Support the GNA When You Shop on Amazon

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You can support the Griffin Neighborhood Association when you shop on Amazon if you begin your shopping trip with this link: https://SteamboatIsland.org/Amazon. If you click this link, you’ll be taken to Amazon, where you can shop normally. The prices you see won’t be any different. However, Amazon will share a very small commission with the GNA. We will use that money to help support our work here in our neighborhood.

In fact, at the bottom of our website – on every page – you’ll find a little Amazon logo. That’s the link, too.

No browser extension is required. No commitment on your part. Each time you shop on Amazon, you can choose to use this link or not. If you use it, any purchase you make until you close out your browser will benefit the GNA.

Thanks, neighbors!

Aerial Spraying to Eradicate Spongy Moths to Begin Soon Over a Limited Area

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Local residents are likely aware that over the last year or more, the Washington Department of Agriculture has identified a portion of Steamboat Peninsula, along with other locations in Western Washington, as a home for a growing population of the invasive spongy moth (formerly known as the “gypsy moth”). You may have seen the traps attached to trees around the Peninsula as the Department of Agriculture worked to find where the moth populations were located. That work is now done and the Department is now taking steps to reduce the spongy moth population. One of the steps being taken is the aerial spraying of Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki or “Btk”. We’ve now received notification from the Department of Agriculture that aerial spraying will be happening soon.

UPDATE: The three aerial sprayings have now been completed. They were conducted on the mornings of May 16, May 19, and May 20. No other sprayings are scheduled this year. The Washington Department of Agriculture will evaluate the effectiveness and may schedule additional sprayings at a later date, possibly next year. 

The area identified for aerial spraying is relatively small; the entire Steamboat Peninsula is not being sprayed. The area centers on Steamboat Island Road and Sunrise Beach Road. The western boundary is a line running along Oyster Bay Road. The northern border is roughly the 4400 blocks of Oyster Bay Road and Steamboat Island Road. On the east is the Sunrise Heights Road, off Keating Road. The southern border is roughly the 2600 block of Madrona Beach Road. Click the image for a larger version.

If you live within this area you should consider signing up for alerts by email, a text message, or a phone call notifying you of when spraying will take place. Exact treatment dates are highly dependent on the weather. Click here to see the web page where you can set up the notification you prefer. Or call 800-443-6684.

“While Btk is not toxic to people or pets, it is sticky,” reads a recent postcard sent out by the Department of Agriculture. “When applied, it will leave a thin film on outdoor objects. You may want to cover outdoor vehicles or bring toys inside. If your belongings get Btk on them, it washes off with soap and water. Keep windows and doors closed during treatments and for 30 minutes afterward.”

A small airplane will apply the Btk treatments. These treatments usually start in the morning hours and continue until they are complete across the entire coverage area. There will be three treatments with three to 10 days between each one.

For more information about this aerial spraying and about the spongy moth, visit agr.wa.gov/moths. Email pest@agr.wa.gov. Call the Spongy Moth Hotline at 800-443-6684. And join the Spongy Moth Eradication Facebook Group.

HMS Off The Hook is the Griffin Area’s Deli and Specialty Grocery Store

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HMS Off The Hook advertises itself as offering “premium meats and more.” Visit their location at 6541 Sexton Drive NW, in Steamboat Square, and you’ll find a lot more. True, they offer an excellent selection of prime beef, pork, and chicken. But they also offer cheeses, wine, crackers, and a variety of grab-and-go prepared meals. Pizza, soup, salads, sauces, desserts, and much, much more, means HMS Off The Hook is the neighborhood deli and specialty grocery store here on the Steamboat Peninsula.

“Looking for a quick and delicious meal on the go? Our fresh, grab-n-go options are designed to satisfy your cravings while keeping your schedule on track.” Follow HMS Off The Hook on Facebook, where you’ll find they often post specials and prepared meal items available for a limited time.

One surprising item they have on offer is Xinh’s cookbooks. Many of us remember her famous restaurant in Shelton. If you like to cook, you’ll want one of these cookbooks on your shelf.

Since 1960, Home Meat Service has been providing products in and around Shelton. HMS Off The Hook is their retail location here in northwest Thurston County.

HMS Off The Hook is among the local businesses whose generous contribution recently allowed the Griffin Neighborhood Association to purchase more of the Steamboat Neighborhood stickers for free distribution to area residents. We hope you will stop by HMS Off The Hook soon and shop. When you do, thank them for their support.

Yes, they have meats, but they offer much more.

