Late on January 12th and early on January 13th, a surprise windstorm ravaged the Pacific Northwest, knocking out power to 559,000 customers in Western Washington, over 100,000 in Northwest Oregon, and another 100,000 over Eastern Washington. Winds gusted to 50 for the Seattle metro area—strong, but not out of the ordinary for a Pacific Northwest windstorm. Why was this system so much stronger than expected? Why were there so many outages despite strong but unremarkable winds, particularly for NW Oregon northward to central Puget Sound? And what lessons can we learn from this event so that we don’t get caught flat-footed during future windstorms? This storm can best be described as a prolonged “atmospheric river” that was capped off by a stronger-than-expected, compact, and rapidly intensifying low-pressure system that rode along this atmospheric river and slammed into the Olympic Peninsula the night of Tuesday 1/12. An “atmospheric river” is a long, narrow, relatively stationary filament of moisture that extends from the subtropics to the mid-latitudes, and because warm air can hold more moisture than cool air, atmospheric rivers tend to be far wetter than systems that lack a subtropical connection. This atmospheric river brought 2–3 inches of rain for the Seattle metro area, 4–6 inches of rain over Southwest Washington, and as much as 10 inches of rain over the Olympics, Willapa Hills, Oregon Coast Range, and NW Oregon/SW Washington Cascades, resulting in widespread minor-to-moderate flooding on many rivers and numerous landslides across Western Washington and Oregon. We knew that this atmospheric river was going to drop a tremendous amount of rain and cause problems with landslides and river flooding. However, the winds with this tempest far exceeded our expectations. Nearly every weather model was going for simply breezy conditions to accompany this atmospheric river. The one exception was the European model, which was adamant that we would have a moderate windstorm with gusts in the 35–50 mph range. The European model nailed these wind speeds, but we instead saw damage more representative of a storm that had 55–65 mph gusts. Why did we see such extensive damage despite unremarkable wind speeds? The primary reason for the greater-than-expected damage was due to saturated soils from all the heavy rain experienced during the atmospheric river and first half of January, as these saturated soils lose their cohesion and allow trees to topple more easily under strong winds. Many Pacific Northwest trees (especially conifers) have shallow root systems, as the ample precipitation that we receive west of the Cascades means that these roots can get all the water they need without reaching deep underground. The combination of shallow-rooted, leaved conifers in loose soils means that these trees can experience a lot of force under only moderate wind and topple completely, resulting in significant disruption to the electrical grid. An important lesson from this storm is that we can’t let any particular hazards from a storm “overshadow” and “minimize” other impacts from the storm, as the sum of the impacts can be greater than the parts. We had very high confidence in heavy rain that would cause significant flooding and landslides and we effectively communicated this threat. However, the focus on flooding and landslides unfortunately came at the expense of any focus on wind, when in reality, it should have amplified the focus on wind due to soil saturation. While it is true that there is only so much information TV meteorologists can put in a 2-minute TV newscast (as a KOMO News intern who has practiced in front of a green screen, I’ve experienced this first-hand!), we have other methods of disseminating this information, such as social media and weather blogs, and I don’t think there’s much of an excuse for not correctly highlighting the small but very real potential for a highly disruptive windstorm. Forecasting is a probabilistic exercise by nature. When we run weather models, we look at all the different solutions, discern what solutions are most likely based on model consensus, prior model performance, and climatology, and emphasize these solutions while still highlighting the risks associated with the less probable, but still possible, solutions. Unfortunately, humans are poor at understanding probabilities, leading to an incongruence with the nature of forecasting and human psychology. Thankfully, I know we’ve made great strides in doing this over the past few years, and I’m optimistic that we can take these lessons and further improve our forecast communication when the next windstorm inevitably strikes. ~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 .

