Beacon Hill Blog

“Love that dirty water”: Brown water reported on North Beacon

Last Sunday we started getting tweets and emails about discolored drinking water in part of North Beacon Hill in an area including 18th and Massachusetts and 18th and College.

The water did clear up after some hours, but Andy Ryan at Seattle Public Utilities tells us:

Discolored water has been reported in recent days in some areas of Seattle, including Beacon Hill. A likely cause is testing of fire hydrants by the Seattle Fire Departments. The water is safe to drink, but it may be unappealing, so we recommend that you wait until it clears before drinking it.

The water should clear on its own. Try running the cold water for a few minutes to see if it is clearing or still discolored. If the water does not clear, let the water sit for an hour. Then run the water for a few minutes and flush the toilet a couple of times.

If your water remains discolored, please contact Seattle Public Utilities Customer Service at (206) 684-3000.

Tags: spu, water

Shape up at Van Asselt CC this spring

Two upcoming classes at Van Asselt Community Center will help neighbors aged 18 and older shake off those winter pounds and get more fit.

The first class, Aerobics, will run on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 to 7 p.m., starting on April 2. Longtime instructor Noel Montgomery will lead the class. The cost to join is $75, or $65 for adults 65 and up.

The second class, Boot Camp, is an “intense evening workout” to gain strength and endurance while losing weight. The Van Asselt neighborhood is the exercise arena for this class, which will run on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. starting on April 16. Cost for the Boot Camp class is $65.

Call 206–386–1921 to register or for more information.

Tags: classes, fitness

Fitness classes still open at Van Asselt Community Center

It may be February, but it’s not too late to make or keep your New Year’s resolution. Yoga and aerobics classes are still open at at Van Asselt Community Center, 2820 S. Myrtle St.

Class information:

Aerobics
Ages: 18 and Older
Tuesday/Thursday
1/14 – 3/4/13
6 – 7 pm
Cost: $75/$65(Seniors 65+)

Adult aerobics on Tuesday and Thursday nights with health and fitness expert, Noel Montgomery. No class 3/12.

Beginning Yoga
Ages: 18 and Older
Wednesday Nights
2/6 – 2/27
3/6 – 3/27
Cost: $30 per month

In this class you will learn the fundamentals of yoga. It is taught at a slower pace to allow you to experience postures fully and to learn to incorporate modifications specific to your abilities and limitations. The class is appropriate for both new yoga students and students with some experience who want to develop a regular practice. Please provide your own yoga mats and water bottle.

For more information, call 206-386–1921.

Tags: classes, van asselt community center

Flu vaccination clinic in Columbia City today and next week

If you haven’t yet gotten a flu shot, it’s not too late. Seattle and King County Public Health are providing free flu vaccinations today and next Thursday for all people over 6 months of age without health insurance or who are otherwise unable to pay for vaccination.

The vaccinations will be at the Columbia Public Health Center at 4400 37th Ave. S. in Columbia City. from 3-7 p.m. today, January 24, and next Thursday, January 31.

A few things to know:

• No other vaccinations will be offered at the time of the clinics.
• You will be able to get flu shots or nasal spray vaccines; preservative-free, gelatin-free and latex-free vaccines will be available.
• You do not need to be a regular client at Public Health Centers and you do not need to show proof of citizenship to get the vaccination.
• If you are pregnant, elderly, or you have a health problem such as diabetes, heart disease, or asthma, the vaccine is especially important for you. Go get it!

For more information, see the website.

Tags: flu

Open letter: Coal train impacts need to be studied

Today at 5 p.m. is the end of the “scoping period” to submit written concerns about the proposal to run new coal trains through South Seattle near Beacon Hill from the Gateway Pacific Terminal at Cherry Point. Comments submitted in this scoping period will help in defining the impacts to be included in the project’s Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

Neighbor Mira Latoszek wrote this commentary letter:

Dear Army Corps of Engineers, Department of Ecology and Whatcom County Council:

I am a resident of the North Beacon Hill neighborhood of south Seattle. I live directly to the east of the train tracks that would carry an increased number of trains to and from the Gateway Pacific Terminal at Cherry Point. Beacon Hill is a large Seattle neighborhood of approximately 40,000 people. I am asking that you study impacts associated with the increase of trains at crossings in south Seattle, specifically at Spokane St., Lander St. and Holgate St. These are major intersections connecting Beacon Hill to the Industrial District, the Port of Seattle, the waterfront, and downtown.

I, along with many of my neighbors on Beacon Hill, are dependent on goods and services from the SODO area which would be directly affected by the increase of trains at these crossings. In addition, many of us work in an around the SODO area and the southern end of downtown Seattle, including several owners of small businesses. I travel by car and bike through these intersections on a daily basis to get to my job on Second Avenue in Pioneer Square. Being able to get across the train tracks quickly and safely is an important part of my life.

