Beacon Hill Blog

Aki Kurose Middle School to close tomorrow due to swine flu outbreak

Aki Kurose Middle School and Stevens Elementary will be closed tomorrow (Friday) through Thursday, May 7. Two of the newest H1N1 flu cases are students that attend those schools. Madrona K-8 was already closed until next Wednesday because of an earlier flu case. Seattle Schools recommends these tips for students of closed schools:

“To avoid spreading infection, students should not gather outside of school during the week that school is closed. If students or staff do become ill, avoid contact with others and remain at home from work and school either for 7 days after illness starts or for a full day after the illness is over, whichever is longer. If your symptoms are more severe, call your health care provider to discuss if you need to be seen and evaluated, and tell them about the school closure for swine flu.”

Public Health – Seattle and King County has a page set up to provide up-to-date information about the flu outbreak.

Tags: aki kurose, flu, school closures

Kidney Health Fest and Cinco de Mayo free events this Saturday

There are a couple of free events on the Hill this Saturday, May 2:

Kidney Health Fest for African American Families (and everyone else)

Northwest Kidney Centers are sponsoring a Kidney Health Fest where guests can take part in health screenings; try healthy food samples by local celebrity chefs; enjoy entertainment, music, and exhibits; try an obstacle course for all ages; enter to win prizes such as iPods, and more. The fair is from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm at the African American Academy, 8311 Beacon Avenue South.

Cinco de Mayo celebration with El Centro de la Raza

Saturday is also El Centro de la Raza’s 4th Annual Cinco de Mayo celebration, from 3:00 to 8:00 pm at the Jefferson Community Center, 3801 Beacon Avenue South. Guests at this event will enjoy live entertainment and a DJ, traditional foods, children’s activities, a fashion show, and local vendors. Admission is free!

Need to keep up with upcoming events on Beacon Hill such as these? Check out our events calendar.

Tags: african-american academy, cinco de mayo, el centro de la raza, jefferson community center, north beacon, south beacon

North Beacon Hill Council to elect new directors, discuss neighborhood plan

Next week’s North Beacon Hill Council meeting will include the election of a new board of directors, as well as updates on the Neighborhood Plan update process, Jefferson Park, and the Pedestrian Plaza/Festival Street. Interested in becoming a board member? The council asks that you be a voting member (having attended one meeting), are willing to attend each monthly meeting, and “have an interest in the future of North Beacon Hill at this time of transition.”

The meeting is May 7, 7:00 pm, at the Beacon Hill Library, 2821 Beacon Avenue South.

Read on after the jump for the full agenda.
More »

Tags: nbhc

Beacon Hill middle schoolers honored as Mayor’s Scholars

Several local middle school students have been chosen for Mayor’s Scholars Awards for service to their schools and communities. Criteria for selection include overcoming obstacles or meeting challenges, giving back to the community, and maintaining good academic standing. To compete for the award, students wrote essays about how they contribute to the community, and how they would use the cash award. In addition, they provided recommendations from adults familiar with their service work.

Each winner will receive $500 that can be used for education or donated to a charity, and a Mayor’s Scholar letter jacket.

Gizelle Gando, an 8th grade student at Mercer MS, volunteers at church as an altar server, sets up the parish hall for special events, and helps her younger brother with his reading. Gizelle’s favorite subjects are science and math. Last summer, through the Technology Access Foundation, she learned how to start and successfully manage a business. About college, Gizelle says, “My goal is to go to college to get that very special treasure — an education — a treasure that no one can take away from you.”

Daniel Gonzalez learned how to fix bikes and continues to do so at Bikeworks, a group that donates bikes to foster kids. Learning this skill has fostered his interest in an engineering career. He understands that a college education willl help him improve his family’s lives. As the oldest son in a fatherless household, Daniel has assumed many responsibilities, including translating for his mother and grandmother. A 6th grade student at Mercer MS, Danny is a mentor at his brother’s elementary school where he helps other kids learn to read.

An 8th grade student at Mercer MS, Adriana Meraz-Gonzalez is in a motivational youth group called Latino Dream, which encourages all students to avoid negativity and better themselves. Adriana presented a resolution to the School Board on behalf of undocumented students that choose higher education and, because of her testimony, the school board passed that resolution. She met with local District Representatives to share her ideas on solutions to immigration, student struggles and youth violence/gang involvement issues. Adriana said she has faced a lot of racism which has fueled her educational pursuits.

