Proposed Beacon Arts logo by Joel Lee.

Monday night at the Beacon Hill Library, the first meeting was held to organize a Beacon Arts Council. Jessie McKenna of ROCKiT Space reports:

“A group of artists, neighbors and artist-neighbors gathered (Monday) at the Beacon Hill branch of the library and discussed organizing something of a Beacon Arts Council. A few of us volunteered to be on the steering committee for such an organization. We secured a web domain name and a Ning site (a social networking site like the one ROCKiT space uses) and began the process of building an online presence as well as a physical presence. The next meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 5th, 6:30-9:30pm at ROCKiT space (3315 Beacon Avenue South) and is open to all interested parties.

For now, you can find us at http://beaconarts.ning.com/.”

Speaking of the ROCKiT website, if you go there you can find information on the Beacon Rocks! music festival currently planned for the Lander Festival Street on June 13, July 11, August 8, and August 29. Interested in volunteering? Glad you asked!

In the visual art realm, Beacon Hill may not have any traditional art galleries, but it’s home to one very cool non-traditional one, home_page.project. Artist (and neighbor) Klara Glosova occasionally turns her home into a venue for art. On Saturday she hosted a show called “Nepo” (it’s “open,” backwards), in which the whole house—one lived in by Glosova’s whole family—was filled with art, including sculpture, painting, video, and music: “a visual experience perched on the threshold of spontaneous creative experience and perfected mastery.” There’s even art in the bathroom and the bedroom closet! If you missed Saturday’s show, you can still see it today, March 6, from 4:00-6:00 pm, at 1723 South Lander Street, just a block east of Beacon Hill Station.

If you can’t make it, you can see an overview of the show on Glosova’s website, or check out the review on the Slog. (We previously wrote about the home_page.project in January.)

© Wendi Dunlap for Beacon Hill Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 3 comments |
Post tags: arts, beacon arts, beacon rocks, home_page.project, music

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Art's on Beacon Hill in the old DeVos Grocery building at 13th and Shelton. All photos in this post by Wendi.

It hasn’t quite worked out as planned. Perrone painted, cleaned and decorated the old building, using vintage parts salvaged from the old grocery store in many places, and it looks just about ready to open. (In fact, an “Open” sign usually sits in the doorway.) But it remains officially closed, as it has since 2008 when the Seattle Department of Planning and Development (DPD) notified Perrone that he could not operate a “community theater” in part of the building.

Old objects found when renovating the DeVos building decorate a vintage display unit in the coffee shop. Owner Michael Perrone's reflection appears in the middle.

The building’s history goes back a long way on Beacon Hill. Louis DeVos brought his family to the Hill in 1908, and in 1909, they moved into a house on South Shelton Street. A few years later, Louis bought the plot of land at 13th and Shelton and built a retail building there, first renting it to an Italian grocer, then establishing his own grocery business. The family business was successful, and eventually grew to include three stores including one at 2718 Beacon Avenue South (currently the location known as the empty “South China Restaurant” lot just south of Beacon Hill Station). Though two of the DeVos stores were closed during the Depression, the store at 13th and Shelton remained open into the 21st century, finally closing for good in August 2005. It was sold to Perrone as a “tear-down” in 2006.

Though the building had operated continuously as a commercial building since it was built in 1915, later in the 20th century the site was rezoned to SF5000 — single-family housing. Existing businesses such as the DeVos Grocery are allowed to continue in operation when their zoning changes, as a “non-conforming use.”

A jukebox and Perrone's dog Sebastian in the area of the building that was intended to be a coffee shop.

If the non-conforming use lapses for a certain amount of time, however, the building reverts to single-family, and a new business can’t go back to the non-conforming use. Seattle Municipal Code 23.42.104 B says: “A nonconforming use that has been discontinued for more than 12 consecutive months shall not be reestablished or recommenced.” There are certain exceptions, but it is unclear whether Perrone’s use of the DeVos building was what DPD required to maintain commercial status as required in the code. Perrone believes so; he did acquire a permit to install commercial-grade electrical service in the building, and he states that he also sold salvage from the building’s old contents to maintain commercial status until the coffeehouse could open.

In 2008, Perrone began using the building’s performance studio. In March of that year, the Beacon Hill Times/South District Journal (now South Seattle Beacon) ran an article about the plans for the former grocery, stating that it would be “a coffee shop, repertory theater and eventually an education center” and home to the Seattle Novyi Theatre repertory group.

