OCTOBER 2026
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Vote Early, Track Your Ballot: What Washington Voters Need to Know for Nov. 3
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HOW WASHINGTON PROTECTS THE VOTE
Washington has voted by mail statewide since 2011. Votes are recorded on paper ballots; signatures are checked against
LAURA MARIE RIVERA
ashington voters will begin receiving local ballots for the Nov. 3 general election in October, while King County’s overseas, service and out-ofstate ballots were mailed Sept. 18. At a Sept. 2 Seattle press conference, U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell and Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs released a report on latepostmarked ballots in Laura the August Marie primary. The Rivera statewide late-postmark rejection rate rose 32% from the 2024 primary; it more than doubled in 19 counties and rose more than 300% in Mason and Stevens counties. King County moved in the opposite direction, with its rate falling 20.2%. Cantwell’s report links the increase in many counties to Postal Service transportation and processing changes. USPS says its postmarking practices themselves have not changed, but acknowledges that transportation changes mean some mail no longer reaches the processing facility where the postmark is applied on the day it is mailed. The postmark date therefore may not match the date a voter placed the ballot in the mail. “So what does that mean? That could mean days that your ballot is delayed,” Hobbs said. Cantwell warned: “Ballots were rejected because they lacked a timely, verifiable postmark, or arrived too late to be counted.” Washington law allows mailed ballots that arrive after Election Day to be counted if postmarked by Election Day. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Watson v. RNC that federal Election Day statutes do not override state laws like Washington’s allowing those timely postmarked ballots to arrive later. The Trump administration has separately sought new federal restrictions on mail voting. A March 31 executive order called for federal voter-eligibility lists and new ballotmail requirements. A later USPS rule added a federal portal, voter-data and envelope requirements. Courts blocked the changes for the 2026 election, and on Sept. 14 the U.S. Supreme Court left an injunction in place preventing USPS from imposing them before Nov. 3. Washington’s existing election procedures remain in effect. The practical advice: don’t wait until Election Day to mail a ballot. USPS recommends mailing more than a week before the deadline. Washington election officials recommend using an official ballot drop box as Election Day approaches; ballots deposited by 8 p.m. Nov. 3 are guaranteed on time. Voters who want a mailed ballot to receive a postmark dated the same day can also take it to a Postal Service retail counter and request a manual postmark free of charge. Cantwell’s advice was succinct: “Vote in a ballot box or vote very, very early.”
U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell speaks Sept. 2 in Seattle about mail-in voting and late-postmark ballot rejections, joined by Brenda Mann Harrison of the League of Women Voters, Hayward Evans of the Seattle King County NAACP and Secretary of State Steve Hobbs. voter-registration records; only one ballot per voter can be accepted; and, after verification, ballots are separated from identifying envelopes. VoteWA lets voters track whether a ballot was mailed, received, accepted or challenged. Elections also undergo pre-election testing, post-election audits and ballot reconciliation. King County adds controlled access to processing areas, more than 85 security cameras and documented chain-ofcustody procedures. “Now people are trying to weave a lot of distrust into the United States system of vote by mail, and it’s inexcusable. We know that this system works,” Cantwell said. Hayward Evans, president of the Seattle King County NAACP, said that in Washington “voting by mail is not an alternative system, it’s our voting system.” Port of Seattle Commissioner Toshiko Grace Hasegawa, who is also a candidate this year for King County Council District 2, said, “Voting is how communities speak for ourselves.” She added: “Every eligible voter deserves a meaningful opportunity to be heard, because our democracy is strongest when every community has a voice.” Hasegawa faces Rebecca Saldaña in the District 2 race. Brenda Mann Harrison, president of the League of Women Voters of Snohomish County, put it simply: “Our democracy works best when everyone has a voice.”
Congressional District 7 voters will see Pramila Jayapal and Nirav Sheth. Countywide, Rob Foxcurran and Dominique M. Scarimbolo are running for assessor; Elections Director Julie Wise and Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion are unopposed. For readers in the 36th Legislative District, which includes Magnolia and Queen Anne, Noel C. Frame faces Jillian England for state Senate; Julia Grant Reed and Liz Berry are unopposed for the two House seats. In the 43rd District, which includes Madison Park, Jamie Pedersen faces Hannah Sabio-Howell for Senate, Nicole Macri faces Alby Clendennin for House Position 1, and Shaun Scott is unopposed for Position 2. King County Council District 2 voters will choose between Saldaña and Hasegawa; District 4 incumbent Jorge L. Barón is unopposed. The simplest checklist may be the most useful: check your registration, read your ballot, sign the return envelope, return it early and track it.
WHAT’S ON THE BALLOT
For King County voters, local voters’ pamphlets are mailed Oct. 13, ballots Oct. 14 and ballot drop boxes open Oct. 15. Online and mail registration changes are due Oct. 26; inperson registration continues through 8 p.m. Election Day. There is plenty on the ballot. Washington voters will elect five state Supreme Court justices: Position 1, Colleen Melody or Scott Edwards; Position 3, Jaime Michelle Hawk or David Stevens; Position 4, Ian Birk or Sean O’Donnell; Position 5, Theo Angelis or Dave Larson; and Position 7, Debra L. Stephens or Todd A. Bloom.
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OCTOBER 2026
Letter Seattle Expands Civil Rights Protections to Polyamory, Pansexuality and Asexuality to the Editor N T Staff Report
hank you for the detailed analysis of Mayor Wilson’s efforts to improve road safety. (“Seattle Says Slower Streets Are Safer. Drivers Didn’t Get the Memo,” September, 2026). As you rightly note, costly construction projects and lower speed limits, while important and worthwhile, can only go so far in making our streets safer. In fact, they’re only half the solution.
Growing up, such habits were drilled into me. Today, they seem less consistently reinforced, and it’s now a commonplace to see pedestrians engaging in frighteningly dangerous behavior. But responsible street use remains, to pardon the expression, a twoway street: when I’m driving, I’m responsible for safe driving; when I’m walking, I’m responsible for safe walking. Perhaps the city could make a modest investment in public outreach: • Public libraries, commu.nity centers and schools could display simple pedestriansafety posters, especially near high-traffic corridors with short messages: “Phones down. Eyes up.” “Cross with the signal.” “Make eye contact before crossing.” • The mayor’s office could run a recurring “Safe Streets Tip of the Week” on social media • Neighborhood groups, PTAs and business associations could include short safety blurbs in newsletters • The city could partner with local radio, podcasts and neighborhood blogs for public-service announcements Safer infrastructure matters. The again, so does public awareness. I’d like to see the entire community taking responsibility for making Seattle’s streets safer. —Joel Gunz Seattle
JOE SOHM
Pedestrians Need a Memo Too Pedestrians themselves have a role to play. While drivers must remain alert and obey speed limits, people on foot also benefit from reminders about basic safety habits: • Stop, look and listen • Obey crosswalk signals • Cross at intersections when possible • Avoid distracted walking by putting phones away while crossing the street
ew protections taking effect next year will apply to employment, housing and public accommodations, but do not change marriage law or require employers to provide benefits to multiple partners. Seattle residents will have broader protections against discrimination next year after the City Council unanimously approved changes to the city’s civil rights laws. The legislation adds pansexuality and asexuality to Seattle’s definition of sexual orientation and explicitly protects people in consensual relationships involving consensually nonmonogamous relationships. The change means those characteristics will be covered by Seattle’s anti-discrimination laws in areas including employment, and housing. In practice, an employer could not make a hiring or firing decision because a worker is asexual or pansexual or because they
have multiple consensual partners. A landlord similarly could not discriminate against an otherwise qualified tenant because of their protected relationship structure.
