Mid-August. Ninety degrees on a windless late afternoon on Lake Washington. Nothing is moving. A melting Mount Rainier looms over the southern horizon. The local fleet of J/24s is literally standing stock still, waiting to start its weekly race. Sails, lines, and tempers are slack. Patience is pressed. But wait. Something is moving! Large round, bright orange balloon-like buoys are creeping across the lake at 4 knots. Who is directing them? Where are they going? Folks watching the choreography from the T-dock are agog. Scenes of “The Prisoner”—the cult classic TV series starring Patrick McGoohan as Number Six, a British intelligence agent who is held captive in a nameless village and is monitored by a  large floating, all-knowing balloon—comes to mind. What we are witnessing is the deployment of sailing marks which leave the Leschi Marina under command of CYC (Corinthian Yacht Club). Meaning they are directed by an app on a cell phone! These round, 5-foot x 3-foot inflatable race buoys move silently, sitting on two blue pontoons, powered by a battery-driven electric motor. They are equipped with the latest GPS navigational aids that allow them to be controlled by the committee boat which sets the courses for the sailing races. Using the buoys, race officials can assure the starting line is square to the wind. The Leschi J/24s are now required to have a display unit (for a cool $1000) that alerts officials if their boat is over the start line early (a tough call for the human eye when 19 boats vie for position at the exact same time). The MarkSetBot buoys, developed in the Midwest about 10 years ago and part of the Leschi scene for the last four or so years, are also used for windward and downwind marks in the races. They don’t drift or require handling or anchors so represent a more sustainable method than previous racing practices. Unfortunately, the day we went to check them out, three of the four robotic wonders were out of service because over the previous weekend thieves had stolen their prized batteries. We saw the cut wires and the holes where the batteries should sit. The CYC official at the Leschi Marina who showed us the damage shook his head sadly. These batteries are useless for anything but what they are designed for. If you see anything resembling a small car battery in white casing, please contact CYC. ~Anne Depue

Excitement is Building! The 12th Annual Jackson Street Jazz Walk is a community event that honors Seattle Central District’s African American music legacy while inspiring the future of Seattle jazz. The Jazz Walk features jazz, blues, soul, and Latin music from 20 bands on nine community stages. We celebrate and share this legacy with a new generation, collaborating with the Pratt Fine Arts Open House to feature an array of activities and live music from the 18th–30th blocks of S. Jackson. On Saturday, September 6th the Central Area Senior Center will host two well-known artists: the Nicole Yvette Band from 5pm–6:30pm and guitarist Michael Powers from 7pm–9pm. Tickets are limited, and we encourage you to purchase in advance. As a Music for a Cause event under the leadership of Executive Producer, Eugenie Jones, the JSJW also serves the community through a give-back donation to a Central District nonprofit. This year, the recipient will be Byrd Barr Place. Get the full line up, locations, and more at jacksonstreetjazz.org . Tickets available online at givebutter.com/JacksonStreetJazzWalkTickets . Watch our video at vimeo.com/1107885894?share=copy . Join us! ~Dian Ferguson

