Eastlake neighbors gathered at the newly renovated Roanoke Park (E. Roanoke and Fairview E.) on Saturday, March 31, to put in new plants.

Despite cold and rain, a group of about two dozen volunteers gathered to do the planting. Amanda Bailey, a local landscape designer, did the planting design for the park, which was renovated by the city. Carsten Stinn, a local resident and project manager at Perkins+Will, spearheaded the project. Perkins+Will allowed Stinn and others to work on the project as part of the firm's committment to the community.

The project was sponsored by the Eastlake Social Club with the support of the Eastlake Community Council, the Seattle Parks and Recreation Department and the Seattle Department of Transportation. Funding for the $50,000 project is coming from the city.

A second piece of Roanoke Park, which faces Mallard Cove, remains to be renovated. Funding for that project isn't yet available.

Thanks to Carsten Stinn for providing the photos.

The renovated Roanoke Park will move a step closer to completion on Saturday, March 31, when Eastlake neighbors gather to put in plantings. 

A volunteer work party will be from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and everyone is invited.

The small park at the foot of E. Roanoke, site of the Boeing Company's original airplane factory, has long been in need of renovation. Ivy had taken over the site which includes four Heritage Trees and a public access point to Lake Union.

As we reported in February, work on renovating the park began with neighborhood resident Carsten Stinn. Stinn is a project designer at Perkins+Will, a national design firm with an office in Seattle that dedicates one percent of its staffs’ work hours to developing projects that will benefit the greater community. Stinn proposed the park project to Perkins+Will and the firm decided to undertake it. Employees from the firm spent more than 200 hours drawing up plans for the park.

Stinn recruited others in the neighborhood to help, including Johann Wassermann, a surveyor; Amanda Bailey, a local landscape designer; and Mary Hansen, Linda Furney, Dane Jensen and Tim Ahlers. The project was sponsored by the Eastlake Social Club with the support of the Eastlake Community Council, the Seattle Parks and Recreation Department and the Seattle Department of Transportation. Funding for the $50,000 project is coming from the city.

Saturday's work party is the next step in the project. Stinn would also like to renovate a second piece of the park, which faces Mallard Cove. Funding for that project isn't available at this time.

Attached is an invite from Therese Casper from SDOt for a clean up event at South Lake Union.

From: Casper, Therese [mailto:Therese.Casper@seattle.gov]
Sent: Tuesday, April 05, 2011 8:56 AM
To: Casper, Therese
Subject: Fairview Ave E clean up event

Dear Fairview Ave E Stakeholder:

I wanted to let you know of an exciting opportunity to clean up the Cheshiahud Lake Union Loop Trail.   In celebration of Earth Day, Out for Sustainability is hosting Earth Gay 2011 on Saturday, April 23.  This volunteer driven event will be restoring a portion of the Cheshiahud Loop Trail along the eastern shore of Lake Union—from Fairview Ave N to Terry Pettus Park (E Newton St).  Approximately 100 volunteers are expected.  Sponsors include Earth Gay, the Eastlake Community Council, Seattle Department of Transportation Urban Forestry and Seattle Parks.

Here are the specifics of the event:

Date: Saturday, April 23, 2011 - from Noon to 4 pm with optional after-party

SCHEDULE

12 - 12:30 p.m. Volunteers to assemble.... (more)

The University District Food Bank, which serves Eastlake as well as a big chunk of the north end, is launching a new home dellivery service in November.

[Full disclosure: I volunteer with the University District Food Bank.]

The program is looking for low-income seniors who need food but are homebound due to a mental or physical condition and are unable to get to the food bank. Food will be delivered on Wednesdays and those who receive it will be able to customize their order. The service is free, as are all of the food bank's services.

They're also looking for volunteer drivers to deliver food.

If you are a homebound, low-income senior, or if you know someone who is, you can arrange for food delivery by contacting Evan Miller at the food bank at 206-523-7060 or e-mailing him at evan@udistrictfoodbank.org.

The Seattle Times reported last week that the Lake Union Crew Outreach Foundation will be sending 82 volunteers to Peru to build a community center.

The center will be built in the community of San Francisco de Asis, an hour south of Lima. The foundation has raised $140,883 of its $150,000 cost of the center. Volunteers will start flying to Peru on Dec. 16 and the project is expected to take eight weeks to complete.

Lake Union crew is located at 11 E. Allison.

Read the Times story here. More information on the project is at the Lake Union Crew Outreach Foundation's web site.

If you're free tomorrow (Sunday, July 12) between 1 and 3 p.m., the Eastlake Community Council needs your help. They'll be having a work party to help with a backlog of filing in their archives.

The work party will be at Seward School, 2500 Franklin Ave. E., in the archives/board room just off the north courtyard.

Chris Leman, ECC vice president notes:

"The Eastlake Community Council has an archives/board room (with lots of historic pictures and posters) at Seward School. ... Tomorrow, we're hoping to finish up a backlog of filing. If the weather is good, we may do it outside in the shaded courtyard.  Beverages will be provided, and potluck items are welcome -- or we'll send out for a pizza!  Please join us -- or if you can't, let us know if you're willing to help in the future."

Chris Leman is looking for volunteers to help finish, clean up and water the new, native plant garden on the Lake Union shoreline between NOAA and the Lake Union Drydock (1500 and 1600 blocks of Fairview Avenue E.), from 9 a.m. to noon. Bring gloves and sturdy shoes (there are a few gloves to borrow if you forget).

It's part of the annual Lake Union clean up, which means there's a free cookout and party at South Lake Union after.

Chris says the group working on the garden urgently needs donations of hoses, nozzles, soaker hoses and sprinklers, which you can leave by the tool hutch at 1609 Fairview (near the trash can), or phone and we'll pick up from your home. Call (206) 322-5463 or e-mail cleman@oo.net

Next up: Watering the new plantings in the coming months. "Once the plants get established," Chris writes, "they won't need watering, but they do need it for the first two summers."

Contact Chris to arrange to water for a couple of hours on a future weekday or weekend. Thanks to Lake Union Drydock and Peterson Yacht Services for giving us water, Chris writes.

Chris Leman sends the following:

Volunteers are needed tomorrow (Thursday, April 23), 8:30-11:30 a.m., on the east Lake Union shore between NOAA and Lake Union Drydock. Join 20 high school students in helping with the remaining planting and to spread mulch. The mulch keeps weeds down and helps keep the soil moist during the summer.  Bring raingear, gloves and sturdy shoes.

And now that we've restored the lakebank between NOAA and Lake Union Drydock with native plants, we need to water them in the coming months. Once the plants get established, they won't need watering, but they do need it for the first few summers. Please call (206) 322-5463 or e-mail cleman@oo.net to sign up for a future weekday or weekend. Also, we need donations of hoses, nozzles, soaker hoses and sprinklers, which you can leave by the tool hutch at 1609 Fairview (near the trash can).

Volunteers are also needed to help inventory Eastlake's trees, especially the large ones which we are fast losing from lack of priority. This will involve filling out an inventory form and it would be good also to take a photo. Instructions and advice will be provided. To get involved: eastlakeplants@comcast.net andinfo@eastlakeseattle.org.  See the article on page 4 of the April/May Eastlake News (PDF), which is also available at www.eastlakeseattle.org.