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Study measures particulate matter PM 2.5 that can cause health problems Preliminary data from air monitors at four locations in Georgetown measured fine particulate matter for the past year. On average, readings rose in the afternoon. The research is part of a study between University of Washington researchers and the Duwamish River Community Coalition. (Chart provided by DRCC) A local study is measuring levels of fine particulate matter, some of the most dangerous things we breathe each day in Georgetown.    At 2.5 micrometers  (PM2.5)   or less, the size of these small particles is only a tiny fraction of a human hair. So, they can easily get into our lungs and bloodstream raising the risk for heart and respiratory issues and some cancers, especially for children and those over 65.  Sources of fine particle pollution include wildfires, vehicle exhaust, wood-burning stoves and industrial activities with combustion. Given Georgetown’s location next to Interstate 5, train tracks, King County International Airport-Boeing Field and all sorts of industry, it’s no surprise Georgetown has air pollution. And with the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency approving Ash Grove Cement’s request to burn more tires each day, the air isn’t going to get any cleaner.    But just how much air pollution is here and where are the neighborhood hotspots? University of Washington researchers and advocates at the Duwamish River Community Coalition are trying to answer those questions.  Over the past year, low-cost air monitors have taken levels of fine particulate matter at sites including a spot near Seattle Iron & Metals on East Marginal Way, the Mini Mart, Oxbow Park and the Georgetown Playfield. There are also several monitors in South Park. The air monitors do not measure ultrafine particulate matter, smaller than .1, which is associated with airplane exhaust. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says the concentration of PM2.5 should not exceed a daily average of 35 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³) while the World Health Organization recommends not exceeding 15 µg/m³.   According to preliminary data, the monitor readings never exceeded the EPA standard and averaged around 6 and 7µg/m³ over the past year. The levels did exceed the WHO standard on some days. Readings also tended to peak between 2 p.m. and 10 p.m., especially near Seattle Iron & Metals getting up to 8.5 µg/m³. The readings were higher in high-traffic areas possibly due to more idling cars and port-bound drayage trucks, said Joseph Santana, environmental health equity manager at the Duwamish River Community Coalition.  Compared to some places in the world, the measurements are not alarming, but they are certainly higher than nearby Beacon Hill, many other Seattle neighborhoods or other Washington communities like North Bend, Santana said. The data is gathered using low-cost monitors that are not approved for federal monitoring. Although they do not meet federal standards, the data is in line with readings from other officially approved devices meeting federal equivalent methods, Santana said. This suggests the monitors are still producing relevant, useful data, Santana said.  University of Washington researchers and Duwamish River Community Coalition advocates are partnering on the study, which is part of the larger Duwamish Air Improvement Study for Youth  (DAISY) project to reduce childhood asthma symptoms in the Duwamish Valley. The project is supported by a National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences grant. A separate DRCC study found indicators of metal pollution in the moss  on neighborhood trees. The air monitors are supposed to gather more data through 2027, but as with much federally supported scientific research under the Trump administration, future funding is in question, Santana said.  The DRCC continues to recruit children ages 6-17 with asthma for the study and is offering a $250 stipend. For more information, go to drcc.org/daisy  or email contact@drcc.org .

