I know I speak for us all in hoping for a tamer fire season this year. Long-range forecasts are always very tricky, but we’re now close enough to summer that we have some guidance on how the 2019 summer might turn out. Let’s take a look. The three biggest factors meteorologists look at when making a seasonal fire forecast are the amount of fuel for fires, the moisture content of this fuel, and the weather conditions themselves (which both determine the former two and provide for periods of enhanced/diminished fire danger). Counterintuitively, a wet spring actually increases summertime wildfire danger, and this is because wet springs create more vegetation that can be burned in the summer. The summers east of the Cascades (where most of our fires occur) are plenty hot and dry enough to create tinder-dry fuels, so springtime fuel moisture content is not nearly as correlated to summertime fire danger as fuel availability is. This winter and spring were drier than average, which limited the amount of new undergrowth. Unfortunately, it also means that soil and fuel moisture levels are below normal for this time of the year, especially with the record-breaking heat we saw during the second week of May. A weak El Niño is still brewing in the Pacific, and these El Niños tend to bring us warmer than average weather for at least the first half of summer. So unfortunately, current forecasts point toward another smoky summer. Let’s hope it’s not as bad as the past two. Smokier Summers: A Trend? There has been a clear increase in wildfires over the past decade, and the causes are multi-factorial. The biggest cause of this increase is that, due to decades of fire suppression and poor forest management practices, the forests of Eastern Washington and Oregon are abnormally thick, allowing fires to grow far larger than they did in the past when forests were thinner. Additionally, more people live, work and recreate out in fire country now, and human-caused fires are becoming a more regular occurrence. Finally, the past several summers in particular have been extremely hot—more so than can be explained by global warming alone—but global warming is undoubtedly having an effect by prolonging our summers and decreasing fuel moisture. So yes, we’ll likely be in for yet another more active-than-normal fire season in the Pacific Northwest. I don’t think we’ll be as smoky as the last two years (2017 and 2018 had ash falling from the sky, after all!), but I unfortunately think we’ll see some smoky periods with poor air quality. As always, obey all fire laws and burn bans: during hot summer days, all it takes is a spark to create a raging forest fire. On that note, have a wonderful, wonderful summer! Enjoy the sunshine, the lake, and everything that makes our Leschi summers so special. ~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 to charlie.weathertogether.net.

At a recent poetry reading along with two black women, one in her thirties, the other in her fifties, I mentioned the ordeal of getting a doctorate at the University of Washington. A white male in the audience called out, “The UW isn’t like that now; let the other girls talk.” The comment reminded me of a decades-old comment made by another white male, a friend. Said he, “Affirmative action has been around five years; that’s long enough.” I connect the statements because in both instances although neither white male had endured, suffered the discrimination and frustration, both were certain of their conclusions, had no doubt that their conclusions were correct. One thought I should step aside and be quiet and say nothing about the inequities I had experienced because “the U isn’t like that now.” The other was convinced five years of affirmative action was sufficient to eradicate the results of slavery from 1619 to 1865, weak or no compliance with the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, and the slightly enforced and poorly funded Reconstruction laws. I wish there were a way to make an individual understand that humans respond to stimuli, but all do not respond the same whether time or degree is the measuring tool. But this wish takes little of my time. Acts resulting from words and actions take a much larger chunk of time. Worse, these responses cannot be controlled. I cannot choose to ignore them and then ignore them. Believe me. I have tried. Why would a well person choose to dwell on something unpleasant, sad, horrible? Scars, some worse than others, are there. A little light, a sudden rub can irritate the scar. Years after a remark, a person may continue to be pained by the incident. High school Senior A, for example, finally told someone that classmate Senior B told her that it was she, Senior A, who should have died rather than Senior C. More than half a century later, the pain is still there. In another case, a long-retired woman suffering from Alzheimer’s whispers to visitors, “They’re trying to take my job,” because throughout her tenure as an aide she was harassed with the possibility of being fired. Psychologist Jennifer James would probably label the comments as slugs and go so far as to say with the passage of time one can laugh at the slugs. I don’t doubt this, but everyone does not come to the point where the slug becomes the subject of laughter. For instance, ridicule about physical features over which we have no control have hurt and hurt and hurt more. It is