In April of that year, a complaint was filed with DPD about his use of the building for theater rehearsals and performances. Perrone says that DPD declared the site in violation, and also told him that he could not legally live in the caretaker’s apartment and would be fined $1500/day for illegally residing there, retroactive to when he bought the building in 2006. “I owe the city a million and a half,” he says.

The performance space at Art's.

Later in 2008, says Perrone, he gave up, feeling pushed into a corner. In frustration, he told DPD “fine, turn it into a single-family residence.” Currently, an open application is on file with DPD to do so.

In the meantime, Perrone still fights to save the building for his original intended use, with pro bono help from a lawyer who grew up in the neighborhood. He has a petition signed by over 150 neighbors who support his plans for the DeVos building. “Only one neighbor said ‘no,’” he points out.

Neighbor Dayna Provitt sent a message to the Beacon Hill Mailing List recently, appealing for help for Perrone:

“My husband and I were so glad to see the building purchased, and Mike’s attempts to put something into this part of Beacon Hill that might help bring a ‘neighborhoody’ feel to the street. … Here’s a guy who’s trying to bring some energy and community building to our neighborhood… and getting stuck in red tape. We’d hate to see this building go back to being an empty space again. … Maybe someone in the neighborhood can help him cut through the red tape and get his project going! Something useful in this space would be so great for our street.”

With no way to legally open the coffeehouse, Perrone has been unable to pay the building’s mortgage since August. It is currently scheduled to be sold at a foreclosure sale on April 2, unless fate intervenes and Art’s on Beacon Hill can open.

The player piano, mostly in tune, awaits coffeeshop customers and performers.

(More photos of the building after the jump.)(...)
Read the rest of Zoning may keep 13th Ave coffeehouse closed (31 words)

© Wendi Dunlap for Beacon Hill Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 12 comments |
Post tags: arts, coffee, mid-beacon, performance, zoning

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When I left for work this morning, there were media vehicles, police vehicles, and an armored car with officers in camouflage uniforms hanging off the side, they were driving around the neighborhood. It also looked like they may have had 17th blocked off as well.

Best to follow BHB on Twitter for updates this morning.

10:20 Update: Lewis Kamb in the Tacoma News Tribune:

SWAT units arrived at a duplex on 17th Avenue South in the Beacon Hill neighborhood about 9 a.m., according to neighbors, and ordered a resident to come out. A neighbor saw a middle-aged woman come to the door in her pajamas. Police aren’t confirming anything, but the buzz is that she was wanted for questioning in relation to the manhunt. The house is now secured and police may have either removed the woman or taken her from the house.

10:32 Update: From Travis Mayfield on Twitter:

Police have cleared the scene here at Jose Rizal Park on Beacon Hill.

10:37 Update: A description and photo of the scene on 17th from Pete Hathaway, posted to the mailing list:

Click the image for the full-size version.

The two armored police yielded about a dozen police armed with assault weapons and a bullhorn, directing the occupants to lay down inside. They went into the house without an incident. When they left, about a dozen sheriff and other officers (detectives I would assume) pulled up in regular vehicles and spent over an hour in and around the house. Eventually one person was brought out and put into a vehicle. Several full brown paper bags were brought out and loaded into a different vehicle.

© Jason Simpson for Beacon Hill Blog, 2009. | Permalink | One comment |
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Glenn Fleishman’s latest article at Publicola deals with the broadband pariah that is Beacon Hill and the Central District and how Mayor-Elect Mike McGinn wants to address the issue by building a city-wide fiber-to-the-home network paid for by revenue bonds. A plan to “issue bonds, find contractors, and start building triple-play to the home over fiber” is deemed “likely”. This would entail “100 Mbps symmetrical broadband (like they have in Hong Kong, where it costs US$14 per month), video with high-definition channels, and unlimited voice calling.” An appealing proposition.

Read the article at Publicola.

© Jason Simpson for Beacon Hill Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 2 comments |
Post tags: broadband, publicola

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We have been taking steps to improve High Speed Data services to your area. We have been systematically troubleshooting and repairing our nodes to provide exceptional service to our subscribers. Please contact us directly at earningourstripes@broadstripe.com so we can confirm if you’re (sic) concerns have been resolved with our recent upgrades or if we can do anything further to assist in resolving any on-going service concerns.

