June 8, 2016—Attending: Yousef Shulman, Yuki Igarashi, Amy Fink, John Barber, Tracy Bier and Diane Snell. Minutes are approved by email. Treasurer’s report: Amy had just obtained access to the online version of the bank account and will distribute the monthly report by email. She had recommendations going forward: electronic banking and an annual audit of our books. No vote was taken on an audit at this meeting. Annual insurance bill: Yousef suggested paying the bill by credit card, as the due date is the 12th. Flo Ware recap: (Diane) Very successful event as it was Children’s Choir Day at Tabernacle Missionary Church and these children joined the LCC group. The Balloon man and wife team made various balloon shapes from Cinderella to a gray whale…anything the children requested! Hot Dogs were contributed by Leschi Market, Pizza from Central Pizza and rolls, juices and condiments from Grocery Outlet. Organizer Katie Busby suggested that we coordinate the event date with the church next year to maximize attendance. Powell Barnett event in July (Diane) East Precinct picnic on the 16th. Wading pool will be open every weekend 11-7 from July 2 through August 21. The East Precinct will send a flyer, which we can distribute. Leschi CC will have a table; Board volunteers will be needed to staff the table. Hours: 1-4. ArtWalk: Kim Murillo and Diane to meet on budget. Parks: John Barber felt the big news was the wading pool. He does want to organize work parties for the String of Pearls. Yousef suggested that he talk to Stephanie, the Starbucks manager as the company likes to get the managers together for work parties in neighborhoods. Website: Yousef postponed discussion until July meeting. Diane concerned that it would be too late for the advertising plan for the fall to include the website ad offerings along with the renewal of Leschi News ads. Stairway: June 18 at 30th & Lane just north of Grace Methodist Church. 10am-12pm Public Safety: Tracy. Shootings in Jackson and 28th area are gang related with disputes between North end and South end gangs, none of whom live in the affected area. Diane reported that Rev. Manaway had said there were 25 bullet holes in the outside of the church building; church was in session while the violence was occurring. Tracy has reached out to residents in the area but they seem afraid to publicly meet. They plan a potluck on June 27. Tracy is out of town. Diane offered to contact a resident she knows to see how LCC can help. Board photos on website: A group photo was suggested and accepted. Board contact information: Diane asked each member to review and add/correct pertinent info for internal use only, not for publication. Community Concerns: follow-up on sandwich board signs from Avana. Suggested a letter from Board requesting their cooperation as good neighbors. Agreed. Food desert concern when Red Apple goes and no new store will appear for 2 years; many customers are elderly and disabled and walk to the store almost daily. Diane and new member, Trevor Menagh, met with Pearl Leung of Vulcan to discuss possibilities. Pearl now researching Stockbox options. Future grocery store has not yet been chosen. Yousef: New goals for Board: Keep the stairway project. Delete the Living Wall for Lake Dell, as construction has not left enough room to plant anything. John Barber suggested keeping the goal of improving relations with Parks department as new parks personnel always creates the need to establish good working relationships. Yousef suggested deleting the goal on keeping Metro bus #27 as there have been no recent threats and there is always the option to create an ad hoc committee if the need arises. He also wants to increase membership in LCC. Diane suggested mailing to whole neighborhood occasionally (as Madrona does every month). Yuki suggested sending a trial subscription to new residents to acquaint them with the community. Yousef immediately appointed her Marketing Chair! Keep the goal of publicizing events on Next Door; Yousef will take over the posting. Yousef also wants to send email blasts closer to events as folks tend to forget. ~Minutes respectfully submitted by Diane Snell

