There is a Seattle City Council seat on the ballot even though this is an even year. Four people have answered the call to run for public office: Tariq Yusuf, Saunatina Sanchez, Alexis Mercedes Rinck, and Tanya Woo.
When Teresa Mosqueda was elected to the King County Council last fall, she vacated her citywide seat on the City Council. The remaining six councilmembers appointed an interim member, but the Seattle City Council Position 8 is back on the ballot for voters to decide who will represent them … until the next regularly scheduled election for that seat, in 2025.
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Queen Anne & Magnolia News invited each of the four candidates for a conversation and they all took time out of their schedules to share some of their priorities with our readers. Although they are all Democrats and their approaches and talking points varied, Housing and Public Safety were two of the top three priorities for each of the candidates. And they all expressed
Bumbershoot, Amazon donating food from this year’s festival
Courtesy
Jim Bennett Photo Bakery for Bumbershoot Third Stone Executive Director
Camilla Walter addresses the crowd.
Third Stone is Bumbershoot’ s nonprofit arm.
Bumbershoot Arts & Music Festival and Amazon have revealed plans for “Bumbershoot Gives Back, Powered by Amazon,” an initiative that will donate 90,000 pounds of food to local food banks and connect fans with meaningful opportunities to improve their communities. Participating fans can receive Bumbershoot tickets and exclusive merchandise.
This summer, 2,000 2-day tickets to the 2024 festival from Aug. 31 to Sept. 1 at Seattle Center will be available to individuals who dedicate their time to selected communitybased organizations focusing on food insecurity. In addition, Bumbershoot will soon launch a virtual food drive. Those interested can learn more and find volunteer opportunities at Bumbershoot.com/givesback. Details of the partnership were unveiled at the Asian Counseling & Referral Service’s (ACRS) Food Bank in the ChinatownInternational District. At the kickoff, an Amazon delivery vehicle containing a portion
Serving Queen Anne & Magnolia Since 1919
Courtesy Jim Bennett Photo Bakery for Bumbershoot
Staff Report
Courtesy Nancy Chang
City Council candidates, from left, Tariq Yusuf, Saunatina Sanchez, Alexis Mercedes Rinck, and Tanya Woo came together at a recent Seattle City Council Climate Forum moderated by Ry Armstrong.
Queen Anne & Magnolia Worship Services
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For additional assistance, please contact us at seattle12cs@gmail.com or 206.283.2300 ChristianScienceTwelfthSeattle.com
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Washington State Supreme Court leaves high-capacity magazine ban in place
By Carleen Johnson
The Center Square
Washington's ban on the sale of high-capacity magazines will remain in effect after a Monday decision by the state Supreme Court.
A majority of justices denied a request to modify an order from Supreme Court Commissioner Michael Johnson issued back in April that kept the ban in place, despite a lower court ruling that determined the law was unconstitutional.
Monday’s decision will keep the ban in effect until the court hears arguments, possibly in September, in the state’s appeal of the lower court's ruling.
Cowlitz County Superior Court Judge Gary Bashor ruled on April 8 that the ban on the sale of magazines that hold more than 10 rounds violated the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and part of the Washington Constitution granting individuals a right to bear arms for self-defense.
The order came at the request of state Attorney General Bob Ferguson.
The case goes back to a dispute between the state and firearms retailer Gator’s Custom Guns in Kelso and owner Walter Wentz.
Gator’s Custom Guns filed a legal challenge against the ban – the result of Senate Bill 5078, passed by the Legislature and signed into law in 2022 – months after it too effect, and Ferguson then filed legal action alleging the store was violating the ban by continuing to sell high-capacity magazines.
When the judge in Cowlitz County ruled the ban unconstitutional back in April, Gator's Custom Guns immediately opened it’s store – on a Monday when it would typically be closed – to long lines of customers eager to purchase high-capacity magazines.
As previously reported by The Center Square,
Johnston placed the emergency stay order within a matter of hours of that ruling, meaning the gun store had to turn dozens of customers away.
Wentz told The Center Square that he was initially upset at the state Supreme Court's Monday decision.
“It gave me pause, but then it was explained to me by counsel that this was not unexpected,” he said.
Wentz is represented by The Silent Majority Foundation and lead counsel Pete Serrano, who is running to be Washington's next attorney general.
The order keeping the stay in place reads in part: “The Court concludes the Petitioner will suffer an injury should the stay not be imposed.