Staff Report
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eattle has a $9.1 billion plan for becoming safer, more affordable and financially stable. Apparently, even $9.1 billion still requires saying no to things. Mayor Wilson released her first proposed biennial budget Sept. 22, beginning a two-month City Council process that will determine how Seattle spends its money in 2027 and 2028. The proposal contains approximately $9.1 billion in spending for 2027 across all city funds. Of that, about $2.1 billion comes from the General Fund, the flexible pot of money that pays for many of the services residents encounter every day. Wilson entered the process facing a projected $175 million General Fund deficit. Her administration says the proposal closes that gap without drawing down the city’s fiscal reserves or increasing the JumpStart payroll tax, while projecting balanced budgets through 2030. That doesn’t mean City Hall suddenly found $175 million under a couch cushion. The proposal makes nearly $50 million in annual General Fund reductions and eliminates 128 city positions. Most are already vacant, but 15 are currently filled. Wilson has characterized the reductions as necessary to stop relying on temporary money and hiring freezes to cover ongoing expenses. At the same time, the mayor isn’t proposing austerity everywhere.
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The budget includes $183 million in ongoing homelessness investments, including $37 million to add nearly 1,000 shelter beds by the end of 2027. The city estimates those additional beds could serve approximately 1,750 people annually. Food assistance also survives the budget knife. Wilson proposes making permanent $10 million in Fresh Bucks expansion, food-bank support and meal-delivery assistance that had been added with one-time funding in 2026. Her proposal would also guarantee free breakfast and lunch for every student in Seattle Public Schools. Those aren’t particularly flashy entries in a $9.1 billion spreadsheet, but they’re the kind that become considerably less abstract around the dinner table.
PUBLIC SAFETY GETS COMPLICATED
More than half of General Fund spending would go toward public safety services. Wilson’s proposal funds 1,250 sworn Seattle Police Department positions in each year of the biennium — 66 more positions than the current budget — while maintaining more than $100 million annually for community safety, violence prevention, alternative emergency response and survivor services. The proposal also funds new positions in the CARE Department focused on gun-violence reduction. But public safety is already emerging as one of the areas the City Council may scrutinize most closely.
Budget Committee Chair Dan Strauss said as the council began its review Sept. 24 that he has concerns about proposed cuts to CARE Community Crisis Responders and reductions to the Seattle Fire Department budget. In other words, “public safety” may be a shared priority at City Hall. What exactly belongs underneath that heading is considerably less settled.
THE THINGS YOU ACTUALLY NOTICE
Elsewhere in the budget are smaller investments likely to be much more visible in everyday life. Wilson proposes nearly doubling recreation scholarships for income-eligible residents and adding 12 public restrooms across Seattle. The budget also supports transit and library hours. Transportation funding continues implementation of the 2024 Seattle Transportation Levy, Vision Zero safety work and programs supported by the Seattle Transit Measure. That includes additional automated trafficsafety enforcement. Nineteen school-zone camera locations are planned for the 2026-27 school year, while four high-crash locations are slated for new 24-hour speed cameras in 2027. The transportation budget also supports the less glamorous work of filling potholes, maintaining traffic signals, caring for street trees and keeping aging bridges and structures functioning.
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RIGHTS, 2
Mayor Katie Wilson’s first proposed budget promises stability, safety and affordability while moving some neighborhood projects forward, delaying others and discovering, once again, that Seattle’s wish list is longer than its wallet.
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The legislation reaches beyond polyamory. It also clarifies protections involving cohabitation and reflects families that may include
Seattle’s $9.1 Billion Wish List Doesn’t Buy Everything
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The ordinance does not legalize plural marriage or create a new legal relationship status. It also does not require employers to provide health insurance or other benefits to multiple partners.
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Shake It Off (or Rather, Don’t!)
D
id you know that we experience over 1,000 earthquakes of magnitude 1.0 or greater in Washington and Oregon each year? I didn’t, until I attended a presentation by the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network (PNSN) in July. PNSN, part of the nation’s Advanced National Seismic System, is a regional seismic network that covers Washington and Oregon. Located on UW’s campus, PNSN maintains and moniDana Armstrong tors a network Madison of more Park than 700 Emergency seismic Hub stations (with over 500 in Washington state). I was intrigued to learn that PNSN has a seismologist on duty 24/7 to interpret any critical findings of the sensor network and adjust the numbers when needed, among other work. You can view PNSN’s plethora of quake findings on its recently overhauled web site at PNSN.org. The site is a datahead’s dream: In addition to a list and interactive map showing recent earthquakes, you can search recent and historical data, check up on volcano activity, and see pages for each individual seismic station the group monitors, including live seismograms, data for recent earthquakes detected at that station, photos of the stations (if available), and an indication of whether the station is part of the ShakeAlert network.
A QUICK DIGRESSION: WHY SHAKEALERT IS THE BEE’S KNEES
ShakeAlert is an early earthquake warning system that works on mobile devices. If you have a newer Android or iOS phone and you live in the Northwest, you’re already set up with ShakeAlert earthquake warnings. This means that you’ll get an audible alert (“Drop, Cover, and Hold On!”) if a serious earthquake is detected nearby. You can opt out of these warnings (but I wouldn’t recommend it). To check whether these warnings are active, check your phone’s settings: go to Notifications/Emergency Alerts for iPhone or Safety and emergency/Wireless emergency alerts for Android. There’s usually very little warning before an earthquake. But with ShakeAlert, depending on your distance from the quake’s epicenter, you can receive from seconds to tens of seconds of early warning—which might not sound like much but is invaluable if you’re in your car, say, or holding a baby. Those seconds could get you to valuable cover—or away from something that might fall on you. Though not needed for the alerts, you can also install the related MyShake app, which shows earthquake info for the Northwest and around the world. It also includes helpful earthquake prep and survival tips. And if you do feel an earthquake, you can report it right in the app. The ShakeAlert System is managed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in partnership with PNSN and other state and university partners.
MAGNITUDE, INTENSITY, AND TAYLOR’S VERSION
At PNSN, our presenter used a flashlight to help demonstrate the difference between two key terms describing an earthquake’s impact that I am always working to understand better: magnitude and intensity.
