These Are 13 US Service Members Killed in the Kabul Airport Suicide Bomb Attack

ISSUE 60 • SEPT 2 - SEPT 15, 2021 LYNNWOODTIMES @LYNNWOODTIMES @LYNNWOODTIMES WWW.LYNNWOODTIMES.COM

Parklet-Gate… Lynnwood Is a Kamala Harris Mukilteo welcomes its first presidency on the bureaucracy ever Home Depot horizon? P.04 hurting business P.06 store P.02 These are 13 US service members killed in the Kabul airport suicide bomb attack

Top (L-R): Marine Corps Corporal Humberto A. Sanchez, Marine Corps Sergeant Johanny Rosario Pichardo, Marine Corps Lance Corporal Rylee J. McCollum, Navy Corpsman Maxton W. Soviak, and Marine Corps Lance Corporal Dylan R. Merola. Middle (L-R): Marine Corps Lance Corporal David L. Espinoza, Marine Corps Sergeant Nicole L. Gee, and Marine Corps Corporal Daegan W. Page. Bottom (L-R): Marine Corps Corporal Hunter Lopez, Army Staff Sergeant Ryan C. Knauss, Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Darin T. Hoover Jr., Marine Corps Lance Corporal Kareem M. Nikoui, and Marine Corps Lance Corporal Jared M. Schmitz. By MARIO LOTMORE “I’m really disappointed in the way that the president 22, of Logansport, Indiana: Indiana Rep. Jim Baird has handled this, even more so the way the military identified Sanchez in social media posts, writing that On August 26, 2021, 13 United Stated service mem- has handled it,” the elder Nikoui told the Daily Beast the Marine, a 2017 graduate of Logansport High bers — 11 Marines, one Navy corpsman, and one in an interview. “The commanders on the ground School, “bravely answered the call to serve his na- Army staff sergeant — were killed in a suicide at- should have recognized this threat and addressed it.” tion.” tack at Kabul’s Karzai International Airport that also claimed more than 160 Afghan lives. Another 15 U.S. Marine Corps Lance Corporal Jared M. Schmitz, Marine Corps Sergeant Johanny Rosario Pichar- service members and 143 Afghans were wounded. 20, of St. Charles, Missouri: Schmitz was on his do, 25, of Lawrence, Massachusetts: Rosario was first deployment and was sent to Afghanistan from a member of the US Marine Corps’ Female Engage- Here are the heroes who died in the line of duty evac- Jordan. ment Team. uating thousands of Americans and Afghans after the disastrous U.S. withdrawal led to a Taliban takeover. Marine Corps Sergeant Nicole L. Gee, 23, of Sac- In May, she was honored by her unit, the Naval Am- ramento, California: Gee, a maintenance technician phibious Force, Task Force 51/5th Marine Expedi- Navy Corpsman Maxton “Max” W. Soviak, 22, of with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, assisted tionary Brigade, for successfully completing and Berlin Heights, Ohio: Soviak was assigned to 1st women and girls at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai Interna- submitting the Dormant Accounts Review Quarterly Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pend- tional Airport as they fled Taliban repression. (DAR-Q) to HQMC in a timely manner that allows leton, California. A GoFundMe page started by fam- the Marine Corps to meet the Department of De- ily friend Jason Garza had raised more than $54,000 Marine Corps Lance Corporal Dylan R. Merola, fense’s goal of passing a full financial audit. as of Saturday night. 20, of Rancho Cucamonga, California: Merola arrived in Kabul less than two weeks before he was Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Darin T. Hoover Jr., Marine Corps Lance Corporal Kareem M. Nik- killed in Thursday’s attack. A GoFundMe campaign 31, of Salt Lake City, Utah: Hoover, of Utah, had oui, 20, of Norco, California: Nikoui was stationed has been organized to assist Merola’s family. been in the Marines for 11 years. He was a former Camp Pendleton. Steve Nikoui, Kareem’s father, is critical of the execution of the US evacuation. Marine Corps Corporal Humberto A. Sanchez, Continued PAGE 11 >> 02 Lynnwood Times SEPT 15, 2021 Is a Kamala Harris presidency on the horizon? By GEORGE FTIKAS, JR. 16. Secretary of Education, Miguel Cardona Questions about President Joe Biden’s 17. Secretary of Veterans Affairs, De- ability to lead due to his age and health nis McDonough have perpetuated since his candidacy, 18. Secretary of Homeland Securi- but there are those who point to Biden’s ty, Alejandro Mayorkas (ineligi- withdrawal from Afghanistan as a “de- ble—naturalized citizen, not natu- monstrable fact” of incapability. ral-born)

According to the latest RealClear Pol- As for a Kamala Harris presidency, itics (RCP) poll dated 8/14 to 8/26, there is no clear agenda she would fo- Biden has a 47.4% approval rating and cus on. Harris did personally request a 48.4% disapproval rating. Kamala to tackle Republican efforts at voting Harris, on the other hand, has a lower restriction and has essentially become approval rating at 41.3% with a disap- the face of the Southern border migrant proval rating of 49.3% RCP shows. crisis, but this is under Biden’s admin- ceeded due to the death of the presi- 7. Attorney General, Merrick Gar- istration. That being said, in the past, While it is debatable whether a Kama- dent. land Harris has supported measures Biden la Harris presidency is imminent, the 8. Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haa- has not. Lynnwood Times wanted to take a look Provided the individual meets the con- land at presidential succession and what—if stitutional requirements to serve as 9. Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vil- Harris was a co-sponsor for Senator anything—could change with Harris in president, the current line of succes- sack Bernie Sanders’ Medicare for All bill charge. sion for the president is: 10. Secretary of Commerce, Gina Rai- in 2017, whereas Biden has been vocal mondo for his support of bolstering Obama’s There have only been nine vice pres- 1. Vice President, Kamala Harris 11. Secretary of Labor, Marty Walsh Affordable Care Act. idents who have succeeded the presi- 2. Speaker of the House of Represen- 12. Secretary of Health and Human dent throughout the history of the Unit- tatives, Nancy Pelosi Services, Xavier Becerra Harris was also a co-sponsor of the ed States. The most recent example is 3. President pro tempore of the Sen- 13. Secretary of Housing and Urban Green New Deal which called for re- Gerald Ford becoming president after ate, Patrick Leahy Development, Marcia Fudge structuring the American economy to the resignation of Richard Nixon on 4. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken 14. Secretary of Transportation, Pete tackle the increasing effects of climate August 9, 1974 following his impend- 5. Secretary of the Treasury, Janet Buttigieg change. While Biden calls the Green ing impeachment from the Watergate Yellen 15. Secretary of Energy, Jennifer Gra- New Deal a “crucial framework,” his scandal. Nixon’s example is also the 6. Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Aus- nholm (ineligible—naturalized cit- only resignation—the other eight suc- tin izen, not natural-born) Continued PAGE 12 >> Afghanistan: An end to the United States’ longest war By KIENAN BRISCOE attacks. but when this event happened, I think it deliberately, and safely.” confirmed that for me that there was no KABUL, Afghanistan – The last U.S. In a press conference on August 26, big purpose, and that hurts.” In 2019, the Trump administration set military plane departed Afghanistan the president pledged that the United out to start negotiations between the on Monday night, officially ending the States would “hunt down” those re- Rinehart clarified that he does not be- Taliban and the Afghan government longest war in U.S. history while Tali- sponsible for the Kabul airport attacks lieve the efforts of him and his com- and signed the peace deal on February ban fighters celebrated driving out the and has asked the Pentagon to develop rades were pointless, but the retreat by 29, 2020. world’s most powerful military from plans to strike back. U.S. forces has left him wondering why one of the world’s poorest countries. they were deployed in the first place. The agreement with the Taliban was The U.S. and its allies infiltrated Af- conditions-based which included not The Taliban, who governed the country ghanistan shortly after the September On April 14, 2021, President Joe Biden allowing members, individuals, or under a radical interpretation of Islam- 11 terror attacks, which Al-Qaida or- announced the removal of all U.S. groups, including Al-Qaeda, to use the ic law from 1996 to 2001, now control ganized under Taliban rule, driving the troops from Afghanistan by September soil of Afghanistan to threaten the se- all of Afghanistan other than the Pan- Taliban from power and dispersing top 11, 2021, an extension of the Trump curity of the United States and its al- jshir province where a few thousand Al-Qaida leaders such as Osama Bin administration’s original peace agree- lies. members of Afghanistan’s collapsed Laden to surrounding territories. The ment between the Taliban and the Af- security forces have pledged to resist U.S. and its allies invested billions of ghan government to evacuate by May “After the announcement of guarantees Taliban rule. dollars to attempt to rebuild Afghan- 1. for a complete withdrawal of foreign istan after decades of war in a West- forces and timeline in the presence of In addition to facing the challenge ern-style government. While the U.S. “The United States will begin its final international witnesses, and guarantees of governing one of the poorest and steered its focus to conflicts in Iraq, the withdrawal…on May 1 of this year,” and the announcement of international Taliban regrouped in the surrounding Biden said. “We’ll not conduct a hasty war-stricken nations in the world, the Continued PAGE 12 >> Taliban face many security barriers, country of Pakistan, leading to their rush to the exit. We’ll do it responsibly, more recently involving the radical Is- eventual takeover earlier this month. lamic State’s suicide bombing at Kabul airport, which killed 169 Afghans and “I have a mixture of emotions [about 13 U.S. service members, and rockets the Taliban taking over Kabul],” Jared being fired at the airport on Monday, Rinehart, former Lynnwood resident the New York Times reported. The Tal- and U.S. Marine Core Veteran serving iban vow that Afghanistan, under their in the Middle East, told the Lynnwood rule, will no longer be a base for terror Times. “I wanted it to mean something, LYNNWOOD TIMES Contact Information PUBLISHER Bo Brusco Mario Lotmore [email protected] [email protected] Goerge Ftikas Jr. MARKETING SPECIALIST [email protected] Dio Boucsieguez [email protected] Ren Cummins [email protected] REPORTERS Kienan Briscoe Gerti Katro [email protected] [email protected] Lynnwood Times

