Queen Anne News 02042026

Lower Drunk Driving Limit Approved by WA Senate

The bill drops it to 0.05%, and the state would join Utah with the toughest standard in the nation. It still needs House approval.

Asignificant change in how the United States Postal Service dates mailknown as postmarking - could have far-reaching effects for taxpayers, voters and anyone who relies on mailed documents to meet deadlines, experts warn. The change, which took effect in late 2025, alters what the date on a postmark actually represents, potentially exposing people to penalties, rejected ballots, or missed filings if they aren’t aware of what’s different.

For decades, many Americans have trusted the postmark as evidence of when an item was mailed. Under old expectations, if a taxpayer dropped a tax return or payment into a mailbox on or before a deadline, the postmark would generally reflect that same date, protecting the sender from late-filing consequences. But a recent update to the USPS’s Domestic Mail Manual clarifies that the date printed on a postmark now reflects when mail is first processed by an automated sorting facility - not when it was dropped off.

In practice, this means a tax return placed in a blue collection box or handed to a postal carrier on Tax Day may be postmarked several days later, once it reaches a regional

processing center. For rules like the Internal Revenue Service’s “mailbox rule,” which treats a tax return as timely filed if it bears a due-date postmark, that shift could trigger penalties and interest even if the taxpayer mailed the form on time.

“The change fundamentally shifts the reliability of the ‘mailbox rule’ that taxpayers have depended on for decades,” one tax expert wrote, noting the risk that mailed returns now may receive late postmark dates and be deemed untimely by authorities.

DEADLINES BEYOND TAXES

The implications extend beyond tax returns. Time-sensitive communications such as legal filings, government benefit notices, responses to administrative deadlines and even mail-in ballots can all hinge on a postmark date.

In recent elections, absentee ballot acceptance has in some states depended on the date a stamped envelope appears to have been mailed. With mail now routed more frequently through centralized, regional facilities, election officials and voters alike may see greater uncertainty in whether ballots will be accepted based on a postmark.

Mail-in voters and advocates have voiced concern that the mismatch between deposit and postmark dates could lead to valid

USPS Postmark Changes Could Cost Taxpayers and Create Deadline Confusion

Staff Report

Asignificant change in how the United States Postal Service dates mail - known as postmarking - could have farreaching effects for taxpayers, voters and anyone who relies on mailed documents to meet deadlines, experts warn. The change, which took effect in late 2025, alters what the date on a postmark actually represents, potentially exposing people to penalties, rejected ballots, or missed filings if they aren’t aware of what’s different. For decades, many Americans have trusted the postmark as evidence of when an item was mailed. Under old expectations, if a taxpayer dropped a tax return or payment into a mailbox on or before a deadline, the postmark would generally reflect that same date, protecting the sender from

late-filing consequences. But a recent update to the USPS’s Domestic Mail Manual clarifies that the date printed on a postmark now reflects when mail is first processed by an automated sorting facility - not when it was dropped off.

“The implications extend beyond tax returns. ”

In practice, this means a tax return placed in a blue collection box or handed to a postal carrier on Tax Day may be postmarked several days later, once it reaches a regional processing center. For rules like the Internal Revenue Service’s “mailbox rule,” which treats a tax return as timely filed if it bears a due-date postmark, that shift could trigger penalties and interest even

if the taxpayer mailed the form on time.

“The change fundamentally shifts the reliability of the ‘mailbox rule’ that taxpayers have depended on for decades,” one tax expert wrote, noting the risk that mailed returns now may receive late postmark dates and be deemed untimely by authorities.

DEADLINES BEYOND TAXES

The implications extend beyond tax returns. Time-sensitive communications such as legal filings, government benefit notices, responses to administrative deadlines and even mail-in ballots can all hinge on a postmark date.

In recent elections, absentee ballot acceptance has in some states depended on the date a stamped envelope appears to have been mailed.

ballots being rejected or additional administrative confusion in tight races. Officials encourage voters to allow extra time for mailing and to use secure drop-off locations or hand-stamp options when possible.

Renters and others with documentation

tied to housing schedules may also face confusion if a postmark does not accurately reflect when the document entered the mail system - particularly in situations where

Bill Would Reduce Registration and Supervision Requirements for Certain Sex Offense Convictions

Staff Report

Aproposal under consideration in the Washington State Legislature would change how long some individuals convicted in so called “net nanny” sting operations are required to register as sex offenders and remain under community supervision, reopening a difficult debate about punishment, intent, and long term public safety.

Net nanny operations are conducted by the Washington State Patrol Missing and Exploited Children Task Force. In these operations, undercover officers pose online as minors in order to identify adults attempting to engage in sexual contact with children. According to the state, the task force carried out 20 sting operations between 2015 and 2023, resulting in 311 arrests.

Under current Washington law, individuals convicted in these cases are required to register as sex offenders and remain under community supervision for life, regardless of whether an actual child was involved.

Senate Bill 5312, sponsored by Sen. Lisa Wellman of Mercer Island, would alter that framework for a narrowly defined group of offenders. The bill proposes reducing the sex offender registration requirement to five years and limiting community supervision to three years for individuals who have no prior criminal history involving sex offenses. The proposal would not apply to anyone with previous sex related convictions.

The bill was introduced during the 2025 legislative session but failed to advance beyond its initial committee. It returned this year following a recommendation from the

Washington State Sentencing Guidelines Commission, which voted in November to suggest alternative sentencing approaches for certain sex offenses that do not involve a real child victim.

Supporters of the bill argue that lifetime registration and supervision can function as a permanent sentence that extends long after an individual has served prison time. They contend that the current system offers little opportunity for rehabilitation or reintegration, even in cases where there is no prior history of sexual misconduct.

During a public hearing before the Senate Law and Justice Committee on Jan. 27, Wellman told lawmakers that the bill was prompted by a constituent’s experience. She emphasized that the proposal does not seek to revisit convictions, prison sentences, or the role of law enforcement.

“At no time was my constituent communicating with a child or even someone pretending to be a child,” Wellman told the committee, noting that references to minors in the case were fictional. “This is not about undoing what has already happened. This is about whether a sentence should effectively last a lifetime.”

Wellman said the bill is intentionally narrow and would apply only to individuals with no prior record, no evidence of child sexual abuse materials, and no additional indicators of sexual interest in children beyond the offense itself. She described the proposal as an effort to introduce a defined endpoint to punishment once a sentence has been served and supervision completed.

Savvy Senior: Do I Need to File a Tax Return This Year?

Dear Savvy Senior,

What are the IRS income tax filing requirements for retirees this tax season?

I didn’t file a tax return last year because my income was below the filing threshold, but I got a part-time job in 2025, so I’m wondering if I need to file this year.

—Semi-retired Joe

Dear Joe,

Whether you need to file a federal income tax return this year depends on several factors: how much you earned in 2025, the source of your income, your age, and your filing status.

Here’s a quick guide to this year’s IRS filing thresholds. For most people, it’s straightforward: if your gross income (all taxable income, excluding Social Security benefits unless you’re married and filing separately) is below the threshold for your filing status and age, you generally do not need to file. But if it’s over, you will.

2025 IRS FEDERAL FILING THRESHOLDS:

• Single: $15,750 ($17,750 if you’re 65 or older by Jan. 1, 2026).

• Married filing jointly: $31,500 ($33,100 if one spouse is 65 or older; or $34,700 if you’re both over 65).

• Married filing separately: $5 at any age.

• Head of household: $23,625 ($25,625 if 65 or older).

• Qualifying surviving spouse: $31,500 ($33,100 if 65 or older).

With mail now routed more frequently through centralized, regional facilities, election officials and voters alike may see greater uncertainty in whether ballots will be accepted based on a postmark. Mail-in voters and advocates have voiced concern that the mismatch between deposit and postmark dates could lead to valid ballots being rejected or additional administrative confusion in tight races. Officials encourage voters to allow extra time for mailing and to use secure drop-off locations or hand-stamp options when possible.

Renters and others with documentation tied to housing schedules may also face confusion if a postmark does not accurately reflect when the document entered the mail system - particularly in situations where deadlines can affect rental status, benefits, or legal rights.

WHY THE CHANGE HAPPENED

USPS officials say the change was designed to clarify long-standing practices and better align public understanding with how mail actually moves through the system. Historically, postmarks were applied at or near the point of origin, but as the Postal Service has consolidated processing centers and streamlined transportation routes under its “Delivering for America” strategic plan, mail often travels hundreds of miles before being sorted and stamped.

A USPS spokesperson has said the rules around postmarking itself haven’t changed - only the operational realities have made it more likely that a mailed item’s postmark date will lag behind the day it was dropped off. Still, critics argue the consequences are

BY JANE W.

By Jim Miller PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

For a detailed breakdown, including taxable vs. nontaxable income, you can request a free copy of the IRS “1040 and 1040-SR Instructions for Tax Year 2025” by calling 800-829-3676, or view it online at IRS.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1040gi.pdf.

CHECK HERE TOO

Be aware that there are other financial situations that can require you to file a tax return, even if your gross income falls below the IRS filing requirements. For example, if you earned more than $400 from self-employment in 2025, owe any taxes on an IRA, Health Savings Account or an alternative minimum tax, or get premium tax credits because you, your spouse or a dependent

is enrolled in a Health Insurance Marketplace plan, you’ll need to file. You may also need to file if you’re receiving Social Security benefits, and one-half of your benefits plus your other gross income and any tax-exempt interest exceeds $25,000, or $32,000 if you’re married and filing jointly.

To figure all this out, the IRS offers an online tax tool that asks a series of questions that will help you determine if you’re required to file, or if you should file because you’re due a refund. It takes less than 15 minutes to complete.

You can access this tool at IRS.gov/ help/ita – click on “Filing Requirements – Do I need to file a tax return?” Or you can get assistance over the

very real for everyday customers, especially those depending on mail to meet firm deadlines.

WHAT CONSUMERS CAN DO

Experts and postal advisors offer several practical steps to protect against unintended late postmarks:

• Request a manual postmark at a local post office counter. USPS will apply a same-day local postmark on items tendered in person at no extra charge.

• Use certified or registered mail. These services provide additional proof of mailing and are tied to specific dates.

• Mail well before deadlines. Planning ahead reduces reliance on timing between deposit and processing.

• Consider e-filing or electronic submission when possible. For tax returns, e-filing provides immediate confirmation and eliminates dependence on USPS postmarks.

BROADER IMPACT ON TAXPAYERS

Tax professionals warn that the new postmark approach could lead to unanticipated costs for individuals and businesses who choose to mail returns or payments, especially those seeking to avoid e-file fees or preferring traditional

paper filings. Even when mailed on time, returns or payments could be considered late if postmarked after the deadline, triggering penalties or interest.