RIGHTS, FROM 2 stepparents, single parents, coparents and multigenerational households. Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck, who sponsored the legislation, said during the Sept. 15 council meeting that “Every family is different, but every single one deserves equal
A qualitative description of the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale. Image from USGS ShakeAlert. Magnitude is like a flashlight’s energy output: Just as a flashlight bulb’s wattage measures the energy it produces, magnitude measures the amount of energy an earthquake releases—it’s the number you’ll hear most often in media coverage. Magnitudes are relative, with each magnitude exponentially higher than the previous one. A magnitude 7 earthquake is about 33 times more powerful than a magnitude 6 one. And turns out there are different ways to measure magnitude, including local magnitude (the Richter scale), duration magnitude, and moment magnitude. Thankfully, scientists have tweaked the approaches to get them to agree, roughly. To give you a sense of scale, our 2001 Nisqually earthquake was a 6.8, while Japan’s 2011 Tohoku quake was a 9.0. Intensity is like a flashlight’s beam: A flashlight can be blindingly bright if you are close to it, but dim from far away. Intensity, similarly, measures how strong an earthquake’s shaking feels at any specific spot, and will vary depending on the magnitude of the earthquake, your distance from its center, and other factors. The popular (and intuitive) Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) scale ranks intensity as one of 10 Roman numeral-based values: ranging from imperceptible shaking that is “not felt” except by a few people (I/Not Felt) to catastrophic destruction (X/Extreme). The Nisqually earthquake had an MMI of VIII (Severe), while the Tohoku quake had an MMI of IX (Violent).[6.1][6.2] Intensity is part of what our presenter termed “the human factor” of earthquakes— how our environment is affected in terms
protection under the law,” Rinck said. People who testified in support of the proposal described hiding relationships related to concerns about employment, housing and other forms of discrimination. Richard Gilmore, 73, told councilmembers that he is part of a four-person polyamorous family approaching its 26th
of losses and fatalities (and trauma). Seems like something we should spend more time thinking about. Now on to a fun fact or two from the presentation: The PNSN sometimes monitors lively human events to learn more about disastrous ones. Our presenter reminded us about 2011’s Beastquake—the nickname for Marshawn Lynch’s playoff-winning touchdown—when the Seahawks fans’ footstomping and cheering was so intense the activity registered at PNSN’s seismic station across the street from the stadium. That same station measured tremors during Taylor Swift’s 2023 Eras tour (see PNSN’s blog post called “Taylor’s Version,” which matches up songs in the concert to sensor activity). Likewise, PNSN also monitored Seattle’s World Cup games as well as recent Mariners and Seahawks games; see the Experiments section of the PNSN website. Want to learn more about earthquake monitoring? The PNSN offers facility tours and age-appropriate talks for school groups and adults, including for senior centers, clubs, and other community organizations. (I toured as part of the Madison Park Emergency Hub.) See PNSN.org to find out more. Thank you to the PNSN presenter, Elizabeth Angell. Any factual errors in this column are mine, not hers!
OCTOBER 15: THE GREAT SHAKEOUT
Last, here’s my annual plug for the Great ShakeOut, an event anyone can participate in, no matter where they’re located (in addition to the U.S., past participants come from
anniversary. He described keeping that part of his life private because of concerns about workplace discrimination. Seattle joins a growing number of cities that have adopted protections related to consensual nonmonogamy. Olympia approved similar protections earlier this year, while Portland, Berkeley and Oakland are among
Canada, Japan, New Zealand, and 35 other countries). To take part: On October 15 of this year, at exactly 10:15 am, pretend an earthquake is happening and do exactly what you would do if the earth were really shaking. Ideally, you Drop, Cover, and Hold On: Drop (to the ground, on your hands and knees), Cover (your head and neck with one arm, and get under whatever protection is nearest—ideally, a table or other solid structure—otherwise, the nearest interior wall), and Hold On (hold on to whatever you can for support, like a table leg; if nothing’s around, just hold your head and neck with both arms and hands). If you install the MyShake app I mentioned earlier before October 15, you’ll get a (potentially startling) reminder of the ShakeOut event if you’re in WA, OR, or CA. Using the app is optional, but it will alert you at the time of the event and tell you how long to do the drill. (It’s just under a minute, but trust me, a minute is a long time to stay on your hands and knees, especially if you end up doing it in public! Ask me how I know this.) Visit Shakeout.org for more information.
As always, this column is part of Madison Park Emergency Hub’s outreach effort. Our Hub is a part of Seattle Emergency Hubs, a network of volunteer-run organizations dedicated to helping neighbors help each other after a disaster. To be added to our mailing list, please contact us at madparkhub@gmail.com.
cities elsewhere that have enacted related measures. The Seattle Office for Civil Rights will be responsible for enforcing the expanded protections alongside the city’s existing civil rights laws. The office investigates discrimination complaints involving employment, housing, public accommodations and other areas covered by city law.
The June 1 effective date gives the City time to prepare for implementation and conduct education and outreach before the new protections take effect. For Seattle residents, the ordinance does not change who can marry or establish a new legal definition of family. Instead, it expands who is protected from discrimination under laws Seattle already has.
Fall Into
FUN! Crisp air, cozy vibes and plenty of reasons to get out of the house.
Japan Week
Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Tasveer Film Festival
DeafNation Expo
Sat. October 10th
Mon. October 12th
October 13-18
October 13-14
Celebrate Indigenous cultures, communities and creativity during United Indians of All Tribes Foundation’s annual Indigenous Peoples’ Day gathering. The evening brings the community together for cultural performances, art and activities honoring Indigenous peoples.
South Asian cinema takes center stage during the 21st Tasveer Film Festival & Market, the world’s only Oscar-qualifying South Asian film festival. Six days of films from South Asia and its global diaspora are joined by filmmaker Q&As, panels, workshops, industry events and conversations celebrating bold new voices in filmmaking.
Exhibitors, businesses, organizations and community members under one roof. The traveling event offers a day of connection, discovery and resources for Deaf and hard-of-hearing attendees, families and allies
A free public celebration from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The day features taiko, a Mikoshi and Yosakoi parade, martial arts, tea ceremony, calligraphy, origami, cosplay and other contests, Japanese food and markets, plus special activities celebrating milestone anniversaries for Pokémon, Dragon Ball and Super Mario Bros.
Bellevue College, Bellevue
Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center, Seattle
Tasveer Film Center, Seattle
Turkfest
Nordic Innovation Summit
October 10 - 11
October 13-14
October 13-14
Experience the music, food and traditions of Türkiye and Turkishspeaking cultures during the free annual Turkfest celebration. The weekend fills the Armory with live music and dance, traditional and contemporary art, textile displays, cultural workshops, food and a lively marketplace.
Explore how Nordic ideas are tackling some of today’s biggest challenges at the annual Nordic Innovation Summit. The twoday gathering brings together business leaders, entrepreneurs, policymakers and innovators for conversations on emerging technology, sustainability and the future of industry.
Celebrate Diwali, the Festival of Lights, with a free afternoon of art, music and cultural traditions at the Seattle Asian Art Museum. The family-friendly celebration features live performances, Garba dancing, henna, art making, a youth exhibition, a tiny tot fashion show and Indian street food available for purchase.
Seattle Center, Seattle
Nordic Museum, Seattle
Asian Art Museum, Seattle
Diwali Celebration
Early Voting is Your Superpower! Margie Carter, Madison Park Neighbor If you are registered to vote, your ballot will be mailed to you on October 14 with ballot boxes open for return by October 16 and must be returned by 8:00pm on November 3rd. If you are not registered, if your address has changed or you didn’t receive your ballot the week of Oct. 19, go to Register to vote King County, Washington. The safest way to submit your ballot is by taking it to a dropbox.
Celebrate and Activate Your Superpower Tuesday, Oct 6, 6:00-8:00pm, One Month to the Midterms—an evening of conversation and
learning from Dr. Amy Bhatt of Galvanize Action with research about engaging voters who are hesitant, unsure, perhaps planning to sit out this midterm election, at Mount Baker Community Club, 2811 Mt Rainier Dr S, Seattle. Free registration, https://secure.ngpvan.com/vsY20W3k6kOr8_aeuT-vVA2, to help us plan refreshments and hospitality. To volunteer or with about the event, contact margiecarter@comcast.net.
Saturday, Oct. 17, 10:00-12:00 noon, Early Voting is Your Superpower, Madison Park Village.
