Food Trucks Serve Up Help for Kids in South Lake Union

SOUTH LAKE UNION – Seattle's food trucks are getting behind underserved kids and families in the South Lake Union and Cascade neighborhoods, dishing up a helping of much-needed support for an after-school education and homework program. Throughout February, residents, employees and others in Seattle's burgeoning global technology and health sciences research hub who visit participating food trucks for lunch can make a donation to the SLU-Cascade Youth Enrichment Program, a program of the South Lake Union Community Council.

"It's really important that kids have an opportunity to have access to help with school and a safe and nurturing environment to be in after school," said Jessica Hovater, who along with her partner Salvatore Savago serve up everything from Polish sausage to Louisiana hot links to the on-the-go lunch crowd at The Hot Dog King on the corner of Westlake and Harrison Streets.

With a clear need for programs typically found through elementary schools and community centers – both absent in South Lake Union, Hovater and Savago rallied the neighborhood’s food trucks behind the effort.

"Just the idea that there isn't anything available in South Lake Union breaks my heart. I've run into that trying to bring our own kids down to work," Hovater said.

Filling an important education-gap for families and elementary school-aged kids 3–13, primarily in neighboring Cascade, the community program will offer structured homework help, education materials and nutritious meals to kids between school hours and when their parents arrive home from work.

"The food truck community and a local mother in South Lake Union approached the community council with the idea of helping the neighborhood. Quite frankly we were hungry for the enthusiasm behind educational support in South Lake Union," said Mike McQuaid, president of the South Lake Union Community Council which unanimously endorsed the project at its February meeting. "The idea is as innovative as the neighborhood that it serves."

With a modest goal of $500, donations will help the effort qualify for matching grants from the City of Seattle's Department of Neighborhoods and others to fund the program that will kick-off this spring.

"This is our neighborhood," Hovater said. "We've watched the first Amazon buildings go up. We've watched the neighborhood grow. It's important for us as a community to help fill the gaps and participate in the growth of our city.”

To find your favorite food truck in Seattle or to learn more about this growing segment of the hospitality industry visit SeattleFoodTruck.com.

About The South Lake Union Community Council

The recognized South Lake Union neighborhood leadership organization by the City of Seattle, the South Lake Union Community Council is the steward of the SLU neighborhood plan and collaboratively with community stakeholders authored the SLU Urban Design Framework and the SLU / Uptown Mobility Plan. The South Lake Union Community Council meets monthly (4 – 6 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month) at the Museum of History and Industry in South Lake Union. To learn more visit SLUCommunityCouncil.org.

Participating South Lake Union Food Trucks

The Hot Dog King Open: Mon., Tues., Wed., Thurs., Fri. (11 a.m. – 2 p.m.) Location: Corner of Westlake and Harrison (next to Firestone)

Now Make Me A Sandwich Open:  Mon., Wed., Fri. (11 a.m. – 1:45 p.m.) Location:  Corner of Terry and Thomas Streets

Caravan Crepes Open:  Fri. (11 a.m. – 2 p.m.) Location:  Corner of Westlake and Harrison (in front of the Aveda)

Buddha Bruddah Open:  Mon., Tues., Thurs. (11 a.m. – 2 p.m.) Location:  Monday, Friday:  Corner of Westlake and Harrison Tuesday, Thursday:  219 Terry Ave. North

Lumpia World Open:  Tues. (11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.) Location:  Corner of Westlake and Harrison

Join Us Tues. at MOHAI for our February Meeting

Join the South Lake Union Community Council on Tuesday, February 3 (4 p.m.) at MOHAI as representatives from Seattle Department of Transportation and King County METRO will answer your questions on the impact of voter-approved funding on bus routes and service in the neighborhood. The monthly meeting will also include an update from SDOT on its Construction Hub program in the neighborhood while a representative from our local Terry & Republican Starbucks will share his company’s programs that are available to support SLU non-profits and community events.

Coffee and baked goods will be served.   Join us and bring a friend or colleague!

WHAT: South Lake Union Community Council Monthly Meeting

WHEN: Tuesday, Feb. 3 (4 p.m.)

