Cascadia today: How to fix OR schools? + lizards invading Vancouver Island and a longtime video store buyer retires
Good morning! If you appreciate this newsletter and my writing on efforts to increase Cascadia autonomy, please consider becoming a paid subscriber during my fall membership drive. I'm still short of my goal of thirty new paid subscribers by October 31. You can contribute at levels of $5 or $10 per month (or $50 or $100 per year). Thanks for reading! --Andy
Do you appreciate Cascadia Journal's exclusive reporting on the ways the Pacific Northwest is pushing back against US fascism? If you have the means, please consider a paid subscription of just $5 per month. Each subscription helps me produce original reporting and opinionated notes on Cascadia's fight to build a more resilient and autonomous bioregion. And to those who already subscribe, thank you! --Andrew
How to fix low student achievement in OR?
OPB is doing a great, in-depth series of articles on the state of education in Oregon. Today, they look at Oregon's low national ranking on 4th grade reading assessment – which is often an indicator low academic performance later in a student's education. The piece looks at Oregon's scattershot strategy for improvement, lack of resources (though it spends almost as much per student as Washington, which ranks much higher), and other factors. Another article yesterday at OPB looked at Oregon's past efforts to boost achievement and a new, coordinated initiative to help local districts boost literacy and reduce absenteeism.
WA governor calls for review of ferry engineer salaries
After a sick-out by Washington state ferry engineers shut down most the ferry system for a day, governor Bob Ferguson has called for a review of engineer salaries, Washington State Standard reports. However, Ferguson claims a looming budget deficit will make it hard offer increases. Another reason it's critical to vote no on a repeal of WA's millionaires tax.
What has Vancouver done on housing policy?
The Tyee examines what Vancouver, under the center-right ABC party and mayor Ken Sim has achieved on housing policy. While it has increased speed of permitting and ended parking requirements for apartments, it has also failed to approve new height limits for social housing towers and enacted a halt to new permanent, supportive housing in the city. Vote Pete Fry for mayor instead.
European lizards invading Vancouver Island
CBC reports on invasive European wall lizards on Vancouver Island, which have reached a population of nearly a million. The rapacious little critters eat everything from garden strawberries to spiders, and were introduced to the island in 1972 after about a dozen were released after a private reptile zoo closed.
"They're spreading fast and furious, and we're stuck with them. We will have to learn how to live with them." --Gavin Hanke, Royal BC Museum
Longtime Seattle video store buyer retires
The Stranger has a great profile of Mark Steiner, who's retiring after 34 years as the head buyer for Seattle's Scarecrow Video – the legendary nonprofit that's one of the few video rental stores left in North America. Steiner led the shop from going from about 1,000 movies to more than 150,000. Give them some business!
“The pendulum has swung back towards people understanding the importance of physical media.” – Mark Steiner
Thanks for reading. Hope to see some of you at tomorrow night's panel discussion on soft secession, Indigenous sovereignty, and Cascadia's pushback against fascism:
.jpg){kind=link}