In this new feature, we bring you top headlines affecting Seattle kids and families — and links to sources doing great reporting on those topics. Check back often for updates.
Seattle changes signups for summer camps
If you use Seattle Parks & Recreation summer camps, take note: Registration for 2020 programs will take place in April this year, not February as used to be the case. Here's the full story on that.
City wants your input on Maple Wood Playfield project
The plans for a renovated Maple Wood Playfield and Play Area are coming together, and folks have one more chance to weigh in.
Seattle Parks and Recreation has opened an online survey for additional input on the project, which aims to update and improve this well-used facility and improve accessibility. Take the survey here through Feb. 28.
The Maple Wood Playfield and Play Area is at 4801 Corson Ave. S., just north of Maple Elementary School. Funds for the project come from the the voter-approved Seattle Park District, which provides more than $47 million a year in long-term funding for parks programs and facilities around the city.
Bye-bye, Lily and Lupe
Woodland Park Zoo has announced that it will seek new homes sometime this year for hippos Lily and Lupe.
The zoo said the decision was motivated by the animals' well-being and resource sustainability. “This decision was not made lightly, and we will all be sad to see them leave,” said Woodland Park Zoo President and CEO Alejandro Grajal in a news release Thursday, Feb. 6.
In the coming months, the zoo will be working with accredited partners through the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan to identify the best placement for Lily and Lupe.
Water Lily, affectionately called Lily, was born in August 1978 at Houston Zoo and moved to Woodland Park Zoo the following year in October 1979. She is 41 years old and weighs 2,980 pounds. Guadalupe, called Lupe by her friends and fans, was born in November 1999 at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. She moved to Woodland Park Zoo in 2003. She is 20 years old and weighs 2,900 pounds.
Zoo officials explained in a news release that Lupe is at an appropriate age for breeding, which would not take place at Woodland Park. So if she went elsewhere, Lily would be alone, but hippos are social animals and need companionship. They believe Lily could acclimate to a new social group but that such a move might be more difficult in a few years.
On the sustainability issue, zoo officials explained the hippo pool, which is drained, cleaned, and refilled two to three times a week, is accounting for almost 20 percent of the zoo’s total annual water usage. For that reason, once Lily and Lupe have departed, the zoo will not seek new hippos but will explore a new, more sustainable use for the space.
Woodland Park will work with other accredited institutions to find new homes for Lily and Lupe, and officials believe their move will likely occur in the fall of 2020 or later: Plenty of time for more visits from their Seattle fans!
Related: 8 reasons to visit Woodland Park Zoo on a rainy day
Tips for raising readers
We told you about the "Raising a Reader" event recently at Town Hall Seattle. Too bad it fell on a rare snowy Seattle day, but thankfully KUOW recorded the talk with two New York Times Book Review editors and novelist Maria Semple.
You might say they urged parents to "think outside the box" when attempting to foster a love of reading in kids. In other words, don't assume devices are bad, and don't be too judgy when kids start picking their own reading material.
Medgar Evers Pool reopens
Great news: Seattle Parks announced that Medgar Evers Pool, 500 23rd Ave., reopened Dec. 16 after a long closure for repairs and improvements.
In a citywide project, work also was done at Queen Anne, Meadowbrook, Pop Monger and Southwest pools. Exterior work continues at Helene Madison Pool, but it's open. Ballard Pool is under construction through roughly next April.
Here's our list of indoor pools (in Seattle and beyond) for your winter swimming needs.
Big plans for Seattle Aquarium
Seattle Aquarium is about to get even cooler with this major additon in the works.
A new, 325,000-gallon tank would feature South Pacific sea creatures such as sharks and stingrays. There also are plans to build a parklike walkway over Alaskan Way to better connect the aquarium to attractions such as Pike Place Market.
Slow down! It's the new law in Seattle
Good news for pedestrians: In what has been a deadly year on Seattle streets, the city has decided to lower speed limits on major arterials.
Mayor Jenny Durkan announced the change this week, with many major streets getting an immediate slowdown to 25 mph.
Also in the works: More traffic cameras and more police patrols near crosswalks.
File this under 'bad news':
The flu season has arrived early. Federal health officials have already documented a high number of cases, and they're hitting kids hard.
And it's a little unusual in that it's a strain of virus typically seen in the spring.
The good news: It's not too late to get that flu shot!
Related: Families needed for Seattle Flu Study.
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One of world's 'coolest places' is right here
A national magazine recently announced what many of us already knew: Artists at Play, the fun, attractive and inclusive play area at Seattle Center, was named to TIME For Kids's list of "World’s 50 Coolest Places of 2019."
