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Introducing Esty Gonzalez: A Contender For The Washington State Apple Blossom Festival Royalty

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Introducing Esty Gonzalez: A Contender For The Washington State Apple Blossom Festival Royalty


We are meeting the Top Ten Candidates for the Washington State Apple Blossom Festival Royalty this week on NewsRadio 560 KPQ/FM 101.7

Candidates compete in the Cashmere Valley Bank Royalty Selection Pageant at the Numerica PAC on Saturday, Feb. 10th  The Queen and two Princesses will be crowned to reign over the 105th Washington State Apple Blossom Festival April 25th – May 5th, 2024 in Wenatchee, WA.

Check back here to learn more about each of the ten hopefuls for this year’s Royal Court

Meet 2024 Washington Apple Blossom Royalty Top 10 Candidate Esty Gonzalez

Top 10 Candidate Esty Gonzalez Image: Parsons Photography/Apple Blossom Festival

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Top 10 Candidate Esty Gonzalez Image: Parsons Photography/Apple Blossom Festival

Esty Gonzalez is the daughter of Juan and Cristina Gonzalez.  She is a senior at Eastmont High School.

KPQ:  Thanks for joining us on the program and congratulations on your selection.  Is Esty a nickname or is that your given name? 

EG:  Esty is my nickname. It stems from my middle name which is Estrella. My first name is actually Christina. So it’s Christina Estrella.  I have the same name as my mom. So that’s where it comes from. And I just chose to go by Esty just because it’s my own individual name and a lot of people do call me by that.

KPQ:  I know you’re proud to tell me what Estrella means in Spanish?

EG:  Yes. So Estrella means star.   My mom loves stars so she named me after them and it’s such a pretty name. I love it so much.

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KPQ:  Tell us about some of the things you’re involved with, any extra curricular activities or how you stay busy with volunteering.

EG:  The main thing I do at the high school is the environmental club.  We meet every week and we go around the school, and we pick up the recycling.  Recently there have been new projects at the high school. They’re working on planting new native plants. I know they’re looking into where the trash in the cafeteria goes. And we also volunteer around town. Our biggest thing is the Earth Day fair at Pybus Market where we run a booth with games and educational facts.

KPQ:  You have spent a lot of time taking care of your cousins.  Tell me a little bit about that experience.  My little cousins they are the joys of my life. I like to think when I’m taking care of them, they are my kids, just watching them grow from little babies to the funniest toddlers ever. I love watching them grow up and being able to be a part of their lives too, not an adult but just an important figure in their life.

KPQ:  What has been your favorite class at Eastmont High School? 

EG:  I would say the first class that comes to mind was my child development classes I took last year. At Eastmont high school,  we have the Wee wild cats,  little preschoolers, they range from ages three to four. And in child development, we plan activities to play with them and we take them outside or throughout the school, and we play games that  test their large motor activities and their fine motor skills.  We learn why they develop the way they do and how little kids think.  It’s been such an interesting class. I took it for two trimesters. And not only was it just so interesting, and so fun to play with the little preschoolers, but I also loved my teacher, Mrs. Adelman. She is one of the sweetest ladies ever.  Getting to know her I would say,  is the biggest highlight of my year last year.

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KPQ:  Is early childhood development a career you plan to pursue?

EG: My plan is actually very different.  I am choosing to go into civil engineering. Another one of my favorite classes are math and science.   They’re subjects that I’ve always like taken an interest in and I found that I’ve been pretty good at. So my plan is to go to an in state four year university. Right now I’m deciding between the University of Washington and Washington State University, and I’m going to go there to pursue my bachelor’s degree.

KPQ:  Let’s talk about the Apple Blossom Festival.  Wat is your favorite Apple Blossom memory?

EG:  Well, last year I got to go to all the activities with my cousins. I had one marching in the parade with the cheer team at Eastmont and another cousin in the Wenatchee band.  I went with my cousin to go watch them and we sat our chairs and it was so much fun watching them do their thing and seeing all the floats. 

KPQ:  Okay, then you must have a favorite food fair vendor?  Which booth do you like to visit first?

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EG:  The number one place that I really loved was the Shishka berries. They are just a perfect snack that I could have anytime. Chocolate covered strawberries. What’s more to love, I love chocolate and I love fruit.  I also love to get curly fries and a corndog because that’s just a classic fair food. It’s a staple!

KPQ:  You are all competing for a spot in the Royal Court but if you think about who you hope among the the other candidates is is selected, who would that be? 

EG:  This whole journey,  I’ve gotten to know these girls a lot more and the more I’ve gotten to know them,  the more I’ve seen how loving they are and how passionate they are about their Valley. I don’t know if I can say just one because I’ve pictured them all as Queen and Princesses and they all are so deserving. They’re all so kind and I wish there could be 10 Queens and princesses that would be perfect. 

