Tag Archives: jefferson park

Birdhouse Tour wows the crowd at Jefferson Skatepark

Photo by Furchin.

A ton of people showed up at Jefferson Park yesterday for Tony Hawk’s Birdhouse tour skateboard demo at the Jefferson skatepark. It was a cheery, carnival atmosphere—there were vendors selling yo-yos, camera equipment, skating equipment, and food and drink. There was a lot of excitement in the air as kids of all ages waited to see professional skaters on the new Jefferson skatepark bowls.

People were lined up two or three deep all the way around the bowls. There were kids ranging from age two or three, right on up to grownups older than Hawk himself. Though it was crowded, people seemed pretty cheerful about it.

The skating was impressive, generating oohs and ahs from the crowd like fireworks on the Fourth of July. The weather couldn’t have been better. After some of the tough times Beacon Hill has had in the last couple of weeks, it was nice to have this.

Neighbor Furchin was there and took some truly amazing photos for the Beacon Hill Blog photo pool on Flickr. See some of them here on this page, and do check out the rest at the photo pool. Thanks to Furchin for going above and beyond for these, and for adding them to the pool so we could show them to you here.

Photo by Furchin.
Photo by Furchin.
Photo by Furchin.
The man of the hour meeting members of the audience. Photo by Furchin.

Spray park drainage to be fixed

Photo by Furchin in the Beacon Hill Blog photo pool on Flickr.

We received an e-mail from Andy Scheffer of Seattle Parks and Recreation with some news about the spray park at Beacon Mountain. Here’s what he said:

The spray pad at Beacon Mtn. – Jefferson Park is temporarily closed because the water is not draining quick enough. The engineer is researching a fix and the contractor is going to make the necessary changes as soon as he is given direction (early this week). The system was tested on multiple occasions prior to the opening on July 14th. However, the issue was not readily apparent until the spray park experienced, continual, high usage.

I sincerely regret this inconvenience and can promise you that we are doing everything possible to get the system up and running again. Please don’t hesitate to e-mail or call me with additional questions or concerns.

Thank you, kindly
Andy Sheffer

Beacon Mountain spray park runs dry

Photo by Furchin in the Beacon Hill Blog photo pool on Flickr.
Neighbors have reported some disappointment that the new water spray park at the Beacon Mountain playground in Jefferson Park is not working. We have contacted the Parks Department to ask what went wrong (so far, it seems that it may be the drains), and if there is an expected date for the water feature to return to service. Watch this space for more information as we get it.

A busy day at the Jefferson Park Jubilee

By all accounts, the Jefferson Park Jubilee on Saturday was a success. The neighborhood came out in force to celebrate Jefferson Park’s centennial as well as the completion of the park’s remodeling. Here are some photos from the Beacon Hill Blog photo pool to give you a taste of the day’s events. (Did you take some photos? You are invited to post them to the pool.)

Kiritiki (Samoan cricket) bats await the start of a game. Photo by Freeman Mester.
The event began with a procession. Photo by K. Shuyler.
A tiny skater. Photo by Wendi Dunlap.
Members of the Greg Ruby Quartet perform. Photo by Wendi Dunlap.
Skateboard lessons for all ages at the Jefferson Park skate park. Photo by Melissa Jonas.
Kids enjoy the fountains at Beacon Mountain Playground. Photo by Wendi Dunlap.
I wish I could show you video for this one. The kiritiki player in front was waving his arms in a victory dance. Photo by Wendi Dunlap.
Waiting in line for food at El Sabroso. The other food carts had all run out of food by this time. Photo by Wendi Dunlap.

Continue reading A busy day at the Jefferson Park Jubilee

Beacon Mountain Playground almost ready for Saturday dedication

Among the many activities planned for Saturday’s Jefferson Park Jubilee is the grand opening of the new Beacon Mountain Playground. The BHB visited the nearly-finished playground yesterday to see the views from the new view decks and even try out one of the slides. Here are some photos of the playground. (All photos by Wendi Dunlap.)

The two slides in the playground are surrounded by a soft, bouncy, rubbery surface for safety.
The playground has a view platform.
The railing of the view platform.
Looking down from the top of the tallest slide.
There will be ziplines here.

Last but not least, here’s a video taken while going down the tall slide at the playground:

Volunteers needed for Jefferson Park Jubilee

Volunteers are needed for the Jefferson Park Jubilee, an all-day celebration at the park on July 14 from 11-9 p.m. Help is needed in a variety of roles throughout the event. Volunteer shifts may start as early as 8 a.m. to help set up or run as late as 10 p.m. when cleanup is done.

