Soundside

At the turn of the 20th century, Asahel Curtis was a prolific photographer who traveled throughout Washington. His work captured the state as it underwent big changes, owing to rapid industrialization. For decades, a massive collection of Asahel’s glass plate negatives has been held at the Washington State Historical Society in Tacoma. The plates, however, are aging. In the 1980s, historians and staff were able to digitize around 3,000 of his most essential photographs. That left about 58,000 to go. Now, thanks to renewed interest and funding, historians are working on preserving the rest of the Curtis images.   Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.  Guests: Margaret Wetherbee, Head of Collections at the Washington State Historical Society Recommended Links: Asahel Curtis Collection - Washington State Historical Society (washingtonhistory.org) ASAHEL: The Curtis Collection | Cascade PBS See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If someone asked you to name three Rock musicians that are Black, could you? Some people might be able to, but in general there aren’t a lot of them. This is despite the fact that the genre traces its roots back to Black blues, gospel, and rhythm and blues artists in the United States. The rock music industry and academic scholarship of the genre instead tend to focus on white voices. That’s according to research from the University of Ottawa.  Cameron Lavi-Jones says that’s part of what inspired him to create the band King Youngblood, which he fronts. It’s also why, along with co-founder Anthony Briscoe, Lavi-Jones created Black & Loud Fest. The Fest celebrates Black-fronted bands - especially those in genres that don’t  typically feature many Black performers. And it’s returning to Seattle for its third year: next Saturday, September 14th at the Crocodile.   Guests: Cameron Lavi-Jones, frontman of King Youngblood, and co-founder of Black & Loud Fest   Relevant Links: Black & Loud Fest Website See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a new wrinkle in the debate over homelessness policy in the city of Burien.  Last September, Burien passed a controversial ordinance banning camping in much of the city, Meanwhile, a local church decided to step in and offer its property as a temporary encampment for the homeless. Burien requested that the church, the Oasis Home Church, get a “temporary use permit” for the encampment.   They declined to do that and are now bringing another lawsuit against the city, arguing that Burien was infringing on their religious freedom to provide a place for homeless residents to stay.  Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.  Guests: Anna Patrick, reporter on the Seattle Times’ Project Homelessness team Relevant Links: Seattle Times: Burien faces another homelessness lawsuit, this one about religion Seattle Times: SCOTUS homelessness decisions’ impacts in Washington could be unique Seattle Times: Burien poised to kill King County-funded shelter project See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spokane County Commissioner Al French is facing a recall effort over his handling of disclosures of contaminated groundwater in the West Plains.  The “Clean Water Accountability Coalition” is sounding the alarm about PFAS—sometimes called 'forever chemicals’—in well water.  And let's not forget to mention that French is also running for re-election this year, adding another layer to the already heated debate.  Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Guest: Nate Sanford, staff writer at Inlander Relevant Links: Inlander: Spokane County Commissioner Al French faces recall attempt over PFAS controversy  Inlander: EPA, Ecology and Spokane officials urge West Plains residents to sign up for free PFAS testingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the best coffee spots in Bellingham isn’t a cafe, at least according to some of the folks in the city’s unhoused population. Instead, it’s a casual coffee cart that pops-up twice a week, at a free lunch program, known as the Maple Alley Inn. While the coffee is decent, the main attraction is the person running the cart. 85 year-old Ursula DeWit is known for her easy smile and exceptional listening skills. Her kindness has made a significant impact in the lives of people she serves coffee to, including seniors, veterans and families. We’ll also hear from April Ballard who is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Health at Georgia State University about the importance of treating vulnerable populations of people with dignity. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.  GUESTS:  Dr. April Ballard, Assistant Professor of Environmental Health at the Georgia State University School of Public Health Ursula DeWitt, volunteer at the Maple Alley Inn in Bellingham RELATED LINKS:  Background info on Maple Alley Inn Free Lunch Program Striving for dignity in homelessness research and outreach Ballard Kindness Cafe See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Riders packed trains on Friday to see four new stations on the One Line, which now stops in Shoreline, Mountlake Terrace, and Lynnwood. At the 148th Street Station, Shoreline celebrated the occasions with a marching band, speeches, and bubble machines. The suburb has been planning for this moment for years, that’s apparent when you step off the train.  