Mail-based deadlines also impact other financial activities such as charitable contribution deductions, responses to IRS notices, and filings with state or local taxing authorities. In each case, the postmark’s date often serves as a key piece of evidence that a taxpayer met a requirement by a certain date. The new emphasis on when mail is first processed complicates that assumption.

LOOKING AHEAD

As mail volumes shift and USPS continues modernizing its processing network, the uncertainty around postmark timing may persist. Customers are encouraged to stay informed and adjust their mailing practices to align with the new system.

For many Americans, especially those tied to inflexible deadlines, the change to how postmarks are applied is more than a technical footnote - it’s a potential financial and administrative risk that is likely to shape how the public approaches mailed communications in 2026 and beyond.

phone by calling the IRS helpline at 800-829-1040.

CHECK YOUR STATE

Even if you’re not required to file a federal tax return this year, don’t assume that you’re also excused from filing state income taxes. The rules for your state might be very different. Check with your state tax agency before assuming you’re off the hook. A complete list of state tax agencies is available at Taxadmin.org/ fta-members.

TAX PREP HELP

If you find that you do need to file a tax return this year, you can Free File at IRS.gov/freefile, which is a partnership program between the IRS and tax software companies. Your 2025 adjusted gross income must be below $89,000 to qualify.

If you need some help with your tax returns, the IRS sponsored Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program provides free tax preparation and counseling to middle and low-income taxpayers, age 60 and older. Call 800906-9887 or visit IRS.treasury.gov/ freetaxprep to locate services near you. You can also get help through the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide service at AARP.org/findtaxhelp or call 888-2277669. You don’t have to be an AARP member to use this service.

Send your questions or comments to questions@savvysenior.org, or to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070.

SUPERVISION REQUIREMENTS, FROM

Opponents of the bill, including law enforcement organizations, strongly disagree. James McMahan of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs testified against the measure, arguing that the absence of a real child victim does not lessen the seriousness of the offense.

“These cases involve people who took deliberate steps to have sex with what they believed was a child,” McMahan told lawmakers. He said the only reason a child was not harmed was because of proactive police intervention and warned against what he described as minimizing intent.

McMahan and others argued that lifetime registration serves as an important public safety tool, helping law enforcement monitor individuals who have demonstrated a willingness to commit sexual harm against minors. They also raised concerns that reducing supervision could undermine deterrence and weaken protection for children.

The bill has also drawn attention to broader questions about how net nanny operations are conducted. Criminal defense attorney Emily Gause testified in support of the proposal, stating that many defendants in these cases have no prior history of sexual misconduct.

According to Gause, some net nanny operations begin on adult dating platforms, where undercover officers initially pose as adults before gradually introducing references to being underage. She described the stings as resource intensive and questioned whether lifetime penalties are appropriate in all cases.

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“These operations often involve people who were not seeking contact with minors,” Gause said, adding that the severity of long-term consequences should be weighed carefully against individual circumstances.

The issue highlights an ongoing tension within the criminal justice system between intent and outcome, particularly in cases involving attempted crimes that are intercepted before physical harm occurs. While there is broad agreement on the need to protect children and aggressively prevent exploitation, lawmakers remain divided on whether current sentencing structures strike the right balance.

Advocates for reform say the bill does not excuse harmful behavior but instead recognizes differences among offenders and allows for proportional consequences. Opponents counter that any attempt to engage sexually with a child warrants the strongest possible response, regardless of whether the target was real.

No further action is currently scheduled for Senate Bill 5312. If the bill advances, it is expected to continue generating strong reactions from both supporters and critics, as lawmakers weigh public safety concerns against questions of fairness, rehabilitation, and the long-term impacts of lifetime supervision.

A Proper Walkabout

Acouple of weeks ago, my husband and I decided― well, I decided and he agreed―to take a proper walkabout. No going to our desks, we said. No emails either.

one skips up my spine, I like to savor it and expect nothing else of myself for as long as . . . I can.

Mary Lou Sanelli Falling Awake

Though, truthfully, I’d already snuck a peak at one email from “a long time reader.” That’s what he said. And for a moment, there was a long slow inhale of my breath. Would the next sentence be kind? Or cruel? I’ve had plenty of both. And the thought of another scold for saying something “offensive” wrapped its hands around my stomach. And squeezed. (Yet I’d go into battle for a someone’s right to offend me, and mine to offend them.)

I often forget exactly what my readers write, but this email I remember clearly: “Each month, my roommates and I sit down together around the dining room table and read your column the evening it is released.” I read that line and I got this feeling, this lightheaded feeling. I could feel it to the ends of my fingertips.

And it’s funny because the compliment was what made me want to leave my desk. A compliment raises all sorts of feelings, so when

CI’ve been writing long enough to know there will be days like this. You never know when some kind gentleman will take the time to write a compliment, or why it creates an impulse to not do the very thing he complimented you for, or how any of it will affect your work, or your life for that matter. So I think it’s best to follow the impulse before another rainy day in a long season of rainy days makes it harder to carry a walkabout off.

“How about we start on one side of Bainbridge Island and end on the other?” I ask, but it’s not a question, it’s a plan. And my husband doesn’t like to plan, so he says, “I’m happy if you are.” Which is why he is my husband.

We’ve been married since forever. And all the plans, all the journeys―I want to tell him I’m the luckiest woman in the world to be with someone who’ll follow me, but I tell him this all the time, so instead, I say, “Let’s start at, say, Blakely Harbor, then walk around Bloedel Reserve.”

Well, I tried to take the entire day off, but by 3 p.m., the decision felt halfhearted. Some might say I’m a workaholic―as if that’s really a thing. Not me. I know how lucky I am to have work that reveals my own mind. I wrote the following paragraphs later that afternoon: I try to keep up with which threat is the threat, which executive order is the one that will throw me into another tailspin before it

aught up in the New Year, New You rush, it’s easy to see why wearables are so appealing. Remember the days when you’d wake up and ask yourself: How do I feel? Now, before my feet hit the floor, a glowing rectangle offers its opinion.

Sleep score: 63.

Readiness: “Below average.”

Recovery: “Compromised.”

It’s impressive, really—how quickly a wristbased algorithm can turn a decent morning into a quiet disappointment – or feel like pressure. Fitness trackers, smart rings, and health apps promise insight, optimization, and control. They track our sleep cycles, heart rate variability, step counts, stress levels, and recovery windows with increasing precision. For many people, these tools are genuinely helpful. They reveal patterns we’d otherwise miss, encourage movement, and can even flag early health concerns. But there’s a growing downside to all this data: it can subtly override our own internal sense of wellbeing. When numbers become the authority, intuition often gets demoted. We all know – or have been – that person obsessed with getting those last steps or who will drive home to get their forgotten smartwatch before starting their run.

But when the data doesn’t jibe with your experience, things go from confusing to frustrating.

“I felt rested, but my sleep score says I wasn’t.”

“I wanted to work out, but my readiness was low.”

“I had a great day—until I checked my stats.” When I wake up feeling great, but my watch delivers a lackluster sleep score, it’s frustrating. I want to know how to repeat that rested feeling, and instead the data sends me in the wrong direction.

This is the tyranny of fitness data: when metrics meant to support health begin to dictate mood, motivation, and self-trust.

WHEN INFORMATION BECOMES JUDGMENT

Most wellness data is framed neutrally—just numbers, charts, trends. But humans are meaning-making creatures. A low score doesn’t feel neutral. It feels like a grade. Or worse, a failure. Unlike a scale or stopwatch, today’s devices don’t just measure outcomes; they interpret them. Words like poor, suboptimal, strained, or below

peters out to make room for another and another. The pace of it all is so chaotic and unfamiliar.

But our walk along Blakely Harbor feels just like it did the last time we visited and I am nothing but grateful for its reliable stillness.

Lately, I’ve started to wonder if, in light of all the terrible things happening in the world, it’s enough, or even okay, to enjoy my life the way I do. I do believe that along with all the awful are all the good things and good people and good intensions. I have to believe this. And not only between midnight and dawn. Even if, I admit, it makes me sound like a walking cliché for the 206.

On our walk, my head seems to uncrimp, to ease the knot in my neck I hadn’t, until now, known was there. At one point I ask myself how would not totally enjoying this beach make the world a better place, exactly? At another, I wonder if by worrying about the world,

and writing about the world, I am avoiding the world.

Am I avoiding the world?

Or am I just trying to cope with it like any other normal, screwedup person occupied with the joys and grinds of daily life?

I feel a small knot creep gently back into my collar.

Because if I examine too closely, too often, all the terrifying things the way I did when I wrote journalism, it’s like a part of me dies; then the other part dies in solidarity. But when I study the soil for the first sign of trillium, I bet my face looks like someone who believes in heaven.

By the time we get to Bloedel Reserve, a light rain is falling. We walk through all the open land that feels like its own space, in its own time, but my curiosity veers me toward the big white mansion where the Bloedel family once lived.

And there it is.

The living room, parlor, surrounded by windows that frame

The Tyranny of Fitness Data

baseline carry emotional weight. They quietly suggest that your body has fallen short, even if you feel fine. Should I worry that my stress score is below par? Pretty soon the fretting itself has made it worse. Often the result isn’t better health—it’s a lowgrade anxiety loop.

OUTSOURCING BODY AWARENESS

One of the subtler costs of constant tracking is that it trains us to outsource bodily awareness. Hunger cues get replaced by calorie counts. Fatigue becomes a graph. Stress is reduced to a score.

The danger isn’t the data itself—it’s forgetting that these tools are proxies, not truths. They estimate. They infer. They average. They don’t know about the meaningful conversation you had before bed, the satisfaction of a long walk in the rain, or the calm that comes from feeling connected and purposeful.

There are lots of unknown variables in the mix – vendors rarely make their algorithms fully transparent, leaving you to wonder what that stress score really means. Is it your heart rate variability, deep sleep, or blood pressure that is sending it down? And sometimes, you get recommendations about how to improve, sometimes not. Then those recommendations – at least in the case of my Fitbit Charge– sometimes go haywire.

I told it I wanted to improve cardio capability, so it gives me a daily goal range that makes me crazy.

If my score is too low and I try to reach it by going on the elliptical or jumping rope, the score barely moves after 45 minutes. But I can putter in the

garden for a couple of hours and fly off the chart. Days like that are a problem in their own way –the system overreacts.

During a weeklong vacation recently, I spent a lot of time lolling around followed by one intense hike in Joshua Tree National Park. Immediately following, it told me to calm down for several days because I was at risk of overtraining (I was at the airport), and then it upgraded my daily goal as if I’d be climbing 1.5 miles of elevation daily. Since I’m instead sitting at my computer writing, it’s been chiding me for weeks as a result.

