August 7, 2017—Attending: Trevor Menagh, Janet Oliver, John Barber, Tracy Bier, Diane Snell. Vice-President Trevor presided as Janice had a conflict. Treasury Janet has entered all financial activity to date and will provide a report for the newsletter. She was asked to review the ArtWalk, as they should not be in deficit. Janice Janice’s agenda items to be moved to September meeting in her absence. John John working on reviewing the moorage contract at the September meeting. He asked for those who are able to attend the Thursday City Council meeting to try to get the committee to hold a community meeting before they vote on the contract. Janice and Tracy said they could attend. John also concerned about the lack of monitoring of water quality as they do at swimming beaches. There are always young people swimming in the Marina area and yet we have no tests of the water. East Precinct Halfway through the meeting, we had a visitor, Susan Nemhard, who is collecting data for the East Precinct in collaboration between Seattle U and the East Precinct. She treated us as one of her focus groups and asked each to explain how safe we feel in our neighborhood. Diane Newsletter deadline 8/21. Kirsten remains as production designer. Will advertise for an editor especially for October, to cover Diane’s surgery and recovery period. Diane wants a volunteer on 8/29 to help with labels on the newsletter as Janice has close to 200 new names for folks who moved into Leschi in the past two years. We need to re-think the October meeting, as the Seattle Neighborhood Coalition will be hosting the candidates for Mayor and City Council. We are asking Board members to sign up for the Leschi CC info table at the ArtWalk. List to be sent out by email. ~Respectfully submitted by Diane Snell

July 10, 2017—Attending: Janice Brown, John Barber, Janet Oliver, Diane Snell (a quorum just barely!) Treasury June 30 is the end of the LCC fiscal year and Janet has input all the revenue and expenses through June so report up to date. Janice Hoping to hold a logo contest to select a logo for Leschi. Our A-frame signs don’t seem to be specific enough; they indicate community meeting but not that it is a LCC meeting. Janice was able to pull all home sales within the last 2 years in Leschi so we will have names and labels. Janice is going to the CANDC meeting with Patrick Kane who in interested in attending these meetings. John September 6 will be first meeting in the new 10-month series; Parks tentatively agreed to attend to discuss the marina contract. John was urging a letter to Parks to request that the wading pools be filled; Janet said she saw that the Powell Barnett pool was filled and children were splashing around. John said he would check with Parks on wading pool issue as we have received different info from different folks. Diane Janice plans to attend the East Precinct Picnic LCC info table. John volunteered for an hour in the afternoon. Janet will be out of town. Wade Vaughn Memorial: John agreed to work with family on how to spend the memorial funds—what they feel would be appropriate. They liked the idea of a bench at a Pearl Streetend but SDOT has given new benches for each site. CD decision; postponed until Jeff present. ArtWalk: Diane applying for Leschi Park permit. Vendors will be on sidewalk by the businesses. Non-profits and kids activities in Park. Need updated Board info for website and September newsletter. ~Respectfully submitted by Diane Snell

If you have a craving for fish that is local and fresh—you cannot go wrong with The Fish Guys! Check them out in an at-first-tough-to-spot location on the bottom floor of the apartment building on the SW corner of 23rd and Jackson Street. The Fish Guys have fresh fish, shellfish, oysters, mussels and poke—all extremely fresh! And they have complimentary prepared foods. We stop by every couple of weeks for anything that is extra fresh, to barbeque. Our favorites are the black cod (best price in town in August at $19.99/pound) and steelhead salmon. But I also like to mix and match their three kinds of poke. The crab cocktail is best in the city—packed with fresh crab! You can picnic there on the spot but we usually take our bag of fish home and treat ourselves for a couple days. Local pies and cookies are also available. The owners gained their expertise by working at Mutual Fish and then found this bright busy location just off the #14 bus line. Note that some poke can be extra spicy :-). Enjoy! Seattle Fish Guys Hours: M–Sat: 10am–6:30pm; Sunday 10am–5:30pm (upper parking limited but the garage can be used; this is the old Welch Hardware site) 411 23rd Ave. S 98144, 206-485-7388 www.seattlefishguys.com ~Karen Daubert