My husband came back from one of his neighborhood & beyond walks one afternoon saying “We have to eat breakfast at this place” and proceeded to tell me about all the varieties of crumpets available. I had once purchased a package of crumpets at the grocery store (after reading an English novel) and frankly, I was underwhelmed. I felt I would rather have a homemade scone from an old Surrogate Hostess recipe. But of course, I accepted the invitation rather than slave over a hot toaster in the morning. Parking is hard to find; we were two blocks north on 22nd and with my bad knee, it was a slow hobble to the front door of the Bee. The Queen Bee is attached to Aegis, the assisted living facility at the corner of Madison and 23rd. The cane and the hobble identified us as possible residents of Aegis and we were greeted on both the to and fro trips with cheery greetings, asking how we were doing and other pleasantries. Even runners took time to welcome us! Sure beat our neighborhood for a welcoming atmosphere! I was surprised to see the clientele at 8am; it was not the infirm from Aegis, but tables filled with the young and fit chomping into crumpets. I ordered a crumpet with pesto and smoked salmon and hubby ordered a crumpwich of ham, scrambled egg and cheese. Coffee is Stumptown and of course, there is tea for the true Anglophile. My crumpet was slathered with pesto-flavored cream cheese and topped with smoked salmon, arugula and a generous serving of capers. I am a caper devotee, so this won my heart. I have been known to run out of milk, but not capers. It was very tasty, but of course, the cream cheese and salmon overwhelmed the crumpet, which is basically a delivery vehicle for the various toppings. The crumpet could use a serrated knife to cleanly cut through it; the dining knife was not a match without a struggle. My husband felt that a good review should cover all options, as he eagerly eyed the case of sweets. So, we took home a lemon bar, which was split later with leftover coffee. It was very good; the crust was unusually thin and the filling was thick ….not sure how they managed that without a disaster in the eating process, but it worked! The Queen Bee 2200 E Madison St. Ste B, 98112, 206-757-6314 Mon-Fri 7am-4pm, Sat-Sun 7am-5pm ~Diane Snell

Best-sellers and “most popular” are touted and praised with regularity. Featured here ten of the smaller production, under the radar pinks that you may still enjoy long into these warm September nights. 2015 Domaine de la Réaltière Pastel Rosé Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence ($15.99) A Provençal Rosé made from 45% Cinsault, 45% Grenache and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Fresh minerality and notes of citrus fruits and red fruits which are delicious in the mouth with a satisfying finish.” We banish herbicide, pesticide and synthetic chemical fertilizers. The harsh climate of this region induces a slow and complete ripening of the grapes. Stainless steel tanks.” –Winery notes. 2015 Lobo Hills Cabernet Franc Rosé Yakima Valley ($14.99) “The Cabernet Franc Rosé is a rich and complex rose, aged on the lees. It opens with aromas of cherries, pepper, strawberries and anise. The palate blends food-friendly acid with gentle notes of cranberries, rose and cherries. As with our Sauvignon Blanc, this wine was aged on the lees for months, stirred twice monthly, prior to bottling. 396 cases available.” –Winemaker notes. 2015 Commanderie de la Bargemone Rosé Provence ($13.99) “For many wine drinkers, Provence is the only rosé address that matters, and the Commanderie is one of the region’s most notable domains. Founded by the Knights Templar in the 13th century, it’s one of the oldest, too. The estate’s pale salmon-pink wine, a traditional blend of Grenache, Syrah, Cabernet and Cinsault, is bone-dry and delicate.” -The Wall Street Journal. 2015 Domaine la Blaque Coteaux de Pierrevert Rosé Provence ($11.99) High-pitched, mineral-tinged strawberry, tangerine and floral scents show very good clarity and a spicy touch of white pepper. Dry, nervy and precise, displaying real tension to the bitter berry skin and orange zest flavors. Utterly fat-free, finishing stony and tight, with a suave echo of honeysuckle lingering. 35% Grenache, 35% Cinsault, 20% Vermentino and 10% Syrah. 2015 Domaine de Montfaucon Les Gardettes Rosé Languedoc ($11.19) Dry, crisp and vibrant with a hint of peach, raspberry and violet. Full-flavor and full of panache! One of the most anticipated Rhône offerings! A blend of Cinsault, Counoise and Grenache. One of the best sellers from the Lakewood-Seward Park wine tasting, amongst 70 wines. 2015 Domaine Sorin Terra Amata Rosé Côtes de Provence ($11.19) “Brilliant pink robe with aromas of white peaches and citrus fruit on the nose, hints of minerals and spice. Attacking freshness with hints of raspberry and red current on the palate. The blend is 40% Grenache, 15% Cinsault, 10% Syrah, 15% Mourvèdre, 10% Carignan, 5% Rolle and 5% Orgi.” -Winery notes. 2015 Ozilhan Réservé Rosé Côtes du Rhône ($10.29) “Bright pale pink. Intense floral fragrances blending with small red fruit. On the palate tart raspberries and currants with excellent minerality and acidity. A blend of 40% Grenache, 40% Syrah and 20% Cinsault.” -Winemaker notes. 2015 Vini Veni Vidi Vici Rosé Thracian Valley Bulgaria ($7.99) This Rosé has ripe fruit character. The palate, typical for rosé has full frontal fruit with good length and complexity. The vineyards are located in the Sliven region on rich black earth and woodland soils. A blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Syrah. 