After the arson fire at their 23rd & Union location, Med Mix was away for several years. They have now opened a small place on Jackson and a few days ago, the brown paper came off the windows for their grand opening. Neighbors were quick to comment on NextDoor Leschi: “as good as ever!” “Best falafels!” There are a few food items that are comfort foods to me and they are NOT mac’n cheese: falafel, baba ganoush and pad Thai (but this is not served at Med Mix.). Welcome back Med Mix! We’ll be in soon! Mediterranean Mix 2204 S Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98144, 206-325-5642 11am–9pm daily, closed Sundays

Love is in the air all month long. Let us celebrate with Wine We Love! Following are seven of the wine department staff’s favorite bottles currently being offered at Leschi Market. All have received the attached heralding accolades and praise, but most importantly, the all-important Leschi Market stamp of approval. Prices listed are shelf price, and everyone receives 10% off any 6-bottle purchase, all the time. RED 2015 Lingua Franca ‘Avni’ Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills Oregon ($39.99) “Refined and precise, featuring a structure that’s elegantly complex, with raspberry and cinnamon aromas and sleek cherry and mineral flavors. Drink now through 2022. 772 cases made.” ~Wine Spectator, 92-points. 2014 Brady Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Blue Mountain Vineyard Walla Walla ($31.99) “This is a full-bodied Cabernet that shows a balance of fruit and earth. Aromas of berry jam are mixed with hints of smoke, clay pot and dried herbs. Flavors of black cherry are balanced with notes of wet gravel, cocoa powder and herbes de Provence. 440 cases produced. Gold Medal in 2017 Savor NW Wine Awards and the 2017 Cascadia Wine Competition.” ~Kim Brady, Winemaker. 2014 Maison Bleue G.S.M. ‘Métis’ Columbia Valley ($19.99) “This outstanding blend of 51% Syrah, 33% Grenache and 16% Mourvèdre opens with red cherry, rose petals and smoked pork shoulder. This leads to deep flavors of black tea, black cherry, coffee grounds and baking spices. The wine is polished and has a wonderful texture, showing nice opulence from the warm vintage. Best 2017–2026.” 92-points. ~International Wine Report. 2015 Argiano Non Confunditur Tuscany ($17.99) “This is a rich and racy young red with chocolate, currant and hints of sandalwood. Full body, chewy tannins and a long and flavorful finish. Savory and juicy. Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot and a splash of Sangiovese. Drink or hold.” ~James Suckling, 94-points. 2015 Can Blau Cellar Red Blend Montsant Spain ($14.99) “This has plenty of sweetly spicy oak that is matched by abundant ripe and vibrant fruits. Blueberries, currants and purple cherries with chocolate and spice. A very fluid, modern and attractive wine.” ~James Suckling, 93-points. WHITE 2015 Lingua Franca ‘Avni’ Chardonnay Willamette Valley ($39.99) “Sleek and steely, with lemon blossom and river stone aromas and delicately layered nectarine and mineral flavors that linger on the long, crisp finish. Drink now through 2019.” ~Wine Spectator, 93-points. 2015 Garofoli Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Podium ($10.29) “An elegant, creamy white, backed by sleek, citrusy acidity, this shows a subtle mix of poached pear, grated ginger and stony mineral flavors, accented by hints of crushed almond. Drink now through 2020. 90-points. ~#92 Wine Spectator Top 100 2017. Cheers! 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 wine column is intended to inspire and explore new choices in wine, learn about wine with his readers, and share his knowledge and experiences in the wine world. Check out the latest at LeschiMarket.com or request to be added to email updates or send questions, comments, or suggestions to ken@leschimarket.com and follow the wine department directly on twitter at twitter.com/leschimarket .

