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Here are 2024’s Georgetown Community Council directors and meeting dates. After seven years as GCC Chair, Greg Ramirez becomes vice chair. Six-year resident Heather Carney is the new chair. For more about Heather, see this month's Peeps in the Neighborhood. 2024 GCC Directors Heather Carney - Chair Greg Ramirez - Vice Chair Robin Schwartz - Secretary Jason Clackley Clint Bergquist Derrick Elsea Kevin Byers Marianne Clark Tim Neill Marty Cortez Krystal Pope 2024 GCC Meeting Schedule GCC public meetings are typically held the third Monday of each month from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Old Georgetown City Hall, 6202 13th Ave S. Any changes in location will be announced in the Gazette. The 2024 meeting dates are listed below: Mar 18 Apr 15 May 20 Jun 17 Jul - no meeting Aug - no meeting Sep 16 Oct 21 Nov 18 Dec - no meeting

Cafe with coffee and cocktails to replace Flying Squirrel Photos by Steve Lannen Photo 1: Brown butcher block paper covers the windows at the former Flying Squirrel Pizza Co., 5701 Airport Way. It closed March 1. Photo 2: Burb's Burgers closed in February. By Steve Lannen The Covid-19 pandemic is in the rearview mirror for most, but it remains a painful reality for some businesses. After 10 years in Georgetown, Flying Squirrel Pizza, 5701 Airport Way S, closed March 1. It followed the closure of two other locations in Seward Park (2020) and Maple Leaf (2022). Changed dining habits and soaring food costs due to the pandemic hurt business. Revenue and sales were about 50 percent less compared to before March 2020, co-owner Mike Coury said. “We kept hoping it would go back to some semblance of what it was before, but it never did,” he said. Coury cited big, $700 lunchtime pizza orders for nearby offices prior to the pandemic. With more people working remotely, those orders largely stopped, he said. Higher wages for servers and food costs made dining out more expensive all over the city. Coury thinks some people cut casual dining from their budgets or got used to ordering different food from delivery dining apps. “We had our regulars and good, loyal customers, but you go in on a Thursday and only three tables are filled. You can’t make it with that,” he said. The space will be taken over by the owners of Capitol Hill’s Post Pike Bar & Cafe. Serving coffee, cocktails and sandwiches, they expect to open later this spring. A couple blocks away, the popular Burb’s Burgers inside the blue box at 5825 Airport Way shut down in February along with four other Seattle and Bellevue locations. In an Instagram video and interviews, owner Josh Henderson said a rapid expansion followed by Covid-related debt drove him to search for a buyer and put the business into Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. A challenge to draw people to Georgetown However, the pandemic isn’t the issue for one departing Georgetown business. Cascade Cliffs Vineyard & Winery Tasting Room, 6006 12th Ave S, will close in April after opening in 2019. The tasting room will join other wine-related businesses in a mixed-use development in Woodinville expected to open at the end of the year. Cascade’s tasting room manager, Kristen Deiner, said she and staff will miss the neighborhood, but she also pointed out challenges to operating in Georgetown. City regulations caused the tasting room to lose its sidewalk patio, rent on the 4,200 square-foot space is expensive, break-ins and graffiti persist, and it is hard to convince people from elsewhere to visit the neighborhood, she said. And the shop’s computer was stolen during a recent break-in. “Georgetown has a great charm, but that charm doesn’t attract people from outside. They’re used to something shinier and brighter,” Deiner said. “There’s a great, internal support network here, but people from outside don’t see that.” Instead, visitors see the nearby homeless encampments and ask her if the area is safe or if their car will be broken into, she said. Georgetown’s residential population remains small. Most businesses can’t rely on local patrons alone. Georgetown could benefit from more external marketing to draw people from outside the neighborhood to visit and spend money, Deinert believes. “Other business districts advertise,” she said. “When was the last time you saw a Georgetown advertisement outside of Georgetown?”