important to know that I am not talking about scars of the magnitude of those carried by survivors of genocide, indigenous people everywhere, the Holocaust, forced assimilation, conflicts between Palestinian and Israelis, North and South Koreans, Pakistanis and Indians, for example. I never said the scars are equal. I say that the scars hurt, maybe not as sharply but hurt, nevertheless. I’m talking about the scars that family, friends, onlookers may never see—from injuries they sometimes inflict—but scars that are present regardless. No one can ever know how many people failed to accomplish whatever because of the kind of hurt I’m describing. Of course, some folks succeed despite the slug, possibly because of it. But that is some folks. Others are stymied, paralyzed. The PhD students who labor to get the degree, and then kill themselves; the persons who from all accounts are successes, and then surprisingly kill themselves. Every so often I think about African-American students—no one knows the number—who were first or among the first to go to all-white high schools, colleges, and universities. I do not doubt that most lead admirable lives, possibly contribute grandly to society. Yet I can’t help wondering how much more admirably, grandly their contributions to society would have been had they not had a certain encounter. Persons who retort the successes might not have come without the pain, scars cannot know this and fail to convince me. If I never thought of certain incidents at the UW again, I think I would be fine, but something tells me this will not be the case. And I understand I am not alone. And the person who believed “the UW isn’t like that now,” and that affirmative action has been in effect for too long, won’t change their minds soon, perhaps never. I was reminded of 1925 Countee Cullen poem. Incident Once riding in old Baltimore, Heart-filled, head-filled with glee, I saw a Baltimorean Keep looking straight at me. Now I was eight and very small, And he was no whit bigger, And so I smiled, but he poked out His tongue, and called me, ‘Nigger.’ I saw the whole of Baltimore From May until December; Of all the things that happened there That’s all that I remember The online comments listed beneath this poem on PoemHunter.com , go from one extreme to the other: those who see the incident and the poem as trivial and others who empathize or, at least, sympathize. Will this always be the case? ~Georgia S. McDade Georgia Stewart McDade, a Louisiana native who has lived in Seattle more than half her life, loves reading and writing. Earning a Bachelor of Arts from Southern University, Master of Arts from Atlanta University, and PhD from University of Washington, the English major spent more than thirty years teaching at Tacoma Community College but also found time to teach on every level at several other institutions of learning.

Sadly, we lost another pillar of the Leschi Community in the past month: Joyce Muskelly. I remember Joyce as holding down the kitchen when we had our potluck holiday parties! She accepted the potluck contributions and controlled the flow of salads, casseroles and desserts as they made their way form the Senior Center kitchen to the groaning board in the dining hall. I also remember her as a tireless volunteer when we used to have rummage sales. Joyce arrived early and set about organizing the piles of clothes we received on tables and on hangers from the chain link fence up at Leschi School. Whenever a customer would stop to “rummage,” she would wait and then swoop in to restore order to what seemed hopeless to the rest of us. ~Diane Snell Thurston Muskelly adding dirt to the newly planted rose bush in memory of his wife, Joyce. Joyce Muskelly always made me feel welcome. She had the warmest smile that would light up any room. I remember coming upon her in the kitchen right before one of the annual Leschi Community Council holiday parties. Everybody was scurrying around. One of Joyce’s rubber-gloved hands carried a plate of turkey and the other a stack of napkins as she cheerily commandeered those of us around her. She was active in the community council until recently, including bringing one of her special desserts to meetings. She and her husband, Thurston, made a loving couple—a role model for many of us. I will miss her very much. ~Karen Daubert Joyce made everyone feel welcome at Flo Ware or Powell Barnett Park events; so warm and calm. ~Janet Oliver Back in 2000 to 2001, Thurston Muskelly wanted a thorough turnaround from the gang-infested condition of Flo Ware Park to a family-friendly place. He assigned me, and what I remember is how, although most people in the neighborhood thought that nothing would happen and why spend their time, Joyce thought otherwise. She supported the effort throughout by always being there for planning meetings, events, and community outreach. She was a calm, supportive presence—no question in her mind that the process was on the right courses—that meant an awful lot to me and I appreciated that. ~John Barber The Leschi Community Council Board purchased a special rose as a tribute to Joyce and her years of volunteering in the community; Her husband Thurston wanted it planted in the circular bed by the door of the Senior Center. A ceremony with the Muskelly family in attendance was held and John Barber dug a hole for the plant and for family members to add their own shovel of dirt.

