The Hawthorne Holler

The Newsletter of the Hawthorne Hils Community Council


    A Sept. 1, 2005 letter from the Fire Dept. informed Hawthorne Hill residents that Fire Station 38 would be relocated to 40th Ave. NE & NE 55th St., a site now occupied by Quality Automotive Services and Airmazing Balloons.  Business owners and neighbors--among them Mark Marsh (Metropolitan Market), Norma and Paul Kosche, Susan Roden, Mun Chong, Karen Bates, Diane Hitson, Bryan and Heather Carson, Tina Cha and Greg Christiansin, Patricia Guberlet, and Chad Good (Quality Auto) descended on the Sept. 14th HHCC Trustees meeting.  They were outraged and they wanted help.  Sympathetic HHCC members encouraged them to write City Council and to appear in person during Public Comments at Council’s Sept. 26th meeting.  HHCC President Bonnie Miller and Trustee Arden Forray drafted a letter to Public Safety Chair Nick Licata, urging further public involvement in the process.

     At 2PM Monday Sept. 26th William McGovern, Patricia Jens, Norma Kosche, Heather Carson, Sally Strickland and Norman Strickland (owners of the property), David Demorest (owner, Hawthorne House Apartment Building), Diane Hitson, Karen Reade, Steve Recchi (owner, Quality Automotive), and Roger Mark (owner, Avanti Sports) complained of lack of a transparent public process.  Affected business owners were not notified until Sept. 1, 2005, although the City had entered into negotiations with the Strickland family early in March/April 2005.  Neighbors fear increased traffic and noise, loss of parking, reduced property values; neighborhood business owners fear losing customers and tenants.  The owners opposed use of the process of condemnation which could potentially be used to acquire the property.  The chart below outlines the timeline; none of the public forums prior to Sept. 1st identified actual sites under review.  The Fire Dept. argues advance public notice drives up the price of the parcels.

     Fire Station 38 serves a large area (see Fire Zone  map at left) and includes Bryant-Assumption, View Ridge, Windermere, Inverness, Laurelhurst, and parts of Ravenna and Wedgwood, as well as Hawthorne Hills.   This area is one of low activity within the city as a whole (see chart at right).  The proposed location nearly doubles the lot size from 8,960SF to 15,000SF; the firehouse nearly triples in size from 2,700SF to 8,178SF.  The current station houses a 3-person crew with one engine plus a reserve engine.  City spokesperson Ellen Hansen states there are no plans to add a ladder company.  The new space will enlarge the equipment bay, add a Hazmat decontamination area and a truck maintenance area and storage space for community supplies in case of major disaster, and upgrade sleeping/living quarters for a 4-person company.                           (Continued on page 2)


      From the President’s Desk


      Hawthorne Hills is still one of the City’s safest neighborhoods with fewer than 1% of Seattle’s crimes (see chart page 3).   Try telling that to the neighbors whose cars were stolen or vandalized this summer.  On Aug. 24th, Trustee Margaret Thouless wrote, “A month ago a nice sportsy car was stolen from several houses to the south of me.  Last Tuesday night Jeff Laband’s 10-year-old VW station wagon disappeared.  At the very end of July, or the first Saturday in August, Ming Tsai’s son across the road from us had his SUV in the drive broken into, and all the loose contents, including the car’s papers, were stolen.  If all this has happened in a 10-house region, what is happening in the rest of Hawthorne Hills?”   Pretty much more of the same, actually.  The block of NE 58th St. at 40th Ave. NE has experienced close to a dozen car thefts and break-ins this summer.  One neighbor’s vehicle was stolen two times!

     Diane Horswill said, “The North Precinct has the greatest number of vehicle thefts in the City. There are several reasons for this, but the main one is simply that the car thieves most active right now live in the north end.  Cars are being broken into, stolen, and dumped in all neighborhoods.  I am not surprised Hawthorne Hills has its share.  SPD has begun a program of "bait cars" with GPS tracking systems to help catch thieves red handed.”