A neighborhood grocery store and farmer’s market were two longstanding wishlist items of mine since becoming a Georgetown resident. Little did I know one common denominator, one person, would reign supreme at the helm of both. Enter Marisa. Marisa stocking shelves inside Bloom Bistro. Image by shon't. Name : Marisa Figueroa (she/her) Residency in Georgetown : Marisa’s association to the neighborhood is linked to her business, Bloom Bistro & Grocery. She currently dwells in nearby South Park with her wife. How you might know her : Well, obviously, as the owner of Bloom Bistro & Grocery, but also, perhaps, as a former Georgetown resident and occasional organizer and trombone extraordinaire for Honk Fest. On a sunny fall afternoon, I mosey over to Bloom where I find Marisa prepping chicken for the oven; fellow Gazette writer Sam, now a member of the Bloom crew, is helping with other end-of-day activities. The shop is closed, a mad rush on Marisa’s otherworldly bagels yields an early sell-out for the day. (A local newspaper heralded her bagels as the best in Seattle.) After some cordialities and giggles, we settle into a corner for a chat. What do you do (e.g., your profession, personal mission, passion, etc.)? “I love being an active member of my community — that’s number one for me. And I love making bagels.” Bloom Bistro staff busy at work. Image by shon't. What brought you to Georgetown? Why this neighborhood? As a former resident: “In 2016, I visited Seattle for the first time with Honk Fest and stayed in Georgetown. I said, ‘This place is awesome!’ And then I moved here [from Boston] the next year.” As a business owner/entrepreneur: “When I lived in Georgetown, I had the same thought every time I walked past this place [current location of Bloom]: ‘Maybe one day, if it becomes available, I could see myself doing something here.’ I just always loved it. Once it became available, I texted the owners and asked, ‘What are you doing with that space?’ They didn’t know, so instantly, I wrote a 5-page business plan. I told them, ‘No rush, but this is what I want to do. Let me know if it aligns with your vision.’ Two days later I received a text that said, ‘You’re in!’” What keeps you here? What do you like about our ‘hood?  “It’s such a unique place! I love getting to know all the neighbors. I know them, their families, their kids, their dogs. If their mother comes to town, they bring them to the bagel shop. I just love the sense of community… that’s something special about Georgetown. Is that everybody’s answer? It should be!”  A piece of advice for your Georgetown neighbors, new or old? “Talk to your neighbors. We have to take care of each other. The fact that everyone knows each other can seem intimidating to those who move into the neighborhood, but it’s a cool aspect that a lot of neighborhoods don’t have.” Your future Georgetown looks like… “Hopefully, having the bagel shop here… forever! Also, I think it is our universal goal to keep this neighborhood flourishing without losing our sense of who we are, our sense of community, and what this neighborhood wants to be.” If you are interested in being featured in “Peeps in the Neighborhood” or want to recommend someone for consideration, please forward an email to shon’t at shontatgtowngazette@gmail.com .

It’s encouraging to see more Georgetown residents choosing electric vehicles (EVs) for their daily transportation. For many folks in Seattle it feels like the infrastructure isn’t quite there yet, but the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is working to install more charging stations in the city, and if you’re willing to follow some simple guidelines it’s actually pretty easy to charge vehicles at residences and on public streets. I spoke to Katherine Rice, Senior Electric Vehicle Planner at the SDOT, to round up what we need to know. The Golden Rules of Charging EVs Know your charging voltage, and plan charging time accordingly Charging times depend on three factors: Battery capacity, battery health, and charging voltage. Rice at SDOT said that many people have what’s called “range anxiety,” but she said that according to their data, most trips are shorter than people think. In Seattle, the following voltages are available, each offering different charging rates: At an average of 150 range miles for each hour of charging,  direct current (DC) fast charging  is the quickest of the three available options. Residential electric hookups can’t support this high-load current, but luckily the City of Seattle has installed 8 DC fast charging stations in neighborhoods from Highland Terrace in north Seattle all the way to Burien, and two more are planned for the near future. The nearest one for Georgetown residents is at the South Service Center (409 S Spokane St) . The next best is level 2 charging , which provides about 30 range miles per hour. This level requires 240-volt wiring which is generally only installed to power stoves and laundry dryers. You’ll also need special equipment that can cost up to $2,000, but at this level most of your daily trips can be charged up quickly and easily.  