What is the role of the artist in addressing social issues? What does it mean to be American? How has art been a catalyst for immigrant justice? Participate in a timely conversation with four local artists whose work responds to and engages with the topic of immigration. Moderated by activist critic and curator Susan Platt, the panelists will demonstrate how their art is a springboard for conversation around contemporary immigration issues. Before the panel, be sure to visit Zhi Lin: In Search of the Lost History of Chinese Migrants and the Transcontinental Railroads and Immigrant Artists and the American West Moderator: Susan Platt Panelists: Zhi Lin, Tatiana Garmendia, Humaira Abid and Fulgencio Lazo Curated by: C. Davida Ingram and Leilani Lewis Tacoma Art Museum 1701 Pacific Ave, Tacoma, WA 98402, tacomaartmuseum.org Thursday, February 15 from 6–8pm free & open to the public

A man named Al Smith named his photography business “On the Spot” as he recorded life in the Central District from the 1940s to the end of his life. The Museum of History of Industry adopted that same name for the major exhibition of his work on view until June 17. “On the Spot” can also apply to the present moment for the Central District as it grapples with gentrification and the erasure of the community that Al Smith photographed. Born in 1914, Smith grew up in the Central District and attended a Catholic High School as the only African American, then traveled the world on steamships as a steward. He returned to Seattle in the early 1940s and worked at the Bremerton shipyard, living in the Central District. In those years, he haunted the black jazz venues on Jackson Street, creating some extraordinary photographs. African American musicians could not perform in white clubs in those years of intense segregation. But, as Smith tells us in his photographs, the after hour clubs were integrated, we see mixed race couples and white couples, and Asian couples, as well as many black people having a great time. These clubs were also speakeasies since alcohol was banned in Washington State until 1949. Hazel Scott, 1949, Civic Auditorium. Image courtesy MOHAI, Al Smith Collection Al Smith captured the intense community of performers, dancers and audience. As Paul De Barros states so well “When you look at Al’s photographs, you don’t feel like a visitor, but more like a participant, partaking in the joy revealed by his camera.” His images stun us with their beauty, as he captures the perfect moment in a performance. Aside from the jazz greats whom we know by name, such as Ernestine Anderson (still a teenager), or the already famous Hazel Scott, Duke Ellington and Vivian Dandridge, we see the delighted audience members, many of them unidentified soldiers from a nearby base during World War II. As Smith participated in these “after hour” evenings, he photographed relaxed and happy people in a protected setting free from the restraints of a racist society. Other segments of the exhibition present his darkroom (now an historic artifact for many in the age of digital photography), his earliest work, and his record of life in the Central District, including such characteristic businesses as beauty salons (there is a fabulous wall of women’s hair dos), and barbecue, civic parades, children’s parties, music schools and sports teams, and women’s and men’s civic clubs. In addition, families have fun at the beach, at the circus, and at private house parties (another product of severe segregation). Each image can stand for a body of work on these subjects; they are carefully chosen to give us a cross section of life. In the post Civil Rights era, black families have dispersed from the Central District, white families and upper income workers have moved in. The close-knit community is gone, but many artists are working to preserve its history as well as to simply hold onto their houses in the face of rising taxes. Inye Wokoma, whose home has so far survived gentrification, creates film/interview/photography installations that expose systemic racism, and erasure in the Central District through family artifacts, histories and photographs. Jitterbug Couple, 1944. Image courtesy MOHAI, Al Smith Collection At a workshop at Garfield High School before the Martin Luther King Day March on January 15, Laurence Pitre and Trae Anna Holiday asked us how do we respond to gentrification. Trae Anna Holiday called for organized resistance. Alone we can do little. For example, the group Africatown successfully opposed developers in order to keep affordable housing at 23rd and Union. Another crucial project documents the stories of current Central District residents. It will air on the seattlechannel.gov/communitystories next summer. Wheedlesgroove, a 2009 video documents a thriving soul scene in Seattle from 1972–1975. And a spirit of collective resistance blossomed at the rally and march in honor of Martin Luther King that began right after the workshop. All ages, all ethnicities, marched together in the true spirit of community that Martin Luther King advocated. Everyone together embodied resistance to the retrograde racism of our current administration. Five days after the MLK March, the Women’s March brought out thousands of men and women advocating resistance to fear and abuse, and in favor of inclusion, justice, love, respect, affordable