Beacon Hill Blog

It’s tree time at El Centro de la Raza

We know, it’s not quite Thanksgiving yet, but Christmas is coming soon, and El Centro de la Raza wants to supply your Christmas greenery. The tree sale will help raise funds to support El Centro’s services for low-income families.

If you pre-order your tree or wreath by today, you will receive a discount. (See the price list here.) You can then come to the tree lot and pick a tree on any day you choose to.

The lot is located on El Centro de la Raza’s south side, 2524 16th Ave. S. It will be open starting at noon on Friday, November 23 through Christmas Eve. Open hours will be 4-8 p.m. on weekdays and noon-8 p.m. on weekends.

To order by phone or for more information, call 206-957-4605 or email execasst@elcentrodelaraza.org.

Tags: christmas, el centro de la raza, shopping

Poet Raúl Sánchez reads tonight at El Centro

Last night was the Beacon Bards poetry event, but it’s not the only poetic activity on the Hill this week. Tonight, November 15 at 6 p.m., the poetry moves to El Centro de la Raza, where Mexican-American poet Raúl Sánchez will read from his debut chapbook, All Our Brown-Skinned Angels. There will also be a book signing after the poetry reading.

The event is free, but if you are interested in attending, please RSVP to execasst@elcentrodelaraza.org or at 206-957-4605.

Here are some lines from a poem in All Our Brown-Skinned Angels, “My Father Was a Bracero”:

He didn’t want me to live
by my strong back, strong arms
but by my words

Have you seen this bike?

Neighbor Claudia writes,

This bike was stolen out of our yard on Friday night 11/9/12. My housemate is very distraught and I was hoping that the good good people of Beacon Hill could keep an eye out for it?

Here are the details on it.
The paniers were not on it.
Steel frame, carbon fork.
good quality accessories and parts.
Old Man Mountain rack, rigged up nice.
Rocky Mountain frame, No stickers.
Little Canadian flag sticker on frame.

Please contact claudia.loves.food@gmail.com if you can help.

The Station wants to see your pumpkins

The Station has announced their first annual pumpkin carving contest, starting today and running until October 31. Bring in a carved pumpkin, or carve it on the Station’s back porch. Pumpkins will be displayed in back on the porch. The winner, as determined by The Station employees, will receive a free pound of coffee beans and a coffee drink of his or her choice.

Singing bears, gnomes, and a movable Blue House come to Jefferson Park

“Holy porch swing! At Jefferson Park you and yours
can have fun looking behind my doors
and peeking into my windows to see what I adore.”
– from the Blue House website

If you see a Victorian house moving around the streets of Beacon Hill near Jefferson Park this weekend, don’t be alarmed. It’s the Blue House, a “a spirited citywide folly celebrating home and stewardship” — actually, a mobile artwork about energy conservation and sustainability with accompanying singing bears and gnomes, coming to the neighborhood on Sunday for the work’s “housewarming party.”

Lucia Neare’s Theatrical Wonders’ “There’s No Place Like Home” show is 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., Sunday, October 21 at Jefferson Park. The performance is free. The 13’9″ tall Blue House artwork was created to celebrate home stewardship through energy conservation, to recognize Seattle City Light and Community Power Works, and to bring awareness to the city’s energy conservation programs. The project was funded through City Light’s 1% for Art. The house, which gets around town on an alternative energy truck, will be visiting other neighborhoods including Seattle Center and Green Lake before the end of the year.

Find out more at the Blue House website or Facebook page.

Beacon Rocks! one more time on Sunday

This Sunday, August 26 from 1-5 p.m., the last Beacon Rocks! event of 2012 returns to Roberto Maestas Festival Street with music and dance performances, kids’ activities, vendors, and even some old-fashioned bartering.