There are 58 public level 2 charging stations throughout Seattle, including our closest one at Columbia City (4707 35th Ave S) . But Rice shared great news with me: Another level 2 station is scheduled to be installed on the 6500 block of Ellis Ave , near the Mini Mart Park, by spring 2026. Most home chargers will use level 1 charging , which uses any common 120-volt outlet. It’s the slowest of the options, providing only about 5 range miles per hour, but it makes charging accessible to pretty much everyone and an overnight charge gets most drivers a good 60 miles of range. According to Rice, EV owners may only use a 120-volt connection to charge curbside. Want additional EV charging stations in the neighborhood? Suggest a new location . BMW i3 home charging  by Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz, CC BY-SA 4.0 ( source ) Park legally when charging curbside An unfortunate incident occurred on October 26, 2025 when someone double-parked their EV on Carleton Ave S, ran a charging cable to the vehicle from a nearby home, and left it there. A neighborhood resident later saw two police cars parked near the vehicle while officers spoke to a man on a nearby sidewalk.  It’s unclear whether the police were called or just happened to be in the vicinity, and an inquiry to the Seattle Police Department media relations department doesn’t show any tickets issued to the car’s license plate number. Even so, we at the Gazette advise against this kind of creative charging strategy if you like your police record on the clean side. For a review of all City of Seattle parking rules, check out this resource , but in particular Rice called out that EV owners should always follow posted parking signage. Also as a reminder, she said, “you’re not guaranteed parking spots in the city of Seattle. Even if a spot is in front of your home, it can technically be used by anyone and is not considered part of your property.” Cars double-parked in San Francisco  by Pretzelpaws, CC BY-SA 3.0 ( source ) Manage your cables According to guidance published by the City of Seattle Department of Transportation , “[EV] charging cords must be covered by a highly visible, stable, and secure low-angle cable ramp” while charging on public streets. Rice adds that “owners must remove cables and their covers from any city sidewalk when they are done charging their vehicles to protect pedestrians from trip and fall hazards,” for which you could be legally liable.  Example of an appropriate cable cover  ( source ) Don’t use anyone else’s electricity This one may seem like a no-brainer, but people are infinitely creative, and everyone likes to save money. But if you’re caught using electrical outlets that don’t draw current from a Seattle City Light account you pay for, you can face steep fines. See something wrong? Rice encouraged Georgetown neighbors to use the city’s Find It, Fix It app  to report outages or improper charging setups on public streets. Where to Charge EVs in and near Georgetown Public Currently, the closest charging stations for Georgetown residents are: Columbia City (4707 35th Ave S)  - level 2 charging South Service Center (409 S Spokane St)  - DC fast charging Private Chargepoint stations King County Airport parking lot , 7259 King County Airport Access Rd Seattle Central College parking lot , 6701 Corson Ave S Electrify America station Bank of America parking lot , 1112 S Bailey St

The Duwamish River Community Coalition (DRCC) asks the Georgetown community to participate in a survey that will help shape the organization's priorities for the upcoming state legislative session running from January to March. Access the survey here: https://forms.gle/VLE5v9qqnFUkKnoNA The survey is focused on gathering community priorities and values that will: Help the DRCC ensure they are doing work that feels most important to the Duwamish Valley, and Inform legislative priorities for the upcoming state legislative session The DRCC seeks community voices from Georgetown, South Park and the broader Duwamish Valley. We encourage anyone to complete the survey who lives, works, plays or worships in the Duwamish Valley. For an example of the previous year legislative priorities, visit the DRCC website .

by Cyra Jane Hobson The Georgetown Association of Arts & Culture (GTAAC) is looking for additional board members to join in January! If you have an interest or investment in the artistic culture of Georgetown and may want to join, please email GTAAC President Cyra Jane Hobson at cyra@georgetown-arts-culture.org to open the conversation. What is GTAAC? Formed in 2023, The Georgetown Association of Arts and Culture (GTAAC) supports artistic and cultural participation in our historic neighborhood by advancing creative opportunities, advocating for our creative economy and strengthening important networks for the residents, arts professionals and cultural organizations of Georgetown. GTAAC supports Georgetown’s creative community through projects such as: Education Week The Georgetown Wayfinder Project Art-Chop! at the Georgetown Carnival The Georgetown Halloween Parade Behind the scenes, we are working to become an official 501(c)(3) non-profit, provide grants to local artists, and to get Georgetown recognized as one of Seattle’s official Arts and Culture Districts. GTAAC also works closely with our neighborhood partner organizations the Georgetown Business Association (GBA), the Georgetown Community Council (GCC), the Georgetown Gazette , Georgetown Steam Plant and Watershed Community Development. We actively participate in the Georgetown Coalition with these organizations to foster our shared mission of enhancing all aspects of our community, business, arts and culture. What does being a board member require? We are a working board, so we collaborate on producing our events and accomplishing our mission. We communicate regularly via email and Discord and have in-person meetings on the third Wednesday of the month. We are looking for team members willing to devote a few hours a month, check in on communication regularly, join committees and take on projects as they are able. We have a lot of fun working together and are excited to welcome a couple of new board members to the team!

