Hallelujah! We apologize profusely for being so parsimonious with information for the past month or more, but we didn't really have any news. Suddenly, we have tons of it.
As you know now from the West Seattle Blog and the Alki Community News Blog, we finally got our 501(c)(3) status figured out. Not that we weren't working. We kept gathering names, getting commitments to work, etc. People are still interested and raring to go. To all of you who have contacted us, we will be getting back to you within the week with a newsletter or other information.
But now, finally, you can now contribute money. Our new Fiscal Sponsor is Urban Sparks, a Seattle organization devoted to helping projects just like ours. This assures you, as they state, "By contributing to Urban Sparks, you acknowledge that Urban Sparks has full control of the donated funds and full discretion to ensure that they are used in furtherance of Urban Sparks' 501(c)(3) purposes."
Without this status, our hands have been tied when it came to actually raising money for the project. Since completing the project is our only goal, that seemed a major hurdle.
And just in time...September 11 the new statue is being put back temporarily on the old base! Greg Nickels, the Mayor, and Tom Rasmussen, City Councilman, are co-hosting a "welcome back" party for her at 6 PM. We hope you will all be there.
September 13 at 7 PM the City Parks Department is hosting a meeting, complete with mediators, to "take the temperature" (their words) of the public about the project. Given that the Mayor is committing the City to support of the new pedestal and plaza two days before that meeting, we are all assuming this meeting will revolve around design issues. We hope you will all come to that meeting too; it's a good chance to tell the City if you want lights in the area, etc.
If you can't be at either of the meetings to see us, and you just can't wait to donate money, please send your check or money order to: SSLP/Urban Sparks, P O Box 17003, Seattle, WA 98127. A donation in any amount is appreciated. We will have a form up on the website for brick purchases within the next couple of days.
We will also open up this blog for general comments once we are in full swing, but first things first.
Thanks.
Paul Carr, Co-Chair
Seattle Statue of Liberty Committee--Phase II