The Respondent contends that imposing the stay imposes irreparable injury on the constitutional rights of Washington residents by preventing them from purchasing constitutionally protected large capacity ammunition magazines. As the constitutionality of ESSB 5078 has not yet been determined, this injury is speculative. Now, therefore, it is hereby ORDERED: That the Respondents’ motion to modify the Commissioner’s Ruling granting the stay is denied.”
Wentz said he remains fully committed to seeing the case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, adding he was buoyed by this month's decision by the U.S. Supreme Court ordering lower courts to take another look at challenges to several federal and state firearms restrictions following the high court's upholding a law that bans people subject to domestic violence restraining orders from having guns.
Wentz noted his case hasn’t bypassed any steps along the way, so he believes he is on good legal footing for the battle ahead.
“Every single day our customers come in and tell me to keep up the fight,” he said. “And they donate for the legal fight, so I’m not giving up.”
Bayview’s upcoming project
We are excited about upcoming window and deck improvements to Bayview that will bring new energysaving benefits to our building. As some of you may know, Bayview, a nonprofit Life Plan Community, opened its doors to its first residents in April 1961. The same windows, single framed, aluminum paned, have served us well for 63-plus years, but it’s time to replace them with new, energyefficient windows. As well, the balcony decks and railings will be repaired and resurfaced as needed. The project is scheduled to start in late summer. The replacement of the majority of the building windows will have minimal noise impacts, and there should be limited impact on local traffic as all the equipment is operated on our site. However, units at the northeast and northwest corners of the building will have their former balconies replaced with new flooring and new window walls, which may entail noise impact.
We have contracted with Abbott construction for this project, which is expected to be completed in January 2025. They will be working Monday-Friday, no work on the weekends. The work hours will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. While every step will be taken to mitigate the noise level, noise is inevitable and we hope that the project concludes as quickly as possible.
If you have any concerns or questions about the project please contact Marco Baumann at mbaumann@bayviewseattle. org. We will be happy to take contact information for those seeking updates at key milestones of the project. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to improve our community’s energy efficiency and overall comfort for our residents.
Nancy Weinbeck is the CEO of Bayview in Queen Anne.
Adobe Stock Image
Nancy Weinbeck
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of an initial donation of 30,000 pounds of food was unloaded by Amazon volunteers. Bumbershoot nonprofit Third Stone’s Executive Director Camilla Walter, Amazon’s Senior Manager for Community Engagement Taylor Hoang, and ACRS’ Deputy Director G. De Castro provided remarks.
“Bumbershoot Gives Back is yet another example of how Bumbershoot is showing up for our community by using our influence to impact change,” said Camilla Walter, Executive Director of Third Stone, Bumbershoot’s nonprofit arm. “We thank Amazon for its continued support of Bumbershoot, and are excited to partner again with a
COUNCIL from Page 1Æ
a willingness to engage with the community.
•••
Saunatina Sanchez was the first candidate to sit down with our newspaper. She chose Queen Anne’s Caffè Fiorè because she likes their coffee and wanted to highlight the great mixed-use design of the surrounding blocks and access to public transit. Sanchez is the 41-year-old candidate who grew up in Seattle and describes herself as an Autistic genderqueer Latine “lady dude.” Noting, she “knew as a young kid, that people like me- on the margins of society or receiving public assistance- we were not supposed to get into this position.” And now that she is here, this former educator/ software designer/ guest services manager wants to solve the question: “How do we as neighbors determine what happens in our communities?”
Top priorities for Sanchez are transportation land use, public safety, and housing. She stressed the interconnectedness of these issues and others within our communities: “no public safety without discussing vehicular violence, no land use without racism of our country’s design, no housing crisis without design code.” And underscored the need to “talk to people who don’t currently agree” and “be more creative in how we express solutions.” Sanchez is hosting Town Hall meetings in each of the city’s seven districts and invites voters to reach out through social media or her website: https://www. saunatinaforseattle.com/
Tanya Woo is the community activist who grew up in several Seattle neighborhoods and has “happy memories in all parts of the city,” currently living in Rainier Beach and serving as the Position
renewed focus on addressing the issue of food insecurity in our region. We look forward to engaging thousands of volunteers throughout the community, who will receive tickets to the festival in exchange for their service via this innovative program.”
As part of the Bumbershoot Gives Back partnership, Amazon and Bumbershoot will donate 90,000 pounds of food to regional food banks. This program is an effort by both organizations to combat food insecurity in Western Washington, an issue that affects over 1.5 million people in the region. Bumbershoot will soon launch a virtual food drive organized by nonprofit hunger relief organization Conscious Alliance, where a limited edition poster will be available by donation before and
8 City Councilmember. She was the second candidate to come up to Queen Anne and needed to meet later in the day because the council had a vote on the Transportation Levy. After realizing Queen Anne Coffee Co closes at 5 p.m., she decided on Caffè Fiorè for a quick uber from downtown. Her top three priorities are public safety, housing and homelessness, and the creative economy.