housing, healthcare, and immigration. Leading the march was a group honoring Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women in Washington State. While the sense of collective resistance we saw in the MLK March was now more individualized, with the majority of marchers holding their own handmade signs, the thousands who came represent a whole new will to resist racism and sexism. Today a new generation of artists document the present moment in the Central District and Seattle. A just-opened exhibition (which I haven’t yet seen) “Everyday Black” (on view until May 15, 2018) at the Northwest African American Museum with work by photographers Jessica Rycheal and Zorn B. Taylor explores contemporary “intersections and identities that are held within blackness.” The exhibition emphasizes the everyday, in contrast to Al Smith’s “every night.” Such a contrast suggests how times have changed since the close knit segregated community documented by Al Smith. Today these photographers record complexity, ambiguity and inclusivity. A mixed income, mixed race community can hopefully survive in the Central District and in Seattle as a whole, even as we respect and honor the roots in the past. As these two marches and the Northwest African American Museum exhibition celebrated, we are moving beyond the divisions of the past, embracing the idea that all causes are one cause, we must all work together to realize the world we know we must have. In a way, we see it already in Al Smith’s stupendous photographs of jazz performers. Postscript: For another intense and brilliant look at an historical black community impacted by racism, don’t miss August Wilson’s “Two Trains Running” at the Seattle Repertory Theater until February 11. ~Susan Noyes Platt artandpoliticsnow.com

The Leschi Business Association is pleased to announce that we have received a grant from the Office of Arts & Culture and the Seattle Arts Commission for our annual event, the Leschi Art Walk. The grant is for 2018 and 2019 and is $1300 each year. The highly successful Art Walk has evolved over six years to highlight artists, craftspersons, local businesses and non-profit organizations. This one-day event will take place on September 8 this year and will feature a live music stage and children activities, including an inflatable slide. New this year will be a dance workshop for the youngsters and an outdoor movie in Leschi Park. Interested in learning more and perhaps joining our board? Our first planning meeting is 3:30 Thursday, February 1 at Blu Water Bistro. We welcome new volunteers and look forward to meeting you then! ~Cara Ross, Blue Heron Healing Arts (member Leschi Business Association)

Seattle Women’s March, 1.0 Like the name Black Lives Matter, the name Women’s March misleads some persons. These persons often see exclusivity only. But both groups have their names because society in so many ways throughout history has ignored what the speakers deem particularly important. Blacks and women have been here but for so long not represented on too many fronts; life, in varying degrees, is as if neither group was present. In response to someone who said he thought the march was for women only, I hastily responded that marchers represented many causes: voting rights, gun control, gerrymandering, money in politics, planned parenthood, education, housing, net neutrality, healthcare including drugs, alcoholism and mental health, Black Lives Matter, immigration, police brutality, climate change, LGBTQ rights, incarceration, environment. As soon as I finished, I wished I had taken longer because I wanted to add a few more causes. The March is dubbed “Women’s March” because for so long women have been excluded from man-made decisions that affect women, the nation, the world. Consider that no women signed the Declaration of Independence nor helped write the Constitution of the United States. It took from 1776 until 1920, yes, 1920 for women to get the vote. Relying on Internet sources, I discovered the first woman to serve in Congress began her term in 1917; the first governors served in 1925; in 2006 and 2009, nine of our fifty governors were women; in 2018, 106 (79D, 27R) women hold seats in the United States Congress, comprising 19.8% of the 535 members; 22 women (22%) serve in the United States Senate.” (Depending on the source, women constitute 50.5% of the U. S. population.) Do you know how long Viagra has been covered by insurance? Do you know how long it took for insurance to cover birth control pills? Abortion? Who made these decisions? There was a time when the income of a woman of childbearing age was not considered when she and her husband attempted to purchase a house. (They had to purchase a less expensive house and, therefore, have less equity in that house now.) History books are filled with repression and suppression of women’s rights. The intent of the March is to draw attention to these ills and correct them. The underrepresentation of women and their voices in local, state, and federal government accounts for the situation of women now. This holds true all over the world, some places obviously worse than others. A quick look at some of the many photographs and videos of the handmade and professionally made signs, some duplicates, some one of a kind on Facebook shows the many