Crossing Division

Channel 253 continues its partnership with Tacoma’s Downtown on the Go! In this second DOTG Friday Forum of 2021, the Panel discusses street safety and  how safety rules and laws can set up negative interactions between residents and law enforcement. How can our public spaces be safe and anti-racist?

Panel:

This program will also be available on TV Tacoma. Next month’s forum will focus on “Breaking the Urban Bubble: Race & Transportation Policy in Pierce County and Tacoma” on March 26, 2021.

Ryan Mello has loads of experience with politics and governance in the City of Tacoma, but now he’s moved to a bigger, more partisan, arena in the County. Ryan was sworn in as a Pierce County Councilmember earlier this year, and sat down with host Evelyn Lopez to talk about his priorities for moving the County through the changing phases of the COVID 19 pandemic, working on housing, and preventing escalating homelessness.

There are serious issues facing our region — lack of affordable housing options, rising homelessness, reviewing and reforming our criminal justice and policing practices, and making policy and planning decisions that will provide the best quality of life in our cities and rural areas into the future. Listen to Ryan’s ideas and let us know what you think!

Ryan is very responsive to email, and you can reach him here: [email protected]

If you have thoughts on this episode, or ideas for other programs, please get in touch!

Evelyn Lopez:    [email protected]     @True_Tacoma

Tacoma Public Schools plans to return all grades to some in-person classroom teaching next month. Frankly, the “plans” sound more like “wishes,” “hopes,” “fingers crossed,” “it sure would be nice…” So, what do teachers think about that, and what should parents be asking?

Interchangeable White Ladies podcasters Hope Teague-Bowling and Megan Holyoak join Crossing Division host Evelyn Lopez for an IWL Crossing follow up on how Tacoma is moving toward in-person instruction. There are only three months left in the school year–do we use them for something entirely new (which could be a super-spreader event daily), or use the time to get everything organized so that schools really can be on track to return in the fall? It’s not an easy question to answer, and well-intentioned people will have wildly different opinions based on risks, family situations, and experience.

But we should be talking about it. All of us. Even non-parents have a vested interest in keeping our infection spread under control in Tacoma. So, listen to the discussion and then share your thoughts, and reach out to your fellow teachers, parents, students, school board members and our Schools Superintendent. This is not the type of decision that should be made in a vacuum, or in the shadows.

Thoughts on this episode, or ideas for other programs? Get in touch!

Evelyn Lopez:   [email protected]     @True_Tacoma

You’re going to enjoy this conversation!

Jani Hitchens was a teacher for a long time before she decided to run for Pierce County Council, and that background in collaborative problem solving comes through loud and clear when discussing the County Council’s plans and priorities for the coming year with host Evelyn Lopez.

With a shift in the Council majority, there will be more focus on people issues–housing, homelessness, fairness and justice. It’s a new day, and even through our February snowstorm the future looks bright!

If you have thoughts or ideas you’d like to share with Jani, she is very responsive to email. You can contact her at [email protected].

As always, we’d love to get your feedback and ideas for future programs! You can contact Evelyn through email to [email protected], or on Twitter @True_Tacoma.

Imagine if every city, town, county, port district and utility district could offer broadband internet service to their communities! Imagine what a game changer that could be!

Internet coverage is essential. Especially now with remote school, work from home, and online reservations for COVID vaccines, life without the internet is not an option. But for many of our neighbors it isn’t readily available, or they have no choice in providers.

Representative Drew Hansen joins Evelyn and Joe Lopez to talk about changing the limits on internet access, and opening up that market. His bill HB 1336 offers a solution. Currently there are legal barriers that preclude utility districts and other public entities from providing internet service. HB 1336 would remove those barriers. More internet options may be available, more competition for the large providers that have been enjoying their monopoly, more service and lower prices. A win!

You can find the bill information here: https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1336&Year=2021&Initiative=false

Track the bill’s progress, and let your legislators know that you are in favor of more internet options. For those of us in the 27th Leg District, Rep. Hansen said it would be a huge help if we contact our favorite legislator, House Speaker Laurie Jinkins, and ask her to move the bill to the floor for a vote as soon as possible.

(Ok, reality check, Tacoma actually had this with Click–and it was groundbreaking and amazing. The whole state was envious, and the cable giants quickly stepped in to stop other cities and public entities from offering internet service. Now that law can be reversed. Ironically, just as the rest of the state may be able to get what Tacoma has had for more than 20 years, our City has abandoned public internet and contracted with Rainier Connect to run the Click network. Ah well, so it goes in the City of Destiny, once again too far ahead of its time and not recognizing how special it is.)