We’ve been pretty lucky here; we have not experienced the lengthy periods of complete internet outages many of you have reported and have repeatedly gone back and forth with Broadstripe over (many to the point of giving up on cable broadband entirely).

In my recent experience, I have seen some improvement: speeds during peak usage periods (evenings) are not nearly as horrible as I’d seen in September, but they’re usually only a tenth of the advertised speed of 15 megabits per second. At off-peak times, I have seen very brief peaks above 10 megabits near the beginning of a single download, but after a megabyte or two, the speeds appear to be throttled down to an average somewhere around 3 megabits, one fifth of the advertised rate.

As a rule-of-thumb, downloading one megabyte (1,048,576 bytes or 1024 kilobytes) should take:

• about 15 seconds at 500 kilobits per second (500Kbps).
• about 8 seconds at one megabit per second (1Mbps).
• less than one second at ten megabits per second (10Mbps).

I encourage you to run your own tests — real-world tests like downloading software updates or loading large web pages as well as speed tests performed through sites like speedtest.net and Broadband Reports — and report your findings in the comments.

Those of you who have experienced general outages: have they become shorter or less frequent? Has their support staff become more responsive and solved your issues?

Please also send your experiences back to Broadstripe.

© Jason Simpson for Beacon Hill Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 26 comments |
Post tags: broadband, broadstripe, cable modem, cablemodem, download, speed

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Miles Pepper's "Dream Ship" sails above the Beacon Hill library at sunset. Photo by Wendi.

With this increase, the Beacon Hill library branch will keep its current seven days/60 hours per week schedule:

• Monday – Thursday, 10:00 am – 8:00 pm
• Friday – Saturday, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
• Sunday 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Ballard, Broadview, Capitol Hill, Douglass-Truth, Greenwood, Lake City, Northeast, Rainier Beach, Southwest and West Seattle will also keep these hours.

Unfortunately, not all eliminated hours can be restored, and while Beacon Hill’s library hours have been saved, some other neighborhoods will still have the pain of serious cutbacks. The following branches will be reduced to a five days/35 hours per week schedule: Columbia, Delridge, Fremont, Green Lake, High Point, International District/Chinatown, Madrona-Sally Goldmark, Magnolia, Montlake, NewHolly, Northgate, Queen Anne, South Park, University and Wallingford.

© Wendi Dunlap for Beacon Hill Blog, 2009. | Permalink | No comment |
Post tags: budget cuts, library

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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!

© Jason Simpson for Beacon Hill Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 4 comments |
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Mike McGinn at a town hall meeting on Beacon Hill last month. Photo by melissajonas.

• 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.

© Wendi Dunlap for Beacon Hill Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 5 comments |
Post tags: mayor, politics, survey

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We asked, “Who’s your favorite mayoral candidate at the moment?” As of September 11, when the survey closed, these were the results:

Mike McGinn had a huge lead on Beacon Hill with 53% of the vote, followed by Joe Mallahan with 15%. “That dude sleeping on the bench in Triangle Park” had a relatively strong showing, with 9%. (For the first week of the survey, the anonymous Triangle Park guy was actually leading the race.) 6% of the “Other” responses were “I don’t know.” Current Mayor Greg Nickels had 6% of the survey responses (the chart does not show this correctly).

The survey closed on September 11, so your opinions might have changed, or not. What do you think now? We’ve posted a new survey to find out what you currently think. Beacon Hill folks only, please.

© Wendi Dunlap for Beacon Hill Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 3 comments |
Post tags: mayor, politics, survey

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A guitarist tries out the music space at ROCKiT space. Photo by Bridget Christian in the Beacon Hill Blog photo pool on Flickr.

Jesse Vernon, of The Stranger, recently discovered the Chief Sealth Trail, which, he says, starts on Beacon Hill and then “transports you to Kubota Garden via Ireland. Or New Zealand. Or some other place with rolling green hills I’ve never been.” However, some commenters on Vernon’s post complained about the trail’s hills, and one commenter, Kinkos, suggested that the best way to ride the trail is to “take light rail to beacon hill, ride to the trailhead, then ride downhill on the trail to near the end – to the rainier beach sta. catch the train back to beacon hill, and repeat.”

Willie Weir has been photographing his Beacon Hill garden all year as part of an “exercise in extreme local travel” — enjoying the sights close to home that we often overlook. He’s posted a gorgeous video collection of last spring’s photos on YouTube.