KPQ:  Well, I would agree. Let’s just change it back to how it used to be and let’s just have a royal court of 10  Good luck to you and all the candidates.  It’s been a delight meeting all of you. Thanks for joining us on the radio today.

Read more about Esty Gonzalez

Esty Gonzalez is the daughter of Juan and Cristina Gonzalez. Esty is a full time student and participates in her school’s Environmental club’s activities. She also assists in taking care of her younger cousins whenever help is needed. In her spare time, she enjoys expressing her artistic side with painting and drawing, along with listening to music and reading on quiet evenings. After graduation, Esty plans to attend an instate four year university, and receive her bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.

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One of Esty’s favorite shows is Gilmore Girls and her favorite movie is Coraline. Currently, her favorite song is “Mine” by Taylor Swift, and her favorite book is Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. She is most inspired by her mother and her most treasured keepsake is her baby blanket she sleeps with every night.

Esty’s favorite thing to do in the Wenatchee Valley, besides Apple Blossom, is going to the local Target to purchase any of her necessities and all of her goods. Her proudest moment in life was recently writing and presenting her college essay to her family. If Esty could trade places with anyone for the day, she would trade places with film director Greta Girwig. Esty feels that she should represent the Wenatchee Valley because she wants to openly give back to the town she grew up making many wonderful memories in, and deepen her connection with the valley and its people.

32 Items People Actually Want to Get at Parades Rather than Tootsie Rolls

Summer is here and with that are lots and lots of parades for you to enjoy. But, let’s be real for a minute, no one wants any more Tootsie Rolls. If you are a company in a parade, read that again…NO ONE WANTS YOUR TOOTSIE ROLLS! Here’s what we would rather see you throw at us at the parade.

Gallery Credit: Jessica On The Radio





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Washington

19-Year-Old Transgender University of Washington Student Fatally Stabbed

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19-Year-Old Transgender University of Washington Student Fatally Stabbed


Sign up for The Agenda, Them’s news and politics newsletter, delivered Thursdays.

This story contains descriptions of fatal violence against a transgender person.

The Seattle Police Department are searching for a suspect after a 19-year-old University of Washington student was stabbed to death in an off-campus student apartment complex on May 10.

Seattle Police Department Detective Eric Muñoz told NBC News that the victim is “believed to be a 19-year-old transgender female” who was enrolled at the university. The victim has not yet been publicly identified by name. She was found in the housing complex laundry room shortly after 10 p.m. on Sunday night.

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The housing complex, Nordheim Court, is privately managed but affiliated with the university, located near an upscale shopping center in Seattle’s U-Village neighborhood. According to NBC News, residents received an official alert from UW to stay inside their homes and lock all windows and doors — an alert that was lifted around 1 a.m. with the acknowledgment that “a death investigation remains ongoing.”

According to SPD detective Eric Muñoz, police and the fire department attempted lifesaving measures but ultimately “pronounced the victim deceased at the scene.”

“Officers are actively searching for the suspect, believed to be a black male with a beard, 5’6-8” tall, wearing a vest with button up shirt, and blue jeans,” Muñoz wrote in a blotter report.

Muñoz noted that the victim would be identified by the medical examiner’s office in “the coming days.” The SPD did not immediately respond to Them’s request for comment.

This is the seventh known trans person to be violently killed in 2026. In mid-April, 39-year-old transmasculine farmer Luca RedBeard was fatally shot in rural New Mexico. Last week, police in Marion County, Florida opened a homicide investigation into the shooting death of a 29-year-old who went by multiple names and referred to “transitioning” on social media. In Kentucky, an investigation into the disappearance of 22-year-old trans college student Murry Foust remains ongoing.

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Police are asking anyone with information about the University of Washington case to call the Violent Crimes Tip Line at 206-233-5000, emphasizing that anonymous tips are accepted.

This is a developing story.

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How the Sea Mar Museum Is Preserving Latino History in Washington

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How the Sea Mar Museum Is Preserving Latino History in Washington


On a quiet stretch of Des Moines Memorial Drive in South Seattle, the Sea Mar Museum of Chicano/a/Latino/a Culture rises like a long‑overdue acknowledgment. Its brick exterior doesn’t shout; it invites. Inside, the rooms hum with the stories of families who crossed borders, harvested fields, organized classrooms, and built communities across Washington state—often without seeing their histories reflected anywhere on a museum wall.

For Rogelio Riojas, founder and CEO of Sea Mar Community Health Centers, the museum is a promise kept. “We wanted to make sure the contributions of Latinos in Washington state are recognized and preserved for future generations,” he told The Seattle Times when the museum opened in 2019. It was a simple statement, but one that captured decades of work—both visible and invisible—by the region’s Latino communities.