Steamboat Square is a Growing Business Core in NW Thurston County

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Steamboat Square has long provided a business core for the Steamboat Peninsula/Griffin area. In recent years, the Square has been on-the-grow, and it now offers an increasing variety of services and dining establishments. The Square has also hosted community events, including the Halloween Trunk or Treat and a Block Party.

Steamboat Square is a blossoming area with many great small businesses and local shops to attract locals, visitors, and people passing through! Steamboat Square has quite a variety to meet your various needs, from coffee to chiropractic, to salons and food – we offer it all! We are also currently leasing a few buildings and looking to add a family medical office, dentist, or physical therapist. We are so happy to host these wonderful businesses for such a special community!

Located just off US-101, Steamboat Square is the front door to the Peninsula. With space available to lease now and two more buildings available this summer, this may be the perfect fit for your business needs.

Steamboat Square is already home to Board & Brush Creative Studio, Elevate Hair & Skin, Steamboat Health & Wellness, Our Community Credit Union, Urraco Coffee, HMS Off-the-Hook, Tipsy Whale Mercantile, the newly-opened Red Velvet Bakery By the Sea, and more. Click here for a list of all the businesses currently located in the Square.

Steamboat Square is one of four local businesses whose recent contributions have enabled the Griffin Neighborhood Association to purchase the distinctive Steamboat Neighborhood stickers for free distribution. We hope you’ll visit a Steamboat Square business soon and pick up a sticker for your car, truck, or boat.

Board & Brush Creative Studio for Your Next Event

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Click the image for a larger version

Generous contributions from Board & Brush Creative Studio and three other local businesses have made it possible for the Griffin Neighborhood Association to purchase “Steamboat Neighborhood” stickers for distribution to local residents. Board & Brush is located in the Steamboat Square, 6541 Sexton Dr., Bldg H, Suite 101.

Are you looking for a night out with friends? Is your inner DIY itching for a fun new project without having to buy all your own supplies and make a mess at your house? Then BOOK A WORKSHOP for the ultimate paint and sip experience at Board & Brush Creative Studio in Olympia.

You may already know that Board & Brush is a terrific place to host a variety of events including birthday parties, bachelorette parties, and baby showers. But have you considered Board & Brush as a venue for your office’s next Team Building event?

Here at Board and Brush Creative Studio in Olympia, we specialize in bringing people together in the art of wood crafting. We have workshops that guests can register for where they pick from our large variety of wood designs to create something unique for their home or to give as a special gift. We host all types of events, Baby Showers, Birthdays, Bachelorette parties, and one of our more popular, Team Building. We have put many Team Building workshops together so your team can have a fun bonding experience. If this sounds like something you would be interested in putting on our calendar. Visit our website at boardandbrush.com/olympia/ from there go to Book a Workshop and select Book a Corporate Event to get started. We hope to work with your group soon.

The Griffin Neighborhood Association encourages residents to support local businesses like Board & Brush. We believe we all thrive when our local businesses thrive and we’re happy to have Board & Brush in our neighborhood! We hope you’ll stop by Board & Brush to pick up your own Steamboat Neighborhood sticker.

Enjoy a night out soon at Board & Brush.

For more information about Board & Brush Creative Studio or to book a workshop, visit their website. You can also email them at Olympia@boardandbrush.com. Follow Board & Brush on Instagram, too.

 

GNA Board Adds a Member, Sets Meeting Schedule, and Begins to Plan the Summer Annual Picnic

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In late February, after January’s Annual Community Meeting, the Board of the Griffin Neighborhood Association met for their annual reorganization meeting. Among other items on the agenda, the reorganization meeting is when the Board elects its officers and plans its meeting schedule for the year.

This year, Rebecca Reavis returns as President. Dawn McCain will serve as Vice President. Biene Wood continues as Treasurer. Dee Tropp will continue to serve as Secretary.

At the end of January’s Annual Community Meeting, we were one member short of an entire 17-person Board. That seat was filled in February by Jenna Ritchie. Welcome, Jenna, and thank you for joining our Board of Directors!

The meeting schedule for 2024 will be as it was last year. The Board will meet on the 4th Wednesday of every month. We haven’t yet set up the location, but we’ll begin by seeing if the Griffin Fire Department Headquarters conference room is available for the meetings.

Look for a complete schedule of Board meetings to be posted here on our website’s community calendar and on Facebook. About two weeks before each meeting, we’ll post the event on Nextdoor, too.

Board meetings are always open to the public. Please attend one of our meetings to see what’s going on in the community and make your voice heard. Also, we cannot do all we do without your help. Working with our Board is a great way to give back and help make our community a wonderful place in which to live.

