Representation of people from all backgrounds makes us stronger!

So far, I have only received one comment on this relatively new blog. I would like to encourage your input!

To what end?
One of my goals for the Bothell Crossroads blog is to provide a space for discussion and debate. In particular, I hope to increase awareness and provoke exploration of different perspectives to, ultimately, bring about installations of new public art that include more women and people of color.

Great Comment
Let me start by referencing the one comment I received. It was thoughtful and just the dialogue I hope to stir up. Here’s an excerpt:

“I’m not sure where you’re going with the diversity conversation though. Seems to me the art should be historically accurate. And since the people that built the city were white then the art should depict that.”

I agree. The point about accurately depicting the past is right on. And, I’d like to add that often the contributions of women and people of color are made outside of established or traditional venues like public office or civic organizations, and certainly don’t always appear in a written record. This lack of visibility can make illumination of those contributions difficult at best.

When white men write history, it represents one perspective and, not surprisingly, the focus tends to be on that sector of the population. I’m not making a value judgment here. Rather, I trust that we can acknowledge that there is more than one perspective, while recognizing that other perspectives historically have been sidelined. I believe it takes representation of all voices in a community to pull together a more complete story of our collective history.

What change?
What I really am advocating for is a deeper dive into Bothell’s history to find those community members who, while not as prominent, contributed or instigated change from a less conventional or even marginalized space.

Additionally, I would like to suggest that the art displays also could illustrate more current leaders or present-day community influencers that represent the existing demographic makeup of the Bothell area today.

Let me go on to cite the last part of the comment: “I would welcome a representation of the Native Americans that lived in the area. That would be interesting.”

Case in point. It would be interesting! It also would be more inclusive and holistic and the type of change that I hope to bring about.

To honor the past, and better understand where we are today, below you’ll read what I uncovered about these figures who were influential community leaders in their day.

Three Generations of Ericksens

Gerhard Ericksen, (1860-1920), the man in the middle in the picture below, arrived in Bothell in 1885 and served on the school board, in the state legislature and as a postmaster. He was responsible for naming of the town after the Bothell family.

Three generations of the Ericksen family appear on the wall of a building owned by the family for more than 100 years. Artist: Elizabeth Briars.

Carleton John Ericksen, (1891-1983), on the left, was the owner/operator of Ericksen’s General Mercantile. He also was President of the Sammamish Valley Pioneer Association and Washington State Good Roads Committee Mason.

Carleton “Bud” Ericksen, (b: 1916), on the right, went to the University of Washington where he played football. In 1938, he was recruited to the Washington Redskins where he had a short career of three games. Bud served as Mayor of Bothell from 1969-1973 and owned a local automobile dealer for 27 years.

The building upon which the Ericksen likenesses appear (currently occupied by Bothell Furniture on the corner of Main St. and 101 Ave. N.E.) has been in the Ericksen family for more than 100 years.

Other Historical Business and Community Leaders

Vern Keener, d. 1997, was related to an early pioneer family. He owned and operated Keener’s Meats and Deli in Bothell and served as director of Washington Federal Savings for more than 50 years. A generous contributor to the community, the Lois and Vern Keener Memorial Vocational Scholarship was established in 1997 to assist a Bothell High School senior in pursuing vocational studies.

Max Logston, 1927-2001, was an educator and businessperson. After working as a boilermaker and sheet metal worker, he graduated from the University of Washington and taught at Madrona Junior High School.

In 1976, Max purchased the Keener Building in downtown Bothell and remodeled it to accommodate many businesses including the Logsdon family business, Logsdon’s Apparel and Hair Styling. He and his wife Lynn owned Logsdon’s for more than 30 years.

Max was involved in a Bothell Downtown Revitalization Program in the late 1980s, which instituted many changes along Main Street, including sidewalk, lighting and parking enhancements.

Bill Shannon, d. 1987, bought Shannon’s Flowers and Gifts in 1961 and was active in community service. He was noted for his sense of humor, and in his honor, the line down Main Street was painted green each year on St. Patrick’s Day.

Upon his passing, Shannon’s wife and daughter, Peg Dowd, took over operation of the flower and gift shop. In 1995 Dowd bought the business and operated it until October of 2011. Shannon’s Flowers and Gifts had been in business since the early 1940s and subsequently owned and operated by members of the Shannon family for 50 years.

Alex Sidie, a local pharmacist in Bothell for many years, passed away in 1997. He was known for his acts of kindness, such as filling and even delivering prescriptions at any time of the day, extending credit to those who needed it, adopting numerous stray cats and giving them homes in his pharmacy, and sending flowers to his customers.

