February 2002

Guenter Risse, Club Historian, Seeks Your Help

Personal recollections and narratives have become integral sources of history. The new Innis Arden Oral History Program under the direction of Archivist Guenter Risse aims to interview our oldest residents. If you are interested in participating, call him at 542-6963 or send an e-mail to profgrisse@attbi.com

Wanted! Fireproof File Cabinets!
Professor Risse has been researching, collecting and archiving important documents of the Innis Arden Community. Many of these documents are originals and need safekeeping in a fireproof file cabinet. One has been previously donated, and now the Club is in need of two more. If you need to unload a fireproof file cabinet, it would be greatly appreciated!

Calling for Notable Neighbor Nominations! Rave For One of Your Neighbors!

The Bulletin Editor would like to put out a call for "Notable Neighbor Nominations".

"RAVE" for one of your neighbors, with complete name and one or two sentences for inclusion into the Bulletin. Send to csolle@earthlink.net or mail to 17061 12th N.W.

RAVES!

Several Innis Arden teens represented Shorewood High School in the State Swimming Championships at the King County Aquatic Center on February 15th and 16th. Co-captains of the team are Scott Newell and Jordan Redford. Other team members participating were Eric Santroch and Chris MacGeorge. Shorewood came in 18th overall. Congratulations Scott, Jordan, Eric and Chris!
-Jean Stewart

Shoreline Boy Scout Kevin Claus and his Troop 853 participated in renovating the historic Ronald Elementary School room display at the Shoreline Historical Museum. The improvements included laying new wood flooring to simulate the original appearance; reorientation of the classroom desks: and installation of a wheelchair ramp and safety rails. Thank you Kevin and Troop 853!
-Sylvia Moren

2002 Innis Arden Directory Update
Is your name, address and phone number correct in the 2001 Innis Arden Directory? If not, please contact Craig Runions at 542-7137 or email him at the.runions@gte.net

Blockwatch Update
There have been multiple thefts of mail from mailboxes in the area. Please consider using the post office or do not flag your box when you have mail to be sent. In addition, there were two very sturdy women (yard maintenance workers, perhaps) who were seen in a pickup truck with unpainted wooden plywood sides that drove up a driveway of a resident, got out of the truck and proceeded to start dismantling the fountain located in the front yard. The owner of the home came outside and interrupted the theft. If anyone sees a truck of this description, please try to get the license and report it to the Westside Storefront Police Neighborhood Center @ 546-3636.

Rummage Sale Saturday & Sunday, March 9-10, 2002!
We are now officially off and running - well, almost.
The phone is ringing and troops are starting to volunteer.
Donations are looking REALLY GOOD.
PLEASE SAVE THIS CALENDAR
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

• We need picnic benches to help us in setting up all departments. If you can lend us one, please be sure to put your name and telephone number underneath it to ensure safe return

• FOOD, FOOD, FOOD FOR THE TROOPS.  If you can’t give time to the sale please consider calling Dianne McIntyre at 542-9638 to offer a tray of food or beverages for those who spend many, many hours making this once-a-year event a huge success.

Our Sincere Thanks!

For information to offer help in any way, please call Johanna Warness at 542-6984 or Kit Hart at 546-0871.

A GLIMPSE OF INNIS ARDEN—By Mrs. June Swanson  The first time I saw Innis Arden or had even heard of it was on a beautiful clear day in the month of May, 1946. We were out for a Sunday drive looking for new territory to explore and there we were at the entrance to this new development. Wide open spaces of scenic land, which I understand was at one time part of the Boeing Estate. Driving down the empty, winding roads all one could see was lovely unobstructed views of the Sound and the Olympic Mountains, breathtaking and serene. At the time there were only three houses finished in the area. One belonged to Mr. Charles Taylor, who after all these years, is still a resident.

  It didn’t take us long to decide that this was the place where we wanted to build our home and raise our family, so back to the land office and negotiations to purchase a lot, which we did. It was about six months before we started construction, but many times we came to picnic and enjoy this lovely place so close to the city, but so far removed from the noise and confusion of city life. We still feel this way today, after twenty-five years, despite the growth and progress around us. Many times we saw deer, raccoon, coyotes, quail, pheasants and many other kinds of birds and animals. In fact, we still do. Just two weeks ago I was greeted in my garden by two baby coyotes and last evening we saw a mother raccoon and two of her stripe-faced babies. Many years ago, after we had lived here a short time, we even had a big black bear for a guest, but he ambled away and we never saw him again. We picked gallons of wild blackberries and, as older residents will agree, there were masses of beautiful white Dogwood blossoms in the Spring.