     Trustee Saundra Aker reports, “Car theft is normally considered a misdemeanor; it requires seven arrests before a thief lands in jail. Now car theft is going to Municipal Court as a felony, though whether the perpetrator goes to jail is up to the judge.”  Kay Swartwood writes, “This summer a house at the corner of NE 58th & 45th NE was broken into during the day, while a neighbor was in the adjacent backyard.  Police believe they caught the burglar, an older man. Two women posing as housecleaners were driving around the neighborhood and were eventually caught with stolen items in their car, when a neighbor identified their suspicious behavior and called the police.”     Gail Chiarello


Summer Crime Peaks in Our Peaceful Neighborhood


Page 3


     Auto theft rates in Seattle have been rising steadily for the past few years.  There are myths about how and why most auto theft occurs.  TV and movies depict auto theft as a crime involving high-end cars, chop shops, and organized crime.  In reality the majority of cars stolen in our area are common models of average value, chosen because they are readily available and often easy to steal.  This is especially true of popular models manufactured from the mid 1980s to the mid 1990s.  Many cars of this vintage have inherently weak door locks and ignition systems that car thieves have learned to exploit. 

      Thieves have learned to modify a car key by “shaving” the key cuts so that the key becomes a universal key for that particular model and age range.  As a result, thieves are able to open the door and start the engine as quickly and easily as the owner, avoiding the hassle of breaking in and hot-wiring the ignition.

      Owners tend to be a little more casual about the security of older, lesser-value, or “second” cars. Do not leave a spare or valet key in the glove box or anywhere else in the car; it is likely to be used to steal the car.  If you are lucky enough to have a garage, be sure to use it

      Most car break-ins and auto thefts happen overnight.  Often the same thieves commit both crimes.  They steal a car and drive it to another area, in order to break into other cars.  They continue the cycle,  dumping or trading the first car and stealing another, to get to the next neighborhood, and so on.  It is not unusual for an active thief to steal several cars a night. Thieves know the longer they keep a “hot” car, the greater the chance of getting caught.  Since it’s so easy to steal another, why not?  Stolen cars are involved in other crimes, but the bottom line remains the same--they are used for temporary transportation.

     License plate thefts are also common, especially the theft of the front plate only.  The thief will steal a plate from a car that matches, in color and model, a car he has stolen and installs the new plate on the stolen car.  Many car owners do not report the theft or loss of one plate.  This gives the thief extra time to drive the stolen car.  Keep an eye on your plates and be sure to report the theft or loss of one as well as both plates.

      Most stolen cars are eventually recovered, but they can sit at the place they were left for weeks—until a neighbor notices the car does not belong on the block and calls it in to Parking Enforcement as an abandoned car.  Stolen cars are often damaged or vandalized.

      Police often catch auto thieves but thieves do not spend much time in jail.  With jail overcrowding, and a high standard of proof required to prosecute, those who commit property crimes serve much less time than those convicted for offenses that include violence.

     Simple things you can do to protect your car from theft. are buying, (and using!) a steering wheel blocking device such as the “Club.”  It’s not so inherently strong that it can’t be cut off, but few thieves take the time or carry tools.  It is much easier to go on to the next Honda Civic or Toyota Camry that isn’t protected.  This device is also visible from a distance.  Another choice is an ignition cut-off switch installed in a hidden but accessible spot near the driver’s seat.  The driver must flip the switch before the engine can be started.  These devices are moderate in price.  Finally, alarm systems work quite well. Newer systems take advantage of better technology and produce fewer annoying false alarms.  If you have a high-risk older car with an old alarm system, you may wish to augment this with a steering wheel device, cut-off switch, or update the alarm.  

       Owners of lower-value cars usually reduce their insurance to minimum coverage.  But if your car is damaged when it is stolen, which happens frequently, you may suffer considerable loss.  Consider retaining your comprehensive coverage, perhaps with a higher deductible.


Unclassifieds—Free to HHCC Members!   To join see page 7.