Georgetown air quality may be negatively impacted by increased tire burning from the Ash Grove Cement Company. The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (PSCAA) has been reviewing Ash Grove's requested permit modification, which would remove the 30% daily limit of burning tires for fuel, representing a potential increase in dangerous emissions for the Duwamish Valley. Despite objections from the Duwamish River Community Coalition (DRCC), Georgetown Community Council and community members that received city-wide attention this fall , the PSCAA on October 8th advanced the permit review process by sending the Modification to the Environmental Protection Agency Region 10 (EPA R10), beginning a 45 day review period by the EPA. If EPA R10 does not heed community feedback and opposition, PSCAA could be allowed to release the Final Permit Modification, thereby implementing the change to Ash Grove's permit any time after November 21st and enabling burning more tires for fuel. To make community voices heard, DRCC is organizing a protest at the PSCAA Headquarters (1904 3rd Ave, Seattle, 98101) from 4 - 5:30pm   on Friday, November 21st, demanding the three C's: Consultation with overburdened and environmental justice communities Commitments to public health and environmental justice communities upheld (from PSCAA Strategic Plan ) Concurrence with Federal Clean Air Act regulations

Full name : Cora Linda van Spronsen Nicknames : Bubba Jo, Noona, Tuna Breed : Domestic shorthair Age : I don’t really know! She was a stray that I adopted when I lived in Missoula, Montana in 2020. The shelter there thought she was about 10, but a vet check and my own assessment put her much younger, maybe 3-4 years old. I’ve had her for five years, so I think she’s around 8 now! Occupation/hobbies : Princess, office assistant, chief grooming officer, lap sitter. Favorite trick : Flopping over on the floor and showing her belly.  Favorite snack : Freeze-dried minnows! What your pet wants their neighbors to know : If you take excellent care of your coat or skin, you will shine in the sun. Also, play more! But try not to be too aggressive or crazy when you do, some of us are sensitive. Oh, and love! Love is the way. To have your pet featured in an upcoming issue of the Gazette, visit   bit.ly/write4gtownblog  or email cutepetsofgeorgetown@gmail.com !

While lawmakers fight, neighborhood charities welcome food and hygiene donations The federal government shutdown created a crisis for more than 40 million Americans who rely on government assistance to feed themselves and their families. Uncertainty due to the Nov. 1 expiration of funding for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits caused food banks in communities across the country and in Georgetown to prepare for increased demand from those needing help with groceries. It also sparked interest in those wanting to help. “It’s almost like we are creating a mini pandemic,” said Sam Sim, executive director of the Puget Sound Labor Agency Food Bank, 5300 4th Ave. S, in Georgetown. Of course, five years ago, there was a lot of food coming to food banks subsidized by the government in response to the pandemic and related economic crisis, Sim recalled.  That is not the case now.  Working with an annual operating budget of $360,000, Sim said staff and volunteers at the PSLA Food Bank try to give people staples like onions and rice along with seasonal fruits. Proteins are a challenge.  “This week I am giving out eggs. Last week I was giving out shrimp, but we're at the mercy of what the USDA is giving,” he said. Regardless of when or how the SNAP funding is resolved, Sim encouraged anyone needing help with food to visit the PSLA Food Bank. He stressed that it isn’t only for those who are destitute or unhoused. With Seattle as expensive as it is, those working can benefit, too.   “If they come in and take $100 in groceries, then I can keep another $100 or $200 in their pocket that can pay another bill. People can spend that on other things like Thanksgiving and Christmas,” he said. The PSLA Food Bank moved to Georgetown in 2022 after operating in other parts of Seattle for decades. The St. Vincent de Paul Food Bank is nearby on Fourth Avenue in Georgetown. Those looking to help either food bank can donate canned goods or money, Sim said. He encourages Georgetown residents to visit and get a tour during operating hours. See below for more information. To find a Seattle food bank or community fridge near you, click here . Georgetown Food Banks Puget Sound Labor Agency Food Bank 5300 4 th  Ave. S Hours: 10 am - 1 pm, Mon and Weds Click   here  to donate with PayPal or Credit Card   St. Vincent de Paul Food Bank 5950 4th Ave. S Hours: 11 am - 2 pm on Tues, Thurs and Fri Click here  to donate

