MCDERMOTT ADDRESSES FCA'S ANNUAL MEETING
State Rep. Joe McDermott shares his views on the Legislature with Fauntleroy residents at FCA's annual meeting on May 24.
Photo courtesy Irene Stewart
FROM THE PRESIDENT
BLOCK WATCH PLACE TO START
"Team" and "plan" were perhaps the most frequently used words at FCA's annual meeting on May 24th.
We heard (again) from LuAn Johnson with Seattle Disaster Aid & Response Teams (SDART) about the importance of having a team-centered disaster plan and I know she's right. Living west of the Duwamish, we must be prepared to make it on our own for days if a disaster knocks out power and other services.
I've listened to LuAn before but, this time, I really heard her. Why? Because Judy Jacobson was also on the program, talking about the earthquake plan that she and her neighbors on 47th developed (see p. 3). They have demonstrated for all of us how a Block Watch can be a logical starting point for the neighborhood safety team that LuAn is promoting.
Both SDART and Block Watch organize a cluster of homes generally visible to one another along a street or alley, near an intersection, or in an apartment or condominium building. I am convinced that, in addition to fighting crime or being prepared, being organized in this way helps us know our neighbors and fosters communication. It can even lessen little disputes over fence lines or noisy dogs.
For several years, Block Watches have observed "Night Out Against Crime" with street parties and backyard picnics, all aimed at community crime prevention. This year's "Night Out" will be August 7.
Last year, FCA hosted a community "Night Out" barbecue that was well-attended. Many folks, though, had to choose between the barbecue and their block party. This year, instead of sponsoring an event on the same night, we've decided to help Fauntleroy neighbors launch their own.
Any group of neighbors, of any size, can stage a "Night Out" party in someone's yard or apply for a free permit to block off a section of street. You might choose the traditional lineup of barbecue, potluck dishes, kids games, and prizes or tap the ethnic diversity on your street for a "Bite" format.
Start by calling 684-7555 for a "Night Out" packet from the city, and then let any FCA Board member (see p. 6) know about your party. We'll support you with publicity and ideas for activities and prizes.
If you'd like to have a community barbecue later in the summer, give me a call. We'll do something if we have interest and volunteers. - Bruce Butterfield
FAUNTLEROY PARK, CREEK
WATERSHED COUNCIL PROPOSED
A public meeting on Thursday, July 12, will lay the groundwork for long-term enhancement and stewardship of Fauntleroy Park and Fauntleroy Creek.
Open to all interested residents, the meeting will provide an opportunity to review preliminary recommendations of an action plan initially aimed at the creek but now expanded to encompass the park as well. Community stewardship of the creek began in 1989, and volunteers began working in the park in 1999 as part of the city's Adopt-a-Park program.
Much of the discussion will be about forming a watershed council comprised of citizen volunteers and representatives of agencies and organizations with a role in the watershed. The agenda will also include reports on a channel assessment and a proposed vegetation management plan for the park.
The meeting will start at 7 p.m. in Fellowship Hall at Fauntleroy Church; the hall is wheelchair-accessible. For more information, call Karen Farnsworth (935-5313) or Judy Pickens (938-4203).
REPORTING IMPORTANT, EVEN
IF STENCH MILDER THIS SUMMER
The summer stench from Fauntleroy Cove may be milder this year but it is no less concerning, according to Jill Hansen, head of FCA's stench committee.
During 1999 and 2000, the state paid for hauling out decomposing seaweed from the cove. The last time the state did so, the seaweed took five years to build up enough to again generate noxious levels of hydrogen sulfide gas.
Jill plans to confer this summer with a seaweed expert to explore possible long-term solutions to the problem. Whatever they might be, documentation is critical, she emphasized.
"Call the health department (see box) every day that you smell the stench this summer," she advised. "Having documented complaints is very important when we need to procure funding for this problem."
The next meeting of the stench committee will be Thursday, July 12, at 7 p.m. at Jill's home (9247 Fauntleroy Way S.W.). All interested residents are welcome. For more information, contact her at 937-9205 or JillHansen39@hotmail.com.
FAUNTLEROY & WILDWOOD
BULB IMPROVES SAFETY ON RESIDENTIAL STREET
A safety improvement initiated by neighbors is finally in place, doing its job.
In May, the city installed a curb bulb at Fauntleroy Way S.W. and S.W. Wildwood Place and will be back soon with signage, then again in October to landscape the site.