Hello Leschi! Welcome back! The suffocating smoke came and went, as did the annual barrage of boaters, Blue Angels and backyard barbecues. As we settle back in and get ready for school to start and the leaves to begin to change color, let’s look at some of the happenings you may have missed. (Eclipse glasses not required!) Leschi Market Wine Department’s newest addition! The Leschi Market Wine Department proudly welcomed Catherine to the wine aisle. Her vast knowledge of wine, food and travel is second to none. You may recognize her from her previous home at the Spanish Table, or most recently Pete’s Eastlake. Say “Hi” to her your next time through the store and let her superior palate help recommend something new to take home. Leschi Cellars was again hard at work! Chardonnay was bottled in early August and released a couple weeks later. The Chardonnay is 2015 vintage from Columbia Valley, non-disclosures prevent us from telling exactly where the wine is from, but we can tell you this: The beautiful aromatics leap from the glass. A kiss of oak, but aged in concrete, this Chardonnay offers tones of lemon meringue and white peach. Tropical fruits and distinct minerality layer each other over the long lasting finish. It has been really nice to have a white wine under the Leschi Cellars label again. The Pinot Gris response was unpredictable, selling out of nearly 70 cases of wine in a mere 7 weeks. The Chardonnay should be around through the holidays. Rosé wines Finally—what rosé will be available throughout September? Here are a couple of options that were late arriving, and should be here for the time being. 2016 Division Gamay Noir Rosé Willard Vineyard Columbia Valley ($17.99) “We believe the best wines will be made by picking before overly ripe characteristics dominate the wine and balance and finesse suffer. Therefore, especially with rosé, which we seek more white wine-like vibrancy than red wine-like richness or intensity. We pick this site relatively early with more acid driven grapes and lighter red fruit.” ~Winemaker notes. 2016 Château de Montfaucon ‘Les Gardettes’ Rosé Rhône ($11.19) This blend of Cinsault, Counoise and Grenache is a true rosé de saignée (French for ‘bleed’) where some of the wine is removed from the vat leaving a smaller amount of wine left to bleed with the skins, which intensifies color, tannins and concentration. Les Gardettes is full of strawberry, peach and other stone fruit flavors supported by good acidity and freshness. 2016 Château L’Ermitage Tradition Rosé Costières de Nîmes ($8.39) “Brightly salmon pink robe with an explosion of fruit. Roundness and a well-balanced harmony of spices and fruits. 50% Grenache, 25% Syrah and 25% Mourvèdre. Aging potential: two to three years.” ~Winemaker notes. Thank you for another great summer, and see you in the wine aisle! 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 www.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 t witter.com/leschimarket .

BOOK REVIEW I had intended to follow my review of the tree book and an earlier review about a book on moss with a reading about birds, or perhaps write about how much I am enjoying Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. Then Charlottesville happened and it seemed imperative to reflect more on human nature than outdoor nature. I picked up Ta-Nehisi Coates’s Between the World and Me. This beautifully written letter from an African American to his son is, in the words of Toni Morrison, “required reading.” What hubris on my part to think I could do justice in a brief review to such a powerful, impassioned and honest work. Coates reflects on his childhood on the streets in Baltimore, the schools that failed him, his intellectual coming of age at Howard University as well as the history of blacks in the United States. Coates lifts the curtain on the fears and dreams of a young black father in America, and in doing so reveals a past and present few Americans know or want to acknowledge. To read this letter is to begin to understand and appreciate growing up black in this country. Coates’s book, which won the National Book Award for nonfiction in 2015, is a personal, political and profound view of racism, and this month it could not be more timely or prescient. For those of you who have already read Between the World and Me, you can celebrate that Coates is the author of the forthcoming book We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy (October 2017). I have no doubt it will be another critical addition to the conversation we must continue to have. I am ordering my copy now from a local independent bookstore-—please help support them. ~Anne Depue