12918 Mukilteo Speedway C23, PMB-162 Lynnwood, WA 98087 P: 425-308-8371 | Website: Lynnwoodtimes.com | Subscription: $96/Year (Mail Checks Payable to Lynnwood Times at above address) SEPT 15, 2021 Lynnwood Times 03 Lynnwood’s Decker and Mukilteo’s Crocco advance to General Election By MARIO LOTMORE walks of life. I certainly could not have of confidence and trust in me and my achieved this success without the help expertise, in Earnest and will work dil- LYNNWOOD, Wash. – After a tense of the great team of volunteers and ad- igently to fulfill the community’s vi- several of days for candidates in two visors who have helped along this path. sion for Lynnwood with outmost trans- local races, recounts have confirmed I owe them a great deal for their efforts. parency and integrity. current Lynnwood Councilman Patrick Decker will face Naz Lashgari; where- “Folks can learn more about my vision “For those of you who did not vote for as, Alex Crocco and Steve Schmalz for Lynnwood at www.PatrickCDeck- me in the primary, I hope that I can will vie for Mukilteo City Council Pos. er.org, or on Facebook at @ElectPat- earn your support for the General elec- 3. rickCDecker.” tion in November. I would be a strong advocate for Lynnwood to be a safe, After the August 3rd Primary Election, Patrick Decker will face Naz Lashgari, livable and welcoming city.” only three votes out of 5,932 deter- winner of the Lynnwood City Council mined who will fill the second slot in Pos. 2 race with 35.06% of the vote. “Thank you again for your vote.” the General Election for the Lynnwood Lashgari, former chair of Lynnwood’s City Council Position 2 race. Patrick Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Com- Mukilteo Recount Election Results Decker, current Lynnwood City Coun- mission, provided the following cilman, retained his slight lead over emailed statement to the Lynnwood Alex Crocco, a newcomer to poli- Don Gough, former mayor of Lyn- Times: tics, Army veteran and management nwood. consultant will advance to face for- “I would like to take mer Mukilteo City Councilman Steve “I am deeply grate- this opportunity to Schmalz in the General Election. Sev- ful for the members thank all the people en votes gave Crocco the narrow win of the Lynnwood of Lynnwood who over Carolyn “Dode” Carlson. Dode is community who voted for me and a beloved community leader in Mukil- voted for me and helped me win the teo as president of the Mukilteo Se- helped me win the primary. I am grate- niors Association and former president Primary,” in an ful that the Lyn- of the Mukilteo Community Garden. email statement nwood Community wants to see Lyn- from Councilman nwood move forward with a new voice Decker to the Lynnwood Times. “This and perspective on the Council. I am “I want to thank is a testament that my core issues, Pub- humbled by your vote of confidence. Dode for the help lic Safety, Traffic, and Growth Man- she provided me,” agement are important issues which “As your Council member, I will be Crocco told the resonate deeply with my neighbors proactive in growth management, Lynnwood Times. across this great city. Public Safety, affordable housing, and “This was my first healthcare Equity, while continuing to run for political of- “It is critical that Lynnwood properly embrace policies that promote Lyn- fice and she helped manages these challenges today, and nwood as a safe, responsible, and wel- me throughout tomorrow, to ensure Lynnwood con- coming City. the process and I am grateful for her tinues to be a family friendly, prosper- friendship.” ous, safe community for folks from all “I assure you; that I will take your vote $6M ARPA uses discussed during Mukilteo CC meeting By KIENAN BRISCOE • City IT Infrastructure: Hardware, • Utility Assistance: Assist residents software, website revamps, trans- and businesses with past-due wa- MUKILTEO, Wash. – Mukilteo City lation services, and more with a ter, sewer, and stormwater bills; a Council revisited how to use their total line-item cost of $1,120,000. line-item item of $110,000. America Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) • Rehire Rosehill Staff: Return to funding award of almost $6 million pre-pandemic levels of service for These ARPA funding concepts for during the meeting on August 16. Rosehill; a total line-item cost of Mukilteo total $3,896,506 allocated $61,000. funds, leaving $2,088,706 unallocat- As part of the American Rescue Plan • Community Outreach: Funds con- ed for future years and programs. City Act, the city was awarded $5,985,212, sultant assistance to help determine staff asked council to consider autho- which can be used over the next few resident’s and businesses’ needs; a rizing some of these programs as soon years to offer relief to residents and total line-item cost of $20,000. as September 7. businesses suffering losses from the • Business Grants or Programs: Var- COVID-19 outbreak. ious business grants/programs. “I’m very pleased that we’ve included Specifics will be determined after the moneys to help those in need that Council previously discussed this top- focused outreach to the business are unable to pay their bills – I think ic in the council’s June 5 retreat and community; a total line-item cost that’s essential because that’s funda- July 19 business meeting, but since of $1 million. mentally what this money is initially then, City Administrator Steve Powers, • Nonprofit Grant Program: Poten- laid out for,” Council Vice President along with other executives, have con- tial support for a food bank, se- Bob Champion said about the utility sidered council’s previous feedback niors, youth programming; a total assistance, a mandatory line item in his and consolidated options. line-item cost of $200,000. opinion. • Resource COVID Navigator FTE: The ARP funding concepts are as fol- Assistance to residents and busi- Councilwoman Sarah Kneller also be- lows: nesses to access ARPA resources; lieved the utility assistance is a neces- a total line-item cost of $100,000. sity and wished to see the funds cover • Embedded Social Worker: Con- • Lodging Tax Funding: Replace more core utilities such as heating and tracted with the Snohomish Coun- lost LTA revenue: keep existing electricity, particularly leading into ty Human Services Department; a programs whole in 2022 and 2023; winter months. total line-item cost of $160,000. a total line-item cost of $140,506 • Body Cameras and IT Support: 33 and $400,000 to support new One shared belief amongst the council cameras plus accessories with the events. was involving the community to dis- first year funded by State Criminal • Local Currency: Muk Bucks: Fund cuss how these funds would be allocat- Justice Reform funds; a total line- the launch of a local tradable cur- ed, although there was some disagree- item cost of $50,000 plus $100,000 rency; a total line-item cost of ment as to how, exactly, council would for a Network Engineer. $25,000. ensure such community involvement. • Expanded City Communications: • Direct Community Stimulus: Fund Additional outreach materials direct assistance to community Bob Champion shared that when he (digital/print media) with a total households; a total line-item cost line-item cost of $60,000. of $250,000. Continued PAGE 12 >> 04 Lynnwood Times SEPT 15, 2021 Parklet-Gate…Mukilteo bureaucracy hurting small business By MARIO LOTMORE Everett at the beginning of this year to provide outdoor dining on the vacant MUKILTEO, Wash. – The City of parklet adjacent to the restaurant. Mukilteo is again embroiled in another outdoor dining controversy, but this After months of discussions with both time it’s Mayor Jennifer Gregerson at City and Port of Everett officials, the center of it. and three design plans later, the Port of Everett, who owns the parklet, With a ten-member Planning & authorized Ivar’s to operate outdoor Community Development department, dining on its land. The design the City is unable to approve the implemented was agreed upon by 4-page permit to allow outdoor dining the city of Mukilteo. The City had at the parklet for Ivar’s Mukilteo intentions to acquire the property but Landing citing it does not have a that fell through. permit examiner on hand to review and approve the permit. After obtaining approval from the governor’s office, the Port of Everett Parklets are spaces for people to sit and decided to hold onto the parklet having rest while taking in the activities from Ivar’s cover the annual expense to the street, or in Ivar’s case, the sea. maintain it. Ivar’s Mukilteo Landing located at 700 Front St. with the vacant parklet ready for outside Mayor Gregerson told the Lynnwood On August 5, Ivar’s began its outdoor dining. Source: Mario Lotmore/Lynnwood Times. Times that the permit for the parklet dining services in the parklet. The on the opposite end of the restaurant Mukilteo Fire Marshall who reports adjacent to Silver Cloud was issued to Mayor Gregerson, on August 6 told because the restaurant was allowed to Ivar’s in-person at the restaurant, that operate at reduced capacity. But now, they will need flood, shoreline and the restaurant is operating at 100% land use permits, and added that the indoor capacity and would need new exit gate was two inches to short which permits for a parklet by the old ferry Ivar’s management simply picked terminal. up and moved to comply with the requirement. In a city-wide email, Mayor Gregerson elaborated further on the matter. “We work with governments,” Donegan, Ivar’s President, told the “I am hopeful that we can work together Lynnwood Times. “We don’t do to make this concept happen for next things outside the law or in violation year,” she wrote in her email. “Last of governments. We find if we go to year, with reduced indoor seating, we people when we are planning stuff were able to process a temporary use and get their advice before we do a through our shoreline, land use and design, then we are more likely to have floodplain permitting process. This a quicker turnaround and have more Red Cork Bistro located at 11700 Mukilteo Speedway on August 28, 2021. Source: Mario year, the situation is different. With full cooperation.” Lotmore/Lynnwood Times. capacity inside, adding tables outside triggers parking needs. There are some Within hours the restaurant was able possible paths (leasing parking across to obtain a lease agreement for the the street, for instance), it was still additional 13 parking spaces required complicated.” by the city. Later it determined that the $3,000 costs of improvement to the The Lynnwood Times drove around parklet fell below the minimum $7,000 Mukilteo to observe if other restaurants which exempted Ivar’s from the public currently have outdoor dining. Red hearing requirement the city was Cork Bistro, often frequented by Mayor attempting to impose on the restaurant Gregerson, was the only establishment before it could use the space. within the city limits of Mukilteo with Snapshot Red Cork Bistro’s permit from the City of Mukilteo’s online permit portal. Source: an area for outdoor dining. However, the Director of the city’s Mario Lotmore/Lynnwood. Planning & Community Development of Everett has similar understandings Although Tapped Mukilteo has a department, Dave Osaki, who also with other restaurants in Everett such Mukilteo address, it is not located reports to Mayor Gregerson, told as Anthony’s, Blue Water Distilling, within the city limits of Mukilteo; it is Donegan that the city is unable to Lombardi’s, Jetty Bar & Grill to name technically located in unincorporated process the 4-page permit because it a few. Snohomish County. The Lynnwood does not have a permit examiner on Times is unable to find any outdoor hand. “Ideally it would be nice if it [outdoor dining permits on the County’s portal dining for Ivar’s] were allowed today, for Tapped Mukilteo but is attempting According to the city’s website the so the community could enjoy a to confirm if a permit from the County department is made up of a Community little bit of waterfront dining before is required for outdoor dining. Development Director, a Planning the weather turns,” Lefeber told the Manager, a Building Official, a Senior Lynnwood Times. According to the City of Mukilteo’s Planner, an Associate Planner, a GIS online permit portal, Red Cork was Coordinator, a GIS Technician, a On Monday, Ivar’s withdrew its permit On October 28, 2003, a massive wave issued a permit on December 22, Permit Service Coordinator and two application and was told by the City from a storm hit the waterfront causing 2020, only 13 days after it applied for Permit Assistants. There is a vacancy that it will be refunded the permit damage to the Ivar’s Mukilteo Landing an outdoor dining space in front of for an Assistant Planner. fees of more than $1,000. Ivar’s is building. The storm also knocked out its restaurant. The permit expired on currently out the landscaping expenses power throughout Mukilteo and ferry June 22, 2021, but as you see from the Donegan informed the Lynnwood it invested for the property. terminal operations were suspended picture that was taken Saturday, August Times that as of yesterday, Mayor for hours. Donegan told the Lynnwood 28, 2021, it is still in use. Gregerson has yet to return his call nor Donegan hopes the city can issue Times that the city was “so good to replied to his voicemail from Tuesday an administrative exemption which work with” as he rebuilt the restaurant. Mukilteo Bureaucracy and Parklet August 17. is within the authority of Mayor Background Gregerson, issue a conditional Because of that working relationship, “We have a good relationship,” temporary approval, or request Donegan describes as “so great,” Ivar’s Mukilteo Landing, located Donegan told the Lynnwood Times. “I assistance from a neighboring city for he decided to build and open Ivar’s on the shores of Possession Sound don’t know if she is on vacation. It is a permit examiner. He shared that this Chowder plant across from Mukilteo overlooking the beautiful Puget Sound not like her to not respond to requests.” not only affects Ivar’s but everyone City Hall. has been providing dining services for who visits the waterfront. many years. After the relocation of the Lisa Lefeber, CEO for Port of Everett, “Mukilteo was so easy to work with,” Mukilteo/Clinton ferry in December would like the City of Mukilteo to allow “We can’t legally occupy it and the said Donegan. “Mukilteo is not easy to of last year, Bob Donegan, president the Port to give Ivar’s the authorization public can’t legally be there; therefore, work with anymore and we don’t know of the local seafood restaurant, began to operate in non-traditional areas due it will have to be fenced in,” said what changed.” discussions with the City and Port of to the pandemic. Currently the Port Donegan. SEPT 15, 2021 Lynnwood Times 05 Hundreds of Arlington students receive school supplies thanks to VOAWW and local churches