The larger than life Zodiac heads by Ai Weiwei that are coming to Volunteer Park this fall (too bad not there for the summer). They represent the following animals in the usual order: Pig, Dog, Rooster, Monkey, Goat, Horse, Snake, Dragon, Rabbit, Tiger, Ox, Rat. Each of these Zodiac animals have specific traits, which you have if you were born under their sign. My (1945) sign is the rooster: it says “Those born under the rooster are profound thinkers. Talented and capable they can also be eccentric and may have difficulties in their relationships with others. Highly observant and analytical, they are strong decision makers who speak their minds freely” (Weiwei). How about that? You can look up your year online in 12 year cycles. These heads, which I saw in London and can therefore offer a photograph of them, have a long story. In the exhibition of smaller heads inside the Seattle Art Museum they are displayed in a different order in two parts: Dog, Monkey, Horse, Dragon, Tiger, Rat/Ox, Rabbit, Snake, Ram, Rooster, Boar. I asked the curator Foong Ping why and he said the answer would be revealed when the large heads arrive. He called it “an easter egg” (Weiwei). The story of the zodiac heads is worth telling. The original zodiac heads were attached to seated draped torsos that were part of an elaborate water clock fountain created by an Italian artist. They combine sculpture, hydraulics, and Chinese and European aesthetics. The location was called the Garden of Perfect Brightness or Yuanming Yuan. Originally there was a complex of European style palaces, gardens, and fountains. It began in the mid 17th century and was greatly expanded by the Quianlong Emperor (1736–1795). In 1860 the Yuanming Yuan was looted and burned by the British and French troops at the end of the Opium wars. It was retaliation for kidnap and torture of a group of British diplomats and in part to force the Chinese to comply with the 1858 Treaty of Tiensin—one of a series of trade agreements imposed on China by more powerful nations and collectively referred to as the “Unequal treaties.” This was part of the Opium Wars that began in 1845 to 1945: “the century of humiliation.” As the Chinese have become a world power they are reclaiming national treasures like the bronze heads of the zodiac fountain clock, which are now looked on as “symbols of the cultural achievements of the Qing dynasty, the losses of 1860 and the humiliations that followed.” Seven heads turned up at an auction. Five have not reappeared. Enter Ai Weiwei: Ai Weiwei thinks about China’s history and its relationship to history. He collects artifacts of which there are several collections in the Seattle Art Museum exhibition, such as the feet of Buddha statues. As a young man he returned from exile in Xinjiang province where he had been with his family since 1958. When he returned to Beijing after the death of Mao in 1976 , he wandered the ruins of Yuanming Yuan. He also went to art school and founded several early avant garde groups. Fast forward to 2010. He recreated all twelve Zodiac heads from the fountain. He sees it as playing with history and the idea that they are national treasures because they are fakes of a pastiche: the heads were made by Italian artists. But the zodiac signs have long been significant in Chinese culture: “These animals, along with their associated traits, are deeply intertwined with Chinese culture and influence beliefs about personality, relationships, and fortune. The Chinese zodiac is also known as Sheng Xiao, which literally translates to ‘birth resemblance: it is a part of a broader system called Four Pillars of Destiny, which is used in Chinese astrology to understand an individual’s life path and personality.’” (Wikipedia). But the literal representations at Yuanming Ying is more European than Chinese. So when we get to see these larger than life zodiacs in our Olympic Park, keep all of this in mind. Ai Weiwei has placed them not as heads on a stone body as in the original fountain, but on a thin column of metal. To quote Ai Weiwei “[The Circle] is pointing to all the people who would question whether the work is valuable or not valuable, real or not real, or better than real, or not as good as real” (Weiwei). Cited: Ai Weiwei. Circle of Animals, Zodiac Heads,  Somerset House London 2011. - Susan Platt

