By Steven Smalley

It?s not often a political candidate with an ?R? after their name visits Seattle to conduct the business of looking for votes. You?ve been asleep if you didn?t notice the dearth of Republicans investing any time in the Emerald City. One can assume campaign stops here for the Grand Old Party are not worth the effort. Last week was an exception.

Candidate for governor and former Port of Seattle Commissioner, Bill Bryant, requested to meet with area residents to hear concerns about ?RV crime, homeless, and the heroin epidemic affecting Seattle and Western Washington,? according to his Facebook page. He listened and Magnolia gave him an earful.

Gathered around a fireplace inside a local restaurant, nearly all the talking was by those familiar faces who attended the two recent meetings of residents who have had it with area crime. They let the spigot flow with stories and ideas to rid Magnolia of the blight. Bryant listened.

?I want to get a better handle on what?s happening here,? he tells Magnolia Voice. ?How much of this is related to real homelessness, and how much is related to a criminal element masquerading as homeless. I don?t know, but I want to hear from residents.?

With the recent removal of RVs from Magnolia streets and the clean-up of the illegal camping from under the Magnolia Bridge, the issue of ?homelessness? and continued efforts by the city to raise taxes to pay for more programs, came up for discussion.

?How much are we spending in Washington state on programs to help the homeless? I can?t get a straight answer.
It?s spread out in so many different programs that aren?t coordinated,? he notes. ?How do we know what success looks like? What?s the objective of these programs? How do we quantify it? How do we know which programs are working and which aren?t? If you cut a program that isn?t working, everyone will scream that you?re hurting the people who need it the most. But you?re not hurting them if the program isn?t working. We need to have some mechanism which shows which programs are helping people and which aren?t. And those that aren?t, we either fix or eliminate. Let?s put the money into the programs that are working.?

Crime, traffic, and the ?homeless? aren?t foreign issues to Bryant. He lives in Seattle and says he sees them every day.

?Homelessness is a real personal issue of mine,? he says. ?For a few years I was a volunteer manager at a winter night shelter for men. Homelessness among men is a much more difficult situation to solve. You have some guys who need to get back on their feet, who want to get a job. And I think those are the people that long-term shelters can help. And then there are guys who are just between jobs who?s figured out how to game the system and who go from shelter to shelter. Then you have a whole group who does not want to ever get mainstreamed again. They?ve made a conscious decision to live in shelters or tents. A lot of them don?t go into shelters because they don?t want to follow the rules ? which are related to drugs and alcohol.?

When asked why he was visiting a part of the state that hasn?t historically been in the Republicans? corner, Bryant talks of his election victories running for Port Commissioner.

?The last time I ran I got almost fifty percent in Seattle,? he says. ?I would like to think that at least thirty percent of people in Seattle would want to have a governor who wants to make sure the money we are spending is being spent in a way that?s actually going to help the people we want to help. That?s what I want to do. I?m not going down there with any great partisan ideology. I just want to make sure our taxpayers? money is being spent well and actually helping people.?

The issues close to his heart, for this life-long Washingtonian born in Morton, include transportation.

?It?s something I?ve spent eight years at the Port working on. I-405 is a mess. I-5 is a mess. We have a policy in this state right now which does not prioritize the elimination of traffic jams. One of the things I?ve worked on at the Port is making sure freight moves efficiently, which means you have to eliminate traffic jams. That shouldn?t be a Republican or Democrat issue. That?s just about making government better. That?s what I?m about,? Bryant says.

And with that, a final pitch to Magnolia voters.

?There?s a lot of people looking for an alternative. If there is a reasonable alternative, they?re looking for a reasonable alternative? he says. ?Unlike a lot of the previous gubernatorial candidates, I?ve actually run twice in the city of Seattle and worked with the people of Seattle, and they know me. They know I?m somebody who wants to spend wisely, not just go in and slash & burn.?

Those who attended the get-together were complementary.

?He?s a realist, and that is refreshing,? says Gretchen Taylor, part of the Neighborhood Safety Alliance. ?I felt there was really somebody there,? she says. ?He was genuine. I want to do everything I can to help him move forward. I really like people who talk straight.?

The NSA?s Cindy Pierce was in agreement.

?He made a big deal about how the money is spent,? she says. ?I liked what he had to say. There?s a lot more we have to hear from him. As far as everyone being accountable for the money spent, I was all ears with that.?