 

Community Service Opportunity for High School Requirement!  Accumulate your hours of service by spending some time enhancing the habitat at Warren G. Magnuson Park.Multiple work parties each month, usually on the weekends.  Contact Bonnie Miller, Volunteer Coordinator, Magnuson Environmental Stewardship Alliance at 524-8713 or Bmiller@serv.net.

 

Three-legged Cat!  The owners of an affectionate and easy-going three-legged catreluctant search for a new home for him.Needed: a loving calm home, no other pets, garden (he loves the outdoors).He is a 6-year-old male, neutered, healthy, shots all-up-to-date.Sweet persons only need reply.Suzanne Uchida, 206-522-8932.

 

For Sale:  Wooden table-top weaving loom (for scarves, linens, etc.), with

several weaving accoutrements, including a wooden warp winder.  Excellent

condition.  $250.  Please call Suzanne at 206-522-8932.

 

NorthWest Student Exchange.  Host families needed for high-school-age foreign exchange students.  Call Jeff Laband at 206-527-7626.

 

Your Unclassified Here.  Don’t forget to join the HHCC—complete form on previous page and mail to HHCC Treasurer, 5831 Ann Arbor NE, Seattle 98105.


WEBMASTER FOUND!!!

     A volunteer webmaster has stepped forward to create a Hawthorne Hills Community Council homepage on the Seattle Community Network.  Work on the web page begins mid-October … just in time for

 Hollerween!

Ooooooh!  Stay tuned!


Hawthorne Hills Community Council

5831 Ann Arbor NE

Seattle, WA 98105


The Hawthorne Holler

The Newsletter of the Hawthorne Hils Community Council


COMMUNITY CALENDAR… What’s Happening in the Hills & Holler


Page


Join Hawthorne Hills Community Council 

Mail form to Treasurer Carolyn Chapman, 5831 Ann Arbor NE,  Seattle, WA 98105.

Make your check payable to Hawthorne Hills Community Council.  If you have already paid for 2005, you do not need to pay again. 

 

Name(s)_______________________________________________________

Address_______________________________________________________

Telephone_____________________________________________________

E-Mail________________________________________________________


A Winter’s Tale ...

    

     Last winter Joanne Halverson was taking her daily walk at Magnuson Park, about 4PM of a winter’s afternoon, down by the public swim beach.  No one was in the water—save a half dozen adorable little coots with their black bodies and telltale white bills.  She watched as an eagle swooped out of a tall cottonwood tree, grabbed one of the coots out of the water and broke its neck.  It then flew with its prey to a topmost branch of the cottonwood where the eagle proceeded to pluck out the coot’s feathers, one by one, until the coot was as plucked as clean as a chicken ready for the Sunday soup pot.

     Meanwhile the eagle’s mate arrived and landed in a branch even higher than that of the eagle.

     “Then what happened?  Did the eagle share the coot with its mate?”

     “No, not at all,” reports Joanne.  It proceeded to eat it all by itself.  Actually I couldn’t watch after that because the whole scene got quite bloody.  The eagle just tore the coot apart, into pieces, in order to eat it.  I couldn’t watch anymore.”

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jan Bragg responds:     Yes, eagles have to “pluck a duck” before eating!  (Would you want to eat a chicken that wasn’t fully plucked?  Blech!) are not like owls which can eat their prey whole and then regurgitate the inedible parts (feathers, fur, bones) after eating.    Plucking can take a lot of time, so the eagle must find a secure spot to do the work. our neighborhood, a meal would seem fairly safe, but in an area with a high raptor population, another raptor could come along and steal it during the plucking process.

     This can be seen with regularity in an open area like the Skagit River delta where a juvenile eagle can be plucking its prey, only to have an adult eagle come along and snatch it away.

    The Holler:  Speaking of raptors, is there any raptor who feasts on squirrels? squirrels have been abundant all summer, nibbling everything in sight. crows don't keep this population down. next door neighbor, Bob Scheulen, a lifelong vegetarian, has been heard muttering about "squirrel pie."

