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Historian Nancy Rockafellar, writing about the flu pandemic in a 1986 Pacific Northwest Quarterly article, In Gauze We Trust, looked at public attitudes following the epidemic. The public, she wrote, resisted regulative zeal on the part of public health officials. Science had not understood influenza enough to prevent catastrophic losses. As a result, The devastating epidemic had seriously dimmed postwar optimism and faith in the application of progressive medical science. Despite scientific advances and a greater medical community commitment to public health, the concept and actual well-being of society suffered a stunning defeat in the immediate aftermath of World War I, she concluded.Read the rest of Knute Bergers ongoing series on the impacts of the 1918 flu in the Pacific Northwest.Selling public health in the early 20th century had been an uphill struggle the more it was applied. Some people resisted any interference in their lives, even in the name of public health. In 1911, Dr. Eugene Porter, New Yorks state health commissioner, succinctly articulated the challenge of trying to overcome public resistance to changing behavior in order to stop preventable diseases: Blocking our way stand the troops of selfishness and ignorance. These are always the twin foes of progress.To that end, Washingtons public health officials worked to gain support for their work even before the pandemic. Typhoid, diphtheria, scarlet fever, measles, smallpox all demanded attention, as did water quality and sanitation. State inspectors traveled Washington to track down the sources of disease, test milk, inspect logging camps and test samples in a state laboratory designed for the purpose. In the war years, venereal or social diseases had become rampant. Tuberculosis was an ongoing problem. Both VD and TB were often treated by segregating patients from the rest of society.Both World War I-era state health commissioners, Dr. Thomas D. Tuttle of Seattle and his successor, Dr. John B. Anderson of Spokane, had battled the flu pandemic and both likened the financing of the states public health efforts to war. In a typescript report on public health to Washington Gov. Louis F. Hart in 1920, Anderson wrote, Our citizens are willing to be taxed for protection against an armed foe who would invade our homes and openly destroy life and property, but it is very difficult for me to comprehend why people are unwilling to pay relatively small sums for doing those things that will save from death many who might perish from microscopic enemies. Anderson recommended that the state buy and provide a diphtheria antitoxin free to the public. As it was, it was free only to the poor and cheap for the rich, but unaffordable to the vast middle. Dr. Thomas D. Tuttle Washington State Archives/Medical license record Anticipating the rough circumstances for selling public health to the Legislature and citizens around the state, Tuttle used his 1915-1916 Biennial State Health Report to compose what amounted to a public health manifesto arguing for funding, acceptance and education. He invoked thinkers such as author and critic John Ruskin and philosopher Herbert Spencer to bolster his case.First, Tuttle identified the enemy by quoting from Spencer a passage popular among public health advocates in the late 19th century: Ignorant men may sneer at the pretentions of sanitary science weak and timorous men may hesitate to commit themselves to its principles, so large is their affliction selfish men may shrink from the labor of change, which its recognition must entail and wicked men may turn indifferently from considering that which concerns the health and happiness of millions of their fellow creatures. Spencer went on to say that public health work was the essence of Christian behavior.Having set the battle lines between modern medicine and the ignorant, timid and wicked, Tuttle then argued for economic pragmatism. In preventable diseases we have for reflection a condition of urgent economic importance. They are destructive to efficient manpower are unnecessary and can be restrained, and possibly entirely suppressed. Lack of health, in other words, was bad for business.Even so, selling the idea was not going to be easy. Our efforts at control will meet with opposition opposed on the ground that we are restraining the individual from exercising his right of liberty, Tuttle wrote. He dismissed such arguments: Any claim to vested rights to liberty which disregards the neighbors vested rights to liberty is properly catalogued as despotic selfishness. In other words, your mask or quarantine or vaccination protects the liberty of the whole community. Dont Tread on Me doesnt give one the right to tread on others by exposing them to disease.Tuttle also argued that there was a larger, more long-lasting obligation. He leaned on biblical notions to support his case that public health is pro-life: We are willingly taxing ourselves for every commodity in daily use that the war burden may not fall upon the babes of the next, or the next and yet the next generation This is proof of the working of a sub-conscious law of fair play which avouches the right of the unconceived child to be represented before the bar of equity concerning economic measures. I contend that the unborn child has the same right to be protected from sociological, environmental and disease producing conditions. A true bill or indictment would lie against any forbears who neglected to hand down a heritage of good health, and it is well to remember that the sins of the fathers are visited upon the children even unto the third and fourth generation. Tuttle saw public health as protecting the rights of people yet to come, a similar argument made today by environmentalists regarding climate change.Despite