Madison Park Times September 2024 by Pacific Publishing Company

Madison Park Times

LATE SUMMER IN FULL SWING

By Friends of Madison Park

When Friends of Madison Park formed in May 2023, we asked the community what the neighborhood would like to see happenfrom events to projects to public safety. Always at the top was the possibility

of a Farmer’s Market.

Our committee has been exploring that possibility this past year, surveying the community and talking to our local businesses and the different Farmer’s Market organizations. Representatives from the Seattle Farmers Market

Association spoke at our meeting that it has approved a plan to open a seasonal farmers market in Madison Park, beginning on Thursday afternoons in June 2025! This would bring farm-fresh goods within an easy walk or drive of Madison Park (over 50%

Secretary Hobbs warns voters about 2024 election misinformation

By Secretary of State

Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs urges Washington’s voters to be wary of dubious election information, including deepfakes and other misinformation, that have already been spotted during the 2024 elections cycle.

“As we move …. toward the November 5 General Election, I am concerned that a deluge of manipulated and false information may be inserted into social media from foreign actors and other sources,” Secretary Hobbs said. “Artificial Intelligence is getting easier and cheaper to manipulate for a broad

number of malicious actors. The rest of us must be careful to verify what we see before we take it to heart.”

Hobbs said that voters must understand that faked material is likely to become pervasive in some corners of social media, citing a July 26 posting on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, by platform owner Elon Musk that shared a manipulated recording of presidential candidate Kamala Harris.

“If the owner of a social media platform themself is going to share misleading material, it signals to the rest of us that other materials allowed

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of attendees at other local markets walk).

The nearby businesses surveyed are excited about the additional foot traffic from the market, and the plan has gotten great feedback overall.

MUSIC IN THE

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Courtesy

Target Asset Protection grant provides youth outreach and engagement opportunities for SPD

Funds used to support free community basketball game, Backpacks for Kids Summer Bash, and annual Heroes and Helpers holiday shopping event

SEATTLE – Thanks to a Community Engagement grant from our partners at Target, the Seattle Police Department and the Seattle Police Foundation have upped their commitment to youth engagement in 2024.

The Seattle Police Department Relational Policing Unit kicked off a series of youth-oriented engagement events at the end of May at the Rainier Community Center, partnering with the Seattle Parks & Recreation Late Night program and Target for a free community barbecue and basketball event. The Target team brought its A-game to this free basketball event, joining youth and Seattle police officers on the court for some friendly competition, and hosting a Target recruiting table.

SPD’s Quartermaster Unit set up outside the community club and served freshly-grilled

hotdogs and hamburgers to participants, along with chips, drinks, and ice cream cones for dessert. In addition to the food, players each received a branded athletic T-shirt commemorating the event.

Next on the agenda was a Backpacks for Kids Summer Bash, hosted by 1World1Sky in partnership with Seattle Parks and Recreation, Target, the Drug Enforcement Administration via Operation Engage, Seattle Neighborhood Group, and the Seattle Police Department. This event took place Aug. 16 at the Southwest Teen Life Center in west Seattle.

The Summer Bash included free backpacks and school supplies for our young neighbors in need, a tasty barbecue (again cooked and served by SPD’s Quartermaster Unit), ice cream, fun inflatables, a live DJ, free SPD Mounted Patrol Unit calendars, SPD K9 trading cards and other SPD-themed swag, and more.

It is estimated that in between 500 and 600 Seattle community members were

served.

Finally, the series closes out with the 2024 Heroes and Helpers event, which pairs Seattle Police officers with kids and teens whose families need a little extra help during the holiday season. Held every December at different Target stores, Heroes and Helpers is a phenomenal communitybuilder and a rewarding experience for both the police officers and the families involved.

We are so grateful to our friends at Target for helping us support SPD’s vital relational policing programs, activities, and efforts. With the Department facing ongoing budget shortfalls, funding to accomplish the relationship-building work necessary to help foster a safe and connected community is limited. To ensure its relational policing goals are met, SPD has leaned heavily into grants from the Seattle Police Foundation and has continued to cultivate other partnerships to leverage resources. This collaboration with Target is one of those partnerships.

SPF is devoted to this important work and is grateful for generous partners like Target, who are willing to help shoulder the load. Thank you, Target, for your enthusiasm, your devotion to the Seattle community, and especially your support of the men and women of SPD.

The Seattle Police Foundation is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization that raises supplemental funding for the Seattle Police Department to bridge the gap between what the city of Seattle can fund for SPD and what it cannot. SPF strives to improve public safety in Seattle by funding innovative new technology, advanced training and equipment, and programs that build relationships between SPD and the Seattle community.

Seattle Public Library hosts readings, community events

By Seattle Public Library

The Seattle Public Library is kicking off September with an amazing lineup of author and community events, including New York Times bestselling author Aiden Thomas (“Celestial Monsters”), Lambda finalist Garth Greenwell (“Small Rain”) and reproductive health expert Dr. Karen Tang (“It’s Not Hysteria”) in conversation with Tik Tok sensation Jane Park Kang. You’ll also get a chance to make letterpress book art during Banned Books Week. All Library events are free and open to the public. Find information and registration through the event links below or at spl.org/Calendar. Many of these events are supported by The Seattle Public Library Foundation and the Gary and Connie Kunis Foundation.

The Library offers a range of other free events and workshops in September, including story times, Homework Help (which will begin the week of Sept. 16), one-onone business help and civic and community programs.

• Aiden Thomas and Margaret Owen discuss “Celestial Monsters.”

From 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 4. Central Library, Level 1 Microsoft Auditorium. Aiden Thomas, a trans Latinx author from Portland, and award-winning YA author Margaret Owen discuss “Celestial Monsters,” Thomas’ heartstopping duology finale to “The Sunbearer Trials.” Aiden Thomas (he/him/they/them) is the New York Times bestselling author of “Cemetery Boys.” The event partner is Charlie’s Queer Books. Registration is required.