Magnolia Little League?s (MLL) season kick off parade will be Saturday March 26th at 10:30am rain or shine.? Little?Leaguers will parade down the top of McGraw street, down through Magnolia
village and end on Field 2 (across from Albertsons).

?This year over 50 teams and 530 Little Leaguers will take part in this?annual tradition,? Said Max Effgen MLL President.? ?This turnout represents?the largest number of Magnolia Little Leaguers in a decade.?

The parade lasts an hour with escorts from Seattle Police, Fire and even?Mariner Moose!? Following the parade, Magnolia Little League will be?hosting, for the first time, the MLB Pitch, Hit and Run competition, a?short skills event open to all boys and girls ages 7-14. This is part of a?national tournament that has team championships at Safeco Field and the?National Finals during the All Star break this year in San Diego.

Established in 1954, Magnolia Little League offers T-Ball, Girls Softball?and Baseball programs to the youth of Seattle?s Magnolia neighborhood.? For?more information on Magnolia Little League click here, or contact info@magnolialittleleague.

By reporter Steven Smalley

At least one Magnolia resident has had it with the dogs and their owners who frequent the dog park on 28th Avenue. Here is their edited letter to Magnolia Voice. Strap in.

?Just saw two women wrestle each other to the ground, slapping each other and grappling as they fell and rolled around on top of one another. It started when they were arguing about their dog?s behavior ? who was in the wrong, how it wasn?t a puppy?s fault, etc. They had already been yelling at each other for a while when one suddenly pushed the other very hard, and it went on from there. A passerby had to come and physically separate them. They walked away still yelling at each other and frankly, without the man?s intervention, it would have continued even further.

WHEN is this neighborhood going to realize that this park has been a
travesty for all of us who live around the perimeter? While there are some
decent people who are quiet and obey the rules of this park, most do NOT.
There is continued noise, filth, off-leash running, dog fights, and people
fights. Whenever we ask them to alter their behavior they act as if WE are
in the wrong. Such entitlement disease!

I hear there are plans to build a second park under the Magnolia Bridge,
which is where this kind of park belongs, where it doesn?t disturb anyone!

When are you going to [say] what the REALITY of this park is, and
not bow down to the political pressure of COLA and all the other ?Dog
People? who spin and spin their P.R. that this is such a wonderful thing for
this neighborhood??? It isn?t!!!?

Bring a big bag and line up early for one of Magnolia?s most-anticipated?sales of the year. Magnolia Cooperative Preschool?s annual Toy and Clothing?Sale is this Saturday (3/12) from 9am-2pm at the United Church of Christ -3555 West McGraw Street.

You will find?tons of?high-quality, upcycled baby and kid?s clothes, (sorted by gender and size from infants to children size 10), with brands like Baby Gap,?Gymboree, Mini Boden, Nordstrom, Juicy Couture and many others at up to 90% off retail. In addition, you?ll find?toys, games, books, d?cor and general baby/kid gear, including large baby items like strollers, nursery furniture, highchairs and car seats.?Most items go for half-price at?1pm.

Because this sale gets so busy, organizers ask shoppers to leave young children at home. A portion of the sales from this event support the Coop?s scholarship fund, and all leftover items are donated to various NW charities. For more information, click here. Cash and local checks with valid photo ID accepted.

Curious about the Coop? Magnolia Cooperative Preschool will also have an open house on Saturday March?12th beginning at 9am. Stop by to tour classrooms, meet the teachers, talk to parents, and learn why Magnolia Cooperative Preschool is the largest and oldest cooperative preschool in Seattle. The playground will be open, so please bring your kids to play. They offer a flexible schedule of classes for children ages 1 to Pre-K.

By Monica Wooton, Board Member, Magnolia Historical Society (MHS)

The Magnolia Community Club has transitioned from a club to council, dropping a requirement for dues and formal membership. These changes have been made to make the now called Magnolia Community Council (MCC) a more inclusive organization working on issues of quality of life on the Bluff. Bruce Carter and Tom Tanner, co-presidents for 2016 (both past-presidents serving again) sum up their main mission as: ?to educate the public on subjects affecting the Magnolia community and to monitor private or governmental activities that affect the quality of life in Magnolia and to take appropriate action to further or protect the interests of the community.?