When it’s time to go out for a special occasion celebration, some really good options are easily accessible from Leschi. As a fan of farm to table dining, where meals are built around locally-sourced, in-season foods, I gravitate to restaurants that have perfected this concept. I especially like it when they prepare a meal around a theme, offering three, four, or five courses for a set price. When impressed by what a chef can do, I’ll go back another time and order from the à la carte menu. Four minutes away (1.2 miles) from Leschi’s restaurant row, Iconiq sits on the ridge at 31st Ave South. Enter the small space and you’re facing west, greeted by a killer view of downtown Seattle’s skyline. That’s not all that will impress you. Toshiyuki Kawai, the chef and owner of Iconiq, fuses French and Japanese techniques to wow the palate every time. Current sit-down main dishes include black cod, roasted lamb loin, and filet mignon with wasabi herb butter. On Wednesday to Friday nights, Chef Kawai often (but not always) offers a three-course Take Away Menu. One recent to-go menu started with arugula salad with haricot vert and cherry tomatoes, a main of king salmon in a caper-butter sauce, and lemon cheesecake for dessert. Each generously portioned course is boxed separately, and ready to pick up at a predetermined time. All that for $38! Every few months Kawai offers a four-course $120 prix fixe meal that takes you on a culinary journey. He occasionally invites rising chefs to use his space, and has also hosted wine and sake-pairings that highlight the labors of local vintners and brewers. Head over to Iconiq for a meal you won’t forget. A bit further away, a fourteen-minute drive (2.8 miles) from Leschi to Pioneer Square leads you to 84 Yesler. This seafood restaurant, steps away from the waters of Elliott Bay, also fuses cuisines from around the globe, partners with local growers, and offers both à la carte and prix fixe menus. Their wine program is outstanding, and a night out here feels very special. You may be wondering why some restaurants offer only set course meals. These allow a chef to shine way beyond an à la carte menu. Think about the usual menu: you can predict it will feature at least one chicken, one beef, and one pasta option. But why limit yourself when the Pacific Northwest is blessed with fruit orchards, vineyards, fields of vegetables, pasture-raised animals, and a bounty from the sea? The best chefs develop long-standing relationships with local growers and fishing boats. We diners get to enjoy meat, seafood, fruits, vegetables, cheeses and wines, all from Washington State. Another reason chefs like to offer set-course meals? It helps contain costs. Joe Fish, the aptly named chef at Mana, an extraordinary restaurant in Leavenworth, WA, explained it to me. “The biggest costs to a restaurant are labor and the food itself. A traditional restaurant has thirty items on its menu and never knows what will sell. So, they have to depend on historical knowledge. They may have twenty portions of filet mignon, but they don’t know how many will sell on a given night. A pre-set menu is more convenient. You can control the food costs.” Thanks, Joe, for making it easy to understand. For a 3-course meal at the bargain price of $55, check out Guest Chef Nights by Fare Start, a non-profit that offers tuition-free food-industry training to unemployed adults. Students develop work and life skills and graduate prepared for careers in restaurants, cafés, catering and food production. From May to October, Seattle-area top chefs teach trainees to create and serve a special meal in their downtown Seattle dining room. The most famous chef nights have already sold out, but you can still reserve for some guest chef nights at Fare Start. Whether for an ordinary week night, or a life-event celebration, these local restaurants offer great value and will make you feel at home. Enjoy! ~Mindy Stern Mindy Stern’s travel column, Meanderings , appears in Sound Publishing newspapers including the Mercer Island Reporter. Her essays can be found at mindysternauthor.com .

Night Out is a national event promoted in Seattle by Seattle Police Department Crime Prevention. One important step in crime prevention is to create strong communities in our neighborhoods. Night Out creates the opportunity to meet out in the street with our neighbors, meet new faces and create community. Think block party.Night Out is traditionally held the first Tuesday night in August, which falls this year on August 5. Get together with your neighbors and register your block at seattle.gov/police/crime-prevention/night-out . On this website SPD also offers materials for promoting your event and instructions for closing off a section of your street for the event. Note that registration closes on July 27, 2025. ~Matthias Linnenkamp

Construction may start as early as August with parts of the work needed to replace the Leschi Pier and construct a new breakwater/walkway for the South Leschi Marina. The contract management division of the Department of Parks and Recreation is preparing bidding documents for several preliminary actions—cleaning the underwater environment of the Marina, reconstructing the shoreline along Leschi Park, removing the old wood Leschi Pier, and the trenching for new electrical lines across Lakeside Avenue. The schedule depends on whether acceptable bids are submitted. In August, the underwater cleaning of accumulated rubbish in the water may start and some structural piles and floats for the breakwater could be installed. In September, re-building the beach and installing new landscaping (mostly shrubs and ground cover) could be underway. A gravel beach would be ramped up to ground level. There may also be provision for launching and storing kayaks at shore. In late September or October, the electrical utility work could start with main controls on the west side of Lakeside Avenue just south of the Leschi Market. The electrical wires to support the new pier and breakwater will be under-grounded. That means trenching across Lakeside Avenue and the parking area at shoreside with associated disruption of traffic. Removing the old Leschi Pier may occur as early as late February 2026. As a result of community feedback, some new benches or some kind of a seating area may be provided in Leschi Park by the entry to the Marina to allow public to relax and enjoy the view of Mt. Rainier, I-90, the Lake, and distant shores. However, an issue not settled is how to provide access for canoes and kayaks. Earlier, Parks said that half of the lower dock next to Leschi Pier would be preserved to accommodate the hand-operated vessels, with a storage rack above. Apparently, this was not accepted, but an alternative approach of docking and storing kayaks and canoes at the renovated shore area is being considered. For further information or questions, please contact John Barber at barber-osa@comcast.net . ~John Barber