Hello Leschi Residents, Summer is only a month away; so hard to believe how quickly the time goes by. The flowers are in bloom and the energy always is more vibrant when the sun shines. Our program this June will be varied and hopefully valuable to you. Rebecca Saldaña, our Senator for the State of Washington from the 37th District will be answering questions posed by the Leschi CC Board and the audience will also be able to ask questions. Then we will hear from Joseph Elenbaas, our East Precinct Community Crime Prevention officer. He will be speaking about what is being done in our neighborhoods respecting crime and what is being done and planned. Finally, a couple of our missing Leschi Stars will attend to collect their star for being an unsung community hero. You may know that we take a summer break with no LCC general meetings during the months of July and August and no newsletter. We will return Wednesday, September 4th. We promise an exciting, informative program for you. Don’t forget that the Leschi Art Walk takes place Saturday, September 14th in our business district. Please contact us at leschinews@comcast.net if you want to rent a booth for the event to showcase your talent. Or, if you just want to volunteer to help. We meet monthly on the second Thursday at 3:30 at BluWater Bistro. Come and offer your creative ideas to make this the most memorable ArtWalk yet. Thank you for all your support and may your flowers bloom brilliantly and may your health be stellar over the summer. Enjoy family and community BBQ’s and reach out to your neighbors. Warm regards, Janice Merrill Brown LCC President

I recently attended a candidate forum for District 3, and I urge all voters to do the same even if you think you know who will vote for and vote against. You may hear something that really affirms your position, or you may come away shaking your head and vowing to find out more about each candidate. This forum was put on by SOS (Speak Out Seattle) and I was pleased at the format even though this is a more conservative group than I would normally support. I think they did a fair job of identifying the concerns that most Seattleites have and I applaud their choice of Essex Porter as moderator. He did an excellent job. What wasn’t discussed was anything about climate change and what can be done but really, most citizens are more concerned about getting their Amazon package stolen off the porch than they are about the worsening signs of climate change. Of the 7 candidates that evening, the men seemed more aligned in ideas for solutions than the women. On the lightning round where, the candidates hold up signs indicating a yes or no on important issues, the vote for a property tax, “Yes” was 5 out of the 7. The 2 “No” candidates were Sarah Brereton and Pat Murakami. These same two were against rent control. I didn’t hear a satisfying answer to the problem of not being able to replace police officers who are retiring—it was as if most of the candidates did not hear the word “retiring.” According to KUOW news, this is a problem affecting most big cities and is unlikely to be related to any Seattle policies. The other question which I did not feel was answered was what to do about the frequent turnover of social workers working in services for the homeless population. I wanted to jump out of my seat and say, “I will answer that question!” As a retired social worker, I know that job satisfaction is far more important than money and that means having the necessary resources to do one’s job. What a thankless situation to be a “navigator” for homeless persons. What do you have to offer? Not housing; it isn’t there; not a bed in a rehab clinic…that’s probably a 10 month wait and not a bed where there is help for the mentally ill….those have been scarce since Nixon opened the door of the facilities that used to do this work and turned the residents out on the street. And I hate it when people demonize the victims; do you really think that a person wants to be addicted? Seeks a mental illness to deal with? Wants to live under a bridge instead of having a roof over one’s head? Why not blame Perdue Pharma, if you’re into blame? Or The Sackler family? Or just maybe landlords? The Huffington Post had a recent article on the problem of being homeless and it is everywhere. They saw it as a problem of prosperity rather than the opposite. Even Salt Lake City which was once lauded for housing everyone is now dealing with a growing homeless population. From the Huffington