Congratulations to Mr. D for being named this year’s recipient of the first annual King County Larry Gossett Service Award! Text from his nomination below: Mr. Donaldson has worked in the Seattle School District for 30 years as a Family Support Worker, to ensure that families’ basic human needs are met. He is an ever-present community fixture, and his contributions include co-founding The Rising Sons boy’s group and co-founding of the Rising Daughters girl’s group, as well as the Racial Student Equity Team at Leschi Elementary. During the pandemic, he has supported weekly “grab and go” food distribution to support families, as well as technical support, and numerous school needs. He was recognized as Family Support Worker of the Year, and the 2019 MOHAI Educator of the Year. Mr. Donaldson has worked with the Leschi Community, the PTA, and service agencies such as Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic, numerous Churches, local community centers, and merchants. He has built partnerships with these community resources for holiday assistance, clothing, rental and energy assistance, and food donations for essential family support in a community with a large minority and immigrant population with numerous needs. He is grateful for such rewarding, fulfilling, and challenging work. Keep up to date on upcoming events and news by visiting leschies.seattleschools.org or our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/leschischool . To support our school, classrooms, and community programs for the remainder of the school year please see: https://leschies.seattleschools.org/school_involvement/fundraising . ~Benson Wilder

Reprinted with permission of The Seattle Times. (Thanks to Anne Depue for obtaining permission) Born in segregated Arkansas in 1928, Judge Charles V. Johnson helped break the color barrier in Seattle, where he was lauded for bringing racial equity to his courtroom, revitalization to the NAACP and leadership to the region’s civil rights movement. Johnson, who died peacefully in his sleep in his Leschi home on Dec. 29, was remembered by colleagues, family and friends as a trailblazer who never boasted, a mild-mannered man with a good sense of humor. He was 92. The public knew him for his 30-year career as a Seattle Municipal and King County Superior Court judge, where he helped integrate and improve the efficiency of every system he touched. “Judge Johnson was the best of Seattle, a stellar example of what’s possible when persistence, dedication, and opportunity meet,” Mayor Jenny Durkan said in a statement. “His sagacity, the compassion he showed for those who stood before his bench, and his dedication to improving the judiciary has made us a better city.” From an early age, Johnson’s family instilled in him the belief that education provided the power to rise above the segregated south. When he finished junior college at 20, Johnson enrolled in the military and was deployed to Germany for four years, according to a 2017 interview with King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg. “As a young prosecutor, going into Judge C.V. Johnson’s courtroom was everything you could hope for—it was dignified, respectful and fair, and the judge’s commanding presence was the consistent factor,” Satterberg said in an email. Johnson’s story about his military service was featured in the 2014 documentary, “Breath of Freedom.” When he returned to a segregated U.S., Johnson missed the freedom of an integrated Germany where he was able to enter any establishment without restriction. “Many of the soldiers that I know came home and they became engaged in the civil rights battle because they had had a breath of freedom, and they wanted some more freedom,” Johnson said in the 2017 interview. In 1954, Johnson enrolled in the University of Washington School of Law, where he was the only Black person who graduated in his class. His desire to create a more equitable Seattle encouraged Johnson to revive the NAACP’s Seattle Chapter in 1958, where he served in a leadership role for four decades. “At all levels in this organization—from branch, state, regional and national levels—and from the streets to the courtrooms, he worked tirelessly to fight for civil rights,” said Carolyn Riley-Payne, president of Seattle/King County NAACP. “He loved the NAACP, he loved civil rights, and he loved the people who he worked so hard to make this world a better place for. He will be greatly missed.” Lacy Steele, Seattle/King County NAACP president emeritus, met Johnson a year after he helped revive the Seattle chapter. In the decades since, the two worked together on the NAACP national board and attended First African Methodist Episcopal Church. Their daughters were close friends. “He did a lot of things he didn’t have to do, but he did it because that’s the type of person he is,” Steele said. “He was strong, he never boasted.” In the early 1960s, Johnson helped lead a march to persuade stores to hire Black workers. He participated in demonstrations at City Hall to end segregated housing and demand that Black people be allowed to live wherever they could afford. After several years of effort, the Seattle City Council passed an open housing ordinance in 1968, weeks after the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., to prohibit discriminatory practices in the sale and rental of properties. After he graduated from law school, Johnson became an attorney at a private practice for 11 years. He was a Municipal Court Judge from 1969 until 1980. In the 1960s, Johnson was also instrumental in helping integrate Seattle Public Schools by holding demonstrations, meeting with the school board