September 2020

By Patrick Robinson

The year 2020 is best summed up in one word. Loss.

This year—and I honestly regret reminding you that it’s not over—has been unlike any other in memory or in history.

In 2020, we’ve lost 4.7 million acres of forest due to wildfires, which are continuing.

In 2020, we lost a lot of sea ice north of the Arctic Circle. As of Sept. 1, the Arctic sea ice expanse stood at 1.64 million square miles. If that sounds like a lot, it’s the second lowest expanse for that date since satellite-aided record-keeping began in 1979. By 2035, the current prediction is no ice at all at the top of our world! That’s just 15 years from now. The effect will be catastrophic on ocean salinity, the Gulf Stream, coastal water levels and much more.

Information from the Port of Seattle

The Port of Seattle announced the top three names chosen for each of the six Port-owned parks and shoreline access sites along the Duwamish River to new names that reflect their cultural, historical and environmental significance. The Port partnered with Seattle Parks Foundation, a well-recognized public parks and greenspace non-profit, to design and implement the re-naming campaign with transparency, equity and community involvement. The names were announced on a press conference call joined by dozens of community members.

"Speaking on behalf of the Seattle Port Commission, we are delighted by the strong tribal and community participation in this effort,” said Fred Felleman, Port of Seattle Commission Vice President and tribal liaison. “It’s important these public parks have names that reflect their location and cultural significance.”

information from Highline Public Schools

The City of Burien is partnering with Highline Public Schools and Comcast to connect up to 1,500 eligible Highline students in Burien with free internet for 12 months.

Burien is directing $200,000 of the funds it is receiving through the federal CARES Act to help families without adequate internet access to get connected with Comcast. 

information from the City of Seattle

 Mayor Jenny A. Durkan has announced the allocation of more than $19 million  in COVID-19 Relief funding  to provide  housing assistance for low-income households economically impacted by COVID-19. As the City continues to distribute rental assistance in 2020, the City will launch a new effort to provide mortgage counseling and direct assistance to homeowners at risk of foreclosure. These investments build upon established community-based programs aimed at keeping Seattle’s most racially diverse residents in their homes.  

If you would like to obtain some well considered financial advice, contact Sarah Cecil 206-938-6017.

Brought to you by Sarah Cecil Financial Advisor with Edward Jones Investments.

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information from the City of Seattle

The wildfire smoke that blankets the region and in fact major parts of the west coast is not expected to improve much this week. People with lung or heart conditions are urged to stay indoors, and avoid physical activity. 

As of 9am on Monday the AQI (Air Quality Index) according to AirNow.gov and the "Seattle-Duwamish permanent sensor was 219 ppm (parts per million) which puts it in the Very Unhealthy range. Above 300 is considered Hazardous. The overall area PPM concentration was around 147. 

That's expected to persist near these same levels through Wednesday.

The current forecast is for no chance of rain until Thursday, when a 75% chance of rain is expected.