• Garth Greenwell and Daniel Tam-Claiborne discuss “Small Rain.”

From 7 p.m. to 8:15 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 10. Central Library, Level 1 Microsoft Auditorium. “Small Rain,” which Miranda July called “incredibly moving,” is a novel about one man’s near-death experience by the critically acclaimed author of “Cleanness,” a 2023 finalist for the Lambda Literary Award. Greenwell will speak with Daniel Tam-Claiborne, Seattle writer and producer. Event partner is Third Place Books. Registration is required.

• Beacon Hill Branch “Libraries for All” 20th Anniversary Celebration. From 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 14. Beacon Hill Branch. Join us to celebrate the Beacon Hill Branch’s

anniversary with hands-on activities, refreshments, and photos and memories of the branch throughout the years. Registration is not required.

• Anna Zivarts discusses “When Driving Is Not an Option: Steering Away from Car Dependency.” From 7 p.m. to 8:15 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 19. Central Library, Level 1 Microsoft Auditorium. In “When Driving Is Not an Option,” Seattle-area disability rights advocate Anna Letitia Zivarts shines a light on the number of people in the U.S. who cannot drive and explains how improving our transportation system with nondrivers in mind will create a better quality of life for everyone. Live ASL captioning provided. Event partners are Elliott Bay Book Company and Island Books. Registration is required.

• Dr. Karen Tang and Jane Park Kang discuss “It’s Not Hysteria: Everything You Need to Know About Your Reproductive Health (but Were Never Told).” From 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Friday, Sept. 20. Central Library, Level 1 Microsoft Auditorium. Dr. Karen Tang, boardcertified gynecologist, is on a mission to transform how we engage with our bodies and our healthcare. “It’s

Not Hysteria” is a comprehensive guide to common conditions and potential treatment options, designed to help readers to take control of their gynecologic health. Dr. Tang will talk with former newscaster and Tik Tok sensation Jane Park Kang. Registration is required.

• Escribiendo e ilustrando cuentos de suspenso. From 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 21. Central Library, Level 4, room 2. En este taller de cuatro días aprenderán a escribir e ilustrar una historia de suspenso inspirada en autores y artistas latinoamericanos. Las sesiones serán impartidas en español por dos artistas locales mexicana. Central Library. Students will learn and be exposed to the creative techniques of authors and artists from Latin America. They will also learn how to write short suspense stories and various graphic techniques to illustrate their prose. No se requiere inscripción, registration not required.

• Banned Book Week Kick-off. From 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 22, Central Library, Living Room, Level 3. Words have power! Kick off your celebration of Banned Books

Courtesy

Redwoods — giants of the canopy

Steve Lorton Tree Talk

Flying into Seattle from the south, the east, or the north, everything below you is predominantly green. The houses and neighborhood business districts look like a city sprinkled into the wilderness. What you’re seeing is a World Class urban horticultural canopy and it is effective. We had a few uncomfortably hot days this summer, but for the most part, it’s been our typical Northwest coastal summer, the envy of the Northern Hemisphere. We can thank the Pacific Ocean and our position on the globe for much of it, but it’s also our vast urban canopy that shades and cools us.

Firs, Cedars, Big Leaf Maples and a wide assortment of street trees, favored in the eastern United States, make up this eclectic canopy. But around the turn of the 19th Century, a new immigrant showed up. A few intrepid gardeners planted Coast Redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens). They are the tallest of the World’s trees. Old growth specimens, in California and Southern Oregon, exceed 350 feet in height. Named for their straight, sturdy trunks covered in reddish-brown fibrous bark, these statuesque trees grow 3 to 5 feet a year until they reach 70 to 90 feet, then growth slows and they inch up over the centuries. In 30 years, they’ll have a spread of 30 feet, casting long, gentle shadows, creating an environment in which the deciduous trees near them grow wide and luxurious and we stay cooler.

The stems of foliage that look like giant feathers are made up of flat, glossy green, inch-long leaves that are gray-green on the underside. Several cultivated varieties have blue-green foliage. Redwoods are almost pest free and thrive in our rich acid soil and mild, moist climate. Towering and ancient, the great Redwood forests have survived centuries of forest fires and droughts that have plagued California, on and off, for all of recorded history. Ergo, a

great choice to supplement our native flora as the Northwest climate warms and grows drier.

These behemoths are not for every garden, but if you have a large lot, a Redwood planted strategically on the south edge or in the southwest corner of your plot, will provide beauty and shade for generations to come. These Redwoods, planted and tended, are also a great gift for a garden club, or even individuals, to donate to public parks.

Nurseries are starting to carry Redwoods. You’ll find them most often in 5- and 15-gallon cans. If you buy a plant this month, dig a generous hole, at least three times the diameter of the pot it came in. Fill the hole three times with water, allowing it to soak down into the surrounding soil. Remove the tree from its nursery container, gently loosen the roots that have filled the nursery can as the plant grew. Place the tree in the planting hole so that the top of the soil is even with the surrounding ground level. Fill in the planting hole, adding compost if the soil is not loose and loamy. Water well, again. Continue to water, at least weekly, until seasonal rains start.

There aren’t many mature Redwoods around, but once you spot one, you’ll never forget it. There is a majestic stand of old Redwoods, likely planted in the 1930s, in the triangle just south of the Seattle Tennis Club where 39th E juts off and down the hill from McGilvra Boulevard. Winding up and to the northwest on Lake Washington Boulevard E, at the five point intersection, there is a large old Redwood at the center of the first curve. A grand old specimen stands next to the street at the entrance of Madrona Park. All, a glorious sight to behold.