Post’s look at this issue: “Homelessness is no longer a symbol of decline. It is a product of prosperity. Most people being pushed out onto the streets by America’s growing urban economies do not need dedicated social workers or intensive medication regimes. They simply need higher incomes and lower housing costs.” “The people with the highest risk of homelessness are the ones living on a Social Security check or working a minimum-wage job,” said Margot Kushel, the director of the UCSF Center for Vulnerable Populations. In 2015, she led a team of researchers who interviewed 350 people living on the streets in Oakland. Nearly half of their older interviewees were experiencing homelessness for the first time. “If they make it to 50 and they’ve never been homeless, there’s a good chance they don’t have severe mental illness or substance abuse issues,” Kushel said. “Once they become homeless, they start to spiral downward really quickly. They’re sleeping three to four hours a night, they get beat up, they lose their medications. If you walk past them in a tent, they seem like they need all these services. But what they really needed was cheaper rent a year ago.” “Other research has found the same connection between housing costs and homelessness. In 2012, researchers found that a $100 increase in monthly rent in big cities was associated with a 15 percent rise in homelessness. The effect was even stronger in smaller cities.” “Once you’re homeless, it’s a steep hill to climb back up. When an eviction is on your record, it’s even steeper. And even if you do get back into housing, you’re still one illness or one car problem away from becoming homeless again.” “And rising affluence isn’t just transforming the economic factors that cause homelessness. It is also changing the politics of the cities tasked with solving it. Across the country, as formerly poor neighborhoods have gentrified, politicians are facing increasingly strident calls to criminalize panhandling and bulldoze tent encampments. While city residents consistently tell pollsters that they support homeless services in principle, specific proposals to build shelters or expand services face vociferous local opposition.” “The biggest hindrance to solving homelessness is that city residents keep demanding the least effective policies,” said Sara Rankin, the director of the Homeless Rights Advocacy Project at Seattle University School of Law. The evidence overwhelmingly demonstrates that punishing homeless people makes it harder for them to find housing and get work. Nonetheless, the most common demands from urban voters are for politicians to increase arrests, close down soup kitchens and impose entry requirements and drug tests in shelters. Does this sound familiar? Throw them in jail? We will all be paying for bigger jails instead of throwing housing and beds for mental illness and addiction rehab into the resource mix. And we already incarcerate more people than any other first world nation? Or maybe we have slipped into third world status while I wasn’t looking. I still think of my one great success: getting a disabled woman on disability moved from a slum landlord basement apartment (with a bathroom outside and strange looking wiring looping over the walls; at my house, the wiring is inside the walls!) She was able to move into a Seattle Housing building with older disabled tenants and an elevator. I visited her in the new place, and she was ecstatic not only with her surroundings (and indoor bathroom) but with her neighbors: she had found Scrabble partners and started a book club. Under Medicare rules, I could no longer keep visiting but enjoyed her annual Christmas card for years. ~Diane Snell

Join us on June 5 at 7pm for a Q&A with our State Senator Rebecca Saldaña. The Leschi CC Board has submitted some questions to her, and we want to hear your concerns as well. Following the Senator will be Joseph Elenbaas, the new Crime Prevention Coordinator for the East Precinct. June 5 at 7pm at The Central

This month we look at the Whitebear Dreamcatcher fund which is our smallest fund. It is dedicated to the upkeep of the dreamcatcher memorial at Yesler and 32nd. The fund is mostly used for new plantings in the circle around the dreamcatcher. The memorial was designed by Lanny Reyes and dedicated to his brother Bernie Whitebear, a community activist and one of the Gang of Four (which included our County Councilman, Larry Gossett). Any donations to this fund are tax deductible as LCC is a non-profit.

