Specials & Shorts

"I care about the earth and I want it to be here for my children." Several thousand Seattle-area youth, in addition to participating adults, demonstrated through the heart of downtown to demand action on climate change.

Seattle Fire Department, Seattle Police Department, Mayor Jenny Durkan, and others honor those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.  Hear the full remarks here.

Speakers include:
Robert Nellams, Director, Seattle Center
Mayor Jenny A. Durkan, City of Seattle
Chief Carmen Best, Seattle Police Department
Chief Harold Scoggins, Seattle Fire Department

The legacy of redlining has cast a long shadow on how Seattle has developed and continues to evolve. Beginning in the 1930s, racial discrimination in mortgage lending "redlined" areas on government maps. Boundaries were drawn using various types of criteria to assess risk, including race. The practice kept people of color out of neighborhoods in hundreds of cities across the country, including Seattle.⁠ Filmed at the Northwest African American Museum, a panel discusses the relationship between gentrification and this history, and the complex dynamics playing out in Seattle's neighborhoods today.

Co-presented by Northwest African American Museum (NAAM), Pratt Fine Arts Center, Wing Luke Museum and Seattle Channel. 

Moderator:

Leilani Lewis, Assistant Director for Diversity, Communications and Outreach at the University of Washington

Panelists:

Xochitl Maykovich, Political Director at Washington CAN

Warren Pope, Artist

Jake Prendez, Artist and Gallery Owner

Steven Sawada, Author and Activist  

Learn about the fascinating history of our human relationship to orcas, the majestic-and critically endangered-icons of the Salish Sea. Jason M. Colby, author of "Orca: How We Came to Know and Love the Ocean's Greatest Predator," will share stories about the sad era when orcas were trapped and killed, how our perception of the southern resident killer whales has dramatically transformed, and why it's vitally important to preserve their dwindling population. Jeff Renner moderates this discussion at the Seattle Aquarium.

On March 8, 1970, nearly 100 Native American activists clashed with military police in an attempt to reclaim for local tribes the recently decommissioned Fort Lawton military base. The late Bernie Whitebear led the non-violent takeover and occupation of the land, where he would go on to found Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center in today's Discovery Park. Each year, a procession, with drumbeat and ceremony, winds along Bernie Whitebear Way to commemorate the historic event. On the 49^th anniversary of the occupation, Randy Lewis, of the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation, took part in the memorial walk and recalled events of the day he joined activists to descend on the fort.

More than 2,500 people attended the public grand opening of ARTS at King Street Station on Saturday, March 23. The new arts and cultural hub on the top floor of King Street Station is run by the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture and is dedicated to increasing opportunities for communities of color to generate and present work. The inaugural exhibition, "yəhaw̓," is a community-based project celebrating the depth and diversity of Indigenous art made in the Pacific Northwest. The exhibition runs through Aug. 3, 2019 and features more than 280 works by more than 200 Indigenous artists.

While preparing the Louisa Hotel for demolition, crews uncovered a series of Jazz Age murals that had been sealed away for decades. This once swinging Chinatown-International District social club and speakeasy was called the Club Royale, but was also known as The Hong Kong Chinese Society or The Bucket of Blood, depending on who you ask. 

As the population of older adults in Seattle increases, city leaders are committed to creating an age-friendly city. A fun, active lifestyle is a key part of aging well. We profile several innovative programs - including culturally relevant offerings - that connect seniors to healthy eating options and opportunities to get fit while socializing. Plus, we learn what the city is doing to improve transportation options for older adults.

Thousands of fans lined the streets around Seattle Center to cheer the Seattle Storm's WNBA championship. The team celebrated their third title with a sweep of the Washington Mystics. Here are some scenes from the victory parade, which culminated in a rally at KeyArena, on Sunday, Sept. 16.

Each summer, the fun and frivolity at Green Lake pauses for a moment of reflection. As dusk falls, the lake glows with hundreds of candle-lit lanterns in a ceremony that honors those who've died through violence around the world. The Green Lake ceremony happens each August 6 - the date of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945. The event is an adaptation of an ancient Japanese Buddhist ritual, the Toro Nagashi, where each lantern represents the souls of the dead as they float out to sea.

Hundreds of die-hard Seafair fans say it's the only spot to soak up the blast of the Blue Angels as they soar over Seattle. Every year, they flock to Ruby Chow Park at the end of Boeing Field for the closest views of the Blue Angels' thundering takeoffs and landings.  

On July 1, petroleum-based plastic straws, utensils, and cocktail picks were banned at all Seattle businesses that sell food and drinks. The move is to help alleviate the devastating impact of plastics on the world's oceans.

