{"id":4312,"date":"2021-05-03T18:18:17","date_gmt":"2021-05-04T02:18:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.newporthillscommunityclub.org\/blog\/?page_id=4312"},"modified":"2021-05-04T20:43:27","modified_gmt":"2021-05-05T04:43:27","slug":"my-poncho-home","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.newporthillscommunityclub.org\/blog\/our-neighborhood\/my-newport-hills-story\/my-poncho-home\/","title":{"rendered":"My PONCHO Home"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We moved here from Brooklyn, New York, in the spring of 2006. I was intending to retire, and we had done an extensive search across the United States to find just the right place for us.  My husband, Frank Matulich, had gone to UW for graduate school, so he was familiar with the area. I had lived in several states and in several different kinds of housing over the years, and I had developed a list of what I wanted in a neighborhood. At the top of the list was lots of natural beauty. I still had a daughter at home in high school, so good schools and higher education were also important criteria. We wanted an excellent medical infrastructure. After a long search with trips to several states, we decided to rent a house in Newport Hills. We loved the neighborhood!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One day in November of 2007 I was walking home from the grocery store and noticed an “open house” sign in the neighborhood. Out of curiosity, I stopped to take a look. As soon as I walked in the front door and saw the beautiful view of the green belt from the large windows at the rear of the house, I knew that I had found my home! I took a short tour of the house and then called my husband to tell him what I had found. We had visited some houses designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, and this home had that flavor, the mid-century modern look that I admired. And it turned out that the home was special in other ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our home was a PONCHO auction home.  In 1963 volunteers had formed a group called the Pacific Northwest Civic, Cultural, and Charitable Organization (PONCHO) to support the Seattle Symphony. As part of their fundraising efforts, they had a number of homes built and sold at auction. Our house was designed by Cuban architect Henry Griffin and was built in Newport Hills. Property for the house was donated by Securities Intermountain, Inc. The home sold for $42,000 in 1965. I have attached an article about PONCHO that we found at the library. I have also attached the 1985 PONCHO auction brochure with information about the house. We love our home and our neighborhood. We are surrounded by natural wonders every day. We have seen many wild animals in our backyard, including coyotes, racoons, a wide variety of birds, a bobcat, and even a black bear who visited more often than we preferred! We grow fruit and vegetables. And we have room for music and dancing in our living room. We are close to the airport for our many travels. We have found friends here who share our interests and have welcomed us. This is an amazing neighborhood, deserving of preservation and care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marilyn Stangl (6036 129th Ave SE)<\/p>\n\n\n\n