There’s another meeting just around the corner. Planning for this summer’s Annual Community Picnic will kick off on Thursday, March 14th. At 6 PM, we’ll meet at the Reavis’ home on 41st Ave. NW to start to plan. We would love your input and help.

This year’s GNA picnic will be held on Saturday, June 22, from noon to 4 PM. As always, we will have lots of food, activities, entertainment, vendor booths, and fun for the whole family. This event takes a lot of work, and we always need fresh ideas and helping hands to make it happen. You can choose to be involved as much or as little as you like. Would you like to help with planning and be part of the committee? Or maybe you’d like to help for an hour or so on the picnic day? We’d love to have whatever you can offer.
 
Please email tropp911@gmail.com if you have questions or would like to volunteer to help with this year’s picnic.

2024 GNA Board photo
2024 Griffin Neighborhood Association Board of Directors
Left to right, back row: Paul Frindt, Shawn Brannon, Sharon Parker, Jonelle Adams, Nathan Bowman, Jan Hopwood, Joan Thomas, Tom Larsen, Nancy Chapman, Mike Reavis, Bill Tropp
Front row: Shelley Larsen, Dawn McCain (Vice President), Dee Tropp (Secretary), Biene Wood (Treasurer), Becky Reavis (President). Behind the camera is our newest member, Jenna Ritchie.

January 31st Annual Meeting Will Focus on Emergency Preparedness

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This year’s Annual Meeting of the Griffin Neighborhood Association will feature keynote speakers from Thurston County Emergency Preparedness and Management. They will present their new campaign for Thurston County residents by sharing what we need to know about preparing for floods, fires, earthquakes, and volcanos. The new program is called, “Be Ready – Get Set – Now GO!”

Everyone is invited. You do not have to be a member of the Griffin Neighborhood Association to attend this important community event.

Annual Meeting of the Griffin Neighborhood Association
Wednesday, January 31, 2024
Griffin Fire Department Headquarters
Doors open at 6 PM

Thurston County provides a wealth of information to assist residents in preparing to meet the challenges of an emergency or disaster. Here on the Steamboat Peninsula advance preparation is doubly important because it doesn’t take much to cut many of us off from power or access to assistance by first responders. If you don’t have the time or money to become prepared all at once, Thurston County Emergency Management recommends you take it in smaller steps. Approach emergency preparedness, one month at a time, over the course of a year with their easy online guide.

Our own Disaster Preparedness web page may also help with your planning. “Map Your Neighborhood” is a good approach, too, to involve your nearby neighbors in planning to address the challenges of a disaster where the situation may be too big for your own family’s planning to address.

Local non-profit organizations will also be present at the Annual Meeting. Doors open at 6 PM for refreshments and to allow time to visit with representatives of various organizations who will be present to share information about their work here in the Griffin area.

The bylaws of the GNA require the Annual Meeting, and it is at this meeting that the Association holds an election for its Board of Directors. Residents residing within the boundaries of the Griffin School District are invited to join the Association and may then choose to be elected to join our Board. We have at least one opening on our Board that we need to fill. If you are interested in Board membership, click here to read our Frequently Asked Questions. At the meeting, current members of the Association will be asked to vote on a slate of candidates.

You may join the Association at the Annual Meeting. This is a great opportunity to renew your membership if you have not already done so. Local residents may always renew their membership in the Griffin Neighborhood Association online. Just click this link.

During 2023 the Association organized several events to benefit the local community and your participation in the Griffin Neighborhood Association is essential to our continued success. 2024 will be our 34th year! Won’t you help with our important work here in our neighborhood? There are so many ways to participate. Becoming a Board member is only one.

6 PM: Doors open for refreshments and to meet with representatives of local non-profits and Thurston County Emergency Preparedness and Management.
6:30 PM: Board Meeting and Elections
7 PM: Emergency Preparedness Presentation with Q/A

We look forward to seeing you at our Annual Meeting and throughout 2024!

This Year’s Holiday Tree Lighting Will Be Bigger and Better

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The Fourth Annual Holiday Tree Lighting will feature more lights and a bigger display. Santa and Mrs. Claus will make an appearance, and music will be provided by the Griffin School Band. Come for the cocoa and cookies and stay to join in on a growing holiday tradition with neighbors, friends, and family.

Saturday, December 2
Event starts at 4 PM and the tree lighting is at 5:30 PM
Companion Cove
6644 Sexton Dr NW

The Griffin National Junior Honor Society will be accepting donations of new or gently used stocking-sized puzzles, arts and crafts supplies and kits, small toys and stuffed animals, and hats, mittens and gloves, and socks.