After a closure of more than three years, the Seattle Fire Department invited the public inside the newly renovated Fire Station 5 on Seattle's historic waterfront. Sitting just north of the ferry terminal, the site has been home to a fire station since 1902. The current station was built in 1963. During the renovation, Station 5 was seismically upgraded,  its interior modernized and its mechanical systems updated. Its closure coincided with construction of the new seawall. One of the department's most popular stations, Station 5 houses a fire engine and three fireboats: the 108-foot Leschi; the 50-foot fast-attack boat, Marine One; and a 25-foot rescue boat.

Over 260 Veterans or their next of kin are registered in Region 8 of the Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project. This ceremony honors these veterans and their next of kin with the awarding of the bronze replica of the Congressional Gold Medal.

Related: Governor Jay Inslee's Proclamation

Dozens of children visited Seattle City Hall, Monday, April 9, for the third annual Take Your Youngsters to Work Day, hosted by Councilmember Rob Johnson and the Seattle City Council. Children with parents or relatives who work at City Hall toured the building, met a police dog, played games and pondered what they would do if they were in charge of the city. 

Thousands of people marched through downtown Seattle on Saturday, March 24, 2018, as part of the student-led March For Our Lives protest. The march was one of hundreds held worldwide (alongside the main event in Washington, D.C.) calling for stricter gun laws in the wake of a school shooting last month in Parkland, Florida, that left 17 people dead. Photographer Randy Eng captured scenes from the march and heard from student protesters.

Duc Cash Vo, of the LQ Lion Dance Team, explains the history of the lion dance, a tradition to bring good luck for the new year. The dance team performs the lively lion dance with drums and firecrackers to celebrate the Year of the Dog at the Wing Luke Museum's Lunar New Year Fair on February 10, 2018. Traditionally, the most important holiday on the Chinese calendar, Lunar New Year is celebrated by many Asian cultures.

More than 1,000 immigrants and refugees attended the Seattle United for Immigrants and Refugees Mega Workshop on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2018. We talked with participants who shared stories of why they attended the workshop, the second of its kind organized by city leaders. The City of Seattle's Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs partnered with community organizers to put on the large-scale event at Seattle Center's Exhibition Hall. A team of over 800 volunteers, including attorneys, paralegals and interpreters, provided free legal services for immigrants, including citizenship assistance and information about how federal immigration changes could impact their future.

We captured scenes from the Martin Luther King Jr. march and rally in Seattle on Monday, Jan. 15, 2018. Thousands marched through Seattle to honor and remember the civil-rights leader. The 36th annual event was sponsored by the Seattle/King County MLK Celebration Committee. This year's theme, "Take A Knee For Justice," was inspired by athletes taking a public stand to highlight racial injustice.

Every New Year's Day, hundreds of people plunge themselves into the frigid waters of Lake Washington. A Commemorative Badge of Courage is given to Polar Bear participants who submerge themselves neck-deep in the waters off of Seattle's Matthews Beach. Watch as a team of Seattle Channel photographers capture this bone-chilling dive into the new year!

Produced by Chris Barnes. Cameras by Phillip Townsend, Ian Devier, and Chris Barnes. Aerial Photography by Jeremiah Kaynor at Corvus Eye Productions.

Employees in the city of Seattle's fleets management division (which manages the city's vehicles) put their design skills to the test in an annual pine car race. Besides being a fast-track to fun, the friendly competition between employees builds morale and benefits a local charity. This year, employees collected more than 1,300 pounds of food for Food Lifeline.

From fall to winter and starting at sunset and continuing through the night, people come to fishing spots around Puget Sound to jig for Loligo opalescens, or Pacific Squid.

Filipino World War II veterans from the greater Seattle are awarded replicas of the Congressional Gold Medal, the nation's highest civilian honor. This follows the recent ceremony in Washington, D.C., led by Speaker of the House of Representative Paul Ryan and leaders of the U.S. House and Senate, when they presented the medal to honor all WWII Filipino veterans for their service and sacrifice. The medal will be showcased at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History for preservation and research.

Filipino World War II veterans from the greater Seattle area are awarded with replicas of the Congressional Gold Medal, the nation's highest civilian honor, on November 15, 2017. This follows the recent ceremony in Washington, D.C., led by Speaker of the House of Representative Paul Ryan and leaders of the U.S. House and Senate, when they presented the medal to honor all WWII Filipino veterans for their service and sacrifice. The medal will be showcased at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History for preservation and research.

At about 10 a.m. on August 21, 2017, most of Seattle paused to look up. Observers across North America were treated to a rare total solar eclipse. In the Seattle area, the moon covered about 92% of the sun.