It’s The Stranger’s December Issue. We made it to the end of 2025, which by all accounts, was the longest year in recorded history. And what do we have to show for it?

Actually, a lot. After enduring nine intense months of campaigning, we elected a new mayor, two new city council members, and a new city attorney, and as far as we can tell, none of them are secret Republicans. We got our very own women’s hockey team. We saved a major bus lane that was on the chopping block. The Mariners got the closest they’ve ever gotten to the World Series. An orca calf survived long enough to be socially integrated into its pod. The Pastry Project opened a bakery window. Mount Rainier didn’t erupt. And we have 11 shiny Stranger issues in the bag.

But amidst all that goodness, we still have some bones t

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