  By the time we moved into our nearly completed house in the Spring of 1947, there were two or three more houses under construction. It was so quiet at first that the sound of a car passing was a novelty. Our first Winter here was one of the coldest we have ever had with temperatures dropping to eight degrees above and snow that seemed endless. There were no sanding trucks covering the hills in here in those days and one might as well have been living in the far North. Getting out of here was a problem but it was a Winter Wonderland and we loved every minute of it and still do. It is hard to believe that such a lovely untouched area has grown to be a very heavily populated community with approximately five hundred homes. However, with the large lots they plotted, the green ravines still intact, the friendly people, we still find it a great place to live and I feel that most of the other residents living here now will agree with us.

From Shoreline Memories
by the Shoreline Historical Society, 1975

Picture of Mrs. Swanson’s home being built

Shoreline Landmark Ronald School

1906 One-room grade school constructed on N. 175th site near Linden Avenue North; second room added in 1910 1912 At the same location, two-story brick school replaced original structure to provide room for growing student population 1926 Building expanded adding six rooms to the west 1970 Last class graduated; Ronald School closed due to funding shortages 1976 Shoreline School District founded Shoreline Historical Museum at Ronald School site as a U.S. Bicentennial project Courtesy of the Richmond Highlands Neighborhood Association

Innis Arden would like to extend a WELCOME to the following new residents:
Rich and Mara Boykin	Cornell and Virginia Marcu
Bryan and Tracy Cameron	Richard and Nancy Maxwell
Mark and Jill Demaray	Kent and Francine Shafer

Innis Arden Club, Inc.
Board of Directors Meeting,
February 12, 2002, 7:00 PM,
Summary of Minutes

The meeting was called to order at 7:10 p.m.

Board members present: Roger Lowell (President); Kate O’Neill Laskin (Vice-President); June Howard (Treasurer); Carol Solle (Secretary); Pam Smit (Activities); Loys Lamb (Buildings and Remodels); Jim Skeel (Grounds); Dave Fosmire (Reserves). Excused: Ewa Sledziewski, (Clubhouse).

January 2002 minutes were corrected and approved as follows: The Activities Committee and contributions from the Board paid for the paving around the front of the clubhouse.

Discussion Items

Club Archives: Dr. Guenter Risse presented a report with regard to the Club’s archives.

Risse summarized previous complaints by Board members:

Risse suggested the following solutions:

At present, all of these files are being chronologically arranged with the help of volunteers. Risse hopes to conclude this filing by 3-30-2002. If needed in the future, further subdivisions can be accomplished within these categories for the individual needs of the Directors.

Risse requested direction from the Board on several issues:

Institutional retrieval and memory can result in a history. Risse requested the official support of the Board to proceed beyond the organization of documents and begin collecting a number of oral histories from our long-time residents through personal taped interviews. Risse believes that creating our history would be a positive step toward greater community identity.

Treasurer Report:
Annual Meeting Minutes
A correction was made to the minutes:”… the total reserve fund is about $80,000, but that $70,000 $50,000 of that was built up in prior years and carried over”.

Property Management Company Proposal
Several Property Management Companies have been interviewed, and the company most closely matching the Club’s requirements is Cole Property Management. It would

Currently, the Treasurer, who is a CPA, cannot publish the Club’s financial statements because of her insurance liability issues. By hiring this company, the Club would be able to publish quarterly financial statements in the Bulletin. In addition, continuity would be provided for future incoming Treasurers. The cost for their services is approximately $6,000/year. The Club currently retains Manfredini and Barnfather, CPA for financial statement preparation at a cost of approximately $3600/year. They are likewise restricted from publishing financial statements. Their services would no longer be required if Cole Property Management were hired. Kate Laskin volunteered to check out references, and bonding of Cole Property Management, Inc., and work on the contract with June Howard.

Action: A motion that the Innis Arden Club authorize negotiating a contract with Cole Property Management was adopted unanimously.

Howard reported that so far, 266 dues have come in, which is way ahead of last year.

Activities:
Bonnie Jardine was elected as Treasurer, Tracy Landboe as Secretary and Chris Kocher as Co-chair. The Activities Committee meeting will be held Wednesday February 13^th.

 Rummage sale volunteers are needed between March 3^rd and 7th for moving everything from the pool house to the clubhouse. Smit noted that there are many fine pieces for sale this year.

Clubhouse:
Carol Solle spoke for Clubhouse Chair Sledziewski. Rental reports from Clubhouse Manager Wendy Morales and Janitor Devin Howard were obtained. Resident contractor and building inspector Byron Vadset will be giving his estimation of what should be done to the clubhouse and approximate costs of necessary repairs. Survey results will help Sledziewski plan for the future of the clubhouse. There is still an issue about whether the Club rents to non-residents.

