The Roundup: Rounding Out the Roundup's First Year

From the Editor

What's up, South End?

We've made it to the end of year. It's been a long journey, with plenty of ups and downs, but looking back, I'm happy to have been on this ride with y'all.

When we launched The Roundup back in April, I wasn't sure what it would be. Over these past months, as we tried different things and covered different stories, it feels like we've landed in a good spot — a place where we talk about the South End with the people impacting our neighborhood.

Here at the Emerald, we like to drop a few highlights in our reflection pieces. Selecting newsletter stories to highlight is easy.

The first one that came to my mind was my take on Seafair and one of the most polarizing topics in the city: the Blue Angels.

I wrote about my personal experience grappling with nostalgia for Seafair's past, versus my adult understanding of war propaganda.

This newsletter sparked conversation throughout the community, with so many of you responding to us directly that I followed up by publishing a handful of your responses.

Another highlight came during the mayoral election. There was controversy surrounding the Black vote, so I reported on the alleged endorsement retractions that were a little murky during the campaigns. Emerald Founder and columnist Marcus Harrison Green followed up with an article on the nuances of the Black vote, which led to my interview with Marcus about his findings.

I've enjoyed being the voice behind The Roundup and having the opportunity to get the South End talking.

The Emerald will be on break from Dec. 22–Jan. 3, so there will be no newsletter for the next two weeks.

But rest assured, in January, I'll be right back here. With you. And with everyone else in the South End, ready to dive into whatever's happening in the neighborhood.

Happy Holidays. I'll see y'all next year.

Thanks for reading.

The Roundup Rundown

As many of you know, there were some very serious allegations made against Jose Luis Rodriguez, co-owner of The Station coffee shops.

The Beacon Hill location had been my go-to coffee shop for years. I was just as stunned, and hurt, to learn this as y'all.

Emerald contributor Lilly Ana Fowler stepped up and did the essential reporting to bring all of the known facts to light and inform the community of everything going on.

For all of the details, read Lilly's reporting here.

The Rainier Beach Vikings are rolling right now! They are 5–0 (as of the time I'm writing), and Tyran Stokes, the top recruit in the nation, is living up to the hype. He's coming off a 52-point performance in a huge win versus Seattle Prep.

Emerald columnist Glenn Nelson is going to follow this team all year, and we'll continue to keep y'all updated on the Vikings as they defend last year's State Championship.

Read Glenn's latest report on Beach hoops, and see his photos, here.

Following a recent apprehension by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) near New Holly, community members went door-to-door to spread information about how neighbors can respond to ICE.

A video circulating on social media shows a person being detained in the middle of the street on MLK across the street from New Holly.

Contributor Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero reports that 50 volunteers showed up to support the cause. Get the full details on community efforts in Jacquelyn's latest article.

Sign Up for More!

This is an abbreviated version of The Roundup newsletter. To get the entire newsletter, including a weekly list of events to check out and my shout-out to South End Gems, subscribe here. See you next week!

Mike Davis is the newsletter editor and Voices editor at the South Seattle Emerald. Born and raised in Seattle's South End, Mike is a longtime journalist who's covered everything from arts and culture to sports to politics.