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For some homeowners, this emerald carpet is a dream come true. But from an environmental point of view, what it takes to maintain a typical lawn is a nightmare. A lush lawn needs water. But as droughts are becoming more frequent and last longer, watering lawns is an extravagance we can ill afford. To keep lawns green and weed-free, people use chemical fertilizers and herbicides, none of which are good for the environment. These chemicals find their way into ground water and into nearby lakes, rivers and streams. They are toxic to humans, fish and wildlife. They're also toxic to the microorganisms that are essential for healthy soil. Gas-powered lawn mowers and blowers produce emissions that contribute to climate change. Electric options are better, but if electricity in your region is generated by burning fossil fuels, emissions are still an issue. All that said, there are reasons to have at least a patch of green in many yards. Kids and pets need a place to play. Unlike paved surfaces, lawns are cooler in summer, and help prevent stormwater runoff in winter. Green spaces absorb sound and reduce noise pollution. How can you enjoy the benefits of a lawn without the environmental downside? There are several lawn alternatives that can work in the Pacific Northwest. Of these, probably the most reliable is microclover. You are probably familiar with its cousin, white clover, which grows taller and produces an abundance of white flowers. Microclover is shorter, produces fewer flowers, and because it isn't as tall, needs mowing less often. Other advantages of microclover include: It's drought tolerant and will stay green in summer in Seattle, when lawn grasses go dormant without regular watering. Depending on the weather in a given year, you won't have to water much, if at all, to keep your microclover lawn looking green. Clover is a legume, a type of plant that is capable of drawing elemental nitrogen from the air and converting it to a form that can be taken up by plants. This means that you won't have to fertilize your lawn anymore. If you've ever tried to dig up a patch of clover, you know that its root system forms a dense mat. That mat acts as weed barrier, eliminating the need to use herbicides. Microclover produces tiny, white flowers that are popular with pollinators, like bees and butterflies. With pollinator species in decline, due in part to loss of habitat and overuse of chemicals, planting microclover helps support them. You don't have to tear out your existing lawn to plant microclover. It grows very well in combination with the fescue and rye grasses in typical Seattle area lawns. Overseeding with microclover will fill in bare spots and blend in with existing grass. Here's how to get started. In spring, dethatch and aerate your lawn. Sprinkle seed over the lawn, especially any bare spots. One to two pounds should be enough to cover 1,000 sq. ft. of bare ground. Add a thin layer of compost over all. Water it in. It takes 7 - 14 days for the seed to geminate. Make sure it doesn't dry out while it is getting established. When you mow, keep the mowing height at two inches or above to avoid scalping. Enjoy your new, environmentally healthy lawn!

Updated 12/9/22. Originally posted 1/20/11. Yes, it is rainy, windy and sometimes snowy. The ground is too soggy for digging. But that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of satisfying gardening activities to enjoy. Here's a list. 1. Make your plan for this year's garden. What worked well last year? What do you want to change this year? Are there things you've never tried before that sound interesting? This is the time of year to do research. Go to your local nursery. Look at what they have available. Ask questions. Get catalogs from companies like Botanical Interests and Raintree Nursery, both places that sell seeds and plants that are well adapted to our climate. 2. Select winter blooming plants for your garden. It is too wet to plant right now, but you can buy the plants you want now and plant them later. Why buy them now? Right now, you can see what the flower color is on certain camellias, hellebores and witch hazels. Plants are not all created equal. Color, and with the witch hazels, fragrance, can vary from one to another. If you buy the plant in bloom, you know what you are getting. Later in the season, when the bloom has faded, it will be too late to tell. 3. Get your winter pruning done. Winter is when you prune deciduous trees and shrubs. The plants are dormant now and pruning isn't as hard on them as it will be later in the year. Also, without leaves, it is much easier to see the plant's framework and make cuts that are more aesthetically pleasing. Use sharp tools and clean the blades often with alcohol to keep from spreading diseases from one plant to another. Before pruning be sure to consult a guide for proper pruning. Pruning & Training is the best guide I have found. It is comprehensive and well-illustrated. Do not prune late winter/spring flowering shrubs like rhododendrons, azaleas or camellias right now. If you do, you will cut off the flower buds and you won't have any bloom this year. Wait until after they've flowered. 4. This is the time of year for dormant oil spraying. This is an effective, non-toxic (at least to humans, fish, birds and pets) method of dealing with certain insects and fungal diseases. You spray the oil-water mixture onto susceptible trees and plants (e.g. apples, cherries, hawthornes, roses) before they leaf out. The thin coating of oil smothers any over-wintering insect larvae, thus substantially reducing insect problems in the coming season. Sulphur is often added to the mix to kill fungal spores. The oil and pump sprayers are available at garden centers. 5. Visit the Winter Garden at the Washington Park Arboretum. It's fine to read about plants in books and visit nurseries to see what they look like "new." But to get a real sense of what plants are like in the landscape, it really helps to see mature plantings. Bundle up and take a walk in the park in late January, early February, and see the hellebores, heathers, and silk tassels (see photo at top of this post.) Think of it as a bit of winter forest bathing. Take in the fragrance of witch hazels, sarcococca and winter daphne. This will lift your spirits and possibly give you a new appreciation for wintertime. 6. Enjoy a mini-vacation at the Volunteer Park Conservatory. The greenhouse complex is modeled on London's famous Crystal Palace. But the interior will make you feel like you are in a tropical paradise with orchids, cactus, bromeliads and epiphytes. The Conservatory is an especially lovely destination on a cold, rainy day. There is a small fee to visit, $4 for adults, $2 for youth 6 - 17, free for children 5 and under. Annual membership is $35, which allows free visits all year and helps support the conservatory's operations. 7. Don't miss the Northwest Flower and Garden Show. This show runs every year in February at the Washington State Convention Center.

"The basket on Mrs. Fitz's arm carried a profusion of garlic cloves, the source of the summer's crop. The plump dame handed me the basket along with a digging stick for planting. Apparently I had lazed about the castle long enough; until Colum found some use for me, Mrs. Fitz could always find work for an idle hand."-- OUTLANDER, by Diana Gabaldon, Chapter 6 Claire might not have known how to grow garlic before Mrs. FitzGibbons handed her that basket of cloves and a digging stick, but she was undoubtedly familiar with garlic's medicinal value from her work as an Army nurse during World War II. In the 1940s, one of the first mass-produced antibiotics, penicillin, was available to treat wounded soldiers. But when supplies ran out, the medical staff turned to garlic, which had been used successfully from ancient Roman times through World War I to prevent gangrene and fight infections. This was particularly true in Russia, which is how garlic came to be called "Russian penicillin." During World War I, planting garlic was patriotic. In 1916, the British government asked civilians to grow more garlic to assure that there was enough to supply military medical needs. Botanical Information Family: Liliaceae Genus: Allium Species: Allium sativa Common name: garlic Garlic is believed to be native to central Asia. The exact origin of the first plants is not known. What is called "wild garlic" in many regions is in fact cultivated garlic that has naturalized, setting up colonies of its own wherever conditions were favorable. It is mentioned in the histories of ancient civilizations going back 7,000 years. Garlic is in the same genus as onions, shallots, chives and ornamental alliums. Health Benefits The National Center for Biotechnology Information has a detailed article online about the history and medical uses of garlic, which I suggest you read if you want more information and links to numerous studies involving this plant. Here's an overview of some of the health benefits garlic has to offer. Garlic contains sulphur compounds, such as allicin, which are antibiotic and anti-fungal. It has been shown to reduce LDL cholesterol levels and lower triglycerides. Garlic is an antioxidant. It has high levels of Vitamin C, and thus can prevent scurvy. Studies indicate that garlic prevents cancer by boosting the immune system. Garlic has been used to reduce the size and stop the growth of cancerous tumors. Companion Planting Plants, like people, grow better in the company of friends. Mrs. Fitz, of course, knew this. These are the instructions she gave Claire for planting garlic: "Divide 'em and plant the buds single, one here and one there, all round the garden. Garlic keeps the wee bugs awa' from the other plants. Onions and yarrow will do the same." Besides being a bug repellant, garlic has the ability to accumulate sulphur compounds that are in the soil. Sulphur is a good natural fungicide. In fact, sulphur is being used more and more in vineyards and orchards as farmers transition from chemical pesticides to natural pest and disease control. An easy way to add sulphur to the soil around susceptible plants is to plant garlic, or other members of the Allium family, along with them. I plant garlic chives under my roses, for example, to keep black spot away. Cultivation Garlic is easy to grow. Here's a video from Kitchen Gardeners International to show you how. Garlic as an Aphrodisiac? Perhaps it is more accurate to say that garlic is a "performance enhancer" for men. In her book, PLANTS WITH BENEFITS, an Uninhibited Guide to the Aphrodisiac Herbs, Fruits, Flowers & Veggies in Your Garden, Helen Yoest explains that garlic is a "hot" herb and that it increases blood flow, an important factor in male performance. Good blood flow means that men can "be ready when the time is right," to quote a popular commercial. For this reason, devout followers of certain religions, including Hindus, Jains and celibate Buddhist sects, have traditionally practiced abstinence from eating garlic. They believe that it stimulates sexual desire and aggressive behavior, which gets in the way of spiritual practice. But not all religious folk see this as a bad thing, Yoest says. "On the other hand, we have the prophet Ezra to thank for commanding the eating of garlic on the eve of the Sabbath, to ensure the mitzvah of conjugal pleasure." Besides the blood flow issue, garlic may be a natural remedy for another condition, described in drug advertising aimed at men, as "low T." Garlic contains a compound called diallyldisulfide which enhances the release of a hormone that stimulates testosterone production. This may not turn a 50-year-old into a frisky teenager, but it might be all a guy needs. So all you men out there - are you ready to kick the drug companies out of bed? If so, you need to eat more garlic.