Reserves:
Reserves Chair Fosmire received the soil study. He will be looking into posting it on the Web site. Fosmire observed that the 5-year period is up for the Blue Heron Reserve test area, and it is now time to report to the City. He will be seeking ways to measure results.

Trespassers: There has been a homeless man living in the reserves. For the Police to evict this person, the City of Shoreline requires our permission in writing. Solle has given a map of our reserves to Officer Leona Obstler.

Action: Motion to give Fosmire authority to buy and post appropriate ‘no trespassing’ signs was passed unanimously.

Grounds:
Skeel reported that on Saturday February 9, 2002, resident volunteer Zsolt Dornay cut down two dead trees at the main entrance to Innis Arden.  Zsolt put on his spurs and climbed up one 100' tall tree, limbing it as he went and then cutting it down in 20' sections.  One tree was so wide at the base that Zsolt had to use a ladder to get to a point where his climbing belt would reach around the tree.  Zsolt and the other volunteers (Pat Kintner, Galen Kintner, Andrzej Sledziewski, Dusty Dornay, Mark  X and Jim Skeel) saved Innis Arden residents about $1,800 by doing the work themselves rather than hiring commercial arborists.  Thanks are especially due to Zsolt.

Buildings and Remodels:
Buildings and Remodel Chair Loys Lamb introduced a new Building and Remodel application form that would track the progress of a remodel. It included signoffs by the Building and Remodel Committee, which up until now has not existed. Lowell stated that approval for a Building and Remodel Committee should be submitted to the Board before consideration can be made to the new application. Because the Board couldn’t reach an agreement, a special meeting of the Board was scheduled Tuesday, February 26^th to discuss these issues as well as changes to Addendum C.

Lamb proposed the following changes to the Homeowner’s Guideline:

Action: Motion to change the Homeowners Guideline was adopted unanimously

Lamb proposed the following change to the Building Plans Committee Policy Statement:

Action: Motion to change Building Plans Committee Policy Statement was adopted unanimously.

Community Concerns
Floyd Seymour commented on policy and procedures. In the past there has always been a report on the Annual Election, for example, the number of people who voted. He stated that this might incite interest in community governance.

Judy Allen voiced support for Loys Lamb. She has seen the Building and Remodel approval process compromised by a lack of time and resources. She stated that Bob Allen worked up to 20 hours/week performing his tasks as Building and Remodel Chair, and that Loys is seeking a way to provide more resources for this Board position.

Solle announced that as of February 8^th, 204 surveys had been mailed to the Club. She felt that this was a very good response.

Action: A motion to adjourn was unanimously approved.
-Carol Solle, Secretary

February Activities Notices
Innis Arden Egg Hunt—
Saturday, March 30^th—Mark your calendars!!!

Come and visit the Bunny at the Innis Arden Playground on Saturday, March 30^th at 3:30 pm. Kids 10 and under will have a chance to search for the golden egg and many other treats. BUT this event will only happen if we can find a co-chair to help Amy and Ed Stay who have organized this event for years. It’s a fun and easy way for High School students to get their community credits for school. Call Amy or Ed at 542-6894 to see how you can help. 

Next Activities Meeting:  April 17 at 7pm at Pam Smit’s house. Activities Committee…WHO, WHAT WHEN, WHERE, AND WHY…

WHO:  We are a group of self-selecting community volunteers who organize and execute a variety of activities open to the neighborhood. We also recruit, cajole, encourage (and sometimes beg or plead) others to join in and help make these events happen.

WHAT:  To name a few, the Egg Hunt, Salmon Barbeque, Holiday Party, and the Rummage Sale, our largest fundraiser are some of the events supported by the Activities Committee. The successful women’s and junior tennis programs are also sponsored by us. We don’t just dole out jobs we can tell you what’s happening in your community and the projects we are doing. Just come and listen, learn and take on as much or little as you want.

WHEN:  You may join us at anytime!! Meeting dates are always posted in the bulletin and you may call Chris at 533-1223 or Pam at 533-0240 to find out more. It’s a great way for newcomers in the neighborhood to meet people and get involved.   Some members are active all year-round and some help at certain times--it’s up to you! We appreciate anyone who gives of their time, talent, expertise, etc.

WHERE:  We meet at members’ homes, and usually in the evening. Sometimes we meet during the daytime.

WHY:  To have fun and we like to see those with common interests have fun too!