Soundside

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Mia Zapata and The Gits are often defined by a tragic murder, drummer Steve Moriarty's book tells a different story about the band Aug 27, 2024

Show notes

In the early 90s, Seattle was at the center of a sonic revolution. Grunge, a homegrown sludgy rock sound, became a global commodity. At the same time, another sound was making its mark on Seattle.

The Gits were a band on the precipice of national stardom, standing out with their punk sensibility and charismatic female vocalist, with music labels circling. But the promise of a big break came to a violent end. The band’s lead singer, Mia Zapata, was murdered in 1993. It happened in the early morning hours after a show at the Comet Tavern.

For years, in media accounts, the band was defined by that tragic night. Today, the Gits’ drummer, Steve Moriarty, says he doesn’t want an act of violence to overshadow their full story. His book, Mia Zapata and the Gits: A True Story of Art, Rock, and Revolution, tells a fuller story of the band's existence.

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:

Steve Moriarty, drummer and author of Mia Zapata and The Gits: A True Story of Art, Rock, and Revolution

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How Thurston County is aiming to bring homelessness to "functional zero" Aug 26, 2024

Show notes

Addressing homelessness is looking a little different in Thurston County these days.

The county, which includes Olympia, just became the fifth community in the nation to collect data on every single adult experiencing homelessness.

The county’s partner organization says that data includes the names and circumstances of each person counted. And the county vows to update the information monthly.

It’s part of a model called “Built for Zero”.

Guests:

Keylee Marineau, homeless response program manager at Thurston County's Office of Housing & Homeless Prevention
Garrett Grainger, Research Associate at Manchester Metropolitan University

Relevant Links:

Olympia, Wash. Becomes Fifth U.S. City to Collect Data on All Single Adults Experiencing Homelessness - PR Newswire
Blog: Five Questions Housing Analysts Should Ask About "By-Name Data" - HSA: The Forum for Housing-Related Research and Debate

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No, Seattle's most notorious brothel madam was not a Gilded Age Girl Boss Aug 26, 2024

Show notes

We know a few things about the woman known as Lou Graham, for sure:

She was a brothel madam in Seattle at the turn of the century. And she’s immortalized in one of the city’s popular ghost tours.

Maybe you’ve even felt her spiritual presence while passing through tunnels underneath Pioneer Square.

Beyond that, facts are sparse. But plenty of legends about Graham’s life and impact on Seattle are served up to tourists and YouTube viewers who care to search her name.

From Geographics: “Technically sex work was illegal, so Graham made sure to have the ladies registered as “seamstresses” on the books.

From Women Being Podcast:“Graham was an advocate for women’s rights and social justice, and supported the women’s rights movement, including the Seattle chapter of the NAACP. She died in 1903 a feminist icon.”

It turns out, most of that is TOTAL BUNK.

But the truth behind those fables – and a journalist’s search to find it – may be even more illuminating.

GUEST: Hanna Brooks Olson, author of “Notoriously Bad Character: The True Story of Lou Graham and the Immigrants and Sex Workers Who Built Seattle”

RELATED LINKS:

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How a battle over owls points to a bigger question in conservation Aug 22, 2024

Show notes

Last winter, federal officials with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a program to save the perpetually threatened northern spotted owl.

The problem? Invasive barred owls are crowding out our local forest -- they're bigger, and more aggressive. The solution? Culling half a million of those owls over the next 30 years.

On its face, the issue seems pretty straightforward: barred owls are invasive, and because of them, Northern spotted owls are disappearing.

But for Jay Odenbaugh, a philosopher and ethicist, the issue brings up a bigger question: how we as humans try to intervene in a problem we're also responsible for creating.

KUOW's Diana Opong spoke with Odenbaugh about a recent op-ed he co-authored for the New York Times about how we can think more ethically about conservation.

Guests:

Jay Odenbaugh, professor of humanities at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, OR.

Related Links:

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The battle for Public Lands Commissioner turns to a recount Aug 22, 2024

Show notes

At this point, most of Washington’s primary election results have been called.

Bob Ferguson will face Dave Reichert in the race for governor. Tanya Woo and Alexis Mercedes Rinck are vying for a spot on the Seattle City Council. Goodspaceguy once again failed to get onto the November ballot.

But – in one race, the drama has remained at a fever pitch as votes trickle in.
Nearly 2 million people cast ballots, but in the end, just 51 votes separated second and third place in the race to be Public Lands Commissioner.

And the fun’s not over yet.

