Beacon Hill Blog

Jefferson Park expansion projects topic of December 1 forum

“Who lives on Beacon Hill and wants to go to the Jefferson sk8 park? Dec 1 630-830 @ Jefferson Park Community Center – $1million allocated!” said skatelikeagirl on Twitter last night. The planned Jefferson skate park is just one of the projects to be discussed on December 1, at a community forum to talk about future developments at Jefferson Park including Beacon Mountain, the Park service road and promenade, improvements to Jefferson Playfield, and the Jefferson skatepark and basketball court.

Comments made by the community at this meeting will be incorporated in the planning and design of all of these features, and then there will be two follow-up meetings: one at which schematics will be presented, and another to present the final design.

The meeting is at Jefferson Community Center, 3801 Beacon Avenue South, from 6:30 – 8:00 pm on Tuesday, December 1. Skaters, park enthusiasts, basketball players, and all others interested in Jefferson Park’s improvements are welcome.

Tags: beacon mountain playground, jefferson community center, jefferson park, skate park

Jefferson Park Project Advisory Team meeting tomorrow

From Mira Latoszek on the mailing list:

The Parks Department has scheduled a Jefferson Park Project Advisory Team meeting. The meeting is this Tuesday, 11/10, @ 6pm at the Jefferson Park Lawn Bowling club house.

The agenda includes the following topics:

1. Jefferson Park Expansion Project — Construction status/update
2. Jefferson PAT [Project Advisory Team] — Do we want to add new members? Does everyone want to continue for the next few years?
3. Jefferson PAT lessons learned — How can we improve.
4. Upcoming projects at Jefferson associated with the new Levy.

All PAT meetings are open to the public.

Hope to see you there,
Mira

The lawn bowling club house is behind the restaurant and main building at the golf course on the west side of Beacon Avenue South.

Some emphasis added by me. Thanks, Mira!

Tags: expansion, jefferson park, meeting

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

Try classes for $2 at Jefferson CC

Until October 2 this year, Seattle’s community centers (including Jefferson Community Center at Jefferson Park) have a “Try it for $2″ program. You can attend a class or program session once for $2, then if you like it, register for the rest of the class for a prorated amount. Adult classes eligible for the program are Pottery, Yoga, Mat Pilates, and Zumba Fitness. Youth classes eligible are Hapkido and Creative Movement. JCC’s fall class catalog is online, and you can also register for classes online. If you have questions, contact JCC at 206-684-7481 or email Tiffani.Harris@seattle.gov.

Jefferson Community Center is located at 3801 Beacon Avenue South.

Tags: classes, jefferson community center

Volunteer opportunities a-go-go

The Hanford Stairs Weed Busters need you! Susan Fairo is seeking teams of two people (volunteering together or matched up individuals) who can put in 2-3 hours four times a year to help keep weeds from taking over the new native plants at the public staircase near 25th and Cheasty. Rookie Weed Buster team volunteers will receive instruction on what to remove and what to ignore, and use of tools, watering, plant disposal, etc. If you’re interested or have questions, contact Susan at susan.fairo@gmail.com or call 206-349-7285.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

Tags: airplane noise, block watch, cheasty, hanford stairs, hanford steps, library, neighborhood watch, plants, public stairs, service learning credit, traffic, tutoring, tutors, volunteers

Learn to dance or to save money

Puddletown Squares, a gay and lesbian square dance club open to everyone, are coming to Beacon Hill with square dance lessons starting tonight at the Garden House (also known as the Turner-Koepf House), 2336 15th Avenue South. Lessons run for 20 weeks on Thursday nights from 7:00 – 9:30 pm. The first three lessons are free, after which you can decide whether to continue and pay for the rest of the series. The Puddletown folks do Modern Western Square Dancing, which they describe as “upbeat and energetic without a single hay-bale in sight… danced to all sorts of music, and especially at a gay club like Puddletown, you will be dancing to Disco, world music, house, Salsa, old show tunes, and top 40 hits.” Everyone is welcome.

Beacon Hill’s own Verity Credit Union is offering free credit and money management seminars. Both members and non-members of Verity are welcome to attend these seminars, at which a financial counselor will discuss credit reports, how credit scores work, and what you can do to raise your score.  He’ll also cover money management techniques designed to help you save more and spend less. The bad news? The seminars aren’t here on the Hill, but at the Northgate branch on September 17, or all the way out in Lynnwood on September 16. Both seminars run from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. If you are interested, RSVP to Joe Lancaster at 206-315-6718 or JosephL@veritycu.com.

Tags: classes, dance, money

Van Asselt playground project needs neighbor help

Keyunda Wilson at Van Asselt is trying to get a Neighborhood Grant to bring a play structure to Van Asselt Elementary @ the African American Academy.

To be eligible for the grant and to bring a community playground to this area we need 25% of the pledges to come directly from the neighborhood! I need to have pledged commitments by Friday the 28th.

