The Leschi Community Council will be conducting a Disaster Preparedness class, which was designed by Ann Forrest – Seattleprepares@gmail.com This class will help start our Neighbors in the neighborhood and begin with a simple Hello. We will discuss fires in the neighborhood, downed power lines and earthquakes. In addition, we will go into the preparedness pyramid, how neighbors can coordinate, gather and share information, likely gathering spots and the Hub Mission. ZOOM to our November 3rd Meeting at 7pm: Pacific Time (US and Canada) https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89953425673?pwd=Wk1LYmtjZ0k3Vkd1Qzd2MTFjZ3lxZz09 Meeting ID: 899 5342 5673 Passcode: 694202 One tap mobile +12532158782,,89953425673#,,,,*694202# US (Tacoma) +16699009128,,89953425673#,,,, *694202# US (San Jose) Dial by your location +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) +1 646 558 8656 US (New York) +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)+1 646 558 8656 US (New York) Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcT2GpIqeu There are ongoing classes; an important one is coming up: Rapid Exit Class Nov. 10 7–8pm Place TBA (check Facebook) What would you grab, if you safely could, as you leave for a medical/fire emergency?

Present: Trevor Lalish-Menagh, Matthias Linnenkamp, John Barber, Ashley Martin, Janet Oliver, Diane Snell Absent: Janice, Tracy and Lawrence November Leschi Newsletter Submit article to Diane Snell by October 18, 2021 Send September LCC Board meeting notes to Diane S. LCC cover will feature Emergency Program. Diane needs a paragraph from November presenters, Lawrence and Tracy, on the Emergency Preparedness Hub project Trevor will submit November’s President’s Article while Janice is away Holiday Leschi Newsletter Past few newsletter editorials have been “dark.” Diane would like December’s edition to be upbeat/ positive articles. Please send suggestions to Diane S Website Will ask Rachelle if she could update LCC website. Diane stated we may need to increase Rachel’s fee by $50 since website update was not part of the position responsibilities Would like to keep Emergency Hub project as an ongoing topic. Janet states digital newsletter is something LCC may want to consider. We would still have physical printing, but we could reduce the number of printed copies. Trevor suggested LCC look into MeetUp.com to get the word out about the council meetings. Duwamish Tribe Diane brought up possibly making donation to Real Rent Duwamish. It calls on people to pay rent to the Duwamish Tribe for their land we are on. Trevor stated Muckleshoot, Tulalip and Puyallup tribes are opposed to the Duwamish Tribe Federal recognition. Not sure why. It would be helpful to understand the dynamics Matthias will reach out to Duwamish Cultural Center to see if someone is available to attend LCC December meeting Candidates Forum recap: Over 30 attendees Trevor shared the recording link with the campaigns: twitter.com/trevmex/status/1445969362381262852 Having chat monitored helped. Question preparation helped—having follow up questions prepared as well as live support to craft follow ups on the fly. Timer helped. Thank you, Gwen! Missed recording the beginning of the meeting—To remedy in the future we should have a checklist. Develop a communications playbook to get the word out even better. Draft copy for board members to send out. We want to share it outside Leschi. Coordinating candidates takes a lot of effort. Recognize that this is not just sending one email— a lot of back and forth. Janet has completed the treasurer’s transition. Trevor reminded her that the board meetings are open to all. November Leschi Community Council General Meeting: November 3rd, 7pm November Leschi Community Council Board Meeting: November 8th, 6pm