By KIENAN BRISCOE In 1985, the national office granted a charter to begin to operate as a Wash- ARLINGTON, Wash. – The Arlington ington State nonprofit corporation. Assembly, in partnership with Volun- teers of America Western Washing- “Our neighbors are in need, and we ton (VOAWW), the Arlington School need to be their direct contact. Many District, and Life Church 360, hosted people don’t even know who their a Back-to-School Celebration Satur- neighbors are – that’s what we need to day, August 14, that provided over 500 get back to,” Tina Mandela, Site Direc- hundreds students school supplies go- tor with the Lake Stevens Community ing into the 2021 school year. Resource Center, Volunteers of Ameri- ca, told the Lynnwood Times. In addition to the free school supplies, including backpacks and books, and Dan Spano, the lead pastor for the Ar- connecting the community with litera- lington Assembly, believes this event’s cy programs and health care resourc- return is a step in the right direction es, the Arlington event provided a to provide the community with the re- safe place for families and community sources and support. After this year’s members to enjoy a day of free enter- success, he told the Lynnwood Times tainment and food. the church, “without a doubt,” would host events in future years. “The main thing is getting families re- connected coming back out of COVID Back-to-School event in Arlington. Source: Lynnwood Times/Kienan Briscoe. “We love the community aspect of it. and getting supplies and resources in Different churches are involved and their hands,” Taunya Sanchez, Chil- making sure they have medical insur- different people of the community all dren’s Director for Arlington Assem- ance, answering questions, and just Working in partnership with the Ar- coming together – it’s just awesome,” bly, told the Lynnwood Times. trying to stay in touch with families lington Assembly is Western Washing- Pastor Spano told the Lynnwood that need that special touch,” Sanchez ton’s Volunteers of America branch, Times. The Back-to-School celebration first said. which began over one hundred years began in 2012 when Sanchez was in Everett as an outpost of the Seat- Volunteers of America, in collaboration working as a volunteer at the youth Typically an event like this to provide tle-based affiliate. Initially it offered with Lake Stevens School District, will church. After receiving several calls 1,300 backpacks takes a year of plan- programs that centered on the Men’s host a similar Back-to-School event from the Arlington School District ask- ning. But with only six weeks to plan, Rehabilitation Center and thrift stores. this Saturday, August 21 from 2-4 p.m. ing to help children find backpacks, the team was able to provide 536 back- By 1927, services expanded to meet at VOA Lake Stevens Community Re- she realized there was a much bigger packs to students. Sanchez, along with the area’s growing needs, and the out- source Center on 9015 Vernon Road. picture that needed addressing. San- Caroline Neal, Site Director for the post became a separate branch of Na- The event is drive-thru only and free or chez sat down with local churches, Arlington Community Resource Cen- tional Volunteers of America. reduced meals will be offered thanks to Community Health Center, and other ter, hope with more time to plan next the Hungry Hearts Foundation. Partici- entities, to brainstorm how they could year, they can expand the program to Between 1927 and 1978, the chapter pants will need to provide a valid proof connect families with the resources. include haircuts, dental vans, and even grew to include several new programs of their child’s enrollment within the mammograms. including a Sunday school, youth pro- Lake Stevens School District. Arlington Assembly took a 5-year grams, and Camp Volasuca, a summer break once the Arlington School Dis- “Our ultimate goal, at the end of the camp in Sultan. In 1971 and 1974, Anyone interested in volunteering for trict began providing school supplies day, is we just want our families to through many local partnerships, new Volunteers of America Western Wash- to students. know that their community loves them. camp facilities were built including ington can reach out to Tina Mandela We support them and we’re here for a large and small A-frame and bath- at [email protected] or call 425- “The backpacks are the benefit, but it’s them,” Sanchez told the Lynnwood house. 405-2252. about reconnecting with the families, Times.

