Beacon Hill Blog

SPU wants waste advice

From Jenna Franklin, Strategic Communications Advisor with Seattle Public Utilities:

Seattle Public Utilities is looking for a few good candidates to appoint to the Seattle Public Utilities Garbage, Recycling, Yard and Food Waste Community Advisory Committee.

Candidates from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply to become community advisors — committee members advise the utility on how to increase program offerings, reach the Seattle’s recycling goals, and provide better customer education and information.

“We hope the open slots attract a varied group of candidates, committee members reflect on the many issues the utility and its ratepayers face, and that includes a variety of operational, economic, social, environmental, and language issues,” said Program Manager Aurora Mendoza, it’s so important to have a mix of people that can represent the diverse perspectives and concerns of the wider community.

From discussions on utility policies, business strategies and performance goals to conversations centered on operational issues, language translation and environmental justice, the committee spends 6-8 hours a month examining the utility’s ability to deliver services that meet the needs of Seattle and the people who live here.

Committee member should have interest in conservation or environmental issues, waste reduction, community outreach, utility operations, or public affairs. To apply, please fill out a Citizen Advisory application online at www.seattle.gov/util/cac. For additional information about participating contact Aurora Mendoza, Program Manager, at (206) 733-9687

In addition to providing a reliable water supply to more than 1.3 million customers in the Seattle metropolitan area, SPU provides essential sewer, drainage, solid waste and engineering services that safeguard public health, maintain the city’s infrastructure and protect, conserve and enhance the region’s environmental resources.

Tags: recycling, spu, waste

Opinion: School assignment plan lost in translation

by Flo Beaumon

My son is a first grader at Beacon Hill International School.  It’s a dream come true for us, and we felt very lucky that though it was not our reference area school (we live 1.8 miles north of the school), after a month on the waiting list he got in.  We were doubly happy that our son’s little brother will be able to join his big brother at BHIS in a few years.

Or so we thought.  

Though I had heard rumblings about a change in the school assignment system, I had no information about it until I saw a posting on Madrona Moms last spring.  The new Student Assignment Plan, evidently years in development, quietly eliminated the sibling priority for enrollment.  The plan to make the schools neighborhood schools would break up thousands of SPS families into two different elementary schools, or would force families to pull their older child out of his or her school to be able to attend the neighborhood school with the incoming kindergartener.

We have been trying to get the word out at our school.  It’s greatly complicated by the diversity of languages at students’ homes.  Only about half of the students’ families speak English at home.   My husband got letters to the school board translated into Mandarin and Spanish, and families from those cultures signed them.  Our school’s principal pointed out that over the years many Beacon Hill Elementary School families from outside the reference area chose the school because of its strong support for English language learners.  

In June, the School Board voted to approve the new Student Assignment Plan.  But, due entirely to the growing outcry by parents, they addressed the question of grandfathering in younger siblings of currently enrolled students by promising to consider a transition plan this fall, after the new boundaries are released and voted on. 
More »

Tags: beacon hill elementary, esl, schools, student assignment plan

Crime notes: Headliners

Seattle man [Kino Gomez] skips bail, costs family $100,000 — Seattle Times Blotter

Beacon Hill teen tells of selling her body on Seattle streets — Seattle P-I

Police Beat: The Moment — Slog with the police report from the hair salon robbery last week

Transient sentenced to prison for slaying at homeless camp — Seattle Times Blotter, Van Truong sentenced for the September 11, 2008 killing of Major Lee Gay in “The Jungle”.

Tags: kino gomez, prostitution, robbery, the jungle

Día de los Muertos ofrenda exhibit opening Sunday, November 1

El Centro de la Raza is hosting their annual Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) ofrenda/altar exhibit from November 1-20, starting with an opening ceremony on Sunday, November 1 from 2:30 – 6:30 pm. The theme is “a multi-cultural tribute to Juan Rulfo’s novel Pedro Páramo.”

Opening day will include a brunch at 2:30, the opening ceremony at 3:30, and the opening of the ofrenda exhibit at 4:00. There will be presentations by Ameyaltonal Danza Azteca, FANDANGO, Hope For Youth, Richard Hugo House, and others, and children’s activities will include face painting and sugar skulls.