and facilitating freedom schools, which provided alternative education for Black children in churches. “Over the years we’ve had to take step after step to try and make Seattle a more integrated and inclusive community,” Johnson said in the 2017 interview. Outside of his work and activism, Johnson helped found the Black legal foundation, Loren Miller Bar Association in 1968, which connected the about 10 Black attorneys in Seattle at the time. “When you think of Judge Johnson, he’s a trailblazer,” said James F. Johnson, president of Loren Miller Bar Association. “He’s a Jackie Robinson of his time.” At the municipal court, Johnson was proud to have diversified the clerk’s office and ensured the hiring of more Black probation officers. He helped set up a payment plan for people to pay their fines in increments. In 1981, Johnson was appointed a Superior Court judge where he focused on felonies and juvenile crimes until he retired in 1998. ~Melissa Hellmann Seattle Times staff reporter

Zoom to our February meeting as we discuss police reform with our Council Member Kshama Sawant! She will answer submitted questions about the progress in making positive changes. Readers may submit questions to LeschiNews@comcast.net. February 3, 7pm Zoom instructions: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87646232740?pwd=UXlDNytrcCsrTTJQcUk5eU1BOVFhUT09 Meeting ID: 876 4623 2740 Passcode: 184719 One tap mobile +12532158782,,87646232740#,,,,*184719# US (Tacoma) +16699006833,,87646232740#,,,,*184719# US (San Jose)

FRIENDS OF STREET ENDS IS PROUD TO SUMMARIZE OUR 2020 ACCOMPLISHMENTS! NEVER, IN OUR 25-YEAR HISTORY HAVE WE HAD THREE NEW SHORELINE STREET END PROJECTS UNDERWAY AT THE SAME TIME—ALL VOLUNTEER-DRIVEN! East Pine Street is located in the Denny Blaine Neighborhood on the shore of Lake Washington. It was blanketed by blackberries and laurel trees which hid a lovely Lake Washington beach and view of Mt. Rainier. Volunteer Evan Boyd completed a creative design to remove the invasive plants and open the area for public access. Then he and volunteers, with the support of Green Seattle Partnerships, worked on implementation. Most of the work is done but final touches will be completed in 2021. West Sheridan Street is located in the Magnolia neighborhood, on Puget Sound just west of the Locks. It was covered by weeds and invasive plants. Kira Baum has been leading the project and Karen Kiest completed the design with Marty Oppenheimer helping with permitting. Then neighbors, Groundswell Northwest and Friends of Street Ends contributed financial support. The first implementation phase was completed this fall with plantings to be installed in 2021. South Massachusetts Street is located in the Mt. Baker neighborhood on the shore of Lake Washington. It had been used as a private garden by adjacent property owners with the beach and shoreline covered in thick blackberries and wisteria. Daniel Collins completed the design and handled all permitting with the help of SDOT’s Omar Akkari. Volunteers worked throughout the Fall to remove the invasive plants and cover the ground with fabric in preparation for a Spring 2021 planting. In addition, we worked with the City on several large projects. 98th Avenue SW in the South Fauntleroy neighborhood includes a Seattle Public Utility facility which is being rebuilt; we are working with the City to ensure the street end is designed to enhance public access. 24th Avenue NW in the Ballard neighborhood includes a very large Seattle Public Utility facility which is being rebuilt; we are working with the Ballard community and City staff to ensure the street end is designed to enhance public access. Brooklyn Ave NE aka Sakuma Viewpoint in the University District was renovated thanks to the University of Washington and is now compatible with the adjacent new Portage Bay Park. E Newton Street aka Terry Pettus Park in the Eastlake Community is being redesigned by Seattle Parks Department. We are working with the Eastlake Community to design this exciting new project. Two Seattle Public Utility projects located at shoreline street ends are currently under construction and will be completed shortly: 7th Avenue S in South Park and W Cramer St in Magnolia. And Friends of Street Ends members continued to steward several projects: East Prospect Street, located in the Madison Park neighborhood, is one of the largest in the City. The project was completed last year but phase 3, which included planting of over 200 additional plants, was completed in 2020. Gene Brandzel continues to lead this project with the help of dozens of volunteers! S Willow Street in the Seward Park neighborhood continues to be stewarded by Marty Oppenheimer and friends. S Judkins Street in the Leschi neighborhood received major maintenance thanks to local volunteers. And we improved our website thanks to volunteers Laura Perry, Zach Stednick and John Feit. Finally, we worked closely with Seattle Department of Transportation’s Shoreline Street End Manager, Omar Akkari, who throughout this challenging year continued to support community efforts, oversee maintenance work and juggle dozens of projects throughout the City—all with a positive attitude which is greatly appreciated! It was a very productive year! We are grateful for the support of dozens of volunteers and supporters. Thank you! This next year, we will need funds more than ever to continue to improve Seattle’s unique 142 shoreline street ends! You can support this effort by sending your donations to Friends of Street Ends, c/o Leschi Community Council, 140 Lakeside Avenue, Suite A #2, Seattle, 98122. ~Karen Daubert