The table is set, candles lit. The kids are seated and Dad has his mustard at the ready. Scents of green bean casserole, cranberries, sweet potatoes and stuffing permeate the air complementing the perfectly carved turkey that spent the last few hours in the oven. Is there truly a wine that can handle this meal? Is Thanksgiving possibly trending more towards normal this year? No matter what, we owe it to ourselves to at least drink good wine! Here are a few quick tips and suggestions to guide you in pairing the perfect wine to go with your feast. Generally speaking, and I can’t really stress this enough- I always like to lead with, “drink what you like, and don’t overcomplicate or overthink it.” If you are strictly a white wine person, let’s find a great white. Only satiated by reds? No problem. Once these parameters are set, you are ready to delve into the task of matching a wine to go with the food at hand. Match acidic foods with acidic wines, creamier and richer foods with weightier and richer wines. This is true for whites and reds alike. Also, don’t forget a dry finishing rosé can be quite a tasty treat to pair with turkey too. Now, speaking of that dinner… Thanksgiving dinner typically offers a vast range of light to rich dishes. Finding wines to complement both can be tough, but not impossible. If white wine is your fancy, Chablis , Pinot Gris and Chardonnay will be your best options. All are great because neither is heavy or sweet, but have enough “oomph” or “courage” as my colleague Thom likes to say, to carry the meal. Chablis (a northern Burgundy) is crisp, lean and loaded with an unmistakable minerality and complexity. Pinot Gris, especially those from Oregon, tend to exude a touch of creaminess while maintaining crispness and finishing dry. Chardonnays with a little bit of oak will enhance buttery and roasted notes, making the mashed potatoes and basted turkey scream for another glass! Reds more your style? Your options here include the light to medium bodied Pinot Noir , Burgundy and Beaujolais . Pinot Noirs are great matches for lighter, leaner fare like turkey, and tend to have more of an earthy-mushroomy characteristic perfect for roasted root vegetables or that Sherry-Mushroom bisque. Red Burgundy is primarily made from pinot noir grapes, exhibiting solid raspberry and strawberry notes with great balance and complexity. (Pass the cranberries please!) They also tend to be a bit more elegant than our domestic counterpart. Beaujolais (technically the southern region of Burgundy) is made from gamay grapes. They offer a light and refreshing more fruit forward style. These three red wines, by and large, are higher in acid and lower in tannin, creating perfectly balanced wines for food. Save room for dessert! Finish dinner off with a Sauterne or Port. Both can pair well with the tartness of a freshly baked apple pie or the spiciness of pumpkin chiffon pie. (Don’t forget a scoop of French vanilla ice cream too!) And most importantly, truly, drink what you like! Happy Thanksgiving! ENJOY! CHEERS! Chablis : 2018 Agnes & Diddier Dauvissat Chablis $23.99 Pinot Gris : 2020 Thurston Wolfe PGV $13.99 Chardonnay : 2019 Joseph Drouhin Saint-Veran $19.59 Pinot Noir: 2017 St. Innocent Momtazi Vineyard $39.99 Burgundy : 2017 Girardin Vieilles Vignes $23.99 Beaujolais : 2018 Romuald Petit Saint Amour $20.99 Rosé : 2020 Chateau Barbebelle Provence $14.99 Dessert : NV Ramos Pinto Tawny $15.99 KB’s House : 2020 Domaine la Florane Cotes du Rhone Villages Kenneth Benner, a Seattle area native, is a trained chef and has worked in such restaurants as Barbacoa, B.O.K.A. Kitchen + Bar and Dahlia Lounge. Ken is the wine buyer at Leschi Market. He has a passion for learning, a meticulous palate and a tenacity for searching out the best for his customers while offering some of the most highly coveted wines in the area. His monthly column is intended to inspire and explore new choices in wine, learn about wine with his readers and share his knowledge and experience in the wine world. Check out the latest at www.LeschiMart.com or to request to be added to email updates at wine@leschimarket.com.

