually worked, and that Wilson wants to replicate it citywide. One catch: there's no money in the budget for it yet.The "Sweeps" Mayor Dilemma: Erica presses Wilson on encampment removals. Wilson's answer boils down to political triage: stop all sweeps and you lose the "political will" to build more shelter. $175 million hole. We discuss the deficit and the looming push for new progressive revenue (capital gains? JumpStart again?), and why Wilson admits there's "no silver bullet."SPD budget in the crosshairs and Chief Barnes stays, for now. Every department's been told to model budget cuts, including police, even as SPD keeps hiring at a pace the city may not be able to afford (starting pay tops $126K after six months). But will they actually cut officers? In the middle of that squeeze, Wilson confirms she's retaining Chief Shon Barnes. The council relationship: still a mess, but improving? Wilson owns some of the dysfunction from the shelter-legislation fight earlier this year, admitting her office was "slow to staff" council relations. There are reportedly efforts now to rebuild those one-on-one relationships, but meetings aren't going great yet.Looking Back: How does Wilson's first six months compare to former Mayor Bruce Harrell?Read the two-part interview in PubliCola:Mayor Katie Wilson at Six Months In: "Incredibly Proud of What We're Accomplishing" (Part 1)Mayor Katie Wilson Says She's "Doing a Reset" on Housing Agenda, "Very Hopeful" About Police Chief (Part 2)If you appreciate the in-depth, behind-the-scenes coverage of Seattle politics, help us keep the lights on. We're a bare-bones operation trying to expand into video, and we can't do it without our listeners. https://www.patreon.com/seattlenice  Send us a text! Note that we can only respond directly to emails realseattlenice@gmail.comThanks to Uncle Ike's pot shop for sponsoring this week's episode! If you want to advertise please contact us at realseattlenice@gmail.comSupport the showYour support on Patreon helps pay for editing, production, live events and the unique, hard-hitting local journalism and commentary you hear weekly on Seattle Nice. 

Hundreds of children in Seattle's immigration court are being called to what’s termed “Mega master” hearings, fire authorities now think someone sparked the nearly 10-thousand-acre Chelan Hills Fire and hear how the World Cup impacted businesses in Pioneer Square and the C-ID. It’s our daily roundup of top stories from the KUOW newsroom, with host Paige Browning. We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us. Tap here to make a gift and keep Seattle Now in your feed. Got questions about local news or story ideas to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at seattlenow@kuow.org, leave us a voicemail at (206) 616-6746 or leave us feedback online.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Beat Migs! This didn't age well.

Urban Visions Founder & CEO Greg Smith's Seattle roots run deep in this city. The fifth-generation Seattleite has developed some of downtown's signature properties, and real estate runs in his family. There are many tales to tell. Jon and Greg talk about bringing Weyerhaeuser to Pioneer Square; the transformation of the Grand Central Building; his views on downtown and the city; the importance of a growing residential base downtown and much more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Greg Smith.

Feliks Banel's guests on this special LIVE REMOTE BROADCAST of CASCADE OF HISTORY from the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park in Seattle's Pioneer Square include folksinger Al Hirsch; Charles Beall, Superintendent of Seattle Area National Park Sites; Seattle City Councilmember Rob Saka (District 1); Dan Evans, Jr.; filmmaker and documentarian B.J. Bullert and her husband Ken Workman, Chief Seattle descendant; Jon Scholes, CEO of the Downtown Seattle Association; Lisa Howard, Executive Director of the Alliance for Pioneer Square; NPS Trails & Rails volunteer Rob Carr; retired NPS Park Ranger Sean O'Meara; NPS Trails & Rails Coordinator Steve Lovell; Historic Seattle Executive Director Kji Kelly; Washington Trust for Historic Preservation Director of Preservation Programs Moira Nadal; architect/UW lecturer Elisa Renouard; historian/journalists Clay Eals and Jean Sherrard of the Seattle Times feature Now & Then; and former Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, current chair of the HistoryLink board of directors. This special live remote broadcast marked the 50th anniversary of the creation of Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park in Seattle and was presented from 11:00am to 1:00pm Pacific Time on Tuesday, June 30, 1976. Special thanks to CASCADE OF HISTORY Field Producer & Roving Correspondent Ken Zick for his invaluable assistance throughout the broadcast, and to Mark Patterson of SPACE 101.1 FM for running the board back at the station. Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park will be observing its 50th anniversary all year: https://www.nps.gov/klse/index.htm Links to more information as well as images related to most topics discussed on the show are often available at the CASCADE OF HISTORY Facebook page: www.facebook.com/groups/cascadeofhistory CASCADE OF HISTORY is broadcast LIVE most Sunday nights at 8pm Pacific Time via flagship station SPACE 101.1 FM in Seattle and gallantly streams everywhere via www.space101fm.org. The radio station broadcasts from studios at historic Magnuson Park – located in the former Master-at-Arms' quarters in the old Sand Point Naval Air Station - on the shores of Lake Washington in Seattle. Subscribe to the CASCADE OF HISTORY podcast via most podcast platforms and never miss regular weekly episodes of Sunday night broadcasts as well as frequent bonus episodes. "LIKE" the Cascade of History Facebook page and get updates and other stories throughout the week, and advance notice of live remote broadcasts taking place in your part of the Old Oregon Country.