Gather on both sides of Madison near the Wells Fargo sign at McGilvra This is a festive family rally, with costumes, music and some kid-friendly activities. Wear a superpower costume or come dressed as a blue and white ballot box. Bring signs not of protest, but ones that emphasize the importance of Voting Early and using drop boxes. Information tables will help you MAKE A PLAN TO VOTE, and find ways to support your family, friends, and neighbors to get their ballots filled out and taken early to a drop box. Our ROCK THE VOTE table will have provisions for you to paint a rock that encourages early voting to mobilize your superpower.
Drop Box Locations near Madison Park: https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/elections/how-to-vote/ballots/return-my-ballot/ballot-drop-boxes
Seattle Center Exhibition Hall, Seattle
Oxtober Fall Festival October 17–18 & 24–25 Spend a fall day on the farm with tractor hayrides, pumpkins, nature crafts, live music, scavenger hunts, and lawn games.
Oxbow Farm, Seattle
Northwest Record Show Sun. October 18th More than 50 tables bring together dealers and record stores
from around the west, with everyth jazz and blues to country and more
Seattle Center A
Fauntleroy F
Sun. Octobe
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Fauntleroy, Se
Fall Lantern
Fri. October
The free celebrat community-made music, crafts, gam booth and compl and drinks!
Freeway Park
Pacific Northhing from rock, hip-hop, punk, e.
Armory, Seattle
Fall Festival
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od tradition n decorating, ng, live music, a st, bouncy housall, and plenty of all fun.
eattle
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GeekGirlCon October 24-25 A weekend dedicated to women and girls in science, technology, gaming, comics, pop culture and the arts. The convention brings together panels, cosplay, tabletop and video games, exhibitors, artists, and workshops.
Seattle Convention Center, Seattle
Seattle Coffee Festival October 24-25 Get caffeinated at the Seattle Coffee Festival, bringing together specialty roasters and coffee shops for a weekend devoted to Seattle’s favorite beverage.
r 23rd
Magnuson Park Hangar 30, Seattle
tion features e lanterns, live mes, a photo limentary food
Museum of Fright Sun. October 25th
, Seattle
The Museum of Flight gets a spooky makeover for a day of
Halloween-themed games and activities throughout its galleries. The family-friendly celebration runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., mixing aviation and aerospace with plenty of seasonal fun to spark a little imagination.
Museum of Flight, Seattle
Trolloween October 24-25 Celebrate Halloween and the Fremont Troll’s birthday! The festivities begin at 7 p.m. with live music and a theatrical pageant beneath the Troll, followed by the Haunt of Fremont, a costumed procession through the neighborhood led by a high-energy samba band and dancers in illuminated skeleton costumes.
Fremont Troll, Seattle
Pumpkin Bash Fri. October 31st Celebrate Halloween at the zoo with trick-or-treating, a mascotled costume parade and plenty of
Friends of Madison Park Friends of Madison Park Auction
Saturday, Oct. 24 | Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Broadmoor Golf Club Grab your friends and neighbors for cocktails, dinner, live and silent auctions, dancing and a night of giving back to our beautiful Madison Park community. Take a sneak peek at some of this year’s auction items at www.friendsofmadisonpark.com.
Little Beats Concert Series Returns at a New Venue! |Saturday, Oct. 3, &
Saturday, Nov. 7 | 11 a.m.–12 p.m. | McGilvra Elementary School Cafeteria, 1617 E. 38th St. Make a morning of it! Grab breakfast, coffee or lunch at one of Madison Park’s fantastic bakeries or eateries before or after the show, then enjoy some time at our neighborhood elementary school.
Please note: This is not a drop-off event. All children must have adult supervision.
pumpkins from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Bears, tigers, wolves, otters and other animals get in on the fun, smashing, crunching and playing with pumpkin treats as part of special enrichment activities.
ers across North America and beyond.
Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Washington, Seattle
Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle
Diwali: Lights of India Sat. November 7th
Día de Muertos Oct. 31 - Nov. 1 The free festival fills the Armory with elaborate community altars, music and dance, face painting, sugar skull workshops, visual art and traditions celebrating the lives and memories of loved ones who have died.
Celebrate the Festival of Lights with a free day of Indian culture, music, dance and art at Seattle Center. The celebration features visual art, martial arts, a cooking demonstration, henna, food and other activities.
Seattle Center, Seattle
Seattle Center, Seattle
Short Run Comix Fest Sun. November 7th
Bunka no Hi Sun. November 1st Book lovers and treasure hunters can browse thousands of rare and collectible books, maps, prints, photographs, manuscripts, posters and other literary finds from deal-
Neighborhood Meeting | Tuesday, Oct. 13 | 7 p.m.| Madison Park Bathhouse
The meeting will focus on the Bathhouse Renovation and Shoreline Restoration Project. Don’t miss this opportunity to work together to build our neighborhood gathering center.
Madison Park Farmers Market Saturday, Oct. 17 | 10 a.m.–12 p.m. The final Madison Park Farmers Market of 2026. Don’t miss your chance to close out the season with fresh produce and delicious eats from throughout the market.
Halloween Trick-or-Treating in Madison Park | Saturday, Oct. 31 | 4–6 p.m.
Celebrate Seattle’s indie comics scene at this festival featuring more than 200 artists! Browse the marketplace, meet creators from around the world and try handson activities.
Seattle Design Center, Seattle
Little Beats
concert series music • dancing • family fun
11:00 am @ Mc Gilvra Elementary
October 3, November 7, and February 6
Madison Park
Dress up in your craziest costumes, dress up your pets, too, and bring the little ones to gather candy galore from our local shops. Join the costumed dog parade, snap a few pictures and celebrate Halloween as only Madison Park can.
$5/person @ the door or pre-purchase online Thank you to our sponsors!
McGilvra PTA Supporting Our School
friendsofmadisonpark.com
6
OCTOBER 2026
What Happened to Your DNA After 23andMe Went Bankrupt? Millions of people mailed the company a saliva sample. Then 23andMe went bankrupt and its assets changed hands. For Washington customers wondering where their genetic information went, the answer is more complicated than simply “it was sold.”
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Staff Report
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illions of people mailed the company a saliva sample. Then 23andMe went bankrupt and its assets changed hands. For Washington customers wondering where their genetic information went, the answer is more complicated than simply “it was sold.” You can change a password after a data breach. You can cancel a credit card. You cannot change your DNA. That distinction became considerably more important for millions of 23andMe customers when the genetic testing company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March 2025. By then, customers had spent years mailing saliva samples to the company to learn about their ancestry, find genetic relatives or receive information about potential health risks. In return, 23andMe accumulated an enormous collection of genetic and personal information. Then the company went up for sale. The bankruptcy raised an uncomfortable question: What happens when a company holding your DNA changes hands?
BUDGET, FROM 2 Nobody cuts a ribbon for a traffic signal that continues to work. People tend to notice when it doesn’t.
AFFORDABILITY COMES WITH AN ASTERISK
Wilson has made affordability a central theme of her administration, and her budget notably avoids the major new progressive tax that some observers expected. The mayor says she still intends to pursue new progressive revenue, including a local capital-gains tax, but the state’s implementation timeline means that option couldn’t be used to close the immediate deficit. There is, however, a smaller tax increase tucked into transportation.
