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“Dreamy blues/mood indigo.” ~Duke Ellington, 1931 Breathe deeply as you enter the first gallery of “Mood Indigo, Textiles from Around the World,” then look carefully at the dried plants hanging on the walls. Now, enter a high enclosure of fabric dyed in many shades of blue and experience a constantly changing soundscape that evokes the sounds of color and the color of sound. The collaborative contemporary installation Mobile Section, 2015, by textile artist Rowland Ricketts and sound artist Norbert Herber provides a perfect introduction to this highly original exhibition. It gives us the material qualities of the immaterial, color, created only by the refraction of light. The first exhibition of textiles at the Seattle Art Museum since 1980, “Mood Indigo” features almost 100 different textiles and garments, many of them never before exhibited. While Pamela McClusky, Seattle Art Museum’s wonderful curator of Art of Africa and Oceania took the lead in the theme of the exhibition, she collaborated with the curators of Native American Art, Chinese Art, and Japanese Art, as well as, importantly, Nicholas Dorman, Conservator, and Paul Martinez, Installer, who solved the incredible challenges of installing flat textiles in a dynamic way. Together they excavated the collections with an eye for indigo blue, a radical project. Indigo does not actually exist in the world. It must be produced from a molecule in one of about 20 plants (of which there are 600 varieties). Rowland Ricketts explained the process in detail. When the plants reach waist high, they are harvested, dried, stomped on, mixed with water, left 100 days in compost, turned, sliced, watered and bagged. The resulting paste ferments in a vat with wood ash, lime and wheat bran (everyone around the world has a different formula, often a family secret). During the oxidation/reduction process as it is stirred daily, the color appears, like magic. Vats themselves apparently have attributes and respond to the person stirring it. The color comes alive in different ways according your own mood! (Basinjom mask and gown, Ejagham, cloth, wood, feathers, porcupine quills, mirrors, herbs, raffia, cowrie shells, rattle, eggshell, knife, and genet cat skin, 34 1/4 x 17 11/16 x 19 11/16 in., Gift of Katherine White and the Boeing Company. Photo: Paul Macapia. Kimono, late 19th - early 20th century) Focusing on indigo textiles erases borders of geography and categories. Textiles here emerge from the margins established by European academic traditions that privileged painting and sculpture, and from the depths of storage at the Seattle Art Museum. The indigo textiles in this exhibition encompass all classes of society and all parts of our life. They cover us when we sleep and work, they ornament us for special events, they define rituals and ceremonies, they wrap us when we die. Indigo blue clothing signifies status and royalty, but it also covers the backs of peasants, prisoners (in the 1940s), and “blue collar” workers. The textiles contain secrets and symbols. The indigo blue suggests many emotions, sad, reflexive, humble or joyful. The exhibition ranges from ancient African fragments to a towering Basinjom (spirit) mask and gown, from an imperial Chinese robe to a Japanese fireman’s outfit. It includes a Guatemalan cape, a Peruvian feather quilt, a contemporary American textile created from denim jeans, a Tlingit basket, a Javanese head shawl, a Laotian shawl and a Korean Bojagis. Japanese kimonos fill an entire gallery like fluttering butterflies. Colonial powers traded indigo in massive amounts, particularly from Bengal. Three huge Belgian tapestries made during the height of this trade anchor one gallery, each representing a different continent, Asia, America and Africa. The allegorical royal figures seated at the center of the tapestries are dressed in blue fabrics, and they are surrounded by a wealth of symbols. Meticulously restored, the tapestries have never before been displayed by the Museum (they were a 1962 gift from the Hearst Foundation). Fascinating as they are to view, I felt that they recapitulated the oppressions of colonialism as they towered over clusters of tapestries from each continent. The egalitarianism of the exhibition was disrupted by their scale and their academic imagery; the three royal figures were all women draped in fabric that exposed their breasts. The Belgian tapestries magnify the global scope of the exhibition, but the real joy of “Mood Indigo” is the range of cultures that it encompasses and the many different directions that focusing on Indigo blue can take us. Curator Pamela McClusky even pointed out that in May we will have a blue moon (when there are two moons in one month). “The deeper blue becomes the more urgently it summons man toward the infinite, the more it arouses in him a longing for purity, and, ultimately, for the supersensual.” ~Wassily Kandinsky Mood Indigo: Textiles From Around The World April 