subjects for the protest. I have omitted signs containing profanity or obscene drawings. Of course, there are signs speaking directly about and for women: “A woman’s place is in the House and the Senate”; “Women’s rights are not up for grabs”; “Females are strong as hell”; “Feminist is not a bad word”; “Phenomenal Woman”; “Oprah 2020”; “Well-behaved women rarely make history”; “Women of the World Unite”; “Stop violence against women, not because you have a sister, not because you have a mother, not because you have a daughter, because she is a person”; “Missing and Murdered Indigenous Girls and Women”; Little girls with big dreams become women with vision”; “Respect the sacred feminine”; “Still we rise”; “Nasty Women”; “Nasty Women Unite”; “Nevertheless, she persisted”; “Women’s rights are here to stay, ho, ho, hey, hey”; “Feminism without borders”; “Girls just want to have fundamental rights”; “I can’t feel my rights when I’m with you, and I hate it.” One last sign, a sign I saw in the hands of only one person, says, “White women voted for Donald Trump 53%, Roy Moore, 63%, Mitt Romney 56% John McCain 53%, George Bush 55%.” I hope all marchers know about this sign. The Internet has copious theories about this phenomenon. Marches notwithstanding, we Americans will continue to have problems until we have a more balanced representation in each of our branches of government, until more of us are more informed about the candidates and the issues, until more of us value our right to vote and exercise that right whenever the opportunity is presented. Monday, January 15th, was the day to march in honor of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and be reminded of a quote that showed up often in the Women’s March: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Saturday’s marches, with the many different causes espoused by such diverse groups, reminded me of another of his quotes: “We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.” On January 22, many persons in Washington marched, lobbied, rallied, visited lawmakers in Olympia. These activities are good, but they last a day. They are the tip of the iceberg, a big tip, perhaps, but a tip. The work must take place throughout the year, after we lay down our signs. If we want to make Dr. King’s dream a reality in this fiftieth year after he was assassinated, this fiftieth year that so many of us still plead for much of what we asked for much longer than fifty years ago, we must work more than a day or two a year. I believe more individuals—not enough—than ever before are more aware of the injustice in places near and far, and if all of us take seriously what we know and implement what we know, we can come closer to all of us enjoying life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. ~Georgia S. McDade, Ph. D. Seattle Women’s March, 2.0 As we loped down E. Alder toward the lake on January 20, on our way to catch the #2, we caught the whiff of a happening. Folks came up Erie, and followed our path. Cars honked at my husband’s pink hat. And when we arrived at the bus turnaround at Lake Washington Boulevard and Denny, two women approached with signs that confirmed our instincts: Grab ‘Em by the Midterms and Screw Us and We Multiply. As the bus made its way up Denny and onto 34th, individuals and families clambered aboard with signs, pink hats and enthusiasm. By Union and MLK, every seat was taken and it was standing room only. We arrived at Cal Anderson Park after 11am to witness the throngs at the rally that had gotten underway a good hour before. Cheers, impatience and barely contained energy ruled for the next hour. Once underway, after a powerful and moving drumming- and fire-infused ceremony, the march was led by Native Americans representing missing and murdered Indigenous women. The marchers filed down Pine Street with signs and good spirits under the dark and occasionally spitting clouds. While the numbers were not on par with last year’s extraordinary turnout, the size of the crowd was impressive. KOMO reported some 100,000 turned out for what proved a glorious celebration of the First Amendment’s guarantee of fundamental rights: freedom of speech, freedom of assembly (there was also a counter-protest) and freedom to practice religion (the latter illustrated by two proclamations waving next to one another on Fourth Avenue: Jesus Died for our Sins and Jesus is Weed). The creativity and determination of the participants were palpable. Some of our favorite signs included the serious: “Forget Princess—call me President” (flourished by a young female); “Man Up and Support Women’s Rights” (carried by a young male college student); “Keep Your Tiny Hands Off Medicare, Social Security” (hoisted by a ‘senior’); “I’m with Her and her and her and her...” (held up by many middle-aged men); “I’ll Take Some of His” (displayed by a woman seeking equal rights). And then there were the inevitably irreverent: “Orange is the New Red” (featuring Trump and Putin); “Cheetos are for Breakfast, Not for the White House”; “Show Us Your Girther Certificate.” And the irony of marching past the Paramount sign promoting Hamilton was not lost on all. While I’m not certain that young people were out in the same force as they were last year, among our group of six, we each ran into someone we knew from beyond our neighborhood, a welcome reminder that our city shares values of equality and justice. After the march ended at Seattle Center, we hopped back on the #2 bus and were whisked back to 34th and Union. A shout out to public transport! Funny how the windstorm that came through later that night knocked some of the numbers off the Frink Mansion Trump Counter at 31st and Jackson. The tattered, windblown, daily-changing display read “1…92 days to go” when I drove past Sunday morning. It was later corrected to 1091 and current reality. ~Anne Depue

