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No, not a new business to report, but a new business owner! Meet Lisa Michaud, who bought the business from her aunt, Susan, after wisely spending 6 months working there to learn the ins and outs of the business. Lisa is not new to the business world as she and her husband had run a boat charter and sightseeing business in St. Lucia, but she longed to return to her community (Leschi) and have her children attend the same schools she attended while growing up here. Lisa also has a social service background; she worked for Senior Services while the family spent time here. One aspect of Two Big Blondes that really pleases her is bringing in residents of Mary’s Place Shelter to select outfits for themselves. Lisa manages the merchandise flow with frequent sales so she can keep the clothing seasonally appropriate.Watch her for the next big sale in December: 10th-14th with store wide discounts from 5% to 90% off! For more information, go to www.twobigblondes.com.

We welcome a new business in the space once occupied by Safeco, the area on top of AutoZone at 23rd & Jackson. This is a primary health clinic for seniors: IORA. The community was welcomed on Oct. 21 to an open house with tour of the facility (which is still under renovation.) The staff includes two geriatricians, health coaches and social workers. Classes in managing chronic conditions are planned along with clubs for diabetic or walking groups. The focus is on comprehensive and preventive (not reactive) care with follow-up and coaching to achieve one’s goals. IORA has a large parking lot and is served by the #14 and #48 buses.

Terri Johnston, SPD, spoke about the history of Block Watches. The program started in the 70’s but has diminished due to budget cuts and decreasing support from SPD. Captain Davis is a big supporter of Block Watches and feels the neighbors have much to offer in keeping their area safe. The disappointing news was that Chief O’Toole has decided to transfer Captain Davis to West Seattle. In the 13 months that Captain Davis has been in the East Precinct, there have been many successes and more openness. Davis is a community person, approachable and a good listener. We have had constantly changing leadership in our precinct and it is especially discouraging when someone like Captain Davis is transferred. Davis’ monthly report (based on reported incidents) indicated that car prowls are down and car thefts down 33%, but residential burglaries are up. A report from the Gang Unit stated that gangs are vying for territory, with specific mention of a shooting at 26th & Washington where a rival gang car was rammed and shots fired. The problem house near 27th & Spring was investigated with a narcotics warrant. The SPD had help from the DEA and confiscated both drugs and 7 weapons. The Feds could seize the property and sell it, but they are currently working with the extended family for resolution.

At the EastPAC Meeting on June 25, 2015, longtime EastPAC Chair, Stephanie Tschida, stepped down and passed the (non-existent) gavel to Troy Meyers, Squire Park resident. Troy introduced himself as the son of a police officer who had died in the line duty and he felt his knowledge of police work and his community leadership experience would make this role as Chair a good fit. East Precinct Paul McDonagh spoke about a new system of tracking crimes which should change the nature of policing. Troy described this system known as SeaStat: “SeaStat is aimed at quickly addressing crime hotspots and trends based on analysis of crime data and community reports of incidents. The Department holds regularly scheduled meetings every two weeks, involving staff throughout the department and partner agencies to discuss the latest information and come up with strategies to reduce crime. EastPAC will be regularly integrating SeaStat into our meetings, with SPD taking our feedback as the community component of the program.” The program is similar to ComStat (New York City) and this concerned some attendees who wanted reassurance that the new system would not involve stop and frisk actions. Captain McDonagh did assure the audience that this has never been a tactic for Seattle police and it is not being planned. When it came time for community input, it was pretty much concerns about incidents at Powell Barnett Park. There were many attendees who lived on the periphery of PB Park and spoke about bullets flying about and some entering bedroom windows of neighbors on 28th. Last month a home on MLK experienced the same destruction. Captain McDonagh shared their concerns and said they have a plan to deal with this but could not share the plan as this info invariably reached the wrong ears and defeated the police tactics. The residents felt good about being listened to, but the good feelings were undone when they returned home to the PB Park area only to arrive in the midst of more gunfire. Watch the LCC website for information on a planned march from Flo Ware Park to Powell Barnett Park in mid-July. We will see their EastPAC Community Meeting Thursday, June 25th, 6:30 - 8:00 PM current focus and hear about their plans. We’ll also learn how we compare to other parts of Seattle. With a goal of creating a more informed and engaged community, East Precinct command staff and EastPAC will enrich the data with a narrative and share it with the District and community councils in our community.”