WHERE: Museum of History and Industry (860 Terry Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98109)

WHY: Meet your neighbors and learn about bus service and non-profit and event support by local companies

AGENDA: Click Here

LEARN MORE: SLUCommunityCouncil.org

Art Walk Co-founder, Community Leader Dena Lee Named SLU Volunteer of The Year

SOUTH LAKE UNION – South Lake Union Art Walk co-founder and community council board member Dena Lee has been named Volunteer of The Year by the South Lake Union Chamber of Commerce. Lee, a Cascade neighborhood resident, was honored at the Chamber's annual awards breakfast, Wednesday morning at Seattle's SpringHill Suites for her work as a co-founder of the flourishing neighborhood art walk. In just under a year, the progressive arts festival has grown to include some 60 artists displaying their works at 40 venues and storefronts in Seattle's South Lake Union and Cascade neighborhoods.

"Dena Lee is a treasure to the South Lake Union and Cascade communities," said South Lake Union Community Council president, Mike McQuaid. "Her enthusiasm, community spirit and ability to bring people together through art are infectious and an inspiration to all of us in the neighborhood and beyond."

With a belief that the arts can be a catalyst for positive change resulting in stronger, healthier community, Lee started the South Lake Union Art Walk along with Andrea Florissi, owner of the neighborhood's popular Café Torino, in May 2014.   The two quickly enlisted the support and enthusiasm of the South Lake Union Community Council, South Lake Union Chamber, area businesses and a team of 10 volunteers.

"I'm very honored. Of all the years that I've done volunteer work I've never been recognized. This came as a complete surprise," said the dance educator and retired catering chef whose lifelong volunteerism includes South Lake Union service on its community council, the Advisory Board of the Y at Cascade People's Center and the city's Denny Substation Task Force along with Youth Care's Orion Center and Immanuel Lutheran Church.

For Lee and for her community, the South Lake Union Art Walk has opened doors for many artists and groups that otherwise wouldn’t have had an opportunity to share their creations and for others a preview of things to come.

Among the works displayed at the December 5 walk was a collection of tapestries depicting the 12 major religions of the world designed and sewn by members of Seattle's Unity Church.

"The congregation wanted to expose this to a broader audience," Lee said. "They finished the final one just in time for December."

In Cascade, the Y at Cascade People's Center hosted art by its AmeriCorps volunteers. And by accident, the neighborhood's community center wound up displaying a 20-foot abstract neon sculpture by All Rise, a group of Portland artists that crafted the installation to bring flare to Seattle City Light's Denny Substation project nestled between Pontius and Yale Streets.

While honored with the personal recognition of her efforts, Lee says it's all about sharing the accolades with her dedicated team of volunteers.

"The emotional, spiritual and physical support of so many people that I've worked with in South Lake Union really made this all possible," she said.

The South Lake Union Volunteer of The Year is selected by public vote and awarded to an individual who donates time, talent or money to non-work related endeavors that expressly support the spirit and growth of the South Lake Union neighborhood.

Other 2014 South Lake Union Chamber of Commerce Award winners are: Excellence in Business (Large Business) – Amazon.com; Excellence in Business (Small Business) – Café Torino; Excellence in Sustainability – Zipcar; Retailer of The Year – Whole Foods - South Lake Union; Non-Profit of The Year – Seattle Children's Research Institute. For a list of past award winners visit SLU Chamber Annual Awards.

To learn more about the South Lake Union Art Walk visit SLUArtWalk.org.

Rubbish! Keeping South Lake Union Pristine

SOUTH LAKE UNION – Bundled-up with the mercury dipping into the mid 40s, Sean Walters and Helen Harris were hard at work on an early January morning in their donated kayaks plucking plastic bags, Styrofoam cups and other castaway rubbish from the pebbled shores of South Lake Union.

Sean and Helen, both volunteers, are among a group of four regulars from the Puget Soundkeeper Alliance that meets every Wednesday at 10 a.m. - rain or shine - at the NW Outdoor Center along Westlake Ave. to paddle the shores of Seattle’s 500-acre urban lake filling five-pound yellow trash bags with the unwanted flotsam.

For Harris, a native New Englander and life-long paddler who lives in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, doing her part to keep the South Lake Union shoreline unpolluted is as important as just getting on the water and having fun in the dead of winter.