Lavandula angustifolia - English lavender "'I'm all right,' he said. 'Claire, I'm all right, now. But for God's sake, get rid of that stink!' It was only then that I consciously noticed the scent in the room - a light, spicy, floral smell, so common a perfume that I had thought nothing of it. Lavender. A scent for soaps and toilet waters. I had last smelled it in the dungeons of Wentworth Prison, where it anointed the linen or the person of Captain Jonathan Randall. The source of the scent was a small metal cup filled with herb-scented oil, suspended from a heavy, rose-bossed iron base and hung over a candle flame. Meant to soothe the mind, its effects were plainly not as intended. Jamie was breathing more easily, sitting up by himself and holding the cup of water the monk had given him. But his face was still white, and the corner of his mouth twitched uneasily." -- From OUTLANDER, by Diana Gabaldon, Chapter 38 As Tom Robbins, another of my favorite authors, says in his novel, JITTERBUG PERFUME, "with immediacy and intensity, smell activates the memory, allowing our minds to travel freely in time." Of all the senses, the sense of smell appears to evoke the most detailed and emotional memories. Scent is processed via the olfactory bulb, which is part of the limbic system, that part of the brain involved in emotional memories and the fight-or-flight response. It is no wonder, then, that the smell of lavender, Black Jack Randall's signature scent, would have such a profound effect on Jamie Fraser. That "stink," as Jamie called it, overwhelmed him with disturbing memories of the violence, humiliation and revulsion he experienced in their encounter at Wentworth Prison. This strong connection between scent and emotion explains why one person's poison is another person's pleasure. What makes the difference is the event the smell is associated with. For most of us, the scent of lavender is soothing because it reminds us of fresh laundry, being in the garden on a summer day or getting a massage. But for Jamie it was completely different. Botanical Information Family: Lamiaceae Genus: Lavandula Species: Lavandula angustifolia Common name: English lavender Other cultivars: there are many including: L. dentata, French lavender; and L. stoechas, Spanish lavender Lavender, a member of the mint family, is native to the Mediterranean region, southern Europe, northern and eastern Africa, southeast Asia and parts of India. L. stoechas, Spanish lavender Medicinal Uses Lavender is used in aromatherapy. It is valued for its ability to reduce anxiety and help people sleep. Lavender pillows or sachets are created for those purposes. A few drops of lavender oil is often added to the oil massage therapists use. Lavender oil has also been used to treat skin conditions including burns and inflammation. However, lavender honey, made by bees feeding on lavender nectar, has been found more effective than the oil for treating uninfected wounds. Some caution should be used as undiluted lavender oil can irritate the skin. Lavender in Cooking I am not that big a fan of edible flowers. However, I have been surprised by lavender. Lavender shortbread, for example, is very tasty. And one of my favorite desserts of all time was the rose water and lavender ice cream created by restauranteur, Hussein Khazaal, founder of the Phoenecia at Alki in West Seattle. But alas, when he passed away a few years ago, he took the recipe with him. (Fortunately, his family have continued the business, making many of his classic dishes.) Of course, if you want food connected with the Outlander universe, you have to consult Theresa Carle-Sanders' brilliant blog, Outlander Kitchen. Yesterday, I read through her lengthy list of Outlander inspired recipes hoping to find something containing lavender. There I found this: Black Jack Randall's Fudge for Tobias Menzies. Sounds delicious, easy to make, and it's gluten-free! Cultivation Lavender does best in situations that mimic its native conditions: full sun, well drained soil, low humidity, little or no fertilizer. To keep your plants looking their best, shear them after blooming. Don't be timid - cut them back about half way. This will keep them from getting too leggy. After a few years, it is typical that the plants become woody and fall open. You can try pruning them hard and hoping that new buds will appear along the older branches. This takes a bit of patience because even if new growth appears, it will be a couple of seasons before the plants look very good. So when this happens, I recommend replacing them. The plants are not expensive and you will likely be happier with the result. If you want flowers for cooking, sachets, etc., keep in mind that the oil content is highest just as the flowers begin to open, so that's when you should harvest them.

"'Perhaps we'd best go down, Sassenach. It's getting a wee bit damp out.' We took a different way down, crossing the roof to an outer stairway that led down to the kitchen gardens, where I wanted to pull a bit of borage, if the downpour would let me. We sheltered under the wall of the Castle, one of the jutting window ledges diverting the rain above. 'What do ye do wi' borage, Sassenach?' Jamie asked with interest, looking out at the straggly vines and plants, beaten to the earth by the rain. 'Well, when it's green, nothing. First you dry it, and then --' I was interrupted by a terrific noise of barking and shouting, coming from outside the garden wall." - From OUTLANDER, by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 24 We never get an answer to Jamie's question. It appears to have been forgotten as he leaps over the garden wall to rescue Father Bain from an attack by a pack of wild dogs. But it is likely that an 18th century herbalist would make a tea from the dried leaves as a remedy for depression or to relieve menopausal discomforts. According to Mary Preus, author of the NORTHWEST HERB LOVER'S HANDBOOK, borage has a centuries-long reputation for elevating spirits and bringing comfort after long illness or hard work. As the ancient Greeks used to say, "I Borage bring always courage." Botanical Information Family: Boraginaceae Genus: Borago Species: Borago officinalis Common names: Borage (rhymes with "garage," not "porridge"); bee bread; starflower Borage is an annual herb, native to the Mediterranean region. It grows easily from seed, much like forget-me-nots, which belong to the same botanical family. Borage self-sows so freely that it can become weedy, so keep an eye on it. It can go from seed to seed in just 8 weeks. Borage has great value in the garden because it is much loved by bees. Take a look. Medicinal Uses Borage seed oil has an anti-inflammatory effect on the cells of the body because of its high concentration of GLA (gamma-linoleic acid). It has been found to be effective in the treatment of autoimmune disorders, skin problems, PMS and diabetic neuropathy. This video explains how borage oil and other healthy fats benefit us. Culinary Uses Borage flowers are edible and are prized for their true blue color - few flowers in nature are actually blue. Young borage leaves, which have a cucumber-like flavor, can be added to salads, soups and sauces. Borage is also used to flavor beverages, including cocktails, according to The Drunken Botanist. Need more ideas? Check out Hank Shaw's recipe-filled blog post, "The Courage to Cook with Borage." It is important to keep in mind, however, that borage leaves contain small amounts of a liver-toxic alkaloid. It is therefore best not to overdo your consumption of this herb.

