In Washington State, the average cost of infant care is $20,370, according to , a childcare collaborative that includes providers and families. The cost for four-year-olds averages $15,720—higher than in-state tuition at the University of Washington. These costs are unsustainable and place a significant burden on families across our state.

What’s behind the childcare crisis in Washington state?

To be sure, this is a complex, multi-faceted issue.

Staffing shortages lead to fewer available childcare slots, driving up prices as supply fails to meet demand. A recent survey of over 10,000 providers found that more than half face staffing shortages. Increased educational requirements for childcare workers are one factor preventing otherwise qualified individuals from entering the field. We must take steps to reduce these barriers and provide incentives to attract and retain professionals in this critical industry.

Facility requirements for childcare providers also contribute to the high cost and limited availability of childcare. While ensuring safe environments for children is paramount, excessive regulations can make it difficult to open and maintain crucial childcare facilities.

As policymakers, we must closely examine these requirements and find ways to ease the burden on providers while maintaining necessary safety standards.

Childcare is also about the economy

The financial strain of childcare has real consequences on our local economy and workforce.

According to , nearly 40% of parents with children aged 12 or younger have reported quitting or losing their jobs due to childcare challenges. With the rising cost of living requiring more families to rely on dual incomes, affordable, quality childcare is essential to ensuring employers can find the skilled workforce needed to support economic growth.

Children ages 3 to 5 are in one of the most critical learning periods of their lives. Their future success depends on access to quality early childhood education. During these formative years, interactions with parents, caregivers, teachers, and peers play a crucial role in development. Quality childcare and early education can change the trajectory of a child’s academic career. We must do more to give every child the best possible start in life.

Here’s how Snohomish County is addressing the childcare crisis

While many of these challenges require action at the state level, local governments also have a role to play in expanding access to childcare.

To that end, we were proud to cosponsor legislation to increase the flexibility for siting and permitting childcare facilities in Snohomish County. This legislation was unanimously adopted by the Snohomish County Council earlier this week and is a small but positive step in the right direction. As a result, childcare providers will have a smoother and more affordable permitting process and the map for where childcare centers can be sited is expanded.

The Snohomish County Council also hosted a panel discussion with childcare providers and experts to better understand their specific challenges and identify local solutions to improve access and affordability.

To address this crisis, we need a comprehensive approach. Solutions must include strategies for recruiting and retaining skilled childcare professionals, reforming the regulatory environment to ease burdens on providers, and increasing the availability of quality childcare.

We are committed to doing our part in Snohomish County and urge leaders at the state and local levels to collaborate with providers and families to address these challenges. Together, we can ensure that every child has access to the care they need to thrive.

Nate Nehring is the Chair of the Snohomish County Council. He represents the northern portion of Snohomish County and has served in office since 2017. Nate and his wife, Savannah, live in Arlington where they are raising their three young children.

Jared Mead is a current member of the Snohomish County Council and former State Representative for Washington’s 44^th Legislative District. Jared and his wife, Krystal, live in Mill Creek where they are raising their four young children.

Both are Special Contributors to MyNorthwest.

The City Council and staff want to be clear: the safety of the facility’s residents, surrounding businesses, and the community has been, and remains, the City’s top priority. Kirkland requires Plymouth Housing to provide a code of conduct, good neighbor agreement, and safety plan approved by the Kirkland Police Department before the facility opens.

Here are eight key facts about King County’s permanent supportive housing facility opening this year in Kirkland:

This is not a “homeless hotel” – it’s permanent housing. The former La Quinta Inn in Kirkland is being significantly renovated into apartments. Like any apartment building, all residents will undergo screening and will pay rent.

There will be 24/7/365 on-site oversight. Plymouth Housing will provide around-the-clock staffing and property management.

Residents will access wrap-around services. On-site staff will connect tenants with substance use treatment, case management, healthcare, behavioral health counseling, employment counseling, and more to help them rebuild stable lives.

The Kirkland Police Department will review and approve a safety plan before the facility opens. The City required Plymouth Housing to develop this document before accepting tenants.

All residents must follow a code of conduct to remain tenants. The code of conduct prohibits firearms, weapons, illegal substances, violence, and more. 

All federal, state, and local laws apply to all residents and visitors. Drug use, theft, and violent behavior remain illegal, just as they are for any other Kirkland resident.

The City has not prohibited anyone from speaking on this topic at a Council meeting or rejected input. Since its announcement in 2022, Kirkland has actively engaged the community. Our town hall drew 250 attendees, followed by focus groups with nearly 50 participants. A public hearing featured 22 speakers. City staff have attended numerous community and stakeholder meetings and sent frequent email updates (). The City, County, and Plymouth continue monthly meetings with nearby businesses. Additionally, the City has tried to respond directly to the correspondence it has received to date.