It’s very helpful to read about the metrics you care about. In addition to your selected goals, wearables are often based on age averages, which may or may not relate to you. For instance, I want to sleep better than an average person my age so I subtracted a couple of decades from my age on the app.

Your nervous system has its own metrics based on your body’s response to your thoughts and reactions to the environment. That’s where the real gold is.

Before wearables, people gauged readiness through sensation: muscle heaviness, mental clarity, enthusiasm, irritability, ease of movement. Those signals still exist, but they’re easier to ignore when a device claims superior insight.

Learning to recognize your body’s cues, and how to relax in response, is one of the most helpful goals in wellness.

THE PARADOX OF “OPTIMIZATION”

Wellness culture often frames optimization as the goal: better sleep, better recovery, better performance. But a life optimized on paper can

the sky, and in the distance, our silvery city.

I want to live in this room. Oh yes I do.

I want to sit by this window and write another novel. I’ve written only one novel. It was about dancers and, of course, considerably more. It took me three years to write it. No, actually, the dancers wrote it. All I had to do is sashay (chassé!) along and get out of my own way.

It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

I am so not going to write another novel.

Unless I can write it in this room, this room, this room.

Mary Lou Sanelli’s latest title is In So Many Words. She works as a writer, speaker, and master dance teacher (her next master class is at Seattle’s Spectrum Dance). For more information visit www.marylousanelli.com.

feel strangely constrained in practice.

Spontaneity doesn’t score well. Neither does dancing late, lingering over dinner, or choosing rest because you’re emotionally tired rather than physiologically depleted. Many of the experiences that make life rich—joy, grief, creativity, intimacy—disrupt metrics.

And that’s not a bug. It’s being human. Ironically, the more we chase perfect data, the more brittle our routines can become. We stop trusting ourselves to adapt. We hesitate to push or pause without permission from an app. Wellness becomes conditional.

USING DATA WITHOUT LETTING IT USE YOU

None of this means you need to throw your tracker in a drawer. The goal isn’t rejection—it’s relationship.

A healthier approach is to treat fitness data as context instead of a command. Just one input among many. Useful for spotting trends over time, but not for daily verdicts on worthiness or capacity.

Some people benefit from setting intentional boundaries:

• Checking scores later in the day, not upon waking

• Turning off readiness alerts

• Taking “data holidays” during vacations or stressful seasons

• Asking, “Do I agree with this?” before reacting

Others choose to track intermittently rather than continuously, using data as a learning tool instead of a permanent supervisor.

Most importantly, it helps to reclaim the first question of the day: How do I feel?

RE-CENTERING THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE

Wellness is not a straight line or a set of ideal ranges. It’s cyclical, contextual, and deeply personal. No algorithm can fully account for the complexity of your life.

Some days you’ll perform well on little sleep. Some days you’ll need rest despite great stats. Sometimes movement restores you even when the data says it shouldn’t.

True readiness includes curiosity, resilience, and self-compassion and listening to your body. Fitness data can be useful, even illuminating— but it works best as background information, not a verdict. When the numbers support you and line up with how you feel, they can be reassuring. When they don’t, it’s worth trusting your own experience while watching for patterns. Either way, your body has been gathering its own data far longer than any device on your wrist—and it still deserves the final say.

Love Letters to the Library Appear Across Seattle

Staff Report

This Valentine’s season, Seattle residents are being invited to share their appreciation for one of the city’s most beloved public institutions. The Seattle Public Library Foundation has launched Love Letters to the Library, a citywide campaign encouraging people to write notes about why they love The Seattle Public Library. Many familiar neighborhood spots are participating.

Through the campaign, festive collection boxes and cards designed by local artist Nina Painter have been placed at select bookstores, cafes, breweries, and cultural spaces. Anyone can pick up a card, write or draw a message of appreciation, and drop it into a Love Letters box. The notes will be shared with library staff, displayed in library branches, and featured on the Foundation’s website and social media.

The campaign is meant to offer a simple and joyful way for community members to express gratitude for library workers and the wide range of services libraries provide. Love letters can be written by anyone, in any language, and may include drawings as well as written notes.

Longtime neighborhood businesses are helping host the campaign, making it easy for residents to participate close to home. Ballard locations include popular independent bookstores and gathering spots, while downtown sites connect the campaign to some of the city’s most visited cultural destinations.

For those who are unable to visit a participating location or prefer to submit a message online, digital love letters can be sent through the Foundation’s website at SupportSPL.org/LoveLetters.

Participants may also choose to sign up for updates from the Foundation about ways to support and advocate for libraries, including alerts about speaking up for libraries to elected officials. Any personal information is kept separate from the messages and is not shared.

By partnering with local businesses and cultural institutions, the Seattle Public Library Foundation hopes to reach people where they already spend time and to reinforce the role libraries play as welcoming, accessible spaces across the city. From early literacy and job search resources to quiet reading rooms and public programs, Seattle’s libraries continue to serve as essential neighborhood anchors.

Love Letters to the Library will be collected throughout the Valentine’s season.

Residents are encouraged to stop by a participating location, share a few kind words, and help show library staff that their work is valued throughout Seattle.

More information and online submission options are available at SupportSPL.org/ LoveLetters.

Participating Locations in and surrounding Queen Anne & Magnolia:

QUEEN ANNE

• Queen Anne Book Company, 1811 Queen Anne Ave N

• The Good Society Brewery, 535 W McGraw St

• Macrina Bakery and Cafe, 615 W McGraw St

MAGNOLIA

• Magnolia’s Bookstore, 3206 W McGraw St Ballard

• Book Larder, 4252 Fremont Ave N

• Secret Garden Bookshop, 2214 NW Market St

• Swoon City, 1716 NW Market St

• The Ink Drinker, 2050 NW Market St

• Reuben’s Brews, 5010 14th Ave NW

• Old Stove Brewing Ship Canal, 600 W Nickerson St

DOWNTOWN

• The Seattle Public Library Central Library, 1000 4th Ave

• Reuben’s Brews Downtown, 1201 1st Ave

• Seattle Art Museum, 1300 1st Ave

•Seattle Aquarium Ocean Pavilion, 1504 Alaskan Way

The Seattle Public Library Offers Free Tax Help Across Seattle

Do you need help with your taxes?

The Seattle Public Library is here for you. Starting the week of Jan. 26, the Library is offering free, in-person tax preparation service at several Library locations in collaboration with United Way of King County (UWKC) and AARP.

The Library is offering free drop-in tax help with UWKC at the Central Library and the South Park Branch and with AARP at 9 more locations.

Trained volunteers can answer questions and help you prepare your personal tax return. This service is free and available to individuals only. The service is not available for business tax returns. See the schedule and list of eligibility requirements and required documents you need to bring at spl.org/TaxHelp.

TAX HELP AT THE CENTRAL LIBRARY

United Way King County Tax Help is offering free tax help at the Central Library and the South Park Branch starting the week of Jan. 26. UWKC serves anyone who earned less than $80,000 in 2025 (or less than $96,000 for non-single filers). Drop-in help is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

• Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave., Level 5 (Jan. 26 through April 19)

• Mondays: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Tuesdays through Thursdays (CORRECTED): 12:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

• Saturdays and Sundays: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

TAX HELP AT LIBRARIES

AARP offers both drop-in assistance, available on a first-come, first-served basis, and appointment-based assistance at nine branch libraries. Please note that you can make an appointment with AARP at their Tax Aide site.

• Ballard Branch, 5614 22nd Ave. N.W. (Feb. 10 – April 14)

• Tuesdays: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Queen Anne Branch, 400 W. Garfield St. (Feb. 1 – April 12)

• Sundays: 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

HOW TO OBTAIN TAX FORMS

Most IRS forms, instructions and publications are available online at www.irs. gov. Due to federal budget cuts, the IRS is unable to provide the Library with certain tax forms and instruction booklets. To ask the IRS to mail you forms and instructions, order online at www.irs.gov/orderforms or call 1-800-829-3676.

You may make free black-and-white prints of the forms from Library computers: www.spl. org/Print

Jury Awards Nearly $31 Million to Family of Teen Killed During Seattle’s CHOP Protest Zone

Staff Report

AKing County jury has awarded nearly $31 million to the family of Antonio Mays Jr., a 16-year-old who was fatally shot during the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest, or CHOP, in the summer of 2020. Jurors found the City of Seattle negligent in its handling of the protest zone, concluding that the city’s actions and inaction contributed to the circumstances that led to the teenager’s death.

Mays was shot in the early morning hours of June 29, 2020, inside the barricaded area that had formed in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood following nationwide protests over the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. The CHOP zone emerged after Seattle police vacated the East Precinct building, leaving several blocks without routine law enforcement presence.

According to court filings, Mays and another teen were driving a vehicle into the protest area when gunfire erupted. Mays was critically wounded and later died. No suspects have been formally charged in connection with the shooting, and the case remains unsolved.

The wrongful death lawsuit was brought by Mays’ father, who argued that the city failed to provide basic public safety services after police withdrew from the area. The suit alleged that the absence of law enforcement, combined with makeshift barricades and confusion about emergency response responsibilities, created a dangerous environment that ultimately proved fatal.

The lawsuit also claimed that first responders were delayed in reaching Mays after he was shot, causing him to bleed for an extended period before receiving medical care. Attorneys for the family argued that the delay significantly reduced his chances of survival.

Jurors agreed, finding that the city’s handling of the protest zone amounted to negligence. The nearly $31 million award includes damages for loss of life, emotional suffering, and other factors considered under Washington’s wrongful death statutes. The verdict marks one of the largest financial judgments tied to the events surrounding CHOP and underscores the long lasting legal and financial consequences stemming from decisions made during the volatile summer of 2020.

CITY RESPONSE AND POSSIBLE APPEAL

Following the verdict, the Seattle City Attorney’s Office acknowledged the ruling and said it is reviewing next steps.

“Antonio Mays Jr.’s death was a tragedy,” a spokesperson for the office said in a written statement. “We will assess the city’s

DUI BILL, FROM 1

deadlines can affect rental status, benefits, or legal rights.

WHY THE CHANGE HAPPENED

USPS officials say the change was designed to clarify long-standing practices and better align public understanding with how mail actually moves through the system. Historically, postmarks were applied at or near the point of origin, but as the Postal Service has consolidated processing centers and streamlined transportation routes under its “Delivering for America” strategic plan, mail often travels hundreds of miles before being sorted and stamped.

A USPS spokesperson has said the rules around postmarking itself haven’t changed - only the operational realities have made it more likely that a mailed item’s postmark

options going forward.”

City officials have not yet confirmed whether Seattle will appeal the decision. Appeals in civil cases can take years and may focus on legal standards rather than reexamining the facts of the case.