Stressing the need to focus on the young people. Woo said, “Kids need more support than ever: youth programming, entrepreneurship, civic engagement. Giving people what they want and asking what they need.” She is committed to activating neighborhoods and demonstrating that Seattle is safe. Particularly looking ahead to the FIFA World Cup, she says, “I want to draw that prosperity into the neighborhoods. It’s a chance for Seattle to shine!”
Woo described the current city council as very collaborative, civil, and as boring as possible. She hopes the people see her as accessible and highlights her goal of listening, “I don’t have original ideas, they come from listening to people in communities.” Voters can find more information at https://www. tanyawooforseattle.com/
Tariq Yusuf is the 29-year-old, mixed race Indonesian-American, born and raised Seattleite, who would be the first Muslim and youngest person elected to Seattle City Council. He chose to meet at Café Hagen so he could try the new shop occupying an old favorite spot. “My philosophy is that the government exists to take care of people,” he said, “Every other world class city takes care of the people that live there.” His top priority is creating a Social Safety Net, followed by housing and a community-centric approach to
at the festival, with each donation providing 80 meals contributing toward the program.
“We’re proud of our investments across Seattle and the Puget Sound region over the last 30 years, and as we continue to grow, so does our responsibility to the places where we live and work,” said David Zapolsky, Senior Vice President, Global Public Policy and General Counsel for Amazon. “Amazon is committed to working with our partners to find creative solutions that empower our community. This year, we’re excited to be working with an iconic local institution like Bumbershoot to have our sponsorship support critical needs in the region. Through this work, our impact will result in thousands of volunteers mobilizing
public safety.
Yusuf has lived on both sides of the red line and says, “The social safety net prevented me and my family from being homeless.” He’d like to create a Social Services Front Door to help show people how to find the help that they need and shift some of the police resources to the expansion of the city’s CARE team.
He would like to see a similar shift in education. His wife is a teacher and he notes that we are not supporting teachers with the resources they need even though they have become second parents to many students. “Similar to the current array of responsibilities that police are handling, teachers are overburdened,” he said.
In addressing the city’s housing issues, Yusuf said, “I want to be able to talk about how to keep people in their homes.” He wants to build dense housing for communities, elders, and families, while working on anti-displacement strategies and protecting the underrepresented groups.
Yusuf sees the good in people and would like the city to leverage their partnerships with the organizations that are doing good work. “That kind of model works- how do we go from where we are now to a better place?”
He believes the job of City Council is to connect the dots that people working individually may not see. https://www.tariqforcouncil.org/
Alexis Mercedes Rinck is a proud Latina renter from the Central District. She is a former waitress and a current budget and policy leader for University of Washington. She has worked on a variety of issues from the environment, campaign finance, police accountability, banning fracking in NY state, and written about Project 2025. “I was an organizer, that girl with the megaphone,” she said. She chose
across the Puget Sound while we infuse local food banks with 90,000 pounds of food.”
Volunteer opportunities at the following community-based organizations are available for signup:
• Asian Counseling & Referral Service
• North Helpline
• University District Food Bank
• Rainier Valley Food Bank
• Pike Market Senior Center & Food Bank
• Tilth Alliance
vTeen Feed
Learn more and give back at Bumbershoot.com/givesback. The limited-edition poster that will raise money for meals for those in need will be available in August.
Queen Anne Coffee Co because of its great location on the bustling Queen Anne Avenue.
Rinck’s current priorities for city council are housing, community safety, and addressing the budget crisis. “We need to be honest with the community,” she said, “without new revenue, there will be cuts.” She noted that the WA tax code is tremendously regressive and progressive revenue would be the ideal way to balance the scales. “A lot of wealth is made in this region and it’s a worthy investment to invest in this community.”
Her housing plan starts with making sure that the Comprehensive Plan accurately projects the city’s future and leads to “more growth, more housing, more regional centers, that prioritize creating connected communities, anti-displacement strategies, and investing accordingly.” The safety plan includes making sure that people are housed, fed, and making a living wage to interrupt the cycle of violence. She also wants to see more presence and stronger relationships between the community and our leaders, especially in regard to the schools. Rinck regularly attends the community safety meetings in the Central District. She says students want to have a choice about public safety officers and “it breaks my heart that students are scared and do not feel safe.”
