(December 27, 2022, photo by Deb Holbrook)
King tides have swamped Alki Statue of Liberty Plaza multiple times in recent years, and that’s just part of why many of the inscribed bricks that comprise much of the plaza have faded into illegibility. A suggestion for restoring them was brought to the Alki Community Council last night, from one of the community advocates who made the plaza happen 15 years ago. She wonders what you think of the idea.
Libby Carr doesn’t live in West Seattle now, but did in the mid-’00s, when she and husband Paul Carr fought bureaucracy and amassed serious fundraising to first recast the statue and then create a new base for it and a plaza befitting it. The statue was re-dedicated in 2007, the plaza a year later. A major part of the fundraising came from selling more than 3,000 inscribed bricks and plaques. Now, after almost 15 years of wind, waves, and sand, it’s all but impossible to go to the plaza and find “your” brick.
Libby Carr told the ACC that her research has turned up someone who says he could reinscribe the bricks with a method that would be much longer-lasting. He estimated the 3,003 bricks could be reinscribed for about $60,000. The cost of removing and replacing them would have to be determined, though. But Carr sees a way to cover much if not all the costs: She says the ramp down to the plaza, built some years later, could hold 29 inscribed plaques that could be sold for $5.000 each, raising $145,000 for starters, more than double what it would cost to fix the bricks.
In the years since the plaza was dedicated, a maintenance fund – left over from the $350,000 raised for the plaza and statue – has seen Parks and the ACC partner on keeping the plaza maintained, but they’ve tried many ways to protect and restore the inscribed bricks, without much success. But Carr had a key question: Does the community care? Are West Seattleites – both those who bought bricks/plaques and those who did not – interested? “Is there will and desire in the community to do this all over?” (If you have a thought either way, consider commenting below.) The ACC agreed to talk about this again at its next meeting. Carr said she’d be happy to come back.
Two other topics of note:
ALKI ART FAIR: Its longtime leader Giovannina Souers brought this year’s toplines. Three days again this year, July 21st through 23rd, 2 pm-8 pm Friday, 10 am-8 pm Saturday, 10 am-6 pm Sunday. They have more than 80 artists lined up for this year. The AAF is a nonprofit, and powered by volunteers – Souers says more are needed, as well as a vice president who will then step up to president (she has been president off and on for the festival’s quarter-century of existence and is about to have to step down again due to term limitation). You can find out how to get involved via the Alki Art Fair website.
ALKI BEACH PRIDE: Roger Starkweather was there with an early Alki Beach Pride preview. Biggest change this year – a street party on Alki Avenue SW. It will be closed from Harry’s Beach House to Blue Moon Burgers for activities noon-7 pm on August 20th; then there’ll be a movie at Alki Playfield at 8 pm. ABP will feature a beer garden, entertainment, kids’ activities, vendors, and more. They’re expecting about a thousand people to attend. “It’s not about a big show, it’s about community.” They’re still accepting vendor applications, too.
Alki Community Council meets at 7 pm on the third Thursday of most months, in person at Alki UCC (6115 SW Hinds) and online via Zoom.
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