Kirkland faces real challenges with homelessness. The City received over 300 community calls about unsheltered people in the past five years. Our homeless outreach coordinator engaged more than 160 unhoused or at-risk individuals in the last nine months. Because Kirkland does not allow people to camp in parks, on sidewalks, under bridges, or in other public spaces, the City provided 64 households—including 13 children—with hotel vouchers over 29 nights during our recent frigid weather. People experiencing homelessness are here and need our support.

In his op-ed, Mr. Mistele highlights that a homeless person once entered his offices. He asked, “shouldn’t Kirkland be better than this?” Yes, Kirkland should be better than this. Leaving folks unhoused and hoping they go away is not a solution. Helping them is. Supporting a facility to provide stable and safe homes with 24-hour supervision, wrap-around services, a police-approved safety plan, and a code of conduct that prohibits illegal activity is one way we can be better.

Kurt Triplett is City Manager for the City of Kirkland and a special contributor to MyNorthwest.

However, for her shelter, Whatcom Humane in Bellingham, the puppy rush came early.

Over the last three weeks, four litters have been dropped off at the shelter. The 56 little dogs, most under 14 weeks old, are overwhelming the staff and the shelter, which is already at capacity.

“It’s a little bit scary to think about how we’re going to get through this,” Clark said, as she expects the typical onslaught of puppies to arrive in the spring and into summer as they have for years.

The puppies are mostly kept with their litters, with as many as nine in a kennel. Half of the first litter to come in was sent to a foster family to ease the shelter’s burden. A mix of rescues—most of which lack brick-and-mortar facilities like Whatcom Humane- and foster families are helping Whatcom Humane care for the dogs, though Clark says they’re feeling the pressure as well.

“I hear from people every single day in the rescue community that everybody is full, everybody is tired,” Clark said, “Our community is really in a crisis.”

Whatcom Humane is always struggling to keep up with animals

Whatcom Humane’s kennels have been full for close to a year now. As the county’s animal control agency, it doesn’t turn away any pet, from surrenders to strays to those taken from animal cruelty cases.

“When our kennels are as full as they are, it’s putting a strain on our financial resources and it’s putting a strain on our staff to be able to provide the quality care we expect of ourselves and our mission,” Clark said.

The puppies, are adorable as they are, are a frustration to the people who care for them. That’s not because of any action of their own, but rather a frustration for the owners in the community who do not spay and neuter their pets. Clark says there’s an overpopulation of pets in Whatcom County and across Western Washington. Without people addressing it, Clark fears there is “no end in sight” to the current situation.

“Low-cost spay and neuter programs are available in most communities. It really is the way to combat pet overpopulation.” Clark said, “Be the solution in your local community.

She also hopes people will adopt or rescue animals, instead of buying them. All the puppies are on a medical quarantine with the first becoming available for adoption next week.

With so many puppies, Whatcom Humane is allowing people to submit a general application, rather than an application for a specific animal, so people can come in and meet which puppy they’d like to join their family. More information on adoptions can be found on the shelter’s website.

Related from MyNorthwest: 2 pets infected with bird flu in Western WA, possibly linked to food products

had a public hearing in front of the House Transportation Committee Monday. It aims to create a permit system that would allow employer-sponsored commuter shuttles access to these lanes, a move supporters say would ease congestion and promote alternative transportation.

Large tech companies like Microsoft and Amazon routinely use shuttles to move their employees from their various campuses in the county.

Currently, King County Metro is planning to add business access and transit (BAT) lanes in downtown Bellevue, including Northeast 10th Street, 110th Avenue Northeast and Main Street. These lanes are primarily for buses, but drivers of other vehicles can use them to turn into nearby businesses.

Supporters of HB 1980 argue that allowing private employer shuttles to use these lanes would increase efficiency and reduce the number of single-occupancy vehicles on the road.

Bellevue eager to make changes to bus-only lanes

Jodie Alberts of the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce voiced strong support for the bill, arguing that it would maximize the use of transit infrastructure.

“State law prevents employer shuttles from using these lanes,” she said. “These shuttles already help reduce single-occupancy vehicle trips and provide reliable transportation for thousands of employees, yet under current restrictions, they would be stuck in general traffic, limiting their effectiveness.”

Mayor Lynne Robinson of Bellevue echoed those sentiments, emphasizing that the city welcomes King County Metro’s RapidRide K Line project, which would connect Bellevue and Kirkland.

“We have an opportunity to maximize efficiency by allowing employer shuttles to share space with transit buses in the BAT lanes,” she said, adding that the proposed permit system would allow for monitoring and adjustments to ensure public transit remains reliable.

Concerns Over Public Transit Prioritization

Despite support from local business leaders and city officials, public transportation advocates and some lawmakers are skeptical. Michael Shaw of the Washington State Transit Association opposed the bill, arguing that the current law already allows private vehicles under certain conditions but prioritizes efficiency and reliability for public transit.

