Somerset Sun September 2022

Somerset Community Association Board of Directors - responsibilities

Charles Bofferding President, CRC

Yiyi Guo Vice President

Marie Vieth Treasurer

Sue Sander Secretary

Gary Albert Landscaping

Francis Brito Pride

Diane Fern CRC

Johannes Grad Website, Social Media

Kristen Iversen Membership, CRC

Pete Mansfield Emergency Preparedness

Muriel Mittelstrass Welcome, School Liaison

Allan Yeung Member-at-Large

Directors are elected at our annual general meeting and serve a 3-year term. Our officers of President, VP, Secretary and Treasurer are chosen after election to the Board. If you are interested in getting involved, please contact us at somerset98006@gmail.com.

Somerset Sun Advertising deadlines:

November 11, 2022 – Winter issue

February 10, 2023 – Spring issue

May 12, 2023 – Summer issue August 11, 2023 – Fall issue

Sizes and Rates per issue (same for color or black & white):

Business Card (3"w x 2"h) $25

Quarter Page (4"w x 5¼"h) $140

Half Page Horizontal (8"w x 5¼“"h) $300

Half Page Vertical (4"w x 10½"h) $300

Full Page (8"w x 10½" h) $550

There is a 10% discount for Somerset residents.

Thank you for your interest in advertising in the Somerset Sun.

Together, we are neighbors helping neighbors.

Somerset Babysitters

Are you looking for a local babysitter or interested in offering your services as one? Please contact us at Somerset98006@gmail.com and we will share information between verified Somerset residents. We already have a few interested babysitters, so email us soon to make plans for your next evening out.

Block Groups Connect and Energize Our Community

Would you like to live in a neighborhood where neighbors know each other, talk about things, work together, and watch out for each other? Well, you do. And, if you want to be more involved and help yourself and your neighbors directly experience this sense of community, then organize, join, or support a block group.

Many people in Somerset are already involved in a block group and creating a connected community. They are using resources available from the Somerset Community Association (SCA) and Bellevue (see below). They are reaching out to neighbors to form lasting positive connections while having fun. Some are forming preparedness groups and/or watch groups; some are just saying hi and enjoying the company.

SCA PRESIDENT S MESSAGE

As we emerge from COVID, the SCA 2022 focus is to reconnect and energize; getting involved in block group is a great way to make a difference. So, rather than just imagining how great it would be to be in a block group – take the first step and check out the resources and talk to a few neighbors to get it started. Get connected, get energized. You will love the feeling. And the community

Block Group Resources:

Somerset Community Association - At Somerset98006.org click on “Block Groups” at the top of the page and check out the “What is a Block Group?” and “Form a Block Group” sections. There are step-by-step instructions and the SCA will cover up to $100 of expenses (with receipts). Also, every other year we publish a directory that lists Somerset residents by both name and address – a good tool to reach out to neighbors (though we still recommend simply knocking on doors). Or contact SCA Preparedness Chair Pete Mansfield at somersetprepares@gmail.com

and type “Neighbor Link Block Party” in the search bar to access all kinds of help such as flyers, banners, assistance with closing your street, a coordinated police officer or firefighter visit (yes, you can request an officer and maybe even a firetruck for your meeting) and Mariners tickets (while they last).

Or contact Carol Ross at Neighborhood Outreach, cross@bellevuewa.gov at (425) 452-7917 or (425) 452-6836.

Charles Bofferding SCA President

community meeting -- Save the Date!

The next Somerset Community Meeting will be held on Thursday, October 27th at 7pm in the Somerset Elementary library. Please go to Somerset98006.org on the day of the meeting for the detailed agenda or if you would like the Zoom link to attend electronically.

Somerset Community meetings are hosted by the SCA to connect community members. They are forums to discuss community affairs, ask questions, and share ideas and feedback with the SCA board. The fall community meeting will be focusing on block groups. If you have ideas for other topics you’d like us to address that you think would be of interest to the community, please contact us at Somerset98006@gmail.com and we will add it to the agenda.

Join us to meet your neighbors and stay connected!

By Councilmember Conrad Lee

Neighborhoods make up a city. People e in and build neighborhoods and form ommunities. Communities are collective units of influence and power. Bellevue is blessed to be a city with great neighborhoods.