Because of his noted concern for others, the city of Bothell established an Alex Sidie Random Acts of Kindness Day and award that is held annually in May, Sidie’s birthday month. Winners are chosen based on kind actions taken without expecting anything in return.

Then, as I learned more about Bothell, its history, and the story of the men and woman who are depicted in the murals, I started to understand and respect the contributions these men had made to the community.

The pictures to which I refer are those of three generations of the Ericksen family (Gerhard, Carleton John, and Carleton “Bud”), Vern Keener, Max Logston, Bill Shannon, Alice Seaton, and Alex Sidie. Please stay tuned tomorrow when I will post photos of the cut-out paintings and mural and include a brief bio of the contribution each made to the community.

Built in 1885, the first school house in Bothell opened in March of 1886.

Bothell is proud of its 100-year history and of the men and women who helped to bring about the small town feel that still exists today. Bothell’s pride in its heritage is demonstrated in many ways including the numerous signs along the walking tour of Main Street and the existence of Bothell’s Landmark Preservation Board that has been behind listing 18 Bothell properties on local, state or national registers of historic places. Other examples are the presence of the Bothell Historical Museum, and the historic schoolhouse, log cabin, and others structures at the Park at Bothell Landing.

I began to see how honoring local business and community leaders helps to build civic pride and creates a connection to the past. Moreover, it is a little quirky, interesting and, well, fun.

And, now that the Bothell downtown core is on the cusp of a major redevelopment project, I think it would be an ideal time to ensure that the public art also achieve goals of inclusivity and representation of the current community in all its diversity.

An involved member of the community and owner of Shannon’s Flowers and Gifts for 24 years, Peg Dowd talks about closing the flower shop that had been in her family and an icon on historic Main Street in Bothell, Washington since 1961. 

When I asked Peg why, after having been in business 50 years, she closed the shop, she answered that it happened relatively suddenly. Although close to retirement, Peg had hoped to make it through the recession and then be able to sell. But, when almost overnight, the property owners doubled her rent, she knew it was time to go. 

With all the changes coming to Bothell as a result of the Bothell Landing redevelopment project, she said, it is understandable that there would be increases in rent, but she didn’t expect it so soon. She maintains that she had “wonderful landlords” and did not seem overly concerned that rents in Bothell will go so high that other businesses would not be able to hold on. 

Admitting that she is an optimist, “as a small business owner, you have to be,” Peg feels that, as we move out of the recession, Bothell has positioned itself very well for future economic development and growth. 

And, as her generation of business owners retire, Peg notes that the next wave of development in Bothell is happening. “Newer people in their 30s” are now running various businesses. Examples Peg cites are FrameWright/Kaewyn Gallery that recently changed hands from Lynn Asmann, a Bothell resident who was active in the business community and owned the shop for 16-years, to Ken Stodola, as well as the Pilates Life and Wellness Center on Main Street, a chocolate/wine shop that will be opening in the months to come, and several others. The good news is that many of the newer businesses are family owned enterprises that, as such, keep locally-generated revenue within the community. 

As for words of wisdom that Peg would pass on to this younger generation of entrepreneurs, in what I have learned is characteristic of her strong commitment to community, she advises “Be involved in the community, know what’s going on. Respect your clients and your community. Keep it going forward.” 

I would venture a guess that if, as Peg observes, the advantage many younger business-owners have of more education can be combined with a passion and love for the community that Dowd’s generation embodied, Bothell can indeed maintain its small-town feel while becoming an even stronger backbone to the community in the years to come.

Representation of Bill Shannon, Bothell florist and father to Peg Dowd, was active in community service and was noted for his sense of humor. Artist: Pat Benson

After 50 years, a Tie to the Past Leaves the Scene
Part I 

On October 22, 2011 – just over a week after closing Shannon’s Flowers and Gifts – I had the extraordinary opportunity to talk with owner Peg Shannon Dowd.

Originally established in the mid-1940s and located near the Preservation Kitchen on SR 522 in Bothell, Washington, the flower shop that was to become Shannon’s Flowers and Gifts moved to historic Main Street in the early 1950s. In 1961, Bill Shannon and Peg Dowd’s father, who had a background in gift sales and department stores on the East coast, then bought and renamed the shop. Thus began a fifty-year odyssey that was to end, quite suddenly on October 12, 2011.