Councilmembers discuss broadband with FCC Chair EVERETT, Wash. – This morning, focus on developing strategies for ex- communities,” said Councilmember the agency and our partners across the Snohomish County Councilmembers panding broadband within Snohomish Low. “We need to continue to move country have spearheaded over the last Nate Nehring and Sam Low joined County. forward on these programs to ensure few months. Through our analysis and Congresswoman Suzan DelBene our constituents are provided the ac- conversations with partners, we heard (WA-01) for a conversation about ru- “It was an honor to join Congresswom- cess they need for work and education- the need for more granular data and to- ral broadband with Acting FCC Chair- an DelBene and Acting FCC Chair al opportunities.” day’s data release provides us all new woman Jessica Rosenworcel. The Rosenworcel to discuss opportunities opportunities to target and engage el- meeting, held via Zoom, included se- to expand internet access to rural com- FCC Acting Chairwoman Jessica igible families who may qualify for lect broadband stakeholders sharing munities in Snohomish County and Rosenworcel announced that over five EBB but haven’t yet enrolled. Infor- their collective goal of expanding reli- throughout our region,” said Coun- million households are enrolled in the mation is power. We’re ready to put able broadband access to residents and cilmember Nehring. Emergency Broadband Benefit Pro- this new data to work.” businesses across our region. gram since its launch in mid-May of The meeting also highlighted the this year. EBB’s goal is to provide a discount of Councilmembers Nehring and Low FCC’s Emergency Broadband Benefit up to $50 per month towards broad- highlighted the work of the Snohom- (EBB) program which helps house- “Enrolling five million households band service for eligible households ish County Broadband Action Team holds afford internet service. A link to into the Emergency Broadband Benefit and up to $75 per month for house- (BAT), created in 2020, to bring inter- providers in your area can be found Program in a little over three months holds on qualifying Tribal lands. El- net access to rural parts of the County. here. is no small feat. This wouldn’t have igible households can also receive been possible without the support of a one-time discount of up to $100 to BAT is a collaboration of community “I appreciate Acting FCC Chair Rosen- nearly 30,000 individuals and orga- purchase a laptop, desktop computer, leaders in education, healthcare, busi- worcel and Congresswoman DelBe- nizations who signed up as volunteer or tablet from participating providers if ness, first responders, local govern- ne for meeting with us to discuss the outreach partners,” said Rosenworcel. ment, and broadband providers who critical infrastructure needs in our rural “I’m grateful for the tremendous work Continued PAGE 12 >> 06 Lynnwood Times SEPT 15, 2021 Lynnwood welcomes its first ever Home Depot store

By KIENAN BRISCOE

LYNNWOOD, Wash. – Lynnwood’s first Home Depot department store held its grand opening today, August 26, at 184th St. SW, across from Alderwood Mall. This 108,779-square-foot store is the fourth of six Home Depots planned in 2021 and the first location to open in the area in 10 years.

The location approved by the Lyn- nwood City Council at its May 13, 2019 business meeting.

The store has several features the company is rolling out as part of its strate- gic investments to enhance the customer and associate experience. It features an optimized, more flexible checkout and customer service area, specialty showrooms with new merchandising displays and layouts, a garden center, a tool rental center, and amazing new storage areas for customers’ buy online/pickup/in-store orders, a shop- ping option that has more than doubled within the last couple years in volume.

Another new feature rolled out by the Lynnwood Home Depot Grand Opening on August 26, 2021. Mario Lotmore / Lynnwood Times. company, and debuting at the Lyn- nwood location, is a contactless board ing center, managed the location in where customers can scan a QR code Bellevue for 7 years, served as oper- relating to a specific project they may ations manager in South Center for 1 be working on and remotely connect 1/2 years, served as district operations with one of Home Depot’s many pro- manager for 11 stores in the district, viders for advice and expertise. managed West Seattle for 2 years and Redmond for 4. Now she looks for- Managing the new location is Mill ward to bringing her seasoned resume Creek resident Angela Rivera, who, and her passion for community infor the first time in her 27 years with volvement to the city of Lynnwood. the company, can finally say she works in the same community as where she “When I started as a cashier, at no lives. point did I imagine I’d be running a multi-billion dollar company, but here “When I saw this store’s big sign in the I am, running a multi-billion dollar dirt, I said, ‘this is my next home.’ For company,” Rivera told the Lynnwood a long time, I haven’t had the oppor- Times. tunity to work in a city I live in, so I thought this would be really personal,” Home Depot Lynnwood has many Rivera told the Lynnwood Times. “Part plans to engage in its community that of our culture is growing within the are already in fruition from work- Angela Rivera, store manager of the Lynnwood Home Depot. Mario Lotmore / Lynnwood community and being able to offer lo- ing with the Eagle Scouts to donating Times. cal positions and grow wealth, not only $5,000 to the PAWS animal shelter. soon as it is safe to do so. cess began in June with the first set of for the associations but for the commu- The location even offers classes and employees undergoing training at the nity.” youth programs that teach the public “We live by values – they’re on our Bothell and Everett locations to gain DIY projects and home construction aprons. There are a lot of values that first-hand customer service experi- Rivera began working for Home Depot skills. we live by every day – respect, doing ence as well as role-playing and ven- as a cashier while attending college in the right thing, and taking care of our dor events to learn product knowledge San Diego. She was initially attracted The store also offers construction people,” Rivera told the Lynnwood from the experts themselves. Once the to the company because it was a flex- projects for kids to learn the basics of Times. Lynnwood location began receiving ible way of maintaining a job while hands-on craftsmanship. While these inventory in early July, these employ- being sensitive to her school schedule. features are currently held virtually, Of its 200 associates, about 140 were ees began carrying out their training at Throughout her almost three-decade Rivera hopes the Lynnwood location externally hired and 63 were brought their home store. career, she has worked in the train- can begin offering these in-person as in from other locations. The hiring pro- Rivera prides herself on the diversity of her team and the family-like relationship they share. At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, she was presented a mug by her staff that said “Mom,” encom- passing the motherly role she’s taken in creating a workplace where her team feels supported and welcomed.

“I like the sense of community. It’s like a family at this store,” Rivera said.

The staff at Home Depot’s Lynnwood location vary in gender, age, and back- grounds from retired persons wanting to get back in the workplace to people returning from the effects of the COVID outbreak. To Rivera, the diversity of her staff adequately represents the diversity of the area and city of their new home store.

“I love the diversity of the area that we

Continued PAGE 11 >> SEPT 15, 2021 Lynnwood Times 07 Taste Edmonds returns with rocking music and tasty treats

with a list of craft breweries and wine by local winery Proletariat in the beer and wine gardens.

The Taste was sponsored by Alaska Airlines, Columbia Distributing, Con- stellation Brands, The Everett Clinic Edmonds, Tulalip Resort Casino, and the following premium members:

• Windermere Edmonds WA • DME CPA Group PC • The Trike Stop Childcare Center & Preschool • Fortive Corporation • Edmonds Yacht Club • FIS Foundation for International Services • First Financial Northwest Bank • Ameritrust • Beresford Booth PLLC • WILL CHEN, CPA, PLLC • Rotary Club of Edmonds Day- breakers EDMONDS, Wash. – Edmonds be featured this year. marking the return of this widely antic- • Coastal Community Bank Chamber of Commerce’s Taste Twen- ipated summer outing. • North Sound Church ty One festival kicked off with a blast Based on the reduced capacity and • Workhorse HQ August 20 through 22, offering three higher production costs, day-of ticket Many rocking music acts took the • Community Transit days of live music, food trucks, corn sales leaped from $5 to $30 this year. stage, including One Love Bridge, • Maverick Gaming hole tournaments, and a two-acre beer The ticket sales support free commu- Heart by Heart, Hair Nation, and the • Zapora Consulting garden to thousands of attendees. nity events in Edmonds, events such Beatniks on Friday; Petty Thief, Prom • Sound Estate Planning as the 4th of July Parade, the fireworks Date Mixtape, The Infinity Project, • Beck’s Tribute Center After a year off due to the pandem- show, Halloween trick-or-treat night, Washed in Black, and the Atomic • Harbor Square ic, the festival returned as a 21-and- Edmonds Classic: Car and Motorcycle Punks on Saturday; and Robbie Dee’s up event at Frances Anderson Center Show, and the tree lighting ceremony. Tribute to Elvis, Mas Tequila, Whip- Tracy Balmores is the winner of the Field, just one-fifth the size of Civic lash Smile; and Nite Wave on Sunday. Taste Twenty-One raffle for Alaska Park, where the festival has taken place In addition, Taste raises thousands of Airlines tickets! in previous years. Construction at Civ- dollars which is donated to local non- While festival-goers enjoyed tributes ic Park brought the change in venue. profits and service clubs. On Sunday, to classic rock and the 1980s, they As with the sponsors, the event could in recognition of the less-than-ideal had the opportunity to enjoy some not be made possible without its hum- The venue change led the Chamber to weather, tickets were also reduced as a tasty treats from an assortment of food ble and hard-working volunteers. For drastically modify the programming, “crappy weather discount” to only $10. trucks, including Alaska Weathervane more information on volunteering for distilling the event to focus on live Scallop, Edmonds College, Island future Taste festivals or other Edmonds music, the beer and wine garden, 8-10 On August 3, the Edmonds City Coun- Creamery Concessions, Kaleenka Pi- Chamber’s community events visit food trucks, and a few select major cil unanimously approved The Taste roshky, Langostino Sushi Burrito, The https://edmondschamber.com/volun- sponsors. Additional vendors could not Edmonds event contract for 2021, Cheese Pit, and Thai-U-Up, paired teer/. With a mask mandate in effect, how effective is your mask? By MARIO LOTMORE However, the relative filtration effectiveness of a mask varies. For exam- LYNNWOOD, Wash. – On August ple, the CDC states that multiple layers 23, Proclamation 21-14.1 requiring fa- of cloth with higher thread counts have cial coverings in an indoor setting for demonstrated improved performance both vaccinated and non-vaccinated compared to single layers of cloth with individuals goes into effect through- lower thread counts. out Washington state. Violators may be found guilty of a gross misdemean- In terms of its aerosol filtration effi- or, which carries a maximum penalty ciency, N95 masks outperformed all of 364 days in jail and/or fines up to surgical masks and facial cloth cover- $5,000. ings. The study by Samy Rengasamy, Physical Scientist at the CDC, con- The order, announced by Governor Jay cludes that cloth masks and other fab- Inslee last Thursday, comes after a rise ric materials tested have a 40–90% in COVID cases and hospitalizations instantaneous penetration level against throughout the state. The Centers for aerosols following the the National Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Institute for Occupational Safety and has stated that people in high transmis- Health (NIOSH) particulate respirator sion areas should continue to wear a test protocol at 5.5 cm s−1. mask indoors to maximize protection from the Delta strain and prevent pos- Mask Effectiveness: sibly spreading it to others. Size Does Matter