    Jan Bragg:   Hmm.  I can’t think of any predator here of Eastern Gray squirrels.  They’re out of their range, far away from natural predators, who probably don’t exist back East either! a Great Horned Owl would take one … but we’re a little short on those in Seattle.  The Great American Car is probably the best bet.


BURDZ! BURDZ! BURDZ!

Continuing Conversation with Bird Woman Jan Bragg

“The Tale of the Eagle Who Ate the Coot”


 


CRIME STATISTICS CENSUS TRACT 42* YEAR TO DATE (January-August  2005)


Local Elections Loom Tuesday November 8th 

Four non-partisan City Council seats are up in November.  Community and neighborhood activists are backing incumbent Richard Conlin in Seat 2.  Richard has been a strong voice for the environment and for neighborhood issues; he enjoys the support of Thornton Creek and Magnuson Park activists, among many others.  Nick Licata in Seat 4 is unopposed; Nick has generally been sympathetic to community concerns and runs as the representative of the “little guy.”  Former Seattle Times writer and Mayor Greg Nickels’ publicist, Casey Corr, opposes incumbent Jan Drago for Seat 6.  Community mavens are not happy with Jan’s perceived cozy relationship with downtown developers, nor was she of any help on the green side of the Magnuson Park issue;  but they are nervous about Casey’s snuggle with the Mayor.  Councilmember Peter Steinbrueck (whose seat is not up this time) supports Jan; he notes Jan restored funding when the Mayor cut dollars for homeless and low-income housing, health care, and the library—issues he cares deeply about.  Former CM Jeanette Williams is a Corr supporter—she believes Corr, who is a resident of Laurelhurst, will be sensitive to issues affecting this part of town.  King County Councilmember Dwight Pelz challenges incumbent Richard McIver for Seat 8.  Dwight is bright and highly energetic; he appears to run on pure French Roast; but McIver, as the sole African-American member on Council, has his own strong supporters.  They feel, in a city as large and multi-ethnic as Seattle, Council diversity must be maintained.  In the Mayoral race, incumbent Greg Nickels should be coasting to an easy victory, but North End challenger and former UW professor Al Runte is giving the Mayor a bit of an unpleasant surprise.  With no political experience behind him, Runte got 22% of the September primary vote, to Nickels’ 57%.  If Runte pulls all the other Votes-Against-Nickels plus a few more from newly disenchanted ex-Nickelites, we could see a new Executive come January.  —Gail Chiarello


                                                                                                 Aggr.       Res’l     Non-Res.                                               

                                        Homicide       Rape       Robbery Assault  Burglary Burglary Theft      Auto Theft   Arson                              TOTAL

January-March 2005                 0                                  1                0              0                9          0              27               24               1                         62

April-August 2005                     0                                  0                1              3              19          6              82               38               0                        149

Census Tract 42 Total               0                                  1                1              3              28          6           109               62               1                        211

City-Wide TOTAL                     21                                 87          1036       1,513       3,020   1,293       18,894          6,771           134                   37,058

% of City Total                                      1.1%        0.1%       0.2%          0.9%   0.5%          0.6%           0.9%          0.7%                    0.6%

*Census Tract 42 includes 10 blocks—30th Ave. NE to 40th Ave. NE.—which lie west of Hawthorne Hills.  Officer Diane Horswill estimates two-thirds of the crimes reported in Census Tract 42 occur in this 10-block area.   Business districts and arterials attract more crime than low-traffic residential streets.


 

 

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The Hawthorne Holler

The Newsletter of the Hawthorne Hils Community Council


The Hawthorne Holler

The Newsletter of the Hawthorne Hils Community Council


The Hawthorne Holler

The Newsletter of the Hawthorne Hils Community Council


The Hawthorne Holler

The Newsletter of the Hawthorne Hils Community Council


Officers and Trustees:

Bonnie Miller President

Dorothy Neville Vice-President

Shelley Hartnett Secretary: 

Carolyn Chapman Treasurer: 

Barbara Sauntry Pres. Emeritus: 

Saundra Aker

Nancy Bittner

Gail Chiarello

Arden Forrey

George Holzapfel

Joan Oates

Andrea Gates Sanford

Mary Savage

Greg Schell

Vance Thompson

Margaret Thouless

Magdalena Tobe Trustee   Emeritus

Suzanne Uchida

Newsletter Editor  Gail Chiarello

Editorial Board Saundra Aker, Jan Ames


Best of the Northwest at Magnuson Park Hangar 27.  Fri., Sat, Sun,  Nov. 18-20 10AM-6PM (8PM Fri).  Arts and crafts in time for holiday giving. 