© Wendi Dunlap for Beacon Hill Blog, 2009. | Permalink | No comment |
Post tags: art, bicycles, chief sealth trail, gardening, kubota garden, music, photography, rockit space, willie weir

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"Vote" sign at El Centro, November 2008. Photo by Wendi.

Tica and I have been walking the blocks of North Beacon Hill since 2003.  We’ve watched election signs go up for Kerry, Bush, Rossi, Gregoire, Obama, McCain, Rossi, Gregoire… plus the monorail, levies, school board elections, parks, and more.  This year, there just isn’t the same showing–for any issue or any candidate. Where are the yard signs? Is it too early in the season?  Are candidates not producing them in the same way? It can’t be that Beacon Hill has become less interested in politics.  The 36th District is active, engaged, smart and passionate.  Both Democrats and Republicans in Beacon Hill vote.

Candidates are falling over themselves to attend and organize forums, townhalls, and walks in Beacon Hill and other parts of Southeast Seattle.  The City is working on a Neighborhood Plan to decide how high buildings in the Beacon Hill “urban village” will be.  There are changes proposed to improve the safety of cyclists on our streets.  I know our neighbors have opinions–get involved! Attend meetings if you can, read up on the issues if you can’t, and talk to your neighbors.

Most importantly, register to vote and confirm that your ballot is on track to be mailed to your current address.  All voting is by mail in Seattle.  Go to My Vote to be sure that you’re going to get your ballot.  Do you have a new roommate or neighbor?  Do you know someone who just turned 18?  Monday October 5th (today!) is the last day to register or change your address online.  If you have never registered in Washington, you have until October 26th to register in person.

We have several important choices on the ballot this November.  There are two new candidates for Mayor: Mike McGinn and Joe Mallahan.  We’re choosing between several City Council candidates AND there’s a race for City Attorney and King County Executive.  We are also voting on two statewide initiatives that could have lasting impact: I-1033 (a Tim Eyman initative) and R-71, a referendum to roll back approve or reject domestic partnership benefits.

Learn about the candidates and their values.  Understand the implications of the initiatives.  Vote.  That’s even more important than yard signs.

(Editor’s note — corrected R-71 reference. If you vote “approve” on R-71, that is to approve the new state domestic partnership law. If you vote “reject,” your vote would be to repeal the law.)

© Melissa Jonas for Beacon Hill Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 5 comments |
Post tags: beacon hill, dow constantine, election, fall, I-1033, king county, mallahan, mayor, mcginn, politics, R-71, susan hutchison, tim eyman, vote, yard signs

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(Editor’s note: As with the earlier results, some of these results don’t add up to 100% because people gave multiple answers.)

What do you think is Beacon Hill’s most-needed amenity? We asked for one answer here, but some people listed as many as 17 different amenities!

It seems that, for the most part, Beaconites have food on their minds. The most popular answer was “More restaurants/cafés/coffee shops“, given by 29% of those surveyed. It was followed by requests for two specific kinds of establishments that people would like to see more of: a pub/brewpub/gastropub (a few people specifically mentioned Columbia City Ale House or West Seattle’s Beveridge Place Pub as the type of establishment they’d like to see here), mentioned by 18%, and a pizza restaurant, mentioned by 17%.

More retail in general was mentioned by 14%. 9% of you want more or better grocery stores (and a fair amount of you mentioned Trader Joe’s); one neighbor mentioned the need for a full-service grocery store south of Beacon and Columbian. Some of you are craving hamburgers; 8% of you want a restaurant with hamburgers, sandwiches, and general old-fashioned American “comfort food”. (Many people who gave this answer added that it needs to be kid-friendly, too.)

Beacon Hill once had a drugstore or two, and 8% of you think that a drugstore is our current most-needed amenity.

One neighbor’s answer to this question was a veritable wish list of places:

“pizza joint. drug store. vietnamese/thai/korean restaurants. flower stand. antique/junk/vintage store. ice cream stand. street vendors. vintage clothing store. hamburger joint. wine store. tea house. dessert/wine bar. book store. more of any kind of restaurant. A bread bakery. farmers market.”

Another neighbor’s answer was pragmatic: “Cops and social services that will deal with the dopers in and around Beacon Hill Elementary playfield and that bus stop on 14th across from the school.”