Walking through the galleries feels like stepping into a living archive. One of the most arresting sights is a pair of original farmworker cabins, transported from Eastern Washington. Their narrow wooden frames and sparse interiors speak volumes about the migrant families who once slept inside after long days in the fields. The cabins are not replicas or artistic interpretations; they are the real thing, weathered by sun, dust, and time. They anchor the museum’s narrative in the physical realities of labor that shaped the state’s agricultural economy.

Sea Mar describes the museum as “dedicated to sharing the history, struggles, and successes of the Latino community in Washington state,” a mission that plays out in photographs, letters, student newspapers, and oral histories contributed by community members themselves. These aren’t artifacts chosen from afar—they’re family treasures, personal archives, and memories entrusted to the museum so they can live beyond the kitchen tables and shoeboxes where they were once kept.

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The story extends beyond the museum walls. Just steps away is the Sea Mar Community Center, a sweeping, light‑filled gathering space designed for celebrations, performances, workshops, and community events. With room for nearly 500 people, a full stage, a movie‑theater‑sized screen, and a catering kitchen, the center was built with one purpose: to give the community a place to see itself, gather, and grow. Sea Mar describes it as “a welcoming space for families, organizations, and community groups to gather, celebrate, and learn,” and on any given weekend, it lives up to that promise.

Together, the museum and community center form a cultural campus—part historical archive, part living room for the region’s Latino communities. Students come to learn about the Chicano activists who reshaped the University of Washington in the late 1960s. Families come to see their own histories reflected in the exhibits. Visitors come to understand a story that has long been present in Washington, even if it wasn’t always visible.

The Sea Mar Museum is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., offering free admission to anyone who walks through its doors. For many, it’s more than a museum—it’s a recognition, a gathering place, and a testament to the people who helped shape the Pacific Northwest.

Preserving Latino History and Community Life in Washington was first published on Washington Latino News (WALN) and republished with permission.



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Mother’s Day Bunch at Lady Madison | Washington DC

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Mother’s Day Bunch at Lady Madison | Washington DC


Celebrate Mother’s Day with à la carte brunch at Lady Madison featuring seafood, entrées, desserts, and premium beverage options.

Celebrate Mother’s Day in sophisticated style at Lady Madison, located inside Le Méridien Washington, DC, The Madison. Join us on Sunday, May 10, 2026, from 12:00–3:00 PM for an elevated à la carte brunch experience in downtown Washington, DC.

Enjoy a refined selection of chef-driven brunch classics, fresh seafood, seasonal salads, and elegant entrées. Highlights include a Build Your Own Omelette, Crab Benedict with lime hollandaise, Chilled Seafood Trio, and signature mains such as Roasted Rack of Lamb, Cedar Plank Sea Bass, and Marinated New York Strip Loin.

End on a sweet note with classic desserts including Crème Brûlée Cheesecake, Fruit Tart, Strawberry Shortcake, and Passion Fruit Cake.

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Enhance your experience with beverage offerings, including bottomless Mimosas and Bloody Marys for $30 with house selections. Piper-Heidsieck Champagne is also available by the glass for $16 or by the bottle for $49.

Reserve on OpenTable:
https://www.opentable.com/booking/experiences-availability?rid=1426987&restref=1426987&experienceId=695240&utm_source=external&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=shared

À La Carte Menu

Les Œufs & Brunch
Egg White Frittata — $24
spinach, tomato, mushrooms, green onion
Served with pommes de terre rissolées or seasonal fruit

Build Your Own Omelette — $24
ham, smoked salmon, vegetables, cheeses (choose up to 3)
Served with pommes de terre rissolées or seasonal fruit

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Crab Benedict — $24
lime hollandaise, salsa cruda
Served with pommes de terre rissolées or seasonal fruit

Brioche French Toast — $17
berry compote, whipped butter, maple syrup

Les Froids & Salades
Chilled Seafood Trio — $28
Jonah crab claws, shrimp, cocktail sauce

Spring Berry Salad — $17
brie, berries, champagne vinaigrette

Golden & Crimson Beet Salad — $18
red wine vinaigrette
Add protein: shrimp, salmon, skirt steak +18 | chicken +16

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Les Plats Principaux
Roasted Rack of Lamb — $42
mint sauce, huckleberry reduction, sweet potato purée, asparagus

Cedar Plank Sea Bass — $49
saffron rice, spring vegetables

New York Strip Loin — $42
mushroom sauce, truffle croquette potatoes, haricots verts

Les Desserts — $14
Crème Brûlée Cheesecake
Fruit Tart
Strawberry Shortcake
Passion Fruit Cake

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