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After a court-supervised bidding process, substantially all of 23andMe’s assets were purchased for $305 million by TTAM Research Institute, a nonprofit founded and led by 23andMe co-founder and former CEO Anne Wojcicki. The sale drew objections from states and scrutiny from a court-appointed consumer privacy ombudsman. The bankruptcy court ultimately approved the transaction with additional privacy commitments. Among them, the new organization agreed to continue allowing customers to delete accounts and genetic data and withdraw from research. It also agreed to restrictions on transferring genetic information in a future bankruptcy or change of control and to create a consumer privacy advisory board.
WASHINGTON CUSTOMERS HAVE ANOTHER REASON TO PAY ATTENTION
The bankruptcy wasn’t 23andMe’s first major privacy problem. In 2023, hackers gained access to information connected to millions of 23andMe users. In Washington alone, the state’s Attorney General’s Office says genetic data
The proposal would raise Seattle’s commercial parking tax from 14.5% to 17%, using the additional revenue for Vision Zero projects, signal maintenance, urban forestry and emergency services. So yes, the mayor who has made affordability one of her central themes is proposing to make parking more expensive. Municipal finance has a sense of humor like that. The city would also use revenue from King County’s new 0.1% transportation sales tax to maintain bridges and structures and support urban forestry. Updated street-use fees would help cover permitting and inspection costs.
IT’S STILL A FIRST DRAFT
Of all the numbers released Sept. 22, the budget’s most important word is “proposed.”
belonging to more than 220,000 customers was compromised. This July, Washington joined 41 other states in an $18 million settlement with the bankruptcy trustee over the breach. Washington will receive $547,000 for consumer-protection enforcement. The breach illustrates why genetic information presents an unusual privacy problem. A stolen credit-card number can be replaced. Your genetic code cannot. It can also reveal information that extends beyond you. Because relatives share DNA, genetic information can help establish biological relationships between people who never submitted a sample themselves.
WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH YOUR DNA NOW?
For customers who haven’t thought about their 23andMe account in years, the bankruptcy does not mean they have lost all control over it. 23andMe Research Institute’s current privacy policy says customers can still delete their accounts at any time. Doing so also automatically opts the customer out of research and directs the company to discard a stored biological sample. The company warns that account deletion is permanent. Customers who don’t want to delete everything have narrower options. They can change whether their sample is stored, change their research consent and turn off features such as DNA Relatives. Washington law provides additional rights. Under the state’s My Health My Data Act, consumers can withdraw consent for certain uses of covered health data, request deletion and ask whether their information has been shared or sold. They can also request a list of third parties that received covered data. The Attorney General’s Office specifically reminded Washington residents of those rights when 23andMe entered bankruptcy. For someone who simply wants out, the Attorney General provided instructions: sign into 23andMe, open Settings, find 23andMe Data, select View, scroll to Delete Data and choose Permanently Delete Data. The customer
then receives an email containing a link to confirm the request. The AG recommends downloading a personal copy first if the customer wants to retain their genetic information. People who want their stored saliva sample destroyed without deleting their entire account can change that preference under account settings. Research consent can also be withdrawn separately.
DELETING IT DOESN’T TURN BACK TIME
There is an important limitation. Deleting an account today cannot necessarily retrieve information that was previously used or disclosed while the customer had consented to that use. Research already performed using information provided by consenting participants does not simply cease to exist when someone later changes their mind. That makes the decision different from closing an unused social-media account. 23andMe Research Institute says research participation remains voluntary and that customers can change their consent going forward. It also says de-identified information from consenting participants continues to support genetic research. So the answer to “Where is my DNA now?” depends partly on what choices you made when you opened the account and what choices you make now. The company that originally received the sample went through bankruptcy. Its genetic-testing and research operations, including the customer information associated with them, passed to a new nonprofit organization controlled by 23andMe’s co-founder. That organization remains bound by privacy commitments made during the sale and by applicable privacy laws. But the bankruptcy offered a reminder that is easy to overlook when a DNA kit arrives in a cheerful little box: Your genetic information can outlast the company you gave it to. For Washington residents who haven’t opened their 23andMe account in years, this may be a good time to log back in and decide whether they still want it there.
The City Council now gets its turn. preserving or expanding several major serDepartment presentations began Sept. vices and avoiding a major new tax. 24, and councilmembers will spend the next It does not produce enough money to do two months reviewing Wilson’s proposal, everything Seattle wants to do. Apparently, hearing public testimony and proposing the city’s most persistent affordability probamendments before adopting a final budget, lem may be Seattle itself. expected in November. That’s when the billions eventually become the things Seattle residents actually experience: whether a library is open, a child can afford a recreation program, a bus arrives often enough to be useful, an intersection gets safer, a person Panel Upgrades • Repairs sleeping outside can find shelter or Senior Discount an emergency call gets the response it needs. www.kemlyelectric.com Wilson’s proposal attempts to Lic#KEMLYE1038DR close a $175 million deficit while
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Pacific Publishing Company – Queen Anne & Magnolia News • Madison Park Times
7
The Life, the One I’ve Worked so Hard for, Rights Itself
W
hen I was younger, I don’t think I could have imagined myself saying, “I don’t want to travel again for a very long time.” The story I told myself then was that I wanted to travel forever.
Mary Lou Sanelli Falling Awake
And I have been traveling, one city after another, to teach master classes, though a few years back I decided to return to calling them dance workshops. Something about the word master has always embarrassed me. But no matter what my class is called, as soon as the music begins, a certain feeling comes over me: that I was always meant to do this. It’s something I’ve known ever since my first class. Add this to getting to visit towns, cities, and countries I might not get to see otherwise
and it says everything about what I enjoy most about my work. But even when I’m enjoying myself, there’s a lot of comparing that goes on. I don’t mean I compare my class to anyone else’s, I’m way past competing with anyone but myself. I’m talking about comparisons of a different nature. In fact, comparing is pretty much all I do for the first day or so, especially when I take a walk through a new neighborhood and compare someone else’s life to the one I left behind with its doors and windows locked. I look around and I am charmed as much by the farm houses outside of Wenatchee as I am by the beach bungalows in Papeete. And this is good. It’s all part of the traveling cycle, the complex set of questions that crop up in new terrain. Our inner appraisal of choices made and ones still yet to make. I can even drive myself a little crazy with all the comparing that goes on as I imagine myself living one life after another after another. The unknown does this to us. It just does. Not to worry. As the days pass, I realize there are amazing houses and terrible restaurants wherever you go. And it all happens so fast (in hindsight) and then the tedious airport again, the tedious light rail again, before I pull my suitcase up the walkway that leads to my building where, now wait just a minute, doesn’t my home look fantastic? I unlock my door, step in, and the life, the one I’ve worked so hard for, rights itself. I warm to my things. Their familiarity connects
me. To me. To the self I know best. And that’s when I know I am home. That’s when I know. At some point, the refrigerator door will close behind me, and there it is, the sound I know so well, the sound only my refrigerator makes. I open the door and let it close again, wahoosh, just to hear it again. And when I step outside to water my pots, I think just look at my thriving cosmos! How perfect is that for a traveler? And I doubt, I seriously doubt, that I can pull off traveling again next month. I wrote this back in July. Actually, the words wrote themselves. I just let my fingers fly over the keyboard. This practice has taught me not to hold back. You become one with your mind, all of it, the good and the bad, and it’s all there on the page when you push your chair back, take a deep breath, and revisit what’s really on your mind. I think our mind speaks to us as much through fear as it does through desire. Sunlight lit my desk as I reread how teaching my classes is always harder than I thought they would be, but in a good way, they challenge me. But they also remind me that the strength and stamina they take won’t last forever, and that I often feel blue as soon as class is over as I watch the students leave and I am left alone. The whole experience feels like a metaphor for life: I don’t want any of it to end, ever, and in the same breath, I know that it will. By mid-August, my travel bag was packed. I admit I was a little
restless again: restless to teach, restless to return to that part of myself. So. Off I went. Only to Whidbey Island. Not far, but new to me. And the students were great, the students are always great. I treasure every class in hopes of inspiring them to find a way to dance forever. “Just look at me,” I say. I try to confirm how dance is a huge part of who we are by choosing both my words and choreography carefully. I told students in Oak Harbor how the night before I dreamt―it wasn’t a dream really, more of a must-say nudging my half-sleep―how it’s always been them I was meant to nurture. That’s why I love to teach them, and why I love to dance with them. In Langley, I shared how eager they are, how alive, is dance’s greatest gift to me. Even if that sounds too schmaltzy or whatever. Even so, it isn’t travel I need now, but my own bed, and I don’t want to travel again (I swear) for a very long time. Mary Lou Sanelli’s latest title, An Island Called Bainbridge: People, Places, Conversations will be released in October of 2026. Save the Date: She’ll be celebrating this new title at Elliott Bay Book Company on October 13th, 7 pm; Third Place Books/Ravenna on October 29th, 7 pm; and signing copies at Magnolia’s Bookstore on October 3rd, 11 am to 2 pm. For more information visit www. marylousanelli.com.
