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“Hope” is the thing with feathers

 

 

 

Our artist volunteers create street signs every quarter that are displayed outside HPIC along busy SW Holden St as a greeting and inspiration for pedestrians and for the drivers so often stuck in traffic along this route.

Thanks to Emily Dickinson, poet, and artist collaborators, from left, Judith Camann, Kelly Lyles, Kay Kirkpatrick and Monica Cavagnaro for bringing a spot of hope and a chance to reflect to travellers on Holden.

Here’s the complete poem:

“Hope” is the thing with feathers –
That perches in the soul –
And sings the tune without the words –
And never stops – at all –

And sweetest – in the Gale – is heard –
And sore must be the storm –
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm –

I’ve heard it in the chillest land –
And on the strangest Sea –
Yet – never – in Extremity,
It asked a crumb – of me.

The rebuild begins with a design – and we want your input!​

So many talented people live in our neighborhood, including award-winning architect Matt Wittman, of Wittman Estes. He’s been a long-time HPIC supporter, and he and his firm are passionate about designing the rebuild. Wittman Estes has been unanimously selected by the Board to help us envision and create the space for our next hundred years.

Meet Matt virtually at our next Town Hall, where he will help us to gather input from the community about what the future of HPIC could be, from programs we offer to the space we hold them in.

Weds December 15
7pm
Zoom recording of Town Hall Meeting #2

Matt and his wife and partner in the firm, Landscape Architect Jody Estes, have lived in Highland Park for years, attending family Movie Nights way back when, and many Corner Bars too. Wittman Estes has been honored with numerous awards, including the national award winning Tsuga Townhomes on Highland Park Way. In acknowledgement and support of HPIC’s volunteer spirit and our community, Matt and Jody, principals of the firm, have pledged to contribute a generous amount of their time pro-bono.Matt and his team have helped us to develop an on-line survey to gather input from you regarding the re-visioning of the building – Take the HPIC Community Priority Questionnaire here.

The Long Hot Summer

The record Heat Dome followed the day after the fire that closed HPIC. Thus began our checklist of chores and waiting, while we gathered information. We thank all of you again for your support and donations! Here’s what we know so far:

SFD Fire Investigator’s Scene Report, via a Public Records Request through the City of Seattle:

INCIDENT SUMMARY:
IT IS THE OPINION OF THESE INVESTIGATORS THAT THIS FIRE IS UNDETERMINED. THE FIRE ORIGINATED ON THE LANDING AT THE TOP OF THE SHORT STAIRWAY ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE BUILDING NEAR THE NORTHEAST CORNER. FIRE BURNED THROUGH THE STAIRWAY LANDING, EXTENDING FIRE TO THE ADJACENT CRAWLSPACE FRAMING. FIRE EXTENDED UP FROM THE LANDING, THROUGH THE ENTRY DOOR, INTO THE MAIN HALL AND TO THE SECOND FLOOR AND ATTIC ABOVE. EVIDENCE OF TRANSIENT ACTIVITY WAS FOUND IN THE ENTRYWAY. AN INTENTIONALLY SET FIRE COULD NOT BE RULED OUT. THERE ARE NO PERSONS OF INTEREST RELATED TO THIS FIRE AT THIS TIME.

Insurance
As of our latest Board meeting (Weds Sept 8) we are still waiting for an “official” determination from our insurance company as to how and when the building recovery/rebuild will be funded. In the meantime we have been creating a comprehensive inventory of Business Personal Property which will be covered, and also preparing a claim for loss of Business Income. We expect the official determination on the building coverage soon. We don’t expect the insurance to cover the full cost of the renovation and will be seeking additional funding – from the neighborhood and other funders – to make the renovated space as inviting and versatile as possible.

HPIC is the house our community built. A fire can’t keep us down.​

Nothing could have prepared any of us for waking up to such devastating news. While we share our sadness and loss with so many in this community, this moment is just a scar that will be woven into the fabric of our century-old story, and in the end will only serve to make us stronger. As we emerge from our shock, we are already focusing on how to rebuild our beloved space, as well as how we can continue to serve the community until our doors swing wide open again. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that we are resilient and can adapt to the most challenging of circumstances, to still be an important presence to meet the needs of our community. Together, we’ve got this.

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