According to the applicant’s Project Information Document (Feb. 2011), full build out of the coal export facility would result in nine full northbound trains along this line a day, which equates to 18 train trips a day; however, nothing in the project materials specifies a maximum. The 18 trains per day round trip could be increased if export capacity of the proposed port were expanded in the future. The current port proposal occupies 350 acres of a 1,000-acre site. Each train may be over 1.5 miles long, which at 50 miles per hour would mean approximately 3-4 minutes between train approach warning/gate closure and ultimate gate opening. At 35 miles per hour it could take approximately 6-7 minutes to clear a crossing as the siding near
this area is rated for 35 mph. The 18 trains per day would equate to approximately one additional coal train every 1.3 hours, all day long, in addition to existing train traffic. That would translate to an addition of approximately two hours per day that vehicles and people would not be able to cross these major intersections in south Seattle.

More »

Tags: noise, pollution, traffic

WSDOT warns neighborhood: construction to be noisy

Enjoy holiday peace and quiet while you can. According to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), neighbors living near I-5 need to prepare for noisy construction work over 11 weekends starting on January 4, 2013 and ending in April. This is to replace 31 steel expansion joints in ramps on northbound I-5 near Georgetown, and between I-5 and the West Seattle Bridge, 6th Avenue South, South Spokane Street, and Columbian Way South.

WSDOT warns that nearby neighbors may hear jackhammers, sawcutters, air-powered tools, and other noise. Work crews will use noise shields when feasible. If you want to ensure your sound sleep, free earplugs are available to nearby residents; call 206-440-4699 for more information.

Along with the noise, there will be complete closures of the affected ramps during work weekends, and occasionally during the week. Detours will be provided.

See more about the project here.

Tags: construction, detours, noise

Coyotes seen in the neighborhood

Neighbor Vinna wrote with a warning:

“On Tuesday, Nov 20th around 1:30 a.m. I was driving home and on the corner of College and 21st Ave South I believe I saw a coyote. It was dark and I was able to take a picture. The next day I learned that my neighbor of four cats was missing one and found another half eaten.

“I want my fellow neighbors to be aware and thought this might be the best way in case others had pets that may be outside.”

Coyote sightings were also the subject of some discussion on the Beacon Hill mailing list this week, where neighbor Waldene wrote:

Around 9:30 pm Monday evening a coyote was on the SE corner of 12th and I believe Lee Street right across from PacMed. He acted like a scared, lost dog. I didn’t know what to do so I pulled up next to him/her and blew my horn. I was hoping to scare it back into Lewis Park but instead it ran across 12th. It looked confused.

Coyote sightings aren’t unusual on Beacon Hill. We also see raccoons and possums visiting our yards sometimes. Please keep your pets safe.

Tags: animals, wildlife

Airplane noise meeting veers off the path

About 100 people from Beacon Hill and other neighborhoods came to Cleveland High School on Tuesday night for a meeting hosted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Port of Seattle, but the meeting did not go as planned.

The Port and FAA intended the meeting to “provide information on existing flight procedures into and out of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Boeing Field,” and started the evening with an introductory “Aviation 101″ slide presentation. The crowd had other ideas.

Previously, the FAA had been criticized by some for the strictness of their meetings in Ballard and Federal Way, when residents were not given an opportunity to ask questions. This time, it was clear that they intended to let people ask questions, and ask they did.

During the presentation, people in the audience frequently broke in with shouted questions to ask about the topic that most were there for: airplane noise over Beacon Hill and other communities under the Sea-Tac flight path. There was no printed agenda available, so the neighbors in attendance were restless, and in no mood to wait through presentations to get a turn to speak.

The basic issue, said neighbor Tina Ray of the Quieter Skies Task Force with audible agreement from the crowd, is that flights overhead are “every 45 seconds to two minutes, and they are darn low. And it’s been going on for a year.”

The Port and FAA representatives would not commit to installation of more noise monitors on Beacon Hill, but promised to take residents’ concerns seriously. Some neighbors were skeptical.

Ray expressed the frustration many were feeling: “We’re not making it up; we haven’t dreamed this… This is what’s going on right now in Southeast Seattle. This is what the discussion needs to be.”

Tags: airplane noise

FAA/Port to meet with community tonight

Reposting this as a reminder: the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Port of Seattle meeting originally scheduled for October 23 has been rescheduled for tonight, November 13, from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at Cleveland High School, 5511 15th Ave. S. on Beacon Hill.

The FAA, Port, and Boeing Field representatives are holding the meeting, they say, to “provide information on existing flight procedures into and out of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Boeing Field.”

Members of the Quieter Skies Task Force, a group of Beacon Hill and other Southeast Seattle neighbors, plan to be at the meeting in force, bringing concerns about recent and planned future airplane noise over our neighborhoods, and a petition signed by more than 300 neighbors. See our earlier post about the original October 23 meeting.

Tags: airplane noise

Breakthrough Research: Dr. Rachel Ceballos at Beacon Hill Library

Dr. Rachel Ceballos of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center will visit the Beacon Hill Library (2821 Beacon Ave. S.) on Tuesday, November 13, for “Breakthrough Research,” a Science in the Community event to discuss what can be done in our communities to ensure the best possible quality of life for everyone while minimizing cancer health disparities.

Dr. Ceballos uses her expertise in stress and health-related outcomes to work with community partners to address distress in cancer survivors. Cancer survivors need effective physical and psychological interventions to ensure a high quality of life, and such interventions may be affected by cultural factors.

To RSVP for this event, contact Juan Cotto, 206-667-1246 or jcotto@fhcrc.org.

Tags: cancer, fred hutchinson