“I love the water and I like clean water that we can enjoy,” said Harris, who expected the group would fill eight five-pound bags during their two-hour shift navigating the lake’s hard-to-reach shallows, narrow spaces between moored yachts and public beaches.

And the effort was a success, said Puget Soundkeeper Stewardship Coordinator Kathryn Davis who was guiding the two-kayak outing.

“That’s a pretty good haul for today," she said.  "We're having fun."

To learn more about how you can make a difference in the South Lake Union neighborhood, attend February's South Lake Union Community Council meeting, Tuesday, Feb. 3 at 4 p.m. at the Museum of History and Industry.  Or to get on the water right away and help keep South Lake Union’s shores pristine, visit PugetSoundkeeper.org

SLUCC January Board Meeting Agenda

Tues., Jan. 6, 2015 (4 – 6 p.m.)Museum of History and Industry | Lake Union Park | 860 Terry Ave N. Seattle, WA 98109

AGENDA

1. Happy New Year!  Welcome & Introductions
2. About Our Host:  Museum of History and Industry (Leonard Garfield, MOHAI Exec. Dir.)
3. Establish a Quorum
4. Approval of Minutes:  Dec. 2014 (Erin Maher)
5. Public Comments
6. Presentations: •    Denny Substation Update:  (Michael Clarke SCL) •    Compass Housing Alliance / Compass on Dexter (Robert Bowery) •    Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O'Toole
7. Executive Reports •    President's Report (Mike McQuaid) •    Vice President's Report (Pearl Leung) ~ 2015 Elections •    Treasurer's Report (Kyle Ducey)
8. Committee Reports •    Policy & Planning (Dan Foltz) •    Transportation (Kyle Ducey) •    Communications (Pearl Leung) ~ Events Sub-Committee (Dena Lee)
9. Neighborhood Reports •    City of Seattle Dept. of Neighborhoods (Tim Durkan, Seattle Dept. of Neighborhoods) •    Public Safety (Sgt Paul Gracy / Officer Sam Cook, Seattle Police Dept.) •    SLU Chamber of Commerce (Jodie King) •    Lake Union Park Working Group (Aislinn Palmer) •    Cascade Neighborhood (Sean Walsh, Y @ Cascade Peoples Center)
10. Old Business •    Westlake Micro Parks Update (Jim Goodspeed) •    Ongoing SLU Residents Group Engagement (Mike McQuaid)
11. New Business / Other Business •    City Council Elections / Community Forum (John Pehrson)
12. Next Meeting SLU Community Council Regular Monthly Meeting: Tues., Feb. 3, 2015 (4 – 6 p.m. MOHAI Conference Room, Lake Union Park)
13. Adjourn

Seattle Police Chief O'Toole to Speak at Jan. 6 SLU Community Council Meeting

SOUTH LAKE UNION – The South Lake Union community will welcome Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O'Toole for a neighborhood conversation at the South Lake Union Community Council's Tuesday, Jan. 6 meeting beginning at 4 p.m. at the Museum of History and Industry. A one-time Boston police commissioner and former inspector general for Ireland's national police force, Chief O'Toole will share her vision for public safety in the City of Seattle and the importance of community policing in Seattle neighborhoods as a part of the meeting hosted jointly by the South Lake Union Community Council and Chamber of Commerce.

"The South Lake Union community is especially honored to welcome Chief O'Toole to our neighborhood," said South Lake Union Community Council president Mike McQuaid.

Chief O'Toole was appointed in May 2014 by Seattle Mayor Ed Murray and confirmed in late June by the Seattle City Council.

She has already set ambitious markers for herself and the some 1,300 SPD officers including a pledge to craft a policing plan "for every neighborhood in the city" within 30 to 60 days of her confirmation.

Speaking at a South End community forum this spring, Chief O'Toole shared her vision and expectations for working together with neighborhoods throughout the City.

"I intend to spend a lot of time in the neighborhoods," she said in a June 23 SeattlePI.com story. "I will expect my commanders to do the same."

Since her confirmation, McQuaid, along with other South Lake Union neighborhood leaders have responded enthusiastically to the Seattle Police Department's outreach.

Together with West Precinct community police team's Sgt. Paul Gracy and Officer Sam Cook, neighborhood leaders have already been working to strengthen the flourishing neighborhood's bonds with community police team officers.