The list, the publication's first, highlighted what it called "a mix of educational, innovative, and fun destinations that are tailored to the interests of kids."
It cited the facility's climbing tower and other play equipment, which it said contributed to an overall "hands-on/feet-on play experience."
Here's more on the playground from when it opened in 2015.
And here's the full Top 50 list from TIME for Kids.
'Highly capable' update
The battle over racial inequities in the so-called "highly capable" programs in Seattle Public Schools has escalated to a new level with a parent complaint filed with the state Attorney General's Office.
The complaint, signed by nine people, alleges that the district's proposed move to undo the "cohort" model of providing required highly capable services would constitute a violatio of federal law. It's all explained here.
Seattle schools survey
Speaking of Seattle Public Schools, the Southeast Seattle Engagement Coalition (SESEC) would love your input on this family-engagement survey. It's available in multiple languages, and the deadline is Dec. 15.
E. coli outbreak: What to avoid
There's another E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce from California and, as of this writing, there's been at least one case in Washington state.
A safety alert from the CDC says: "Based on new information, CDC is advising that consumers not eat and retailers not sell any romaine lettuce harvested from the Salinas, California, growing region." That includes includes whole heads of romaine, hearts of romaine and packaged salad mixes including romaine.
Schools on the move
Lake Washington Girls Middle School (LWGMS) is moving. Its Central District campus is closing and, on Monday, Dec. 2, students and faculty move in to a new home about two miles southwest at 2100 S. Walker St.
The new South Seattle space will also house Giddens School, in a partnership launched in 2016 when the schools and some parents joined forces to buy the former Imperial Lanes block and launch a $33 million renovation.
The new, shared site will allow each school to retain its identity and mission — emphasizing rigorous academics alongside a focus on social responsibility and citizenship — in a richly diverse neighborhood at the crossroads of Beacon Hill, the Central District and Mount Baker.
The Lake Washington Girls Middle School community will celebrate the new site with a ceremony on Monday, Dec. 2. Giddens will open and celebrate on Thursday, Dec. 5.
Snow before Thanksgiving?
Have you been hearing it? A few weather forecasters and Seattle-area residents have been throwing around the "S" word — already!
Yes, apparently there's a chance it could snow before Thanksgiving this year. Here's a roundup of some of the speculation, courtesy of MyNorthwest.com.
Of course, you can also go right to the source: Find updated National Weather Service forecasts here.
Mold at Children's: worse than thought
More bad news out of Seattle Children's hospital, which has been struggling with recurring mold problems. The hospital now has acknowledged that infections caused by the mold most likely are responsible for six patient deaths and 14 illnesses, dating back to 2001.
Children’s CEO Dr. Jeff Sperring told the media on Monday, “Looking back, we should have made the connection sooner. Simply put, we failed. As CEO I hold myself and Children’s to a higher standard.”
Here's the latest from The Seattle Times.
Gifted programs: the past, the future
If you've been following the debate over so-called gifted or "highly capable" programs in Seattle Public Schools, you know there's high emotion on all fronts. It has become clear that this isn't an easy problem to solve.
Those looking to shape the program's future have been gaining perspective by looking to the past, as in this KUOW piece. It's fascinating.
A new arts advocate for youth
Ashraf Hasham, Pakistan-born Seattle native (Ballard High grad) and former executive director at The Vera Project, joins the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture as youth arts manager.
"I've been working with young people in Seattle for a long time in the art community," he tells Crosscut. His passion for young people and the arts really comes through in this interview: "Art is not just to feel good, it’s a social catalyst for change — certainly with young people, who are coming forward in a way that we've seen time and time again throughout history."
Learn more about how he connects with young people (he's 29) and he hopes to accomplish in his new job.
'What's it like being a famous soccer player?'
Soccer star Megan Rapinoe always has plenty to say.
After her recent honor as one of Glamour magazine’s women of the year, the Seattle P-I posed questions asked by an 8-year-old club soccer player. It made for a good interview!
On the lighter side
It's hard to resist cute animals, and there's a sweet story behind this pair, new residents of Tacoma's Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium: "They were rescued as orphans in the same week. They spent the next three months of their lives together, snuggling with keepers and each other. And now, after seven years, they’ll be together again."
Read all about Mitik and Pakak and see video of them frolicking and vocalizing together.
Check this space often for updates on stories and issues affecting your family.
And, on the subject of news, Commonsense Media has a useful list of "Best News Sources for Kids."