Beat Migs! Tune in to hear all about it.

Happy thirsty Thursday! Tune in for our first hand experience.

Seattle wasn't really on my World Cup radar.I knew about coffee, Frasier and the Space Needle, but within a few hours of arriving I found a city that feels completely transformed by the tournament.Mexican fans fill Pioneer Square after becoming the first team to qualify for the knockout stages. Seattle locals give me their honest assessment of life in the city. And after setting myself the mission of finding Australian supporters before USA v Australia, I meet two World Cup veterans from Melbourne who explain why following football around the world has become an addiction.Then things take a slightly unexpected turn.Because somehow I end up chatting to Australia's first professional Power Slap athlete, standing beside a Seattle fire engine draped in an Australian flag.Only at a World Cup.Fan Nation #12: Australia

Seattle has launched a new $465,000 pilot program featuring four solar-powered "smart toilets" in Pioneer Square and SoDo ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. City officials say the restrooms will improve access for residents and visitors while reducing misuse through QR-code access, smartphone entry, and time limits.But critics are asking a simple question: Haven't we seen this before?In this episode, we examine Seattle's previous $5 million public toilet experiment, which ended in vandalism, drug activity, and the city eventually selling the units on eBay for just $12,549. We also look at the new Throne Labs contract, concerns about taxpayer spending, accessibility issues, vandalism reports, and whether public-private partnerships could offer a better solution.Is this a smart investment in public infrastructure, or another expensive government experiment destined to repeat history?#Seattle #WashingtonState #SeattlePolitics #TaxpayerMoney #WorldCup2026 #PublicSpending #GovernmentWaste #PioneerSquare #SeattleNews #LeftCoastNews

CM Bob Kettle says Mayor Wilson is violating city law over CCTV cameras ahead of World Cup //Seattle’s Pioneer Square gets a revamp ahead of World Cup 2026 // UW studying whether GLP-1 drugs, like Ozempic, can treat alcohol-use disorder // The science around GLP-1 drugs and cancer is suddenly getting a lot more interesting // LETTERS

Kelli Russell Agodon is a poet, writer, editor, and book designer whose Dialogues with Rising Tides, was named a Finalist for the Washington State Book Awards. In today's episode, Kelli and Annmarie discuss texting Emily Dickinson, how to write a poem, and Kelli's latest book Accidental Devotions which Traci Brimhall describes as “the kind of beauty you wish to hold forever.” Episode Sponsors: Open Books: Poem Emporium – A poetry bookstore and community space located in historic Pioneer Square, in Seattle, Washington. Stop by our Seattle location or shop at open-books-a-poem-emporium.myshopify.com. Newtonville Books – An independent bookstore located at 10 Langley Rd, in Newton, Massachusetts -- in the old stone building at the north corner of the triangle parking lot. Come for the books. Stay for the books. And learn more and shop online at newtonvillebooks.com. Titles by Kelli Russell Agodon: Accidental Devotions Dialogues with Rising Tides Hourglass Museum Everything Is Writable, co-authored with Annette Spaulding-Convy The Daily Poet: Day-By-Day Prompts, co-authored with Martha Silano Demystifying the Manuscript: Essays and Interviews on Creating a Book of Poems, co-edited with Susan Rich Additional Titles and Authors Mentioned in This Episode: The New Economy, by Gabrielle Calvocoressi Blue Atlas, by Susan Rich Dear Selection Committee, by Melissa Studdard Glitter Road, by January Gill O'Neil Terminal Surreal, by Martha Silano Follow Kelli Russell Agodon: Facebook: @agodon Instagram: @kelliagodon Bluesky: @kelliagodon Threads: @kelliagodon Twitter/X: @kelliagodon Substack: Postcards from a Poet @kelliagodon YouTube: @PoemsYouNeed agodon.com twosylviaspress.com **Writing Workshops: If you liked this conversation and are interested in writing together, please consider the opportunities below. For women interested in an online Saturday morning writing circle, you can sign up here. For anyone interested in a May weekday accountability circle, you can sign up here. For anyone in search of an evening class to jumpstart their creative practice, you can sign up here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bothell High students walk out of classes after board votes to end SRO contract in 2026-27. We all know how these things end up… // Seattle adds four new free public bathrooms in Pioneer Square // 2006: High-tech public toilets going to waste, city told // Southwest Airline Bans Humanoid Robots From Flights After Disruption // Humanoid Robot on Flight Causes Hour-Long Delay at Oakland Airport // LETTERS