Rinck noted the connectedness of the city’s issues and stressed the opportunities that can be created by smart policy investments that will shape our communities. More information at https://www. alexisforseattle.com/ Voters should have received their ballots by now. Information on voter registration and replacement ballots can be found at https://www.sos. wa.gov/elections#voters Ballots are due back by Aug. 6.
A CUT OF MEAT YOU NEED TO MEET
By Lynda Balslev Special to the Dispatch
The top sirloin cap is a cut of meat that you may not be familiar with. It's also called coulotte and is known as picanha in Brazilian churrasco cuisine. It's a tender cut of meat that sits on top of the sirloin, with a large fat cap that is essential to its flavor, especially when grilled.
Top sirloins come in large triangular pieces, 2 to 2 1/2 pounds in weight. You can cube them into large chunky pieces and thread on a skewer, or, better yet, cut them the Brazilian churrasco way by thickly slicing the cap. Bend the slices in a "C" shape with the fat cap on the outside of the "C." Then thread the meat through the "C" from top to bottom on metal skewers. This will expose the fat to the fire on the grill and allow it to crisp.
Serve the meat with an herbaceous green sauce, such as Argentinian chimichurri, Portuguese sofrito or Puerto Rican refogado. The essence of these Latin and Caribbean sauces is similar. They are fresh, vibrant salsas, laced with citrus and mildly spiced. Their brightness perfectly complements the rich, flavorful meat.
GRILLED TOP SIRLOIN SKEWERS, PICANHASTYLE
Active time: 30 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes, plus standing time
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Salsa:
▶ 3 scallions, white and green parts coarsely chopped
▶ 2 garlic cloves, chopped
▶ 1/2 small white onion, coarsely chopped
▶ 1 small poblano pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
▶ 1 cup packed Italian parsley
Courtesy Lynda Balslev
leaves and tender stems
▶ 1 cup packed cilantro leaves and tender stems
▶ 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
▶ 2 tablespoons lime juice
▶ 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
▶ 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
▶ 1 top sirloin cap (picanha) with fat cap, about 2 1/2 pounds ▶ Coarse kosher salt
Make the salsa:
Combine the scallions, garlic, onion, poblano, parsley and cilantro in a food processor and pulse to chop. Add the oil, lime juice, salt and pepper and pulse to achieve a thick salsa consistency. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until use.
Prepare the meat:
Let the steak stand at room temperature 30 to 60 minutes before grilling.
Score the fat cap in a crosshatch pattern without piercing the meat. Generously season the steak on all sides with the coarse salt. Cut the steak with the grain in even slices, 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick. Bend each slice into a C-shape, with the fat cap running the length of the "C." Run a skewer through the top and bottom of the "C," with 2 pieces of steak on each skewer. Lightly season the cut sides of the steak with additional salt.
Sear the skewers over direct heat until the meat is well marked, 4 to 6 minutes, turning once. Move the skewers to indirect medium heat and cook to your desired doneness, 7 to 9 minutes for medium rare. Slide the meat off the skewers and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut in thick slices against the grain. Serve with salsa.
Lynda Balslev is an award-winning writer, cookbook author, and recipe developer based in northern California. Visit TasteFood at TasteFoodblog.com.
Seattle City Council approves harsher penalties for illegal street racing
By Spencer Pauley
The Center Square
The Seattle City Council in an 8-1 vote passed emergency legislation on Tuesday meant to crack down on illegal street racing.
The newly passed ordinance establishes a $500 civil infraction against the registered owner of a vehicle participating in illegal street racing. Seattle City Councilmember Rob Saka successfully included an amendment that increases the fine to $800 for a second infraction, and $1,500 for third and subsequent infractions.
Additionally, any person who knowingly attends an unlawful racing event “with the intent to observe, support, or encourage the
event” may face a civil infraction base fine of $100 if they do not leave the event when instructed to by police officers.
In 2023, the state Legislature passed Senate Bill 5606 to expand the scope of illegal street racing conduct and broaden the definition of illegal street racing behavior beyond speed contests. The bill also created new impound and forfeiture authority for any vehicle used in illegal racing. The legislation became state law this year, effective on Jan. 1.
The Seattle City Council’s vote on Tuesday adopts the state’s law into city code.
The legislation was proposed by Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison last month as a result of a growing concern from constituents. City officials noted
an instance on July 23, 2023, in which three people were wounded by gunfire and one person was fatally shot during an unlawful racing event in the Capitol Hill neighborhood.
During a weekend last month, a pair of illegal racing events resulted in a fatal shooting, multiple shooting injuries, and a car striking a pedestrian.