Seattle’s Economy Isn’t in Decline. So Why Are Businesses Struggling? A new economic assessment says Seattle remains strong but increasingly fragile. For the city’s small businesses, that distinction may already be showing.
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uigi’s Italian Eatery has survived more than a decade in Pioneer Square. On Sept. 19, it plans to serve its last customers. Owner Angela Williams has cited rising food costs, insufficient customer traffic and a roughly 40% increase in rent. After years of adjusting the business, she told reporters the numbers no longer made sense. The closure comes just days after the Seattle Office of Economic Development released an independent assessment of the city’s business climate. Its conclusion is more complicated than either the image of a booming technology hub or a city in decline. Seattle is not in decline, the assessment found. But the economic model behind much of its recent prosperity is becoming increasingly fragile. The report, Seawall: Building a Resilient Seattle Economy, was commissioned by the City in 2025 and produced by consulting firm Formation.
One of its central concerns is not that Seattle failed to grow, but how it grew. Between 2014 and 2023, companies with at least 100 employees accounted for 74.5% of net job growth in the Seattle metropolitan area. Midsize businesses accounted for 16.6%, while small businesses accounted for just 8.9%. Seattle’s success in technology and other high-paying industries also helped drive up the cost of living and doing business. High-paying industries bring jobs and wealth, but the resulting costs squeeze businesses with thinner margins, including restaurants, childcare providers and manufacturers. The Office of Economic Development says competitiveness and affordability are increasingly inseparable. Luigi’s experience also complicates another encouraging statistic: people are coming back downtown. About 3.7 million unique domestic visitors came downtown in July,
according to the Downtown Seattle Association, 112% of July 2019’s count. Hotel demand also exceeded 2019 levels. But weekday worker traffic tells a different story. Downtown averaged about 150,000 workers per weekday in July, just 64% of the daily average recorded in July 2019. For a restaurant, that distinction matters. A busy weekend or major event does not necessarily replace thousands of office workers buying coffee, lunch and dinner throughout the year. Williams said Luigi’s did not receive the World Cup boost it had expected despite the crowds downtown. Customer behavior has changed, while many of the costs of operating a brick-and-mortar business have not. Not every closure, however, tells the same story. Bok a Bok’s final Capitol Hill restaurant closed temporarily in October 2025 after serious structural damage beneath its kitchen required extensive repairs. Owner Brian O’Connor initially hoped to reopen, but by August announced it would instead close permanently after 10 years. O’Connor also said circumstances in the owners’ lives had changed. That is a different explanation from Luigi’s. But Bok a Bok had already been confronting economic pressures. In 2024, the company closed its University District and White Center locations while trying to reduce its dependence on third-party delivery services. O’Connor said DoorDash had represented 65% of sales, but delivery-app margins had become so
thin the company experimented with hiring its own drivers. A broken pipe does not prove Seattle caused Bok a Bok to close. It raises a different question: how much room does a small business have to absorb something going wrong? Economic resilience is partly about whether otherwise viable businesses have enough margin to survive rising rents, repair bills or changing consumer habits. The Wilson administration’s response suggests City leaders recognize Seattle cannot depend indefinitely on the economic formula that fueled the previous decade. An executive order signed Sept. 9 calls for a Resilient Seattle Economy Task Force bringing together business, labor and community leaders. The administration will also explore a Strategic Initiatives Fund and examine permitting and other City processes with the goal of making it easier to open, operate and expand a business. Seattle already offers smaller businesses capital assistance, storefront repair funding, consulting services and tenant-improvement grants. The Office of Economic Development says its Storefront Repair Fund has helped about 700 businesses, while its Capital Access Program has distributed $6.9 million to nearly 300 qualifying businesses. Whether that is enough remains an open question. Formation’s assessment does not suggest abandoning the large employers that drove Seattle’s growth. It argues Seattle needs to retain those companies while building an economy in which businesses of
more sizes and industries can grow alongside them. That makes the debate over Seattle’s business climate more complicated than deciding whether taxes, wages, regulations, rent, crime, remote work or changing consumer habits deserve the blame. For many businesses, several pressures can exist at once. Seattle remains wealthy, innovative and capable of attracting enormous numbers of people. Its economy is not collapsing. The concern raised by Seawall is whether the city can remain prosperous without making it increasingly difficult for the smaller businesses that help make Seattle livable to survive. social emotional academic artistic
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Buying or selling a home can be an emotional journey. We want you to arrive happy.
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Shawna Ader 206-251-2337 / shawna@windermere.com
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121 Lakeside Avenue #305, Seattle
L E S C H I / $549,000
OCTOBER 2026
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Real Estate
MADISON PARK - WASHINGTON PARK - MADISON VALLEY - DENNY-BLAINE - MADRONA - LESCHI www .M adison P ark T imes . com
Why Madison Park Continues to Attract Buyers Cindy Paur Sotheby’s International Realty
N
avigating real estate markets that have limited inventory and higher listing prices than the surrounding area means it’s crucial to understand the market data and approach your buying or selling goals strategically. As a Global Real Estate Advisor with Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty (RSIR), I utilize my market expertise and neighborhood knowledge to seamlessly guide my clients through their Madison Park moves, whether it’s a buyer’s, seller’s, or balanced market. According to data supplied by the Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS), the Madison Park market has seen 25 sales year-to-date. Inventory in this neighborhood is scarce, coveted, and unique. The average
sales price is $2,601,876, compared to the average list price of $2,661,920. This means that sellers should be prepared to price their homes accurately. An experienced advisor will be able to perform a comparative market analysis that will help you list your home at a price that encapsulates its full value and appeal while ensuring it won’t sit on the market for longer than necessary. High-end properties remain sought-after, as the luxury real estate market can typically endure more economic headwinds and mortgage interest rate obstacles than the broader market. Luxury properties in Madison Park continue to close, oftentimes through cash offers. Slower market conditions allow buyers to be more discerning and take their time finding their perfect fit, but once they do, they are often prepared to strike. New construction in the neighborhood signals that people believe in the enduring appeal of this charming area, and an increase in home renovations points to current residents’ desire to stay put. With just six active listings as of
the writing of this article, new listings in Madison Park are rare, and buyers would be wise to make their offers sooner rather than later. A central location plus a villagelike feel means the neighborhood offers the culture, opportunity, and entertainment of Seattle plus the peaceful residential nature of a haven tucked away from the hustle and bustle. Residents often call Madison Park their “forever home”
because of the timeless architecture, stunning scenery, and closeknit community. Access to green spaces and the Lake Washington waterfront connects residents to ample natural beauty and recreational opportunities. If you’re hoping to make a successful sale or an exciting purchase before the end of the year, prioritize making your moves in fall. As we inch closer to the holidays,
more people are busy with travel, hosting, and time with family, and the real estate market tends to slow down. I’m ready to help you navigate your buying and selling goals, regardless of market conditions. Let’s discuss your real estate goals and take the first step in this exciting journey. Reach me at 206.949.4497 or cindy.paur@rsir.com.