We are looking for Leschi residents to help make decisions for our community by serving on the Leschi Community Council board! You would have 1–2 meetings per month: our general meeting 9 times per year and the monthly board meeting which usually lasts about one hour. Meetings are conducted by Zoom at this time. Our LCC elections usually happen in May at the annual meeting but with the pandemic and the inability to have in-person meetings, we were hoping to wait out the restrictions. But this year, all offices need to be filled and rather than wait another year, we have decided to try a vote-by-mail effort. The open offices are President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer. The current Secretary and Treasurer have reached their term limits, but the President and Vice-President can run again, should they choose to do so. Section 1. President. The President shall: preside over all meetings of the Council and of the Executive Board; appoint committee chairpersons; and be an ex-officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee. Section 2. Vice-President. The Vice-President shall: assist the president as needed; perform the duties of president in the president’s absence; and act as chairperson of the Nominating Committee. Section 3. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall: collect dues; maintain a list of all paid members; receive funds; pay bills; keep records of all transactions; balance all funds; and prepare monthly financial reports for Council meetings. Section 4. Secretary. The Secretary shall prepare meeting agendas, record minutes of all general and executive board meetings and provide a copy to the newsletter editor; provide all officers with copies of relevant documents; maintain copies of all outgoing correspondence; retrieve mail from the post office; channel correspondence to appropriate persons; maintain lists of meeting attendance and council members; and maintain all records, reports and documents of the Council. This is an opportunity to guide the council in their work. The Council has been and shall continue to be organized and operated exclusively for charitable, educational and literary purposes. Its goal is to initiate and/or support beneficial public interest projects and programs, to create a neighborhood awareness of community issues so that residents of Leschi may make informed and effective decisions in matters concerning them, and to support and promote artistic and cultural activities that are consistent with the Council’s purposes (from our Constitution) Both the Constitution and Bylaws are on our website: see https://www.leschicommunitycouncil.org/documents. If you wish to run for office, please send your name and a brief bio to leschinews@comcast.net. We will be voting in June!

Here is your chance to meet the two top primary candidates for the top four positions in Seattle: Mayor, City Council Positions 8 & 9, and the City Attorney. We have had positive responses from all but one candidate at the time of our LeschiNews deadline. We are hoping to hear from that last candidate and have a full house for you to meet and know what their agendas might be. October 6 at 7pm. By Zoom. Send questions for candidates by 9/24 to leschinews@comcast.net. Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87981024531 Meeting ID: 879 8102 4531 One tap mobile +12532158782,,87981024531# US (Tacoma) +16699009128,,87981024531# US (San Jose) Dial by your location +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 646 558 8656 US (New York) Meeting ID: 879 8102 4531 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kZ5GLrxtP

The Central’s Annual Seafair Patio Party and our official Grand Re-Opening following a year of uncertainty and change owing to COVID-19 was a success! We were grateful to see 120 persons come out to celebrate with us and to donate while having fun. There were no Hydro Races this year. Neither were the Blue Angels flying overhead making noise while an audience delighted in their maneuvers like years past. Nonetheless, it was a good time. People gathered and ate great food by those specializing in a variety of dishes. Walter Washington provided smoked brisket with collard greens and smoked turkey, Rev. Doakes Louisiana BBQ delighted us with smoked chicken and his special vinegar BBQ based sauce. Ezell’s prepared macaroni and cheese with hot yeast rolls that were delicious. Chef Anthony of The Central tore up the potato salad, handled the plating of food to pass on to the volunteer servers and Seneeka Colly’s Red Velvet cake was moist and oh so good. People didn’t know which dessert to select: Red Velvet Cake or Star Sweetz’s Peach Cobbler. By October 18, 2021, we are preparing to reintroduce congregate meals during the lunch hour and phase out meal delivery to those who can come into the building and enjoy congregate dining. Presently we are creating a new website with some new features that will showcase our work and highlight old and new programs and activities. We are excited to be partnering with the Elite Collective for the new design. The website should be completed by the beginning of October. We look forward to introducing Live Music once again on the 3rd Fridays of each month at our Green Dolphin Lounge, 6–9pm. We have already booked some great entertainment. I anticipate that reservations will fill up quickly. Featured entertainment already booked include: Mercedes Nicole doing a Tribute to Shirley Horn, November 19th, and Eugenie Jones and her Trio performs at the Holiday Gala on December 11th. We are proud to bring these delightful performers to The Central. Make your reservation by calling us at 206-726-4926. ~Dian Ferguson

When the Leschi Community Council last featured a program on emergency preparedness, the primary focus was on earthquakes. Since then, we have learned that climate change can bring us other emergencies: floods, forest fires, drought and heat domes, a term we were unaware of before this summer. Leschi CC Board members Tracy Bier and Lawrence Pitre will present a program on November 3rd to make us all aware of the resources which are available when an emergency does occur. Being aware and prepared can help us get through emergencies with a minimum of injuries. Be sure to Zoom in next month so you know what to do! More details next month.

