Originally published Saturday, May 31, 1997

By DEBERA CARLTON HARRELL
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

Woodinville's civic appreciation of vegetation abounds.

City planner Joe Wallis notes that Woodinville was named an official Tree City USA this year -- one of only 25 in the state -- for its "community forestry" commitment to saving trees.

Even the developers of the shopping center (locals eschew the word "mall") complied with a civic request to spare several trees for a pocket park, says Wallis.

"Retaining a Northwest woodlands character is part of the city's vision statement," says Wallis. "We want to save the trees. Partly, it's a way to hold onto a heritage that's going to go away, at least a little (with development)."

While some citizens replant trees, others simply enjoy them. On a recent sunny day at Chateau Ste. Michelle, visitors admired the beautifully landscaped grounds and fishponds as much as the wine. One Woodinville couple with a toddler waited patiently for the resident peacock to fan its plumage, saying the serenity and garden-like ambience was one of the best reasons to live nearby.

"Woodinville is definitely family-oriented, yet everybody's so busy, going in so many different directions, what is family?" asks Gretchen Garth, board president of the Farmers Market in Woodinville and executive director of Teen Northshore, a community group seeking more activities for teens.

"I think Woodinville is still new and trying to find an identity, but it is hard because everyone is so transient," says Garth. "People here are trying to do it all, and often don't have enough time for kids or deepening community attachments."

Yet residents seem intolerant of anything urban. A barber shop employee, asked by a city slicker for information on Woodinville, said gruffly, "I don't do that sort of thing."

"People here hate Seattle," says Wallis, while pointing out that many flocked here from the city.