19 Oct 09 Newsletter

Alabama Hill

October 19, 2009 Volume 2, Issue 5

Association Newsletter

Chairman: Doug Bestle 734-2272 Vice Chair: Monem Salam 419-4148 Secretary: Larry Nicholas 647-2315 Treasurer: Jim McLeod 734-5127 Past Chairman: Richard Maneval 671-9559 MNAC Rep: Jimmy Kelsey 715-3053 AHA Area A (NW) Rep Brian Walker 671-8258 AHA Area B (NE) Rep Michael Eisenberg 734-3615 AHA Area C (SW) Rep Dean Haskins 733-2800 AHA Area D (SE) Rep Nancy Allen 922-0256 Special Interest Articles: • November Quarterly Neighboorhood meeting • Highland Heights Park Update

Individual Highlights: Our new webpage City Info AHA Membership Form

Next AHA Qtly Meeting is Tues November 3rd 7 PM BloedelDonovan Pavillion

Next Neighborhood Quarterly Meeting RD Tuesday - November 3

2009

Our next Quarterly Meeting is coming up in a few weeks, and we’re looking forward to seeing you there. We will be meeting at the Bloedel Donovan Pavilion building, located behind the main building – toward the lake. If you haven’t attended one of our meetings previously, we’d like to ask you to make this one your first.

Bloedel-Donovan Pavilion

Jeff Braimes, our past AHA Chair, recently attended a very exciting meeting at the Roosevelt Elementary school where plans were laid out for a school garden! Ted & Nancy Seifert & Pam Behee are driving the project and asked at that meeting whether the three neighborhoods that feed Roosevelt (Alabama Hill, Roosevelt & southwest Mt. Baker) might be interested in some kind of limited partnership where the garden is concerned. This may only amount to some stewardship during the summer when school wasn’t in session, or there could certainly be expanded opportunity.

Some of the items on our agenda include, • • • •

Neighborhood Fireworks concerns Roosevelt Elementary School garden Latest MNAC Report Highland Heights Park Update

For more information call Doug Bestle or Jeff Braimes (733-3014)

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New Birch Street Development Underway The new Birch Street development project is well underway, with one home completed and a second under final stages of construction. Another 17 lots are in this planned development section of our neighborhood, for a total of 19 new homes planned. Once these homes are built we’ll see added traffic inflow to Alabama Street as these new home owners will be going to and from work, school, shopping and home. We’ll want to keep a watchful eye on this traffic flow situation and be prepared to discuss possible remedies if needed with the city. Bring your thoughts and ideas to our next meeting.

October Recipe

Alabama Hill Association

Caramel-Glazed Apple Cake (From Easy Cooking the Costco Way)

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A perfect way to use all those delicious Fall apples. This has a yummy apple flavor and a texture that is between a cake and muffin. Add ice cream or whipped cream - mmmm!

CAKE • 1 cup packed light brown sugar • 1 cup granulated sugar • 1 ½ cups vegetable oil • 3 eggs • 3 cups all-purpose flour • 1 teaspoon baking soda • 2 teaspoons cinnamon • ½ teaspoon nutmeg • ½ teaspoon salt • 5 Granny Smith or Golden Delicious apples, cored, peeled and cut in ½ -inch pieces. • 1 ¼ cups chopped pecans or walnuts • 2 ¼ teaspoons vanilla extract CARAMEL GLAZE • 4 tablespoons butter • ¼ cup granulated sugar • ¼ cup light brown sugar • Pinch of salt • ½ cup heavy cream

1. Pre-heat oven to 325º F. Butter and flour a 9-by-13 inch pan. 2. Beat both sugars and oil in a mixing bowl until very well blended. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt; gradually add to egg mixture, mixing until just blended. Stir in apples, pecans and vanilla. (Batter will be quite thick). Pour into pan. 3. Bake for 50-75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan while preparing the glaze. 4. To prepare the glaze, melt butter in a sauce-pan over low heat. Stir in both sugars and salt; cook over mediumlow heat for 2 minutes. Add cream and boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. 5. Poke holes in the cake with a skewer or toothpick. Pour on the glaze. Serve warm or at room temperature. Top with whipped cream or ice cream if desired. Makes 12 generous servings.