Dr. Chris Spitters, Health Officer for A nanometer is one billionth of a me- the Snohomish Health District, told ter. The diameter of a SARS-CoV-2 reporters in last Tuesday’s COVID-19 cell is roughly 100 nanometers or 0.1 Aerosol (NaCl polydisperse) penetration for levels of (a) cloth mask, (b) towel, (c) sweatshirt briefing that the Delta strain is a “game (d) T-shirt, and (e) scarves at two different face velocities compared with N95 mask. Error microns (one micron = one millionth changer” for Snohomish County and bars suggest a trust level of 95% [17]. Source: The Annals of Occupational Hygiene, Volume of a meter). The diameter of a human that a single delta case on average 54, Issue 7, October 2010, Pages 789–798, https://doi.org/10.1093/annhyg/meq044. hair ranges from 17 to 180 microns or will spread to 5-8 other people when 17,000 to 180,000 nanometers. compared to 2-3 people for previous quire on the effectiveness of wearing multi-layer cloth masks, to prevent strains. a mask. We were provided a link to the respiratory transmission of SARS- Respiratory droplets generated by a Centers for Disease Control and Pre- CoV-2 as masks act as a barrier to coughing, sneezing, laughing, talking, Filtration Performance of Facial vention (CDC) briefing on the use of prevent or reduce respiratory droplets or breathing have diameters ranging Coverings cloth masks to control the spread of from reaching others. They further from 0.6 to more than 1000 microns, SARS-CoV-2. state that masks also help reduce inha- according to Nikolaos Stilianakis with The Lynnwood Times reached out to lation of these droplets by the wearer. the Snohomish Health District to in- The CDC recommends non-valved Continued PAGE 10 >> 08 Lynnwood Times SEPT 15, 2021 Australia’s authoritarian pandemic measures spark protests

By BO JOHN BRUSCO

As the Australian government seeks to tighten its grip on COVID-19, citizens voice their outrage. As getting fresh air and watching sunsets can land Aus- tralians an infringement fine, many are labeling the country’s COVID-19 response as authoritarian. While Aus- tralia grapples with the virus amid the civil upheaval, New Zealand and France experience similar struggles.

COVID-19 IN AUSTRALIA

Australia has seen a surge of protests these past weeks in response to the country’s constrictive coronavirus measures. From Melbourne to Sydney, Australians crowded the streets with chants of freedom to demonstrate their disapproval.

Australia’s strict lockdown strategy will be enforced until 70% of the pop- very clear, repeated warnings of NSW under its interpretation of COVID-19 The Onscene Bondi reported that “a ulation is vaccinated. In an interview police, which is disappointing, frus- restrictions.” total of eight young males were tak- last Sunday, Prime Minister Scott Mor- trating and – frankly – disgraceful,” he en into custody and some were hand- rison said, “You can’t live with lock- said. The decision to execute the dogs was cuffed after initially refusing to co-op- downs forever and at some point, you made by Bourke Shire Council to “pre- erate and evade police.” The boys were need to make that gear change, and that “The actions they have taken are like- vent volunteers…from travelling [sic] between the ages of 15 and 19. is done at 70%.” ly to prolong the very lockdown they to pick up the animals last week.” were protesting about.” Photos of the incident can be viewed at According to Rueter’s recent report, The council’s watchdog, the Office onscenebondi.com.au. 60% of the 25 million Australians are Brad Hazzard, the Health Minister of of Local Government, made a public currently under lockdown. The article the same state, responded to these pro- statement regarding the matter, say- NO FRESH AIR AND SUNSETS notes how the stay-at-home orders of- tests saying, “There is no time now ing, “OLG has been informed that the WITH AUSTRALIA’S LOCK- ten last for months and have “taxed the to be selfish. It’s time to think of the council decided to take this course of DOWNS patience of many.” Citizens across the broader community and your families. action to protect its employees and island have begun to voice their frus- If you are actually spreading the vi- community, including vulnerable Ab- tration. rus,” he continues, “you could be re- original populations, from the risk of sponsible for people’s deaths.” COVID-19 transmission.” ANTI-LOCKDOWN PROTESTS STRICT MEASURES The OLG also made it clear that they On Saturday, August 21, thousands of are investigating as to whether “com- maskless protestors clashed with po- Stay-at-home orders have been in panion animal and cruelty prevention lice in Melbourne, Australia, according place for months now in Australia. In laws had been broken,” the Herald re- to The Guardian’s report. Video foot- Sydney, the country’s largest city with ported. age of the incident from ABC News 5.3 million people, citizens have been (Australia) shows citizens crowding locked down in their homes for over According to the Herald’s source, the streets to be met by police dressed two months, according to a recent Re- “shelter volunteers were distressed and in riot gear — some on horseback. Po- uters report. had COVID-safe measures in place to Another example of how strict Aus- lice used shields to press back against handle the dogs, one of which was a tralia’s COVID-19 measures have be- the crowd and doused multiple protes- This trend is expected to continue. The new mother.” Animal rights activists come is clearly illustrated in comments tors with tear gas. Guardian stated on August 25 that in have since spoken out against the de- made by New South Wales’s Police New South Wales, the lockdowns have cision. Visit smh.com.au for the full Deputy Commissioner, Gary Worboys. From The Guardian’s previously men- officially been extended until Septem- story. According to The Canberra Times’s re- tioned report, Australian police esti- ber 10, with larger cities like Sydney port, during a public address on August mate about 4,000 demonstrators gath- expecting to remain in lockdown until SENDING POLICE AND 17, Commissioner Worboys said, “the ered in Melbourne. In the aftermath, September’s end. CHOPPERS AFTER time was over for warnings and cau- six officers were hospitalized, and po- BEACH-GOING TEENAGERS tions.” lice reportedly made 218 arrests. Each There are harsh consequences for Aus- arrestee was fined $5,452 for “breach- tralians who don’t adhere to the coun- At Bondi Beach in Syndey, Australia, The news article noted how almost ing public health orders.” try’s COVID-19 rules. As Reuters re- authorities arrested a group of teenag- 18,000 police in New South Wales ported on August 22, New South Wales ers on August 20. Their offense was have begun “issuing infringement Another video from DW News cap- police issued “940 fines in the past 24 continuing to gather after dark during notices to people flouting tough new tures some of the violent altercations hours for breaches of public health or- Sydney’s strict COVID-19 lockdown. health orders, armed with the power to between protestors and police officers ders.” Onscene Bondi, a local news organi- fine individuals up to $5000.” in Melbourne and similar confronta- zation, reported that police were called tions during a large protest in Sydney SHELTER DOGS EXECUTED IN following a “positive sighting from the The police response has been strict and where 1,500 extra officers had been AUSTRALIA Police Helicopter which was conduct- precise due to the country’s efficient deployed. ing a proactive search of the cliffs.” contact tracing system, which enables authorities to track transmissions and The Guardian’s report details police When police arrived on the scene, they infections among citizens. Commis- efforts to prevent large-scale protests struggled to locate the group that the sioner Worboys gave an example of in Sydney. “Trains were not allowed to helicopter had previously spotted. On- how this information can be used stop at city centre stations,” reads the scene Bondi details how officers had to during his public addresses. report. “Police also issued 137 tickets use “thermal imaging” to identify “at after stopping around 38,000 cars ap- least two people in the rocky area” of Worboys described a specific scenario proaching Sydney.” the beach. wherein authorities arrived at a man’s home and “found a person that should In Brisbane, ABC News (Australia) re- As police began to move on the be there wasn’t there. They made a ported seven and a half thousand pro- ground, helicopter operators demanded number of inquiries, and not that long testors taking to the streets, echoing the Some of Australia’s extreme COVID-19 the group on the beach to leave rocks, after that person returned to the front of same anti-lockdown refrains. precautions have yielded morbid con- but they ignored the commands and the house in a motor vehicle.” clusions. The Sydney Morning Herald continued to evade police. Ultimately, The Guardian also reported how New covered one such example. On August with the help of PolAir, an Australian After stating that police filed an “in- South Wales Police Minister, David El- 22, the Herald reported that “several Aviation Support Branch whose prima- fringement notice” against the indi- liot, expressed his disappointment with impounded dogs due to be rescued by ry functions are search and rescue and vidual, Worboys explained that the the protestors. “That small minority a shelter have instead been shot dead counter-terrorism operations, the group has again chosen to blatantly ignore the by a rural council in New South Wales of young beachgoers were detained. Continued PAGE 10 >> SEPT 15, 2021 Lynnwood Times 09 Washington’s electoral districts: Gainers and Losers