A 6th grade student at The New School @ Columbia, Jessica Walters shows leadership by singlehandedly organizing a 6th grade dance and donating the proceeds to charity. She helps other students and participates in an after school program and church choir. Jessica dreams of becoming a singer/songwriter and recognizes the importance of education to help with her goal. Jessica’s teacher says, “She has dealt with every obstacle society can throw at her and still maintains a sunny disposition and always does her best work in school.”

Congratulations to Gizelle, Daniel, Adriana, and Jessica!

Tags: awards, mercer ms, new school, scholarships, schools

Beacon Bits: crocheted art, construction photographs, and fighting crime with coffee

• Artist Mandy Greer is creating Mater Matrix Mother and Medium, a “process-based temporary public art installation” that uses recycled fabric and yarn along with the volunteer help of many hands to build the installation. You can help crochet this artwork at the Beacon Hill Library on May 24 — all skill levels welcome! Details are here.
• Peter de Lory, the Photographer in Residence for the Sound Transit Central Link light rail project, has posted some interesting recent pictures of the Beacon Hill and Mount Baker stations under construction. (Go here, click “Visit the gallery now”, and choose March 2009 to see the slide show. Flash required.)
• Beacon Hill neighbor Lorraine reports on the mailing list: “I was waiting at the northbound bus stop at Beacon and Hanford (yesterday) morning
  when a guy tried to grab my phone from me. I held on tight and whacked him with my coffee thermos and he ran off. Then I followed him and watched him get in his small, black pickup truck and take off.” The unsuccessful thief was white, with short brown hair and brown facial hair, about 5′9″ and 180 pounds, wearing a short-sleeved, plaid shirt with a collar and pale blue jeans. Lorraine adds, “The guy asked me a few questions and what time it was before he grabbed my phone. I had turned the phone to show him the time after he acted like he hadn’t heard me. So, lesson learned. Please be alert at those bus stops, everybody!”

Tags: art, bus stops, light rail station, photography, theft

Jefferson Park expansion followup: your input sought

Following up on the well-attended Jefferson Park expansion meeting April 21st, Joel Lee points us to the updated project status page containing updated options that differ from the original park plan.

On that page, you’ll find a series of PDFs including a prioritizing worksheet that can be downloaded, filled out, and returned to the parks department by FAX (how quaint!) or email (see further below), providing them with your valuable input. Just do it before May 8th! Full instructions excerpted below.

1. First, read the Park Element Description: These elements are items that have been discussed in the past either in the 2002 Long Range Plan or as part of the process.
2. Next, look at the Images of Options: This rendering shows what is included in phase one. The numbers on it correlate to the park elements discussed above so you can see the location of each item.
3. Next, review the Preliminary Costs and Options: The options listed are to be used as food for thought only. This should give you an idea of what combinations are possible given the range of funding that may become available.
4. Last, open the Prioritizing Worksheet: Fill out this form, add your name and address, and FAX (206) 233-3949 or Email to kim.baldwin@seattle.gov

If you prefer to email your feedback, we’ve put together a simplified text-only version of the Prioritizing Worksheet you might wish to copy and paste to fill out instead of trying to figure out how to get your feedback entered into the PDF and email it.

Thanks Joel!

Updated: Bye bye Buggy

Buggy, neighborhood baby outfitter and monthly knit-night host, is closing up shop on Beacon Avenue South and heading to new digs in Madrona, as confirmed on their soon-to-be-anachronistic website at www.buggybeacon.com.

Jon Gould dropped the news on the mailing list yesterday, noting that the 2200 square foot space will be available in June for $1300/mo.

This, along with the closing of Culinary Communion, is another sad departure from the hill just 81 days before the light rail station opening.

Update: A message from Buggy co-owner Sarah Dublin below. Click to read: More »

Tags: buggy, madrona

Neighbor warns about disturbing activity

Neighbor Melissa writes to warn us about a disturbing occurrence in which a local 13-year-old was frightened by a man who was acting strangely:

She told me there was a guy circling the block gesturing and smiling at her. I was walking my dog with another neighbor, and while we were waiting a car came around the corner. The driver was cruising slowly in the middle of the road, looking right at the young woman. When I waved at him, he looked at me and waved back, then accelerated and drove away.

Both my neighbor and I thought his behavior was strange, and the young woman was fairly distraught. She said she’d seen him around the library and the gas station/convenience store on Beacon (used to be the C&C…what is it now?) and he always made her and her friends nervous.