Nearly five years earlier, residents of the 9200 block of Fauntleroy Way began talking about the need to slow and reduce traffic. Drivers were zipping onto the street without cutting their speed or missing the turn, then using driveways or a fast trip around the block to get back on the arterial. The volume and speed of traffic also created unsafe conditions for pedestrians.
Residents Jill Hansen and Alexis Zolner worked with the Seattle Department of Transportation to find a solution that would meet the needs of the city and be attractive to the neighborhood. After many months of effort, they had petition signatures and support from the FCA Board in hand and were able to win full city funding for construction of a curb bulb.
The protrusion of curbing reduces Fauntleroy Way S.W. at that intersection to the minimum width for two lanes of traffic. In so doing, it slows traffic, more clearly indicates that the arterial turns, and improves pedestrian safety (including sidewalk ramps for disabled access).
"No Parking" signs are to come soon. In the fall, two trees and a variety of drought-tolerant plants will landscape the site and increase the visual demarcation between arterial and residential street.
Although the plants will be low-maintenance, they will need attention until they're established. If you could help with this task, contact Jill at 937-9205 or JillHansen39@hotmail.com.
|
This curb bulb at Fauntleroy
and Wildwood is doing what instigators Alexis Zolner (left) and Jill Hansen
hoped: improving safety on their residential street.
Photo courtesy Judy Pickens |
NEIGHBORS ON 47TH READY FOR EARTHQUAKE
Neighbors along 47th Avenue S.W. had good reason to celebrate on February 28. The earthquake plan built on their existing Block Watch had worked like a charm.
Ten years ago, residents of the 25 houses on 47th between Wildwood and Brace Point organized a Block Watch to improve security and safety on the street. Prompted by an emphasis in area schools, they decided in 1994 to expand the scope to include earthquake preparedness.
At the time, they were on their own. Now through its Disaster Aid & Response Teams program, the city helps interested neighbors prepare for earthquakes and other disasters (see box).
When Judy Jacobson became Block Watch captain in 1994, she championed development of a plan strictly for earthquakes. She credits much of the plan's success to the fact that they already had Block Watch in place.
"It took away a lot of the fear we might otherwise have had," she said. "With the skills and interests we had in the neighborhood, developing a plan was pretty easy."
Their first step was outlining how to get the job done. They decided to do it together, using Block Watch meetings already on the calendar. With Bill Zottman, a member of the Harborview Medical Center's disaster team, in the lead, planning took just a few months.
Judy offered her front yard as the "command center" and six "captains" took responsibility for visually checking all the houses after a quake. Two neighbors made simple flags to hang in a street-side window, green for all is well and red for help is needed.
Bill gave each household a workbook to prompt residents to list school phone numbers, for example, and identify common hazards. The workbook also served to train residents of all ages in what to do during and immediately after a quake. Bill even made house calls to respond to individual concerns.
The group ran a drill to fine-tune the plan and give everyone a chance to rehearse. The last step was providing each household with a checklist to keep on the refrigerator.
"Only 20 percent of the neighbors were home on February 28 and the only damage was to one chimney," Judy reported. "We were glad, though, that we were prepared, had it been more serious."
Block Watch Captain Judy Jacobson
summarizes 47th's earthquake plan at FCA's annual meeting on May 24.
