By Taryn Stejskal, founder of Resilience Leadership, an executive coaching company teaching leadership development skills based on her research into resiliency.
Understand that mindset is critical.
Challenge is an inevitable part of life, and the current global health landscape has presented us with a time of challenge, change, and complexity. We are all affected by COVID-19. Many are facing personal and professional hurdles due to the quarantine and economic changes. Be aware that practicing certain behaviors can create more resilient outcomes. Resilience is now, more than ever, a critical skill as our lives are affected not just by what happens to us but how we choose to respond to those events.
Know the common myths of resiliency.
1 -The first and most commonly held myth is that we “bounce back” after a challenge. The truth is we will never go back. In small and large ways, we all will be changed by this experience. In response to our external experience, neuroplasticity allows our brains to rewire. Resilience provides the ability for us to “bounce forward” and change in positive ways.
2 -The second myth is that resilience is passive. Again, commonly used language supports this notion, like the phrase “time heals all wounds.” If we ignore, deny, or numb ourselves, it doesn’t allow us to effectively address the challenge. To cultivate resilience, we have to actively engage with the challenge at hand.
3 – The third myth is that resilience is static. On the contrary, resilience is dynamic. It’s like building a muscle. We can train ourselves to think in a more resilient way and therefore exhibit behavior that is more resilient.
Employ the Five Practices of Particularly Resilient People.
Based on my research, I created the Five Practices of Particularly Resilient People. It provides a road map to enhance resilience in challenging situations like the one we currently face.
1 – The first is “vulnerability,” allowing one’s inner self to match the outer self so you are not navigating two personas. It means living congruently with your internal experience so people know what support, resources, information, and knowledge you need.
2 – The second is “productive perseverance,” which is the intelligent pursuit of a goal. Staying the course works well when the landscape doesn’t change, but in times such as these it’s worth taking stock and possibly reassessing both outcomes and processes.
3 – Third is “connection” to oneself and to friends, family, colleagues, and neighbors. Connection even with just one person can be an incredible lifeline always, but particularly during this time.
4 – Fourth is “grati-osity,” a combination of gratitude and generosity, finding the good in a challenging experience and generously sharing the lessons we learn with others.
5 – Finally, there is “possibility.” The Chinese character for the word “crisis” is a compilation of the characters of “danger” and “opportunity.” Possibility is the capability to see both the danger and the opportunity in a challenging circumstance.
Find purpose and positivity in the pause.
It’s important to note that having a positive attitude doesn’t mean we are happy all the time, but it does mean we believe that good things can, and will, happen. When dealing with the ambiguity of this quarantine, it is important to remember to balance optimism with realism. We can respond from a place of positivity and possibility without being overly optimistic. This unprecedented time of change is an opportunity to look at all aspects of life, personally and professionally, and reorient, rejuvenate, and pivot if need be.
Due to the governor’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy directive, NPAC is not meeting this May. However, the usual meeting contributors kindly sent us updates. It’s interesting to hear how the King Co and Seattle Attorney General’s Offices are adapting during this time.
In the update document there is also some information about help for domestic violence.
A Message from the North Precinct Eric Sano Captain:
To all North Precinct residents, business owners and workers, I hope this report finds you all well during the City’s COVID-19 pandemic response. In all of my years, I have never experienced anything like this (and I’ve been around almost 60 years!). We are truly in unprecedented times, with unprecedented and extraordinary mandates put upon all of us. Many of you may be feeling anxious and wondering if we’ll ever get back to normal. Well, if there’s one thing that has withstood the test of time, it has been the resilience of our great community members. We will get through this together. Even now, our State is leading the way in flattening the curve. Please continue to practice social distancing and strict personal hygiene as we forge on.
As I stated last month, the Seattle Police Department continues to patrol our streets and respond to calls as we have always done. While we are continuing to encourage our citizens to utilize our online reporting, CopLogic (https://www.seattle.gov/police/need-help/online-reporting ), or telephone reporting to minimize face-to-face contact, that doesn’t mean you are not to call 9-1-1 if you believe a crime is occurring, about to occur or has occurred. We are still responding to priority calls or other calls for service. We are still getting dispatched to calls all over the North Precinct.
Our new Community Police Team (CPT) Sergeant is Cory Simmons, who started on April 1st. Sgt. Simmons has 21 years of experience with SPD, with the bulk of his time in Patrol in the West Precinct. He spent the last 5 years a supervisor on First Watch in Lincoln Sector. He was my choice to head CPT and I know he’ll do a great job.