Tucked in and through our existing flora, Redwoods may well be one of our ecological links from today to tomorrow. Make an investment in the urban canopy of our future, find a place to plant a Redwood. You’ll be adding to our richly cosmopolitan, urban

Courtesy Mary Henry

Redwoods provide a canopy that shades and cools us.

CIVILITY

Political differences existed in the past, but they rarely permeated our lives to the point of civil upheaval. The Young Republicans were in full swing in the early 1970s (2011 Wikipedia) and held many political and social events. One such event was held at the top of the Sorrento Hotel in Seattle. It was a great way to mingle while enjoying the cheap drinks offered.

There was quite a diversity of personalities who attended these functions, so nametags made introductions easier. It was important for us guys to take on the air of legitimate Republicans who were not on the prowl for ladies, although that is exactly why we were there. Even if otherwise attached, it was necessary to check out this scene once a month for auxiliary possibilities. It was a time of change regarding liquor laws that invigorated private

Richard Lehmann Columnist

clubs and parties, and a company called The Jet Set flew folks to vacation spots. Escaping the rain for Sun Valley, ID, was ideal for taking advantage of the deep powder, ice skating, and other winter sports.

After attending the first meeting and signing in, I was on the Young Republican’s mailing list. One day I opened an invite from them for a benefit they were hosting for the Seattle Symphony in a mansion on Queen Anne.

This would be a great place to take my new friend from Ballard, as she would be duly impressed with my status amongst my peers; however, I was very wrong. I should have known her state of mind when I dialed her number and felt the phone turn into a solid piece of ice. The icicles were dangling from the

phone cord, and my breath turned into a fog as I began to speak. I mustered up a positive greeting, which must’ve been my first mistake, as she answered with a very curt hello.

“Our relationship is purely platonic; you have too many parties, and all your friends party and drink too much.” It proceeded downhill even further, so I decided telling her about the benefit would not be the best thing to do now. I was knee-deep in the ice as she ended with a stiff “Goodbye, Richard.”

Running short of time, I did as many singles would do; I reached for a chilled beer and my black book. The fundraiser was in three hours, so I gulped down the last of the 12-oz liquid courage and found the number of a gal who had laughed at my jokes while her date was playing pool a couple of months previously. I called the number and heard, “Patricia Stevens Modeling Agency, may I help you.”

Then, to get it over with, I said, “Hi, this is Richard Lehman”. Before I could say anything else, she told me how much fun she had at our last get-together on a houseboat in Lake Union. I was beginning to feel better about asking her out.

I blurted, “There’s a party on Queen Anne at a mansion tonight. Would you like to go?”

“Yes, but I won’t have time to change after work since I live in Woodinville; I’ll have to wear my runway clothes that the designers give to the models as part of the modeling fee.”

She drove to my house, and all 5’11” of her got out of the car wearing thigh-high laced boots and hot pants. That turned my frown upside down! I served up a couple of 4 lb. gin rocks, and we laughed our way to the Queen Anne function. Pulling up to valet parking, I could tell by the parking attendants’ faces my date was quite acceptable. I might have looked like a short bald sugar daddy walking through the entrance of the stately mansion, but I felt like a 6-foot debonair he-man with a full head of dark wavy hair.

It was an occasion where the fashion had been a suit and tie, at least, but like me, many of us found alternative attire at Bluebeards on University Avenue: bell bottoms, elevated shoes, and shirts with wide collars unbuttoned mid-way. All belt buckles were large, and the hairstyles were long. Even though I was lacking in this department, I did sport a good beard. The look did not pass muster in the conservative engineering firm where I worked, but for me, the denim look was the proper way to dress.

We got our name tags, and suddenly, young Republicans and friends from Madison Park (dressed in bell bottoms)

surrounded us, saying hello and calling us by our first names. I found this unusual since no one had spoken to me before at the other meetings at the Sorrento. Could it be that this tall creature hanging on my arm had something to do with my newfound popularity? Nah, they were just friendly guys.

Right.

We wound our way down many flights of stairs to the ballroom, where we were served better-than-average white wine, which was better than at past gatherings.

much that she didn’t want to even share the same room with me. Whatever the reason, I think her rejection of me opened many other doors.

Avenue S., Suite 100

712-7309 www.krauseandthorpe.com

A window seat beckoned to us, so we sat there and chatted, the smile on my face a constant. Now here comes the best part. The crowd had grown, and everybody was having a good time. I turned and toasted my date, telling her what a great evening it was. I looked toward the long winding staircase, and there on the landing at the top were two young ladies, one with her mouth wide open, looking surprised. It was the young lady on a rant who earlier gave me 102 reasons why I wasn’t a great catch.

I raised my glass to her to indicate I was okay, as I thought she would be relieved, but she turned and left with her friend in a huff. How was I supposed to take this, I wondered. Maybe she disliked me so

My phone rang off the hook later that night, but I didn’t answer because I had a feeling it was her. She, who dumped me just hours before, was calling frantically to get the skinny on that evening. I laughed gleefully, knowing she was seething. The very idea I was having fun after her sanctimonious tongue-lashing was totally unacceptable. Not to mention that my date was a little more than average, which probably really lit her fuse!

I heard from the Dumper sometime later, and she invited me to dinner. I noticed a distinct improvement in our relationship on subsequent dates. I didn’t even have to change a thing about my behavior. I am not implying that creating an incident as I did was proper, but playing the green-eyed monster card can be crucial in the dating dance.

Reflecting on politics in the days of old, I do not remember the discomfort we are now experiencing. I am hopeful that we can figure out how to get along.

A SALAD CENTERPIECE

Lynda Balslev Columnist

While you might call this salad a side dish, it deserves to be the main attraction. It’s a sumptuous platter composed of roasted carrots, baby arugula and bright herbs scattered over a bed of toasted pearl couscous (also known as Israeli couscous). Each component is given respect.