2015 Mont Gravet Rosé Languedoc ($7.99) An attractive pale-salmon color, this 100% Cinsault rosé opens with soft scents of strawberry, pear, melon rind and earthy spice. The palate is lush, with fleshy fruit flavors that are balanced by ample acidity and a soft tannic astringency on the close. 2015 Alloy Wine Works Grenache Rosé “Tin City” Central Coast California ($7.49) Don’t judge a wine by its bottle...er, can. The 2015 Alloy Grenache Rosé boasts flavors of strawberry, grapefruit, mint, Sour Patch Kids and rose petal. This robust wine has a peppery kick and a heavier body, making it great for picnics, as well as evening drinking. At $7.49 for 500 ml (about 2/3 of a regular wine bottle), it’s quite the bargain for a Rosé that’s pretty, pink--and portable. CHEERS! ENJOY! Kenneth Benner, a Seattle area native, is a trained chef and has worked in such restaurants as Barbacoa, B.O.K.A. Kitchen + Bar, and Dahlia Lounge. Ken is the wine buyer at Leschi Market. He has a passion for learning, a meticulous palate, and a tenacity for searching out the best for his customers while offering some of the most highly coveted wines in the area. His wine column is intended to inspire and explore new choices in wine, learn about wine with his readers, and share his knowledge and experiences in the wine world. Check out the latest at www.LeschiMarket.com or request to be added to email updates or send questions, comments, or suggestions to ken@leschimarket.com and follow the wine department directly on twitter at twitter.com/leschimarket .

All of a sudden, we have African American art everywhere in Seattle. And it isn’t even Black History Month! Some of these museums may be responding to the political critique of exclusion at white museums by the Black Lives Matter movement. “Posing Beauty,” at the Northwest African American Museum (ends September 4) features photographs of stunning men and women in high fashion clothes, but only some of it is actually “fashion show” art. The two parts of the exhibition are labeled “Posing – Where Does Beauty Reside? Face, Figure, Hair, Dress, Bearing Character. How Do You Want to be Seen?” and “Beauty: Distinguished, Thoughtful, Stylish, Outrageous, Celebrity, Proud.” Black people dress and perform in white society with great care in order to avoid harassment, but even then, they are often stopped for no reason. In this exhibition, we see many elites, and some ordinary people, presenting themselves with dignity and pride. Most pointed to the issue of how African Americans present themselves is Carrie Mae Weems’ take on Snow White. Wearing an attractive dress, she looks in a mirror and says, “I looked and looked to see what terrified you.” Tariqa Waters answers that question defiantly in her one-person show “100% Kanekalon: The Untold Story of the Marginalized Matriarch” in the same museum until October 16. Jumbo packs of day glow colored Kanekalon hair extensions fill one wall. Elegant church hats (borrowed from her grandmother) appear nearby and the mundane reality of a messy kitchen table appears at the entrance. Tariqa Waters herself is a dramatic performing black person. She usually steals the show in any forum she attends because her dazzle overwhelms anxiety in white people as she offers satirical comments on contemporary racism. Kara Walker offers a blunt answer to Weems’ question at the Bellevue Art Museum’s “Emancipating the Past: Kara Walker’s Tales of Slaves and Power” (until November 27). The renowned and controversial Walker works in black cutouts of crude Victorian era stereotypes of blacks. She confronts us with the sexual coercion that was part of the nightmare of slavery, an aspect that is rarely discussed, but obvious in the many skin colors of African Americans. Walker has been heavily criticized by some contemporary black artists as catering to white prejudices and not participating in the ongoing necessity to present blacks as dignified human beings. Emancipating the past more subtly are two exhibitions at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art (until October 2). In the window facing the street, you see Marita Dingus’s huge “Hanging from the Rafters Big Girl” made from recycled hot tub covers and other humble found materials. Once inside (admission is free), find “Heaven on Fire” a thirty-year retrospective of the work of Barbara Earl Thomas, which begins with “The Illuminated Story” a dazzling installation of patterned cut paper walls and light boxes. Embedded in this seductive setting, three wall texts “A Catechism”, “White Noise”, “If They Were All Like You, I’d Like Them,” sting with narratives about the artist’s racist experiences. (Barbara Earl Thomas, Bloodletting I , 2016 paper cut installation, 60”h x 5.5”d x 86”w, Courtesy of the Artist) The exhibition includes a selection of her paintings from the 1980s and 1990s, lino cuts from the early 2000s and her