The city has previously defended its response to the protests as an effort to deescalate tensions during a period of intense unrest. However, the jury’s decision suggests that jurors were persuaded that the lack of consistent public safety presence created foreseeable risks.

BACKGROUND ON CHOP

The Capitol Hill Occupied Protest began in June 2020 after demonstrations intensified near the Seattle Police Department’s East Precinct. Protesters established barricades, renamed the area, and created an informal encampment that included food distribution, speeches, and political organizing.

While some participants described the zone as a peaceful experiment in community led public safety, critics raised concerns about violence, lack of emergency access, and the absence of accountability. Over the course of several weeks, multiple shootings occurred within the zone.

According to reporting by The Seattle Times, at least four shootings were linked to the CHOP area before the city

date will lag behind the day it was dropped off. Still, critics argue the consequences are very real for everyday customers, especially those depending on mail to meet firm deadlines.

WHAT CONSUMERS CAN DO

Experts and postal advisors offer several practical steps to protect against unintended late postmarks:

• Request a manual postmark at a local post office counter. USPS will apply a sameday local postmark on items tendered in person at no extra charge.

• Use certified or registered mail. These services provide additional proof of mailing and are tied to specific dates.

• Mail well before deadlines. Planning ahead reduces reliance on timing between deposit and processing.

dismantled it in early July 2020.

The East Precinct reopened shortly thereafter, and city officials later acknowledged shortcomings in how the situation was managed.

BROADER LEGAL AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS

Legal experts say the verdict could have implications beyond the Mays case. By finding the city negligent, jurors effectively

“This case sends a message that decisions to withdraw or suspend core services carry legal responsibility,” said one legal analyst

affirmed that municipalities retain a duty to provide basic public safety services, even during extraordinary circumstances such as protests or civil unrest.

“This case sends a message that decisions to withdraw or suspend core services carry legal responsibility,” said one legal

• Consider e-filing or electronic submission when possible. For tax returns, e-filing provides immediate confirmation and eliminates dependence on USPS postmarks.

BROADER IMPACT ON TAXPAYERS

Tax professionals warn that the new postmark approach could lead to unanticipated costs for individuals and businesses who choose to mail returns or payments, especially those seeking to avoid e-file fees or preferring traditional paper filings. Even when mailed on time, returns or payments could be considered late if postmarked after the deadline, triggering penalties or interest. Mail-based deadlines also impact other financial activities such as charitable contribution deductions, responses to IRS notices, and filings with state or local taxing authorities. In each case, the postmark’s date often serves as a key piece of evidence that

analyst interviewed by local media following the verdict.

Similar lawsuits tied to CHOP have been filed in recent years, though not all have succeeded. Some have been dismissed or settled for smaller amounts. The Mays verdict stands out for both its size and the jury’s clear finding of negligence.

The case also reopens debate about how cities should respond to mass protests, particularly when demands include changes to policing or police presence. Balancing public safety, constitutional rights, and deescalation remains a challenge for municipalities nationwide.

REMEMBERING ANTONIO MAYS JR.

For Mays’ family, the verdict represents accountability, though not closure.

Antonio Mays Jr. was a teenager with family, friends, and a future cut short during a moment of upheaval. His death became one of the most tragic outcomes of a protest movement that sought justice but unfolded amid chaos and uncertainty.

As Seattle continues to grapple with the legacy of 2020, the jury’s decision serves as a reminder that policy decisions made during crises can carry lasting consequences for families, communities, and the city as a whole.

a taxpayer met a requirement by a certain date. The new emphasis on when mail is first processed complicates that assumption.

LOOKING AHEAD

As mail volumes shift and USPS continues modernizing its processing network, the uncertainty around postmark timing may persist. Customers are encouraged to stay informed and adjust their mailing practices to align with the new system.

For many Americans, especially those tied to inflexible deadlines, the change to how postmarks are applied is more than a technical footnote - it’s a potential financial and administrative risk that is likely to shape how the public approaches mailed communications in 2026 and beyond.

IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF WASHINGTON IN AND FOR KING In Re the Estate of ANTONIETTA M. WALLACE, Deceased Case No. 26-4-00951-9 KNT

NON-PROBATE NOTICE TO CREDITORS RCW 11.42.030

The notice agent named below has elected to give notice to creditors of the above-named decedent. As of the date of the filing of a copy of this notice with the court, the notice agent has no knowledge of any other person acting as notice agent or of the appointment of a personal representative of the decedent’s estate in the state of Washington. According to the records of the court as are available on the date of the filing of this notice with the court, a cause number regarding the decedent has not been issued to any other notice agent and a personal representative of the decedent’s estate has not been appointed. Any person having a claim against the decedent must, before the time the claim would be barred by any otherwise applicable statute of limitations, present the claim in the manner as provided in RCW 11.42.070 by serving on or mailing to the notice agent or the notice agent’s attorney at the address stated below a copy of the claim and filing the original of the claim with the court in which the notice agent’s declaration and oath were filed. The claim must be presented within the later of: (1) Thirty days after the notice agent served or mailed the notice to the creditor as provided under RCW 11.42.020(2)(c); or (2) four months after the date of first publication of the notice. If the claim is not presented within this time frame, the claim is forever barred, except as otherwise provided in RCW 11.42.050 and 11.42.060. This bar is effective as to claims against both the decedent’s probate and nonprobate assets. Date of First Publication: February 4, 2026 The notice agent declares under penalty of perjury under the laws of the state of Washington on January 23, 2026, at Kent, Washington the foregoing is true and correct. Signed: /s/Lloyd Wallace Notice Agent: Lloyd Wallace Attorney for the Notice Agent: Brittany S. Stockton Address for Mailing or Service: Iddins Law Group 25052 104th Ave SE, Suite B Kent, WA 98030 Published in the Queen Anne & Magnolia News February 4, 11 & 18, 2026

IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON FOR KING COUNTY Estate of GITI ABBASIAN, Deceased. NO. 25-4-08468-7 SEA PROBATE NOTICE TO CREDITORS (RCW 11.40.030) The Personal Representative named below has been appointed as Personal Representative of this estate. Any person having a claim against the Decedent must, before the time the claim would be barred by any otherwise applicable statute of limitations, present the claim in the manner as provided in RCW 11.40.070 by serving on or mailing to the Personal Representative or the Personal Representative’s attorney at the address stated below a copy of the claim and filing the original of the claim with the court. The claim must be presented within the later of: (1) thirty days after the Personal Representative served or mailed the notice to the creditor as provided under RCW 11.40.020(1)(c); or (2) four months after the date of first publication of the notice. If the claim is not presented within this time frame, the claim is forever barred, except as otherwise provided in RCW 11.40.051 and 11.40.060. This bar is effective as to claims against both the decedent’s probate and nonprobate assets. DATE OF FIRST PUBLICATION: January 21, 2026 PERSONAL

REPRESENTATIVE: Ramona Abbasian

ATTORNEY FOR PR: Ashley McAlhaney CMS Law Firm LLC. ADDRESS FOR MAILING OR SERVICE: 811 Kirkland Ave Suite 201 Kirkland, WA 98033 Telephone: 206.659.1512 COURT OF PROBATE PROCEEDINGS: King County Superior Court CAUSE NUMBER: 25-4-08468-7 SEA SIGNED: /s/ Ashley McAlhaney Ashley McAlhaney, #50095 Attorney for PR Published in the Queen Anne & Magnolia News January 21, 28 & February 4, 2026 IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON FOR KING COUNTY Estate of GORDON WILLIAM ROBERTSON, Deceased. NO. 25-408772-4 SEA PROBATE NOTICE TO CREDITORS (RCW 11.40.030) The Personal Representative named below has been appointed as Personal Representative of this estate. Any person having a claim against the Decedent must, before the time the claim would be barred by any otherwise applicable statute of limitations, present the claim in the manner as provided in RCW 11.40.070 by serving on or mailing to the Personal Representative or the Personal Representative’s attorney at the address stated below a copy of the claim and filing the original of the claim with the court. The claim must be presented within the later of: (1) thirty days after the Personal Representative served or mailed the notice to the creditor as provided under RCW 11.40.020(1)(c); or (2) four months after the date of first publication of the notice. If the claim is not presented within this time frame, the claim is forever barred, except as otherwise provided in RCW 11.40.051 and 11.40.060. This bar is ef-

Legal Notices

fective as to claims against both the decedent’s probate and nonprobate assets. DATE OF FIRST PUBLICATION: February 4, 2026 PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE: Tammy J. Kennedy ATTORNEY FOR PR: ADDRESS FOR MAILING OR SERVICE: Ashley McAlhaney CMS Law Firm LLC. 811 Kirkland Ave Suite 201 Kirkland, WA 98033 Telephone: 206.659.1512 COURT OF PROBATE PROCEEDINGS: King County Superior Court CAUSE NUMBER: 25-4- 087724 SEA SIGNED: /s/Ashley McAlhaney Ashley McAlhaney, #50095 Attorney for PR Published in the Queen Anne & Magnolia News February 4, 11 & 18, 2026 IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF KING In re the Estate of JED V SANTIAGO, Deceased. No. 244-03748-6 SEA NOTICE OF HEARING: VERIFIED FINAL REPORT AND PETITION FOR DECREE OF NO DISTRIBUTION TO: ALL HEIRS, DISTRIBUTEES, LEGATEES & DEVISEES OF THE ESTATE OF JED V SANTIAGO: NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Kimberly Santiago, Personal Representative (PR) of the Estate, has filed in the office of the Clerk of the above-entitled Court a Verified Final Report and Petition for a Decree of No Distribution, asking the Court to approve the report and confirm that there is no property of the estate to be distributed, and to discharge said personal representative; that said report and petition will heard in the Ex Parte Department of King County Superior Court, 516 Third Avenue, Rm W325, Seattle, Washington, at 9AM, on March, 6, 2026, at which time and place any person interested in said estate may appear and file objections to the report and contest the same. DATED at Seattle, Washington, this 27 day of January, 2026. DATE OF PUBLICATION: February 4, 2026. /s/ Tsechu Dolma, WSBA #64665 SAYRE LAW OFFICES, PLLC 1417 31st Ave South Seattle WA 98144-3909 phone 206-6250092 Attorneys for Kimberly Santiago, PR Published in the Queen Anne & Magnolia News February 4, 2026

IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF KING In re the Estate of: Raymond Harris Fairbank Jr. Deceased NO. 24-4-03725-5 KNT NOTICE TO CREDITORS (RCW 11.40.030)

