Author Archives: Erika Sommer

‘Hippie-chic’ boutique Haute Hibou makes Pike/Pine move from Ballard

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(Image:s Haute Hibou)
(Image:s Haute Hibou)

574576_643542129006975_70971169_nA longtime design office on 11th and Pike next to Sam’s Tavern is being transformed into a new space for “hippie-chic” Seattle boutique Haute Hibou.

“It is a little nerve racking… and I am taking a pretty big risk because the rent is so expensive but it was one of those things where I either had to move forward and just do it or stay forever,” owner Rachel Brown said of her shop’s move from Ballard to Capitol Hill.

The new shop is expected to open by the coming weekend.

In addition to the high cost of a Pike/Pine lease, the move has come with other risks for Brown. As word of the new shop spread, Brown was taken to task for some of Haute Hibou’s social media including an image of a white woman wearing a Native American-style headdress. Brown said she’s open to criticism and interested in finding ways to connect better with the culture of her shop’s new home.

At Haute Hibou, Brown said she is really trying to go for a repurposed and recycled feel. Haute Hibou means the high owl in French, Brown says, and she wants to keep her materials natural and organic. Continue reading →

Capitol Hill Community Council elects new 2015/2016 officers

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10407343_10153952509378696_3817128998053370908_nTalking about goals of where to go from here instead of frustrations about change seems like a more conducive objective for any community.

This was the common talking point at the Capitol Hill Community Council meeting Thursday night. But the most important item of business was the council’s annual June election. Congratulations — all candidates were approved:

  • President Zachary Pullin
  • Vice President Elliot Helmbrecht
  • Secretary Natalie Curtis
  • Treasurer Mike Archambault
  • At-Large members: Lauren Burgeson, Reiny Cohen, and Jesse Perrin

The council also honored council members Lauren Mathisen and Derek DeWolf for “their support, passion, commitment, and service” over the last year. Pullin wrote about the election and the value of bringing new voices into the conversations shaping the neighborhood in this essay for CHS.

Also on the agenda

  • Michael Wells, executive director of the Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce, presented the organization’s Capitol Hill 2020 plan. “In the past year, we have been talking to a lot of stakeholders all around the neighborhood about the kinds of issue that you all are talking about. About development and cultural identity, and [public] safety,” Wells said.
  • Looking onward onto how to promote positive involvement in the neighborhood, Dylan Cate, who is a community organizer for state representative Brady Walkinshaw, presented “Working Together,” an initiative to get people involved in the politics and community within the neighborhood. Cate’s discussion was about some preliminary planning for the initiative — we’ll have more about the program soon.

The council’s meetings are held on the third Thursday of every month and provides a space for the community to discuss civic issues. You can learn more at capitolhillcommunitycouncil.org.

Statements from the new officers are below: Continue reading →