From Andrea Faste, Board President

March already! Please join us for Groundswell's Annual Dessert Potluck celebration at 7 PM on Sunday, March 14th at the Loyal Heights Community Center. We are happy to have Mayor Mike McGinn as our guest. I suspect he will bike over from his home in Greenwood. So bring some cookies and your questions. Also, if you received your annual report in the mail, and want to bring your donation envelope along, we'd appreciate it.

All the early sunshine we've had means the daffodils are already out. I was very impressed by the daffodil display on the roof of the Pike Place Market. Someone told me that those flowers are given away on the first day of spring, but will they last until the 21st? Meanwhile, my attempts to start some seeds indoors have all failed so far, so maybe I'll just wait and sow directly outside.

Gardening is always such a gamble. Thank goodness for our public parks, where the joy of spring color is mainly provided by professionals. Even so, there's always that urge to see what we can nurse out of the earth on our own. So get outside and get your hands dirty. In fact, if you want to get your hands dirty with Groundswell, come out to the 9 to noon work party on Saturday, March 13 at the Salmon Bay Natural Area just west of the Locks. (See calendar item for details.)

Army Corps Announces Work on the Fremont Cut Colonnade

Several years ago, Groundswell helped organize some landscape restoration work along the Fremont Canal Park. We recently received this notice of some work the Army Corps of Engineers is having done as part of a long range plan to replace the aging poplar "colonnade" that lines the canal west of the Fremont Bridge. Please note that use of the Burke Gilman Trail through this area may be disrupted and direct questions and.or comments to the appropriate contacts listed in the notice.

Groundswell NW Events

Thu, 03/11: east ballard community association Steering Committee Meeting

The east ballard community association steering committee is meeting on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month. This meeting is open to the public. Anyone interested in working on our current planting partnerships or 14th Ave Park Boulevard projects are encouraged to attend.

Time: 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Location: TBD. Will update when place is set or contact Dawn to be kept in the loop
Contact: Dawn Hemminger eastballard@gmail.com

Sat, 03/13: Salmon Bay Work Party

Join us to keep this natural area a viable habitat for wildlife and beautiful resource for the community to enjoy. Help Salmon Bay Natural Area by volunteering on Saturday, March 13 from 9am to noon. Volunteering is a great opportunity to make new friends while beautifying the neighborhood. Come learn about our recent completed extension of the Salmon Bay Natural Area and innovative solutions to improve shoreline habitat.

We supply the gloves, tools, water, warm beverages, light refreshments, and safety for the area you are working in. We will have coffee! We suggest wearing your older clothes & comfortable shoes. Events take place rain or shine, so please come prepared for weather. The work parties are appropriate for all ages!

Saturday's project will focus on weeding, litter pickup, and planting at the Salmon Bay Natural Area to prepare the site for a sculpture Dedication Ceremony on May 1st from 10am to noon. Marvin Oliver, a renowned artist of Quinalt heritage, is creating a welcome figure for the Salmon Bay Natural Area to celebrate the transformative powers of the salmon life cycle and to remind all of us of the stories, history, and creativity inherent in local indigenous cultures. The sculpture will be installed in April and our planting party will add vegetation to the around the sculpture base.

We hope to see you Saturday!

Time: 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Location: South side of NW 54th St @ 34th Ave NW, next to The Canal at the Salmon Bay Natural Area
Contact: For questions about the event, please contact Liz Dunigan at (206) 240-3084 or Dave Boyd at (206) 498-6636.

Sun, 03/14: Groundswell NW Annual Mtg. & Dessert Potluck

Join us and welcome Mayor Mike McGinn to discuss his plans for green infrastructure in northwest Seattle and throughout the city. The meeting will be a dessert potluck, so bring something sweet if you can, but don't sweat it - there will be plenty for all! Groundswell will be electing officers for the coming year and naming Local Heroes.

Time: 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Location: Loyal Heights Community Center, 2102 NW 77th St.
Contact: Andrea Faste, 783-6963, amfaste@comcast.net

Wed, 03/24: Sunset Substation Public Workshop #3

The next Sunset Substation meeting (#3) will be held at the SHCA clubhouse on March 24th, 6:30 - 8:30 pm. The architects will be presenting three variations of designs derived from our ideas from the February meeting. Our review and comments are an essential part of the design process. See our website for more info.

Time: 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Location: Sunset Hill Community Association, 3003 NW 66th Street
Contact: Robert Drucker, robert@druckerarchitects.com

Thu, 03/25: east ballard community association Steering Committee Meeting

The east ballard community association steering committee meets on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month. This meeting is open to the public. Anyone interested in working on our current planting partnerships or 14th Ave Park Boulevard projects are encouraged to attend.

Time: 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Location: TBD. Will update when place is set or contact Dawn to be kept in the loop
Contact: Dawn Hemminger eastballard@gmail.com

Sat, 04/17: 9th Ave NW Park Work Party

First work party at 9th Ave NW will be on 4/17 at 9 am until 12pm. We will be focusing on general grounds maintenance unless we have more information from Parks about the exact development dates for the park.

Time: 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Other Events

Mon, 03/01: Bergen Place Work Party

Sponsored by Friends of Bergen Place. Time: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Location: Bergen Place, 5420 22nd Ave NW
Contact: Victoria Sangrey Hunter, 206-335-8391

Sun, 03/07: Loyal Heights Pancake Breakfast

It is time again for our wonderful annual pancake breakfast event .This year our pancake breakfast will be held on March 7th from 8am - Noon. If you are interested in volunteering this year it would be much appreciated. Here is what we need...and thanks!

Saturday, March 6
9 a.m.-2 p.m. Set-up (tables, grills, making pancake batter, decorations, stations)

Sunday March 7
7:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Serving and cooking (making pancakes, sausage, eggs, serving beverages, on the line, etc.)
11 a.m.-3 p.m. Clean-up (emptying trash, cleaning grills, takedown tables, chairs, washing pots/pans, etc.)

Time: 7:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Location: Loyal Heights Community Center, 2101 NW 77th St, Seattle
Contact: Britt Lord-Jacobsen, 206-684-4052, britt.lord-jacobsen@seattle.gov

Sun, 03/14: Spring Fruit & Grafting Show

Seattle Tree Fruit Society is presenting their Spring Fruit & Grafting Show on March 14 at the Center of Urban Horticulture in Seattle. Please see the attached flyer for more details.

Time: 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Location: Center for Urban Horticulture, 501 NE 41st St. (Mary Gates Drive)
Contact: seattletreefruitsociety.com

Wed, 03/31: Edible Gardens

This is a gardening program co-sponsored with Sustainable Ballard. Ingela Wanerstrand of Green Darner Garden Design will discuss many topics to get you started gardening--tools, soils, garden books and other resources; and especially edibles. We will also have a few vendors, offering starts, fertilizer info, seeds, and other gardening goodies.

Time: 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Location: Sunset Hill Clubhouse
Contact: Michael McCutcheon, 271-2265

Wed, 04/28: Crown Hill Park Public Meeting

Parks has dusted off the conceptual plans that were presented to the community in 2006 and is moving forward again! We are re-establishing our current design team with the appropriate subconsultants, reviewing comments and results from the earlier process, and defining a preferred shcematic plan based on the past as well as current conditions. Time: 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Location: Crown Hill Center, 9250 14th Ave NW
Contact: Kim Baldwin, 206-615-0810, kim.baldwin@seattle.gov