I called the police non-emergency number & reported the incident and the license number. So did the other neighbor. The police said the plate number matched an SUV–but that’s not what this guy is driving.

Melissa adds, “Please let people know to watch out for a creepy middle aged guy cruising the ‘hood in a maroon-ish sedan-type car. Scratch that–look out for creeps in general. Tell your kids and the neighbor kids to tell an adult and/or contact the police if they’re scared. Go over the standard stranger-danger stuff.”

Beacon Bits: bravado, acrobatics, and coyotes

• “Health-department rules are critical for people who don’t know what the f— they’re doing. We’re chefs,” is the telling quote from Gabriel Claycamp in Jonah Spangenthal-Lee’s take on the Culinary Communion/Swinery/Lunch Counter tale. We just want to know if something else will be moving into that building on Beacon Avenue — The Stranger
• The folks at the School of Acrobatics & New Circus Arts just down the hill in Georgetown will be holding their Annual Spring Showcase on Saturday, May 9, at the Rainier Valley Cultural Center. They tell us the show will feature “Two unique, circus-variety shows featuring the spectacular SANCA Youth Company, the amazing Circus 1-ders, incredible SANCA instructors and fabulous friends of SANCA!” See their website for further info.
• That same day from 9:00am – 2:00pm, Rainier Valley Cooperative Preschool is hosting a fundraising rummage sale at 3818 S Angeline Street in Columbia City. See this and other upcoming events on our events page.
• David Gackenbach reported on the Beacon Hill Mailing List this weekend that a trio of coyotes were “loping down the sidewalk” at 18th and Plum on Saturday night. Keep an eye on your pets and keep them safe.

Tags: animals, culinary communion, georgetown, lunch counter, preschool, rainier valley cultural center, shows, swinery

Lost black and white cat near 17th and Stevens

Kristen writes:

Greetings Neighbors!

This morning about 11:15, it seems our black and white tuxedo cat made a run for it. The cat disappeared from the corner of 17th and Stevens St.

The kitty’s name is Ivy. She is a VERY LARGE (overweight) tuxedo (black and white) cat. Ivy is an indoor cat. She’s probably out there and scared silly.

She is friendly but shy, but will be easy to catch because she sort of waddles. She looks like she is wearing a black tuxedo jacket that doesn’t close in the front. She has a round face and very large round gold eyes.

Thanks for keeping your eyes open for her–

Kristen Turner

If anyone sees her, please contact us here at the Blog and we will forward your message to Kristen. Thanks.

Tags: lost pets

The sun is out and flowers are blooming on Beacon Hill

Most of these photos are from the Beacon Hill Blog photo pool on Flickr, which has tons of photos of our neighborhood. Want to contribute, or just browse the pool? Go here. Thanks to all the pool members who have contributed such wonderful images!

More »

Tags: amazon, jefferson park, jose rizal bridge, lewis park, library

Beacon Bits: Bigger, craftier, and busking

• El Quetzal has expanded their dining room
• Blaine Memorial United Methodist Church hosts an Asian Craft Fair, May 9th from 10 to 4
• Also craft-related, Ayame Kai’s 28th Annual Holiday Craft Fair is accepting applications for crafters for the November 21, 2009 fair. Screening of applicants begins in June. Email for details.
• La Bendicion Tienda Mexicana’s delicious hand-made tamales get a mention in Voracious
• Jose Rizal Park is featured in the Photographer’s guide to Seattle
• Slog talks about the problems malls are facing and the Goodwill development project on Dearborn — Update: Project canceled?
• Amazon’s departure from the Hill and their curious poor attendance at their South Lake Union groundbreaking in TechFlash and The Times
• Busking Journey, a hitchhiking-and-busking odyssey, wraps up with a stop in Beacon Hill

(Post edited from earlier version to remove story that wasn’t actually about Beacon Hill — we misread it. Sorry! – Ed.)


Tags: amazon, busking, craft fair, crafts, dearborn, el quetzal, goodwill, hitchhiking, jose rizal park, la bendicion, malls, tamales, tienda

Neighbors and Soccer fans pack the Beacon Hill Library for Jefferson Park meeting

by Frederica Merrell

(Editor’s note: Frederica Merrell reports from last night’s well-attended Jefferson Park expansion meeting.)

