CONTENTS 6/19/2020
Juneteenth Parade, 5 Pm
Parking Update, Lorraine Ellis Park
Stay Safe While Protesting
Census
Chalk Talk With Frank James
Chalk Anxiety?
Radio Free Fl!p: Lift Every Voice And Sing
JUNETEENTH PARADE, 5 PM
Hey everyone!
It’s Juneteenth, marking the end of slavery in the US and what better time to celebrate with a march.
It’s late planning so if anyone would like to join this rag tag group of marchers, just bring yourself with feet, bikes, skates, wagons, or how ever you roll. Make some noise and celebrate a day of liberty. We will make signs and then head out around five to course through the neighborhood. In a socially distanced but joyous parade of celebration.
We will march responsibly by staying 6 feet or more apart from other families and wearing masks.
We will start at the Gazebo at Elizabeth Park, and march up Walnut to Columbia Elementary School, around the school on West North Street, and back down Walnut to to Washington, and back to the park. I hope to see your beautiful faces there!
Sarah Garrett
Spruce St
415-676-1025
PARKING UPDATE, LORRAINE ELLIS PARK
Parking on the grass around the park is allowed again. This is from the Fire Chief: “In response to the issue of parking on the grass, I drove through your neighborhood yesterday and concur that the width of the Court cannot accommodate on street parking and still allow for emergency vehicle access. In speaking with the Parks Director this morning and it sounds like she has resolved the issue and that parking on the grass will be allowed to continue as it had in the past.”
I measured & told the city that a fire truck had 3” of clearance on each side. I also noted that it could be considered a notice because if a house was on fire or medical Emergency and the emergency services had to back up on the street, that they would be liable. As well as if a vehicle was towed, but parked legally the owner should not have to pay the fee. Lastly I said that it wasn’t fair to ticket if there were no signs, & the park’s department knew that. The Fire Chief actually sent me an email & said there were no signs. I told him Parks knew that, but would ticket anyways. My letter to the City, Council Office, & Parks was quite long. But it all came down to math and the width of the street. Not only is it the fire department, but those sanitary service trucks drive around several times on Monday. They’d easily be blocked. The width of the street was my only “card” to play.
Dave Lind
Lorraine Ellis Court
[You can fight city hall and sometimes win. The folks running local government are our neighbors. It may take effort, but parking on the park; the West Street Hill traffic calming; and the stop signs around Columbia Elementary; all are improvements created from the ground up. We can do it! And thank you Dave!!! Love/Fl!p]
STAY SAFE WHILE PROTESTING
Here is an article from Consumer Reports, who I consider a very trusted source. I would add to their suggestions something I learned while trying to save the Roeder Home some years ago. Writing a personal letter to elected or appointed officials, especially at the local level, can make a real difference. Not petitions or form letters, but even a short note in your very own words, about why a particular issue is important to you. It’s good if you are polite to the person you are writing to. So if you’re staying home from the protests but long to participate, write a letter. And you don’t have to stop at one letter. Research to see who decides what in our local government, and write to a key decision maker. And if you’re out in the streets, read this before you go. I never in my wildest dreams thought that Consumer Reports would carry such a story! They’ve certainly been a credible source throughout my lifetime.
https://www.consumerreports.org/coronavirus/how-to-stay-safe-while-protesting-during-a-pandemic
CENSUS
The census is still collecting data, and will continue at least through October. They are protecting everyone’s information to make it safe for us to answer. We need to count everyone, because that is how school funds are allocated nationally, and many other funds as well. If you haven’t yet been counted, you can fill out the form online, now. Please spread the word.
https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USCENSUS/bulletins/2917273
CHALK TALK WITH FRANK JAMES
Frank was our Whatcom County Public Health Officer for years. I have the deepest respect for him.
CHALK ANXIETY?
I’ve had a couple inquiries now about where one might hire an artist to do one’s sidewalk chalk. Does anyone have any ideas about where to look online? I’ve been poking around, trying to figure out where there might be local artists with their work posted online. I’ve tried to reach Allied Arts but haven’t gotten a response yet. I don’t mind the thought of some artists getting to make a little bit of money off their art in this difficult time for artists. If you’re flush, you might hire musicians too.
Myself, to try to get a good outcome, I designed the bones of my art and made a simple template on my computer, and then blew it way up to size. I sent a pdf file to CopySource and they printed it. It’s skinny black outlines on 2×3 foot sheets ($1.99). I applied packing tape over the lines for reinforcement. Then I used a box cutter to cut along the lines. I put a flattened cardboard box underneath to keep from wrecking my table. Now I have a stencil to work with. I can weight the stencil down with rocks and just color inside (and outside) the lines.
If I’d been more confident, I could have drawn right on cardboard and then cut that out for a sturdier stencil. I’m feeling a lot more confident just having lines to work with. I took my stencil out to the sidewalk yesterday and tried just a tiny corner. It worked. But my sidewalk is really bumpy so I think it’s going to take a lot of chalk. I’ve also read that I can use water on a paintbrush or a bit of sponge or rag, to spread and blend the colors.
I’ve been reading up on how to do sidewalk chalk – there’s a lot out there. One piece of advice I like is to start at the top and work down towards yourself. Bring cardboard to sit on for sure. At almost 70, I’m really hoping my back will permit my somewhat ambitious project!
Sign up now. First come; first served on free chalk.
Sign up at: columbianeighborhood.org/chalk
RADIO FREE FL!P: LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING
Committed!
Lift every voice and sing, till earth and heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise, high as the listening skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of hope that the present has brought us;
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
Let us march on till victory is won.
Stony the road we trod, bitter the chastening rod,
Felt in the days when hope unborn had died;
Yet with a steady beat, have not our weary feet,
Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?
We have come over a way that with tears has been watered,
We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered;
Out from the gloomy past, till now we stand at last
Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.
God of our weary years, God of our silent tears,
Thou who has brought us thus far on the way;
Thou who hast by Thy might, led us into the light,
Keep us forever in the path, we pray.
Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee,
Lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee.
Shadowed beneath Thy hand, may we forever stand,
True to our God, true to our native land.
Love/Fl!p 360-671-4511 flip@columbianeighborhood.org
If you want to ask me to post something, just email me. If it’s urgent, phone. If it’s a real emergency, call 911.