9 – October 9, 2016 Seattle Asian Art Museum Journey to Dunhuang: Buddhist Art of the Silk Road Caves While you are at the Asian Art Museum, visit the exhibition of photography and painting based on the Buddhist art in the thousands of caves of Dunhuang, a World Heritage site in Western China. Now in a desolate desert landscape, it formerly lay at the crossroads of several civilizations on the “Silk Road.” The exhibition intersperses historical photographs from the 1940s by James and Lucy Lo, and replicas that they commissioned in the 1950s of some of the ancient paintings. It provides an insight into an important phase of Buddhist art that lasted from the fourth century to the fourteenth century. Some of these painters may have travelled from Ajanta in India, where you see similar caves with early carvings of giant Buddhas and stories of the life of Buddha painted on walls and ceilings. Journey to Dunhuang: Buddhist Art of the Silk Road Caves March 5 – June 12, 2016 Seattle Asian Art Museum By Susan N. Platt, www.artandpoliticsnow.com

These were the words uttered by Professor Henry McGee describing the demographic changes in Seattle at a recent meeting of the Seattle Neighborhood Coalition. He said two words describe Seattle: wealthy and white. He has studied both Portland and Seattle and found that black communities are a bellweather. He cited the Central District as an example; it was once a segregated black community, but as younger well-to-do groups lost their fear of blacks and wanted convenience (proximity to work and to urban amenities), they looked for housing that met their needs regardless of segregation status. The Black community was moving southward for a number of reasons: the younger generation wanted more house for the money and what they felt were better schools. The older generation followed as the community changed and they no longer felt a part of it. The new center of the black community is in Renton, Kent and Tukwila. Professor McGee’s talk came after the HALA (Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda) presentation, but seemed to belong before it. McGee spoke of the lower incomes being forced out of the city and the HALA approach seemed designed to alleviate that….slowly. Geoffrey Wentlandt represented the Office of Planning & Development. He listed the identified problems: 4,000 persons go without any shelter at all; 45,000 pay over half their income for shelter, and the average rent for a 1-bedroom apartment has increased 29% over the last 5 years. HALA’s overall goal is to build 50,000 new units of housing: 20,000 for lower incomes and 30,000 market rate units. Developers will be allowed to build an extra floor if they include 5-7% affordable units or pay into a fund, which serves to finance a lower income building. There was some push-back from the audience as including affordable units would be faster than waiting for the fund to pay for an additional building. While Wentlandt did not go over all the strategies, he did focus on the supports that would be offered to current renters or seekers of units: Preservation Tax Exemption: incentives to preserve existing affordable housing. Strengthening Tenant Protections: Ban any increase of rent for apartment with any substandard issues and require 60 days notice if there is a planned increase of over 10%. Expand source of income discrimination protections (such as Section 8 vouchers, child support income, SSI). Concerns were expressed during the Q & A period: no focus on families with children, no focus on neighborhoods, some concern about make-up of the HALA group and one person said there should be a goal that enables those who work in the city, to live in the city. This struck home with me; I feel strongly that our teachers, firefighters, police staff, baristas, grocery clerks, etc. should be living in the neighborhoods where they work. I also felt the percentages for affordable units were very low; at the rate of 5-7% for affordable housing, we’ll be facing the same issues in another 10 years, as we are now with homelessness. That percentage is just too low! ~Diane Snell

Loss of a Neighborhood Icon: DeeDee Rainbow (December 2013) We learned that long time Madrona resident, DeeDee Rainbow, died just shortly before the newsletter deadline. A native of Seattle, DeeDee moved around the country after marriage until her husband, Peter Raible, was called to be the minister of the University Unitarian Church. DeeDee was an art teacher at Meany Middle School for 29 years, and she was a walking work of art in her colorful robes, glittered hair and wand. She was a fan of jazz, and Paul deBarros in his wonderful obituary in the Seattle Times quoted jazz radio emcee Jim Wilkie: "When I was emceeing a concert, and I saw that flash of color, I knew it was an official event." We were fortunate to attend her 80th birthday, and the multitude of friends that gathered at her Madrona home were as colorful as her outfit; stimulating conversations and remembrances were