new work in glass and cut paper. As she experiments with new materials, Thomas becomes more lush with line, more exuberant in spirit, and more intense in the subject matter. The large white paper cutouts of 2016 called “Blood Letting I” and “Blood Taking” have red cutout paper to mark blood gushing out. These cut outs clearly reference the recently documented shootings of black youth by the police. Ending too soon, on September 4, Inye Wokoma’s installations at the Frye Art Museum, “This is Who We Are ” begins with large photographs of members of his family juxtaposed to provocative poetic verses renaming themselves as a way to transcend one aspect of colonization. In the main gallery, two facing video installations layer Native American and African American displacements. Haunting and immediate, mythical and personal, Inye’s installations engage us with nostalgia, history, myth, spirituality and politics. His family roots are in both the Niger delta and the American South, but most present on his mind is the rapid displacement of the black community from the Central District by out-of-control gentrification. (Senga Nengudi, R.S.V.P. Performance Piece , with Maren Hassinger, Pearl C. Wood Gallery, Los Angeles, 1977,photo by Harmon Outlaw, printed 2014) Overlapping in provocative ways with Inye’s exploration of identity, ritual and geography is Senga Nengudi’s pioneering performance art on view at the Henry Art Gallery until October 9. The exhibition includes a selection of artifacts from her performances as well as trance-inducing videos filmed in a thread factory in 2007. Nengudi first emerged in the 1970s, working in collaboration with artists such as David Hammons and Houston Conwell, as well as her long-time partner Maren Hassinger. She stretches humble found materials, particularly panty hose (referred to as nylon mesh) into provocative elongated shapes weighted down with dirt. Used frequently in R.S.V.P a dance/ performance piece that has taken many iterations over the years, Nengudi and her collaborators explore movement, ritual and magic. On Saturday October 1 at 1:30 in the Henry Art Gallery, there will be a performance of R.S.V.P. by local avant-garde dancers Haruko Crow Nishimura and Jo Blake accompanied by cellist Lori Goldston. Ranging from nationally known artists like Senga Nengudi and Kara Walker to our brilliant local artists Inye Wokoma, Barbara Thomas, Marita Dingus and Tariqa Waters, these exhibitions expand our understanding of the contemporary world by means of African American histories, myths, and geographies presented with subtlety and intelligence as well as defiance and resistance. By Susan Noyes Platt, www.artandpoliticsnow.com

(Ed. — A complaint to the Parks Dept. about nudity at Denny Blaine Park brought this response, which we print here in case other shoreline areas are experiencing nudity in this warmer weather.) We are aware of the situation at Denny Blaine Park. In the state of Washington, the 2003 law (RCW 9A.88.010) provides that being nude in public per se is not illegal. Behavior comprises indecent exposure if one “intentionally makes any open and obscene exposure of his or her person or the person of another knowing that such conduct is likely to cause reasonable affront or alarm.” In the case of affront or alarm, the person affronted or alarmed can call the police. The police then decide whether to issue a citation or make an arrest. The state law provides further that “indecent exposure is a gross misdemeanor on the first offense if the person exposes himself or herself to a person under the age of fourteen years. Here is an excerpt from a 2008 Seattle Police blog posting on the subject: In order for the police to make an arrest, we must have witnesses currently in the public place where the nudity is occurring who must make a complaint. These witnesses must be willing to appear in court. Also, in order to prosecute, the burden is on the government to prove that the offender was knowingly aware that their conduct created alarm and offense of others. There are, of course, incidents involving nudity in which the person is under the influence of drugs or alcohol or is having severe mental problems and the police can take appropriate action. Historically, it has been difficult in Seattle to prosecute cases of public nudity. The position of the police department is to take a report upon receiving a complaint, identify the individual involved and forward the complaint to the City Attorney. In 2008, the Board of Park Commissioners considered a draft rule that would have prohibited nudity in Seattle parks. Upon learning that the state law on nudity supersedes any City action, the Board adopted a motion asking that Parks and Recreation not adopt the rule. We are sorry not to be able to respond to you with a solid solution, and hope you will continue to enjoy other parks along Lake Washington.