“We asked that the shuttles be larger than an eight-person capacity. The other is it cannot be done if it interferes with the efficiency, reliability or safety of public transportation operations” Shaw said. “We’d like to see those in this bill.”

Shaw also raised concerns about the bill’s lack of explicit provisions ensuring King County Metro’s involvement in the permitting process. Given that RapidRide routes cross multiple jurisdictions, he stressed that Metro should play a central role in managing lane access.

Striking a Balance

Some groups remain neutral on the bill but suggest modifications. Kelly Reifer of Move Redmond acknowledged the benefits of allowing employer shuttles in BAT lanes but recommended adding safeguards.

“We want to ensure that King County Metro has adequate ability to regulate the number of private shuttles using these lanes so that public transit service isn’t degraded,” she said. Reifer also proposed that employers using BAT lanes should contribute to infrastructure maintenance or pedestrian safety improvements.

The bill needs to pass the House Transportation Committee with a ‘do-pass’ recommendation in order to get into the queue for a vote on the House floor.

That’s apparently what American author Max Ehrmann did when he wrote a poem in 1921. It was distributed in a Christmas card in 1933,

There is no mention of Christmas in the writing, but you’ll understand why I found it appropriate for today when you read it.

So as you get ready for a holiday meal, pause for a moment and look outside. It’s raining in the Seattle area today, but that, of course, IS a Northwest Christmas.

Here is some of Ehrmann’s poem:

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story…

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time…

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from all of us at Bonneville Seattle and MyNorthwest.

The ����Xվ Newsradio news department was crowned the 2023 champion. Their unique mix of props and their timely, relevant design of a car crash into Santa’s house put them over the top.

Get in the Christmas spirit: Listen: The perfect Christmas song mix from Spike and family

The team were rewarded with the ‘Most Classically Beautiful’ design — most of the credit goes to for his meticulous work.

The Sales, Promotion, and Admin departments won the ‘Best Use of Props’ award for their use of a ����Xվ-branded truck and the construction of a radio tower.

The Engineering department — our 2022 champion — just narrowly finished under the wire, but put up a valiant effort.

Last but not least, the MyNorthwest digital team teamed up with the Production and Board Operator departments for the ‘Most Creative’ design.

You can scroll through all the designs at the top of the article or you can click here to view.

We will report back in 2024 to see if the ����Xվ Newsradio team can defend their title.

From 2021: ����Xվ Radio presents ‘A Christmas Carol’

I’ve always been interested in politics. I was a political science major in college and the executive producer of Inside Politics on CNN.

More on local elections: Don’t know who to vote for? We have an excellent resource 

I sat down with my wife Tuesday night to fill out our election ballots. We had our voter pamphlets and our newspapers and also looked up on the net.

I was excited to get to vote on Edmonds mayor because I had been seeing signs all over the neighborhood.

But it was not to be. No mayoral race on the ballot.

I thought, “Could this have been a misprint?” Immediately my journalist brain thought this could be a good story for MyNorthwest.

So I went to the and emailed them about what gives and gave them my address.

They responded quickly with this note:

Thank you for contacting the Elections Division.  Your address is outside of the city limits.  To be eligible to vote on city candidates including the Mayor, you must live within the city limits. We have a map on our website that will show you the boundaries, here is the :

So apparently I live in a neighborhood called Esperance that is surrounded by Edmonds on all four sides. I knew I lived in the Esperance neighborhood, but I didn’t know that neighborhood wasn’t part of Edmonds.

More Kaczaraba: MLB All-Star Game a picture-perfect day for Seattle

This isn’t unprecedented in Washington.

• , is surrounded by ; though also has a coast on Lake Washington
• , is surrounded by ; though also has a coast on Commencement Bay

According to the internet: “Esperance is a census-designated place (CDP) in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. Esperance is an enclave of the city of Edmonds, Washington.”

Wikipedia added:

Five times in the last 50 years, the City of Edmonds has looked at annexing Esperance into the city. In each case, voters in the enclave have rejected the annexation. Issues for annexation include a desire for a contiguous City of Edmonds, continuity of services and a belief that services will be easier to provide. Arguments against annexation include desire to remain part of unincorporated area of Snohomish County, an expectation that taxes may rise with annexation, and the desire to take part in activities that are possible in the county that would not be permitted under city regulations. The latter includes less regulation for building certain structures and the ability to keep animals.

Who knew? The next thing I’ll try to figure out is why I have an Edmonds mailing address. Stay tuned.

Bill Kaczaraba is a Digital Content Editor for MyNorthwest

I am not a big baseball guy myself. But I did really enjoy the Mariners’ playoff run last year.