The extra step of toasting the couscous lends a golden, nutty flavor to the bowl, which ripples with spice. The natural sweetness of the carrots is amplified by roasting the roots to crisp tenderness. Wisps of baby arugula weave throughout the salad, adding a peppery bite, and an herbaceous shower of garden herbs adds leafy freshness. If possible, use rainbow carrots to add more color to the salad. Make sure the carrots are even in thickness, so they will cook at the same rate. You can halve them lengthwise or cut them in half crosswise on the diagonal. Many herbs will work in this salad, such as dill, chervil, mint, parsley and cilantro. Use what you like.

ROASTED CARROT SALAD WITH ARUGULA AND PEARL COUSCOUS

Active Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

Extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup Israeli (pearl) couscous

1 1/2 cups water

Kosher salt

1 clove garlic, grated

1 small red jalapeno pepper, minced

there may not be trustworthy,” Secretary Hobbs said. “I urge Washington’s more than 4.8 million registered voters to seek out trusted information sources — such as established news outlets and official government institutions — as they navigate upcoming elections.”

In August, Secretary Hobbs joined Secretaries of State from Minnesota, Michigan, New Mexico, and Pennsylvania to send a public letter to Musk calling for X’s AI search assistant, “Grok,” to direct voters seeking elections information to CanIVote.org, as the administrators of

(or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper) -optional

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest, divided

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1 to 1 1/2 pounds thin rainbow carrots, ends trimmed, peeled

Freshly ground black pepper

4 cups baby arugula

1/2 lemon, plus wedges for serving 1/3 cup chopped herbs, such as parsley, cilantro, dill, mint, chervil

2 to 3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet. Add the couscous and toast over medium heat until golden, 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover the skillet and simmer over medium-low heat until the liquid is absorbed and the couscous is tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer the couscous to a bowl. Drizzle with a little oil if sticky, then add the garlic,

ChatGPT and OpenAI already do. Shortly after President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from a reelection campaign on July 21, Grok generated false information about ballot deadlines in Washington and eight other states that was shared on multiple social media platforms.

“Voters should not be misled about how our elections function,” Secretary Hobbs said. “The owners of social media platforms must take responsibility for safeguarding their audiences against the spread of false information, and this includes stopping their own AI mechanisms from generating it.”

In 2023, request legislation from Secretary Hobbs, Senate Bill 5152, created Washington’s first limitations on the use of deepfakes in political campaigning. The law enacted disclosure requirements for any manipulated videos and gave candidates targeted by undisclosed deepfakes a right to sue for damages.

“My staff and I have monitored trends across the globe, and the spread of deepfakes into state and local races is happening now in America,” Hobbs said. “There are already numerous real-world examples. In June, we saw a video spread in Utah falsely indicating

jalapeno or cayenne pepper (if using), the lemon juice, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, cumin and coriander. Let stand at room temperature while you roast the carrots. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the carrots in a large bowl. Lightly drizzle with oil and season with salt and black pepper. Spread the carrots on a rimmed baking sheet and roast in the oven until lightly charred and crisptender, about 20 minutes, depending on thickness. Remove and cool to room temperature.

Scatter the arugula on a serving platter or in a wide, shallow serving bowl. Spoon the couscous over and around the arugula. Arrange the carrots on top. Squeeze half a lemon over the salad, then sprinkle the herbs, pine nuts and remaining lemon zest over the salad.

Lynda Balslev is an award-winning writer, cookbook author, and recipe developer based in northern California. Visit TasteFood at TasteFoodblog.com.

the governor had been involved in signaturegathering fraud. In July, videos of President Biden and Vice President Harris portrayed them making statements they did not say. During the presidential primary, a political consultant distributed a deepfake robocall of President Biden discouraging New Hampshire voters from participating in the election. This is a pervasive threat.

“These bad actors can and will sow distrust with our local elections,” Secretary Hobbs continued. “If something you see raises questions about your access to a fair and trustworthy election here in Washington,

PARK RETURNED TO GREAT SUCCESS

Our Music in the Park series kicked off on Aug. 1, and over the course of the month, we’ve hosted live music across different genres for friends and families to picnic and soak up our long summer nights at Madison Park.

From funk to classic rock, the neighborhood turned out to soak up the long days of late summer!

Thanks again to our Sponsors: Aegis Living, Windermere Madison Park, Coldwell Banker, Bain, Wicklund Real Estate, and Transform 180 Fitness!

JOIN US AT PARTY FOR THE PARK

Come support the Friends of Madison Park at “Party for the Park” at 6:30 pm on Saturday, Oct. 12, at the beautiful Seattle Tennis Club. Don’t miss out on our fabulous silent and live auction, food and drinks, music, and dancing on a night out with our community. This dazzling evening will fund future events and exciting projects in the Madison Park neighborhood. Tickets are on sale now for $150 at www. friendsofmadisonpark.com.

3 SIMPLE WAYS TO SUPPORT FRIENDS OF MADISON PARK

Go to https://www. friendsofmadisonpark.com/ Subscribe to our Newsletter, become a monthly donor and volunteer for one of our events or projects.

please visit a legitimate elections office and learn the truth.”

Secretary Hobbs urges voters to reach out to these trusted sources:

The Office of the Secretary of State’s elections website, which includes important election deadlines, printable PDF registration forms, and more.

Washington county election offices provide ballots upon request and help you make changes to your registration.

“The right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy, and we shouldn’t allow anyone to interfere with it,”

Secretary Hobbs said.

Washington’s Office of the Secretary of State oversees areas within state government including managing state elections, registering corporations and charities, and governing the use of the state flag and state seal. The office operates the State Archives and the State Library, documents extraordinary stories in Washington’s history through Legacy Washington, and administers the Combined Fund Drive for charitable giving by state employees and the Productivity Board state employee suggestion program. The Office of the Secretary of State also oversees the state’s Address Confidentiality Program to help protect survivors of crime.