Hello Neighbor, My name is Ruby Holland and I’ve lived in the CD since 1961. Being raised in the CD was filled with many warm and pleasant memories. After living in other cities for many years, I returned to Seattle. I never got over my love for the beautiful mountains, water, seafood (Ivar’s) and those plump, sweet blackberries (invasive I’m told) that grow on many street corners. I’ve been back in my childhood home now for 2 years. Of course, my neighborhood has changed. What I miss most is that warm, fuzzy feeling of community that we used to have in the CD. After talking with other long-time CD residents, we realized that it’s time for a good, old fashioned welcoming. Excuse my frankness here, but I want to make sure that everyone knows specifically of whom I speak. On behalf of myself and many other long time, Black or Afro American CD residents, we would like to welcome you, our new White, Hispanic, or Asian neighbors to the CD. It is our belief that we need to know our neighbors in order to look out for and to help each other. While Facebook, NextDoor and email are great tools, community building requires us to leave our comfort zones and use the old school tactics of face-to-face contact to get to know each other. Taking things in bite-sized chunks, we don’t need to know everyone in the CD, only those on our block. When we see each other on the street, let’s say hello and introduce ourselves as neighbors. When seeing other CD residents at the bus stop, library, or out shopping in the neighborhood, let’s smile at each other and say “hello.” (The wading pool at Powell Barnett in use during hot summer weekends this year... Photo courtesy John Barber) Sometimes, we older, retired CD residents like to talk and reminiscence about old times. We realize that younger, working residents may be pressed for time. Don’t feel that you have to engage us in a long, drawn out conversation if you need to go. Politely excuse yourself and get on with your day. We will be okay. We won’t always agree with our neighbor’s point of view. Not everything requires a debate. We should acknowledge the other’s point of view and move on. We must all learn to pick our battles. After all, when all is said and done, we all want the same things: to feel valued and appreciated, to have a safe neighborhood, free from crime and gun violence, to make a better life for our children and grandchildren. Please be aware that many older, black CD residents love our homes and wish to remain in them. Asking us about selling is not a welcomed conversation with many of us. We feel insulted and devalued by those real estate people who are constantly trying to get us to sell our homes. Please help us to rid those folks from the neighborhood. I do not wish to appear one-sided here, but I am Black and so I view life from that perspective. Help us to understand your wants and needs as well. For sure, not everyone from either side will be on board with our new love for each other, but once they see our example of love, harmony, peace and happiness they will surely want to be a part of this. Let’s show them, and everyone else, how to live in a beautiful, diverse neighborhood where we work together on issues and celebrations. Other Bridge Builders who want to build unity in the CD: Cliff Holland, Diane Snell, Paul Green, Troy Meyers, Cynthia Johnson-Garnett. We’d like to invite each and every one of you to be Bridge Builders. If you see any of the above Bridge Builders, please give them a shout out and let them know that you are a Bridge Builder as well. Change will not come overnight. Change is not always easy, but it’s not always bad. Together, we can make this work. Feel free to call me with any questions or concerns. ~Sincerely, Ruby Holland (770) 471-3472. Please meet Patricia, another Bridge Builder: Hello neighbor, I am writing this to you and every household in the CD. I have lived in my home on 28th Ave. S. since 1991. Many others that live on my street purchased their home before me. Now that we have many new neighbors, we would love to at least know who you are and have you know who lives on your block as well. By “know,” I mean at least by name and face. When we know our neighbors on our block, it makes it easier to identify abandoned vehicles or vehicles of visitors or people that do not live on our block. For those who do not have a garage or drive way we can know whose car/s belongs to whom. If someone may be vandalizing, we can alert someone else, pay attention and take notice for later reference/ID. I believe the neighborhood is safer when people know and respect one another. Even