Seattle Weekly’s 2018 Year in Review

Published 2:20 pm Friday, December 28, 2018

NEWS

• We reported on the green card backlog that put hundreds of thousands of high-skilled workers on H-1B visas in immigration limbo. We also covered how thousands of Indian women on H-4 visas have been denied the right to work.
• Seattle City Council passed the much-ballyhooed head tax … and then repealed it when businesses pressured them.
• We investigated how the Northwest Detention Center was providing inadequate medical care for its inmates.
• We traveled to “Iron Mountain” to profile King County junkyard king Charles Pillon’s battle with the local government.
• Local transgender activist Danni Askini fled to Sweden seeking asylum after threats and feeling unprotected by U.S. law enforcement.
• Seattle and King County’s plan to address regional homelessness remained a muddled mess, caught between multiple unclear task forces.
• Some children taken from their families as part of President Trump’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy wound up in Seattle area shelters.
• We dug through hundreds of public records to show how federally funded facilities in the area struggle to maintain the health and safety of minors awaiting immigration proceedings.
• Carmen Best became the first African American woman to serve as chief of the Seattle Police Department.
• Minor gun-control legislation passed in the Washington Legislature, but local students continued to push for more as part of the National School Walkout.
• As the housing crisis continued, we examined how the odds are stacked against low-income tenants in the county’s eviction court system. Another investigation revealed that low-income housing providers in the area have used contracts to end lease agreements, documents that tenants’ rights advocates say exploit and expel vulnerable residents.
• Legislators faced a backlash after attempting to shield themselves from public records laws before Gov. Inslee ultimately vetoed the bill.
• Seattle’s straw ban went into effect, but the lack of clear messaging left members of the local disabled community—who physically struggle to use paper straws—feeling ignored.
• Democratic socialist Sarah Smith attempted to unseat Democrat Adam Smith in Washington’s 9th Congressional District by appealing to left-wing voters, but ultimately came up short.
• Public defender Daron Morris challenged the seemingly untouchable Dan Satterberg for the job of King County Prosecutor before having to withdraw from the race due to medical concerns.
• We looked into how the bail system in Seattle and King County is especially harsh on the poor.
• The plans for King County’s new youth detention center in the Central District continued despite activists’ outcries.
• The debate over safe injection sites for opioid users continued, including plans for a site in the suburbs being put on hold and discussions about mobile sites. Most recently, courts prevented a anti-safe injection site initiative from going to the ballot.
• Washington Department of Health officially recognized an identification option for gender nonbinary people.
• The University of Washington laid out plans to close its Rainier Valley laundry facility, potentially costing over 100 jobs for the laundry workers.
• The diverse student body of Licton Springs K-8 (and their parents) fought to keep their inclusive school alive.
• Seattle City Council approved a controversial police contract that critics say stripped away police accountability measures.
• Washington voters rejected the carbon tax initiative (I-1631), continuing a trend of voters rejecting green laws.
• Anti-ICE organizer Maru Mora-Villalpando continued to rally her supporters while facing the threat of deportation.
• We examined how the downfall of Seattle chain Tully’s Coffee can be traced to Michael Avenatti, the prominent anti-Trump attorney who represents Stormy Daniels.
• We looked at how Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church shutting things down illustrates a clash between religious tradition and modernity in the Pacific Northwest.
• King County continued on the path toward an electric bus fleet.
• Washington state finally approved prepaid ballot postage.
• Seattle’s LGBTQ elders pushed for more senior housing tailored to their community.
• Despite some controversy regarding her opposition of the new youth detention center, Anita Khandelwal was named the new lead of King County’s Department of Defense.
• We examined how local communities are preparing for the potential of a devastating Pacific Northwest earthquake.
• Microsoft co-founder, Seahawks owner, and arts philanthropist Paul Allen died of cancer at the age of 65.