his articulate passion, Tuttle was fired from his job in early 1919 after steering the state through the worst of the Spanish flu pandemic. The trigger was politics defiant Olympia and Thurston County doctors who opposed further shutdowns and he left the state shortly after. His successor, Anderson, who was the chief health officer and physician in Spokane before and during the flu epidemic, was appointed as Tuttles replacement. Faced with writing his first state-of-the-state health report in early 1920, Anderson lifted nearly all of Tuttles manifesto with a few additional paragraphs of his own to make his argument for a bigger budget, better pay for health commission staff, and more funding to sell the idea of public health to the general public. Dr. John B. AndersonSpokane Chronicle, 1916 Anderson also picked up Tuttles notion of responsibility to the future, as newspapers of the time noted that he gave lectures on the Responsibility to Posterity to various civic and health groups around the state. But by 1921 he too was fired, the health commission reorganized, and its budget, at least temporarily, reduced. When asked by the Spokesman-Review about leaving the job, the paper reported Anderson would not discuss the change in the management of state health affairs beyond expressing the belief that politics has nothing to offer a professional man. Anderson also left the state for work, it was reported, with the U.S. Public Health Service.This brings to mind a quote attributed to John Ruskin that both Tuttle and Anderson included in their reports, which perhaps reflects the frustration public health officials felt in the face of opposition: Any regulations which tend to improve the health of the masses are viewed by them as an unwarranted interference with their vested rights in inevitable disease and death.The quote, used in arguments promoting public health at the turn of the century, was sometimes said to be meant cynically or sarcastically. Yet, by invoking it, Washingtons public health officials were laying a moral marker for policies designed to not only help the living, but to fulfill a duty to the coming generations even if many of their fellow citizens in the present resist treatment. Topics: 1918 Flu, Coronavirus, History

Its not just a means of campaigning, but also helping the kids get excited about science, said Walsh, who owns Sub Zero Nitrogen Ice Cream in Federal Way. Heis challenging state Rep. Jesse Johnson, a Democrat who was appointed earlier this year.Typically, knocking on doors and meeting voters face to face is a key part of successful campaigning especially for positions like city council member and state legislator, which dont generate as much publicity and money as federal or statewide races.But, as has been the case with so many other things, the new coronavirus has halted that type of retail politics, both in Washington state and around the country.More on politics and COVID-19: Ask Gov. Inslee about the states coronavirus response.For candidates, time is running out to appeal to voters before the Aug. 4 primary, which will decide which two candidates for each position advance to the general election in November.Johnson, Walshs opponent, has also been experimenting with new ways of campaigning. The former Federal Way City Council member has been hosting online question-and-answer sessions focused on COVID-19, while broadcasting the forums to his constituents via Facebook Live.In recent weeks, Johnson has interviewed school officials about how the coronavirus crisis is affecting education, and has discussedpublic health issues with Dr. Ben Danielson, the senior medical director of Seattle Childrens Odessa Brown Childrens Clinic.People chime in and ask questions of myself or my guests on the show, said Johnson, who represents the 30th Legislative District. Its a great way to talk with people directly. Democratic state Rep. Jesse Johnson, left, delivers food to people in his Federal Way-area district on May 22. Joining him is Keenan Curran, a mentor with the Christian organization Young Life. Johnson said he is not doing traditional door-to-door campaigning due to the COVID-19 crisis. Jesse Johnson campaign Seferiana Day, a political consultant who works with Democrats, said that in many ways, the increased emphasis on online campaigning has made it easier for people to participate in local politics.The virus has changed everything, Day said, but it has also made us realize we can be flexible and make things work.Last week, for instance, the 37th Legislative District Democrats held a meeting to endorse candidates, something the group does every election season. Normally, such a meeting would be considered extremely large if 150 people showed up, said Stephen Reed, the organizations chair.But last week, more than 250 people logged on throughZoom, the online meeting platform, to hear local candidates speak and decide which ones the group should endorse.If that same meeting were held in person, Our room wouldnt even fit that many, Reed said.I do think it is hard for folks to get to the physical meetings sometimes, Reed said. Since most everyone is stuck at home right now, its much easier to get an audience online.Still, theres the issue of raising money. Many in-person fundraisers have been struckfrom this years calendar.With fundraising events unable to proceed as they normally would, candidates are swapping house parties for Zoom calls in which they can make a socially distanced pitch for donations.John Wyble, a Democratic political consultant, said Zoom fundraisers lack the social aspect of in-person political events.The truth is, people who are active in politics go to events not just to meet and talk to the candidates they want to meet and talk to everybody else, too, Wyble said. Thats kind of a crucial element of political