COUNCIL CORNER

After getting married in 1966 in Seattle, my wife and I decided to move to Bellevue in 1968 to live in a neighborhood we could call home. That’s one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. After looking at several neighborhoods, we decided to choose our home in Somerset and have lived here ever since. As proud first-time owners of a new house, we had much to do on the house and lots to learn. We also had to become part of the Somerset neighborhood. To the best of my knowledge, we were the first Chinese American family that moved into Somerset. Most residents were engineers, lawyers, educators, and professionals. I was a Boeing engineer and my wife worked for UW

We were readily and quickly accepted by our immediate neighbors into the community. During weekends and after work hours, most of us worked on our homes inside and out. As someone who lived most of my life in a concrete jungle of Hong Kong, I did not have much experience and skill getting things done on the house. My neighbors were always there to lend a hand or tools to help. The “Welcome Wagon” was regularly sending out greetings and helpful information. Neighbors are always helping neighbors. Desserts and recipes were shared among families. Sugar, flour, and tools were routinely borrowed. Our similar-aged kids played with each

other. Neighbors always looked out for each other. Strangers and suspicious characters were noted by good Samaritans. Parents volunteered in schools, sports, scouting, and community activities. We came from varied backgrounds, cultures, interests, experiences, and values. But we all share similar and common values and goals – working together to have a better world for our families and children in a nation where we value “Freedom, Liberty and Justice for All”.

Like the City’s demographics, our community has changed. The neighborhood physically has remained the same, but its make-up has changed and most of the homes have new owners. Now on any given day in our neighborhood, one hardly sees residents working around the house, just contractors hired to get jobs done. Occasionally you see people walking their dogs or exercising, but with no time to stop to chat. We are all too busy to know our neighbors anymore, and most of us do not have any relationship with others living in the same neighborhood. We are isolated.

Our City has different neighborhoods, each with different characteristics, as different and unique as America is. We represent individuals forming different communities of people from every part of the world. We must connect and build relationships. As neighbors in the same community, we have to connect and share ideas in order to achieve our common goals - “United we stand; divided we fall!”

The SCA is working on forming and expanding Block Groups to encourage and strengthen connections. Former President Brito is working on renewing the Pride Committee to connect all neighbors in our community. I strongly support both and hope we can begin on our own to each visit a number of families in our immediate neighborhood. Let’s get to know our neighbors. Let’s rebuild our neighborhood. Won’t you be my neighbor?

Born in China, Conrad grew up in Hong Kong and has lived in Bellevue since 1967. He and his wife Winnie live in Somerset, where they raised their two children, Christopher and Jennifer. He can be reached at clee@bellevuewa.gov

The SCA is looking for a graphic designer to design the Somerset Sun. Responsibilities include creating the visual design of a 20-page quarterly magazine; using software to incorporate articles, photos, ads and images into the layout; working closely with the editor and communication staff; meeting deadlines; attention to details; preparing the digital file for the printer and proofing. This is a paid position. Contact somerset98006@gmail.com for more information.

Best Family Best Traditional

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The Covenants Review Committee (CRC) has been busy this summer with over 50 case files opened so far this year. We continue to struggle with making sure that all homeowners in Somerset are aware of and familiar with their Covenants, and what the role of the CRC is in relation to them.

The original developers of Somerset hill saw the importance of building a neighborhood that would maintain its property values in years to come. As each division was developed, they recorded Covenants that function as a set of rules, which included things they felt homeowners must (or must not) do in order to maintain that high quality. These Covenants “run with the land” and when you purchase property in Somerset, you agree to abide by them. The Covenants controlled what type and size of homes were built originally on each lot by requiring approval from a “Building Committee.” This committee (now the CRC) is also required to approve any modifications to the exterior of a property, such as paint color, decks, landscaping, remodels, or other additions. The Covenants also include restrictions on changing rooflines or allowing trees to grow into neighbor views. These and many other issues addressed in the Covenants have helped Somerset properties maintain their high property values.

Through time, the CRC has developed more detailed guidelines to help homeowners understand their Covenant responsibilities and to help the CRC be consistent in the procedures we follow in our review process. We encourage you to visit our website at Somerset98006.org and click on the “Covenants” tab. There, you will find a neighborhood map, the Covenants for each Division within Somerset, the forms to apply for CRC approval of your project, and detailed guidelines relating to views, paint colors, view friendly plants, solar panels, and more.