Halloween night, 2009—Seattle Police officer Timothy Brenton and rookie trainee Britt Sweeney pull over on 29th Avenue, just north of Yesler Way, to de-brief following a traffic stop and citation made a few blocks away. While Officer Brenton was reviewing the paperwork protocol with Sweeney, a car pulled up alongside and the occupant fired several rifle rounds into the cruiser, killing Brenton and wounding Sweeney. Brenton was an officer known personally by many Leschi residents through his previous assignment as a community liaison to our neighborhood. The assailant was a stranger to Brenton, and his motivation may never be fully understood, other than as a perverse obsession, compounded by mental illness, with perceived police force abuses. The impact of the tragedy rattled Leschi, particularly those living near the site. Over the course of a week, an impromptu memorial sprung up, with an impressive mound of flowers, candles and messages as well as police officers maintaining a nearly constant vigil, all under the relentless spotlight of TV cameras. Possibly the most moving mementos were left by police officers from around the region: badges from their precincts, each wrapped by a single black ribbon. Seeking to deepen the thought behind the temporary gesture and to move beyond their own shock and grief, a neighborhood committee, led by Leschi residents Robert Cipollone, Judy Blanco, Susan Dodds and Jeff Floor, formed to design and build a permanent memorial. The design concept by Blanco begins with the distinct form of the police badge, sliced through with the absence of a black slash, harkening to the traditional symbol of mourning for a fallen officer. The graphically compelling 6699 is Brenton’s actual badge number. Strips of black granite reach out in two directions, bearing single words offered to Blanco by Brenton’s family (“father, brother, friend, mentor…”), evocative facets of the person killed. The plantings deliberately grow into the spaces around the granite strips with low-lying green mondo and liriope gradually give way to taller, looser forms of assorted ferns and Japanese forest grass. A specimen tree – Japanese snowbell – vertically punctuates the north end of the planted space. The border of the planted precinct is formed with salvaged red granite pavers set on edge, with gray granite pavers enclosing the red granite. All granite pavers were donated by the City of Seattle from the remaining stockpile of surplus material from Westlake Park. The project was dedicated on the year anniversary of Brenton’s death. It was built in large part by neighborhood volunteers, with sidewalk paving and general contracting donated by Ferguson Construction. Quirring Monuments donated the cut and polished stone badge. Funding for initial construction and ongoing maintenance has been provided through donations to the Leschi Community Council by numerous residents and organizations including the Seattle Police Guild, Blu-Water Bistro, Leschi Market and others. The Officer Brenton Memorial is located on 29th Ave, just east of Yesler Way.

An incident in Leschi this summer made us aware that our community has some unique problems: streets that suddenly end and pick up elsewhere, streets that curve around and change names, streets that have many personae such as Blvd, Ave. or Ct. A resident collapsed, his wife called 911 and went outside to flag down the fire truck when she heard the siren. The fire truck barreled right by her! A man with a pickup quickly grasped what was happening and chased down the fire truck. Before we go any further, be assured that the man was taken to the hospital; he did have a heart attack but has recovered. What could have been fatal worked out this time. In researching this incident through the Fire Department, it was discovered that the responding crew was not our usual crew from Fire Station 6 and they were unfamiliar with this area. If our local crew is already on a call, this can happen. The spokesman for the Fire Department said the best thing one can do is make sure the house number is prominently displayed and give the best directions you can to the dispatcher. At the August 2013 East Precinct meeting, 911 was the topic. This incident was described and the 911 trainer said that calls which require a response from the Fire Department are forwarded to them once the dispatcher clarifies the situation. The spokesman said that the dispatchers will prioritize calls as they come in. Once life threatening situations are dispatched to appropriate responders, the police calls are prioritized in this sequence: Crime in progress Crime just occurred Suspicious circumstances Police Captain Ron Wilson said the past month’s most common crimes have been arson and ”apple picking”, which is the street vernacular for robberies of Apple devices on the street. Victims are easily identified by the wearing ear buds and accosted. The stolen devices are quickly reprogrammed to avoid tracing and are easy to sell on the street.

Leschi Community Garden Parent Kim Blakemore invited me to visit the garden at Leschi Elementary School where 1st through 3rd graders are learning about seeds, bulbs and what eventually becomes food. This past summer, T-Mobile volunteers built two large planter boxes in the front of the school. In the back, there are two existing planting areas by the Community Day School entrance. There is a round planter and a long rectangular one; the soil is being tested to see if it is safe for growing vegetables. If not, the School District has promised to replace it with suitable dirt. Container gardening is being planned in large burlap bags. Gourds will be harvested and turned into bird houses. Both chocolate and pineapple mint were grown this year, which delighted the children as they marveled at familiar smells coming from an unfamiliar source. Kim has been able to garner donations and takes advantage of free stuff on Craig’s list, but the big need now is for VOLUNTEERS! The garden is a classroom on Fridays from 11:30-1:30 when 10-13 students at a time are brought outside to learn about gardening. Community volunteers are needed to assist at that time, preferably 2 persons. To assist, one does need to have a background check done, which is easy; fill out a form which goes to the State Police and is sent back with clearance. Contact: The Urban Garden at Seattle Girls’ School It is the 5th grade at SGS that is working the new garden, and an impressive one, it is! There are 6 large wooden planters with a strip of white board at the end of each to name the plants in that box. The students have been impressed with their Egyptian walking onion which drops a shoot forward into the ground to create the next plant, which then does the same thing so the walking onion eventually walks the length of the planter! Artichokes, carrots, radishes, collard greens and the ever popular chocolate mint are being grown. There is an arbor with a Kiwi vine being trained to climb it. A glass greenhouse built by volunteers has another large planter box in it for growing seeds. The Math teacher helped the girls use their math skills to determine how much soil they needed in each planter. The theme for the garden is Community and they have Foodie Fridays where they have served smoothies and set up a nutritional salad bar. They are looking at food equity as a social issue, as income often determines food choices. The school had assistance on the United Way Day of Caring, and Google has sent volunteers. They have used mini-grants to supplement their needs for the garden.