“Thanks to the council’s vote, now our police officers will have some very important tools that will allow them to address the problem on the street, and my office will do everything possible to appropriately see the cases through so we can make a meaningful impact on those who take part in these dangerous activities,” Davison said in a news release.
Seattle City Councilmember Tammy Morales, the lone no vote, argued that the city does not need more criminalization of street racing, because the city already implemented Council Bill 120600, which established additional uses for automated traffic safety cameras and designated restricted racing zones.
“What we do need is safe places for adults to go, we need better lighting on our streets, [and] we need to design our streets to make it difficult for drivers to race on them,” Morales said during Tuesday's city council meeting.
As emergency legislation, the new law will go into effect immediately once signed by Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell.
Almost perfect
AMary
perfect day for me begins like this: I sit on my small balcony, surrounded by a garden of potted plants. I call it “my garden” because its size fits into my life. Because I’ve grown more comfortable with lowmaintenance over involved. Because when the morning light lays itself over the plants so that the new growth sparkles brighter than the undergrowth, for about fifteen shining minutes I don’t think about anything except what is most important to me, and that’s the definition of a garden. Because leaving worry behind is not easy for me and never has been.
For years, I’ve wanted to give up worry. I’m willing but barely succeeding. Some days I think that I am getting there, that I am nearly there, that I’m there.
Because the woman who worried about things (so many things!) beyond her control isn’t me anymore. She’s become someone who relaxes in her garden before she goes to work, and this may seem a small thing, but it’s huge. She’s become someone who can finally spot the red flags and not ignore them, thank god, or try to call them something else.
more honest and independent. I like to sit in the dark and get lost in the story. I also like the popcorn.
I know you can buy a TV screen the size of Rhode Island and download one of a gazillion movies at home, so why go out?
I’ll tell you why. When you make the effort to support something so genuine, it’s as if you can feel the point of being human all the way through.
A few movies ago, I listened to a woman refuse butter for her popcorn. Butter, she said, is just one of those things she doesn’t tempt herself with. So I said — as if it were a dare, which we both know it wasn’t — that I bet she could enjoy butter at the movies and still respect herself in the morning. Her voice came out a mixture of surprise and thanks. After the movie, we talked and got to know each other a little better. Is this any way to meet people in this day and age?
Yes, it is.
Because this kind connection doesn’t usually happen in your living room with Netflix, no matter how many other devices you are monitoring.
For years, I’ve wanted to give up worry. I’m willing but barely succeeding. Some days I think that I am getting there, that I am nearly there, that I’m there.
So here’s what I do after I sit in my garden: I sit at my desk.
And after three to four hours of working out what I want to say by finding the words for how — because that’s what it takes to write, you write — I start to fidget because I want to get to the public pool before it closes for lap swimming. And if I get a lane to myself, it’s a perfect day indeed. I’m not great at sharing my swimming space. I don’t know if its because writing is such a solitary endeavor and it’s hard to make the transition, but when I see three, four, people sharing a lane by swimming in a tight circle I think, you’d have to shoot me first.
But honestly, the best part of a perfect day is still to come: I go to the movies. I especially like to go to the older theaters, like the SIFF Cinema Egyptian. The feel of the Egyptian is so different from new theaters. Maybe it’s the lack of fake butter smell. Maybe it’s because the feel of the place is unpretentious. Definitely it’s because the films don’t bore me. I’m always hungry for something
I have a friend, Diane, who loves films as much as I do. And she remembers everything, the year it was made, the director, the actors even who designed the costumes if the wardrobe met her approval. She will sit through the entire length of the credits, absorbed. She thinks it is nothing, all this remembering. But for me, it’s mission accomplished if I even recall the title. I remember a conversation between us back in March. After I quoted something I’d read about Ash Wednesday, because as a kid that day actually meant something — or my family pretended it meant something, which a lot of Catholics are really good at — and here we were, two heathens going to the movies instead of to Mass, “Soon enough, every one of us, and everything, will turn to dust.” And Diane said, “except plastic.” And that’s a perfect comeback, don’t you think, on a perfect day?
When I set out this morning to imagine a perfect day, I saw one as many things, needless as well as necessary things, things that are nothing and everything I have ever wanted. And that thought alone is an ideal end to a perfect day I am lucky enough to enjoy now and again.
Mary Lou Sanelli's newest collection of essays about living in the Northwest, In So Many Words, is due out in September. Please join her for a launch celebration at Elliott Bay Book Company on Sept. 13 at 7 p.m. or at Third Place Books on Oct. 3 at 7 p.m.