 

Silver Platters Northgate—New Listening Stations.   “Plans” by Death Cab for Cutie leads pop sales at Seattle’s most fiercely independent music store.  YoYo Ma’s “Silk Road Journeys—Beyond the Horizon” tops out classical CDs.  Check out at Silver Platters’ new listening stations, just south of the Northgate mall on 1st Ave NE.  Watch for performance stage coming this fall.  Mon-Sat 10AM-10PM; Sun 11AM-7PM.

 

Gretchen’s Place—Home of the 5AM Cup of Coffee.  Did you know Gretchen’s Place serves its lovely coffees and tasty snacks starting at 5AM every day?  Finally, a solution for that early morning insomnia—forget counting sheep.  Jog over to Gretchen’s and face the inevitable with a 5AM cup of Java.

 

Katterman’s Sand Point Pharmacy.  $25 flu shots will be available end of October (no charge to Medicare customers).  You can also get travel immunizations and gardening tetanus shots at Katterman’s.  Ask for Bev or Steve. 

HomeStreet Bank on NE 35th—A Bank with Heart.   The bank will accept donations for the University Food Bank beginning Mon. Nov. 21st.  Bank employee Maureen Little will walk the 26.2-mile Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Marathon on Sat. Dec. 11th in honor of Alice Reed.  Those who wish to donate to Maureen’s effort can speak to her at the bank.  HomeStreet Bank has made a $5,000 donation to Friends of Dahl Fields to restore wetlands in that park.  Local branch hours Mon-Thurs 9AM-5PM and Fri 9AM-6PM. 

 

Seattle Neighborhood Coalition: This group of wide-awake city-wide neighborhood activists meets at 9AM for breakfast the second Saturday of each month at the Greenhouse Café, 2205 Seventh Ave, Seattle.  E-mail Kent Kammerer at  kammerer2@mindspring.com to be placed on the mailing list.  Always provocative.

 

Parks and Open Space Advocates: Led by John Barber, POSA keeps an eye on the City’s open space/green space and fights commercialization and privatization of what should be a public good.  Meets once a month at various times and locations.  E-mail John at barber-osa@comcast.net to be placed on the mailing list.

 

 

 

 


Vol. 1, No. 4                                                                                                                                                                                          Fall 2005


    Our shorter days  and longer nights, cooler temperatures and rain are finally with us.  This was a long, hot summer, and Hawthorne Hills had its share of life in an urban area.  Several spates of car break-ins and car thefts ruined some of our neighbors’ tranquil summer.  Being a good neighbor includes being alert to unusual activity near your home.  Another bothersome problem has been the amount of graffiti that appeared.  The Princeton Bridge has been targeted more than once, and the graffiti tends to stay way too long.  Your Council is working on getting better cooperation from the City departments with whom the responsibility of removing the graffiti rests.  Over and over I hear that the graffiti is most often done by offenders who live within one mile of the incident.  Our park, Warren G. Magnuson, has suffered more this summer than any summer prior to this one.  What can we do?  Once again, keep our eyes and ears open and call 911 if you see suspicious behavior.               —Bonnie Miller


L. to r.:  Bob Scheulen, Kim Wells, Alan Singer, Don Aker, Saundra Aker.   Kim Wells and Don & Saundra Aker organized a fabulous evening down in the “holler” at the foot of Hawthorne Hills.  Other  Hawthorne Hills block parties were organized on Oberlin Ave. NE (Greg Schell), on Purdue Ave. NE (Jeff Laband), and on 44th Ave. NE.


