This and That, May 18, 2023

• KUOW won several Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, one for their continuing coverage of the Ingraham High School shooting. 

• KUOW also covered the Board meeting last night where the Board gave approval to the Superintendent's fiscal plan. I should read that particular BAR closely because it might give some important clues to what gets cut (like the Washington Middle School jazz band teacher). One quote from the story:

This summer, the district also plans to complete a fiscal analysis of all programs where expenditures and revenues remain "significantly misaligned." In special education, for example, officials anticipate spending $125 million more than they get in revenue from the state.

This could be where the district staff finally get to axe programs they haven't really supported, blaming finances. I also might check that Special Education number; $125M seems like a lot larger a sum than I recall seeing.

• Speaking of the Board meeting, the overwhelming majority of speaker signed up to talk about how the Metro system for football puts players in danger. Indeed, the football coach at Lincoln High School resigned over the issue.  There were also several speakers talking about the seemingly dangerous situation around safety at Frankin High School especially with unauthorized people on campus and damage to the bathrooms. It's to the point where parents have been trying to institute a "parent hallway" program. Wonder if Superintendent Brent Jones was listening. Forty-four people signed up to speak last night which is a very large number indeed. 
  

• One piece of good news is the announcement of the Garfield "Super Block" - this story comes from the Capitol Hill Seattle Blog. The article has many great sketches to view.
  

The Garfield Super Block Coalition has completed a master arts plan that is being reviewed by the Seattle Parks Department which is working to add public art throughout the $8.4 million promenade and public space project and is wrapping up their design process for the overhaul of this Central District block with hopes to start construction in summer 2024.

The plan is to include art from eight public art pieces with seven pieces being from different ethnic groups such as the Duwamish, Jewish, African-American, Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, and Italian communities that have helped shape the Central District. The last piece will be a collaborative piece from all seven ethnic groups.

The art will join the Legacy and Promise Promenade, a pathway fulfilling the long-envisioned goal of connecting Horace Mann School, now home to Nova High School, just on the other side of Cherry with the Quincy Jones Performing Arts Center in the center of the Garfield High School campus.

Being a public project requires them to have all their funding to begin construction. So far they have raised $6.5 million and need $2 to 3 million more. While the park itself is being funded through public dollars, the coalition is hoping to use private dollars for the artwork so they have fewer restrictions.

The majority of funds raised for the park have been through amendments in the city’s budget with the help of Councilmembers Kshama Sawant and Teresa Mosqueda. The coalition has also received federal and county funding.

Where does SPS come into this? I had forgotten about this:

CHS previously reported that as part of the public process to approve building a new Quincy Jones Performing Arts Center, Seattle Public Schools had to be approved to get a variance in order to build fewer than the required number of off-street parking stalls. As part of that process, the district was required to provide a public benefit as a mitigation.

• Rabbit Box Theater is a new venture in Pike Place Market that wants to include programming for kids. From Seattle's Child:

The Rabbit Box Theatre, a bar, restaurant and arts venue, opened in Pike Place Market last November. But, don’t let the literary-inspired craft cocktails and regularly scheduled rock n’ roll shows fool you — Rabbit Box is family-friendly until 10 p.m. and its founders are planning an ambitious roster of kid programs and events starting this month. 

Toward that end, Hawthorne and her collaborators working on a variety of programs for kids, including classes, show-and-tell events, storytelling hours, puppet shows, and more. Summer theater camps are also in the offing.

In the meantime, the venue has already hosted several family-friendly drag nights since opening. Performers edit their shows for “the language of family,” Hawthorne explains. And, they include Disney songs and moments of crowd work where they engage with kids in the audience. 

The Theater’s first kid-hosted bingo night, which Hawthorne says will become a regular offering, takes the stage Saturday, May 20th from 3 to 5 p.m. And in June, the venue will host a family-friendly scavenger hunt.

“Part of the reason we want to create this monthly event for a deaf audience is that it’s hard to find places for kids’ interests anyway, and then I think some kids really get left out,” she says. 

Hawthorne says she welcomes community input and ideas from families about future programming for kids. Contact her with your ideas through The Rabbit Box Theatre’s website.