Hello Leschi—welcome to October! In my head, this is best said in the legendary voice of Lou Gellermann, the longtime iconic welcoming voice of Husky Stadium at the University of Washington: “Hello Dawg fans, welcome to Husky Stadium!” That voice (and accompanying siren) was planted in my head from the time I was little and stayed with me through my time as a student and now decades long (yes, plural) alum. Hearing the roar of the crowd on Saturday afternoons while playing at my grandparent’s house is also something I’ll never forget. Funny how a phrase, or statement can just take you back like that in an instant. Well, time to get back on track—Fall is in the air, October is here and there is a spooky holiday at the of the month. The last few Octobers we’ve explored “ Trick or Treat? ” in terms of wine, and I thought it would be fun and appropriate to explore this topic again, albeit in a formal, organized fashion as you would expect. One ground rule clarification: there actually aren’t any tricks, only treats! So, let’s dive into the goodies: ROSÉ If you have yet to experience the pure joy of Domaine Ott…well, I’m not sure what you are waiting for. These pinks set the bar extremely high for all its kind. Spoil yourself—you deserve it and you can thank us later. I realize these are not every day priced rosé, but they are both well worth it. Pairs well with Thanksgiving, if you need the excuse, or also, depending on availability, there might be some by Ott still hanging around for $25, just ask. You really oughta! 2020 Domaine Ott Chateau de Selle Rosé $47.99 Pale and coppery, boasts restrained aromas of peach, melon and citrus underscored by hints of crushed stone. In the mouth, it’s medium-bodied and concentrated, with ample intensity, a slightly creamy texture and a long, mouthwatering finish. ~Robert Parker, 93-points 2020 Domaine Ott Chateau Romassan Bandol Rosé $47.99 Mourvèdre, with smaller proportions of Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah. Scents of crushed stone accent notes of peach, strawberry and lime on the nose, while the medium-bodied palate is silky in texture, streamlined in shape and extremely long on the finish. ~Robert Parker, 93-points SWISS WINE Remember, no tricks—only treats! Have you ever tried a wine from Switzerland? I teased these last month, and really want to get the word out about this more obscure/not commonly thought of wine producing region. Open your mind and your treat bag and make room for these—one red and one white wine. 2019 Avalanche Fendant Valais, Switzerland $19.99 Fendant is a Chasselas wine from Valais in Switzerland. Boasts delightful aromas of lemon blossom, fresh zest and wet river rock lifted by a whiff of peppermint. It has a strong backbone of minerality, with flavors of apple, pear and lemon curd. Well balanced, crisp, and refreshing. ~Jeff Jenssen, Wine Enthusiast , 92-points 2018 Avalanche Pinot Noir Valais, Switzerland $22.99 This wine offers enticing aromas of red cherries and just-picked raspberries. The palate shows flavors of black cherry and raspberry, with a subtle touch of Christmas baking spices. It is well structured and well balanced, with silky tannins and a smooth finish. ~Jeff Jenssen, Wine Enthusiast , 91-points WHITE WINE Two white wines that don’t get enough credit for being absolute treats. Bracing acidity, food friendly and not the sweet treat you are expecting. An Albariño from our own backyard and a German Riesling worth your attention. 2020 Thurston Wolfe Albariño Yakima Valley $16.99 High but not overwhelming acidity, vibrant peach/ nectarine, and a dry taste create the perfect marriage in this high-quality wine. Albariño is a fantastic choice for pairing with exquisite dishes like ceviche, fish tacos, seafood pasta, and shrimp. ~Winemaker notes 2019 Dr. Loosen Blue Slate Riesling Kabinett Mosel Germany $18.99 It is a fully ripe vintage, with vibrant aromatics and a pronounced acidity that gives brilliant structural precision to the wines. ~Winemaker notes RED WINE Interesting fun red wines to close out the month with. Bardolino is best described as the Gamay of Italy. A fresh, fruity, easy drinking, everyday red. The Rossojbleo, pronounced: Rosso-ee-blay-oh, is a slight step up in complexity and a fascinating red from Sicily. Rounding out the wines are two can’t misses—an earthy Oregon Pinot and a powerful Gigondas that need no introduction. Cheers and enjoy everyone! 