 


The Hawthorne Holler

The Newsletter of the Hawthorne Hils Community Council


Page


The Hawthorne Holler

The Newsletter of the Hawthorne Hils Community Council


 

 

 

 

 

 

 


   Roosevelt high school junior, Lylli Meredith, 15, claimed the prestigious Wedgie Award for her poem, “You Are Made of Flowers,” submitted to North East Library’s 2005 Poetry Contest.  Ms. Meredith won First Place in the Young Adult Division and Grand Prize (the equivalent of “Best in Show”) to walk away with the “Golden Wedgie,” honoring the local  landmark Wedgwood Rock at 28th Ave. NE at NE 72nd St.  Within the Hawthorne Hills community, Emily Fung, 11, of 40th Ave. NE took Second Place in the Children’s Division for her poem, “A Sleeping Bliss” (poem on page 6).   Kim Wells of 43rd Ave. NE won Honorable Mention in the Adult Division for her poem, “You Know Me.”  All poems submitted to the competition can be viewed by the public.  Ask librarian Tom Mendelson for the poetry binder.  Entries for the 2006 competition will be due April 30, 2006.  Start scribbling!

 

 


 

 


 

 

 


Reducing Auto Theft by Diane Horswill


    The Hawthorne Holler

The Newsletter of the Hawthorne Hills Community Council is published 4 times a year—Winter Spring Summer Fall.  Special thanks to Kim Wells for proofreading the Fall 2005 Holler.

Editor:  Gail Chiarello

Tel: 206-523-0715

E-mail: GailChiarello@comcast.net


 

 

 

 

 

 


Contact Bonnie Miller at 206-524-8713

E-mail:   Bmiller@serv.net


Bonnie Miller by her red-twig dogwood  at 8:47AM Oct. 10 2005


Page 2


Page 4


Page 6


Page 8


Below—Geographic area served by Fire Station 38 is bounded by Union Bay and Lake Washington on the southeast, by 20th Ave. NE on the  west and by NE 75th Street on the north. 


          Bill Cecil IMS

            Associate Broker

                Office     (206) 522-9600

                Direct     (206) 499-4977

                V.M.        (206) 394-5162

                Fax          (206) 527-3818             

          Email:     billcecil@hotmail.com

 


Windermere Real Estate Company

5424 Sand Point Way NE

Seattle, Washington 98105


Windermere


Serving the Hawthorne Hills Community

40th Ave. NE at NE 55th Street

Open 24 Hours a Day


 

   Ryan Rockwell

    Residential Real Estate

    206-963-2022

    ryanrockwell@cbba.com       

 

Hawthorne Hills

Working & Living in our Neighborhood


Rockin’ on NE 58th Street—HHCC Neighbors Night Out, Aug. 2, 2005


Roosevelt High Junior Wins Coveted “Golden Wedgie” Poetry Award


Above: Hawthorne Hills’ own Emily Fung takes Second Place in North East Library’s Poetry Contest Children’s Division.


Above:  Hawthorne Hills lies west of 40th Ave. NE, south of NE 65th St., and northwest of Sand Point Way.  There are 1700 households and businesses in the Hawthorne Hills community.  Below:  Landmark Fire Station 38 on 33rd Ave. NE currently serves Hawthorne Hills plus many other neighborhoods.


Windermere


“Your Neighbor — Your Choice!”


Joan Kemp

 

Business 206-524-1100

Fax 206-526-7614

Cell 206-355-9813

E-mail jkemp@windermere.com


Eye Exams Available


 Hawthorne Hills Cape Cod

4700 NE 60th Street

$685,000

 Mary Gibson

206-650-4341, 524-1100

http://www.marygibson.net

W Windermere Real Estate

Sand Point Office


Diane Horswill is the Seattle Police Crime Prevention Officer for Seattle’s North Precinct.  Her article is also available as a hand-out from her office.  Call  206-684-7711 or e-mail diane.horswill@seattle.gov.  