" 'What are you doing, Mr. Fraser?' Grey asked, in some bewilderment. Fraser looked up, mildly surprised, but not embarrassed in the slightest. 'I am picking watercress, Major.' 'I see that,' Grey said testily. 'What for?' 'To eat, Major,' Fraser replied evenly. He took the stained cloth bag from his belt and dropped the dripping green mass into it... 'I only meant, Major, that eating green plants will stop ye getting scurvy and loose teeth. My men eat such greens as I take them, and cress is better-tasting than most things I can pick on the moor.' Grey felt his brows shoot up. 'Green plants stop scurvy?' he blurted. 'Wherever did you get that notion?' 'From my wife!' Fraser snapped." -- From Voyager, by Diana Gabaldon, Chapter 9 Ah, the benefits of having a time-traveling spouse to bring helpful knowledge from the future into one's present. We all should be so fortunate! For myself, I have to say that I am glad to live in a time and place where I can choose other foods to meet my dietary needs. I could eat watercress if necessary to survive, but its strong, peppery, radish-like flavor assures that, outside of buying a bunch to take the photo at the top of this page, I won't be adding it to my shopping list again any time soon. Botanical Information Family: Brassicaceae Genus: Nasturtium Species: Nasturtium officiale A member of the Brassicaceae family, watercress is related to cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. In spite of its genus name, Nasturium, it is not closely related to the flower of that name. Origin Watercress is native to Europe and Asia. True to its common name, it is semi-aquatic and can be found growing in and along the edge of water. Nutritional Value Claire was right. In the late 16th century, the English military surgeon, John Woodall, recommended eating it for the prevention of scurvy. Native Americans apparently understood the value of eating their greens and used watercress as a vegetable in winter. According to A Druid's Herbal, they kept track of the location of watercress beds so that when streams were covered with ice, they knew where to break through and find these vitamin-rich plants. Today, the humble watercress plant has its own website, where you can read more about how it is proving useful in the prevention and treatment of cancer, among other things. It is rich in nutrients like Vitamins A and C (C protects against scurvy), folate, iron and potassium. Cultivation Some people consider watercress to be a weed and therefore unworthy of cultivation. Those who do produce it commercially have to find either a slightly alkaline fresh water environment for growing it or grow it hydroponically. Watercress is a plant that needs to be consumed fresh. It can only last a couple of days in refrigerated storage.

I can't imagine a composer more suited to creating the score for the Outlander TV series than Bear McCreary. Growing up, he attended the Scottish Highland Games held every summer in his home town of Bellingham, Washington. He was particularly captivated by the music. He describes the experience on his blog: "First hearing the rolling and relentless Bb drone of the bagpipe bands get louder as we parked the car and headed towards the grounds gave me the euphoria that most little kids probably feel going to Disneyland." Before he even graduated from high school, he was researching songs from the time of the 1745 Jacobite Rising in Scotland, about which he says, "I was awestruck by the ability of these songs to communicate hidden meaning, tales of tragedy and triumph, with deceptively simple melodic lines and evocative harmonic progressions." Years later, when producer Ron Moore needed a composer to do the score for the Outlander TV series, McCreary was the perfect fit. His decision to adapt the Scottish folk tune, The Skye Boat Song, to make it the theme song for the series is brilliant. Originally written to tell the story of Bonnie Prince Charlie's escape to the Isle of Skye after his defeat at Culloden, the song connects with the historical events familiar to readers of Diana Gabaldon's OUTLANDER books. For the theme song, Bear has taken this well known melody, slowed the tempo, and changed the lyrics to make it a song about Claire Randall, "the lass that is gone." It is haunting and beautiful and unmistakably Scottish. So that you can hear and compare the two versions of the song, scroll down and have a listen. This is the original Skye Boat Song, complete with lyrics, performed by The Corries. The original lyrics were rewritten by Robert Louis Stevenson, the Scottish noveliest, poet, and travel writer, and adapted further by Bear McCreary to fit the Outlander story. Watch the opening credits for Outlander, to hear his version of the lyrics. (And look for the little blue flowers at the base of the stones in the closing frames.) Chorus: Sing me a song of a lass that is gone, Say, could that lass be I? Merry of soul she sailed on a day Over the sea to Skye. Billow and breeze, islands and seas, Mountains of rain and sun, All that was good, all that was fair, All that was me is gone. Repeat chorus Give me again all that was there, Give me the sun that shone, Give me the eyes, give me the soul Give me the lass that's gone. Repeat chorus Here's the full length song, featuring vocalist Raya Yarbrough, Bear's wife.

'What are you doing?" he asked. His hands rested gently on my shoulders. 'Looking for that plant,' I answered, sticking a finger between the pages to mind my place. 'The one I saw in the stone circle. See...' I flipped the book open. 'It could be in the Campanulaceae, or the Gentianaceae, the Polemoniaceae, the Boraginaceae -- that's mostly likely, I think, forget-me-nots....'" -- From OUTLANDER, by Diana Gabaldon, Chapter 2 If it is possible for plants to travel through time, forget-me-nots would be well suited for the journey. They produce seeds that germinate easily and are contained in small pods that have a sticky surface, like a plant's version of velcro. When people or animals brush by them, the pods cling to clothing or fur and "hitchhike" to new locations, where they fall and the seeds start to grow. This spirit of adventure has carried cultivars of the Myosotis species from their native lands in Europe and New Zealand into gardens and woodlands all over the world. Perhaps it was no coincidence that Claire was so charmed by these pretty little blue flowers that she went back to the standing stones to see them again. In Michael Pollan's book, THE BOTANY OF DESIRE, he suggests that plants manipulate human beings, just as much as we humans manipulate them. With examples like apples, tulips, and marijuana, he explains how plants have used tactics, including sweetness, beauty and the ability to intoxicate, to persuade humans into cultivating, hybridizing and spreading them far and wide. If tulips can do it, why not forget-me-nots? We'll never know if a tenacious seedpod, hoping to be transported to another time and place, was clinging to Claire's skirts as she approached the stones on that fateful day in the Scottish Highlands. All we know is that she went to look for tiny blue flowers at Craigh na Dun and fell through the stones. And so began the saga of OUTLANDER. Botanical Information Family: Boraginaceae Genus: Myosotis Species: Myosotis sylvatica Common name: Forget-me-not There are several species of this plant. M. sylvatica is native to Europe so would be most likely the species Claire found at Craigh na Dun. Plants are short-lived annuals or biennials. They reach 12" in height and the tiny flowers are usually blue with orange or white centers. There are also pink and white varieties. Cultivation Forget-me-nots are easily grown from seed. Plant in early spring, as soon as the soil is warm enough to work. You will only have to plant seed once. If the plants are happy where you've started them, they will keep resowing themselves. I've noticed that forget-me-nots often get powdery mildew shortly after they bloom here in the Pacific Northwest. I believe that is because they like moist soil and as the rains slow down and the temperatures warm, they don't get as much water as they would like. This stresses them out and makes them susceptible to disease. Dinna fash, though. They come back again, year after year.