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:

Northwest News Network state government reporter Jeanie Lindsay

Relevant Links:

KUOW: A recount is coming in race for WA public lands commissioner

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What goes on beyond the tv stream at the DNC Aug 21, 2024

Show notes

When some people picture political conventions, they might imagine a grand stage lit up with dazzling lights, a seemingly never ending stream of speeches - and a sea of enthusiastic supporters cheering their hearts out, waving lots and lots of American flags.

Since Monday, the Democratic National Convention has been underway in Chicago.

There have been speeches and high-profile moments. like a visit from Michelle Obama and her husband, former President Barack Obama.

But there’s a whole other world at the DNC. Beyond the big speeches and VIP appearances, there’s a bustling undercurrent of activity.

From vibrant panel discussions and quirky merchandise stalls, to a crowd that’s anything but predictable—there’s a lot more happening than meets the eye.
Guests:

Mike Davis, WBEZ Theater reporter

Relevant Links:

WBEZ Chicago: At a DNC fair, Chicago's Black entrepreneurs get a moment in the spotlight

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For the first time in its history, McNeil Island is releasing more patients than it's taking in Aug 21, 2024

Show notes

Chances are high that you’ve never been to McNeal Island before.

Few have - the island, located in the Puget Sound, southwest of Tacoma, isn’t accessible to the general public.

The only people that are allowed are staff and pre-screened visitors at the Washington State Special Commitment Center - the first post-prison institution for people designated as sexually violent predators.

Around 515 people have been detained in the Special Commitment Center program since 1990.

But now, a new report from the Seattle Times shows that, for the first time in its history, the center is releasing more patients than it’s taking in.

What that means for these patients, and the general public, depends on who you ask.

Here to shed some light and help make sense of things is Seattle Times investigative reporter Rebecca Moss.

GUEST: Rebecca Moss - Seattle Times Investigative Reporter

RELATED LINKS:

WA confined hundreds for sexual violence. Then it quietly began releasing them. - Seattle Times
The island where WA has confined hundreds for sexual violence: What to know - Seattle Times

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How a century-old church in Tacoma is trying to become affordable youth housing Aug 21, 2024

Show notes

Picture a historic church in Tacoma’s Proctor neighborhood, bathed in afternoon sunlight, poised for a dramatic transformation.

Julie Cain, who purchased the church in 2021, envisions turning it into affordable housing for young adults. The project aims to address local housing needs and foster a supportive community, with plans for shared rooms and communal spaces.

However, the ambitious plan has sparked mixed reactions from neighbors concerned about traffic, parking, and neighborhood changes.
Back in June, the city issued a permit for converting the church – albeit with some limitations. Neither side liked that outcome, and both sides requested a reconsideration. Yesterday, the city denied both requests. Now, no one is happy.

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:

Becca Most, Pierce County reporter for the Tacoma News Tribune

Relevant Links:

Tacoma News Tribune: Affordable young adult housing proposed for old Tacoma church
Tacoma News Tribune: Proctor church conversion to shared youth housing hits snag
Tacoma News Tribune: Amici House youth project in Tacoma hits development hurdle

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Fitz Cahall on 17 years of finding new adventures outdoors Aug 21, 2024

Show notes

When Fitz Cahall started his “Dirtbag Diaries” podcast in 2007, he was an avid outdoorsman struggling to make ends meet as a travel writer. At the time, this whole ‘on demand audio storytelling’ thing was kind of new, and Fitz saw it as a way of bringing new life to his joy of the outdoors.

Today, he’s replaced his wild life bouncing around in a van with the concrete landscape of Seattle, where he continues to host his podcast with his wife, Becca, and their team of producers. And 17 years after they first began, Fitz and crew have now adapted 30 of their favorite “Dirtbag Diaries” into a new book titled States of Adventure: Stories About Finding Yourself by Getting Lost.

Cahall recently joined Libby Denkmann to discuss the book, the last 17 years of podcasting, and how he continues to find inspiration in the great outdoors.

Guests:

Fitz Cahall, author of States of Adventure.

Related Links:

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Renters say "junk fees" create real harm Aug 20, 2024

Show notes

Imagine you are renting a property and your grass dies and gets brown (this is the Pacific Northwest, where, aside from some unseasonable August rain, it’s pretty dry all summer).

Then you get a note from your management company that letting that grass die violates the property’s rules and fines you $125. Then, on top of that, the company charges you an additional $125 for the trouble it took to put that note on your door.

These fines, so called “junk fees,” are allowed in Washington State.

A few cities like Seattle and Olympia have banned them. But those living outside areas with regulations can be subjected to a myriad of fines.

Renters claim it is a way to penalize them to the point of moving.

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: