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As we look ahead to 2026, the Leschi Community Council is excited to grow the Leschi News  into an even more engaging, community-centered publication representing diverse neighborhood voices—and we need your help to make it happen! At our LCC 2026 planning meeting, volunteers shared the stories, features, and resources they'd love to see more of in the year ahead. Whether you’re an experienced writer, a curious neighbor, a student, or someone who just loves Leschi, there’s a place for your voice. If any of the topic areas or article ideas below spark your interest, please reach out to the editor at newsleschi@gmail.com  to claim a topic or pitch your own. Public Safety Help your neighbors stay informed with practical, easy-to-use information. Map Your Neighborhood emergency preparedness program Crime prevention through environmental design Ongoing public safety updates and tips Leschi Kids & Schools We want to highlight the voices and creativity of young Leschi residents. Feature stories on Leschi Elementary or Garfield High School Student-written articles, poems, artwork, or drawings “Ask the Kids” mini-interviews Monthly puzzles or activities for kids and adults Student profile features Pets & Neighborhood Fun Because Leschi loves its furry friends! Featured pet of the month “Mutt Match-Up”: match photos of dogs to their owners Leschi History For storytellers, researchers, and local history fans. Articles celebrating Chief Leschi Day, Flo Ware Day, Powell Barnett Day Reprinted excerpts from Leschi Diary, Living It Up in Leschi, and similar works Interest in reprinting Leschi Diary is growing—if you’d like to collaborate on this larger project, let us know! Ongoing Features These are beloved, high-interest sections we hope to expand. Profiles of interesting neighbors, spotlight who they are, where they’re from, what they love about Leschi Resident-contributed recipes Fun facts or “Where is this in Leschi?” scavenger hunts Promotion of local events such as the Jackson Street Jazz Walk (We could use help identifying more local events!) Want to Get Involved? You don’t need to be a professional writer—just someone who cares about our neighborhood. Contribute once, quarterly, or monthly—whatever fits your time and interests. To sign up for any topic or to pitch your own idea, email newsleschi@gmail.com .

Dear Leschi Community,   In our most recent issue of the Leschi News, we published an editorial by a contributor that expressed support for Girmay Zahilay for King County Executive. This article appeared on page 3 and was not clearly identified as a personal opinion piece. As a result, it may have been interpreted as an endorsement by the editor or by the Leschi Community Council Board. That was not our intention.   The Leschi News and the Leschi Community Council are nonpartisan. While we may cover and discuss issues that have political implications for our neighborhood, we do not endorse candidates, parties, or partisan positions.   We apologize for the oversight and have paused distribution of the issue. We will also re-publish our editorial standards and review them with our editors and writers to prevent future confusion.   As a board, we remain committed to the council's mission of making Leschi a great place to live and visit—and to fostering a welcoming, inclusive community space for all perspectives.   Thank you for your understanding and for your engagement with our community. We hope to see all of you (and your neighbors) at our Public Safety Meeting on Wednesday November 12th at 7pm ( details here ). With appreciation for your continued support, The Leschi Community Council Board Ashley Martin, President Nikola Davidson, Vice President Matthias Linnenkamp, Treasurer

A painting of a giant grasshopper standing on a rock invites us into the Woodside Braseth Gallery for an exhibition of Gaylen Hansen, age 104. As we enter the gallery we see a swarm of bright blue fish with intense red eyes, mouths open and teeth bared. Turning to the right we see a red wall with irregular bricks and large grasshoppers climbing on it. But the painting is titled “Red Wall Two Ducks.” I asked the gallery owner where the ducks were and he said, “Behind the wall.” Hansen’s sense of humor! There is one painting with Gaylen’s alter ego Kernal, the only black and white work. A swarm of ducks fill the sky behind the Kernal who is paddling a striped canoe with a dog in the bow. Fish leap up for the birds across the bottom of the painting. Other topics in the exhibition (and trademarks in much of his earlier work) include huge tulips, a swarm of bees that fills an entire canvas, and a dense pack of wolves. A closeup of a bear’s face peers at us rather agreeably. Hansen was a professor at Washington State University for many years. After he retired, he lived in Palouse, a small town nearby. He had plenty of opportunities to experience the scenes that he depicts, but he never settles for “scenery.” The huge scale of the wildlife and small scale of his figure suggests his respect for these creatures as well as his sense of humor. He moved to Whidbey Island in 2014. It was a radical change of environment. The Palouse is a wide-open horizontal landscape while Whidbey Island is filled with tall closely packed trees. A loosely painted image of a bear in the forest from 2021, suggests that bears are still running through his life, but now they are taking second place to the forest. Hansen grew up on his grandfather’s farm immersed in geese, goats, chickens, cattle, pigs, and ducks many of which are the subject of his paintings. He rode horses and did heavy farm labor from the age of nine. Such a childhood must be the foundation for his incredible longevity. The paintings of the 1980s are characterized by intense confrontations of different species and humans (mostly the Kernal). But in later work like Dog and Many Ducks of 2012 there is no human present. The dog faces many ducks who seem to all be squawking at him. He is obviously outnumbered and daunted. Another format is the still life composition, which juxtaposes, for example, a large glove and a magpie. Hansen loves to experiment with scale and here the glove and magpie are the same size. Another painting is only one large glove. In another, a red fish fills the canvas. We can see here the formal strengths of the artist as he takes a familiar object and transforms it into an imposing shape. Hansen is a phenomenal painter. His colors, his compositions, his brushstrokes dazzle. Close looking reveals the complexity of his painting. Wandering through these brightly colored paintings of so many creatures, most of them hugely enlarged, immerses us in Hansen’s fantasy world. Be sure to see this show. Alan Lau at ArtX Contemporary Gallery focuses on nature in an entirely different way. “Walks Along the Kamogawa: The Kyoto Series Part I” gives us lyrical paintings in sumi, watercolor and pastel on rice paper that evoke hanging vines and swirling waters, sometimes birds (tracing migration patterns of small birds) and animals (when the zebra lost her spots). They suggest different temperatures as in arctic ledge in cool grays and green impression—a walk in the garden with soft greens. “that day by the sea” suggests the movement of water. “In the peach orchard” and “trapped within my garden of longing (in memory of peach blossom spring)” are entirely different in stroke, texture and color although they both reference peach blossoms. The titles, all written in lower case by the artist, suggest a poetic enchantment in themselves. We can imagine the artist in Kyoto in his “make shift studio in my in-laws’ house…the only room in the house where the sun filters in. Below I see the tiny garden with a lone persimmon tree with orange bursts of fruit and a spindly Japanese tree blushing with red and yellow leaves.” That quote is from his recent book This Single Road . There will be a book launch at the Gallery on Saturday, November 1 at 2pm: “This Single Road: Postcards and Notebooks from Kyoto.” Alan will read selected passages from his new book, accompanied by a soundscape performance by Susie Kozawa. This event is free and open to the public. Both exhibitions close on November 15: ArtX Contemporary 512 First Ave S Tues – Sat 11-5 Woodside Braseth 1202 Western Ave, Tues – Sat 11-6 ~Susan Platt

What a joy! A beautiful new Molly Hashimoto book in time for holiday giving! This book is much more ambitious than the recent books we have reviewed which maintained a focus on Mt. Rainer. This book covers the wildflowers of the entire West through all the climate zones from Alpine to Desert, including the shoreline regions. I selfishly zoomed to the places where I had been, sometimes only once, but I had experienced something extraordinary that I would never forget. One was the hanging gardens at Zion National Park. It seemed impossible that a dry rock could hold such a luxurious display and there it was. I had the feeling that someone was going to pinch me and whisper that you’re not in Michigan anymore. Molly explains that rain and snow water were trapped between a porous sandstone and a hard rock layer spreading out on ledges where it nourished the hanging gardens. So improbable. So magical. An experience not to be forgotten. Another destination was Death Valley. And how did I get there? I was in my first year at college and read about an Easter vacation opportunity: a week-long trip to Death Valley with the West Coast Nature School. Five days of lecture with hands on experience with professors from our school and college credit. I didn’t expect too much in the way of flowers knowing the cactus flowers were often elusive but the peak bloom time for wildflowers is February to early May, so Easter week was prime for spotting desert marigolds, evening primroses and mariposa lilies. I have many memories of this trip but the improbability of beautiful flowers in such an arid setting is nothing short of miraculous! On my first visit to Mt. Rainer there were still patches of snow around the Inn at Paradise but poking through the snow were small white flowers which I think were Avalanche lilies. Imagine the determination to bloom and survive that leads a delicate flower to burst through a patch of snow to announce that spring will come after all. It is this message that makes spring my favorite season! This book is full of Hashimoto’s usual tips on drawing and even pressing flowers. Again, she quotes poets and other memorable people who love flowers. She mentions Thoreau and it brought to mind Margaret Fuller’s description of him always with garden dirt on his hands. He would often go directly from garden to kitchen to produce a nutritious lunch without the usual detour of washing one’s hands! No one in the illustrious group including Waldo (Emerson) suffered any ill effects ( Finding Margaret Fuller  by Allison Pataki). One of my favorite quotes is from someone who tried to put more beauty in our lives: Lady Bird Johnson. “Wherever I have traveled I have tried to observe and learn from landscapes no matter how unfamiliar they might be…Discovering the Sonoran Deserts, the misty coastlands of the Pacific Northwest…has been a series of adventures. I have thought and always hoped that if more of us could experience this adventure we would be more aware of our own biological origin, sense our relationship to the natural processes, and perhaps better appreciate the landscape around us. We live in…a constantly changing artificial world; we need wildflowers to keep us from becoming artificial, too.” ( Wildflowers Across America  by Lady Bird Johnson). ~Diane Snell

Greetings from a fellow Leschi neighbor and proud Leschi Elementary “Bullpup” family. Check out what’s happening at our neighborhood school this month. Our new Spirit Wear store is live and accepting orders until November 21. We are focusing on the classic Leschi Green color for all of our gear this year but also offering black and white to cover all of your wardrobe coordination needs. Clothing should be available for pickup around mid-December. Go to https://screen-printing-northwest.printavo.com/merch/leschi1125/  to place your order or find the link on LeschiPTA.org . We host a casual coffee-and-donut chat with Principal Ramsey and other Leschi families on the second Wednesday of each month at 7:45am. We hang out by the gate on dry days and will go inside to the school library on rainy days. The next events will be November 12, December 10 and January 14. Our annual Taste of Leschi is coming up on December 10 from 5-7pm. Families are encouraged to bring a cultural/family dish to share. There is an opportunity to perform a song or dance or skill on the stage, or to wear attire that represents your family. Check out LeschiPTA.org for the latest information on… Upcoming events Volunteer opportunities - see the “get involved” tab After-school care and enrichment options Spirit wear ~Chris Tremonte

On October 14th, the Leschi Community Council, in partnership with the Central Area Neighborhood District Council (CANDC), hosted a dynamic and well-attended election forum. Nearly 80 community members gathered to hear directly from candidates shaping Seattle and King County’s future and was a huge increase from last year’s turnout. The event was moderated by Essex Porter, longtime journalist formerly with NPR and KIRO 7 and a proud Leschi resident. Rather than a traditional debate, Porter led in-depth 20-minute conversations with each candidate, blending questions submitted by neighbors ahead of time and during the event. The result was a thoughtful, engaging evening that encouraged real dialogue rather than sound bites. King County Executive Candidate Claudia Balducci Balducci focused on public transportation, regional homelessness solutions, and workforce development. She highlighted her work on the Transit Safety Taskforce and as a Sound Transit board member, helping speed up project delivery timelines. Balducci emphasized that Seattle shoulders a disproportionate share of regional homelessness services, noting the need for more countywide participation. She discussed the success of the JustCare program, where 70% of participants remain housed after a year, while stressing that such outcomes require sustained funding and time. Balducci also underscored her support for diversion programs that offer alternatives to jail or hospitalization and proposed connecting residents seeking work with opportunities and mentorship within King County government. Mayoral Candidates: Bruce Harrell and Katie Wilson Mayor Harrell spoke about his administration’s investments in addressing homelessness, improving public safety, and reducing crime. He noted that both homicides and violent crime have decreased in Seattle. Harrell praised the new Chief Sean Barnes, as the right leader for the department, and shared that police recruitment has increased to about 10 applications per day after major losses earlier in his term. He highlighted the expansion of the CARE program, increased park ranger staffing, and reiterated the need for other King County cities to contribute more to regional homelessness efforts, citing that Seattle currently hosts 85% of King County’s tiny home villages and 63% of its emergency shelters. He also discussed measures to prepare for potential federal interference, having signed two executive orders in response to possible Trump-era overreach. On housing, Harrell emphasized cutting red tape, increasing supply, and adjusting business taxes to lower rates for small businesses while raising them for larger corporations. Katie Wilson shared her plans to expand tiny home villages, ensure vacant affordable units are filled, and reallocate city resources more efficiently to fund supportive services. Like Harrell, she supports maintaining police levels but wants to expand civilian response teams so officers can focus on high-priority calls. Wilson praised the JustCare model to support unhoused folks being able to access services. She said she would prioritize building 4-6 additional tiny home villages within six months of taking office. Addressing questions about her experience, Wilson highlighted her background managing large coalitions with hundreds of volunteers and emphasized her ability to bring diverse groups together around shared goals.She also urged caution on new city surveillance tools, warning against policies that could be exploited by federal agencies like ICE. City Council Candidates: Sara Nelson and Dionne Foster Dionne Foster, Sara Nelson’s challenger, called for decoupling police officers from CARE teams to allow officers to focus on higher-priority calls. Addressing a local concern — drag racing in Leschi — she suggested environmental design solutions rather than purely enforcement. Foster emphasized the need for family-sized affordable housing, diversion programs, and expanded treatment options, along with continued B&O tax relief for small businesses and stronger Parks staffing. Council President Sara Nelson discussed progress in 911 response times and police hiring. She cautioned that separating the CARE team from police response is a labor issue requiring union negotiation. Nelson emphasized addiction treatment as key to addressing homelessness, highlighting a new Human Services Department program that provides direct treatment access and is pushing for additional funding for the program in the next budget. She also spoke about housing affordability and permitting reform aimed at helping low-income residents and small businesses. A Community Success The event reflected the best of local democracy — neighbors coming together for open, informed, and constructive conversation. With thanks to Essex Porter’s skillful moderation and the partnership between the Leschi Community Council and CANDC, neighbors left with a deeper understanding of the issues and an appreciation for the power of local participation. ~Nikola Davidson

Over the past several months, the Leschi Community Council has been meeting with other community councils around Seattle—including those in Montlake, Mt. Baker, Madrona, Madison Park, Queen Anne, Capitol Hill, and Downtown. These one-on-one conversations have been both inspiring and energizing, offering a chance to share resources, lessons learned, challenges, and priorities. These meetings also give us a platform to discuss broader issues, share strategies, and explore ways to amplify each other’s events and advocacy work. Plus, we’ve picked up some new ideas from our peers about how to build engagement in fun, (hopefully) low-effort ways. What’s been especially rewarding is seeing the unique strengths each council brings to the table. Some excel at community-building events and creative fundraisers; others have innovative communication tools or strong partnerships with local businesses and schools. Every community council shines in its own way, but we all share a common goal: creating stronger, more connected, and more resilient communities. It’s been interesting to hear how other councils view Leschi. Many admire how consistently we hold monthly community meetings and how these meetings address civic engagement and meaningful topics such as public safety and emergency preparedness. They’re also impressed that our small but mighty team manages to publish the Leschi News monthly—a true testament to the dedication of our volunteers and contributors. Another exciting trend we’ve noticed: across the city, community councils are making a comeback. In the past year alone, several groups have started up or been revived after periods of dormancy. It feels like a community council renaissance—a renewed spirit of civic participation and collaboration. Beyond these individual meetings, Leschi is also taking part in larger gatherings that bring councils from across Seattle together. It’s heartening to see neighbors from every corner of Seattle working collectively toward a more connected and responsive city. We’re proud that the Leschi Community Council is not just participating in this renaissance but helping lead it. As we look ahead, we’re excited to continue building these relationships, learning from our peers, and finding new ways to support each other—because strong neighborhoods make a strong city. ~Nikola Davidson