September Update North Precinct Police Blotter:  9/14/05 5PM 5100-block 40th Ave NE—Homeowner reports a burglary; believes suspect is a former caregiver. 9/14/05 12:40AM  5000-block Mithun Pl. NE—Resident hears noises & sees a light downstairs that she did not leave on.  Officers respond but the house checks clear.  9/17/05 3AM 5000-block Mithun Pl. NE—2 neighbors hear shots fired near Burke Gilman Park.  Officers check area.  9/22/05 7PM 4500-block Purdue Ave NE—Home-owner reports his home was burglarized.  09/25/05 5:24AM  4800-block NE 60th St— Resident reports 3 white males in their 20s are checking door knobs of homes as they walk down the street.  Officers arrive in 2 minutes; stay in area for 45 minutes but do not find suspects.  9/27/05 5:25PM 4000-block NE 55th St—Resident reports a forced entry burglary. 


she’s made out of flowers

and the dust from moth’s wings

i was afraid to touch her

in case it was the same way with her as moths

that she would blow away into night’s open mouth

and he would swallow her whole.

he promised he would take her eventually.  he wants

to show her the stars.

 

she keeps her heart in her guitar

she showed it to me once, it slipped out as she sang me to sleep

she is my lullaby.

 

sunday morning, she is wearing thin

i can see the sky is showing through her skin

so i bring her a crown of roses, paper, violin strings

a house made out of leaves

a million tiny silver birds

these things that say, don’t go

and she smiles and says

you are my 5th avenue, the cream in my airport coffee

you are my lily

 

& I know that is goodbye

so I smile back & kiss her & then give her to the night

                                      Lylli Meredith


Neighbors Erupt in Opposition to Fire Station Relocation


                        PLEASE CHECK DESIRED MEMBERSHIP STATUS

   $15   Low-income/Senior/Student Membership

       $25 Household Membership

  $100 “I just love you, guys!”  Heightened Awareness Membership


Hungry eagle views unsuspecting coot at Magnuson Park


Neighbors Erupt re Fire Station, cont:      From a market point of view, said retired Sand Point Windermere broker, Betsy Lee, the highest and best use of this property would be 3-story condominiums or apartment units.  Increased traffic and loss of parking from a condo development could be more objectionable than impacts from a fire station.  “You have to be careful what you wish for,”  she said.  Bonnie Miller, HHCC President, pointed out neighbors have an opportunity for input into the  design of the new fire station.   

     Any proposed site must maintain or improve the unit’s response time.  Over 3/4ths of FS38’s calls are responses to medical emergencies.  Loss of even a minute can mean life or death.  The 40th Ave. NE location is “dead center” in the fire zone area; Magnuson Park lies on its far eastern border. Response times to the western parts of the zone could double if the station were located at Magnuson Park.

     Another public meeting has been scheduled for Nov. 2nd at 7:30PM, location TBA.  Meanwhile City Council has asked the Capital Projects to update entire Fire Levy program; it is already over-budget, and Council wants to delay a decision on Fire Station 38 until this project can be viewed in context.  The report is due February 2006.  Contact Nick Licata, Chair, Public Safety Committee, or Jan Drago, Council President.  Address mail to Seattle City Hall,Box 34025, Seattle, WA 98124-4025—e-mail addresses and phone numbers on page 5.  Or contact Ellen Hansen, Fire Levy Program Communications Officer, at 206-386-1366 or e-mail:  Ellen.Hansen@seattle.gov.

          —Gail Chiarello and Arden Forray


Fire Station 38 Activity (2002 Statistics)                                                                                     

Call Type        FS38         Seattle         % Total

Fire                   450       15,576             2.9%

EMT & other   1,450       55,581            2.6%

TOTAL           1,900       71,157             2.7%


 

HomeStreet Bank

       Great neighbors. Great bankers.

 

For all your Banking and Mortgage Needs

 

HomeStreet Bank

Wedgwood Branch

8200 35th Ave NE

Seattle, WA 98115

(206) 525 2840

 

Locally Owned and Serving our Northwest

Neighbors for over 80 Years!


Tom Mendelson emcees the award ceremonies at the North East Library, May 24, 2005.  Over 100 enthusiastic poets and friends attended  the event.