By Maria G. Ramirez For the past 14 months a coalition of neighbors called Reconnect South Park have explored options for a preferred future for the portion of State Route 99 that bisects South Park. The largest drivers for visualizing a preferred future are the disproportionate health outcomes (i.e., shorter life spans and high rates of disease including asthma and COPD), noise and air pollution in South Park. We also consider the impacts of global climate change (flooding and lack of green space); the need for affordable housing; small businesses, and safety for pedestrians, bikers and children playing outdoors. In 2023, the RSP group worked with a consultant to create a story map of the area. Please visit the RSP Coalition website to view the story map, timeline, and our first annual report: https://reconnectsouthpark.org Last month we kicked off a series of RSP coffees in South Park and Georgetown. By the end of March, we will have held eight of them. We invite you to join us to learn about RSP and hear what people have on their minds. There is no agenda, no PowerPoint and no talking heads!! Through these coffees, participants will identify priorities that will be explored further in coffees planned for May and June. The goal is for the community to come together to visualize the preferred future for the folks that live, work, and play in the Duwamish Valley. Please join us at an upcoming Reconnect South Park (RSP) Coffee: Thurs, March 21, 5 p.m.-6:15 p.m. Duwamish Longhouse, 4705 W Marginal Way SW Mon, March 25, 7 p.m.-8:15 p.m. Mini Mart City Park, 6525 Ellis Ave S Dinner and childcare will be provided at both coffees. RSP is led by María G. Ramirez. Maria has lived in Westwood for nearly 30 years and is the chair of the Duwamish Valley Affordable Housing Coalition CLT. Maria can be reached at: connect@reconnectsouthpark.org

Pet's full name: Benjamin Nicknames: Ben, Benny boy, Benito, Dinky boy Breed(s, if known): Shetland sheepdog mix Age: 6 Occupation/hobbies: Courtyard security. Tug-o-war aficionado. Fetch enthusiast. Favorite trick: Makes an appearance in every front door delivery photo Favorite snack: Crispy plantain chips (no more than 5/day) & dates with peanut butter. What your pet wants their neighbors to know: Loves making new acquaintances–specifically the human kind.

The woman who lounges in stripes above Fourth Avenue S. near the intersection with S. Lucille is Kara Muller, one half of the electronic pop duo Bridles. Painted by muralist Steven LaRose, the mural evokes a composed calm that contrasts with the hectic traffic below, and is courtesy of the Seattle Artist League, located in the same building. League Cofounder Ruthie V told the Gazette that the mural was inspired by a Hope Gangloff painting of a man in a similar repose that Artist League students struggled to reproduce last summer. Inspired by the process, Ruthie had Muller pose herself for a photo that became a sketch that became the plan for the untitled mural. The Seattle Artist League is a spacious and welcoming art school, teaching drawing, painting, sculpture, and ceramics to the public. The school opened in 2016, founded on the idea that being creative is more fun in community, and moved to Georgetown in 2022. Current courses include “Pottery: Handbuild a Dinnerware Set,” a Sunday series, and “Drawing for Busy People,” an online evening class. You can find the school's full schedule at https://www.seattleartistleague.com Check out Bridles on Bandcamp, Spotify, and Apple Music and at @bridles_band on Instagram

Come one, come all for Georgetown’s annual Easter egg hunt! On Easter Sunday, March 31, the community will come together to hide and then seek eggs at Oxbow Park (AKA Hat and Boots Park). The hunt starts promptly at 11:30 am. Interested in participating? Volunteers are needed: Filling eggs with prizes and candy: Sat, Mar 30, Old Georgetown City Hall, 1-4pm Donating candy, plastic eggs or cash to help pay for the eggs and candy Contact directors@georgetownneighborhood.com if you can help!

February Pet of the Month Pet's full name: Snickers Nicknames: Snicks, Snick the Quick, Niño, Tiny baby Breed(s, if known): Chihuahua-Italian Greyhound mix Age: Approximately 16 years young Occupation/hobbies:  Professional cuddler and architect. I build blanket forts and am very adept at finding the coziest spot available. I also love to travel despite airlines not awarding SkyMiles to cute dogs. Favorite trick: Eluding the authorities (aka flight attendants) on airplanes while sleeping on mom’s lap. If forced to stay in my carrier, I can and will escape directly to first class. Favorite snack: Bacon or whatever my brother Ben is eating What your pet wants their neighbors to know: If you have an ankle, I will sniff it. I’m pretty sure I’m cute, but don’t forget to tell me because it’s always nice to hear it.