June 25 marks the 100th birthday of Robert Hilliard, a key figure in the establishment of public broadcasting in the United States. He was also a World War II hero, not for killing anyone but for saving hundreds of lives. Hilliard, this writer’s first cousin once removed, contacted me through the results of a DNA test, late in 2020. Roger with Cousin Bob, Florida, 2021 Cousin Bob was Chief of Public Broadcasting at the FCC from 1964 to 1980, and a key person in implementing the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, establishing guidelines for the operation of PBS and NPR. He left government when Reagan took office and then taught mass media for many years at Emerson College in Boston, eventually retiring to Florida, where I met him in 2021 on Sanibel Island. Bob told me that he had written 40 books, so I checked the Seattle library to see what might be there, which turned out to be three of them. The one I picked out was entitled “Surviving the Americans.” (Coincidentally, 2 years before I discovered it, my brother Peter had published a book called “Surviving the Peace,” about post-war Bosnia.) Private Robert Hilliard, 1945 In his book, Bob recounted his time in the US Army at the end of World War II as part of the occupation forces in defeated Germany. He had been wounded earlier in the war, and upon recovery he was appointed editor of an army newspaper, based on his college and professional experience. That gave him the freedom to go off base to pursue any story. He soon discovered that hundreds of Jews from German concentration camps, many of them barely surviving, were being poorly treated by their liberators, the American troops. Quickly, Bob and an army buddy organized food, clothing, and shelter. It took longer to get official military aid for the victims, with pleas for support that they organized ultimately reaching the desk of President Truman, who, 6 months after the war’s end, ordered Commanding General Eisenhower to provide what was needed. Bob continues to write. He is working on a revised edition of “Surviving the Americans” and a new novel, “The Displaced,” which are expected to be in publication by his birthday. For several videos that tell his life story, go to roger.lippnet.us/Hilliard.htm  [case sensitive]. ~Roger Lippman

Our local farmers market is now open! Meet your neighbors at the Madrona Farmers Market, open every Friday from 3–7pm now through October in the parking lot of Grocery Outlet (1126 MLK Jr. Way). You can count on them for beautiful fresh produce, stunning flowers, line-caught fresh fish, and local meat, cheese, and eggs. There are always delicious baked goods and frozen treats. Different vendors cycle through each week so come back often to see what’s new!

If you’ve driven along Cherry over the past few months, you’ve likely noticed a new addition, The ShoreHouse, peaking out of one of the new Restaurant Row spaces. Owners Tim Larson and Josh Brugger opened the restaurant January 5th, just a few blocks West of Leschi (2340 East Cherry). This is their second location (the other is a seasonal pop-up in Ballard). Their main areas of focus are coffee, shaved ice, breakfast sandwiches, frozen chocolate bananas (at Josh’s insistence), and made-in-house baked goods. They use Lighthouse Roaster coffee as part of their commitment to developing relationships with other small businesses. Their most popular specialty drinks include huckleberry matcha and coconut coffee. They have over 40 flavors of shaved ice they make with handmade syrups. They use these same syrups to flavor drinks as well. They feature shaved ice drinks called shavers such as cold brew and energy shavers. They make their own baked goods such as ube coconut and chocolate bran walnut muffins. I tried their chai tea muffin which was moist and flavorful. Tim and Josh met at an office job and became fast friends. They decided they wanted to create an ethical business together and after 10 years, they were able to make their dreams come true. They started with shaved ice before they expanded to their current offerings. In the future they’d like to provide catering and “get something on wheels.” They have space next to their current location that they hope to expand to a dining room. Currently they have a walk-up window and tables and chairs on the sidewalk in front. They start at 6:30 every morning and are open until 4 or 6:30pm depending on the day but will stay open later in the evening as the weather gets warmer. Their full menu is available anytime so you can eat one of their breakfast sandwiches like the Beach Crest-sant or Shilshopotle anytime! If you’re feeling adventurous, try their Eggy Azalea or Meat Me Outback, both of which include Vegemite. I went with the Jacques Pesto (English muffin, sun-dried tomato pesto, roasted red peppers, arugula, egg, and provolone).  This savory delight was well balanced, filling, and delicious! They are committed to creating a fun experience for their customers and already have quite a following by Nova and Garfield students. While I was there on a rainy day in March, there was a nearly non-stop stream of folks getting their shaved ice and coffee fixes. This included one customer who came by just to thank Josh for his emotional support when she was having a rough day the week before. Tim shared that this was “classic Josh” as he is someone who really connects with people. Shaved Ice Do NOT call their shaved ice a sno-cone! How they shave their ice makes all the difference as they cheerfully demonstrated for me. Their shaved ice better absorbs flavors and is very fine, not like chunky sno-cone ice. It compacts the way a snowball does when you have really good, powdery snow to work with. (Yes, they do sometimes use it to have snowball fights!) They make Hawaiian shaved ice which uses sweetened, condensed milk which provides a creamier, richer experience. You can choose from a variety of toppings including fresh fruit, brownie bites, marshmallow fluff (popular in Florida and New Orleans), or li hing mui (salty, dried Chinese plum powder). They make all of their shaved ice syrups themselves from high quality ingredients. Being a shaved ice novice, they made for me a mango and guava shaved ice with li hing mui sprinkled on top. I appreciated the complexity the li hing mui added and how well it paired with the tropical flavors. They recommend trying the tiger’s blood and prickly pear together. They even have shaved ice for dogs! They add chicken bone broth to a mini cup of shaved ice which apparently is very popular with the canines! Enjoy their outdoor seating when the sun is out and come back often for their weekly specials! Learn more at  bestlittleshorehouse.com  or on Instagram at @best_little_shorehouse . ~Nikola Davidson