heard no matter which room you found yourself in. We will miss this rainbow of light who was a welcome antidote to our frequent gray skies. A celebration of her life, including a New Orleans-style funeral march will be held at University Unitarian Church, 6556 35th Ave NE, January 4 at 1pm. The Fading of a Rainbow (January 2014) DeeDee Rainbow’s ashes were laid to rest in the memorial garden at University Unitarian Church on January 4, 2014, following a memorial service unlike any I have ever attended. We had been urged to wear something colorful, a challenge for me in the winter when my wardrobe seems to mimic the drab outside world. A rack of DeeDee’s colorful robes was provided for those color impaired, if they promised to take the garment away with them. The sanctuary was packed and latecomers (including Clarence Acox and me) were seated in the fellowship hall with sound piped in and a limited distant view of the speakers. Those who offered tributes at the church were all family members. It was interesting to hear DeeDee’s sister speak as she made it clear that DeeDee’s fascination with color and need to interact was not a late development, but began at an early age. She mentioned a family trip to the museum where once inside the building, they realized DeeDee was no longer with them, so they retraced their steps and found DeeDee (somewhere around age 4) on the front steps greeting folks as they entered and bestowing good wishes with her little wand. The father turned to the mother and asked “Where did she come from?” One of the grandsons spoke of the walks from the family home to the Hi-Spot for a scone, a trip that took about 4 hours instead of the ten minutes it should take, as they would meet and greet along the way. Musical tributes included Over the Rainbow, Rainbow Lady and Mama. The one hymn we all sang was the truly befitting Let it be a Dance. Immediately following the service, the crowd gathered on the sidewalk outside to follow the New Orleans Jazz Band around the block, waving colorful umbrellas as they marched. Once back at the church, the crowd gathered in the Fellowship Hall for a champagne toast given by the folks from California, who had marched with DeeDee in the parade that marked the beginning of each year’s Monterey Jazz festival. But that was not the end; after the reception, there was another gathering at the Wedgwood Ale House with jazz and tributes from others who knew DeeDee. All in all, it was quite a tribute to a colorful woman who taught us to enjoy this life to the fullest; she would say “This is not a dress rehearsal.” ~Diane Snell

Leschi’s marina has long been a favorite berthing place for sailboats, which gracefully ply the waters of Lake Washington on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Those slips are threatened under the Park’s plan to bring in a private operator to repair and run the north and south marinas. The smaller berths bring in less in the way of rental fees; it is to the advantage of the company to have more large slips and reduce the number of small slips, and this was the plan that Foss submitted to Parks in their bid several years ago to become the operating entity. A delegation of concerned residents from the Lakewood area and Leschi neighborhood met with Councilmembers Sawant and Harrell this summer to define the problem and ask for assistance in freeing up the $4 million that former Mayor McGinn promised for repairs (subsequently approved by the City Council). This money sits with Parks, and the only visible sign of a “repair” is that plywood has been laid over the worst rotting areas…a safety fix, but not exactly a repair. Lakewood representatives brought data to show that based on their moorage fees, they could manage the marina without an outside operator. Following those meetings (and an unsuccessful attempt to talk with CM Godden, current chair of Parks Committee), John Barber drafted a letter requesting release of the funds for the most needed repairs; this letter was signed by Leschi CC’s co-chairs and sent to CM Godden with copies to the Mayor, and CMs Sawant and Harrell. We have received no response to this request. A call to CM Godden’s office just before press time brought forth the information that the $4 million is being saved by Parks to help pay for repairs when they select a private operator on bids they expect to receive when the RFP is released at the end of the month. So, it could easily be the end of the year before an operator is even selected. And it does not sound as though they are entertaining suggestions that the marinas be publicly managed and maintained. It appears that private/public partnerships are the chosen path even when the private part is not needed. This does not bode well for the small boat owners. ~John Barber