I am a big event person. I’ve been to a and the when the SuperSonics faced Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls.

I also got to go to the when the ballpark was known as Safeco Field. That was a good time.

But this All-Star Game was special, for many reasons. For me, it started when my wife and I decided to go to I just wanted to be around the action.

More on the festivities: MLB All-Star Week is ‘Disneyland for baseball fans,’ Rick Rizzs says

What I didn’t expect was what we saw in SODO. After deciding we were going to head for downtown Seattle a lot less often because of the homeless problem and crime, what we witnessed this week was a spectacular Seattle. The homeless encampments were gone. The sidewalks were power-washed. There were hanging baskets with flowers. Even the businesses’ windows were clean.

New paint was everywhere. The smell was fresh. And looked the best that I’ve seen in the 40 years I have been here.

All that was reflected in people’s attitudes. The police were kind and welcoming. It was almost as if I had fallen into the colorized version of the Land of Oz.

On the day of the game, I wasn’t planning to go but was tracking the secondary ticket sites. Once a pair of tickets dropped below $300 each, I snagged them. I specifically wanted to take ����Xվ Newsradio anchor Aaron Granillo, the biggest baseball fan I know.

He had media parking and was planning on doing live reports for the radio station. Getting into the stadium was easy. The garage was very organized.

It was an early-arriving crowd. They all wanted to roam around the park.

I have never been to when it was this full. It was wall-to-wall people. Jerseys from all corners of the country could be spotted.

Aaron and I couldn’t believe how easy everything was. While he was doing his live reports, I headed to the where I purchased a $200 American League jersey. My observation of watching merchandise fly off the shelves was how this event was big money.

Outside, you could see fans jam restaurants and outdoor beer gardens.

After a tour of the store, I headed up to our seats.

More from Bill Kaczaraba: Summer solstice brings season of concerts, hikes

I went up and up. When I got to the last row along the first baseline, I found our seats. The day was gorgeous and the impressive skyline of Seattle was sparkling in the sun.

I got there in time for the red-carpet player introductions. Even though it was a nationwide crowd, Mariners fans held the majority.

It was a great game with terrific defensive plays in the first inning to a chance for 9th-inning heroics by local hero Julio Rodriguez.

It was a night Mayor Bruce Harrell and Chamber of Commerce had hoped for. Whether or not it holds going forward, this was the Seattle most of us love. They proved it could be done.

(My knees, however, aren’t what they used to be.)

Bill Kaczaraba is a digital content editor for MyNorthwest.com.

It was a beautiful afternoon and evening in Seattle, not always the case in a city that knows that summer doesn’t officially begin until July 5. Over my 40 years here, I have often stood in a cold, wet mist watching the fireworks at I’ve also experienced, like most of us, the most beautiful road trips and hikes on the planet here.

Macklemore hosts free concert at Neumos in Seattle

Being from the East Coast, I am surprised that we didn’t know more about the Northwest and its glorious summers. What a perfect opportunity to get away from the heat and humidity. All we seemed to hear about was spotted owls. I don’t think I’ve seen one since I arrived.

I spent my first day of summer going to a concert at For those of us of a certain age, seeing her in person is a big deal (Some of my younger colleagues said, “Diana who?” when I mentioned the concert.)

We got lucky. It was a perfect night.

Her performance was great and you could tell that people were itching to break out their summer attire. Most of the time before July, I noticed that even if the days were warm, the nights stayed chilly. Not this evening. Perfect.

The only warning I have about summer concerts is: Watch out for the concessions! Last year, I found a drink at for $38 (That’s not a typo). And at Tulalip, be prepared to wait in a 30-minute line for a hot dog.

Remember all the events of Seafair are coming right around the corner.

After San Diego cancels annual hydroplane race, concerns raised for Seattle’s Seafair

I’ve often heard that people feel pressure around here to go outside when the weather is nice. Don’t feel pressure. Just enjoy. Pay attention to the flowers and the birds. Enjoy the sun shining off the water. Make your summer plans because the outdoor concerts are selling out and the ferries are filling up.

Go on your favorite trips, but also look for new discoveries. Go for walks, not just hikes. Listen to the birds. And be thankful you live here. You’ll be cursing the weather in November.

I heard local anchorman Greg Copeland say: “The days are getting shorter,” last night on the 11 o’clock news. Ignore him and put on your shorts, sundresses, and flip-flops. Summer is here!

The team called Seattle home from 1967-2008, and won an NBA championship and three conference titles. The “Reign Man” Shawn Kemp, the “Glove” Gary Peyton, and player/coach Lenny Wilkens are all etched into the city’s memories.

The organization left for Oklahoma City in 2008 to become the Thunder, but their name and history belong to Seattle. Finally, after more than 15 years since they left home, a glimmer of hope.