though there have been different situations that have occurred in the past, we have dealt with them with respect and helping out in ways that benefit one another before calling the police. There will be times when people are outside and having family fun and may get noisier than some of you are used to. If it’s noisy and you would like to address it, if you know your neighbor you can ask them to please lower the noise instead of first reaching for the phone to call the police, especially If the noise you hear is just people/ families having fun. I’d like to think that the noise will subside out of respect of our neighbor’s request. Different cultures act and respond differently to different situations because of fear. You do not have to like someone to give them your respect and love, after all responding in Love is always the easier way. That is my way of looking at the world. You may or may not agree. With peace and sincere regards, ~Patricia Valentine

Leschi celebrates its 5th Annual ArtWalk on September 10, 2016, from 11-4pm. The arts and crafts displays will be placed along the east side of the business district (Lakeside Ave.) In addition to the jewelry designers, photographers and visual artists, we have attracted some gustatory delights: Bunneh’s Bakery is a new participant. And Lanier’s Chocolates will be back with their handmade delicacies. All in beautiful “downtown” Leschi! We have expanded to Leschi Park with more activities for children. In addition to the awesome slide from last year, there will be nature walks and craft tables. Captain Kimmie, who leads the opening parade, will also lead children on nature walks through the park at 1pm and 3pm. Children’s crafts! Poster art from 12-2pm, with Tracy Bier Make your own ArtWalk sun visor, 1-3pm with Sarah Howes ArtWalk bracelets 2-4pm, with Laurel Allen Music! On the Leschi Park stage, we will hear the Tabernacle Church Band (they rock!) at 11am; In Rio Time (Brazilian jazz) at 1pm. and the Stephanie Porter Band at 2:15pm. Raffle! Check out the raffle at the Leschi CC table for raffle tickets! Win a local business gift! Parade! Meet at the stage at 10:50 if your child wishes to march in the Biggest Smallest Parade!

OK, no blood was shed, but I’ve been waiting about 50 years to use this verb. It was in the 60’s when the-then Pope demoted something like 27 saints to non-saintly status. Our local paper, the San Jose Mercury News, blazoned the news in a huge headline: Pope Axes 27 Saints! One had visions of his immaculate papal robes drenched in blood. I was an impressionable journalism student at the time and that type of headline had not been covered yet in class. Even though the Mayor’s act was not a violent scene, it was shocking nonetheless. The Mayor claimed the District Councils, in existence since 1987, are made up of rich, white homeowners protecting their turf and did not reflect the true demographics of the city. This was particularly unsettling as the Central Area Neighborhood District Council does have diversity in its representation. Several Central Area groups represented at the Council are African-American in membership. The current chair of the CANDC is Hispanic and is a renter, not a homeowner. I have been attending these meetings for many years, first as a “reporter” for the Leschi News and later as an officer of the Council. I have never seen the nimbyism often expressed at the Federation (Seattle Community Council Federation). I think the diverse mix of attendees has caused us to look beyond our own backyards to the area as a whole. The focus has been on safety: better crosswalks, improved lighting, disability access. The various neighborhood groups in this Council supported us in our fight to keep the #27 bus all day, 7 days a week. We sent letters to decision makers at the USPS to keep a post office presence in the area; we sent a supportive letter for the Duwamish as that community was negotiating the cleanup of the Duwamish River. They were ultimately successful in getting some key issues addressed. The District Council has been fortunate to have the Land Use Review Committee looking at all new large developments in our area. They have been able to negotiate some changes in design which reflect the wishes of the neighborhood, such as the cut-through to 24th Ave. at the Promenade site soon to be developed by the new owner, Vulcan. Yet to be solved is the food desert issue. When the Red Apple closes in December, there will be no place in upper Leschi to purchase fresh food. We have apprised Vulcan personnel of the problem for our elderly and disabled residents who no longer drive. A Vulcan representative will be at our November meeting and we need to see what is being proposed. More voices are more powerful than a single voice as we learned from Council Member Sawant at our June meeting. District Council members were encouraged at their 8/11/16 meeting to flood the City Council with letters of concern and pleas to move more slowly, to develop a process of more inclusion before pulling the plug on district councils. How would a handpicked (by the Mayor) commission know what was important in Leschi? ~Diane Snell