As we feel shocked by the escalating exposure of hate and racism in our country, we can take heart that creative voices offer an important alternative to mean spirited, one-dimensional ignorance. Visual artists, musicians, actors and poets offer perspectives on history, and on the present, that disempower evil with images that speak truth. The production of “Madame Butterfly” by the Seattle Opera countered the historical racism of the story. The Japanese singer Yasko Sato, playing Cio Cio San, reminded us that her character was a descendant of a Samurai Warrior. For three years, as Cio Cio San awaited the return of her American husband, she sustained herself with an unshakable belief that he would return. She seemed to draw him back by the force of her will. Likewise music and poetry as resistance dominated the two evenings of performances that accompanied the exhibition I curated on “Immigration: Hopes Realized, Dreams Denied” in Tacoma, one mile from the notorious Northwest Detention Center. The performers helped us to understand and therefore resist racism. Particularly moving were the songs and poetry of Eduardo Trujillo, a former detainee, who calls himself a “passionate refugee who seeks for a way to bring peace of mind to those incarcerated and or in fear of deportation.” In his singing, we could hear the heart of a person who has survived the depths to come back with a deep understanding of life. You can hear him online here https://vimeo.com/226673443. Tello Hernandez also sang from the heart what he called “La Nueva Cancan” (New Song) which, as he explained, “has its roots in folk music and expresses the concerns, hopes and struggles of the people. It is music with a social message. Not necessarily protest music, but music that speaks of love, hope, justice and equality. “La Nueva Cancan” is the voice of human rights. It is music by the people and for the people.” A small exhibition at the Wing Luke Museum commemorates the infamous Japanese incarceration during World War II. “Year of Remembrance: Glimpses of a Forever Foreigner” (February 17, 2017–February 11, 2018) draws from the collaborative book by Roger Shimomura and Lawrence Matsuda of the same title. Both lived their earliest childhood years in the Minidoka Concentration Camp during World War II (Matsuda was born in the camp, Shimomura was three years old in 1942). Their experience of being incarcerated informed their work throughout their successful careers as poet (Matsuda) and visual artist (Shimomura). Shimomura laces his work with humor and irony, as well as popular culture, to expose racism as it has continued throughout the decades since World War II. The past is the present. The exhibition brings the story up to the present with the threats to Muslims, Jews and Latinos today. It seeks “to prevent this injustice from happening again, especially to other Americans who are ethnically, racially, or religiously different.” At the entrance to the exhibition, we are asked to stand in front of a mirror: “Stand on the footprints, and look at your image: What do people think when they see you? How does that effect how you are treated or perceived? What does an American look like?” Pairing this exhibition with “Teardrops that Wound” (until May 2018) that I wrote about in the summer, enlarges the theme of creative thinking as a way forward. The exhibition’s title, “Teardrops that Wound,” is drawn from Phong Nguyen’s novel “Pages from the Textbook of Alternate History: “...with one fatal drop of this teardrop-shaped steel structure, I remember thinking, man will finally have wounded God.” Sarah and Phong Nguyen, “Break into Blossom,” 2017, mixed media Phong and Sarah Nguyen imagine that the bomb dropped on Hiroshima has not exploded, but instead lies on the ground like an old tree, with moss and flowers growing out of it. “Teardrops that Wound,” makes the connection to the nuclear disaster in Fukushima as well. Yukiyo Kawano sewed a replica of “Little Boy” from kimonos from Fukuyama with her own hair. Like the Japanese incarceration in detention camps that continues today with privately run for-profit detention centers for 34,000 people across the country, nuclear disaster is also more than ever an escalating anxiety. Not far from the Wing Luke, the Bonfire Gallery featured Deborah Lawrence’s exhibition “Strumpet of Justice.” In the window, Dee Dee Lorenzo (the artist’s alter ego) cries as she surveys the shambles of disheveled flags around her. Deborah Faye Lawrence, 80 Words, Eighty Words, 2014, 41.25 x 34.5”, paper and fabric collage, acrylic, varnish on canvas On the gallery walls, the artist combines flags, collage and text to express strong opposition to what is happening in the world, particularly emphasizing feminist defiance of the destructive powers of capitalism. And as a final example, at one of our free Shakespeare in the Park performances, The Comedy of Errors, the Duke of Ephesus, Solinus, became a red haired Donald Trump, with “Make Ephesus Great Again” on his hat. A wall-building scene was added, and The Duke declared he would appoint Iago as his chief of staff. Near the end of the performance, he was driven out (with the help of the audience) and transformed into Bernie Sanders for the last scene. Great fun. These are only a few examples of creative people countering the discourse of our mainstream media, of historical racism, and of contemporary abuses. Writers, poets, singers, filmmakers and visual artists have the ability to celebrate diversity and our shared positive values with loud clear voices that offer a non-violent response to racism and its partner, ignorance. We must speak loudly and often. ~Susan Noyes Platt www.artandpoliticsnow.com