“We had the Collective Bargaining Agreement to get through,” Silver said. “We have to finalize a media distribution deal. Then we can get to expansion.”

No mention of Seattle by name, no acknowledgment of the history of NBA basketball in Seattle, but a glimmer of hope for basketball to return to the Emerald City.

A new home awaits, Climate Pledge Arena, even built with an NBA locker room.

Mayor Harrell latest to pick up the torch on years-long effort to bring back the Sonics

It seems destined that Seattle and NBA would enter into a second marriage. One in which the bride and groom will be much happier.

“It’s exciting that it’s on the forefront,” of Seattle Sports Radio said. “They certainly designed Climate Pledge with the NBA in mind.”

It was the lack of a first-class facility that the new owners used to take the Sonics and re-plant them in their hometown of Oklahoma City.

Then-Starbucks chairman Howard Schultz became the villain in the departure story. Many accused him of selling to out-of-town owners because he didn’t get enough help from the powers-that-be in building a new stadium.

They tinkered with a re-design of KeyArena. They had drawings of a new stadium in Renton. None of the plans came together, and it seemed inevitable that the Sonics would be toast.

After they left, the city didn’t want to support the newly re-branded franchise called the Thunder. They also wouldn’t adopt their neighbor and rival to the south, the Portland Trailblazers.

Seattle sports fans are a stubborn bunch. They would rather sit and wait for a new team.

A team that will be called the Sonics and plays in a state-of-the-art facility.

With any luck, they won’t have to wait much longer.

Bill Kaczaraba is a Digital Content Editor at MyNorthwest and a former Sonics season ticket holder.

We had just traded away our beloved quarterback. The man who brought us to two Super Bowls.

Now was playing for the other guys. We were told that the trade immediately made the Denver Broncos championship contenders.

The 12s were already grumbling. Who is this Geno Smith guy?

QB Geno Smith leads Seahawks to improbable playoff berth

I remember hearing people already calling for a change after the preseason.

Now we were opening against Wilson and the Broncos in a Monday Night Football game.

I have had season tickets for the past 25 years. This year I had made it to the sidelines and a whole new crew.

My wife Cecilia was excited because these people were nicer and we were under the roof.

Still, there was a bit of a cloud hanging over the crowd. We had been told by the prognosticators not to expect much this season. At best, we would win four games and be the cellar-dwellers in the division.

Ah, but this was the opening night, where hope springs eternal.

Everyone was saying the key to this game was not to get behind early.

The other question was how the crowd would greet Russell. When he came out, the reaction was mixed, but I heard mostly cheers. After all, we had backed him for more than a decade.

As soon as the opening kick, the crowd returned to normal. Quiet when the Seahawks were on offense. As loud as any crowd in any NFL stadium when Denver had the ball.

As the Associated Press reported:

Geno Smith threw two first-half touchdown passes as the Seahawks’ offense started brilliantly in the post-Wilson era. Denver had plenty of chances after halftime but fumbled twice at the 1-yard line.”

Twice on the 1-yard line? Sound familiar?

In the end, Wilson wasn’t given the chance for a game-winning drive as his new coach decided to attempt a 64-yard field goal to win the game.

The kick missed left. The Seahawks held on to win 17-16 with the crowd chanting, “Geno!, Geno!”

How quickly things change. There was now more than false optimism. Maybe, just maybe, we were going to be ok.

16 games later and after plenty of ups-and-downs we were 9-8 and with a season-ending Detroit Lions win, we were in the playoffs.

Playoffs? Playoffs! We were just trying to win a game!

Seahawks fans donate to Detroit Lions charities following playoff berth

It was a fun season. There wasn’t much rain at home during the regular season.

Hawks fans had gotten spoiled by years of success under .

It looks like we didn’t have to give up hope after all.

Bill Kaczaraba is a Digital Content Editor for MyNorthwest.com and a 25 year Seahawks season ticket holder.

We lost a good friend and colleague in Dori Monson.

There seemed to be many prominent passings as the year faded away.

The winter rain, sleet, snow, and ice canceled many holiday plans.

But we made it through, and the days are getting longer.

Nothing can dim the light that shines from within.”
— 

We send you into the new year with the winter lights from the Tulalip Casino in Marysville.

We wish you a very successful 2023.

Happy holidays to you and yours from all of us!

Track Santa on Christmas Eve with the help of NORAD

Thank you for reading, listening, and engaging with us all year long.

If you didn’t, relive some of the greatest moments from a night Mariners fans won’t soon forget.

Let’s start with Raleigh (aka ‘The Big Dumper’) and his epic blast.

GOODBYE BASEBALL.

HELLO POSTSEASON.

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners)

You know this moment was special for legendary broadcaster Rick Rizzs.

How sweet it is!

Rick’s call still has us crying 😭

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners)

Dave Sims too.