The Personal Representative named below has been appointed as Personal Representative of this estate. Any person having claims against decedent must, before the time the claim would be barred by any otherwise applicable statute of limitations, present the claim in the manner as provided in RCW 11.40.070 by serving on or mailing to the Personal Representative or the Personal Representative’s attorney at the address stated below a copy of the claim and filing the original of the claim with the court. The claim must be presented within the later of: (1) Thirty days after the Personal Representative served or mailed the notice to the creditor as provided under RCW 11.40.020(3); or (2) four months after the date of first publication of the notice. If the claim is not presented within this time frame, the claim is forever barred, except as otherwise provided in RCW 11.40.051 and 11.40.060. This bar is effective as to claims against both the decedent’s probate and non-probate assets. Date of first publication: January 28, 2026 Linda Fairbank, Personal Representative Address: 21213 6th Ave. S. Des Moines, WA 98198 Published in the Queen Anne & Magnolia News January 28, February 4 & 11, 2026

IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF KING In Re the Estate of: SHIRLEY J. LEE, Deceased. No. 25-4-08897-6 SEA PROBATE NOTICE TO CREDITORS (RCW 11.40.030) (NTCRD) The person named below has been appointed as Personal Representative of this Estate. Any person having a claim against the decedent must, before the time the claim would be barred by any otherwise applicable statute of limitations, present the claim in the manner as provided in RCW 11.40.070 by serving on or mailing to the Personal Representative or the Personal Representative’s attorney at the address stated below a copy of the claim and filing the original of the claim with the court in which the probate proceedings were commenced. The claim must be presented within the later of: (1) Thirty days after the Personal Representative served or mailed the notice to the creditor as provided under RCW 11.40.020(1)(c); or (2) four months after the date of first publication of the notice. If the claim is not presented within this time frame, the claim is forever barred, except as otherwise provided in RCW 11.40.051 and 11.40.060. This bar is effective as to claims against both the decedent’s probate and nonprobate assets. Date of First Publication: 1/28/26 /s/ Joni F. Hards Joni F. Hards, Personal Representative /s/Bis Pierce Bis Pierce, WSBA #56755 Attorney for Personal Representative Address for Mailing or Service: Joni F. Hards, Personal Representative 6117 150th Pl SW Edmonds, WA 98026 Published in the Queen Anne & Magnolia News January 28, February

4 & 11, 2026

IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF KING In the matter of the Estate of CARL MORISSON COLE, Deceased. NO. 25-4-08980-8 SEA NOTICE TO CREDITORS The Personal Representative named below has been appointed as Personal Representative of this Estate. Any person having a claim against the Decedent must, before the time the claim would be barred by any otherwise applicable statute of limitations, present the claim in the manner as provided in RCW 11.40.00 by serving on or mailing to the Personal Representative or the Personal Representative’s attorney at the address stated below a copy of the claim and filing the original of the claim with the Court. The claim must be presented within the later of: (1) Thirty days after the Personal Representative served or mailed the notice to the creditor as provided under RCW 11.40.020(3); or (2) four months after the date of first publication of the notice. If the claim is not presented within this time frame, the claim is forever barred, except as otherwise provided in RCW 11.40.051 and 11.40.060. This bar is effective as to claims against both the Decedent’s probate and non-probate assets. Date of First Publication: January 28, 2026 Personal Representative: Nicole Svoboda Attorney for Personal Representative: Jesse D. Conway, WSBA #41677 Address for Mailing or Service: 1014 Franklin St., Vancouver, WA 98660 DATED, this 21 day of January, 2026. //s// Jesse D. Conway Jesse D. Conway, WSBA #41677 Attorney for Personal Representative Published in the Queen Anne & Magnolia News January 28, February 4 & 11, 2026

IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF PIERCE In re the Estate of: LACEY KRISTINE LEA BRODIGAN, Deceased. NO. 26-4-00057-6

NOTICE TO CREDITORS The person named below has been appointed as Personal Representative of this estate. Any person having a claim against the Decedent must, before the time such claim would be barred by any otherwise applicable statute of limitations, present the claim as provided in RCW 11.40.070 by serving on or mailing to the Personal Representative or the Personal Representative’s attorney at the address stated below, a copy of the claim and filing of the original of the claim with the court in which the probate proceedings were commenced. The claim must be presented within the later of (1) Thirty days after the Personal Representative served or mailed this notice to the creditor as provided by RCW 11.40.010(1)(c); or (2) four months after the date of first publication of this notice. If the claim is not presented within this time, then the claim is forever barred, except as provided in RCW 11.40.051 and 11.40.060. This bar is effective as to claims against both the Decedent’s probate assets and nonprobate assets. DATE OF FIRST PUBLICATION: January 21, 2026 PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE: /s/ Andrew James Brodigan MCCARTHY LAW OFFICE, PLLC By /s/ Conor E. McCarthy WSBA No 35497 1109 Tacoma Ave. South Tacoma, WA 98402 Phone: 253-484-0142 Fax: 253-572-8957 conor@conormccarthylaw.com Attorney for Personal Representative Address for Mailing or Service: 1109 Tacoma Ave. South Tacoma, WA 98402 Published in the Queen Anne & Magnolia News January 21, 28 & February 4, 2026 IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF WASHINGTON FOR KING COUNTY In Re The Estate of: ASHWIN KARUHATTY, Deceased. No. 25-4-06337-0 PROBATE NOTICE TO CREDITORS (RCW 11.40.030) (NTCRD) The person named below has been appointed as Personal Representative of this Estate. Any person having a claim against the decedent must, before the time the claim would be barred by any otherwise applicable statute of limitations, present the claim in the manner as provided in RCW 11.40.070 by serving on or mailing to the Personal Representative or the Personal Representative’s attorney at the address stated below a copy of the claim and filing the original of the claim with the court in which the probate proceedings were commenced. The claim must be presented within the later of: (1) Thirty days after the Personal Representative served or mailed the notice to the creditor as provided under RCW 11.40.020(1) (c); or (2) four months after the date of first publication of the notice. If the claim is not presented within this time frame, the claim is forever barred, except as otherwise provided in RCW 11.40.051 and 11.40.060. This bar is effective as to claims against both the decedent’s probate and nonprobate assets. Date of First Publication: February 4th, 2026. /s/ BYRON BATRES Personal Representative Print Name: Byron Batres Address for Mailing or Service: BYRON BATRES 50 LAKESIDE AVE #116 BURLINGTON, VT 05401 (424) 538-4710 Court of probate proceedings and cause number: King County Superior Court 25-4-063370 Published in the Queen Anne & Mag-

nolia News February 4, 11 & 18, 2026 IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF WASHINGTON FOR KING COUNTY In Re The Estate of: DUC XUAN HOANG Deceased. No. 26-4-01024-0 SEA PROBATE NOTICE TO CREDITORS (RCW 11.40.030) (NTCRD) The person named below has been appointed as Personal Representative/Administrator of this Estate. Any person having a claim against the decedent must, before the time the claim would be barred by any otherwise applicable statute of limitations, present the claim in the manner as provided in RCW 11.40.070 by serving on or mailing to the Personal Representative or the Personal Representative’s attorney at the address stated below a copy of the claim and filing the original of the claim with the court in which the probate proceedings were commenced. The claim must be presented within the later of: (1) Thirty days after the Personal Representative served or mailed the notice to the creditor as provided under RCW 11.40.020(1)(c); or (2) four months after the date of first publication of the notice. If the claim is not presented within this time frame, the claim is forever barred, except as otherwise provided in RCW 11.40.051 and 11.40.060. This bar is effective as to claims against both the decedent’s probate and nonprobate assets. Date of First Publication: February 4, 2026. Personal Representative Print Name: THU HANG THI NGUYEN /s/ Ty Ho Attorney for Administrator/Personal Representative Print Name and Bar #: 35808 Address for Mailing or Service: TY HO 502 RAINIER AVE S. SUITE 202 SEATTLE, WA 98144 Court of probate proceedings and cause number: King County Superior Court CASE NUMBER: 26-4-01024-0 SEA Published in the Queen Anne & Magnolia News February 4, 11 & 18, 2026 IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF WASHINGTON IN AND FOR KING COUNTY In Re the Estate of Richard E. Nagle, Deceased Probate No. 25-4-08001-1 KNT PROBATE NOTICE TO CREDITORS

RCW 11.40.030 The personal representative named below has been appointed as personal representative of this estate. Any person having a claim against the decedent must, before the time the claim would be barred by any otherwise applicable statute of limitations, present the claim in the manner as provided in RCW 11.40.070 by serving on or mailing to the personal representative or the personal representative’s attorney at the address stated below a copy of the claim and filing the original of the claim with the court in which the probate proceedings were commenced. The claim must be presented within the later of: (1) Thirty days after the personal representative served or mailed the notice to the creditor as provided under RCW 11.40.020(1)(c); or (2) four months after the date of first publication of the notice. If the claim is not presented within this time frame, the claim is forever barred, except as otherwise provided in RCW 11.40.051 and 11.40.060. This bar is effective as to claims against both the decedent’s probate and nonprobate assets. Date of First Publication: See Affidavit of Publication Personal Representative: Dolores Jane Nagle Attorney for the Personal Representative: Brittany S. Stockton Address for Mailing or Service: Iddins Law Group 25052 104th Ave SE, Suite B Kent, WA 98030 Court of probate proceedings and cause number: Superior Court, 25-4-080011 KNT Published in the Queen Anne & Magnolia New January 21, 28 & February 4, 2026

IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF WASHINGTON IN AND FOR KING COUNTY