Wow! I counted over 115 people in that room (don’t tell the Fire Department). Tonight people filled the chairs, stood all around walls, and spilled into the hall of the Beacon Library meeting room to talk about construction at Jefferson Park. As some of us said afterward, “geez, I guess we need a new library too!” (just kidding)

Parks Department had a lot of good info, including three options (A, B, C) for bundles of projects at Jefferson. I really hope they put it all up on their website soon so people can see the options. Parks wants people to fill out a form of low, medium, high, priorities for about ten recommendations. I don’t know whether this can be done online or not. (There’s nothing on the Parks site about this, at least not yet. — Ed.) They also will just take input from your perspective about whatever you are interested in. (See list of projects below and/or email Parks Department Project Manager Kim Baldwin).

Of those 115 people, I estimate 6 were city staff and 4 were city consultants. The highest Parks staffer was Kevin Stoops, who is the Superintendent’s right-hand man. Parks Superintendent Tim Gallagher told me he couldn’t come, regrettably because it was his turn to host the local VW Van Club meeting (Cool!). Back to the demographics, about 18 or so folks were advocates for soccer fields, at least some of whom were from the Beacon Hill community. Another 15 or so, all Beaconites, were from the Jefferson Park Alliance (including me). The majority of locals had no group affiliations. The public question and speaking time was short for that many people, only about 40 minutes. I think most people walked out partially informed.

On the synthetic soccer field issue, Kevin Stoops addressed the issue of why there is no synth turf at Jefferson. Basically it comes down to lights. For several reasons that weigh heavily, lights have been axed from the picture at Jefferson: cost, environmental impact (views), technical difficulty of sinking poles into reservoirs, and limited electric utility may all be part of the picture on that decision. Without lights, no synth turf. Soccer fans are an enthusiastic bunch, though perhaps a bit deaf, and they keep coming back to argue about it. I just wish we didn’t spend so much time talking about something that is already decided and adopted into law. The Parks Board already decided this issue and the City Council passed view protection legislation two months ago at Jefferson. There will never be light poles over the reservoirs. The views are just too magnificent for that.

Other questions/areas of discussion: planning for the orchard/farm p-patch on 15th Ave. S., why we have asphalt paths instead of concrete (money), getting Beacon Mountain Playground built in Phase I so they don’t come back and tear the area up later, refurbishing Jefferson field, adding picnic grounds, siting a second basketball court, and maintenance costs.

Overall, it was a great meeting and I left with tears in my eyes realizing it is finally going to get built and we are so lucky!

Questions? Post!

Click to see the list of projects
More »

Tags: expansion, jefferson park, meeting, planning

An open letter to the Seattle Police Department

Perhaps I am being grumpy, but we have enough crime in our neighborhood already. We don’t need to take responsibility for everyone else’s. I would consider it a simple mistake, but this is not the first time I’ve seen it happen.

Hello,

I have a concern about a post on your SPDBlotter website, titled “Shooting in the Beacon Hill neighborhood.”

The shooting was on Beacon Avenue, but it was not on Beacon Hill or in any way in the Beacon Hill neighborhood. Beacon Avenue continues well-beyond Beacon Hill, all the way to Renton. But Beacon Hill itself does not extend east of MLK way (which runs through the valley east of the Hill). The shooting site was southeast of even the most southern portion of Beacon Hill.

The Seattle city map calls that neighborhood Rainier View, and the shooting was near Rainier View Elementary School.

As someone who lives on Beacon Hill, it is frustrating to see crimes listed in our neighborhood that didn’t even happen here.

We would appreciate it if you would post crimes with more precise locations, and not give us “credit” for crimes that didn’t happen in our neighborhood.

Thanks!
Wendi
Beacon Hill Blog

Update: A suspect in the above mentioned shooting was arrested yesterday in the 5600 block of Beacon Avenue South — which is Beacon Hill.

Update 2: As of April 22, the headline on the original story has been changed to “Shooting in the Rainier View neighborhood”. Thanks, SPD!

Tags: neighborhoods, police, sub-neighborhoods

Film crew on Jose Rizal Bridge this evening

Reader Ryan emailed this evening to tell us about a film crew at work on the Jose Rizal Bridge, one of the best sites in Seattle to film skyline views. The crew turns out to be filming a promo for the upcoming Seattle Film Festival, and told the BHB they’d be filming “once it gets dark.”

Tags: film, jose rizal bridge

Link light rail to open July 18

Sound Transit announced an official start date for the Link light rail service: July 18. This is a delay of two weeks from the previously rumored date of July 3, but had been expected because of delays in the Beacon Hill station construction. Rides will be free on opening weekend if you want to check it out. Sound Transit’s Link launch site will be updated in the coming weeks with more information about the opening festivities.