I was excited to read about Kristi Brown’s new dining spot in the Liberty Bank Building. I have long admired what she does with everyday food; who would have thought that black-eyed peas could be fashioned into an enticing hummus? Communion is open for takeout only given all the restrictions in our pandemic climate. I ordered a Po’ Mi, which pretty much described my mood. This is Kristi’s creation that marries The Southern Po’ Boy with the Asian Banh Mi. I love Banh Mi, but my husband always says he’s still hungry after eating one: too many vegetables. This one would not disappoint! It was fried catfish (and a lot of it) with a generous dose of slivered veggies: cucumbers, daikon & carrots, grilled jalapeños, house made pate with a tangy remoulade. My husband ordered the roasted rib tips & bone broth which Brown calls An Ode to Pho. It was filling and spicy; it seemed like he had two meals from this creation with grilled rib tips, rice noodles, broccoli, eggplant and oyster mushrooms. This was the first time I have taken communion since I left the Lutheran Church in 1958, but I will be back for more. Communion 2530 Union St. 206 257-4227 goodday@comunionseattle.com Takeout orders: Wed-Sat 3-9pm, Sunday 1-6pm ~Diane Snell

Happy Holiday Season Leschi! Giving the gift of wine can be equally as fun for the gift giver as it is for the recipient. When choosing a bottle of wine (or two) to gift, keep a few basic ideas in mind. Know what the recipient tends to like and have a rough estimate of what you would like to spend. Many great wines can be found across all ranges of price points. When in doubt- ask an expert- like US! Leschi Market will be well staffed with wine experts throughout the month to assist you with all of your wine questions. A comment that I will never forget, was said to me one of my first holiday seasons at the Market. “Giving wine just seems so last minute.” We have discussed the art of gift giving many times before. As we embark on the biggest gifting season of the year, let me offer some ideas on putting a little meaning behind those gifts. Trust me, in general, everyone loves to receive wine as a gift, and if you put just a tiny amount of thought into it, it won’t seem so last minute at all. Personally, I anticipate quite a bit of wine gifting this year! We’ve explored several options in the past of theme-based wine gifts. These definitely show some amount of thought. They are just as fun to assemble as they are to receive. All you need to do is choose your price point and choose your theme. Here are some of my favorites from recent years. For the bicyclist on the list, for example, a “Tour de France” package can include a wine from several different regions in France: Alsace, Beaujolais, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Chateauneuf du Pape, Gascogne, Languedoc-Roussillon, Loire, and Rhône are great starting points. These regions are so diverse themselves that you could easily choose a few wines from within each region. With the lack of travel abroad this year, the “Around the World” packages might be a great way to visit those far-off destinations. Focusing on one country, or several, is easy enough to do. Rieslings from Germany, Barberas from Italy, Tempranillos from Spain, Cabernet Sauvignons from South Africa, Malbecs from Argentina or Carmeneres from Chile. Domestic sets can be great too. Walla Walla, Willamette Valley or Napa would provide great themed packages. The possibilities and spin-offs are endless. From an “Italian Getaway,” to an all-organic grouping, from all under $10 wine, to an all-animal themed label, use your imagination and creativity, and most of all, have fun with it. This brings me to Champagnes and Ports. These are ultimate gift wines, if not for the sole fact that people rarely buy them for themselves. Who knows why, but I’ve seen the trend that we tend to put off splurging for these special wines for ourselves yet are ecstatic when we are gifted them. When in doubt, look to the Port and Champagne sections. Many of these wines are discounted during holiday months, and great finds can be had for under $35. Vintage Champagnes and Vintage Ports are more expensive and harder to find, however “Colheita” Ports (years of ports not designated as “vintage”) can be found for a lesser dollar amount and for nearly every year; a great idea when trying to match birth years, anniversary years, and other significant dates in one’s life. Finally, let’s conclude with highly sought-after wines that are in fairly limited supply. Collectors, cellar builders, and new winos alike will appreciate getting their hands on some of these rarities! These are just a few of our offerings. Take a look at our *new* lockbox, located next to the Champagne in the wine aisle. It is full of treasures as well! 2015 Leonetti Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla ($117) 97-points, James Suckling 2011 Muga Prado Enea Gran Reserva ($89.99) 99-points, James Suckling 2016 Felsina Fontalloro Toscana ($60) 98-points, Robert Parker 2007 Graham Vintage Port 375ml ($49.99) 97-points, Robert Parker Louis Roederer Champagne Brut Premier NV ($47) 92-points, Wine Spectator 2017 Lingua Franca ‘Avni’ Chardonnay Willamette Valley ($35) 93-points, Wine Enthusiast 2016 Chateau Magnol Haut-Medoc Bordeaux ($24.99) 95-points, Decanter 2016 Querciabella Chianti Classico Toscana ($24.99) 94-points, Decanter Still unsure what gift to give the wine lover on your list? One of my favorite reminders is that accessories like wine glasses and decanters rarely need a gift receipt! Have a safe and memorable holiday season and we’ll see you next year! CHEERS! ENJOY! 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 .

