A scanning electron microscope image of pollen grains from sunflower, morning glory, prairie hollyhock, oriental lily, evening primrose, and castor bean. Image taken by the Dartmouth Electron Microscope Facility at Dartmouth College The abnormally cold temperatures of the 2016-2017 winter have delayed the onset seasonal allergies for sufferers around the Leschi area, myself included. But with the blooming flowers and budding trees, we’ve seen these past few weeks, my seasonal allergies have once again started to flare up. Now that we are in April, hay fever season is kicking into full gear. All allergic reactions occur when the body’s immune system identifies a normally harmless substance as a hazard to the body’s health. When a person is exposed to an allergen for the very first time, they do not experience an allergic reaction. However, some individuals develop antibodies to these allergens, and the next time an allergen enters the body, the antibodies produce “histamines,” which then act on various areas of the body and create different types of allergic reactions. Hay fever is the body’s allergic reaction to pollen. The severity of hay fever symptoms varies among different people, but it is extremely rare for a person to go into life-threatening anaphylactic shock because they have been exposed to pollen. That’s a good thing, because pollen is pretty much everywhere! In the springtime, trees are the most common source of pollen, with cedar and maple trees being particularly notorious offenders in our neck of the woods. In summer, grasses are the most prevalent source of pollen, and by autumn, weeds are the main offenders. Allergies are generally worst on breezy days when lots of pollen has been knocked off plants, but if it is too windy, cleaner air from the upper atmosphere will mix down and pollen concentrations will decrease. Pollen concentrations are usually lowest if it is raining cats and dogs, as raindrops capture pollen and other aerosols and remove them from the atmosphere. There are a variety of medications you can use to mitigate hay fever. Many are “antihistamines,” which reduce the amount of histamines your body produces so you don’t have as much of an allergic reaction. Some, like Benadryl, cause drowsiness, while others, like Claritin, keep you perfectly awake. However, in recent years, prescription nasal sprays such as Flonase have become available over-the-counter, and I’ve had better success with these. These are steroids instead of antihistamines, and are stronger and longer lasting than most antihistamines. If springtime has got you feeling under the weather, get a nasal spray, and you’ll be back to feeling better in no time! ~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.us .

The Leschi Community Council has an opening! And it’s fairly effortless... no months of campaigning, no silly birther issues (birth certificate NOT required), no income tax forms to submit, no pesky Secret Service following you around and no need to move to the other Washington! What is needed: either you have to reside in Leschi or work in Leschi, and that you are able to attend 2 meetings a month: the General meeting on the first Wednesday of the month and the Executive Board meeting which meets within a week after the general meeting. Tradition has it that the President submits a brief message for the monthly Leschi News September through June. This is negotiable; it could be rotated among the Board members. We also need a Vice-President and here are the job duties according to the Leschi CC bylaws: President The President shall: preside over all meetings of the Council and of the Executive Board; appoint executive board members; and be an ex-officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee. Vice-President The Vice-President shall: assist the president as needed; perform the duties of president in the president’s absence; and act as chairperson of the Nominating Committee. We will vote at the June 7th meeting! Ordinarily we would hold an election in May, but we must publish notice of an election two month in advance and we learned of the impending vacancies too late for notice in March. If you are interested in either of these positions, please contact Yuki Igarashi at YEIgarashi@gmail.com or leschinews@comcast.net. ~Diane Snell

Jackson Commons and Vulcan Inc. are proud to present the fourth annual Jackson Street Jazz Walk. With the help of so many great bands and local support, we’re “Bringing Jazz Back to Jackson Street” for a night of FREE music in the Central District, spread across six venues on Jackson Street. The six venues are along the Jackson corridor: Cheeky Café, Lake Chad Café, Western Sports Bar, Pratt Fine Arts (in the Drawing Room), Ernestine Anderson Place and Starbucks at 23rd & Jackson. Check out the website for which band plays where and when: Jackson Street Jazz Walk. Check the Find It box at bottom right to see the venues and performances. This year, we welcome 10 performers: Eugenie Jones, Gail Pettis, Jacqueline Tabor, Sundae + J. Goessl, Rik Wright’s Fundamental Forces, Jimmi Herrod, World Jam with Jim O’Halloran & Friends, Marina Christopher, Choroloco, Kate Voss, and Birch Pereira Trio and Occular Proof. There’s dancing and food trucks to keep your energy up! Jazz on Jackson: Saturday, April 1, 5-11pm. Pratt Find Arts Open House: April 1, 6-9pm Thanks to Knox Gardner for the notification!