The total solar eclipse of Monday, August 21, 2017 was the most breathtaking natural event I’ve witnessed in my entire life. I first learned about this eclipse from my 8th grade science teacher during my days at Washington Middle School, and I am so glad I was able to find a place with friends in the Cascade foothills NE of Salem to experience totality. The partial eclipse began at 9:05 in the morning while we were eating breakfast, and I was incredibly relieved to don my eclipse glasses and actually see part of the moon eclipsing the sun. Maybe it’s just a meteorologist thing, but given how many times our weather forecasts have gone awry, there was an irrational part of me that was skeptical that the eclipse would even occur. I was relieved to know that the astronomers did their math right! After breakfast, we all decided to head a mile north towards some open farmland to get a better view of the main event. We got there around 9:35 and had a grand ol’ time conversing with other eclipse chasers from across the country, watching the sun become more and more obscured by the moon as we chatted. The temperature began to drop and the light began to dim, but everything was relatively gradual—it was amazing how much light remained when we were only a minute from totality. But when totality was less than 20 seconds away, the sky underwent an unbelievably fast transformation from day to night. It was an immensely powerful experience to see the entire world darken before your very eyes. Totality occurred from approximately 10:18 to 10:20 at our location, and to be completely honest with you, much of it is still a blur for me. Far from being a conscientious observer of a naturally explained phenomenon, I was so overwhelmed by the sudden transition to darkness and the breathtaking beauty of the corona that I paced around like a kindergartner doing a potty dance, with some primordial grunts added for auditory effect. One of my eclipse-chasing buddies and I paid tribute to our hometown and sang Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun” during the waning moments of totality. The sun’s corona was more expansive and beautiful than I could have ever imagined. I thought the corona would simply be a symmetrical “plasma donut,” but there were three huge “tendrils” of the solar wind that extended far beyond the main corona. Seeing these jets of energy radiating across the sky gave me an affection for the sun I had never had before—how kind of it to do all that work just to allow organisms like me and you to thrive. Thanks sun! We were also fortunate enough to see solar prominences peeking just above the moon’s shadow. Prominences are loops in the sun’s photosphere (outermost surface) that follow the sun’s magnetic field lines hundreds of thousands of miles into the corona. These prominences were visible to us as red highlights on the surface of the sun. We saw the famous “diamond ring” as totality ended and sun reappeared from behind the moon, and within a few minutes, the sky was bright enough that the stars and planets that were clearly visible during totality had all but disappeared. After admiring the crescent shaped shadows from the now partially eclipsed sun under the shade of a tree, we had lunch, packed our belongings and began a very slow drive home. This eclipse was truly the experience of a lifetime, and was more overwhelming than anything I could have possibly imagined. You’ll have to wait until 2169 for Seattle’s next total solar eclipse, but the next total solar eclipse east of the Rockies occurs on April 8, 2024. It’s not too early to begin planning to see it! ~Charlie Phillips Charlie, 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.us.