NOVEMBER 4, 7PM As we enter the ninth month of this pandemic and subsequent lockdown, one wonders where it will all end. We are hearing that “Opening” will not happen in January but more likely in July 2021. It is little wonder that people are tiring of it, but hopefully not relaxing the mask and social distancing cautions. These are the tools we have to combat this virus. We have received confirmation that we will have speaker from the King County Health Department for a Q and A on the virus. Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85968397379?pwd=aVZmY0FhVGtxRzBxbStnSnFNRDQ5Zz09 Meeting ID: 859 6839 7379 Passcode: 174163 One tap mobile +12532158782,,85968397379#,,,,,,0#,,174163# US (Tacoma) +14086380968,,85968397379#,,,,,,0#,,174163# US (San Jose) Dial by your location +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose) Meeting ID: 859 6839 7379 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbg2HQPXy3

Steven Holl, named by Time magazine in 2001 as “America’s best architect”, grew up in Bremerton where he first encountered three-dimensional design as a teenager, in his father’s sheet metal workshop. It may seem a long stretch from fabricating ductwork to creating “buildings that satisfy the spirit as well as the eye”, as Time asserted but an early life on the Puget Sound, including architectural education at the University of Washington prepared him for his creative career. “Steven Holl: Making Architecture” at the Bellevue Art Museum was open for three weeks of its six scheduled months, but many architecture enthusiasts failed to catch it. Fortunately, Seattleites can still make up for the disappointment by communing with Holl’s two outstanding buildings in our area. The award-winning Chapel of St. Ignatius at Seattle University, 1997, only a few steps from Madison Street, offers an architectural experience worth frequently reliving. The simple exterior form, seen across a reflecting pool, stands out among other buildings on the campus. The sculptural elements on the roof reveal their purpose as devices admitting light from the sky to the spaces below. Holl conceived the interior by responding to St. Ignatius’s vision of the inner spiritual life. Creating a sequence of seven subtly modulated spaces infused with colored light, he evoked different parts of Jesuit Catholic worship. Luminescent rays penetrate through stained glass to combine with light reflected off painted surfaces. The Bellevue Arts Museum, 2011, an irregular volume carved out of a cubic form, enlivens the commercial townscape and invites us in. The stepped ramp inside illustrates the French modernist Le Corbusier’s concept of a promenade architecturale curving through the lofty atrium. It carries us first to a stage where performances often take place and on to upper galleries of diverse character, one with soft, even light entering from the north, another responds vibrantly to the arc of the sun at our 48° north latitude; a third, lit by east-west skylights reflects “fragmented time”. Outdoor terraces named by Holl as the “Right Hand Rule Terrace”, the Terrace of Planetary Motion”, the “Court of Light”, the “Chromatic Terrace”, the “Court of Water” and the ”Terrace of Wind and Shadow” show that the architect demands eloquence from the structural elements that define space. When we visit these two buildings, we will not be surprised that Steven Holl rejects the use of computer graphics, the almost universal tool of today’s architects. As the exhibition vividly reveals, watercolor drawings, followed by models serve as his means of exploring design concepts and bringing them through many evolutions to realization. His worldwide reputation, international practice, and prestigious awards prove that his traditional approach triumphs; he is no luddite, but a leader in his field. This exhibition originated in New Paltz, New York and will travel to Korea, China and Japan. The show includes sixty projects world-wide, most of which exhibit Holl’s characteristic drama with space, light and structure, but on a larger scale than the two buildings described. The University of Iowa Visual Arts Building of 2016, like the Bellevue Museum, appears to have begun with a rectilinear volume from which voids have been carved. Elements project forcefully outwards, fragmenting the structure and allowing light to penetrate interior spaces from many directions. The design invites maximum interaction between departments. Curvaceous walkways, staircases and balconies intersect and collide as they encircle the central atrium. Classrooms, studios, the library, art gallery and social spaces assert their own individuality. The Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton further deconstructs the box, pulling its components, further apart and adding a cylindrical volume as well as a large reflecting pool. Designed for theater, dance and drama, it provides visual variety and spatial complexity. Compared with the two university arts buildings in this country, Holl’s projects for the arts in China and Japan confront us with more daring originality. Notably, the Sifang Art Museum at Nanjing, China 2013 consists of flexible exhibition space in a translucent tube, which makes three turns as it hovers in the air high above the concrete base. It gives spectacular views of Nanjing from this elevated vantage point, often across a misty landscape evoking Chinese paintings. The lower area elegantly provides for other museum functions. Would any American Museum client be so audacious? If you missed the show in Bellevue, and, after visiting the chapel and the museum, you want visit Steven Holl’s work, at his website https://www.stevenholl.com/ Henry C. Matthews Architectural Historian Professor Emeritus, Washington State University. His most recent book is Greek Cities of Sicily: History, Archaeology, Architecture available from the author at henry@henrymattews.com or online.