In the beginning, Peg remembers, her mother, a reading specialist in the Seattle School district, was the financial support of the family due to the inability of a new business owner, at that time, to draw an income for up to three years. “Now, its five years to get a paycheck, so small businesses, doesn’t matter what, face a struggle and you do need good financial support,” Peg said.

Peg recalls that, as a teenager, she would commute from the Shannon’s home in Seattle to work at the flower shop on weekends. She started at the bottom – dusting, sweeping, cleaning and prepping flowers, making simple arrangements, answering the telephone – until she gradually learned every position in the shop. As a young adult, Dowd began to work full time at the shop with her father.

When her father passed away in 1987, Peg’s mother took over operations of the shop, and in 1995 retired fully, selling the shop to her daughter.

When asked about what she remembers of downtown Bothell as a young person, Peg talked about the thriving businesses and community spirit. She recollects how there were small shops: women’s clothing, a few dime stores, a specialty yarn shop, hair salons and two grocery stores.

In particular, Peg fondly recalls a long-time friend and fellow shop owner, Jim Swanson, who closed Swanson’s Shoe Repair in 2007 after having been in business on Main Street for 40 years.

Peg was steeped in the camaraderie between business owners who would meet at “small cafés in town where all the business men would get together for coffee and talk about the members: so and so was in the hospital and he (my father) would send flowers.”

Shannons's Flowers and Gifts, with representation of Bill Shannon to left of windows. In operation for 50 years, October 12, 2011 marked its last day of business.

The concern for community was notable in the 60s and 70s. Peg remembers that people would pool together to get community events paid for.

As we sit and talk in Steve’s Café on Main Street, it is clear that Peg is part of the community. Having lived and worked in Bothell for more than 30 years, not a person walks by without a friendly greeting. Peg admits that what she enjoyed the most about running the flower shop was the people and creating memories. “You got to know the people who are your customers… their likes and dislikes. You really got to develop relationships,” she said.

Throughout her career Peg was “not just a business owner, but a part and a volunteer,” serving on the civil service commission, parks and recreation board and active in Kiwanis club service organization as well as teaching classes to garden clubs and doing floral design demos at local churches.

When I asked where Peg felt that she made the most positive difference, however, she talked of an at-risk high school student who worked in her shop. The young woman had said, “I don’t know why you’re making me do this I’m going to fail at this like I have everything else.”

Peg recalls, “If the only thing she could do was sweep the floor, we started there. You did a great job sweeping the floor. Now let’s wash the buckets, now let’s learn how to clean the flowers. She became one of my very, very, very best designers. She was a hard worker; she was a good kid. She died at a young age, but I think I made tremendous difference in her life. I like to think of people like that.”

Stay tuned for the next installment from my interview with Peg Dowd when I find out why she closed the shop and more about where Bothell is headed today.

It’s true that I was becoming interested in where Bothell is heading with its redevelopment and how that may impact the core businesses in the area, but the artwork is what had driven my interest in Bothell to begin with. 

You see, the art displays were representations of about six to eight life-sized people who looked like historic figures – business owners and founders of the city – painted on plywood and installed on the sides of buildings along Main Street. 

Now there’s nothing wrong with civic art displays. Capital budgets reserve a percentage that is applied to public art displays as a matter of course.  Of course, it has long been argued that life without art just wouldn’t be the same; we need art. 

And now there exists new evidence from studies performed by Semir Zeki, Professor of Neuroesthetics, Univeristy of College London, suggesting that when you view art you consider to be beautiful, the pleasure centers of your mind are activated and increased levels of dopamine, the “feel good” neurotransmitter of the brain, are released. 

But… the problem for me was that all of the representations along Main Street were of white males. It didn’t really make me feel good. It, well, made me feel a little left out. Why weren’t there any women displayed? And, what about people of color? 

I got to downtown Bothell on a sunny afternoon in mid-October. I walked along the Main Street and took pictures of the artwork and noticed that, low and behold, I was wrong. On the back side of the buildings on Main Street, facing a parking lot and accessible from 101^st Ave N.E., is a large mural of a woman covering the whole side of a building.

Mural of Alice Seaton, 1889-1980, the first woman to deliver the mail in Bothell. Artist Elizabeth Briars.

The mural is of Alice Seaton (1889-1980), the first female to deliver the U.S. mail in Bothell. Apparently, she had taken over the postal delivery route of her husband after he had fallen ill and later died. She held the position from 1914-1918. 

I began to think that instead of feeling somewhat put-off by the art, perhaps there was another way to view it. Perhaps the depictions and murals really were meant to tie the historic downtown core more closely to the past and create a sense of community spirit and pride; that an understanding of the past could help to shape the future. Maybe, through collaboration and cooperation, a new installation – of an influential woman or person of color in the community – could be funded and installed.