2019 Le Fraghe Bardolino Veneto $14.99 Fruity hints of black cherry and blueberries and the spicy hints of cinnamon and black pepper. Soft tannic structure with a perfect balance between the not too pronounced acidity and its flavor. Blend of Corvina and Rondinella. ~Winemaker notes 2018 Gulfi Rossojbleo Terre Siciliane Rosso $17.99 Very deep ruby. Perfumed violet, black cherry, citrus fruit and minerals on the enticing nose. Then fresh juicy and very lively, with youthfully chewy tannins and fruit forward elements of plum and dark cherry. Finishes flinty and long. ~Vinous, 91-points 2016 St. Innocent Momtazi Pinot Noir Willamette Valley $39.99 Opens with tar, damp soil and decaying leaves scents, with a core of blackberries and black cherries. In the mouth, it’s medium-bodied, concentrated and earthy with a grainy frame and long, fresh finish. This will benefit from a decant. ~Robert Parker, 90-points; 91-points James Suckling 2018 Saint Cosme Gigondas $39.99 Provençal bouquet of red and black currants, peppery herbs, leather, and loamy soil, the 2018 is medium to full-bodied, has a forward, sexy style, no hard edges, and a great finish. It’s terrific today yet still has enough tannins to evolve for 10–15 years if you’re so inclined. ~Jeb Dunnuck, 93-points Kenneth Benner, a Seattle area native, is a trained chef and has worked in such restaurants as Barbacoa, B.O.K.A. Kitchen + Bar, and Dahlia Lounge. Ken is the wine buyer at Leschi Market. He has a passion for learning, a meticulous palate, and a tenacity for searching out the best for his customers while offering some of the most highly coveted wines in the area. His monthly column is intended to inspire and explore new choices in wine, learn about wine with his readers, and share his knowledge and experience in the wine world. Check out the latest at www.LeschiMart.com or to request to be added to email updates at wine@leschimarket.com.

Hello and welcome back Leschi! We hope that everyone had a safe and healthy summer. As we ease away from fresh cut grass, hot summer nights and days by the lake—and get into cooler evenings, light jackets and football season, let’s take a look at a few wines that will help make this annual transition easier for us all. Ten wines from around the world. Bubbly, pink, white, and red. We begin the Fall Top Ten by enticing your palate with a red and a white from Switzerland of all places! Cheers and enjoy! ~KB Switzerland Wine 2019 Avalanche Fendant Switzerland $19.99 Fendant is Chasselas from the Valais region of Switzerland. This wine boasts delightful aromas of lemon blossom, fresh lemon zest and wet river rock lifted by a whiff of peppermint. Strong backbone of minerality, with pronounced flavors of apple, pear, and lemon curd. ~Distributor notes 2018 Avalanche Pinot Noir Switzerland $22.99 Lovely Pinot Noir from the Valais in Switzerland. Enticing aromas of red cherries and just-picked raspberries. The palate shows flavors of black cherry and raspberry, with a subtle touch of Christmas baking spices. Well-structured and well balanced, with silky tannins and a smooth finish. ~Distributor notes Bubbly Cedergreen Cellars Pet-Roc Frizzante Yakima Valley NV $21.99 A secret subterranean cuvee made from sparkling Chenin Blanc with more minerality than Touraine tuffeau! Barrel fermented, stirred and stored on the lees for 10 months. Serve well chilled for 2 Bars of spanking, sparkling fun. Five grams of dosage puts us in an Extra Brut state of mind. ~Winemaker notes Rosé 2020 Monte Xanic Grenache Rosé Limited Edition Baja Mexico $16.99 Aromas full of strawberries, raspberries, lemon and grapefruit. The palate is balanced and refreshing. Stone fruits, citrus and white flowers like orange blossom. Fresh, full of flavor and long-lasting. ~Winemaker notes 2020 Mirabeau Rosé Cotes de Provence $17.99 Blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Cinsault. Classical Cotes de Provence rose, offering aromas of yellow peach, pear, freesias and strawberries. Generous, with a good citrus fruit dimension. Notes of cherry and raspberry make this a real crowd-pleaser. ~Winemaker notes White 2020 Thurston Wolfe Albariño Yakima Valley $16.79 High but not overwhelming acidity, vibrant peach/ nectarine, and a dry taste create the perfect marriage in this high-quality wine. Albariño is a fantastic choice for pairing with exquisite dishes like