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March 15th, 3:18 pm
Griffin Neighbors

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March 14th, 7:20 am
Griffin Neighbors

It seems like there's always something delicious cookinHMS Off The Hook Hook.

I keep failing to share these posts on the day they're published, but if you Like their page, you'll always be able to see what's on the many when they post here on Facebook. ... See MoreSee Less

It seems like theres always something delicious cooking at HMS Off The Hook.

I keep failing to share these posts on the day theyre published, but if you Like their page, youll always be able to see whats on the many when they post here on Facebook.
March 14th, 7:16 am
Griffin Neighbors

Mark your calendar and plan to join us at the Lacey Timberland Library on March 27, 2024 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. We will be sharing 12 steps for disaster preparedness. One simple activity a month will have you better prepared in a year. ... See MoreSee Less

March 14th, 7:01 am
Griffin Neighbors

Thanks to generous contributions from four local businesses we are able to order another 2000 of the distinctive Steamboat Neighborhood stickers for free distribution to residents here in the Griffin area.

Thank you for making this possible, HMS Off The Hook, Board & Brush Olympia, WA, Dogwoods Canine Play and Stay, and Steamboat Square!The GNA believes we all thrive when our local businesses thrive.Watch this space in the coming weeks for more information about where you can pick up your sticker for your car, truck, boat, or wherever you choose to wear it proudly.For the story of this artwork, click on this link: www.steamboatisland.org/steamboat_neighborhood_logo/ ... See MoreSee Less

Thanks to generous contributions from four local businesses we are able to order another 2000 of the distinctive Steamboat Neighborhood stickers for free distribution to residents here in the Griffin area.

Thank you for making this possible, HMS Off The Hook, Board & Brush Olympia, WA, Dogwoods Canine Play and Stay, and Steamboat Square!

The GNA believes we all thrive when our local businesses thrive.

Watch this space in the coming weeks for more information about where you can pick up your sticker for your car, truck, boat, or wherever you choose to wear it proudly.

For the story of this artwork, click on this link: https://www.steamboatisland.org/steamboat_neighborhood_logo/

1 CommentComment on Facebook

Excited to finally be able to get one! Thank you local businesses for this!

March 13th, 6:23 am
Griffin Neighbors

Photos from Board & Brush Olympia, WA's post ... See MoreSee Less

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March 13th, 6:21 am
Griffin Neighbors

Summer is just around the corner! All of us here at the Griffin Branch can’t wait to see everyone. Staff are working hard on programming all the fun imaginable activities for the kids! With some fun field trips plan and special guest coming to Griffin it might be safe to say that summer will be AMAZING! Come stop by and sign up! ... See MoreSee Less

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Who is the Griffin Neighborhood Association?

The Griffin Neighborhood Association (GNA) is registered with the State of Washington as a non-profit organization. We are a nonpartisan group of neighbors living within the boundaries of the Griffin School District, Thurston County, Washington.

Any person owning property, a business, or residing in the Griffin area is eligible to become a member and participate fully in the Association. Membership is also open to community groups and students of the Griffin School District. If you live or work in the Griffin neighborhood or Steamboat Peninsula, the Griffin Neighborhood Association is you.

Originally organized as the Oyster Bay Neighborhood Association in 1990, we were registered with the State of Washington as the nonprofit Griffin Neighborhood Association in December, 1995.


Our Mission

The mission of the Griffin Neighborhood Association is to help build community consensus on major issues confronting the Griffin area, including growth, land issues, habitat, water quality, transportation and school planning. When appropriate, we research issues as honest brokers of information, provide forums for debate, attempt to arrive at community consensus and issue resolution, and present this consensus to appropriate decision makers.

The Griffin Neighborhood Association also undertakes and supports projects that benefit our community, help to build a sense of community, and educate the community on topics of interest.


Our Board and Officers

Our Board is comprised of current members of the Association, elected by members of the Association present at the Annual Meeting. Officers are elected from Board membership by members of the Board.

The Board typically sets an annual schedule of regular meetings. Tentative meeting dates, times and locations are posted on our Facebook Page and on Nextdoor.