By KIENAN BRISCOE Although the deadline for public comments and Community of Interest The U.S. Census Bureau released addi- submissions closes November 15, the tional 2020 Census results, August 12, commission has decided to keep the that will shape the Washington State mapping tool accessible on its website Redistricting Committee’s once-in-a- to allow Social Studies teachers and decade redrawing of the state’s con- parents to teach their children about gressional and state legislative elector- electoral boundaries. al districts. Washington State Redistricting There are 10 congressional districts Commission and 49 legislative districts in Washing- ton State, a state of 7.6 million people Every 10 years, after the federal gov- according to the U.S. Census Bureau. ernment publishes updated census in- Due to population growth, the target formation, Washington redraws the populations for each set of electoral boundaries of these districts to ensure districts rose from 137,236 to 157,251 they represent an equal number of res- legislatively and 672,454 to 770,528 idents. A bipartisan Washington State congressionally since 2010, the last re- Redistricting Commission is estab- mapping of boundaries. lished for this purpose, consisting of four voting members — two Demo- The congressional district that needs to districts that need to shrink the most, public comment until November 15. crats and two Republicans — selected grow the most, based on the census data analyzed Lisa McLean, Executive Di- The commission not only welcomes by the leaders of the Democratic and report, is the sixth district, followed by rector for the Washington State Re- public comment on these drafts but en- Republican caucuses in the state House the fifth and the fourth, respectively. districting Committee, at the business courages the public to use a mapping and Senate. A fifth nonvoting chairper- The congressional districts that need to meeting on August 16. tool that communicates to the commis- son is then picked by the voting mem- shrink the most are the seventh and the sioners about the boundaries of certain bers. first. These results are based upon the Four days after the Census Bureau’s communities of interest and comment current population of the districts in re- updated report, the commission held on the existing legislative and congres- The four commissioners appointed lation to a target population of 770,528 a business meeting, August 16, to an- sional districts. are April Sims (D), Paul Graves (R), per district. alyze the data and how it should affect Brady Piñero Walkinshaw (D), and Joe the boundaries of the state’s congres- Communities of Interest are used to Fain (R), with Sarah Augustine chair- Based on a target population of sional and legislative mapping. help stakeholders understand local in- ing without a vote. 157,251, the legislative districts that terests in preserving areas within a dis- need to grow the most are the 19th Beginning September 21, draft leg- trict. A Community of Interest can be a It is the commission’s role to draw the and the 24th, in the Olympic Peninsu- islative maps will be released and on subdivision, a city, a neighborhood, or district lines in conformity with strict, la, and the 14th, 15th, 16th, and 3rd in September 28, four draft congressional any geographic area defined and sub- nonpartisan rules designed to create the Spokane area. Puget Sound’s 43rd, maps will be released, one per commis- mitted for consideration. the 46th, and the 48th districts are the sioner. These maps will be available for Continued PAGE 11 >>

Everett Marina • Mill Creek Celebrate Spring Italian Style Patio Dining, Fresh Seasonal Dishes Happy Hour Daily lombardisitalian.com 10 Lynnwood Times SEPT 15, 2021 from page 7 MASKS typically do not cough or sneeze. The respirator is effective in protecting in- coverings, SARS-CoV-2 usually bonds CDC states that face coverings effec- dividuals from SARS-CoV-2. An N95 with respiratory droplets ranging from the Joint Research Centre, European tively block most large droplets of a filter removes at least 95% of particles 0.6 to 100 microns in size. This is well Commission. Stilianakis considers re- least 20 microns in size. Some studies 0.3 microns or larger. If worn correct- within the aerosol filtration efficiency spirable droplets as those that remain show that face coverings of multiple ly, N95 respirators were found to have of an N95 mask. airborne for long periods of time and layers of cloth with high thread counts a superior filtration efficiency when have a diameter of less than 10 mi- reduce the transmission of respirable compared to Dust and Mist (DM), and Facial coverings are not perfect but ac- crons; whereas inspirable droplets are droplets of less than 1 micron as much Dust, Fume and Mist (DFM) respira- cording to the CDC, these are one of larger ranging in size of 10 to 100 mi- as 50%. However, the CDC fails to tors, and noncertified surgical masks. a combination of measures, including crons that quickly drop towards the mention how frequently the effective- physical distancing, hand washing, suf- ground. ness of less than 1 micron occurs in Understand that although the virus that ficient ventilation, and the avoidance studies. causes COVID-19 is 0.1 micron in of crowds and gatherings, that can re- Pre- or asymptomatic individuals ex- size, which is far smaller than the aero- duce transmission of SARS-CoV-2. hale fine droplets or particles called According to Occupational Safety and sol filtration efficiencies of either the aerosols (respirable droplets) and they Health Administration (OSHA) an N95 N95 and surgical masks, and cloth face

from page 8 AUTHORITARIANISM Noting some of the uniqueness of its really needed to wee,” and “mounted Tube. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk origins, Dale explains how one of police beating the crap out of people.” explains that new camps are necessary man had “hopped in his car and went Australia’s founders was not a fan of because the delta variant is breaching out for some fresh air and hadn’t been individual rights but instead empha- Giving some validity to the severe the current quarantine hotels. “So, we anywhere else.”But for Worboys, fresh sized state authority. “Australia’s dad threats of COVID-19 in the country, need regional quarantine facilities,” air wasn’t the point. “The point is,” he is Jeremy Bentham, the bloke who Dale notes that some of the harsh re- she says. For more information regard- said, “that if you are going to behave described natural rights as ‘nonsense strictions may be an effort to protect ing quarantine hotels in Australia, visit like this, yesterday over 2,300 houses upon stilts,’” she writes. “He rejected the Aborigine civilizations in Australia. health.nsw.gov.au. visited — if you’re going to behave like the idea of natural or divinely given “There is a real risk that this entire civi- this — if you’re going to step outside rights preceding the establishment of lization — 40,000-year-old civilization John Wanger, the Non-Executive Di- the health orders, you will be checked state authority, arguing that rights are — the ones with all the beautiful dot rector of Wagner construction, spoke on, and you will get an infringement creations of law, and without govern- art that everybody wants to buy and get about the new regional quarantine site notice. And that person will continue ment there are none. Rights, in other in the art galleries in London — could in Toowoomba. In a video posted to to be checked on and make sure that words, come from states.” just be wiped out if COVID gets into Premier Palazczuk’s Twitter account, they comply.” the remote communities.” Wagner says that this new camp will Elaborating more on Australia’s apathy be modeled after the site in Howard Another Australian authority, the Pre- for individual rights, Dale explains, But, as Dale explains, COVID-19 has Springs. Touting the economic ben- mier of Victoria Dan Andrews, shared a “To this day, the country has no Bill of already made its way into some of efits of constructing such a camp, similar sentiment about compelling cit- Rights, and what rights do exist (usual- these remote communities, “and peo- Wagner says, “it’ll be a great thing for izens to abide by the strict coronavirus ly at the state level in a federal system) ple are really worried about that. So I Toowoomba. It’ll be a great thing for measures. During a press conference, are simple acts of parliament that can am not excusing the behavior — I am our region, and a great thing for the Andrews spoke about people who had be repealed by a hostile government.” trying to warn people about how au- Queensland and Australian economy.” decided to watch the sunset on a beach thoritarian Australia can be, but there in Victoria. Of their decision, he said, Dale’s 2020 article landed her a guest is something real behind the panic, and UPHEAVAL IN OTHER “I’m sure it was a beautiful sunset, but spot on a recent episode of The Podcast it’s about the indigenous people.” COUNTRIES that’s not in the spirit or in the letter of of the Lotus Eaters’ show. The show’s these rules.” host begins by saying, “Let’s talk about To watch the full podcast episode, visit Similarly strict COVID-19 measures how Australia appears to have fallen to The Podcast of the Lotus Eaters’ You- have recently been seen in other coun- A video clip of Andrews’s statement some kind of COVID fascism.” Tube channel. tries, too — namely New Zealand and was uploaded to Twitter by user @Loz- France. In New Zealand, for example, zaFox. An edited version of the confer- Offering her insight, Dale suggests that COVID QUARANTINE BASES the entire country was shut down due to ence can be viewed on The Guardian’s the seemingly authoritarian COVID-19 a single infection. As CNBC reported website at https://www.theguard- measures are a natural extension of the Continuing their collectivism over in- on August 17, “New Zealand’s Prime ian.com/australia-news/video/2021/ country’s principles. Referring back to dividual liberties approach, Australia Minister Jacinda Ardern put the nation aug/20/victoria-covid-19-update-this- her article, she says, “I tried to explain recently created a regional quarantine under strict lockdown on Tuesday after is-a-bad-day-says-dan-andrews-as-he- that yes, Australians are often very base. Some outlets refer to it as a quar- one new case of the coronavirus was announces-57-new-cases-video. good at running things, but it comes at antine “camp,” while others call it a reported in its largest city of Auckland, a price, and the price is the country is “temporary home” for people infected the country’s first in six months.” The Despite the strict lockdown measures actually very authoritarian.” with the coronavirus. country reportedly planned to remain in New South Wales, Victoria, and the under lockdown for only three days Australian Capital Territory, a Reuters Dale then shares a line that she borrows The base is located in Howard Springs, while coastal towns where the infected report from August 22 states that “the from an Australian legal academic pro- a small former mining camp in the person had visited will be shut down country set a record with 914 infec- fessor, saying, “always remember that country’s northern tip. Damien Cave, for seven days. tions, its highest daily figure.” Australians may be the descendants of the New York Times’s bureau chief in convicts, but they’re also the descen- Sydney, Australia, has stayed at this lo- Unfortunately, the most recent num- ANALYZING AUSTRALIA’S dants of their jailors.” cation while he awaits a negative test bers indicate how much the virus has AUTHORITARIANISM result. already begun to spread despite the Continuing the conversation about lockdowns. On August 26, Reuters re- authoritarianism and Australia, Dale Writing about his experience, Cave ported that New Zealand now has over claims that it is a characteristic of the notes his inability to keep track of the 277 cases and that “the entire country country. Echoing the sentiments of her days as he is seemingly suspended of 5 million is under stay at home or- 2020 article, Dale says that Australia’s from his usual reality. People wearing ders, with schools and most workplac- ability to maintain a stable economy face shields drop food off at his door es closed until at least the end of the during the Great Recession and now before five o’clock. He calls his daugh- month.” during COVID-19 is very appealing to ter to ask how her day at school was, other countries. Still, it is only able to to which his daughter replies that it is The New Zealand prime minister or- do so because of its authoritarian ap- Saturday. dered these lockdowns over fears that proach. the Delta variant may sweep across the On August 20, Cave reported that, in country. “The lockdown is having an “Australians have achieved this be- addition to the camp in which he has impact, but Delta is very tricky,” Prime cause they [have] a very odd histo- resided, two more are being built near Minister Jacinda Ardern said at a news ry — because they tolerate a level of Melbourne and Brisbane — both large conference. “We do need to be incred- authoritarianism that you would find enough to hold 2,000 people. Cave ibly vigilant.” completely alarming,” she says. “In says that “Sydney and Perth may not some respects, it’s rooted in the idea be far behind.” In France, thousands of citizens partic- Helen Dale is an Australian Writer and that rights don’t matter at all.” ipated in anti-lockdown protests at the Lawyer. In December 2020, Dale pub- As far as titles go, Cave says that the beginning of the month. According to lished an article titled “Emulate Aus- Dale stated that Australia cares more sites are officially being referred to as the NPR’s report, August 7 marked the tralia? It’s not that easy” to Standpoint about democracies and majorities than “centers for national resilience.” Ac- fourth consecutive weekend of the pro- Magazine. The piece’s premise recog- it does about liberty and rights. Ex- cording to Cave, they are “an embod- tests. The French government issued a nizes how several countries, not just in plaining what such priorities look like iment of the country’s commitment to notice on July 29 requiring residents to the UK, look to Australia as a prime in action, Dale says, “The consequenc- Covid zero.” “present a health pass to access leisure example when it comes to gun laws, es being that [Australia] can produce and culture venues and events bringing immigration, electoral systems, and very efficient administrations, but that Cave’s foretelling of more quarantine together more than 50 people.” COVID-19 responses. But, as Dale ex- just means that you will have scenes of camps wasn’t far off. On August 25, plains, Australia’s successes are largely police dragging protestors out of cars, ABC News (Australia) live-streamed To view the complete list of France’s the result of its unique history and are police dragging a woman out of her the announcement of a new site in restrictions and requirements, visit not without their consequences. home for — a pregnant woman who Toowoomba, Queensland, on You- government.fr. SEPT 15, 2021 Lynnwood Times 11 DR. HORACE SCOPE: SEPTEMBER 2021 This month could be a bit of a roller coaster in the personal and public arena, with international relationship under strain too. Towards the very end of the month, Mercury turns retrograde again too, so communications could be somewhat strained. A number of planets are behind the potential social upheavals revelations… Eris (the Warrior Goddess), Pluto, Uranus and the New Moon in Virgo. However, instead of fearing the worst for the month, this really is an opportunity for taking the high road and being at our most tolerant and optimistic this month. As one prominent astrologer, Henry Seltzer, has put it… “Do not dwell on the chaos, celebrate the birth”. Venus is definitely energized by Uranus this month, meaning that all relationships could be under strain. September is definitely a time for living by the heart and not the head. Finally, try to tie down any communications, contracts and/or travel plans before the end of the month, when the Mercury retrograde factor will tend to disrupt things for a number of people.