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Pacific Publishing Company – Queen Anne & Magnolia News • Madison Park Times
OCTOBER 2026
3
Did Madison Park Homes Really get 26% More Expensive? Staff Report
T
he neighborhood’s median sale price jumped dramatically over the past year. Another measure says prices fell. Both can be true. The latest housing data from Redfin puts Madison Park’s median sale price at $2,498,794 for the three months ending in August. That’s a whopping 26.2% increase from the same period last year. At first glance, that makes Madison Park look like it’s having an extraordinary year. Seattle as a whole certainly isn’t experiencing the same thing. Its median sale price was $874,421 during the three months ending in August, down 2.8% from a year earlier. Across King County, the median was $847,165, down 4.3%. So did Madison Park somehow escape the region’s cooling housing market? There’s a clue hiding a little farther down the same Madison Park statistics. While the neighborhood’s median sale price increased 26.2%, its median price per square foot fell 8.9%, to $990. Homes also took longer to sell - 17 days compared with nine during the same period last year. One statistic says prices went way up. Another says buyers paid less per square foot. Welcome to real estate.
THE MEDIAN ISN’T YOUR HOUSE
The apparent contradiction makes more sense once you look at what a median sale price actually measures. It isn’t an appraisal of every house in Madison Park. It simply takes all the homes that sold during a particular period, lines their sale prices up from lowest to highest and finds the one in the middle. Change the houses being sold and the median can change dramatically - even if the value of individual properties barely moves. Imagine five modest homes sell one year for around $1 million each. The following
year, five larger homes sell for around $2 million each. The median sale price has doubled. That doesn’t mean those original $1 million houses are suddenly worth $2 million. It means a more expensive group of houses changed hands. That distinction is especially important when looking at a relatively small, expensive neighborhood such as Madison Park. Redfin recorded 25 sales in August, compared with 23 a year earlier. That’s enough activity to produce useful market data, but nowhere near the thousands of transactions included in citywide figures. And Madison Park’s housing stock isn’t exactly a subdivision full of interchangeable houses. A condominium, smaller older home, remodeled property and multimillion-dollar waterfront house can all land in the same neighborhood statistics. A shift toward larger or more expensive properties among the homes sold can push the median higher. That makes the 26.2% increase real - but much narrower than saying “Madison Park homes gained 26.2% in value.”
A DIFFERENT MARKET OUTSIDE THE NEIGHBORHOOD
The broader market also gives reason to be cautious about interpreting the jump as a neighborhood-wide boom. King County had 7,703 active listings in August, 30% more than a year earlier, according to Northwest Multiple Listing Service data. Closed sales fell 13.6%, while the county’s supply reached 4.3 months, up from 2.9 months last August. Seattle has been one of the places contributing to the national increase in homes for sale. Redfin reported Seattle new listings were up 13.7% year over year in August even as buyer demand remained sluggish. That’s a considerably different environment from the pandemic-era Seattle market, when limited inventory and intense competition routinely left buyers scrambling.
Madison Park hasn’t entirely escaped that shift.Redfin characterizes the neighborhood as “somewhat competitive.” Its data shows the average home selling for about 4% below list price, while just 8.3% of homes sold above asking. Those aren’t exactly the hallmarks of buyers indiscriminately throwing money at anything with a front door.
WHAT IS A MADISON PARK HOME WORTH?
For homeowners, the answer is less exciting than a 26.2% headline: it depends on the house. Median sale price is useful for understanding what kinds of transactions are occurring in a neighborhood and how much buyers are spending. It becomes less useful when interpreted as an automatic appreciation rate for every property within that neighborhood. Price per square foot has limitations too. Larger homes often sell for a different price per square foot than smaller ones, while condition, renovations, views, lot size and
waterfront access can create enormous differences between properties. That’s why the two Madison Park numbers are more informative together than either is alone. Buyers recently spent considerably more on the median home that changed hands. At the same time, they paid less per square foot than buyers did a year ago, homes took longer to sell and the broader Seattle market experienced declining median prices. None of that makes the $2.5 million median wrong. It just means it’s answering a very specific question: What did the middle-priced Madison Park home that recently sold cost? It isn’t answering another question homeowners might understandably prefer to ask: How much more is my house worth? For that, unfortunately, there isn’t a neighborhood statistic that can do the work. Real estate numbers aren’t lying. Sometimes they’re just answering a different question.
PROVEN RESULTS
What My Clients Are Saying...
Founding Member | Managing Broker Senior Global Real Estate Advisor 206.399.5842 | Laura.Halliday@rsir.com
“Laura is a true professional—equal parts experience, savvy, and personality. We had only 10 days to list and sell our home in Montlake. She had the professional contacts to get our home ready, the local market knowledge to properly price it, and the business acumen to effectively negotiate the multiple offers we received. She works hard, doesn’t miss the details, and is a natural communicator, easily navigating the various parties to the transaction. Her marketing materials are impeccable. We put our home in her hands and were rewarded with 11 offers and a sale price $600K above asking. Thank you, Laura!” - Mario & Elizabeth
A CONTINUED LEGACY Realogics Sotheby's International Realty ranks amongst the largest, most productive, and fastest-growing real estate companies in Washington with access to 26,500 brokers in 84 countries and territories generating global sales of $150 billion annually.
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1111 BELLEVUE PLACE E | CAPITOL HILL $2,595,000 | PENDING | MLS #2560674
4902 NE 70TH STREET | VIEW RIDGE $1,640,000 | ACTIVE | MLS #2558897
2901 NE BLAKELY STREET #409 | RAVENNA $649,000 | ACTIVE | MLS #2541061
2544 39TH AVENUE E | SEATTLE $11,800,000 | ACTIVE | MLS #2566642
1514 SHENANDOAH DRIVE E | BROADMOOR $4,900,000 | ACTIVE | MLS #2524997
Meet your trusted neighborhood real estate advisors:
Laura Halliday
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Cindy Paur
206.949.4497
1515 28TH AVENUE W | MAGNOLIA $2,550,000 | ACTIVE | MLS #2553213
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CONNECT WITH OUR MADISON PARK EXPERTS TODAY. Visit rsir.com | 206.466.2409 | 4031 E Madison Street, Seattle © 2026 Sotheby's International Realty. All Rights Reserved. Sotheby's International Realty® is a registered trademark and used with permission. Each Sotheby's International Realty office is independently owned and operated, except those operated by Sotheby's International Realty, Inc. All offerings are subject to errors, omissions, changes including price or withdrawal without notice. Equal Housing Opportunity.