On a summer evening, I joined longtime Leschi Forest Stewards, Darrell Howe and Darcy Thompson, for a walk through Frink Park and upper Leschi Park. As we stepped under the canopy, the air cooled immediately, a reminder of how these parks serve as natural refuges in the city. For more than twenty years, Darrell and Darcy have led volunteers in restoring forest health: pulling ivy, removing blackberries, and planting native species. What was once a tangle of invasives is now a thriving urban forest, home to owls, a flowing creek, and a restored wetland. The pair shared stories of early collaborations with the Green Seattle Partnership, grants secured, countless work parties, and the careful planning that goes into choosing the right plants for the right conditions. Dead trees and downed limbs, which might look like debris to some, are intentionally left in place to retain moisture and feed the soil, key to helping the forest withstand increasingly dry summers. Their efforts are rooted in a long history. Frink Park, a 17.2-acre wooded ravine with trails, a creek and waterfall, was donated to the city in 1906 by John and Abbie Frink. Designed by the Olmsted Brothers, the park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2019 for its historic and natural character. Leschi Park, at 18.5 acres, is the city’s second oldest park, encompassing both the manicured lower park and the more natural upper area. Together, these parks hold deep cultural, historic, and ecological value for the neighborhood. But alongside the success stories, I also witnessed the challenges. Areas that volunteers had painstakingly restored were mowed down by Parks maintenance crews, sometimes wiping out years of work in a single day. Paths of snowberries were cut, native groundcovers sheared to the soil, and established plantings destroyed, while nearby patches of ivy were left untouched. In some spots, mowing created the appearance of roadside parking areas, inviting vehicle damage to forest edges. The issue is not one of ill intent but of disconnect. While the Forest Stewards have long worked with Parks on vegetation management plans, complaints from individuals often trigger uncoordinated responses. Crews are sent out without clear direction, and mowing or cutting happens in ways that undermine established plans and ecological goals. In steep areas where volunteers cannot work for safety reasons, invasives continue to spread when not addressed by Parks, undoing years of community effort. The result is disheartening. Volunteers spend countless hours planting, mulching, and maintaining only to see thousands of dollars-worth of plants cut down. One estimate suggests it would take 10,000 replacement plants and 200 cubic yards of mulch to repair just one round of unnecessary mowing. When native plantings are destroyed, invasive ivy quickly creeps back, threatening tree health and wildlife habitat. Parks in different neighborhoods often receive different levels of care and funding. Leschi’s natural areas have struggled to get the same attention as other parks, even while residents and volunteers have poured in thousands of hours of unpaid labor to steward them. Volunteers want to help but they also want their work respected, supported, and integrated into decision-making. What you can do: Reach out before you request mowing or removal. Well-meaning calls to Parks can sometimes undo years of volunteer restoration. If you have concerns, contact leschivp@gmail.com  first so the solution is consistent with the park’s vegetation management plan. Leave logs and limbs where they are. What looks like yard waste is actually critical forest infrastructure, holding moisture, enriching soil, and supporting wildlife. Join the effort. Volunteer work parties are the backbone of forest restoration. By planting, mulching, and maintaining native landscapes, neighbors directly strengthen our parks. Contact leschivp@gmail.com  to learn about upcoming work parties. Get curious about the bigger picture. Restoration is not about creating tidy landscapes but resilient ecosystems. A healthy forest may look messy, but every plant and log plays a role. Frink and Leschi Parks are treasures—historical, ecological, and community spaces worth protecting. With better coordination and support, the work of volunteers can be sustained instead of undone. And with more neighbors involved, the forest can continue to thrive for the next generation. ~Nikola Davidson