Seattle is not getting the economic boom from the World Cup that it expected. Pioneer Square will be car-free on World Cup match days. The truck driver responsible for a massive pileup crash on I-5 back in December couldn’t speak English and was ordered not be on the road weeks earlier. How serious is Hantavirus? // LongForm: GUEST: Snohomish County Councilmember Nate Nehring on a new proposal that would shift the county's approach to addiction and recovery. // Quick Hit: Seattle restaurant owner Bart Evans has a positive update on his fight with the city.

There’s been no World Cup windfall for Airbnb – and hosts are surprised. Seattle to prohibit cars in Pioneer Square on World Cup match days. Report: 2 names emerge as potential Seahawks bidders // Rantz: Lynnwood councilwoman says American flag ‘unrelatable,’ wants Pride flag in its place // TEXTS! 

CHRIS DANIELS (KOMO News) We need to catch up with Chris and get his thoughts on the process of bringing the NBA back to Seattle. What's the latest with the Samantha Bonderman news. Would this ownership group want to move another team to Seattle or is expansion the only option? How confident is he that this will actually get done and when does he think we might find out we're getting a team? With World Cup coming to town this summer, how does Chris feel about the biggest event since the World's Fair? :30- ABC's of the Mariners - D is for Donovan: Brendan Donovan was supposedly going to be ready for the homestand, but now we are hearing he will definitely be on the roadtrip. - E is for Error: do we have to acknowledge a front-office error? - F is for Ferrer: a tip of the cap for Jose A. Ferrer. :45- We close out the show with one last thing! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An audit of the King Country Regional Homeless Authority found that the agency has $13 million unaccounted for. // Crime continues to plague Seattle. A 77-year-old man received a head injury during an unprovoked attack near 3rd & Pine. A woman was shot in Seattle’s Pioneer Square neighborhood. As some states give their residents a holiday from their gas tax, Washington is unlikely to follow suit. Air travelers are feeling the pinch from higher jet fuel prices. // Seattle pickleball players are irate about a plan by the city to remove over 30 courts.

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, a week of Seattle-area startup news shows how the AI era is reshaping the regional tech scene. Q1 venture numbers reveal bigger checks going to fewer companies, with Seattle slipping behind the likes of Austin and Miami on deal volume. And yet the distributed nature of modern startups is complicating what it even means to be a regional tech hub. (Does a mailbox in Pioneer Square really count as a Seattle headquarters?) Founders and CEOs are navigating the shakeout in different ways. Those with enough cash in the bank are eyeing strategic acquisitions, including opportunities to absorb startups caught up in the AI shakeout. Meanwhile, many startup leaders are completely rethinking how they hire and expand. More than a third of the GeekWire 200, our ranking of the top Pacific Northwest startups, saw year-over-year employment declines, as agents boost individual productivity and start to reshape the workforce. Plus: Andy Jassy's shareholder letter signals Amazon is making bets again, in areas including chips and robotics. Driving home the point, the tech giant's ambitious Globalstar acquisition effectively means it's inheriting Apple's satellite roadmap. And of course we have to talk about Allbirds. The sustainable shoe brand, which once challenged Amazon over knock-off sneakers, pivoted to AI infrastructure and saw its stock soar. In our final segment, a trivia challenge on the No. 1 companies in GeekWire 200 history.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Sinking Ship parking garage in Seattle's Pioneer Square has been shuttered due to escalating violence, including a deadly shooting. This closure highlights the ongoing safety concerns in the historic neighborhood. Residents and business owners, including Robin Wilkerson, whose son was killed in the garage, are demanding permanent closure and improved safety measures. The Seattle Police Department is investigating the February homicide and seeking public assistance. The garage's future remains uncertain, pending safety reviews and the outcome of the police investigation. This incident underscores the broader issues of crime and safety plaguing Seattle's downtown core and the need for decisive action by city officials to restore order and protect the community in Pioneer Square. The temporary closure adds another layer of concern for businesses already struggling. Seattle must address the root causes of this violence.