In Re the Estate of: FREDERICK HIDEO SHIMBO, Deceased. Probate No. 26-400686-2 KNT PROBATE NOTICE TO CREDITORS RCW 11.40.030 The Administrator named below has been appointed as Administrator of this Estate. Any person having a claim against the Decedent must, before the time the claim would be barred by any otherwise applicable statute of limitations, present the claim in the manner as provided in RCW 11.40.070 by serving on or mailing to the Administrator or the Administrator’s attorney at the address stated below a copy of the claim and filing the original of the claim with the court in which the probate proceedings were commenced. The claim must be presented within the later of: (1) Thirty days after the Administrator served or mailed the notice to the creditor as provided under RCW 11.40.020(1) (c); or (2) four months after the date of first publication of the notice. If the claim is not presented within this time frame, the claim is forever barred, except as otherwise provided in RCW 11.40.051 and 11.40.060. This bar is effective as to claims against both the Decedent’s probate and nonprobate assets. Date of First Publication: January 28, 2026 Personal Representative: John Weidert Attorney for the Personal Representative: Brittany S. Stockton Address for Mailing or Service: Iddins Law Group 25052 104th Ave SE, Suite B Kent, WA 98030 Court of probate proceedings and cause number: King County Superior Court 264-00686-2 KNT Published in the Queen Anne & Magnolia News January 28, Feb-

ruary 4 & 11, 2026

IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF WASHINGTON IN AND FOR KING COUNTY In Re the Estate of: JANET ABBOTT, Deceased. Probate No. 25-4-08706-6 KNT PROBATE NOTICE TO CREDITORS RCW 11.40.030 The Administrator named below has been appointed as Administrator of this estate. Any person having a claim against the Decedent must, before the time the claim would be barred by any otherwise applicable statute of limitations, present the claim in the manner as provided in RCW 11.40.070 by serving on or mailing to the Administrator or the Administrator’s attorney at the address stated below a copy of the claim and filing the original of the claim with the court in which the probate proceedings were commenced. The claim must be presented within the later of: (1) Thirty days after the Administrator served or mailed the notice to the creditor as provided under RCW 11.40.020(1) (c); or (2) four months after the date of first publication of the notice. If the claim is not presented within this time frame, the claim is forever barred, except as otherwise provided in RCW 11.40.051 and 11.40.060. This bar is effective as to claims against both the Decedent’s probate and nonprobate assets. Date of First Publication: February 4, 2026 Personal Representative: Denise Mauldin Attorney for the Personal Representative: Brittany S. Stockton Address for Mailing or Service: Iddins Law Group 25052 104th Ave SE, Suite B Kent, WA 98030 Court of probate proceedings and cause number: King County Superior Court 25-4-08706-6 KNT Published in the Queen Anne & Magnolia News February 4, 11 & 18, 2026 IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF WASHINGTON IN AND FOR KING COUNTY In Re the Estate of: RICKEY KLINE, Deceased. Probate No. 25-4-08341-9 KNT PROBATE NOTICE TO CREDITORS RCW 11.40.030 The named below has been appointed as of this estate. Any person having a claim against the Decedent must, before the time the claim would be barred by any otherwise applicable statute of limitations, present the claim in the manner as provided in RCW 11.40.070 by serving on or mailing to the or the ‘s attorney at the address stated below a copy of the claim and filing the original of the claim with the court in which the probate proceedings were commenced. The claim must be presented within the later of: (1) Thirty days after the served or mailed the notice to the creditor as provided under RCW 11.40.020(1)(c); or (2) four months after the date of first publication of the notice. If the claim is not presented within this time frame, the claim is forever barred, except as otherwise provided in RCW 11.40.051 and 11.40.060. This bar is effective as to claims against both the Decedent’s probate and nonprobate assets. Date of First Publication: See Affidavit of Publication Personal Representative: Angelica Ramsey Attorney for the Personal Representative: Christian C. Pearson Address for Mailing or Service: Iddins Law Group 25052 104th Ave SE, Suite B Kent, WA 98030 Court of probate proceedings and cause number: King County Superior Court 25-4-083419 KNT Published in the Queen Anne & Magnolia New January 21, 28 & February 4, 2026

IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF WASHINGTON IN AND FOR SNOHOMISH COUNTY In Re the Estate of: Barbara Anne Blundell, Deceased. Probate No. 26-4-00047-31 PROBATE NOTICE TO CREDITORS RCW 11.40.030 The Personal Representative named below has been appointed as Personal Representative of this estate. Any person having a claim against the Decedent must, before the time the claim would be barred by any otherwise applicable statute of limitations, present the claim in the manner as provided in RCW 11.40.070 by serving on or mailing to the Personal Representative or the Personal Representative’s attorney at the address stated below a copy of the claim and filing the original of the claim with the court in which the probate proceedings were commenced. The claim must be presented within the later of: (1) Thirty days after the Personal Representative served or mailed the notice to the creditor as provided under RCW 11.40.020(1)(c); or (2) four months after the date of first publication of the notice. If the claim is not presented within this time frame, the claim is forever barred, except as otherwise provided in RCW 11.40.051 and 11.40.060. This bar is effective as to claims against both the Decedent’s probate and non-probate assets. Date of First Publication: January 28 2026. Personal Representatives: James Joseph Blundell III and Dannee Blundell Heitlauf. Address for Mailing or Service: 18522 22nd Dr SE Bothell WA 98012 (425)6869663. Court of probate proceedings and cause number: Snohomish County Superior Court 26-400047-31. Published in the Queen Anne & Magnolia News January 28, February 4 & 11, 2026.

ORIGINAL TRUSTEE SALE RECORDED ON 10/24/2025 IN THE OFFICE OF

THE KING COUNTY RECORDER. NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE File No.:23128796 Title Order No.:794908 Grantor: Hyoung Lae Paik, an unmarried man Current beneficiary of the deed of trust: Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Current trustee of the deed of trust: Aztec Foreclosure Corporation of Washington Current mortgage servicer of the deed of trust: Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Reference number of the deed of trust: 20001109001358 Parcel number(s): 0520900060-09 Abbreviated legal description: Lot 6 Bardahl Park No. 3, Vol 61, Page 89 records of King County Washington Commonly known as: 20018 2nd Avenue NW, Shoreline, WA 98177 I. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned Trustee, AZTEC FORECLOSURE CORPORATION OF WASHINGTON will on March 6, 2026, at the hour of 9:00 AM at the 4th Avenue Entrance of the King County Administration Building, located one block east of the Courthouse, 500 4th Avenue, in the City of Seattle, WA, State of Washington, sell at public auction to the highest and best bidder, payable at time of sale, the following described real property, situated in the County of King, State of Washington, towit: Lot 6, Bardahl Park No. 3 according to the Plat thereof recorded in Volume 61 of Plats, Page 89, Records of King County, Washington, situate in the County of King, State of Washington. which is the subject of that certain Deed of Trust dated November 9, 2000, recorded November 9, 2000, under Auditor’s File No. 20001109001358, records of King County, Washington, from Hyoung Lae Paik, an unmarried man as Grantor, to First American Title Insurance Company, a California Corporation as Trustee, to secure an obligation in favor of World Savings Bank, FSB, a Federal Savings Bank, its successors and/or assignees as Beneficiary. II. No action commenced by the Beneficiary of the Deed of Trust is now pending to seek satisfaction of the obligation in any Court by reason of the Borrower’s or Grantor’s default on the obligation secured by the Deed of Trust. III. The Default(s) for which this foreclosure is made is/are as follows: Failure to pay when due the following amounts which are now in arrears: Delinquent monthly payments from the May 15, 2020 installment on in the sum of $111,920.10 together with all fees, costs and or disbursements incurred or paid by the beneficiary and or trustee, their employees, agents or assigns. The Trustee’s fees and costs are estimated at $3,337.06 as of October 20, 2025. The amount to cure the default payments as of the date of this notice is $117,177.29. Payments and late charges may continue to accrue and additional advances to your loan may be made. It is necessary to contact the beneficiary or Trustee prior to the time you tender the reinstatement amount so that you may be advised of the exact amount you would be required to pay. IV. The sum owing on the obligation secured by the Deed of Trust is: Principal Balance $130,471.78, together with interest in the Note or other instrument secured from April 15, 2020, plus a Deferred Balance of $370.11 and such other costs and fees as are due under the Note or other instrument secured, and as are provided by statute. The amount necessary to pay off the entire obligation secured by your Deed of Trust as the date of this notice is $243,450.34. Interest and late charges may continue to accrue and additional advances to your loan may be made. It is necessary to contact the beneficiary or Trustee prior to the time you tender the payoff amount so that you may be advised of the exact amount you would be required to pay. V. The above-described real property will be sold to satisfy the expense of sale and the obligation secured by the Deed of Trust as provided by statute. The sale will be made without warranty express or implied regarding title, possession, or encumbrances on March 6, 2026. The default(s) referred to in paragraph III, together with any subsequent payments, late charges, advances, costs and fees thereafter due, must be cured by February 23, 2026 (11 days before the sale date), to cause a discontinuance of the sale. The sale will be discontinued and terminated if at any time on or before February 23, 2026 (11 days before the sale date), the default(s) as set forth in paragraph III, together with any subsequent payments, late charges, advances, costs and fees thereafter due, is/are cured and the Trustee’s fees and costs are paid. The sale may be terminated any time after February 23, 2026 (11 days before the sale date), and before the sale by the Borrower, Grantor, any Guarantor or the holder of any recorded junior lien or encumbrance paying the entire principal and interest secured by the Deed of Trust, plus costs, fees and advances, if any, made pursuant to the terms of the obligation and/or Deed of Trust, and curing all other defaults. VI. A written notice of default was transmitted by the Beneficiary or Trustee to the Borrower and Grantor at the following addresses: Estate of Hyoung Lae Paik

20018 2nd Avenue NW Shoreline, WA 98177 Unknown Heirs & Devisees of Hyoung Lae Paik 20018 2nd Avenue NW Shoreline, WA 98177 Julie Lee, Son of Hyoung Lae Paik, deceased 22343 Bahl Street Cupertino, CA 95014 Soo Kyoung Paik aka Soo K. Paik aka Soo Paik 20018 2nd Avenue NW Shoreline, WA 98177 Soo Kyoung Paik c/o Escrow