I went skiing at Mt. Hood Meadows last week, and even though the powder that day was fantastic, the coverage was anything but, with rocks, bushes and sticks protruding from the snowpack at every turn. It’s been a mediocre winter for the Washington Cascades, but the Oregon Cascades are in far worse shape, and conditions are downright depressing in the Sierra Nevada and Intermountain West. Mammoth Mountain, for example, has (as of 1/23/2018) only received 69” of snowfall this season. Thank goodness for snow-making machines! The reason for such a lack of snowfall is because we’ve had the deadly combination of above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation for much of the West this season. This is due to a series of large ridges over the area during December and the first half of January. This is atypical for a La Niña winter such as the one we are in, as we usually see ridging far offshore and troughing over our area during these years, giving us cooler/wetter than normal conditions and above-average snowfall. Thankfully for skiers, snowboarders, water supply managers, and nearly everybody else west of the Continental Divide, we entered a much more active pattern more reminiscent of what we’d expect during a La Niña during the latter half of January. A persistent trough over the Northeastern Pacific helped direct wetter and cooler-than-normal weather into the Pacific Northwest, resulting in impressive snowfall totals across both the Washington and Oregon Cascades, with lighter snowfall in the Sierra Nevada and Intermountain West. La Niña’s effects are most prevalent from January through March and even into April in some years, so there’s still some hope for a substantial recovery in snowpack across the Cascades for the rest of the season. Unfortunately, because La Niñas are also typically associated with a more northern storm track, the Sierra Nevada and Intermountain West could miss out on most of the snow when they are the ones who need it the most. California and the Intermountain West tend to have more year-to-year variability in their snowpack than the Cascades (especially the higher terrain in the Northern Cascades), so while these meager totals are nothing new, they are nonetheless discouraging, particularly after the epic 2016–2017 season that brought record rains to much of the West Coast and record snowfall in the Sierra Nevada, finally erasing California’s drought. So while we’ve gotten a slow start to the season, things are certainly beginning to pick up, and with any luck, February will be snowy month for the Cascades and Olympics. Viva La Niña! ~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 forecasting wind energy along the Columbia River Gorge. Check out his weather website at weathertogether.net .

We completed the first phase of the project, from E Madison St to S Jackson St, in 2017. Construction of the second phase, from S Jackson St to Rainier Ave S, is anticipated to start as soon as April 2018 and last approximately one year. Planned improvements include sidewalk improvements, repaving the street, a new three-lane configuration from S Jackson St to S Holgate St, replacing the water main under the street from S Jackson St to S Norman St, and more. There will be a long-term construction detour on 23rd Ave S. Southbound 23rd Ave S between S Jackson St and S Norman St. Traffic will be detoured to Martin Luther King Jr Way S while crews replace the water main and rebuild the street. Northbound travel will be maintained on 23rd Ave S, with traffic reduced to one lane. See the above map with the detour route for reference. We will be holding another public meeting before construction begins. Stay tuned for more details. ~Harrison at 23rd Avenue Corridor Improvements Project Team 23rdAveCorridor@seattle.gov Project information line: 206-727-8857

Housing for All: Taking the City to Task on the Homelessness Crisis Our guest editor this month is Katie Wilson of the Transit Riders’ Union. Her group was instrumental in helping Leschi to get back the #27 bus and now they are tackling an even bigger issue than Metro: Housing! On November 2, 2015, Seattle and King County declared a Homelessness State of Emergency. Since then, the number of unsheltered homeless people in King County has risen by nearly 50%. Early last year five and a half thousand people were counted sleeping tents, in vehicles and on the streets. Some of the causes of this crisis are readily apparent: skyrocketing rents due to an influx of well-heeled tech workers, a shortage of housing, and global speculation in real estate. But the causes of the homelessness crisis go deeper. We’re reaping the fruits of decades of federal and state disinvestment in public housing, mental health and social services. More and more people are left at the mercy of