Speaking of the CPT, they continue to work their regular shifts and continue to do their regularly assigned duties. In addition, I have tasked them with keeping an eye on our various encampments and working with the Nav Team to mitigate many of the issues that are arising out of them. Please understand that, since the Governor’s Stay-at-Home order, the City’s response to homelessness, encampments and RV’s has been amended. There is currently a hold on 72-hour parking complaints and camp removals have been suspended. In the interim, we are working with the Human Services Department, Public Health and other City agencies to do some clean-up and mitigate health concerns as well as educating our various homeless communities on social distancing and hygiene.
CPT Officers are continuing to monitor the situation at Ballard Commons Park and Lake City Mini Park, in particular, due to some of the criminality issues that are popping up.
The Community Police Team Officers are also assigned, along with my bicycles, to monitor the park closures imposed by the Mayor.
Although the University Street Fair has been canceled, we do not know the status of our other annual events (Fremont Fair, Solstice Parade, Greenwood Car show, July 4th Celebrations at Gasworks, Ballard Seafood Fest, etc.) When we receive updates from the Special Events Committee, we’ll let you all know.
So, let’s discuss crime since I know that’s part of what we discuss at NPAC. After three and a half months, we’re down 11% in crime and my only plus category is auto thefts. Just a reminder: many of you may be at home and not driven your car in awhile. Please check to make sure it’s still where you left it. Our officers have stopped many cars that later turned out to be unreported stolens.
So, during this last month that the Stay-at-Home order was imposed, the good news is that our calls for service are down almost 20% and our on-views (officer initiated activity) are up 18%! We are seeing a huge increase in Directed Patrols (+408%) and Premise Checks (+91%) as we have told our entire precinct personnel to focus on our businesses districts and businesses that are closed.
However, in the last 28-days, our calls for prowlers and burglaries are both up, despite a number of you being at home. This is a reminder to you: as the weather starts getting nicer, the inclination is to keep doors and windows open. Unless you can monitor those points of entry, don’t do that! Also, for those of you that live in secure apartment buildings, be cognizant of people following you in. Unless you know, for a fact, that they live there…keep them out. We are having a number of package thefts from supposedly secure buildings, where the mailboxes are in the lobby area. Lastly, for those of you that have secure parking garages, be cognizant of people following you in there. We’ve had an uptick in car prowls in supposed secure parking garages. Stay vigilant, be smart but stay safe. If you see something suspicious, call 9-1-1 right away. We’ll determine if someone belongs in a secure location or not.
Again, stay home unless you have to go to the doctor, the pharmacy or the store. Take care of one another and know we’re going to get through this.
Stay-at-Home 2020: You’ve Checked on Your Friends– Have You Checked on Your Car?
Written by Jonah Spangenthal-Lee on
An arrest of a prolific auto thief in West Seattle last week threw a spotlight on an emerging crime of opportunity in a time of stay-at-home orders and significantly reduced vehicle traffic in Seattle.
On April 9th, SPD Major Crimes Task Force (MCTF) detectives were conducting an operation, targeting a prolific auto thief they’d learned was in possession of a stolen white Honda Civic and was keeping it at a West Seattle home.
Police later found the man sitting in the driver’s seat of the Honda outside the home, but when they ran the vehicle’s license plate, they discovered the Honda hadn’t been reported stolen.
Detectives tracked down a phone number for the Honda’s registered owner and called the man, who told police that, as far as he knew, his vehicle was still at his Ballard home. When detectives asked the man to go out and check on his car, he found it had been stolen. Detectives, Southwest Precinct Anti-Crime Team and patrol officers quickly arrested the thief and booked him into the King County Jail for possession of a stolen vehicle.
This isn’t the first instance, during our current quarantine era, that thieves have taken advantage of reduced vehicle travel in our region.
“We’ve been seeing a spike in auto theft,” says SPD Auto Theft Unit Lieutenant Tom Yoon. “With the stay home order, people aren’t driving their cars and don’t realize they’ve been stolen.”
Over the last month, police have received 300 auto thefts, a 24-percent uptick for the 258 reports made over the same time last year.
Under normal circumstances, once someone calls into 911 to report their vehicle’s been stolen, police enter the car’s license plate into a nationwide stolen vehicle database. Then, officers out on patrol, police and parking enforcement vehicles outfitted with license plate readers can check against that database and immediately alert officers if a stolen car rolls past so they can arrest a thief and recover the car. But police are only able to look for, and recover, cars, trucks and motorcycles that have been reported stolen.
Now, with hundreds of thousands of Seattle residents sitting tight under the state’s stay-at-home orders and (keep up the good work, everybody!) and with the City suspending 72-hour parking restrictions in many residential areas, it may be days before a vehicle owner realizes their car’s gone missing.