Additionally, we are in the process of updating our “Frequently Asked Questions” section on the website relating to the Covenants. We plan to include topics such as roof

SRC Annual Auction

colors (dark), chickens (not allowed), metal accents (must be anti-reflective), campaign signs (not allowed in common areas, only on private property), sidewalk strips (property owner is responsible, not City), Airbnbs (not allowed), and more. We also are working on updating our list of approved paint colors as it has not been done for many years and some of the colors are no longer manufactured. These are the issues we receive

COVENANT CORNER

the most questions about. If you have ideas for other topics you think should be addressed in our FAQ section, please send them to us at Somerset98006@gmail.com

We have worked with many Somerset homeowners to attain their goals of enlarging their homes or updating their yards while still staying within the restrictions in the Covenants. Ultimately, we know that the small frustrations of working within these parameters is justified in maintaining the neighborhood property values. We are lucky in Somerset to have the Covenants to help us protect the neighborhood. Lastly, we would appreciate your help in becoming familiar with your Covenants, the various guidelines, and spreading the word to your neighbors. The more that the Covenants are talked about, the less likely homeowners are to be surprised by requirements to remove fences or requests to trim trees, etc. Thank you all for your continued support of the CRC and SCA as we work to keep Somerset such a wonderful place to live!

Diane Fern CRC Chair

SRC members and friends enjoyed a wonderful evening at the annual fundraising auction in July The delicious dinner was catered by Bibi Restaurant in Kirkland, featuring Persian and Mediterranean food. Lots of fun supporting our community pool!

Former Stingray and lifeguard Jennie (Degnan) Elliott and her husband Jake served as bartenders for the evening.

PSE Rate Hike to pay for Energize Eastside

As PSE tears up our neighborhood, cuts down our trees, and installs huge transmission poles, many wonder what this project will cost customers. Now we finally know! PSE has filed its case to the Washington Utilities and Transmission Commission (UTC) to charge customers $300 million for Energize Eastside, more than double the original estimate.

What will this mean for customers? The average family will pay a few dollars more each month on their electric bills. That might not seem like much, but over the next half-century, it will ultimately cost each customer at least one thousand dollars. Crazy, right?

Is there any way to stop the rate increase caused by this project? A large coalition of organizations and ratepayers is asking the UTC to deny PSE’s 20% increase in electric rates over the next three years. If you would like to sign the letter to the UTC, it only takes about 30 seconds. Just add your name and city to the online petition at tinyurl.com/pse-rate-hike.

PSE is trying to foist other questionable costs onto its customers. For example, PSE is requesting compensation for its controversial Liquified Natural Gas Plant in Tacoma, as well as the ugly transmission line on 148th Ave in East Bellevue. If you don’t want to pay for these bad projects, ask your friends to sign the petition. If we get hundreds of signatures, the UTC is

more likely to reduce PSE’s financial rewards for refusing to listen to its customers.

In recent news, California utilities are now using Tesla’s new Virtual Power Plants to provide reliable electricity in power stressed areas. Over 2,000 residential batteries, working in concert, supplied Pacific Gas & Electric with almost 17 megawatts of electricity during a surge in demand. That’s enough to power 20,000 homes, or about a third of Bellevue’s housing units! A similar Virtual Power Plant could have served the Eastside, delivering better year-round reliability, saving money for customers, and alleviating the need for PSE’s damaging Energize Eastside transmission line.

A major company submitted a plan to the Renton Planning Commission to build a huge battery in the city. The battery has the potential to extend the use of clean (but variable) electricity from solar and wind farms and would have provided another good alternative to Energize Eastside.

It’s frustrating to see these attractive, cost-effective technologies being built while we get a project from the last century that will leave a permanent scar in Somerset and other Eastside neighborhoods. Tell the UTC that PSE should not be rewarded for this behavior. Please sign our petition at tinyurl.com/pse-rate-hike.

Don Marsh Somerset Resident

Somerset Vegetation Fires

Yes, it rains a lot here. So, you may wonder why we should be concerned about vegetation fires. Over the last couple of summers, we have had two known significant vegetation fires on Somerset. Fortunately, these were reported promptly to the fire department, no one was injured, and they did not occur on a windy day. We were lucky.

While we do not live in an area known for wildfires, with dry conditions and higher temperatures now becoming more commonplace during summer months, we need to be especially vigilant about keeping our yards and vegetation trimmed and managed in a way that reduces the risk of a fire spreading out of control.

Here are some tips:

· If you have a lawn and don’t irrigate in the summer, be sure to keep it trimmed low

· Vegetation such as pine, evergreen, junipers, arborvitae, and fir trees are especially combustible when conditions are dry. Be sure to keep them well trimmed and away from the sides of your home.

· If selecting new plants or trees, ask for plants that minimize fire risk (and are acceptable per covenants).