Photo: Starz "...she began digging in a painted wooden chest by the hearth, emerging finally with a pile of ratty cloths. 'No, that won't do,' I said, fingering them gingerly. 'The wound needs to be disinfected first, then bandaged with a clean cloth, if there are no sterile bandages.' Eyebrows rose all around. 'Disinfected?' said the small man, carefully. 'Yes, indeed,' I said firmly, thinking him a bit simpleminded, in spite of his educated accent. 'All dirt must be removed from the wound and it must be treated with a compound to discourage germs and promote healing.'" - From OUTLANDER, Chapter 3, "The Man In The Wood" by Diana Gabaldon Discouraging "germs" is a bit off- topic for a plant blog. But we are talking here about the Outlander books and Claire Fraser's pragmatic approach to healing. She could use "Russian penicillin," also known as garlic, to treat infection, but why allow infection to take hold in the first place? An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I'm sure Claire would agree. In Claire's time, dramatic improvements in human health had been achieved as a result of good hygiene and sanitation practices. But in the 18th century, no one understood that tiny, invisible-to-the-naked-eye organisms were responsible for a host of infectious and deadly diseases. Even though "germ theory" had been around a long time (Aristotle, in 350 BC, advised Alexander the Great to "boil drinking water and bury feces, to prevent disease."), the idea didn't really begin to gain widespread attention until the mid-19th century. In the 1850s, John Snow, a British obstetrician, became convinced that drinking water contaminated with sewage was responsible for outbreaks of cholera in London. His conclusion was met with derision from his contemporaries who "knew" that diseases like cholera were caused by "vapors" or "miasma." The Reverend Henry Whitehead sought to discredit Snow's conclusions, claiming that the disease was an act of God. But Snow ignored his critics and continued observing and collecting data. In August of 1854, a particularly severe outbreak of cholera occurred in Soho, a London suburb. Determined to prove that contaminated water was the cause, he conducted a study of the victims and where they got their drinking water. Writer Kathleen Tuthill quotes Snow as saying, "Within 250 yards of the spot where Cambridge Street joins Broad Street there were upward of 500 fatal attacks of cholera in 10 days. As soon as I became acquainted with the situation and extent of this irruption (sic) of cholera, I suspected some contamination of the water of the much-frequented street-pump in Broad Street." In spite of all the evidence he collected, connecting hundreds of cases of cholera with drinking water from the Broad Street pump, his conclusions were still met with skepticism. He finally convinced town officials to take the handle off the pump, at least temporarily, so that no one could draw water from it. The cholera epidemic came to an immediate halt. Despite this dramatic proof, city officials still refused to clean up sewage systems and assure that drinking water was clean. But Snow's conclusions eventually won out. In the 1880s, a German doctor, Robert Koch, identified the bacterium, Vibrio cholerae, that causes cholera. His work showed that cholera is spread by way of fecal contamination of food or water. By the end of the 19th century, cities in Europe and the United States had improved sanitation systems, keeping drinking water separate from sewage. Outbreaks of cholera in those cities became a thing of the past. Snow is considered a pioneer in public health research, but he was not alone. Louis Pasteur, for whom the process of pasteurization is named; Robert Koch, the founder of modern bacteriology mentioned above; Charles Chamberland, whose filter was used in the discovery of viruses; Miles Berkeley, who discovered that potato blight was caused by fungal disease - all made significant discoveries in the last half of the 19th century. As the chart below illustrates, the benefits of all this knowledge were profound. In the first half of the 20th century, improved sanitation systems, combined with public health education about the importance of cleanliness to prevent the spread of disease, reduced mortality rates from infectious diseases dramatically. The one notable spike in those years was the 1918 flu pandemic, nicknamed the Spanish flu. (Fans of Downton Abbey will remember the episode when Lavinia Swire, Matthew Crawley's fiance, died of the disease.) By the time Claire was serving as an Army nurse during WWII, mortality rates from infectious diseases had declined by 75% since the turn of the century - and that was before penicillin was widely available. As you can see from the graph, antibiotics did have an effect, but nothing compared to the difference made by good sanitation and hygiene. Let's remember that. Three cheers for soap and clean water!

Did you know that Seattle's Comprehensive Plan is being updated? Do you even know what the Comprehensive Plan is? If you answered "no" to one or both questions, I am not surprised. But I am disappointed. There should be more civic engagement than there is. But before I get into that, here's some background. What Is the Comprehensive Plan? The City of Seattle adopted its first Comprehensive Plan in 1994, as required by Washington State's Growth Management Act. The plan was described as "... a 20-year policy plan designed to articulate a vision of how Seattle will grow in ways that sustain its citizens’ values." The Comprehensive Plan affects housing, transportation, economic opportunity, education, equity, arts & culture, climate, recreation - everything that makes up city life. There have been updates to the Plan over the years. There was a major update in 2014, for example. Now we are in the midst of creating the next version, called the One Seattle Comprehensive Plan. The planning process is expected to be complete at the end of 2024 and, if approved by the City Council, will be adopted then. Where We Are in the Process It makes sense that citizens should be at the center of this planning, and in the beginning, we were. But now our participation has been reduced to taking surveys online, and making comments at a limited number of meetings. A public meeting was held last December at South Seattle College to give West Seattle residents a chance to provide feedback about proposed changes to the plan. I don't know how many people attended or what their feedback was. I didn't find out about it until it was over. So far, the plan update has been flying under the radar. Few people are engaged. Only 2,348 people responded to the online questionnaire the city posted in summer of 2022 to kickoff the planning process. That's just .3% of Seattle's total population of 755,794. I don't think that is because no one cares. It seems more likely that most had no idea the survey even existed. Plus, online surveys and zoom meetings, which are comfortable and convenient for city staff members, are foreign activities for many citizens. If those are the only ways to communicate, they aren't likely to participate. The only reason I know anything about the update is that, when I started this blog post, I was curious about when/if one was planned, and I did a Google search. This does not reflect well on the city. The Office of Planning and Community Development has offered the bare minimum when it comes to communication with the public, giving them cover later if people complain about the final plan. They'll say that citizens were given a chance to give feedback. That's true technically, but disingenuous. It is one reason many citizens mistrust public officials. "They'll just do what they want to do anyway." According to the city's timeline, we will see a draft of the plan and have another chance to "comment" toward the end of this year. The plan will be drafted by bureaucrats downtown. Then early next year, the Mayor will add his vision for the city to the plan, and from there it goes to the City Council for approval. To keep up with where things go from here, subscribe to their mailing list - sign up here. Learn more about the update at their Engagement Hub. Seattle's First Comprehensive Plan In spring of 1996, I was fortunate to be one of the citizens who participated in the Neighborhood Plan for West Seattle's Alaska Junction, organized by Friends of the Junction (FOJ). The Friends of the Junction was an organization founded by neighbors and merchants who were concerned about the future of the Junction, and who wanted to participate in the process of developing Seattle's first Comprehensive Plan. The plan introduced the concept of Hub Urban Villages to the city of Seattle. The idea was an early attempt at what today might be called a 15-minute city, where people work, shop and find most of what they need just minutes from where they live. The Alaska Junction in West Seattle was designated as one of those villages. FOJ members weren't content to let the urban planners downtown decide the future of the neighborhood. Many people in West Seattle eyed the concept of Urban Villages with suspicion, accusing the city of "social engineering," and making the neighborhood a "dumping ground" for development. In April of 1995, a group called The West Seattle Defense Fund threatened to secede from the city of Seattle over the issue. (Readers of this blog may remember that this wasn't the only time West Seattle folks threatened secession. In March of 1978, they mounted a campaign to leave in the midst of a long running episode of bridge drama.) My Personal Connection The politics of the situation were lost on me, however. My husband and I were newcomers to Seattle. We moved here from St. Louis in summer of 1989. We rented a house in Magnolia, and started getting to know the area, with an eye toward buying a house when our lease was up. West Seattle appealed to us because it was an easy commute to our jobs downtown, and housing prices were more reasonable than those in other close in neighborhoods. We didn't know the backstory of any of the neighborhoods we looked at. We were just focused on price, commute distance, and access to the beautiful views Seattle is known for. In the latter category, West Seattle was the big winner: Alki Beach, Lincoln Park, countless viewpoints, and the commute across the Highway 99 viaduct, ugly as