The Roundup: Get Your Swim On (Safely) in the South End

From the Editor

What's up, South End?!

We've got some sunshine headed our way this weekend. I know a lot of y'all will be looking to get wet. I'm going to give you my top five places to swim in the South End.

But first…

I heard whispers recently that Seattle Parks and Recreation didn't have enough lifeguards to staff all of the beaches and pools around the city this summer.

I reached out to Seattle Parks, and I'm happy to report that it's made great strides in lifeguard hiring, and all beaches — except one in Green Lake — will be open and staffed. So, South Enders, we're good! Mt. Baker, Seward, and Pritchard beaches are all available for a dip, and so are the Seattle Parks and Rec pools.

Now, this is important. Drownings have been on the rise in King County in recent years. The Swim Seattle program is an excellent resource for finding free and discount swim lessons in Seattle for participants of all ages. It also offers weekly free swims for teens at pools around the city. For Rainier Beach Community Center's pool, it's Friday and Saturday from 8 to 9:30 p.m. for teens ages 13 to 19.

Ok, with all that out of the way, I can tell y'all my top five places to swim in the South End:

1. Henry Moses Aquatic Center (1719 Maple Valley Highway, Renton)

This is a no-brainer for me. It's right outside of South Seattle in Renton, and it's like a mini Wild Waves. But you don't have to drive all the way to Federal Way, and the lines are never as long.

I'm a lazy river guy myself, and Henry Moses has a good one. It also has a wave pool, wading pool, water play structures, and water slides. It's a neighborhood water park, and the prices are much cheaper than the big park up the freeway.

Park opens for the summer season June 28.

2. Rainier Beach Pool (8825 Rainier Ave. S.)

I'll be honest. I don't love swimming in lakes. So, yes, I have an indoor facility as my second favorite place to swim in the summer.

But the pool at Rainier Beach Community Center was remodeled recently, and it's so nice. It still has a lap pool if you're not into the bells and whistles, but if you are … or if you have kids like I do ... it's perfect.

It has a mini lazy river — and of course I mention that first — and a twisty water slide and a wading pool for the littles. It's convenient, and there are ways to get scholarships and discounts. Definitely a future candidate for South End Gems.

3. Pritchard Island Beach

I like to refer to Pritchard as Barbecue Beach. This is the perfect spot to be out of the way of all the hustle and bustle of the beaches that are the main drag where people drive — like the Lake Washington beaches. You also avoid the large crowds of people you're likely to see at Seward. Pritchard is tucked in the cut, and you can get a good group of friends and family, throw something on the grill, hop in for a nice swim, and keep it low-key.

You know what … I'm keeping the address off my list. We might have to keep this one secret. IYKYK.

4. Madrona Park (853 Lake Washington Blvd.)

I know … this technically isn't the South End. But y'all should know by now that I'm always slipping things from the Central District into this newsletter.

Madrona was my go-to as a kid. There's a park across the street that's also fun, and growing up, it seemed like the ice cream truck was always there.

I have a lot of memories of field trips at this beach during the summer, so this is a nostalgia pick. But it's still a great place to swim and hang out for the day with your family.

5. Colman Pool (8603 Fauntleroy Way SW)

This one is going to be a little controversial. But it's all good — I'm here for the smoke.

First of all, this is in West Seattle. To be precise — Southwest, so I'm slipping it in.

Also, I've heard many people say they feel this pool is not very accessible. Let me be the one to say — it's not as exclusive as the community pool in the South End! How many of y'all knew there was a community pool in Lakeridge? Yeah, the Lakeridge Swim Club, where membership is just under $2,000 … Colman Pool would never!

What if I told you Seattle had an Olympic-sized, heated, saltwater swimming pool with a view of the ocean? And that pool is owned and operated by Seattle Parks, so it's priced the same as Parks-owned facilities and has the same discount programs. That's Colman Pool.

Y'all have fun in this weekend sunshine, and please remember to be safe!

The Roundup Rundown

Everything Is Political … in South Seattle: Moore Steps Away, Sawant Steps In

I've gotten used to getting a weekly dose of local politics from Emerald columnist Tobias Coughlin-Bogue. If you're not up on everything that's happened since last week … buckle up.

As you know, City Councilmember Cathy Moore (District 5) was under fire for her ethics bill. Last week, I had a newsletter intro in the canister ready to air out my opinion on the legislation. But, last Friday, Councilmember Moore withdrew the bill. End of story. Or so we thought…

On Monday, June 2, Councilmember Moore announced her resignation, citing "health challenges" as the reason. This marks the third council resignation in the last three years. And the timing of this announcement, weeks after the filing deadline to run for council, means the current council will (once again) get to appoint someone to the vacant seat.

And if that wasn't enough of a surprise, former Councilmember Kshama Sawant has announced she is once again throwing her hat in the ring. But not for City Council. Sawant will challenge Rep. Adam Smith for his seat in Washington's 9th Congressional District.

I don't want to get ahead of myself here. Those of us who remember Sawant's time on council know she's outspoken, pro-labor, pro-Palestine, pro-renter, and anti-nonsense. She stands firm in her beliefs, and this race is going to be interesting.

For the full preview of the Sawant vs. Smith showdown, Councilmember Moore calling it quits, and updates on Gov. Bob Ferguson's budget package, read Tobias' latest column.

OPINION | Seattle Public Schools Didn't Lose Their Way — They Need a New One

There's so much to wrap our heads around with Seattle Public Schools.

From school closure plans, to withdrawn school closure plans, to the current superintendent announcing his resignation. How are community members supposed to keep up?

There has been a recent barrage of op-eds on how to "fix" SPS, and if you're like me, you've had trouble keeping up with all of it.

No worries. Emerald contributor Oliver Miska has a full breakdown of everything going on with our schools and all the reasons YOU need to vote in the upcoming school board election.

Oliver is an educator and a lobbyist for educational justice policy. He will catch you up on everything you need to know in his latest column.

'Mobility Is a Human Right': Washington Governor Signs Wheelchair Right-to-Repair Bill

Could you imagine being in a wheelchair, needing a repair, and having to send your chair off and wait four months for it to return?

Unfortunately, this was the reality for many folks in Washington.

Emerald reporter Maya Tizon has the scoop on the Right to Repair Act, a bill recently signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson.

The bill expands the rights for wheelchair and mobility equipment users by requiring manufacturers to provide wheelchair owners and repair shops with access to tools and extra parts. It pairs with another bill to also require digital electronic manufacturers to make repairs more accessible for mobile devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops.

"These companies take their sweet time to repair our wheelchairs," Dorian Taylor, a manual wheelchair user, said to Maya. "This bill ensures that mobility is a human right. These companies can't just dismiss that anymore."

You can read Maya's full story here.

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.