· If you live on a slope, be especially cautious when trimming or considering vegetation directly downhill from your home. Fire travels uphill much more rapidly and across greater distances compared to level ground.

· Avoid outdoor wood-burning fires for evening warmth when conditions are dry and especially if a burn ban is in effect by Bellevue or King County.

Also, be sure to call 911 if you see or smell smoke. The more people that call, the quicker the fire department can zero in on where the fire might be. Through our combined efforts, we will increase safety in Somerset.

Community Emergency Response Team Training Opportunity

The Bellevue Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is offering a free Basic Training course open to all adult residents no matter experience or background. There is no ongoing commitment required following course completion. We have only a few trained CERT volunteers currently living in

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

Somerset. We would need more trained individuals to have an effective community response during a crisis.

CERT basic training includes:

· disaster preparedness for the hazards that may impact our region

· basic disaster response skills including, personal safety, light search and rescue, fire safety, and team organization

· basic disaster medical operations

Knowing how to respond safely during disasters may save lives on Somerset when professional responders are overwhelmed with their focus on areas of the city with high population density

To learn more about the Bellevue CERT program, to be notified of future training opportunities or to request a presentation from their team, visit BellevueCert.org for the most up to date information.

Bellevue CERT will conduct Basic Training this Fall:

· Eight Wednesday evenings, 6:00 to 9:00pm October 5 through November 16, 2022

· One Saturday final exercise, 7:45am to Noon, November 19, 2022

Pete Mansfield SCA Preparedness Chair

Thank you to everyone who submitted artwork for our cover contest. Keep an eye out for our announcement in 2023 of the next theme, and you could see YOUR artwork on the cover of a Somerset Sun!

Vincent Y Melanie G.

Zofia S.

Summer of Fun at SRC!

Thanks for a great summer creating lifelong memories with friends and family at SRC. Watch for our 2023 summer family membership pre-sale that will start in November.

Facility Improvements in 2022 – We hope that neighbors consider SRC a community treasure for the Somerset neighborhood. This summer we continued to work on the following facility improvements:

· Hired our first landscaping service to tend to our property maintenance and had fresh bark put in.

· Completed the court renovations and expanded court use beyond tennis to include three pickleball courts, a half-court basketball court, a badminton court, and a gazebo and turf!

· Slide installation may be completed in time for the Polar Bear plunge (fingers crossed).

· PSE is scheduled to replace the two poles just to the west of the club in September and October

· City of Bellevue’s Somerset Reservoir Decommissioning Project will start (and finish) later this fall. We can all look forward to a scenic, landscaped hill to replace the large concrete structure that currently inhabits the space and it will be seismically sound.

· Plans for the fall/early winter to replace the coping and tile around the pool.

Fundraising Goals - Help us reach our goal of $25,000 before our fiscal year-end. As of the end of July we have raised $14,420.50 of our fundraising goal to help with the pool coping project as well as maintenance and general upkeep of SRC. Thank you to all those who have donated - we can’t make improvements to SRC without your financial contributions! If you love SRC and can donate to SRC’s 2022 Fundraiser, please go to somersetrec.org and click on Donate Today. THANK YOU!

SRC is a 501(c)(3) corporation. Charitable donations to SRC are allowed as tax deductions by the IRS, and SRC is eligible to receive additional matching funds for donations made by individuals working for various employers in the area. Please consult with a financial advisor or tax professional to understand how charitable donations would impact your tax status.

The SRC Board needs your energy! Join us! Attention new and returning members: the SRC Board needs your energy! If you love the club and the community we have, please consider joining the SRC Board and help guide its operations and future priorities and improvements. We will have board positions opening up in the next year and we invite you to reach out to our president, Michael Ketchum, at somersetrecclub@gmail.com for more information. Join us at a board meeting or our annual membership meeting in October (TBD) and learn about what the Board is doing to make SRC a gem in the community and for its members. There are many opportunities to contribute and do as much as you are able to.

SRC 2022 Swim Team Recap

Our Division II Somerset Stingrays had an amazing and fast summer swim season. We had 119 Swim Team swimmers and 16 Sharkies, representing 96 families! For ten weeks, this group of kids did a lot of swimming and had tons of stroke improvement. We had many new faces and we hope everyone will be back next year to continue creating a lifetime of summer swim team memories. SRC had one high school swimmer who swam his last summer season as a Stringray Jackson -- we wish you the best of luck!

