Most know Bridle Trails Community Club long time board member Darrell Tanner and his lovely wife Kathy. Kids remember them selling ice-cream after school and giving a helping hand at the Bridle Trails Night Out. Now during the pandemic, Darrel still cuts and hauls away neighbors’ wood for free and keeps on eye for fallen trees on our paths and trails. He’ll be right over with a cheerful smile if you call him on his cellphone. Kathy is making banana breads for the homeschoolers on the block and applies her Bellevue Friends of the Library volunteer skills right on her street. See Darrell & Kathy with the new Little Free Library in front of their house. www.littlefreelibrary.org
The recent months spurred lots of acts of kindness & innovation. Local Bridle Trails resident Steve Hartman and his eBay alum friends created a website Keep it Local Seattle to help support small, locally owned businesses during the current crisis. You can search their site by neighborhoods & surrounding towns with the latest feature “black owned businesses”. They hope that their donated time and effort can help our neighborhood businesses survive during this challenging period and beyond. keepitlocalseattle.org
More sites & Facebook groups supporting local shops & restaurants are springing up to life. Saving Local King County and What’s Open Eastside are now featured on (re)STARTUP425: https://re.startup425.org/restaurants/
With local journalism experiencing unprecedented shortcuts, residents are taking news reporting into their own hands. Long time BTCC board member Marianne Haywood, “advocating knowledge and neighborhood connections for strength,” deserves a Bridle Trails Pulitzer Prize for Public Service with her email bulletin, THE VINE. Usually reporting on missing dogs and cellphones, stolen mail, petty crime and local businesses or helpful tips like changing dyer lint to prevent fire, in the early days of the pandemic, she galvanized a massive support for frontline Overlake Hospital workers and Bellevue first responders. To keep their spirits up, hundreds of flower bouquets & restaurant meals were donated and delivered to beleaguered employees and cleaning crew.
Directing to OH Covid Response Fund, Marianne updated us on hospital weekly infection cases and donation needs as healthcare providers were scrambling for PPEs (personal protection equipment) due to early national shortage. For teacher support, Marianne posted links to Bellevue & Lake Washington School Foundations.
To stay informed about our neighborhood happenings, emergency preparedness or VINE-endorsed local businesses, please sign up for THE VINE at marianneheywood@gmail.com
To continue the flower drive and to help the Hmong farmers & other Pike Place Market sellers, Mary Fitzgerald and Christine Hemnes started hosting sales in their driveways on Fridays for Bridle Trails residents. With growing demand and the summer coming, they added fresh vegetables, a box of seven (green beans, cilantro, kale, swiss chard, cranberry or fava beans, beets, or walla walla onions) for only $20. With proper social distancing and a short walk, it is fun for neighbors to participate in the project that supports around 80 farmers. Many buy the flowers just to donate to nursing homes and homeless shelters. To place your order please email Christine Hemnes at christineh@windermere.com.
Compton Green resident Allison sewed and donated over 5000 masks to our neighbors. She’s still taking orders at Allison@creativezoo.com and will send it to your home for a small postage fee.
With graduation ceremonies canceled, Bridle Trails LIFE magazine which usually features local family stories, posted spectacular pictures of 2020 graduates for the community to enjoy.
“One Bellevue” Pam Johnson & her Google group keep a watchful eye on our Neighborhood Comprehensive Plan. Since the city moves briskly, even in the economic slowdown, Pam scans Parkserve maps and Parks Master Plan to update the Parks Commission for possible new park sites. With the city goal of 40% tree canopy, Bridle Trails still has a lot of room to grow. Pam says we could partner with The Trust for Public Land https://www.tpl.org/parkserve to help our community raise funds, conduct research and planning, acquire and protect land, and design and renovate parks, playgrounds, trails, and gardens.” She says our focus is still clear “trees, schools & neighbors.”
In the meantime, City of Bellevue Neighborhood Outreach Team is feverishly putting out business, housing & other invaluable resources in online publications: Neighborhood News and Bellevue, It’s Your City Permitting, neighborhood enhancements, council meetings, conflict resolution, Bellevue Essential Leadership training, waste management webinars and many city program continue online without interruption.
Leave A Comment