Get prepared with the three Ws: Water, warmth and waste

Tending to the 3 W’s — warmth, water and waste — is a manageable emergency preparedness tactic that might help you get through a major earthquake (or another disaster with limited access to basic services).

People often envision food being the most important part of a survival kit, but water is a real life-sustaining necessity – if you’re lucky enough to stay at home after an earthquake, you’re liable to have enough food to get by, even if it means tapping

into that can of green beans at the back of the cupboard. The other two Ws, warmth and waste, are also key to staying healthy and happy.

At Madison Park Hub, we stress the importance of focusing on the three Ws first to make preparedness less overwhelming. (Quick plug: our Hub is hosting a preparedness event on Sept. 22.) There are many ways to deal with these needs (and many opinions about them), so I welcome you to find your own solutions. But here are a few things to consider if you’re looking to start some prep.

WATER

The lake is not a dependable source of drinking water. Water filtering and boiling won’t remove the heavy metals, salts and other chemicals that might contaminate Lake Washington in an earthquake or other emergency. Also, it’s not convenient: imagine navigating home from the lake lugging full containers across buckled streets and sidewalks littered with toppled telephone poles. Not a pretty picture.

Ready.gov recommends supplies for “a couple of days” while other preparedness enthusiasts recommend nine days or even a full two weeks of water. Do what you have time and space for!

TIPS

Determine your household’s water needs. You will need to store 1 gallon of water per person per day. Each pet requires one-third of a gallon per day.

Obtain a bottled water supply if you have a place to store it. Buy commercially bottled water and store it unopened in a cool, dark place that is likely to be accessible after a quake. (Check it/rotate it often, as it will evaporate over time.)

Purchase water disinfection supplies and learn how to use them. These can range from disinfectant tablets to judiciously used household bleach. If the water is not chemically contaminated, a LifeStraw or other camping water filter (Sawyer is a popular brand) can work.

Know how to access another water source (if available). A hot water tank in your home is a backup source of clean water. (But you have to protect it from contamination by turning off the water to the house and, if

possible, to the tank.) Some tanks have easy-to-use valves, while others require using a wrench – find out which yours is! (I left a spare wrench by my water tank to be ready if I need it.)

WARMTH

Earthquakes can strike in any weather. Depending on the season, weather, and available shelter when an earthquake hits, you will need a way to stay warm.

Natural gas brings earthquake risks. Should a gas line in your home have broken with the shaking, any spark could ignite gas that may have accumulated in your home. So, if you smell gas, send everyone outside to safety.

TIPS

Consider warmth when assembling disaster supplies. We recommend you keep the following in a bag near your bed (perhaps attached to a leg of your bed so you can easily find it):

• a light source (headlamps are ideal, or a flashlight)

• sturdy shoes and warm socks

• gloves to keep your hands warm and protected from broken glass

• a warm hat, a warm shirt, a water-resistant, warm jacket, and a pair of pants/leggings

• two masks: a simple cloth mask to prevent COVID transmission (you might spend some time in the close quarters of a shelter) and an N-95 quality mask to protect lungs from smoke in case fires are burning nearby

Dress like you’re camping indoors: If there’s no power, please know that generators and stoves (even your own gas stove) are not safe to use indoors to warm yourself, due to carbon monoxide risk, so you might need to get creative to stay warm. Layering clothes is always a good plan. Some people even put up tents inside the house (blankets will work in a pinch – think those play forts

Dana Armstrong Emergency Prep

Courtesy

Emergency portable toilet.

Gardens say so much about us

Suppose for a minute you once wrote a book entitled Women in the Garden. And after a few decent reviews, low and behold, you are invited to sign copies of it at a prestigious garden show.

Since that initial invitation, I learned that garden shows are numerous as the charities they support. And for two summers, I packed up my books, covering freeways from Seattle to San Francisco, turning down a few because I could see myself taking on more of these “shows” than I was wired to handle. Because as lovely as some of them were, it wasn’t the gardens that most intrigued me, but the social climate entwining each, varied as the plant life. And a deepening of my understanding that just about everything that happens in this world, no matter how inconsequential, is a story.

Completely naive about garden shows, I thought the gardens on display would be similar to, say, the

LIBRARY from Page 2Æ

Community Garden near my neighborhood, a vibrant, unpretentious garden; its gardeners eager to share enthusiasm with nosey onlookers like me.

Then I found myself on the East Side of our Emerald City. And trust me, had I not been invited as an author, I’m pretty sure my life would never have intersected that life.

Those of you not familiar with the city of Medina need to know that Bill Gates lives an estate away from the shearedfor-golf lawn I propped my book table on. When I drove up, foremost on the owner’s mind was that my car was not fitting enough to be parked anywhere near her tiled piazza. She was obviously suffering from some kind of garden show performance anxiety. She shooed me off with a little wave of her hand as if to say, “It’s no big thing to move it.” Even though we both knew it was a big thing. There is no street parking in the neighborhood without a permit, so where

Week with Partners in Print. Stop by the Central Library, Living Room between to letterpress print your own words about what books mean to you. You’ll print two posters — you can keep one and hang one in a public display that will be enjoyed all week long. Registration is not required.

WRITING EVENTS AND BOOK CLUBS

• Writers Read. From 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 8. Columbia Branch meeting room. Join us for a monthly reading series with the African American Writers’ Alliance featuring an open mic and selected author readings from local writers. Registration is required.

• Low Vision Book Group. From 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 10. Central Library, Level 1 - Room 165. Join our Low Vision Book Group for a discussion of “The Impossible First: From Fire to Ice-Crossing Antarctica Alone” by Colin O’Brady.

• Write with Hugo House: Seattle Writes. From 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 10. Fremont Branch. Write with Hugo House is a drop-in writing circle for adults of all experience levels. All genres of writing welcome. Registration not required.