I Know How to Draw an Owl Many people have heard of the annual Caldecott Medal for the best illustrated American children’s book. But did you know there is a national award for the best written children’s book? It’s called the Charlotte Zolotow Award for Outstanding Picture Book Text and Leschi’s own Hilary Horder Hippely won it in 2025 for her book I Know How to Draw an Owl . This book tells the story of a girl and her mother living in their car, watched over by an owl. It was inspired by Hilary’s real-life experience in Leschi. One morning, as she was driving to her school where she taught, she saw a woman with her daughter putting blankets into the trunk of their car and understood they were unhoused. Then she realized she recognized both of them because the young girl was a student in Hilary’s class, although she had had no idea the challenges this student was facing. This had a profound impact on Hilary and inspired her to portray a family experiencing housing insecurity in an empathetic and age-appropriate way. Her focus in the book is not on the social service perspective but rather on exploring how the mom kept hope alive for her daughter during this difficult time. It was important for Hilary to honor and acknowledge what these families experience. Ballad of the Broom Hilary also won a national award in 2024 for Ballad of the Broom  which she self-published. The Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators Spark Award recognizes excellence in independent publishing for children in the picture book category (out of more than 4,700 children’s books). This book tells the story of a young girl in the San Juan Islands in the early 1900s who discovers something unexpected in an abandoned house near her home. Hilary subtly inserts into the story the San Juan Islands’ role in smuggling Chinese laborers after the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. When it came time to find an illustrator for the book, Hilary conducted a national search which led her to someone actually based in Seattle, Hillary Moore. Although Hillary hadn’t illustrated a book before, she was eager to bring the story alive through her artwork. Hilary wrote three books 25 years ago and then took a break from writing until she retired from teaching preschool. Hilary lives in Leschi with her husband and continues to write and enjoys spending time with her four children and three grandchildren. Learn more about Hilary and all of her children’s books at hilaryhorderhippely.com . You can purchase Ballad of the Broom  and I Know How to Draw an Owl  while supporting a great local bookstore at Madison Books ( madisonbks.com ). ~Nikola Davidson