How I view the proposal for clearing a view through the trees at the upper, 31st Avenue, end of Colman Park, writing as a trained Urban Forester and as an active P-Patch gardener in Colman Park close to where trees would be removed or pruned, and as a former volunteer in Colman Park: Urban forest restoration recommends the installation and protection of large coniferous trees on steep slope land, especially where prone to landslides. The history of sites like Colman Park generally includes damage to soil structure by clearcutting, landslides. A view of the Lake and mountains from above Colman Park is not unique. There are similar views at seven locations along 31st Avenue South that are within a quarter mile -- S College, S Dose, S Plum, S Irving, and S Norman. Just look down these street corridors and you have really nice prospects of the Lake and the distant mountains. The view from the top of Colman Park is not what one imagines. There is no view of Mt. Rainier. There are many tall trees on the lower slope that obscure the view, and there are several tall trees including conifers, madrones, and deciduous just below the project area. It is unimaginable that we have forest restoration in reverse, by modifying or removing these trees. Because of the lack of uniqueness of the view there, the value really is for the homeowners, not much for the general public. The general trend of what happens to public views after they are created is that people begin to park during late night areas; then the adjacent residents push for no-parking areas, thus making the “public viewpoint” much less public. It’s really the health of the forest that should be the primary goal, and forest health means planting large conifers. ~John Barber, Chair, Parks & Open Space for Leschi CC

Happy New Year! Cheers to one and all, and here’s to wishing everyone a happy and healthy 2016. Now that holiday madness has subsided, let’s catch up on some items that you may have missed. Here are a few winter wine favorites. 2012 Cadence Red Camerata Cara Mia Vineyard Red Mountain ($56) “Vibrant, focused and aristocratic, centering on generous plum, currant, blackberry and floral aromas and flavors that play out against well-modulated, crisp tannins. Shows presence and excellent length. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2017 through 2025. 225 cases made.” –Wine Spectator, 95 points. 2012 Colene Clemens Margo Pinot Noir Chehalem Mountains ($34) Winemaker Steve Goff was the assistant at Beaux Frères for many vintages; now he makes wine for Colene Clemens, one of the hottest new Oregon wineries. “Lithe and expressive, shading black cherry fruit with glints of mint, loamy earth and walnut. Fine tannins underline a long, dancing finish. Best from 2016 through 2022. Top 100: 2015, Rank: 45.” –Wine Spectator, 93 points. 2006 La Fleur de Bouard Lalande de Pomerol Bordeaux ($34) “At present, this estate is the reference point for high quality wines from Lalande de Pomerol. A blend of 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Sensationally rich, with abundant quantities of blue and black fruits, spring flowers, graphite, licorice and hints of espresso roast as well as toasty oak, it is supple enough to be drunk now, or cellared for a decade.” - Robert M. Parker, Jr., 91 points. 2014 Daou Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon San Luis Obispo Central Coast California ($20) “I think even a step up over the killer 2013, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon is loaded with notions of black raspberry, cassis, spice and licorice. More textured, voluptuous, layered and concentrated than all of the previous vintages. Located at one of the highest spots in the appellation, it’s worth noting this tiny microclimate of this estate and it has more in common with Napa Valley than Paso Robles. Drink 2017-2020. ” –Wine Advocate, 91-93 points. 2011 Château Laffitte-Teston Rouge Vieilles Vignes Madiran ($17) This is a burly, bloody, rustic full-bodied—a “winter wine.” Needs fully braised meats, stews or casseroles. Made from the grape variety of the appellation, Tannat. The vines are about 70 years old and are harvested by hand, for low yields that make this wine its flagship wine. A fine wine, harmonious, where one crosses small black fruit, plum, vanilla and roasted notes. On the palate it is robust, concentrated and fleshy, with a remarkable finish. 2012 Domaine de la Rablaís Rouge Touraine Chenonceaux ($16) “Our family vineyard has been handed down from generation to generation since 1790 and is located in the heart of the Loire Valley. Attacks with a fresh note and ends with a red fruits-flavored nose. It is fresh and light, low in tannin and with a peppery mouth. 50% Cabernet Franc and 50% CÔT (Malbec).” –Winery notes. 2013 Fattoria Selvapiana Vendemmia Chianti Rufina ($15) “Elegant and fragrant, this opens with aromas of pressed rose, crushed violet, wild berry and a whiff of baking spice. The vibrant, focused palate delivers juicy red cherry, raspberry, white pepper, cinnamon and dried herb. It’s well balanced, with supple tannins and bright acidity. Drink through 2018.” -Wine Enthusiast, 93 points. 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 .