Across I-5 from the light rail station, new apartment buildings are going up. Townhomes line a couple blocks near Meridian Avenue. There’s also road work to add larger sidewalks and traffic-calming roundabouts.  The city is encouraging density and building infrastructure to support more pedestrians, and this is an effort most every city in the state is struggling with. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.  Guest: Mayor Chris Roberts, City of Shoreline Relevant Links: KUOW: Light rail is helping Mountlake Terrace find its heart The Urbanist: South Shoreline Light Rail Brings Suburban Retrofit with Thousands of Homes Seattle Times: Lynnwood light rail is opening. Here’s what you’ll find at 4 new stationsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Being a sports fan in Washington State is akin to riding the Extreme Scream at the fair: big highs, and REAL SUDDEN LOWS.  Yes, I’m looking at you, Seattle Mariners… With the Seahawks kicking off their regular season at home this weekend against the Denver Broncos, hope springs eternal! And it felt like a good time to check in on what’s been cooking at VMAC all summer. The team has a new head coach, and a new slate of players… so, what should we expect?  To answer that question, we’re talking to an expert. GUEST: Michael-Shawn Dugar RELATED LINK: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/author/michael-shawn-dugar/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Members of the King County Council have moved to officially say the county’s youth jail should remain open. The council voted last week eight-to-zero in favor of a non-binding resolution to declare its support for keeping the Patricia H. Clark Children and Family Justice Center in operation – with some improvements.   The move comes just over four years after King County Executive Dow Constantine pledged to shutter the facility by 2025 It was a promise made during the summer of George Floyd racial justice protests. At the time – Constantine said his goal was “shifting public dollars away from systems that are rooted in oppression.”  And he predicted that, “phasing out centralized youth detention is no longer a goal in the far distance.” But since then, the goal has been getting farther down the road. Earlier this year, the timeline for closing the jail was pushed out to 2028 at the recommendation of an advisory committee of community partners. And now, the county appears to be indefinitely delaying that push.  Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.    Guests: Tascha R. Johnson, Associate Executive Director of Choose 180 - a non-profit dedicated to transforming the juvenile justice system King County Councilmember (District 9) Reagan Dunn   Relevant Links: Youth jail should be improved, not closed, King County Council votes - KUOW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Democratic party is riding the Good Vibes Express after its Chicago convention.  And a look at polling averages gives them reason to celebrate: Since becoming the nominee, Vice President Harris has shaken up a relatively static presidential race: She’s now running slightly ahead of former President Trump nationwide.  In swing states, she has pulled even in key areas of the sun belt like Georgia and North Carolina.  Some analysts say you have a more concrete expression of the electorate’s mood coming from right here in Washington State. In fact, in the last several presidential and midterm elections, Washington state’s primary has developed a reputation as a reliable bellwether for the outcome of national general elections.  Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.    Guest: Armin Thomas is a political analyst at Split Ticket, a nonpartisan election analysis firm Relevant Links: A Very Detailed Examination Of The Washington Primary - Split Ticket See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Washington State University's MT James Entomological Collection is the largest insect museum in the state, it holds around three million specimens.  In 2022, state legislators allocated $50,000 for the collection to digitize pollinators,  like bees, moths, flies, butterflies and other insects that carry pollen. Adding the 30,000 pollinators in WSU’s collection to a digital database will open up collaboration for researchers worldwide. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.  Guests: Elizabeth Murray, Telford Family Professor of Entomology and the director of the MT James Entomological Collection at Washington State University Relevant Links: Spokesman Review: WSU makes strides in digitalizing 3 million insect collection M.T. James Entomological Collection website  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.