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 the details of three bills just released from the Mayor's office outlining a new plan to add homeless shelter units, a possible partial rollback of Seattle's Mandatory Housing Affordability program, a potential audit coming for Seattle's Human Services Department, the city's request for a review of a CHOP ruling, and... public restrooms coming to Pioneer Square?  If you like this podcast, please support it on Patreon!

Seattle is in earthquake country, and our most recent big reminder of that came 25 years ago this Saturday, when the Nisqually Earthquake shook the Puget Sound region. Seattle’s historic Pioneer Square neighborhood was hard hit, and a lot changed as a result of it. We'll explore how the neighborhood has grappled with its vulnerability to earthquakes while preserving its history. We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us. Tap here to make a gift and keep Seattle Now in your feed. Got questions about local news or story ideas to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at seattlenow@kuow.org, leave us a voicemail at (206) 616-6746 or leave us feedback online.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5pm: 12s raise thousands to repair historic Pioneer Square pergola after Seahawks Super Bowl win // Seattle city crews clean up parade aftermath within hours, police say no arrests // Washington Sen. Cantwell says NBA will move forward on expansion in March // Why Washington’s proposed 'Millionaire Tax' is Olympia’s trojan horse // Why you should think of your beloved Seahawks when the state wants to pass the “millionaire tax” // Seattle reaches $29M settlement with family of grad student hit and killed by officer // After paying out $500 million in 2025, Washington lawmakers attempt to rein in runaway lawsuit costs // Letters

A longstanding movie theater in Seattle is closing. Pioneer Square business are hoping for a boost from Seahawks playoff games. Sound Transit is installing new seats. Guest: New RNC Chairman Joe Gruters. // Big Local: Everett High School students performed a walkout to protest ICE. Thieves stole thousands worth of Pokemon cards from an Everett business. // You Pick the Topic: A UW researcher wrote a vile social media post about conservatives.  

We talk to the Founder & CEO of a company that pioneered human composting as an alternative to burial or cremation. Katrina shares how she went from architecture school to creating this company that ultimately allowed Washington to be the FIRST state to legalize this practice in 2019. Today 14 states have legalized this new option. In this episode we also talk about how the death industry is changing, how she plans to scale, and her biggest architecture fear. All this and your top business stories!Top Stories1. The business of deathIn Seattle, art rises from ashes as cremation gains popularity (Seattle Times)Seattle funeral directors worry we're running out of space to care for our dead (Seattle Times)2. Crocodile closes 2 venuesGoodbye to Madame Lou's and Here-After (The Stranger)3. Urban Visions acquires Grand Central BlockUrban Visions buys Pioneer Square's Grand Central Block at steep discount (PSBJ)About guest Katrina Spade - Founder & CEO, Recompose:Recompose is a company that pioneered human composting as an alternative to burial and cremation. Katrina has her masters degree from UMass Amherst where she developed the concept that led to Washington becoming the first state to legalize this in 2019. Prior to this she was a co-founder of a design build company.About host Rachel Horgan:Rachel is an independent event producer, emcee and entrepreneur. She worked for the Business Journal for 5 years as their Director of Events interviewing business leaders on stage before launching the weekly podcast. She earned her communication degree from the University of San Diego. Contact:Email: info@theweeklyseattle.comInstagram: @theweeklyseattleWebsite: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.theweeklyseattle.com

Episode 77 Your Hands on the Wheel: Rose Cano Teaches Us How Stories Drive Healthcare On this episode host Raj Sundar explores the powerful intersection of healthcare and the arts with guest, Rose Cano—a Spanish medical interpreter, playwright, and cultural mediator specializing in type 2 diabetes care for Spanish-speaking patients. They dive into Rose's journey from theater to medicine, her advocacy for narrative medicine, and her experiences working in Harborview Medical Center's clinics serving diverse communities, including those in Pioneer Square. The conversation unpacks terminology used for Spanish-speaking communities ("Hispanic," "Latino," "Latinx"), emphasizes the importance of understanding patient backgrounds, and shines a light on communication barriers in healthcare. Rose shares creative metaphors and practical strategies for empowering patients and improving self-management for chronic diseases, all while highlighting equity, prevention, and the lived realities of those navigating both healthcare and cultural systems. Find all of our network podcasts on your favorite podcast platforms and be sure to subscribe and like us. Learn more at www.healthcarenowradio.com/listen

