Board Members Needed

The BLCA board is in need of some help. Currently the VP of Programs position continues to remain unfilled and after the General Meeting next March, the President position will be open.

The vitality of the Boulevard Lane Community Association rests with neighbors willing to volunteer a little bit of their time and get involved. This would be a great time for a person to join the board. The Board has accomplished some great things during the past two years and the "Current Business" list is minimal.

If you are interested, curious, or have entertained a brief, passing, thought of what serving on the Board is like—contact a current Board member or, better yet, attend a monthly Board meeting.

Tickets are free.


Rob North, President

Fall General Meeting

Thank you to all the neighbors that attended the BLCA General Meeting on October 29, 2015. The fall General Meeting allows the Board to update our neighbors on what has been happening in Boulevard Lane since the spring General Meeting, and to provide a budget update.

At this meeting, there was a presentation of the recent changes to I-405. The presentation included an overview of the new toll / HOV lanes, how to use the new lanes, and different incentives being offered to encourage people to join a vanpool, use bus services, and the various rail-based transportation services.

More details can be found here: http://kingcounty.gov/transportation/kcdot/MetroTransit/InM
otion/GetInMotion.aspx

We also had a chance to discuss community crime concerns with KCSO Precinct Captain Scott Somers. The discussion was open in nature—covering specifics, philosophies, and general tips and best practices that all of us can use to maintain the quality of life
we enjoy in our neighborhood. The Board will be posting this information in future Criers, on our blog (www.ourboulevardlane.blogspot.com), on our web site(www.boulevardlane.org), and on our Facebook page(www.facebook.com/BoulevardLane).

The next BLCA General Meeting is scheduled for March 31, 2016. At this meeting, Board members will be elected for the next term and the next budget will be approved. I encourage everyone to attend.

Rob North, President

BLCA General Meeting

The Boulevard Lane Community Association’s general meeting will be held on Thursday, October 29th from 7-9pm at NW Life Church 13120 SE 192nd St, Renton WA 98058.

We have decided to switch up the fall general meeting, we have some special guests that have offered to come and talk to any homeowners that attend. The meeting will begin with the normal meeting until 7:15pm and then at 7:15 we will welcome Betsy Paige from King County Metro to talk to residents about the changes happening to I-405 with the HOV Lanes and would like to talk to explain the In Motion program and listen to your thoughts on transportation issues.

At 7:30 we will hand over the rest of the time to King County Sheriff Officer Greg Thomas to talk to residents and to have a conversation about community block watch, concerns of the neighborhood and what’s important to all of you.
 

What we need from you is an RSVP so our guests feel welcome and have a great audience. There will be refreshments and cookies too.

Please RSVP to community@boulevardlane.org or reply to the Facebook event to help us make this a great meeting for our neighborhood. See you there!!

Thank you- Andrea Upton - VP Community

BLCA Open Positions

The Boulevard Lane Community Association is still looking for two board members. One to fill the current vacancy of VP of Programs and another to take over as President when my current term endsnext March. The time commitment is not great at all and plenty of help is offered by the entire board when any event is held. Reach out to us and we will be happy to answer any questions you might have about serving on the BLCA Board. The health and vitality of the neighborhood isshared by all of us.

Rob North, BLCA President

 President of Board, March 2016—March 2017 term

 VP of Programs, immediate need / vacant position

 Crier route delivery, immediate need for backups

ADDED BONUS: In addition to helping make our neighborhood a better and safer place to live, community involvement and volunteer work looks great on resumes!

National Night Out - Tuesday, August 4th

Boulevard Lane is celebrating National Night Out (NNO) in our community; this will be the third year doing so. National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods a safer, better place to live. Block parties, cookouts, parades, visits from emergency personnel, rallies and marches, exhibits, youth events, safety demonstrations and seminars are examples of events that are hosted across the nation in an effort to heighten awareness and enhance community relations.

Our street barbecue event last year was a huge success—approximately 100 people showedup to support the cause!

Due to the success of last year’s event, the BLCA Board chose to host a street barbeque again this year! National Night Out is celebrated on the second Tuesday of August every year in a variety of ways. For our NNO event, we will be grilling hot dogs having chips and some salads and even some dessert. Feel free to bring anything you want and come join the fun.

We are in the process of booking some special guests like our local Fire Department, Sheriff and even Guardian One. We hope to see even MORE of you attend our National Night Out event thisyear! If you have questions please reach out to me via email or phone.

Andrea Upton, VP of Community Development

Fire Safety

 

Fire Safety in light of a Dry Season and Early Burn Ban. 