Connection 19031 33rd Avenue W. Lynnwood, WA 98036 Occupant(s) 20018 2nd Avenue NW Shoreline, WA 98177 by both first class and certified mail on September 15, 2023 proof of which is in the possession of the Trustee; and the Borrower and Grantor were personally served on September 15, 2023 with said written notice of default or the written notice of default was posted in a conspicuous place on the real property described in paragraph I above, and the Trustee has possession of proof of such service or posting. The declaration by the beneficiary pursuant to RCW 61.24.030(7)(a) was transmitted by the Beneficiary or Trustee to the Borrower and Grantor at the above addresses on September 15, 2023, proof of which is in possession of the Trustee. VII. The Trustee whose name and address are set forth above, and whose telephone number is (360) 253-8017 / (877) 430-4787 will provide in writing to anyone requesting it, a statement of all costs and fees due at any time prior to the sale. VIII. The effect of the sale will be to deprive the Grantor and all those who hold by, through or under the Grantor of all their interest in the above-described property. IX. Anyone having an objection to the sale on any grounds whatsoever will be afforded an opportunity to be heard as to those objections if they bring a lawsuit to restrain the sale pursuant to RCW 61.24.130. Failure to bring such a lawsuit may result in a waiver of any proper grounds for invalidating the Trustee’s sale. X. NOTICE TO OCCUPANTS OR TENANTS The purchaser at the trustee’s sale is entitled to possession of the property on the 20th day following the sale, as against the grantor under the deed of trust (the owner) and anyone having an interest junior to the deed of trust, including occupants, who are not tenants. After the 20th day following the sale the purchaser has the right to evict occupants who are not tenants by summary proceedings under Chapter 59.12 RCW. For tenant-occupied property, the purchaser shall provide a tenant with written notice in accordance with RCW 61.24.60. XI. THIS NOTICE IS THE FINAL STEP BEFORE THE FORECLOSURE SALE OF YOUR HOME. You have only 90 calendar days BEORE the date of sale listed in the Notice of Trustee’s Sale. If an amended Notice of Sale is recorded providing a 45day notice of the sale, mediation must be requested no later than 25 days BEFORE the date of sale listed in the amended Notice of Trustee’s Sale. DO NOT DELAY. CONTACT A HOUSING COUNSELOR OR AN ATTORNEY LICENSED IN WASHINGTON NOW to assess your situation and refer you to mediation if you are eligible and it may help you save your home. See below for safe sources of help. SEEKING ASSISTANCE Housing counselors and legal assistance may be available at little or no cost to you. If you would like assistance in determining your rights and opportunities to keep your house, you may contact the following: The statewide foreclosure hotline for assistance and referral to housing counselors recommended by the Housing Finance Commission: Telephone (Toll-free): 1-877-894-HOME (1877-894-4663) or Web site: http://www. homeownership-wa.org/. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development: Telephone (Toll-free): 1-800-569-4287 or local counseling agencies: https://answers.hud.gov/ housingcounseling/s/?language=en_US The statewide civil legal aid hotline for assistance and referrals to other housing counselors and attorneys: Telephone (Toll-Free): 1-800-606-4819 or Web site: http://nwjustice.org/home XII. FAIR DEBT COLLECTION PRACTICES ACT NOTICE: AZTEC FORECLOSURE CORPORATION OF WASHINGTON is attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose. If a discharge has been obtained by any party through bankruptcy proceedings, this shall not be construed to be an attempt to collect the outstanding indebtedness or to hold you personally liable for the debt. DATED this 23 day of October, 2025 AZTEC FORECLOSURE CORPORATION OF WASHINGTON By: Kathy Zagariya Vice President 1499 SE Tech Center Place, Suite 255 Vancouver, WA 98683 (360) 2538017 / (877) 430-4787 ADDRESS FOR PERSONAL SERVICE Aztec Foreclosure Corporation of Washington 1499 SE Tech Center Place, Suite 255 Vancouver, WA 98683 STATE OF WASHINGTON ) ) SS. COUNTY OF CLARK )

This instrument was acknowledged before me this 23rd day of October, 2025, by Kathy Zagariya, Vice President. Kira Lynch Notary Public in and for the State of Washington My Commission Expires: 10/6/2028 KIRA LYNCH Notary Public State of Washington Commission # 188037 My Comm. Expires Oct 6, 2028 NPP0480503 To: QUEEN ANNE & MAGNOLIA NEWS 02/04/2026, 02/25/2026

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON KING COUNTY In the Matter of the Estate of MARIE JULIANA HOSHINO, Deceased. No. 25-4-07092-9

SEA NOTICE TO CREDITORS The Personal Representative named below has been appointed as Personal Representative of this estate. Any person having a claim against the decedent must, before the time the claim would be barred by any otherwise applicable statute of limi-

tations, present the claim in the manner provided in RCW 11.40.070 by serving on or mailing to the Personal Representative or the Personal Representative’s attorney at the address stated below a copy of the claim and filing the original of the claim with the court in which the probate proceedings were commenced. The claim must be presented within the later of: (1) thirty days after the Personal Representative served or mailed the notice to the creditor as provided under RCW 11.40.020(1)(c); or (2) four months after the date of first publication of the notice. If the claim is not presented within this time frame, the claim is forever barred, except as otherwise provided in RCW 11.40.051 and 11.40.060. This bar is effective as to claims against both the decedent’s probate and nonprobate assets. Date of First Publication: January 28, 2026 Personal Representative: Janice Lynn Hoshino Attorney for PR: Natasha Black Address for Mailing or Service: c/o Natasha Black Law 500 108th Avenue NE Suite 1100 Bellevue, Washington 98004 Court of Probate Proceedings: King County Superior Court 516 Third Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104 Cause Number: 25-4-07092-9 SEA Published in the Queen Anne & Magnolia News January 28, February 4 & 11, 2026

SUPERIOR COURT OF WASHINGTON FOR KING COUNTY Estate of Ellen Kay Olson AKA Ellen Kay German, Deceased. NO. 26-4-00673-1 KNT PROBATE NOTICE TO CREDITORS (RCW 11.40.030) PLEASE TAKE NOTICE The above Court has appointed me as Administrator of Decedent’s estate. Any person having a claim against the Decedent must, before the time the claim would be barred by any otherwise applicable statute of limitations, Present the claim in the manner as provided in RCW 11.40.070:by serving on or mailing to the Administrator at the address stated below a copy of the claim and filing the original of the claim with the court in which the probate proceedings were commenced. The claim must be presented by the later of: (1) Thirty (30) days after the Administrator served or mailed this Notice as provided in RCW 11.40.020(1) (c), or (2) Four (4) months after the date of first publication of this Notice. If the claim is not presented within this time period, the claim will be forever barred except as provided in RCW 11.40.051 and 11.40.060. This bar is effective for claims against both the Decedent’s probate and non-probate assets. Date of First Publication of this Notice: January 21, 2026 Erik Matthew Olson Administrator 4604 NE 4th ST Apt A Renton, WA 98059 Published in the Queen Anne & Magnolia News January 21, 28 & February 4, 2026

SUPERIOR COURT OF WASHINGTON FOR KING COUNTY Nonprobate Estate of BLAIR HUNTER PICKAR, Deceased. NO. 26-4-00591-2 SEA NONPROBATE NOTICE TO CREDITORS (RCW 11.42.030) PLEASE TAKE NOTICE

As Notice Agent, I have elected to give notice to Decedent’s creditors. On the date of filing of this Nonprobate Notice to Creditors with the Court: • I had no knowledge of: • Any other person acting as Notice Agent, or • The appointment of a Personal Representative for Decedent’s probate estate in the state of Washington. • According to the records of the Court that were then available: • No cause number regarding Decedent had been issued to any other Notice Agent, and • No Personal Representative of Decedent’s probate estate had been appointed. Any person having a claim against Decedent must present the claim: • Before the time when the claim would be barred by any applicable statute of limitations, and • In the manner provided in RCW 11.42.070: • By filing with the Court the original of the signed Creditor’s Claim, and • By serving upon or mailing by first class mail to me at the address provided below a copy of the signed Creditor’s Claim. The Creditor’s Claim must be presented by the later to occur of: • Thirty (30) days after I served or mailed this Notice to you as provided in RCW 11.42.020(2)(c), or • Four (4) months after the date of first publication of this Notice. If the Creditor’s Claim is not presented within the foregoing time period, the claim will be forever barred except as provided in RCW 11.42.050 and 11.42.060. This bar is effective for claims against both the Decedent’s probate and non-probate assets. In accordance with RCW 9A.72.085, I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of Washington that the foregoing is true and correct to the best of my knowledge.

SIGNED

Date: On December 18, 2025

Place: At Laguna Woods, CA

Signature: /s/ Marisa Pickar, Notice

Agent Address for Mailing or Service: Street Address: 708 Broadway Suite 101 City + State + ZIP: Tacoma, WA 98402

Date of First Publication of this Notice: January 21, 2026

Published in the Queen Anne & Magnolia News January 21, 28 & February 4, 2026

Superior Court of Washington, County of King In re the marriage of: Petitioner/s (person/s who started this case): MAUHEOFA ANA FAGAFA And Respondent/s (other party/parties): PAU-

LA TAU No. 25-3-06891-2 KNT Summons Served by Publication (SMPB) Summons Served by Publication To (other party’s name/s): Paula Tau I have started a court case by filing a petition. The name of the Petition is: Petition for Divorce You must respond in writing if you want the court to consider your side. Deadline! Your Response must be filed and served within 60 days of the date this summons is published. If you do not file and serve your Response or a Notice of Appearance by the deadline: • No one has to notify you about other hearings in this case, and • The court may approve the requests in the Petition without hearing your side (called a default judgment). Follow these steps: 1. Read the Petition and any other documents that were filed at court with this Summons. Those documents explain what the other party is asking for. 2. Fill out a Response on this form (check the Response that matches the Petition): FL Divorce 211, Response to Petition about a Marriage. You can get the Response form and other forms you need at: • The Washington State Courts’ website: www.courts.wa.gov/ forms • Washington LawHelp: www. washingtonlawhelp.org, or The Superior Court Clerk’s office or county law library (for a fee). 3. Serve (give) a copy of your Response to the person who filed this Summons at the address below, and to any other parties. You may use certified mail with return receipt requested. For more information on how to serve, read Superior Court Civil Rule 5. 4. File your original Response with the court clerk at this address: Superior Court Clerk, King County 401 4th Ave N, Rm 2C, Kent, Washington 98032-4429 5. Lawyer not required: It is a good idea to talk to a lawyer, but you may file and serve your Response without one. Person filing this Summons or his lawyer fills out below: /s/ Mauheofa Ana Fagafa, Petitioner Date 12/15/2025 [X] the following address (this does not have to be your home address):31629 1st Pl S Federal Way, Washington 98003 email: mfagafa80@ gmail.com (If this address changes before the case ends, you must notify all parties and the court in writing. You may use the Notice of Address Change form (FL All Family 120). You must also update your Confidential Information Form (FL All Family 001) if this case involves parentage or child support.) This Summons is issued according to Rule 4.1 of the Superior Court Civil Rules of the State of Washington. Published in the Queen Anne & Magnolia News January 21, 28, February 4, 11, 18 & 25, 2026

This Notice of Dissolution is given by The Talented Youth, a Washington nonprofit corporation, pursuant to RCW 24.03A.

The Corporation filed Articles of Dissolution with the Washington Secretary of State effective December 30, 2025.

Any person having a claim against the Corporation is requested to present the claim in writing before March 1, 2026 to the following address: The Apex Law Group PLLC 200 1st Ave W Ste 320 Seattle, WA 98119

Valid claims must include the following: Name and address of claimant; Basis for the claim; Date(s) of occurrence of the event(s) on which the claim is based; Copies of any documents on which the claim is based; and Estimated amount of the claim.

Claims against the Corporation will be barred unless a proceeding to enforce the claim is commenced within three years after the last publication date of this notice.