MNAC News Last Meeting held 9/16/09 – Jimmy Kelsey, our Rep From the September meeting, the most contentious issue is probably the Draft Environmental Impact Statement on Fairhaven Highlands project and the Public Hearings being held. Meetings schedule for COB Planning Department website, http://www.cob.org/cob/Pubnot.nsf/Public%20Notices?OpenForm Silver Beach NA reported continuing internal disagreement over runoff and impact on Lake Whatcom. MNAC members voted to support a South NA plan to modify their neighborhood plan to include language asking neighbors to consider impact on views and habitat of trees and other plantings. MNAC members voted against changing Cordata/Meridian proposal on zoning change for a housing and mixed use designation for a large development east of Cordata, north of Stuart St. Those results are advisory from MNAC to Mayor Dan Pike. Linda Stewart announced no additional requests for reimbursement of NA expenses would be accepted after October st 1 , due to city budget cuts as revenues continue their fall.

1325 Meador Avenue, Suite 106 Bellingham, WA 98229-5807 www.garys-plumbing.com License # GARYSPH940KP

Check it out!!! We’ve now got a new AHA website! GoTo…. http://alabamahillassociation.com/

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City+ Beat Linda Stewart, the Neighborhood Services Coordinator, working out of the Mayor’s office has been providing much info to all. They have a terrific city wide neighborhood newsletter well worth looking up on the City's website: http://www.cob.org/news/neighborhoods.aspx Also, the Planning Department provides weekly updates on permits and applications. Go to http://www.cob.org/cob/Pubnot.nsf Finally, if you can still afford gas and want some driving info on local roads and projects, go to… http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ for

Highland Heights Park update: by Brian Walker Regarding the Highland Heights Park progress, I did hear from the landscape architect that the City is looking for more funding to incorporate a paved pedestrian corridor from the playground to Illinois Street for ADA compliance. Jonathan Schilk indicated that parks projects now require City building department review and he is concerned that the project would not receive approval without the accessible route. In the next few weeks I will ask Schilk if additional funding is available, and maybe open a discussion regarding possible ways to trim back the current proposal to find monies for the ADA route. I will keep you informed. If you have any other questions regarding the plan, please give me a call. Brian Walker, AHA NW Area Rep

ALABAMA HILL ASSOCIATION

PRSRT STD US Postage Paid Bellingham, WA Permit No. 122

PO Box 29902 Bellingham, 98228 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

NEXT Meeting Tues, Nov 3rd 7:00 PM Bloedel-Donovan Pavilion Bring a neighbor & join us!

Please VOTE by Nov 3rd !

The Alabama Hill Association is a neighborhood association open to all residents within the boundaries of “Alabama Hill”. If you are receiving this newsletter, you are a member. An annual ten-dollar donation per family is suggested, but not required. The monies collected are used to pay for mailings and the entrée at the annual picnic held in August. Those of you who have attended know it is a good deal! st

Meetings are held quarterly starting at 7:00 PM. (1 Tuesday - Feb, May, Aug, Nov) Come join us and meet your neighbors.

ALABAMA HILL ASSOCIATION YEARLY MEMBERSHIP – $10/FAMILY NAME:__________________________________________________E-MAIL: ________________________________ MAILING ADDRESS:______________________________________________________ ZIPCODE_______________ Home PHONE: _______________________________ Cell PHONE: _______________________________________ VOLUNTEER? ___________ ISSUES OF INTEREST: __________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________

Make checks payable to: ALABAMA HILL ASSOCIATION PO Box 29902, Bellingham, 98228