fundraising. And thats whats missing in a Zoom event.Even so, Wyble said one of his candidates, former state Rep. Kristine Reeves, has had some success raising money through Zoom meet-and-greets. Reeves is one of several people runningto replace retiring U.S. Rep. Denny Heck, D-Olympia, in Congress.Given the limitations of Zoom get-togethers, traditional phone calls remain an important way of soliciting campaign donations. But because of the global crisis, the nature of those calls has fundamentally changed, multiple political consultants said.For the first month of the pandemic, it wasnt even appropriate to ask for money, said Kevin Carns, executive director of the Reagan Fund, which supports Republican state House candidates.The first round, all we were doing was offering resources, Carns said. That included telling people how they could file for unemployment and how to reach their local health department, he said.We werent talking aboutthe Democrats raise taxes, vote for us, because it would have been really tone deaf to do that at that time, Carns said.On the flip side, people are actually picking up the phone more nowadays, candidates said.Normally, Johnson said he would expect only about 15 to 20 of his campaign phone calls to go to a person instead of a voicemail box.Now when he calls to check in with people,he ends up talking to someone closer to 50 of the time.People are home, and they want to talk because theyre bored, Johnson said. Kirsten Harris-Talley, a Democratic candidate for state representative, speaks at a May 18 meeting of the 37th Legislative District Democrats, which was conducted via Zoom. More than 250 people attended the groups virtual endorsement meeting. Laura Van Tosh, Precinct Committee Officer No. 1896 Initiative campaigns face different challenges. The July 2 deadline for submitting signatures to qualify an initiative for the November ballot is fast approaching.Yet right now, signature gatherers are unlikely to approach voters in person to urge them to sign petitions, given the public-health guidelines that recommend staying at least 6feet away from others.Those limitations have caused ballot-measure campaigns to rely more heavily on other tactics, including asking voters to sign petitions and return them by mail.Crystal Fincher, a political consultant working on a ballot measure called Treatment First Washington, said the campaign is partnering with community organizations to help get the word out about the initiative. The ballot measure, officially known as Initiative 1715, would decriminalize low-level drug possession, referring people to drug treatment programs instead of arresting them. It would also increase funding for treatment.Fincher said that when it comes to community outreach, it makes sense to team up with organizations that are already offering valuable services on the ground, and notreinventthe wheel.In a similar vein, some politicians are also connecting with voters through community service, such as by delivering food to peoples homes.Twice a week, Johnson volunteers to help bring food to community members who need it. He said this allows him to have meaningful interactions with constituents from a safe distance.When they see that their representative is showing up with food at their door, I get a chance to have conversations albeit from 10 feet away, Johnson said.Walsh, the Republican candidate, said he hopes his ice-cream-making videos also help the communityin their own way. He has done the presentations in-person before at local schools, but this is the first year he has put them online.With the current situation with a lot of kids at home, as well as a lot of adults at home, we thought it would be a great opportunity to bring some education out to you, in your homes or wherever you are at, Walsh said during one of his Facebook Live sessions in late March.He then poured liquid nitrogen into a bowl, the white vapor swirling around him, and added a balloon and gummy bears as he explainedthe scientific method.By the lessons end, he had shown his audience how to freeze milk, cream and sugar into raspberry ice cream.Day, the Democratic political consultant, said she expects that more campaigns will continue to incorporate Facebook Live and other digital tools into their strategy in the future, now that they have seen how effective they can be at engaging voters.It really is about being available, Day said. So much of it right now is showing up online every week just having a dialogue and taking questions, and not being afraid to really be accountable to people. Topics: Coronavirus, Election 2020, Elections, Seattle & King County, Washington Legislature, Washington State

That same afternoon, Seattle and King County announced that a second person had died of the coronavirus at EvergreenHealth hospital in Kirkland it was the second coronavirus death in the country at the time, plus four new cases locally. Soon after, museums and galleries in Seattle started closing. And then, Kahlon got very sick. In spite of a negative test result, her doctor said to presume her illness was COVID-19.Almost immediately after launching, New Archives was forced into a hiatus.These stuck-at-homechoreographers offer curbside dance performanceduring drive-in event.Confined to her couch by a raging fever, Kahlon saw googly eyes, bright colors and squiggly spaghetti strands. These werent figments of a sweaty delirium. They were visual details of the two mixed-media collages on her wall, one by Tacoma-based artist Tyrone Patkoski, the other by Daybreak Star preschool students. Amid the throes of her illness, the images sparked an idea: Instead of soliciting writing about art on gallery walls, she would ask people to critique the art in their home.Ive been wondering, Kahlon wrote in a New Archives post in early May, what art youve been