Published in the Queen Anne & Magnolia News January 28, February 4 & 11, 2026

TS No WA06000111-25-1 TO No 250442471-WA-MSI NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE PURSUANT TO THE REVISED CODE OF WASHINGTON CHAPTER 61.24 ET. SEQ. Grantor: HEATHER M CONTRERAS, AN UNMARRIED PERSON Current Beneficiary of the Deed of Trust: NewRez LLC DBA Shellpoint Mortgage Servicing Original Trustee of the Deed of Trust: EQUITY TITLE OF WASHINGTON, LLC Current Trustee of the Deed of Trust: MTC Financial Inc. dba Trustee Corps Current Mortgage Servicer of the Deed of Trust: NewRez LLC FKA New Penn Financial, LLC DBA Shellpoint Mortgage Servicing Reference Number of the Deed of Trust: Instrument No. 20210928001453 Parcel Number: 553020006001 | 553020-006 I. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on February 13, 2026, 10:00 AM, At the 4th Ave. entrance to the King County Administration Building, 500 4th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104, MTC Financial Inc. dba Trustee Corps, the undersigned Trustee, will sell at public auction to the highest and best bidder, payable, in the form of cash, or cashier’s check or certified checks from federally or State chartered banks, at the time of sale the following described real property, situated in the County of King, State of Washington, towit: UNIT 702, OF MILL POND AT LAKELAND, A CONDOMINIUM, ACCORDING TO DECLARATION THEREOF RECORDED UNDER KING COUNTY RECORDING NO. 9510240522 AND ANY AMENDMENTS THERETO; SAID UNIT IS LOCATED ON SURVEY MAP AND PLANS FILED IN VOLUME 128 OF CONDOMINIUMS, AT PAGES 67 THROUGH 73, IN KING COUNTY,

WASHINGTON. SITUATE IN THE COUNTY OF KING, STATE OF WASHINGTON. APN: 553020006001 | 553020006 More commonly known as 4724 MILL POND DR SE, UNIT #702, AUBURN, WA 98092-3858 which is subject to that certain Deed of Trust dated September 24, 2021, executed by HEATHER M CONTRERAS, AN UNMARRIED PERSON as Trustor(s), to secure obligations in favor of MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC. (“MERS”), as designated nominee for CALIBER HOME LOANS, INC., Beneficiary of the security instrument, its successors and assigns, recorded September 28, 2021 as Instrument No. 20210928001453 and the beneficial interest was assigned to NEWREZ LLC D/B/A SHELLPPOINT MORTGAGE SERVICING and recorded May 23, 2025 as Instrument Number 20250523000485 of official records in the Office of the Recorder of King County, Washington. II. No action commenced by NewRez LLC DBA Shellpoint Mortgage Servicing, the current Beneficiary of the Deed of Trust is now pending to seek satisfaction of the obligation in any Court by reason of the Borrowers’ or Grantors’ default on the obligation secured by the Deed of Trust/ Mortgage. III. The default(s) for which this foreclosure is made is/are as follows: FAILURE TO PAY WHEN DUE THE FOLLOWING AMOUNTS WHICH ARE NOW IN ARREARS: DELINQUENT PAYMENT INFORMATION From August 1, 2024 To October 9, 2025 Number of Payments 6 $2,060.67 9 $2,118.48 Total $31,430.34 LATE CHARGE INFORMATION August 1, 2024 October 9, 2025 $170.40 $170.40 PROMISSORY NOTE INFORMATION Note Dated: September 24, 2021 Note Amount $347,820.00 Interest Paid To: July 1, 2024 Next Due Date: August 1, 2024 Current Beneficiary: NewRez LLC DBA Shellpoint Mortgage Servicing Contact Phone No: 800365-7107 Address: 75 Beattie Place, Suite 300, Greenville, SC 29601 IV. The sum owing on the obligation secured by the Deed of Trust is: The principal sum of $326,494.06, together with interest as provided in the Note or other instrument secured, and such other costs and fees as are due under the Note or other instrument secured, and as are provided by statute. V. The above described real property will be sold to satisfy the expense of sale and the obligation secured by the Deed of Trust as provided by statute. Said sale will be made without warranty, expressed or implied, regarding title, possession or encumbrances on February 13, 2026. The defaults referred to in Paragraph III must be cured by February 2, 2026, (11 days before the sale date) to cause a discontinuance of the sale. The sale will be discontinued and terminated if at any time before February 2, 2026 (11 days before the sale) the default as set forth in Paragraph III is cured and the Trustees’ fees and costs are paid. Payment must be in cash or with cashiers’ or certified checks from a State or federally chartered bank. The sale may be terminated any time after the February 2, 2026 (11 days before the sale date) and before the sale, by the Borrower or Grantor or the holder of any recorded junior lien or encumbrance by paying the entire principal and interest secured by the Deed of Trust, plus costs, fees and advances, if any, made pursuant to the terms of the obligation and/or Deed of Trust, and curing all other defaults. VI. A written Notice of Default was transmitted by the current Beneficiary, NewRez LLC DBA Shellpoint Mortgage Servicing or Trustee to the Borrower and Grantor at the following address(es): ADDRESS HEATHER M CONTRERAS 4724 MILL POND DR SE, UNIT #702, AUBURN, WA 98092-3858 HEATHER M CONTRERAS 4724 MILL POND DR SE, AUBURN, WA 98092-3858 OCCUPANT 4724 MILL POND DR SE, UNIT #702, AUBURN, WA 98092-3858 UNKNOWN SPOUSE OF HEATHER M CONTRERAS 4724 MILL POND DR SE, UNIT #702, AUBURN, WA 98092-3858 LAKELAND HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION C/O PERYEA SILVER TAYLOR, 1200 FIFTH AVENUE, SUITE 1550, SEATTLE, WA 98101-3146 LAKELAND HOMEOWNERSASSOCIATION C/O PERYEA SILVER TAYLOR, 1200 FIFTH AVENUE, SUITE 1550, SEATTLE, WA 98101-3146 MILL POND AT LAKELAND A CONDOMINIUM OWNERS ASSOCIATION C/O DAVID M. TALL OSERAN HAHN P.S., 11225 SE6TH ST, SUITE 100, BELLEVUE, WA 98004 MILL POND AT LAKELAND A CONDOMINIUM OWNERS ASSOCIATION C/O KING COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE, 516 THIRD AVENUE, ROOM W-150, SEATTLE, WA 98104-2312 MILL POND AT LAKELAND A CONDOMINIUM OWNERS ASSOCIATION C/O DAVID M. TALL OSERAN HAHN P.S., 11225 SE6TH ST, SUITE 100, BELLEVUE, WA 98004 MILL POND AT LAKELAND A CONDOMINIUM OWNERS ASSOCIATION C/O KING COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE, 516 THIRD AVENUE, ROOM W-150, SEATTLE, WA 98104-2312 DAVID REDMAN 4724 MILL POND DR SE, UNIT #702, AUBURN, WA 98092-3858 DAVID REDMAN 5432 PARK PLACE LOOP SE, LACEY, WA 98503 DAVID REDMAN 4724 MILL POND DR SE, UNIT #702, AUBURN, WA 98092-3858 DAVID REDMAN 5432 PARK PLACE LOOP SE, LACEY, WA 98503 by both first class and certified mail on August 21, 2025, proof of which is in the posses-

Police Union Hits Back at Seattle Mayor’s Move Against Feds on Immigration Enforcement

By Brett Davis The Center Square

The Seattle Police Officers Guild is not impressed with Mayor Katie Wilson’s recently announced series of initial steps to prepare the city for a potential surge in federal immigration enforcement.

Those initial steps include directing the Seattle Police Department to verify the identification of federal agents and document reports of immigration enforcement activity, prohibiting federal immigration officials from using city-owned or controlled property for enforcement activities, and allocating $4 million to local immigrant support organizations.

“Toothless virtue signaling rhetoric like this has already cost two people their lives,” SPOG President Mike Solan posted on X on Friday just before noon, and shortly after The Center Square asked for comment on Wilson’s plans. “The concept of pitting two armed law enforcement agencies against each other is ludicrous, and will not happen. I will not allow SPOG members to be used as political pawns.”

Earlier this month, two U.S. citizens, Renée Good and Alex Pretti, were fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis during intensified immigration enforcement efforts. Both shootings occurred amid rising tensions over the issue.

“I understand the concern and anxiety in the community, and I want to make sure everyone knows that the police are here to keep you safe, regardless of your immigration status,” Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes said in Thursday’s news release from the Mayor’s Office announcing the city’s plan to deal with possible federal immigration

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enforcement efforts in the city. “The City of Seattle is a welcoming city, and my officers will continue to abide by all laws and regulations that prohibit our participation in immigration enforcement. While we have no authority over federal agents or federal policies, we will document incidents if and when notified. The Seattle Police Department’s primary responsibility is the life safety of ALL people.”

Wilson spoke to the controversial nature of the Trump administration’s efforts to enforce federal immigration law, including what critics call aggressive tactics, alleged civil rights abuses and the separation of families.

“So many of us are shocked and heartbroken by the news out of Minneapolis and share a growing concern that our city, too, could come under attack by the federal government,” Wilson said in the news release. “I’m also disturbed by what I’ve been hearing about the huge spike in hotline calls there from families that can’t pay their rent because they’re afraid to leave their homes and go to work, and about small businesses at the end of their rope because the federal incursion has made it impossible to operate. The federal government is causing profound, long-term harm to so many communities, and we all have a shared responsibility to organize, practice solidarity and do what we can to keep Seattle safe.”

The Mayor’s Office did not respond to multiple emails from The Center Square asking if the mayor’s plans to limit the city’s cooperation with federal agencies on immigration enforcement efforts could inflame an already tense situation. Multiple phone calls went unanswered as well.

Under the plan, Wilson will issue an executive order prohibiting civil federal

immigration authorities from using cityowned and city-controlled properties – parks, parking lots, plazas, vacant lots, garages and Seattle Center – for civil immigration enforcement.

“The mayor urges the Seattle School District, Seattle Municipal Court, and other local government bodies to take similar action,” according to the news release.

Wilson also directed the police department to investigate, verify and document reports of immigration enforcement activity, including any activity captured on in-car and body-worn video cameras.

The city will “Quickly invest $4 million in city funds to organizations engaged in immigrant legal defense, community support, and the long-term needs of immigrant

communities,” according to the announcement. “This money was appropriated by City Council late last year, and we are working to quickly invest the funds.”

City officials have said there is currently no indication of a surge in activity by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Seattle.

The Center Square reached out to the White House Office of the Press Secretary, asking if the Trump administration has any plans to surge federal immigration enforcement efforts in Seattle, and was referred to the Department of Homeland Security. DHS did not respond to a request for comments.

Why Experience Matters in Today’s Real Estate Market

In a market this sophisticated, and with homes representing one of your largest financial assets, who you hire matters more than ever. I bring over 20 years of residential real estate experience, a UW Business School education, and a background as a former CPA. That expertise translates into strategic pricing, disciplined contract management, and marketing plans designed to maximize value - not leave money on the table.

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• Listing Broker for a San Juan Island waterfront estate sold for $5.25M - $250K over asking and closed in just 24 hours, despite prior days on market with two previous brokers.

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