the private housing market, and for many, one missed paycheck or medical emergency could mean eviction and homelessness. Last fall the Transit Riders Union helped to build a new coalition, called Housing for All, to push for a response to homelessness that meets the scale of the crisis, in a way that is both realistic and respectful of homeless people’s dignity and rights. So far, over 60 Seattle-based organizations have endorsed our platform. Homelessness is a regional and even national crisis, but we’re starting with the City of Seattle. This begins with housing. The answer to homelessness is housing—whatever contributing factors push people over the edge, it ultimately comes down to not having the money to pay rent. Considering the severe shortage of low-income housing, the homelessness crisis is hardly a mystery. According to the Housing Development Consortium, in Seattle alone the “housing gap” of additional homes needed by 2030 for households at 0–30% Area Median Income is 27,481. Seattle’s Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda (HALA) projects that only 6,000 such units will be created in the next ten years. The Housing for All Coalition is calling on the City of Seattle to recognize this yawning gap and make a plan to bridge it. Housing For All is calling on the City to recognize this gap and commit to using all the tools and resources at our disposal to fill it: seeking out new progressive revenue such as taxes on speculation and big business; bonding; using public land; and changing regulations to encourage housing types that are easier to build affordably, such as backyard cottages, mother-in-law units and SROs. If the current plans to create low-income housing are so inadequate, how does the City plan to deal with the homelessness crisis? Unfortunately, some of their newest programs and policies are not just inadequate, but downright counterproductive. Take, for example, the new focus on short-term “Rapid Re-Housing” vouchers. The City plans to divert funding from existing shelter and service providers to pay for vouchers that homeless people and families can use to find housing on the private market. After three, six or nine months, the vouchers expire and they are expected to pay rent on their own. It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to see that this approach is not going to work for most homeless people in a housing market where rents are so high. Finding yourself couch surfing or back on the street, demoralized and now with an eviction on your record, is not a good outcome. The Housing for All Coalition is urging the City to reconsider the short-term voucher approach and to commit to funding high-quality and accessible shelter and services at the scale of the crisis. We need more tiny house villages, and more indoor shelters that are not overcrowded or bug-infested—shelter options that a rational person would actually choose over sleeping outside in a tent. Until we have enough affordable housing and/or shelter options that meet people’s needs, we have to accept that there are going to be people sleeping outside in tents, in vehicles and on the street. The question then arises, how should the city treat these people? Too often, the City’s policies end up criminalizing the performance of basic life-sustaining activities in public spaces. The practice of forcing people in unauthorized encampments to move along, without being able to offer them housing or shelter that works for them, only serves to disrupt whatever sliver of stability and community they’ve been able to establish. It is harmful, not helpful. The Housing for All Coalition is urging a harm reduction approach to unsheltered homelessness. If an encampment site is not irremediably unsafe or in conflict with other public uses (No, we’re not saying people can camp in parks and playing fields!), services should be offered without threat of removal. For people living in vehicles, the City needs to do better outreach and find alternatives to ticketing and towing that don’t result in debt traps. Taken together, we believe these policies will put the City on the right track and begin to build a bridge to stable and permanent housing for our homeless brothers and sisters. But it’s not going to be easy—we need your help to win! Last November, the City Council responded to our campaign by passing Resolution 31782, “establishing a process by which the City of Seattle will determine new progressive revenues including an Employee Hours Tax” for housing and homelessness. This tax would apply only to the 5–10% highest-revenue businesses (like Amazon), with the tax amount based on the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) employees. Also called the “head tax,” this is one of the very few progressive taxes the City has the authority to levy. We want the City Council to pass strong legislation by the end of March, so that the City can begin funding new affordable housing as soon as possible. But here’s the catch: big business groups like the Chamber of Commerce don’t like this idea one bit, and they’re putting pressure on the Mayor and City Council to undermine this effort. We need your help to create a wave of public support that our elected officials can’t ignore. We will launch this campaign on Wednesday, January 31, 6–8pm, in Hall 1 at the Labor Temple, 2800 1st Ave. You can learn more and sign up to receive updates and volunteer at HousingForAllSeattle.org. ~Katie Wilson