“THE DREAM LIVES! THEY’RE GOING TO THE PLAYOFFS! THE DROUGHT IS OVER!” just doesn’t miss.

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners)

How about some fan reactions? Hosts and producers from Seattle Sports were all over the ballpark last night.

The moment.

🍾🍾🍾🍾🍾🍾🍾🍾

— Justin (@OnAirJustin)

The longest drought is over. 21 years.

— Stacy Jo Rost (@StacyRost)

THEY DID IT!!!!!!!!

— Shannon Drayer (@shannondrayer)

Let the celebration begin!

WE'RE GOIN' DANCING

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners)

🍾🍾🍾

🎥 –

— Seattle Sports (@SeattleSports)

Jerry Dipoto and Jarred Kelenic exchange champagne sprays in the clubhouse.

🎥 –

— Seattle Sports (@SeattleSports)

Seattle sports legends got in on the excitement.

Got chills watching this! So dope

— 🏁 Jamal Crawford (@JCrossover)

🔥🔥🔥

— Bobby Wagner (@Bwagz)

I’m crying!!!!!!!

— Isaiah Thomas (@isaiahthomas)

There’s no better way to end this than Raleigh’s blast set to the Titanic theme song.

Cal’s homer with the proper dramatic treatment.

— Matt Loveless (@MattLoveless)

The discussion will feature Black businesses and entrepreneurs taking over their industries, such as: , , , , , and .

Draze hosts ‘Building Black Wealth’ forum with Seahawks legends

“The Northwest has in many ways been a leader when it comes to pushing the envelope towards equality,” Draze said. “Building Black Wealth is the next step towards ensuring Black communities are properly supported. Not with handouts, but as entrepreneurs and contributing members of our society.”

For more information about Building Black Wealth, visit .

He served in the Eighth Air Force.

A book was written about him and his squadron, , by Neal B. Dillon, was the only way I knew about his service.

He died more than 50 years ago.

As Dillon wrote, “World War II Army Air Corps flyers were an elite group, all young volunteers, specially recruited and trained to perform highly skilled combat jobs.”

Pilots “fought a type of war in the air that the world has never experienced and would likely never see again,” he continued.

Biden marks Memorial Day lauding generations of fallen US troops who ‘dared all and gave all’

My father was born in 1919, the son of Ukrainian parents. He enlisted in 1941.

The 547th Bomb Group, led by dad, had trained with his crew in Moses Lake.

In the war, Lt. William Kaczaraba was based at Grafton-Underwood Air Base in England.

On one mission over Breman, Germany, my father’s squadron was taking flak and his plane was hit three times. Another B-17 was hit and spiraled downward. Four of the crew bailed out. Six others would die. Other B-17s in the squadron were crippled.

The standing order is that no aircraft will leave formation to aid others that can’t keep up. The reason: breaking formation would weaken the squadron as a whole.

As the remaining planes were trying to escape, one crew member radioed to Lt. Kaczaraba, “We must go back and help.”

My dad questions the crew, “Is that what each of you want to do?” All say yes.

Kaczaraba immediately throttles back and banks up to form-up with the crippled aircraft. The squadron is now taking on 25 German fighters.

The air fight lasts more than three hours. They fired 5,000 rounds.

Finally, the Germans give up and begin their return to base.

My dad’s squadron, smaller than when they began, can now see the English Channel. But now fuel is low.

All unnecessary equipment is thrown overboard.

The squadron made it home to base… barely.

However, it was not a warm welcome for dad.

“Lt. Kaczaraba, today you and your crew disobeyed the rule of formation by going to the aid of two crippled bombers. I could, and should, have you court-martialed,” the base commander told him.

“However, in view of the fact that your crew saved the lives of 20 airmen and two aircraft, I am giving you a verbal reprimand only.”

On Tuesday, January 4, 1944 my dad’s plane was shot down over Denmark. He survived the crash, but was captured by the Nazi’s.

He and his crew had flown a dozen successful missions over Germany. This one was not.

Eventually, dad and his crew were taken to Stalag Luft I in Barth, Germany, where they were imprisoned until the end of the war 18 months later.

In WWII, American POWs could not be considered passive victims, grounded and inoperative. Every POW was briefed and trained to understand that, if captures, he was to consider himself an active resistor and distract captors through escape efforts.

Dad took this to heart. At Stalag Luft I, digging tunnels was an everyday occurrence.

Dad left the war as a proud war hero but was deeply impacted by life as a POW.

There are some who believe we do too much for our veterans. I am one who believes we cannot do enough.

Bill Kaczaraba is a Digital Content Editor for MyNorthwest.com.

The information, quotes, and photo in this article are from , by Neal B. Dillon, published by Hellgate Press.