Alarmed at the number of homeless families in this past cold and wet winter, the following letter was developed and signed onto by four neighborhoods, including Leschi. It seemed like an immediate way to get these families into a warm and dry environment while the slow process of individual housing was explored. This letter was sent to the Mayor and each of the City Councilmembers… with no response. AN OPEN LETTER TO MAYOR MURRAY Our community (Leschi) has learned that there are 70 students at Leschi Elementary School who are either homeless or in transitional housing. This is double the number from last year and the second highest homeless student population of schools in Seattle. This is not a goal we have sought and we can all agree this is a sign of a larger, systemic issue. Further, why isn’t anything being done about this? Several years ago, our neighborhood learned about emergency planning from the city- what to do when the “big one” comes. We learned that each district has an emergency shelter for those whose homes are destroyed and that our shelter is Garfield Community Center. We learned that the Parks Department has cots, blankets and other emergency equipment stored and is prepared to deliver these supplies to each district shelter when needed. We think this space and these supplies are needed NOW. This IS a “big one” as far as we are concerned. Moving homeless families into a warm shelter is a necessity in the winter. Yes, it will be disruptive to classes currently held at the Center, but what is the greater good? We, the citizens, pay substantial taxes to build and support these facilities and their programs and we should have a say in their use. While we appreciate the year round programming at these centers, there is an emergency need now and that should supercede other uses. Parks can move the emergency equipment to the Center without having to negotiate broken pavement (as in an earthquake) and the city would have an opportunity to test their emergency planning. Is the equipment adequate? Supplies that don’t perform can be replaced and others replenished when housing is found for these families. Creative use of space can accommodate day care programs and homeless families. We understand that 60% of those who are homeless work; workers would be gone during the day and students would be in schools. Preschool children could be absorbed into a day care program. Non-working adults can help with food preparation or other needs at the Center. Ignoring these resources is unconscionable; more cold weather is predicted and we need to act now. We understand that this is something the Mayor can enact without going through the Council and we implore him to do so immediately. The Mayor has already declared homelessness an emergency; the logical next step is to put the City’s emergency plan into effect. Signed, Leschi Community Council, Jackson Place, Cherry Hill Community Council, Judkins Park ~Diane Snell

Happy spring! As we all come out of our own versions of Seattle hibernation, the Council has lots of upcoming events to share with you. Personally, I’m looking forward to seeing Bob Shimabukuro, author of Born in Seattle: The Campaign for Japanese American Redress , share some history about the Japanese Americans in Seattle in this 75th anniversary year of Executive Order 9066, which sent Japanese Americans all along the west coast into internment camps. He’ll be joining us at our community meeting on April 5 at 7pm. My husband’s grandparents were sent to camp, including his grandmother born in Yakima and living in Seattle at the time of the order, so this piece of American history is dear to my heart. In June, we’ll hold Leschi Community Council elections. Please consider if you’d like to run for President or Vice President of the Leschi Community Council! Reach out if you might be interested in running; I or other board members are happy to answer any questions you have. Another opportunity to get involved is to volunteer on the sixth annual Leschi ArtWalk planning team. This is a major event for our community each September, run solely by community volunteers. Planning meetings take place on the first Thursday of each month at 3pm. at BluWater Bistro. If you are a newcomer to the neighborhood - welcome! We want to give you a “welcome bag” full of giveaways from local Leschi businesses. Check out Diane’s article on page ? about how to connect with Dianne Ramsey Gayton, a volunteer in our community who has graciously spearheaded this project. And if you are a neighbor to a Leschi newcomer - please reach out to your neighbors and let them know! Last but not least, check out and bookmark the updated Leschi Community Council website at leschicommunitycouncil.org. ~Yuki