We’re excited to introduce Najma Sheikh, the City of Seattle’s Community Engagement Coordinator for the Central Region! Najma has been in her role for about eight months and is eager to support Leschi residents. Her primary role is to connect neighbors with City services and act as a two-way bridge between our community and City departments. If a City project may disrupt a neighborhood, Najma will reach out to keep residents informed. Likewise, if there are concerns that need to be elevated to departments or the Mayor’s Office, she helps make sure those voices are heard. She focuses on linking residents to City programs and resources. Najma regularly creates reports for the Mayor’s Office highlighting neighborhood issues, and she played a major role in supporting local events during the Seattle Day of Service. She is committed to making civic life easier and ensuring people feel heard. Najma will join the Leschi Community Council Public Safety Meeting on November 12th to learn more about our neighborhood priorities and provide support. To increase her accessibility to the community, she will be holding office hours through the rest of the year on the following dates: Douglass Truth Library (12-3pm): October 24 November 21 December 19 Hing Hays Coworks (10am-12pm) October 2 November 6 December 4 ~Nikola Davidson

If you noticed people sketching along the Lakeside Avenue shopping area and in Leschi Park on August 30, it was the Seattle Chapter of Urban Sketchers. It is a group my late wife, Kate Barber, and I spent many happy hours with, losing ourselves in the act of drawing and noshing afterwards.We even spent a week in Amsterdam at the world convention of urban sketchers. Generally, the sketchers draw for an hour, then they have a “throw down” where they spread the drawings on a picnic table and savor everybody else’s work. In our neighborhood, the sketchers found plenty of “eye candy” for subjects. Several painted the front of the Leschi Market or the sailboats. A few drew the tall trees of the park, the cablecar bridge, the lakeshore leading to I-90, the Bellevue skyline, ducks, motorboats, and the comfort station. One of the amateur artists even sketched the house she grew up in—yes, she grew up right here in Leschi. The sketchers represent a variety of skill-levels, from beginners to polished veterans. Examples of their work can be found on the Leschi Market’s facebook page and the Urban Sketchers’ facebook Page. If you are interested in checking out this group, their monthly schedule of outings is posted on a website: seattle.urbansketchers.org . The sketchers meet every month at 10am and sketch and nosh until noon. ~John Barber

What You Need to Know During the September 10th Leschi Community Council meeting, Sophia Lopez from the Office of Emergency Management shared practical steps we can all take to prepare for emergencies. She highlighted the worst-case scenario—a major earthquake striking Seattle—noting that if we’re ready for the biggest disaster, we’ll also be better prepared for smaller ones like severe storms and flooding. Sophia recommended planning as though the City won’t be able to assist us for at least two weeks, which means having enough supplies and a family plan to cover that time. In the case of a major earthquake, it could take a month or more before utilities are restored. Go to seattle.gov/emergency-management  to sign up for Alert Seattle, explore the Hazards Explorer Map, and find resources such as first aid classes. Planning Make sure your plan includes how to take care of everyone that depends on you, both human and animal If there is an earthquake, roads will likely be significantly impacted, start planning walkable routes to essential locations Go to the Hazards Explorer Map to view the biggest hazard threats to your key locations (home, other family, school, work, etc.) Ask someone to be your out-of-state contact, the one person you contact if Seattle experiences an emergency. Let all your out-of-state friends and family know that they should NOT contact you during an emergency but instead, reach out to your designated contact If you have kids in school, find out what their school’s emergency plan is Practice with your family what you will do during an emergency, including evacuating to an agreed-upon meeting point so it becomes muscle memory Create a plan for your pets, first responders will make every effort to save pets so make sure to take them with you (shelters are mandated to co-house pets) Meet your neighbors now and map out your neighborhood, learn about people’s skills and their needs, don’t wait to do this during an emergency Find out now what your insurance does and doesn’t cover, every $1 spent on insurance saves $6 in recovery Sign up for Alert Seattle so you receive lifesaving, geocoded messages for your area during emergencies Take first aid skills training such as Stop the Bleed classes Preparing your home The number one injury from earthquakes are cuts on hands and feet from broken glass and other dangerous debris, make sure you have a pair of shoes under/by your bed to protect your feet Secure