Today, Thursday, November 6 on Urban Forum Northwest:*Washington State Representative Brianna Thomas (D)-34th LD represents constituents from Pioneer Square, West Seattle and Vashon Island talks about her legislative priorities and what the state can do to provide assistance to citizens who are being impacted by federal policies. *Washington State Representative David Hackney (D)-11th LD his district encompasses Renton and parts of Kent, WA. He is member of the Budget Committee and he sounds the alarm of the state's economic shortfall. He is also an advocate and leader on the states public safety policy and reforms.*The following will pay tribute to the late Dr. Charles H. Mitchell, Jamal (Martin) Wyatt was a close friend and a University of Washington Husky football teammate of Charles aka Charlie, Audrey Mitchell Jones and Paul Mitchell Charles sister and brother talk about the Mitchell family history and specifically about their brothers accomplishments on and off the field where he was an All American University of Washington Husky football player that went on to play professionally with the Denver Broncos. He became president of Seattle Central Community College and later became Chancellor of Seattle Colleges. His Memorial Service will be Saturday, November 8 at 2:00 pm (PST) at Club Husky 3800 Montlake Blvd. North.*Randolph Cross, Executive Secretary, Seattle's Royal Esquire Club invites you to First Friday and provides information on some of the activities planned for the month of November.Urban Forum Northwest streams live at www.115okknw.com. Visit us at www.urbanforumnw.com for archived programs and relevant information. Like us on Facebook. X@Eddie_Rye.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Helen Schulman is an acclaimed novelist, screenwriter, short story writer and New York Times Bestselling author. In my 40th episode, we talk about the concept of "sympathetic happiness", as she shares her impactful encounter with the Dalai Lama many years back.  She was visiting Portland, Oregon for the first time, exploring the city, when she basically stumbled over His Holiness: he was giving a free public audience in Pioneer Square, Helen had never heard him speak before so she stuck around. His topic was "sympathetic happiness". The idea being that if you can join in the happiness of others, your own happiness will multiply. His deceptively simple and profound theories really struck her - she had been teaching grad school for quite awhile by then, and realised that if she could be really happy for her students' successes, if their joy became her joy her life would become fuller and richer and well, happier. She always felt happy for them, but now she could focus on also being happy through them. It was a small good thing that happened to her that day, but it has really affected the rest of her life and her work as an educator.Once Helen understood this concept, it made it easier and more compelling for her to build programs that she thought would help her students reach their dreams, and also, pragmatically, help them find agents and editors, and outside work.Helen also talks about her new book "Fools for Love" that was just published in July during this recording, and she had a book launch at Rizzoli's in New York City. It's a collection of short stories, that she edited and interconnected so that they relate to each other. She also shares how she learned how to waltz from her grandmother, and how she relearned it with her husband last year in a dance class in a beautiful castle in the South of Germany (she wrote a piece about this for the Condé Nast Traveller).HELEN SCHULMAN is a novelist, screenwriter and short story writer. A collection of stories, Fools for Love, has been published by Knopf in July 2025. Prior to publication, the title story was published in The Atlantic. Her newest novel, Lucky Dogs, was one of Oprah Daily's top ten novels of 2023. She is also the author of the novels Come With Me (San Francisco Chronicle ten best books of 2019) This Beautiful Life (a New York Times and International Best Seller), A Day At The Beach, P.S., (made into a motion picture starring Laura Linney, Gabriel Byrne, Paul Rudd and Marcia Gay Harden, for which Professor Schulman has a screenwriting credit), The Revisionist and Out Of Time (Barnes and Noble Discovery), and the short story collection Not A Free Show. She co-edited the anthology Wanting A Child with Jill Bialosky. Her fiction and non-fiction have appeared in such places as Vanity Fair, Time, Vogue, GQ, The New York Times Book Review, A Public Space and The Paris Review. She is the Fiction Chair at The Writing Program at The New School where she is a tenured Professor of Writing. She is also the Executive Director of WriteOnNYC.com. A 2019 Guggenheim Fellow, Professor Schulman has been a NYFA Fellow, Sundance Fellow, Aspen Words Fellow, a Tennessee Williams Fellow (Columbia University) and the recipient of a Pushcart Prize.####On another note: I am so proud and excited to announce that SHIFT HAPPENS' Season 5 is supported by London based jewellery brand Tilly Sveaas. Its founder, Tilly Sveaas creates gorgeous, timeless pieces that have been featured in Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, The Times, The New York Times etc. … Her jewellery is for women of all ages. Guess who is wearing it too: noone less then Taylor Swift. Go to www.tillysveaas.co.uk and use my code SHIFTHAPPENS to get 15% off. To learn more about my guest Helen Schulman, please visit her Wikipedia page.To learn more about SHIFT HAPPENS, click here To learn more about Claudia's business Curated Conversations and her Salons in New York, Zurich and Berlin, click hereYou can also connect with Claudia on Instagram @shifthappens.podcast and LinkedIn at ClaudiaMahlerNYCThis podcast is created, produced and hosted by Claudia Mahler.