March is Washington Wine Month. Let’s focus on what our great state has to offer. Here are 7 Washington wines that you should probably be drinking, this month and beyond. 2014 Trust Riesling Yakima Valley / Ancient Lakes ($14.99) Steve Brooks is one of the most trusted winemakers coming out of Walla Walla. Pun fully intended. The Ancient Lakes’ Evergreen Vineyard comprises 16%, while the balance of this vintage comes from Yakima Valley. Extremely well balanced and clean, with mineral notes and a dry finish. If you have sworn off Rieslings for being too sweet, think again, and Trust us. 2013 Ryan Patrick Rock Island Red Wahluke Slope ($14.99) Rich, ripe and concentrated are characteristics in the grapes coming from one of the warmest and driest growing regions, the Wahluke Slope, just north of Yakima Valley. The Rock Island is predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, with barely 30% a blend of Merlot, Malbec and Syrah. This wine has been a fan favorite from day 1 at Leschi Market, nearly 2 years ago now. It is an easy drinking, powerful red wine that is incomparable in quality for the price. Wilridge Winery Rachel Red ($15.99) One of Leschi and Madrona’s favorite neighborhood wineries partnering to support another Seattle institution. Wilridge Winery’s Rachel Red, named after the famous brass pig greeting everyone beneath the iconic neon Pike Place Market sign, benefits the Pike Place Market Foundation. The Foundation provides a senior center, medical clinic, shelter, preschool, daycare, and assisted living to low-income neighbors who work and live around the Market. This blend is Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah and makes for a great table wine with an even better purpose and message. 2013 Lobo Hills Cabernet Sauvignon ($20) Staying on the ultra-local kick, it doesn’t get much more local than Tony Dollar’s Lobo Hills Winery. He’s a neighbor to all, just living and working down the lakeside in Seward Park. His production is small while his wines are growing ever more wildly popular. This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon offers tea and sage up front, leading towards big juicy plum, cassis and anise in the finish. Rich, balanced and full of life and flavor. A Washington Cabernet for $20 that cannot be missed. 2013 Cadence Coda Red Mountain ($23.39) This current version of Cadence’s Coda is 38% Cabernet Franc, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, and 14% Petit Verdot. Spicy yet soft. Big yet elegant. This red blend from Red Mountain has it all. An incredible wine at an even better price, where most wines from this region are coming out at least double the price. Recent accolades include 5 out of 5 stars from the Leschi Tasting Panel as well as 93-points Wine & Spirits. 2013 Walla Walla Vintners Bello Rosso ($30) A really fun blend from one of the very first wineries in our state’s history. An ode to a Super-Tuscan style at equal parts Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. Cranberry and raspberry on the nose mixed with herbs and pepper. Silky smooth texture leading to a dry finish. While I think all of the Walla Walla Vintners wines are well-crafted, solid offerings, there is just something different about the Bello Rosso that stands out above the rest. 2009 McCrea Syrah Boushey Vineyard ($34.99) Syrah from one of the most highly regarded vineyards in the state, in the heart of Yakima. Boushey fruit has unmistakable notes of black cherry, coffee, earth and mushroom. Combine unique fruit, with the prowess of a great winery, and this is the result. The complexity and cohesiveness between fruit, oak and acid makes this one of the best examples of Syrah out there. You really should be drinking this wine. I guess the point of all this is, it’s Washington Wine Month. Try one of the above, or something else, but give Washington wine an extra look this month, you might just find something you like! 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 .

On July 9th, a group of residents concerned about moorage met with Concilmember Kshama Sawant and then Councilmember Bruce Harrell to discuss the pertinent issues. Jeannie O’Brien of Lakewood CC and Kristin Shober who manages the Lakewood Marina came with data that showed they could manage the Lakewood Marina successfully without a private entity. Leschi Marina suffers from poor repair. Although the past Mayor with the approval of the City Council set aside $4 million to do repairs at the South Marina, none of that money has ever been spent. Although that money was approved two yeaers ago, it still sits with Parks. It is possible that Leschi could also be self-sustaining IF marina fees were used for needed upkeep rather than being transferred to the general fund as has happened in the past. Both Councilmembers Sawant and Harrell agreed to discuss this issue with Councilmember Jean Godden who heads up the Parks Committee on the Council. Leschi Parks Chair John Barber prepared the following letter to send to councilmembers and Mayor: LESCHI COMMUNITY COUNCIL 140 LAKESIDE AVE. SUITE A #2 SEATTLE, WA 98122 Leschi Community Council 140 Lakeside Avenue, Suite A, #2 Seattle, WA 98122 Seattle City Councilmember Jean Godden Attn: Parks, Seattle Center, Libraries, and Gender Pay Equality Committee 600 Fourth Avenue, 2nd Floor Seattle, WA 98124-4025 Dear City Councilmember Godden, In August 2013, Parks Acting Superintendent Christopher Williams announced that $4 million had been allocated for the renovation of the South Leschi Moorage due to seriously deteriorating conditions.These funds were approved by the previous Mayor and the City Council two years ago. Very little of that budget allocation has been utilized and consequently the moorage facility is in worse shape yet. The boating community, several living in our neighborhood, are suffering from the lack of timely repair of the moorage facility at South Leschi Moorage and also with poor conditions at North Leschi Moorage. Please note also that moorage fee revenue has produced the amount of $1 million yearly for the last several years. Operating costs were covered, but maintenance was ignored. 