GNA Board Adds a Member, Sets Meeting Schedule, and Begins to Plan the Summer Annual Picnic

In late February, after January’s Annual Community Meeting, the Board of the Griffin Neighborhood Association met for their annual reorganization meeting. Among other items on the agenda, the reorganization meeting is when the Board elects its officers and plans its meeting schedule for the year.

This year, Rebecca Reavis returns as President. Dawn McCain will serve as Vice President. Biene Wood continues as Treasurer. Dee Tropp will continue to serve as Secretary.

At the end of January’s Annual Community Meeting, we were one member short of an entire 17-person Board. That seat was filled in February by Jenna Ritchie. Welcome, Jenna, and thank you for joining our Board of Directors!

The meeting schedule for 2024 will be as it was last year. The Board will meet on the 4th Wednesday of every month. We haven’t yet set up the location, but we’ll begin by seeing if the Griffin Fire Department Headquarters conference room is available for the meetings.

Look for a complete schedule of Board meetings to be posted here on our website’s community calendar and on Facebook. About two weeks before each meeting, we’ll post the event on Nextdoor, too.

Board meetings are always open to the public. Please attend one of our meetings to see what’s going on in the community and make your voice heard. Also, we cannot do all we do without your help. Working with our Board is a great way to give back and help make our community a wonderful place in which to live.

There’s another meeting just around the corner. Planning for this summer’s Annual Community Picnic will kick off on Thursday, March 14th. At 6 PM, we’ll meet at the Reavis’ home on 41st Ave. NW to start to plan. We would love your input and help.

This year’s GNA picnic will be held on Saturday, June 22, from noon to 4 PM. As always, we will have lots of food, activities, entertainment, vendor booths, and fun for the whole family. This event takes a lot of work, and we always need fresh ideas and helping hands to make it happen. You can choose to be involved as much or as little as you like. Would you like to help with planning and be part of the committee? Or maybe you’d like to help for an hour or so on the picnic day? We’d love to have whatever you can offer.
 
Please email tropp911@gmail.com if you have questions or would like to volunteer to help with this year’s picnic.

2024 GNA Board photo
2024 Griffin Neighborhood Association Board of Directors
Left to right, back row: Paul Frindt, Shawn Brannon, Sharon Parker, Jonelle Adams, Nathan Bowman, Jan Hopwood, Joan Thomas, Tom Larsen, Nancy Chapman, Mike Reavis, Bill Tropp
Front row: Shelley Larsen, Dawn McCain (Vice President), Dee Tropp (Secretary), Biene Wood (Treasurer), Becky Reavis (President). Behind the camera is our newest member, Jenna Ritchie.

January 31st Annual Meeting Will Focus on Emergency Preparedness

This year’s Annual Meeting of the Griffin Neighborhood Association will feature keynote speakers from Thurston County Emergency Preparedness and Management. They will present their new campaign for Thurston County residents by sharing what we need to know about preparing for floods, fires, earthquakes, and volcanos. The new program is called, “Be Ready – Get Set – Now GO!”

Everyone is invited. You do not have to be a member of the Griffin Neighborhood Association to attend this important community event.

Annual Meeting of the Griffin Neighborhood Association
Wednesday, January 31, 2024
Griffin Fire Department Headquarters
Doors open at 6 PM

Thurston County provides a wealth of information to assist residents in preparing to meet the challenges of an emergency or disaster. Here on the Steamboat Peninsula advance preparation is doubly important because it doesn’t take much to cut many of us off from power or access to assistance by first responders. If you don’t have the time or money to become prepared all at once, Thurston County Emergency Management recommends you take it in smaller steps. Approach emergency preparedness, one month at a time, over the course of a year with their easy online guide.

Our own Disaster Preparedness web page may also help with your planning. “Map Your Neighborhood” is a good approach, too, to involve your nearby neighbors in planning to address the challenges of a disaster where the situation may be too big for your own family’s planning to address.

Local non-profit organizations will also be present at the Annual Meeting. Doors open at 6 PM for refreshments and to allow time to visit with representatives of various organizations who will be present to share information about their work here in the Griffin area.