Overview: We explore the powerful intersection of healthcare and the arts with our guest, Rose Cano—a Spanish medical interpreter, playwright, and cultural mediator specializing in type 2 diabetes care for Spanish-speaking patients. We dive into Rose's journey from theater to medicine, her advocacy for narrative medicine, and her experiences working in Harborview Medical Center's clinics serving diverse communities, including those in Pioneer Square. The conversation unpacks terminology used for Spanish-speaking communities ("Hispanic," "Latino," "Latinx"), emphasizes the importance of understanding patient backgrounds, and shines a light on communication barriers in healthcare. Rose shares creative metaphors and practical strategies for empowering patients and improving self-management for chronic diseases, all while highlighting equity, prevention, and the lived realities of those navigating both healthcare and cultural systems. Three Takeaways: The Healing Power of Storytelling & Narrative Medicine Rose Cano's journey beautifully illustrates how storytelling isn't just an art—it's a therapeutic tool. She explains that both the person telling their story and the listener are transformed by the exchange, making it an act of healing, especially when stories relate to illness or wellness. The Intersection of Art and Healthcare for Equity Rose sees healthcare and the arts as intertwined fields, advocating that access to both should be equitable and universal. Her perspective brings attention to the under-recognized link between creativity, culture, and health outcomes, emphasizing that cultural and healthcare equity must advance together for true community wellbeing. Cultural Mediation Goes Beyond Language Translation              Her role at Harborview Medical Center isn't just interpreting words—it's bridging cultural gaps. She highlights real-world challenges Spanish speaking patients face, such as understanding navigation in the US healthcare system, grasping concepts of prevention versus acute care, and negotiating everyday barriers like clinic scheduling, insurance, and pharmacy instructions. Next Step: Visit our website, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Healthcare for Humans⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and join our community to enjoy exclusive benefits at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.healthcareforhumans.org/support/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support Our Mission: Non-clinicians, explore exclusive content and contribute to our collective journey. Be an Active Participant: Go beyond listening. Shape our narrative by co-creating episodes with us. Be part of our community by visiting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.healthcareforhumans.org/support/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Follow us on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@healthcareforhumanspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Mariners lost again last night, but some fans are keeping the faith. Mariners playoff games have given a much-needed boost to businesses in Seattle’s Pioneer Square neighborhood. There’s an epidemic of unpermitted food stands with serious health code violations in the Puget Sound region. // Washington Democrats want to warn illegal immigrant workers prior to ICE raids. The Democrat candidate for Governor in Virginia says it’s “horrifying” that the Trump Administration treats illegal border crossings as a criminal act. Left-wing media doesn’t know how to handle the John Bolton indictment. // A Fox News report found that the Soros Foundation is helping fund the ‘No Kings’ protests this weekend.

The Seattle Times has a ridiculous hit piece about the Mead school board’s policy towards gender identity. A bartender was slashed in the face in Seattle’s Pioneer Square neighborhood. Guest: Saul Spady joins us from Toronto again after the Mariners game 2 victory. // Big Local: Everett is giving residents a free ride to the grocery store. Endangered seal pups originally from Southern California and Mexico were rescued near Ocean Shores. A far-left activist from Orcas Island has returned home after participating in an antisemitic flotilla near the Israeli border. // You Pick the Topic: Tips to make your coffee healthier.