Interested and willing? Fill out the “Contact Us” form on the Beacon Hill Merchants website. Please include the subject line “Volunteer for Jubilee,” and provide your contact information.

Among the things to celebrate at the Jefferson Park Jubilee will be the completion of the Beacon Mountain playground, shown here as it was a few days ago, approaching completion. Photo by Melissa Jonas in the Beacon Hill Blog photo pool on Flickr.

Jillions of things to do at Jefferson Park Jubilee

The Jefferson Skatepark is one of the improvements to celebrate at the Jefferson Park Jubilee. Photo by Joel Lee in the Beacon Hill Blog photo pool on Flickr.

The schedule is up for next month’s Jefferson Park Jubilee, a day of festivities from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. on July 14 to celebrate the park’s revitalization and its 100-year history. See the schedule here. The day’s activities will include kiritiki (Samoan cricket), kite flying, skating, lawnbowling, Japanese games, circus arts, Ultimate Frisbee, tours of the Beacon Food Forest site, an Olmsted walking tour and more. Performers scheduled include Wayne Horvitz and Sweeter Than the Day, Mango Son, Blvd Park, Greg Ruby Quartet, the Beaconettes, and more. There will also be a tour and ribbon cutting of the brand-new Beacon Mountain playground.

Among the park improvements to celebrate are the Jefferson Park expansion, the new Jefferson Skatepark, Jefferson Playfield, cherry tree plantings in the park, Beacon Mountain Playground, and solar picnic shelters. All of these were completed in 2011 or 2012.

The Jubilee still has openings for food vendors, but the deadline to apply is tomorrow, Friday, June 29. See here for more information.

For more information about the Jubilee, see jeffersonparkjubilee.com or the event’s Facebook page.

More festive images

A ton of photos came in to the Beacon Hill Blog photo pool on Flickr this week. Here are a few — please visit the pool to see even more great photos of Hill life and events. Thanks to the great photographers who contributed!

Folding balloons at the Beacon Hill Festival. Photo by K. Shuyler.
A player in the Samoan Cricket League keeps his eye on the ball at Jefferson Park on May 26. Photo by Matthew Mar.
Neighbors toured the Beacon Food Forest site on Saturday. Photo by K. Shuyler.
Glenn Herlihy (right), shown here with (l to r) North Beacon Hill Council President Judith Edwards and City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw, was one of several neighbors honored at this week's NBHC meeting for their contributions to Beacon Hill. Photo by Melissa Jonas.
Skater catching air at Jefferson Park. Photo by Matthew Mar.
Tasty food at the Beacon Hill Festival. Photo by K. Shuyler.
Good night, lion! Photo by K. Shuyler.

Jefferson Park contributors to be honored at NBHC meeting

The North Beacon Hill Council meeting next Tuesday is a special meeting to honor people who have devoted time and energy to Jefferson Park and Jefferson Community Center. Those honored include Jefferson Park Director Doreen Deaver, Jean Lee, Frederica Merrell, Robert Hinrix, Marianne Wickman, and Glenn Herlihy. City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw will present each of the honorees with a certificate of thanks, and then give an update on Beacon Hill achievements.

Here is the agenda for the meeting, Tuesday, June 5 at 7 p.m. at the Beacon Hill Library:

  • 7:00 Welcomes and hellos
  • 7:15 Honoring Beacon Hill activists, followed by an update and comments from Sally Bagshaw
  • 7:50 NBHC Board elections: Confirmation of new board members by membership vote, election of officers to follow at Executive Board Meeting
  • 8:00 Community concerns and announcements
    • Kate Gil de la Garza: upcoming community meeting co-sponsored by NBHC and El Centro de la Raza, June 19
    • Announcement by Roger Pence regarding Jefferson Park Clubhouse meeting
    • City announcements: Steve Louie, Neighborhood Coordinator
  • 8:15 Other announcements of upcoming events
    • Beacon International School Rummage Sale: Saturday, June 9
    • Beacon Boogie: Saturday, June 9 – Sunday, June 10
    • Beacon Rocks!: Sunday, June 24
  • 8:30 Executive Board Meeting, election of officers

Beacon Hill Festival is next week

The silent auction at last year's Beacon Hill Festival. Photo by Wendi Dunlap.
The 20th Annual Beacon Hill Festival is only a week away! Make plans for next Saturday, June 2 from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. at Jefferson Community Center, 3801 Beacon Ave S. (You won’t be able to miss it. The event is big!) There will be food, musical performances, bouncy toys, carnival games, vendors, a silent auction, and more. Admission is free for the whole family, and money raised through the vendors and silent auction will go to support scholarships and programs at the community center.