Sonics’ Lenny Wilkens immortalized in namesake at Climate Pledge Arena

Talk of a potential expansion team in Seattle has come up as recently as 2021, when then-Mayor Jenny Durkan expressed how about discussions she’d had with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. That was buoyed by stating the conditions appeared to be “favorable” for the return of the Sonics, particularly as the league sought to recoup lost revenue from the pandemic. A year prior, was also likely to be “first in line” if the NBA did eventually expand past 30 teams in the near future.

In a speech delivered as part of a 60th anniversary celebration for the Seattle Monorail this week, Mayor Bruce Harrell again stoked the flames.

“Some of us remember when we would get on this thing and go to a Sonics game,” he recounted. “I’m not going to start any rumors, but we are working on that.”

Rumors or not, past mentions of efforts to bring the Sonics back home have almost always raised questions, with Harrell’s office clarifying his comment in a subsequent statement to MyNorthwest on Wednesday, pointing out that he “frequently met with leaders and groups committed to the team’s return” during his time on city council.

“Mayor Harrell recognizes the tremendous and lasting impact of the Sonics on building community morale and civic pride across Seattle,” spokesperson Jamie Housen wrote. “He’s continuing those discussions to ensure the Mayor’s Office and City of Seattle are active and engaged in efforts to bring the Sonics back.”

It’s been reported that in order to secure an expansion team, an ownership group would need to pay roughly $2.5 billion dollars in addition to having an NBA-caliber arena. With the newly-renovated Climate Pledge Arena opening to the public in October of 2021 — and currently playing host to the Kraken and Storm — the hope is that at least one major piece of the puzzle has fallen into place.

Whether that will finally see a years-long wish from Seattle sports fans come to fruition remains to be seen.

Consent decree, homeless response highlights of Mayor Harrell’s ‘State of the City’

Disagreements between Seattle’s previous mayor, Jenny Durkan, and city council began almost the moment she took office. That included a battle over how the city was spending its soda tax revenue in 2018, a stalled nomination for a new Human Services Department director in 2019, and calls for Durkan to resign from at least three councilmembers in the wake 2020’s social justice protests.

The relationship was punctuated by one final clash in the closing weeks of Durkan’s mayoral term in 2021, which saw the mayor and Councilmembers Alex Pedersen and Dan Strauss publicly feud over a long-promised plan from the mayor’s office for stronger tree canopy protections.

In the run-up to the 2021 election, Harrell emphasized the need to reset the mayor/council relationship.

“I do not like settling or resolving conflicts in the newspaper or through press releases, I think that’s ineffective,” Harrell told MyNorthwest last October, citing a strategy that became common over Durkan’s tenure.

“I think that the residents of the city don’t respond well to public disagreements,” he added. “They see the city as one entity and it’s extremely off-putting when they see these internal conflicts, and then everyone loses.”

As part of his State of the City address on Tuesday, Harrell again stressed how he hopes to rebuild the relationship between the mayor’s office and city council.

Can Seattle finally stabilize mayoral role mired in controversy, single-term tenures?

“‘One Seattle’ means a renewed focus on good governance and tangible progress, on nuance and conversation,” he said. “I believe this group, right here, can – and will – set a new tone and a new example for what can be achieved when we hit reset and chart a shared agenda for our City – together.”

He then went on to address each councilmember individually by name, detailing the aspects of their personalities and politics that he admires, ranging from Council President Debora Juarez’s “responsiveness and collaborative nature,” to how District 3 Councilmember Kshama Sawant “cares deeply about addressing inequality.”

Harrell closed his speech by remarking on how “the path forward requires empowering each other — the executive team, our department directors, and you, the City Council,” signaling his hopes for a move away from four years of discord in city hall.

The data comes from the residents who applied to license their new pet in 2021. In total, people registered 66,279 dogs and 27,020 cats last year. Sorry cats, you’re still outnumbered in King County.

Top 10 dog names
1) Bella
2) Lucy
3) Max
4) Charlie
5) Buddy
6) Daisy
7) Luna
8) Bailey
9) Cooper
10) Molly

Top 10 cat names
1) Luna
2) Lucy
3) Bella
4) Max
5) Shadow
6) Charlie
7) Kitty
8) Jack
9) Lily
10) Oliver

The county says if a licensed pet, like Shadow or Charlie, are lost, whomever finds these poor cats can call the number on the pet’s tag 24/7 and the pet will be reunited with their owner. And it’s a free ride home (for the first time they’re lost … let’s not make a habit of this)!

You can get a pet license . Also, many city halls and QFC stores sell pet licenses.

Gene Mueller, D.V.M., the manager of Regional Animal Services of King County (RASKC) noted in a news release, “Licensing our pets helps protect them if they ever become lost. You can register your pet’s microchip along with your pet license record so if a pet slips away without a collar, our field officers and the RASKC shelter can quickly reunite you with your pet. It provides great peace of mind.”