We look forward to seeing you at this year’s holiday tree lighting!

Local author Steve Lundin to present from his book, “The Friendly People,” a history of the Steamboat Peninsula and Griffin area, on November 15th

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Cover of the book, "The Friendly People" by Steve LundinOver the years, we’ve been lucky to be able to publish numerous articles written by Steve Lundin. Ten or more years ago, Lundin wrote the book Griffin Area Schools, a history of the many schools that existed on our peninsula. Lundin donated much of the proceeds for the sale of that book to the Griffin Neighborhood Association. After 44 years on the Peninsula, Lundin and his wife Linda Bondurant moved away from our neighborhood, but with his latest book, The Friendly People, we can see he has not actually left this part of the world. Not really. In The Friendly People, Lundin writes a history “of the Griffin/Steamboat area, from early native peoples to modern times.”

On Wednesday, November 15, Steve Lundin will present from his book. This event will be held at the Griffin Fire Department Headquarters beginning at 6 PM. Copies of his book will be available for purchase at that time.

The Sawamish/T’Peeksin lived on Totten Inlet. The Squi’Aitl lived on Eld Inlet, which Peter Puget called “the Friendly Inlet.” This region saw the Hudson’s Bay Company and Puget Sound Agricultural Company. The book describes the Lushootseed Peoples, their culture, and traditions. In the book, you will also read about John Slocum and the Indian Shaker Movement. Recently, the Squaxin Island Tribe has flourished with a cultural Renaissance and economic rejuvenation.

Photo of Steve Lundin

Author Steve Lundin

The Griffin/Steamboat community has grown from a rural area to a vibrant suburban community. Read about the Mud Bay Logging Company, country inns, a local moonshine still, Effie LeRoy’s infamous establishment, and local dance halls. Griffin School has grown into one of the premier schools in the county. Prosperity Grange remains an important institution.

William McLane, William Puffer, Benjamin Franklin Cross, Kettle Labatum, Mud Bay Louie Yowaluck, James Tobin, Konrad Schneider, and Swan Solbeck are just a few of the individuals who contributed to the history of this area and whose stories are recounted here.

Copies of this book can be purchased from Browsers Bookshop, Orca Books, and at the Panorama Gift Shop, for $20. Proceeds from the sale of this book will be given to the Olympia Tumwater Foundation.

Don’t Miss This Year’s Community Picnic, June 24th

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This Saturday, June 24th, the Griffin Neighborhood Association invites you to join us and your neighbors at our annual Community Picnic. There will be food, music, entertainment for the whole family, raffle prizes, local vendors, and representatives from community groups, local businesses, and first responders.

Community Picnic
Saturday, June 24
12 noon to 4 PM
Prosperity Grange and Tin Cup Golf Driving Range

This year’s picnic will be at the Prosperity Grange and Tin Cup Golf Driving range, from 12 noon to 4 PM. Come and join us for lunch with burgers, hot dogs, and Kona Ice. Larry and Sandy Corbin, of the Lighthouse Alpaca Ranch, will bring some of their herd (did you know alpacas are a member of the camel family?). Magician John London will entertain and musical guests are The Possible Solutions and Cliff Rice.

Admission is free for current and new members of the Griffin Neighborhood Association, and their children. Non-members are $5 per adult/$10 per family. Admission includes picnic lunch.

We will be raffling off more than 30 different gift baskets!  Raffle tickets are only $1 or six tickets for $5. A silent auction will feature beautiful hand-turned wooden bowls and a vase, a karaoke party hosted by Twilight Karaoke, and a puppy starter kit.

Stroll the grounds and visit with representatives of local businesses such as Our Community Credit Union, The Nerdy Nana, Lux n’ Lather Soap Company, Endorian Guitarworks, and lots more. Learn more about public safety from the Griffin Fire Department, Thurston County Sheriff’s Office, and Washington State Patrol.

Could you give us a hand at this year’s picnic? We could use help from 9 AM till the cleanup at the end – any amount of time you can offer is appreciated! Click here to send us an email with your contact information and someone will be back to you, very quickly. Thank you so much, to all who have already volunteered!

Many thanks to some special sponsors of this year’s event. Local residents Bill and Karen Hurley donated a banner to help promote our community picnic. The Steamboat Trading Post made a generous donation of hot dogs and all the fixings. Thank you, too, to Bay Shore Construction for underwriting the cost of the comfort and washing stations.

Bay Shore logo artWe hope to see you at this year’s community picnic!