Photo courtesy Irene Stewart
GETTING READY To organize a Block Watch for your street, call our area crime prevention
coordinator, Tim Shaw, at 684-7719. For information about the Seattle Disaster Aid & Response Teams program,
call 233-7123. NATURE NIGHT HITS THE MARK An inviting program, a warm spring evening, and the prospect of seeing
neighbors old and new drew upwards of 100 people to FCA's annual Nature Night on
April 12 at the Hall at Fauntleroy. Planners set their sights on attracting a diverse crowd - singles, couples,
and families with young children in particular - and the event did just that. Presentations by avian experts Sue Minger with the Streamkeeper Academy and
Becky Barker with Woodland Park Zoo focused audience attention on birds of prey
and their habitat needs. Especially for the youngsters clustered up front, the
stars of the show were two owls on leave for the evening from the zoo's raptor
exhibit. Of special local interest was an update on Orca whale activity in central
Puget Sound. Observations over the winter by Fauntleroy native Mark Sears
(summarized by Nature Night coordinator and master of ceremonies Bob Best)
brought home the toll that pollution and habitat loss are taking on marine
mammals. Nature-oriented displays - including one by event co-sponsor Seattle Public
Utilities - drew interest before and after the presentations. Mary and Mike
Ashby and Lynn Olson provided baskets of goodies for door prizes. Thanks, also,
to Kristen Hladacek and Phil Sweetland for their able assistance. If you might like to help with Nature Night next year or have a program
suggestion, contact Bob Best at 923-2906 or bvbseattle@aol.com. PLAN DEFINES LOOK, COST OF
ENHANCEMENTS TO LINCOLN PARK ANNEX The planning that neighborhood volunteers set in motion by their desire to
have a P-Patch at the Lincoln Park Annex has brought the project to the point of
key decisions about building it. In late 1999, a group of residents approached the Morgan Community
Association and Seattle Parks and Recreation with the idea of using a portion of
the slope above the tennis courts for garden plots. Seattle Parks responded by
asking the group to develop a master plan showing how all of the space would be
used. In May, volunteers reached that milestone. Now with an approved master plan
in hand, they and the city face the formidable challenge of implementing it. USE OF THE SITE IS DICTATED by a history of sliding. Breaks in utility lines
and other damage beginning in 1974 proved to be warning signs that the slope was
slipping. A decade later, the city brought in 30,000 cubic yards of fill, which
has apparently stabilized the toe of the slide. With this environmental sensitivity in mind, landscape architects
Allworth/Nussbaum developed a plan with public input that capitalizes on the
7-plus acre site's inherent features. The existing woodland abutting 44th Ave.
S.W. at the top of the slope would remain, as would the tennis courts at the
bottom and the meadow in between. A trail would link terraced garden plots
directly above the tennis courts with a viewpoint at the crest of the hill and
trails would lace the P-Patch and woodland. Native plantings would frame the
meadow and partially screen a row of parking places parallel to S.W. Webster.
The only building would be a toolshed to serve gardeners. THE COST OF CONSTRUCTING the project (minus final landscaping and other
details) is estimated at just over $552,000 - some $205,000 for the viewpoint
and upper trails and the remainder for the P-Patch, lower trails, and parking.
How to fund and manage construction of a project of this magnitude are
formidable obstacles, according to Bob Fernandes, one of the principal
volunteers. "We are very wary of attempting to organize a group of volunteers to
take on a $500,000 construction project. We facilitated the design using funds
from various city programs but don't have an organization or plan for completing
the improvements," he said. "We've been taking a 'one day at a time'
approach, making sure we are prepared to take advantage of funding opportunities
or volunteer contributions as they arise." Some money for the project was included in the Pro-Parks initiative recently
approved by voters. That might be the funding source for the viewpoint and
parking, Bob explained, leaving the other elements within reach of a volunteer
group. "I can't predict when decisions will be made but, because we're ready to
go with a design that has completed public and environmental review, we are
optimistic," he said. IF THE CITY IS ABLE TO PROCEED to construction this summer, watch the West
Seattle Herald for notice of a public meeting soon to let everyone know
what's to happen and solicit volunteers for the remainder of the work. Bob estimates that the volunteer portion will require two grants totaling
$175,000, with an equal amount matched by volunteer labor and donations. "It will be easier to get cash grants and donations once we have the
viewpoint started," he noted. "Our time frame is at least two years
after the viewpoint is built - one year to get organized and write grant
applications and another year to build." The soonest, then, that gardens could be planted at the new P-Patch is spring
2004. After that milestone, he said, the remaining "decorative"
elements of the plan would be well within reach of small groups using their own
labor and "Small and Simple" city funding. One element, however, doesn't cost a dime: a new name. The volunteers have
rolled a few possibilities off the tongue but nothing has yet sounded just right
to replace "Lincoln Park Annex." To submit name ideas or get involved in this neighborhood-improvement
project, contact Bob Fernandes at 935-6630 or rlfernandes@home.com. SUCH A (SHADY) DEAL If you've thought about getting together with your neighbors to plant street
trees, now is the time. The Department of Neighborhoods is accepting applications through August 17
for free trees on a first-come, first-served. Groups of five or more neighbors
may reserve up to 40 trees to be delivered curbside for planting in October or
November. Although the trees are free, you must offset their cost with a match (such as
volunteer labor) and two representatives of your group must attend a training
session on planting and maintaining the trees. Stop by the Neighborhood Service Center in the Alaska Junction to apply or go
to www.cityofseattle. net/don/trees/Trees.htm on the Web. The Website includes a
list of available trees. TEENS TO WORK IN TWO NEIGHBORHOOD
PARKS The invasive vines draping trees and shrubs in Kilbourne Park are about to
meet their match. For the third summer in a row, a "youth brigade" from Consejo
Counseling & Referral Service will be working in the neighborhood to restore
habitat and develop job skills. The brigade of 20 boys and girls will be in tiny Kilbourne Park for nearly
two weeks. With several young adults from EarthCorps as mentors, they will
attack the clematis, ivy, and blackberry vines that have for years been choking
beneficial plants there. The teens will also work four weeks in Lincoln Park and
at another park outside the neighborhood to round out their eight-week project. The teens' daily routine will include tutoring in English and math at Consejo
prior to lunch on site. Fauntleroy Church will support the project by providing
a sheltered place to eat while the crew is working in Kilbourne Park. Three adults from Consejo will supervise the teens throughout the summer and
Seattle Parks staff will be responsible for removing all the debris they
collect. Watch the West Seattle Herald for details on an end-of-project
recognition for the crew in late August. VOLUNTEERS, RAVEN PUT SHINE ON
COVE PARK Photo courtesy Ware Thirty two volunteers turned out on April 1 to give Cove Park a polish.