While it feels like spring is upon us, we still have a couple of months of winter remaining. By the time this publishes, who knows what the weather will be. Exciting news for our monthly meeting held this next month on Wednesday, February 7 at 7pm. A group presented a mural idea to the LCC Board, focusing on our community, from both historical and cultural views to be placed on the wall at 31st and Jackson. As is our purpose of involving the community-at-large in our decisions, they will repeat the presentation in hopes it compels us to sanction so they can move forward with funding opportunities. Please join us at the Central Area Community Center for this lively discussion. Looking forward, we anticipate offering an earthquake preparedness program and a diversity awareness program in the near. Our annual meeting in May will feature a community appreciation awards program. I encourage you to participate, get to know the many nuances of our village of Leschi and all of your neighbors. Especially I reach out to our newer neighbors who have moved to Leschi in the last few years. The discovery of why our enclave is one of the best-kept secrets in the City of Seattle will unfold and beckon you to embrace involvement. Warmest wishes for the month—may laughter fill your days. ~Janice Merrill Brown President, Leschi Community Council

The Cherry Street Corridor fund is a complete mystery to the current and previous board. We have checked with past longtime Treasurer Suzanne Heidema and long time past President Thurston Muskelly but neither are aware of this fund or how it came about. We appeal to the reading public to tell us the background of this fund or we will have to vote to move it elsewhere. The next fund is for Flo Ware Park. The now defunct Diversity Committee had voted to have an annual celebration of the anniversary of the Park, which was renovated more than a decade ago. The celebration was planned for May to coincide with Flo Ware’s birthday, but it has since moved to June for better weather and avoiding conflicts with Mother’s Day and Madrona’s Mayfair celebration. The dollars in this fund are remnants of a grant from years past. This celebration is primarily for children with appropriate activities. The Friends of Street Ends (FOSE) maintains a small fund, primarily from individual donations. Most of the work for this group is by volunteers, and they have not had any regular maintenance expenses.

December 11, 2017—Attending: Janice Merrill Brown, Trevor Menagh and Diane Snell. The Mural Project Three people came to make a presentation on a project they hope to pursue: Tom Goeddes from Mt. Baker, Lawrence Pitre, Director of the Central Area Chamber of Commerce, and Stephanie Tschida, who has vast experience with projects like this. They would like to install an historical mural on the huge blank retaining wall at the corner of Jackson and 31st. They had a very nice power point presentation of possible scenarios, but no decision has been made yet on what exactly would be shown. Permission still needs to be obtained from the City of Seattle. The three Exec. Board members present felt they could support the project, but they did not make up a quorum. One more Board member is needed to get Board support. Trevor agreed to write up the project and solicit community opinion on the Google site. Old Business Logo: Janice asked to move this to the January 2018 Board meeting. Racism: Lack of contact between presenters and Board makes it impossible to present this program in January; it will be moved to later in the season. New Business Janice would like a program in the new year honoring folks in the community who make a difference. This should be at our annual meeting in May where we present the Leschi Star awards. John Barber was ill and unable to make the meeting but sent an email with the following items: The January third Saturday work party will focus on removing invasive plants along Lake Washington Boulevard, Erie to Yesler. There are plenty of blackberries to cut back and/or dig out. And, there’s a section in the middle by E Huron that needs to be completely cleared and mulched. The neighbors along SW Frink Park (Dee Boersma) have reached a compromise about their issues with a change of landscaping that was underway without their participation. No word on the Marinas except that Parks does have a long-term lease executed and is working on applying for the permits. Our look at the design is somewhere down the line. In the meantime, a group in the Lakewood neighborhood is preparing to sue before the hearing examiner. Diane : Dec. 18 is the deadline for the January issue of the Leschi News. We have lost the 2 ads from Uncle Ike’s: the pot store and the auto wash. Diane requested that Janice meet with Dian Ferguson re: the rent for our meetings. We do not have a current contract and we are not receiving any invoices. Our treasurer will not make payments without an invoice. Donations to Leschi School Giving Garland program: $200 from LCC, $210 from Leschi’s Mason Bee project and many individual donations from Leschi residents. Next Board meeting: Jan 8 at 7pm in the Technology room at Senior Center. ~minutes respectfully submitted by Diane Snell