furniture and large items to the wall using brackets or straps Secure picture frames to the wall Use museum putty to secure smaller freestanding items Supplies to have on hand Assume water service will be disrupted, plan on 1 gallon of water per person per day (that includes drinking, cleaning, bathing, sanitation) Try to keep your vehicle fueled above ¾ of a tank at all times so you’re ready to evacuate Have tarps and duct tape on hand in case you have broken windows Have a 30-day supply of your medication in case you are unable to get prescriptions refilled but make sure to rotate them so they don’t expire Water filters Bleach for water purification, cleaning, and sanitation Have a travel camping stove (with extra propane) so you can heat food and water For sanitation, use the two bucket system (one for #1, one for #2). When not in use, keep the supplies needed in your buckets (kitty litter, toilet paper, garbage bags, bleach). Cut a Styrofoam pool noodle in half lengthwise and run it along the rim of the buckets to make it more comfortable to sit on Have a wrench or other tool located by your natural gas valve so you can turn it off if needed Creating your to-go bags Have one at home, your workplace, and in your vehicle If there is no power, you will not be able to use credit cards to buy supplies, make sure you keep cash (small bills are ideal) in your to-go bags Include a fully charged portable charger Layers of clothing Something that brings you joy, peace, or happiness to help sustain you Medical documentation for your pets (required by some shelters) During an earthquake Do not rush out of the building – make sure to drop, cover, and hold – don’t move until the shaking has stopped Do not stand in doorways, get underneath a table or other furniture within three seconds, otherwise you risk being thrown forcefully by the shaking If you have a walker, sit in it and lock it If you’re in a wheelchair, make sure to lock it If you use a cane, use it to get to the ground and don’t stand up until the shaking stops If you’re near water and there is an earthquake, get to higher ground once the shaking has stopped Make sure you are not near the outside of a building during an earthquake, unreinforced masonry is the most dangerous If you have natural gas and hear a hissing sound, smell rotten eggs, or see the dial rapidly spinning, your gas needs to be shut off. Call 911 or close your valve so it is perpendicular. Know that turning the gas back on is not for a layperson, make sure to work with a professional During an emergency People tend to panic when it comes to buying supplies right before and during an emergency, buy only what you need, don’t hoard! Help ensure others can buy needed supplies as well Don’t rush to help others if you’re not okay For potable water, remember that you have 50 gallons in your hot water tank that you can access (unless you have a tankless water heater) Water filters can filter out microbes and debris but not chemicals. Lake water will likely be contaminated with chemicals. You cannot make hot tub or pool water potable If you collect water, make sure to boil it for 3-5 minutes If you are unable to boil it, use bleach (5 drops for 2 quarts, stir and let sit for 30 minutes, make sure there is no chlorine smell before you drink it) Use a higher ratio of bleach for cleaning (go to doh.wa.gov for more information) Use text messages because they use very little signal strength compared to phone calls Ham radio operators can help get messages out, go to your nearest neighborhood hub for help and resources For sanitation, it’s okay to dump urine in the yard, other waste material can be double bagged and Seattle Public Utilities will pick it up (once they’re able to) Post on social media if you need help and are unable to communicate in another way It can be overwhelming to think of everything you need to do to prepare. Start with taking one action. Even if you only do one thing, that is one step closer to being prepared than you are now! For more information including how-to videos, signing up for Alert Seattle, for first aid classes, and to view the Hazard Explorer Map, go to seattle.gov/emergency-management . To find your closest emergency hub, go to seattleemergencyhubs.org . ~Nikola Davidson

Seattle’s Mayor oversees around 25 departments and commissions, charged with policy execution. They work with the City Council on budget and policies and are responsible for using appropriated funds effectively. They represent the city and promote economic development. The King County Executive is responsible for implementing county policy affecting transportation, the criminal legal system, and public health services. They are also responsible for running free and fair elections. City Council members develop city policies on housing, public safety, and municipal infrastructure. The City Council also develops and approves the city’s budget and tax law in collaboration with the Mayor’s Office. ~Matthias Linnenkamp