In related news, today is the kickoff of the ORCA card program. The ORCA card is a smart card that will eventually be used to pay fares on all the local transit systems. If you plan to be using the train (or other transit in the area) much in the future, particularly if you plan to transfer between train and bus, you will want to pick up an ORCA card from the orcacard.com website. Eventually ORCA will be required in order to transfer between different systems (such as light rail to bus, bus to Sounder, etc.). Read more about ORCA here.

Tags: light rail, orca

DPD recommends conditional approval of Christian Restoration Center project

The project planned for the site across from MacPherson’s produce stand, the former Christian Resoration Center building (and before that, Tradewell grocery store), has been awarded a unanimous recommendation of conditional approval from the Department of Planning & Development’s Design Review Board.

The project calls for “an L-shaped 4 story structure consisting of 3 stories of residential uses with approximately 30 units above 6,000 square feet of ground level commercial space” in one of three configurations.

The project’s design update has the building set back from 15th Avenue South and offers a large gathering place at street level, and includes a canopy above the entrance. Also, stormwater planters on the courtyard and street levels of both 15th and South Oregon Street, and a water feature along Oregon west of the garage entrance. The review board recommended a more prominent and safe entryway along 15th, adding a canopy or marquee above the entry, window glazing in the north-facing commercial space, etc. They wanted to see a clear access plan for commercial visitors parking in the garage space and plans for landscaping management and maintenance.

The full decision document (pdf) is available on DPD’s website.

Tags: building, christian restoration center, development, planning, project, tradewell

Proposed Metro service revisions released

Metro has released their proposed service revisions. These changes will be discussed at the special joint meeting of the King County Council’s Physical Environment Committee and the Budget and Fiscal Management Committee meeting April 28th.

Update: West Seattle Blog and The West Seattle Herald point out something missing: the Route 50 linking Beacon Hill to West Seattle.

Some relevant highlights from the revisions listed:

Route 39:
• Revise routing to end at 38th Avenue S and S Myrtle Street, near Othello light rail station.
• Discontinue service between Seward Park Avenue S/S Myrtle Street and Rainier Avenue S/S Henderson Street.
• Adjust Monday-Saturday off-peak service frequency to operate every 45 minutes instead of every 30 minutes.
• Improve Sunday frequency on Route 39 to operate every 45 minutes instead of every 60 minutes.

Route 36:
• Revise routing so that all trips end at 38th Avenue S and S Myrtle Street, near Othello light rail station.
• Replace service between Rainier Beach and Beacon Avenue S/S Myrtle Street with revised Route 106.
• Discontinue evening and night service to the Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
• Improve Saturday service to every 10 minutes between approximately 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. (Beginning February 2010)

Route 38:
• Revise routing to operate between Beacon Hill Station and the Mount Baker bus facility.
• Discontinue service between Beacon Hill and SODO and in Mount Baker north of McClellan.
• Operate every 20 minutes instead of every 30 minutes Monday-Saturday between approximately 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• Discontinue service on Sundays and on other days before 8:30 a.m. and after 4 p.m.

Route 60:
• Improve weekday peak frequency from every 30 minutes to every 15 minutes.

Tags: 36, 38, 39, 60, bus, metro, route, transit

Denmark architect to speak on transit-oriented neighborhood planning

At 6:00pm on April 28th, in the Bertha Knight Landes room at city hall (600 4th Ave.), the Seattle Planning Commission and councilmember Sally Clark are bringing in Helle Søholt from Copenhagen-based Gehl Architects to speak on the topic of creating walkable and bike-able neighborhoods, especially around transit sites.

From the announcement:

How do we transform auto-oriented communities to make pedestrian-friendly communities? Helle Soholt of Gehl Architects will discuss the vibrant mix needed for creating successful communities. Copenhagen-based Gehl Architects is a world leader in urban design.

For more info please contact Barbara Wilson, Executive Director with the Seattle Planning Commision: 206.684.0431 or barb.wilson@seattle.gov

Tags: architect, copenhagen, denmark, neighborhood planning, tod, transit, transit-oriented development

First light rail train vs. car incident tonight at MLK and Dawson

While the Link rail line has yet to even officially open, a train/car collision has already occurred earlier tonight. KIRO TV has a slideshow of the accident involving a light rail train and a little Toyota Yaris in the at-grade portion of the route along MLK Way at South Dawson Street. Almost certainly, this won’t be the last.

Tags: accidents, light rail, sound transit