Leschi Park Tennis Court Leschi Park has a single tennis court. From the business area, take Lake Washington Boulevard South, up the hill. Go under the overpass for the old Cable Car Trail, and you will find the tennis court on the left. There are no lights at the court, so tennis is limited to daylight hours. There is a small backboard on one of the walls of the hurricane fencing. There is a small parking lot for a few cars. Since there is only one court, it is often occupied in good weather. There is also a restroom not far away, and the Leschi Market is just down the hill. Also since it is an outdoor court, the court surface may be littered with debris, especially after storms or strong winds, so you may find bringing an old broom useful. Mount Baker Park Tennis Court Mount Baker Park has a double tennis court, with two courts side by side. From the Leschi business area, take Lake Washington Boulevard South, for about a mile and a half. Go under the I-90 bridge, and continue to the Mount Baker Beach. Turn right at Lake Park Drive South, which is right across the street from the swimming area. Follow the road through the old trees and you will find the tennis court on the right. There is a small parking lot for a few cars. There are lights at the court, so you can play after dark. Mioposto Cafe is just down the street on McClellan. There are no backboards nearby. It is an outdoor court, the court surface may be littered with debris, especially after storms or strong winds. Also during the day there are a lot of families playing in the park, and you may find children using the court surface for activities other than tennis. Tennis Court at Sam Smith Park Smith Park has a double tennis court, with two courts side by side. You can find Sam Smith park by car, by taking Alder up the hill from the Leschi business district. Continue up the hill on Yesler and turn left on Martin Luther King Jr Way. Follow MLK south, past Judkins to South Irving Street. The park is on both sides of MLK, but the tennis courts are to the left. The only parking is along MLK Way, but it is a short walk. There are no lights so tennis is limited to daylight hours. If you want to find it by bike or on foot, it is located on the west end of the I-90 tunnel, the Mount Baker Tunnel, where the bike/walking trail comes out of the tunnel. Madrona Playground Tennis Court Madrona is just north of Leschi. Madrona Playground is right in the middle of Madrona on 32nd and Spring. The tennis courts are at the city park. There are no lights so tennis is limited to daylight hours. Seward Park Tennis Court Seward Park is about five miles south of Leschi. Just follow Lake Washington Boulevard south as it winds its way around the lake. The tennis courts are at the south end of the parking lot. There are no lights so tennis is limited to daylight hours. The LID (Mercer Island) Park Tennis Court LID Park in Mercer Island has a double tennis court, with two courts side by side. They also have a concrete wall along the basketball court that tennis players can use to practice their swing. You can find the LID by taking the I-90 bridge east over the lake and getting off the freeway at the first exit coming off the bridge. Then turn left and follow the road. The tennis courts do not have lights so you are limited to daylight hours. There is parking near the court for several cars. There is a restroom just down the I-90 trail to the east. Amy Yee Tennis Center - Indoor & Outdoor The Amy Yee Tennis center is located at 2000 Martin Luther King Jr. Way S. They have 4 outdoor tennis courts, and 10 indoor tennis courts. Amy Yee Tennis Center business hours vary depending on the day: Mon-Fri, Sep 1-May 31 6 a.m. - 10:30 p.m. Sat/Sun, Sep 1-May 31 7 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. Mon-Fri, June 1-Aug 31 6 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. Sat/Sun, June 1-Aug 31 7 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. They also offer tennis lessons for all ages at all levels, at various times during the week. You can join group classes or hire an instructor individually by the hour. They have scheduled matches, as well as court rental and ball machine rental by the hour. See the Seattle parks website for more information.

The Bath House in Madrona Park This is a family oriented sandy beach with a roped swimming area, picnic area, lifeguard, restrooms, lots of parking, and a snack bar (Only open certain months of the year.) Mount Baker Beach This is also a family oriented beach with restrooms, life guard, and roped swimming area. There is a small parking lot but can be busy in warm weather.