Did you hear that, Buddy?

Voices behind Compassion Seattle, ‘Seattle is Dying’ series score new roles in city hall

Leaving office at the start of the new year will be outgoing Mayor Jenny Durkan, Councilmember Lorena Gonzalez, and 12-year incumbent City Attorney Pete Holmes. The people entering into those roles each represent a shift away from their predecessors, starting with the city’s incoming mayor.

Mayor Bruce Harrell

While many of Durkan and Bruce Harrell’s policies regarding key issues like homelessness, policing, and housing bear similarities, Harrell’s own positions align with a push toward more moderate policies.

Harrell has frequently voiced his support for measures laid out in Compassion Seattle’s proposed ballot initiative. Before it was struck down by a judge, the initiative had sought to mandate 2,000 new shelter beds or permanent housing units within a one-year period, while codifying a requirement to keep parks and public spaces clear of homeless encampments.

While Harrell has detailed plans to implement the housing requirements laid out by Compassion Seattle, he has balked at clarifying whether he would support a mandate to keep parks clear of camps.

“I think that it’s an unfair narrative to try and use as a litmus test for one’s compassion towards people who are homeless,” he told MyNorthwest in October. “I believe in a healthy parks system; I believe sidewalks should be used for ingress and egress, and my full devotion will be to housing the homeless. I have decades of work in this area, and I do not subscribe to the narrative that under my administration we will be so heavy-handed that we will criminalize poverty.”

Harrell also appointed former Councilmember Tim Burgess to be his director of strategic initiatives. Burgess was one of the architects of Compassion Seattle’s proposal, leading substantial fundraising efforts for the measure up until it was struck down in court.

The incoming mayor will lead shakeups of other departments as well, after asking incumbent Seattle Department of Transportation Director Sam Zimbabwe to step down in December. Harrell cited a goal to have a more “balanced transportation ecosystem” that recognizes “the role of cars and new electric vehicles” as one of the factors behind his decision. While a search begins for a permanent replacement, former SDOT head Kristen Simpson will serve as interim director.

Harrell will be tasked with leading a nationwide search for a new police chief as well, with Adrian Diaz having served in the role in an interim capacity since September of 2020.

City Attorney Ann Davison

Aside from the fact that Ann Davison will become Seattle’s first Republican city attorney since 1989, her office will feature a sizable amount of turnover in staff to boot.

According to estimates from outgoing City Attorney Pete Holmes, roughly 25% of assistant prosecutor positions were vacant as of early December. This comes amid a backlog of over 3,800 unfiled criminal cases dating back two years, a trend consistent with city attorney offices in other cities across the United States due to pandemic-driven court closures over the last year-plus.

Davison will take office with a notable name serving as her deputy city attorney in Scott Lindsay. Lindsay previously served as a public safety advisor for former Mayor Ed Murray, before mounting an unsuccessful campaign for city attorney in 2017.

More recently, Lindsay authored a now-infamous report on Seattle’s “prolific offenders,” was featured prominently in KOMO-TV’s “Seattle is Dying” feature, and he was credited as a co-producer on the follow-up, titled “Fight for the Soul of Seattle.”

City councilmembers have expressed concerns over Davison’s tough-on-crime promises for the office, having introduced a bill in December that would lay out reporting requirements for her surrounding diversionary justice. Signaling between her and the council, she responded to that bill by implying it was related to the fact that she will be the first woman to serve as Seattle city attorney.

“None of my male predecessors faced a single preemptive move by Council to establish reporting requirements,” she said at the time.

Seattle City Attorney-elect slams council’s ‘rushed’ effort to change diversion rules

Seattle City Council

Seattle City Council won’t be without its own changes in 2022, starting with new at-large Councilmember Sara Nelson.

Nelson operates at a similar end of the political spectrum as Harrell, voicing support for increased police staffing and Compassion Seattle’s homelessness proposals, and issuing criticism for the council’s “far left agenda.”

Sara Nelson: Wins for moderate candidates prove Seattle’s ‘political landscape has shifted’

Her arrival also marks the departure of Councilmember Lorena Gonzalez, who lost to Harrell in the mayoral election. Gonzalez’s policies during her tenure on the dais aligned with her progressive colleagues, with Nelson likely to join Debora Juarez and Alex Pedersen in the more moderate wing of councilmembers.

With Gonzalez leaving, that also leaves a vacancy for council president. Generally, the position — which councilmembers vote on themselves — goes to a longer-tenured member. Bruce Harrell served as council president after eight years on the dais, while Gonzalez was appointed after five. As of now, Kshama Sawant is the longest tenured city councilmember at eight years as of 2022, followed by Lisa Herbold and Debora Juarez at six years each, and Teresa Mosqueda at five years.