February 8, 2017‑minutes approved by email Yuki’s report Treasurer position; given Amy’s resignation, we need to announce the position open in the newsletter. Diane shared some ideas for relieving the burden on the treasurer by appointing some chairs to take some of the responsibilities of the treasurer, i.e. managing the ads, the restricted funds, the events, etc. Yuki did approve these chairs: an Ad Manager, a Restricted Funds Coordinator and an Events Coordinator to handle the income and outflow for community events like the Art Walk. Yuki also suggested making the offices a one-year term instead of a two-year term. There was not agreement on this as there is a learning curve with some of the positions. An officer can always choose to resign after one year. Ad Hoc committee John, Tracy and Diane to meet at Tracy’s on the 15th to review meeting attendance lists for possible helpers. Yousef Yousef was unable to attend. Diane reported difficulty signing in to add the amended bylaws to the online document. Newsletter report: Diane March issue deadline: 2/13/17 Have not sent letter to restricted fund chairs as no report yet; getting calls Have not sent info to advertisers on website ads; waiting for site to go live and folks will be able to see the courtesy ads Yousef is placing there. Sent renewal letters to lapsed dues folks; got many renewals, apologies, thank yous and some donations 2013-2015. Added bonus: got free notice of folks who have moved. Post office charges $2.47 per returned newsletter but first class mail notice is free. Parks John reported the sudden death of Cass Turnbull, founder of the nonprofit Plant Amnesty and the more recent political action group TreePac. An effective speaker, she was able to create an interest in the best pruning practices through slides and humor. John attended the annual Forterra gathering of forest stewards and was able to do some networking. John has been the chair of the Friends of Streetends since 2001 and has been working on a response to an EIS proposal. Karen Daubert has expressed interest in returning to FOSE since her retirement and Marty Oppenheimer is also a longtime member of the group but both are away and deadline for EIS response is tomorrow. Feb. 18 work party is at Charles Street shoreline park (Charles and Lake Washington Blvd.) where the primary task is removing blackberries to open up the view. The cherry tree has died and John will be looking for a replacement and hoping to find a rare specimen. There are funds for this in the restricted funds. March program Discussed asking Bob Shimabukuro re: his book Born in Seattle and his fight to get government redress for the Japanese relocation during WWII. Also considering Coll Thrush who has written on the native history of this area. Group expressed interest in immigration given the current climate; Diane to contact ACLU. ~Respectfully submitted by Diane Snell

We recently went to That’s Amore for one of our family birthday gatherings and given the size of the family, it’s always a challenge to get reservations, but we were fortunate! Italian food had sounded comforting to us in this dark and wet winter and That’s Amore took us in…all nine of us. We have had celebrations there in the past, but I really had forgotten just how good it is! We tried two appetizers: the Bruschetta and the Antipasto platter. The Antipasto platter was very good, with nicely roasted veggies and fruit in addition to the usual salamis, cheese, olives, but the Bruschetta was fantastic. Grilled Tuscan bread topped with marinated tomatoes, onions, garlic, balsamic vinegar…I could have stopped there, but of course I was sharing with eight others, so that left some room for an entrée. Son-in-law John chose the wine: a Sangiovase Merlot; it was excellent. I ordered the Grigliata di Melanzane and it was fantastic and also a very generous serving. Half of it came home for next night’s dinner. One thoughtful note: the staff had added a steak knife in case the eggplant skin proved difficult but that didn’t happen. It was baked to perfection! My husband ordered the Penne Bolognese with grilled sausage and although he loved it, half of his came home for the next night! Did we pig out on the appetizers? Give that we were sharing with so many others, I don’t think we overdid it and the entrees were very generous. And we can’t eat like we used to; there were days in the golden past when an Italian restaurant meant starting with Minestrone, followed by salad, pasta course and then the entrée. And finally a scoop of Spumoni ice cream! And of course, there was that magic basket of bread that filled each time we emptied it. Where did we put it? But back to the entrees: Son-in-law had the special pasta with short ribs (no leftovers there) and daughter, Ann, had another special: Tagliatella with Crab (another take-home box needed!) A roast chicken special with polenta was ordered at the other end of the long table and obviously, it was good; plate went back to the kitchen with entrée completely devoured! We were celebrating two birthdays that night so our waitperson brought two