• Avoid cooking outdoors during this dry season. If you do cook, never leave barbeque grills unattended.
• Place your grill on concrete or your driveway away from your home or any structures.  If using charcoal or wood, make sure that the fire has been extinguished by soaking it with a garden hose before disposing of the coals.
• Remember that there is currently a burn ban no uncovered flame or open pit is allowed. 
• During this time, do not burn household trash or yard waste in barrels. 
• Check lawnmowers are properly working to avoid sparks. 
• Keep your grass and weeds mowed. 
• Cut back or remove any dry and dead landscaping plants or bushes around your home. 
• Clear leaves from your roof and gutters; rake them away from the sides of your home. 
• Move anything that will burn far away from structures— items like firewood, compost piles, brush piles, etc. 
• Have a garden hose hooked up.

Fire Safety Year Round 

• Practice fire safety with your family. If you see suspicious fire or smoke, call 911. 
• Clearly mark driveway entrances and ensure your house number is visible from the street. 
• Plan escape routes away from your home by car and foot.
• Have a meeting place with your family. 
• Have a fire extinguisher and make sure everyone in the house knows how to use it. 
• Notify the electric company when dead trees or overhanging limbs endanger the electric wires.

Causes of Fire During a Dry Season 

• Fireworks 
• Campfires 
• Lawn mower blades can hit rocks, creating a spark 
• Cigarettes thrown out car windows, or stamped out and discarded on dry ground 
• Dragging muffler creating sparks 
• Abuse of matches or lighters

Sources: http://www.ci.nacogdoches.tx.us/DocumentCenter/View/38, http://waburnbans.net/ http://sholland10.hubpages.com/hub/FIre-Safety-Tips-for-the-DrySeason, Amanda Krohn, VP of Membership

Submitted by
Amanda Krohn, VP Membership

Our Beautiful Entrance!

Boulevard Lane entrance pre-maintenance work, but in lovely display.

Boulevard Lane Community Association member's due are on display at the entry to our neighborhood. The incredibly early spring brought the plums to a beautiful bloom early. Since, the plums have been touched up with dead wood removed and other maintenance performed on them.

 Also, some low branches were removed from a few trees near the east entry sign to improve vision.The regular maintenance has also caused the rest of the plants and shrubs at the entrance to bloom in a spectacular fashion this spring. I can't remember when I have seen the entry in this much bloom.

All of the BLCA members are to thank for how the entry looks. If not for your dues, none of the work that has made the entry spectacular would have taken place. If you have not joined, please do and join your neighbors in showing Fairwood how much pride we have in our neighborhood.

Rob North, President

Dumpster Day!

We have seen a huge success with Dumpster Day over the years. 

We are excited to announce this year’s event will be held onSaturday, June 13, 2015 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

One large dumpster (along with a BLCA representative) will belocated near the four-way stop at 129th place SE and SE 188thstreet.

The prices are as follows, by size of vehicle:

BLCA Members / Non Members$10 / $15 Small = Car$15 / $20 Medium = SUV / Mini Van$20 / $25 Pick-Up Truck* / Trailer

* Standard pick-up trucks only, no moving trucks ormoving vans. Prices are per load. Limit two perhousehold. Restrictions and accessibility are at thediscretion of the BLCA on-site representatives.

Due to restrictions the following items are not allowed:paint, pesticides, oil, fuel, auto products, tires, lightbulbs, computers, TV’s, appliances, hazardous waste,water heaters, lumber, carpet, construction materials.Large furniture items must be broken down prior tobeing accepted.

If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me!

Andrea Upton
VP of Community Development

ANNUAL GARAGE SALE

It's time once again for the Boulevard Lane Garage Sale! This year's Garage Sale will take place June 5th-7th. 

We will not be putting addresses on maps this year but we will make a sign available to you (see last page of Crier) to place on our house that will include you as part of the organized garage sale in the neighborhood.

We will be advertising it heavy again this year, including Craigslist, Seattle Times, Renton Patch, Fairwood Community News, and more! We hope to build on the success of last year!

Andrea Upton, VP of Community Development

Thank You to All Our 12s!

Boulevard Lane residents raising the 12th Man Flag on Super Bowl
Sunday, 2015.

Well, it has taken a while to launch this post, and you might imagine the reason why.  Our Hawks were SO close!

It was a fantastic season with so many more memorable moments.  Who can forget Beast Quake II, THE fake field goal (sorry Efren Herrera, but this one meant more), the onside kick, and all the other special moments that defined the Seahawk's season.

The fact is, we've been lucky to be part of this crazy roller coaster ride the last two seasons, and hopefully it will continue to be for many more.  It's been fun!

We at BLCA would also like to acknowledge and thank all our 12s in the community that show their support on game day and help raise the 12th Man Flag at the entrance.  Thank you!

Now, let's look forward to the 2015 season!  GO HAWKS!!