the structure was, offered spectacular views, going to and from work. At the time, I worked for an advertising and public relations agency with offices in Lower Queen Anne. When I told my co-workers we were planning to buy a house in West Seattle, they tried to talk me out of it. Some said, "You don't want to live over there. That's where RBEs (retired Boeing engineers) go to die." Others told me that we shouldn't consider anything that wasn't north of the Ship Canal. That comment mystified me. It would be years before I learned about Seattle's history of redlining. I had to admit that my co-workers were right about one thing. The Junction did look like it had seen better days. A lot of empty, boarded-up storefronts, broken sidewalks, dirt and litter everywhere, especially in the breezeway between the parking lot behind Husky Deli and California Ave. and in the alleyways behind businesses. The clothing stores carried merchandise suited to my mother's generation, not mine. It was pretty bleak. When Friends of the Junction (FOJ) put out a call for local residents to join their Comprehensive Planning teams, I volunteered. I wanted to do something to improve my new neighborhood. How the Process Worked We were offered a choice of committees to serve on: Economic Development, Transportation, Housing and Land Use, Parks & Open Space, Cultural Arts, and Human Development and Public Safety. I chose Parks and Open Space. Shortly after moving to West Seattle, I had decided to change careers. By the mid-90s, I had a degree in landscape design and environmental horticulture from South Seattle College. This volunteer opportunity seemed like a perfect fit. The committees were organized with a team leader who was either a City of Seattle employee or someone who had worked with the city on projects in the past. The committees combined the best of both worlds. Citizens know what needs to be done in their community, but are frustrated with the city beaucracy. City officials know how to work with city departments, find money, make connections, and get things done. But they don't have first-hand experience of life in a particular community or what people really need. Put the two together, and problems get solved. The team leader for the Parks & Open Space Committee was landscape architect, Peggy Gaynor. Noted for her work restoring urban habitats, she had a passion for integrating green space with the built environment. Our job was to take an inventory of what parks and open space we had; determine if those spaces could be improved or expanded; and survey the Junction neighborhood to look for opportunities for pocket parks, P-Patches, green streets, and outdoor recreation. We never met indoors. Once a week for about 6 weeks, we met on a sidewalk in the Junction and decided what to look at. Often, we piled into Peggy's van to visit nearby sites that she, or one of us, thought had promise. On the days between meetings, we saw our neighborhood with fresh eyes - looking not at what was rundown, but at what was good and what had potential. I loved it when we met and went out to look at what we found, and talk about the possibilities. Those were the best "meetings" I've ever attended. We discovered unexpected things that would never have come up if we met at an office or at a hearing downtown. For example, one of our committee members walked with a noticeable limp. She had had polio as a child and, then in her 30s, couldn't walk very far without needing to stop and rest. She told us that she would like to explore the neighborhood more, but there weren't benches where she could sit for a few minutes. We looked around and realized she was right. It never occurred to the rest of us, who had no trouble walking long distances, that this could be a problem. Not just for her, but parents with young children, friends who want to stop and chat, and anyone with mobility issues. We added benches to our list of recommendations. (All these years and two hip replacements later, I can now say that we still need more benches.) Another example is Dakota Place Park. This property belonged to Seattle City Light. The building was originally a substation for the utility. It was scheduled to be decommissioned in a few years, and the city hadn't yet decided what to do with the property. Peggy knew about this because of her work with the city. The rest of us had no idea what the building even was. (We didn't yet have the West Seattle Blog to keep us on top of things like this.) She told us that if the community couldn't come up with an idea for what to do with the building, the city was probably going to sell it to a developer. That information would never have come up in a public meeting downtown or in an online survey. Committee members quickly agreed that it should be used as a community center. We knew that spaces large enough for public meetings, wedding receptions, classes, and events were in short supply. We added that recommendation to our list. I don't know how other committees organized themselves. What I do know is that they never left the neighborhood when they met. Once a week there was a general meeting that brought the team leaders together to let each other know what progress was being made in their committees. And that matters. Getting together and talking about what needs to be done, where it needs to be done, is how problems get solved. This isn't a job you can do remotely. Recommendations from the committees were compiled into the West Seattle Junction Neighborhood Plan. Recommendations from the committees start on page 12. You can find the specifics of what our Parks & Open Space Committee recommended starting on page 42. What Was Accomplished The changes in the Junction from 1995, when we created the neighborhood plan, and the end of 1999, were astonishing. Here are some highlights. The West Seattle Junction Business Improvement Area had an office on the east side of California Ave., near where Curious Kidstuff is today. There people could drop in, pick up bus schedules, pay their City Light bills, get information about city departments and services, report problems, and of course, complain. The woman who managed the office at that time had a genius for finding bits of money that could be put toward fixing sidewalks, making repairs, cleaning up litter, and a host of other improvements. Street trees were planted along California Ave between Oregon and Edmunds. More trees were planted along residential streets adjacent to the business core. The long-anticipated ArtsWest Playhouse opened. The proposed Triangle Park at the intersection of Alaska, 39th, and Fauntleroy was designed and installed. Sidewalks were repaired. New businesses began to move in, and older ones began to refurbish their storefronts. From left, the owners of Curious Kidstuff removed old sheets of corrugated iron that covered the facade and windows of the building; the Menashe family gave their storefront a facelift and restored the historic clock in front of their business; Tom Henry, former owner of JF Henry, restored the facade of his building, which is now home to John L Scott Real Estate. (Photos from respective business' websites or promotional material.) Other improvements suggested in the plan took longer. Here is a partial list. Dakota Place Park Solstice P-Patch - Lincoln Park Annex Traffic calming "humps" mid-block on California Ave. One south of SW Oregon St., one south of Alaska SW. New mixed-use developments added more housing and retail space in the heart of the Junction. Junction Plaza Park Junction Plaza Park under construction. Photo credit: West Seattle Blog No one believed this lot would become a public space because it was too valuable as commercial property. But finally, in 2010, construction of the park began. Today it is a gathering place that brings Junction residents together for Holiday Tree Lightings, memorials, and other events. (It makes me laugh to remember that our committee suggested that this lot be used for a P-Patch. We were SO desperate to find empty space that would work for a community garden, and that was one of the few properties that seemed to work. We also suggested the Lincoln Park Annex site, well outside the Junction boundaries, which did eventually become a P-Patch.) The Benefits of Citizen Involved Planning I sometimes wonder what would have happened if every four years or so, we replicated the planning process from 1995. It wouldn't have to be as elaborate as the first one, but it would have been an opportunity for city urban planners, and citizens to come together, assess challenges and opportunities, and plan for the future. If it was done city-wide, perhaps we would have avoided, or at least minimized, some of the problems we are facing today. There are many ways citizen planning benefits both city officials and citizens. Creating teams that combine both city employees and residents gets people out of the pattern of "us vs. them." It puts everyone on the same path with the same goals. When citizens are involved in the plan, they feel a sense of ownership and pride when things get done. I feel good when I see people gathered in Junction Place Park, or drive past Dakota Place, or see the street trees along California Ave. strung with lights in winter. When citizens are involved, items are addressed that, in a top down process, would never come up. These items, like installing benches and planting trees, are often simple things to do, and they improve quality of life for everyone. When children grow up in a community where the adults they know are actively involved in planning and implementing improvements, it shows them what it is to be a good citizen. It also gives them hope for the future, seeing what they will be able to do when they are older. Citizens who take part in planning become part of a pool of good potential candidates for elected office. They know their neighborhoods, what is needed, what works, and how to get things done. I hope you will take some time and read through the West Seattle Junction Neighborhood Plan. I am, of course, biased, but I believe it is a good example of how citizens and city planners can work together and accomplish great things. At this point, I don't know how meaningful (not token) citizen involvement can be incorporated into the current Comprehensive Plan update process, but I wish someone would try. Seattle would be better off for it.

