Ann Goos

WBL Services building is sporting a beautiful, if not stunning new mural that celebrates the history of the Magnolia area immediately adjacent to the Lake Washington Ship Canal. The mural is on the northern side of WBL Services building, which is located at 4433 27th Ave. W. and accessed just off of Fort Street. Local artist, Ariel Parrow collaborated with the Magnolia Chamber to design and paint the amazing large-scaled mural. Parrow’s art celebrates local industrial themes, including railroads and the maritime industry, long prevalent in the NE quadrant area of Magnolia. As many know, the area is part of the specially designed Ballard Interbay Manufacturing Industrial Center and home to an array of light industrial and manufacturing businesses, as well as retail and the service sectors. The mural is the first in what the Chamber hopes will be ongoing improvements to the visual appeal of area building to delight workers, customers, and visitors to local businesses. Deep appreciation goes to WBL Services for providing the canvas for the beautiful mural, and to sponsors Cantera Development Group, LLC, Alaska Ship Supply, Brian & Youkie Chambers of State Farm, Queen Anne Painting Company, Lydia Brewer Photography, and the Magnolia Chamber of Commerce.

Small business owners can take advantage of a selection of free online workshops and sessions as part of this year’s Global Entrepreneurship Month. The month-long celebration launches in November and learning opportunities will feature a wide range of topics designed to address the significant challenges businesses face now and in the years to come as small business owners rebuilt, recover, and restart.

Leading professionals will conduct online sessions to spur new business starts and inspire entrepreneurship statewide over the month of November. The Department of Commerce will lead the state’s participation in the events teed up by the annual international Global Entrepreneurship Week celebration (Nov. 8-14, 2021).

Over the last seven years, the department has co-hosted and coordinated more than 300 events in-person and online. With public safety top of mind, Commerce decided only to hold online sessions again this year. Leading experts from state and federal agencies and the private sector will teach the free online sessions.

Check out the complete list of Global Entrepreneurship Month events.

Beginning October 25, people ages 12 and older will be required to show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test result to enter certain indoor and outdoor events and establishments in King County.

This requirement will help to protect customers and workers, protect our health care system (read a statement of support from the healthcare community), and prevent business closures as the Delta variant continues to spread in King County. You can read this Public Health Insider blog post for more information, and view the Local Health Order.

For those seeking an easy way to access your official immunization records, including providing proof of vaccination status, visit MyIR Mobile. The state of Washington is partnering with MyIR Mobile and residents can access specific information here.

To find COVID-19 vaccination locations near you, visit kingcounty.gov/vaccine.

Current mask guidance remains in effect. For more information, visit kingcounty.gov/masks.

For additional business resources, including required signage and tools for implementation and compliance, visit kcvaxverified.com.

Current and past Seattle City Council Presidents M. Lorena González and Bruce Harrell will face off in the second of two televised debates Thursday in the final stretch of Seattle’s mayoral race.

Harrell won the August primary with 34% of the vote, surpassing González by less than 2%. Ballots for the Nov. 2 general election were mailed Wednesday, Oct. 13.

The two candidates will discuss public health and safety in Thursday’s hourlong debate, which will begin at 7 p.m.

The event is organized by the Washington State Debate Coalition and the Seattle City Club. The debate will be held in person in the KCTS 9 studio with no in-person audience, and will be broadcast on local television and radio and livestreamed on seattletimes.com. You can also access on TVW starting at 7 p.m. on Oct. 28.

The debate will be moderated by Essex Porter from KIRO 7 and feature a panel of David Kroman from Crosscut, Hana Kim from FOX 13 and Hanna Scott from KIRO radio.

The August 3rd primary election narrowed the candidates running for key races to decide Seattle’s next mayor, two at-large city council races, the city attorney, and the King County Executive along with the school board member representing Magnolia.

King County had 1.4 million registered voters for the primary election, representing a 34.37 percent turnout. King County elections is projecting turnout for the general election to be over 80% and has challenged King County voters to a 90% turnout for the November 2nd general election.

Several of the key races are extremely tight. The two leading candidates for mayor, city council position 9, and city attorney are basically in dead heats going into the general election slated for November 2nd.

In the mayor’s race, Bruce Harrell and Lorena Gonzalez are neck and neck based on the primary election results: Harrell received 34% of the vote; Gonzalez received 32% of the vote. In the city council position 9 race, Nikkita Oliver and Sara Nelson are tied going into the general election, with each receiving 40% of the primary vote. The city attorney race is equally close: Nicole Thomas-Kennedy received 36% of the primary vote and Ann Davison received 33% of the vote.

