Monthly Archives: June 2011

Clean and Green

Mayor to announce Jefferson Park solar project today

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Mayor Mike McGinn will be at Jefferson Park at 4:15 this afternoon with representatives from City Light and Parks and Recreation to announce Community Solar, a new solar energy program for city residents, in conjunction with new solar picnic shelters at the Park.

The new picnic shelters have roofs made of solar panels, and will not only provide sheltered picnic sites, but also produce an estimated 24,000 kilowatt-hours of of energy each year, enough to operate 3 households.

City Light customers can participate in the Community Solar project by purchasing “solar units.” A portion of the energy generated by the project will then be credited annually to each member’s power bill. Founding members will also have their names displayed at the project site in Jefferson Park. Find out more about the program at the Seattle Community Solar project website.

A workshop will be held at Jefferson Community Center next Tuesday, June 28, to explain the program and provide more information about signing up. You can register for the workshop here.

Illustration by Stephanie Bower; image courtesy of Seattle City Light.
Arts, Local Events

Beacon Rocks! schedule announced

JJ del Serra performing at last summer's Beacon Rocks!. Photo by Wendi.
The performance schedule has been announced for this year’s first Beacon Rocks! concert event, next Sunday, June 26 from 1-5 p.m. at the Roberto Maestas Festival Street (formerly S. Lander St.) next to Beacon Hill Station.

Along with performances from Beacon Hill musicians and artists, The Station coffee house will be hosting a beer garden and food vending on the adjacent El Centro de la Raza grounds. After Beacon Rocks! is The Station’s First Anniversary Party, featuring more local hip hop and rock music from 5pm until dusk.

Chairs and/or blankets are recommended to sit on. Remember that the Festival Street is a paved site.

June 26 schedule, with descriptions courtesy of Beacon Rocks!:

  • 1:00 Leaf Colors: “Indie folk rock with poignant lyrics.”
  • 1:30 Jun Hong Kung Fu and Sports Association: Lion Dance
    “A kung fu school that not only teaches martial arts but teaches everyone whom walks through the door to open their mind, work hard, and become productive members of the community.”
  • 1:45 Sometimes Astronauts
    “Rock and roll built to stand the test of time travel.”
  • 2:30 Jun Hong Kung Fu and Sports Association: Kung Fu Demonstration
  • 2:45 Reckless Nomad “Prepare to kick back with some grungy, blues-tinged rock.”
  • 3:30 Hank Davis and Friends
    “A longtime local singer-songwriter and contributor to the folk music website Victory Music.”
  • 4:00 Ichi Bichi
    “A hard pumping Pop/Punk Rock band, made up of 3 different nationalities (1 Japanese, 2 Romanians and 1 American), 2 different generations, 2 different genders…..all coming together to make great music.”
Neighborhood Pride

Graduates, send us your pictures!

This week many of the Seattle high schools held their graduation ceremonies. We know there are quite a few Beacon Hill neighbors among the happy graduates. Are you one of them? Or did you graduate from university, or grad school? Send us your name, school, degree or diploma type, and a graduation picture, and we will feature you on the blog. Email the info to blog@beaconhill.seattle.wa.us. We would like to publish names and photos of Beacon Hill graduates next week.

Photo by David M. Goehring via Creative Commons (and Flickr).
Clean and Green

Seattle Tilth offers gardening classes, camps

Photo courtesy of Seattle Tilth.
Seattle Tilth is offering a variety of gardening classes in Southeast Seattle this summer, starting on June 22. Classes include “Go Vertical,” to learn how to grow veggies vertically to maximize your space and harvest; “Wildlife-Friendly Gardening”; “Beyond the Vegetable Garden,” which will help you add perennial edibles to your landscaping; “Be Cistern Savvy!” which will teach how to collect rainwater at home; and several more.

The list of classes may be found here. Classes are in the nearby Mount Baker neighborhood at Bradner Gardens Park.

There are also volunteer opportunities and summer garden camps for kids in Rainier Valley.

Arts, Neighborhood Pride

Blue Scholars’ “Fou Lee” video released

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“Cruise on the Hill, getting food at Fou Lee.” Blue Scholars have a new song and video, “Fou Lee,” that features local stores Fou Lee and MC Foods, along with what looks like some pretty tasty cooking. (Watch the video all the way to the end and you’ll see a list of the ingredients in chicken adobo.) Release parties for their new album, Cinemetropolis, are June 17 and 18 at Neumos.

Thanks to Tyler Hill for pointing us to the video!

Food and Drink

Bar del Corso oven arrives, and it’s heavy

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Beacon Hill sidewalks are no match for six thousand pounds of pizza oven plus a forklift. The new Neapolitan pizza oven at Bar del Corso arrived from Italy on Friday, and while it was being moved into the old Beacon Pub building, the sidewalk behind the building gave way. Luckily, there was no damage to the custom blue oven, and with a sheet of metal placed over the damaged walkway, the oven was able to be moved inside. See lots of photos of the oven, the crushed sidewalk, and the process at seattlemag.com. Many more photos are on Bar del Corso’s Facebook page.

Local Events

Things are happening this weekend

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Don’t forget to check out the events page for information on the weekend’s activities!

Today:

Saturday:

Sunday:

  • Lewis Park work party, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at Lewis Park, 12th Ave S and Golf Dr S. Come help plant native plants or do other chores in the restoration of the park. Tools, gloves, water and refreshments are provided.
Arts, Education, Recreation

Pottery classes start soon at JCC

These cute pottery critters were made by students in a previous class at Jefferson Community Center. Photo courtesy of Molly Hueffed.
Jefferson Community Center is offering pottery classes this summer in the skills of wheel throwing and handbuilding. The classes will include basic understanding and techniques of centering and throwing, as well as advanced 1-on-1 instruction.

Classes begin as early as next week, and enrollment is open now. Call 206-684-7481 for more information and to register, or register online by going to this website, clicking “Arts: Visual/Crafts,” and then “Pottery – Adult/Teen.” Classes are listed there for all community centers.