Thoughts on this episode, or ideas for other programs? Sent them our way!

Evelyn Lopez:  [email protected]     @True_Tacoma

Tacoma City Councilmember John Hines and Erica Azcueta, Homelessness and Household Stability Manager for the City of Tacoma, join host Evelyn Lopez for a discussion about Tacoma’s housing and homelessness challenges. This is an excellent conversation about what the City is focused on and how it hopes to use any new funds that may become available.

However, while the City is actively working to build and support additional short-term and permanent housing options, that’s not keeping up with current needs; and if the eviction moratorium ends with thousands of renters pushed out of their leases the crisis will only worsen.

The City is working on housing solutions that will help support our houseless neighbors, and the efforts are significant. And yet, it is not nearly enough and cannot meet immediate, emergency needs. We need more solutions.

Please listen and share your thoughts. If you have feedback or ideas for other programs, please get in touch.

Evelyn Lopez:  [email protected]    @True_Tacoma

Over the last week Tacoma social media has been abuzz with concerns about a “new” classroom schedule for Tacoma Public Schools that is to go into effect on February 8. The schedule shows “in person” teaching in the afternoons and remote learning in the morning.

Why? Our COVID 19 numbers are far worse now than they were last March, and there are new variants that are even more contagious. Yes, everyone, especially teachers, students and parents, wants to get back to normal. But we need to do that safely. Can we safely return students to the classroom now?

Well, it turns out that the schedule showing “in person” class periods really means “eventually, when we return to in person teaching, it will be on this schedule, so let’s try this schedule out now even if it is disruptive and results in less actual class time with students.” In response, many teachers and parents are saying “WTF TPS?!!!”

In this joint episode of Crossing Division, Tacoma’s Talk Show, and Interchangeable White Ladies (IWL), Tacoma’s premier teaching and equity podcast, IWLs Hope Teague-Bowling and Megan Holyoak join Evelyn Lopez to talk about what’s going on in Tacoma School World. Why a schedule change now? Has the teachers’ union sold out its members? And what we can do about it? Listen and let us know what you think, and what should happen next!

Evelyn Lopez;   [email protected]    @True_Tacoma

Sometime around 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan 23, 2021, a crowd gathered at 9th and Pacific in Downtown Tacoma, watching one or more cars spin and burn circles in the intersection. A Tacoma Police Department SUV arrived on scene, and when the crowd gathered around the vehicle, the driver revved the engine and drove into the crowd, running over at least one person. Videos immediately hit social media.

What happened here? What does this tell us about the Tacoma Police Department? What does this tell us about Tacoma’s government and city leadership?

And what do we, as residents, need to demand now?

This joint Nerd Farmer/Crossing Division (Nerd Crossing) episode features hosts Nate Bowling and Evelyn Lopez, joined by attorney Shannon McMinimee, discussing the events of January 23 and a shocking failure of leadership in the aftermath. We have a right to something better that this in our city, and it’s time to demand changes.

Feedback on this episode? Get in touch:

In addition, you can find all of us on the Channel 253 Member Slack Channel–the most interesting discussions in the city!

Also: We said that no one from the city’s leadership had commented, but there is a comment now from City Councilmember Chris Beale per TNT reporter Allison Needles.

Channel 253 is partnering with Tacoma’s Downtown on the Go Friday Forums in 2021. This year the forums focus on racism and urban design and transportation. After each forum, we will have a Crossing Division episode that expands on the discussion.

The January 22, DOTG Friday Forum was “Where the Sidewalks End: Racism in Urban Design and Crime Prevention.” Our follow up discussion is about community neglect, amenities, equity across neighborhoods, and gentrification.

Dorian Waller is exactly the right person for this conversation, Dorian earned his BA and MPA from the Evergreen State College, handles Government Relations for King County’s Solid Waste Division, is a principal with Archway Consulting, a former member of the Tacoma Planning Commission, and a Commissioner with the Washington State Commission on African American Affairs, Dorian joins host Evelyn Lopez to discuss neighborhoods, the reality of “what now” when there are changes in neglected areas (both needed improvement and gentrification), and how engaging the community is essential to planning and development.

Listen and let us know what you think! If you have thoughts about this episode, or ideas for future programs please get in touch.

Evelyn Lopez:   [email protected]     @True_Tacoma

Channel 253 is partnering with Downtown on the Go to make the 2021 Friday Forums available on podcast. The first Forum focuses on how urban design and crime prevention efforts can perpetuate racism.

The panel discusses the importance of community centered efforts when planning how to use and develop our built environment:

Moderated by Tanisha Jumper, City of Tacoma Media and Communications Director.