In addition to placing 7th out of 26 teams at Midlakes Champs, we saw an astonishing EIGHT SRC pool records being broken:

Yan Z - 9-10 boys

25 butterfly - 13.58

50 freestyle - 28.42

100 freestyle - 1:02.44

200 freestyle - 2:13.60

500 freestyle - 6:03.49 100 IM - 1:11.24

Mila A - 9-10 girls

500 freestyle- 6:46.87

Sean B - 15 and over boys 50 freestyle - 22.76

A HUGE thank you to our coaches - Katie and Megan - and our assistant coach Jack. Thanks for making this season AWESOME. We hope to see you back next year! And of course, we couldn't do any of this without the amazing swim team parent reps tag team of Shannon Gregory-Lowe and Liane Harnar, who worked extra hard to put on an amazingly “normal” summer swim season for the kids! We loved seeing fast swims, lots of cheering and smiles on all the kids’ faces. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE HARD WORK!

Landscaping Issues

I recently received our water bill and found what I thought was higher than normal usage. We had two big leaks in the past and didn’t want to see a repeat so I checked our SCA water meter to see if it was showing a leak. The old meters had a small dial that would spin if you had all your water shut valves off yet were still using water. Guess what - there is no small dial on the new Smart Water Meter. Instead, it has a different system that shows if you have FLOW – LEAK – or a BURST line. Fortunately, we didn’t have a leak but the new meter was a bit confusing.

If it hasn’t already, all Smart Water Meter residential meters will be upgraded by about mid-2022. Our SCA water meter for irrigation and the water feature was upgraded last year. Utility account holders will have access to water usage information and management tools with the new online customer portal later this year. But all customers can still check water use information at the meter. This infographic shows how to read the meter and understand the digital display. If you have questions about reading your meter, call (425) 452-6973 or contact SmartWater@bellevuewa.gov.

Gary Albert, SCA Landscaping Chair

Confessions of a Somerset Housewife

Parenting is hard sometimes. And during those long stretches of torture, erm… vacation, parenting can get harder. The chaos that is the morning breakfast routine is no longer ended by ushering your sweet bundles of joy off to their keepers, erm… teachers. And I’ll admit that I have struggled with this. In fact, when I’m browsing my friends’ social media accounts, and I see their highlight reels of summer filled with travel, children smiling in the surf, beautiful healthy food dishes, I have sometimes wondered if they are just inherently better people than I am. Or whether their children are somehow genetically superior to mine. But, my friends, I’m going to call bull, erm… hooey on that one. And, in the interest of honesty, I give you the confessions of a Somerset housewife, summer edition.

We didn’t work on reading. I had grand illusions as I stared at the blank “summer reading challenge” paper. I had visions of curling up with my children, working through novels together, whilst I sipped coffee in the morning. Alas, my mornings were shockingly similar to the way they always were. I was tired. I imbibed my coffee with half-closed eyes. When my children tried to speak to me, I would simply narrow my eyes and waggle an eyebrow, which, for them, had come to mean “mommy can’t talk yet”

And not only did we not snuggle and analyze literature in the morning, we didn’t do it at night either. Instead, by the end of those long summer days filled with meals (apparently we have to feed them three of those, EVERY SINGLE DAY), 27

snacks, packing for beach, unpacking from beach, shaking out towels, “DON’T SIT ON THE COUCH WITH YOUR WET CLOTHES”, etc., I was not mentally stable enough to read my children a story. I didn’t even have to say a word to my technology-addicted, erm… obedient children. I just narrowed my eyes and waggled the other eyebrow, which, for them, had come to mean “find whatever device is charged and watch it”.

We didn’t eat balanced meals. Or snacks. Breakfast usually went fairly well, and I would think about all the wonderful things I would make for them throughout the day. And I tried. Beautiful, healthy dishes were photographed thoroughly but then were met with incredulous sweet, tiny faces. No, mom, I’m not going to eat that. It’s too spicy.

“Spicy” is the word my children use to mean “it has flavor”. And, yes, I could have talked to them about the body and how it requires nutrition. But instead, I put a pot of boiling water on the stove and fed them their carbs, erm… dinner. I narrowed my eyes and waggled both eyebrows, which, for them, had come to mean, “you’d better eat this”.

And yes, I am looking forward to getting back to schlepping my kids off to school, erm… routine. But even with the iPads, chaos, endless noodles and noise, we made some good memories this summer. And even if your summer was not exactly what you imagined it would be, I hope you did too.

Renee Kipp lives in Somerset with her husband and four children and shares her musings with the community.