Problematic hotel closed for months, Feb. 2023 murder remains unsolved Photo credit: Westlake Associates Inc. Most of Georgetown’s Flora Avenue is a pleasant, tree-lined, four-block stretch of residential homes. But on the corner with East Marginal Way sits the Airlane Motel, which has been vacant for months. These days, a chain-link fence surrounds the two-story, 7,900-square-foot building, but it has failed to stop the accumulation of graffiti, weeds, and trash. Yet, for longtime nearby residents, the current situation is still better than before. The motel at 7070 E. Marginal Way was a longtime hub of drug-dealing, prostitution, assault, and other crimes. Criminal activity spilled into the neighborhood, causing near-constant anxiety for nearby neighbors. “There was some sort of daily unpredictable drama and we could directly link it to people coming and going from that motel,” said Julie Johnson, who has lived in the 6900 block of Flora for 20 years. She recalled a prostitute was Tasered in her backyard, people relieved themselves in her front yard and yet others offered her children drugs. Abandoned cars, reckless driving and sleep interrupted by screams was also common. The Airlane is one of a handful of hotels along East Marginal Way. All have had their share of incidents through the years drawing the ire of Georgetown residents. But the Airlane excelled in this area. Eleven years ago, Seattle police declared the 20-unit motel a “chronic nuisance property” and threatened steep fines or property seizure. Things improved for a while, but not enough, Johnson said. The hotel changed owners, but the problems persisted. A deadly shooting, then a fire On Feb. 27, 2023, a man was shot and killed in the Airlane Motel. The King County Medical Examiner later identified the man as Cameron Ellis, 30. Attempts to contact his survivors were not successful. Hours after the shooting, Seattle police published a blog post stating officers located a potential suspect nearby, but did not say if they questioned or took someone into custody. In the year since, police have repeatedly declined to discuss the case only saying it remains under investigation. Troy Smith, manager of the Munson Motel next to the Airlane, said investigators visited several days after the shooting looking to review his motel’s security cameras. They told Smith the suspect possibly walked through the Munson parking lot to get to the Airlane. However, camera footage automatically erased after five days and police were too late, Smith said. Police declined to comment. On May 23, a fire in a room caused more than $60,000 in damage. Fire investigators ruled the cause accidental. Repairs and renovations appeared to be underway, but a short time later, the motel ceased operations. A private security company guarded the property for a few weeks, but they are long since gone. What’s next? Without the hotel’s usual activity, this past summer was “like a gift,” Johnson said. “I remember in the middle of the summer telling my husband, ‘I just feel like we live in a normal neighborhood now.’” Smith is also glad the Airlane is closed. He hopes mixed-income housing is built on the site to “turn something that has been a problem for the neighborhood into a positive.” Plans for the property are unknown. It was listed for sale in 2022 with an asking price of $2.1 million, but that listing does not appear active now. Messages sent to the listed governor of an LLC that owns the property, Myung Ha Kang, were not returned. The motel’s listed phone number is disconnected. Johnson would also like to see housing or a business on the site connected to and supporting the community instead of “causing havoc.” “I just want a good neighbor,” she said.

South Seattle Community College project brings nature to neighborhood Photo credit: SUGI Project The field at East Marginal Way and Corson Avenue South in front of South Seattle Community College could look a lot different in a few years. Volunteers planted hundreds of trees earlier this month on a 3,500 square-foot circular plot with the hopes of creating an urban forest in Georgetown on a site where a gas station once sat and the soil beneath rife with contaminants. The project is a partnership between the college, the Duwamish Tribe, the Duwamish River Community Coalition, SUGI, and Natural Urban Forest backed by an anonymous Seattle donor’s $20,000 donation. The new Georgetown Community Forest will consist of 40 species of native trees such as alder, aspen, cedar and Sitka spruce, and other local flora. Although rather small now, some trees will double in size in two years and some will be even as tall as a telephone pole in three years, said Ethan Bryson, owner of National Urban Forests. In time, the forest will remediate the soil, improve air quality, enable increased biodiversity, attract birds, and provide valuable green space to residents, according to a press release and web site describing the project. The grass lot is a popular spot for dog owners to walk their pooches or play fetch. Signs will be posted discouraging owners from walking their dogs through the forest area, Bryson said, because dog waste and paws can harm young plants. People are welcomed to visit and walk through the forest on paths. In a neighborhood with polluted air and soil, the related public health challenges, and where the life expectancy is 8 years shorter than the average for the City of Seattle, an effort to heal the land and its people is welcomed, said Paulina López, the DRCC’s executive director. “This will bring some peace and healing” to counter “the legacy pollution and legacy injustice” in the community, she said. For more information, visit https://www.sugiproject.com/forests/georgetown-community-forest.