Vote. Vote. Vote blare the internet and commercials: former president Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, former attorney general Eric Holder, entertainers, athletes, ministers tell us to vote; countless e-mails, many from out-of-state, unknown donation-soliciting candidates, encourage us to vote. I need no reminder; I know the value and importance of voting. I have believed in voting since my early teens. No one has to tell or remind me to vote. What I wish is that more persons were told to check whether they are registered to vote. More importantly, I wish there were more persons telling legislatures to eliminate voter suppression! How different might the 2016 election have been had more than 26% of eligible voters used their constitutionally given right to vote. Voter suppression was certainly not the reason so few persons voted, but it accounts for more missing votes than many citizens would ever guess or consider. The film “Suppressed 2020: The Fight to Vote” says as many as 17,000, 000 persons have been purged from the rolls. The House of Representatives attempted to reduce some of the suppression by passing legislation in December 2019 to restore the pre-clearance requirements the Supreme Court removed from the Voting Rights Act of 1965 in 2013. However, Mitch McConnell has refused to call for a vote on this legislation—as he has done on several other pieces of legislation to strengthen voting rights. This one man has so much power that he can circumvent the will of the House of Representatives, ½ of Congress, so much power that he can check one of the three branches of government all by himself! (I realize that the bill might not pass because the Senate would most likely vote along party lines and defeat it, but at least we the people could see how many of our fellow citizens take seriously the idea of one person, one vote!) Myriad are the ways of voter suppression. States in both the North and South required photo identification, moved ballot boxes and voting centers ended same-day registration, reduced or eliminated early voting, cut the number of days and/or hours of voting, restricted or denied vote by mail, required a witness for an absentee ballot. Add to that the possible intimidation from poll monitors. An excellent source for a record of suppression is Thom Hartmann’s The Hidden History of the War on Voting. And many states have instituted polices that deter rather than encourage citizens to vote. Georgia purged 300,000+ voters from the rolls. Activist groups attempting to get these people re-registered lost in court. Many individuals will always believe Stacey Abrams won the governorship. In Wisconsin 234,000 voters were purged. Said the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, “Hours after the Supreme Court decision in Shelby County, Alabama v. Holder, Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas implemented laws that had been barred since 1965….Georgia purged 8% of its registered voters ahead of the 2018 midterm election….107,000 people were removed for not voting in previous elections…attempted to block 53,000 registration applications, most… African Americans. Florida restored voting rights to over one million people convicted of felonies once they have completed their sentences.” This sounds good until you read the following sentence: “formerly incarcerated persons [must] pay all fees and fines as a condition to having their votes restored.” As many as “775,000 felons will not be able to vote if they have not paid back all fines, fees, and restitution,” said the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. Now that Michael Bloomberg, LeBron James, and other athletes and entertainers have raised money to pay the fees, the state is working to prevent that action by arguing giving “incentives” to vote is illegal. Wisconsin’s Republican secretary of state refused to switch to mail-in votes and required voters to expose themselves to coronavirus-19. Texas, too, has made securing a mail-in vote a terrible headache. Mother Jones says Texas is one of ten states with no online voting. Furthermore, “Anyone who wants to sign up voters must be deputized by each county they work in, every two years. Texas has an estimated 5.5 million unregistered but eligible voters—more people than the individual populations of 28 other states. The majority of them, according to the Texas Demo¬cratic Party, are young, people of color, or both, who would likely favor Democrats if they voted….” Texas limits mail-in voting for those under 65 to people who are out of town during the election, in jail, or have a “sickness or physical condition” that prevents them from going to the polls. Meanwhile, any voter 65 or older—the strongest age demographic for Donald Trump in 2016—can request an absentee ballot with no questions asked.” Our civic and American history classes teach us the value of voting. In 1973 Paul Weyrich, a founder of the Heritage Foundation, said, "I don't want everybody to vote. Elections are not won by a majority of the people. They never have been from the beginning of our country and they are not now. As a matter of fact, our leverage in the elections quite candidly goes up as the voting populace goes down." We the people should speak and show Weyrich and friends there is no place for his want because we sincerely want a great America. Georgia S. McDade, a charter member of the African American Writers’ Alliance, began reading her stories in public in 1991 and credits the group with making her write poetry. Many poems are inspired by artists. Georgia writes for South Seattle Emerald and LeschiNews . She also does interviews for KVRU (105.7) and KBCS (107.3). Outside the Cave is the name of four volumes of poetry; Observation and Revelations: Stories, Sketches, and Essays is the name of her volume of prose.