39% was diverted for general park purposes, not moorage repairs. This is to request that the appropriated funds be implemented in short order towards the renovation of South Leschi Moorage. Sincerely, Diane Morris & Diane Snell Diane Snell and Diane Morris Co-Presidents Lesch Community Council c: Bruce Harrell, Seattle City Council Kshama Sawant, Seattle City Council Mayor Ed Murray ~John Barber

Editor’s note: We offered our editorial page to John Barber for an opinion piece he has written on dogs and parks. His views in no way represent those of the Leschi News, the editor or the Leschi Community Council Board. In January, the Seattle Parks Department will issue a report that recommends a revised policy about dogs — off-leash or on-leash — in park-owned lands. Some dog advocates have pushed for more than just more fenced off-leash areas, but also open unfenced places to take dogs off-leash, including Leschi Park and the natural areas in Leschi — Frink Park, upper Leschi Park, Peppi’s Playground, and the Leschi Natural Area. As a dog owner, daily park user and volunteer/Forest Steward, I’ve had experience since 1971 with my own dogs and with other owners and their dogs. It can be fun to watch dogs playing, but off-leash dogs here are a problem on many levels and result in conflicts between park users that are difficult to resolve: We’ve had numerous instances of park volunteers and forest stewards getting their hands and shoes smeared with dog waste. In the landscaped areas, dog owners often don’t see their dogs doing their business, and when they do see them, they can’t find the waste, or don’t look. When vegetative ground cover or long grass obscure the location of dog feces, the soil and groundwater system is polluted, park maintenance staff who weed-whack the area are imperiled, and exploring kids are exposed to the dog doo. Barking, charging dogs intimidate park users, and because there are all manner of dogs and levels of responsibility by owners, dogs are too often a threat to other dogs, animals, and park users. Some potential park users are deterred from enjoying parks because of the threat of off-leash dogs. Volunteers and forest stewards who toil to restore native vegetation see their efforts undermined by dogs tearing up the plantings and scraping the soil on a regular basis. During the wet season, dogs in Leschi’s parks (like the grassy level area next to the tennis courts) damage the grass turf and make the park areas less useful for teaching tikes to play soccer or baseball, volleyball games, informal field sports or just walking or lying on the grass. Contrary to discouraging uncontrolled dogs in open areas, fenced off-leash areas tend to simply encourage more dog owners to exercise their pets outside the fenced areas. We’ve even seen owners throwing balls over the fence to deliberately encourage their dog to jump the fence. Some cities have experimented with allowing dogs off leash in limited park areas and hours. We should learn from that experience and make sure the conditions at such areas are relevant here, before experimenting with this policy. But, overall, I think that we need to face up to the realization that we are an urban area with limited park land and various levels of responsibility by dog owners and limited ability to enforce the laws. For the safety of dogs and our fellow urban citizens and for a clean environment, I believe that dogs outside should always be leashed. Public policy should encourage residents to choose small, less needy of exercise, pets and not set up conflicts among the users of parks. ~John Barber

In January we published the story of the Ronald House and how landmark status was achieved for this beautifully restored home. With the focus on restoration and jumping through the hoops for establishing the home as a landmark, we said little about the man behind the house: James Theodore Ronald. Although he would become a historical figure in Seattle, he came from humble beginnings. He was born the second of nine children to a struggling farm family in the Missouri Ozarks. He was the first in his family to graduate from college. He then traveled to California (1875) where he taught school in various small communities in the northeast (the Sierra foothills area.) He made the trip on what was called the emigrant train, not a first class adventure. One had to bring their own food along to make the 8 day trip from Omaha to Sacramento. In 1877, his beloved Rhoda Coe made the trek from Missouri with a couple they both knew, and they married in Stockton. He had first met her in 1874, when she was only 16, and in his impetuous way, he declared her “the girl of my dreams”. Rhoda was more serious and took her time making