Time is short: the 28th is tomorrow!

Ways you can pledge to help:

• With your time: join the Playground Committee, attend a planning meeting, help design the playground
• With materials: lending or buying tools and equipment, providing snacks for the builders
• With labor: paint or assemble the play structure
• With organizing: contact and recruit other people in the community who may be interested in the project

If you’d like to help, email Keyunda at krwilson@seattleschools.org or pwfowler@seattleschools.org with your name, address, phone number, and the number of hours you are willing to pledge and/or kinds of volunteer activities or items you can pledge. Or call 206-252-7500.

Tags: playground, van asselt, volunteer

Rizal Park Music Fest urgently seeks assistance

Tess Guerzon, coordinator of the previously mentioned Rizal Music Fest coming up on August 8th, is looking to add some last-minute sponsors, vendors, or artists wanting to display their work during the festival, and she’s also hoping to find volunteers and someone who might be able to assist with providing and/or setting up tent(s) and a stage.

The current roster of sponsors includes Coldwell Banker-Danforth, OMA Construction, and Goldie’s Restaurant.

Time is running short — if you know anyone who might be interested in sponsoring the show, displaying their wares, selling items, volunteering, or providing tent and stage assistance, please contact Tess via email or phone at 206-819-8377.

Tags: festival, music, rizal park, stage, tent, vendor, volunteer

Rooftop hip hop from above Spoons

Caught wind of a free hip hop show on the roof of Spoons and the Golden Daisy at 15th & Beacon just before it stated. From 3 to 6 this afternoon, Dope Emporium and Black Stax hosted the show. The live acts started a bit late with Steelo and several more, but the DJ provided a funky mix that made for a good time outside (where, at least in the shade, it was cooler than hanging around in the house). There were some minor audio glitches for those watching from street-level, but nothing that seriously detracted from the show. Lucky for you, there’s another show set for the same location coming up on July 25th.

Some more photos after the jump.
More »

Tags: black stax, hip hop, music, show, spoons, steelo

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!

Follow-ups: Daejeon Park’s spelling change explained, North Beacon car wash inspected

Following up on the earlier post about the car wash located at an intersection not zoned for auto-centric businesses, 15th and Beacon: an inspector from the DPD visited the business on April 13, and apparently found it in violation, reporting: “‘Violation Alert’. Violation of the Seattle land use and zoning code observed. Change of use permit required for new car wash business. Also help wanted sign for auto detailers, stereo installers & auto tint installers.”

In more cheerful news, Laurie Dunlap at Seattle Parks and Recreation sent us some information on the recent change of name from Taejon Park to Daejon Park.

“A sister-city delegation was recently here to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their connection with Seattle, and they brought to our attention that their city is now officially known as Daejeon.

If you look around on the internet, you see the city referred to most places as Daejeon, some places as ‘Daejeon (Taejon),’ ‘Taejon or Daejeon,’ and some places (the online Encyclopedia Britannica) still give Taejon as the primary spelling, saying ‘also spelled Daejeon.’

…In both cases, correct pronunciation of the first syllable is a long “I”, so DIE-john.”

Apparently the Korean government adopted a new romanization style a few years ago: the Revised Romanization of Korean. In this change, Pusan became Busan, Taejon became Daejeon, and Taegu is now Daegu. The new romanization style is intended to represent the sounds of Korean more accurately. So the new sign at Daejeon Park represents the current spelling of the Korean name; the park name hasn’t changed, just its spelling in Roman characters.

Tags: daejeon park, taejon park, zoning

Supporters appeal for Beacon Mountain Playground funding

David Gackenbach forwards this appeal from Glenn Herlihy:

Dear Friends of the Playground,

This is a crucial moment for funding the Beacon Mountain Playground.

As you might have heard the levy money is now (this week) being allocated to different parks projects and Jefferson Park will receive a portion but where it will go is still up in the air. There is a good chance we might be able to fund the entire new Playground design if we can convince Parks Department Head Timothy Gallagher, and Parks Committee Chair Tom Rasmussen to allocate the levy funds to build Beacon Mountain Playground.

If we get them to fund and build the entire new design we will have a magnificent playground completed by next year. If they don’t allocate the funds toward the the new design it would be phased construction for the next few years.

It been a long road to get our design approved by parks and ready to build so with one last push maybe we could see this dream through to completion. Those of us on the Beacon Mountain Playground Team believe play infrastructure is a healthy and sustainable investment for the future of our community.

Please take a moment and write a letter stating you wish to see levy funding to build the entire Beacon Mountain Playground at Jefferson Park. Include your name and address. Thanks

timothy.gallagher@seattle.gov
tom.rasmussen@seattle.gov

Long live play

Glenn Herlihy
18th Ave S

You can read more about the Beacon Mountain Playground here.

Tags: beacon mountain playground, jefferson park