Outside the well served transit hubs, at the Alaska Junction and Westwood Village, West Seattle residents have hit-or-miss transit options. Some routes, like the RapidRide C Line, are great, but the Metro 37 route has been closed for years, leaving some people without any access to transit. Other routes have limited hours or frequency. Some don't run on weekends. I had hoped to at least find acknowledgement of these transit deficiencies in the just released drafts of the One Seattle Comprehensive Plan and the new Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) Plan. Both look ahead 20 years and offer what officials believe will meet Seattle's needs. I was disappointed to see that not only were these problems unaddressed, the only transportation improvements for West Seattle listed in the One Seattle Comprehensive Plan is the proposed light rail project. (Page 3.10-53) And here is SDOT's explanation of the West Seattle portion of their plan: "This project will capitalize on the opening of the West Seattle - Ballard Link Extension project, which will result in redirecting the RapidRide H Line to Admiral and Alki neighborhoods and provide more reliable transit access to these areas." There's absolutely no mention of ways to improve transit throughout the peninsula, give better service to low income neighborhoods, or provide better connections between neighborhoods, which is what we actually need. How We Can Fix This First, let's look at the populations in West Seattle served (or not) by transit Take inventory of current transit options Make note of what works What doesn't Who is being left out How to build on the best of what we have Insist on cooperation from transit agencies and elected officials to give us the transit system we want and need. West Seattle Populations Image credit: West Seattle Blog Here is an overview of neighborhood populations and median incomes. West Seattle Total - 99,698 residents (2020 census) - median income $120,338 The data below is from of the City of Seattle's ACS Neighborhood Profiles. in 2022. Be aware that this site takes a long time to load and is probably not smart-phone friendly. Once you get it to load, look for the Neighborhood menu on the left. Scroll down to find the one you want. There's a lot more detail there than what I've shown here. You can also search specific census tracts if you have the tract number. You will see those numbers when the neighborhood maps come up. Alki/Admiral - 11,161 residents - median income $132,166 Arbor Heights - Census Tract 120 - 3,308 residents - median income $118,487 Delridge (north) - 5,745 residents - median income $95,625 Fauntleroy/Seaview - 14,919 residents - median income $140,171 Highland Park - 6,219 residents - median income $94,671 High Point - 9,226 residents - median income $100,194 Riverview - 4,893 residents - median income $126,648 Roxhill/Westwood - 13,808 residents - median income $102,018 South Park - 3,902 residents - median income $81,724 Census Tract 121, which runs south of Fauntleroy and southwest of Arbor Heights - 2,842 residents - median income $179,792 ( It isn't clear why it is combined on the ACS map with Tract 120 in Arbor Heights, making Arbor Heights appear far more affluent than it actually is. On other maps this tract is shown as part of the Fauntleroy neighborhood, which makes more sense in terms of income and geography.) West Seattle Junction/Genesee Hill - 23,501 residents - median income $129,808 Lower income neighborhoods - those that are below Seattle's median income of $120,338 - are indicated in red. The number of residents living in those neighborhoods is 42,208. That amounts to 42% of West Seattle's total population. None of them, except residents in North Delridge, will be served by the proposed light rail project. Everyone else lives miles away from the nearest station, and to ride the train, they will have to take a bus or drive a car to get to there. Connection via bus isn't guaranteed because some of these people have no bus service in their neighborhood at all, some routes have limited hours or days of operation, or buses from their neighborhood don't go to the Junction, Avalon, or North Delridge where the stations will be. And because bus routes will be closed or changed once light rail is built, riders will have longer trips. Instead of a one-seat ride from the south end of the peninsula to downtown, everyone will be forced to get off the bus at a light rail station and wait for a train. As a side note: Population figures for West Seattle as a whole may come as a surprise for many people who believe that we passed the 100,000 mark long ago. The fact is that, while the population of the City of Seattle has grown substantially over the past decade, growth has not been even across the city. West Seattle's population has shrunk relative to the rest of Seattle over the past decade. That is why the geographic area of City Council District 1 was expanded last year to cross the Duwamish River and include Georgetown, the Industrial District, SODO, and Pioneer Square. The city uses census figures to redraw districts so that each one has roughly the same number of residents. The recent expansion of the district brings it to a total of 105,000 residents. The Inventory Here is an inventory of bus routes that serve West Seattle. Routes that have been discontinued, don't operate on weekends, or have limited frequency (30 minutes or more) are highlighted in red. Lines that connect with Link Light Rail are highlighted in green. Where West Seattle Link Light Rail will duplicate existing transit is highlighted in blue, begging the question, do we need it at all? Route 21 MAP Area served: Arbor Heights, Roxhill, Westwood Village, High Point, Downtown Seattle, Frequency: 15 - 30 minutes; Arbor Heights has only 3 buses a day on weekdays, no service on weekends. Hours: M-F 4:44 a.m. - midnight; Saturday & Sunday 5:40 a.m. - 9:55 p.m. - hours vary by location, some run later. Connects with Link Line 1 at the Stadium, International District and at two stops along 3rd Ave Downtown. The 2042 expansion of Link Light Rail will duplicate the Avalon - Stadium, International Districts and 3rd Ave stops on this route. No weekend service at SW Roxbury & 30th Ave SW or in Arbor Heights. Route 22 MAP Area served: Arbor Heights, Westwood Village, Gatewood, Alaska Junction Frequency: 1 hour+ Hours: M-F 6 a.m. - 9:11 p.m. No weekend service. Route 37 NO MAP AVAILABLE Area That Used to Be Served - Downtown Seattle, Harbor Ave SW, Alki Beach, Beach Drive to Lowman Beach, then switched back north through Seaview to the Junction. Frequency - this route was suspended  indefinitely in 2020, leaving the length of Beach Drive to Lowman Beach, to 48th Ave SW up to the the Junction completely out of transit service, and making most residents along Alki and Harbor Aves dependent on the DART 775 and Route 775 Water Taxi Shuttle for transit. Dart 773 MAP Area served: Alaska Junction, Seacrest Park Frequency: 25 - 35 minutes Hours: M-F 6:13 a.m. - 7 p.m.; Saturday & Sunday 8:51 a.m. - 7 p.m. Route 775 MAP Area served: Admiral Junction, Alki, Seacrest Park Frequency: 30 minutes Hours: M-F 5:57 a.m. - 7:20 p.m.; Saturday - Sunday 8:40 a.m.- 7:14 p.m. Route 50 MAP Area served: Alki, Admiral District, Alaska Junction, SODO, VA Medical Center, Beacon Hill, Columbia City, Seward Park, Othello Station Frequency: M-F 20 minutes; Saturday - Sunday 30 minutes Hours: M-F 5 a.m. - midnight; Saturday - Sunday 5:30 a.m. - midnight Connects with Link Line 1 at SODO. The 2032 section of West Seattle Link Light Rail will duplicate the Alaska Junction - SODO portion of the 50 route that exists today. If you want to get an idea of what light rail ridership will be in 2032, look at the number of people who are already taking the 50 bus. In January, 2024, average weekday boardings were 1,055. That's for the entire route going from Alki to the Othello Station. The ridership from the Alaska Junction to SODO is obviously much less. The 50 serves more riders today than Link Light Rail will in the future, because it starts picking up riders at Alki Beach, continues through the Admiral District, then along California Ave to The Junction. Route 55 MAP Area served: Admiral District, Alaska Junction, Downtown Frequency: Service suspended in September 2023 because of operator shortage Routes 56 & 57 MAP Area served: Alki, Alaska Junction, Genesee Hill, Admiral District, Downtown Seattle Frequency: 30 - 60 minutes Hours: M-F 5:53 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. Connects with Link Line 1 at two stops along 3rd Ave Downtown. The 2042 expansion of Link Light Rail will duplicate the Alaska Junction - 3rd Ave portion of this route. No weekend service. Route 60 MAP Area served: Westwood Village, White Center, Olsen/Meyers P&R, Georgetown, Beacon Hill, First Hill, Broadway Frequency: M-F 10 - 15 minutes; Saturday & Sunday 30 minutes Hours: M - F 4 a.m. - 11 p.m. Saturday & Sunday 5 a.m. - 11:30 p.m. Connects to Link Line 1 at Beacon Hill and Capitol Hill stations. Route 125 MAP Area served: Westwood Village, North Delridge, South Seattle College, Downtown Seattle Frequency: M-F 20 - 30 minutes; Saturday 45 minutes Hours: M - F 5 a.m. - 10:45; Saturday 6:30 a.m. - 7 p.m. Connects to Link Line 1 on 3rd Ave Downtown. The 2042 expansion of Link Light Rail will duplicate the Alaska Junction - 3rd Ave portion of this route. No service on Sundays. Route 128 MAP Area served: North Admiral, Alaska Junction, Morgan Junction, High Point, South Seattle College, White Center, Tukwila, Southcenter Frequency: 20 - 30 minutes Hours: M-F 4:50 a.m. - 11:30 p.m.; Saturday & Sunday 6 a.m. - 11:30 p.m. Connects with Link Light Rail in Tukwila. Routes 131, 132 MAP Area Served: Burien, Highland Park, through South Park, to Downtown Frequency: 12 - 20 minutes Hours: M-F 4:30 a.m. - 12:30 a.m. Saturday & Sunday 6 a.m. - 12:30 a.m. Connects with Link Light Rail at Union Station, and three stops along 3rd Ave Downtown. RapidRide C MAP Area served: Westwood Village, Fauntleroy, Alaska Junction, West Seattle, Downtown