Peg dowd, former owner of Shannon's Flowers and Gifts, stands next to a representation of Alex Sidie, beloved pharmacist in Bothell from 1954-1998. Artist: Pat Benson

And then, I walked past Shannon’s Flowers and Gifts – I had read a little about the shop online – with a prominent sign in the window: 50 Years. Going Out of Business. I was aghast. Why is the shop going out of business after 50 years? Is this entrepreneur representative of other businesses in the historic district? Or, is there hope that, in the midst of major redevelopment, other locally owned businesses can thrive, new businesses can successfully launch and both new and old can prosper side-by-side? 

Now I was on a mission to understand the interplay and connection between the past, the present and the future in Bothell: How does a city undertake a multi-million dollar redevelopment plan that both looks to the future and ensures viability for its current and potential businesses while honoring the past – complete with civic pride as evidenced in its public art installations – and maintain its small town feel?

Bothell began as a commercial logging camp along the Sammamish in the 1870-1880s

You may have watched the video I posted this week about the Bothell Landing area that gives a brief history lesson of the downtown core. But, I wanted to learn more about the history of the city because connections to the past seem to lead to how plans for the future are being developed today.

Prior to European settlement, the Sammamish tribe populated the area. Native Americans were relocated in 1856. Twenty years later, a Canadian named George Brackett began commercial logging out of a camp located on the north bank of the Sammamish River in what is now the heart of downtown Bothell.

As the story goes, Brackett sold 80 acres to David Bothell and the town’s first postmaster, Gerhard Ericksen, who bought his property from Bothell, named the town in his honor. 1888 was marked by development of a local railroad and establishment of the Bothell Post Office.

Bothell grew as logging expanded and boat traffic brought more passengers and commerce up and down the river, and in 1909, voters incorporated Bothell as a city by a narrow margin. The first mayor was George Bothell, son of David Bothell. Voters also chose a three-member city council. In November 1973, the city shifted to a city manager government.

In 1911 downtown Bothell experienced a fire that destroyed many buildings. Just a few 1908 structures remained and still stand today. Other downtown buildings date to the 1920s and 1930s and correspond to the area’s changing economy and growth.

After World War II, better roadways and a post-war boom in the region brought suburban development to Bothell. These new neighborhoods and a series of annexations dramatically expanded Bothell’s population from about 1000 in 1950 to more than 33,000 today. Bothell was mostly a bedroom community for people working in Seattle until the 1990s when business development brought new jobs that created a regional employment center of about 20,000 jobs.
To this day, the downtown and riverfront areas contain numerous historic structures or sites. The structures illustrate a mix of periods of development from the 1880s to the 1940s. Many of the structures retain their historic integrity since there has been little remodeling or few additions.

Comcast Neighborhoods takes a look at where Bothell is today.

Sure, at the time I began my to sleuth, Tiger Budbill, of momentary X-Factor fame, was a flash in the pan, but I really didn’t expect to find that Bothell is a vibrant, thriving community. I am pleased to report how wrong I was!

I began to learn a lot through the city of Bothell website, which could take a reader several days to ingest fully; I have not yet had that luxury of time! While I am sure that, as with any city in the doldrums of extremely tight budgets, there are only a few city employees charged with generating content and managing the site, the quality and detail available is quite impressive. I am slowly familiarizing myself with its architecture and array of resource information.

Did you know that Joy Johnston, Public Information Officer, City of Bothell, and her staff manage the four following sites alone:

Official City of Bothell site
Official Bothell Landing site
Imagine Bothell with Annex Information
Explore Bothell Visitor’s Information

You also may follow the city on Twitter and Facebook, where posts are relatively current, if not prolific.

Through research on the City of Bothell site and several others (including Wikipedia, and the U.S. Census Bureau) here is some introductory information about Bothell:

Located on the Northeast end of Lake Washington in the greater Seattle metropolitan area, Bothell Washington straddles about 12 square miles of King and Snohomish counties – a relatively unusual occurrence within the state of Washington. With a population of roughly 33,500 (up from roughly 30,000 in 2000) and a median income of $66,510, according to 2010 census data, Bothell boasts 13 distinct neighborhoods including the well-known areas of North Creek, Bothell Landing, Thrashers Corner and Canyon Park.