ceviche, fish tacos, seafood pasta, and shrimp. ~Winemaker notes Red 2020 Viná Maitia Aupa Pipeño Chile $10.99 80% Pais/20% Carignan. Light in color with bright notes of crushed raspberry, wild strawberry, and rose petals with hints of dried herbs, mint leaves, fennel and thyme. This fruit driven, easy drinking wine has fresh acid with low tannin and can be enjoyed with a slight chill. ~Distributor notes 2017 Lyrarakis Red Wine Crete Greece $13.99 Deep red color. Delicate balance of delicious dark fruit highlighted by sweet spice and peppery notes. Rich and long with deep fruit acidity and a piquant aftertaste. Pair with grilled red meat, game and piquant types of cheese. ~Winemaker notes 2018 Cadence Coda Red Mountain $25.99 Cabernet Franc makes up 37% of this blend, with the rest Merlot (29%), Cabernet Sauvignon 23%) and Petit Verdot. Aromas are locked up on first pour, with notes of whole orange, raspberry, cherry and herb that show freshness. Soft, plush fruit flavors follow. ~Wine Enthusiast, 90-points, ~Vinous, 90-points 2018 St Cosme Gigondas France $39.99 Full-bodied and generous, it’s round and supple, with no hard edges to hamper the easy flow of asphalt, red raspberries and black cherries across the palate. Boasting ample but not excessive concentration, it’s a lovely, seductive example of Gigondas to enjoy over the next decade or so. ~Robert Parker, 93-points Kenneth Benner, a Seattle area native, is a trained chef and has worked in such restaurants as Barbacoa, B.O.K.A. Kitchen + Bar, and Dahlia Lounge. Ken is the wine buyer at Leschi Market. He has a passion for learning, a meticulous palate, and a tenacity for searching out the best for his customers while offering some of the most highly coveted wines in the area. His monthly column is intended to inspire and explore new choices in wine, learn about wine with his readers, and share his knowledge and experience in the wine world. Check out the latest at www.LeschiMart.com or to request to be added to email updates at wine@leschimarket.com.

I looked back at my column from last fall, and it was full of protests and occupations, smoke and covid. What do we have now? More of the same! I want to first call attention to what is happening in Minnesota. The Canadian Mega Corporation Enbridge Line 3 plans to complete the route carrying Canadian tar sands oil from Alberta to Chicago through fragile native lands. Not quite as famous as the Standing Rock protest, but equally important to resist, many tribal groups and their allies called the Water Resisters have been fighting it for years in court and on the ground. This summer hundreds are being arrested and assaulted by the police in Northern Minnesota. Winona LaDuke’s riveting book To Be a Water Protector, The Rise of the Wiindigoo Slayers (Fernwood Publishing) gives us the history of resistance to Line 3 as well as Standing Rock. The Wiindigoo are the capitalist exploiters. Winona LaDuke, To Be a Water Protector, The Rise of the Wiindigoo Slayers, Fernwood Publishing 2020. Cover. The New York Times published an interview with her August 9, 2021, speaking about Biden’s betrayal of the tribes in not stopping it. On Democracy Now, LaDuke described how Enbridge had funded 40 local police squads to violently beat up the water protectors. The climate impact is huge: “Enbridge’s Line 3 is the equivalent of adding 50 new coal-fired power plants . . . We see our rivers are parched. But yet we see Enbridge and the DNR, Minnesota DNR, guarding hoses as they suck millions of gallons of water out of our river to put in this Canadian tar sands pipeline, in the worst disaster of a drought, you know, and these massive fires that are to the north and west of us. It’s really a devastating time for all of us as climate chaos descends upon us: “they’re crossing like 69 rivers, and 22 of them with this thing called the HDD, which is a super phallic, horrible drill system, the high direction drill—horizontal direction drill. And so, what happens is that they’re drilling like underneath the rivers, and they hit an aquifer, and they shoot out into—or they hit a seam that shoots out into the river, in some spring that they didn’t know about, and all of a sudden, you’ve got a bunch of, like, toxic bentonite, all kind of crazy stuff at the bottom of the river.” Seattle activists and veterans are there. Here in Seattle, I joined an urgent call by activists and