Pioneer Park Youth Club (PPYC) - Grand Reopening of the Lakeview Teacher’s Cottage!

July 15, 2022

We made history! Out of fire and smoke came inspiration, determination and generosity. Thank you, Mercer Island community, for making it happen.

Please join us for a Mayoral Ribbon-Cutting celebration in the front yard of the restored historic Teacher’s Cottage at 8635 SE 68th Street, Mercer Island on Wednesday, July 20, 2022, 4:30pm - 6pm. Our celebration will include VIP addresses, the unveiling of historical markings, and an opportunity to tour the renovated cottage.

Refreshments will be provided. We will also be offering tours of the Mercer Island Saddle Club stables and the newly placed donor recognition plaques.

Not to late to contribute to this historic cause! Carrots for Cottage ($100+up) level donors are invited to feed treats and visit select horses. Lakeview Schoolhouse donors ($500+up) are invited on a rare group tour of the historic schoolhouse building after the ceremonies.

Your generous donations will go towards paying down the $40,000 loan taken to finish restoring this piece of local history. Thank you!

Pioneer Park Youth Club | Land Trust
Suzanne Zahr, Inc. | Architect
Redman Construction | Builder

Creative Pro-Tips for Back to School

September 1, 2021

Going back to school allows us an opportunity to reconsider how our spaces help our kids prepare to learn. As we venture into a new academic year, we offer you creative pro-tips towards healthy homes, conducive to learning and overall wellness. Here are a few ways you could help your student adjust to another unprecedented school year. Go get ‘em, kiddos!

Client Spotlight: Meet Dayo Edwards of DayoSense Catering

February 2, 2021

Enjoy this Q&A between Suzanne and our dear friend & client, Dayo Edwards of DayoSense Catering:

Dayo (pronounced “Dah-yo”), let’s start with your beautiful name. Tell us about its meaning, and what it means to the naming of your business, DayoSense.

My name is Dayo, pronounced "Dah-yo", and it is a Nigerian Name that means Joyous Arrival. No, I am not Nigerian, however, my parents were on a mission to make sure my Sister and I both had names with purposeful meaning.
When I created my company of DayoSense 15 years ago the meaning seemed to take on a life of its own!! All my life my mind has always worked different especially when it comes to logistics. I have so often been able to turn complicated puzzles of information into simplicity so I could teach others. I started saying, "It makes Dayo-Sense" when I’ve solved something in a unique way. But then more and more when we bring food to events I would see the joy on clients and guests faces as we served them. Bringing Joy to the Senses is my ongoing theme as we prepare to serve the public. Even more so, the senses we serve are not just sight/smell/touch, but also the sense of Family/Unity/Peace/Humor.
DayoSense is all of these things!

Mercer Island Historic Teacher's Cottage

November 28, 2020

The history of Mercer Island is as fascinating as the state it resides in (did you know that Washington state first granted women the right to vote in 1883, and in 1910 included women’s suffrage in its constitution – a full ten years ahead of the nation?). Believe it or not, if you look around Mercer Island, you can see some genuine historical landmarks. Take for example the Lakeview (Sunnybeam) School. Here’s an excerpt from the Mercer Island Historical Society’s website:

In 1918, King County School District No. 191, which included Mercer Island, voted to issue local improvement bonds to build Lakeview School, replacing the original south end building (which seated only nine students, according to county superintendent records). The new school featured well-lighted classrooms, a projecting portico, and an ample school yard. To attract teachers to the remote location, the district also built a small teachers' cottage on the grounds. Lakeview School is one of the few in the state to have retained the original teacher's cottage. Similar structures once numbered in the hundreds, reflecting a progressive reform advocated during the tenure (1913-1928) of State School Superintendent Josephine Preston, who made Washington a national leader in the construction of rural teacher's cottages.