The group seems poised and energized to take on Magnolia?s issues with vigor, vigilance and new volunteers. Past president, Carol Burton in 2015 helped MCC develop a modern website and social media presence through Facebook. Today the Council is reviving old sub-committees like land use and continuing with the traditional and needed ones like transportation and Port issues as well as increasing its Board size this from 15 to 20 members.

Today life on Magnolia has experienced some growing pains and changes having to deal with new and pressing issues of growth, proposed changes for residential neighborhoods, more and different land use and development policies, changing transportation needs, new visions for the Village and the culmination of decades of work in getting Smith Cove as a park. Like all organizations in the last decade the Club has had its share of waxing and waning volunteers to take on its issues.

For 2016 Smith Cove Park remains a huge agenda item – an accomplishment of a many years struggle that began with past president Ursala Judkins in 1990 with her ideas and efforts to get that land for park use. Because of the tenacity of MCC, others from the wider community, Council member Sally Bagshaw and past King County Council member Larry Phillips this is about to become reality. Smith Cove Park will be a unique waterfront park that will serve Magnolias/QA/Uptown and our city for many years to come.

According to Magnolia: Memories & Milestones in the chapter: A Certain Clout: The Magnolia Community Club: ?The Magnolia Community Club can trace some origins to a club formed in 1921 as the Magnolia Bluff Improvement Club. Those Club minutes give an interesting view of the ongoing history.

?In 1939, the Club officially became the Magnolia Community Club and received its ?Articles of Incorporation.? The books of official record are chock-full of business, with the occasional dance or annual picnic plans of years gone?? Tree plantings on streets and avenues and the Incense Pines buffering the neighborhood from the railroad noise were MCC projects.

??the very first page of minutes [1939] reveals members of the community who came together to talk about establishing [another] school for the neighborhood children [Lawton and Magnolia were already established]. The stories from then until now, include scribblings on the thin, aged pieces of notebook paper in handwritten ledgers and letters, mimeographed minutes, and computer-generated documents. All reveal the same message, this is a community that looks to preserve its quality of life: demands for bus service, streets and sidewalks, sewer repairs, and the critical bridges. The MCC has evolved through the years addressing more complicated issues such as fighting Metro?s secondary sewage treatment plant, struggling against mandatory school busing, and working to preserve park land such as Smith Cove.

?A quick look down the past presidents roster demonstrates why the MCC has always been strong: Lady Willie Forbus, Joel Haggard, Ken Schubert, Janet Anderson, Ursula Judkins…? In recent years: Nancy Rogers, Diana Dearmin, Stephan DeForest, past presidents Bruce Carter and Tom Tanner now serving as 2016 co-presidents??all very busy and successful in their ?real? lives of civic activism, politics, law, accounting, real estate, some retired from their careers?have stepped up to serve as Club presidents to handle the issues of their neighborhood through the historically active organization of the Magnolia Community Club…?

The MCC ??knows its job: to get to the bottom of whatever is proposed for this neighborhood, and approve the plan if it enhances the community or to work to change it so that it will. Discovery Park, only three bridge entrances, the Locks, the Interbay trains, Piers 90/91, and the sliding slopes surrounding the neighborhood are real reasons for concern?This is a club surrounded with issues, metaphorically and quite literally. It works to demonstrate a sense of pride and duty, and to maintain the quality of Magnolia life and neighborhood safety and appeal for the long term.?

The Magnolia Historical Society (MHS) (with participation from MCC) will be sponsoring their Annual Meeting on the History of Magnolia Bridge, a bridge long talked about needing replacement, April 14^th, at the Magnolia Lutheran Church at 7pm. The meeting is open to the public and will give the history of the Bridge. John Buswell, Director of Seattle Department of Transportation?s Structures and Bridges will be a speaker as well as Janis Traven, who served on the Design Advisory Committee in 2002 and for six more years regarding a bridge replacement that has never materialized, will also speak. Councilmember Sally Bagshaw will be in attendance as well.

The club usually meets on the third Tuesday of the month at 7pm. They will begin meeting at Magnolia United Congregational Church (MUCC) starting March 15, at 7pm. Meetings are open to the public. To begin receiving information on the Council sign up here?and to bring issues to them, contact president@magnoliacommunityconcil.org .

For more history on the MCC and Magnolia MHS award winning and nominated history books can be bought here?and Magnolia?s Bookstore.