The population composed of almost 80% Whites with slightly more than 10% Asians, 8.7% Hispanic or Latino, 4.5% persons reporting two or more races, and less than 2% each of Black, American Indian and Alaskan Natives and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islanders. Of the population 25 years old or greater, slightly more than 94% were high school graduates and close to 42% had earned a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Biotechnology is a primary industry in Bothell as well as computer technology, and electrical, environmental and civic engineering. In 1990 the University of Washington, Bothell was founded and in 1995 established its current campus with the acquisition of the purebred cattle Boone-Truly Ranch. Sitting atop a 128-acre plot with picturesque views of protected wetlands and the Cascade Mountains, the campus is shared with Cascadia Community College. In 2001, The Seattle Times moved its main production facility to the North Creek business district in Bothell.

Aside from the above data about Bothell, I ascertained that the downtown core of Bothell, known as Bothell Landing, is slated for $150 million in re-development and includes three road improvement projects to widen and enhance sections of both State Route 522 and 527, and four projects designed to revitalize both the downtown park and commercial districts alike. The following projects are listed in more detail at http://futureofbothell.com/downtown-revitalization/city-initiatives:

Wayne Curve will increase existing five lanes to seven lanes to reduce congestion. This project is well underway and due for completion in December, 2011.
Crossroads will realign the intersection of SR 522 and 527 and is not scheduled to begin until sometime in 2012.

Multi-Way Boulevard will widen SR 527 and create a landscaped boulevard for that will be more pedestrian friendly. Project is dependent upon other development and could begin in 2012.

Main Street will enhance and extend the historic Main Street. Enhancements to begin in 2013 with extension dependent upon adjacent projects.

City Hall will involve construction of a new 50,000 square foot City Hall and civic campus. Construction is scheduled for 2012-2013.

The Park at Bothell Landing will be expanded by three acres and could begin as early as 2012.
Anderson School Building, acquired by the city of Bothell in 2009, has since sold to McMenamins to develop a hotel, restaurant, theater and public swimming pool.

In discovering the extensive plans for the downtown Bothell area, I realized that there was a much bigger story here than I initially thought. Bothell is a city on the move!

But what does that change mean and who will it impact? The city is indeed at a Crossroads – literally between SR 522 and 527 – and at a juncture that could go in many different directions. Will it be good?

Other ideas for the blog were more personal, one of which could be a “mommy” blog where I tracked the difficulty I have had with one of my 11-year-old twin daughters and her, as yet, undiagnosed learning problem. Did I really want to join the force of already established mothers documenting through a blog the rewards and challenges of parenting? Since this daughter, Novi, is a sweet and sensitive girl, I also felt protective of her and wondered if published stories of this nature about her, even filtered through my experience, would add fuel to an already smoldering lack of self-esteem. Perhaps, I could write this type of blog, but….

The art work in Bothell; the idea just kept coming up. You see, I had been regularly meeting friends in downtown Bothell for more than two years. At first, it was just a relatively convenient place to meet friends. Then, I started to notice that there was public art displayed on the sides of the buildings along Main Street. The art was of life-sized people who looked like shopkeepers – or perhaps founders of the city. Driving along the street at different times, one, then another of these “people” would catch my attention until I had discovered that there were about 6-8 displays randomly placed along the corridor.

The problem for me, however, was that all of the representations were of white males. It bothered me every time I drove along the street.

While, admittedly, I am a white woman with all the benefits of socioeconomic, cultural and educational privilege I also am the mother of twin, racially mixed girls of color. They notice stuff like this – whether implicitly or explicitly. Racial inclusion matters to them.

Furthermore, could this lack of ethnic and gender inclusion in the artistic depictions really be fodder for a blog? Would there be enough to write – or enough time to intelligently cover a huge subject – around diversity and inclusion; ultimately, what was my goal, to bring about a change? Would there be a will to change? If in fact, the art was representative of the founding fathers of the city of Bothell, what really is the harm in simply documenting that fact through art? Finally, my biggest concern was: Did I want to write a blog that may seem critical, perhaps offensive or even controversial to people who I am certain had the best intentions to make a positive contribution to their community?

Nonetheless, this idea for the blog would not go away.

I understand that some of the most courageous movements like the civil rights movement, or even Arab Spring 2011 brought about radical change by a non-violent confrontation with power. As the sole instigator, to my knowledge, of this challenge in Bothell, I must say my courage was not that great. And, perhaps it didn’t need to be. In the case of fostering inclusion in civic life, at least in Bothell, Washington regarding racial and gender representation in some of its art, perhaps there would be a way to work within the margins of collaboration and non-confrontation. Okay, maybe there is something here; maybe my blog could be part of a solution.