The races for city council position 8 and King County Executive are less competitive. Incumbent Teresa Mosqueda received 60% of the vote and Kenneth Wilson received 16% of the vote. In the race for King County Executive, incumbent Dow Constantine received 52% of the vote and Joe Nguyen received 33% of the vote.

Today, the Seattle Times released a helpful side-by-side comparison of Bruce Harrell’s and Lorena Gonzalez’s positions on key issues impacting the residents of Seattle, including public safety, housing, taxes, legal system, homelessness, broadband, climate, transportation, economy, wealth gap, and childcare.

Stay tuned for further updates as the election season heats up. In the meantime, please remember that all eligible voters can register and update their registration online through October 26. Make sure you are registered under your current address. Following October 26, voters will need to register in person or make changes to their registration.

There will be Vote Centers open to serve voters during the voting period, including locations at Elections headquarters. The nearest center to Magnolia is located at CenturyLink Field Event Center in Seattle.

Ballots will be mailed to voters on October 14. Most voters will receive their ballots by Monday, October 19. Those who have not received their ballot by October 19 should call King County Elections at 206-296-VOTE (8683) or can access and print their ballot online and then return by mail or drop box.

All voters are encouraged to return their ballot as early as possible, whether utilizing the mail or one of the more than 70 secure ballot drop box locations around the county, including Magnolia in the parking lot of Magnolia Park, due south of West Howe St. and accessed off of Magnolia Boulevard. Ballots must be postmarked or deposited in a drop box by 8 p.m. sharp on Election Day, November 2nd.

Voters can find more information and be ready to vote in October by visiting the King County Elections blog, Election Connection.

Halloween-in-the-Village will have a different look and purpose in Magnolia this year. Though the Magnolia Chamber of Commerce made the hard choice to cancel Halloween-in-the-Village 2021, it is working alongside merchants and Chamber members to collect the dollars usually used for purchasing candy and pooling these funds to donate to local schools and assisting students.

Magnolia Village businesses and members of the Chamber are excited to celebrate Halloween in this new way while we work to keep kids safe, healthy, and merchants comfortable and giving back to the community we all love. Spurred by an idea first floated by Deb Bluestein, owner of Modele’s and a Chamber ambassador, Magnolia Village businesses and the Chamber are re-allocating Halloween candy dollars and partnering with local PTAs to support our neighborhood’s children. “We are delighted to celebrate Halloween in a new way,” said Jason Thibeaux, executive director of the Magnolia Chamber. “Halloween-in-the- Village 2021 is all about giving back, paying it forward, and staying child focused.”

The Magnolia Chamber looks forward to Halloween 2022 and crossing fingers that the pandemic will be more manageable and allow the neighborhood to go back to traditional trick and treating. “We know that Halloween-in-the-Village is a cherished event for many Magnolians,” said Thibeaux. “Yet it is truly a treat to help address student needs and build partnerships with our local PTAs.”

Beginning October 25, all King County residents ages 12 and over will be required to show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test result to enter the following places of business:

Restaurants and Bars

Includes indoor dining. This does not apply to outdoor dining, take-out customers, and places that aren’t primarily used as indoor dining locations, such as grocery stores. The order gives the option for a longer preparation period for smaller restaurants and bars with a seating capacity of 12 or less, with an implementation date of December 6.

Indoor recreational events or establishments

Such as professional and collegiate sports, performing arts and live music venues, movie theaters, gyms, conferences, and conventions

Outdoor events with 500 people or more

Such as professional and collegiate sports and entertainment events.

The Magnolia Chamber of Commerce believes that COVID is a community problem that requires a community solution. We are concerned that King County’s new “proof of vaccination” creates different standards for different types of eating places and business sectors. The focus on the hospitality industry — which has been one of the most impacted by changing COVID restrictions — and being used as a ‘carrot-and-stick’ for people in King County who have been unwilling to be vaccinated is less than fair and equitable public policy. We urge all customers to please be kind to all hospitality staff as work continues to stop the spread of COVID.