Activities have included hosted public safety meetings in South Lake Union and nearby Cascade along with the inclusion of a regular public safety discussion topic at community council meetings.

"Chief O'Toole is a genuine, neighborhood-minded leader who understands our communities from the bottom up," McQuaid said. "Her vision for community engagement and trust building is exciting for not just South Lake Union but the entire City of Seattle.

Chief O'Toole is a career police officer and lawyer who has earned an international reputation for her principled leadership and reform strategies.

In 2012, she completed a six-year term as Chief Inspector of the Gardia Síochána Inspectorate, an oversight body responsible for bringing reform, best practice and accountability to the 17,000-member Irish national police service.

Prior to serving in Ireland, Chief O'Toole rose through the ranks of local and state policing in the United States. During her police career, she was assigned to numerous patrol, investigative, undercover, supervisory and management positions.

She served as Superintendent (Chief) of the Metropolitan District Commission Police and Lieutenant Colonel overseeing Special Operations in the Massachusetts State Police. She was later appointed Massachusetts Secretary of Public Safety (1994) and Boston Police Commissioner (2004).

Chief O'Toole is among a number of City of Seattle officials to join the South Lake Union Community Council for community discussions this year. Among them are Seattle City Councilmembers Sally Bagshaw and Tom Rasmussen, Washington State Representatives Brady Walkinshaw (D-43rd) and Gael Tarleton (D-36th) while King County Councilmember Larry Phillips recently participated in the South Lake Union and Cascade neighborhood walking tour.

To learn more about the Seattle Police Department and Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O'Toole, please visit the Seattle Police Department website.

WHAT:       South Lake Union Community Council (January Meeting) WHEN:      Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2015 – 4 p.m. WHERE:    Museum of History and Indudstry (860 Terry Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109 at Lake Union Park) HOSTS:      SLU Community Counciland SLU Chamber of Commerce

About The South Lake Union Community Council

The recognized South Lake Union neighborhood leadership organization by the City of Seattle, the South Lake Union Community Council is the steward of the SLU neighborhood plan and collaboratively with community stakeholders authored theSLU Urban Design Framework and the SLU / Uptown Mobility Plan. The South Lake Union Community Council meets monthly (4 – 6 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month) at the Museum of History and Industry in South Lake Union. To learn more visit SLUCommunityCouncil.org.

SLUCC December Board Meeting Agenda

Tues., Dec. 2, 2014 (4 – 6 p.m.)Museum of History and Industry | Lake Union Park | 860 Terry Ave N. Seattle, WA 98109

AGENDA

1. Welcome & Introductions
2. Establish a Quorum
3. Approval of Minutes:  Nov. 2014 (Erin Maher)
4. Public Comments
5. Presentations: •    SDOT Traffic/Safety/Construction Hub December Update •    Seattle City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw
6. Executive Reports •    President’s Report (Mike McQuaid) •    Vice President’s Report (Pearl Leung) ~ Vacant Board Position •    Treasurer’s Report (Kyle Ducey)
7. Committee Reports •    Policy & Planning (Kyle Ducey for Dan Foltz) •    Transportation (Kyle Ducey) ~ Adaptive Signal Control Funding ~ North Portal / Surface Street Design ~ Westlake Cycle Track •    Communications (Pearl Leung)
8. Neighborhood Reports •    City of Seattle Dept. of Neighborhoods (Tim Durkan, Seattle Dept. of Neighborhoods) •    Public Safety (Officer Sam Cook, Seattle Police Dept.) •    SLU Chamber of Commerce (Jodie King) •    Lake Union Park Working Group (Aislinn Palmer) •    Cascade Neighborhood (Patty Turnberg)
9. Old Business •    Denny Substation Taskforce – Community Recommendations (Pearl Leung) •    Seattle City Council 2015 District Elections – SLU Strategy (Jim Goodspeed) •    SLU Residential Community Outreach Strategy (Mike McQuaid)
10. New Business / Other Business •    Upcoming Meeting Speakers: (January:  Seattle Chief of Police Kathleen O’Toole)
11. Next Meeting SLU Community Council Regular Monthly Meeting: Tues., Jan. 6, 2015 (4 – 6 p.m. MOHAI Conference Room, Lake Union Park)
12. Adjourn