The decade that began with President Barack Obama ended with the Cheeto-in-chief—proof that things do not necessarily get better. Over the last 10 years, some things in Seattle have improved (access to light rail, the price of weed) while other things have gotten much worse (the cost of rent, the plight of orcas). The Stranger’s editorial staff recently gathered in a secret boxing ring underneath KeyArena to fight over the 20 essential news and culture stories of the decade—and then, just to drive ourselves crazy, we ranked them! Here they are in descending order of importance.
20. Man climbs a tree… and refuses to come down.
Do you remember where you were when a man climbed the 80-foot sequoia outside Macy’s in downtown Seattle and wouldn’t come down? It was March 2016, and I was watching live on my phone in a classroom at the University of Washington. The spectacle (a man? In a tree?!) quickly drew national media attention. As the hashtag #ManInTree went viral, Man in Tree threw branches at the onlookers. He sat at the tip-top of the tree for 25 hours.