April 8, 2019—Attending: Janice Merrill Brown, Janet Oliver, Diane Snell, John Barber, Tracy Bier Trevor on vacation. Treasury report: Janet said the treasury was in good shape and she is collecting payment for ads. Janice: She wants to pursue more ads for the Leschi News and pointed out some businesses that advertise in the Madison Park Times that she will approach. She asked for the ad rate sheet and Janet requested it as well. (Sent the next day to both.) Janice felt there might be a possible tie-in with Woodland Park Zoo to the Leschi Park history that John and Diane had offered to present. John said he was overloaded and would be unable to work on it. Diane offered to review what she had and see if there was a program that would work. Elections and conflicts of interest: Discussed the fact that we might be supporting different candidates in the upcoming elections and should do so only as individuals and not as members of the LCC. We cannot support candidates as a non-profit; we can support issues. We had Leschi Star nominations to vote on and unanimously accepted 6 of them; the 7th needed more research and will be put aside for now. Diane will contact the winners and ask that they come to the May meeting. ArtWalk: there had been some concern that we had lost folks who previously worked on this event and might not have enough volunteers to proceed this year. Janice and Diane felt that the LCC Board should step in and offer some assistance. Each of us can do something! Janice has many contacts in the community who could help; Janet could complete the Excel sheet of vendors that SDOT requires; John Barber agreed to contact Arthur Lee Jacobson re: tree walk in Leschi Park, and Tracy Bier will come up with a kid’s activity for the Park. Diane will continue to register vendors for the event and submit necessary permits. John Barber: He reported on an EarthCorps event in Frink Park which attracted 40–50 kids removing invasive plants. It was quite a success. Tracy: Is Seattle Dying? Tracy had been upset by the video and wanted us all to watch it and discuss at the meeting. But she had been reassured by a Seattle Times article that presented facts, not fears. The video was biased and by concentrating on homeless camps and the daily scene outside the Morrison Hotel, it presented a skewed version of the city. Diane pointed out that just one block north of 3rd & James, it is much quieter; that is where the #27 bus now stops. Diane: Wine tasting results not ready yet as tickets were also sold at the Senior Center and meeting Dian Ferguson, Director, to get that report has been difficult. Leschi News deadline is April 15; we are putting one emergency preparedness tip in each issue so it’s not so overwhelming for folks. The May and June meetings were discussed, and it looks like we have good programs. Leschi Diary: Shirley Vaughn in favor of updating and reprinting. Diane to check with Sharon Vaughn re: digitizing the original. Diane said she would have more time during the summer to work on the new pieces. ~Respectfully submitted by Diane Snell

I have always thought of Spud’s as a Seattle institution and was pleased to see that it was started in 1935 by two brothers from Vancouver, BC, who felt that England’s tradition of fish and chips would do well here if located by water. Their locations are near bodies of water: Green Lake, Alki (the first humble garage like structure), Edmonds, Juanita and Kirkland. We visited the Green Lake outlet as we had to pick up the ashes of our last dog at the Green Lake Animal Hospital, a sad occasion that needed a spiritual uplift. It’s small with not that many tables; I suspect much of their business is take-out (but unlike England, it is not wrapped in newspaper). The order counter is long, and the orders are brought to your table if you are staying. Each item is separately priced; we both ordered the single (8.65) which is a generous piece of wild Alaskan cod resting on a small bed of fries (small is their word for it; I felt it was as many fries as one person should ever try to eat.) The tartar sauce is extra (25 cents) as are other sides like fried onion rings, deep fried mushrooms and parmesan zucchini. Jim ordered a chocolate milkshake (3.19 for the small) and I stayed with water (free). We both agreed that the fish was wonderful, though the fries were limp, and the tartar sauce needed some