Leschi CC bestowed its Leschi Star award on Amy Fink for her persistence in working with the IRS to get our non-profit status restored. The IRS ruled in our favor, as it was obvious that the problem was that a wrong box had been checked to indicate what type of organization we are. However, it meant re-filing forms that had been corrected and worst of all, trying to “talk” to the IRS. So we have been restored to approved non-profit status going back to the original decision…so no gap! We also voted on two officer positions: President and Vice-President (both vacant due to resignations). Fourteen year resident Janice Merrill Brown came forward to run for President and Trevor’s name was put forward for VP by his brother-in-law as he had a conflict that night. Both were duly elected. Their bios follow on the next page and may also found on our website at leschicommunitycouncil.org/current-board. New LCC President Janice Merrill Brown is a licensed Managing Broker at Keller Williams Downtown Seattle and has a team that specializes in marketing and selling luxury homes. She has been a real estate broker for over 30 years working in every area of the real estate industry. She is a native of Washington, having grown up in a family pharmacy in Edmonds. After spending many years in Santa Barbara, she returned to Seattle to care for an aging mother. Janice spent over 13 years with Williams Marketing, a condominium marketing brokerage company and rediscovered Leschi when she was the Community Sales Manager for The Pier at Leschi. She fell in love with Leschi, sold her home in Bellevue and bought a condo here. Janice’s passion is for our unique jewel. Janice wants to continue stewarding our diverse, lively, evolving and fun community. “I encourage all residents to become involved. Our monthly meetings on the first Wednesday of the month begin again in September at 7pm. Please come and get involved. Embrace your opportunity to meet neighbors and engage in our little village.” New LCC Vice-president Hello, Leschi! My name is Trevor Lalish-Menagh and I am your new vice president on the Leschi Community Council. We moved our family to Seattle from Philadelphia, PA three-and-a-half years ago to be close to our families, who are almost entirely in the western Washington area. When we landed here, we stayed with my brother-in-law’s family here in Leschi and while looking for a home to settle into, being close to them was of great importance to us. Fortunately, we lucked out and a marvelous home appeared for sale a little over three years ago about three blocks away from my brother-in-law’s house, with Frink Park as a backyard. We survived the bidding war and have been happy Leschi residents ever since. ~Diane Snell

Favorite vendors from years past like Lanier’s Fine Chocolates and Mary Garvey’s glasswork will be returning to the Leschi waterfront on September 9. In addition, new vendors have signed up, like Janis Howes. Janis is a graphic artist whose artwork will be available on notecards and coasters. Three bands are scheduled this year: Los Flacos, music from Latin America and the Caribbean, Rik Wright’s Fundamental Forces (jazz) and Flat Five for Soul. The stage for the band will be in Leschi Park, closer to Leschi Market than last year. Children’s activities are in the park as well. We have two face painters: one from Glitterbuggie (last year’s face painter) from 1–3pm and the other from Coyote Central. If you develop a big hunger while browsing, don’t forget Leschi Market’s prime rib sandwiches: a half-pound of meat on one sandwich for $10, but only during the hours of the ArtWalk. See you there!

