About the ENA
What is the Eastside Neighborhood Association?
We are a group of local citizens working to make the eastside of Olympia, Washington a better place to live. We advocate for the concerns of the eastside with local government and organize neighborhood events.
The ENA is managed by our volunteer Board of Directors, listed below.
You can be involved!
Join the general meetings three times a year or at the monthly board meetings. Help produce & distribute the newsletter! Talk to your neighbors in our online bulletin boards, or participate in a variety of local events. Help fund neighborhood activities by becoming a paying member.
What we do:
- Encourage residents of the neighborhood to work together to improve, maintain, and protect a quality residential neighborhood
- Preserve the neighborhood’s predominantly single family character
- Preserve open space in the neighborhood with small parks and buffers
- Provide safe pedestrian, bicycle and auto traffic for residents of the neighborhood
- Maintain efforts to keep our neighborhood safe for children and free of crime
- Support diverse cultural activities and a vital business community in downtown Olympia
- Support adjacent neighborhood associations in providing for and protecting their neighborhoods
Bylaws
The ENA Bylaws (PDF) detail how the association is run.
Board of Directors
ENA Board members have two year terms and officer positions (president, vice president, secretary and treasurer) are appointed each year. Board members are elected in alternating years at the February General Meeting and officers are appointed at the February board meeting.
| Name | Position / Responsibility | Term Expires |
|---|---|---|
| Chad Akins | President | 2011 |
| Yvonne Fish | 2012 | |
| Jenni Fleming | Treasurer | 2011 |
| Beverly Kooi | 2011 | |
| Don LeMaster | Vice-President | 2012 |
| Ruth Middlebrook | 2012 | |
| Elaine Nelson | Secretary / Website | 2011 |
| Sam Schroeder | 2012 | |
| Kerry Smith | 2012 |
Ongoing activities
- Hosts quarterly neighborhood-wide meetings to address important neighborhood issues
- Regularly distributes notices to over 1,100 households in the neighborhood
- Hosts an annual neighborhood picnic in Lions Park
- Holds monthly board meetings
- Supports local nonprofit organizations and businesses in the neighborhood
- Responds to notification from the city about planning developments; works with developers, city planners and the affected neighbors to maintain zoning that retains the residential quality of the neighborhood
- Works with the city on traffic, zoning, development, parking and other issues
- Helps maintain the appearance of the neighborhood by encouraging enforcement of city code, and by organizing cleanups as necessary through the Neighborly Assistance Program
- Meets and coordinates with other neighborhood associations in the city and county
Past accomplishments
- Functions as one of the most active neighborhood associations in Olympia
- Revitalized Lions Park
- Developed Madison View Park
- Annual neighborhood cleanup
- Addition of sidewalks to many streets
- Down-zoning of property to maintain family home setting
- Proposed and helped pass the neighborhood recognition ordinance, which gives neighborhoods early notice of projects which may affect them
- Keeps neighbors informed of current issues through presentations by city officials and others
- Helps preserve and provide regular support to Madison Elementary School
- Winner of national award for neighborhood improvement
About the Eastside Neighborhood
(We’re looking for more history tidbits!)
Originally separated from downtown Olympia by the waters of a tidal slough, this district was first known as “Swantown” after Scottish immigrant John Swan who settled here in 1850. Early east side development consisted mainly of small household farms and orchards. More homes and business followed, especially after electric streetcars began running up Fourth Avenue in 1892. By 1911 the Swantown Slough had been filled, connecting the east side directly to downtown.
Lions Park History
In 1942 the land was brush and debris. Lions Club president Ray Lindskog envisioned a playground for neighborhood youngsters; his idea was embraced by the Club Board and accepted by the city. Lions Club members cleared the land and installed the equipment.
The current park shelter was built in 1960, and the current playground equipment was installed in 1984. The city is currently (June 2010) developing a plan for revitalizing the park with a new shelter, playground equipment, and walking paths.
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