The Food Bank @ St Mary’s plays a crucial role in addressing food insecurity in Seattle, aiding over 2,000 people weekly, thanks to the efforts of a small group of staff and volunteers. “Volunteers are a cornerstone of our success,” said Lexie Curson, Development Manager. “The work they do is life changing. Some volunteers have worked with us for decades and each person’s involvement has a tangible impact in our community.” The Food Bank feels like a town square with its activity, cultures and friendships. In the largest area, the Walk In Grocery, volunteers sort, stack and distribute items, helping customers select from a variety of foods such as meat, seafood, fresh produce, vegetables, frozen foods and pantry items. Personal hygiene products are provided when available. Volunteers are also active in the Food Bank’s Homebound Food Delivery and Baby Corner programs. They bring weekly supplies of groceries to over 100 individuals who live within a two-mile radius of the Food Bank and are homebound due to disabilities. Dietary restrictions and special needs are considered when preparing these deliveries. Seattle families with children under age two, visit the Baby Corner to obtain bags with jars of baby food, formula, diapers, and baby wipes. Volunteers also assist in the Food Bank’s collaboration with three Seattle public schools to provide kid- friendly, nourishing food during the week and over school holidays. The average weekly cost of groceries in Washington is $287 which means The Food Bank can save participating families approximately $15,000 a year. “In addition to individual volunteers, we receive bulk donations from local farms, grocery stores and food manufacturers,” said Curson. These contributions provide efficiencies of scale and nutritious selections of food. “We have excellent, long-standing relationships with well-known national and local retailers including Safeway, PCC, Trader Joe’s, Bakery Nouveau, and Macrina Bakery,” she explained. Started in the 1930s when the pastor at St Mary’s Church opened his personal pantry to share canned food and money with neighbors in crisis, the Food Bank has adapted to many economic challenges over the years, including Boeing layoffs, the dotcom bubble crash, the Great Recession, Covid, and recent cuts in federal funding for food insecurity. As it has grown, The Food Bank has also changed to reflect Seattle’s diverse population. Three days a week clients arrive early in the morning and hang their bags on a chain link fence to mark their spot in the entrance way. “Waits can be long and the bags create an honor system everyone respects,” Curson said. When the doors open, volunteers greet clients in one of more than 10 languages including: Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Ukrainian, Spanish and African and Indian dialects. Volunteers check IDs to ensure an allotment of groceries for one week and direct customers to services. Staff and volunteers are always on the lookout to find foods that meet cultural and dietary needs or preferences. Bruce Wood is the Executive Director. He brings a background in business administration, development and non-profit management. He also has extensive experience working with public and private sector groups throughout Seattle. “The support provided by a broad cross section of our community enables us to focus on long-term planning needs required to address issues of food scarcity, such as the impact of the Avian flu on the availability of eggs or the challenges of maintaining low operational costs,” Curson said. “It is notable that 90% of funds raised for the Food Bank go directly to food distribution.” Staff and volunteers come from all walks of life. Some volunteers are former clients excited to help others gain access to healthy food. Others bring language skills to help with translation and guidance in programs and services. Community members with other resources provide new talent and in-kind donations of food, personal care items, or financial donations. The Food Bank @ St Mary’s is located at 611 20th Ave S. If you are interested in getting involved, you can reach out by email thefbsm.org/contact-us  or use the QR code. ~Diane Aboulafia

Do you ever wonder how some of the traffic circles around the city are planted and maintained? It isn’t SDOT who construct the traffic barriers, nor do the flowers that bloom come from fairies who powder seeds during the twilight hours. Instead, the efforts are from neighborhood volunteers who want to spruce up these areas. One such volunteer is Eva Carey who has maintained three circles on her 30th Ave. South street and the two major circles at 31st Ave. South and S. Judkins. I met Eva and her husband Ron Dailey one day when they were weeding the traffic circle at S. Judkins. It was during the days of Covid and Eva told me they had taken on the gardens as something to do to get out of the house. Ron chuckled he was no gardener and was there in support of Eva’s vision. I offered my help and thus I became a part of the “Gardens of Eva” team. Thanks to Eva’s donation and planting of daffodil and tulip bulbs each fall, all the little gardens are a blast of color to tell you Spring is on its way. The areas also are filled with drought tolerant, low maintenance plants to simplify the gardening efforts and add a continuous bloom. The 31st Ave. traffic circles are located on a blurry neighborhood boundary. Some would say these circles are in Mt. Baker neighborhood while others think of them within the Leschi. Maybe they are a part of Mt. Leschi, where neighbors come together to create little gardens for everyone to enjoy as they travel along 31st Ave., South from the Leschi to Mt. Baker neighborhood. We need to say thank you and goodbye to Eva and Ron who will be moving soon to the East Coast to be closer to family. Hopefully some of the folks who have met Eva while she has been gardening will carry on maintaining these gardens. For me it was a pleasure to meet neighbors who live on the other side of the ridge and I always will remember them each time I pass these circles. If you are interested in helping maintain these little traffic circles and hopefully meeting new neighbors, contact me at mccreech@gmail.com . ~Mary-Carter Creech