zing. It was not until I looked at the online menu that I realized you could order other sauces like Honey-mustard and Garlic Aioli. I also saw a root beer float on the online menu which would have transported me back to high school days at the local café with Elvis Presley crooning Blue Suede Shoes from the juke box. (This is another thing that separates the “older” person from the Generation Y; my grandkids marvel at juke boxes as though they were some artifact of a bygone civilization resurrected from a cave.) Would I go again? Yes! One can order the fish only and I might try the zucchini and a zingier sauce…garlic aioli sounds good. The best fries I have had near Leschi were at Café Flora; they are yam fries cut very thin so are crispy and the sauce is a cayenne aioli. The fries are served in a little bucket and I have never once thought of how there might be too many for me to eat! Other Spud locations like Alki, Edmonds, etc. may be found online with address and hours. Spud Fish & Chips 6860 Green Lake Way N, 206-524-0565 Closed Monday; Tues–Sun 11am–8pm; Fri and Sat: 11am–9pm spudgreenlake.com ~Diane Snell

Remembering things you didn’t know you had forgotten is the magic that comes from smelling braided sweetgrass. On a recent trip to the Methow Valley, I stopped by the Trail’s End Bookstore in Winthrop. It was a weekday morning, so I took advantage of the quiet to ask the bookseller what her top-selling title was. I expected to hear that it was Michelle Obama’s new memoir or the latest spy thriller. But the accommodating retailer led me to the section of recommended books and pulled down Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer. This luminous and enchanting book was first published in 2013 and is enjoying a much-deserved renaissance, fueled in most part by word of mouth. Kimmerer is a botanist by training, a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, a mother, and a wordsmith who can capture the gifts and intricacies of the natural world in prose that will inspire you to reread sentences aloud for the pleasure of contemplating their ideas and language a second-time through. Kimmerer weaves myth, history, science, and gratitude into a basket that overflows with beauty and insight. Through her poetic lens, whose frame includes stories of real people as well as legends of her ancestors, you will see the minute workings of ecosystems and be filled with wonder. Critics gush over this book which, in the hope of the author, “can be medicine for our broken relationship with earth, a pharmacopoeia of healing stories that allow us to imagine a different relationship, in which people and land are good medicine for each other.” As Leschi bursts into blossom and the leaves return to grace the trees, this is the book to take to the park and savor while you inhale the scents of fresh green. And then, accept Kimmerer’s challenge to pay attention to the scene around you and think of ways you can pass that on: [The] kind of deep attention that we pay as children is something that I cherish, that I think we all can cherish and reclaim—because attention is the doorway to gratitude, the doorway to wonder, the doorway to reciprocity. And it worries me greatly that today’s children can recognize 100 corporate logos and fewer than 10 plants. That means they’re not paying attention. Braiding Sweetgrass is available at independent bookstores and the author reads the audio edition which is available on Seattle Public Library’s Libby app. ~Anne Depue

Prepare to be delighted and overwhelmed! As you enter the huge exhibition of contemporary Indigenous art on view at the new art space ARTS at King Street Station, the first work you see is an accumulation of objects hanging over the front desk by Catherine Cross Uehara (Uchinanchu/Hapa/Okinaway American) “between you & me & the Ancestors...” It includes photographs of her ancestors, a wedding dress kimono, memorabilia and much more. Turn around and on the opposite wall is an archival film of the famous Vi Hilbert, (Upper Skagit) who singlehandedly saved the Lushootseed language from extinction, encouraging a community audience to “lift the sky” together. In her telling: “The Creator has left the sky too low. We are going to have to do something about it, and how can we do that when we do not have a common language? ...We can all learn one word, that is all we need. That word