large portions of tiramisu with a candle on each. The rest of us passed on dessert as Ann had made a cake, which was waiting at home with the yet-to-be-opened gifts. The service was impeccable, which can be difficult with that many at the table. Water glasses were filled promptly and unobtrusively. One waitperson even helped by taking the family photo at the end of the meal. Ambience? It is a long, rather narrow space and reminds me of the places we used to haunt in San Francisco’s North Beach where you might be seated at a long table with complete strangers. That was not the case here; we were the only group seated at a long table; there were many couples and a few at round tables for six persons. I think it must be impossible to seat a group our size in a manner that seems comfy and makes for good conversation. We have at least one birthday in almost every month of the year and so we have tried many dining establishments. The South Lake Union Cactus put us in a room of our own with a long table and those at the far end from me might as well have been in the next county. I am not sure how we avoid this at home when the table is extended, except that we are probably much louder at home than out in public. Only the meek are not heard from…and we are still trying to find out which one is meek. That’s Amore 1421 31 Ave. S, 206-322-3677 Mon-Thurs 5-10; Fri & Sat 4-10; Sun 4-9 ~Diane Snell

March is Washington Wine Month. If you were looking for an excuse to explore the wonderful world of Washington wine, now is your chance. Following is a smattering of some of our favorites. Enjoy! RED 2014 Buty Merlot & Cabernet Franc Columbia Valley ($41.99) “Supple, broad and expressive, layering rose petal—accented cherry and plum flavors against powdery tannins, finishing with sleekness and harmony. Drink now through 2024. 325 cases made.” –Wine Spectator, 92-points. 2014 Mark Ryan Winery ‘The Dissident’ Red Columbia Valley ($34.99) “The entry-level Bordeaux blend (which is as good as many estate top wines) is the 2014 The Dissident, and it will be another great value in 2014. My notes start with ‘screaming deal’ and it shows lots of Cabernet character (cassis, lead pencil, hints of flowers), medium to full-bodied richness, superb purity and a great finish. Buy it by the case.” –Wine Advocate, 91-93 points. 2012 Andrew Will Cabernet Franc Columbia Valley ($32.69) Winemaker Chris Camarda is recognized as one of the top producers of Cabernet Franc wines in this country. An ample wine that delivers a mouthful of crushed red berries and floral notes. A balanced and precise wine, it comes together seamlessly with refined tannins and a lingering finish. –Winemaker Notes 2013 Avennia Gravura Red Blend Columbia Valley ($32.69) “Entry level Gravura. 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot and 9% Cabernet Franc. Classic notes of leafy herbs, chocolate, tobacco leaf, black currants and earth. This medium to full-bodied, rounded and downright sexy. 2013 has terrific mid-palate depth, supple tannin and an already hard to resist style. One of the rising stars in the wine world, winemaker Chris Peterson continues to make incredible wines under his Avennia label. Drink 2016-2024.” –Wine Advocate, 92-points. 2013 Maison Bleue Metis Red Columbia Valley ($19.99) “This wine is a blend of 45% Grenache, 37% Syrah and 18% Mourvèdre, coming from Boushey, Pepper Bridge, Olsen and Minnick vineyards. The aromas pop with notes of clove, orange peel, black pepper, funk and red and blue berries. The palate is lithe, pure and focused, with a pleasing mouthfeel and sense of balance to the citrus and blue-fruit flavors.” -Sean Sullivan, 90-points. 2014 Lobo Hills Right Bank Blend Red Wine Columbia Valley ($18.69) “The 2014 Right Bank Blend is 83% Merlot, 11% Malbec and 6% Cabernet Franc. This wine is aged in mostly neutral oak and delivers unadorned fruit rounded by soft wood tannin. Consume 2019 through 2034. Production: 400 cases. Available: 300.” –Winemaker notes. 2014 Ryan Patrick Rock Island Red Columbia Valley ($14.99) “Stylistically, we are looking for dark, rich and ripe flavors for this blend. We source fruit from vineyards throughout the Columbia Valley with bold and concentrated characteristics, creating the desirable style of our Rock Island Red. 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Syrah, 15% Merlot, 4% Primitivo.” – Jeremy Santo, winemaker. WHITE 2015 DeLille Cellars “Chaleur Estate” Blanc Columbia Valley ($35.99) “Aromas of tropical fruits, lemon oil, fig and honeysuckle. Very sexy, complex and smooth on the palate, with expressive flavors of citrus fruits, honey, wild herbs and flowers. Finishes with outstanding subtle length and thrust. The Sauvignon Blanc from Sagemoor, reportedly the oldest planting of this variety in the state, makes up a good percentage of this wine.” -Stephen Tanzer, 93-points. 