The ofrenda exhibit is open from November 1-20 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 10:00 am – 6:00pm, and on Wednesday from 12:00 pm – 8:00 pm.

Tags: día de los muertos, el centro de la raza

Saturday: Soccer Clinic with Brazilian Coach Marcelo Trinidade

The Seattle Soccer Club is looking for players of all levels looking for a relaxed group to play “the beautiful game”:

Whether you are in a league or just starting out, please join us out on the field!

Soccer Clinic with Brazilian Coach Marcelo Trinidade
Saturday, October 31, 2009 at 12:00PM

Marcelo has brought his passion for the game from his home country, and will share with everyone the proper techniques for all the basics and advanced skills too:

• Dribbling
• Passing
• Trapping
• Shooting
• Team Tactics
• And more!

Every session will have a new challenge, and will improve your game. Open to all levels, all welcome!

Price: $6.00

Van Asselt Community Center
2820 South Myrtle Street
Seattle, WA 98108

Full event details at meetup.com.

Tags: soccer, van asselt

Pack the DPD Design Review Board

From the Seattle Department of Planning and Development via Steve Louie, your opportunity to decide what is or is not an eyesore (among other criteria):

The City of Seattle is seeking qualified candidates interested in serving on the 2010 Design Review Boards. The boards have 12 volunteer positions for terms beginning April 4, 2010. The is Southeast board will have two openings; general community interests representative and development interests representative. Would you please forward this to anyone you might know; members of organizations/community groups and anyone who would be a good candidate? We especially welcome applications from women and people of color.

The Design Review Board reviews mixed-use developments, multifamily housing, and commercial projects. It evaluates the design of these projects based on the city’s design guidelines. Board members are design professionals, developers, and community and business leaders with a passion for design in their our community. Learn more at www.seattle.gov/designreview

For more information on the board openings, read the Mayor’s press release: http://www.seattlechannel.org/news/detail.asp?ID=10167&Dept=4

Applications are due December 10, 2009 and are available at www.seattle.gov/designreview

Thanks Steve!

Tags: design review board, dpd

Fire Station 13 to host open house November 14

The historic landmark Fire Station 13 on Beacon Avenue South, near Jefferson Park, is hosting an open house on Saturday, November 14 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm. All are welcome (kids too!) to meet the firefighters, tour the engine, and learn about improvements to the station.

Fire Station 13 is a wonderful old building (read the Landmark Nomination Report for this site, from 2004) built in the Mission Revival style in 1928. Currently, work is being done on the station to upgrade it to current seismic safety standards, replace the roof, and improve the usability of the building.

The station is located at 3601 Beacon Avenue South, on the corner of Beacon and South Spokane Street.

Tags: fire station, kid-friendly, landmark, open house

Free trees for Beaconians

You might have noticed that Beacon Hill is one of the neighborhoods with the lowest amount of tree canopy cover in Seattle. Only 19% of the residential property on the Hill has tree cover. In the 1970s, Seattle had 40% tree cover, but today, the city with “the hills the greenest green” only has a shockingly low 23% tree cover. The tree canopy went away quickly, and it will take more time to bring it back, but the city has a goal of reaching 30% tree cover by 2037.

EarthCorps and the City of Seattle are combining forces to provide free trees to residents of Beacon Hill, along with Georgetown, West Seattle Junction/Genesee Hill, and Westwood/Roxhill, all of which have a low amount of tree canopy.

Residents of these neighborhoods can apply for free trees for their planting strips and property. Trees will be available for pick up in early December. Tree recipients will be able to attend a workshop on tree planting and care, and will receive tree watering bags in the spring.

The deadline for this program is November 16. Applications may be downloaded here. If you need more information about the program, contact  Lina Rose, EarthCorps Project Manager, lina@earthcorps.org, 206-793-2454.

Tags: free, street trees, trees

Missing child alert: Have you seen Denez? — found safe!

Update via KIRO7Seattle on Twitter: “Missing South Seattle boy has been found safe & sound with mom.” Whew! (We’ve removed the child’s photo since he has now been found.)

