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Cascadia Magazine poetry: In the Little Wenatchee Drainage
In the poem “In the Little Wenatchee Drainage,” Seattle-based poet Martha Silano explores a forest in Washington’s central Cascades, and finds confirmation that fire and regrowth are part of the natural cycles of forest ecology. Read the full poem here.
A poison pesticide on Cascadia’s apples & Christmas trees
KUOW and OPB report on the continued use of the pesticide chlorpyrifos on orchards and Christmas tree farms throughout Cascadia, despite evidence finding the chemical can cause neurological and developmental disorders in children. “Prado, the Washington Department of Health epidemiologist, said, if it were up to her, chlorpyrifos would be taken off the shelf.”
BC’s ambitious plans for electric cars
Geoff Dembicki, writing for the Tyee, looks at BC’s ambitious plan to require all cars sold in the province by 2040 be zero-emission–and the infrastructure needed to support it. Meanwhile an Amtrak Cascades train derailed in Vancouver (with no injuries) nearly one year after a tragic derailment in Washington. And people in Seattle are freaking out about the potential of huge traffic jams when the highway 99 viaduct closes. And Vancouver is debating what will replace the aging Massey tunnel.
Seattle announces spending for affordable housing
According to Seattle Met, the city of Seattle announced $75 million in grants for affordable housing, with funds generated a housing levy and developer payments to an mandatory affordable housing program. Meanwhile, CBC reports that British Columbia’s real estate market is now in a correction with prices starting to decline.
A traveling museum about orcas, Lummi culture
Pacific Standard reports on a “pop-up” museum that’s traveling across North America to draw attention to the fight to save orcas, the culture of Washington’s Lummi tribe, and the affects pipelines and pollution are having on orcas. In related news, Crosscut has a detailed examination of Washington’s $1.1 billion orca recovery plan, and finds it’s ambitious, but could fall short when it comes to dam removal on the Lower Snake River.
The best Cascadia bands & albums of 2018
Over at Seattle Weekly, music critic Seth Sommerfield offers his picks for the best albums by Seattle bands in 2018, while the Seattle Times offers its picks for best new band, best live performance, and more. OPB has its picks of best song by Oregon-based artists this year (including one of my favs, Haley Heynderickx). And over at Beatroute, you’ll find critic’s picks of the best releases by Vancouver-based bands in 2018.
“War Hero,” an essay by Karie Fugett
Oregon-based writer Karie Fugett has an essay, “War Hero,” over at the Rumpus in their Voices of Addiction series. It’s a brief and brutal look at the death of her husband, a veteran who was addicted to opioids. “…the war hero survived war then died alone in a hotel room doctors left him in from medicine doctors gave him.” Read the full essay here.
That’s today’s curated collection of links to news, arts, and culture in the Pacific Northwest. Have a lovely evening. –Andrew Engelson
Photo credit: Lummi canoe by Alex Garland via Flickr & Backbone Campaign CC BY-SA 2.0