Seattle, South Lake Union Frequency: 8 minutes Hours: M - F, 24 hours; Saturday & Sunday 24 hours Connects with Link Light Rail at Pike St. Downtown. The 2042 expansion of Link Light Rail will duplicate the Alaska Junction - Pike St. portion of this route. RapidRide H MAP Area served: Burien, White Center, Westwood Village, Delridge, Downtown Seattle Frequency: 10 - 15 minutes Hours: M - F 4:22 a.m. - 2 a.m. following day; Saturday & Sunday begins at 4:30 a.m. and runs almost 24 hours Connects with Link Light Rail Downtown at Westlake Station. The 2042 expansion of Link Light Rail will duplicate the Delridge - Downtown portion of this route. What Works The "bones" of the West Seattle transit system are good. Riders seem happy with the RapidRide lines, which provide a system for delivering riders north and south and quickly connecting West Seattle with downtown. These routes provide a framework to build on and better connect neighborhoods. The existing bus system already does what light rail is projected to do by 2042. Presumably, the reason to build West Seattle Link Light Rail was to connect the neighborhood with Sound Transit's Link Light Rail. Right now, every bus line, and there are 9 of them, that leaves West Seattle connects with Sound Transit's Link Light Rail. Image credit: Seattle Transit Blog Since we already have connections up and down the line, why not shift funds to improve transit neighborhood-wide? Sound Transit can definitely do that. There is no mandate in ST3 to build light rail. What Doesn't Work Failing to prioritize low income neighborhoods. Low income residents are more dependent on transit than those who can afford to drive. They are likely to work nights and weekends and need transit that meets those needs. Ignoring the consequences of discontinued routes. Because of the neighborhood's hilly topography, and few east-west bus routes, people drive their cars up hills to run errands, and park near bus lines to use transit, like the C Line. (Remember all those people stranded along Beach Drive and in Seaview because Route 37 is shut down?) Short distance drives like that are major contributors to pollution because cars produce double the emissions in the first 5 minutes of a trip than they do once the engine is warmed up. The savings in CO2 emissions from taking the bus, may be cancelled out by driving the car to get to the bus. The same will be true of light rail. Light rail. Light rail works where it works. People love it in Columbia City and the U District. Travelers are happy with the connection from downtown to the airport. But light rail will not improve local West Seattle transportation. Spending $4 billion on a train that does nothing more than duplicate the existing Metro 50 bus service from the Junction to SODO, makes no sense. We already have 9 bus routes that connect West Seattle with light rail. We do not need a "stub" in SODO. Commuting. The focus should be on complete neighborhoods, and encouraging people to live where they work. Enabling commuting, with highway expansions and projects like ST3, do the opposite. They perpetuate the idea that commuting is normal and the best way to deal with it is to add more, faster ways to do it. Regardless of the mode of transport, commuting is bad for our health and for the environment. Using transit funds to make it easier to navigate the local area should be the priority. Here are reports with statistics from recent census figures on commuting in the US. The only people who should get a pass on working outside the neighborhoods they live in are low-wage workers who can't afford to live where they work. Part of the new Comprehensive Plan for Seattle should include plans to see that every worker in a neighborhood has affordable housing. It should also look at ways to reinvent what we have, and bring good paying jobs here so people don't have to commute. (Here are suggestions for how to put the "Village" into Westwood Village.) Who is left out? Image credit: Stand With the Duwamish.org The Duwamish Tribe. There is no transit along West Marginal Way SW, (which should perhaps be renamed West Marginalized Way), where the Duwamish Longhouse is located. This road is unsafe for cyclists, pedestrians, and anyone who uses the visitor parking area across the street from the Longhouse. (To add injury to insult, West Seattle Light Rail will take out a wide swath of the northern tip of the Duwamish Greenbelt, the traditional land of the Duwamish People. Three acres of tree canopy will be demolished. The project will threaten a heron rookery, salmon habitat, and what little is left of the environment that the Tribe has sought to protect for thousands of years.) Route 21, serving Arbor Heights, Roxhill, Westwood, High Point, has no weekend service at SW Roxbury & 30th Ave SW. Arbor Heights has only 3 buses a day during the week, and no service on weekends. People with lower incomes are likely to work nights and weekends. Bus lines in lower income neighborhoods should have service 7 days a week and at hours that accommodate shift workers. Route 22, serving Arbor Heights, Westwood Village, Gatewood, and Alaska Junction, has no weekend service. Frequency is only hourly during the week. Again, people in low income neighborhoods need transit every day. Beach Drive has no service at all. Most of Seaview (map) is without transit service. California Ave. SW is the eastern boundary and has lots of bus stops. But the rest of the neighborhood, which is broad and steep, has no bus service to connect it with California Ave. or the Junction. Alki Beach has reduced service. Routes 56 and 57, serving Alki, Admiral District, Alaska Junction, Genesee Hill, have no weekend service and only 30 - 60 minute frequency during the week. Route 125, serving Westwood, South Seattle College, North Delridge, has no Sunday service. Routes 131 and 132, that serve Highland Park, and South Park, do not connect to the rest of West Seattle and therefore, will not connect to West Seattle light rail. Low income neighborhoods are indicated in red. Building on What We Have Let's find ways to get people from various parts of the neighborhood to connect with each other and with the transportation hubs that we have at Westwood and the Alaska Junction. We have the potential for a truly great transportation system, one that sets an example for other neighborhoods and small towns, right here in West Seattle. All we have to do is come together and make it happen. Image credit: King County Metro I have hope that our new City Council Member, Rob Saka, aka "King of the Potholes"and Chair of the city's Transportation Committee, will facilitate discussions with West Seattle neighborhood associations about what people want and need. I'd like to see a grass roots process like the one we used to create the Comprehensive Plan for the Alaska Junction Urban Village in the 1990s. The best teams combine citizens and design professionals working together. A lot of people live and work in the West Seattle, White Center, Burien corridor. They need quick, reliable transportation to get to and from work. Someone should measure how many people fit this category vs. people who work downtown. How much focus on downtown is necessary? And how can we make it easier for people to use transit to navigate this corridor? Coming up with a solid transportation plan for West Seattle can't be done properly online. Planners from transit agencies need to be on site, walking the neighborhood, making observations, riding along with residents, asking questions, listening, and taking notes before drafting a plan. Some of this work will need to be done on weekends, or at hours that are convenient for shift workers. Here are some ideas to get conversations started. 1 - The American Public Transportation Association has this list of first mile/last mile solutions and lots of stories about what is being done in other cities to help riders connect easily to main transit lines and to their final destinations once they get off a train or bus. Some of those ideas might work to connect people who are left out now 2 - Can we get King County's Metro Flex service in West Seattle? The app used to hail a ride gets mixed reviews, but it is a service with potential. Read the review from The Urbanist here. 2 - Where can we launch pilot programs? Before investing lots of money in a big transit system, let's think small and look for opportunities to try out potential new connections, routes, and modes of transit. Use vehicles that are climate friendly and use familiar technology to help riders connect. If it works in a small section of the neighborhood, it can be scaled up, using data collected from that pilot project. If a pilot doesn't work, those vehicles can move on to another test project. Just keep innovating and involving potential riders until we get it right. Image credit: The Seattle Times A fun micro-transit example is Bellevue's Bell-Hop. A vehicle something like this could be used in underserved neighborhoods, like Arbor Heights, as a tool to design a good local transit system that ties into the RapidRide routes 7 days a week. Smaller vehicles like this might be enough for certain situations. Not every route needs a big ol' Metro bus. It has been pointed out to me that people who live in NOMO (NOrth of MOrgan Junction and west of Fauntleroy) aren't likely to give up their cars and ride a bus. After all, the north end of the peninsula is the highest Tesla-per-capita area in West Seattle. Some of these people will never use transit. They believe they did their part to help the environment by buying an EV and voting for light rail. This sentiment echoes that of Los Angeles commuters who voted for light rail, but don't use it. They want OTHER people to take it so they won't be stuck in traffic. Still, let's do a pilot project. See how many people in NOMO would use micro-transit to get to work, run errands, visit the Farmer's Market, or go to grocery stores. 