Hello everyone, It has been a very busy summer for your Leschi Community Council Board. We have been in the process of revamping our website to allow quicker updates and we now have a contract with a local designer; we are hoping to have the website up to date by October 1. Four years ago, there was a clerical error on our 990 reports with the IRS. This recently resulted in the suspension of our nonprofit status. Amy Fink, our treasurer, has been working very hard with the IRS to regain our non-profit status. Amy spent countless hours on the phone with the IRS, more hours filling out forms and digging through LCC records. The IRS has told us that once all our paperwork is approved, our status will be reinstated and will be retroactive from the date of suspension. The IRS has explained to us that we cannot take any donations at this time until our status is reinstated. If you are looking to make any donations for the Leschi Natural Area, please make your check out to EarthCorps (nonprofit organization) & send to Bunny Wood, 412 36th Ave, Seattle, 98122. In July, the Seattle Police Foundation held their East Precinct picnic at Powell Barnett Park. It was a very successful event; the police were gratified to see many families in attendance. I would like to give a very special thanks to the Seattle Police Foundation for their funding of the Powell Barnett Park wading pool, which has been closed for many years now due to lack of Seattle Parks funding. Plan to attend our 5th annual Art walk on September 10 from 11am to 4pm in the Leschi Business District and Leschi Park. There will be many activities for children and live music in addition to the artist booths. Your local businesses have generously contributed to a raffle, which will benefit next year’s ArtWalk. I hope everyone can attend. Please spread the word around. We are looking for volunteers to help with the Art Walk (no heavy lifting). If you, or someone you know would like to help, or know of any middle school or high school students looking for community service hours, please have them contact Diane Snell at (206) 726-0923 or leschinews@comcast.net . We have set some new goals for the upcoming year. The five main goals are: Revamping our website to allow for quicker updates Keeping stairway project, but including the String of Pearls along lakeshore Increase membership in LCC; I have appointed Yuki Igarashi as Marketing Chair Bring more visibility to Leschi Business District Setup Mail Chimp service to inform the community quickly by e-mail and social media ~Yousef Shulman

Author Judith Bentley will speak about her recent book, Walking Washington’s History: Ten Cities at our September meeting. Bentley is a retired college professor who has taught Pacific Northwest History. She is also an avid hiker. Her book will be available. Sept 7, 2016 at 7pm, Central Area Senior Center 500 30th Ave S, one block south of Jackson

July 13, 2016—Attending: Yousef Shulman, Yuki Igarashi, Diane Snell, Amy Fink, John Barber, Tracy Bier. Minutes: sent to Board members by email and approved and/or corrected by each member. Treasury: Treasurer’s report: Amy is working on IRS forms and will be renewing state non-profit status before the deadline in November. Regarding banking issues she proposed opening a linked savings account in order to keep restricted funds available for intended projects but separate from operating funds. We also discussed adding a funded mandate for annual CPA reviews. ArtWalk: We need to add restricted budgets to the treasury report for the ArtWalk and Art in the Park. The ArtWalk has its own budget based on fees for artist booths and the $1000 reimbursement for the Small Sparks grant which the Board voted to put in the 2016 ArtWalk fund. The 2nd fund is Art in the Park, which is focused on children and will be based in Leschi Park. A Small Sparks grant has been applied for and Leavitt is making a donation for the musicians. Posters and postcards will be available closer to the event. Parks: John is distributing flyers for the East