looking at. The post included an open call for submissions. Morning after morning, long solitary day after long solitary day. What piece catches your eye when you wake up, or wait for your coffee to be ready what piece in the background do folks ask about in your Zoom meetingsWe might be confined to our personal spaces under the stay-at-home order, but were still experiencing art, Kahlon told me while sitting on her porch during a recent Zoom call. She was finally starting to feel a bitbetter.Everyones talking about how much TV and music were consuming in isolation, she said. But then theres this art on our walls that were also spending so much time with in a different way than we ever anticipated. Two mixed-media collages,one by Tacoma-based artist Tyrone Patkoski at left,the other by Daybreak Star preschool students,gaveSatpreet Kahlon a new idea: during the stay-at-home order, askpeople to review the art on their own walls.Satpreet Kahlon So much about our lives now is different from what wed anticipated.Forever ago, on a brisk February afternoon, I met up with Kahlon and Offenbacher in Columbia City to talk about their new publishing venture ahead of its launch. We had no idea that we would soon measure the time in B.C. Before Coronavirus and C.E. Coronavirus Era. The interview might as well have happened in another world, one where we could still jam in around a smallish table, leaning close to hear each other over the babble and clatter bouncing around the bustling Columbia City Bakery.Seattle photographers arefinding creative ways to get close to people from a distance.An artwork or art show is one half of a conversation, Kahlon said then. Without enough outlets for arts writing, theres no call and response. Its just a call and then emptiness.Over the background noise in the cafe, Kahlon, the journals managing editor, and Offenbacher, fundraiser and publisher, described how New Archives would try to provide the response. Its basic tenets: essays, artist interviews and critiques would be infused with a highly personal perspective, and writers would be paid above industry standards $300, whether they wrote three or 10 paragraphs.In February, things were looking up. They had raised about $25,000, roughly half of the budget needed to operate throughout 2020. The funding came fromlocal philanthropists, including Seattle art collectors Janice Niemi and Dennis Braddock,and Charlie Wright, publisher of local independent poetry press Wave Books, as well as art foundation Western Bridge.Everything was ready to go. Kahlon had a large color-coded Excel sheet with detailed publishing plans all the way through August.But then: coronavirus. Teenage me saw The Girl frequently in the entryway of my partners childhood home, writes Matthew Offenbacher aboutMike Smiths acrylic-on-plexiglass painting The Girl and the 101st View of Mt. Fuji 1981.Now, I see it every day because it hangs in our living room.Matthew Offenbacher In early May, the new New Archives began accepting submissions for a revised content plan: the Art at Home series. The subject should just be an artwork defined very, very loosely you have been sharing your quarantine time with, the website prompts, one that inspires you to write something, whatever that something may be.A recent entry, by Beleszove Wildish Josivu Foldlanya, chronicles the writers love at first sight upon finding a piece of needlework depicting red and orange flowers crumpled up in the bottom of a cardboard box at a free sale.When I became homeless, I couldnt take much with me, least of all, large pieces of art, Foldlanya writes about a previous period of living without a fixed address. So this wool-threaded artwork is also a security blanket: a sign that, for now, I still have a roof over my head and a wall to hang a picture.One of the earliest Art at Home reviews is by Tom Eykemans, co-founder of the Seattle Art Book Fair the inaugural edition of which was postponed by the coronavirus. Eykemans writes about a tiny but mighty painting of a stormy sky by Abraham Murley, which he purchased at the University of Washington School of Art student sale. The rose-tinted colors of clouds at sunset hint that a dark storm is passing, he writes, and better days are ahead.For New Archives, the days ahead are still a mystery. Kahlon is ramping up the publishing schedule, with two to three posts a week, including reviews written before the pandemic, a new column answering questions about equity in the art world and a weekly installment of Art at Home.Plans for paid gallery-show reviews may have been temporarily postponed, but writers will still be paid for Art at Home pieces, on a sliding scale, according to need. Its our way of getting money into peoples hands without putting too much pressure on them, Kahlon says. We only have $20,000 and thats not a ton of money, but it feels like enough that we can get $150 into the hands of 100 people. Focusing on direct action rather than our own survival is really important to us.Offenbacher doesnt know whether hell be able to raise the rest of the years budget in the coming months, and no one knows what the future holds in terms of when museum and gallery shows will resume. In the meantime, New Archives will still function as an archive, just not quite the one Kahlon and Offenbacher originally imagined. Instead, itll serve as a new kind of archive, capturing the peculiarities of living up close with art, seeing it constantly and maybe anew all while the pandemic wreaks havoc on the art world outside our homes.Theres a real need for art writing, and to be talking about whats happening, Offenbacher says, whatever form the community takes as it rebuilds. Article continues below Related Stories Topics: Arts, Coronavirus, Features, Media, Pacific Northwest

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