Dragon boating is a 2,100-year-old sport where a team of 20 people paddle in unison. Practices are invigorating and friendly while races are a two-minute adrenaline rush. It's a great way to meet new people and weekend festivals are a blast. (Dragon Boat Racing) Club Sake’s home is Leschi Marina on Lake Washington. The club has practices Monday through Thursday nights and Saturday mornings. Races are held at locations throughout the Northwest: the Williamette River during the Portland Rose Festival, Victoria's beautiful Inner Harbour, Vancouver's False Creek, Lake Union in Seattle and more. (Early morning practice) Club Sake paddler ages range from 13 to 70-something, teams include a group of women cancer survivors to the seriously fit and competitive. Find out more about Club Sake, and its seven teams, at www.clubsake.com There are several ways you can try out the sport www.clubsake.com to decide if you like and may want to join Seattle Club Sake! Annual dues are only $90 for adults and $60 for seniors and full-time students. Club Sake also has a competitive youth team, ages 13-18 and highly encourages any youth to give this a try. (Dragon Boat Racing) Teams congregate in the grassy area south of BluWater Bistro by the water and do warm-ups before heading to the boats. Practices are roughly an hour and a half in duration. After practice many people enjoy going for coffee or dim sum on the weekends. See Club Sake for more information.

Moorage at the Leschi Marina Leschi has an active marina for year round moorage of almost 200 boats. For information about using the facility or mooring your own boat there, see the Seattle Parks and Recreation site for Leschi north moorage. Motor Boats & Jet Skis Lake Washington is perfect for motor boating and water skiing. There are no motor boat launches within the borders of Leschi but you don't have to go very far to find one. The nearest power boat launch is by the Mt. Baker Rowing Center, Lake Washington Blvd and S. Charlestown St. about three miles south of Leschi. Canoes, Kayaks & Paddle Boards The waterfront along the lake provides many places you can put your kayak or canoe into the water. If you are comfortable getting into your boat from a dock, there are two docks that work pretty well. If you need a gradual slope of the beach instead there are a few specific places that are safe and easy to use. Note: You are not allowed to put your boat in the water within 25 yards of a swimming area. If you try to, you may get stopped by a life guard. Leschi Park has a hand boat launch across the street at the south end of the grassy yard. To the north: There are several appropriate places between the Marina and Madrona Park. If you walk the length of the grassy area there you will find them. You can also take Lake Washington Boulevard north to the Arboretum but parking there is often a challenge, especially in good weather. There is lots of wildlife and VERY shallow water. You can rent kayaks and canoes at the UW Waterfront Activities Center and cross the Montlake cutoff and paddle around in the Arboretum. To the south: You can put canoes and kayaks in the water in the South Day Street Park under the I-90 bridge. You can put boats in the water at the Mt Baker Rowing Center, about 2.5 miles south of Leschi. The yard just west of the buildings slopes down into the water, but there are a lot of birds there so the water is sometimes less than sanitary. There is another small park about 3 miles south of Leschi at South Adams Street. This little park has one of the best hand boat launch facilities in the area. It also has very good parking. You can also hand launch boats at Seward Park near the tennis courts on the south side of the peninsula. Seward Park is about five miles south of Leschi. To the East: If you go over the I-90 bridge and go just past Mercer Island, there is a park under the Mercer Island Bridge on the East end. It is called Enatai Beach Park and there is a facility there that rents kayaks certain times of the year. You can check out their website for schedules, and rental fees. You can also put your boat in the water at the Mercer Slough, at the Mercer Slough Nature Park. It is on Bellevue Way very close to the freeway exit off I-90. From there you can either paddle the slough or make your way to Lake Washington. Dragon Boats The Dragon Boats have a long history and tradition in Leschi. You have seen the long colorful boats at the Leschi Marina and have seen the participants doing their warm up exercises together on the shore, as well as out on the water in the boats, paddling in unison. If you are interested in trying Dragon Boating, you will be glad to know they do welcome new members and are open to the public giving it a try before joining.

Celebrate the creativity of this community as you view the works of art, original jewelry, handcrafted leather items and glass art in a series of booths on the sidewalk in the Leschi Business District. The ArtWalk is a joint venture between the Leschi Business Association and the Leschi Community Council. Artists and Craftspersons are invited to show their wares at exhibit booths set up in the business district on Lakeside Ave. A nominal fee is charged for a booth but table, chairs and canopy are provided for each vendor and music groups are invited to perform in Leschi Park. Children’s activities include an art table for their own creations and face painting, as well as a chance to push the giant Earth Ball around. The Dragon Boats participate and offer paddle lessons in the marina area. Local businesses and the Community Council have staffed tables to answer questions. This event takes place on the second Saturday in June from 11-4.