is yəhaw̓—that means to proceed, to go forward, to do it.” So, go forward and plunge into the exhibition of 200 artists from 100 tribes. The curators, Asia Tail (Cherokee), Tracy Rector (Choctaw/Seminole) and Sapreet Kahlon, accepted all indigenous submissions. They include children and elders, professional artists and beginners, all media from traditional cedar, bead work and dolls to digital and audio. We see sculpture, painting, photography, printmaking, text, cartoons, games, performance, skateboard, maps. There are all styles from realism to surrealism, to abstraction, to traditional, but mainly there are many mixes as well as approaches that need new names, rather than these tired Euro-American terms. To enjoy the exhibition simply embrace its mind-expanding diversity, then immerse yourself in one wall at a time, each a compact exhibition. But the exhibition works as a whole as well. Large paintings and sculpture of all sizes animate the large space. Gaps between the walls allow a view through to another part of the exhibition. Timothy White Eagle (White Mountain Apache), performance: “Songs for the Standing Still People” Timothy White Eagle (White Mountain Apache) performed “Songs for the Standing Still People” within a space hung with jingles and chains that we are all encouraged to shake to create our own music. He called us to action against the “vast forces” that “will ravage us if we do not act” though a story of rocks that came together and changed the world. Traditional indigenous media mix with contemporary media throughout the entire exhibition. Cedar hats demonstrate stunning dexterity and expertise by Kimberly Miller (Skokomish), Nancy Burgess (Grand Ronde/Umqua/Dakota), Roquin-Jan Quichocho Siangco (CHamoru) and Celeste Whitewolf (Cayuse/Nez Perce/Nisqually/Pitt River’Karuk’Hawai’ian/Confederate Tribes of Umatilla). Hanging in the stairwell is a mixed media homage to weaving by Sara Siestreem (Hanis Coos/Confederated Tribes of Coos/Lower Umpqua/Siuslaw) “Eagle Machine dancing the beautiful.” It combines a cotton wood bark skirt with her photographs and mixed media references to indigenous history. Other favorites include: Maureen Gruber’s (Inuvíaluít) “Colonial Shopping Cart” made from a large Hudson’s Bay bag and lined with fur; Adam Sings in the Timber’s (Apsáalooke) photographs of young women in regalia re-asserting indigenous presence in various locations in Seattle; Susan Ringstad-Emery’s (Iñupiat) Nalukatuq, 9 foot banner with a little girl tossing a star back into the sky (based on a folk tale), and celebrating children as the future of change; Priscilla Dobler’s (Mayan) “El renacimiento de la Sociedad: The rebirth of society” in the stairwell, commentary on traditional Mayan embroidery as its threads unravel into a contemporary geometric enclosure; Jacob Johns’s (Hopi) “Water is Life” banner that speaks of freeing the Snake River, a reference to our threatened salmon and orcas because of the many dams on the Snake. HollyAnna “CougarTracks” de Coteau Littlebull (Yakama*/Nez Perce/Cayuse/Cree), “BigFoot Lifts the Sky” (back view) One of the most striking works is by HollyAnna “Cougar Tracks” de Coteau Littlebull (Yamama/Nez Perce/Cayuse/Cree) who upcycled 15,190 pieces of plastic to create a twelve by three foot “Big Foot” who “Lifts the Sky.” The representation of elders in paintings and sculpture like “Ode to Ramona Bennett” by Taylor Dean (Puyallup) and the carved wood portrait mask of Vi Hilbert by Taylor Wily Krise (Squaxin), spiritually imbue the entire exhibition with their powerful spirits. In addition to this huge exhibition there is a series of three Latinx/indigenous exhibitions at the Vermillion Café. The year-long exhibit also encourages new native curators at many venues, workshops for young native artists, films, and much more. ARTS at King Street Station covers 7500 square feet, sponsored by the Seattle Office of Arts and Culture (ARTS) whose offices are in the same space. ARTS is dedicated to supporting and exhibiting people of color. Located at 303 S Jackson Street, it is open Tuesday to Saturday 10am–6pm and First Thursdays 10am–8pm. ~Susan Platt www.artandpoliticsnow.com