Happy Valentines Day neighbors, here's a little something for you. Flip to the next image, find the first three words and write it down in the comment section below.

Join us this month, get informed on issues impacting our neighborhood and build community with your neighbors. 2024 GCC Meeting Schedule GCC public meetings are typically held the third Monday of each month from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Old Georgetown City Hall, 6200 13th Ave S. Any changes in location will be announced. The 2024 meeting dates:

Exclusive Interview with North Georgetown’s Barred Owl The Gazette spoke with a juvenile female barred owl who is nesting on South Findlay Street. She is a gorgeous bird, 16-inches tall with a fluffy cream-colored face and breast speckled with brown markings, oversized eyes, and a curved yellow beak. Gazette: Owl neighbor, thank you for granting this interview. We’re hoping to understand you better and learn why you’re roosting in North Georgetown this winter. From a branch high overhead, in a rich baritone: Helloooo hooooman. I’m living here, among you, and your trucks, planes, and trains because I needed some space of my own. You see, there is no longer enough forest for us. There are plenty of owls in this valley, and yet we like to keep to ourselves and claim large territories, so a single tree like this one, and the industrial environment around it, is what I can call mine. And you can call me “Barb.” Gazette: Welcome to the neighborhood, Barb. I hope you’ve found it peaceful enough. How old are you, if it’s not impolite to ask? Barb: I’m just about one year old. You can consider me a teenager, as us owls live only 8 years on average. I left my parents’ nest last August to strike out on my own. I tried living on Beacon Hill but it was too noisy and completely overrun with crows. Now I’m on this quiet street which so far boasts plenty of mice, rabbits and squirrels. Have you seen the extra-large Norway rats that frequent the alleys? Lots of crunchy little hummingbirds, too. North Georgetown is frankly an unadvertised buffet of soft-bodied delights! Gazette: I’m glad you’re liking it here. You don’t eat cats or small dogs, do you? Barb: I will if I catch one, but I can only carry about eight pounds while in flight. Your outdoor cats are my competition for mice, so I will dive bomb them and try to take them out if I have a chance. Gazette: You’ve been swooping on your human neighbors, too. Are you hoping to take us out? Barb: I’m trying to tell you people to stay away from my nest. You don’t seem to be getting my message. I don’t really want to tangle with you, but I could sink my talons into the back of your head if you need a more obvious warning. Gazette: Oh boy, that makes me want to carry an umbrella all the time on your block. You view humans as threats? Barb: All large mammals are threats to my nest and competition. Please respect my territory and hunt elsewhere. Gazette: Message received. And if you’ll allow one embarrassing question, let’s change topics. Is it true that owls don’t poop? Barb: Pardon me? I wonder where you heard that! We do poop, a lot, sometimes multiple times a day, both from our backend and through our beaks, although technically that’s called regurgitation. We have a second stomach that turns indigestible bits, like bones, feathers, and teeth, into pellets that we cough up. But we’re birds, and our normal poop looks just like bird poop. Why are humans so fascinated by excrement? Is there nothing more interesting to talk about? Gazette: Is it just you up there in your nest? Barb: To be precise, owls don’t build nests. We find crevices or other birds’ old nests to sleep and lay eggs in. But yes, it’s just me here. I am in the market for a mate, and when I find one, I’ll most likely move in with him. Owls mate for life, and though I’m too young to make owlets just yet, it’s never too early to pair up. Do you know any eligible bachelors? Gazette: Not of your species, but we’ll be on the lookout for a capable male owl to introduce you to. What else do you want your neighbors to know about you? Barb: The biggest threats I face, besides deforestation, are rat poison and cars. Could you please use less of these? Also, some humans hear our calls and think we’re asking, “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you-all?” Rest assured, we do not care who cooks for you. We are talking to each other, not to you.