decisions, but she was obviously a plucky young woman to make that trek across country to marry him three years later and live in what were essentially frontier towns in that era.. Although he soon rose to become a principal, J T Ronald had greater ambitions. He used the summer months to study law and passed the bar in 1882. He took the advice of a traveling evangelist to go to Seattle, “a little town on Puget Sound….a town which is certain some day to become a great city.” But it was a struggle: Seattle was a town with too many lawyers and not enough paying customers. He was fortunate to be appointed a Deputy District Attorney for King County at a salary of $20 per month. He became the Prosecuting Attorney in 1885. The young couple often had to share housing with others and lived in areas that were not close to town. Rhoda never complained according to his memoirs, even though he knew she must have been lonely, especially when their good friends and neighbors decided to go back to California. It was after the great fire that he eventually built the home on 30th (which was then called Rainier Ave.) His description of the great fire is extremely interesting, as it was quite personal for him. His law office was on the third floor of a building at First & Cherry, and when it caught fire, he fully expected to lose all of his law library and his records. Miners, whom he had helped with legal matters, came to the rescue and raced up the stairs and down, bringing all his records and all his law books out of the burning building. He lost only a few books of fiction and history. For days men like these tried to rescue what they could from the burning area and instead of finding despair, he remarks that the men who lost entire buildings promised “to build it back bigger than ever“. Rhoda and other women cooked meals in makeshift kitchens for the brave men fighting the fire. Ronald describes the aftermath: “That burnt district, comprising about seventy-five acres, was a city of tents—tents everywhere—in every lot, housing businesses of all kinds.” Being from the South originally, Ronald hired an architect to design the type of house he envisioned. This was the house he and Rhoda lived in with their three daughters until Rhoda’s death. The girls went through school and the University and even married in that house. When Rhoda died in 1926, he was lonely in the house without her and moved to the Exeter Hotel until his own death over 20 years later. Ronald had a busy law practice during those years, but was persuaded to run for Mayor in 1892. He served for two years, and they were not happy years for him. There was a great recession during that time and Seattle, like many cities of the 1890’s, was filled with corruption. Ronald was a man of integrity and it was frustrating to him to be unable to rid the city of its corruption, including the Police Chief. Vested interests fought him at every turn. When his term was over, he went back to practicing law and served on the Board of Regents at the University of Washington. He was appointed to the King County Superior Court in April, 1909, where he served for forty years! This was the job that he loved the most. The Seattle P-I editorial stated on his retirement that: “his never-failing good humor, his broad sense of humanity and his wise counsel will be sorely missed.” Note: It is difficult to fully represent in such a limited space someone who had a long and illustrious career. I would encourage you to read his memoirs. If you are a history buff, you will find the trial of the Wobblies fascinating and if you’re a fan of “Then & Now” memorabilia, you will love his account of a road trip from Seattle to San Francisco in a time when roads were iffy and repair places scarce. The trip took fifteen days! Facts and quotes from Reflections Along the Wayside of Life, Judge J T Ronald’s memoirs. ~Diane Snell

An outdoor gym of exercise equipment for adults will open in Powell Barnett Park, corner of Martin Luther King Way and East Alder Street, at 10am on April 30. There will be a brief ceremony at 10 am, followed by a ribbon cutting at 10:45 am and a demonstration of using the equipment given by neighborhood fitness instructor, Rebecca Francis. At 11:30 am, see a performance by the “Thrillers” dance group performing works by Michael Jackson. Group Health will provide FREE bicycle helmets for kids. Partners for the Fitness Center include the Powell Barnett Legacy Committee, Leschi Community Council, MOMentum, Trust for Public Lands, Seattle Parks Foundation, Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation, as well as fundering sponsors: the Clarence E Heller Foundation, Tulalip Tribes Charitable Contributions, Stim Bullitt Excellence Fund, Coca Cola Foundation, Group Health, Outdoor Happiness Movement, Wyman Youth Trust, TEW Foundation, Moccasin Lake Foundation, and the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods. ~John Barber, Leschi CC, Parks and Openspace Committee Chair

The Parks Department wants to contract marinas out to a private developer/manager like Foss. Many in PAT (Project Advisory Team), especially the Lakewood group, are very disappointed because this will mean huge rate increases. The leading Leschi team members are weary of the delay and want to speed up improvements to S. Leschi marina, regardless of the long-term issues. I remain with a minority opinion to downscale to only human-powered craft. ~John Barber