• Virtual Write With Hugo House. From 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 11. Join us for an online writing circle for all ages and genres of writing. Facilitated by poet Jeanine Walker, this circle will focus on generative writing through poetry prompts, but it’s designed for all writers. Registration is required.

would I park? Right before she pounced, I remember sensing the stillness of the acreage and when I opened my car door the wind made a quiet, swishing sound as it moved through the trees.

I proceeded to unload my box of books before driving off to hide my Dodge Colt, the walk back from the Community Center seeming twice as long now that I was anxious. Feeling on all counts, inferior. “I don’t want to go back,” I said to myself. And the garden?

Well, the garden was a portal into another landscaped universe, as far from where one might say, “Hey, honey, come and see the size of my delphiniums!” and deep into the world of “Behold what a landscape architect and a lawn maintenance crew can contrive.”

To me, cordoned off gardens showcasing indigenous foliage are tidy but ungratifying. If I’m promised a show, I imagine flora that blooms with colors

• It’s About Time Writers Reading Series. From 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Sep. 12. Ballard Branch Meeting Room. It’s About Time Writers Reading Series features author readings and open mics. Registration is not required.

• El Club Latino. From 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 15. Central Library Level 8 - Meeting Room. Únase al Club deLectura de la Biblioteca Central. El libro de este mes es: “Donde somos humanos: historias genuinas sobre migración, sobrevivencia y renaceres” de Reyna Grande. No se requiere inscripción.

• Poetry Potluck @ Ballard Branch.

From 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 18. Ballard Branch Meeting Room. Join our informal gathering to read aloud and listen to poems by writers throughout the world and across time. Registration is not required.

• Write with Hugo House: Seattle Writes @ Douglass-Truth Branch. From 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept.19. DouglassTruth Branch meeting room. Do you crave a dedicated space to write and connect with fellow writers? Our group, facilitated by Miz Portiontè Floes, provides just that. Find more events at www.spl.org/ Calendar.

Contact the Library’s Ask Us service by phone at 206-386-4636 or by email or chat at www.spl.org/Ask. Staff are ready to answer questions and direct you to helpful resources and information.

that reach into me. But what I mostly saw let me down in a way: fifty shades of forest green.

Maybe it’s my proletariat roots reaching deeper than appreciation can go, but I found myself wondering if the owners of the grounds gaze over their gardens with pride but from a distance, unable to grasp a hands-on, I-grew-thisfrom-seed kind of knowledge. More than once I asked myself, do you think these new houses need to be so large in order to house the size of the void such a lack of personal, practical involvement can create?

The next weekend, and what a relief it was, I sunned myself behind a 1920’s bungalow in Wallingford next to where a wooded lot met the green of a much-loved garden; where the owner didn’t rope off her aromatic ground cover but invited guests to step on it just so we could know the swiftness with which a scent can begin and end. The interconnection of gardener to garden? Fertile

EMERGENCY from Page 6Æ

kids put up with blankets and chairs).

WASTE

Water and sewer pipes are vulnerable to shaking amplification and rupture during an earthquake. In a 2018 study of earthquake response, the King County Wastewater Treatment Division concluded that recovery and reconstruction of our sewer system and treatment plants may take years.

Water might not be coming into your toilet, and you won’t want to waste any precious water supply on flushing. Besides, any human waste that gets flushed and enters the sewer line will flood out of any break in the pipeline and pose a health risk.

Human waste management after an earthquake is essential. One of the top two causes of morbidity and mortality after natural disasters is lifethreatening dehydration from diarrheal disease caused by fecal contamination of water, food, cooking utensils, and your own two hands.

TIPS

• Use your toilet – but not

as her compost in clear sight and steaming.

And in my eyes, nothing is more satisfying than pride with a scent like that.

Mary Lou Sanelli’s newest collection of essays, In So Many Words, is due out in September. A professional speaker and a master dance teacher, she has written a column for this paper for 16 years, also contributing to The Seattle Times, NPR, and other newspapers and magazines. Please join her book celebrations at Elliott Bay Book Company on Sept. 13 at 7 p.m. and at Third Place Books (Lake Forest Park) at 7 p.m. Oct. 3. www.marylousanelli.com

how you think! Line your toilet bowl with a plastic bag to capture and manually dispose of poop. Store poop outside. • Create a twin-bucket toilet in advance. If you don’t have access to your toilet, a homemade twin-bucket toilet can be used anywhere and uses easy-to-find supplies (5-gallon buckets, pool noodles, and garbage bags). Make one for pee and one for poo. Google instructions to learn how.

I hope this wasn’t too overwhelming, and that you can spend a little time thinking about how you would approach the three Ws at your home.

This column is part of Madison Park Emergency Hub’s outreach effort. We’re an allvolunteer organization focused on neighbors helping each other in an emergency.

Please come to our emergency drill in Madison Park on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2-4 p.m. near the tennis courts (drop by anytime; kids are encouraged to participate).

We’ll practice preparedness and rehearse how you could both help and get help in a disaster – and it’s a lot of fun! Mail us at madparkhub@gmail.com to learn more.

Dana Armstrong is a Madison Park Emergency Hub volunteer.

Mary Lou Sanelli Falling Awake

NEW GARDENERS AND

Foundation plants of a garden, perennials can provide years of

Along with the traditional springtime, September and October are an excellent time for planting; the soil is still warm and the rainy season is about to begin. However, before adding new

GARDEN Page 6Æ

Bruce Bennett

IN PRAISE OF BORING PLANTS

Acertain type of gardener is fatally attracted to rare, novel, or new plants. The weirder, less-heard-of, the better. I confess to being this gardener much of the time. When a plant typically comes in green foliage, give me black. Whether my garden needs it or not is debatable, but I do. Today the tried-

What My Clients Are Saying...