Missing child alert from the SPD Blotter:

South Precinct patrol officers are currently looking for the 6 year old boy pictured above. His name is Denez Bernier. He usually wears a dark blue jacket and has a dark green GI Joe backpack. He did not show up at Dearborn Park Elementary School earlier today. School officials received a call from his mother just before noon inquiring as to his whereabouts but she has not called police to report him missing. It is unknown if he is in danger. A search is underway and a number of relatives have been contacted. We would like to speak to his mother since she originated the complaint. Her name is Judith Bernier, 25 years of age. We are also looking for his father, who apparently works in a tire shop in South Seattle. His name is Tulaga Ativalu. This is all of the information that we have at this time. Anyone with information is asked to call the Seattle Police non-emergency number at 206 625-5011.

Tags: dearborn park elementary, denez bernier, missing child

Motorcyclist killed in accident at Myrtle and Beacon

From the SPD Blotter:

On 10-25-09 at 10:00 p.m., a black Honda, CBR1100 Motorcycle, driven by a 32-year-old male was traveling westbound on S. Myrtle St. approaching Beacon Ave S. at a very high rate of speed.

At the same time a black Chrysler Crossfire was stopped at the red traffic signal on S. Myrtle St at Beacon Ave S facing westbound. The Crossfire started to continue westbound after the green light changed for westbound traffic, when it was struck from the rear by the motorcycle. The Motorcycle driver was thrown from the bike and struck by another vehicle which was traveling East bound on S. Myrtle.

The Seattle Fire Department responded to the scene and pronounced the 32-year-old male dead at the scene.

The King County Medical Examiner responded and gathered evidence and recover the body.

Traffic collision Detectives responded and investigated the collision and processed the scene.

Tags: accident, fatality, killed, motorcycle

Maria Isabel Velez: Images of SE Seattle in fiery color

This beautiful photo of autumn leaves on the grounds of the VA Hospital is by Maria Isabel Velez. Her photostream on Flickr has some beautiful atmospheric images of things in Beacon Hill, Columbia City, Georgetown, and elsewhere. According to her profile, all of the photos were taken with her iPhone!

Many of the images are of things that might go unnoticed — a crack in concrete, a rusting bench, an outlet on a wall. Maria’s use of composition and saturated color makes them fascinating.

Some other photos I particularly enjoyed in Maria’s photostream:

• Another shot of autumn leaves on Beacon Hill, fiery red
• Impressionist sky over the neighbor’s roof
• Birds on a powerline, 12th and Jackson
• Tomatillos at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market
• Floor tiles at Full Tilt in Columbia City

Tags: art, fall, leaves

New pedestrian signage installed on Beacon Avenue

We’ve heard neighbors complaining lately that it is sometimes difficult to cross Beacon Avenue South in front of Beacon Hill Station–cars just don’t see pedestrians, or just don’t stop for them. Sometime in the last week or so, the city added new signs to Beacon Avenue in an attempt to make this crosswalk safer, along with warning lights. With the opening of the light rail station, this crosswalk is even more heavily used than it was before, so this new signage has been needed.


Tags: beacon avenue s, north beacon, pedestrian, pedestrians, signage

Neighbors blogging: Walking hills, pipes, remodels, and reviews

This weekend there’s been a burst of activity on the blogs of some Beacon Hill neighbors. Here’s a selection of some recent posts.

Kat reflects on her former neighbor Marsha and the steep walk uphill.

Nikchick ponders how to deal with bad pipes in her home heating system.

Allison’s attic bedroom remodel is coming together.

Brendan has posted several new album reviews.

JvA has a new set of shots from her latest photographic tour of nearby Georgetown.

Thanks bloggers! And if you live on Beacon Hill and you’ve got a blog, please point us to it!

Armed robbery of hair salon across from Shell

From the SPD Blotter:

On October 24th at approximately 6:37 p.m. two male suspects wearing all black clothing and ski masks and armed with handguns walked into a hair salon located in the 2300 block of 15th Avenue South.

Victim #1, a female employee, was at the rear of the salon and walked to the front when she heard the door chime. As she walked into the front area of the salon, one of the suspects grabbed her by the shirt and ordered her to the floor. Both suspects demanded money from her. She gave them cash.

Victim #2, a male employee who was also inside the salon, heard the noise and went to victim #1’s location. There he was contacted by one of the suspects and ordered at gun point to walk to the back of the business.