The bylaws of the GNA require the Annual Meeting, and it is at this meeting that the Association holds an election for its Board of Directors. Residents residing within the boundaries of the Griffin School District are invited to join the Association and may then choose to be elected to join our Board. We have at least one opening on our Board that we need to fill. If you are interested in Board membership, click here to read our Frequently Asked Questions. At the meeting, current members of the Association will be asked to vote on a slate of candidates.

You may join the Association at the Annual Meeting. This is a great opportunity to renew your membership if you have not already done so. Local residents may always renew their membership in the Griffin Neighborhood Association online. Just click this link.

During 2023 the Association organized several events to benefit the local community and your participation in the Griffin Neighborhood Association is essential to our continued success. 2024 will be our 34th year! Won’t you help with our important work here in our neighborhood? There are so many ways to participate. Becoming a Board member is only one.

6 PM: Doors open for refreshments and to meet with representatives of local non-profits and Thurston County Emergency Preparedness and Management.
6:30 PM: Board Meeting and Elections
7 PM: Emergency Preparedness Presentation with Q/A

We look forward to seeing you at our Annual Meeting and throughout 2024!

This Year’s Holiday Tree Lighting Will Be Bigger and Better

The Fourth Annual Holiday Tree Lighting will feature more lights and a bigger display. Santa and Mrs. Claus will make an appearance, and music will be provided by the Griffin School Band. Come for the cocoa and cookies and stay to join in on a growing holiday tradition with neighbors, friends, and family.

Saturday, December 2
Event starts at 4 PM and the tree lighting is at 5:30 PM
Companion Cove
6644 Sexton Dr NW

The Griffin National Junior Honor Society will be accepting donations of new or gently used stocking-sized puzzles, arts and crafts supplies and kits, small toys and stuffed animals, and hats, mittens and gloves, and socks.

We look forward to seeing you at this year’s holiday tree lighting!

Local author Steve Lundin to present from his book, “The Friendly People,” a history of the Steamboat Peninsula and Griffin area, on November 15th

Cover of the book, "The Friendly People" by Steve LundinOver the years, we’ve been lucky to be able to publish numerous articles written by Steve Lundin. Ten or more years ago, Lundin wrote the book Griffin Area Schools, a history of the many schools that existed on our peninsula. Lundin donated much of the proceeds for the sale of that book to the Griffin Neighborhood Association. After 44 years on the Peninsula, Lundin and his wife Linda Bondurant moved away from our neighborhood, but with his latest book, The Friendly People, we can see he has not actually left this part of the world. Not really. In The Friendly People, Lundin writes a history “of the Griffin/Steamboat area, from early native peoples to modern times.”

On Wednesday, November 15, Steve Lundin will present from his book. This event will be held at the Griffin Fire Department Headquarters beginning at 6 PM. Copies of his book will be available for purchase at that time.

The Sawamish/T’Peeksin lived on Totten Inlet. The Squi’Aitl lived on Eld Inlet, which Peter Puget called “the Friendly Inlet.” This region saw the Hudson’s Bay Company and Puget Sound Agricultural Company. The book describes the Lushootseed Peoples, their culture, and traditions. In the book, you will also read about John Slocum and the Indian Shaker Movement. Recently, the Squaxin Island Tribe has flourished with a cultural Renaissance and economic rejuvenation.

Photo of Steve Lundin

Author Steve Lundin

The Griffin/Steamboat community has grown from a rural area to a vibrant suburban community. Read about the Mud Bay Logging Company, country inns, a local moonshine still, Effie LeRoy’s infamous establishment, and local dance halls. Griffin School has grown into one of the premier schools in the county. Prosperity Grange remains an important institution.

William McLane, William Puffer, Benjamin Franklin Cross, Kettle Labatum, Mud Bay Louie Yowaluck, James Tobin, Konrad Schneider, and Swan Solbeck are just a few of the individuals who contributed to the history of this area and whose stories are recounted here.

Copies of this book can be purchased from Browsers Bookshop, Orca Books, and at the Panorama Gift Shop, for $20. Proceeds from the sale of this book will be given to the Olympia Tumwater Foundation.


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The opinions expressed on the GriffinNeighbors blog, on Twitter, Instagram, and on Facebook are in no way intended to represent the opinions of the Griffin Neighborhood Association, its members, or Board.

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