The lineup this time includes Jean Mann (“alt-folk indie-pop singer-songwriter”), Mister K and the Rhythm Rockets Kids’ Show (“Cab Calloway meets Mr. Rogers meets Vince Guaraldi”), Splinter Dance Company (“thought-provoking dance performances”), Lushy (“Cal Tjader meets Stereolab meets Brazil 66 in a bar in Berlin”), and Tumbuka (“a marimba band that plays African music drawn from traditional and contemporary styles”).

Alongside the performances, the focus is on local food and gardening. There will be a BarterFest from 2-4 p.m. Backyard Barter invites the community to trade their homegrown and homemade food and related skills. To participate, bring homegrown veggies, fresh eggs, plants, baked goods, garden tools, kitchen skills, and more to share or trade. No money allowed. (Save your money for the several food trucks and carts that will be on hand, instead.)

Representatives from the Beacon Food Forest will also be on hand with a presentation about the urban farming project currently being developed at Jefferson Park. People for Puget Sound will also be there to demonstrate creative ways to reduce pollutants flowing into stormwater drains.

Here is the performance schedule for the day:

• 1:00 Jean Mann
• 1:45 Mister K and the Rhythm Rockets Kids’ Show
• 2:30 Splinter Dance
• 2:45 Lushy
• 3:45 Splinter Dance
• 4:00 Tumbuka

Here’s a video of Lushy performing at the Beacon Hill Piñata Party at Stevens Place Park in July 2010.

Tags: beacon rocks, festival, festival street, north beacon

Shots fired at 15th and Walker; no injuries

Seattle Police report that multiple shots were fired in the area of 15th Avenue South and South Walker Street on Friday evening at about 6:45 p.m.

According to preliminary investigation the suspect, described as a black male, 25-30, with short dark hair and a medium or husky build, wearing a green t-shirt, was apparently walking on the sidewalk when he fired at the victim, who was getting in his SUV along with his family. (The two are believed to know each other.) No one was hit, but several vehicles and a stop sign were damaged by the victim’s SUV while he fled the scene, and one parked car was struck by a bullet. 

Detectives from the Gang Unit are investigating. More information is at the SPD Blotter. 

Celebration ceremony at Jefferson Park to mark cherry tree centennial

The Jefferson Park Jubilee on Saturday, July 14 will include a special ceremony to mark the centennial of the gift of cherry trees from the nation of Japan to the United States in 1912, as a symbol of the friendship between the two countries. Multiple events to commemorate this anniversary are being held throughout the U.S. this year. Earlier this year, 25 cherry trees were planted at Jefferson Park this spring to celebrate this centennial along with the 100th birthday of Jefferson Park.

The Jubilee ceremony will be at 12 noon on July 14, with Mayor Mike McGinn, Consul General of Japan Kiyokazu Ota, and other dignitaries. Taiko performances and Bon Odori dances will begin at 11:30 a.m.

This is only part of the activities scheduled for the Jefferson Park Jubilee. See this earlier post for more about this all-day event.

The Station celebrates 1st Anniversary

The Station coffee house on 16th Ave. S. is celebrating its first year in business with a free all-ages anniversary party, on Sunday evening (after Beacon Rocks!) from 5 p.m. until dusk. The party will feature DJ 100 Proof, WD4D, King Khazm and 206 Zulu, Hollis, Amalala, Side Pony, Khingz, Waves of the Mind, and more, including an open mic. There will be be a variety of alcoholic beverages for those 21+, and lemonade, Italian sodas, and coffee drinks for those younger.

See the event page on Facebook.

The Station is located at 2533 16th Ave. S., just north of Beacon Hill Station, and across the street from El Centro de la Raza.

Tags: music, the station

SDOT restoring sidewalk at Beacon and Forest

Today and for the next couple of days, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will be doing restoration work on the sidewalk at Beacon Avenue South and South Forest Street, next to the Beacon Hill Library, where flashing lights have been installed in the crosswalk. (As far as we know, the flashing lights aren’t operating just yet.) In order to do the work, SDOT will close the curb lanes on both the north and south sides of the street. The sidewalk between South Forest and South McClellan streets will remain open during the work. The work is expected to be completed within two to three days.

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