Victim #1 was able to run out of the salon when one of the suspects had briefly left her location. She ran across the street to a gas station for assistance. Both suspects fled the business when they discovered victim #1 had escaped.

Both victims and several citizens in the area heard one or two gunshots as the suspects fled the area. No property damage to the business or adjacent buildings was found by officers. Neither victim was injured during the incident. The suspects remain at large.

Anyone with information about this incident or who may know the identities or whereabouts of the suspects is asked to call 911 or Seattle Police immediately and refer to this incident.

Tags: armed robbery

Help keep your library open more than 35 hours a week

Sign The Friends of the Seattle Public Library’s Facebook petition to preserve library hours at the Beacon Hill branch.

If Mayor Nickels’s proposed budget plan is adopted by the City Council unchanged, the library’s hours will be reduced to:

• 1pm to 8pm Mondays and Tuesdays.
• 11am to 6pm Wednesdays and Thursdays.
• Closed Fridays.
• 11 am to 6pm Saturdays.
• Closed Sundays.

More information about the 2010 Proposed Budget’s effect on the Operations Budget (collections and hours) and Capital (major building maintenance) is available on The Seattle Public Library’s website.

The Friends of the SPL want to hit 2000 signers on the petition today. It’s not out of reach at 1483 petitioners so far. Add your signature here.

Tags: budget, library

Oh, the in-dog-nity and more fall events

Citizens for Off Leash Areas hosts “Dog-o-ween 2009” at the Genesee Park off-leash area today. Well, now. From 11am to 2pm.

Jefferson Community Center is hosting a Toddler Trick or Treat on Thursday and a Halloween Howl and Carnival on Friday. For more information, check the events page.

If you missed the Student Conservation Association and Boeing employee volunteer event in the Cheasty Greenspace today, there’s another chance coming up on November 7th for Green Seattle Day.

Eric Spivack from Soaring Crane Massage encourages folks to come out on Monday evening to wave signs in support of Approve Referendum 71. More details, again, on the events page.

Tags: dogs, halloween, referendum 71, trick or treat

This weekend: Rummage and walk with Mallahan

Just a couple items of note coming up this weekend:

Tomorrow:
12:00 PM Rainier Valley Cooperative Preschool Fall Rummage Sale and Festival

And Judith Edwards just announced on the mailing list a treat for Sunday:
1:00 PM Joe Mallahan walking tour of North Beacon Hill

For more details about these and more, hit the links on the events calendar page.

(Wendi adds: Don’t forget the Bookfest in Columbia City, also this weekend!)

Tags: bookfest, candidate, columbia city, events, joe mallahan, mayor, rummage

Melancholy photos of October on Beacon Hill

From the Beacon Hill Blog photo pool on Flickr:

Thanks to Tim, Joel, Bridget, and all who have shared their photographic talents with the community! Do you have interesting photos of Beacon Hill? You are invited to add them to the Beacon Hill Blog photo pool. We’d love to see them!

Tags: fish, jefferson park, mcpherson's, strange, sunset

McGinn favorite among BHB readers in poll

The Beacon Hill Blog Mayoral Survey is now closed. Here are the results:

• McGinn: 61.5%
• Mallahan: 33%
• That dude sleeping on the bench in Triangle Park: 4%
• Other: 1.5%

Will these match the final numbers? Time will tell.

At least two people attempted to stuff the ballot box by voting repeatedly (and obviously). Any votes that were the result of such ballot-box stuffing were removed from the final total. This left us with fewer than 100 responses, so it is a very small sample.

Tags: mayor, politics, survey

Lost: Iguana. Green. Five feet long.

Yes, you read that headline correctly. A five-foot-long iguana is apparently lost somewhere on North Beacon Hill.

Found today on craigslist.org:

My iguana headed out Saturday morning, Oct 17th. He cannot survive long in this weather. He was last seen near the I-90 trail at Atlantic & 17th AVE S, and may have wandered down towards 18th, up towards 23rd, or even climbed over the wall towards I-90. If you have seen him, please email me. If you live in the area or know people in the area, especially anyone who might have been driving Saturday morning, or running or biking on the I-90 trail, please let them know about this search.

Thank you,
Pete

You can contact Pete at comm-fvwj5-1430098677@craigslist.org.

Tags: lost pets