2015 Thurston Wolfe PGV (Pinot Gris-Viognier) Columbia Valley ($12.99) “Our 2015 PGV is a unique blend of 65% Pinot Gris and 35% Viognier, creating a rare wine with intense fruit aromas and a rich, crisp finish.” –Winemaker notes. 2015 Barnard Griffin Chardonnay Columbia Valley ($10.59) “Our 2015 Chardonnay opens with vibrant pear, peach and pineapple flavors highlighted by lemon zest and citrus notes. Very crisp and refreshing! A touch of lime and oak spice chimes in on the long finish. A great accompaniment to a broad range of food choices.” –Winemaker notes. Cheers! Enjoy! Kenneth Benner, a Seattle area native, is a trained chef and has worked in such restaurants as Barbacoa, B.O.K.A. Kitchen + Bar, and Dahlia Lounge. Ken is the wine buyer at Leschi Market. He has a passion for learning, a meticulous palate, and a tenacity for searching out the best for his customers while offering some of the most highly coveted wines in the area. His 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 twitter.com/leschimarket.

BOOK REVIEW Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right, by Jane Mayer An overused term these days in publishing is “Hidden History.” but in this case, I believe, it is quite justified. While the Koch brothers have received a good deal of mention in the press, much less attention has been given to the enormous size and power of their network of associated foundations. The great appeal of their organization is that the Kochs are willing to accept the public attention while the other foundations are shielded from view, thus “dark”, by the provisions of the tax code that the Democrats first discovered and the Kochs have exploited. The result of this dark appeal is that the group’s funds have grown enormously since 2008. It is acknowledged by them that they would spend $889,000,000 nationally in 2016. This makes them, in effect, an independent political party, and it is causing seismic shifts under the American political landscape. We see this daily in the news. This deeply researched study of big money in modern American politics is essential to understanding the enormous political changes we are experiencing today, locally and nationally. It is a big and detailed work, but it is quite amenable to skimming, according to one’s area of interest. A good compact review of the book’s more tasty highlights can be found at the Washington Post by Tom Hamburger. He covers revealing incidents of Koch family history, such as the father’s flirting with Stalin and Hitler, strange and harsh childhood discipline, and intra-family feuds. But Mayer spends great effort to document a persuasive account of the long and tireless efforts of the Kochs to accomplish their political ends, which is nothing less than to establish libertarianism as a new American creed. This entails telling the stories of the gathered right-wing family foundations making up their network, and their efforts to inject their economic views at the university level with endowments and even the right to blackball appointments. At one of their conferences, it is claimed that they have 5000 scholars installed in over 200 colleges. The book’s most compelling bit, for me, is in the last chapter when the Kochs’ fifty year project, building quiet anonymous political dominance, is temporarily frustrated by Obama’s reelection. As related, at recent Koch sponsored network conferences; a great deal of rethinking of their methods has taken place. As a result, some very revealing statements of their true motives are openly expressed, while the need to conceal them is discussed, in a search for a way to appeal to politically uncommitted voters in the next elections. The book could be characterized as second in a series on the history of U.S. political affairs in the 20th Century and forward, because it deals with another of the fundamental facts of American politics: money. My review of the Dulles Brothers’ careers (see “book reviews” at our website), dealt primarily with power, but also power backed by wealth, of course. The two, power and money, seem practically identical twins. But on closer inspection, I believe, the dominant players in each sphere are not identical. There is the very old money from the slave trade, furs and rum, pretty old money from the robber barons’ oil, steel and railroad monopolies, and big modern money. This modern money seeks influence just as the earlier moguls did. The difference in the use of this new foundation money seems to be its scope and that it is focused on the very practical methods and means of moving the current domestic political climate to the far right, using the most sophisticated methods of modern polling, focus group opinion analysis, and penetration of university economics departments. Also, it is being done outside of the formal Republican Party structures. This is starting to provoke concern and even organized resistance by powerful sectors of the economy, which have characterized dark money as “crony