Signature gatherers from Let’s Go Washington continue to be harassed. A 29-year-old’s loaded rifle fell out of his car in Seattle’s Pioneer Square neighborhood. Guest: Saul Spady is in Toronto for the Mariners’ playoff games. // Big Local: A Puyallup business is one of many that’s struggling with higher operating costs and decreasing foot traffic. A new app that helps citizens hold their local leaders accountable is coming to Spokane. You can do goat yoga at the Sammamish animal sanctuary in Renton. // You Pick the Topic: ABC’s George Stephanopoulos exposed himself as a Democrat hack once again in an interview With Vice President J.D. Vance on Sunday. CNN’s Christiane Amanpour claimed that the Israeli hostages were treated better than the average Gazan.

Laura Marie Rivera is running for Seattle School Board District 4, which covers Queen Anne, Belltown, South Lake Union, Downtown to I-5, Pioneer Square area, and parts of Fremont and Wallingford (including Lincoln High School). Her opponent is Joe Mizrahi. This interview is part of our 2025 Seattle School Board Candidate series. Every Seattle voter will vote on four school board races in the general election: Districts 2, 4, 5, and 7.About Laura Marie RiveraRecently completed Doctor of Education (defended dissertation during campaign)Two decades as educator, nonprofit professionalFounded nonprofit on motherhood and leadership (first-of-its-kind study with nearly 1,000 responses)Parent of four: two recent SPS graduates, twins in elementary schoolMember of four unions throughout careerWent to school in San Juan Unified School District, Sacramento, CaliforniaKey PositionsFirst Priority:Restore second school board meeting every monthMore public engagement and better communication with staffOn School Board Role:Directors need to be more flexible beyond policy-settingShould look at individual students and how they're reaching goalsBoard should facilitate responses when systems aren't working for studentsOn Superintendent Search:Need someone with experience managing large budget and deficitWant actual education experience to understand classroom impactBoard needs to improve relationship with superintendent's office and publicConcerned current board hasn't set up next superintendent for successOn District Structure:Flexibility is keyFront-line educators and staff should make decisions (they see kids daily)All kids don't need same things—they're individualsCan't set one approach for 50,000 students at district policy levelOn When Goals Aren't Met:Goals are modest; would like higher goalsMust step down to individual level to understand what each child needsCould be classroom support, breakfast, undiagnosed learning disabilityEach individual child needs to meet standards for best chance at successOn Community Engagement:SPS has talked about engagement and communication for entire decadeReducing public engagement was a mistakeNeed to be thoughtful about what to do with community inputTask force recommendations should not be ignoredOther Positions:Strongly supports SPS non-discrimination policy (though notes it doesn't always work in practice)Sees board role as both trustee and representativeBelieves budget is a moral documentEducational Leader She Admires: Gina Davis (founder of Gina Davis Institute on Gender in Media)Looking Forward to Working With: Liza Rankin (though they don't see eye to eye on many things)Important InfoBallots mailed: October 15th | Due: November 4thAlso listen to: Interviews with all District 2, 4, 5, and 7 candidates at rainydayrecess.orgLaura Marie's campaign: https://lauramarie4seattleschools.com/Podcast info: rainydayrecess.org | hello@rainydayrecess.orgSupport the showContact us at hello@rainydayrecess.org.Rainy Day Recess music by Lester Mayo, logo by Cheryl Jenrow.

Fifteen years after the arrest of Mohamed Mohamud, Portland writer Jamila Osman reflects on the aftermath of that time on the local Somali community in a new essay in Oregon Humanities. Osman grew up in the same tight knit community as the young man who would go on to press a button that he thought would blow up the Christmas tree at Pioneer Square. She joins us to discuss the essay.

It was five year aqo , on August 15th 2020, that true crime author Burl Barer and his daughter, Anea, told true crime stories of Washington State while broadcasting live from Seattle's Pioneer Square. These stories are shocking!

On this solo episode DeVon reacts to the introductory press conference for Portland Fire General Manager Vanja Cernivec (6:35). DeVon also shares his thoughts regarding a potential WNBA lockout (21:12), seeing "The Roots" live at Pioneer Square and where Black Thought now stands on his all-time MC list (26:10), and Shedeur Sanders is announced as QB3 for the Cleveland Browns (37:30).

EXCLUSIVE: A drug dealer declares a right to Seattle sidewalks. A man was brutally assaulted in Pioneer Square during a completely unprovoked attack while walking home from a Mariners game. The New York Times is upset with pushups because it came from RFK Jr. and Pete Hegseth. Guest: Owner of Dinsmore Auto Group Ken Dinsmore has been dealing with the headache of repeated catalytic converter thefts. // Big Local: Arlington Public Schools decided the student that brought a loaded gun to Arlington High School will not return to campus after all. Former Island County GOP Chairman Tim Hazelo has received his sentence for violating a mask mandate. Activists in Lynnwood are pushing for a higher minimum wage. // You Pick the Topic: Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras erupted at an umpire an accidentally hit his own manager with a bat.  