What if the bar was higher at every level and trust and integrity came first and foremost? That’s the incomparable service that comes from Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty’s global real estate advisors in Madison Park.
Pacific Publishing Company – Queen Anne & Magnolia News • Madison Park Times
OCTOBER 2026
5
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Modern build with rooftop deck and stunning Madison Park views Offered for purchase at $2,795,000 ST jU E ST
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2223 39TH AVE E $3,395,000 | ACTIVE
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1800 43RD AVE E UNIT 208 $549,000 | ACTIVE
2360 43RD AVE E UNIT 303 $795,000 | ACTIVE
2315 38TH AVE E $3,075,000 | SOLD
2042 42ND AVE E $2,795,000 | PENDING
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HINDS TEAM
Kathryn Hinds | Taylor Hinds | Katie Hinds Global Real Estate Advisors, Founding Members 206.434.5102 | HindsTeam@rsir.com
HINDSTEAM.COM
6
OCTOBER 2026
Before You Turn the Heat Back On
THERESA TRUEX PREMIER DIRECTOR | WINDERMERE REAL ESTATE MIDTOWN (206) 972-7768 • ttruex@windermere.com theresatruexproperties.com
theresatruexproperties.com
Theresa Truex MADISON PARK PROPERTIES
A
few quick checks before Seattle’s chilly season can make your home safer, warmer and a cheaper to heat. The first genuinely cold Seattle morning has a familiar routine: close the windows, find the heavier blanket and, eventually, admit defeat and turn the heat back on. Before you do, a few minutes of fall maintenance can help prepare your home for the months ahead. Start with the heating system itself. Seattle City Light recommends checking air filters and scheduling regular maintenance to keep heating equipment operating efficiently. Drafts matter, too. Weatherstripping and caulk around windows and doors can keep heated air inside instead of paying to warm the neighborhood. Then check the things designed to warn you when something goes wrong. Seattle Fire recommends testing smoke alarms monthly and replacing smoke alarms when they reach 10 years old. Homes should have alarms on every level and inside every bedroom. Fall is also a traditional time to replace batteries in alarms that use replaceable batteries. Renters should know that landlords are responsible for providing
working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, while tenants are responsible for maintaining them. While you’re thinking about cold weather, find your home’s main water shutoff. It is much easier to learn where it is now than while water is pouring from a burst pipe. Seattle Public Utilities recommends disconnecting and draining outdoor hoses, protecting outdoor faucets and insulating vulnerable pipes in garages, basements, crawl spaces and attics before freezing weather arrives. During severe cold, SPU recommends keeping the thermostat at 55 degrees or warmer, even when you’re away. And don’t forget what’s outside. Seattle’s rainy season brings its own problems before freezing temperatures ever arrive. Leaves can block storm drains and contribute to street flooding, so residents are encouraged to safely clear leaves and debris when possible and report drains that cannot be safely cleared. None of these jobs requires waiting for a storm warning. In fact, that’s the point. The best time to discover a dead smoke alarm, clogged filter, exposed pipe or missing water shutoff isn’t during Seattle’s first freezing night. It’s while fall still feels like fall.
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Chris Sudore “As a Madison Park Resident, I care about your home‘s value.”
The market is evolving, and with it comes opportunity. Are you curious how much equity your home has gained? There is real value in understanding where you stand, I can help. Reach out anytime for a complimentary consultation.
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Coldwell Banker‘s Global Luxury Team | King County Estates
Chris Sudore
President/Founder
Ryder Fasse Sales Broker
Andrea Whitehall Sales Broker
Memoree Myers Office Manager
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Megan Bassetti Marketing
Piers Foley Sales Broker
Chris@KingCountyEstates.com 206-799-2244 KingCountyEstates.com
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Pacific Publishing Company – Queen Anne & Magnolia News • Madison Park Times
OCTOBER 2026
7
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Mayor Signs Ordinance Do Not Solicit List City of Seattle Office of Mayor
M
ayor Wilson signed Ordinance 127491, creating Seattle’s first citywide “Do Not Solicit” List to give homeowners a clear and enforceable way to opt out of unwanted, persistent, and predatory real estate outreach. The signing took place in the Norman B. Rice Room at City Hall with Councilmember Dionne Foster, Seattle Office of Civil Rights Interim Director Mike Chin, and Black Legacy Homeowners Executive Director Chukundi Salisbury in attendance. The ordinance includes meaningful penalties for violators and annual reporting requirements ahead of its implementation on June 1, 2027. “Every person deserves privacy and dignity in their home,” said Mayor Katie B. Wilson. “With this ordinance, Seattle is fighting predatory solicitation practices and building enforceable protections that put homeowners in charge of who can contact them. I want to thank Black Legacy Homeowners and the Beacon Hill Council for their advocacy, Councilmember Dionne Foster for her leadership, and for partnering closely with our communities, and the Seattle Office for Civil Rights for leading enforcement.” Predatory practices have particularly impacted elderly homeowners and communities of color, contributing to displacement, widening economic disparities, and undermining generational wealth. During a Housing, Arts, and Civil Rights Committee in June, 2026, the City heard from residents about widespread unwanted solicitations from entities attempting to purchase their homes, with many describing the interactions as stressful, invasive, or fear inducing. The ordinance prohibits solicitation 30 days after a homeowner’s name is added to the Do Not Solicit List and imposes a $1,000 penalty for the first violation and
$2,000 for each repeat violation, with each day a violation occurs being counted as a separate offense. Homeowners may pursue civil action within two years, including damages for emotional distress. “Predatory homebuying practices strip wealth from vulnerable communities by pressuring homeowners into undervalued sales,” said Councilmember Foster, who developed and championed the ordinance’s passage as chair of the Housing, Arts, and Civil Rights Committee. “I want to thank the many community leaders who helped craft and support this legislation. It was the organizing and leadership from legacy Black homeowners that inspired this bill which will now benefit all homeowners from West Seattle to Rainier Beach to Lake City. Strengthening consumer protections against aggressive solicitation is essential to safeguarding the equity that forms the foundation of generational wealth. This is a major win for Seattle homeowners.” “Our community has been experiencing this predatory behavior and working on solutions for years,” said Chukundi Salisbury, Black Legacy Homeowners Executive Director. “I’ve sat in many living rooms with many people experiencing these aggressive tactics. For some in Seattle this might be just an annoyance, but for those who are on the edge, those who are behind on a mortgage payment, or have just lost their significant other, these people have been coming in to our community to catch us at our lowest moment where we are most vulnerable and ready to give up. Now there will be recourse against those who prey on our communities and keep generational homeownership and wealth where it belongs – in our communities and in our families.” “We at Beacon Hill have 40,000 residents with 70% people of color and 40% immigrants and refugee residents. Many of us are on high alert for threats from ICE,”
Maria Batayola, Chair, Beacon Hill Council. “Unsolicited phone calls, texts, and mailings to homeowners from businesses that offer to buy our homes with no competition are predatory practices. It creates fear and stress for our vulnerable neighbors. This legislation is an important bill that can provide relief in this area.”
Annual reports through 2029 will track enrollment, complaints, citations, appeals, and penalties collected. This ordinance is part of Seattle’s ongoing commitment to protecting homeowners and strengthening neighborhood stability. Enrollment details will be made available closer to the June 1, 2027, rollout.
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OCTOBER 2026