ARIES: Your fiery nature could well get the better of you this month if you don’t learn to stay calm. The opposite Sign of a usually hair-trigger Aries is the balanced and diplomatic Libra. So, on the principle that opposites can balance out each other, try to be more of a Libran this month, instead of your usual spontaneous and impetuous self!

TAURUS: Maybe a good time to batten down the hatches, emotionally. Venus is your ruling planet, so it’s electric Uranus contact this month could well bring rev- olution, disruption and change to your usual placid world. It might also bring an entirely new and exhilaration focus of love into your life too. But hold onto your hat as transformation is in the air.

GEMINI: The big thing for you could be the Mercury retrograde effect that begins around September 27th. It could well be a time when your messages get mixed, or your plans for travel and communication disrupted. Mercury is your ruling planet; so pay greater attention to all paperwork and contracts at this time too.

CANCER: The Moon is your ruling planet, so with the New Moon this month being in the Sign of Virgo, and touched by the revolutionary Uranus, this could be a time where you feel emotional drained or under fire. See any disruption that comes along as an opportunity for growth not criticism – although with that New moon in “Virgo”, nit-picking criticism of family, friends could be a possibility.

LEO: When you’re in the right mood “taking the high road” is something you’re very capable of. So should your position be threatened this month, or should the things that upset you in this world threaten to anger you, stay calm and collected. When you do so, you could become a leader defined by calm and clear decision-making – something your higher self is good at, if exercised.

VIRGO: With the New Moon in your Birth Sign, electrified by the powerful and revolutionary Uranus this month, it could be that you’ll feel more stressed than ever. Just remember that all this is transitory and no matter how emotional you may feel, the calm will always follow the storm – should it happen. Remember that Chamomile Tea is wonderful for both nerves and digestion!

LIBRA: It might be that your normally calm and measured disposition could be under threat this month. It may even be that it’s nothing that you even did; just forces beyond you are rocking your world. Ever the diplomat, this is a wonderful opportunity for you to weather the storm and bring harmony to where there is disharmony around you.

SCORPIO: September could be the culmination of a time where you’ve felt somewhat challenged for a while now – either by perhaps a powerful woman, or the need for you to let your powerful feminine side out. As your essential nature is to keep all your emotions in and concealed, perhaps this month is a time to come clean and release them - preparing the ground for a better future ahead.

SAGITTARIUS: Taking the high road is something you’re good at. So, if life begins to look crazy around you this month, look to your higher Self for guidance. Your best way of dealing things is through activity and movement. So this could be a perfect time to physically seek our new horizons, or find a new philosophy or belief in life that helps you cope with any possible disruptions.

CAPRICORN: You’ve probably noticed that some quite powerful challenges have been building up in your life lately, threatening your normally quite normal, and hardworking state of affairs. If so, this could be the month where the transition from chaos to clarity becomes possible. Above all else, don’t panic. Start to build for a new reality that you need to face soon.

AQUARIUS: Uranus is your ruling planet, so it’s contact with the New Moon in Virgo this month should not be too much out of the ordinary for you. You’re made of the stuff of individual expression above all else, even swimming against the tide. It could be that you’ll be a little more emotional than normal for a while. But once the dust has settled I’m sure the new order will suit you well.