kayaktivists to demand the removal of dams on the Snake River. It is essential for the survival of salmon and the orcas. There are four dams on the Snake and four on the Columbia. The eloquent speakers were from organizations like Dam Truth and Chinook Salmon Initiative as well as Environment Washington Save Our Orcas Campaign (they have an easy online link to send a message to our senators). Today (August 16) in The Seattle Times Lynda Mapes wrote about the starvation of the oldest male member of the southern resident orcas. Now on to two important art exhibitions. The Wing Luke Museum is featuring Gerard Tsutakawa, son of George Tsutakawa. The show demonstrates how their careers interlocked. Gerard worked on his father’s sculptures, reviewing engineering drawings, assembling and installing his fountains. He still maintains many of them. The exhibition consists mainly of maquettes. It also provides a tour of the public art: we got to six of them nearby, there are fourteen on the tour. Maquettes by Gerard Tsutakawa, installation at the Wing Luke Museum. Foreground left to right Maru, Urban Peace Circle, Dragon. Background Sensei, Sea Wave, Untitled. George Tsutakawa’s inspiration was rooted in his education in both Japanese and US schools. The obi (rock piles with ritual significance) and the pagoda form the structure of many of the sculpture. The maquettes of Gerard’s own work in the exhibition suggest his own creative directions and his major contribution to our public art environment. Particularly notable are his Urban Peace Circle in Martin Luther King Park and his gateway at Kabota Gardens. Another exhibition not to miss is Fulgencio Lazo’s Estrellas del Norte al Sur (Stars from North to South), at ArtXchange gallery (until September 25). A Oaxacan artist with deep roots in Seattle, Fulgencio focuses here on immigration, especially that of children, with titles like “La Sombra de los Niños [Shadow of Children],” “Los Mil Caminantes [One Thousand Travelers]” and “Música de Papalotes [The Music of Kites].” We feel both the deep sorrow and pain of these children, as well as the artist’s hopes for their survival in the lush palette of blues, purples and pinks and the intricate compositions. (Look for my longer review in Art Access). ~Susan Platt, PhD www.artandpoliticsnow.com

The Western US is currently experiencing some of the most severe drought conditions on record. You can see it in the brown grass across the Leschi neighborhood, the explosive wildfires currently scorching Northern California, the bone-dry reservoirs across Southern Oregon and much of California, and the desiccated branches of deciduous and coniferous trees throughout the Pacific Northwest. This past spring was one of the driest on record for much of the Pacific Northwest, and this summer has been one of the hottest & driest summers on record and was punctuated by a heat wave in late June that was far stronger than any Pacific Northwest heat wave in recorded history. This latest drought is just the most recent episode of a decade that has been defined by droughts across the Western US. Late 2011–14 was the driest period in California’s recorded history, and the drought persisted until early 2017, when a series of strong atmospheric rivers moved and brought extreme flooding to portions of the state. California’s drought spread north into the Pacific Northwest, and 2015 experienced historical drought conditions due to the combination of very little mountain snowpack during the 2014–2015 winter and extreme heat during the 2015 summer. I was a camp counselor up at Hidden Valley Camp in near Granite Falls, WA during the summer of 2015 and remember how hot and dusty that summer was. There was so much dust, my tent group and I were inspired to do a skit re-enacting the “Dust Bowl” (I was the cranky farmer, of course). This most recent drought formed in summer 2020 due to hot/dry weather over the Pacific Northwest and a well-below-average monsoon season for the Desert Southwest. La Nina conditions during the 2020–21 winter resulted in well-below-average precipitation and worsening drought for California and the Desert Southwest, and many locations in the Pacific Northwest and California saw their driest spring on record. Coupled with the continued hot and dry conditions we’ve seen this summer, many places across the Western US are now experiencing some of their most severe