Despite the increase in auto thefts, many stolen cars in our region are recovered and returned. Thieves often only drive a car for a few days before dumping the vehicle and stealing another, and chop shops are exceedingly rare in our area.
So, right now, if you’re able, Lt. Yoon has a request: go check on your car. If it’s not where you left it, call 911. If it’s still there, great. Be sure to check on it again soon.
I’d like to invite you all to participate in a community porch concert on Sunday, April 12 at 4 pm. Do you play an instrument or sing? Come out to your porch and make some music for your neighbors! This is for any instrument, any age, any level (from beginner in elementary band to professional.)
At that time if you’re not playing, feel free to go on a walk through our neighborhood (please maintain the 6 feet rule) and enjoy the music. Let’s find some beauty in the midst of all of this difficulty.
A little about me: I’m a flutist and the artistic director of a classical ensemble called the Sustain Music Project, which performs concerts with the intention of creating community through music.
Please contact me with any questions you may have at christina@sustainmusic.org.
This month two brothers: 6 year old Porter, a Hazel Wolf student, and 4 year old Declan made a poster for the kiosk. They want to thank all the essential workers helping us during the coronavirus Stay Home, Stay Healthy period. Thank YOU, Declan and Porter, for making this beautiful heart and listing many of the professions helping us right now. Below are a couple photos so you can see clearly. But even better, do stop by the pocket park at NE 117th St & 19th Ave NE to see the boys’ work up close!
If you would like to submit your child’s artwork (or yours!) for the Pocket Park, please email nancy@pinehurstseattle.org.
Neighbors are stepping up to give us some fun diversions while we’re following the governor’s Stay at Home Stay Healthy directive. Many have put teddy bears in their windows for parents and children to ‘hunt’ on their walks. Here is some fun chalk art on NE 113th St & 20th Ave NE.
Work is continuing during the current coronavirus restrictions. Here is a statement from SDOT:
At the City of Seattle, we are continuing to follow guidance from federal, state, and local leaders and our public health partners regarding COVID-19. State officials have determined that work on public works projects can continue during the Governor’s stay-at-home order provided that appropriate safety measures are in place.
The Seattle Department of Transportation is continuing with essential transportation (public works) projects to the greatest extent practicable during these times. The health and safety of our workers and the public is our first priority. Our contractors have updated their Health and Safety Plans to incorporate best management practices with respect to COVID-19 throughout our construction work sites. If a situation arises where a contractor is unable to maintain these practices on a work site, or the Governor orders that work on public works projects must stop, the contractor shall temporarily suspend work until the work can be performed safely and legally.
We will notify you if there are any changes to the project schedule or planned work.
The following activities will be taking place over the next several weeks:
Upcoming April and May northbound I-5 express lane nighttime work
Beginning as soon as April 13 and throughout the month of May, they’ll be working in the median near the northbound I-5 express lane off-ramp at 1st Ave NE and NE 103rd St. Work will take between 11 PM to 5 AM and is within the regularly scheduled express lane closure hours. During this time, they’ll be installing temporary concrete barriers, clearing and grubbing vegetation, working on drainage, and installing a block wall system.
Alternate route: Exit 174 NE 130th St/Roosevelt Way NE (the next exit open past the closed express lane off-ramp)
East side of I-5 (1st Ave NE between NE 100th St and NE 103rd St)
From March 30 until April 3, the shoulder of northbound I-5 will be closed from 7 AM to 3:30 PM while work on below-ground support for bridge columns takes place.
Additional work in this area includes the following:
Ongoing intermittent lane closures, with northbound and southbound traffic maintained
Utility and signal work
Installation of storm-water collection system
West side of I-5 (north side of North Seattle College and along N 100th St)
Clearing and grubbing of vegetation
Utility and drainage work
Stonework for construction access road
Grading of bridge approach
Retaining wall installation
What to expect during construction
Some noise and construction vehicle activity, including cranes
Some nighttime and weekend work
Detours for people walking and biking
Lane reductions on Northgate express lane on- and off-ramp
2 freeway closures and detours on weekends and at night only, as soon as March 2021
Construction staging and parking impacts near the construction sites, including at the northern side of North Seattle College along N 100th St and on NE 100th St at 1st Ave NE
Closure of the North Seattle Park & Ride on 1st Ave NE
Questions during construction? Contact:
Darrell Bulmer
Communications and Outreach Lead
Northgate Bridge Construction Project
NorthgateBridge@seattle.gov
(206) 905-3620
www.seattle.gov/transportation/NorthgatePedBridge.htm