capitalism.” This new right is definitely different from any we have experienced before. It is national in scope, pervasive from the school board level to Washington D.C., and based on a philosophy that seems to believe that a society can be run based on no principle other than the proposition that the money power rather than organized government should rule in resolving all matters of civil dispute. Its origin, in the case of the Kochs, father and sons, is traced directly to the John Birch Society and the economists Hayek and von Mises. Its foreign policy is based on a suspicion of globalist economic and diplomatic agreements and a resistance to involvement in foreign wars, while supporting a large defense budget. The continuing power of American conservative interests might have been foreseen as the inevitable result of the era of monopoly, when the great fortunes of the 19th Century were amassed, corporate law was created to protect the major owners and executives of the great firms from lawsuits, and political power was concentrated in fewer and fewer hands. But the rise of the countervailing power of unions and progressive mass movements slowed the progress of the move to the right. The FDR era’s forced sharing of the profits of WWII and advancing technology brought relatively golden years of industrial peace and prosperity and the unprecedented growth of the middle class. Then, in the 1980’s, the Reagan reductions in government regulation and corporate and top bracket income taxes began and the offshoring of jobs. This set the stage for the renewed growth in confrontation between left and right in domestic affairs that we are seeing today. With the elimination of practically all constraints on political donations by the Citizens United Supreme Court decision, and backed by greater concentration of accommodating power in the conservative mass media, the years of libertarian think tank planning is coming to fruition. A great enticement to join in the effort has been the benefits of the provisions of the tax code, especially in 501(c) (4) and (6). These sections were meant to foster educational, social welfare and other non-political projects and allow unlimited donations. But with the courts’ forced complacency, the IRS has allowed them to be used to provide tax sheltering for political action groups with the donors names concealed. This attraction brought more money into the network for the 2016 presidential election, when, at the last minute, the Trump campaign attracted Koch network money including money from one of the wealthiest hedge fund managers and super-PAC sponsors, Robert Mercer. This came as a complete surprise to many, though Trump had campaigned on elimination of Mercer’s beloved retained interest tax loophole. Thus, big money continues to exercise its dominance in political affairs. ~Jim Snell

As ICE raids are escalating, the artist Maria de Los Angeles in her art and her life poignantly underscores the terror and insecurity of immigration policy. Maria is among a group of people vulnerable to being deported under the new administration, about 70,000 youth known as DACA, (Delayed Action for Childhood Arrivals), a program enacted by Obama that gave children who had arrived with their parents without papers, the possibility to get a work permit, go to school, and have a driver’s license. But at the moment, as indiscriminate ICE raids escalate, supposedly for criminals, but actually sweeping up blameless people, Maria fears as much for her parents and her siblings and her friends as for her own loss of temporary status. Maria de Los Angeles from the series “ICE raids” Courtesy of the Artist I first met Maria de Los Angeles through “We make America” an informal group of artists making 100 Statues of Liberty in mourning, with tunic, torch and crown for the Women’s March in Washington, D.C. and New York City. The day after the election, she and Joyce Kozloff, (for whom she was working and who has a long history of art activism) called a meeting to decide what to do to build community and respond to the election as artists. The result was “We Make America,” a title that suggests that we all contribute to what America is today. The verb “make” can also literally refer to contributions of workers, immigrants and the act of making things. Perfect. The group started small, then ballooned when it was put on Facebook the next day. When I went to photograph the making of the props for the Women’s March, Joyce pointed me to Maria as a primary organizer. Maria told me immediately that she was undocumented, but with temporary status under DACA. She was born in Mexico and came to California with her parents at the age of 11, growing up in Santa Rosa, California. She went to Pratt on a fifty percent scholarship. Since she could not get loans as a DACA, she managed to fundraise the rest of it (these schools are insanely expensive). Then she got a full