Below are key details of the new King County policy:

• Hospitality guests 12 years of age and older will be required to show proof of vaccination, a negative COVID-19 test (within the last 72 hours), or a negative COVID-19 rapid test result performed on site by a testing provider to enter restaurants, bars, gyms and large sporting venues.
• This requirement will not apply to guests staying in hotels but will apply to patrons dining in the hotel restaurant.
• Proof of ID is not required, although operators may require ID as part of their guest policy.
• It will not require, but strongly recommends, employers to adopt a mandatory vaccine policy for their employees.
  • Employers with 100 or more employees may be impacted by a new worker vaccine requirement being developed by the Biden administration.
• The vaccine requirement only applies to indoor service. Unvaccinated guests may continue to receive outdoor and take-out service.
• Existing mask requirements remain unchanged.
• Acceptable forms of vaccination proof include:
  • CDC COVID-19 vaccine record card or photo of vaccine card
  • Printed certificate or QR code from MyIRMobile.com. 
• Smaller restaurants will be given more time to comply. Restaurants with a seating capacity of 12 people or fewer will need to verify vaccination status of guests starting Dec. 6.

Like with other previous public health mandates, the burden will be on businesses to verify vaccination status. Clear and consistent communication with guests & patrons as soon as possible about the new policy will be important for successful implementation. King County encourages the posting of signs about this new policy for guests/patrons/clients. Check out the many options you can download from  coronavirus signage library from the Washington Hospitality Association.

Learn more about the #VaxVerification policy at kingcounty.gov/verify.

The Magnolia Chamber of Commerce is looking to the community to donate and support our annual lighting of the 75 trees in Magnolia Village with festive lights between late October and early 2022. The lights will be professionally installed and maintained to help illuminate the Village during the darkest time of the year.

Though you can donate at any level, we are seeking $200 to sponsor one tree. We encourage you to sponsor as many trees as you can afford.

We make it simple to donate today.

Scroll to the bottom of the “About” page to the teal blue donate box. Type in the size of your donation, then select “Holiday Lights” in the drop-down window. Finally, add a comment and type in the name you want on the card that you will hang on the Magnolia Village tree you choose. 

You will pick up your card(s) for tree(s) at Modele’s in the heart of Magnolia Village and then hang on the tree(s) of your choice. You will receive further directions by email in the weeks ahead. If you don’t receive an instruction email, please contact us at 206-618-1589 or jason@discovermagnolia.org.

Thank you for your support!

The Chamber Ambassadors are a group of community and business leaders who are actively involved in the Magnolia Chamber of Commerce and believe in its mission and delivery of member services, events, and programming. The ambassadors provide a personal and professional link between the Magnolia Chamber and its members. They also help identify and recruit prospective new members while enjoying the rewards of making new contacts, strengthening relationships, and improving access to the Chamber’s activities. The Chamber Ambassador program has been in effect, but we’re ready to increase its impact. Its growth and success are a priority for the Magnolia Chamber, and we are seeking new members to grow its visibility and positive influence in the community. 

Join current ambassadors for an informational Zoom meeting on Tuesday, September 21^st at 4:30pm. They will share more about the program and answer questions. The online meeting will also discuss how serving as a Chamber Ambassador will make a difference for you, advance the Magnolia community, and support local businesses and services.

To learn more, contact Jason at jason@discovermagnolia.org or by phone at 206-618-1589.

This week, the Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration announced major enhancements to the COVID EIDL program to better support small businesses impacted by the pandemic. Key changes include the following:

• Increasing the COVID EIDL Cap. The SBA will lift the COVID EIDL cap from $500,000 to $2 million. Loan funds can be used for any normal operating expenses and working capital, including payroll, purchasing equipment, and paying debt.

• Implementation of a Deferred Payment Period.  The SBA will ensure small business owners will not have to begin COVID EIDL repayment until two years after loan origination so that they can get through the pandemic without having to worry about making ends meet.

• Establishment of a 30-Day Exclusivity Window. To ensure Main Street businesses have additional time to access these funds, the SBA will implement a 30-day exclusivity window of approving and disbursing funds for loans of $500,000 or less. Approval and disbursement of loans over $500,000 will begin after the 30-day period.

• Expansion of Eligible Use of Funds. COVID EIDL funds will now be eligible to prepay commercial debt and make payments on federal business debt.

• Simplification of affiliation requirements. To ease the COVID EIDL application process for small businesses, the SBA has established more simplified affiliation requirements to model those of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund.

More than $150 billion in COVID EIDL funding is still available through the end of the year.

Plus, eligible businesses in low-income areas can apply for up to $15,000 in grant funding through the COVID EIDL Targeted Advance and Supplemental Advance programs. Interested businesses can apply for all three programs at once through one streamlined application.

Visit www.sba.gov/eidl for more information about all COVID EIDL programs. Or register for an upcoming informational webinar hosted by the SBA Seattle District:

• Friday, Sept. 17 at 10 a.m.
• Tuesday, Sept. 21 at 2 p.m.