What do you think is the best reason to live on Beacon Hill? That’s an easy one: “location, location, location.” 57% of you said that the Hill’s central location and proximity to other places you might want to go are the best reasons to live here. (10% gave a related, but distinct, answer — our easy accessibility to I-5 and I-90.)

33% of you cited the “the United Nations diversity” of the Hill as a best reason to live here: “There’s no majority. You look at the faces on the 36 and it looks like the world.” Apparently our neighborhood is not just diverse, but friendly as well: 21% of you mentioned your nice, friendly neighbors. One neighbor wrote, “I feel like it’s an incredibly friendly place to live, and that our neighbors genuinely care about one another. And that’s not even our neighbors who profess to live in ‘community’ households the way that we do!” Another said, simply, “My neighbors rock.”

16% mentioned the affordability of living on Beacon Hill, and 8% specifically mentioned the new light rail.

On the other hand… what is the best reason to move away from Beacon Hill? Lack of retail and other amenities in our business district was the reason selected by 29%. One-third of people who gave this answer (10% of the overall total) explicitly stated that they wanted those amenities to be walkable. 12% of you specifically referred to a lack of restaurants, pubs, or coffee shops. Crime is a concern mentioned by 18% of you. 6% mentioned decreasing affordability, and another 6% mentioned noise (almost entirely airplane noise, but one person mentioned light rail noise as well).

7% of you said that there is no reason to ever move away from Beacon Hill. However, two optimistic people said that the best reason to move away would be “winning the lottery.” And one neighbor faced the sad reality of life on Beacon, answering “hard to pursue career as singing cowboy on the hill.”

© Wendi Dunlap for Beacon Hill Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 22 comments |
Post tags: amenities, survey, things we don't love, things we love, wish lists

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I’m looking for insight from the neighborhood. Do you live in Beacon Hill, the C.D., or surrounding areas and have been frustrated with broadband? Comment below. Tell us what you have, what you get, and what you’ve tried to do. Are you planning to move because of this, because you can’t work at all from home or stay up on office issues? Does it affect your business? Let us know.

Drop on by, read the article, and let him know about your home or business internet situation here on the hill.

© Jason Simpson for Beacon Hill Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 3 comments |
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(Editor’s note added 9/21, 2:56 pm: As with the earlier results, some of these results don’t add up to 100% because people gave multiple answers.)

What is the best restaurant on Beacon Hill? We knew El Quetzal was well-liked but didn’t expect it to be as much as an overwhelming favorite as it was. Apparently lots of us are fans of their tortas and huaraches: 40% of respondents selected the tiny Mexican restaurant on Beacon Avenue as the best restaurant on the Hill. Its closest competition was the Java Love/Baja Bistro combo, with 21%. A few other restaurants were mentioned multiple times, including Kusina Filipina (5%), La Cabaña (4%), Thai Recipe (3%, and just barely qualifying as Beacon Hill, since it’s almost at the bottom of McClellan — but we’ll take what we can get), and Inay’s (2%).

3% of you don’t feel any Beacon Hill restaurants are up to snuff, so you go to Georgetown or Columbia City. Then there was the guy who said the best restaurant is “Chevron.” (Hey, the seasoned catfish there is actually really good.)

(Editor’s note: Commenter cliff rancho points out that it’s actually the Shell station that has the tasty catfish. We don’t know if any nearby Chevron actually has edible food or not.)

The award for most misspelled restaurant on Beacon Hill goes to Kusina Filipina. Survey respondents spelled it: “Kuisina Filipina,” “Cusina Fillipina,” “Cucina Philippina,” “Kusina Flilipina,” and “the Filopina kitchen next door that I can not spell.” Only one person spelled it right.

What is the best evening hangout on Beacon Hill? All right, we admit that this is one of the questions we asked hoping that our readers would tell us about some potential places to go in the evenings that we don’t already know about. Unfortunately, the pickings are still a little slim up here.
(...)
Read the rest of Top of the Hill survey results, part 2: food and fun (383 words)

© Wendi Dunlap for Beacon Hill Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 4 comments |
Post tags: dessert, restaurants, survey

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The survey started with a couple of basic questions:

Where do you live on Beacon Hill? We did know that we had more readers in North Beacon than any other part of the hill, but were surprised to see how many more. 63% of survey respondents live on North Beacon Hill, 32% on Mid-Beacon, and only 4% on South Beacon. North Beacon is probably slightly denser than the rest of the hill, but not so much that we’d expect that sort of difference.

