Maisha Barnett saw a change: instead of five people there were hundreds. But she noticed one specific group of about 30 people; they were laughing, playing cards and dominoes, and they cooked on the barbecues and used the park to play games.
"I never thought a group of people would give me so much joy, it was an experience I never anticipated," said Barnett, chairperson of the Powell Barnett Legacy Project, which has made dramatic improvements to the Powell Barnett Park on Martin Luther King Jr. Way and East Jefferson Street.
But that wasn't even the biggest surprise for Barnett.
"I couldn't believe it, but they even had their permits," Barnett said.
You could relate to Barnett's shock if you frequented the park prior to the 2003 rebuilding efforts that aimed to make this 4.5-acre park vibrant and family oriented.
Only one problem: likely you've never visited this park, let alone frequented it.
"Before, there was a negative perception of this space," Barnett explained. "At a given time there would only be a handful or so in the park. Needless to say our goals of increasing usage and enjoyment were exceeded 100 fold."
Four years of hard work and Barnett can almost sit down, put her feet up and watch her efforts and the efforts of many others in the community pay off.
Almost.
There is still one more design workshop meeting left on Dec. 6 at the Garfield Community Center, from 6:30-8:00 p.m.
"Here citizens can come in and vote on one of three design possibilities [that] our landscape architect will have for a picnic area at the north end as well as the design for the historical signage," Barnett pointed out.
That signage will feature Maisha's grandfather, Powell, and his accomplishments and efforts for the city of Seattle.
Powell organized the Leschi Improvement Council and served as its first president, as well as founding the East Madison Y.M.C.A. He was a leader in the community and in the city.
Then, on Jan. 10, 2008, at the same time and location as the previous meeting, the chosen design will be presented to the public.
According to Barnett, in roughly four years of work there have been more than 800 volunteers and more than $1 million in donations for this renovation.
These efforts have gone toward such things as creating age-specific areas for children; building tables for chess, dominoes and cards; repaving the basketball courts; placing five new bathrooms and eight new trashcans; as well as installing plazas with barbecues.
These donations have come from the Seattle Pro Parks Levy Opportunity Fund, King County, they city's Department of Neighborhoods, Washington Insurance, Paul G. Allen and Company, as well as a substantial $550,000 donation from Starbucks.
"Over the years, I can't count how many hours I've put into this project," Barnett said. "It's just become a part of my life, but the 'Ultimate Park Makeover' was an incredible volunteer event that helped move this project along much quicker."
Created to help shed months of work, the Ultimate Park Makeover-which occurred May 12-19 and included more than 500 Starbucks employees and hundreds of citizens-was a weeklong effort totaling more than 3,000 hours of volunteer time.
The results have shown.
Barnett has heard people say it's their new favorite park, as people continuously seek it out and are making it a part of their daily routines.
"It has been miraculous," Barnett said. "The park is now beginning to be recognized as one of the top five parks in the Seattle area, and it's bringing the community closer together."
This may even be an understatement, since Barnett explained how they are going to designate an area on the north side of the park as more of an inactive, quiet area, due to the recent boom in children and families using the open space.
"We want to create a park for everyone," she said. "It is between three different communities, and can serve as a common ground to help bring people together."
So next time you see Maisha Barnett walking in the park, make sure to tell her thank you and, if you really want to show your appreciation, don't hesitate to flash her your park permits.
Bret Lundgaard is a student in the University of Washington Department of Communication News Laboratory.
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