scholarship to Yale, where the professors encouraged her to question who she was and discover what she wanted to say. She succeeded in finding her voice and avoiding being pigeonholed. Last summer Pratt, where she now teaches, invited her to teach a course in Italy, giving her the opportunity to see the murals of Tintoretto in Venice, as well as the whole sweep of Italian Renaissance Art. The huge floating figures of Chagall in Lincoln Center also inspire her, as well as Siqueiros, the most radical of the Mexican muralists, who successfully paired radical politics with experimental media. I recently saw an installation of her drawings and watercolors at Museo del Barrio in New York City where she was an artist-in-residence for several months. I immediately saw her connection to Kathe Kollwitz, as an outspoken radical and a woman addressing oppression expressed through dynamic linear drawings. Maria de los Angeles draws with ink or watercolor on two types of paper, printmaking (which is manila colored) and drawing paper (which is white). Sometimes she draws figures on the lighter drawing paper, cuts them out and glues them onto the manila colored paper on which she also draws. The two tones create a dynamic that reinforces the primary theme of her work, the confrontation between ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) officials and Latinos, the threat of a home raid, a work raid, a traffic stop, leading to detention and deportation, the constant terror of a family being torn apart. But it is not a simplistic formula. The white people are not always cut out with white paper or all the Latinos in manila. That is of course because that is true in real life. In fact, some ICE officials are Latinos, and some Latinos are white-skinned (as Maria herself). But the two colors of paper create a tension, emphasizing the sense of confrontation because of the fear and hostility escalating daily. She adds text as well, tiny words like “My America” “Our America” emerge in bubbles from the mouths of agents, or she writes longer texts around the edge of the drawing such as racist taunts and clichés. Maria de los Angeles breaks through restrictions, and conventions in her art, just as she would like to see the barriers between races break down. A frequent motif is ICE agents swooping down from the sky on families trying to protect themselves. Families are represented by islands of emotional lines that suggest anguish, terror and self-protection. But sometimes salvation itself swoops down from the sky, to rescue someone from the agents on the ground. Another theme honors the almost invisible contributions of workers. That format depicts a group of workers, precariously holding up the white world of privilege. Maria de los Angeles also creates garments. She sews paper together, and paints them with confrontational slogans, such as “illegal” and “undocumented.” then takes a group of friends to do interventions, at places like the Trump hotel. There are thousands of young people who will be affected if the DACA status is repealed, hardworking young people who have been given a brief reprieve. But as we have seen this administration is intent on wreaking havoc with the stroke of a pen. Pay attention to DACA, pay attention to the escalating ICE raids in Latino communities and speak to your Congressional representatives about keeping DACA and stopping the arbitrary raids. ~ Susan Noyes Platt www.artndpoliticsnow.com

Well, it was nice while it lasted. But all good things must come to an end, and this year’s weak La Niña was no exception. NOAA officially announced that La Niña ended early last February, meaning that the La Niña of 2016-2017 only lasted four months. Though this was one of the weakest and shortest La Niñas on record, it still managed to have quite an impact on our weather this winter. La Niña is name for the periodic cooling of water temperatures in the central and eastern Tropical Pacific due to an increase in the strength of the trade winds and a resulting increase in upwelling off the coast of Peru, which is where cool, acidic, nutrient-rich water from the deep rises to the surface. La Niña has a variety of effects on weather around the world, but here in the Pacific Northwest, it is known for giving cooler-than-average winter temperatures and slightly above average winter precipitation, resulting in heavier-than-average snowfalls for both the mountains and the lowlands. This is because during La Niñas, a ridge of high pressure often forms in the eastern Pacific with a trough over our region, giving us cool and moist northwesterly flow. The wintertime pattern with this year’s La Niña was similar to what we would expect, with a large ridge in the Pacific and a trough over our area. However, this trough was much deeper than usual, sending the jet stream further south to California and leaving us cold and relatively dry here in the Pacific Northwest. La