How long have you lived on Beacon Hill? This answer surprised us a great deal, though perhaps it should not have. The leading answer by a mile, was 1-5 years, chosen by 38% of respondents. It was followed by 5-10 years (20%), 10-20 years (18%), 0-1 year (14%), 20-30 years (5%) and more than 30 years (also 5%). Particularly interesting here is that this indicates that 52% of us — at least, of those of us who read the BHB and fill out surveys — have been here for five years or less.

As the disclaimer in the last sentence indicates, however, we are well aware of the statistical limitations of our survey. Does it represent all of Beacon Hill well? Probably not. We probably should have taken more demographic info, to get a better idea who might be answering the survey. Still, it does seem likely that Beacon Hill has a lot of newcomers these days.

(...)
Read the rest of Top of the Hill Survey Results Part 1: Names and changes (775 words)

© Wendi Dunlap for Beacon Hill Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 8 comments |
Post tags: survey

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You have one more day to take the survey! After tomorrow the survey will be closed. We’ll publish the results as soon as we can after that, but it may take a little while to crunch the numbers.

© Wendi Dunlap for Beacon Hill Blog, 2009. | Permalink | No comment |
Post tags: survey

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A volunteer at work on the Hanford Steps last year. Photo by Jason.

* * *

Noticed an increase in airplane noise? Patty Fong is organizing neighbors in Beacon Hill and the Central District to address the issue with the FAA. See this comment on a previous Beacon Bits for more details, including contact information.

* * *

Teens can earn service learning credit at the library. In addition to free SAT prep and online tutoring, the Seattle Public Library is also running a teen advisory board this school year. If you know teens wishing to earn service learning credit by writing book reviews, helping at teen programs, or writing for the SPL blog, contact Jennifer Bisson at Jennifer.Bisson@spl.org or call 206-615-1410.

* * *

Catholic Community Services is looking for tutors. Their Youth Tutoring Program is an after-school educational enrichment program for at-risk students in first through twelfth grade. Volunteers offer academic support and also serve as positive role models to students, helping strengthen their sense of self-esteem and self-respect. Tutors help students with reading, homework (all subjects), math and language arts skills. Resources are available for those subjects you might not remember quite so well, and no specific background is necessary aside from a high school diploma. Tutoring Centers located nearby in NewHolly and Rainier Vista are open Monday-Thursday from 4:20-7:40pm, and tutoring would be for 1-3 hours per week on the same night every week. You can apply online at http://www.ccsww.org/ytp.

* * *

Flash Volunteer offers many more volunteer opportunities. A non-profit startup run by Brad Wilke, a former Development Director at Denise Louie, aims to link people and neighborhood-focused volunteer opportunities. Check it out at www.flashvolunteer.org.

* * *

A South Beacon Hill neighborhood watch is coming together. Mike Cheney, working with SPD Crime Prevention Coordinator Mark Solomon’s encouragement, is trying to bring together South Beacon Hill neighbors to form a neighborhood watch group. Perhaps you read the recent Wall Street Journal article “Civilian Patrols Grow As Recession Puts Citizens on Guard” and it piqued your interest, or maybe you’d just like to make your block a safer place to live. If you’re interested, email Mike at redboneshadow@yahoo.com.

© Jason Simpson for Beacon Hill Blog, 2009. | Permalink | One comment |
Post tags: airplane noise, block watch, cheasty, hanford stairs, hanford steps, library, neighborhood watch, plants, public stairs, service learning credit, traffic, tutoring, tutors, volunteers

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Even on dark winter mornings, dogs like Tica need their exercise. Photo by melissajonas.

Tica turned 10 in June.  She’s still active and continues to demand (and deserve) regular exercise, but at a much more gentle pace.  We go out for 20-30 minutes in the morning and again in the evening.  From age 1-5, Tica had to be engaged for at least a couple of hours every day.   She is a smart, social dog and it was fun to find ways to keep her entertained.  It was also a lot of work.  I trained Tica using a “clicker” and positive training methods.  This approach worked miracles with my high-energy dog.  Using positive methods strengthened our relationship and helped Tica become more trusting of strangers.  Clicker Solutions is one of many online resources for this method.