Every November, my inbox and social feeds flood with quaint reflections on gratitude. The newsletter for a business I follow tells its customers how much they mean to the owners and employees. A cousin waxes poetic about the value of family. A dear friend honors the first responders who saved her father's life when he had a heart attack earlier in the year. Another discusses the importance of ritual to mark the season, and the joy of gathering in communion. This is not that post. Like many of us, I am aware that the origin of Thanksgiving was a gift of bounty that was reciprocated with destruction. Now, I don't say this to cause us to devolve into self-flagellation or guilt. My reflection this year is about how we approach the duality inherent in this holiday and use that consciousness for good. In 2011, I embarked on 200 hours of yoga teacher training. My cohort and I studied asana , or the postures and movements of yoga practice. We learned to give verbal cues that help people adapt and deepen their physical expression of yoga. We nerded out hard on anatomy and physiology. But the most profound part of the training, at least for me, was the philosophical journey. Yoga is actually made up of eight aspects, or limbs, of which asana is only one. The other limbs are the yamas (ethical restraints), niyamas (ethical observances), pranyama (breath control), pratyahara (withdrawing the senses), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation), and samadhi (liberation). The goal of yoga is that by working within these eight areas, a practitioner comes to know non-duality, or a state of oneness with all the universe. We humans are wired toward connection and endlessly curious about the nature of reality. It's their opposites - disconnection and closed-mindedness - that create so many problems in the world. So this Thanksgiving, I invite each of us to consider the dualities inherent in our holiday, and meditate on how to bring those closer to wholeness. Even if it's as simple as considering where our Thanksgiving meals come from and what they cost at the same time that we hold gratitude for the bounty on our tables. In this way, we might bring consciousness to the ways we can affect change and become forces for good.

Last week, the Georgetown Business Association (GBA) and Georgetown Community Council (GCC) called on the community to support City funding for Georgetown . The efforts of the neighborhood--including letter writing and in-person lobbying by community members at an October 28th City Council meeting--are showing results with the City. All three proposed amendments, supported by Councilmember Saka, have passed the first budget hurdle and are in the next round of negotiations. Let's go, community action! Members from the GBA, GCC and community attended the 10/28 City Council meeting to issue public comments supporting the three amendments. The battle is not over yet: there is still time to write an email to City Council to make your voices heard! What's New The amendments are now in the proposed budget, so we are asking the City Council members to ensure that Council Member Saka’s Three Georgetown Amendments remain in Chairperson Strauss’s Balancing Package and appear in the final budget. The three budget amendments are: Funding to move into the next phase of fundraising and advocacy for the Georgetown Climate Resiliency Hub & Neighborhood Center Support outreach efforts for creation of Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) with Georgetown specifically mentioned as a funding recipient Support for Farmer’s Markets, prioritizing neighborhoods that are Food Deserts with Georgetown specifically mentioned as a funding recipient Tips: Your letter does not have to be long or complicated, but it should be UNIQUE! Council members are swamped with form letters, so any personal touch and a unique subject line   is very impactful . You do not have to write in support of all the amendments, but they are each important to the sustainability of Georgetown. Sample letter is below. Copy and paste, and add a sentence or two about why these amendments are important, or write a totally unique letter. Anything helps! Where to send your email: The BEST thing to do is to write an email to each of the Council members (it can be the same letter but personalized with their name). If you don’t have time to send individual emails, email the entire council at council@seattle.gov Emails for each City Council member: Sara.nelson@seattle.gov , Bob.kettle@seattle.gov , Maritza.rivera@seattle.gov , Joy.hollingsworth@seattle.gov , Alexismercedes.rinck@seattle.gov , Dan.strauss@seattle.gov , Debora.juarez@seattle.gov , Mark.solomon@seattle.gov   What is a Business Improvement Area (BIA)? A BIA is an organization with a board made up of property owners, business owners, and community members from a specific neighborhood. The BIA advocates for the needs of the neighborhood and provides services like graffiti abatement, safety improvements, business district marketing and more. BIAs are generally funded by an assessment on commercial properties in the