ARTS & CULTURE

• Sub Pop celebrated 30 years of being Seattle’s defining record label with the SPF30 blowout at Alki Beach, and we marked the occasion by picking the best song from every year of the label’s existence.
• Developers unveiled plans to tear down The Showbox to build luxury apartments, but the Save The Showbox movement has at least temporarily delayed its demise.
• After 17 years of innovative rocking, Minus the Bear broke up after three sold out nights at The Showbox.
• Seattle musicians put out a ton of great records, but these were our “Top 10 Seattle Albums of 2018.”
• The breakout film from the 2018 Seattle International Film Festival was Eighth Grade, and we chatted with writer/director Bo Burnham and star Elsie Fisher.
• Sloucher unapologetically tapped into ’90s rock on its debut album, Be True.
• Seattle Symphony and composer John Luther Adams had a tall task following up the Pulitzer- and Grammy-winning Become Ocean, but Become Desert lived up to the hype.
• Between Hamilton’s first Seattle run and Seattle Rep’s entertaining production of In the Heights, it was a good year for Lin-Manuel Miranda stans.
• Pearl Jam finally played some Seattle concerts, and the sets at Safeco Field proved the band’s value as rock archivists.
• Seattle’s visual arts world fostered a conversation about black artists through a host of exhibitions.
• Beth Barrett and Sarah Wilke helped usher SIFF into a new, more inclusive era for women.
• We didn’t know it’d be the final edition of the Sasquatch! Music Festival at the time, but we still soaked in all of its best moments (and took some killer photos).
• Steve Martin and Martin Short gabbed with us about the art of the comedy duo.
• Bellevue Art Museum’s Polaroids: Personal, Private, Painterly mixed fine art and voyeurism.
• Seattle Opera hit all the right notes with its culturally engaging version of Porgy and Bess.
• Wild Powwers kept grunge alive in Seattle, even if that wasn’t the band’s intent.
• Kremwerk further established itself as the go-to spot for Seattle’s undeground dance music scene.
• Whitney Ballen proved she’s more of a shooting star than a sinking ship, no matter what her album title may suggest.
• Valtesse Productions brought a female-driven noir cinematic sophistication to the local burlesque community.
• Clock-Out Lounge opened in Beacon Hill, offering a prime hangout spot for lovers of music, comedy, drinks, and pizza.
• Brandi Carlile had a breakout year with her album By the Way, I Forgive You, which garnered six Grammy nominations.
• Mercer Island’s Caroline Fraser won the Pulitzer Prize for her biography Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder.
• Pedro the Lion’s return spotlighted how David Bazan targeted the patriarchy even in its religiously rooted heyday.
• Julien Baker discussed the girl power of her singer-songwriter supergroup, Boygenius.
• Tune-Yards critically reflected on the musical whiteness of her worldbeat art pop.
• We picked out 5 must-see acts for the summer festival season, and—quite honestly—we nailed it.
• Pacific Northwest Ballet opened its season with an in-depth look at the works of Jerome Robbins.
• Ballard Civic Orchestra brought a communal Latinx voice to the city’s orchestral landscape.
• Mike Daisey brought a confrontational and entertaining history lesson to Seattle Rep in the 18-part A People’s History.
• A host of re-opening galleries further boosted the already thriving Capitol Hill Art Walk.
• The comedic minds behind Off Book: The Improvised Musical podcast discusses the method to their comedic madness before performing at Bumbershoot.
• Mozart met the #MeToo movement in The Core Ensemble’s ambitious production of Don Giovanni.
• Mystery Science Theatre 3000 host Jonah Ray talked about the show’s 30th anniversary.
• We attempted to be your seasonal guide with our power rankings of holiday arts events and breakdown of summer activities.
• On the Boards and Velocity Dance Center continued to push creativity under new leadership.
• Ludovic Morlot began his final season at the helm of Seattle Symphony.
• Hugo House finally opened the doors of its new home.
• Aidan Lang announced he would be leaving his role as Seattle Opera’s general director.
• The Nordic Museum opened its new home, which is less homey than it’s old home.
• And, as per usual, we wrote about your favorite local artists for “Best of Seattle 2018: Arts & Entertainment.”

FOOD

• Phnom Penh Noodle House—a staple for both food lovers and the local Cambodian community—closed its doors.
• We tried to help you feast like a king on the cheap with “10 Seattle Bites Under $10.”
• Seattle restaurants cut out the farm-to-table middleman by sourcing fresh ingredients from their own rooftop gardens.
• The Shambles showed Seattle what a comforting neighborhood restaurant/bar should be.
• New options emerged in Seattle’s much-maligned deli scene.
• Joli brought a feminine twist to French bistro comfort food.
• The much-hyped Salt and Straw finally opened two locations in Seattle.
• Things got cheesy—in a good way—when we sought out 12 of Seattle’s best spots for cheese delights.
• La Teranga dished up plates of authentic West African cuisine.
• Columbia City continued to be an underrated hotspot for Seattle foodies.
• Quick Pack Food Mart offered fried chicken so good that you almost want to keep it a secret.
• The comedic food podcast Spilled Milk served up entertaining listens.
• Seattle Weekly’s longtime food critic Nicole Sprinkle bid adieu.
• And, of course, we covered all your favorite dining, drinking, and toking pick in our “Best of Seattle: Food & Drink.”

SPORTS

• We broke the story of how King County planned to allocate $180 million in tax money towards Safeco Field upkeep, and that the Mariners wouldn’t sign a new lease until they got that money. After public outcry, the funding still passed, but was reduced to $135 million.
• After years of the National Hockey League flirting with putting a team in Seattle—which raised the hopes of local puckheads—the yet-to-be-named expansion franchise became official in December. NHL hockey is on its way to Seattle Center in 2021.
• The Seattle Storm dominated the WNBA season led by league MVP Breanna Stewart. After a thrilling Western Conference Finals performance by Sue Bird, the team went on to capture its third championship.
• Things looked bleak heading into the Mariners’ season before the team put together a surprising first half of the season. Unfortunately, the M’s cratered, which led the franchise to trade James Paxton and go into full-blown rebuilding mode.

POTPOURRI

• Our Stash Box column delivered everything from cannabis news (Washington’s weed tracking getting hacked, potential bans certain edibles, and seniors getting stoned) to helpful guides on indicas vs. sativas, microdosing, cannabis cooking, and weed etymology.
• Seattle Weekly’s resident astrologer Elissa Ball said goodbye to Space Witch.
• Sara Bernard put together two seasons of the Seattleland podcast. You should listen to them.