Some of my fondest childhood memories are of fishing for sockeye salmon just outside the Leschi Marina. I’ve had the privilege of fishing in many locations throughout the Pacific Northwest, but there’s nothing like catching a salmon in Lake Washington. It’s so cool to be out in the lake and see all the neighborhoods that you and your friends call home, and it’s even cooler to catch a salmon while doing it. Lake Washington only has a sockeye season when at least 350,000 fish are forecast to enter the lake. The seasons in 1996, 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2006, I had several marvelous summers of sockeye fishing. But since 453,543 sockeye returned to the lake in 2006, returns have dropped off precipitously, and there haven’t been any Lake Washington sockeye fisheries since. In fact, 2019 is forecast to see only 15,000 fish return—the lowest ever. This begs the question: why has Lake Washington’s sockeye run collapsed, and will it ever recover? As a kid who grew up fishing around Puget Sound, I can tell you that salmon are far harder to come by now than they used to be in the 90s or 00s. But as bad as things have been in Puget Sound, we’ve always had a salmon fishery of some sort. It’s been 13 years since the last Lake Washington sockeye fishery, and there are no signs that we’ll see one anytime soon. So why have Lake Washington sockeye had such a tough time? Sockeye: A History Sockeye fry from the Baker River (a tributary of the Skagit River) were introduced into Lake Washington in 1935, one year after the Ship Canal was completed. These sockeye were primarily introduced into the Cedar River, which was formerly a tributary of the Duwamish but was diverted into Lake Washington in 1916 as part of the Lake Washington Ship Canal project. The introduction was an immediate success, with adult sockeye returning only four years after the initial plants. Hundreds of thousands of sockeye returned year after year to Lake Washington until runs decreased in the 90s, with the notable exception of a 500,000+ return during 1996. Runs recovered slightly in the early 2000s, but they’ve been atrocious ever since the summer of 2006. Experts believe that the biggest reasons for the decline of sockeye are predation of smolts by invasive species (most notably the Northern Pikeminnow and native Cutthroat Trout) and warmer-than-average river and lake temperatures. Predation has gotten worse in recent years as new invasive species such as pike and walleye establish themselves in the lake, and increasing light pollution makes it easier for cutthroat trout in particular to feast on these smolts at night. The fact that sockeye returns at the locks have continued to decline since a permanent hatchery on the Cedar River was built in 2011 suggests that many of these fish are not even making it to Puget Sound. Warmer water temperatures weaken salmon and make them more susceptible to disease, particularly returning adults. According to Aaron Bosworth, the state district fisheries biologist, 45–85% of sockeye that went through the locks between 1995 and 2013 ended up in the Cedar River (which is responsible for 80–90% of Lake Washington’s sockeye run), but since 2014 only 20–33% have, and above-average temperatures and higher disease rates are almost certainly to blame. What can we do? In order to restore sockeye runs, we’ll need to focus on both decreasing predation of sockeye smolts in Lake Washington and ensuring that returning salmon are able to make it back up to their spawning grounds after passing the Ballard Locks. Both are daunting tasks—the amount of light pollution increases every year, new predatory fish (such as walleye and pike) now have small populations in Lake Washington, and temperatures will only rise in the coming decades. As much as I hate to admit it, trying to restore sockeye runs may be an exercise in futility, as Lake Washington’s ecosystem simply doesn’t support them anymore. But given the importance of this fishery to Seattle, restoring the sockeye runs is worth looking into. The Cedar River Council had a meeting this past month for just that purpose, featuring presentations by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Seattle Public Utilities on the likely reasons for the run’s collapse, what we’ll need to do to restore the run, and the role of the Cedar River hatchery. I hope that there will be further research into the feasibility of restoring the Lake Washington sockeye run, as it is—in my opinion—one of the best things that Lake Washington has to offer. ~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 .