neighborhood. Money collected through the BIA goes directly to support the needs of the neighborhood, and is a sustainable, consistent source of funding that goes directly to the neighborhood . SAMPLE EMAIL:  Dear Seattle City Council Members, I am writing to voice my support for three amendments sponsored by Council Member Saka that affect Georgetown. The City’s investment in Georgetown is very important to the sustainability of the neighborhood, and I am asking you to help ensure it will be included in the final budget. [insert a sentence or two about your unique relationship to Georgetown and why you think the amendments (and the things they stand for) are important] The amendments are: Georgetown Climate Resiliency Hub & Neighborhood Center Outreach efforts for creation of Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) Farmers Markets, prioritizing neighborhoods that are Food Deserts  These budget amendments are extremely important to the resilience and sustainability of Georgetown, and I hope that you will support them because they are so valuable to our community.  Sincerely, Name Feeling stuck? Write things like: The Farmers Market pilot in Georgetown this fall was a huge win for the neighborhood, a known food desert. This funding would help it continue. As a person with a growing family I would love to see a Georgetown neighborhood center where I can gather with my neighbors and have a place that offers resources to the community.  A Georgetown Business Improvement Area would help support the unique needs and challenges of our neighborhood and create a consistent source of funding to meet our priorities.  I would love to have a neighborhood center in Georgetown that could help our neighbors in times of need. Warming and cooling centers are really important as the climate changes. Food access is a critical need in our neighborhood. If you live in Georgetown, you have to leave the neighborhood to get a fresh vegetable. Support for a Farmers Market could change that! As a neighborhood with many public safety issues, Georgetown would benefit from having a BIA so we can fund strategies that will work specifically for our business owners and residents.

My family wasn't all that traditional, so holidays often included dishes that aren't the standard fare. One of my favorite desserts to make is this Swedish cardamom cake. I've made it for all sorts of occasions, but this year it'll be the star of Thanksgiving. With 1½ cups of whipping cream as the shortening, the cake is dense but light, and very moist. The slightly crunchy vanilla wafer crust gives a delightful bite texture. The aroma of the cardamom filling your space while the cake bakes is to die for, and the taste is even better. And it's heckin' easy to make. This recipe was passed down to me from my mom, who told me it was from an issue of Bon Appétit from the 80s, but a quick internet search reveals that the original source was The Great Scandinavian Baking Book . Swedish Cardamom Cake (Sockerkaka) Ingredients butter, room temperature (or cooking spray) 9-11 vanilla wafers 2 cups all-purpose flour 1¼ cups granulated sugar 2 teaspoons ground cardamom seed ½ teaspoon salt 3 eggs, room temperature 1½ cups heavy whipping cream powdered sugar Notes Get your eggs out of the refrigerator well before making the cake so they can warm up to room temperature. Heavy whipping cream usually comes in 8-ounce (1 cup) or 16-ounce (2 cup) cartons. Buy the 16-ounce if you can find one, but if the only option is an 8-ounce carton you can add ½ cup of half and half to make up the full amount. You'll get the best flavor by freshly grinding whole cardamom seeds in a mortar and pestle, but in a pinch, ground cardamom from a spice jar will do just fine. Directions Preheat your oven to 350℉ (177℃). Butter a 9-inch kugelhopf mold, bundt pan, or tube pan. Crumb the vanilla wafers by putting them in a large ziplock bag and crushing them with a rolling pin or the bottom of a large glass jar. You'll want a pretty fine grain so the crumbs will stick to your greased pan. Pour the vanilla wafer crumbs into your buttered pan and move them around so they cover the bottom and sides with a fine layer. In a mixing bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer, combine the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, cardamom, and salt. Add the eggs and heavy whipping cream. Mix with an electric mixer on low speed until just blended, about 15-30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and increase the mixer speed to medium to beat the batter until it's the texture of softly whipped cream, about 3 minutes. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55-60 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan by turning it over on a cooling rack. Cool completely. Just before serving, dust the cake lightly with powdered sugar. Voilà! Or, should I say, så! If you try this recipe, leave a comment and let me know how it goes.