drought conditions in modern history. The Western US is no stranger to drought. Using tree rings as a proxy for rainfall/vegetation growth, climate scientists have found that the Western US has experienced many periods of multi-year drought over the past millennium. But the past two decades have seen a marked increase in the expanse and severity of drought over the Western U.S. relative to most of the 20th century. In California, reservoirs are consistently setting all-time low records and water usage restrictions are becoming an annual occurrence, and many of the largest fires in recorded history for California and the Pacific Northwest have burnt in just 2020 and 2021. And anecdotally, it seems like recent summers have consistently been much smokier than they ever were in the 2000s, during my formative years in the Leschi neighborhood. Drought is not just dependent on the amount of rainfall; it is also dependent on the rate at which this rain evaporates back into the atmosphere. According to climate scientist Dr. Daniel Swain at UCLA, approximately half of the severity of the current “megadrought” over the Western US can be attributed to warming temperatures alone, and without the warming, the drought would be much less severe. This means that as global temperatures rise, droughts will become more common and more severe, even without any change in precipitation. Areas like Western Washington have more water resources and more ability to adapt to drought, but areas like southern California, that have much lower resources and a much higher population, will have face some serious challenges in adapting to a world with more severe drought. Unfortunately, autumn is peak fire season for California due to the increased occurrence and intensity of strong, extremely dry Santa Ana and Diablo winds and continued drying of fuels during this time, so I fear that this could be a particularly active autumn/early winter for fires in for California. For the Pacific Northwest, September tends to be the month with the highest potential for large, destructive wildfires west of the Cascade crest, and that risk is particularly high this year due to how dry fuels are. Still, it’s too early to tell if we’ll see a fire weather pattern this month, with strong, dry offshore flow. Let’s hope that we get plenty of rain this autumn to help moisten fuels, and that any offshore flow holds off until the fire danger environment is relatively low. ~Charlie Phillips Charlie Phillips is a Madrona resident who received his B.S. in atmospheric sciences from the University of Washington. He works in Portland as a meteorologist. Check out his weather website at Charlie.weathertogether.net.

The Leschi Community Council has molded the shore area of Lake Washington over the years to better suit the community and all who visit here. North of the business area, the Leschi Community Council initiated the development of a wide sidewalk along the Boulevard (at first it was proposed as a bicycle trail) and the construction of a fishing pier, using a share of the Forward Thrust Funds that were approved by the King County voters in 1970. When the Parks Department wanted to build a seawall, the Community Council campaigned to have two openings in the seawall for beaches. In 2006 the shore area was re-landscaped with native plants through a neighborhood planning process. Further north, near the Dance Studio, a children’s play beach was installed as a joint project of the Madrona Community Council and the Leschi Community Council. South of the Lakeside Business Area, volunteers from the neighborhood built a floating dock next to the Yesler Dock for the purpose of launching canoes and kayaks. A kayak storing rack was installed next to it. Lately, the Police Patrol uses it, but it is still a public dock for sunbathing and small boats. South of Leschi Park are a series of streets that dead end at the Lake. Four of them were converted into public shore areas called “street ends” (S King St., S Dearborn St., S Charles St. and S Norman St. in 1993). Later, in 2002, the Leschi Community Council partnered with the Mt Baker Community Council to develop the S Judkins street end as a public area. Volunteers from the neighborhood supported by the Leschi Community Council continue to maintain these street ends. Planned for the near future is a public access dock at the South Leschi Moorage. ~John Barber