Erica Browne Grivas Get Growing

GROWING from Page 3Æ "So,

and-true plants, the stalwarts of roadsides and gas station-plantings, are looking bright and shinier to me, for several reasons.

This novelty seeking can come at a cost (literally and figuratively). First, the rarity of a new variety drives higher prices at introduction. Second, these plants may need greater coddling than proven ones. Even if they don’t, you’ll be more stressed about losing them because of the high price you paid. If you do lose it, you’ll face the cost of replacement.

With plant and garden supply prices steadily scaling higher, you may want to think twice about adding a rare plant. It’s not uncommon to see one-quart perennials at nurseries priced from $15-$22 depending on the rarity of the plant and the nursery.

Increasing weather extremes are another reason to reconsider tough plants. It so happens I lost a special daphne, Daphne odora var. ‘alba’ to the last winter’s prolonged freezes. As a group daphnes are flighty in the best of times, famous for shrugging off their mortal coil without warning after years of steady growth. I fell in love at first scent at the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival three years ago and brought one home. For two

after recent droughts, heat domes and erratic freezes, look around and appreciate the plants, from annuals and perennials to shrubs and trees, that are still standing tall, the ones you’ve taken for granted."

springs it bloomed profusely with white flowers and yellow centers, scenting the air with a divine lemon fragrance. My guess is that being in a ceramic container wasn’t enough insulation for its roots last year.

So, after recent droughts, heat domes and erratic freezes, look around and appreciate the plants, from annuals and perennials to shrubs and trees, that are still standing tall, the ones you’ve taken for granted. Take note of the plants in your yard that ask for little, that shrug off extreme weather when others wilt or melt.

Public-facing plantings often showcase these “old reliables” because they face rough conditions like urban heat islands, compacted soil, and lack of gardeners and irrigation. Check out schools, malls, hotels and restaurant plantings.

In the big picture, when every town plants a new popular plant, it creates a monoculture and invites disease, pests, and other issues, like the Callery pear. Planted in streets across America, we realized

too late that it was a) a weak street tree prone to breakage and b) it managed to breed and escape into wild areas despite being sterile. Looking at plants that have withstood the test of time is a safer bet. Plants that are almost clichés have earned that status for a reason – they have endurance, like the Breton shirt and little black dress in our capsule wardrobes.

Keep in mind that no plant is completely bulletproof. For instance, I recently said goodbye to an indoor Sansevieria cylindrica, which can go a month or more without watering, after it got too much water.

Some tough outdoor customers include marigolds, annual (Pelargonium) and perennial (Geranium spp.) geraniums, succulents and yucca, salal, sword ferns, mahonia, junipers, ‘Mugo’ pines, Ilex opaca, berberis, viburnum ‘davidii’, shrubby dogwood, and carex. Research each to match the conditions in your garden bed, of course.

You want to look for plants

that aren’t too fussy about their conditions, managing heat, cold, dry and wet with some resilience and vigor.

Note the word some here – you don’t want too much vigor. You want to avoid potentially invasive or fast-spreading plants that outgrow their welcome. Tough plants that I’d avoid for their aggressive proliferation include ivy, vinca, wisteria, Euphorbia characias (Mediterranean spurge which seeds around like crazy), non-sterile buddleia, and running bamboo.

Some alternatives are Euphorbia cultivars you’ll find in garden centers like ‘Ascot Rainbow’ or ‘Tasmania Tiger’ and sterile cultivars of buddleia which are less likely to self-sow, and clumping bamboo, while not a breeze to remove, spreads slowly and predictably.

I would never tell someone not to grow zone-pushing or finicky plants they love. There’s always a place for a well-tended plant, whether rose, banana, or hebe. Just know you may have to offer more TLC to keep it happy, and you may need to replace them someday. However, if you also include some of the plants mentioned above in your borders and pots, you’ll be planting some insurance for beauty that lasts.

Listed by Mary Snyder & Bob Bennion with COMPASS.

plants to a garden, there are some guidelines for a new gardener to consider:

It is important to do some initial soil preparation. After you choose the spot you want to landscape, check the soil drainage by digging a 10-inch deep hole and filling it with water. The next day fill it with water again. If all the water has not drained out in eight hours, the drainage is poor and you should consider constructing a raised bed or adding perennials which are

able to handle damp soils. Add three to four inches of compost or aged manure to planting area and dig into a depth of 8” – 12”. This process will build up or “raise” the bed. Next, test the pH of your soil. Test kits can be purchased at garden centers and free testing may be a service of your county’s Extension or conservation department. For instance, in the Seattle area, look to the King Conservation District. Once you have the test results, make the recommended amendments to the soil. The local Master Gardeners program can help to interpret your test results.

RIGHT PERENNIALS BEFORE BUYING, DO SOME RESEARCHING

Decide what kind of garden you want: cottage garden, rock garden, mass planting of color, herb garden. Are you going to use bulbs or ornamental grasses? Is your flower bed in mostly sun or shade? It is important to have the right growing conditions for your perennials. A shade plant may not survive in the hot sun. A plant that likes direct sun may not flower properly in a shady spot. Make sure the plants are hardy for your area otherwise you are squandering your time and money.

CHECK THE FLOWERING TIMES OF DIFFERENT PERENNIALS

Pick plants and bulbs with different blooming periods so you have a succession of bloom during the spring, summer and fall. Look for ones that have longer blooming periods. Most plant catalogs (and, definitely, the Internet) have this information and will make it easy for the novice to select the right plants for a succession of blooms. You can also mix annuals (plants that live only one season) with your perennials. The annuals will help brighten the garden during the periods when some of the perennials stop blooming and will act as ‘fillers’ until the newly planted perennials mature and fill-out.