Participants in this annual FCA-sponsored "Spring Clean" event
included 10 children and several members of the Endolyne Garden Club. Coordinated by FCA Director Mardi Clements, the crew weeded planting areas,
power-washed the art, installed a kiosk, cleared logs wedged near the mouth of
Fauntleroy Creek, and collected two bags of garbage. In addition, Master
Gardeners labeled the park's perennials. "The amount of garbage collected was nothing compared to years past,
indicating that the park is being respected," Mardi said. "Dog owners
who remember to keep pets on leash and scoop their poop have been especially
helpful." If you might be interested in helping with ongoing or one-time maintenance of
Cove Park, contact her at 932-3396 or mardiclements@hotmail.com. 'TIS THE SEASON TO CAMP - BUT NOT
IN CITY PARKS Especially at this time of year, many people look forward to doing a little
camping. Some, though, have been known to set up camp where they're not supposed
to - in a city park. If you should come across what looks like a camp in one of our neighborhood
parks, two things are important to know, according to Seattle Parks and
Recreation staff: One is that, by city ordinance, camping on public property is illegal,
primarily for public-safety reasons. Signs posted at Lincoln Park and Fauntleroy
Park include camping among the "No" activities. The other is that, also by city ordinance, such a camper has rights. If you spot what appears to be an encampment, do not confront the camper.
Instead, call the Seattle Parks maintenance office in Lincoln Park at 684-7457
to describe what you saw and pinpoint the location. Or you could place a
non-emergency call to 911. Parks staff will verify your report. If it is an illegal encampment, a member
of the Parks Security staff, along with a Seattle Police officer, will post a
sign notifying the occupant to vacate the area within 24 hours. If the camper
doesn't leave by the posted deadline, Parks Security and Seattle Police will
remove the camping materials and attempt to identify the camper for possible
citation or arrest and to check for outstanding warrants or possible implication
in area crimes
BACK ISSUES AT BAKERY Two bound volumes of this newsletter, one for 1997-1998 and the other for
1999-2000, are available for thumbing at The Original Bakery. While the supply lasts, the current issue is also available at the bakery, as
well as The Saffron Cow deli and Fauntleroy Church/YMCA, after FCA members have
received their copy by mail. GIFT BAG SAYS 'WELCOME'! FCA's festive gift bags continue to welcome newcomers to the neighborhood. Coordinated by Directors Mary and Mike Ashby, this neighbor-to-neighbor
outreach has been a hit since its introduction last fall. Each bag contains
information to help folks settle in, plus a jar of homemade jam and a bar of
handcrafted soap. Follow-up mailings provide more information and a courtesy
copy of the next issue of Neighbors. To request a welcome bag for someone new down the block or down the hall,
contact Mary or Mike at 938-4806 or mikeashby@home.com. SUMMER DRAWS YOUNG MEN TO SEA Cedar or fiberglass, skiff or yacht, muscle-, wind-, or gas-powered, boats
have long dotted Fauntleroy Cove and the Sound beyond. As Morey Skaret affirms
in this story, the urge to get out on the water is especially strong on summer
days when you're young and have a buddy to do it with. As a full-blood Norwegian, I was born into boating but Laurence Colman was
the one who stimulated my interest. Like many boys in the area, I took woodworking from Mr. Colman at what was
then called Fauntleroy Congregational Church. If you maintained a certain
attendance and showed a certain mark of sincerity, he treated you to summer camp
on Horsehead Bay. We got there and back on his steam-powered yacht, the Osprey. The
times I went, Mr. Colman brought it right up to a floating dock he kept south of
the ferry pier in the summer. What a thrill it was to stand on the beach with
all our gear and hear the whistle that let us know the Osprey was about
to round Williams Point to pick us up! I envied the "rite of passage" that older boys had then of rowing
from Fauntleroy Cove to Blake Island and back. It's exactly three and a half