3 - Give preference in all situations to our low-income, underserved neighbors. What can be done to restore bus lines, increase frequency, and expand hours in those neighborhoods right now? What can be done to bring transit to West Marginalized Way? These improvements don't require expensive infrastructure mega-projects. Send transit planners to those neighborhoods to work out what people want and get started. That's how you achieve equity. 4 - Restore the West Seattle portion of Route 37. There's no need for the downtown part of that route because we have the RapidRide C. The new version of the 37 could be two routes. One could be a continuous loop from the Alaska Junction, north on California Ave SW, to Alki Ave, to 63rd Ave, to Beach Drive, up Jacobsen and back to the Junction. The second loop would go up Jacobsen from Beach Drive to the Junction, then down through Seaview to Lowman Beach, then back along Beach Drive to Jacobsen. Start with micro-transit vehicles. Add larger ones later, if needed. These routes have the potential to serve hundreds of people daily, reduce traffic, and eliminate a lot of the short-distance, emission-belching starts that result from people driving their cars up the hill to park close to the C line or the Junction. This route should run 7 days a week, and throughout the day, not just rush hours, so people can run errands, get to work, or go to the Farmer's Market without needing a car. Run the buses late enough at night so people can have dinner out, and enjoy an extra glass of wine knowing they don't have to drive home. 5 - Encourage the adoption of the No Build alternative to West Seattle Light Rail. This alternative has already been studied. Sound Transit admits that there is little benefit in this project for our community. No Build is a viable alternative and, if adopted, will free up money that can be used to make transit better for everyone in West Seattle. 6 - Regardless of what anyone says, the West Seattle bridge will need to be replaced sooner than later. And probably sooner. It may not have much more than 20 more years left of useful life. Even if it has 30 years, where will the money come from to replace it after billions of dollars have been squandered on light rail? If you know the history of the bridges of West Seattle, you know they don't last, and that a whole lot of drama will inevitably surround building the light rail bridge. All we will get out of that project is a single-use structure that serves very few people. It would be better to start now to plan a 21st century replacement for the current West Seattle Bridge. Make it multi-modal, with room for cars, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), a protected bike lane, and whatever else makes sense to the people who live here. That's what West Seattle needs. Tell public officials what you think What is missing from the transit picture in your neighborhood? It's time to ask for what you want. Below there are names and contact information for people from the federal to the local level. From Secretary Pete to The Pothole King. Contact them on your own... Write a letter, leave an email or voice mail. If you don't like writing, send a copy of this article with a sticky note that says "Read This!' Or make it it a team effort. Get together with a few neighbors, have a discussion about what you want to have happen for your neighborhood, write a letter, and have everyone sign it. Be sure to include your contact information so officials can confirm that you are for real. The team approach may be especially valuable in neighborhoods where English is not the first language for some residents or for those who have limited computer skills. If you can write and send a letter, reach out to neighbors and help give them a voice. There's strength in numbers! At the Federal Level Sound Transit depends on federal funds for many of its projects including ST3. To qualify for those funds, certain conditions must be met. For example, the No Build option had to be studied and included in Sound Transit's Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Which is a good thing - their studies make a good argument for not building light rail in West Seattle. Furthermore, the cost of building West Seattle Light Rail has more than doubled - from $1.7 billion to $4 billion. Some oversight is needed here. Contact the Federal Transit Administration. Office of Transit Safety and Oversight Federal Transit Administration 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590 Phone: 202-366-1783 Pete Buttigieg - US Secretary of Transportation Write to Secretary Pete: The Honorable Pete Buttigieg U.S. Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE Washington, DC 20590 Phone: 202-366-4000 Casey Sixkiller - Administrator for EPA Region 10 Former Deputy Mayor of Seattle, former manager of King County Metro. Currently, "he oversees the EPA’s work to protect human health and the environment across the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska, and 271 tribal nations. Sixkiller also is leading the EPA’s efforts locally to implement both the Bipartisan Infrastructural Law and Inflation Reduction Act" Phone: 206-553-1234 At the State Level Governor - Jay Inslee Inslee is not running for reelection in 2024, so he doesn't have to worry about the political consequences of taking a stand. His Climate Commitment Act has a goal of "net zero" emissions by 2050. The amount of CO2 that will be produced in the construction of West Seattle Light Rail will likely mean that his goal will not be met. Be sure he is aware of that. Contact Page Washington State Secretary of Transportation - Roger Millar Contact Page At the Local Level These are the people to address with your comments about the One Seattle Comprehensive Plan. You'll find names, titles, and contact information in the right hand column. And these are the people to send comments to about the SDOT Transportation Plan. Mayor - Bruce Harrell Director of Seattle Department of Transportation - Greg Spotts City Council Member District 1, and Chair of the City of Seattle Transportation Committee - Rob Saka The Sound Transit Board What does this board do? From their website: "The Board establishes policies and gives direction and oversight. It is empowered under state law to identify ballot measures for voter approval of regional transit projects and maintains the Long-Range Plan that identifies potential projects to submit to voters. At critical milestones of every voter-approved project, the Board makes key decisions by adopting budgets, identifying alternatives to include in environmental review, selecting the preferred alternative, determining the final project to be built and establishing baselines for project scope, schedule and budget. The Board also approves major contracts." Keep in mind that no one is elected to this board. Everyone is appointed and therefore not directly accountable to voters. No one on this board is a transportation professional, except Roger Millar, the Washington State Secretary of Transportation. It seems like he should be responsible for oversight of this board, but since he is on the board, that is unlikely. The Board Chair is West Seattle resident, Dow Constantine, King County Executive. The majority of the board members are his appointees. (Constantine does not use transit himself. If local news reports are accurate, he may not even drive. He has been accused of using his security detail as a personal car service for himself and his family.) Here is a list of the names of the rest of the board, the political offices they hold, and their contact information.

Earlier this month, as I walked into the West Seattle PCC, I saw a display of freshly foraged wild mushrooms, a sure sign that fall and the first of the season's rains have arrived. Although I gasped at the price of the Chantrelles - close to $30/lb. - I reminded myself that mushrooms weigh next to nothing. The recipe below calls for 4 cups, and when you buy small amounts of different varieties, it isn't as expensive as you might think. Besides, fresh, wild mushrooms aren't available year around. You have to enjoy them when you can. I've tried dried mushrooms and the result is just not the same. And please, unless you are a mycologist, do not try to save money by eating mushrooms you find popping up in your yard or in the wild. The results could be lethal. Before you plan a foraging trip to the grocery store, you might want to read Becky Selengut's article on mushrooms, "A Flavor Focused Guide." She'll help you decide which varieties will combine to make the perfect wild mushroom soup for you. Here's the recipe I've used, with various modifications, for decades. Enjoy! Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup Makes 4 servings 2 tablespoons butter 4 cups chopped or sliced mushrooms: your choice of available wild mushrooms, plus Crimini, Shiitake, or white button mushrooms to taste. 2 leeks, chopped (use the white parts with just a little of the light green) 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 3 tablespoons all purpose flour 2 cups low fat milk 2 - 3 cups chicken broth 3 tablespoons cooking sherry 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme or 1/2 teaspoon fresh leaves Dash of white pepper Melt butter in a large saucepan or soup pot. Add mushrooms, leeks, and garlic. Saute over medium heat for 3 - 4 minutes, until leeks and mushrooms begin to soften. Sprinkle flour over the mix and stir quickly to coat. Add the milk and broth, stirring continuously to prevent lumps. Bring soup to a simmer. DO NOT bring to a boil or the milk will separate and ruin the creaminess of the soup. Simmer about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. This soup tastes decadently rich, but it is probably less than 200 calories per serving. The richness comes from the mushrooms. If you want to make it a bit more KETO-friendly, though, omit the flour and substitute cream for the low fat milk. You could fry bacon and crumble bits of it to use as a garnish. Some of my friends love this dish so much, they call it THE Soup. To me it is one the best flavors of fall and a simple celebration of the riches of our region.