Bon Voyage is a mom and pop vintage store in Pioneer Square that is run by Keith Wilson and Megan Connors. They have been open for over 15 years! This is the final episode in the 3-part series in collaboration with Alliance For Pioneer Square. Audio Engineer: Jake "theDGTL" Hillard @dgtlbeats Videographer (Interview + B-roll): Madeline Reddington @bymadelinejo

On this episode of "Getting To Know Pioneer Square", NAST sits down with Jason Lemons. Jason is the founder of The Lemon Grove which is a vintage store as well as an event space. This 3-Part series is in collaboration with Alliance for Pioneer Square. Audio Engineer: Jake "theDGTL" Hillard @dgtlbeats Videographer (Interview + B-roll): Madeline Reddington @bymadelinejo #Pioneersquare #seattle #TheLemonGrove The Lemon Grove Info: @luckylemonseattle www.thelemongrove.co NAST Insta: @nastpodcast Edited at NAST Studios www.naststudios.com

Arrests have been made in last week's Pioneer Square triple homicide, experts are expecting a challenging fire season in Washington state, and the Space Needle has a new upgrade, in the form of a giant glass elevator. It’s our daily roundup of top stories from the KUOW newsroom, with host Paige Browning. We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us. Tap here to make a gift and keep Seattle Now in your feed. Got questions about local news or story ideas to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at seattlenow@kuow.org, leave us a voicemail at (206) 616-6746 or leave us feedback online.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joe Biden announced he has diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer. A man was attacked in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood when he refused to give several people his food. A shooting killed three people in Pioneer Square over the weekend. // The New York Times published a garbage story about Trump’s approval rating. Tim Walz compared ICE to the Gestapo during a University of Minnesota commencement address. Jason got called a lemming by Chris Cuomo. FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino say that Jeffrey Epstein killed himself. // Edan Alexander received a heartwarming phone call from President Trump.

5pm: Top Stories - Recaps and Updates // 3 killed, 1 critically hurt in Pioneer Square shooting // King County shootings drop, but kids with ‘Glock switch’ machine guns are the new warning sign // Man stabbed after refusing to hand over food to group in Belltown // Family of Ashli Babbitt awarded $5 million settlement // Los Angeles barbershop blasts ‘Baby Shark’ to ward off homeless // What the Hur Recordings Tell Us About Biden’s Memory Decline // White House fires back at special counsel report, Harris calls descriptions 'politically motivated' // Joe Biden's Cancer Diagnosis Shouldn't End Scrutiny of the Cognitive Decline Cover-Up // Letters 

Police are still looking into a deadly weekend shooting in Pioneer Square, Governor Bob Ferguson has one day left to approve the state budget, and Tesla regret comes in a satirical form. It’s our daily roundup of top stories from the KUOW newsroom, with host Cat Smith. We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us. Tap here to make a gift and keep Seattle Now in your feed. Got questions about local news or story ideas to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at seattlenow@kuow.org, leave us a voicemail at (206) 616-6746 or leave us feedback online.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In honor of May’s Hunger Awareness Month, we’re joined by Michelle Douglas, CEO of Emergency Food Network // Randy Brooks, founder and winemaker at Bacovino, tells us about their new waterfront tasting room in Pioneer Square // Spring Pasta Dishes // Liz Philpot, founder of Eat Seattle Tours, shares what’s new on their latest food tours and programs // Chef Rasyidah Rosli is going to transport us to the bustling streets of Thailand’s famous Chatuchak Night Market // Pastry Chef Brittany Bardeleben from Hot Cakes is here to talk springtime desserts // And of course, we’ll wrap up today’s show with Food for Thought: Tasty Trivia!

Voters in Seattle are overwhelmingly supporting a tax on big businesses to fund a social housing developer. Now, that developer has to build housing or snap up an existing building. KUOW reporter Joshua McNichols tells us what comes next and how soon we can expect it. Watch Mayor Bruce Harrell's 2025 State of the City Address here. Watch Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal's community forum here. Learn more about Jazz Night in Pioneer Square here. We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us. Tap here to make a gift and keep Seattle Now in your feed. Got questions about local news or story ideas to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at seattlenow@kuow.org, leave us a voicemail at (206) 616-6746 or leave us feedback online.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.