My mantra in those years was “a tired dog is a good dog.” When Tica was younger, she got bored easily.  When she was bored, she’d find ways to get my attention–barking, whining, digging, chewing… behaviors I couldn’t ignore.  I realized that keeping her busy on my terms was a lot easier than trying to deal with her behavior after she got bored.

If you have a spring puppy, you’ve probably both been basking in the incredible weather.  It’s easy (and fun!) to take long walks and extended trips to the dog park while the sun is shining.  It’s a lot more effort when the sun goes down at 5:45 and the puddles are past your ankles.  Make the effort to keep your dog active–it pays off!

Wondering how you’re going to keep your dog active & happy this winter?

• Wear a watch. Make a commitment to take the dog out every day. Most experts recommend 60-90 minutes, especially for high energy and/or younger dogs.  You know your dog and your lifestyle.  Set a goal and stick to it.
• Dress appropriately. You’re more likely to take the dog out if you’re comfortable.  Wear weather appropriate shoes, invest in a good raincoat, and get several hats.  Keep visibility in mind–you want drivers to see you on dark November afternoons.  I don’t wear headphones because I want to be aware of my surroundings.
• Keep your dog safe and comfortable. Some breeds are prone to ear infections, especially in wet climates.  Watch for discharge coming out of the ears and/or extra scratching.  Some breeds (Greyhounds, pit bulls, etc) need a sweater or rain coat to stay dry and warm on long walks.  Talk to your vet if you have concerns.
• Trade doggy play dates and/or get together with a friend. Take turns bringing the dogs to the park, or simply getting them together to run around in the backyard.  You’re less likely to put off that walk when you’ve made a commitment to another human.
• Play indoor games with your pooch.  Teach new tricks, hide dog treats behind the couch or in the bathtub, or practice a quiet “down, stay” while you’re making dinner.  Mental stimulation and social interaction keep dogs busy & happy.  Your dog still needs to go outside–but make the most of indoor time, too.
• Take classes. Seattle has too many dog resources to list.  Agility, obedience, herding, conformation…there’s bound to be something you and your dog will both enjoy.  Many classes are in a covered or indoor area.
• Hire a professional. If you’re too stretched for time to meet your dog’s needs, consider paying for a dog walker or taking your pup to a doggy daycare.  A responsible teenage neighbor might just be the perfect answer for getting your dog out of the house.  Be sure to interview critically–this person is going to be alone with your pet and may have access to your home.  Check references.

In every season, remember to be a responsible neighbor: carry bags and clean up after your dog, keep her leashed, and be respectful of others.  Many people are afraid of dogs–including some dog owners.   Tica is medium sized by my standards (45lbs), but to some people she looks intimidating.  I don’t force the issue.  Observe dog and human body language and keep your dog under control.

It takes a village…

A new baby, illness, injury, increased or changed work schedule… sometimes there are times when the responsibilities of a pet are too much. If you need help, ask.  If your neighbor needs help, offer.   A dog walking service is a great baby shower gift!  There are also lots of pet charities who need your support.  Donate food, litter, and other supplies to help others care for their pets.  Encourage your animal-loving student to consider volunteering at a shelter when assigned community service projects.

© Melissa Jonas for Beacon Hill Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 8 comments |
Post tags: dogs, pets, tica, walking

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This is what our Beacon Hill Library looked like shortly after opening a few years ago, before they put up the "boat/whale" sculpture. Photo by Wendi.

“I received an e-mail from a parents’ group saying that several neighborhoods are starting up campaigns to welcome back the Seattle Public Libraries staff on Tuesday, September 8th with cards, pictures, thank yous, whatever saying how much we appreciate our neighborhood libraries and miss them when they’re gone.

“I’m planning on putting something up there on Monday, I hope others will join me!”

© Wendi Dunlap for Beacon Hill Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 2 comments |
Post tags: library

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The survey lets you tell us what your favorite places are on the Hill, or, sometimes, your least favorite. Some of the questions are serious, some are frivolous, but the results should be entertaining, at the very least.

The survey will be open for two weeks. It will close on September 11. We’ll show you the results shortly after that.

The survey is open to anyone who lives or works or spends lots of time on Beacon Hill.

Go here to fill out the survey, and have fun!

© Wendi Dunlap for Beacon Hill Blog, 2009. | Permalink | No comment |
Post tags: survey, things people say, things we don't love, things we love

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