PURCHASE YOUR PERENNIALS

Here there are many choices: garden centers, garden club sales, herb farms, catalogs or better yet, get plant divisions for free from friends, neighbors and relatives who are dividing their plants. Perennials are more expensive than annuals, but you only have to buy a few plants of each variety because, over the

years, perennials will grow and spread. Make sure the plants are healthy looking. You want plants that are dark green and compact—avoid plants with thin, yellowing stems and leaves or ones that may be harboring insects. Read the directions on the plant tags to see if they do best in sun or shade, how far apart to space them, how tall they will get, etc.

START PLANTING

Plant in clumps, groups or drifts, spacing the plants for mature size and keeping in mind the height of the plants. Plant according to heights starting with the tallest plants in the back of the bed down to the shorter, edging plants in the front. Of course, there are always exceptions. Tall plants that can easily be seen through (think Brazilian Verbenia, Verbenia bonariensis at left) can provide an aesthetic screen through which to view the planting bed behind them. Large plants like ornamental grasses do better planted as specimens by themselves since they will grow very large over the years. Begin the planting process by removing your plants from their growing containers and leaving as much of the moist soil around their roots as possible. Dig a hole deep enough so that the top of the root ball is level with or just above the surface of the ground.

Before setting the plant in, soak the soil in the planting hole and then fill in with soil around the plant. Water on a regular basis for three years until the plant is established. Water needs to reach the roots of perennials so use a soaker hose, drip irrigation or oscillator with water timers. Your goal is to provide all plants with 1” of water once a week (or more when the area experiences hot, dry spells.

MULCH

This gardening aid will keep the soil moist and warm and cut down on weeding. Bark, pine needles or shredded leaves are good organic mulches. Depending on the design of the garden, you can also use gravel or black plastic landscaping material. Definitely stay away from the inorganic shredded and dyed rubber mulches. The planet will thank you for your ecoconsideration.

DEADHEAD

Consider removing old

flower heads or cut back plants to keep them neat looking after their blooming period is finished. With many perennials, deadheading will cause reblooming and extend the visual interest of the plant. With some perennials, like cone flowers, think about leaving the seed heads to feed your yards birds over the winter months.

FERTILIZE

This should be done each spring (think April and May) as perennials again come to life and begin growing.

DIVIDE

Every three to five years your plants will probably need to be divided as they will get overcrowded with have bare centers or smaller flowers. Divide them into clumps of three to five shoots. Do this when plants are dormant in the spring or fall.

Follow these easy steps and you are on your way to establishing another beautiful piece of your garden. When fall comes, some of your plants will die back, but what a thrill when they are viewed breaking the soil each spring. With perennials, a little investment of time and money now can give you a lifetime of enjoyment. Happy gardening all!

Are northern giant hornets bugging out of Washington state?

By Brett Davis The Center Square

There is cautious optimism that the invasive and predatory northern giant hornet has been eradicated from Washington state.

But that’s not official yet.

According to the Washington State Department of Agriculture, the Evergreen State must go three years without detection to meet the regulatory definition of eradication.

There have been no confirmed sightings of the northern giant hornet, previously known as the Asian giant hornet or the more colorful “murder hornet,” since late summer 2021 when four nests were found and destroyed in Whatcom County in northern Washington along the Canadian border.

“No hornets have been detected so far this year, but the season is still early,” Karla Salp, WSDA communications consultant, emailed The Center Square.

Northern giant hornet

season typically runs from July through November.

“If we don’t detect any hornets this year, we would likely declare them eradicated in conjunction with USDA [U.S. Department of Agriculture],” Salp explained.

“That won’t be known until the end of the year, once all of the trapping is complete and the field traps are brought in and checked, which will probably be the end of December.”

Native to temperate and tropical regions of East and Southeast Asia, including parts of China, India, Japan and Sri Lanka, Vespa mandarinia was first detected in the Pacific Northwest in late 2019, coinciding with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The insect is the world’s largest hornet, with queens reaching up to 2 inches in length. The apex predators are considered an invasive species in North America and are well known for their aggression and ability to kill bees and other hornet species.

A small group of northern giant hornets can, in a matter of hours, kill an entire

honey bee hive. Honey bees pollinate many of the crops in Washington’s multibilliondollar agriculture industry.

The Washington Invasive Species Council notes the potential impact if the nonnative insect is allowed to get a foothold in Washington.

“Northern giant hornet poses a serious threat to Washington honeybees and the honeybee industry,” the organization’s website states.

“While the extent of possible damage to Washington’s honeybee industry is not yet known, a similar hornet in Europe has reduced beehives by 30 percent and up to twothirds of the honey yield.”

Washington's 2023 honey production, at 2.24 million pounds, was 19% lower than 2022, according to a USDA news release from earlier this year. There were 83,000 honey-producing colonies, 3,000 lower than the previous year. The yield per colony averaged 27 pounds, compared with 32 pounds per colony in 2022.

According to an October 2023 USDA news release,

photo

the value of Washington's 2022 agricultural production totaled $12.8 billion, shattering the previous record high of $10.4 billion in 2015 and up 27% from the revised previous year's value of $10.1 billion.

The value of Washington's crop production in 2022 was $8.6 billion, up 22% from 2021.

The hefty hornets rarely attack people unless provoked.

Repeated, powerful stings from the insect can cripple or even kill a human being.

The northern giant hornet is responsible for as many as 50 deaths a year in Japan.

While the state’s coordinated

response and extermination campaign over the past year appears to be paying off, WSDA officials want people to keep watching out for the northern giant hornet and report any sightings.

People are urged to report any sightings or evidence of a hive attack to WSDA by using the Hornet Watch Report Form, emailing hornets@ agr.wa.gov, or calling 1-800443-6684. Any report should include name and contact information, the location and date of the sighting or attack, a photograph of the hornet or damage, and a description of the hive loss or damage.