  A Sleeping Bliss

 

The sea is beneath me,

The stars are a deep.

Nothing is stirring,

For the world is asleep.

 

The deer aren’t awake,

All gone from the meadow.

As I grow very tired

With the moon’s heavy shadow.

 

And the trees are all groaning,

With the stiffness of day.

And the leaves are out dancing,

With the wind in their way.

 

And I end my long journey,

With a skip and a leap.

For now I can rest with the

World all asleep

                       —Emily Fung


Write to Councilmembers at Seattle City Hall, POB 34025, Seattle 98124-4025 or phone and e-mail:

● Jan Drago 206-684-8801 (Jan.Drago@seattle.gov)

● Richard Conlin 206-684-8805 Richard.Conlin@seattle.gov)

● Jim Compton 206-684-8802 (Jim.Compton@seattle.gov)

● David Della 206-684-8806 (David.Della@seattle.gov)

● Jean Godden 206-684-8807 (Jean.Godden@seattle.gov)

● Nick Licata 206-684-8803 (Nick.Licata@seattle.gov)

● Richard McIver 206-684-8800 (Richard.McIver@seattle.gov)

● Tom Rasmussen 206-684-8808 Tom.Rasmussen@seattle.gov)

● Peter Steinbrueck 206-684-8804 (Peter.Steinbrueck@seattle.gov)


PUBLIC PROCESS TIMELINE

August 2004     Northeast District Council                   Fire Dept. asks for NEDC’s help notifying the community

Sept. 13, 2004    Laurelhurst Community Council         Fire Dept. informs LCC of plans to move FS38

Oct. 13, 2004     Postcard with tear-off                          Mailed to 13,800 residents; 100 respond to Fire Dept.

Nov. 9, 2004      Eckstein School Meeting                    40 people show up; another 100 e-mail the Fire Dept.

Mar. 23, 2005     HHCC Annual Meeting                    Fire Chief Gregory Dean discusses relocation of FS 38

Sept. 1, 2005      Letter mailed to community                First notification to the community of actual site

Sept. 14, 2005     HHCC Trustees Meeting                   Upset neighbors/businesspeople ask HHCC for help

Sept. 26, 2005     Seattle City Council                         Eleven citizens offer spirited Public Comment; Council refers CB 115369 back to Public Safety Committee.

Nov. 2, 2005         Next Community Meeting                               7:00PM University Unitarian Church, 6556 35th Ave. NE, Seattle.


Magnuson Park Wetlands Update


     The Army Corps of Engineers, in a letter dated July 28, 2005, found Seattle Parks Department placed unauthorized fill dirt in wetlands at Warren G. Magnuson Park, along the area known as the “Haul Road” adjacent to the Frog Pond.  The Parks Department has been ordered to do no further work in the wetlands at this site pending remediation.  The Parks’ wetlands consultant, Dyanne Sheldon, has continued to report to the monthly Project Advisory Team (PAT) meetings that the Army Corps viewed complaints about illegal fill dirt in the park as “nuisance complaints.”  Apparently these are a nuisance for Ms. Sheldon, but the Corps has in fact found the Parks Department in violation of the Clean Water Act.    Other developments include Park Department plans to subgrade three additional sports fields in Phase II, for a total of seven graded fields.  This may be in violation of the permit granted by the City’s Urban Development & Planning Committee last spring, which allows only four fields to be constructed in Phase II.  A 2-year evaluation of environmental and neighborhood impacts must occur before additional fields are built.   For further information, contact Friends of Magnuson Park President Diana Kincaid at dianak@seanet.org, Peter Steinbrueck, Chair, Urban Planning & Development, or David Della, Chair, Parks, Neighborhoods & Education. 


TRUSTEES MEETING: 

Wed., Jan. 18th

7:30-9:00PM 

Building 30

Magnuson Park


 

Left:  Jim Friel emerges from an autumn dip in Magnuson Park at 4:27PM on Oct. 9 2005. 

Right:  Jim had not been in the water alone…