Niñas tend to make California drier than normal, but this one was a real drought-buster for them. The Sierras have been blessed with over 200% of their normal snowpack for this time of year, Mammoth Mountain plans to stay open until the 4th of July after recording an incredible 20 feet of snow in January alone, the North Sierra is on track for their wettest season EVER, and extended forecasts from the Climate Prediction Center keep the West Coast cooler and wetter than normal for the next month. Nearly every reservoir in California is above their average level for this time of the year, and these levels will only increase this spring as the snow begins to melt in the Sierras. This was the type of winter California needed to end their multi-year drought. But it isn’t just California that has seen gobs of snow – the vast majority of the Western U.S. has well-above-average snowpack for this time of the year. Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming are all doing extremely well, Oregon is well-above normal, and even Washington is sitting near average despite the fact that we’ve had a relatively dry winter with the exception of a few warm and wet “Pineapple Express” events this past February. Most models keep us in neutral conditions through autumn, though some develop a weak El Niño later in 2017. A return to La Niña conditions next winter looks unlikely, but the Climate Prediction Center still gives us a 15% chance of returning to a La Niña by next September. ~ 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.us.

Two Big Blondes Consignment is excited to announce that their Twentieth Anniversary will be celebrated throughout the month of March 2017 with a special event honoring the past and current owners plus other special guests on Saturday, March 18, 2017 from 2:00pm – 6:00pm. Two Big Blondes is a consignment store that specializes in plus size women’s clothing. It was opened on March 27, 1997 by Winnie Smith and Judy Pugh, the original two big blondes. The store originally opened in a warehouse setting in Georgetown. However, customers still recall how happy they were to visit the new store that focused on clothing that fit them, instead of finding small selections in other Seattle thrift & consignment stores. With the help from a small business grant from the City of Seattle, in 1999 the two blondes moved the business to its current location at 25th & Jackson in the Central District of Seattle. The location is well known in the community from the original owners who ran Frank’s Superette, which provided groceries and a lunch counter to customers. The building was also the home of the Chicken Soup Brigade Thrift Store, which later became Lifelong Aids Alliance and can now be found on Capitol Hill. Susan Smith became the second owner of Two Big Blondes in 2007 and quickly expanded the square footage and selection of the store. After a career of running and building up businesses, she was ready to retire and sold the store to the current owner, her niece Lisa Michaud, in 2013. Lisa is a native of the Central District and was returning to live in the neighborhood with her family. The store philosophy is simple: happy customers, a warm inviting place to shop, a comfortable space to embrace the beauty of our bodies, and quality clothes at great prices. With over 4,000 square feet of retail space and over 10,000 items in the store, there is a wide variety of styles – from junior trendy to Sunday best and casual to couture. There is a separate designer section and two salerooms that always have 25% - 75% discounts. Many people know of their bi-annual bag sales in the basement where you can fill a 13-gallon bag of clothes for less than $10 each. Everyone is welcome at Two Big Blondes. The staff loves to meet new people and welcomes regulars, many of whom have been coming since it opened 20 years ago! In a rapidly changing neighborhood, Two Big Blondes strives to be a business that serves all customers – from local residents to friends that travel from out of the city and state. Through its affiliated non-profit Seattle Women’s Assistance Fund, Two Big Blondes also provides free clothing to homeless and low-income women from the donations of the unsold items and proceeds from the bag sales. Throughout the month of March, Two Big Blondes will celebrate their anniversary with special discounts including the ever-popular spinning wheel of deals (with added prizes), raffles, giveaways and online sales as well. On March 18, starting at 2pm, the store will host a party with special guests, entertainment, refreshments, raffles, photo booth and a chance to share your thoughts & memories of the store and the neighborhood. More information will be available on the website www.twobigblondes.com, where you can sign up for the newsletter as well. Lisa can be contacted at info@twobigblondes.com or by phone at 206-762-8620 with further questions. ~Lisa Michaud