The “Blob” first entered the Pacific Northwest meteorological lexicon way back in 2014, when UW atmospheric sciences professor and Washington State Climatologist Nick Bond affectionately dubbed the amoebic mass of warm, sterile ocean water in the Northeast Pacific as such. Such oceanic “warm spells” had surely occurred throughout the climate record, but the 2014-2015 event was so anomalous that it needed its own scientific term. And in the spirit of hard-hitting meteorological classics such as “polar vortex and bomb cyclone,” the Blob was born. Current sea-surface-temperature (SST) anomalies showing the “Blob” of warm water in the NE Pacific. Above-average SSTs span all the way from Haida Gwaii south to Baja California, and extend well over 1,000 miles offshore. SSTs are as much as 3-4 degrees C (5-7 degrees F) above-average off the WA/OR coasts. Credit: NOAA/California Current IEA But the Blob is hardly a beloved Pacific Northwest fixture. During late 2014, the Blob – which had been stationed several hundred miles off the West Coast – began to creep eastward towards our shores. The warm, sterile water associated with the Blob had devastating impacts for marine life. During late 2014, there was a massive die off Cassin’s auklets along the Washington/Oregon Coast, which feed on zooplankton and krill and were starved when the warm, nutrient-poor Blob moved into their feeding grounds. In 2015, other organisms throughout the food chain, from sea lions in California to fin whales in the Gulf of Alaska, saw increased mortality rates, and many Puget Sound salmon runs are still recovering from the effects of the 2014-2015 Blob. The Blob isn’t just devastating for marine life. It’s devastating for Pacific NW snow lovers as well. The 2014-2015 ski season lasted a measly three weeks for Alpental just north of Snoqualmie Pass, and it’s not like those weeks featured knee-deep pillows of powder! Since the 2014-2015 “mega-blob,” we’ve seen two other, shallower warm “Blobs” off our coast – one in the summer of 2019 and another that has developed this autumn. However, these shallower blobs have had similarly warm surface temperatures compared to the 2014-2015 Blob, and they’ve had a similar warming effect on our temperatures. The summer 2019 Blob gave the Pacific Northwest some of its warmest summer overnight low temperatures on record due to higher dewpoints and less overnight cooling for the Pacific NW, and the current Blob has done the same this autumn. Blob 101 These “Blobs” are formed when a ridge of high pressure moves over the Northeast Pacific. This ridging prevents storms from coming through and mixing the water column, allowing the upper-most levels of the ocean to become stratified between warm, sterile water at the surface and cool, nutrient-rich, acidic water below. The Blob warms the Pacific Northwest in two primary ways. First, air moving over the Blob is warmed (or cooled less) simply by the warmer-than-average sea-surface-temperatures associated with the Blob. Second, this air picks up more water vapor as it moves over the relatively warm Blob. Water vapor is a powerful greenhouse gas and helps prevent temperatures from falling significantly at night (this is why the tropics are so warm at night!). This second effect – the added moisture content and stronger greenhouse effect – appears to have a more substantial impact on warming than the first effect – the heat transfer from the Blob to the atmosphere – but there is still research that needs to be done into how big of a contribution each of these variables play. NOAA Winter Outlook: Too Cool? NOAA released an updated winter forecast in mid-October, and with the burgeoning La Nina in the tropical Pacific, they are going with a typical La Nina temperature and precipitation distribution, with above-average precipitation and below-average temperatures over the northern tier of the US and warmer-than-average conditions for the southern 2/3rds of the country and East Coast. They appear to have NOT taken the Blob into account with these long-range forecasts. La Nina tends to bring enhanced troughing to the Pacific NW, with cooler and wetter-than-average weather as a result. Such a pattern would help erode the Blob and give us a much better outlook for mountain snow this winter. The shallow depth of the Blob means that it could mix fairly quickly in spots, but the sheer size means that it the Blob may not dissipate completely until 2021. Given how warm and expansive the Blob is, I think NOAA’s forecasts for the Pacific NW are a little too cool, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they bumped their seasonal temperature forecast up a bit during their next update if this Blob persists, even if our current La Nina continues to intensify. For skiers and salmon alike, let’s hope this Blob disappears sooner rather than later! 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

