The meeting was called to order at 6:10pm.
Attendance was very light due to the recent snow storm. Officers Mike Kent and Eric Sanders were in attendance along with two other community members. Therefore it was decided to keep the meeting brief and only discuss community announcements and updates from neighbors.
Community Announcements and Updates from Neighbors
Angela Wallis from Capitol Hill Prepares – Angela Wallis, the founder of Capitol Hill Prepares, ventured out into the blustery weather to introduce her group to CHCC. The group’s mission is centered on emergency and disaster preparedness and response within the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle. To meet this mission, the group sponsors free preparedness training for community members. Using City of Seattle grant funds, the group has established emergency communication centers that can quickly be set-up around the community in the event of an emergency and purchased essential disaster preparedness items including hand radios and tents. The group is seeking volunteers to staff emergency communication centers. In the event of an emergency/disaster, the volunteer would be responsible for setting up his/her designated emergency communication center and acting as the location’s primary communications contact. The commitment is small and consists of two disaster drills per year and a small amount of training on the use of hand radios. Note that this is a grassroots group separate from the city and county. If you would like more information or are interested in volunteering, please contact Angela Wallis at caphillprepares@gmail.com.
Community arts center/blog project – Community members Babylonia and Norton discussed their idea of creating an arts space and blog dedicated to community arts and culture. Their vision stems from a desire to create space that can demonstrate the unique nature of Capitol Hill. The development of a robust local blog also figures into the picture. Containing audio and video story collections, the blog’s focus would be on the means of getting the info rather than the info itself. Rather than a daily news-oriented blog, this blog would focus on the people of Capitol Hill and their individual stories and unique projects. Babylonia and Norton emphasized that community collaboration and the telling of neighborhood stories are their principal project themes. The project is in its infancy, with the two currently putting their ideas to paper by developing a project plan and seeking financial support. If you are interested in learning more about this project, please contact Babylonia at BabyloniaAivaz@gmail.com.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:10pm.
The next general CHCC meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 15, 2012 from 6 to 8pm at the Cal Anderson Shelter House.