This year, Georgetown has an opportunity to get several priorities met in the City Budget and WE NEED YOUR HELP! The easiest way you can help is by sending emails to all City Council members in support of three separate proposed budget amendments that will impact Georgetown . The three budget amendments are: $75,000 to support a Georgetown Climate Resiliency HUB & Neighborhood Center (specific support for Georgetown) $200,000 to support outreach efforts for creation of Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) (amount would be shared with GT and several neighborhoods); more information on BIAs below! $200,000 to support Farmers Markets , prioritizing neighborhoods that are Food Deserts (amount would be shared with GT and several neighborhoods)  Councilmember Rob Saka met with representatives from the Georgetown Community Council and Georgetown Business Association last week, and is submitting the three amendments to the City Budget. Budget meetings are happening now, so send your letter of support as soon as possible, or before November 7th at the latest . Please share this widely with friends, neighbors, employees, and Georgetown fans! The more letters we send, the more impact we can make! Tips: Your letter does not have to be long or complicated, but it should be UNIQUE! Council members are swamped with form letters, so any personal touch and a unique subject line   is very impactful . You do not have to write in support of all the amendments, but they are each important to the sustainability of Georgetown. Sample letter is below. Copy and paste, and add a sentence or two about why these amendments are important, or write a totally unique letter. Anything helps! Where to send your email: The BEST thing to do is to write an email to each of the Council members (it can be the same letter but personalized with their name). If you don’t have time to send individual emails, email the entire council at council@seattle.gov Emails for each City Council member: Sara.nelson@seattle.gov , Bob.kettle@seattle.gov , Maritza.rivera@seattle.gov , Joy.hollingsworth@seattle.gov , Alexismercedes.rinck@seattle.gov , Dan.strauss@seattle.gov , Debora.juarez@seattle.gov , Mark.solomon@seattle.gov   What is a Business Improvement Area (BIA)? A BIA is an organization with a board made up of property owners, business owners, and community members from a specific neighborhood. The BIA advocates for the needs of the neighborhood and provides services like graffiti abatement, safety improvements, business district marketing and more. BIAs are generally funded by an assessment on commercial properties in the neighborhood. Money collected through the BIA goes directly to support the needs of the neighborhood, and is a sustainable, consistent source of funding that goes directly to the neighborhood . SAMPLE EMAIL:  Dear Councilmember NAME, I am writing to voice my support for three amendments proposed by Councilmember Saka that affect Georgetown. [insert a sentence or two about your unique relationship to Georgetown and why you think the amendments (and the things they stand for) are important] The amendments are: Georgetown Climate Resiliency Hub & Neighborhood Center Outreach efforts for creation of Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) Farmers Markets, prioritizing neighborhoods that are Food Deserts  These budget amendments are extremely important to the resilience and sustainability of Georgetown, and I hope that you will support them because they are so valuable to our community.  Sincerely, Name Feeling stuck? Write things like: The Farmers Market pilot in Georgetown this fall was a huge win for the neighborhood, a known food desert. This funding would help it continue. As a person with a growing family I would love to see a Georgetown neighborhood center where I can gather with my neighbors and have a place that offers resources to the community.  A Georgetown Business Improvement Area would help support the unique needs and challenges of our neighborhood and create a consistent source of funding to meet our priorities.  I would love to have a neighborhood center in Georgetown that could help our neighbors in times of need. Warming and cooling centers are really important as the climate changes. Food access is a critical need in our neighborhood. If you live in Georgetown, you have to leave the neighborhood to get a fresh vegetable. Support for a Farmers Market could change that! As a neighborhood with many public safety issues, Georgetown would benefit from having a BIA so we can fund strategies that will work specifically for our business owners and residents.