What is envisioned by the contract lease document that was approved by Seattle City Council on August 14, 2017, is the creation of first-rate marinas that will accommodate not just the small boaters—sailboats and paddleboats, but large cabin cruisers and speedboats. The lease is for 20 years, with an option to extend for another 20 years. City Council has committed $4 million for upgrades, but Marina Management, Inc. must provide coverage of the additional costs, several million dollars. Most of the boat slips are similar to current configuration, for vessels as long as 25-feet or 30-feet, but there will be provisions for much larger boats also. At the South Leschi moorage (below Leschi Park), there will be two 60-foot slips and two 62-foot slips. At the North Leschi moorage (north of the business community), there will be as many as 31 40- and 50-foot slips, plus one 60-foot slip, one 70-foot slip and one 80-foot slip. There will also be over 1500 feet of space for transient and overnight moorage, and provision for up to 10 liveaboard vessels. Four pump-out stations (sewerage from boats) will be provided at the South Leschi Moorage, and two pump-out stations at the North Leschi Moorage. The economics of this marina development requires larger boats to provide sufficient rental income to cover the smaller boats. Rents for the small boats would be capped at the current rate at the Leschi public moorages, plus an inflation factor. The rental rates for boats over 30-feet in length will be higher at the market rates (comparable to other local marinas). Other public benefits listed in the lease are accessibility to the public during the park hours, creation of overwater and upland park spaces that did not exist, and a new accessible breakwater at the North Leschi Moorage. Marine Management will engage the community in programs and activities for the boating public and the community. Public Safety Concerns In recent years around the moorages, the number of people in the Lake—swimming, wading, drifting of rubber floats, and paddle boarding—have increased significantly. Speedboats are a danger. In 2014, there was a fatality and two serious injuries caused when an inebriated speedboat operator crashed into a sailboat near the North Leschi Moorage. It was nighttime, and the speedboat was homed at a different marina, but the conditions were similar to what is common. It’s generally difficult to see swimmers and some other recreationists, and drinking alcohol is common with the use of speedboats. There are currently more than a dozen speedboats moored at Leschi, and the number is expected to increase unless limitations are set. Public Health Issues In July, the Parks Department informed City Council that there are four vessels in the Leschi moorages that are being lived in full-time. Department officials could not account for how the sewerage is disposed, raising a “red flag” for our neighborhood and anyone who swims or wades in the Lake. In fact, there are over 120 boats that have cabins with toilets moored in the public marinas in Leschi. Human waste must be disposed in a sanitary way, but there are no controls and sanitary disposal is not easy—the closest pump-out services are in Yarrow Bay, Kirkland, five miles away, or there is a mobile service available on the web. Sanitary disposal is on the honor system. Local government does not test the waters around or in the marinas for coliform. The larger boats and liveaboards are the problem, because the longer people spend out in the Lake, the more they use the toilet facilities. Drinking and drug use affect the way people meet their responsibilities. The new moorage improvements would provide convenient pump-out stations, but there is no water testing. Will our waters be safe? Public Access Currently, public access is discouraged by the locked and gated moorages and demands of boaters for security. In Seattle, the city does not provide similar security for bicycles or motor scooters. Why are boats different? The new facility promises much improved public access, but the “devil is in the details.” The Leasing of the Parking Lots and other Park Land to Marina Management The leased area under the new agreement includes the parking lots for both North and South Leschi Moorages, as well as the land between parking and the shore and the shore area of the south part of Leschi Park. The Park Department controls policies for use of those lands, however, is it wise to turn over legal control to a private entity? Taking Care of the Small Guys— Affordability for the Sailors and Paddlers The new contract/lease designates a moorage fee set at $12/lineal feet for boats under 30-feet in length. The rate is subject to an annual cost-of-living increase, and approval of the Parks Department. Is this rate affordable to the “small timers”? Public park recreation must address social equity, or it is no longer “public recreation.” Other Environmental Issues Right now, speedboats are allowed in the public moorages. However, speedboats are causing erosion where the lake shores are naturalized. Volunteers at the Leschi String of Pearls shoreline street ends have noticed at least a foot of shore erosion in recent years, clearly caused by the wakes of speeding boats. Hazardous waste disposal: paints, cleaning fluids, oil wastes? The new lease calls for a hazardous waste disposal site. Is that to be at the Lakewood Moorage (also covered by the lease) or at Leschi? Public Involvement and Consultation Let’s make sure that what the new lease suggests will be adhered to with a robust pattern of public involvement and meaningful influence of the future uses and benefits of this new public/private partnership. ~John Barber

Leschi CC meets Wednesday to hear and discuss changes to our treasured marinas. Leschi’s public marinas are ripe for change. Docks and floats are crumbling and even sinking. On Wednesday, we will hear what the Parks Department and Marina Management, Inc. (a firm that will be contracted to construct and manage the marinas for the next 20-plus years) will present concepts and proposals and describe the path ahead for a new vision of the marinas. During the City Council deliberations this summer, the Leschi Community Council delineated several issues of community concern: Public health (quality of the Lake waters for swimmers) Public safety (impact of speedboats of other recreational users of the Lake) Public access to the marina The leasing of excess parkland that includes the parking lots and the park areas by shore Affordability for the small boat users Environmental issues ~John Barber

We are looking for an editor for the Leschi News, which is published 10 times a year, September through June. Editor reviews and edits submitted articles and creates folders to send to layout. Final edit done after layout. Current duties include prep for mailing, but this can be negotiated. The immediate need is for the October issue as your current editor is having surgery. The October issue is worked on in September: 9/18 through the 23rd. If interested, please contact Janice Merrill Brown, LCC President, at 206-679-4004 or janicemb@comcast.net.