Precinct Picnic at Powell Barnett Park; six volunteers will staff the table and both John and Jim Snell will take photos of the event. Neighborhood map will be used at the table and we will have flyers for volunteer activities. John feels we need to increase the publicity efforts re: the open wading pool. The basketball courts at Flo Ware and Powell Barnett will be resurfaced. The Colman Viewpoint project is on hold; the planned meeting was cancelled, as Parks is concerned that too many trees would be cut. The Moorage contract with Foss will be written for a 40-year term; other details not yet known. Land Use: Jeff had a conflict but sent a report which will be printed following the meeting notes. Stairway Project: Yousef reported date change to July 23 due to conflict with the East Precinct picnic. Marketing: Yuki said there is a new movers list, but it does cost. Mailing to the entire community was discussed and fees for both projects to be researched. Yuki also felt that working with the middle and high schools might bring us some volunteers who need community service hours. Programs: Diane presented a list of possible programs for the fall: Vulcan re: the Promenade plan, ballot issues in October and the possibility of disaster planning. While the Board feels this is highly important, it seems the community would rather do something else and attendance has been poor in the past. Various ideas were discussed and will be pursued in the coming months. Red Apple receipts: Red Apple will accept these to the end of the year, but we have no one to compile them at this time. Diane suggested tossing the minor receipts and just totaling the larger ones, but there was no taker. No decision on this yet. Website: For technical and logistical reasons the board opted to migrate online content to a Word Press version of our current website. We have a well-received initial bid for the migration work. We’re in the process of refining our needs and expectations and hope to sign a contract with a local web design business in the next few weeks. Website: Our layout /production manager Kirsten has expressed interest and we will be asking her to develop a contract the Board can review. Meanwhile we will rely on Facebook for timely communication and Board member email lists. Yousef expressed interest in a MailChimp program for quick notification of important events. Brief discussion of CANDC’s (Central Area Neighborhood District Council) fate: the Mayor issued an executive order disbanding the neighborhood councils that have existed for 30 years. This is the arena where we often obtained support for our own neighborhood issues; it was brought up that the CANDC supported Leschi with a letter to the Mayor and the Council members in our efforts to being back full service of bus #27. ~Respectfully submitted by Diane Snell

Our Stairway work parties ran into some barriers during the past few months. We were rained out in May and June and had a small worker turnout in July at the 29th & Lane stairway. We did have a new fabulous worker, however, who tackled the moss on the steps with an ordinary garden rake. The tines loosen the moss and then turn the rake over: the non-productive side makes a good pusher! Thanks to new resident, Ken Kamm, for joining us and single-handedly conquering the moss on these steps. One discouraging thing about these steps is the amount of trash that folks are throwing out. The trash we create is our own to dispose of properly, not at any unwatched space. There were two large plastic tubs for plants, which can go into the recycling bin after rinsing out. Those of us who volunteer at these projects often have those micro-cans for garbage and find it difficult to get rid of other people’s trash. The plastic bins were only one minor element of the trash we found. At our August Board meeting, we discussed the possibility of taking the Stairway project to another direction to help John Barber with the String of Pearls, those shoreline street end mini-parks that we fought for…all the way to the Supreme Court (of the state, not the other Supremes). John has had difficulty gathering work crews on weekdays and can use the help. A good work party at one of the Pearls each month can make a big difference. In September, we will meet at the Judkins Streetend. Our crew leader will be Joyce Moty of Mt. Baker. Joyce said that pruning and deadheading will be our focus. Tools to bring: loppers, pruners, pruning saws. Join your LCC Board and your neighbors to give this Pearl a new look! Judkins Shoreline Streetend Stairway work party September 17, 10am-12pm ~Diane Snell