Although Seattle’s going through some major growing pains, we’re grateful that it’s filled with people who deeply care about its future. Next Wednesday is Seattle’s 165th birthday. (🎉)

In light of all of our city’s successes and challenges, we invite you to join us in giving Seattle a different kind of birthday present: some heartfelt honesty.

So tell us: What keeps you here? Maybe it’s the strong ties to your community, your partner, a love of the outdoors, or love for your neighborhood. Or maybe it’s that you’ve struggled like hell to stay here — fighting against gentrification, the rising cost of living, and lots of other challenges because this place is worth fighting for.

We want to share YOUR stories about what’s tying you to the Emerald City. Have some thoughts? Share your story using this quick form — and be sure to include a photo of the person, place, or thing that keeps you here. Can’t boil it down to just one thing? That’s cool. Pick something that feels right and see where it takes you.

We’ll be taking your submissions until 12 p.m. Monday, May 21 and sharing out your stories starting on Seattle’s birthday.

How about them apples? Learn the name Cosmic Crisp. It’s a new variety of apple that our state is making a huge bet on, and it might just change the world. “It’s gotta be like the new iPhone,” said one apple nerd. 😮 Cosmic Crisps won’t brown for hours after you cut them, and they’re a cross between a Honeycrisp and an Enterprise. We’d link you just to the fascinating story on this, but really, you should take 3.5 minutes to watch Crosscut columnist Knute Berger not only tell you about this amazing apple — but also do a blind apple taste test to pick it from a bushel. Did you know that our state grows 75 percent of all the apples in the U.S.? Well now you do. 🍎 (Crosscut)

Unacceptable. Seattleite Ramona Brown is about to become homeless. She’s been living in an apartment so full of mold, rats, and other nastiness that inspectors found 63 code violations there. Landlords aren’t supposed to raise the rent on apartments that they’ve left in such bad shape, but there’s evidence that Ramona’s landlord did just that. Now she’s getting evicted after falling behind on rent, and the best plan she’s got is to sleep in her car. This is a sad and frustrating story. And a must read. (The Stranger)

Well that’s awkward. The bank Wells Fargo handled our city’s finances for years — right up until our city council voted 9-0 to cut ties with them last year. The bank funded the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota, and the council agreed with protesters who said the city should stop doing business with it. Now that plan’s run into a little snag: City officials have searched, but no other bank wants to work with the city. That doesn’t surprise Glen Simecek, head of the Washington Bankers Association. “[Bankers] want to serve the city,” he told the Times, “but the challenge of an activist council makes that hard to do.” So … the city just renewed its contract with Wells Fargo. 😐 (The Seattle Times)

You’re out. Mariners star second baseman Robinson Cano won’t be playing for a while. He’s just been suspended for 80 games without pay because he tested positive for a diuretic. It’s not a performance-enhancing drug, but apparently it can be used to mask one. Robinson says he didn’t take it for any bad reason, but he’s accepting the suspension anyway. That means he’s out $11.85 million — and the Mariners are out a key player who hit 23 homers last season. ⚾ (ESPN)

NEED SOME MOTIVATION? ⚖

Take a cue from the students at Franklin High in Mt. Baker who killed it at the National High School Mock Trial Championship over the weekend. They took top prize in a contest swarming with prestigious private schools, and that’s pretty badass.

Go show ‘em what you got, all. — The Evergrey