GOOD READS

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner 352 pages (2022)

Aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell stumbles upon a small blue glass jar on the banks of the Thames which turns out to be a clue to unsolved murders that haunted London two hundred years ago. This novel interweaves the stories of two women – one in the present day and the other an 18th Century female apothecary who secretly dispenses poisons to liberate women from the men who have wronged them.

This author’s debut novel has become an international bestseller and is already in the works as a dramatic television series. Both suspenseful and insightful, The Lost Apothecary explores women’s friendships, rebellion, and the destructive force of revenge.

The Venice Sketchbook by Rhys Bowen 411 pages (2021)

Caroline Grant is surprised to receive an unexpected bequest from her beloved great aunt - a sketchbook, three keys, and a final whisper… Venice. Caroline heads to Italy to scatter Juliet Browning’s ashes in the city she loved and unlocks mysteries stored away for more than sixty years. She finds that in 1938, Juliet had reconnected with Leonardo Da Rossi, the man she loved but whose future was already determined by his noble family. Nothing could come between them, until the threat of war forces them to fight, survive, and protect a secret that will bind them forever

Rhys Bowen has written over 40 best-selling novels. The Venice Sketchbook is a story of impossible love, loss, and courage. Hard to put down!

Eagle Scout Project - Gaga Ball Pit for Somerset Elementary

Somerset Boy Scout Evan Wangelin raised over $5000 when it came time for him to complete his Eagle Scout project. He planned, implemented, worked o build a new Gaga Ball pit for Somerset a Ball pit at Somerset was completed on July outs.

Evan raised funds from family, friends and the community. He was grateful for donations from the Somerset community, especially from donors he didn’t know, as word spread about his Gaga Ball pit project. He ended up exceeding his fundraising goal and w able to purchase a more durable composite lumber for the Gaga Ball pit that will last for years. Over 40 volunteers in his Boy Scout troop and the community completed the project over two separate days. They started from the ground up, cleared the area by digging and prepping the first day to add crushed gravel and a rubber mat flooring. The second day they assembled the Gaga Ball pit and even had time to play a few rounds of Gaga Ball when they finished.

Evan will be a senior at International High School this fall. He started scouting in 3rd grade and has continued in Boy Scouts with Bellevue Troop 438. He’s on track to achieve Eagle Scout this fall earning 35 merit badges, well over the 21 required for Eagle Scout. When it came time to complete his Eagle Scout project, he wanted to do something fun, different, memorable and provide a great activity the whole community could enjoy.

Evan is very thankful to everyone that donated their time and money to his Eagle Scout project. It’s been a long journey for him to reach this point in his Boy Scout journey. (Only 4% of Boy Scouts achieve Eagle Scout status.) He hopes that the Somerset community will enjoy the Gaga Ball pit for many years to come. Please stop by Somerset Elementary and play Gaga Ball. Bring some friends and remember to bring a bouncy ball.

Gaga Ball is similar to dodgeball but played in a low enclosure with the objective of being the last person standing inside the pit. Players hit the ball at each other with their hands and are eliminated if the ball strikes them on or below the knee.

Use AmazonSmile and Smith Brothers to Support Somerset Elementary PTSA

There are two great ways that parents and neighbors can support the Somerset Elementary PTSA this year, shown in the graphic below. Visit smile.amazon.com, and you will be prompted to select a charitable organization. Search for and select Somerset Elementary PTSA (Bellevue, WA). Or, you can activate AmazonSmile in the Amazon Shopping app on your phone. Each new Smith Brothers Farms customer who signs up for home delivery using code SomersetESPTSA receives $15 off their first delivery order and activates a $50 donation from Smith Brothers Farms to the Somerset PTSA. See smithbrothersfarms.com to check out their products.

Scan the QR codes for more details!

Thank you for supporting the Somerset Elementary PTSA!

WA

Block Group Gatherings

Somerset block groups are an important way for neighbors to meet each other, socialize and potentially work together to address issues of mutual concern. There have been a few block group events as of mid-August this summer with a few more scheduled.

Anyone can start a block group. If you would like assistance in joining or forming a block group, please contact somersetprepares@gmail.com. If you would like additional information please click on the “Block Group” tab on our website at Somerset98006.org

The City of Bellevue will provide support for organizing your block group event. Signs, flyers, banners, arranging for police and fire department visits and more are all available through the Bellevue Neighbor Link site (search “Bellevue Neighbor Link Party” at bellevuewa.gov) or reach out to Carol Ross (cross@bellevuewa.gov).

Somerset Community Associaton

Box 40531