miles one way and we all thought it would be easy. Of course when I was about 16
and my turn came, I learned it was a long, hard row home! In 1931 during my junior year in high school, I had the chance to apply my
woodworking skills to a boat. My good friend, Elmer Harman, talked me into
helping him build a flattie, which was an 18-foot drop-keel sloop with a main
sail and jib and about 24 inches of freeboard. It was a popular boat that was
relatively simple to construct and not too costly. Our manual arts teacher thought it would be a good way for us and everyone
else in the class to learn a little bit about boatbuilding. Elmer ordered the
plans from Popular Mechanics and we set to work, using cedar
tongue-and-groove planking laid athwartship for the bottom and waterproof
plywood for the rest. By the time we finished it in our senior year, our flattie was heavy. Very
few boat ramps were available then; most people just carried their boats to the
beach and put them in. But we couldn't do that, so Elmer and I decided to build
a ramp. The spot we chose was a little piece of vacant public beach next to the ferry
pier, where Cove Park is now. The fellow who lived next to it was quite upset
with us. He wanted to continue to use the land as if it were his but we went
ahead anyway. With all the logging going on then, you could find a lot of dunnage on Blake
Island. Elmer and I motored over there in my one-lung Cape Cod dory and towed
back the timbers we needed. That ramp served us and other boaters for many
years. We still had the problem, though, of getting our flattie to the ramp. Boat
trailers weren't the thing yet so we made our own by stripping an old 4-cylinder
Overland car down to the frame and wheels and attaching a tongue onto the
steering mechanism. In those days, lots of slow-moving logbooms were towed in the Sound. Elmer
and I often went out in our flattie and tied to a boom going against the wind.
You weren't supposed to do it, of course, but what could the skipper do except
yell at us? We'd lie back and putt along, enjoying the ride, or sometimes we'd fish. If
the tide was helping, a logboom could make about 3 knots, which was just right
for trolling. In two or three hours, we'd be several miles up the Sound and let
go, coming back with the wind on our stern. This was before Elmer and I had wives to worry over us and we over them. We
didn't know how great it was to be young! Two stories from "Morey's Bench" - plus one not published here -
were recently accepted for posting on HistoryLink, the online encyclopedia of
Seattle and King County history, at www.historylink.org. Background courtesy Fauntleroy Legacy;
photo courtesy Morey Skare
COMMUNITY CALENDAR PARK WORK PARTIES Friends of Fauntleroy Park
work parties are on the second weekend (both Saturday and Sunday) of the month
from 1 to 3 p.m. Upcoming dates are July 14 and 15, August
11 and 12, and September 8 and 9. For details, call Friends Coordinator
Karen Farnsworth at 935-5313. PARKING-LOT SALE The annual parking-lot sale at
Fauntleroy Church will be Saturday, July 14, from 9:00
a.m. to 3 p.m. Bargains will include an array of "Cut Above"
new and classic items. Call the church office at 932-5600 to donate items with
at least two years of life remaining or to rent a section of pavement for your
own sale. NIGHT OUT Many area Block Watches will observe
Seattle's annual "Night Out Against Crime" on August
7 with potlucks or other festivities celebrating neighbor looking out for
neighbor. Check FCA's Website at www.scn.org/
neighbors/fauntleroy for a current list
of events, locations, and contacts. MUSIC READING The Sacred Music Chorale will have
a "reading" session of music for its new season on Saturday,
August 11, in the sanctuary of Fauntleroy Church. The semi-professional
chorale draws its 40 singers from throughout the area. Quietly drop in anytime
between 8:45 and 11:45 a.m. for this free rehearsal. DONALD WHO? Mary Ashby found this trivia tidbit in The Ultimate Disney Trivia Book: "Fauntleroy" is Donald Duck's middle name! Fans of the Disney star
learned his full name in 1942 when he received his draft notice in "Donald
Gets Drafted." Why "Fauntleroy" must have been classified.