PISCES: The New Moon in Virgo, touched by the revolutionary Uranus, could well have an unsettling effect on you this month. Virgo is your opposite Sign of the Zodiac after all is said and done, and opposites can either attract or repel. Just be prepared for some change or disruption in you circumstances for a while, allowing your higher, more forgiving and aspirational side to come out - if you let it. from page 9 REDISTRICTING from page 1 FALLEN HEROS as “The Professionals” based at Camp from page 6 HOME DEPOT Pendleton, California. He planned to districts of relatively equal population high school football lineman who “lit go to trade school and possibly become get to work in and all of the different that will provide fair representation for up a room” when he entered, his father a lineman after his enlistment ended. types of associates that get to work all Washingtonians. told The Washington Post. here,” Rivera said. Marine Corps Corporal Hunter Lo- The four voting commissioners have Marine Corps Lance Corporal Da- pez, 22, of Indio, California: Lopez, The location is still seeking to fill the power and responsibility to vote, vid L. Espinoza, 20, of Rio Bravo, whose parents work at the Riverside around 10 positions. Interested job ultimately creating and adopting a re- Texas: Espinoza graduated from Lyn- County Sheriff’s Department in South- seekers can apply in person by visit- districting plan. Voting commissioners don B. Johnson High School in Lare- ern California, was a sheriff’s Explorer ing the store or by visiting careers.ho- will make decisions that will create do and lived in Rio Bravo. Espinoza for three years before joining the Ma- medepot.com. maps that best represent the interest of leaves behind a brother, mother and rine Corps in September 2017. Washingtonians. stepfather, News 4 San Antonio reported. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, The mandate of the commission, set out 1st Marines. The family asked for all in the Washington State Redistricting Marine Corps Lance Corporal Rylee donations to be made to the Riverside Act, is to accomplish state legislative J. McCollum, 20, of Jackson, Wyo- County Deputy Sheriff Relief Founda- and congressional districting in accor- ming: McCollum was expecting to tion. dance with the Washington State Con- become a father before deploying to stitution. The bipartisan commission Afghanistan in April. This was his first A Botch Evacuation was created to listen to the public ev- deployment and manning the check ery ten years so that the district would point when the suicide bomb went off. After Thursday’s suicide bomb attack be run by statute and by public input. at the Kabul airport on August 26, Lt. The Constitution of the United States Army Staff Sergeant Ryan C. Col. Stuart Scheller released a now-vi- allows each state to determine its own Knauss, 23, of Corryton, Tennessee: ral video where he criticized Marine processes for redistricting within cer- Knauss recently completed Psycholo- Corps Commandant Gen. David H. The video can be viewed at https:// tain bounds. Washington is one of only gy Operations training and was hoping Berger, Defense Secretary Lloyd Aus- www.facebook.com/stuart.scheller/ seven states that redistricts by commis- to move to Washington, DC before be- tin, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs videos/561114034931173. sion and has since 1890. ing deployed to Afghanistan. of Staff Gen. Mark Milley for the botch evacuation effort from Kabul. A second video posted on August 29 by The Committee will meet again Mon- Marine Corps Corporal Daegan W. Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller can be viewed day, September 20, to discuss map Page, 23, of Omaha, Nebraska: Page, In his video, Scheller stated that the at https://youtu.be/lR7jBsR0D10. drafts before releasing them to the pub- joined the Marines out of high school, U.S. should never have abandoned its lic for comment. served with the 2nd Regiment of the Bagram airbase and said that “the baby 1st Marine Regiment, a unit known boomer’s turn is over.” 12 Lynnwood Times SEPT 15, 2021 from page 2 AFGHANISTAN WAR the Taliban against the Afghan popula- After the last U.S. military plane left their families to safety in a night-time tion and security forces. Monday, it is speculated that between operation called “Pineapple Express,” witnesses that Afghan soil will not be 100 and 200 American soldiers and ABC News reported, rescuing over used against the security for the United Despite U.S. Intelligence speculating tens of thousands of America’s Afghan 500 Afghan special operators, assets, States and its allies, the Islamic Emir- the Afghan government would “likely allies were left behind. and enablers into the secured areas of ate of Afghanistan which is not recog- collapse,” Biden was adamant a Tali- the U.S.-controlled Hamid Karzai In- nized by the United States as a state ban takeover was not inevitable due to Gaining access to the Kabul airport, ternational airport. and is known as the Taliban will start the Afghan army consisting of an air the only airport in the country escap- intra-Afghan negotiations with Afghan force and 300,000 well-equipped sol- able by military flight, was not an easy The last plane leaving Kabul escorted sides on March 10, 2020, which corre- diers against roughly 75,000 Taliban task after the Taliban surrounded the as many as 1,500 Afghans to safety, sponds to Rajab 15, 1441 on the Hijiri soldiers. perimeter, restricting access. meeting the August 31 deadline. Gen- Lunar calendar and Hoot 20, 1398 on eral Frank McKenzie, head of the US the Hijiri Solar calendar,” the agree- In June, the Wall Street Journal report- C.N.N. reported that U.S. special op- Central Command, said there were no ment states. ed that the Afghan government could erations groups set up a “secret gate” American citizens left stranded at the collapse as quickly as six months fol- at the Kabul airport to help Americans airport. Over the next 14 months, the plan was lowing the retreat of the U.S. military; with the evacuation process. to begin withdrawing troops, com- however, Biden noted that the Taliban August 23 marked the largest day pletely leaving Afghanistan no later takeover “did unfold quicker than [the Secretary of State Lloyd Austen said in of evacuation flights, reported MSN than May 1, 2021. U.S.] anticipated,” in a press confer- a press conference on August 18 that news, with 28 U.S. military flights es- ence. the U.S. did not have the capability corting about 10,400 people to safety. Also included in the agreement was the to collect large numbers of stranded United States and its allies refraining The Wall Street Journal also reported Americans outside the perimeter of the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken from the threat or use of force against that Biden’s “well-equipped” Afghan airport, relying on the peace agreement said the U.S. Government is working the territorial integrity or political in- soldiers often surrendered during the with the Taliban to ensure Americans on ways to help the remaining 100 to dependence of Afghanistan as well as 5,000 plus attacks, leaving their aban- escape. Meanwhile, British and French 200 American citizens who were un- intervention in its domestic affairs. doned military equipment to the Tali- forces conducted operations to assist able to get to the airport by the dead- ban. their citizens, leaving many to question line and want out, via overland routes On March 25, 2021, Biden said during why the U.S. could not have performed to Qatar. a press conference that the May 1 In April, top U.S. military generals fa- similar rescues. deadline to remove U.S. troops from vored holding the line at 2,500 troops The Taliban said they would allow all Afghanistan will be “hard to meet” for while negotiators pursued a peace deal. According to a report by Politico on foreign nationals and Afghan citizens, “tactical reasons.” Not only did Biden ignore this advice August 26, U.S. officials gave a list with travel authorization from another but he later denied during an interview of names of American citizens, green country, to leave Afghanistan, accord- However, the President was not the with Stephen Stephanopoulos that he card holders, and Afghan allies to the ing to a joint statement issued by the only member of the agreement to ever received that advice. Taliban, which have a history of mur- U.S. and more than 100 other countries breach contract; the Taliban also did dering Afghans collaborating with the on Sunday, ABC News reported. not adhere to the conditions of their On August 23, Representative Adam U.S. during the conflict, to gain entry peace agreement. Schiff told reporters in a news confer- to the military-controlled outer perim- “When I think about the innocent peo- ence it is “unlikely” that all U.S. troops eter of the city’s airport, outraging law- ple out there who are just trying to live According to a United Nations report could be evacuated by the August 31 makers and military officials who be- their life, my heart goes out for them, on August 6, four months after Biden’s deadline. lieved they had just condemned them who have not only been fighting for announcement, since Mid-April, these to “death list.” that peace but are now at risk of be- groups launched more than 5,500 at- “Given the logistical difficulties of coming martyrs for that cause by the tacks in 31 of 34 provinces. The re- moving people to the airport and the Responding to these remaining Amer- Taliban,” Rinehart, U.S. Marine Core port also mentioned that more than 20 limited number of workarounds, it’s ican troops left to face Taliban rule, a Veteran and former Lynnwood resi- groups, including Al-Qaeda and the hard for me to see that be fully com- volunteer group of covert American dent, told the Lynnwood Times. Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant plete by the end of the month,” Schiff military veterans has been helping hun- (ISIL/Da’esh), are fighting alongside said. dreds of at-risk Afghan elite forces and from page 3 ELECTION it to the General Election with the sup- from page 3 $6M ARPA FUNDS Councilwoman Elizabeth Crawford port of residents. also expressed reservations believ- “I would like to thank all Mukilteo vot- had conversations with local business ing that this is not being sensitive to ers who took part in the Primary Elec- “I want to thank the owners about how they were doing, not non-English speaking businesses who tion. I was expecting 5,000 voters but voters for the op- one knew what the city was planning may not be able to understand what almost 6,000 participated. I am happy portunity to move in regards to these relief funds. As an the city is offering. Councilman Lou- to see so many residents participate in on to the General advocate for community involvement, is Harris also added that many people the Primary.” election,” Schmalz he introduced the idea of gathering may distrust the government and be told the Lynnwood leaders of churches, businesses, and hesitant to consider these offers in this In a statement to the Times. “We will community outreach together to dis- format. Lynnwood Times, continue to move cuss and establish a plan for how these Carlson threw her the campaign for- funds would be allocated. While the council debated how they support behind ward over the next few month months.” would go about community outreach, Crocco. “I’m hap- “This money is a godsend, and we re- they agreed that involving the commu- py for him and will The Lynnwood Times confirmed with ally need to put it in the hands of the nity in some way before making a de- support him [Croc- the Snohomish County Auditor’s Of- people who it’s meant for as quickly as cision was the most appropriate option. co] in the General Election,” Carlson fice that both the hand recount in the possible,” Champion said. wrote in a statement to the Lynnwood Lynnwood race and the machine re- City Administrator Powers agreed to Times. “I thank evryone who helped count in the Mukilteo race produced Marine added to the idea of communi- develop ways that would be feasibly me.” the same results as the original auto- ty outreach, believing the city should presented at the council’s September 7 mated machine count. According to the mail businesses and individuals to meeting, asking them to be prepared to Steve Schmalz, the winner of the Washington Secretary of State’s web- include them in the decision-making move forward with at least some of the Mukilteo City Council Pos. 3 race with site, Snohomish County uses Clear- process and ensure the funds are being options available. 38.21% of the vote, told the Lynnwood Vote software on ClearAccess ma- spent in ways that benefit the public as Times that he is thankful to have made chines from Clear Ballot to tally votes. best as possible. from page 6 BROADBAND “I just want to make sure that our dol- from page 2 PRESIDENT HARRIS sy prior to her run for the Democratic presidential nomination and her time as lars are going to the businesses and the they contribute more than $10 and less climate plan calls for transitioning to vice president was in 2018: when she individuals in the city as much as we than $50 toward the purchase price. To clean and renewable in ways that can compared Immigration and Customs can and not spend a bunch of money learn more go to https://www.fcc.gov/ boost the American economy. Enforcement (ICE) to the Ku Klux trying to spend it,” Joe Marine said. broadbandbenefit. Klan during a Senate hearing. Harris is in-line with most Democrats City Administrator Steve Powers, who For its commitment to broadband ac- on gun control measures, reproductive This is all speculative, but a Kamala was leading the presentation on these cess the Snohomish County Council rights and repealing Trump’s Tax Cuts Harris presidency has the potential to options to council, assured Marine that declared March 29 through April 2 of and Jobs Act, but, like Biden, has not be more left-leaning than Biden’s. is the staff’s goal as well. this year as “Broadband Access Week” supported calls to defund the police. in Snohomish County. In October of Likely stemming from her background Will it come to pass? Who can say for Councilwoman Sarah Kneller had res- 2020, the Washington State Public as a prosecutor and California’s attor- sure. ervations about mailing out to the pub- Works Board announced nearly $18 ney general, she did say “reimagining lic because most of the millennial gen- million in grants and loans for seven how we do public safety in America” eration are paperless, and she believed broadband construction projects in un- was needed. the mail would go unchecked by these served communities across the state. demographics. Arguably, Harris’ largest controver-