Global sea-surface-temperature (SST) anomalies as of 8/14/2020. Note the massive Blob in the A Northeast Pacific and a developing La Nina in the Tropical Pacific. The strongest parts of the Blob have sea-surface-temperature anomalies exceeding 5oC (8oF). Credit: NOAA Seasonal forecasting is the Achilles Heel of weather forecasters. Despite the plethora of seasonal forecasts offered by various government, educational, and commercial institutions, these forecasts have relatively little skill, and they have made minimal improvements over the last decade. However, there are a few key features that can make seasonal forecasting a bit easier, at least for the Pacific Northwest. One is the status of the tropical Pacific and whether it is in an El Nino, Neutral, or La Nina state. The other is the “Blob” – the area of warm, sterile water that occasionally forms in the Northeast Pacific. We currently have a burgeoning La Nina in the tropical Pacific that is predicted to strengthen into a weak-to-moderate La Nina this winter, and we have an extraordinarily strong Blob of warm water in the Northeast Pacific well offshore. La Nina and the Blob effect our weather in vastly different ways. La Nina events have well-documented effects on global atmospheric circulation and affect the location and strength of storms that impact the West Coast in the winter. More specifically, La Ninas tend to create an anomalous ridge of high pressure in the Northern Pacific, which then results in the jet stream sliding down into the Pacific Northwest from the WNW and giving us cooler and wetter-than-average weather with well-above-average mountain snowfall. The Blob, on the other hand, is a result of persistent ridging over the Northeast Pacific and has relatively little effect on the location and strength of the jet stream. But at a more local scale, the Blob increases temperatures for the West Coast by warming and moistening the air that passes over it. The 2014-2015 winter was the warmest on record for many spots in the Pacific NW due to an extraordinarily strong Blob just off the coast, and the 2019 summer saw much warmer-than-average overnight lows due the onshore flow from the Pacific passing over the blob and picking up more water vapor in the process, as water vapor is a strong greenhouse gas and prevents heat from escaping at night. La Nina and Blob Forecast The Climate Prediction Center currently has a “La Nina watch” and forecasts a 60% chance of La Nina conditions developing by autumn and persisting through the winter. If a La Nina does develop, it is expected to be weak. However, even weak La Ninas tend to bring wetter, cooler, and snowier-than-average weather to the Pacific Northwest. There are notable exceptions – for example, the 2000-2001 weak La Nina was one of the worst snow years on record for the Cascades. But generally speaking, La Ninas translate to good skiing, ample spring hydro resources, and a parade of cool, wet, moderate storms throughout the winter and early spring. The Blob tends to be far more fleeting than La Nina or El Nino. With the exception of extremely strong Blobs like the 2014-2015 “Super Blob,” most Blobs only last a few months and can disappear within a matter of weeks if storms move over the warmer-than-average water and erode the Blob by mixing the relatively warm water at the surface downward and allowing cooler water to make it to the surface. It’s tough to know how the current Blob will evolve over the next several months, but given its current strength, it is a force to be reckoned with and needs to be watched closely. If it retains its strength and migrates eastward, it could warm us significantly this winter and overwhelm any cooling effect from La Nina. Additionally, it would have disastrous effects for marine life by decreasing the amount of food and nutrients off our coast. As a salmon fisherman and skier, I’m hoping the Blob stays well offshore and La Nina delivers the heavy mountain snows its famous for. Even if ski resorts aren’t open due to the coronavirus pandemic, a cool, wet, snowy winter would do wonders to help alleviate our current drought and ensure ample water resources for summer 2021. ~Charlie Phillips Charlie Phillips, a Madrona resident, received his B.S. in atmospheric sciences from the University of Washington and works in Portland as a meteorologist. Check out his weather website at Charlie.weathertogether.net.